Pumpkin Green Monster Smoothie
Posted: October 14, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: autumn, Breakfast, clean eating, fall, fiber, food, good monster, green, halloween, health, healthy, kale, latte, low calorie, low fat, monster, october, pumpkin, pumpkin spice, recipes, shake, smoothie, spinach, vegan, vegetarian, vitamin c, yum Leave a comment
In honor of Halloween and the season of pumpkin everything, we’re replacing bad monsters (300 calorie, 38 grams of sugar pumpkin lattes) with good monsters by inviting this recipe into our kitchen.
The creamy shake is packed full of nutrition and fill-you-up fiber, making it a great choice to add to your weekly, or even daily, breakfast rotation.
Feel free to play around with any toppings, as well as the thickness by adjusting the amount of soy milk you add to the blender. Sometimes we let this green monster spread its mighty power to a bowl, and dive in with our spoon instead of a straw. Regardless, get this good guy on your (table)side.
Happy National Fruit & Vegetable Month!
Posted: June 6, 2014 Filed under: Food, Health, Lifestyle | Tags: benefits, blood pressure, blood sugar, celebrate, diabetes, farm to fork, farmers' market, health, health facts, holiday, june, national fruit and vegetable month, national fruit and veggie month, obesity, produce, research, seasonal, seasonals, spinach, stats, strawberries, stroke, studies, sugarsnap 1 Comment
“Hey June, don’t make it bad.
Take a sad diet and make it better.
Remember to let produce into your bowl.
Then you can start to make it better.”
In honor of National Fruit & Vegetable Month, we’re calling on the Beatles for a little celebration. (If it’s sounding like we drank too much carrot juice and you have no idea what we’re referencing, you best take a few moments to watch the original Hey Jude.) The month’s farm-to-fork designation has officially made June our favorite time of year.
- A study released this past March suggests people who eat up to 7 servings of fruit & vegetables a day can cut their risk of premature death by 42%. Um, yes peas!
- The unfortunate news? Research shows most people are consuming less than half of what the government recommends. And when we do plate up on produce, the #1 items in America are potatoes and tomatoes — in the not-so-nutritious forms of french fries and pizza, according to a report from the U.S. Dpt. of Agriculture. With that comes a hefty side of fat and sodium.
- Are your readings showing high blood pressure? Filling up on produce lowers blood pressure and your risk for type 2 diabetes since fiber tempers blood-sugar swings by slowing the absorption of carbohydrates into your bloodstream after meals.
- They’re also packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants, and a recent study released by the American Heart Association suggests with every 200 grams per day, you could cut your risk of stroke by 1/3.
We could have a never-ending sing-off about the benefits of fruits and veggies. Instead, however, we’re going to move on and highlight some of this month’s prime produce.
- Strawberries: 8 medium-sized berries yield 150% daily value (DV) of vitamin C at just 50 calories. That sounds pretty sweet to us, as does this recipe for Fish Tacos with Strawberry Mango Salsa.
- Sugarsnap Peas: This hybrid of both a green pea and a snow pea is known for its high levels of B vitamins, which help your body convert food to energy. Pair them with shrimp and toss over brown rice in this light coconut curry recipe for a satisfying meal.
- Spinach: Spinach is a vitamin K superstar, a vitamin essential for bone health. One cup contains nearly 200% DV, and also contains twice the amount of iron as most other greens, which is important for keeping your energy levels up. Serve this Spinach and Pumpkin Seed Pesto over whole wheat pasta for a Popeye and LifeVest approved meal.
Want more farmers’ market inspired ideas? Check out this recipe generator from the New York Times.
2 Salads to Lighten Up the Memorial Day Menu
Posted: May 24, 2014 Filed under: Food, Health | Tags: easy, feta, food, grill sides, healthy, July 4, light, low calorie, low fat, Memorial Day, mint, picnic, recipes, Salads, sesame, spinach, strawberry, summer, vegetarian, watermelon Leave a comment
By Emma Fogt
As soon as Memorial Day passes, pools open and beach side-bathers return for another summer of fun in the sun. The anticipation of skinny clothes attracts a desire for skinny food and what better way to lighten up Memorial Day than with a few salads on the table.
These salad recipes are heavy on flavor and light on junk, so you can feel good about what’s going on your plate, and your taste buds can too. Pair them with a veggie burger or lean cut of meat from the grill. Then sit back and savor the first few (unofficial) days of summer.
Susan’s Turbulent Watermelon Salad
Jan’s Strawberry Spinach Salad
