Man's nourishing friend

I want to be your best friend.  Let's have a sleep over and paint our nails!

Okay, MAYYYBEEE I heard this line elsewhere (Adonis Hill on Elvis Duran - 5/26/16).  I thought to myself, "Yeah,  I want to be everyone's best friend, too!"  But, only when it comes to nutrition and health.

So, let's rewind a bit, soon to be BFF.

I am listening to this gentleman on my favorite morning show.  The gentlemen is Adonis Hill, and he has a story.  Everyone has a story, but his is very similar to mine when boiled down to its simplest components.

You feel lost in your circumstances.  You get overwhelmed and off track.  Suddenly, your health is in jeopardy.  Then, you begin to do something about it.  You feel wonderful.  You want to help everyone else who has a story like yours.  You want them to feel wonderful as well.  For him, his best friend made him feel this way.  He took him outside, got him to walk.  Adonis, literally back on his feet, is now planning to walk across America to raise awareness about obesity and suicide, two issues that once affected his life.  He wants to be your best friend and have you walk with him.  I think it's beautiful.

Sooooo....I want to be your best friend, too.  I am not walking across America for you.  You have Adonis for that (learn more about Adonis' walk here).

But, when it comes to nutrition and optimizing your health, I could be your best friend.  You already know how to do it.  You don't need me for that.  But, for all the doubts, the obstacles, the days you don't feel up to it, I could be your best friend.  I do my best to learn about evidence based methods and educate myself on current issues/topics so that I can translate it into useful, practical tools for others.

Like Adonis, I had my own battle with obesity and when I started to see changes within myself, I felt I had more control in my life.  Well, more like  I felt like I had my life back.  So, when I found dietetics, I found something that could help me help others.  It is a perfect mesh of things I love (counseling, science and FOOD).  It was kismet.

So c'mon, let's be NFFs (nourishment friends forever).

Whip it good!

I'm sitting in class, when I whip one out.

No, not that.  Or that.

It's my perfect portable protein!  When I have class at night, I need snackage.  Typically it's a PB&J, which my classmate commented as a " brilliant" idea, but other times it's guacamole or a veggie patty on a whole wheat English muffin.  Either way, it's a balanced snack or mini meal.  The English muffin provides fiber, whole grains as well as a bit of protein. Nut butters provide fat and protein, and guacamole provides heart healthy fat too, and avocado.  (Avocados are awesome because they are rich in vitamin E and monounsaturated fat.). Either way, it's a pretty foolproof healthy eating idea.  It requires minimal planning and prep, just add items to this weeks grocery list and make your perfect portable the morning of or the night before.   It's also a money and waist saver, so you're not buying something last minute or something unhealthy that you didn't want.

Also, how often can you whip one out and someone thinks you're brilliant for doing so??

Oh, snap! That's my jam!

I really want to try this recipe.  Over half the items can be found in my kitchen.  Including the crockpot.  Oh, the joys of having a well stocked pantry!!

OK, so I don't have pounds, and pounds of tomatoes stowed away, because that goes beyond being well stocked.  It would also make me weird.  Obsessively, stocking tomatoes...Anyhow. I got to try some tomato jam at Waffle & Wolf in Brooklyn.  Now, Waffle & Wolf is by no means a low calorie dining experience... You're eating waffle sandwiches, filled to the brim with some indulgent toppings and ingredients.  But, when you are eating well overall, indulgence has a place, too, in your diet.

Oh myyyyyyyyyyyy....

Sadly, I won't be able to eat there everyday.  It's not close to me, and again, it's more of an indulgence than a staple.  That's why I really want to make some tomato jam.  First, I like saying it... Tomato Jammmmmmmmm!  Also, it packs a lot of flavor, being both sweet and savory, so I could use it in multiple ways, and use on healthier eats....top off whole wheat breads, make mini waffle sandwiches at home, add bit of oil as and turn it into a salad dressing...

Oh man, I have to start stocking tomatoes.

It's all Greek to me...

Greek Yogurt has been sprouting all over the place. You name it: supermarkets, Duane Reade, commercials, even a store in Times Square. But, what is it?

Greek yogurt is yogurt with less whey than regular yogurt. Whey, the liquid part, is mostly strained out. The majority of what remains is the curd (the other stuff that little Miss Muffet digs). It has less calcium than regular plain yogurt, but 2x the protein. This makes in an excellent snack or side accompaniment to a meal. The plain types can also be swapped for fattier dairy products in various recipes, such as sour cream.

As popularity of Greek yogurt increases, be leery of bars, dips, sauces made with Greek yogurt; they may contain little next to no yogurt at all. If you want the full benefit, stick with the yogurt itself. Best picks are kinds that have 0-2% fat. Some types are fruit flavored, or have fruit flavored packets that you can add in on the side. Just be sure to read the Nutrition Facts label to make sure it's added fruit, not added extra sugars and calories. A 6 oz cup should range about 120-190 calories, give or take.

I personally like to take a container, or just a ½ cup serving, and add vanilla, sweetener, spice, a tad of olive oil and dump it on a halved banana. It’s my version of a healthy “banana split,” and a well rounded side or snack with fiber, calcium and protein.

If Greek yogurt isn’t for you a la carte, try adding it to your favorite smoothie recipe, or cooking with it. Despite the changes I make in my diet, Greek yogurt remains a staple. The Greeks gave us democracy, the Olympics, and John Stamos! They must be onto something.

Vegetarian in Name Only

I'm experimenting.  No, not in that way, or in the mad scientist way.  More in the trying new foods, delving into health way.

I've gone Vegan!  With yogurt!  No...Vegetarian!  Wait, no! ovo-lacto vegetarian, that sometimes eats chicken and bacon..

Okay, so I'm not a vegan.  Nor, am I downplaying being one..power in choice.  However, I am incorporating a lot more veggies into my diet and a lot less animal protein.  After reading The China Study, it just gently pushed me in that direction.  Read it!

The thing is, I don't want to live by such an extreme, I enjoy foods in many forms, and I want them all in my diet.  I've just added more of my favorite vegetables, legumes and fruits to my diet without having to live by a book, or a title.  I'm comfortable that way.  Also, a lunch time given it's the holidays, my co-workers hate me!  Fun!

It's definitely a large commitment.  I've taken to preparing my foods, and trying new dishes at home, but I've had some practice.  I like a lot of fresh fruit and Middle Eastern dishes, so I'm familiar with certain things and I keep many items in my pantry.  But, I haven't gone much further than that...it'd be a whole other thing to go find specialty shops, or coupons, or restaurants.  That will come later.

Right now, I've got a great menu for the week, baked pancake, kale chips, pineapple chutney with whole grain tortillas, lentils and brownies. It just took a lot of time.  It saves me $$, I think I'm averaging somewhere between $7-9/daily for 3 meals and 2 snacks.

So, even if I'm whatever in name only, I'm aiming to be healthy for life.

If I Never See Another Carrot Again..

Sometimes when I'm in one of my weird food moods, it strikes me that I am privileged that I can afford to have these moods.  Starving, sick and plain-out-of luck folks can't really afford these "moods."

So when I saw my old Alma mater's event to volunteer at God's Love We Deliver, I was excited.  I'd always been a bit curious about them, and since I work in a related field I'd been wanting to check it out.

It was a nice experience, even though I had cramps from excessive chopping, I somehow fashionably donned a hair net, and did something good.  It put me in a good food mood.  I think more folks should give them a day, there at GLWD, remember everyone has the right to good, nutritious food.  I know I have more than enough, so why not share a little?

Click to check out "God's Love We Deliver"

Renaissance Woman

Time and time again, I've stepped away from my blog.  I could easily blame time management, the loss of novelty, and many other things.  But, honestly it goes more into just ebb and flow of my life.
I'd like think that I go through renaissances when I think about my life in food.

Yes, my life in food.

Food and I go way back; we've had quite the relationship.  I've loved food for a long time, and while food can't really, truly love me back, it sustains me and continues to shape my life.  I love food and I always will.

I read Marcus Samuelsson's, "Yes Chef," over the summer and it made me want to blog again.  It also made me feel I had a kindred spirit with him when it comes to loving food.  I'm not a chef by any means, but I do love food, life and chasing flavors.

I've been given a gift: to live to eat and to eat to live.  I would like to someday be renowned in my field of study, but honestly, if I manage to "each one, teach one," I've given someone the same gift I've got.  I love that, too.

So, begins yet another Renaissance.

Healthy Obsessions

Polenta.



Whole grain with what seems like a made up name. Actually, a lot of the whole grains and their derivatives have odd names. Polenta, funky name and all, is made from corn and corn is...a whole grain!


(Remember the whole popcorn thing).

Corn's high sugar content and low supply of vitamins and minerals (low when compared to other grains) lets it get second billing. It's like that underrated opening act for a headliner. Sometimes, we just want the main event, and it's years later before e see the talent in the other acts. Polenta is just like that. Been around for some time, but during the whole "peasant food is chic" phase, it gained some hype.

I'm here to hype it further.

Polenta can also be sold as cornmeal, or as I call it, yellow grits. (Whenever I have to explain what it I'm eating to a co-worker, as soon as I call it yellow grits I see a light bulb appear over their head.) This makes it very affordable, and easily available. I tend to get the tube of organic polenta from Trader Joe's, but the cornmeal also can be cooked, and then cooled to use the same way.

Lately, my fav thing to do with polenta is to flavor build pizza to it. So, basil & tomato veggie burgers and chicken sausages have been my background. Then I've added baby spinach, low-fat cheese, fire-roasted tomatoes, and heat the sucker up. Sooooooooooooooooo good. No cooking required either. Home made can also be made at home, if you ask me, and sometimes it's just as good.

Foodprint: Dishing

DessertTruck Works.

I have to confess. There's highly likely there's nothing nutritionally beneficial about dessert truck works.

Whew. I feel so much better.

Firstly, one must hike down to DessertTruck works, one of the standing, erm, stands of NYCs infamous food trucks (Wafle & Dinges, TacoTruck, Etc.), if the truck's not about. Or, if you want to sit somewhere whilst desserttrucking. I went for the bread pudding. Mmmm. Bread...mmm........pudding (insert further Homer Simspon drool here) because it has BACON CUSTARD SAUCE.

BACON.
CUSTARD.
SAUCE.

Each word deserved its own line break, okay?

You can request the sauce on the side, so you don't feel quite so bad about yourself. The portions are also tiny. But, I like tiny because it's indulgent without overindulging. Strong flavors, and great ingredients really don't need sparklers, noisemakers or huge portions to be great. Although, the bacon custard sauce wasn't as bacon-y as I would have liked. Also, the staff behind the counter were very friendly, it didn't hurt that the place was empty for a spell, but nevertheless, friendly. The coffee, is also good and they have skim milk. Often, smaller non-chain places tend not to have skim, and I end up going sans milk. But, at DTWorks, you don't have to. You can have your cake, and skim too. And your...

BACON.
CUSTARD.
SAUCE.

Healthy Obsessions: Blueberry Coffee

A little while ago, I yapped about 7-11 and it's flavored coffee. Well, I've gone past 7-11 and just straight to full-blown blueberry flavored coffee addiction! Dunkin Donuts has blueberry flavor and New England coffee sells a ground blueberry cobbler version. If Starbucks rolls one out, no coffee place will be safe! I will drink at you allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.

Why do I like it so much? It tastes like blueberries, and it's like drinking syrup. But, without drinking actually syrup. That way, there's no worrying about tooth decay, or skyrocketing blood sugar and you can avoid general social weirdness (who drinks syrup straight???). Also, it's a good way to downplay craving for foods that are energy dense without major deprivation, The flavor has elements of a good blueberry pancake breakfast all in a nice cup of java. Drink it straight or sweetened with a touch of almond milk.

Foodprint: Dishing

Rev'd Up Pi:



Rev'd Up Pi is great. With that said..two bad things about it...1. it's so out of the way for me, and 2..kind of pricey, considering the recent influx of 99 cent pizza places around town. But, I love it. It's guilt-free pigging out.

For a healthy pizza place, they had a pretty diverse menu. The have their own version of pizzeria pizza that I did want to try, but again, funds were limited. All the more reason to go back another time.

I had the mac & cheese, garlic knots and the Wake Up personal pie. The Wake Up personal pie is just heaven on a plate. It tastes like the bacon & egg sandwiches my mommy would make for on a Saturday morning. Hot, crispy, egg fully cooked yet fluffy -- you could even get all whites -- but I err, forgot. And the bacon! It's turkey bacon! Fooled me!

Mac & cheese, kind of on the tangy side, but very gooey. I like gooey mac & cheese. I didn't know that the cheese was reduced fat until I re-read the menu.

Garlic knots. At first, I wasn't too keen on these. They're cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside, yet chewy and tender. I figured 2/3 three of my order was good..so if the knots were bad, no real loss. Then, I opened up the marinara sauce -- real tomato flavor, schweet -- the sauce definitely makes the knots.

And, the staff was so nice to me. Brought my food out and packed up my what was on my plate after I finished. My leftovers almost didn't make it home.

Foodprint: Dishing

Mapo Tofu.

A Szechuan dish and a decent Chinese restaurant that's a mere leap, skip or hop from Bryant Park. Mapo Tofu doesn't do anything in particular that's extraordinary, but what they do is Chinese food, and they do it well. Food has a good flavor, but elevated from your neighborhood Chinese take-out. There's no charm or gimmick: it's good, hot, wallet friendly food. At first glance, the prices seem pretty steep. But, that's pertaining to specialty dishes, and the entrees are nicely sized. And easy to health it up.

You can request many items steamed, I went for steamed veggie dumplings, steamed bok choy and chicken breast. (The steaming does take a while, as they use bamboo steamers, so don't go starving if you're steaming.) The bok choy was cooked excellently, crisp, but not overdone. They have brown rice upon request, in which they don't charge you extra, and you can ask for sauce on the side. The portions are nicely sized; I ate 1/2 my entree, with the remainder serving as lunch 2x for the following week.

Healthy Obsessions: Orange you glad I didn't say banana?

Happy new year! 20 something days in....anyhow...I won't torture you with a knock-knock joke. The punchline title is cutesy enough.

I've had a major renaissance with orange veggies. They're loaded with beta-carotene & vitamin A. They're also mildly sweet and in season (or was in season when I was really obssessed). And cheap. A small acorn squash will run you 79-99 cents a pound, and can yield 2-4 single cup servings.

Case 1: I had a large sweet potato left from thanksgiving, I forked that bad boy, microwaved it on the baked potato setting and had about 4 1/2 c serving from that tuber. Cheap, easy and nutritious.

That's right; most of the orange veggies are microwave friendly. (At least the squash varieties; I wouldn't microwave a carrot -- they tend to spark.) The high starch and water content allow them to blend effortlessly into soups, smoothies, puddings, pastas and other things that can be blended without he addition of energy dense ingredients.

Case 2: fat free Greek yogurt with canned pumpkin and a tablespoon of honey. Great for breakfast, or a snack, or an orange pick me up.

Case: Acorn squash. Split it in half, microwave until tender and hit it with some spicy spices. Or slice it up and put it into sandwiches. Or soups. Or your mouth. It's tasty!

Healthy Obsessions

7-11!

Okay, so this healthy obsession isn't 100% healthy, nutritionally speaking, but as far as convenience, products and variety, it's good! And, sometimes in the long run it's good for your wallet, mind and body.

I love the flavored coffees at 7-11. I wanted a blueberry one last week, but my bus was there, so I caught my bus instead of stopping in. Next time around, I just happened to miss the bus.

So, no blueberry coffee! At least, not this day. But, they had all these other flavors, Colombian, extra bold, french vanilla, Irish creme, and my pick, butter toffee! Basically, 7-11 has stepped up their coffee game. Better 7-11s have a pretty well stacked DIY beverage counter, complete with sugar substitute, reg sugar, turbinado sugar, skim milk, whole milk, half & half...I really could go on. It's great, lots of flavors, at a decent price, all at your customizing finger tips.

And that's not all. 7-11 has done the DIY to their snacks. They have their own line of snacks, 7-11 branded, with some odd name, I forget. But, they had these cute little mini-muffins. So, I could get a coffee, and a pack of muffins for under 5 bucks, and under 200 calories. They also have bananas, a good grab-n-go option, but their price is a little high IMO, unless you elect to get 2 for $1.

And, they had something else! Extra Dessert Sensation gum with a BOGO coupon! Which, is probably the most awesome gum ATM. Gum stimulates saliva, which contains all sorts of jazz, as well as decay fightin' minerals, so it may be very good for gum & teeth health. Also, the gum tastes pretty much like the dessert, so guilt free flavor in a nice portable medium. Except the strawberry, kind of a let down. Meh.

Thank heaven for 7-11.

Bear necessities, the simple bear necessities

Last night, I could not get to sleep. It was weird, because hours before I sat down on my couch and just passed out. I woke up like 20 minutes later with a good case of ..."whaaaaaaaaa? I was asleeep?"

Then I got to thinking of things, many things. Eventually I got myself into bed, and that's it, no sleep for an hour because of the many thinking of things. Thinking bad.

Later on today, I'm blabbing this to my co-worker and she's notes that maybe I'm hibernating.

(That's totally what I look like after work. Don't judge.)

I laugh, and say, "nooooo...I do that, but I'm not doing that now." Then, I reconsidered her point. I've had random cravings for pretzels, fruit, crackers, egg white sandwiches, cake...carbs!

And today, similar thing...fruit, fruit, crackers, all carbs - all the time. And random sleep.

So, with all that in mind, if this is the time of the year you hibernate, embrace it! Hibernation celebration! Only, do some prep work. For example, look at my cravings, simple sugars yes, but I did strive for fresh fruit, multigrain crackers, and a lone bag of vending machine pretzels without added fat. The cake, while not a fruit, it's a lowfat recipe of my own.

I keep craving items on hand, but only a few. Everything else, I have to brave the cold, the cost and the lack of sleep to get them. I also analyze what I want. This Weight Watcher article is pretty spot on. It's a good way to keep your comfort cravings in check and still be comfortable. Just because you hibernate like a bear doesn't mean you have to look like one.

Ubiquitous Must Have #1

NDF.

What is it? I've written 9 of these, and the last one is some horrible, unreadable enigma! Kidding. It's Nonfat Dry Milk.

Why I love it:

1. Shelf-stable. Make as much as you need.
2. Versatility. Same product is a glass of milk one second, a Splenda aid the next, and then a thickener the next minute.
3. Low in calories.
4. Cheaper than milk because it's dehydrated.
5. Comes in a box, usually with cows on it. I like the idea of boxed milk, alright?
   

So, if you hate skim milk, I really think that you'd make your peace with NDF. The flavor is concentrated, so if you dislike the texture & taste of skim (watery, bluish), you can reconstitute the milk by reducing the amount of liquid you'd normally use, or increase the amount of powder. Normal ratio is 1 cup of water to 1/3 c powder. Let's say you used the 1/3 c powder, but just 1/2 c water. You'd get this nice, creamy, sweet tasting milk by altering the ratio. You could swap out a lot of added calories in a recipe in addition to adding calcium and vitamins as well.

I use it for:

• food base: smoothies, puddings, lattes
  
• coffee creamer
• soup thickener
  
• ***Fat free whipped cream***
• milk, duh
• in recipes

The whipped cream trick is really neat; I hope to have video on that soon.

NDF, my favorite 3-letter abbreviation right after NPH. Y'know, Neil Patrick Harris...ubiquitious and a must have in his own right, I guess.

Foodprint: Dishing

A friend of mine was raving insanely about a place in Flushing that allows you to cook your own soup. Yeah, weird. I said it was insane If you're not one to with eat in Flushing regularly, or eat soup, or American Asian style cuisine...it is as odd as it sounds. But, you have to go, because it's fantastic.

(I guess I'm insane, too. Since, I'm writing it up. Oh noes.)

Yes, you can make your soup at home. Which is what my first response to "let's go to the hot pot place." Well, second.. I'm sure first was something inappropriate. Anyhow, it's a different experience when you take an in-house experience...out...house, erm. The place is Ice Fire Land. Aside from it's weird coolness, it's also healthy place to dine, by default! Even if you chose the more calorie laden items, you're still enjoying a nice hearty, broth-based and vegetable filled meal.

The soup is a selection of 2 or more elements, you pick an entree from protein based things like lamb, beef, fish, shrimp, there's even a vegetarian option, and the broth: hot, spicy, chicken and herbal, which was my choice -- and apparently pre-destined one at that.

I would go spicy for beef & lamb. Chicken for shrimp or fish, and herbal for fish, seafood and veggies. Pretty much, you can craft something familiar, yet unique. There's also a menu of extras.

And DIY sauces.

And this weird dessert thing I wasn't into, but cool.

And bubble tea.

Just go. I ran out of ands.

Spice Girl (aka Flavor Transferring Lesson Two)

Remember when I talked to you about flavor building? (Well, not talked, but typed.) Now, I want to talk to you about spice layering. It's like flavor building's first cousin twice removed.

Everyone has either a favorite dish or a native dish. It can be the same dish or two different ones. It's also something that's been made several times by several different people and it probably has a standard recipe. Spice layering starts with these dishes, because things that grow together often taste good together and before we had globalization, you had to eat stuff from your 'hood. So, all the things you ate were more or less from one region.

For a class, I did a handout about how to use spices in cooking. As a demonstration, I brought four spices: cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne pepper and nutmeg. I used instant hot chocolate as the base and asked people to sprinkle whatever they liked into their drink with two recommendations, which were cayenne with cinnamon and nutmeg with cardamom. The spices paired with another (hidden) flavor, the cocoa powder, gave the hot chocolate a new spin with no cooking involved. Also, by using spice, you can reduce some of the other ingredients that tend to add extra calories such as full-fat whipped cream, full fat milk or added sugar, because the flavor is so potent.

Spice layering is akin to listening to a good song on your i-pod, and loving it over and over. But, then you hear that song in concert in a specially designed acoustic hall with live musicians and instruments. Your ears get the full range of the music that ear buds CANNOT produce. Spices work that way. One note leads, and you love it, but the really beauty is combining it with other foods and spices to get the full effect.

Science can be really tasty AND analogous AND musical.

Presentation, Presentation, Presentation

Often, I leave the cooking channel on in the background. I'm actually very much in love with several TV chefs, but they don't know about each other, so please don't tell.

Something I've been hearing them say as of recent: make a plate. Better eating is obtainable through vanity! Go fig! Remember that whole post with my cool lunch bag ? (Including a broken link I should fix). Yeah, it's that same idea. Plus, when you take the time to make an actual plate, you assemble a meal. Meals are good, I hear. Also, presentation of the plate, it's a good basic skill to have if you ever want to cook for someone. Heck, even if you just bough cooked food and wanted to fool someone, you should know how to plate it.

It's also more likely that you'll ingest the food slower instead of the on-the-go inhaling so many of us do now. And if you enjoy it slowly, you may actually feel more sated as you are calmly, and timely eating your meal.

Just think...pretty as a picture and pretty as a trim waistline: presentation, presentation, presentation.

Healthy Obsessions

Trader Joe's Lite Kettle Corn!

Okay, so this obsession isn't quite as healthy as it ought to be, but lately I've been obsessed with trying to eat more whole grains. A whole grain is a grain, duh, but a food where the grains remain intact -- seed, germ, endosperm --- and popcorn is a whole grain! WIN!

I like the Trader Joe's kettle corn because, they've lightened up their own brand, and Trader Joe's generally makes things preservative free. The price is nice; I get the portioned controlled, 6-pack for 2.99, roughly 50 cents a bag. I can eat two of these things and not feel so bad. They also manage to fit in some of my purses, and it's actually a nice, filling snack.

It's not that I want to eat popcorn as a main dish, or a side dish. But, it is pleasant to know that healthy food can also be snack food, and even if you sauce or sweeten it up a tad bit, it can still fit reasonably into your daily diet. Besides, if eating kettle corn is wrong, I don't want to be right. But, I'm right...so it's not wrong at all.