Pumpkin and White Bean Bisque

Ok so I know that it’s almost March, but it’s still pretty cold here in Ann Arbor! We had a wonderful 60 degree day yesterday but snow is on the forecast for tomorrow, which means I’m making soup.

I make soups and stews a lot in general – mainly because I absolutely love the idea of throwing a bunch of delicious and healthy ingredients into a pot and not having to think about making sides/salads/etc. to accompany it. They are so easy to make, don’t take a lot of time, are full of flavor, and have a balanced combo of protein and fiber to keep you full and satisfied.

My soups and stews are truly one-pot meals.

When I saw this recipe from CookingLight, I knew I had to try it! Pumpkin and squashes are so beautiful this time of year, and I love the idea of using white beans as a secret healthy way to make the soup creamy and thick without using cream.

I had enough for leftovers, and since Layla loved it so much I decided to freeze mini portions of the soup in these handy to-go containers from OXO Tot. That way I have something on hand in the freezer when I need a healthy meal for her but don’t have time to cook!

The husband and I loved this soup as well. We topped it with some crispy sage that I sauteed in a bit of olive oil for some added flavor.

The Ingredients

Adapted from CookingLight

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you like spicy food, less if you don’t!)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2.5 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 15oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15oz can pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese or crispy sage for toppings

The Directions

Step 1: Add olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, 1 tablespoon sage, and garlic to pan; sauté until lightly browned. Add cayenne pepper and cumin; sauté 20 seconds.

Step 2: Stir in 1/2 cup stock; cook 1 minute. Add remaining stock, beans, pumpkin, and salt, simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Using an immersion blender, puree soup until thick and creamy. (You can also transfer the soup to a regular blender and blend, and then return the soup to the pot). Stir in milk, bring to a simmer, cook 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar, and let the soup warm with the stove off.

We served ours with grilled cheese sandwiches made on Ezekiel Flax Sprouted Bread – the perfect accompaniment to this soup!

Print

Pumpkin and White Bean Bisque

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 Servings

Calories per serving: 143

Fat per serving: 2.2g

Nutritional Info Per Serving: 143 Calories, 2.2g Fat (0.5g Saturated), 751.2mg Sodium, 27g Carbs, 10.2g Fiber, 6.6g Sugar, 8.4g Protein

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you like spicy food, less if you don't!)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2.5 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 15oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15oz can pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese or crispy sage for toppings

Directions

1. Add olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, 1 tablespoon sage, and garlic to pan; sauté until lightly browned. Add cayenne pepper and cumin; sauté 20 seconds.
2. Stir in 1/2 cup stock; cook 1 minute. Add remaining stock, beans, pumpkin, and salt, simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Using an immersion blender, puree soup until thick and creamy. (You can also transfer the soup to a regular blender and blend, and then return the soup to the pot). Stir in milk, bring to a simmer, cook 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar, and let the soup warm with the stove off.

Notes

Adapted from CookingLight

3.1

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Recipe by: The Picky Eater, pickyeaterblog.com

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So What, Exactly, Is “Natural”?

According to the dictionary, the word “natural” means “having undergone little or no processing and containing no chemical additives.” But when it comes to seeing the word “natural” on a food label, the definition gets much murkier — so much so, in fact, that the FDA (which is currently reviewing the term and how it can define and regulate it) has recently extended its public comment period on the meaning of this word until May 10, 2016.

“Natural” is a term that food manufacturers use liberally, and to good effect. According to a recent Consumer Reports survey, 62 percent of consumers seek out food labeled “natural.” But a whopping 87 percent said they would not only buy foods labeled “natural,” but also pay more for them, if the term met their expectations. Those expectations include meaning that the so-called natural food is free from pesticides, artificial ingredients or colors and GMOs.

“There is no standardized definition or comprehensive government rules for food concerning what products can be called ‘natural,’” says Ivan Wasserman, an attorney who specializes in federal regulation of labeling and advertising of foods, dietary supplements and cosmetics. “And consequently, over the years there have been hundreds of lawsuits filed on behalf of consumers who allege that a product labeled ‘natural,’ in their opinion, is not.”

If you want to be part of the process, go to regulations.gov. There you can answer any of the dozen or more questions the FDA is asking and leave your comments on what you’d like to see “natural” mean when it appears on food labels and how you’d like the FDA to regulate it. So far, according to Wasserman, they’ve received about 5,000 comments and could expect to have upward of 50,000 to sort through by the end of the comment period. After that, if the FDA regulators decide to move forward with defining the word, they will propose a definition and open that up to more public comment. In other words, don’t expect any real changes to happen for several years.

In the meantime, you may want to focus on seeking out foods with labels that do mean something — which currently include “USDA Organic” and “Non-GMO Project Verified.” For now, both of those offer better clues to how natural a food is or not than the word “natural” on the label does. Stay tuned.

Sally Wadyka is a Boulder, Colorado-based journalist who writes about nutrition, health and wellness.

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5 Surprising Ways to Use Pulses

The United Nations declared 2016 The International Year of Pulses. Never heard of the term? You’re not alone. Pulses include dry peas, beans, lentils, and chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans). Chefs throughout the world have been experimenting with these babies and have come up with new and creative ways to use them.

The Nutrition Lowdown on Pulses

Pulses are a good source of protein: Lentils deliver double the protein per serving of quinoa. They’re also an excellent source of fiber, and contain four times more fiber than brown rice. They’re also rich in antioxidants, iron and folate, and are a good source of potassium. Pulses are also naturally free of sodium, cholesterol and gluten.

So how exactly can these superfoods be used in cooking and baking? I had the opportunity to learn from chefs at the acclaimed Culinary Institute of America in Napa, Calif., who have been experimenting with pulses. Here are five creative ways you’d never think of using them.

1. Tapenade

Instead of just using olives in your tapenade, add lentils to up the protein and fiber. The type of fiber found in lentils is called soluble fiber, which has been shown to help reduce cholesterol.

2. Chocolate Mousse

A new trend, called aquafaba, is when you use the liquid of the pulse. Most folks toss the liquid from canned or soaked pulses, like chickpeas. Instead, whip the liquid with almond milk until it becomes thick like whipped cream. Add melted chocolate for a delicious chocolate mousse.

3. Potato Tots

Instead of using shredded russet or sweet potatoes for tots or pancakes, combine them with pureed garbanzo beans for a boost in protein and fiber.

4. Chocolate Cake

Use a lentil puree (a combo of pureed lentils and water) to sugar, oil and eggs. Combine with a dry mixture of all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda and salt for a moist, chocolatey cake.

5. Naan Bread

Combine bread flour with yellow pea and baby lima bean flour to make the dough for naan bread. These flours can be used in a variety of gluten-free baking recipes, but take a little time to get used to, since they don’t have the same consistency as traditional gluten-filled all-purpose flour.

Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian and consultant who specializes in food safety and culinary nutrition. She is the author of The Greek Yogurt Kitchen: More Than 130 Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Day.

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“How Local Can You Get?” Beef

Been considering bypassing the grocery store and purchasing meat in bulk? Here’s some insight into my experience purchasing a share of a local cow for my family.

What’s Involved?

Getting involved with a local farmer is one of the best things you can do, but it is slightly more complicated than making a trip to your local grocery chain store. Thanks to the Internet, finding a farm in your area isn’t too difficult. I also suggest asking around at your local farmers market to see which farms offer this service. In my case, a friend recruited a few local families to all go in on a cow together. Since each animal yields more than 400 pounds of meat, there’s plenty to share. The beauty of this small local farm is that it’s a completely grass-fed operation that I can go visit to see how humanely the animals are treated.

A trip about 50 miles out of town was required for pickup, and then it was time to divvy up the goods. All cuts of meat came individually wrapped, labeled and frozen. Our group decided on a pickup location and met up with coolers in tow. There’s nothing wrong with putting in some extra effort and elbow grease in the name of delicious food and good health.

Costs

Meat from this farm was very reasonable at $5 per pound, especially since my neighborhood grocer charges anywhere between two times and SIX times as much depending on the cut. You do need to consider where to store all this meat, however. My share was 40 pounds, but some folks bought in for 80, so a second refrigerator with freezer space or a standalone freezer is required. If you don’t already have one, you’re looking at an additional investment.

Pros & Cons

The upsides of a cow share are numerous. The quality and taste of the meat is far superior to that of the meat from your garden-variety grocery butcher shop. Grass-fed meat is lower in fat and also higher in essential fatty acids (including Omega-3 fats) and antioxidants.

There are also a few downsides. As with many local food endeavors, there’s a higher cost up front. Freezer space may be an issue, and you will get many cuts of meat that you may not be familiar with, which can be intimidating. Luckily, you can find out what to do with every beef cut on the Beef It’s What’s For Dinner website.

Sold?

Going in on a cow is a big commitment. If you’re intrigued but not ready to jump in or you missed the ordering window at your local farm, there are some alternatives. Visit a farmers market for weekly purchases, or consider a service like Butcher Box, which provides monthly deliveries of grass-fed American-purveyed meats.

Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, is a registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer and owner of Dana White Nutrition, Inc., which specializes in culinary and sports nutrition.

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News Feed: Wood Pulp in Cheese, Starbucks Sugar Shocker, Cage-Free Trader Joe’s

Cheese, please

Have we all been sprinkling wood on our pasta and pizza? Some suppliers of grated Parmesan cheese have been filling their products with cellulose — an anti-clumping additive made from wood pulp — or using other, less expensive cheeses and failing to disclose the actual ingredients on the label, Bloomberg Business reports. One cheese maker has estimated that 20 percent of hard Italian cheeses are mislabeled. Another told Bloomberg that only one-third of the 28 brands of grated Parmesan it tested appeared to be accurately labeled, in terms of protein levels and fillers. In response to a Bloomberg investigation, in which a lab test confirmed that several store brands contained high levels of cellulose, several stores have begun pulling the questionable products from their shelves.

Too-sweet treat

We all love to reward ourselves with a Starbucks beverage from time to time, but those trying to keep tabs on their sugar intake may want to be mindful of what they order. Recent research released by Action on Sugar, a U.K. group dedicated to reducing the amount of sugar in processed foods, indicates that 98 percent of hot flavored drinks sold at major coffee-shop chains “would receive a ‘red’ (high) label for excessive levels of sugars per serving — with 35% containing the same amount or more sugar than a can of Coca Cola.” Topping the group’s list of hot-drink “worst offenders” was Starbucks Venti Hot Mulled Fruit (offered only in U.K. Starbucks stores) — Grape with Chai, Orange and Cinnamon, which it determined contained “a whopping 25 teaspoons of sugar — more than THREE times the maximum ADULT daily intake of free sugars (7tsp/d).” Starbucks’ Mocha with Whipped Cream (Short), Classic Hot Chocolate (Short) Pumpkin Spice Latte with Whip (Short) and Caramel Macchiatto (Short) each contains a modest-by-comparison four teaspoons of sugar per serving.

Egg-cellent news

Trader Joe’s is going cage-free. The grocery chain, under pressure from consumers, recently announced that all the eggs it sells in its stores will come from cage-free suppliers, although the stores’ transition to 100 percent cage-free will not be super-speedy. Since 2005, when Trader Joe’s announced that its store-brand eggs would be from cage-free chickens, the chain says demand for cage-free eggs has grown; today, cage-free eggs account for 62 percent of its egg sales. In a letter to customers earlier this month, Trader Joe’s said it planned to offer only cage-free eggs in its stores in Western states by 2020 and roll the change out to all stores by 2025. However, the company said, “If market conditions allow us to accomplish these goals earlier, while still providing our customers outstanding value, we will do so.”

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5 Smarter Ways to Eat Pizza at Home — Comfort Food Feast

Save your napkins for mopping up spills at the dinner table. There’s no need to blot any grease when you serve one of these healthy homemade pies from Food Network. Start with whole-wheat pizza dough — store-bought is ideal on a busy weeknight — or hop aboard the latest health food trend and prepare a high-fiber crust using chickpea flour. Have plenty of fresh, in-season toppings on hand. You can’t go wrong with a basic marinara sauce or pesto, plus your favorite cheese and a handful of fresh herbs. The No. 1 perk to preparing pizza at home? These easy pies cook up in the same amount of time you’d spend waiting for your delivery to arrive — maybe even less, if you have help. Even the littlest sous chefs can chip in with the toppings.

Without further ado, here are five better-for-you pizzas to save you from another humdrum weeknight dinner:

Broccoli Pesto Pizza (pictured at top)
Dress up nutty whole-wheat pizza dough with soft goat cheese, sliced tomato, fresh basil and homemade broccoli pesto. If you’re used to traditional pesto, you’ll love the taste of the earthy florets when combined with Parmesan and olive oil in your food processor.

Butternut Squash and Gorgonzola Pizza
Instead of waiting for delivery, you can prepare this comforting pie at home in just 30 minutes. Ellie Krieger opts for whole-wheat pizza dough and tops it off with tender cubes of butternut squash, sliced red onion and gorgonzola cheese.

Chickpea Crust Pizza
Those who give up gluten often pine for pizza, but there’s no need to dream of the crisp-yet-chewy crusts of the past: This pizza is completely gluten-free when you prepare the crust with chickpea flour in place of wheat flour. Top with a homemade tomato sauce, provolone cheese and chicken sausage.

Taco Pizza
Cuisines collide in this mash-up: pizza topped with refried beans, sour cream and salsa. Kids will love getting in on the action, so let them take a crack at helping to sprinkle the lettuce and grated cheddar on top. For quick assembly, use store-bought dough.

Tricolor Salad Pizzas
Ellie saves time by using store-bought whole-wheat pizza dough for this simple pie. Cut down on the fat by using part-skim mozzarella and ricotta cheeses.

For more comforting pies you can prepare at home, check out these recipes from our friends:

Feed Me Phoebe: Easy Mexican Breakfast Pizzas with Avocado
Creative Culinary: Pear, Gorgonzola and Hazelnut Pizza with Mixed Green
The Lemon Bowl: 5-Ingredient Chicken Pesto Pizza with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Homemade Delish: Superb Pizza
Daisy at Home: Pizza Panini
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Six Pizza Recipes For Your Academy Awards Party
In Jennie’s Kitchen: Best Pizza Recipes
Taste with the Eyes: Pretty Smoked Salmon Pizza with Chive Blossoms
FN Dish: 5 Ways to Eat Pizza for Breakfast

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The Truth about Fat: 10 Facts You Need to Know

Everyone seems to be talking about fat these days. That fat is good and can help with weight loss and disease prevention. That cheese and eggs aren’t actually bad for you. But for decades, we were told that fat was the bad guy and that we had to avoid it at all costs (Remember those low fat cookies that were supposed to be “good” for you?). So now, I feel like the information about fat out there is confusing. Some sources still tell people to avoid it. Others praise it as a superfood. So what is the truth about fat? What are its benefits? And are there any “bad” fats out there?

This week, I’m partnering with Dr. Hyman to help bring you answers to all of these questions! Dr. Hyman is the author of a new book: Eat Fat, Get Thin. He wrote this book to help ease all of the confusion around fat, and to dispel common myths and misinformation that prevents people them from taking advantage of the latest science to lose weight and get healthy.

You’ve probably heard these myths before: Fat makes us fat, contributes to heart disease, leads to diabesity; saturated fat is bad; vegetable oils are good…I could go on, but I think you know what I’m talking about.

What’s crazy is: None of these beliefs about fat are true. In Dr. Hyman’s book, he proves that the right fats can help you become lean, healthy, and vibrant and lose weight!

Here are 10 facts about fact. The truth – straight from Dr. Hyman. But to start, here’s a little intro:

Fat is one of the body’s most basic building blocks. The average person is made up of between 15 and 30 percent fat! Yet for decades, we’ve unfairly demonized dietary fat, diligently followed a low-fat diet that almost always equates into a high-sugar and high-refined carb diet that contributes to insulin resistance, obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and numerous other problems.

Simply put: Sugar, not fat, is the real villain that steals our health and sabotages our waistlines.

The right fats increase metabolism, stimulate fat burning, cut hunger, optimize your cholesterol profile, and can reverse type 2 diabetes and reduce your risk for heart disease.

For now, let’s look at 10 take-home fat facts.

#1 | Sugar, not fat, makes you fat. The average American eats 152 pounds of sugar and 146 pounds of flour that converts to sugar every year. That’s nearly a pound of sugar and flour combined every day! More sugar means your cells become numb to insulin’s “call.” Your body pumps out more and more insulin to pull your blood sugar levels back down. You can’t burn all the sugar you eat. Inevitably, your body stores it as fat, creating insulin resistance and overall metabolic havoc among other mayhem.

#2 | Dietary fat is more complex than sugar. There are some 257 names for sugar, but despite very minor variations, they all create the same damage. In other words, sugar is sugar is sugar; it all wreaks havoc on your health. Fat is more complex. We have saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and even trans fats, not to mention subcategories within each group. Some fats are good; others neutral; and yes, a few are bad.

#3 | Low-fat diets tend to be heart-unhealthy, high-sugar diets. When people eat less fat, they tend to eat more starch or sugar instead, and this actually increases their levels of the small, dense cholesterol that causes heart attacks. In fact, studies show 75 percent of people who end up in the emergency room with a heart attack have normal overall cholesterol levels. But what they do have is pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes.

#4 | Saturated fat is not your enemy. A review of all the research on saturated fat published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found no correlation between saturated fat and heart disease. As with all fats, quality becomes key here. The fats in a fast-food bacon feedlot cheeseburger will have an entirely different effect than saturated fat in coconut oil. Let’s stop classifying it all as the same.

#5 | Some fats are unhealthy. They include trans fat and inflammatory vegetable oils (which are processed seed oils like soybean oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil and a few others). Vegetable oils contain very large amounts of biologically active fats called Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are harmful in excess. This does NOT apply to healthy plant oils like olive oil or coconut oil, which are extremely good for you. Unfortunately, trans fats and processed seed oils have increased in our diet, and they make us fatter and contribute to inflammation, which plays a role in nearly every chronic disease on the planet.

#6 | Everyone benefits from more omega 3s. About 99 percent of Americans are deficient in these critical fats. Ideal ways to get them include eating wild or sustainably raised cold-water fish (at least two servings weekly), buying omega-3 rich eggs, and taking an omega-3 supplement twice a day with breakfast and dinner that contains 500 – 1,000 milligrams of omega-3 fats (a ratio of roughly 300 EPA to 200 DHA is ideal).

#7 | Eating fat can make you lean. Healthy cell walls made from high-quality fats are better able to metabolize insulin, which keeps blood sugar better regulated. Without proper blood sugar control, the body socks away fat for a rainy day. The right fats also increase fat burning, cut your hunger, and reduce fat storage. Eating the right fats makes you lose weight, while eating excess sugar and the WRONG types of fat make you fat.

#8 | Good fats can heal. Many diabetic patients have improved health when they are on a diet higher in fat. Sometimes increasing the amount of healthy fat in a patient’s diet can actually help them lose weight!

#9 | Your brain is about 60 percent fat. Of that percentage, the biggest portion comes from the omega-3 fat called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Your brain needs DHA to spark communication between cells. Easy access to high-quality fat boosts cognition, happiness, learning, and memory. In contrast, studies link a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

#10 | Your body gives you signs whether or not you are getting enough quality fat. The higher-quality the fat, the better your body will function. That’s because the body uses the fat you eat to build cell walls. You have more than 10 trillion cells in your body, and every single one of them needs high-quality fat. How do you know if your cells are getting the fats they need? Your body sends signals when it’s not getting enough good fats. Warning signs include:

• Dry, itchy, scaling, or flaking skin
• Soft, cracked, or brittle nails
• Hard earwax
• Tiny bumps on the backs of your arms or torso
• Achy, stiff joints

The right fats can improve your mood, skin, hair, and nails, while protecting you against Type 2 diabetes, dementia, cancer, and much more.

Among Dr. Hyman’s favorite sources of fat include:

• Avocados
• Nuts—walnuts, almonds, pecans, macadamia nuts, but not peanuts (one study showed a handful of nuts a day reduced death from all causes by 20 percent)
• Seeds—pumpkin, sesame, chia, hemp
• Fatty fish, including sardines, mackerel, herring, and wild salmon that are rich in omega-3 fats
• Extra virgin olive oil (a large study showed that those who consumed 1 liter a week reduced heart attacks by 30 percent)
• Grass-fed or sustainably raised animal products (The Environmental Working Group’s Meat Eater’s Guide is a great resource for finding good quality animal products that are good for you and good for the planet).
• Extra virgin coconut butter, which is a great plant-based source of saturated fat that has many benefits. It fuels your mitochondria, is anti-inflammatory, and doesn’t cause problems with your cholesterol. In fact, it may help resolve them.

Thanks Dr. Hyman for sharing this information with us and helping to dispel all of the common myths about fat! So there you have it folks: healthy fats (like those listed above) should be in your diet every day. Sugar, trans fats and processed seed oils/vegetable oils are the true culprits – so you never have to feel guilty eating an avocado or nuts again!

 

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Order This, Not That: Cracker Barrel

This sit-down restaurant is a family favorite with more than 630 locations throughout the country. Founder Dan Evins wanted to create a restaurant that would make people feel comfortable when they were on the road far from home. However, many of the options at this eatery are drowning in high-calorie gravy or lots of butter. Last year, however, Cracker Barrel started offering Wholesome Fixin’s and Tasty Alternatives for those who want to watch their calories. The full nutrition info, however, isn’t offered for every dish on the menu (only the few healthier selections).

Breakfast (pictured above)

Order: Apple N’ Cinnamon Oatmeal

Of the three healthier breakfast options offered, the oatmeal is a perfect way to take in three food groups: dairy, whole grains and fruit. It’s disappointing that the other two, which are egg dishes, use egg substitutes instead of wholesome eggs (or a combo of whole eggs and egg whites).
Calories: 380

Not: Grandpa’s Country Fried Breakfast

It was a real tough choice to decide what not to order for breakfast with all the meat, biscuits and eggs on one plate. However, this option not only has 2 eggs, grits, gravy and buttermilk biscuits with butter, but is also served with fried apples or hash brown casserole and chicken-fried chicken or country-fried steak.

Lunch & Dinner

Order: Apple Cider BBQ Chicken Breast

Of the seven healthy meals offered on this menu, the most-interesting choice is this chicken breast seasoned with smoky Southern spice and topped with zesty apple cider BBQ sauce, and fresh Gala apple and dried cranberry chutney. It’s served with steamed broccoli or mixed seasonal veggies.
Calories: 330 (not including your side of choice)

Not: Chicken Fried Chicken

The generous portion of these fried chicken breasts is topped with gravy and served with two sides of your choice.

Dessert

Order: Scoop of Ice Cream or Fresh Fruit

There are no options for a healthy dessert on this menu, which is sad. Ask your server if you can order a scoop of ice cream or fresh fruit for dessert. If that’s not possible, then splitting the Fruit Cobbler with Ice Cream with at least three people is probably your best bet to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Not: Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola Cake

This is a rich, double-chocolate fudge cake made with Coca-Cola and served with vanilla ice cream. Indulge in this favorite and you’ll probably blow right past the recommended amount of added sugar for the entire day.

Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian and consultant who specializes in food safety and culinary nutrition. She is the author of The Greek Yogurt Kitchen: More Than 130 Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Day.

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Bites Are the New Bars

Snack bars, energy bars, meal-replacement bars and even bars that claim to help aid in sleep have saturated the market for some time. But what if you just want a nibble, and not a full bar snack? Try bites. We think they’re the new bars! Portable and easy to pop one or two when you need an energy boost or a tiny bedtime treat, they’re taking over the bar marketplace at lightning speed. We rounded up a few of the latest offerings, below.

Navitas Naturals: Cacao Goji Power Snacks
This gluten-free snack is packed with antioxidants and free of refined sugar. Each bite has nutrient-dense superfoods, including cacao, maca, chia and camu camu. Cacao is also loaded with antioxidants and theobromine, and goji berries contain beta-sitosterol, which research shows may help reduce cholesterol levels. The red, chewy berry also provides protein, fiber, antioxidants and lots of beta carotene.

The GFB: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter GFB Bites
Roasted Virginia peanuts and 70% organic dark chocolate sound indulgent, but these bites that are made in a sustainable, gluten-free facility in Michigan have only 50 calories and 3 grams of fat each. A touch of organic brown rice syrup, a complete protein blend (brown rice protein and pea protein), organic dates, organic agave nectar, organic crisped brown rice, golden flax seed, vanilla and cocoa powder round out the ingredients.

LUV Superfoods: Almond Bee-gan Bites
With 11 superfood ingredients, each of these dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free and vegan bites looks just like a chocolate truffle, and, thanks to organic cacao powder and cacao butter, it tastes like one too. The Himalayan sea salt on top adds just enough balance to make these treats taste just a little fancy.

Go Raw: Sweet Spirulina
Try the green version of these bite-sized snacks that taste almost like hearty crackers. Sweet Spirulina is vegan, nut-free and gluten-free, with just sprouted sesame seeds, bananas, coconut, dates and spirulina.

Juice Press: The Dating Game
Want a small sweet bite after dinner? These little balls have only three ingredients: dates, coconut oil and coconut flakes. So you do get a kick of sugar, but since it’s from a whole fruit (dates), you can rest easy.

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Blood Orange Whole-Wheat Ricotta Pancakes

I grew up on pancake mix. And I must tell you my grandmother made some pretty darn delicious pancakes out of that mix. They were always fluffy but brown and crispy on the edges. I never felt slighted in any way that we didn’t make homemade pancakes growing up, because … well, that was all I knew.

But once I started making pancakes from scratch, I quickly learned it was well worth the extra effort. Plus, it’s really not that hard and requires only a handful of ingredients: flour, eggs, milk, baking powder. The best part of making homemade pancakes, though, is that you can make a new recipe for every occasion. Peanut butter and banana pancakes? Sure! Gingerbread pancakes for the holidays? Why not! Lemon ricotta pancakes for springtime? Coming right up!

Another example: this recipe for Blood Orange Whole-Wheat Ricotta Pancakes. It’s perfect for the winter months when citrus is in season and you want to do nothing else on a Sunday morning but hunker down, sweatpants and all, with a plate of pancakes and a cup of joe.

Ricotta pancakes are deliciously fluffy and custardlike, rich and indulgent-tasting. The blood orange adds a hint of refreshing, sweet and tart citrus, and of course a beautiful, bold color. Make these pancakes for a loved one on your next winter Sunday morning and you’ll be all set to hibernate for the rest of the day.

Blood Orange Whole-Wheat Ricotta Pancakes
Yield: 8 pancakes (4 servings)

Ingredients:

For the pancakes:
1 cup white whole-wheat flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon blood orange zest
2 tablespoons blood orange juice
2 tablespoons butter

Optional for serving:
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon blood orange zest
Blood orange slices

Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt until combined.
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together ricotta, egg, almond milk, vanilla, blood orange juice and zest until combined.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine until ingredients are just moistened (be careful not to overmix).
4. In a large nonstick pan or griddle, heat butter over medium heat. For each pancake, add 1/4 cup of batter to the pan, spreading the batter out with the back of the measuring cup into a round shape.
5. Cook until the surface of the pancakes starts to bubble, about 3 minutes. Flip pancakes over, using a spatula, and cook for another 3 minutes, or until second side is lightly browned. Serve warm with optional garnishes.
Optional for serving:
6. Add blood orange zest to maple syrup and heat in the microwave for 15 seconds, or until warm. Drizzle blood orange maple syrup over pancakes and serve with additional blood orange slices.

Notes:

• If thinner pancakes are desired, add more almond milk.
• Replace whole-milk ricotta cheese with low-fat ricotta to lower calorie and fat intake.

Per serving: Calories 310; Fat 16 g (Saturated 9 g); Cholesterol 95 mg; Sodium 590 mg; Carbohydrate 29 g; Fiber 5 g; Sugars2 g; Protein 13 g; Vitamin A 15% DV; Vitamin C 6% DV; Calcium 20% DV; Iron 10% DV

*Nutrition facts are for pancakes only.

Kara Lydon, R.D., LDN, RYT, is a registered dietitian nutritionist, yoga teacher and self-proclaimed foodie. She is a recipe developer, food photographer, writer and spokesperson. Her food and healthy-living blog, The Foodie Dietitian, features seasonal vegetarian and vegan recipes and simple strategies to bring more mindfulness and yoga into your life.

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Ginger Spice Smoothie

Hi Everyone! This week I’m excited to announce that I’m partnering with Dr. Mark Hyman to help answer all of your questions about fat, healthy fats, and weight loss. In Dr. Hyman’s newest book: Eat Fat, Get Thin, he turns our understanding of why we get fat and sick completely upside down. Contrary to popular belief, you can lose weight by eating the right kinds of fats (and reverse heart disease, type 2 diabetes and more). In other words, just about everything we’ve been told about fat is wrong!

Tomorrow I’ll be sharing 10 Facts about Fat that you need to know (and the true culprit behind this country’s obesity crisis and other health problems!) But today, I’d like to share a recipe from Dr. Hyman’s book: this creamy, spiced, low-carb smoothie.

It’s a great way to start your day and get it into fat-burning mode. The ginger is also great for digestion. I’ve included a few modifications that I made to the smoothie, but it was inspired by Dr. Hyman’s recipe!

Print

Ginger Spice Smoothie

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 1 serving

Serving Size: 1.5 cups

Calories per serving: 400

Fat per serving: 31g

Nutritional analysis per serving: 400 Calories, 31g Fat (4g Saturated), 30mg Sodium, 7g Fiber, 13g Protein, 19g Carbs

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup 1% organic milk
• 1/2 cup homemade almond milk (or any boxed unsweetened almond milk that doesn't have carrageenan)
• 2 tbsp raw almond butter
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
• 1 cup baby spinach

Directions

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Notes

Adapted from Eat Fat, Get Thin

3.1

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Recipe by: The Picky Eater, pickyeaterblog.com

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Pulses: The Superfood You’ve Never Heard Of

If you don’t readily recognize the word “pulses,” or know it is the official name for the category of food that includes dry peas, chickpeas, beans and lentils, you’re not alone. In fact, most Americans have no idea what pulses are. But many of those same people likely have a can of chickpeas, a bag of dried lentils or some black beans lurking on the shelves of their kitchen cupboards. And now that the United Nations has officially declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses, it’s only a matter of time before this pantry staple also becomes a household word.

Pulses, it turns out, have a lot going for them in terms of nutrition, sustainability and affordability. Here are the top five reasons to start including more of them in your diet.

They’re inexpensive. For just a few dollars, you can buy enough dried pulses to make several servings. The precooked, canned versions are slightly more expensive, but they’re still a bargain source of protein compared to the cost of meat.

They’ll help you lose weight. A study of people on a reduced-calorie diet showed that those who ate the most pulses (about a half-cup a day) lost four times more weight than those who ate the least (less than a tablespoon per day).

They’re versatile. Think beyond beans and rice or lentil soup. Pulses can be used in everything from dips and smoothies to main dishes — and even desserts.

They’re good for the planet. Pulses have a low carbon footprint and use significantly less water than other foods. For instance, while it takes only 43 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of pulses, a farmer will use 800 to 1,000 gallons of water to raise 1 pound of meat.

They’re high-protein, high-fiber foods. Just a half-cup of cooked pulses provides 9 grams of protein and 7 or more grams of fiber. They are also incredibly nutrient-dense — pulses pack high amounts of iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium and B vitamins. They even provide more antioxidants than much-touted antioxidant powerhouses, like berries and pomegranates.

Need more inspiration? Take the Pulse Pledge. When you sign up and commit to eating at least one serving of pulses per week for 10 weeks, you’ll receive information and recipes to help you find delicious new ways to use pulses.

Here are four recipes to help you incorporate pulses into your diet:

Crispy Chickpeas

Cilantro Lentils

Risotto with Pesto and Peas

Sally Wadyka is a Boulder, Colorado-based journalist who writes about nutrition, health and wellness.

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4 Ways to Serve Microwave Breakfast Cake for One

You’ve heard that breakfast is the most-important meal of the day. After fasting for many hours overnight (at least 6 hours recommended), it is important to refuel or jump-start the body with wholesome foods. The challenge, however, is trying to accomplish a million things before leaving the house for the day, and fixing a hearty breakfast — or any kind of breakfast, for that matter — simply may not happen. Perhaps that’s why convenient and portable items like overnight oats are widely popular (in addition to their delicious taste, of course). What’s another easy option besides perfect overnight oats? I introduce you to the Microwave Breakfast Cake for One, made in a Mason jar. Yes, you can prepare it the night before, and you certainly can enjoy it for breakfast or at any time of the day. In just minutes, you can fuel your body with a healthy dose of carbs, protein and fat!

Storage: Any small jar or container will work. I personally prefer half-pint Mason jars.

Yield: 1 serving
Prep time: 2 minutes
Active time: 2 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 very ripe medium banana, mashed
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon milk (dairy or nondairy)
• 1/2 teaspoon chia seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons white whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Method:

Combine all the ingredients excluding the flour and baking powder. Then, add in the dry ingredients and stir until well incorporated and the batter thickens. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. When ready, microwave on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, depending on the microwave.

Per serving: Calories 248; Fat 6 g (Saturated 2 g); Sodium 21 mg; Carbohydrate 38 g; Fiber 7 g; Sugars 14 g; Protein 7 g

Note: It’s crucial that you use a very ripe banana for the cake, because it’s the only sweetener used. Although you can add in extra honey, maple syrup, stevia or other sweetener of choice to the batter, I recommend adjusting as necessary after the cake has been microwaved. If you’re having it for breakfast, you don’t want to start the day with a sugar high.

Flavor Combinations:

Now that you have the foundation for a foolproof breakfast cake, be creative and have fun conjuring up all kinds of delectable cakes! Fruit (fresh or dried), nuts, nut butters, seeds, coconut flakes and cacao nibs, to name a few, are all wonderful additions. Here are three variations to help you get started.

Peanut Butter Cake:

To the basic recipe, add 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Give everything a good stir. Once the cake is microwaved, drizzle some honey and sprinkle more cinnamon, if desired. As you can tell from the picture, I love cinnamon. Not only does it add great flavor and warmth to the cake, but it’s loaded with antioxidants and has been found to lower blood sugar levels.

Chocolate Chip Cake:

To the basic recipe, add 1 tablespoon of semisweet chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of chopped walnuts. Once the cake is microwaved, add in orange zest, more walnuts, and honey, if desired.

Fig Oatmeal Cake:

In the basic recipe, replace the 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of old-fashioned rolled oats. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped figs and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Once the cake is microwaved, add sliced almonds, coconut flakes and a drizzle of maple syrup, if desired.

Min Kwon, MS, RD, is a registered dietitian who specializes in food sensitivities. She has a passion for translating the science of nutrition into real-life, applicable advice and tips. In her healthy food blog, The Adventures of MJ and Hungryman, she focuses on sharing simple yet healthy recipes made from wholesome, REAL foods.

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