Health Benefits of Carrots

Peaceful Carrot

Carrots are touted for their benefits for the eyes.  There is more to a carrot than meets the eyes! Carrots are high in Vitamin A and can provide you 408% of your daily needs in just 1 cup (about 1 large carrot).  But wait..there's more! So peace out, eat a carrot :)

Carrots also:

• provide Vitamin K
• provide 14% of your daily fiber needs
• 12% of Vitamin C (healing nutrient and disease prevention)
• 11% of your daily calcium needs (good for those vegans)
• 11% of your daily potassium needs (good for nerve conduction)
• Kills harmful bacteria in the mouth, thereby preventing tooth decay!
• has been shown to inhibit colon cancer
• High in antioxidants
• Improve cardiovascular health (potassium in the carrot helps regulate sodium levels in blood)
• great for the skin (and yes, the eyes)

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-reasons-to-eat-more-carrots.html (site source)

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=21 (site source)

Minestrone Soup

Looking for a low fat soup, high in vitamins and fiber? This soup is made without any sautéing, which eliminates any added fats, and is made with water as a base, so is a vegan soup as well! This is a great way to experiment with any veggie, because there isn't one that you couldn't throw in.  Visit the farmers market *(or harvest what's left in your garden) and throw it all in a pot.  The sweetness of your fresh veggies will blend together to make a delicious and nutritious brew.  We have added chickpeas for protein (which aides in healing and rebuilding damages tissues), but you can omit these if you want a completely fat free soup. Feel free to double and freeze this.  This and all other soups, freeze great!

Minestrone Soup 

Ingredients (this recipe made a large stock pot, abt 4-5 quarts) :

• 1.5 cups of chopped onions
• 3 cups of carrots
• 1 cup of mushrooms
• 1 cup of celery
• 5 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1.5 cups chopped broccoli or cauliflower (or a mix of both)
• 1 cup of peppers (can make them banana peppers if you like the heat, but reduce amount)
• 2 cups chopped greens or cabbage 
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper (or more to taste)
• 8 cups of water
• 1 tbsp garlic, chopped 
    
  
  

Instructions:

1. Add carrots, onions, celery, and mushrooms to pot, along with about 3 tbsp water, sauté
   
2. Add tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.
3. Add rest of ingredients, except if using fresh greens instead of cabbage.  Add greens right at the end of cooking process to maintain vitamins. The same is true for the garlic. 
4. Cook soup for about 20 minutes.
5. Soup can be partially puréed with a stick blender, or remove some of soup and place into a blender and return to pot, to create a thicker soup
6. Serve sprinkled with a little bit of Parmesan cheese and a salad for a great meal!

Nutritional Benefits:

Virtually No fat (1g in entire recipe): heart healthy and great for diabetics

Packed with fiber and vitamins 

Tomatoes: High in Lycopene, an anti-oxidant that prevents cancer
Peppers: High in Vitamin C, promotes healing and disease prevention (199% of daily needs!-1 cup has more than 2x's the amounts of an orange)

Carrots: High in fiber, high in Vitamin A: beta carotene, which is an anti-oxidant that prevents cancer, healthy immune system and promotes cell growth/tissue repair (1 cup has 308% of your daily Vitamin A needs)
Cabbage: 1 cup contains: 67% of daily Vitamin K and 43% of Vitamin K, high in anti-oxidants, cabbage helps to decrease inflammation, Red cabbage is much high in anti-oxidants than green cabbage (so if you want to replace all the cabbage with red, feel free!)

Broccoli: high in vitamin A and K, broccoli can aid in absorption of vitamin D, and is anti-inflammatory.

Chick peas: high in protein, a nutrient essential for healing and repairing damaged tissues, 1 cup=12 grams, they're also high in potassium, 954 mg in 1 cup with only 1g of fat and 14g of fiber!

Garlic: Anti-inflammatory and aids in blood circulation/cardiovascular health

Slammin' Salsa!

If you currently have an overabundance of tomatoes from the garden, the farmers market, or a CSA share-make SALSA!

 Salsa is high in nutrients and has zero fat! Great as a salad dressing, as a topping on fish, or to spice up your burritos, salsa is not just for chips!

Grab some of those in season green and banana peppers and get going! **Did you know green peppers are packed with Vitamin C, a vitamin that helps you heal?

**You Have To Peel Those Tomatoes:

The most annoying thing about making salsa is you have to peel those tomatoes.  To do so: 

1. Bring a pot to a boil.  
2. Mark the bottoms of each tomato with an X shaped slash (you can do this as you place them into the pot)
3. Drop in tomatoes for about 2-3 minutes, or until you see skin just start to peel
4. Take them out and place into a cold ice bath to stop cooking
5. Peel skins off

-Alternative: you can freeze tomatoes with skin on.  When you are ready to use them, the skins will peel right off while slightly thawed

Ingredients (recipe is easily doubled or tripled depending on how many tomatoes you have!):

• 10 cups (about 6 pounds) tomatoes (peeled)
• 2 c of chopped banana peppers or hotter peppers depending on your taste (wear gloves)
• 5 c of chopped green or assorted red and green peppers
• 4 cups of onions (about 1.5 pounds)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1.5 tbsp salt
• 3/4-1c apple cider vinegar (depending on how juicy watery your tomatoes are-if they are very juicey like ours, reduce the amount of vinegar or your salsa will be too soupy)
• optional: 1 tsp hot sauce

Directions (makes about 9 pints)

1. Place all of the above ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil for about 10 minutes
2. If canning: pour hot salsa into hot jars.  Place into a hot water bath for 15 minutes.

**recipe adapted from Ball canning recipe

*Use as a heart healthy topping for seafood or chicken

Nutritional Benefits:
Tomatoes: High in Lycopene, an anti-oxidant that prevents cancer
Peppers: High in Vitamin C, promotes healing and disease prevention (196% of daily needs!-1 cup has more than 2x's the amounts of an orange)

Garlic: Anti-inflammatory and aids in blood circulation/cardiovascular health
Apple Cider Vinegar: lowers blood sugar levels, can aid in heart health/blood circulation/lowering blood pressure

Roasted Indian Spiced Cauliflower

It's officially fall-cauliflower is coming into farmer's markets and grocery stores.  Cauliflower is a vitamin packed food which is great for healing! It's a cruciferous vegetable.  Other veggies in this group are: cabbage, broccoli, kale, and collard greens. This group of vegetables are linked to cancer fighting compounds and are suggested to be consumed 4-5 times a week. The anti-oxidants in cauliflower help aid in fighting all kinds of infection, while it's anti-inflammatory properties help to reduce inflammation in the digestive tract and cardiovascular system.  Eating anti-inflammatory foods are great for those with periodontal disease or other infections.

Nutritional Information for 1 cup of raw cauliflower:
Vitamin C-86% of your daily needs (DN)
Vitamin K-21% (an anti-inflammatory vitamin)
Folate-15% (linked to brain and nerologic function and formation for developing brains)
Fiber-2g
Protein: 2g
Calories: 27
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=13

Roasted Indian Spiced Cauliflower

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp tumeric

1/4 tsp cayenne

2 pinches of salt (about 1/4-1/2 tsp)

1 tbsp of oil (canola, olive, or coconut)\

Raw with spices

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Wash and cut cauliflower into florets
3. Mix above together in a large bowl
4. Place on a roasting pan or cookie sheet
5. Roast for about 15 minutes, stirring/flipping once 1/2 way through (once you begin to smell it, it's probably finished)
6. Enjoy!

   

   Roasted Indian Spiced Cauliflower

**You can also saute this on the stove if you'd like to not cook as long (increased health benefits by less cooking)

Additional Health Benefits of this recipe:
Tumeric: Highly anti-inflammatory-used to decrease swelling topically or internally
Cayenne: Increases blood circulation and stimulates digestion

Banana Mango Smoothie

Our daughter had to get teeth pulled today, and she's sore :( To help her heal we made her a yummy smoothie!

Ingredients (makes 2 8 oz glasses):
2 bananas
1/2 mango
1/2 cup nonfat yogurt
5 cubes of ice



















Nutritional Benefits:
Yogurt: protein, calcium, and live cultures aid in healing gums, repairing cells, and aids in digestive function which allows your body to digest other nutrients better
Bananas: high in potassium 12% daily needs, a nutrient that aids in blood circulation and regulates blood pressure.  Bananas are also high in Vitamin B6 (22%) and Vitamin C (17%).  Vitamin C helps you fight infection.  they also are high in fiber (12%)
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=7#healthbenefits
Mangos: Immune boosting! High in Vitamins A and C (about 50% of daily needs for both)-this fruit is great for healing and increasing immune function  Source: http://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/mango-health-benefits.htm

*both bananas and mangoes have a calming affect on the nervous system, helping you to relax after a stressful procedure :)

Chicken Masala

Indian food is delicious and full of vibrant flavors. Often it is high in fat and calories, hidden in coconut milk and gee (liquified butter). This recipe uses the flavors but cuts the fat, making this a heart healthy, high protein recipe. 

Ingredients:

1c yogurt (can use low/nonfat/or Greek yogurt)

2 tsp Garam masala (Indian spice blend of cumin, curry, all-spice)

2 tsp (divided) fresh grated ginger-save 1 tsp to add to sauce at end of cooking

1 tsp cinnamon (heaping)
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp cayenne (or less depending on your taste)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1-1.5 #s chicken thighs or breasts cut into strips
(plus additional below)

Mix above and marinate for 1-8 hours 

To pot on stove:

3 c chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 c chopped onion (large onion)

3 cloves garlic-chopped (can add 1/2 during cooking and other 1/2 at end of cooking-for maximum health benefits)

Simmer above and add 1/2 c of water if more liquid is needed 

Simmer until cooked and use stick blended to purée. 

Add marinated chicken and cook for about 15-20 minutes until cooked. Add garlic and ginger at end of cooking.

Nutritional Information:

Yogurt: High in Protein and calcium, beneficial bacterial cultures-great healing food

Chicken-high in protein and low in fat

Tumeric: Highly anti-inflammatory-used to decrease swelling topically or internally

Garlic: Anti-inflammatory, aids in blood flow/increased circulation, lowers triglycerides and cholesterol (best added at end of cooking)

Ginger: Anti-inflammatory, aids in blood flow/increased circulation (best added at end of cooking)

Tomato: packed with Vitamin C, which aids in healing, high in lycopene, an anti-inflammatory micronutrient that has been shown to fight cancer

For entire recipe (feeds 4)

Chicken Thighs (1.25#s)

Calories: 750

Fat: 40g

Carbohydrates: 0g

Protein: 100g

Fiber: 0%

Iron: 30%

Yogurt Sauce: 

Calories: 150

Fat: 8g

Calcium: 30%

Carbohydrates: 11g

Tomatoes: 

Calories: 97

Carbs: 21g

Fiber: 6.5 g  

Potassium: 1280mg

Vitamin C: 114%

Vitamin A: 90%

Onions:

Calories: 101

Carbs: 24g

Fiber: 3.4g

Protein: 2.2g

Potassium: 346mg

Vitamin C: 26%

Quinoa: How Do You Cook quinoa?

What's all the talk about quinoa?

Benefits of Quinoa:

Quinoa is an ancient "grain".  It's actually the seed of a plant-which is what makes it gluten free.  

Photo source: indianapublicmedia.orf

When cooked 1 cup provides the following:

• 5 g fiber
• 8 g protein
• 4 g fat
• 39 g carbohydrates
• 222 calories (when cooked in water)

Uses: Quinoa can be used as a replacement for flours and other wheat products.  It can be ground into a flour or used whole like you would couscous, rice, or oatmeal.  

How do you cook it? It's very important to rinse your quinoa before cooking.  We like to soak ours for a few hours and then rinse it. This helps remove the seed coat and takes away the bitter taste quinoa can have without this process.  

Cooking Directions for 1 c dry quinoa: 

• Soak quinoa for a few hours in water and then rinse well
• Place into pan with 2 cups filtered water and bring to a boil
• Cook for about 15 minutes until water has been absorbed

Below are 2 different varieties of quinoa-red and white.

Cooked Quinoa

Click here for a great recipe for a quinoa salad with Pistachios and Avocado

Baked Spaghetti Squah

Love pasta but want to replace those heavy carbs? Try spaghetti squash!

This squash can be cooked quickly in a microwave and is a great swap for pasta.

To Prepare:

1) slice squash in half and remove seeds without taking out flesh

2) place half flesh side down in a pan with a little water, cover, and place in microwave for 15 minutes

3) remove from micorwave (be careful jot to get burned by steam) and use a fork to scrape out flesh.  It'll come out in strands

4) Top with your favorite sauce and enjoy!

Additional Suggestion: 

We made a vegetarian "pasta" bake that's kid approved!

-mix sauce into squash, and top with fresh herbs like basil and low-fat cheese, such as Parmesan or part-skim mozzarella.
-Bake in oven at 375 until cheese has browned.
*For additional protein, you can add organic veggie burgers or beans, as was done in the picture below.

Benefits of Spaghetti Squash:
Nutrients: Spaghetti squash supplies modest amounts of carotenoids, plant substances that the body turns into Vitamin A and that may help protect against some diseases.  While not as nutrient dense as other squash, spaghetti squash provides 3 percent of the Daily Value for calcium, 5 percent of the DV for Vitamin A, 9 percent of the DV for Vitamin C and 8 percent of the DV for dietary fiber.

If you top with sauce, you will gain the added benefits of tomatoes, a nutrient-packed food with many 

cancer fighting properties.

Pasta Comparison

One cup of cooked enriched spaghetti yields 221 calories, 1.3 g of fat, 43 g of carbohydrate and 2.5 g of fiber. Pasta does provide more B vitamins. If you have diabetes or are watching your weight and carbohydrates, you can save 179 calories and 33 g of carbohydrate by eating a cup of spaghetti squash instead of a cup of pasta.

Calorie Content:Per 1 cup of cooked spaghetti squash provides 42 calories, 0.4 gram of fat, 1 g of protein, 10 g of carbohydrate (4 g as sugar) and 2.2 g of fiber

*If prepared as above, you will increase your protein amounts depending on the veggie burger/bean of your choice, increased fiber, and added calcium from the cheese. Your fat content will increase as well, depending on the cheese of your choice (go low-fat!).

Healthy Stuffed Banana Peppers

You don't have to have high calorie stuffed banana peppers to make them awesome. In season now, these spicy peppers are great stuffed with shredded zucchini, fresh herbs like basil and dill, with a small amount of shredded parmesan cheese mixed in. The liquid from the zucchini provides the moisture that is typically from high fat cheeses when you get them in a restaurant.

To ensemble (amounts vary based on number of peppers made, we used 5 peppers for 10 1/2s)

-mix together 1/2 c shredded zucchini, herbs, 1/2 c tomatoes, & 1/4 c low fat cheese like Parmesan, a little freshly ground pepper and pinch of salt (2:1 ratio of tomatoes/zuc:cheese)

-slice peppers in half (we wear gloves because the oils in the peppers can be hot and burn your skin!)

-cook on grill or in oven @375 until slightly browned 

Benefits of zucchini: Contains magnesium, an element needed for bone strength, folate-aids in tissue maintainence, and Vitamin C-repairs and rebuilds tissues

Benefits of Peppers-loaded with Vitamin C (1c provides 171% of daily needs Vit C) and fiber (4g in 1 c). Hot peppers also aid in blood circulation, which promotes healing

Benefits of Tomatoes: high in Vitamin C (1c provides 38% of daily needs) and Vitamin A (30% daily needs), in addition to being high in Lycopene, an anti-inflammatory nutrient linked to cancer prevention

Nutrition Information:

For entire recipe: 

-162 calories, w/o cheese: 54 calories

-Packed with Vitamin C 165% of your daily needs

-4 grams of fiber

-7g of fat

-28% of your Daily calcium 

That's a lot better than a typical stuffed banana pepper from a restaurant-where 1 pepper could be more than double the calories in this recipe and loaded with fat! Here you get 5 peppers (which is plenty for 2 people)

www.altmandental.com

Edamame-awesome snack full of protein

Looking for a high protein snack? Freshly picked edamame (soybeans). Packed with protein and super easy/fast to prepare. If you get yours from the freezer-blanch in boiling water for about 2 minutes, drain, and sprinkle with kosher salt. www.altmandental.com 

Nutritional Information:

serving size 1/2 c of shelled edamame provides 

-10g protein! 

-8 g fiber

-90 calories

Vegan Southwestern Black Bean Quinoa

Another delicious way to prepare quinoa. Make sure to soak and rinse your quinoa to help your body be able to digest this protein packed food! We soak ours for at least 3 hours. Food advice from www.altmandental.com

Following recipe from http://familyfocusblog.com/vegan-southwestern-black-bean-quinoa/

Makes 6 servings

Vegan Southwestern Black Bean Quinoa and Mango Medley Ingredients: 

One 15-ounce can black beans, no salt added, rinsed and drained

1 cup cooked quinoa (according to package directions)

1 cup frozen corn

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup chopped fresh mango

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or 2 teaspoons dried)

1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced

Juice from 1 medium lemon

1 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

Vegan Southwestern Black Bean Quinoa and Mango Medley Directions:

Simple and easy to prepare!

1. Mix together the beans, quinoa, corn, pepper, mango, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño in a mixing bowl.
2. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and turmeric in a small bowl. Drizzle over the quinoa mixture and toss to coat evenly. Refrigerate until serving time.

Nutrition Information Per serving (about 1 cup): Calories: 164, Carbohydrate: 27 g, Fiber: 7 g, Protein: 6 g, Total fat: 4 g, Saturated fat: 1 g, Sodium: 93 mg.

Star nutrients: Vitamin A (29% DV), vitamin C (61% DV), folate (18% DV), iron (11% DV)

The vegan southwestern black bean quinoa is very easy to prepare and the Mango Medley makes a tasty addition that contrasts flavors nicely and gives it a bright, fresh finish.  Thanks so much to Sharon Palmer, RD for sharing this recipe with us from her book, The Plant-Powered Diet.  You can also connect with Sharon on Twitter @SharonPalmerRD