Power Foods: Artichokes

Left alone, an unpicked artichoke will blossom into a striking purple flower. But its real beauty lies in what it can do for you. The globe artichoke frequently shows up on lists of top 10 detox foods — and it’s no wonder. An elegant member of the aster family, it’s low in calories, a good source of vitamins and minerals, and replete with nutrients that ease digestion and lower cholesterol, among other wellness rewards.

Health Benefits
Leaves and heart combined, one medium artichoke has just 60 calories, more than six grams of fiber, and four grams of protein. Artichokes also provide a good source of magnesium, potassium, and folate, nutrients that help improve muscle function and heart health.

The real draw for artichokes, though, is their ability to promote liver health and soothe digestive issues such as nausea, pain, and bloating. For this we have the flavonoid silymarin to thank. A powerful antioxidant, silymarin boosts liver function by stimulating cell regeneration and scavenging for free radicals. In addition, it helps the liver cope with big toxic loads.

Artichokes help the liver in another way — with cynarin, a caffeoylquinic acid found primarily in the leaves. Cynarin promotes the liver’s bile production, which in turn helps break down fatty foods. According to some studies, cynarin also helps lower cholesterol.

How to Buy
Look for firm, heavy, medium-sized artichokes. To test for freshness, squeeze the artichoke and listen for a squeaky sound. Refrigerated in a plastic bag, artichokes will keep for up to five days.  You can also buy the hearts already prepared in a can or marinated in a jar.

Article taken from Body and Soul Magazine – May 2007 www.bodyandsoulmag.com

This recipe is a great easy salad to prepare and eat for dinner with plenty left over to take to work for lunch!

Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Feta Vinaigrette

1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta; about 8 ounces)

2 cups bagged prewashed baby spinach, chopped

½ cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves

3 tablespoons chopped red onion

3 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

1 (6 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, undrained

¾ cup (3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled and divided

Cook the orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.  Drain, rinse with cold water.  Combine orzo, spinach and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. 

Drain artichokes, reserving marinade.  Coarsely chop artichokes, and add artichokes, reserved marinade, and ½ cup feta cheese to orzo mixture, tossing gently to coat.  Sprinkle each serving with remaining feta cheese.

Yield:  4 servings

Recipe from: Cooking Light Magazine

Freezing Fresh Fruit!

The time is here for all your favorite fruits to ripen and hit your local farmer’s market fresh and full of flavor.  Don’t always eat a whole basket of berries before they start to get slimy?  Freeze them and use them later!  Here is how:

• Wash fruit thoroughly.  Peel, slice, cube and cut stems off fruit as needed.
• Lay out on counter to dry
• Place fruit on a cookie sheet making sure that they are not touching one another.
• Put in freezer until each piece is frozen
• Pull from freezer and put in a zip lock bag, mark the type of fruit and date on the bag, and put it back into the freezer for later use.

This freezing technique guarantees that when you pull the bag from the freezer, you won’t have a large frozen clump of fruit.  You can pull out as many or as few individual pieces as you need.  Use this technique on most any fruit.  Keep frozen fruit for up to one year.

What do you do with frozen fruit?  Make a fruit smoothie!  This is a great way to get a variety of fruit and all the fiber and other nutrients into your child. Make it with yogurt for a calcium kick or without.  Here is a basic smoothie recipe:

Fruit Smoothie – Makes around 2 – 8 ounce glasses

1 banana, peeled

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup orange juice

1 cup ice cubes

1/2 cup plain or fruit yogurt (optional) 

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add frozen blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, mango chunks or any other frozen fruit you like.  Substitute any other citrus juice or 100 % juice combinations.  Add any other fresh fruit you like, such as pineapple, pear, apple, nectarine, and/or peaches. This is a good way to use up fresh fruit that is ready to go to the compost pile.

Plan a Healthy Cookout

Spring and summer are great times of the year to have a cookout!  Cookouts do not have to consist of your typical high-fat “tail-gating” foods.  Grilling is actually a low-fat way to cook and can make healthy food even tastier.  Here are some healthy tips and suggestions to make your next cookout a healthier one.

• Grill more than just burgers and hotdogs.  Try grilling fish such as salmon or grilling chicken.
• Use whole wheat buns.
• Always have water.  Don’t drink all your calories!
• Bring or provide a vegetable platter, a fruit salad, or mixed nuts.

Want to add more flavor without adding all the fat and salt?

• Marinate the vegetables as well as the meat, poultry, or fish.
• Brush on light oil-based sauces early in grilling.  For less charring baste sauces containing sugars (fruit puree, honey preserves) toward the end of cooking.
• Grill vegetables.  Brush them lightly with oil and herbs beforehand.
• Brush on a little liquid smoke.  It adds more outdoor taste and is safe to eat.
• Toward the ending of grilling, sprinkle flavorful fresh herbs, citrus or apple peels, even whole, unpeeled garlic cloves on your coals.

Supermarket shelves carry many premixed rubs for meat, seafood and poultry. Or you can make your own at home.

Combine flavors that taste good together. Apply the rub by pressing the mixture onto the surface of the meat, seafood or poultry before cooking. The food usually becomes more flavorful the longer the seasoning mixture is on.

 

Try these rubs, or make one based on your favorite flavors:

• Citrus rub: Combine grated lemon, orange or lime peel (or all three) with minced garlic and cracked black pepper.
• Pepper-garlic rub: Mix together garlic powder, cracked black pepper and cayenne pepper.
• Italian rub: Combine fresh or dried oregano, basil and rosemary with minced Italian parsley and garlic.
• Herb rub: Use fresh or dried marjoram, thyme and basil.

Always wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat, seafood and poultry.

Adapted from: www.eatright.org

Freeze it! Preserving Herbs

Extend the summer growing season by freezing fresh herbs such as basil, cilantro, and oregano.  Then use them to liven up recipes for months to come. Herbs and spices add a healthy flavor to many dishes which can help you cut down on the amount of fat and salt in your family’s diet.

How to:

Remove the leaves from the stems, chop finely, and place into a bowl.  Add just enough vegetable or olive oil to cover, and then pour the mixture into an ice-cube tray and freeze.  Once solid, place the cubes in a resealable plastic bag.  Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When you are ready to use in a recipe, just drop a cube or two into soups, sauces or stews.  You can also defrost the cubes first, strain out the herbs and use the seasoned oil in your home made salad dressings or drizzle over steamed vegetables.  1 cube equals about 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs.

 

Basil Pesto

1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
1 large garlic clove
1 cup fresh basil leaves or 16 frozen basil cubes in olive oil, thawed
1 tablespoon (1/4 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoons lemon juice
1 ½  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (omit if using frozen basil cubes with olive oil)

Preparation

Drop pine nuts and garlic through food chute with food processor on, and process until minced. Add basil, cheese, and lemon juice; process until finely minced. With processor on, slowly pour oil through food chute; process until well-blended. Spoon into a zip-top heavy-duty plastic bag; store in refrigerator.

Yield: 1 cup (serving size: 1 tablespoon)

 

Garden Tomato and Basil Pesto Pizza

1 (12-ounce) prebaked pizza crust (such as Boboli)
 Cooking spray
2 tablespoons pesto
1 cup (4 ounces) thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
2 cups chopped tomato (about 2 large)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°.

Spray crust with cooking spray.

Place crust on a baking sheet; bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Spread pesto evenly over crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with mozzarella cheese slices and tomato; sprinkle with pepper. Bake at 450° for 5 minutes or until cheese melts and crust is golden. Sprinkle with basil.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/4 pizza)

 

Source:  Everyday Food Magazine; July/August 2007

Recipes: www.cookinglight.com

Decorate Your Kitchen with Spring Foods

In the U.S we have the luxury of enjoying different kinds of foods all year round.  Spring is the time of year to enjoy foods that are fresh and locally grown.  Farmers Markets are so readily available all over the city! 

Fresh produce has better flavor, higher nutritional value, and less environmental burden due to less fuel used in transport.  Farmers Markets also provide you with a chance to try a fruit or vegetable you have never had before.  So stock up on these locally grown foods and create meals based on what is in season.

Here are a list of some spring fruits and vegetables in season in Ohio:

Asparagus

Beans

Broccoli

Carrots

Spinach

Rhubarb

Strawberries

Herbs such as parsley, oregano, rosemary, etc.

 

Try this recipe for a healthy, delicious snack that kids are sure to love!

 

Strawberry Nilla Nibbles

 Prep Time: 5 minutes    Makes: 1 serving

 

Ingredients:

4 Reduced Fat Nilla Wafers

2 Tbsp. thawed Cool Whip Lite Whipped Topping

2 medium strawberries, halved

 

Directions:

Place wafers on small dessert plate.

Top each with 1-1/2 tsp. of the whipped topping and 1 strawberry half.

Serve immediately.

 Nutritional Information: Calories 90, Total fat 2 g, Saturated fat  1 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 60 mg, Carbohydrate 17 g, Dietary fiber 1 g, Sugars 9 g, Protein 1 g, Vitamin A 0 %DV, Vitamin C 25 %DV, Calcium 0 %DV, Iron  2 %DV

 From Kraftfoods.com

Summer Food Service Program

As summer draws near we feel it’s important to re-post this information on the National Summer Food Service Program to make sure no child goes hungry this summer.

During the school year, your child has access to nutritious meals through the School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. But when school is out for the summer, access to these programs comes to an end. Through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program, you can make sure your child has healthy meals in the summer.

The Summer Food Service Program reimburses sponsor sites for healthy meals and snacks they serve in their area throughout the summer months. The program is administered by the Ohio Department of Education and site sponsors vary but may include schools, community centers, public or private nonprofit agencies, and public or private nonprofit colleges or universities with National Youth Sports Program activities. Sites must meet one of the following criteria: 1) Location is in an area served by a school where 50% or more of the students are enrolled in free or reduced-price meals, 2) Location is in an area where 50% or more of the population earns less than 185% of the federal poverty level, 3) Income eligibility information gathered from all children verifies that participants live in households that earn less than 185% of the federal poverty level.

To sign-up for summer meals, call 1-800-481-6885.

To sponsor a Summer Food Service Site, call 1-800-481-6885.

Secrets to Getting Children to Eat Healthfully

Help your child avoid the many unhealthy summer eating options with these helpful tips:

1. Keep only healthy food in the house. Every person in the household should have the same food choices available.

2. Offer and feed a wide variety of foods; vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and fresh fruit. Let your children decide on what they like to eat.

3. Don’t attempt to manage your child’s calorie intake. They can do that on their own.

4. Be a positive role model for your children by eating healthy and exercising.

5. Educate your child about the importance of eating healthfully. Start when they are young and keep talking about it as they get older and begin to make more choices for themselves.

Adapted from the book:  Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right
  by Joel Fuhrman

Getting Food Value for Money – Part 5

Saving money at the grocery store is much easier if you have a plan. Here are some ideas to help you make the most of your money on your next shopping trip:

• Plan the weekly menu before you shop and from this write a shopping list and keep to it – that way you will only buy what you need and there is less chance of wastage at the end of the week. Impulse buying can blow the budget.

• Check to see what is in your pantry and what is left over in the fridge – use these items in the early part of the weekly menu to avoid waste.

• Check the newspaper for weekly specials and try to use these in your menu. You need to be flexible here, for example when a recipe calls for beef, but lamb is on special then modify the recipe to use lamb instead.

• Look around for the cheapest supermarket.

• Do not buy something you don’t really need just because it is on special – it will probably be wasted money, unless you can put it to good use.

• Do not shop on an empty stomach – it can make you buy more.

 Source:  www.education.qld.gov.au/schools/healthy

Getting Food Value for Money – Part 4

Cooking and baking from scratch can offer savings on everything from dessert to salad dressing. Below are some ways to make your money go further in the kitchen:

• Homemade muffins and cakes are healthier, cheaper alternatives. They are usually half to one third the cost of the bought ones. Children usually enjoy cooking so involve them in the preparation and baking.

• Use skim milk powder for cooking.

• Make your own low fat salad dressings. Homemade dressings are cheaper than bought ones. They offer the opportunity to produce a wide variety of flavors with only a few basic ingredients such as olive oil, vinegar, garlic and fresh homegrown herbs.

• Buy bread on special and freeze for later use. If a loaf of bread cannot be used within a day or two, slice and freeze half the loaf for later use.

• Choose a high fiber, low sugar breakfast cereal. Generally, the less refined and cheaper the product – the more nutritious. Some cereals advertised for children can be up to four times the cost of healthy choices. They also contain a lot of sugar and if toasted, a lot of fat.

 Source:  www.education.qld.gov.au/schools/healthy

Getting Food Value for Money – Part 3

Tips for getting more value for your money from the meat and beans group:

• Dried peas, beans and lentils are inexpensive, low in fat and high in fiber. They can be the basis of a meal or used to extend a meat meal. Try adding cooked, mashed lentils to make healthy hamburgers.

• Meat that requires long, slow cooking is often cheap, nutritious and flavorful.

• Buying lean meat without bones may be more economical than buying a large amount of cheaper meat with fat and bones – it is pointless paying for something you won’t eat. If you do have meat bones, use them to make stock.

 Source:  www.education.qld.gov.au/schools/healthy