Food Philosophy and Taste-Tested Good-for-You Recipes

It's hard to believe it, but today I am celebrating my first full week as a credentialed dietitian.  I sat and passed the R.D. exam last Wednesday and I am so relieved to be past it!  As I finally let my attention turn to something else, I remembered a question I had fielded in June: "What is your food philosophy?"  Even though I have thought about this before and had a pretty well-developed idea of my food philosophy, I was unable to answer it.  It has been driving me crazy to leave it out there just hanging.  And even if it's only in my mind that I am able to provide the original asker with an answer, I'm going to give it a go anyway.  My food philosophy is that it is hard as all get out to eat perfectly (if we can even agree that there is one perfect way to eat), and it is darn near impossible to eat perfectly all the time, but it is not hard at all to eat better.  So my interpretation of my responsibility as a dietitian is to help you (any and all of you out there reading!) find ways to eat better and to improve your health.  I should also say that my secondary food philosophy is that food is good and we should eat good food often!  In that vein of thought, I have tested a couple healthy recipes lately and wanted to share them with y'all.  



The first recipe I tried recently and wanted to share is for quinoa [keen-wah], a food I mentioned in passing in my first Meatless Monday post.  Quinoa is often referred to as a grain, but is apparently not truly a grain or a cereal.  What it is is a very nutrient-rich food, as well as a complete protein source (which true grains are not).  For all intents and purposes though, at least in your kitchen, quinoa may be treated as a grain: it can be boiled, simmered, etc.  This recipe calls for the quinoa to be simmered in vegetable broth while you go about caramelizing your onion (Vidalia, every time!) and sautéing your zucchini.  I mostly followed this recipe, though I forwent the pine nuts and used dried thyme instead of fresh (which means using 1/3 to 1/2 as much).  But I am crazy about this recipe and cannot wait to make it again.  I have been searching for a way to enjoy quinoa because it is such a powerhouse of a food, but I have been tripped up until now.  I loved how the vegetables and the quinoa melded together, but husband stated he would prefer his kept separate next time.  This recipe is great as it is, but y'all should feel free to substitute different vegetables or herbs to make it your own--maybe your favorite vegetables from a stir-fry or on kebabs?  

With quinoa.

Before quinoa.

The second recipe is for some of the best mashed potatoes I have ever encountered!  I was craving comfort food a few weeks ago and searched for mashed potatoes recipes while we were at the grocery store.  (Side note: I love smart phones.)  Some of you may be hesitant to accept that any potato recipe could be deemed healthy.  The only thing unhealthy about potatoes are the high calorie toppings often associated with them (like the butter/sour cream/cheese/bacon found on your typical loaded baked potato).  A plain potato is a naturally low calorie, low fat food that is a good source of several nutrients (including potassium, fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin B6).  The great thing about this recipe is that it has loads of flavor and a great creamy consistency without any of the ingredients typically relied upon to provide them!  
  
For this recipe I did use Yukon Gold potatoes (my favorite for creamy mashed potatoes).  I did not, however, use any rosemary, and I simply washed the potatoes well rather than peeling them (this provides extra fiber as well as preserving the nutrients found just under the peel!).  I use Fage Greek Yogurt 0% for everything, and it was fantastic in this.  You could use a plain non-Greek yogurt as the recipe calls for, but I would always recommend going Greek.  It's the same as regular yogurt to a point, but it is strained which provides a higher protein product with a different (less gloop-y) consistency.  I love the stuff.  (Another side note: plain 0% Greek yogurt is a fantastic substitute for sour cream and mayonnaise in recipes or as a topping!)  I used a Vidalia onion in this recipe because I am Southern and you can't talk me out of it (but I think the sweetness works really well with the roasted garlic).  I was really surprised by how well all the textures worked together.  To be honest, I have a mild problem with onion texture, but had no issues with this recipe and found that everything mashed well together.  I wholeheartedly recommend trying this in place of your regular mashed potatoes -- it is a great low-fat recipe that absolutely does not taste like one.

I had leftovers from both recipes for lunch this week and it was A-MAZING!

I hope that some of y'all (really, all of y'all) try these recipes and enjoy them.  At the very least I hope you recognize that healthy recipes can taste just as good and hearty as those your used to (in the case of mashed potatoes), or that a healthy food doesn't have to be scary because it's new or unusual!  Also, for any of y'all that have been scared of potatoes in the past, I hope you now know that they are a fantastic food and should be included in your regular diet (though not hidden under gobs of cheese and butter!).  Lastly, I hope one or both of these recipes help you to improve your diet, whether it be by subbing a lighter dish for your favorite comfort food or by introducing a new dish that's full of veggie goodness and incorporates a new ingredient (quinoa!)--and therefore great ideas for your very own Meatless Monday!!


Thanks to all of y'all for reading.  Please don't hesitate to contact me with questions/concerns - and especially if you try these recipes, I'd love to hear about your experiences!  

meatless mondays and lightening up family favorites

Some of you may have heard "Meatless Mondays" mentioned before.  It's an increasingly common suggestion made by all kinds of public health and healthcare professionals - especially dietitians!  The idea is, perhaps not surprisingly, to forgo the use of meat one day a week.  The intention is to promote increased consumption of plant sources of protein (beans/legumes/nuts/grains -- like quinoa) as well as fruits and vegetables.  It's an easy enough challenge to accept (I'm sure more than a few of you have thought to yourself, "one day? no meat? why not?!").  Then it is my responsibility to, #1, encourage you, and #2, provide you with some helpful hints and tips, right?  One of the easiest ways to fill up on loads of non-meat options is the meatless smorgasbord:

 (photo courtesy of my friend Megan)

The concept is simple enough - slice up some fruits and veggies (here we had grapes, strawberries, carrots, and broccoli), plate them along with some yummy cheeses (we had gouda, cheddar, and goat cheese) and dips (we went healthy with yogurt Ranch dip and hummus), and toss in some crackers (my favorites were the Almond Nut Thins).  The idea of making fruits, vegetables, crackers, and cheese your dinner might sound a bit underwhelming to some of you - and we even heard from our husbands that night that it just couldn't be called dinner - but by the end of the Bachelorette (our reason for regular Monday get-togethers), we were all full to bursting!  

Another great aspect of this approach is the potential for great variety.  Regular trips to your local farmer's market will provide a changing inventory as the seasons change and you can also use this as an opportunity to try different variations of hummus and yogurt-based dips, as well as new varieties of cheese.  And, if you're anything like me, this is a wonderful way to avoid cooking anything and heating up the kitchen on these hot summer nights!

I repeated the meatless exercise tonight, but with a decidedly heartier entry.  I had pulled out my aunt's macaroni and cheese recipe this weekend as part of the meal I was providing for my cousin (new baby, yay!).  We usually have it at family Thanksgivings, so of course it is delicious in it's full-fat glory, but I felt the need to lighten it up as much as possible.  The recipe as I made it is included at the bottom of this post.  Fortunately for me, I ended up with extra of all the necessary components and made some mac and cheese for the husband, a friend, and myself tonight.  

Another photo courtesy of Megan.

Today I also enjoyed a salad made with endive and hearts of palm, and a few roasted Brussels sprouts (it was my first attempt at this recipe and I failed to notice the cautionary reviews, so I burnt all but 5 beyond edibility).  

Endive and hearts of palm with a ginger dressing - very crunchy and very satisfying!

Trim and halve the Brussels sprouts.

Season the Brussels sprouts with olive oil, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper.

Brussels sprouts, all ready for roasting. 

It all made for a very filling Meatless Monday!  Of course, even the lightened macaroni and cheese is still a very heavy dish and falls under the "Sometimes Food" heading -- but as long as you watch the portion size (aim for 1 cup or less) and pair it with lean foods (like steamed or roasted veggies), there's no harm in enjoying it occasionally!  If any of you try and enjoy this lightened version, I hope you will remember it the next time you make a heart family favorite.  There are often many opportunities to lighten these dishes - choose reduced fat or skim dairy products, substitute fat free (and high protein!) Greek yogurt for mayo or sour cream, or just use less of the high fat components (like cheese!).  Small changes are better than no changes at all, but I would encourage y'all to find ways to cut back or lighten up wherever possible.

I'll post again soon and will also share the delicious dishes I come across (and sometimes even make myself!) in an effort to help you all with your own Meatless Mondays.

Hope you're all well and thanks to all of y'all for reading.  As always - please contact me with any questions/concerns!   --KYI

Recipes:

Roasted Brussels sprouts ( 193 calories per serving )-- I'm trying this again immediately because even the burnt ones were delicious!!  I'll be making it with the largest sprouts I can find and will reduce the time and temperature (400°F for 20 minutes, or 350°F for 25-30 minutes).

Endive and Hearts of Palm Salad (about 160 calories for a large salad):

Endive and hearts of palm are so easy to prepare - just start slicing! (There are some woody bits at the core toward the endive's base that will need to be removed)

Aunt Susan's Macaroni and Cheese (lightened by Yeogoe)

serves 6 (527 calories/serving) to 8 (395 calories/serving)

Ingredients:

8-ounce package of large elbow macaroni

1/2 cup butter (I prefer to cook with butter and use Smart Balance in my regular intake -- on toast, etc.  I might have a go at this recipe using Smart Balance one day - I'll update this post if it is an adequate substitution)

1/2 cup plain flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

3 cups skim milk (the original recipe called for the use of half & half or a combination of half & half with milk)

4-ounces 2% Velveeta (I am reluctant to use processed cheese, but it melts so well - I'll update this post if I sort out a good substitution)

8-12 ounces grated Cheddar (I used 4 ounces of medium Cheddar and 4 ounces reduced fat mild Cheddar)

The changes and substitutions made to this recipe were well-received, so don't hesitate to use them!

Directions:

Cook macaroni according to the package's directions.  Leave in water until sauce is ready.

Melt butter in saucepan.  Remove from heat and stir in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth.  Add milk a little at a time, and stir until smooth.  Once all the milk has been added to the sauce, return it to heat/turn stove on again.  Bring the sauce to a boil - stir constantly, don't neglect the sauce as it will scorch.  When sauce just starts to thicken, reduce heat to low.  Continue to stir until sauce thickens.  Cube Velveeta and add to warm sauce.  

Once the Velveeta has melted, drain the macaroni, add it to sauce, and stir well.  Pour the noodles and sauce into a shallow 9x13-inch pan that has been greased/sprayed with Pam.  Sprinkle the macaroni and cheese with the grated Cheddar.  Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350°F, or until melted and bubbly.