Curried Zucchini and Couscous

Do you ever read a recipe and say to yourself "no, this isn't good enough, I can make it better!".  I do. Although maybe my "better" is different from other people's "better".  I typically don't add more cheese, salt, or fat in order to make something taste "better", instead I try to add something healthy and tasty, such as in the case of today's recipe.  The original recipe called for slivered almonds, toasted, and only 1/4th cup.  I love almonds in salad, so I used sliced almonds (I prefer the taste) and doubled the amount. Simple.  In my opinion more sliced almonds made this dish better (I also added a couple more twists from my fresh ground pepper mill).

Ok, now I really think I'm telling the truth when I say this is the last zucchini recipe of the season (well, the last zucchini-focused recipe. I do still use zucchini in the fall and winter because I love it so! In fact, it may just show up again as a "side-note" in a recipe next week) We're moving on to bigger and better things soon; butternut squash and pumpkin.  Be prepared, I do have a slight addiction to both (and of course we have a million butternut, so as you will soon find out they have been put to good and tasty use).  But until then, it's still summer.

Curried Zucchini and Carrots

Source: EatingWell.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 medium zucchini, diced

1/4 cup finely chopped onion **

1 cup water

1 Tbsp. lime juice

1 tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

2/3 cup whole-wheat couscous **

1 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted **

** NOTE: If you are following a low FODMAPs diet, omit the onion and replace the flavor by using a Tuscan extra virgin olive oil.  Also be aware that almonds contain FODMAPs, but the amount in this recipe shouldn't cause problems.  If you are really sensitive to the FODMAPs in wheat (or if you follow a gluten-free diet), use quinoa instead.  However, most people should be able to handle the small amount of actual wheat you get in one serving of this recipe.

Directions

1.  Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add zucchini and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl.

2.  Add water, lime juice, curry, cumin, salt and pepper to the pan and bring to a boil.  Stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.

3.  Add the couscous and carrot to the bowl with the zucchini; stir to combine.  Serve topped with almonds.

Instagram

This salad was the perfect ending to an amazing summer.  Nick and I enjoyed it with some chicken from the grill, then had leftovers in our lunches for a couple days (the recipe made four servings, but these servings were large, so keep that in mind when you see the calorie number listed below!). 

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1/4th of dish

Source: CalorieCount.com

Nutrition Highlights:  Excellent source of fiber, vitamin A and vitamin C.  Good source of protein.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for fall now, seriously, bring it on (it's still really on and off hot and cold here in Ohio, but I'm already starting to live and think like it's fall....squash, pumpkins, hot soups, if I wish it, it will come).  The mornings are already reminding me of cold days at the bus stop when I was a kid.  And of course since football season is three weeks in (GO BUCKS!) it's already fall in my opinion.  Thanks for reading, and enjoy your Monday!

The Candid Rd

The Best Quinoa Salad, EVER

Ok, I know what you're thinking...."Really, Gina, the best?  I mean, come on, how could it be the best?!".  Let me preface this post by telling you that ever since I was a young girl I have been obsessed  with olives (black, green, I don't care) and anything pickled (I can only imagine what I will crave when I'm pregnant. I have this feeling I will be making Nick go for grocery runs to get me some pickled beets. Seriously, I just know it).  Last year around this time our neighbor Katie came over with an amazing quinoa salad.  I took one bite and instantly fell in love.  I realized it was the combination of cucumber and dill that really grabbed hold of my taste buds, and sent me to heaven on Earth (haha, like that?!). When I asked her for the recipe she basically just gave me the list of ingredients and told me she just adds everything together, without measuring. Well, as strange at that sounds, when I tried it for the first time last year, it worked! And of course when I tried it again this year, it worked again (who doesn't love a recipe that involves zero measuring?!).  Of course, I know there are a handful of people who get some anxiety when a recipe doesn't tell you exactly how much of each ingredient to use, therefore I'll provide some measurements for you (and I will use these to come up for an estimate for the nutrition facts).

The Best Quinoa Salad, Ever

Serves ~5

Ingredients

Quinoa (~ 2 cups cooked)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (~ 2 Tbsp)

Carrot (~1 large)

Cherry tomatoes, halved (~5-6)

Reduced Fat Feta cheese (~1/2 cup)

Cucumber, chopped (~1-cup)

Dill (~3 loose Tbsp)

** When you make this recipe yourself be sure to add more or less of certain ingredients, based on your own preferences. **

Directions

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, allow to sit for about an hour so the flavors all blend together, then devour and thank me :)  Actually no, thank my neighbor who introduced this salad to me a couple years ago.  I'll never forget it.  It was a moment of pure bliss.  There is something about the dill and the cucumber (pickle, hello!) plus the feta and olive oil that really got me hooked.

NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet, you'll be pleased to know this is low FODMAPs.  Enjoy!

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1/5th of recipe
Source: CalorieCount.com

Nutrition Highlights:  Good source of protein, iron and fiber, and an excellent source of vitamin A

Other Nutrition Highlights

- Quinoa is a gluten free whole grain

- The olive oil contains monounsaturated fats, which may help reduce inflammation and increase good cholesterol

- The tomatoes contain lycopene, which promotes skin, heart and prostate health

- The carrots and tomato contain beta carotene, which promotes skin and heart health, and may play a role in cancer prevention

- The fats from the olive oil help you absorb both the lycopene and beta carotene. Do you ever eat tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc. by themselves? You should always include a bit of healthy fats to help promote the bioavailability (absorption) of their disease-fighting nutrients! Another way to promote bioavailability is to cook these foods.

I really love how salads, of all types, are basically a blank canvas.  You can do just about anything to a salad to make it fit your own taste preferences.  I've got a couple more whole grain salads coming your way soon, so get excited.

Question:  Which ingredient would you add more or less of, to make this recipe fit your unique taste preferences?

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

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.

Options for Healthier Chips

One of my favorite snack foods to discuss with clients are chips! Of course not all chips are healthy, and in fact most of them aren't healthy at all. A couple months ago I found this article on CookingLight.com, which listed the top ten most healthy chips.

Source: iStockPhoto

I don't always agree with these articles, but this one was written by an RD (making it much more credible, in my opinion) and I agreed with each and every one! Here are some of the chips that were listed;

• Popchips; Salt & Pepper

• Terra Chips; Plain Sweet Potato ** I would argue that all Terra Chips are a healthier alternative to regular potato chips. I tell clients about these quite often **

• Food Should Taste Good; Blue Corn Tortilla Chips ** I'm also a fan of their sweet potato flavor, and olive flavor.....YUM! **

• Kettle Brand; Baked Potato Chips with Sea Salt

• Sunchips; Original

• Miguel's Organic Gluten Free Dippers (this was not on the list, I added it!)
  

Many times when I'm trying to explain to people that a certain chip is actually healthier than others, they look at me in disbelief because the fat content is typically still really high. So, what do I consider a "healthier" chip?

• Low sodium (under 140 mg per serving)
• Under 1 gram of saturated fat, and of course ZERO trans fat
• 2 or more grams of fiber
• Good source (10% of DV, or more) of some type of vitamin or mineral; such as vitamin A in the Terra chips

When people tell me they eat pretzels for a "healthy snack" (ahem...DAD!), I try to nicely explain to them that there is zero health benefit from pretzels (and no, I could care less if they are baked and not fried);

Source: SnydersOfHanover.com

What about whole wheat pretzels? Much better, in my opinion, because at least you are getting a good source of natural vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber.

QUESTION: What's your favorite chip? Healthy...or not, I guess I don't care for this question. My favorite chips are Doritos! The chips I eat most often would be Terra sweet potato chips, and also the veggie chips I buy in bulk at the store.

Gina's Granola Bars??

I turned 28 yesterday. Like I do every year, I devoured an entire piece of cake;




Ok, I lied, that was a birthday card.



This is the real cake...lots of chocolate! I asked Nick to buy one piece, not an entire cake (for obvious reasons). This is from a local cafe called The Chocolate Cafe.


But of course before the cake we (Nick, my parents, my brother and I) went to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, called Third and Hollywood. I ordered the seared tuna with a side salad. The salad had fingerling potatoes, goat cheese, hericot vert, beets, hard boiled egg, and a delicious vinaigrette dressing. I think I could easily recreate this at home.

Overall my birthday was perfect! Even though I had to work, I love my job so I can't complain.

I haven't updated you on my life for a while. I'm still working on my e-book, which I hope to have finished by next year at this time, or sooner. Nick and I have been working on our house lately, and planning ahead for our Fourth of July party. We hope to have our living room and bedrooms finished, plus our exercise room (did I mention we bought a new elliptical?!).

I've been working hard in the lab (aka my kitchen) to create a granola bar worth selling at a local grocery store, and online. I have been letting my co-workers be the taste-testers and I finally created a winner!


This is like a meal in a bar, seriously. I have met many people who tell me they really have little time to eat healthy (or to eat at all). While I have a hard time believing this, I have to remind myself that my job/schedule really is more flexible than most people's. I can eat whenever I want, and nothing comes between me and a healthy meal. This is not the case for many people with whom I work, as they have scheduled breaks that are only a certain amount of time. This bar is meant for those busy people with little time to eat, but also for people like me who love healthy snacks and healthy convenient foods.



Would you pay $1.25 for a bar (or $15 for 8 bars via UPS, free shipping) with these nutrition facts;

- 15 grams whole grains (almost one full serving of whole grain!)

- 1/2 cup of fruit (most people need two cups per day)

- A day's worth of essential fatty acids

- Only 3.5 grams of added sugar (most bars have between 8 and 20)

- 6 grams of fiber (excellent source!)

- 10 grams of protein

- All Natural ingredients (meaning nothing is artificial!)

- Inherently gluten-free ingredients, but not a gluten free food (I can't guarantee the ingredients haven't been contaminated with gluten, as I do not have a gluten-free kitchen)

- Loads of delicious taste!

QUESTION: Can you think of a good name for my bar?? I can't think of one!! I came up with "Balance" only to realize that bar already exists. And obviously "Gina's Granola Bars" is way too boring.

Gluten-Free For Better Health and Weight Loss?

Think you should start a gluten-free diet to help you lose weight? Think again! Recently the gluten-free industry was "warned" about the nutritional content of their foods. Read this article for the full details.


Gluten free foods tend to be lower in fiber, protein, iron, and calcium, compared to their gluten-filled counterparts. This is because many of the grains and other ingredients used to replace wheat flour are low in these nutrients.

Think your gluten-free cake or brownie mix is better for you?

Think again.

I've noticed a majority of the gluten-free products actually contain more sugar. No thanks.

The real reason a gluten-free diet may help someone lose weight is pretty clear to me....it automatically restricts a person's food options! Think about it. When you can't have gluten you can't stop at the demo table at your local grocery store to try the latest food craze, you can't eat at a majority of the restaurants (although this is slowly changing), and many times you can't eat foods that are served to you when you're a guest at a dinner party.

So the bottom line is that a gluten-free diet may help you lose weight, but not because gluten causes us to gain weight, it's actually because you will likely end up eating less in the long run (or at least until you get used to the new diet!). Do I suggest this? Not at all, unless you really need to go gluten-free for medical reasons.

The good news for Celiac sufferers is that companies might start using more buckwheat flour (a whole grain, which does not contain wheat) in their products, which will significantly impact the nutrition of these products.

Examples of Gluten-Free Whole Grains
(source: www.wholegrainscouncil.com)

Amaranth

Buckwheat

Corn (whole is best)

Millet

** Oats (oats are only gluten-free if the package indicates they are gluten free) **


Quinoa

Rice (brown is best)

Sorghum

Teff

Wild rice

I recently tried this gluten-free product and was very pleased with the taste, and nutrition profile.

The ingredients in most of Mary's Gone Crackers products contain quinoa, brown rice, flax seeds, and sesame seeds, which all provide some type of health benefit. I highly suggest checking out some of these products!

Question: I don't think anyone should go gluten-free unless they have to, but gluten-free products can still be enjoyed by anyone, so what's your favorite? Personally I really like the above products, and Bob's Red Mill's wheat-free flours.

Have You Seen These Label Claims?

Today's Dietitian has really been making me happy lately. They recently posted a fabulous article, which talked about label claims. Here are some terms you may have wondered about at one time or another;



1) "Made with expeller-pressed oil"; this means the oil was extracted from its source (typically a nut or seed) by a crushing mechanism, as apposed to a chemical method, which typically uses hexane to chemically extract the oil. Hexane is a petrochemical that is apparently used also for paint diluent. Yuck!


2) "Stoneground wheat flour" or "100% stoneground wheat"; Similar to the term "natural" there really isn't a legal definition for this term. Stoneground wheat is supposedly created by grinding flour solely in stone mills, as apposed to the more commercial method of using a roller mill. Since there is no legal definition for this term companies can claim their product contains "stoneground wheat flour" even if it has only gone through the stone mill once, then was completed using a roller mill. Tricky.

Stoneground wheat is meant to sound less processed, similar to "steel cut oats", which are oats that have been cut rather than rolled. Are they any better for you? In my opinion not really. They may contain a bit more protein and soluble fiber, but I've found that this really depends on the brand.


3) "X grams of whole grains per serving". Ok...so what? This means nothing to those who don't know how many grams of whole grains they need each day. There are 16 grams of whole grains per serving of whole grain, and we need three servings per day. So that means we need a minimum of about 48 grams of whole grains each day. If a product claims to have "8 grams of whole grains per serving", that's half of a full serving of whole grains (eight grams is half of sixteen), and about one-sixth of your daily needs (eight is one-sixth of forty-eight).

These chips provide a little over a serving of whole grain, in one serving of the chips.



4) "High in antioxidants". This is the one that gets to me the most. Have you ever picked up a snack bar or a sugary cereal and seen this claim loud and clear on the box? Vitamins A, C, and E are all antioxidants, which just so happen to be added to most processed foods. Because of this, many processed foods make the claim that they "contain antioxidants" or are "high in antioxidants". It's not a lie, but are these products the best way to get antioxidants? Not at all! Antioxidants work synergistically with other compounds in the food (many times phytonutrients, or plant nutrients), which is what gives them their disease-fighting potential. In these highly processed cereals, snack bars, and even juices, those phytonutrients are typically non-existent, therefore there is no synergism potential.

The best way to get antioxidants is from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, not a snack bar that has had them added, and especially not from a supplement that supplies you a mega dose of antioxidants.


Wild rice contains vitamin E, which is a very powerful antioxidant. Scientists haven't even figured out half of the phytonutrients in whole grains, which may be working with vitamin E to help it provide its vast array of benefits to our bodies.


The same is true when it comes to fruits, vegetables, and fish. We know about many of the healthy components, but not all. There is a symbiotic relationships going on here that you simply can't mimic with fortified foods and supplements.


Including fortified foods, vitamin water, and multivitamins with >>100% of the daily value (DV) of several antioxidants is not in anyone's best interest. Consuming all these antioxidants from unnatural sources can in fact create a pro-oxidant situation in your body. To read more about this I highly suggest reading the book Superfoods Rx by Steven Pratt, MD and Kathy Matthews (see the link on my Amazon Widget to the right).

Want to read more about label claims? Check out some of my past posts;

Probiotic label claims

Food and Supplement Label Claims

Demystifying Label Claims


Thanks for reading!


BTW, don't forget to enter my giveaway, which ends on Saturday!

Ninety Percent of Americans are NOT Getting Enough Whole Grains!

Are you one of the 9 out of 10 people in America who are not reaching the minimum recommendation for whole grains (the minimum rec. is 48 grams of whole grain, or 3 servings, per day)? Are you one of the 4 out of 10 Americans who consumes less than one whole grain product in a two week period?! (Source: Today's Dietitian Magazine)

Why are whole grains so important? Check out this article to find out.




A while back I posted a day of my eats and I realized I wasn't getting enough servings of grains, according to MyPyramid, which recommends that I consume about 6 servings of grains per day. I was (and still am) getting closer to 4 servings of grain, which is fine with me, as I think 6 servings is too much for my needs, personally. I was reaching the minimum amount of whole grains (3), so I still felt confident that I was eating right.

*** If you go to MyPyramid and find out how many servings of grains you need, just take half of that and that's how many servings of whole grains you should consume each day. ***

Apparently in 2009 there were about 3000 new products released with whole grains, compared to year 2000, which had only about 164 new products released with whole grains. In addition, many restaurants (including fast food) are jumping on the bandwagon and including whole grains on their menus. So we no longer have an excuse to not reach our whole grain goal.

It's a fact that most American's consume a majority of their whole grains at breakfast. I know I do!

1.5 servings of whole grain (24 grams) in my morning oats

I always look for the Whole Grains Stamp on my grain products. If a food has 8 grams of whole grain, or more, it can bare this symbol. LOOK FOR IT!

I love buying whole grain tortillas (for Nick only, because they contain wheat).

And when we don't go through them fast enough, I make them into tortilla chips.

(Cut them into rectangles, spray with EVOO, sprinkle with a dash of salt and some garlic powder).

Bake at a low temperature (~200) for about 20 minutes, while continuing to watch them in order to prevent burning.

Something Nick has been doing lately (and I'm very happy about) is buying the burrito bowl at Chipotle......

Then when we get home he adds it to our whole grain tortillas! It definitely beats the tortilla at Chipotle, which has ZERO whole grains, and tons of lard (I don't do this because I can't eat our tortillas. Does anyone know of a wheat-free tortilla?!).

Other Favorite Whole Grains

Popcorn

Quinoa

Brown Rice

Oatmeal

Whole Wheat products

Wild Rice

Bulgar

QUESTION: What's your favorite whole grain and what are some ways you make sure to get them in your diet? While traveling for training I struggle to eat very healthy and I have found it hard to consume 3 servings of whole grain. An item I have been buying a lot is sushi made with brown rice. It's definitely helped me reach my 3 serving goal!

Coming Up/Training Update

I'm on my way back to Pittsburgh tomorrow morning, for my last week of training (well, sort of). As I said in my last post I will be starting at another store in Columbus (yeah!) at the beginning of August.

Thanks for reading everyone! Have a happy Monday :)