Bulgur-Blueberry Salad (Perfect for Spring/Summer Cookouts!)

I often get asked about bulgur at work; "what is it?" and "how do I use it?".  To be honest, before making this recipe last year I had never used bulgur and didn't know much about it.  All I really knew was that it's a whole grain and that it's used in the Middle Eastern dish tabbouleh.  But now that I've learned about the amazing qualities (in regards to taste, versatility and nutrition) of this wholesome grain I like to tell people if you're looking for a new whole grain to use as the weather gets nicer and you start craving fresh, delicious salads, move over quinoa....bulgur is here! One serving of bulgur, which is 1/4th cup dry, provides a whopping 7 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. Not bad for a grain.  In fact, that's pretty stellar.

I found this recipe on a rack the store where I work, and thought it looked pretty and would be a great way for me to get "introduced" to bulgur.  I wasn't sure I would like it, but to be honest, this was one of the best salads I have ever tasted.  The sweetness from the blueberries, combined with the savory taste of the feta, and the healthy fats from the walnuts......let me tell you, it was a winning combination!

 Blueberry-Bulgur Salad

(Serves 8)

1/2 cup bulgur wheat

1.5 cups blueberries

4 ounces reduced fat feta

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup diced red bell

1/4 cup basil

Dressing

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. dijon mustard 

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1.  Cook the bulgur as directed on package.  Once cooled, add blueberries, feta, walnuts, parsley, basil, pepper, onion, and mix. 

2.  In a small bowl whisk together lemon juice juice, vinegar, sugar and mustard.  Whisk in oil; season with salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle on salad; toss to coat.  Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

** NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet you will want to replace the bulgur with a non-wheat grain, such as quinoa.  

Estimated Nutrition Fact for 1-serving, or 1/8th of the salad

Nutrition Highlights:  Low fat, good source of fiber and vitamin A, excellent source of vitamin C.  And even that small amount of iron (5% DV) will be absorbed better because of the vitamin C.  Did you know that?!

.

We served this salad with Sweet and Savory Grilled Chicken.  This would be a great combination for your next get together this spring or summer (although any lean protein would pair well with this salad)

QUESTION:  Have you ever used bulgur?  Share your favorite recipe in the comment section, if you'd like!

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.

Thrifty Thursday: Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

We all know beans are cheap. Very cheap.  And, very healthy (who says healthy foods are always expensive?!).  This meal was so cheap, it was scary (ok, that was a Halloween pun that's slightly late). If you want this meal to be even cheaper, omit the ham, but....I think the ham was integral.   You may be thinking, "how could soup be a meal??".  Well, this soup was very hearty and filling (check out the fiber, how can that much fiber not fill you up?!).    

    

I added a dollop of plain Greek yogurt on top.

Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

Serves 9

Modified slightly from a recipe found on AllRecipes.com

Total Price per serving:  ~ $1.45

Ingredients

3 (15-ounce) cans low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained **

1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1/4th cup unsalted butter

1 cup diced onion **

3 cloves chopped garlic **

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

4-cups low sodium beef broth **

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree **

1/2 lb. cubed cooked ham

3 Tbsp. sherry vinegar

NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet this is just not a good recipe to make!

Directions

1.  Pour two cans of black beans into a food processor or blender, along with the entire can of tomatoes.  Blend until smooth.  Set aside.

2.  Melt butter in a soup pot (or a large saucepan) over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Cook and stir until the onion is soft.  Stir in the bean puree, remaining can of beans, beef broth, pumpkin puree, and sherry vinegar.  Mix until well blended, then simmer for about 25 minutes (or until thick enough to coat the spoon and stick to it).  Stir in the ham and heat through before serving.

3.  Garnish with whatever you'd like (I added plain Greek yogurt and a bit of hot sauce to mine!)

This is the consistency of "Smooth" in my opinion.

Estimated Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Highlights:  Under 200 calories, low cholesterol, EXCELLENT source of Fiber and Vitamin A, good source of Iron and Vitamin C.

I recently found another great pumpkin soup recipe in our Columbus Dispatch.  It called for one of my favorite ingredients; nutritional yeast.  I hope I get around to making it.  I might just Pin it on Pinterest or post it on Facebook or Instagram.  We shall see.  Happy Thursday everyone! 

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.

Confused Day Tuesday: Simple Vs. Complex Carbohydrates

I found this picture several months ago, but couldn't figure out the source.  I really wanted to know who created this because I wanted to get a better image to post on my blog!  This is a perfect example of how the terms "simple" and "complex" can easily be misinterpreted.  Basically this photo is saying that Complex Carbohydrates and GOOD and Simple Carbohydrates are BAD.  Here is a review;

Simple Carbohydrates:  Made up of one (ex: fructose) or two sugars (ex: lactose), and are therefore absorbed much faster, and in theory they may raise your blood sugar faster (think about what a diabetic will do if he/she has low blood sugar, they will drink juice!  Why? Because juice is made up of simple carbohydrates that will raise blood sugar fast)

Complex Carbohydrates:  Made up of three of more sugars (Ex: Starches and fiber), and are therefore absorbed much slower, and in theory they may raise your blood sugar slower.

By giving simple carbohydrates the name "BAD", do you realize you would be saying that milk, fruit, and vegetables are bad?  Think about it.

Source: iStockPhoto

 Yogurt is mostly simple carbohydrates (ie: lactose and fructose when fruit is added), and the berries you might add on top are also simple carbohydrates (ie: fructose).  Would this be considered a bad choice?  No way!  Granted, I would choose plain yogurt because most companies add sugar (in the form of more fructose or even sucrose) to their flavored yogurts, but still, you get the point.  Yogurt and berries are made of all simple carbohydrates.  Yogurt and berries are not a bad food.

Source: iStockPhoto

And what about this delicious meal?  The broccoli is made of simple carbohydrates, the mango is made of simple carbohydrates, the brown rice.....is made of complex carbohydrates.  If you call all simple carbs "Bad" and all complex carbs "Good", that might denote that the only good part of the meal above is the brown rice.  Not true!

Source: iStockPhoto

And what about pancakes?  They are complex carbohydrates (starches) so does that mean this meal above is "Good"?  Not necessarily.  Take about 8 of those pancakes, add some simple carbohydrates in the form of fruit, and possibly add some protein in the form of nuts, and then it's much better. Or better yet, made these pancakes from a better form of complex carbohydrates; whole wheat (or other grain) flour!  

Simple carbs are not bad, unless you eat too many (remember this post about my thoughts on the new Weight Watchers system?).  The average person should not consume more than 3 servings of dairy (ie: lactose-containing foods) and 1-2 cups of fruit (ie: fructose-containing foods) and 2-3 cups of non-starchy vegetables (ie: fructose and other simple-carbohydrate-containing foods) per day.  There is also a limit for complex carbohydrates, because with any type of carbohydrate you can get too much!  Now once you start talking about simple carbohydrates in the form of candies, jams, and syrups (ie: simple carbohydrates found in foods with zero nutritional benefits) then clearly it's not quite as good.

Bottom Line:  Simple carbohydrates are not all bad. Simple carbohydrates, by themselves (ie: a spoonful of sugar!) are obviously not good, but when you find these in foods that contain nutrients and/or fiber, they are much, much better!  Complex carbohydrates are not all good.  White bread isn't a great choice, but it's a better choice if you make it whole, which means it contains more fiber and nutrients.

You should eat non-starchy vegetables, and fruits.

You should use milk (or choose alternatives like soy, almond, etc.) on your cereal if you want!  And heck, add berries too.

You should choose complex carbohydrates that also have a lot of fiber, such as beans, instead of starch white breads with little fiber.

And stop using the words "good" and "bad".  Got it?!  If you want to find out how many servings of fruits, vegetables, dairy (or dairy alternatives), protein, grains you need, check out ChooseMyPlate.Gov.  Now, what questions do you have for me???

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.

Thrifty Thursday: Homemade Spicy Fruit, Nut and Oat Bars (AMAZING!)

Do you have any recipes/foods that you believe are so freaking amazing that you have actually considered selling them?  I do, and it's my granola.

I know this is such a tease.  I'm talking about, and showing you my granola, but not giving you the recipe.  I'm purposefully trying to entice you, so when you see this on your grocery store shelves you think "I HAVE TO BUY THAT!"

When the mid-afternoon munchies come at me like a rabid beast, I know exactly where to go...my garage!  Why the garage? That's where I store my granola.  It's just so good that I can't keep myself away from it when it's too close to me (HINT: If you have a favorite food that you could mindlessly eat for hours on end, put it somewhere far away, like the garage, so you have to think before you dig in!).

Because I plan on selling my granola.....eventually (in my dreams really) I can't give out the recipe. But here are the ingredients; 

Ingredients
Old Fashioned Oats
Puffed Rice
Peanut butter
Walnuts
Almonds
Molasses
Cinnamon
Cayenne 

But since I don't blog to disappoint, I will provide the recipe for my amazing granola bars. Nick gets a granola bar in his lunch every day.  Yes, I married a granola bar lover (and of course, I'm a lover myself. I could live off of granola and granola bars.  Toss me in the woods and leave me with a lifetime supply of granola and granola bars, and I'd be happy).

Have you noticed how expensive granola bars are these days? Have you noticed the nutrition facts? Many are loaded with added sugars, and not so many beneficial ingredients.  For this reason I decided to come up with my own granola bar recipe.  I wanted my bar to have some fruit, protein, and whole grains, so this is what I came up with;

Gina's Spicy Fruit, Nut and Oat Bars

(Makes 12 or 24, depending on how large you want to make them)

Cost:  ~ $.70/bar if making only 12, and $.35/bar if making 24. Not bad considering one of these bars can basically be a meal replacement!)

Ingredients

4 cups old fashioned oats

9 ounces prunes, pureed (~1-cup total, after pureed)

3/4 cup almond butter

3/4 cup peanuts

3 Tbsp. molasses

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Combine the prunes, almond butter, and molasses in a bowl and put in microwave for about 15 seconds to get it soft.   With clean hands, blend together the softened prune, almond butter and molasses.

2.  Combine the oats, peanuts, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne in a separate bowl.

3.  Add the dry ingredients to the prune/almond butter/molasses mixture, and blend to combine (with clean hands).

4.  Add the mixture to a square pan, then put in the fridge for a few hours to allow to slightly harden, making it easier to cut them with a knife.  (I actually use one of those brownie pans that is divided into squares already, and I cut them right away, while they are soft, then I put them in the fridge to harden so I can wrap them easily).

5.  Cut into 12 or 24 bars.

NOTE:  These are not low FODMAPs .  Dried fruits, especially prunes, should not be eaten often if you have issues with IBS.  I can only handle a small amount of these bars at a time.

If you make them BIG (as in 1/12th of a batch), the calories are pretty high (but they are VERY filling!) This would be a perfect breakfast on the go, or post-workout snack.

Cut them in half to make them a bit lighter (1/24th of the batch).  I like to eat them cut in half as part of a packed lunch (although for Nick's lunch I give him a whole one)

Nutrition highlights; Low in sugar, compared to most granola bars, also a good source of iron and for the large ones a good (almost excellent!) source of fiber.  Let's not forget the almost full serving of whole grain, and loads of plant-nutrients from the delicious prunes (you don't have to be old to enjoy prunes, you know ;) )

Wrap them up and save them in the fridge or freezer.

INSTAGRAM!

And I'll admit it, I'm just as addicted to these bars as I am to my granola.  Maybe I'll sell these one day too.  Who knows.  But until then, make them, and love them, and get back to me so I can hear how much you enjoy them!  Oh, and P.S, don't tell your kids or hubby, or whoever, that these are made with prunes. Nick loved these until I told him they were made with prunes. Darn it. He still eats them though

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.

Confused Day Tuesday: Foods with "Fiber"

Are you a confused consumer, trying to get more fiber, but not exactly sure where to turn?  I mean there are the obvious answers, apples, oats, beans etc. But what about those very tempting chocolate bars with fiber added?  In a recent short-term study these "Fiber-rich" bars were put to the test.  In short, they failed to to keep women full and satisfied.   Does this mean they are bad? No, but what this does mean is that you're probably better off getting your fiber from the true sources; fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Let me explain......

The fibers being added to many foods (especially snack foods like breakfast bars) these days are called Isolated Fibers.  They get their name from the fact that they are isolated from plants.  So, let's just use apples as a hypothetical example.  Let's say I was a food manufacturer and I wanted to add more fiber to my snack bars.  Instead of adding the entire apple to my bar (probably not possible) I would isolate the fiber from the apple and insert it into my bar.  Now, granted, this isn't really what happens, but you get the idea.


So now food manufacturers, well aware that Americans are trying to get more fiber in their diets, are adding these "isolated fibers" to things like snack bars, and even cottage cheese and yogurt (you may see the words "inulin" or "chicory root extract" on a food label; that's isolated fiber).

Source: iStock Photo

I've actually had conversations with people who claim to get their fiber from yogurt and 2-3 snack bars a day.  This is sad, in my opinion, because many times that means they are ignoring fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.  But why eat those fruits and veggies if you can get fiber in yogurt?!  I'll tell you why; yogurt, cottage cheese, and snack bars are missing the phytonutrients/antioxidants (and so much more left to be discovered) found in these wholesome plant foods.Want to read more about isolated fibers?  

Who needs to eat vegetables when you can get fiber in juice and yogurt now?!  Ummmm, WE ALL DO!

In the the article I linked above, they end by saying;

Slavin said she thinks it's the total experience of eating fiber-rich foods - the chewing, the sight of a big bowl of oatmeal - that makes people feel more satisfied. "You really know you're eating fiber," she said.

With a fiber-added chocolate bar, the experience is different. "With these products, it's like eating a brownie," Slavin said.

Of course, fiber is only one of the nutrients we need. Slavin said that even if you do choose fiber-added processed foods, you still need to eat fruits, vegetables and other "whole foods" that give us a range of nutrients.

In general, experts recommend limiting processed foods in favor of whole ones.

AMEN!

The Berkeley Wellness Letter published a great article all about them back in December of last year.  It's worth reading, if you have the time.  I also wanted to share this article about the differences between all the new "smart pastas" (with extra fiber, omega-3, protein, etc.) and ones with whole grains.  Sometimes it can be confusing as far as which one is the best choice.

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.

Spicy Jicama Sticks; The Perfect Mindless Munchie Snack

Have you ever tried jicama? I had heard of it, but never tried it until a client told me that it was their new obsession. I love teaching people about new foods, but it's fun to every once in a while be introduced to something new by a client!

In case you were wondering what jicama looks like....




And to give you an idea of the size, here is a picture of it in my hand.


If you're wondering how the heck to pick out a good jicama, and how to store it, check out this link.

The great thing about jicama is that it's pretty low in carbohydrates, and it's loaded with fiber. After doing some research on jicama, I learned that the majority of its fiber is soluble (yeah!), but sadly for me, the specific type of soluble fiber is inulin (otherwise known as a short-chain of fructose linked together...also called fructans). Inulin is also considered a prebiotic, which means it can serve as food for good bacteria in the gut. The reason it's bad news for me is because I malabsorb things like inulin. Fructans (like inulin) are an oligosaccharide, and they are supposed to be avoided or limited on the low FODMAPs diet (the "O" stands for oligosaccharides). So, when I eat my jicama I try to stick to a small serving.


So now let's imagine it's 3pm and you're at home on your day off. You're not hungry, but you want to much on something crunchy (it's that 3pm craving for salty crunch that is hitting you hard!). What do you do? Make these:

Mexican Jicama Snacks
(Makes enough for about 5 large mindless munchie occasions)

Ingredients

1 large jicama

2 limes, juiced

1 T red pepper flakes

1/8 tsp. sea salt

Directions

Peel the jicama, and rinse it off under cold water.
Cut into fry-sized sticks.
Combine in a medium bowl with juice, pepper flakes, and salt
Toss to coat.
Serve/eat as finger food!

(Ignore the tacky purple nail polish that is flaking off my thumb nail. My mom will be so angry if she sees that....)

Delicious!

Estaimted Nutrition Facts
(Serving Size: 1/5th of the batch)

Check out all that fiber! So, the total carbohydrates is 22 grams. You can take half of the grams of fiber (which is 6) and subtract that from 22 (which makes 16) and this is your "net carbs" (if you are a carbohydrate counter). So this is a salty and crunchy snack with less than 100 calories, only 16 carbohydrates, LOTS of fiber, a good source of vitamin A (and almost iron...), and an excellent source of vitamin C.

QUESTION: Have you ever tried jicama?? What about any other new finds that you'd like to share?

And I Thought I Hated Coleslaw!

I hope everyone had a nice weekend. My weekend actually ended yesterday (oh, and it started yesterday too..). But I can't complain because I get three days off next week :)

If you're interested in some updates on my new job, and our new house, stay tuned for some posts coming up next week. I'll be providing some updates/recaps on both. Until then, I'm talking about FOOD!



When I was a kid I truly despised coleslaw. I never understood the interest in such a runny and "sour" food (that's what I thought back then). After college I worked at a restaurant that served fish and chips and of course we also served coleslaw with the fish. If you've ever worked in a restaurant you understand how certain foods may become completely unappetizing to you after handling them so often in a restaurant setting ( although I worked in an ice cream shop once, but I never got sick of ice cream....). I already hated coleslaw, but then after having to serve it (from a cardboard container, no less) over a thousand times to hungry customers, I truly detested the stuff. That is.....until I discovered broccoli slaw!



I also discovered the beauty of having control over how much slaw dressing I used. Most places drench their coleslaw in dressing to the point where it's ruined (similar to what some places do with salads). I probably add half the amount of slaw dressing to my coleslaw.



Why make a healthy food unhealthy? Slaw dressing is far from healthy, but the broccoli slaw itself, well, take a look!


Three great highlights of this product include; fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C. And of course there are certain nutrients missing from this nutrition panel, and those would include; folate, vitamin K, quercetin (a type of flavanoid with anti-inflammatory properties), and lutein/xeazanthin (types of carotenoids, which can benefit the aging eye).

A WILD WHOLE GRAIN

After researching a bit on Wikepedia, I learned that wild rice is grown in shallow lakes and slow-flowing streams. It's made from four species of grasses, meaning it's not even a variety of rice at all. WILD! A while ago I posted a video blog about the nutritional differences between quinoa and brown rice, but wild rice is pretty impressive too. Like quinoa and brown rice wild rice is wheat and gluten free and does count as a whole grain (even though it's a grass). It has a characteristic nutty and mild flavor.

A while ago I received some free samples of wild rice. The one below is a fusion of brown and wild rice.

Delicious!

Nutritional Highlights For 1/4 cup of the average dry wild rice (~1/2 cup cooked)

Fat: ~1.25- 1.5 grams

Protein: 5-10 grams (similar to quinoa), and this includes the amino acid lysine, which is the limiting amino acid in most whole grains. This can be used as a great complementary source of protein for vegetarians.

Fiber: 4-5 grams (more than brown rice and quinoa)

Good source of: B vitamins, phosphorus, and potassium (quinoa is the better source of iron)



Question: Is there a food that you hated as a kid, but now you really love?!

Source: iStockPhoto

Other than coleslaw, I hated tofu (oh wait, I still hate tofu) and artichoke hearts (love them now). Something else I hated was chunky peanut butter. Now that's all I eat!