Best of the Foodweb: NPR’s The Salt

August 29, 2012 at 12:25 pm

By Kelli Swensen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

What do you get when you combine excellent journalism with food: NPR’s The Salt. Unlike many food articles today, The Salt features researched posts that are driven by food news, not diet crazes. While you won’t find a recipe for dinner tonight or pictures that make your mouth water, you will become a better informed consumer. Trying to pick out a couple articles to highlight, I ended up with a list of over ten that I felt everyone should read. Don’t worry, I won’t bog you down with ten plus articles, but I do strongly encourage you to add The Salt to your daily news feed!


By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Best of the Food Web, Nutrition News | Tagged , , , | Comments (7)

CSA: Potato, the American Classic

August 27, 2012 at 5:21 pm

This week’s CSA box included:

-- 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes
-- 2 lbs. Sweet Peppers
-- 2 Eggplant
-- 2 lbs. Tomatoes
-- 2 lbs. Potatoes
-- 8 ears Corn
-- 1 lb. Beans
-- 1 head Lettuce

As always, I looked over the list of this week’s goodies and for the first time wondered “what can you do with 2 lbs of potatoes?” In addition to searching for healthy ways to incorporate potatoes, I also wanted to get rid of the white potato’s bad rep of being not very nutritious since it’s white.

Some stats:

  • High in B vitamins, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber
  • One 7-oz potato (with skin!) has about half your daily needs of vit C and B6
  • A 7-oz potato contains approximately 220 calories and 0 grams of fat

For the recipes I thought about the three most common ways people eat potatoes: baked, fried, and mashed.

Veggie Loaded Baked Potato

http://www.oprah.com/food/Veggie-Stuffed-Twice-Baked-Potato-Boats

Healthier French fries

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/oven_fries.html

Healthier mashed potatoes

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/garlic-mashed-potatoes-recipe/index.html

http://iowagirleats.com/2012/03/15/healthier-mashed-potatoes-that-actually-taste-good/


By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, CSA | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

Gluten Free: Hype or Health?

August 23, 2012 at 11:44 am

By Allison Mars, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Walking down the grocery store aisles it’s hard not to notice all the new health claims in bright lettering on some packaged foods “Low fat!” “No cholesterol!” but lately there’s been a new label that’s been gaining a lot of attention, “Gluten-Free”. Almost every product that is gluten free, is labeled as such. Many people have adopted a gluten free diet, for various reasons. Is it healthy? Should we all be eating this way?

Gluten free diets are the only treatment for symptoms of Celiac disease. According to a new statistic, 1 in 133 people have Celiac disease, the increasing number of people being diagnosed have caused the increase in the popularity of gluten free products. But what is Celiac exactly? It is an auto-immune reaction to gluten in foods. When people with the disease eat products that contain gluten (wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats), their immune system responds by attacking the villi of the small intestine. The villi are part of the lining of the intestine and they help absorb nutrients. One of the main problems associated with Celiac disease is insufficient nutrient absorption due to the damage to the villi. When people with Celiac disease eat gluten they experience some uncomfortable symptoms such as bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, lactose intolerance, nausea and vomiting, and unexplained weight loss. These symptoms are resolved once gluten is eliminated from the diet.

Certified_Gluten_Free_Logo

People can also experience ‘intolerance’ to gluten. Food intolerances are not thought to be auto-immune responses, and are slightly less severe than Celiac. GI symptoms with gluten intolerance may include gas, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. These symptoms are usually transient, and are thought NOT cause permanent damage.

So gluten free diets are a good thing right? Many people have been caught in the hype of gluten free diets, and are associating “gluten free” with healthy. Unless you suffer from Celiac disease there is no reason to follow a gluten free diet. It’s important that more gluten free foods are available but consumers are jumping on the band wagon for the newest diet craze. Gluten free diets are very restrictive, they totally eliminate pasta, bread, cookies, pastries, breakfast cereals, beer, and many other processed foods. It also eliminates whole wheat foods, which have proven health benefits. Many non-Celiac people who take on a gluten free diet experience some weight loss and may feel more “energetic” but this isn’t due to no gluten, according to Dee Sandquist, MS, RD, it is often due to an overall decrease in their intake of both calories and fat. Sandquist also points out that some of the “safe” grains in gluten free diets, such as corn, amaranth and rice have less fiber than the gluten containing grains. How can it be healthy to adopt a diet that provides less fiber?

Overall, the availability of gluten free products is impressive, and it’s good that Celiac disease is gaining attention, but people should be weary of adopting a gluten free diet if they have not been diagnosed.

Sources:

For anyone with celiac disease living in Massachusetts, be sure to check out Healthy Villi's list of support groups around the state!

 

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in MythBusters | Tagged , , , , | Comments (10)

Eggplant Parm: A Sargent Choice Favorite

August 20, 2012 at 8:16 am

By Kelli Swensen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

This Week's CSA Box:

-- 1 Melon
-- 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes
-- 5 Frying Peppers
-- 2 Cucumbers
-- 1 large Eggplant
-- 2 lbs. Early Girl Tomatoes
-- 8 ears Corn
-- 1 lb. Beans

In case you missed it last year, or didn't get a chance to try making it, here is one of our favorite ways to use farm-fresh eggplant:

Skip frying breaded eggplant in oil! For a fresh and light take on the classic Italian dish, try a recipe that is a favorite of our own Dietitian Jennifer Culbert. This Eggplant Parmesan is baked to crispy perfection and layered with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. Trust us, you won’t miss the grease.

Eggplant Parmesan

*based on recipe from Cook’s Illustrated

Ingredients

Eggplant

  • 2 pounds globe eggplant, cut crosswise into ¼ inch-thick rounds
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 8 slices whole-wheat bread, torn into quarters
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil

Tomato Sauce

  • 3 cans diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press
  • 1/3 tsp red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup fresh basil leaves chopped
  • 8 ounces part-skim mozzarella, shredded
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 10 fresh basil leaves torn, for garnish

Instructions

For the Eggplant:

  1. Toss half of eggplant slices and 1 ½ tsps kosher salt in large bowl until combined; transfer salted eggplant to large colander set over bowl. Repeat with remaining eggplant and kosher salt, placing second batch in colander on top of first. Let stand until eggplant releases about 2 tablespoons liquid, 30 to 45 minutes. Arrange eggplant slices on triple layer paper towels; cover with another triple layer paper towels. Firmly press each slice to remove as much liquid as possible, then wipe off excess salt.
  2. While eggplant is draining, adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions, place rimmed baking sheet on each rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. Pulse bread in food processor to fine, even crumbs. Transfer crumbs to pie plate and stir in 1 cup Parmesan, ¼ tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper; set aside. Wipe out bowl and set aside.
  3. Combine flour and 1 tsp pepper in large-zipper-locked bag; shake to combine. Beat eggs in second pie plate. Place 8 to 10 eggplant slices in bag with flour; seal bag and shake to coat eggplant. Remove eggplant slices, shaking off excess flour, dip in eggs, let excess egg run off, then coat evenly with bread crumb mixture; set bread slices on wire rack set over baking sheet. Repeat with remaining eggplant.
  4. Remove preheated baking sheets from oven; add 3 tablespoons oil to each sheet, tilting to coat evenly with oil. Place half of breaded eggplant on each sheet in single layer; bake until eggplant is well-browned and crisp, about 30 minutes, switching and rotating baking sheets after 10 minutes, and flipping eggplant slices with wide spatula after 20 minutes. Do not turn off oven.

For the Sauce:

While eggplant bakes, process 2 cans diced tomatoes in food processor until almost smooth, about 5 seconds. Heat olive oil. Garlic, and red pepper flakes in large-heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and garlic is light golden, about 3 minutes; stir in processed and remaining can of diced tomatoes. Bring sauce to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced, about 15 minutes (you should have about 4 cups). Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and pepper

To Assemble:

Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of 13 by 9 inch baking dish. Layer in half of eggplant slices, overlapping slices to fit; distribute 1 cup sauce over eggplant; sprinkle with half of mozzarella. Layer in remaining eggplant and dot with 1 cup sauce, leaving majority of eggplant exposed so it will remain crisp; sprinkle with ½ cup parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Bake until bubbling and cheese is browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; scatter basil over top, and serve, passing remaining tomato sauce separately.

Makes 6 to 8 servings depending on size of eggplants

Calories: 459  Fat: 26 g Sat Fat: 8g Carb: 38.9g Fiber: 8 g Protein: 21.2 g


By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, CSA, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (4)

It’s Finally Here! Peach Season

August 14, 2012 at 10:49 am

By Kelli Swensen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Picture Source

Cherry season and sweet corn season have been tasty, but my favorite season is finally here: peach season! Yes those sunset-colored, fuzzy-skinned fruits are the highlight of summer for my taste buds. Suffering from end of summer head cold (why does this always have to happen?)? Put away the orange juice and pick up that peach: 1 medium each contains approximately 15% of your daily vitamin C!

What Was in this Week's Box:

-- 4 Peaches
-- 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes
-- 2 Green Bell Peppers
-- 2 Hot Mariachi Peppers
-- 3 Slicing Cucumbers
-- 1 lb. Potatoes
-- 2 lbs. Tomatoes
-- 6 ears Corn

As much as I love slicing up a peach and putting the slices in a bowl of original almond milk (you have to try this!), it’s also fun getting creative and adding peaches to savory dishes.

Picture from Whole Foods

Grilled Peach and Chicken Kabobs
Adapted From Whole Foods

Serves 4

Ingredients:

¾ Pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 ½ inch chunks
2 ripe peaches, halved, pitted, and cut into 8 chunks each
1 small red onion quartered and pulled apart into petals
2 Tbsp orange juice or white wine
2 tsp reduced-sodium tamari sauce
3 Tbsp no-sugar-added apricot fruit spread
1 ½ tsp minced chipotle in adobo sauce
1 tsp chopped rosemary (dried works too)

What to do:

Grilling
1. Prepare a grill for medium-high heat cooking
2. On 4 long metal skewers, alternate pieces of chicken, peach, and onion
3. In a small bowl, whisk together juice, tamari, fruit spread, chipotle, and rosemary.
4. Grill kabobs, turning frequently, until lightly browned (about 5 minutes)
5. Brush kabobs with tamari mixture, turning kabobs frequently, until chicken is cooked through and kabobs are glazed, about 3 minutes more

Oven:
1. Whisk together juice, tamari, fruit spread, chipotle and rosemary. Marinate the chicken and onion for 30 to 60 minutes before cooking
2. Preheat oven to 375. On 4 long metal skewers, alternate pieces of chicken, peach, and onion
3. Place skewers on foil-covered baking sheet. Cook for 20-30 minutes, truing every five to 10 minutes. Brush leftover marinade on the kabobs during the last five minutes of cooking

Nutritional Info Per Serving :

  • 160 calories (20 from fat)
  • 2g total fat
  • 0.5g saturated fat
  • 45mg cholesterol
  • 170mg sodium
  • 15g carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 8g sugar)
  • 18g protein


By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, CSA, Nutrition News, Recipes | Tagged , , , , | Comments (3)

Local Produce: Get it While You Still Can

August 6, 2012 at 3:06 pm

By Kelli Swensen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

As hard as it is to believe, August is already here. While for some of you that doesn't mean too much, but for any teachers, students, or parents it's the final countdown to complete all your summer plans. If one of your plans involved eating more local produce, be sure to order your late season CSA box share soon -- you only have 2 weeks left to do so! Ordering deadline is August 15th; in case you forgot, last season shares involve one box each week from September 6th until October 25th and costs $160. Check out our previous post on how to get signed up!

Like last week, here is this week's CSA box in pictures:

This week's boxes will contain (approximately):
-- 1/2 pint Blueberries
-- 1 quart large Cherry Tomatoes
-- 1 lb. Beans
-- 2-3 Sweet Peppers
-- 3 Cucumbers
-- 2 lbs. Potatoes
-- 1 lb. Tomatoes
-- 3 ears Corn
-- 2 lbs. Squash

I found this potato salad last summer to share with you and feel it necessary to share it again. The addition of sweet local corn is what really makes this a knock-out side dish and a summer staple!

Southwestern Potato Salad
(Original recipe HERE)

potato-salad-ck-263957-l

Yield: 8 servings (1 cup each)

1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
2lbs small red potatoes
Cooking spray
1 ½ cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup finely chopped red onion
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
¼ cup fresh lime juice
3 T canola oil
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Remove 1 chipotle chili from can. Chop chili to measure 2 tsp. Reserve remaining chilies and adobo sauce for another use

2. Place potatoes in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10min or until tender. Drain; cool. Cut potatoes into ¼-inch cubes. Place potatoes in large bowl

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add corn; sauté 5 min or until lightly browned. Add corn, celery, and next 5 ingredients (celery through jalapeno) to potatoes; toss gently

4. Combine 2 tsp chopped chipotle chili, lime juice, oil, salt, and black pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle the lime juice mixture over potato mixture, and toss gently. Cover and chill 1 to 24 hours


By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, CSA, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (4)

The Sweetness of Summer (Squash)

August 1, 2012 at 3:37 pm

By Kelli Swensen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

This week's box in pictures:

As much as I love zucchini and summer squash, it can get tricky knowing what to do with so much of it. Once you've added it to stir fry, pasta, and sandwiches, or stuffed it, what do you do with that little bit left over? Make zucchini bread, or rather summer squash bread. While it may be obvious to some of you, I never realized that zucchini is also a type of summer squash. So the yellow vs green doesn't mean much taste wise meaning you can use both of them in your bread! And if you were wondering, the nutrition content of the two is very similar as well! After finding this recipe, I wasn't satisfied with just sharing it, I needed to make it myself. This bread is a perfect breakfast snack bread, not too sweet and fairly hearty thanks to the whole wheat. Speaking of whole wheat flour, I was tempted to use half whole wheat and half all-purpose in fear the bread would turn out too dry, but I'm so glad I didn't! The applesauce plus the oil make this bread perfectly moist.

Summer Quick Bread
Adapted from PreventionRD

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups summer squash, shredded (about 2 medium)
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

What to Do:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray two ( 8” X 4”) loaf pans with cooking spray
2. Mix first 6 ingredients until well blended. Stir in remaining ingredients except the walnuts (save 2 Tbsp of sugar for later!). Fold in walnuts.
3. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp sugar over top of each loaf. Bake 50-60 min until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Place on wire racks and let cool for about 10 minutes

Yield: 2 loaves with 8 servings/loaf

Nutrition (Per Slice, 1/8th loaf):
Calories 228
Fat 10.4g
Cholesterol 35mg
Sodium 242
Total Carbohydrate 30.5g
Fiber 2.8g
Protein 1.9g

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, CSA, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (6)

Spinach? In a Smoothie?!

July 30, 2012 at 3:40 pm

By Ashley Packer, Dietetic Intern, Sargent Choice Nutrition Center

As an intern working with Sargent Choice, one of my responsibilities was to come up with new smoothie recipes for the Late Night Café. Previously, the smoothies were made with a small amount of frozen fruit and soft serve mix….sounds more like a milk shake to me! My goal was to re-do the smoothie recipes to make them fit into the Sargent Choice Guidelines while still making them taste delicious. I came up with ten different smoothie recipes, mixing everything from classic strawberry-banana, tangy pineapple raspberry, and even a couple recipes including raw baby spinach!

ingredients

We were unsure of how students would react to a spinach smoothie, so we decided to test one of them at breakfast during freshmen orientation. We tried our “Purple Power” smoothie, which was made using spinach, frozen blueberries, fresh banana, nonfat plain yogurt, and orange juice. Just looking at the smoothie you wouldn’t be able to tell there was spinach in it.

Purple power smoothie

(Check out the Purple Smoothie on the bottom…..can you tell there is spinach?)

sign2

We were testing out our Purple Power smoothie (recipe HERE) and our Berry-Mango smoothie (recipe HERE) at the same orientation breakfast to get some feedback. We started out by telling the students what was in both of the smoothies.  Many would reach for the purple smoothie, and as soon as they heard “spinach,” they retracted their hands as fast as possible and decided to go with the berry-mango instead.

Seeing this reaction, we decided to try a new tactic. We asked everyone to test both of the smoothies and guess the “secret ingredient” in our purple power smoothie ( and of course we asked about allergies first). We got everything from bananas to protein powder, but nobody guessed spinach. When we told them that the secret ingredient was, in fact, the leafy green that they often avoided as children, they were amazed! In our survey result, our purple power smoothie received a 4 out of 5 for both taste and texture.

blending smoothiestudentsstudents2

So why did we decide to put spinach in a smoothie? As suggested in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, fruits and vegetables need to be increased in our diets. While smoothies are a great source of fruit, they rarely include vegetables. Therefore, we figured this would be a great opportunity to create delicious smoothies that use both fruits and vegetables. Our “Purple Power” smoothie, which will be served at BU’s late night café in the fall, includes one whole banana, a half cup of blueberries, and one whole cup of spinach. You get one and a half servings of fruit and one serving of vegetables all in one smoothie, and you can’t even taste the vegetables! Although the smoothie doesn’t have a vegetable taste, it still packs the health benefits associated with spinach. Spinach is packed with antioxidants, vitamin K, iron, and folate. It also provides some calcium and magnesium for bone health . . . perhaps this is why one student suggested we name our smoothie the “Triple Deluxe Antioxidant Ninja”!

Many thanks to BU Dining Services for helping us out with our smoothie tasting!


By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, Recipes | Tagged , , , | Comments (6)

CSA Box: Turnip Pairings

July 19, 2012 at 12:44 pm

By Kelli Swensen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Looking over the contents of this week’s box, each ingredient seemed so familiar and could easily be incorporated into a summer-perfect salad

What is in the box:
-- 1/2 pint Blueberries
-- 1/2 pint Cherry Tomatoes
-- 6 ears Sweet Corn
-- 1 bunch Turnips
-- 3 Cucumbers
-- 2 lbs. Potatoes
-- 1 bunch Red Russian Kale
-- 2 lbs. Squash
-- 1 bunch Carrots

Usually there are a couple vegetables that require you to get creative in how to prepare them. This time, however, my initial reaction was I could easily come up with enough ideas:

  • Blueberries: perfect for putting in to baked goods, mixing into oatmeal or yogurt, or adding to salads
  • Cherry Tomatoes: salads, pasta sauce, put with basil and cheese on a baguette for a Caprese sandwich, as a pizza topping, or even just as a snack.
  • Sweet corn: corn on the cob, in a soup or salad
  • Cucumbers: drizzled with a little olive oil and pepper, salad, in a wrap, or pickled
  • Potatoes: boil then mash with a little Greek yogurt, use in veggie burgers, roast in the oven with some fresh herbs
  • Kale: salad, wrap, green smoothie
  • Squash: roast and season for a side dish or put into a wrap or salad
  • Carrots: eat plain, roast with a little olive oil or honey

Making the list, I got stuck on turnips. Besides roasting them with the squash and carrots, I couldn’t think of what turnips pair well with, so I went on a search for healthy, eye-catching recipes. Below are the top five recipes from my search. If you have a favorite turnip recipe we’d love to hear it! Comment below or on our Facebook page!

1. Potato and Turnip Salad with Citrus Honey Vinaigrette from Reel Chow

Picture from Reel Chow

2. Mashed Turnips and Potatoes With Turnip Greens from the New York Times

Picture from the New York Times

 

3. Spring Turnip Frittata from Eating Well

Picture from Eating Well

4. Fennel with Turnip Greens from Naturally Ella

Picture from Naturally Ella

5. Salmon and Roasted Vegetable Salad from Eating Well

Picture from Eating Well


By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, CSA | Tagged , , , , | Comments (4)

Brookline Farmer’s Market

July 18, 2012 at 10:11 am

By Kelli Swensen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

While you wont necessarily save money by shopping at the Brookline Farmer’s Market, you will find high quality local ingredients. Last Thursday my friend and I decided to check out the market. Being broke college students we didn’t buy anything, but we did visit each station and even got to try some samples. If you’ve ever been to the Copley Farmer’s Market, Brookline’s is very similar in the kinds of goods you will find.

Besides having the obvious produce, some vendors supply grass-fed beef, lamb, fresh eggs, cheeses, homemade pies (we wanted to buy one of the rhubarb pies so badly! I might just give in and get one this week), and numerous other food and home goods.

Not surprisingly one of the most popular stands was Clear Flour Bread, which is known for its simple ingredients that come together to make the most airy, flavorful breads. Our favorite samples of the day were gluten-free, all-natural cookies. Rather than being scarily sweet, the cookies had a wholesome, not-too overpowering sweetness.

Since we went on a 90-degree day, the longest line was for Trobettas Farm’s ice cream truck. Hailing from Marlborough, MA, Trobettas’ ice cream is made from local, fresh ingredients, and offerings include ice cream, hard serve frozen yogurt, Italian ices, and sorbets.

The Essentials:

What You’ll Find: All local products, most of them at grocery store prices. Goods usually include: in season produce, herbs, cheese, eggs, meat (turkey, beef, lamb), plants and cut flowers, breads, baked goods, ice cream, dips, and handmade crafts, accessories, and glass.
Hours: The market is open every Thursday from 1:30 p.m. – Dusk, and runs until October 25, 2012.
Location: Centre Street, West Parking Lot, Brookline, MA
Getting There: The fastest way using public transportation is to take the C line to Coolidge Corner stop, then walk up Beacon St. to Centre Street.

 

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Restaurants and Farmers Markets | Tagged , , | Comments (1)