Awesome ALLIUM Veggies

You know that you should be eating vegetables every day, but did you know that you should try and get in allium vegetables on a regular basis? The allium family of veggies include onions, leeks, chives and garlic. What’s so awesome about allium veggies? Allium vegetables house a unique combination of polyphenols and sulfur-containing nutrients that have been shown to decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. They also reduce inflammation and prevent loss of bone and connective tissue.   Perhaps you don’t like raw or cooked onions, but have you tried super delish candy-like caramelized onions? Caramelized onions are easy to make and can be a delicious topping to your pizza, grilled chicken, or salad, as seen in this week’s, Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Stack with balsamic caramelized onions and goat cheese.

Recipe: Roasted Eggplant, Steak Tomatoes, and Balsamic Caramelized Onion Stacks

Not sure what to do with an eggplant? Just slice it and roasted it in the oven with olive oil and create a veggie stack, baked eggplant Parmesan, or eggplant burger! 

INGREDIENTS:

Yield: 6 Servings:

(1 serving =2 slices of eggplant, 1 slice of tomato, ½ cup of caramelized onions, and ½ oz goat cheese)

Ingredients:

·       1 medium sized eggplant, sliced

·       1 large steak tomato, sliced

·       1 cup of goat cheese, crumbled

Balsamic Caramelized Onions:

·       2 onions, thinly sliced

·       1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

·       1/4 cup brown sugar

·       2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 350 º F. On a baking sheet, place the sliced eggplant. Pour 1/8 cup of EVOO in a small bowl and brush both sides of the eggplant slices with EVOO. Roast the eggplant slices for 45 minutes (flip slices over every 15 minutes). In frying pan, fry the onions in EVOO for a bout 5 minutes. Then add brown sugar and balsamic vinegar to the frying pan and cook on low heat for about 45 minutes until the onions are super sweet and yummy. Save the leftover balsamic vinegar to pour over your veggie stacks.

Veggies stacks: 1 eggplant slice, 1 tomato slice, 1/8 cup of onions, 1 slice of eggplant, 1/8 cup of onions, a sprinkle of goat cheese, 2 tablespoons of leftover warm balsamic vinegar (bottom to top).

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Food weight: 2.5, Calories: 237 kcal, Fat: 12 g, Cholesterol: 7 mg, Carbohydrate 28 g, Dietary Fiber: 6 g, Protein: 5 g, Sodium: 66 mg

The Beauty of Whey Protein

Protein offers great workout benefits; when combined with resistance training, protein can help to build lean muscle, and protein can also help promote muscle repair. But, it can often be a challenge to find fast and delicious ways to get a protein boost.  Whey protein, a high-quality protein that comes naturally from dairy, is a versatile ingredient that can easily be added to many different dishes. 

Dr. Mohr's VEGETABLE QUESADILLA WITH PROTEIN GUACAMOLE

​Food weight: 3.5 for half the Quesadilla

Recipe Created by Christopher Mohr, PhD, RD, Owner, Mohr Results, Inc.

INGREDIENTS:

Quesadilla
– 3 snack bites of Cabot Light Cheese (50% less fat) or 2.25 oz shredded cheese
– 1 sprouted whole grain tortilla
– ¼ onion, grilled
– 3 slices of fresh tomato

Guacamole
– 1 avocado
– ¼ cup whey protein isolate, unflavored (about 1 scoop)
– 1-2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
– Juice of ½ lime
– Pinch of salt

 

DIRECTIONS:

Makes 2 servings

Quesadilla:

1. Place the cheese on the whole grain tortilla.
2. Spray a small pan with nonstick cooking spray and warm over medium heat.  Add the tortilla to the pan, cheese side up.
3. When the cheese is melted, top with grilled onions and fresh tomato.  Fold the tortilla in half and remove from the pan.  Cut in half.

 Guacamole:

1. Slice the avocado in half and remove the pit.  Scoop out the avocado and place in a medium bowl.  Mash until smooth.
2. Add whey protein isolate, cilantro, and lime juice.  Combine until smooth.  Flavor to taste with salt.
3. Scoop half of the guacamole onto each quesadilla slice.  Serve immediately.

Variation:
Substitute grilled onions and tomato with your favorite vegetables.
Ingredient substitutions will change the nutrition information.

Nutrition information for 1 serving (½ of the quesadilla topped with ½ of the guacamole): Food weight: 3.5, 368 calories, 22 g protein (including 8 g of whey protein), 26 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 22 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 291 mg sodium
Also contains: vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate, vitamin K, calcium, copper, potassium

Recipe:​ Roasted Tomato Walnut Pesto Salmon

A simple heart-healthy salmon dish, packed with multiple artery-healing ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

Yield: 2 servings (1 serving = 4 oz fillet)

2-4 oz salmon fillets

2 Tablespoons of walnut pesto

2-3 slices of tomato

1 tsp of dried basil (or fresh minced basil)

¼ tsp of black pepper

Heart Healthy Walnut Pesto: 

• 2 oz fresh basil leaves (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup walnut halves
• ½ cup olive oil
• 3 large garlic cloves

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 400 º F. Grease a tin pan with olive oil spray. Place all pesto ingredients into a food processor and blend pesto until a spreadable consistency. Place salmon fillets in the pan and cover each fillet with 1 Tablespoons of pesto. Top salmon with tomato slices and sprinkle with dried basil and black pepper. Bake salmon until opaque in the center, about 20-25 minutes.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:

Food weight: 3.0, Calories: 273 kcal, Carbohydrates: 3 g , Dietary Fiber: 1 g, Fat: 15 g, Cholesterol: 81 mg, Protein 30 g, Sodium: 67 mg

Got calcium? How much calcium are you consuming per day through food?

Hands down, the healthiest way to meet your daily calcium needs is by EATING your calcium from food (rather than popping pills). Today, many people are consuming other dairy or non-dairy calcium products to meet their calcium needs rather than following the archaic dietary advice to drink 3 glasses of plain cow’s milk a day. Remember that no matter how old you are, calcium is an essential nutrient to build and maintain strong bones as well as keeping your cardiovascular system healthy. 

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for Calcium: Adults

Age	Male	Female	Pregnant	Lactating
19-50 years	1,000 mg	1,000 mg	1,000 mg	1,000mg
51-70 years	1,000 mg	1,200 mg
71+ years	1,200 mg	1,200 mg

* It is NOT recommended to consume more than 2,500 mg of calcium per day.

How much calcium is in common foods?

Food	Amount	Calcium (mg)
Skim Milk	8 fl oz (1 cup)	300 mg
Soy Milk	8 fl oz (1 cup)	300 mg
Almond Milk	8 fl oz (1 cup)
Yogurt	6 oz	200 mg
Cheese	1 oz	200 mg
Tofu	4 oz	200 mg
Sesame Seeds	1 Tablespoon	90 mg
Low-fat Cottage Cheese	½ cup	80 mg
Halibut	4 oz	80 mg
Beans (kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas, pinto beans)	½ cup	60 m g
Raw Almonds	20 almonds	60 mg
Naval Orange	1 medium	60 mg
Shelled Edamame	½ cup	50 mg
Almond Butter	1 tsp	40 mg
Raw Kale	1 cup	40 mg
Raw Spinach	1 cup	30 mg
Raw Broccoli	1 cup	30 mg

Recipe: FROZEN YOGURT CHERRY BANANA OAT BARS

Food Weight 1.0

INGREDIENTS:

Yield = 12 bars (3 inch x 2.25 inch square)
Take a look in your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry and select any yogurt, fruit, nut, and oat that will create a delicious frozen yogurt bar!
Ingredients:
·       2 cups of greek yogurt, 1 cup plain and 1 cup vanilla (or low-fat non-greek yogurt)
·       2 cups fresh or frozen fruit, chopped
o   Banana, cherries, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, pineapple, etc.
·       ½ cup of raw nuts, chopped
o   Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, etc.
·       1 cup of homemade toasted oats (or your favorite low-fat granola)
·       1 cup of traditional rolled oats
·       1 tablespoon of honey
·       1 tsp of cinnamon
·       1 Tablespoon of peanut butter

DIRECTIONS:

To make your own simple granola or toasted oats, pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F. Mix traditional rolled oats, honey, cinnamon, and peanut butter together in a small bowl. Pour crumbled mixture onto a baking sheet and toast your oats for 20 minutes. Let your toasted oats cool down for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together the Greek yogurt, fruit, nuts, and toasted oats. Line a 9-inch x 9-inch pan with aluminum foil or wax paper. Pour the Greek yogurt mixture into the pan and spread mixture to all edges of the pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and freeze yogurt mixture for 4 hours or overnight. Remove the pan from the freezer and let it thaw for 15 minutes. Make 12 bars (3 inch by 2.25 inch) by using a knife to cut 4 lines x 3 lines. Place bars in a plastic gallon bag (or place each bar in its own individual snack bag) and put back in the freezer until you are ready to eat your frozen yogurt bar for breakfast, afternoon snack, or dessert!

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
Food weight: 1.0, Calories: 115 kcal, Calcium: 60 mg, Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Carbohydrate: 14 g, Dietary Fiber: 2g, Protein: 6 g, Sodium: 9 mg.

Color your Plate with Sweet Summer Produce!

Color your meal with red, orange, yellow, green, and purple foods by aiming to fill half your plate with a variety of fruits and vegetables for maximum anti-oxidant power. Raw fruits and vegetables can often get boring to eat on a daily basis so next time try cooking them, even fruit!

This week's recipe features a cancer-fighting sweet summer salad with seasonal red cherries.

Recipe: Sweet Summer Chopped Brussels Sprout Salad

Add a crunch and nutrition to your dishes with heart healthy fats from chopped nuts, such as pistachios, walnuts, or almonds.

INGREDIENTS:

Yield: 4 (serving size = 1 cup)

• 2 cups brussels spouts, chopped (about 12 brussels sprouts)
• 2 teaspoons of paprika
• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, minced
• 1 cup red cherries, pitted, halved
• 3 Clementine, peeled
• 1/2 cup chopped pineapple in 100% fruit juice
• 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium size bowl, mix chopped Brussels sprouts, paprika, onion, and olive oil and then spread mixture out on a baking sheet. Roast Brussels sprouts for 30 minutes (stir every 10 minutes). In a large skillet, mix roasted Brussels sprouts, cherries, clementines, pineapple, and pistachios and heat on medium heat for 10 minutes. Serve dish hot or cold.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:

Food Weight: 1.5, Calories: 150 kcal, Fat 6: g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Carbohydrate: 23 g, Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Protein: 4g, Sodium 13 mg

Eat a Peach!

​Are you having a peachy day?

A sweet soft peach will provide you with a refreshing boost of energy anytime of the day. Summertime is the perfect time of year to change up your counter top fruit bowl by grabbing a ripe white or yellow peach rather than your typical apple, banana, or orange. Just like all fruits, peaches contain many vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, and they are a great snack, dessert, or addition to your breakfast.

Helpful Tip: Peaches ripen faster in room temperature and even faster in a closed paper brown bag