How to Eat More Fruits

1. Make it a rule: Every breakfast or Lunch includes a piece of fruit
It's the perfect morning food, filled with natural, complex sugars for slow-release energy, fiber, and nutrients galore. Cantaloupe, an orange, berries--all are perfect with whole wheat toast, cereal, or an egg.

2. Make another rule: Fruit for dessert at least three nights per week
A slice of watermelon, a peach, a bowl of blueberries--they're the perfect ending to a meal, and are so much healthier than cookies or cake. Like your desserts fancier? How does chocolate-covered strawberries, poached pears in red wine, peach and blueberry crisp, or frozen fresh raspberry yogurt sound? They count too.

3. Every Monday, start your week with a fruit Smoothie Add one cup fresh fruit, 1/2 cup fruit juice, and one cup ice to a blender and liquefy. That's two servings of fruit before 8 a.m.! If you'd prefer a creamier smoothie, toss in 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt.

4. Substitute fruit sorbet for ice creamOne scoop (1/4 cup) contains up to one serving of fruit, says Carolyn Lammersfeld, R.D., who leads the nutrition team at Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Midwestern Regional Medical Center in Chicago. To whip up your own, try freezing peaches packed in their own juice for 24 hours, then submerge the can in hot water for one minute. Cut the fruit into chunks and puree until smooth.

5. Or substitute frozen fruit bars for ice cream
Buy pure-fruit versions that don't add extra corn syrup or sugar. Feel free to have one every single day. Or better yet, make your own. Do blended fruit by itself, or add yogurt and/or sugar. You can freeze bananas and then spread peanut butter on them and refreeze, and then dip in melted chocolate and nuts before going in for one last freeze for scrumptious snacks.

6. Keep a fruit bowl filled wherever you spend the most time. This could be at work, near your home computer, or even in the television room. And keep five to eight pieces of fresh fruit in it at all times, such as bananas, oranges, apples, grapes, or plums. Most fruit is fine left at room temperature for three or four days. But if it's out and staring at you, it's not likely to last that long. A piece of fruit makes a perfect snack--as often as four times per day.

7. Get your fruits dried
Dried fruits are very portable and have a long shelf life. Take them to work, on shopping trips, or even on vacation. Raisins and prunes are classic choices. Also try dried cranberries and blueberries, which are extremely high in phytonutrients, or dried apricots, which are chock-full of beta-carotene, says Mary Gregg, R.D., director of Human Care Services for NutriSystem, Inc. Other options include dates, figs, dried peaches, dried pears, and dried bananas.

8. Bring fruit with you anytime you go out and about for more than an hour
Once you are on the highway cruising along or walking step after step along a path, an apple or a nectarine tastes great and helps break the tedium.

9. Substitute fruit puree for oil in baking
Prunes work particularly well for brownies, or applesauce for lighter cakes and muffins, etc.  You can even make your own by blending it up and freezing in ice cube trays and then just use the cubes  as needed, so you always have some on hand.

UNHEALTHY FOODS

This list of foods NOT to eat has been sorted into food group categories. You should takes steps to minimizing these types of food, realizing that it may take time, energy and substitutions to old recipes, or even new recipes. It's easy to get overwhelmed, so think of this as the IDEAL. Maybe set a goal which food group to work on this month, or to try the goal during the week, but allow a little splurging on weekends.

· Refined Sugar: Besides staying away from table sugar and candy, watch for added sugar hidden everywhere. Learn the many different sugar names and check all packaged, canned and processed foods, such as cereals, prepared meats, bakery goods, jams, etc.

· Grain Products: Try to stay away from refined grain foods. These include most breads, crackers, pasta and breakfast cereals. Also eliminate cakes, pies, doughnuts, cookies, croissants, muffins and all pastries and snack foods such as chips, most snack mixes and buttered popcorn.

· Fats and Oils: Limit saturated fats and refined vegetables oils. Eliminate food with trans fats and other bad fat. This includes margarine, lard or partially hydrogenated oils found in cookies, cakes, pastries, doughnuts, chips, fried foods, candy and most chocolate.

· Meats, Poultry and Fish: - Limit red meats high in saturated fats and other fatty cuts of meat – ribs, bacon, sausage, hot dogs, pepperoni, salami, bologna and other packaged meats, plus most hamburgers. Also avoid deep frying anything.

· Dairy and Eggs: Limit cream products, such as full-fat cream cheese, sour cream, cream sauces, whipped cream and ice cream. Also limit the use of butter, eggs and full-fat cheeses and whole milk, 2% reduced fat milk and whole milk yogurts.

· Beans, Nuts and Seeds: Stay away from any bean soups or chili that contain sausage, bacon, ham or other high fat meats. Also avoid all salted nuts and seeds, as well as those roasted in oils.

· Fruits and Vegetables: Eliminate fried vegetables and fruits, vegetables with butter, cheese or cream sauces and fruits with cream or whipped cream. Also avoid fruit drinks and high sugar fruit juices. One cup of fruit juice has no fiber and up to 10 teaspoons of high glycemic sugar.

· Excess Salt: Average salt consumption in the U.S. is 10-15 grams a day. The National Academy of Sciences recommends 3-8 grams. To cut your salt intake in half, limit table salt and avoid chips, salted nuts and popcorn and most prepared, canned and packaged foods.

· Liquids: Avoid all sodas, milk shakes, fruit juice and fruit drinks and greatly limit or totally eliminate caffeine and alcoholic beverages.  

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HEALTHY FOODS

·  Vegetables: When picking from the vegetables list, go for the bright colors with the most vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Choose dark green, orange and red vegetables, like broccoli, kale, carrots, squash, red peppers and tomatoes. And garlic and onions are powerful natural antibiotics that strengthen immunity and help prevent disease. Go for organic if possible (especially for the top "dirty dozen" that are most affected by pesticides).

·  Fruit: From the fruits list, choose whole fresh, frozen or, in limited amounts, naturally dried fruits. Pick berries, oranges, red grapefruit, cantaloupe, apples, apricots, plums and other brightly colored fruit that's low on the glycemic foods index, rather than canned fruit or fruit juices. Go for organic if possible (especially for the top "dirty dozen" that are most affected by pesticides).

· Whole Grains: Choose 100% whole wheat or rye breads, crackers and pastas, sprouted grains, brown rice, oatmeal and other whole grain high fiber foods instead of refined grains, like white bread and white rice. Try grinding your own gerain and making combination flours of various whole grains so it's not just wheat (which can be hard on some peoples' bodies). 

· Beans, Nuts and Seeds: Beans (legumes), such as lentils, soy beans, garbanzo, and kidney beans are good sources of both protein and fiber. They can be added to salads, home made burritos and soups. Good choices of nuts and seeds are raw, unsalted almonds, walnuts and sunflower seeds. If you’re watching calories, keep portions small.

· Fats and Oils: Good quality food fat from olive oil, fish oil, beans, whole grains, raw nuts and seeds provide important, healthy fatty acids. Using butter is just fine, just don’t use it for everything. Use extra virgin olive oil for salads, stir-frying and baking (unless the tempurature is really high). Remember, fats are high in calories, so eat sparingly for good weight management.

· Dairy and Eggs: Choose only healthy fat-free or low-fat dairy products, such as low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream. If you drink milk, make sure it's fat-free. And don't overeat butter, cheese and eggs.

· Fish, Poultry and Meats: Healthy high protein foods are important. Have omega 3 fish, such as salmon, trout or sardines at least twice a week. Also include poultry (without the skin), beans, low-fat dairy, nuts and seeds. If you eat meat, pick lean cuts and limit portion sizes.

· Water and Other Liquids: Since your body's mostly water and you use and lose about 9 cups of it a day, fluids are essential. And here's the bottom line. Pure water is the healthiest thing to drink. So stick with water, mild herbal teas without caffeine and plain lemon water.

Preparing Legumes 101

Preparing legumes

Beans and dried legumes require soaking in room temperature water, a step that rehydrates them for more even cooking. Before soaking, pick through the beans, discarding any discolored or shriveled ones or any foreign matter. Depending on how much time you have, choose one of the following methods:

Slow soak. In a stockpot, cover 1 pound dried beans with 10 cups water. Cover and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours or overnight.

Hot soak. In a stockpot, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 pound dried beans and return to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover tightly and set aside at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.

Quick soak. In a stockpot, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 pound dried beans and return to a boil. Boil 2 to 3 minutes. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.

Gas-free soak. In a stockpot, place 1 pound of beans in 10 or more cups of boiling water. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Then cover and set aside overnight. The next day 75 to 90 percent of the indigestible sugars that cause gas will have dissolved into the soaking water.

Cooking tips

After soaking, rinse beans and add to a stockpot. Cover the beans with three times their volume of water. Add herbs or spices as desired. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender. The cooking time depends on the type of bean, but start checking after 45 minutes. Add more water if the beans become uncovered. Other tips:

Add salt or acidic ingredients, such as vinegar, tomatoes or juice, near the end of the cooking time, when the beans are just tender. If these ingredients are added too early, they slow the cooking process.

Beans are done when they can be easily mashed between two fingers or with a fork.

To freeze cooked beans for later use, immerse them in cold water until cool, then drain well and freeze.

One pound of dried beans yields about 5 or 6 cups cooked beans. A 15-ounce can of beans equals about 1 1/2 cups cooked beans, drained.

Type of legumesCommon uses

Adzuki beans Also known as azuki beans, asuki beans, field peas, red oriental beans Rice dishes and Japanese or Chinese cuisine

Anasazi beans Also known as Jacob's cattle beans Homemade refried beans and Southwestern recipes — especially soups

Black beans Also known as turtle beans, black Spanish beans and Venezuelan beans Soups, stews, rice and beans, Mexican dishes, and Central and South American cuisine

Black-eyed peas Also known as cowpeas, cherry beans, frijoles, China peas, Indian peas Salads, casseroles, fritters, bean cakes, curry dishes, and Southern dishes with ham and rice

Chickpeas Also known as garbanzos, garbanzo beans, ceci beans Casseroles, hummus, minestrone soup, Spanish stews and Indian dishes, such as dal

Edamame Also known as green soybeans Side dishes, snacks, salads, soups, casseroles, and rice or pasta dishes

Fava beans Also known as broad beans, faba beans, horse beans Stews and side dishes

Lentils Soups, stews, salads, side dishes and Indian dishes, such as dal

Lima beans Also known as butter beans, Madagascar beans Succotash, casseroles, soups and salads

Red kidney beans Stews, mixed bean salad, chili and Cajun bean dishes

Soy nuts Also known as soybean seeds, roasted soybeans Snacks or as garnish to salads

Homemade Herbal Infusions

If you have some herbs around the house, why not boil some water with these herbs and create your own infusions (herbal tea). See what you have and what benefits result.

Here is our post about how to make a simple infusion:

Name	Part Used	Health  Benefits	Additional Information
Cardamon	Fruit	Relieves flatulence, harmonises digestion and eases nausea. Useful for combating colds & chills.
Celery	Seed	A cleansing herb, offering a good source of minerals. Beneficial for the kidneys and frequently used for joint disorders.	Avoid in pregnancy.
Chamomile	Flowers	The ‘mother of the gut’. Use for digestive weakness. Also very helpful to alleviate tension. A pleasant herb for children, to relive colic and promote rest.	Add an infusion to your bath. Use as a final rinse for your hair.
Cinnamon	Quills	A herb to aid the circulation, promote good digestion and to help combat infection.	Avoid in pregnancy.
Dandelion	Root/Leaf	A herb frequently used to reduce water retention (oedema). High in minerals which are frequently depleted by synthetic diuretics.	Seek help from your herbalist if you suffer from water retention.
Elderflower	Flower	A lovely tasting tea, generally useful to relieve cold symptoms, including catarrh and sinus problems.	Can be used to make a lovely wine and/or cordial.
Fennel	Seed	A digestive agent to help relieve griping and indigestion, to encourage milk supply when breastfeeding.	A useful herb to relieve colic in children.
Lemon Balm	Herb	A refreshing gentle herb to relive anxiety. Promotes digestion and induce rest.	Lemon Balm also has anti-viral activity.
Lemon Verbena	Herb	Similar activities to Lemon Balm, but with a slightly different flavour.
Limeflower	Flower	Another anti-stress herb for soothing the nervous system. Used by herbalists for some individuals with high blood pressure and circulatory disorders.	Consult your herbalist if you suffer from a circulatory disorder.
Marigold	Flower	A cleansing and detoxifying herb with anti-fungal, anti-viral and antibiotic activity. Marigold exhibits these properties internally and externally.	Use as a wash, compress, foot and hip bath.
Nettle	Herb	A detoxifier used as a spring tonic, for allergies and joint disorders.	Use nettle in soups with other vegetables. A good hair tonic, (use in the final rinse).
Peppermint	Herb	A herb for the digestive system. Harmonies well with elderflower for colds and catarrh. Try for headaches.	A max of 4 cups per day is recommended. Do not use for children under 4. Pleasant foot bath.
Rosemary	Herb	A herb to encourage digestive functions. Traditionally used to increase circulation to the head, to relieve pain and improve concentration.	A max of 3 cups per day. Don’t use if you suffer from high blood pressure.
Sage	Herb	Excellent as a gargle to relieve sore throats and enhance immunity. Sage may also reduce milk flow during lactation-so avoid during breastfeeding.	Do not feed if you are breastfeeding or pregnant
Thyme	Herb	A useful herb for ear. Nose, throat and chest infections	Useful to combat coughs and colds in children.

Tasty Twists on White Sauce

Once you've mastered making a basic white sauce, there's no limit to the flavorful variations you can create. Here are a few suggestions compiled by the Taste of Home test kitchen, combined with some of our's:  

Cheese Sauce

Stir 1/2 to 3/4 cup shredded cheese into 1 cup of white sauce. Heat just until cheese is melted.  Use this to make your own macaroni or as a great incentive for kids to eat their broccoli or cauliflower.

Curry Sauce

Stir 1/2 teaspoon curry powder and a pinch of ground ginger into 1 cup of white sauce. This tastes good with sauteed greens, onion, garlic, etc.

Mornay Sauce

Stir 1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese or a combination of both and a pinch of ground nutmeg into 1 cup of white sauce.

Mustard Sauce

Stir 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard into 1 cup of white sauce.

Brown Sauce

Follow recipe for a white sauce except substitute beef broth for the milk. For richer color, add a dash of browning sauce.

Velouté Sauce

French for velvety, this sauce substitutes a light-colored stock such as chicken, turkey or fish broth for the milk.

Combo Sauces: Great over pastas or for pizzas
-Pesto White Sauce
-Tomato White Sauce
-Nutritional Yeast White Sauce

Slow Cooker Lasagna

 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes (so there's not too much liquid)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 T dried oregano
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
2 15-ounce containers fresh ricotta or cottage cheese
2 c. grated mozzarella (8 ounces)
1/4 c. grated Parmesan
16 lasagna noodles (about 3/4 of a 1-pound box)
5 oz baby spinach (about 6 cups packed)

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt, red pepper and black pepper (12 turns on pepper mill).

In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella and the Parmesan.
In the bottom of a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker, spread a thin layer of the sauce.
Top with 4 of the noodles (breaking to fit as necessary.)
Spread 1 1/2 cups of the sauce over the noodles and layer with 2 cups of the spinach and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture.
Repeat twice more with the noodles, sauce, spinach and cheese mixture.
Top with the remaining 4 noodles, sauce and 1 cup mozzarella.
Cook on low, covered, until the noodles are cooked (about 3 1/2 hours). (If there is too much liquid, just lift the lid off a little, so some steam/liquid can escape)

*from http://www.doitdelicious.com/

Oil Infusions 101

Making infused oils is a process of transferring flavor and scent into a carrier oil. It can be used to add flavor to cooking oils. As well as making scent oils for use in aromatherapy, massage oils and making beauty products like soaps and lotions.

It is a simple process of infusing flowers, herbs or spices into an oil by heating so that the volatile oils can transfer into the carrier oil. (this is the same for herbal tea insusions, vinegar infusions, etc.)

The best type of oil to use is extra virgin olive oil, you can also use grape seed, peanut or sunflower oil. Walnut oil is also good if it will be used cold such as for salad dressings since it is not good for heating.

  

How to make an infused oil
There are two main ways to infuse the oil: heating the oil on a stove or leaving an oil in a hot place for the sun to warm.

Cold Method

1. Wash your herbs and dry completely
2. Bruise or rub herbs, for spices toast them to bring out the flavor
3. Place in a clean dry glass jar
4. Add oil until it completely covers the herbs/spices
5. Place a lid on the jar and close
6. Place the jar on a sunny windowsill or other sunny spot. Swirl or shake the jar every day or so
7. After a week drain off the oil into a clean dry jar using a sieve or cheesecloth or coffee filter
8. Taste the oil to see if the flavour is strong enough
9. If you want it stronger add more herbs/spices to the oil, close the lid and place back in the sunny spot for another week
10. Repeat as needed 
11. If you are happy with the flavor, pour the oil into a nice glass bottle, you can also add a fresh sprig of herb to make if look fancy
12. Store in a cool dry place like the refrigerator

 **It is important that no moisture is introduced into the oil as it can become rancid or prone to mold or bacteria growth. (Garlic is particularly prone to this so it should be stored in the fridge or made with the heating method mentioned below)


Hot Method
Heating the herbs/spices in oil is a quicker way of making infused oil and is great for dried herbs and spices since the heat helps brings out the flavour. If using dried herbs, instead of fresh, skip steps 1-3 and start at step 4.

1. Wash your fresh herbs and dry completely (there should be no water)
2. Bruise or rub herbs; for spices toast them to bring out the flavor
3. Place in a clean dry glass jar
4. Heat the oil (and dried spices, if you're not using fresh) until the oil slightly bubbles and spices sizzle, it needs constant stirring but should only take about 5 minutes; don't overcook or let boil
5. When ready, (strain out dried herbs if used) pour oil into a clean glass jar and let cool
6. Taste the oil to see if the flavor is strong enough  
7. Close the top and store in a cool dry place for two weeks and then store in the refrigerator (or start using right away if you used dried herbs)
8. Don't let the fresh herbs stick out above the oil, or else mold forms. Take them out of the oil once infused so this doesn't happen

If you have the plants in your garden, then you can save money and be quite resourceful. If there are plants or smells you like, you may want to invest in those particular plants (assuming they grow well in your location).

Or, intead of infusing fresh herbs/flowers, you could do dried herbs or even just use essential oils instead. Check out the Essential Oils 101 post.

 

RECIPE IDEAS
Make Italian infused oil for sauteeing meat, roasting potatoes, making croutons, or putting on your pasta with parmesan (1-2 sprigs of  basil, thyme, oregano, etc.--according to taste).


*ideas from instructables.com and RS activity with Catherine Glenn

Six Benefits of Eating Locally

Here's a post from Tiffany at Naturemoms.com about the 6 benefits of eating locally....

Local Foods Are Fresh and In Season. It’s a fact, if you purchase locally grown foods you know that they are in season.  They have to be in order to be grown and harvested. And fresher, in-season foods just taste better and they are better for you as well. Many nutritionists believe that eating with the seasons is the best way to keep our bodies healthy because nature has cycles and it knows exactly what we need to eat.

Locally Grown Foods Have Less Impact on the Environment. Shipping foods across country – even foods labeled organic – can have a negative impact on the environment.  By eating locally grown foods you are significantly lessening the carbon footprint you would otherwise leave by eating foods grown out of state or in another country. Most times you won’t even need to sacrifice organic standards either. More and more small farmers grow their food without chemicals, they just cannot afford expensive certification. Get to know your farmer and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Locally Grown Foods Maintain Farmland. Buying locally grown foods ensures not only that you keep the carbon footprint of your foods as small as possible, but ensures that there is plenty of green space and farmland maintained in your local community in order to sustain the locally grown market.  This is good for everyone who appreciates fresh air and a view of more than city streets and sidewalks.

Locally Grown Foods are Safer. By cutting out the middlemen; those individuals who process and package and ship the food, you cut down on the chance of your food getting contaminated – even inadvertently. Knowing where your food is grown and who grew it tells you something about the food itself, and knowledge, as they say, is power.

Buying Locally Grown Foods Boosts the Local Economy. You were going to buy the lettuce (or spinach or apples) anyway, why give your money to some big chain store or huge agri-business company?  Why not keep that money in the neighborhood where you know it will do some good? If I have a choice between padding the pockets of a big corporation that may use my money to lobby against environmental issues or giving my money directly to a family that needs it.. I know which I would prefer. Purchasing food locally also cuts down on the amount of taxes and red tape involved in purchasing the food; money that would probably come out of your pocket anyway due to price hikes.


Purchasing Locally Grown Foods Create a Sense of Community. When you purchase food from a local grower it connects you to that person; through their land and the attention they have given to their produce, and how many of us want a connection to some big uncaring chain store?  Making local connections instills a feeling of belonging and of community.  People get talking, they share themselves with you, and with others, and everyone is better off.
If you are interested in more healthful living, in sustainability for your local farms, and in creating a sense of true community between yourself and those with whom you share your area, eating locally grown produce is definitely the right decision to make.