Dietitians Dish – July 15, 2019
Enjoy a BLUE summer!

What goes good with blue skies and a refreshing pool day? BLUEBERRIES! They make a refreshing, portable snack or addition to a meal. Add them into your day in a variety of ways. With the nutrients and convenience (just rinse and eat) – you can’t go wrong fueling up for all your summer activities with blueberries!

Good things come in small packages:

1 cup serving (size of a fist)
80 calories
Anthocyanin (gives their blue color) may help reduce inflammation within the body
Naturally fat-free and low in sodium

4 essential nutrients which help the body

Fiber – protects heart health, feeling full, digestive regularity, & cholesterol control
Vitamin C – boosts immunity & improves capillary blood flow
Vitamin K – regulates blood clotting
Manganese – converts nutrients into energy & helps bone development

If you’re looking for quick breakfast or snack options while the kids are out of school or to take on your next road trip, try these delicious make-ahead options adapted from BlueberryCouncil.org.

Blueberry Protein Muffins

Ingredients:

1 banana, mashed
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
1/4 cup almond butter
1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Spray 6 muffin cups with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir together banana, quinoa, yogurt and almond butter until blended. Fold in blueberries.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and set in center. Let cool completely.

Blueberry Fruit Leathers

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh blueberries
2 Tbsps. lemon juice
2 Tbsps. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. orange zest

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225˚F. In blender, purée all ingredients until smooth. Pour evenly onto parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Spread into thin layer, about 1/8-inch thick.
Bake for 6-8 hours or until mixture is no longer tacky in the middle and leather is slightly translucent and darkened in color. (If outer edges of fruit leather darken before center is dried fully, reduce temperature to 200˚F and continue baking).
Let cool completely. Cut into 1-inch long strips. Roll up in parchment paper strips if desired. Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Dietitians Dish – July 08, 2019
Cool Off with Sweet Treats Naturally

With the heat of summer upon us, frozen treats are a great way to cool off. But with all the talk about added sugars contributing to health problems, it’s important to indulge with better-for-you options.

Bananas are versatile, naturally-sweet and available year-round. Too often they get bad-mouthed as being high in sugar, while their nutritional benefits are overlooked.

But, the benefits abound…

Pre-exercise carb loading
Post-exercise refueling – carbs (energy) and potassium
Hydration – 75% water content
Heart helper – saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium free

Bananas’ good source of these nutrients helps in the following ways:

Fiber – aids digestion & blood sugar control
Potassium – helps regulate blood pressure & heart health
Vitamin C – helps boost immunity
Vitamin B6 – stabilizes mood / may prevent memory decline & aids metabolism
Manganese – boosts collagen to protect skin health

Basic Banana Swirl

Ingredients:

4 ripe bananas

Directions:

Slice bananas into 1/2-inch pieces and place on a baking tray in a single layer. Freeze for 2 hours.
Remove from the freezer and place in a food processor or high-powered blender.
Pulse to break up the banana slices, then puree until creamy. Scrape the bowl as needed and continue pureeing until creamy and smooth.
Serve immediately for a soft-serve consistency. Freeze in a container for hard ice cream consistency. Sit for about 5 minutes for easier scooping.

Flavor Fusions:

Strawberry Banana – Add frozen strawberry slices to the pureeing process.

Banana Cocoa-Nut – Add 1/4 cup of nut butter and 1/4 cup of cocoa powder to the frozen sliced bananas; then pulse, scrape and puree as above. If using a food processor, add a little bit of milk (any type) to help it puree.

Dietitians Dish – July 1, 2019

Go Beyond Meatless Monday – with Walnut-ty Wednesday!

Plant-based eating doesn’t mean following a meat-free diet (like vegetarian or vegan). The easiest way to start making the change is to swap in plant proteins for animal proteins.

Start Simple…

Replace some ground meat with chopped walnuts
Add to oatmeal or on salad as a topper
Try them in a trail mix
Finely chop and use as a coating for salmon or chicken
Mix into a bean-based burger or stir-fry

Common options include:

Kidney or garbanzo beans
Lentils
Walnuts
Seeds
Edamame or tofu (soy options)

California Walnut Omega Burgers

Ingredients:

2 cups walnuts, toasted
1 cup garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsps. chia seeds, ground
2 Tbsps. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsps. olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 eggs
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions:

Combine walnuts, beans, quinoa, bread crumbs, chia seeds, vinegar, 1 Tbsp. oil, cumin, eggs and garlic in food processor. Pulse to finely chop ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
Using wet hands, shape mixture into 6 patties. Lightly press finely chopped walnuts onto both sides.
Heat remaining oil in a very large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook patties for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown, adding additional oil to skillet after turning if necessary.
Serve on toasted whole grain buns or ciabatta rolls with lettuce, tomato and onion and any other desired condiments.

Walnut “Meat”

Ingredients:

2 cups California walnuts
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup cauliflower, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, shredded

1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsps. white wine vinegar
1-1/2 tsps. paprika
1-1/2 tsps. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried marjoram

3/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse to chop into desired texture.
Use it as a substitute for ground meat in recipes.

Dietitians Dish – June 24, 2019
Red, White and Blue – PROTECTS YOU!

Just like the colors of the American flag have significance, so do the colors of our foods. Fruits and vegetables contain nutrients and antioxidants which provide health benefits based upon their color.

RED	Protects heart health, reduces cancer risks and improves memory.
WHITE	Promotes immunity, strengthens bones, reduces cancer risks and protects heart health.
BLUE	Reduces memory loss, plus risks of cancer, heart disease and stroke.

Introduce more WHITE into the menu by adding dairy products. They provide nutrients such as Calcium, Vitamin D and Potassium, which are often lacking in our diet.

Easy Summer Salad

Ingredients:

4 cups spring mix salad
8 oz. rotisserie chicken, skin removed & shredded
8 strawberries, sliced
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
4 Tbsps. raspberry vinaigrette

Directions:

Combine salad greens, chicken, strawberries, grapes (or swap for blueberries) and dressing in large bowl; mix well. Divide into two servings.

Mini Patriotic Tarts

Ingredients

12 mini fillo shells
3/4 cup vanilla yogurt
2 cups of red & blue fruits

Directions:

Chop larger fruits to match the size of smaller berries and whole fruits.
Fill each shell with 1 Tbsp. of yogurt and then top with fruit.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Dietitians Dish – June 17, 2019
Cool Off with Frozen Treats!

Instead of buying frozen novelties that may be full of fat and sugar, or have a bunch of ingredients you can’t pronounce, it’s easy to create cool treats at home. All it takes is a blender, some fruits (and maybe veggies), dairy products, and your creativity!

Don’t let the big debate about whether plant-based beverages should be called “milk” scare you away from some wholesome DIY treats this summer! Use yogurt or milk as the creamy base for your cool treats. Whether you choose dairy products made from cow’s milk or a plant-based source is personal preference. Plant-based beverages are great options for people with lactose intolerance or a cow’s milk protein allergy. Instead of lacking nutrients, they are often fortified with some that are missing from the original product (e.g. calcium, vitamin D and potassium).

Peaches and Cream Pops

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups dairy milk or plant-based beverage
2 cups fresh peaches, divided
3 Tbsps. sweetener (sugar, honey, agave, etc.)
8 ice-pop molds (or small paper cups) and sticks

Directions:

Place milk (dairy or plant-based), 1-1/2 cups of fruit and sweetener in a blender and puree until smooth. Finely dice the remaining 1/2 cup of peaches and stir to combine. Adding other small pieces of fruit is optional.
Pour mixture evenly into molds, insert the stick/holder, and freeze about 2-3 hours until solid. If using paper cups, cover each cup with plastic wrap and then insert stick through plastic to keep the stick centered.

Note:

Vary the flavors by using 2 cups of any fresh or frozen fruit or berries in place of the peaches.

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