Check Out My Cookbook-Delicious Dishes: Dietitian Approved

I'm proud to present my cookbook, Delicious Dishes: Dietitian Approved. View my cookbook at: http://www.lulu.com/content/legacy-lulustudio-photo-book/delicious-dishes-dietitian-approved/10912538

Registered Dietitian Day

March 14th, 2012 is the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic's 5th consecutive Registered Dietitian and Diet Technician Day! This day commemurates the devotion of RDs and Diet Techs as advocates to advancing the nutritional status of people around the world.

Read more at Registered Dietitian Day Fact Sheet.


Celebrate the Nutrition Experts!

Looking for your next book to read?

Check out the Good Nutrition Reading List. Search by topics including food sensitivities, diabetes, cookbooks and nutrition and lifestyle to find a generate list of recommended readings. This list of books, newsletters and publications include scientifically-based information that you can trust.

Most of these materials can be found at your local library or bookstores. 

National Nutrition Month Games and Quizzes

Looking for something to do? Quiz yourself, educate yourself.

Visit National Nutrition Month Games and Quizzes webpage. Have some fun brushing up on your nutrition knowledge.


Happy Gaming!

March is National Nutrition Month

As March begins, so does National Nutrition Month! National Nutrition Month is sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and was created in efforts to encourage healthy eating among Americans. Visit the Academy of Dietetics webpage at www.EatRight.org.

This year's National Nutrition Month theme is Get Your Plate in Shape. The theme focuses attention on making informed food choices and sound eating and physical activity habits. Visit the National Nutrition Month Webpage to learn more about the month.

Fat Tuesday!

The day before Ash Wednesday is known by many different names such as Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras or Paczki Day. As we turn into the season of Lent, Fat Tuesday, as many know it, is the last day of feasting.

This is the dietitian's loop hole as I know it. Here is the chance to be gluttonous without any guilt. Use up your eggs, butter and milk and enjoy your pastries and pancakes because traditionally these are forbidden during Lent.

Lent is also a good time to abstain from gluttonous eating habits. Think of one eating habit that you would like to change and vow to abstain from it during this season. You may kill a bad habit. Years ago, I abstained from drinking juice and soda during Lent, and I have continued to abstained from it for 6 years. I admit that I do have juice or soda occasionally, but it is no longer part of my usual intake. Water is my main beverage of choice.

Happy Fat Tuesday!-Happy Mardi Gras!-Happy Paczki Day!

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope you have a happy and healthy holiday. Enjoy your family and eat mindfully!

Modified Green Bean Casserole

Thanksgiving dinner is often a heavy meal, but you can make it healthy by modifying your traditional recipes with healthier options.  The benefits of recipe modification include reducing calories and fat content. It also gives you an opportunity to use fresh ingredients.


 View the recipe below for a healthier version of the traditional dish “Green Bean Casserole.” Instead of canned green beans, which can be high in sodium, use fresh green beans. This will make for crisper green beans while providing lots of vitamins and minerals. Instead of canned soup mix, which can be high in calories, fat, and sodium, make your own cream based alternative with soymilk using flour as a thickening agent. Also consider using whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour. Add lots of spices to give this dish a flavor boast.

Green Bean Casserole

Serves 4-6

Regular Green Bean Casserole:                             Modified Green Bean Casserole:

Ingredients:                                                                  Ingredients:

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Cream of Mushroom Soup      1 ½ pounds fresh green beans

1/2 cup milk                                                                 1 tbsp of olive oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce                                                  ½ cup chopped onion

Dash ground black pepper                                           2 garlic gloves, minched

4 cups cooked cut green beans                                   2 cups chopped mushrooms

1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions                 1 tsp dried savory

                                                                                     ½ tsp dried thyme

                                                                                     ¼ cup flour

                                                                                     1 cup vegetable broth

                                                                                     1 tbsp soy sauce

                                                                                     1 ½ cups unsweetened soy milk

                                                                                     Salt and Pepper to taste

                                                                                     1 (3-ounce) can of French fried onions

Directions:

Cook the green beans in a pot of boiling salted water or steamer until tender.  Drain well and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic, cover, and cook until softened.  Stir in the mushrooms, savory, and thyme, and cook until the mushrooms are soft and release their juices. 

Combine the vegetable broth and soy sauce in a small bowl.  Whisk in the flour until smooth and add it to the mushroom mixture. Simmer, stirring, until the liquid thickens. Stir in the soymilk and simmer until thick, about 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add the reserved green beans, stirring to coat.  

Transfer the green bean mixture into an oiled casserole dish.  Cover and bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and top with the French fried onions. Bake uncovered until browned and bubbly, about 10 minutes longer.

Recipe Modification: Lighten your Holiday

Family recipes are traditional during the holidays, but are often caloire-dense. Try these tips to lighten family favorite recipes without changing them completely:

1. Skim the fat … right off the top of gravies and sauces. Simply skim the top with a slotted spoon. Or put the gravy dish in the refrigerator to harden the fat on top, and then remove it. You may also add ice cubes, and the fat will harden around the ice cubes.

2. To create healthier baking recipes, try adding fruits or nuts to cookies and cakes. Use non-hydrogenated oils or butter instead of margarines that often cotain trans fats.

2. Some handy substitutions to lighten your dishes also include:

• Using two egg whites instead of one whole egg
• Using evaporated skim milk instead of heavy cream
• Replacing half the oil in a recipe with an equal amount of applesauce
• Using low-fat versions of cheeses and dairy products
• Using creative toppings for casseroles like almonds instead of fried onions

Countdown to Thanksgiving Begins!

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for all that we have in our lives. It is also a day that focuses around a big meal and celebrations often lead to overeating. It's easy to keep things under control if you got a plan.

1. Start your day with a small breakfast includes whole grains, fruit, dairy foods and protein like eggs or peanut butter.

2. Don't starve yourself before the meal. The longer you go without eating, the more you eat when you sit down for a meal. Grab smaller, low-calorie snacks throughout the day such as veggies and dip.

3. When it comes to the holiday meal, select foods carefully. Think about what foods you want to eat, which ones you will just sample and which ones you will skip. Be mindful and aware of your intentions.

4. Lastly, enjoy the celebration. Pace your eating and spend time visiting.

Happy Veteran's Day!

Happy Veteran's Day! Thank you for serving our country.

Today is Veteran's Day, and its a time to remember those who have served our country! Thank you for all you did or do for us and may God bless you and your families with a lifetime of health.We remember those we have love and lost in war. Pray for peace and comfort for their families.

How to Stay Fit During the Fall & Winter

Pretend You're an Athlete All Day!

Wear comfortable shoes daily so you can walk with a purpose or sprint to and from your car to get inside and out of the cold!

Be sure to keep your tummy muscles tight while doing activities of daily living and while walking everywhere.

When you're confronted with parking your car near or far...park far. When you're confronted with the stairs or elevator or escalator...take the stairs.

When the dog has to go out, take a fast paced walk to get your heart rate going. It will keep you warmer too.

Swap out one heavy meal for a lighter meal. This will help control calorie intake with expenditure.

Reduce television time and take the extra time to hit the gym, clean the house, do laundry or run errands. That extra time doing something other than sitting will also help burn some calories!

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

Did you know about 25.8 million children and adults in the US have diabetes?

7 million of these individuals go undiagnosed. Another 79 million individuals are prediabetic, and in 2010 there was 1.9 million new cases diagnosed in individuals 20 years and older. In 2007, diabetes was a contributor to 231,404 deaths.

Risk factors for diabetes include age, gender, race/ethnicity, activity level, and weight. Increasing age, being male and Hispanic or non-Hispanic black increases your risk for developing diabetes. Complications of diabetes include heart disease, hypertension, blindness, kidney disease, neuropathy with possible amputation.


Want to do something about it? Start by determining if you're at risk. Click on the link below to take the risk test available from the American Diabetes Association.

Risk Test

Once you've determined you risk, visit the American Diabetes Association for more information on improving your health!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my 26th birthday! This is the one time of the year I get to celebrate with my favorite dessert...cake!

Like I always say, everything in moderation. Eat the foods you love...have a plan; eat healthier and exercise a little extra to make up for those desserts or heavier foods you will be eating during the week you'll be celebrating. Life can still be delicious; here's to celebrating lifes greatest moments!

Happy Halloween

Remember to have a safe, happy and healthy halloween this year! Put on your gym shoes and walk the neighborhoods with your family. Its a great way to combine family time and exercise! Walk or jog while your kids run from house to house. They may open up about the Halloween festivities at school. Most of all, make great memories. If you do not have kids to tour the neighborhoods with, take your dog for an extended walk or if you'll be handing out the treats to the trick-or-treaters this year, give them a healthy alternative that they can end up using for their school lunches. 

Halloween Tips for Trick or Treating

Here are a few simple suggestions to help you get through Halloween night and the other 364 days that follow.

Have a plan
Make a plan after asking for your children’s input. Feed your children a nutritious dinner so that they will have all the energy they will need to for a successful Trick or Treat night.

Set limits in advance
Having an end goal of how many doors you will knock on and what hour they will return home will help you avoid the “just one more” or “but we have not gone to…” meltdown that persists all the way home.

Agree on a candy consumption limit
Agree on how much candy your children are allowed to eat on Trick or Treat night and each day thereafter.

Provide healthy snacks
Keep healthy between-meal snacks in view and accessible such as a bowl full of juicy red apples, bananas, or seasonal fruit rather than a center piece of Skittles^®, M&M’s^®, and Tootsie Rolls^®. Keep the candy out of sight.

Teach and model moderation
Teach and model moderation. All foods can fit, if we are reasonable about the amount and frequency.

Do not attach emotions to candy
Try not to use candy to reward, bribe, punish, or convey love. By attaching emotions to certain foods, you may inadvertently set the stage for disordered eating in the future, including undereating, anorexia, and overeating, obesity.

Begin some new family rituals
Do not make the holiday all about the candy. Make it a time to begin new family rituals.

Get moving

The weather starts to grow cold, and you naturally want to slow down, conserve heat, and eat hearty meals. Make sure you choose after-school activities that make both you and your child move.

Keep it safe

Above all, have a safe and fun Halloween!

October 24th, 2011 Food Day!

Did you know October 24th is Food Day? Food Day urges Americans to, advocate for healthy, affordable food products in a sustainable and humane way. FoodDay.org works with people around the country to create thousands of events to promote "eating real" in homes, schools, churches, farmers markets, city halls, and state capitals.

The 6 Food Day Principles are to:

1. Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods
2. Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness
3. Expand access to food and end hunger
4. Protect the environment & animals by reforming farm factories
5. Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids
6. Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

How can you participate?

Join an event that is already planned in your area. Search the FoodDay.org website to find a farm tour, cooking demonstration, or Food Day celebration near you.

Have a Healthy Halloween!

This year, consider mixing up the candy bowl with a variety of non-traditional but nutritious goodies like:

• Mini rice cereal bites
• Packages of trail mix or nuts
• Cereal bars
• Small boxes of raisins
• Small packages of dried fruit
• Sugar-free gum 
• Snack-size packages of peanut butter and crackers, graham crackers or oatmeal cookies
• Mini bags of animal crackers or pretzels
• Popcorn balls

Or, instead of giving candy to your trick-or-treaters, consider non-food treats like Halloween pencils, pens, stickers, tattoos and spider rings.

Here's a list of Halloween toy ideas:

• Super balls
• Plastic or wax fangs
• Bracelets and rings
• Hair accessories like barrettes, hair ties and bows
• Spinning tops
• Coloring books
• Key rings
• Party favors like slide puzzles
• Magnets
• Whistles
• Bubbles
• Noisemakers like kazoos
• Yo-yos

Making Halloween healthy can be fun, and it well help you avoid eating the left over candy! 

Snack Smart

Snack smart by pairing lean proteins with nutrient-rich carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits or vegetables. This will give you an energy boost and long lasting satisfaction. 


1.  Oatmeal with lowfat milk

2.  Vanilla yogurt with fruit: Take one cup of yogurt and stir in half a cup of 
your favorite fruit (frozen or fresh). 

3.  Nuts and dried fruit: Start with a small handful of nuts and add your favorite 
dried fruit (raisins, apricots or apples). 

4.  Cheddar cheese and an apple: Combine creamy and crunchy, with an ounce of 
sharp cheese and a crisp apple for tartness.  

5.  Turkey on multi-grain bread: A slice of turkey, a slice of whole grain bread, some 
lettuce and tomato and your favorite mustard.  Yummy!!  

6.  Peanut butter on bananas: Whether you like creamy or crunchy, a tablespoon or 
two of peanut butter makes this a perfect snack for all ages.  

7.  Cottage cheese and fruit: Juice-packed, canned fruit 
goes great with a half cup of cottage cheese.  Try 
pineapple, peaches or pears. 

8.  Cheese stick and tomatoes: Easy to take anywhere. 
Enjoy a mozzarella cheese stick with cherry or 
grape tomatoes. 

9.  Salad with sunflower seeds: Sprinkle a tablespoon of crunchy seeds on salad 
greens and dress lightly with olive oil and vinegar.  

10. Raw vegetables and hummus- try baby carrots, celery sticks or cucumber slices.


11. Cereal and milk


12. Tortilla chips and salsa


13. Pretzels and low-fat cream cheese- dip pretzel sticks into your favorite flavored cream cheese.


14. Graham crackers, vanilla wafers, fig bars, ginger snaps, animal cracker and milk- choose your pick and pair with milk. 


15. Smoothie- blend yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit.

Rate Your Plate

Are you eating right?

Follow the link below to "Rate Your Plate:"

When you enter the web page on the American Dietetic Association website, click on "Rate Your Plate" under the "Games for Everyone" section. There are also other games you can play like nutrition sudoku and nutrition word search.


http://www.eatright.org/NNM/content.aspx?id=5334

Here is a similar survey that you can print off and complete away from the computer.

http://www.bestcare.org/downloads/CardiacCompanyrateyourplate.pdf

You're on your way toward healthy eating!