Another Food FYI Post: Cultures in Frozen Yogurt

Did you know that many frozen yogurts have the same live active cultures that are in regular yogurt? According to the National Yogurt Association (NYA) “The freezing process does not kill any significant amount of the cultures—in fact, during the freezing process the cultures go into a dormant state, but when eaten and returned to a warm temperature within the body, they again become active and are capable of providing all the benefits of cultures in a refrigerated yogurt product”. Check out their interesting set of FAQs on the Association’s webpage.

As mentioned in another yogurt post on my blog “live active cultures” such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, are living organisms which change pasteurized milk to yogurt during fermentation. In addition, some yogurts contain Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidus cultures as well. These live active cultures are a hot topic in health research and show promising results in helping digestive function, boosting immunity, preventing osteoporosis and fighting cancer. However the NYA does warn that not all frozen yogurts are created equal, and states “To make sure that a frozen yogurt contains yogurt produced by traditional fermentation and has a significant amount of live and active cultures, look for the NYA Live & Active Cultures seal.” Luckily, many popular frozen yogurts chains such as Pinkberry do indeed carry the seal. So dig into a small cup with a healthy topping like fruit this summer and enjoy!

Read more...

Lemon Cumin Mayo

This works great as a spread for sandwiches or even a dip. Pairs nicely with my Baked Carrot Fries recipe!

Ingredients:

½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt
¼ cup light mayo
a squeeze or two of fresh lemon
¼-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste, if desired

Directions:

Add all of the above ingredients to a small bowl, mix well and serve. Refrigerate if not using immediately.

Makes 12 tablespoons 12 servings

Serving size 1 tablespoon Calories 20 Protein 1 g Carb 1 g Fiber 0 g Sugars 1 g Fat 1.5 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 45 mg

Read more...

Banana Nut Bagel

Move over calorie and fat laden banana bread (well except for my BANANA bread recipe) there is a new healthier banana nut breakfast bread concoction in town! And it takes WAY less time to make too!

Ingredients:

One bagel thin (I used Thomas brand), if you are on a gluten free diet use ½ gluten free bagel , (such as Udi’s) sliced thin
1 tablespoon reduced fat cream cheese
1/3 of a medium banana (preferably over ripe)
1 tablespoon of chopped nuts (walnuts, slivered almonds work well)

Directions:

Toast the bagel to desired doneness. Meanwhile mash the banana very well in a small bowl. Add the cream cheese and mix well. Spread the banana cream cheese mixture on the bagel, sprinkle with nuts and serve.

Makes 1 serving

Serving size: 1 bagel with all of the cream cheese topping and nuts Calories 215 Protein 7 g Carb 36 g Fiber 6 g Sugars 9 g Fat 7 g saturated fat 1.5 g Sodium280 mg (calorie s and carb will be slightly higher with gluten-free bagel)

Read more...

Non-Dairy Watermelon Smoothie

A quick and easy great summer smoothie recipe, non-dairy, gluten free and low in fat too!

Ingredients:

1.5 cup frozen watermelon cubes
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (Almond Breeze)
1.5 teaspoons honey

Directions

Put 1 cup of the watermelon cubes and 1 cup of the almond milk in a blender and blend on high speed until a smooth slush forms. Add the rest of the watermelon and the honey, blend for another 30 seconds or so, pour and serve!

Makes 1 serving

Serving size: 1 smoothie (whole recipe) Calories 130 Protein 2 g Carb 25 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 20 g Fat 3.5 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 180 mg

Read more...

Sassy Sweet Potato Skillet

A healthy, hearty dish that’s great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked and cubed (2 cups)
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ cup diced green or red bell pepper
1/3 cup diced white onion
1 cup sliced white mushrooms
½ cup cooked beans (kidney, black or pinto)
½ cup diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
¼-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ to ½ teaspoon paprika
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
optional garnishes- diced avocado, turkey bacon bits, cheese

Directions:

If you are starting with raw potato- pierce each with a fork a few times and microwave on high until tender (about 4-6 minutes each). It works best to use leftover cooked potato or put the cooked potato in the fridge for 30-60 minutes so it is firm and easier to cut into cubes. Add ½ teaspoon olive oil to large skillet or pan and throw in the peppers and onion and sauté for a few minutes on medium heat. Then add the cooked, cubed potato, mushrooms, beans, tomatoes and spices and heat for another 7-10 minutes until lightly browned and warmed through. Add salt and pepper to taste (or even sprinkle with crushed red pepper if you like more kick) during the final sauté or at the table when serving. Garnish with diced avocado, turkey bacon bits, cheese if desired.

Makes 3 cups, six servings:

Serving size: (not including garnishes and salt) ½ cup Calories 80 Protein 3 g Carb 16 g Fiber 4 g Sugars 4 g Fat 1 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 65 mg

Read more...

New Gluten Free Section on my Blog!

Big news, I have added a new facet to my blog: eNourishment now has a section with recipes that are gluten-free! I took some time to go through all my recipe posts and tag the ones that are naturally free of gluten or can be, with some modifications. In case you are not familiar with this term, gluten free means NO wheat, rye or barley. Gluten is a protein found in these grains. Oats are often contaminated with gluten during processing as well.

So what’s all the concern about gluten? Well, for those with Celiac disease and non-Celiac gluten sensitivity it can cause lots of problems if and when is it is consumed. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which damage to the intestines occurs when gluten is eaten. It is estimated that 1 in 133 Americans (1 percent!) has Celiac Disease, so it is surprisingly more common than you may think. The only effective treatment for Celiac disease is to be on a strict gluten-free diet for life but luckily that results in a lot of improvement. Those with another condition called gluten sensitivity, also termed gluten intolerance, do not have to avoid gluten, but simply feel better (less digestive problems, headaches, among many other issues) when they do. In contrast to Celiac disease, which can be diagnosed by blood tests and/or intestinal biopsy, there is no official test/way to diagnose gluten sensitivity other than trying the gluten-free diet and seeing if symptoms improve. I personally have been tested for Celiac and was negative but suspected gluten-sensitivity so I have been on a gluten free diet for over a month now and I do feel better. I may try adding it back in small amounts in the future, but for now I am trying to minimize it in my diet.

I am happy to say that when I took a look at all the recipes I’ve developed in the past, many of them were already gluten-free or could easily be modified to be gluten free- hurray for a grand total of 100 recipes! You can see them all by clicking HERE or on the category marked “gluten free” in the left side bar of my blog. I have noted some suggested brands for certain gluten-free ingredients, such as broths, oats etc, but please do check product labels as formulations can change.

If you think you may have Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity it’s worth seeking medical attention and also being referred to a dietitian to get some assistance. A great website to get some more info is the Celiac Foundation at http://www.celiac.org/. May is National Celiac Awareness month, so what better time for me to post about it and unveil the gluten-free section of my blog!! ☺

Read more...

Black Bean and Quinoa Salad

This is a fresh, healthy salad starring quinoa- a super grain that is high in protein, fiber and is naturally gluten free/easy to digest too! I combined it with black beans plus a few other simple ingredients and some spice and the result was a festive salad that makes a nice side dish or a light main meal.


Ingredients:

3 cups cooked quinoa
One 15 ounce can of black beans, rinsed well
1 cup corn (fresh, canned or thawed frozen)
¼ cup finely chopped Anaheim chili pepper
¼ cup finely chopped white onion
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
½ tablespoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional garnshes: chopped tomato, avocado, light sour cream (or fat free yogurt), low fat cheese, more lime juice and cilantro if desired

Directions:

Cook quinoa according to package directions. (I used a 15 ounce can of chicken broth and the rest water to make up the required amount of liquid and with Trader Joes brand quinoa which was 1 cup dry. The quinoa was added to the can of chicken broth plus ¼ cup water, brought to a boil and then simmered until all liquid is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes). Meanwhile add the teaspoon olive oil to a large pan, throw in in the peppers and onion and sauté on medium high heat until slightly soft, about 3-5 minutes. Then add the corn, black beans, corn, lime juice, cumin and chopped cilantro and heat another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Mix in the cooked quinoa and heat for another 3 to 5 minutes. Serve warm with optional garnishes such as chopped tomato, avocado, light sour cream (or fat free yogurt), low fat cheese or more lime juice and cilantro if desired.
If you are on a gluten free diet use water or gluten-free broth to cook the quinoa.

Makes 6.cups, 12 servings

Serving size: 1/2 cup Calories 110 Protein 4 g Carb 18 g Fiber 3 g Sugars 2 g Fat 1.5 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 300 mg

Read more...