Lettuce...more than just the tip of the iceberg!

Lettuce is a leafy crunchy vegetable with substantial water content, some fiber and a negligible calorie count—all factors that are beneficial for filling up your plate and pairing down your waistline.

You should know that only certain types of lettuce are loaded with lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidant plant chemicals, whereas others contain virtually nothing in terms of nutrition. Hence, even though all types of lettuce are low in calories, the different varieties offer different valuable sources of nutrients. For example, romaine lettuce is especially rich in vitamins A, C, and K, folate, and manganese when compared to iceberg lettuce.

When making lettuce choices, be sure to get in the power lettuces, romaine and red leaf—the darker the leaf, the greater the amount of nutrients such as vitamin A and folate. Other salad greens, such as spinach, kale, arugula and radicchio, while technically not lettuces, are among the most nutrient-dense foods available.

So when it comes to good health and weight control, be sure to pile on the dark leafy greens (an antioxidant gold mine), and leave the iceberg in the bin! 

Recipe: MIXED SPRING GREENS WITH LEMON, SHALLOT, AND MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

A simple way to dress a fresh bowl of mixed salad greens.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 small shallots, peeled and minced

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

One 5-ounce container mixed salad greens 

DIRECTIONS:

In bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, shallots, and mustard. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss with mixed salad greens. Serve immediately.

Serves 5

NUTRITION

Per 1 ounce salad greens and 2 tablespoons vinaigrette:

Food weight: 1.5

Calories: 128

Fat: 14 g (0 g EPA, 0 g DHA, < 1g ALA)

Saturated Fat: 2 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 18 mg

Carbohydrate: 2 g

Dietary Fiber: <1 font="" g="">

Sugars: <1 font="" g="">

Protein: 1 g

Eat Red Beans: Ranked #1 on the Antioxidant Scale.

Who knew? Sometimes you find powerful disease-fighting antioxidant riches in foods you least expect. One of these foods is red beans. Red beans ranked number 1 out of the top 100 foods in terms of total antioxidant capacity per serving—beating out blueberries—which ranked number 2! Beans are also an incredibly heart-healthy source of fiber, complex carbs, vitamins, minerals, and plant protein, with zero cholesterol and negligible fat content. And all this amazing nutrition for just pennies on the dollar! 

Recipe: HERBED RED BEANS AND BROWN RICE

A tea bag steeped in the cooking liquid adds a beautiful brown hue to the rice. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 ¾ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth or water

1 regular-size black tea bag

¾ cup long-grain brown rice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic

One 16-ounce can red beans or kidney beans with their juice (about 2 cups)

¼ cup tomato paste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup fresh minced parsley

1/4 cup chopped scallion

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium saucepan bring chicken broth or water to a boil over medium heat. Add tea bag and let boil for 30 seconds. Remove tea bag and stir in rice. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add beans, tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Turn heat to low and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes until sauce is thickened. Stir in parsley and chopped scallion and serve over hot brown rice.

Note: to cut the sodium content of this dish, use a can of low-sodium beans.

Serves 4

NUTRITION

Per 1/2 cup beans and 1 1/3 cups cooked rice

Food weight: 3.5

Calories: 342

Fat: 11 g (0 g EPA, 0 g DHA, <1 ala="" font="" g="">

Saturated Fat: 3 g

Cholesterol: 6 mg

Sodium: 651 mg

Carbohydrate: 50 g

Dietary Fiber: 7 g

Sugars: 2 g

Protein: 13 g

Top with fat-free sour cream if desired.

SALT! Lower intake for lower pressure

Every thirty nine seconds, we lose another American to a fatal heart attack or stroke, and yet, despite the fact that the largest risk factor for cardiovascular death—high blood pressure—is both reversible and preventable, seventy-six million adult Americans continue to suffer from this life-threatening condition, and another two million will be diagnosed over the next year. Salt has been scientifically proven to raise pressure with 90% of us destined to develop hypertension due to a lifetime of sodium overload. Do your heart (and brain) a favor and cut down on your salt intake.

Recipe: SHRIMP DIABLO

The heat and a little sweet give this dish tons of flavor without the salt.

INGREDIENTS:

14 ounces frozen, extra-large, peeled and deveined shrimp (defrosted)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 fresh garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon sugar

1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes (low sodium)

1 28 ounce can whole plum tomatoes, unsalted

3 tablespoons tomato paste (low sodium)
½ cup shredded fresh basil leaves

1 teaspoon freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 box of whole grain angel hair pasta (14 ounces)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook shrimp about three minutes per side until done and pink in color. Transfer shrimp to a plate. Heat remaining olive oil in the same skillet and add garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper and cook about one minute, stirring constantly. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar, breaking apart whole tomatoes with a wooden spoon and stirring constantly for another ten minutes. Add back the shrimp. In the meantime, cook pasta according to package directions. Divide pasta and sauce among four plates. Serve hot, topped with basil and a touch (2 dashes) of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Serves 4

Nutrition per 1 cup pasta and ½ cup sauce serving:

 Food weight: 2.0

Calories: 212 kcal

Sodium: 3 mg

Potassium: 316 mg

Magnesium: 24 mg

Calcium: 36 mg

Fat: 3 g (EPA 0g, DHA 0g, ALA 0g) 

Saturated Fat: <1 font="" g="">

Cholesterol:  0 mg

Carbohydrate: 35 g

Dietary fiber:  16 g

Sugars:  7 g

Protein: 14 g

Everything you need to know about salad dressing

Salad dressings can quickly transform a "light" low calorie salad into a really "heavy" calorie dense salad just by adding a dressing that is high fat. Create healthier salads by making homemade dressings with ingredients you might already have in your kitchen! You can get the most out of every tablespoon with vinaigrette dressings due to their thin liquid consistency, but you can also make low calorie creamy dressings by using Greek yogurt and/or mustard instead of higher fat ingredients.

Recipe: BRUSSELS SPROUT SALAD WITH RASPBERRY DIJON VINAIGRETTE

How beautiful is this salad??? How many colors are represented in your salad? The more colors you put on your plate, the more vitamins and minerals you will consume during that meal! Think Color!

INGREDIENTS:

Brussels Sprout Salad

·         3 cups Brussels sprouts, sliced in half, seasoned with extra virgin olive oil (spray), pepper

·         1.5 cups red cabbage, chopped or sliced

·         1.5 cups of carrots, shredded (shred your own or by prepackaged shredded carrots)

·         ½ cup of dried cranberries (or other dried fruit such as raisins and dried cherries)

·         ½ cup walnuts, chopped

·         Optional: 1 orange for fresh orange zest to garnish salad

Raspberry Dijon Vinaigrette

·         1.5 cup of raspberries (fresh or frozen)

·         ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice

·         2 Tablespoons of white wine vinegar

·         1.5 Tablespoons of olive oil

·         1.5 Tablespoons of Dijon Mustard

·         1 Tablespoon of honey

DIRECTIONS:

Yield: 8 Servings (1 cup of salad with 2 Tbsp of vinaigrette)

Season Brussels sprouts and roast in a hot oven (400 F) for 30 minutes until a golden brown (turn once). Cool. Mix all the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Place all the vinaigrette ingredients into a blender and mix until the raspberries are pureed and the dressing is a smooth consistency (strain/sift the dressing to remove the seeds). Add half the dressing to the salad and mix thoroughly. Serve the salad immediately or refrigerate until you are ready to serve.Optional: garnish your salad with 1 tsp of orange zest.

*The remaining dressing can be saved and refrigerated to be used for other salads, coleslaws and/or as a marinade for meat.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: 1 cup of salad with 2 Tbsp of vinaigrette

Food weight: 1.5, Calories: 125, Fat: 6 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Carbohydrate: 17 g, Dietary Fiber: 4 g, Protein: 3 g, Sodium: 33 mg

Brussels Sprout Salad (without dressing):  1 cup

Food weight: 1.0, Calories: 103, Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Carbohydrate: 14 g, Dietary Fiber: 3 g, Protein: 3 g, Sodium: 33 mg

Raspberry Dijon Vinaigrette: 2 Tablespoons

Calories: 22, Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Carbohydrate: 3 g, Dietary Fiber: 1 g, Protein: 0 g, Sodium: 0 mg

Mom was right! Breakfast is the most important meal

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as it increases your metabolism, helps you management your weight, refuels your blood sugar and replenishes your glycogen stores after an 8-12 hour overnight fast, and kick starts your energy level to make you more alert for the rest of the day.
Start your day refreshed and satisfied by drinking a complete smoothie with a serving of vegetables, fruit, omega 3 fatty acids, and protein. Smoothies are a great grab-n-go breakfast that you can easily prepare in less than 5 minutes and drink on the way to work!