Archive for March, 2010

Healthy Desserts for Kids

Everyone seemed to really enjoy my Healthy Snacks for Kids post from a few weeks ago, so I thought I’d do a little follow-up with desserts. I think many people try to avoid desserts at all costs, but they can be a seriously satisfying and nutritious follow-up to any meal. Desserts do not have to mean weight gain. The trick is to keep the portions smaller for all your meals…especially when preparing foods for children.

As usual, leave me a comment if you have dessert ideas to share. I love hearing from all of you! Please note: These snacks are solid foods, not designed for babies.

Chocolate-Dipped Apple Slices
Melt some high-quality dark chocolate in a pot on the stove. Melt the chocolate slowly over low heat to avoid burning. Meanwhile, cut up fresh slices of of apple and dip half of each slice in the chocolate. Arrange slices on wax paper and chill in the refrigerator or freezer until the chocolate hardens. Serve a couple slices each for a sweet and satisfying dessert! For variety, experiment with other fruits such as bananas or pears.

Fruit Crisp
Pick 3-4 fresh fruits and cut them up into bite-sized pieces. Mix them together and place in the bottom of a casserole dish. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup on top of the fruit and add a dash cinnamon and/or vanilla extract on top. Stir up the fruit mixture to coat all the fruits with the syrup. Mix up a cup of old-fashioned oats and 1/2 cup walnuts or almonds in a bowl with 1-2 tbsp. maple syrup or honey.  Cover the fruit with the oat/nut mixture, and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Cover the crisp with foil for the majority of the cooking time. Uncover at the end to make the oats and nuts crispy. Serve warm in small bowls.

Chocolate Banana Milkshake
Mix up my chocolate banana milkshake recipe (link above) and split into smaller portions for a satisying dessert. This one is dairy free, but seriously yummy. Add more ice cubes to make a thicker consistency.

Coconut Macaroons
Coconut macaroons are recently one of my favorite sweet treats. Coconut is great for keeping your skin healthy and is also healing for your digestive system. If you want to bake macaroons on your own, try out this healthy recipe from Cynthia Lair (video included). If you want to buy them ready-made, I personally recommend the raw chocolate coconut macaroons from One Lucky Duck. They are a perfect small portion size for kids.

Sorbet
You can find frozen fruit sorbets in the freezer section of your grocery store. You’ll want to look for all natural brand without added sugars or preservatives in the list of ingredients. A small scoop in a bowl is a satisfying dessert when the weather is warm. Want to make your own? Try this mango blueberry sorbet recipe.

Healthy Desserts for Kids is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

Organic Restaurants in New York City

This post is the first in a new series: Organic Restaurants. I’ll be covering a few big cities over the next few weeks, and will be giving you a taste of a few drool-worthy organic restaurants in each area. If you plan to travel this Spring or Summer, you can go check them out! I know I plan to hit up each of the following spots in NYC. Enjoy!

Gust Organics (West Village) – This restaurant and bar was one of the first spots I went to when I moved to New York. It’s actually the only certified organic restaurant in the city and the first certified organic bar in the world! Gust serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. Standout fare: Grilled Piadinas (flatbread sandwiches), gluten-free stews, Risotto Buenos Aires (with grass-fed beef), and Gus’s Huevos Rancheros. Gust also offers special green juices that look delicious!  Details: 519 6th Ave. Open daily, 8am-11pm. Catering and delivery available.

Angelica Kitchen (East Village) -  Angelica Kitchen is an affordable vegan spot that uses lots of organic and local ingredients. They proudly offer all their food free of refined sugars, preservatives, dairy, eggs, or animal products. Standout fare: Curried Cashew Spread, Mixed Sprout Salad, open face tempeh sandwiches, Dragon Bowls, and a special drink named Cranberté (cranberry juice, kukicha tea, apple cider, & orange). If you love the food, you can buy the Angelica Kitchen cookbook for $30. Details: 300 E. 12th St. Open daily, 11:30am-10:30pm. Cash only, first-come/first-serve.

Counter (East Village) – Counter uses organic and local ingredients for dinner, brunch, desserts, and cocktails and features raw food on Tuesday nights. Standout fare: Wild Mushroom Tofu Scramble, Red Quinoa Salad (small plate), Pear Chocolate Semolina Cake, and the East-Side Burger made with mushrooms, herbs, and pommes frites. Details: 105 1st Ave. Open Mon-Thu 5pm-12am, Fri 5pm-1am, Sat 11am-1am, Sun 11am-12am. Kids menu now available.

Josie’s West (Upper West Side) – All the appetizers and main courses at Josie’s are dairy free but there are both vegetarian and meat-lover dishes (with organic and free range meats). Standout fare: Spicy Organic Black Bean Dumplings, Organic Angel Hair with Turkey Meatballs, and Roasted Butternut Squash Soup w/organic pumpkin seed basil pesto. Details: 300 Amsterdam Ave. Open Mon–Thu 12pm–11pm, Fri 12pm–12am, Sat 11am–12am, Sun 11am–10:30pm. Catering and delivery available.

Quintessence NYC (East Village) – This raw, vegan, and all organic restaurant is frequented by celebs Alicia Silverstone and Liv Tyler. The website shares 5 recipes to try on your own, and I read a ton of good reviews on this one. Standout fare: pecan pie, mushroom ravioli, mediterranean-style nachos, and shepherds pie. Details: 263 E. 10th St. Open daily 11:30am-11pm. Delivery and catering available.

Pure Food & Wine (Gramercy/Flatiron) - Pure is another raw and vegan restaurant with lots of organic ingredients. It’s a higher end spot with gorgeous presentation and an extensive wine list. Standout fare: King Oyster Mushroom Scallops, Zucchini and Local Hothouse Tomato Lasagna, Chocolate Passion Fruit Tart. Be sure to make reservations. Or, you can get take-away food and juices for lunch or dinner over at it’s baby sister store, One Lucky Duck, around the corner on 17th St. The coconut macaroons are DIVINE. Details: 53 Irving Place. Open Sun-Mon 5:30pm–10pm, Tue–Sat 5:30pm–11pm.

Note: I featured a limited number of restaurants above for space and time consideration. There’s no way I could include everything in this list, so if you have a favorite organic spot in the city, please leave a comment and let me know!

Organic Restaurants in New York City is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

Chocolate Banana Milkshake

The weather is finally warming up, and I’m looking forward to making more smoothies, fresh juices, and shakes again. I was craving chocolate today, so I made this yummy milkshake. It came out sooo good! Plus, it’s all natural and dairy free (no cholesterol or saturated fat). Try it out for yourself and let me know what you think! I included my homemade almond milk recipe too. You can use it in shakes, eat it with granola, or pour it in hot black tea in the morning.

Chocolate Banana Milkshake

1 cup homemade almond milk (see recipe below)
1 tsp. honey (optional)
1 heaping tbsp. cacao powder
1 heaping tbsp. almond pulp (see recipe below)
1 banana
7 or 8 ice cubes

Prepare almond milk ahead of time (recipe below). Add all the milkshake ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth. Pour in a glass and enjoy!

Tip 1: You can find cacao powder at any health food store. I use TerrAmazon’s organic cacao powder. If you don’t have a health food store close by, you can purchase cacao powder online here or here. Tip 2: This milkshake could easily be shared by two people. I had some leftovers that I’m saving in the freezer.

Homemade Almond Milk

2 cups raw almonds
6 cups water
1 tbsp. honey

Soak the almonds in a bowl filled with water overnight (at least 6 hours). In the morning, drain the water off the almonds and place them in a blender. Add 6 cups fresh water. Blend for a minute or two until smooth. Pour milk through a fine strainer or cheesecloth and save the leftover almond pulp in the refrigerator for later use. Pour the liquid milk back into the blender and add honey. Blend for a few more seconds. Store milk in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for about 5 days.

Tip: For added flavor, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Here’s a picture of the almond pulp. I plan to use it in other shakes throughout the week. You can also use the pulp in baking (it would be perfect for a cookie recipe). Another idea is to make veggie burgers and use the almond pulp as part of the filling.

Chocolate Banana Milkshake is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

Healthiest Snacks at the Airport

This past weekend I went to a conference in Miami Beach with my nutrition school. We had a blast while we were down there and I got to enjoy some sunshine and beach walking in between my classes. While I was flying home yesterday I was thinking how it can be seriously challenging to stick to a healthy eating routine when you’re on a trip…especially at the airport. There are tons of chips, candy, and fast food counters, but the fresh and healthy stuff can be hard to find when you’re surrounded by junk foods.

Ideally, we could all make homemade meals and snacks and have them packed in our carry on for the whole trip. But, who actually leaves time for that? Plus, if anything is liquid, it has to meet the 3-ounce or under rule. Most of us are left with whatever choices the airport offers. So, here’s a list of my favorite airport snacks. Keep them in mind on your next trip!

Nuts – Raw or roasted nuts such as cashews and almonds are usually easy to find at the airport. Look for them at the mini snack stations next to magazines, candy, and sodas. Unsalted or lightly salted varieties are best. Nuts are a filling snack packed with healthy fats and vitamins. Peanuts or cashews are usually the best healthy option during the flight too.

Bananas – Although it can be pretty hard to find fresh fruit at the airport, I can always spot a banana. Almost every convenience store in the airport carries them and they’re easy to throw in your bag when you’ve got a lot to carry. Bananas are cheap, filling, and provide a healthy dose of vitamins B6, C, fiber, and potassium.

Oatmeal @ Starbucks – Most airports have Starbucks in them, and they are now offering oatmeal during the morning hours. You can get a sensible portion of oatmeal for a few dollars with nuts or dried fruit to mix in. Yum!

Trail Mixes and Energy Bars – You have to be careful with these because they often contain added sugar and preservatives. But there are still some good options. Read the labels and look for all natural ingredients. A trail mix of nuts, dried fruit, and seeds is a great choice to keep you satisfied for a couple hours.

Water and Unsweetened Teas - I like to pick up a big bottle of water or get a large iced unsweet green tea when I’m at the airport. It helps keep me hydrated and less likely to overdo it on the snacks.

Fresh Juices or Smoothies – Most airports have at least one smoothie or fresh juice bar on-site. Look for all fruit varieties and pick the smallest size possible (it will be plenty). The fresh fruits will give you a healthy dose of vitamins needed to avoid colds and flu that we often pick up during travel times. Smoothies can be traps for excess sugar, so ask the counter person not to add any sugar syrup to your drink (they often do). The fresh fruits will make it plenty sweet.

Healthiest Snacks at the Airport is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

Hooked on Diet Soda?

There was a time when I drank diet sodas all the time. My friends and I were happy we had something to drink besides water that wouldn’t make us gain weight (supposedly). Plus it had a little caffeine boost (something all of us needed to get through the college years). But when I was getting my health counseling certification last year, I decided to cut it out (along with as many unnatural foods as possible). Diet soda is full of chemicals and artificial sweeteners. I had no way of knowing what negative affects it was having on my brain, my blood, or anywhere in my body. Once I cut it out, an amazing result happened. If I tried to go back and drink a diet soda, I would get an enormous headache (a little signal from my body that it was happy I wasn’t drinking it anymore and that I really shouldn’t start up again). Our bodies are genius that way.

There are tons of scary studies you can read about the negative effects of diet soda and other studies that explain how a little won’t hurt. All I know is I feel better when I don’t drink it. One recent study included 3,200 women who drank two or more servings of diet soda every day. Harvard Medical school researchers found that those who drank 2+ sodas had a 30% decrease in function of their kidneys. Pretty scary. Those who drank one or less did not have any reduction in kidney function.

Just like with any habit, it’s hard to stop at first, but it gets easier every day, and then suddenly you can’t even figure out why you were hooked. These days I drink more water and I also love teas. There is an infinite variety of teas and you can make them hot, cold, lightly sweetened or unsweetened. There are teas with a little caffeine and teas that are relaxing. For me, tea is a great beverage to drink in addition to water. You can also buy 100% fruit juices and dilute it with water to cut calories and sugar. Remember to keep it natural. Many bottled teas and juices are filled with too much sugar. Buying your own tea is definitely cheaper. If you like a little sweetness, try adding a small spoonful of honey or agave nectar.

I love to put honey in my tea. A little daily honey really helped me reduce allergy symptoms. But that topic’s for another day!

Are you hooked on diet soda? Or, have you recently kicked a diet soda habit? Write about it in the comments. Believe me, I’ve been there.

Hooked on Diet Soda? is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

Gemelli Pasta Bean Salad

Healthy Snacks for Kids

I’ve been paying close attention to Michelle Obama’s new “Let’s Move” campaign to help America “raise a healthier generation of kids.” Childhood obesity is arguably the most important issue facing the next generation. I am floored that First Lady Michelle is bringing national attention to the need to improve our food system, make healthy foods affordable and accessible, and improve the health of the younger generation.

I don’t have any kids of my own yet, but I know that making healthy food choices for ONE person can be challenging enough. Try feeding a whole family every day! One of my favorite clients last year was a young mother with a full-time office job and…three small children. Her top priority was making them healthy meals every day, and I worked with her to plan grocery trips and prepare kid-friendly meals that were healthy and delicious.

Snacks are a big deal with kids. Sometimes they’re hungry before it’s time for a meal, or they just need a pick-me-up after school. So, I came up with some healthy snack ideas and that I hope you love. Please note: These snacks are solid foods, not designed for babies.

Granola
Making granola from scratch can be a fun activity to do with kids over the weekend. See my recipe for Homemade Granola. When it’s done, you can store it in an air-tight container and let the kids eat handfuls of granola for snacks during the week. If you’re going to buy a ready-made granola from the store, make sure to check the ingredient list to avoid excess sugars (any words that end with -ose), salt, and preservatives. Some health food stores like Whole Foods make their own granola at the store using all natural ingredients.

Tuna Roll-Ups
My Mom used to make these for my sisters and I when we were kids. We loved them! Mix up a can of tuna with chopped pickles, black pepper, slices of sweet bell peppers, and avocado (or any of your favorite mixings). Take a big spoonful of the tuna mixture and place it on top of a leaf of romaine or iceberg lettuce. Let the kids help roll-up the lettuce around the tuna into hand-held snacks. Other great fillings are hummus and bean or grain salads.

Homemade Popsicles
Popsicles are just fun to eat and you can get the kids involved in choosing the flavors. Buy 100% fruit juices and play around with different fresh or frozen fruits, plain organic yogurt, vanilla, and water to mix. Blend in a food processor or blender and pour into popsicle molds to freeze for about 2-3 hours. You can find molds at any kitchen store, and many grocery stores carry them during Spring/Summer time. Here’s a link to get you started: How to Make Fruitsicles.

Hummus & Veggies for Dipping
Spoon small servings of hummus into bowls and serve with slices of red/yellow/orange/green bell pepper, carrots, celery, or zucchini. This is an easy one to pack in a school lunchbox or serve on the spot when kids needs a quick snack. Always keep a few raw veggies on hand and store in your bottom vegetable drawer to keep them fresh for as long as possible. If you have a food processor, try making your own hummus ahead of time.

Roasted Nuts
You can roast any nuts to boost their yummy flavor and crunch. Buy no-salt varieties and roast them in your oven or on top of the stove in a dry sauté pan. A small handful is enough for a snack and are easy to pack for lunches. Try almonds, pecans, walnuts, or cashews. They are often favorites.

Slice of Whole Grain Bread w/ Nut Butter
Spread almond butter or cashew butter on a slice of whole grain bread. If the slices are big, cut in half for a snack. Try sprouted grain breads if your store offers them (they’re often in the freezer section). They can be easier to digest because they do not contain flours.

Fruit
This one’s a no-brainer, but it’s worth mentioning. Fruits are great to snack on and sometimes you just have to get creative with their display. For example, my Mom cut up apple and orange slices and assembled them into “Orange Apple Balls” for us to take to school. See my blog post on how to do it here. But, any fruits are great to snack on. Try making a big fruit salad on the weekend and it should stay fresh for days (avoid using banana until you’re ready to eat b/c it gets soggy). Put a scoop in a bowl, and it’s an easy snack. Or, make fruit skewers!

Leave me a comment if you enjoyed these or have great kid snack ideas of your own!
Wishing you well,
Laurel

Healthy Snacks for Kids is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

Preparing a Whole Chicken

This week I cut up a whole chicken for the first time. I had no idea what to do, but figured I would just give it a shot. It can’t be that hard, right? First of all, it’s a great way to save money. The more time your grocery store or market spends on preparing your food, the more $ you’re going to pay. If you buy a whole chicken, it’s easier to justify spending the money on organic/free-range/antibiotic-free/hormone-free meat. Second, I feel like so many people are detached from their food. Ya know what I mean? When you eat something like a chicken nugget, it bares ZERO resemblance to the chicken it came from (or supposedly came from). Cutting up a chicken is a great way to get back to reality.

So, what did I do? I called my Mom. She gave me some great tips and shared how she likes to use sharp & sturdy kitchen shears to help make the cuts. I also watched this wonderful video from Cookus Interruptus (one of my favorite sites on cooking with whole foods). They also recommend using very sharp knives, so be careful!

If you’re a chicken cutting novice like me, I hope the video inspires you to get brave! If you’re a chicken cutting expert, please leave me a comment with your tips to share with the other readers.

My first cut up chicken was not perfect, but I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome (who needs perfection anyway?). I had 10 pieces (2 thighs, 2 legs, 2 wings, and 4 half-breasts (each chicken breast cut in half to make smaller portions). To prepare dinner, I kept the skin on and rubbed the chicken pieces with fresh rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Then I baked the chicken in a big casserole dish at 400 degrees for about 1 hour. When it came out of the oven, I squeezed fresh lemon juice on top.

This is my FAVORITE way to prepare chicken at my crib. Makes the apartment smell divine! I served it with some red quinoa and broccolini. Mmm mmm good.

Preparing a Whole Chicken is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

3 Diets that Fight Cholesterol

Diets are confusing. The U.S. food industry is even more confusing. But, here’s something I know for sure—there is no magical diet that works for everyone. You really have to experiment until you find out what types of food, drink, and lifestyle works well for you. With that said, it helps to have a place to start. A major part of my health coach training was learning about all the major dietary theories and trying out their rules on my own to see what works for me.

Last week I wrote about Good Cholesterol and Bad Cholesterol and gave some tips on how you can prevent illness by managing your cholesterol levels. If you’re one of the millions of people worried about high cholesterol or if you’re taking cholesterol medication, you may be looking for specific advice on what to eat. The following 3 diets may help cut “bad” cholesterol, raise “good” cholesterol, and improve cardiovascular health.

Note: There are tons of diets out there, and plenty that will help reduce the risk of heart disease (most vegetarian diets are a good place to start). These are just my 3 favorite dietary theories for reducing “bad” cholesterol levels. Remember to listen to your body and check with your doctor before making any major changes to your diet or exercise routine. There are upsides and downsides to every diet.

3 Diets that Fight Cholesterol
(Specific dietary guidelines referenced from Integrative Nutrition by Joshua Rosenthal.)

Macrobiotics Diet
This diet focuses on eating all natural whole foods and balancing your “yin” and “yang.” Macrobiotic dieters eat 40-60% whole grains, 25-30% fresh vegetables, 5-10% beans, 5-10% soups, and 3-5% sea vegetables. Plus you can eat fish a couple times per week. They avoid: dairy, refined sugars, chocolate, meat, eggs, coffee, hot spices, nightshade vegetables, and tropical fruit. Strong focus on Japanese foods. For more information: “What is Macrobiotics?” by Phiya Kushi.

Mediterranean Diet (Laurel’s favorite!)
Focuses on fresh foods, healthy fats, and small portions. It’s a great diet for helping to raise your HDL or “good” cholesterol levels. People on this diet eat lots of fruit, vegetables, nuts, fish, whole grains, beans, and wine (in moderation). They eat less saturated fats found in meat and dairy and very little processed foods, refined grains, trans fats, or refined sugars (if any). For more information: WebMD “Mediterranean Diet” Summary, and ChefMd’s Mediterranean Diet recipes.

Raw Foods Diet
Raw foodies eat only raw foods or fresh food prepared below 116 degrees. They believe high cooking temperatures harm the natural enzymes and nutrients present in fresh food and your body’s ability to absorb those nutrients. This diet is full of fresh vegetables and fruit, seeds, nuts, beans, grains, dried fruits, coconut milk, seaweed, raw chocolate (mmmm), etc. It avoids meat, dairy, and any cooked foods (116 degrees and above). For more information: “Living and Raw Foods FAQ” and Sunfood.com.

I hope you enjoyed this post! I’ll be writing about some more dietary theories over the next few months, so stay tuned!

Wishing you the best,
Laurel

3 Diets that Fight Cholesterol is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

About Me: Health Coach!

Happy weekend LOHF readers! I thought it would be fun to share a little more with you about my background and training as a health coach and counselor. I started the Laurel on Health Food blog back in 2007 when healthy eating and nutrition was just my hobby. I’ve worked as a technical writer and editor for 6 years, but over time I’ve been focusing more on my passion for food.

A friend recommended that I check out The Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and suddenly I stumbled on a new career path. Last year I graduated from IIN as a Certified Holistic Health Counselor. You can also call me a health coach—the trendy term these days. During school I studied nutrition, dietary theories, and how to work with one-on-one with clients to reach optimal health naturally.

Training at IIN helped me understand that physical activity, relationships, career, and spirituality are just as important in being healthy as the foods you eat. As a holistic health counselor, I give personalized advice and attention to my clients, helping them improve their diet AND overall lifestyle in a way that works best for each person. I’m also currently counseling other students at IIN to support them during their year of training. It’s been an amazing experience so far. As for the future, I’m looking forward to seeking out other certifications and/or holistic degrees over the next few years. Anyone know a good herbalist program?

In the past month or so, I’ve been excited to hear health coaches popping up in tons of big news articles and interviews. The current health care crisis exposes that our system is broken. It’s clear that people need more than prescriptions and long-waiting lists to see their doctors for 10 minutes. That’s where the health coaches step in! Check out these links:

• CBS News says, “A new and intriguing concept has emerged in the prevention and treatment of chronic illness: the health coach.”
• Dr. Andrew Weil says, “In some ways, the health coach picks up where your physician left off, helping you implement wellness strategies suggested after a check-up or diagnosis.” (Ref: Dr. Weil’s Self Healing Magazine)
• Dr. Oz talks about health coaches on Larry King Live
• ABC News asks, “Do You Need a Health Coach?”
• NY Times article “Winning the Nutrition Game, With Help From a Coach”

To find out more about my health counseling/coaching practice or to inquire about my 6-month programs, please visit my website: www.laurelmoll.com. I’d love to hear from you!

Are you passionate about nutrition and healthy eating like me? Check out IIN’s website or download their catalog.  They just started distance learning programs this year. If you call them up, make sure to tell them I sent you.

Wishing you the best,
Laurel

p.s. If you haven’t already, sign up for my free monthly email newsletter for healthy eating and lifestyle tips, plus monthly specials and discounts on my coaching programs.

About Me: Health Coach! is a post from: Laurel On Health Food