What comes to mind when you hear “leafy green vegetables”? Kale? Bok choy? Or, does iceberg lettuce count? Any which way you cut it, leafy greens are lacking in the American diet. Sure, they can be a bit intimidating at first, but once you learn how to prepare and cook them, you’ll find it easier to incorporate them into your daily meals.

Greens are high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and vitamins A, C, E and K. They’re great sources of fiber and filled with folic acid, chlorophyll and other nutrients to keep our bodies healthy and strong. Looking to boost your immunity for cold and flu season? Greens strengthen our circulatory and respiratory system. You can improve your body’s resistance naturally by piling your plate with greens.

The next time you’re in your local farmer’s market or the produce section of your grocery store, pick out a new green for the week. Mix spinach or arugula into salads, toss some collards or cabbage into soups, steam kale or broccoli for a tasty side-dish and add bok choy to your favorite stir-fry.

Here are some tips for making your green veggies more exciting and flavorful.

• After cooking, add 1 tablespoon olive oil or toasted sesame oil to every 2 cups of veggies

• Add 2 bay leaves or 1 teaspoon cumin seeds to the cooking water

• Sprinkle cooked veggies with toasted pumpkin, sesame, flax or sunflower seeds

• Sprinkled greens with fresh herbs: mint, dill, basil, parsley, cilantro or scallion

• Use tamari soy sauce or umeboshi vinegar to add extra flavor

• Squeeze fresh lemon juice over steamed veggies

• Stir-fry veggies with a pinch of sea salt, olive oil and garlic

What green will you try this week? Need help getting started? Check out this week’s recipe on Facebook.

Tags: Food, Healthy Tips, Recipes by Joshua Rosenthal
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What’s for dinner at your house tonight? How about a meat–free dish? Just by reducing animal protein in your diet, you could lessen your risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes. Many people have found that reducing animal protein consumption can help with low energy and sugar cravings. You can also improve the health of our environment by preserving natural resources like water and fossil fuels.

Join a growing number of people all over the country in the Meatless Monday movement and pledge to eat meat-free once a week.  What will you eat in place of your meat entrée? Try incorporating more vegetables into your meal, which are high in fiber and will make you feel full and satisfied. Beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds are also a great meat alternative. They are high in protein, iron and magnesium and contain little to no saturated fat.

You’ll also reduce your carbon footprint by cutting back on meat just once a week. According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, the meat industry generates nearly 1/5 of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions that are accelerating climate change worldwide. Our precious water resources are exhausted daily and the demand continues to grow. Approximately 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water go into a single pound of beef. This total far surpasses the amount of water needed for vegetables and grains.

People are confused about how to start making improvements to their health, let alone make sizable changes to the environment. Start with what you put on your dinner plate. Start today. You don’t have to become a vegetarian to make a difference. Michael Pollan recently stated on the Oprah show: “Even one meatless day a week — a meatless Monday, which is what we do in my household — if everybody in America did that, that would be the equivalent of taking 20 million mid-size sedans off the road.”

Need recipe ideas? Check out Meatless Monday’s recipe page or our website. Just think about the health message you’re starting today and how you can extend it for the rest of the week. Go meatless and the possibilities are endless!

Tags: Food, Healthy Tips, Recipes by Joshua Rosenthal
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The fall season is officially upon us. This time of year is marked by crisp, cool days, preparation and celebration, and an abundance of warming, harvest foods.

As the temperature drops, our bodies require more concentrated, energy-rich foods like root vegetables, squashes, seeds and nuts. The fall is a great time to experiment with cooking and baking in your kitchen. While we have access to a variety of fresh produce in the spring and summer seasons, we have to plan accordingly for fall and winter. Look around. Appreciate your surroundings. Let the season’s rich color palette inspire you and try adding some fall flavors, spices and seasonings inro your next meal.

Eating locally grown food in accordance with the seasons helps to keep our bodies in balance and provides a deep connection to Mother Earth. Here is a list of fruits and vegetables that are in season this fall. By incorporating them into your menu-planning, you’ll enjoy the full nourishment of your food.

Acorn Squash
Apples
Belgian Endive
Broccoli
Butternut Squash
Cauliflower
Celery Root
Cranberries
Daikon Radish
Garlic
Ginger
Huckleberries
Mushrooms
Pear
Pumpkin
Rutabagas
Sweet Potatoes
Swiss Chard
Turnips
Winter Squash

Tags: Food, Healthy Tips by Joshua Rosenthal
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You don’t have to be back in school to pack your lunch. In fact, it’s a growing trend among Americans these days. 8.5 billion people brown-bagged their weekday lunch last year, according to a study by the NPD Group. A survey found that the majority of brown-baggers were motivated by financial reasons as well as efforts to eat healthier.  Bringing a lunch from home helps to cut costs as well as unwanted calories from restaurant meals.

Looking for a healthy lunch idea? Check out this New York Times article where Martha Rose Shulman shares a homemade hummus recipe and incorporates the tasty spread in a satisfying vegetarian wrap.

How can you prepare more food from home?

Hummus Wrap

For the hummus:

1 to 2 garlic cloves, to taste; halved, green shoots removed
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste
3 to 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt, as needed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons sesame tahini

For each wrap:

1 large flour tortilla or whole wheat wrap
2 leaves romaine lettuce, ribs cut away
1/8 red pepper, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons cucumber, cut in julienne
Fresh mint leaves (optional)

1. Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and drop in the garlic cloves. Process until they are chopped and adhere to the sides of the bowl. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, and process until very smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.

2. Warm a large flour tortilla for about 10 seconds in the microwave or over a burner, just until flexible. Lay it on your work surface and cover with lettuce leaves, leaving a two-inch border all the way around. Place 3 heaped tablespoons hummus (about 1/4 cup) on top of the lettuce on the bottom half of the tortilla. Top with the red pepper, the cucumber and a few leaves of mint if desired.

3. Fold the bottom edge of the tortilla over the filling. Fold in the sides, then roll up, squeezing the tortilla so that the roll is compact. Place the roll on a piece of plastic wrap. Fold in the sides of the plastic over the ends of the wrap, and roll up tightly to secure. Refrigerate for at least five minutes and for as long as 24 hours.

Yield: 1 3/4 cups hummus. Enough for six or seven wraps.

Advance preparation: The hummus will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator. It will become more pungent. The wrap can be made a day ahead.

Tags: Food, Healthy Tips, Recipes by Joshua Rosenthal
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We’re all cutting corners these days and finding ways to make our dollar go further. That might mean eliminating lavish items and activities, and even paring down the basic necessities. While some of us are tightening our wallets when it comes to spending, many are expanding their waistlines by turning to inexpensive, low-quality food. According to Slate, fast food giant McDonald’s is making a killing off the nation’s recession, with sales in 2008 surpassing the previous 2 years. They opened nearly 600 additional stores in 2008.

Many people have the perception that eating healthy is expensive and in fact, a luxury. We maintain that buying wholesome food is possible, even if your family is sticking to a tight budget. The truth is, buying processed foods and eating poorly can lead to a variety of diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. Choosing fresh, healthy foods can improve your diet, quality of life and also prevent food-related illnesses, saving you costly bills at the doctor’s office.  

With just a little preparation and grocery list in-hand, you can make healthy shopping an affordable and achievable goal.  Check out graduate Michelle Pfennighaus’ blog, where she shares some of her penny-pinching tips for eating healthy food on a budget.

1. Cut back on animal products
2. Eat more beans and whole grains
3. Learn to adore the bulk aisle, buy only what you need
4. Drink water, cut back on bottled beverages
5. Eliminate prepared/processed food
6. Use what you have already, even if it means changing a recipe a little.
7. Plan, plan, plan. Don’t put it in your cart without knowing what you’re going to do with it.

Finally, be creative with your shopping and meal planning and have fun!

Tags: Food, Healthy Tips, Recipes by Joshua Rosenthal
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We all have a sugar craving from time to time. For some it’s early in the morning, in hopes that a caffeine fix or a sweet pastry will get us through the day. For others, the hankering pops up around 3pm when our blood sugar starts to drop off after lunch. Or perhaps some of us raid the fridge or pantry for a late night treat. These sugar cravings are simply our bodies asking for energy. It’s important to listen to these cues and provide ourselves with naturally sweet foods to help alleviate these intense cravings.

Reducing sugar in one’s diet can be quite challenging. According to the Wall Street Journal, the average American consumes up to 355 calories, or more than 22 teaspoons, of sugar a day. The biggest culprits - soft drinks, candy, and desserts like cookies and cakes. However, added sugars also creep up in many perceived healthy foods such as yogurt, fruit juices and whole-grain cereals. The American Heart Association recently released a statement, urging consumers to drastically cut back on the amount of added sugars in their diet – women should limit their sugar intake to 100 calories, or about six teaspoons, a day; men should limit to 150 calories, or about nine teaspoons. A 12-ounce soft drink can have up to 8 tablespoons of sugar!

Where should you begin? Look very carefully at the ingredients on a nutrition label. Sugar comes in many forms and can be disguised as corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, sorbitol or evaporated cane juice. Try substituting sugar with natural sweeteners like agave nectar, honey or brown rice syrup.  Swap processed products for foods without a nutrition label attached – like whole grains, fruits and veggies, which contain high amounts of fiber to slow the digestion process. Finally, coach yourself to be more mindful and aware of your body’s messaging. If it’s energy you need, a chemicalized, sugary snack will only lead to a crash in a few hours. And if you’re satisfying an insatiable sweet tooth, enjoy a healthy treat. Your body will thank you later.

Tags: Food, Healthy Tips by Joshua Rosenthal
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