Spice it up…Antioxidant Edition

One of the hardest things about experimental cooking is seasoning. I always find it challenging to play with my spice cabinet and fresh herbs, never knowing if the combination I choose will be delicious or a failed experiment. Because of these worries, a lot of my clients choose to stay away from spices except for the basics: salt, pepper, garlic powder. By leaving out more interesting herbs and spices, you are missing out on more than you think…

Why have you done a good thing?

You always hear us dietitians preaching to eat your fruits and vegetables for a diet rich in antioxidants. In addition to the wonderful nutrients fresh fruits and vegetables provide, herbs and spices are packed full of antioxidants as well, protecting your body from free radicals and therefore potential chronic diseases such as cancer or heart disease. Herbs and spices have even been shown to reduce carcinogens, or HCAs, formed from grilling meats. Prevention of HCAs is crucial as studies have shown that high consumption of well-done, fried, or barbequed meats significantly increases risk for colon, pancreatic or prostate cancers. Most importantly, when using fresh herbs and spices, you are likely replacing added salt and sugar, which in large amounts is not good for you. Best rule of thumb: when adding flavor spice it up, don’t salt it!

Here are the top 5 antioxidant rich spices to include in your diet:

Oregano. Oregano holds major player antioxidants called thymol, rosmarinic acid, and vitamin E. Research shows that the antioxidants in oregano work best when paired with thyme, sage, rosemary, mint and sweet basil.

How to use it: Mix oregano into your next spaghetti sauce, on top of homemade pizza, mixed into omelettes or salad dressings, in your low-fat grilled cheese, as a seasoning on your chicken or steaks, or infuse oregano into olive oil for cooking or dipping bread.

Try this dish on for size:

Ginger. Gingerol, a powerful antioxidant in ginger, helps to ward off many types of cancers. Ginger contains anti-inflammatory properties reducing symptoms of arthritis and IBS or irritable bowel syndrome. Ginger also has been shown help with nausea and other stomach ailements.

How to use it: Try making fresh ginger tea (hot or cold) by steeping a 1” piece of peeled ginger in 1 cup of tea. Experiment by making homemade unsweetened iced teas. Other ways to use ginger include in Asian stir-fries or noodle dishes, marinades or salad dressings. Try also adding ginger into your oatmeal, low-fat homemade muffins or breads, on top of sweet potatoes, mixed into a morning protein-smoothie, or grated on your morning toast.

Try this dish on for size:

Storage tip: A little ginger goes a long way so it’s hard to keep it fresh! I peel my ginger completely and store in a plastic bag in the freezer. That way, it’s fresh when I need it, and it’s much easier to grate!

Cinnamon. Containing a antioxidant called cinnamaldehyde, yes really that’s what it is called, cinnamon packs a powerful punch. Cinnamon has also been shown to help improve blood sugar control in some studies.

How to use it: More versatile than you might think. Cinnamon is of course great in hot cereal like oatmeal, plain yogurt, on top of whole-wheat toast with peanut or almond butter, or mixed into coffee instead of sugar. It also enhances the flavor of chocolate and is great wherever you eat chocolate such as chocolate dipped fruit or low-fat chocolate cupcakes. Cinnamon also goes great baked apples, pears or low-fat baked goods. Cinnamon is also delicious in savory cooking including many Moraccan dishes with lamb or chicken or grain dishes such as quinoa.

Try this dish on for size:

Clove. Rich in polyphenol compounds, clove is one of the most antioxidant rich spices. Clove also happens to be a great source of manganese and omega-3 fats.

How to use it: Due to its strong flavor, clove is best used in small amounts and can be included wherever you use cinnamon or ginger. Try using clove in your oatmeal, low-fat muffins, cookie recipes, baked apples or pears, or whole grain pancakes.

Try this dish on for size:

Tumeric. Containing a powerful antioxidant called curcumin, tumeric has been linked with reducing the risk for cancers, heart disease, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease. Tumeric has also been shown to reduce inflammation, helping arthritis and many IBS sufferers.

How to use it: Try adding tumeric to curry dishes or on top of roasting vegetables, grain or lentil/bean dishes or stews.

Try this dish on for size:

Don’t limit yourself to just these herbs and spices! Stay tuned for more Spice It Up blog entries including a near-future edition on me, planting my summer herb garden…

--Amy Santo, MS RD CDN

Passover Success

This year's Passover menu was our best ever. The food was absolutely delicious! As promised, here are some picts of the dishes I told you about last week (with some slight changes).

Potato, carrot, and zuchinni kugel- AMAZING! I followed the general recipe, however, for half of the potatoes I finely chopped them, instead of blending them, for a firmer texture. I also added some onion and garlic powder, for flavor. YUM.

Next up is the slaw. I changed it a little in the name of time. All I did was chop a head of red cabbage, add rosemary spiced pecans and craisins from Trador Joes, and made a vinaigrette with red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Big Hit!

And here are the rosemary potatoes. I have to admit that we had a hard time keeping the potatoes together while placing them on the rosemary sprigs, so we only did a few like that and used the rosemary more as decoration. But the potatoes were amazing!

And finally.....the whole buffet

We had a healthy, delicious, family-filled fabulous Passover....hope you did too!! And feel free to share your favorite dishes with us!

--Samantha Jacobs, MS RD CDN

Basket full of treats

While perusing the pharmacy the other day, I noticed how colorful the candy aisle is this time of year. Whenever Easter rolls around, the food industry gets particularly creative, packaging orange Reese’s pieces to look like carrots or breeding a rainbow selection of marshmallow chicks. I love Easter candy treats as much as the next jealous Passover observer but I thought this year, I would get creative too. What else could you put in that Easter basket besides candy?

Why have you done a good thing?

I enjoy and indulge my sweet tooth just like any chocolate lover, but with limits. Treating yourself to a 100-calorie sweet treat daily is healthy and perfectly acceptable for a balanced diet and maintaining your weight. Keeping sugar to a minimum, yes even on holidays, is important for a healthy lifestyle. This of course is always harder with big holidays meals and tables full of desserts. Research says that setting up family traditions that emphasize non-eating activities and traditions help us to make memories for the holidays and special occasions that aren’t just about food, preventing overindulgence in later life.

To help you out this year, we have some great ideas for your Easter basket that promote activities rather than purely eating candy. Of course, here are Your Secret Ingredient we are all about balance so here are ways to make your Easter basket filled with healthier ideas as well to make your holiday healthier and wonderful this year!

Creative Easter Basket Treats

Healthier Sweet Treats:

-Annie’s Bunny Grahams. Sweet, delicious, and festive, Annie’s bunny grahams have a great addition of fiber and less sugar than the average graham treat. Plus aren’t they just so cute?

-Homemade popcorn balls for a sweet high fiber treat

-Jellybean Trail Mix. Instead of a bag full of jellybeans, water it down with a healthy trail mix of nuts, dried fruits, and your child’s favorite cereal. Package the trail mix inside of plastic eggs for a festive touch. Don’t like jellybeans? Use Cadbury chocolate eggs for a festive touch and just a hint of candy.

-Cheddar Carrots. Fill piping bags (used for cake decorating) with Goldfish crackers and tie the end with a great ribbon or string for Easter bunny fuel!

-Fun shaped peanut butter sandwiches using these great cookie cutter from Crate and Barrel

-Baby carrots or sliced apples with Justin’s Nut Butter Packs

-If you are really craving peeps, try making your own. Thanks Martha Stewart!

More creative additions:

-Favorite Toys. Silly bandz, nail polish, bey blades, DaGeDars would make you their favorite on Easter morning!

-Go gardening. A mini plant or a gardening kit with seeds is a great way to start off Spring

-Sidewalk chalk. Get outside and color the driveway or sidewalk for an active Easter.

-Get in the kitchen. Let them help make breakfast Easter morning with great pancake molds. Here are adorable Easter-themed pancake molds from Williams Sonoma

-More products from Crate and Barrel for baking!

-Keep baking! Get out your favorite family cookie recipe. A great Easter activity, here is another great idea from William Sonoma: Easter Cooking decorating.

-A new book, like a copy of the Hunger Games if they haven’t read it

Happy Easter!

--Amy Santo, MS RD CDN

Perfecting Passover

Who’s ready to go full-blown Atkin’s style? Normally I would never support this; however, Passover is just around the corner, leaving us on a 7-day (almost) no carb diet- especially if you’re like me and don’t love matzah. Given this- you would think that Passover is a time for diet- not in my family! We like to eat. Especially on holidays, to celebrate the whole family being together. So clearly there will be lots of food- now it’s my job as a dietitian (and Passover co-chef of my family) to make sure that all (or at least most) of the dishes are packed full of vegetables, fruits, and powerful nutrients! You should do the same…

Why Have You Done a Good Thing?

Lots of food= lots of calories no matter how you slice it. So, might as well get the best BANG for your BITE. Keeping the Passover dishes full of fresh fruits and veggies will do a few things for you... One- decrease the calories of each dish. Two- add fiber, so that you’ll get full faster and thus, eat less. And three- fill your body with strong antioxidants that will keep your cells strong, fighting off potential enemies to your health!

Ok, so enough nutrition babble…let’s talk food!

My mom and I are in charge of the Passover dinner (with my sister as a dutiful sous chef), so here is the breakdown. She will be making a killer pot-roast and Matzah-ball soup while I am in charge of the sides. Practicing what I preach- I’ll be making lots of nutrient-packed dishes, so take a look:

Red Cabbage Slaw with Oranges and Walnuts (from Catherine Walthers’ Soups + Sides)- great book, highly recommended!

This recipe is colorful and crunchy, giving you many nutrients, incuding antioxidants, vitamin C, and omega 3’s.

Potato, Carrot, and Zucchini Kugel (from Epicurious)

I like this recipe because it adds in carrots and zucchini to a normally potato-filled dish, contributing vitamin A, fiber, and folate, to name a few

Spicy Potato Stacks (from Epicurious)

This dish is appealing for the look (stacked potatoes on a rosmary skewer) but also for its variety of nutrients that comes from mixing 3 different types of potatoes. From this dish, you will get things like fiber, vitamin A, potassium, and antioxidants from the deep red potatoes.

Stay tuned next week to see how these recipes come out! I’ll take pics of my Passover prep and the final dishes, including some guest comments on the taste.

What will you be making for Passover? Would love to hear your suggestions!

BTW, does anyone have a good place to hide the Afikomen? My cousins are getting too smart for me! Happy Passover, everyone!!

--Samantha Jacobs, MS RD CDN

Seeking Seeds

When mixing up my trail mix the other day, I realized I was missing something: seeds! I’m always nutz for nuts but never really think about adding seeds. As I have neglected these nutrient dense little buggers for too long, I have decided to work on adding in these delectable and nutritious choices. Even dietitians can do better and I’m going to start with seeking seeds…

Why have you done a good thing?

Serving as a fuel source for a plant, seeds are nutritional powerhouses. Each tiny seed packs a powerful nutrient punch including protein, iron, zinc, omega-3s, vitamin E, magnesium, phytosterols, antioxidants, and fiber. With all these great nutrients, seeds are powerful fighters against heart disease, inflammatory diseases like arthritis, and cancer. Plus seeds can often be a great alternative for those who are allergic to nuts.

Here is a peak at seeds that are great to add into your diet:

Chia Seeds

Packed full of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, calcium, magnesium, protein, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, and niacin, chia seeds are superfoods! Chia seeds are great for smoothies as they form a thick gel in water. Try mixing chia seeds into a smoothie for a “chia fresca:” mix 1 tbsp of chia seeds with water with lemon or lime. Another great way to eat chia seeds is in your morning oatmeal.

Pumpkin Seeds

Rich in anti-inflammatory properties, pumpkin seeds are linked with reduction in arthritis symptoms. Pumpkin seeds have also been shown to improve prostate health and lower cholesterol. Try adding 1 tbsp of pumpkin seeds to your next salad.

Flax Seeds

A dense source of antioxidants, flax seeds help ward off diseases including cancers. A mega-dose of omega-3s helps to protect you against heart disease. Rich in fiber called lignans, flax seeds also help to control blood sugar, which is especially important if you have diabetes and for regularity. Make sure to purchase ground flax seed, not whole seeds, to absorb all of the necessary nutrients! Add flax seed to your oatmeal, whenever you use breadcrumbs, or mixed into grain dishes.

Sunflower Seeds

A great source of vitamin E, sunflower seeds have antioxidant properties, helping to protect you against cancer. Rich in magnesium, sunflower seeds also help to reduce your blood pressure, calm your nerves, and build healthy bones. Try sunflower seeds mixed with raisins and nuts for a snack or baked into your next low-fat muffin.

Sesame Seeds

A rich source of copper, sesame seeds can help reduce inflammation, particularly in cases of rheumatoid arthritis. A great source of calcium, sesame seeds are great for those who cannot tolerate dairy and need high calcium dairy-alternatives. Try sprinkling sesame seeds on your stir-fry dishes or try Tahini paste (ground sesame seeds) by making your own homemade hummus with chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, and garlic.

Storage Tip

To preserve the nutrients in your seeds, store seeds in a dark container in the refrigerator.

What about seed oils and butters?

Sunflower seed butter and tahini paste are great additions to your diet as swapportunities for peanut butter and almond butter. Flax seed oil and sunflower seed oil are great additions to your diet as well for their vitamins and minerals. Although not good for cooking, these oils make a nice addition to non-cooked dishes, such as homemade salad dressings. Try to include these oils in addition to ground flax seed and whole sunflower seeds, as processed oils do not have fiber which is important in cancer prevention and regularity.

So challenge yourself and mix things up! I know I will…

Amy Santo, MS RD CDN

Happy for Herbert

Snacking on healthy foods can get old and sometimes you just want something good and crunchy. Enter Happy Herbert’s pretzels! They have all the nutritional benefits of whole grains, formed into delicious little pretzels. They come in a variety of flavors, such as Oat Bran, Plenti-Grain, Honey Wheat, Spelt, and Kamut (ps- they are the only pretzel out there made with kamut!).

Why Have You Done a Good Thing?

Mainly, because they just taste so good! But also because they are only 110 calories for 16-18 pretzels, with 2-3g fiber, and 2g protein; making them a great BANG for your BITE. The combination of nutrients and taste leaves you feeling full and satisfied. Plus, most selections come in low-sodium, which is always great for your heart and blood pressure. And if there weren’t enough reasons to love this brand, here is one more: they donate 10% of all profits to children’s charities. Oh, and it’s organic! So be assured that any way you slice it, with these pretzels you’re always doing a good thing.

I usually eat them as a snack in between meals, or as the carbohydrate portion of my lunch or dinner (which I like to keep to 100 calories of whole grains). You can easily count out 16-18 pretzels before putting them on your plate or in a baggie to go; that way you’ll stick to just 1 serving. Here is me holding 1 serving, it's so much I could barely keep them in my hand!

For me, a salad with grilled chicken and a side of Happy Herbert’s pretzels is a winning lunch combo!

Find them at most gourmet or specialty markets. Or, simply order them online via the Happy Herbert’s Website.

Twist it up: try using these healthy pretzels as coating for homemade chicken fingers (like in this recipe from Food Network’s Hungry Girl show). Or, grind them up and use as breadcrumbs to top dishes like your homemade lasagna or mac and cheese.

So get munchin’ with this healthy crunchin’!

--Samantha Jacobs, MS RD CDN

Morning, Noon or Night

When I come home from a long day of work or a weekend away, I don’t feel like cooking nor do I have any food in my house. Breakfast for dinner time! There is no meal that is faster, easier or sometimes more comforting then a nice breakfast meal, morning, noon or night.

Why have you done a good thing?

Breakfast-for-dinner is a wonderfully nutritious, fast, and easy meal. Loaded with healthy whole grains and fruits, as well as good sources of calcium and protein from eggs and nuts, breakfast-for-dinner can be a very healthy way to spice up the dinner routine. Breakfast-for-dinner takes very little preparation, usually requires no trips to the grocery store, or planning ahead as you have most of those items in the pantry or fridge as staples. It’s a great way to mix things up at dinnertime, especially for the family. Always a hit with kids, breakfast dishes are a great way to get them involved in the kitchen.

Here are some great breakfast meals for morning, noon or night meals:

-English Muffin Omelet Sandwiches. Make a homemade breakfast sandwich. Cook an omelet or egg scramble anyway you like with veggies and/or low-fat cheese on a whole wheat English muffin or Thomas’s Bagel Thin. Serve it up with a side salad or fruit salad.

-Almond Butter French Toast Sticks. Spread 1 tbsp almond butter on whole-wheat toast and dip in 1 egg scrambled with ½ cup fat free milk. Fry in the pan with Pam spray until golden brown on each side. Have up to 2 slices. For the kiddies, slice them up into thin slices for easy dipping.

**Don’t like almond butter? Try this dish with any nut or seed butter.

-Pumpkin Waffles with Greek yogurt dip. Do you have a waffle iron you never use? Prepare the batter using your favorite waffle mix (trans fat free!) and add a couple of tbsp of pumpkin puree into the waffle batter. Cook the waffles in your waffle maker until golden brown. Mix plain Greek yogurt with 1 tbsp of honey to slightly sweeten. Sprinkle waffle with cinnamon and slice. Dip waffle slices into the yogurt dip.

*No pumpkin puree? Try applesauce or mashed banana.

**Want something more savory? Try mixing in low-fat sharp cheddar cheese and diced veggies into your waffle.

-Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes with Nut Topping. Using your favorite trans fat free pancake mix, add ½ cup oatmeal into the mixture. Before cooking the pancakes, take a ¼ cup of nuts per person and mix with 1 tbsp of honey. Toast nuts in the toaster until fragrant (about 5-10 minutes). Cook each pancake individually per package directions and add a few blueberries per pancake. Top with nut topping (it’s super sweet; no need for syrup!)

-Peanut Butter Banana Waffle Sandwiches. Super easy meal: Take 2 frozen waffles (recommend Van’s Light Waffles, Kashi 7 Grain). Spread 1-2 tbsp of natural peanut butter and add sliced banana. For the kiddies, try using mini waffles such as Van’s Minis or Earth’s Best Organic Mini Waffles. If you are feeling extra hungry, serve this up with a side of scrambled eggs or egg whites.

-Whole-Wheat Cinnamon Baked French Toast:

1 loaf of whole-wheat cinnamon bread (Try Pepperidge Farm Swirl 100% Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin bread)

4 eggs

3 cups of skim or 1% milk (also try soy, rice, or almond milk)

1 tbsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp of honey

1 apple, diced

½ cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take half the loaf of bread, cutting off the edges and cut into cubes. Place bread cubes in a greased 9 by 13” casserole dish. Cut the edges of the other half off of the bread but preserve in slices. Top the cubes with slice bread from the rest of the loaf. Beat the eggs with the milk and add vanilla, honey, apple, raisins. Pour the egg mixture over the bread making sure all the bread is well-coated with the egg mixture. Bake in the oven, covered, for 40 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for 20 more minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve up in scoops. Serve warm.

So try thinking of breakfast as an option for dinner, mixing in good morning favorites for a great evening.

--Amy Santo, MS RD CDN