Spring is in the air, and it’s the perfect time of year to enjoy some of the season’s peak produce, such as asparagus, apricots, and fava beans.

Asparagus

These tender spears, good sources of folate and vitamins A & C, are delicious roasted and served alongside fish or steak, grilled and drizzled with a balsamic reduction, or mixed into creamy risottos with fresh peas and morel mushrooms.  One of my favorite appetizers is Asparagus Wrapped in Serrano Ham, a leaner but equally yummy alternative to bacon.  This recipe can be served as a salad but also makes an easy finger food for entertaining.

Apricots

I snack on dried apricots throughout the year, but there’s nothing like fresh apricots when they’re at their peak.  Good sources of beta-carotene and potassium, sauteed apricots are one of my favorite French toast or pancake toppers.  Apricots are also popularly paired with pork dishes.  Eating Well featured a great recipe for Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Apricots.  The tenderloin is the leanest cut of pork, and the sweetness of the apricots and peppery watercress are perfect flavor accompaniments.

Fava Beans

Fava beans are great steamed and served with olive oil, salt, and lemon, added to soups and pastas, or paired with baby artichokes, another prime springtime veggie. Martha Stewart featured an amazing recipe for Stewed Baby Artichokes with Fava Beans that is lovely paired with pan-seared salmon.  Or look for a flavorful fava bean dip called Foul Moudammas in your local Middle Eastern restaurant.  Fava beans are packed with complex carbohydrates, protein, and fiber.

Beans are an awesome food, true nutritional superstars.  They are rich in complex carbohydrates (the body’s main fuel source) and protein, yet naturally low in fat.  They’re packed with fiber, heart-healthy potassium, and an array of additional vitamins and minerals and numerous phytochemicals.  If you’d like to cut your cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular disease, replace some of the animal protein (meat & dairy) in your diet with beans.  I actually ate three different types of beans yesterday and wanted to show you how easy it is to fit more beans into your daily diet.

Breakfast: Oatmeal

1/2 cup rolled oats microwaved for 90 seconds with 1/2 cup skim milk, 1/2 ounce walnuts (about 7 halves), 1 tsp brown sugar, and then topped with 1/2 sliced banana.  Coffee with skim milk.

Lunch: Chopped Chickpea & Feta Salad

Mix 1/2 cup canned chickpeas (rinsed & drained), 1/4 sliced avocado, 10 halved grape tomatoes, 1/2 orange pepper cut into slices, 1/2 cup frozen corn, 1 T feta crumbles.   Martha Stewart also featured a similar recipe pictured below.

Snack: 1/4 cup dried edamame & 1 cup red grapes

Dried edamame are a good alternative to nuts.  A quarter cup of tree nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, etc) can run you more than 200 calories.  Dried edamame satisfies that salty snack yen for half the calories and less fat than an equivalent serving of nuts.  You can also use them in place of those fat & chemical laden wonton strips and crunchy noodles on Asian-inspired salads.

Dinner: Garlicky Black-Pepper Shrimp & Black Eyed Peas 

This is one of my dinner staples.  I’ve linked to original recipe I found in Gourmet magazine, but I usually leave out the bacon, decrease the chicken stock (to reduce the sodium), and add in shredded savoy cabbage or Brussels sprouts and cubed sweet potatoes to up the veggie content.  You could also use flakey fish, like catfish or flounder, or another shellfish, such as scallops, in place of the shrimp.   The leftovers make a great lunch the next day as well.

Check back for tomorrow’s Smart Swap featuring sweet potatoes.

April is Earth month, and the 22nd marked the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Considering each of us eats over 1,000 meals every year, and there are over 6 billion of us out there, those bites of food not only impact our nutrition but also the environment. In a recent post, Whole Foods Market blogger, Joe Dickson, illustrates a powerful example:

The bowl of cereal I’m eating right now contains corn (which might be organically grown or not, genetically modified or not) and is bathed in milk (which might be organic or not, from cows given synthetic growth hormones or not, or it could be soy milk — GMO or not, organic or not, and let’s not even get into almond, hemp or rice milks). That yellow color could be natural or not, and the whole box could be preserved with synthetic preservatives to make its shelf life virtually infinite. This is a very simple meal (eight ingredients), and a relatively minor one in the grand scheme of my day, but the choices I’ve made with this little meal have touched at least half a dozen different crops, some cows, growers and my own health.

My motto at Mental Kitchen is “eat smarter!” Choosing healthy foods that nourish our bodies is oh-so-important, but choosing healthy foods that protect the Earth as well is truly eating smarter.  Here are 5 tips to get you started.

1. Eat less beef.  Beef contains heart-clogging saturated fat, and according to The Daily Green’s 10 Surprising Reasons to Eat Less Meat, it takes 2lbs of grain and 600 gallons of water to produce one 4oz hamburger patty.  Two pounds of grain would feed one person for 9 days.  Replace one or two hamburgers or steaks each week with a black bean burger or portobello mushroom fajitas.
2. Eat Sustainable Fish.  According to the Monteray Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch 70% of the world’s marine fishery resources are fully fished, over-exploited, declining or recovering, and many fish now contain dangerous levels of heavy metals and toxins, like PCB’s.  The SeafoodWATCH’s fantastic website ranks fish and shellfish into Best, Good, and Avoid  categories to guide consumers trying to make healthy and sustainable choices. Download the handy, regional pocket guides or the free iPhone app, and there’s also a sustainable sushi guide. 
3. Drink tap water. As it turns out, tap water is just as safe, if not more so, than bottled water, and drinking tap water is much better for the environment.  But bottled water is big business with worldwide sales reaching $50-100 billion each year.  Of course Aquafina (PepsiCo), Dasani (Coke), and Poland Spring (Nestle) don’t want you drinking tap water (that your tax dollars already pay for) from reusable stainless steel bottles.  Plus, bottling water consumes precious fossil fuels.  The NY Department of Environmental Conservation estimates that the oil used to make water bottles consumed by New Yorkers equals 66 million gallons of gasoline, enough to power 120,000 automobiles for a year.  Check out the Mother Nature Network for an additional 5 Reasons Not To Drink Bottled Water.



4. Choose more organics. Although the evidence is mounting, the jury is still out on whether or not pesticides damage human health.  But there’s no doubt that synthetic chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides deplete the Earth’s natural resources and destroy nature’s biodiversity.  Who didn’t have to read Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring in high school biology class?  Her work crystallized the obvious.  If a certain chemical or compound is not good for other living organisms, like plants or insects, then it probably isn’t good for human organisms either.
5. Visit the local farmer’s market.  Local produce, dairy, and meats are fresher, riper (meaning tastier), and contribute less air and water pollution than conventional and even some organic foods that have to travel 1000’s of miles to your supermarket.  Plus, many small farms practice organic agriculture but can’t afford the USDA’s organic certification process, meaning many goods at local markets are pesticide-free.  Just ask the farmer.  To find farmers’ markets in your zip code, visit www.localharvest.org.  

Eating Smarter is Eating Greener!

Breakfast: Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal

Microwave 1/2 cup rolled oats with 1/2 cup plain soymilk, 2-3 chopped walnuts, & 1 Tablespoon dried cranberries for 90 seconds.  I always start the day with coffee and skim milk as well.

Morning Snack: Stonyfield Farm Nonfat Keylime Pie yogurt

Lunch: Chickpea, Lentil Salad

I prepped this salad the night before to take to work the next day.  In a tupperware, combine 1/2 cup chickpeas, 1/2 cup Trader Joe’s steamed lentils, 1/2 cup chopped carrot, celery, green pepper, and cucumber.  Top with 2 T plain hummus and 1/4 sliced avocado.  I usually crush 2 Ryvita crisps into this salad right before I eat it.

Afternoon Snack: Crumbs Cupcake

Crumbs’ large cupcakes can top 600 calories, and contain more than the recommend 6 1/2 teaspoon per day sugar allowance.  I didn’t need it, but I wanted it. Could I have eaten half and been satisfied?  Yes, but I wanted the whole thing.  It was so pretty, and so delicious, and I enjoyed every bite!   But I also enjoyed the 45-minute, grueling spin class I took later in the evening to burn it off.

Dinner: Steamed Broccoli, Shrimp, Water Chestnuts

I wanted to balance my afternoon indulgence with a healthy dinner.  Steaming is a great cooking method to lighten up meals because you don’t need to use any oil or cooking fat, and it’s super fast and easy.   Simply place a steamer basket in a pot with 1-2 inches of water.  I filled the basket with 2 cups chopped broccoli, 5 frozen shrimp, and 1/2 cup water chestnuts, and then drizzeled 1 Tablespoon of Veri Teri Hoisin before eating.

Tip: Water Chestnuts provide a satisfying crunch to asian-inspired stir-frys and salads.  If you want to make a meal “light” yet filling, replace some or all of the rice or noodles with water chestnuts.

Evening Snack: Large Orange & Red Grapes

This day’s menu provided plenty of fruit, veggies, lean protein sources (shrimp and beans), whole grains (oats and rye), low-fat dairy (yogurt and soymilk), and heart healthy plant fats (walnuts and avocado)  Although I overdid it sugar-wise (large cupcake), I managed to stay within my daily calorie needs (1800-2000 calories/day)  by choosing nutrient-dense whole foods for my other meals.  It’s all about balance folks.

Grocery List & Pantry Staples: rolled oats, walnuts, canned chickpeas, Ryvita crispbread, Trader Joe’s steamed lentils, canned water chestuts, frozen shrimp, non fat yogurt, Veri Teri Hoisin

Do you butter your toast, melt cheese on every burger, or slather subs with  creamy dressings or  sauces.  These bread spreads  are loaded with saturated fat, the kind that raises cholesterol.  And many commericial dressings and jarred sauces contain plenty of high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils (translation trans fats).

Swap out these artery cloggers, and swap in some healthier spreads.     

Mediteranean Accoutrements

Marinated artichokes, sundried tomatoes (jarred in olive oil), and  roasted red peppers make flavorful additions to any wrap, panini, pita, or sub.   And sprinkle on heart healthy plant fats like chopped olives  & toasted pine nuts instead of cheese. 

Hummus & Bean Spreads

Hummus is made from  chickpeas and ground sesame seeds (tahini), but you can make a hummus-like spread with any bean or nut butter.  Try  rosemary-white bean, spicy black bean, or or cumin-scented lima bean spreads.  Use bean spreads on any sandwich in place of mayo, and you’ll up your protein, fiber, and potassium intake for the day.

Salsas or Fresh Pico De Gallo

The flavors of a piquant salsa like tomato, onion, lime juice, and peppers,  go great with grilled chicken.  Boost your lycopene (an anitoxidant found in tomatoes) intake by using pico de gallo in place of sour cream in chicken tacos, wraps, and fajitas.

What are some of your healthy bread spreads?

First of all, if you don’t know know what your cholesterol is, it’s time to get it checked. The American Heart Association suggests “all adults age 20 or older have a fasting lipoprotein profile — which measures total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol and triglycerides — once every five years.”

If your doctor tells you that your cholesterol levels are on the rise, don’t panic. Studies have shown that nutrition and lifestyle changes, including weight loss, regular exercise, and smoking cessation, can reduce total blood cholesterol by as much as 30% and significantly improve cardiovascular hearth.

Read on to discover 5 heart-healthy nutrition tips that will keep your cholesterol in check .

1. Reduce Saturated Fat & Eliminate Trans Fat

Choosing smaller portions and leaner cuts of beef and pork, opting for fish, shellfish, and skinless poultry, switching to non-fat milk and yogurt, and reducing intake of cheese, ice cream, and butter, as well as fried foods and processed/packaged meats, snacks, & baked goods, will significantly lower the amount of saturated and trans fat in your diet. These fats raise cholesterol and your risk of heart disease.

2. Replace with Heart-Healthy Unsaturated Fats

Unsaturated fats are categorized into polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Seafood, vegetable oils, like olive, canola, and sesame, nuts, seeds, avocados, and olives are all terrific sources of unsaturated fats. These fats lower cholesterol and reduce your heart-disease risk.

3. Add More Fiber Rich Foods To Your Diet

Fiber, especially soluble fiber, can actually help lower cholesterol. Good sources of this kind of fiber include beans, oats, barley, flax seeds, and many fruits and veggies like apples, oranges, and carrots. Try to eat at least one serving from this group once or twice a day, like oatmeal for breakfast and beans at lunch or dinner. Whole-grain breads and cereals, corn and many veggies like cauliflower, green beans, potatoes, root vegetables, and fruits eaten with the skin are great fiber sources as well. Aim for 25g of fiber everyday.

4. Increase Fruits, Vegetables, & Beans

Aside from olives and avocados, fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains don’t supply much fat, but they are loaded with nutrients that enhance heart health such as complex carbohydrates, fiber, B vitamins, and minerals like potassium and magnesium. These foods are the base of any heart-healthy diet. Need some ideas? Click here to download a list of 50 Ways To Add More Fruits and Veggies to Your Diet.

5. Increase Physical Activity

Regular physical activity promotes cardiovascular health, lowers cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides, and raises HDL (the good stuff). The Surgeon General recommends at least 30 minutes of exercise each day, and 60 minutes if you are trying to lose weight. Walking counts! Buy a pedometer and start tracking your steps, building up to 10,000 per day. Omron’s GOsmart™ Dual-Axis Pocket Pedometer is the best one I’ve come across.

When I tell new acquaintances that I’m a nutritionist, they almost always ask me what I eat.  I’m often momentarily stumped because I eat such a wide variety of foods I don’t know where to begin.  Now with this weekly post, I can direct friends, family, clients, and all other inquiring minds to my blog to check out what this dietitian typically eats, including links to my favorite products and recipes.

Breakfast 1/2 cup rolled oats, microwaved with 1/2 cup plain soymilk, 1 T brown sugar, and a couple of walnut halves.

Morning Snack 1 single serving packet of Trader Joe’s roasted cashews

Lunch Black Bean & Corn Salad

Simply mix 2/3 cup canned, drained black beans, 1/2 cup thawed, frozen sweet corn, 1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes, 1/4 avocado, dashes of ground coriander and cumin, black pepper, kosher salt, and the juice of 1/2 lime.  This is a convenient salad to take to work as you can add ingredients directly to a Tupperware container the night before.

Afternoon Snack large Gala apple and 1 container of Stonyfield Farm nonfat blueberry yogurt

Dinner Broccoli omelet, Iggy’s 7 Grain roll with 1 tsp whipped butter, 1 blood orange and 1/2 cup frozen, thawed raspberries

I saute 2 cups of chopped broccoli in 1 tsp olive oil, adding small amounts of water if the broccoli starts to stick, until the broccoli is bright green.  Then 1 add one egg to the broccoli mixture, tilt pan so egg distributes evenly, and wait for tiny bubbles to form.  Then I flip the omelet and add 1 Tablespoon of Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce at the last minute.

Evening Snack 4 mini Snickers

Note: Today’s meals and snacks add up to 1800-2000 calories and are packed with plenty of fruit, veggies, beans, whole grains, a little soy, some non-fat dairy, and a few tasty treats (butter on my roll and a few Snickers).  As I’m not a milk drinker, I also take 600mg of calcium citrate with vitamin D to reach my daily requirement of 1000 mg calcium.

Bon Appetit!

Last week I outed the most pesticide-ridden produce, the Dirty Dozen that you should most definitely buy organic! But just because some fruits and veggies carry excessive pesticide residues, it doesn’t mean you have to switch to 100% organics. Lots of fruits and veggies remain safe to buy conventionally. Here’s a list of the Clean 15 with links to delicious, healthy recipes.

Onions Terrific diced raw in salsas or summer gazpacho, roasted along with sweet potatoes, or sliced thick atop a juicy burger.

Avocado Toss with grilled chicken, watermelon cubes, cilantro, diced jalapeno and lime juice for a yummy summer salad.

Sweet Corn Delicious right off the cob.

Pineapple Slice into yogurt, grill thick slices to accompany mahi mahi, or toss into fruit salad or smoothies.

Mango Cube and eat with avocado, puree and freeze into popsicles, or add to chicken salad.

Asparagus Perfect sauteed and added to risotto and pasta dishes.

Sweet Peas Forget canned peas! Add fresh or frozen peas to Indian curry dishes for a sweet flavor burst.

Kiwi One the best vitamin C sources available, and you can eat the tangy skin. No need to peel.

Cabbage Move over soggy cole slaw. Slice into thin ribbons, saute, and add to stir fries or Thai noodle dishes for a terrific nutrient boost.

Eggplant Don’t fry this lovely purple veggie! Roast, cube, and toss into any salsa or hummus. Eggplant pairs wonderfully with coconut milk, so add to any green or red curries.

Papaya I have difficulty finding fresh, delicious papaya. But when I do, it’s amazing sliced with a squeeze of lime juice.

Watermelon The quintessential summer fruit. Perfect on it’s own, but delicious paired with fish or served with crispy shredded duck or pork.

Tomato I’m skeptical about this listing. Tomatoes were on the Dirty Dozen list not to long ago, and the EWG can’t explain the change. I’d still buy these babies organic.

Sweet Potato Microwave, spread with a little butter and brown sugar, and, voila, you have a delicious, nutrient-packed breakfast. Try it!

For a more detailed explanation of which foods it’s better to buy organic and which remain safe to buy conventionally, check out Cindy Burke’s guide To Buy or Not To Buy Organic.