Vegan Nut Butter and Banana "Ice Cream"

I have an ice cream maker, but sometimes I want to make an even more simple "ice cream", one which doesn't involve the heavy cream, milk, sugar, a frozen canister, etc.  And it's nice to have a vegan version of "ice cream" on hand in case you ever have a friend who is vegan or intolerant (or allergic) to dairy.   One day as I was perusing my favorite blogs, I found this great recipe from Teri at Managed Macros.  I quickly recreated it and was more pleased than I ever would have imagined!  Not only did this "ice cream" taste amazing, but it was very simple with only three ingredients.  It's also a great way to use any bananas that are about to go bad.  Don't let them go to waste, put them in the freezer and make this recipe!

In Nick's words; "This stuff tastes like peanut butter, banana whipped cream!"

Vegan Nut Butter Banana "Ice Cream"

Source: Managed Macros

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 frozen bananas, sliced into ~1-inch thick pieces

3 Tbsp. of your favorite peanut butter or almond **

~1/4th cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Directions

1.  Make sure your sliced bananas are nice and frozen (they should be in the freezer for a few hours, at least).

2.  Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend away!

3.  Stop and scrape the sides as needed, and continue blending/pureeing until it's nice and creamy.

4.  Top with extra peanuts/almonds if you wish.

**NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet you are better off using peanuts, as they contain much less FODMAPs than almonds, and the amount of peanuts in this recipe should be tolerable for most FODMAPs sensitive individuals.

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1-serving (half the recipe)
Source: CalorieCount.com
Using peanut butter

This summer I tried the recipe with almond butter.  Almond butter tends to be a bit healthier than peanut butter simply because of it's higher content of magnesium and vitamin E (And a few other properties, which you can view here).  Did you know that both vitamin E and magnesium are good for preventing, or reducing symptoms of PMS?  Yeah ladies, stock up (or gentleman....).

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1-serving (half the recipe)
Source: CalorieCount.com
Using almond butter

As you can see there is slightly more calories and less calcium and iron in the peanut butter version.  And there is also more vitamin E and magnesium in the almond butter version, as I mentioned, but neither of these nutrients are required to be on the label.  I would honestly say this could be a hearty snack, a really healthy desert, or even a pretty decent breakfast (perhaps with some type of whole grain crumbled on top, such as homemade granola, cereal, popped amaranth and/or toasted wheat berries, or raw oats.

QUESTION:  What do you like better, peanut butter or almond butter?

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

Slow Cooked Thai Pork with Red Peppers (DELICIOUS!)

When meat goes on sale, buy one get one free, I stock up (unless it's something that I wouldn't consider very healthy).  Pork, in my opinion, might be considered "the other red meat" but when eaten in moderation (maybe 2-3 times a month? It depends on the rest of your diet really, and what type of pork), and when trimmed of excess fat, it can certainly fit into a healthy diet.  So, when they were selling 6-packs of pork chops, buy one get one free, I bought one, and got one free :)

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One day recently I was perusing the internet for a slow cooker pork chop recipe.  There weren't many that fit  my dietary restrictions, but I ran into this thai pork recipe that seemed to fit, with a few simple modifications.  I noticed it received 4.5 out of 5 stars and my interest was peaked immediately.  I tend to use recipe website's rating systems and trust them.  I figure they have to be from real viewers/testers since most of the recipes are submitted by people not involved with the website.  They haven't failed me yet.  I decided to make this because I had most of the ingredients already, and it was one that I could easily make low FODMAPs.  Can I just say, I'm so glad I made this recipe? I could live off of it for a lifetime, it was that good.  There is something about soy sauce and peanut butter, mixed together, that really turns me on.  Seriously.  It's a sweet and savory mix that I just can't live without.

Slow Cooker Thai Pork with Peppers

Source: AllRecipes.com

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 cup low sodium chicken broth**

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup no-salt creamy peanut butter 

3 Tbsp. cane syrup

6 cloves garlic **

2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger root

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 red peppers, thinly sliced and cut into bite-size lengths

1 pound boneless pork chops

**NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet omit the garlic, and be sure the chicken broth does not contain onion or garlic.

Directions

1.  Place the chicken broth, soy sauce, peanut butter, cane syrup, garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, red bell peppers, and pork chops into a slow cooker, stir together and set the cooker on Low.  Cook for 5 to 6 hours until the pork is tender, and remove the pork from the sauce.  Shred the pork, return the sauce, let cook until hot, then serve.

Note:  The excess liquid is normal.  You can strain it and make this a thick dish served over rice (or another grain or vegetable), or you can eat it more like a soup (this is what I did).  

Nick isn't a huge fan of eating the same thing a couple nights in a row (too bad for him I always make enough for two nights, and that's the end of the story. Period).  I grew up on leftovers, and so will our children, sorry Nick.  Thankfully, sven Nick was in love with this dish, and was fine eating it a couple nights in a row.

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1/4th of recipe

Ok, yes, the sodium in this recipe is crazy.  That's almost 800 mg.  If you want this to be lower sodium, don't consume the liquid.  If you strain this recipe and eat it more as a pork and vegetable dish, and less as a soup or stew, the sodium will be drastically reduced.

Nutrition Highlights:  Under 400 calories, good source of fiber, vitamin A and iron, excellent source of vitamin C

Nothing ever looks very good right before you turn on the slow cooker. Don't you think? Who knew this would turn into a meal that I will make again and again?!

When I make this again, I will add more red peppers.  Other than that, this recipe was perfection.  I didn't even serve it with anything (Nick had his with brown rice).

QUESTION:   Do you use the rating systems on recipe websites?? Have they ever failed you?

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Basil and Lemon Iced Beverage (Motivational Monday)

It's officially Spring (although we woke up to 3 inches of snow this morning). Have you started to think about what plant in your garden?  If you don't have a garden, perhaps you are thinking about planting some tomatoes or a small herb garden (after all, you can grow herbs in your kitchen!).  One of my favorite herbs (one which sadly we've never grown before) is basil.  It may not be one of the 10 herbs that can aid in weight loss, but in my opinion it can definitely be a weight loss herb.  Maybe not because of any miraculous component that it contains, but instead because of all the delicious recipes (that are also light) that can be made with basil.  Wondering what those recipes are?  You'll just wait for this summer, I'll be posting basil recipes all summer long. I can't wait.  And I'm starting today, with this Basil and Lemon Ice Beverage.

No, this is not an extra dirty martini.  I just think drinks are more fun served in martini glasses.

Why am I posting this, you ask?  Well, for a few reasons.  First, I want you to get excited for my future basil recipes.  And second, I feel like spring and summer are the perfect time to start educating people about the importance of reducing added sugars, specifically in their beverages (after all, this study linked 180,000 global deaths on sugary drinks....WOWZA!).  Many of us crave iced coffee beverages or colas when it gets hot outside, but instead of grabbing for something with sugar it's a good idea to have a plan in mind to prevent you from drinking your sugar quota for the day, in one sitting (btw, the American Heart Association recommends no more than 24 grams of added sugar for women, and 36 grams for men, per day.  Read more here and here).  One of my favorite things to drink is a simple naturally flavored, 0 calorie seltzer water as a substitute to sweetened drinks or boring ice water.

We all know that added sugars are popping up in the most unlikely places in our food supply (we can't say that desserts and sugary drinks are the only sources of our added sugar.  Heck, those "nutrition bars" that are so popular can sometimes have more than a day's worth of added sugars!).  Many of the people I work with are addicted to added sugars that come from "healthier" drinks like tea.  Ok, they aren't healthy, but many people think teas are healthy, and forget that they can often be loaded with sugar.  In fact, many of the bottled teas on the shelf can have just as much sugar as sodas and pops. 

39 grams of added sugar in this peach tea.  Ummmm, that's more than a day's worth of added sugar. You may as well drink a cola!  Trust me, this is not good for you (unless it's an every once in a while treat, OR unless you manage to fit it into your diet, which I suppose can be done, as long as you aren't getting any more added sugars throughout your day.  Yikes. My suggestion? Get the unsweetened bottled teas, or brew your own.)

If you need a refreshing (and light) drink, try making your own.  I got this recipe from a customer at the grocery store where I work.  She said she had just received a Vita Mix for her birthday, and this recipe was in the cookbook that came with it.  I don't have a Vita Mix, but I thought I could try it with my Magic Bullet.  I'm sure it wasn't the same, but it was certainly refreshing!

Basil and Lemon Iced Beverage
Makes one serving

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped ice

2 cups water
Splash of lemon/lime or plain soda water (optional)

1 lemon (all the juice and 1 tsp. zest)

1/4 cup chopped basil

2 tsp. stevia (or other sugarless sweetener)

Directions

Blend in a Magic Bullet, blender or VitaMix.  Blend until the beverage is to your desired thinness (I liked mine with a little bit of the basil floating to the top....)
Optional: Add a splash of soda water for some extra fizz and pizzazz! 

Nutrition Facts

1.5 grams sugar (from lemon, not added)

~20 calories

Some of the basil pieces floated to the top, but I sort of liked that texture in my drink.  This was so refreshing.

Ok, let's get back to the garden talk.  Nick and I have been thinking about our garden and have decided on only planting four things this year.  Yeah, last year our garden got a little overgrown....

This year we're keeping it simple;

Butternut Squash 
(to make soups, sauces, and to stuff with delicious foods)

Zucchini
(to make zuchini noodles, zucchini boats, and to grill on our gigantic outdoor grill)

Tomatoes
(for bruschetta, caprese salads, summer salads, and salsas)

Basil 
(let's face it, basil makes everything taste better in the summer!)

Oh yeah, did I mention we will also be growing corn and spaghetti squash? Yeah, Nick seems to think we live on a farm.

QUESTION:   Do you have any simple refreshing spring/summer drinks to share? Have you thought about your garden yet? What are you planting?

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

One-Pot Chicken With White Beans and Rosemary (Thrifty Thursday)

You probably wouldn't know this from reading my blog, but my favorite type of bean is the white bean (ie: cannellini beans).  I'd add them to everything if they didn't give me so much gas (sorry, but seriously, they do).  If I was able, I'd add these beans to all salads, soups, pasta dishes, whatever.  They are just so good! Anyway, you get it, I love them, so when I found this recipe in Martha Stewart's "Food" Magazine (which I sadly stopped getting for free, perhaps I should order it?!) I knew I had to make it (and of course I also knew to arm myself with some Beano). 

This recipe was thrifty in terms of money and time.  As far as the money, it cost about $2.50 a serving, and while the time to actually make the recipe wasn't necessarily short, the clean-up was a breeze because it was a one-pot meal.  

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Of course, my experience with this recipe wasn't as "thrifty" as it should have been.....

I was a complete idiot and put the chicken in my Le Creuset cassserole dish instead of the appropriate "French Oven" (see below).

Don't you worry, I brought that broken dish right into Bed, Bath and Beyond, where I had received it as a wedding present just 3 weeks before, and they gave me a new one. So kind (seriously, that was awesome).  But that wasn't the only "oops" moment on this particular day.   I was clearly not thinking straight because not only did I use a casserole dish for a direct heat application, but I also failed to follow the directions of the recipe.  Take note, I did not cut the whole chicken into ten pieces as the recipe suggests.  Martha would not be happy.  So, when you make this recipe, follow the directions, don't be like me.  Thankfully, either way, the recipe turned out to be fantastic.

"One-Pot" Chicken with White Beans and Rosemary

Serves 4

Source: Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (3.5-4 pounds) cut into 10 pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced**

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

2 cans (15.5 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained**

1 sprig rosemary

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and seasons with salt and pepper.  In a large heavy pot, place chicken skin side down and cook over medium until pieces release easily from pot and are browned, about 10 minutes.  Flip and cook until browned, 5 minutes.  Transfer to plate.

2.  Add onion to pot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add tomato paste and cook, stirring until fragrant and dark red, about 4 minutes.  Stir in 2 cups water, beans, and rosemary; season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a rapid simmer.  Return chicken to pot, skin side up.  Transfer to oven and bake until chicken is cooked through and liquid is slightly reduced, about 20 minutes.

3.  Serve

**NOTE: If you are following a low FODMAPs diet, omit the onion and be sure to take a Beano (or similar product) for the galactans (GOS) in the beans.  Keep in mind, however, products like Beano only help you digest the GOS not the fructans.  So if you are really sensitive to fructans (part of the "O" in FODMAPs) I wouldn't make this dish (or just eat a very small amount of the beans)

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1/4th of recipe
Yes, it's a high calorie meal, but this filled me up for hours.  I would say this recipe could easily serve up to 6 people, if you want to reduce your serving and calories (it's still very, very filling)

Nutrition Highlights:  Lower in sodium (just above 300 mg, not bad at all!), excellent source of fiber vitamin C, calcium and iron, good source of vitamin A

QUESTION:    I told you my favorite bean, what's yours?  I also really love lentils (that's a new love for me, stay tuned for a lentil hummus recipe coming soon!)

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Pregnant? Get Motivated to Drop the Junk and Try These Granola Bites

Did you read the latest news about eating junk food during pregnancy?  It made me think that perhaps both my mom and Nick's mom binged on junk food throughout their entire pregnancies with both of us.    Why? Because the study showed that eating a lot of junk food (typically really sweet and fatty foods) during pregnancy can cause changes in the opioid signaling pathway of the unborn child, therefore making it difficult for the child to get that "feel good" feeling from eating certain foods (like high fat and sugar foods).  So in theory this would mean the child would need to eat more of the food to get that "feel good" feeling.  Do you have a sweet tooth? Do you like high fat junk foods? Nick and I both have major sweet tooths (although his is much, much worse than mine, can you believe I got blessed with marrying one of the few men on this planet who actually likes chocolate more than his wife?  Yeah, I'm a lucky women).

While I'm not pregnant, I do have many friends who are expecting and who have complained to me that their sweet tooth is just insatiable.  That scares me.  I can't imagine what mine will be like when the time comes......yikes.  This recipe is for anyone who is pregnant and wants a sweet treat that is actually packed with nutrition (and for those of you who aren't pregnant, you can enjoy this too, it's just a healthier treat for any occasion!).

Evan (the initial creator of this recipe) makes some of the most amazing recipes I've ever seen, and I know this not just because I look at his wonderful photos, but I have probably made at least a dozen of his recipes.  I saw these granola bites on his blog not too long ago and thought they sounded, as always, wonderful. But the best part was that they sounded easy.  Of course, I did make some modifications in order to make them low FODMAPs, and to appeal to my "spicy" side (I'm obsessed with adding cayenne to anything even slightly close to granola).

Spicy Granola Bites

Makes ~18 bites
Low FODMAPs

Modified from a recipe found on The Wannabe Chef's Blog

Ingredients

1.5 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 Tbsp. maple syrup (or cane syrup)

1/4th cup dark chocolate chips (semi-sweet)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cayenne (or more for extra heat!)

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

2.  Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and form a sticky dough.  Start forming 1-inch balls with your hands, adding more peanut butter if the dough is too dry.

3.  Place the balls on a non-stick cookie sheet.

4.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the outsides have browned a bit.

5.  Let the granola bites cool and then store them at room temperature for 2-3 days (or in the fridge for a week).

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The Candid RD
Pre-Oven baking

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Post-Oven Baking
So tasty right out of the oven!

Nutrition facts for 1/18th of recipe

Nutrition Highlights:  Under 150 calories, low fat, very low sodium (I used no salt added peanut butter), only 3 grams of sugar (because of the semi-sweet vs. milk chocolate chips)

But what if you want more protein in your snack?

-  Add some powdered peanut butter to your dough 

-  Add some chia seeds to the dough (they will soak up moisture so you may need more nut butter or cane sugar if you do this)

-  Add some more nuts/seeds of other types

-  Add whey protein (I thought about doing this....)

-  Serve your bites with some greek yogurt or a glass of milk

Want more ideas for "healthier indulgence" recipes? Check out my "raw" board on Pinterest, which contains plenty of delicious "bite" and "ball" options, also my "Healthy Snacks" board.  I also thought these larabar-like snack balls from Anna sounded really delicious.  I'll have to try them soon.

QUESTION:  What's your favorite healthy indulgence? Leave a recipe if you'd like to share!

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

What Can I Eat When I'm Sick and Following a Low FODMAPs Diet?!

A little over a month ago, I got sick.   I woke up at 3am and felt like I had food poisoning.  I then proceeded to wake up every hour, on the hour, after that and you know.....get sick.  Thankfully I was off that day, so I was able to stay home and relax my stomach all day (and my body, for that matter). My mom, a nurse, reminded me of the importance of the "BRAT" diet.  You've heard of the BRAT diet, right? It stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast.  These foods are bland and lower in fiber, so the premise is that they will provide some nutrients while giving your gastrointestinal tract a much-needed break.  There are apparently some extensions to the diet; BRATTY (with Tea and Yogurt), and BRATCH (with CHicken or CHicken soup).  I think it's a given that plenty of liquid should be included in this diet as well, as many people with GI upset are losing fluids and electrolytes when they "get sick".

 

But what if you follow a Low FODMAPs diet? Could these remedies possibly make the problem worse?  I found out last month just how hard it is to be sick while on a low FODMAPs diet.  I learned some things, so please take note (and feel free to add what you've learned yourself in the comment section, because I'm no pro when it comes to eating low FODMAPs while sick!)

• Bananas:  On the BRAT diet you are supposed to eat bananas that are slightly more ripe because the unripe bananas have more of a fiber called "resistant starch".  This starch resists digestion in the small intestine, and then gets fermented in the colon.  It's typically fine to consume (in small amounts) on a low FODMAPs diet, but may cause further GI problems if eaten in excess while you're having GI upset (hence the reason why the BRAT diet suggests eating them ripe!).  I would be careful not to have more than 1/2-1 full banana (and make it small, and more ripe) per day when trying to give your GI tract a break, and following a low FODMAPs diet.  Some people can handle more than others, so eat with caution.

• Rice:  Rice is fine, but make sure it's lower in fiber, because the purpose of the BRAT diet is to provide bland and lower fiber foods.  Most likely white or brown rice would be fine (brown rice usually doesn't have much fiber anyway).  Also, do not season the rice with anything other than perhaps a dash of salt.

• Applesauce:  Stay away.  Loaded with FODMAPs.

• Toast:  When I was sick I was seriously craving sourdough bread.  According to the low FODMAPs app (from the Monash University), sourdough bread is only ok when it's made from wheat-free grains.  Ugh.  That's rare here in the states!  Plus, when I sent Nick to the store to pick up some fresh sourdough bread, I had him read the ingredients to me and to my horror I found that all of them also had honey (not low FODMAPs)!  Ugh again.  I still ate it.  But your best bet is a wheat-free bread (or just look for gluten-free, because that's automatically going to be wheat-free) and be sure to read the ingredients and watch out for things like honey, HFCS, apple concentrates or pear concentrates (yes, I have found these in breads before, they are out there).

• Chicken:  A bland, boiled chicken is fine, but be careful with chicken soup (see below)

I also enjoy popsicles and cold foods when I have stomach/GI issues.  In fact, I like switching between hot soup and cold ices or popsicles.  I don't know why, but that's my thing.  I ate this Italian Ice on the day I was sick, and it really hit the spot.  Notice the ingredients below, all fine on a low FODMAPs diet.

Simple ingredients! These are best.  The guar gum and xanthan gums, which are used to bind ingredients together, may cause problems if eaten in excess ( I say "may" because I'm not 100% sure about these ingredients), but in this case I don't see any issues. 

What if you have the common cold?  The BRAT diet isn't really the best "remedy" for a cold.

Source: iStock Photo

When I'm at home with a cold, I crave popsicles and hot soups.  But of course there are other remedies like hot tea, honey, and neti pots!  What can you have on a low FODMAPs diet? Read below.

• Popcicles/cold foods:  I recommend a simple Italian Ice like the one pictured above.  Or, if you can find a brand of popsicle that doesn't contain High Fructose Corn Syrup, that would be great (they are hard to find!).  Sometimes it's best just to make your own (but, no one wants to do that when they have a cold and feel run down).

HFCS, no bueno

What about the "sugar-free" versions? Well....you can't win with those either, they usually contain sugar alcohols (or the "P" in FODMAPs, "polyols")

Sugar alcohols are a type of polyols.  You need to really limit these on low FODMAPs

• Hot Soups:  Good luck finding any soups that don't contain onion or garlic.  You'll have to stick to simple broth.  You'll also have to give up your goals of eating "only natural foods" when you have a cold and you really crave some hot soup.  Why?  Because most of the broths that I have found on the market that are deemed "ok" for those following a low FODMAPs diet are also loaded with unnatural ingredients.....

Not so natural, but...ok to eat on low FODMAPs.  No FODMAPs ingredients here!

The label below contains many more "natural" ingredients (I mean, I know what these ingredients are!)  However, it's loaded with FODMAPs; onion, honey, and mushroom.

So natural and yummy, but....so many offenders on this list!

• Hot Tea:  Yes, yes, yes!  Drink it up.  Just make sure you aren't buying a tea that is flavored with honey.

Source: iStock Photo

Other things to think about?  Throat lozenges and cough drops.  Many of them contain honey and/or pure fructose, just be aware (and they may not cause big problems if you are just doing 1 every couple hours).  Something else I would recommend are citrus fruits, like clementines and oranges (but not orange juice, most are off-limits).

And my best advice?  Drink plenty of water, and stay active.  Yes, you read that right, stay active! Exercise boosts your immune system and if you can add some small amounts of activity and/or exercise into your routine, even if you have a cold, it may help reduce the duration. Take it from me, it works.

QUESTION:  What tips do you have for beating a cold or stomach bug while following a low FODMAPs diet, or even if not following a low FODMAPs diet?

Don't forget to check out my latest low FODMAPs post, with more helpful tips and resources.

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.