Best of the Food Web: Naturally Ella

November 9, 2011 at 12:25 pm

By Kelli Swensen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Every Wednesday this semester we will be posting about a new blog or cooking website that we love! The internet is filled with food websites, and our goal is to arm you with the “Best of the Food Web”!

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“Keep it natural and delicious”  — Erin from NaturallyElla

I’m so excited about today’s blog! Ever since I discovered FoodGawker freshman year, I’ve been swooning over Naturally Ella’s food photographs. More than just a pretty face, the blog’s recipes live up to their pictures. Personally, I’ve made her veggie potstickers, sweet potato and spinach burritos, and Brazilian vegetable fejoadas (I make these almost weekly!). Besides being honestly delicious, I loved these recipes for their simple, natural ingredients. Looking through her large collection of recipes, I can’t imagine you wont find a recipe that you’ll want to make immediately. Instead of being heavy with text, the homepage lets the food speak for itself. If you don’t have time to browse, there is a recipe index on the side that even divides entrees into meat and vegetarian meals. With passions for music, fitness, photography, and cooking, Erin brings a natural beauty and soul to the blogosphere.

Some recipes to be sure to check out:

Disclaimer: The Sargent Choice blog includes links to other websites only as information to consumers, not as medical advice. When you access an external website, keep in mind that Sargent Choice has no control over its content.  Sargent Choice is not responsible for the content found at any of the sites, nor do any links imply endorsement or promotion of the company/organization, its content, services, therapeutic treatment options, or products. Accordingly, you visit any site at your own risk.  Sargent Choice is also not responsible for the policies and practices of these sites, such as their Privacy Policy, use of “cookies”, etc. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each site that you visit through a link on our website



By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Best of the Food Web | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

A Dish Even A Traditional Italian Will Love: Sargent Choice Baked Ziti

November 8, 2011 at 12:57 pm

By Bianca Marina, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

With a name like Bianca Marina Tamburello, you may be able to guess that I come from a traditional Italian family.

In my house, baked ziti is the equivalent of creamy macaroni and cheese. It is a quick dinner to prepare, perfect for leftovers, and also pleases even the pickiest eaters. I remember my sister, brother, and I giggling around the kitchen table as we tried to slurp up the never-ending melted strings of mozzarella on top of the baked ziti.

This warm cheesy pasta dressed in tomato sauce is a comfort food that we often prepare for our close friends and family to express feelings that cannot always be expressed in words. My mother and grandmother prepare baked ziti for families who have recently experienced a loss, for birthday celebrations, and even to thank friends for their help.

Once again, Sargent Choice has transformed a classic dish that I hold close to my heart, into a balanced meal without skimping on flavor.

I’d like to thank the lovely girls of the Sargent floor of Towers (7th floor, West tower) for being wonderful cooks at Karen's Test Kitchen this week! The girls helped us make a quick batch of sauce with diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, and pesto.

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After making the sauce, we combined the cooked Whole Wheat pasta with spinach, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. Next, we added the hot tomato sauce and transferred the pasta into a baking pan.

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Before placing the pasta in the oven, we sprinkled some Parmesan cheese on top and covered the pan with aluminum foil. The dish was finally placed in the oven to bake for about 30 minutes.

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As we peeled back the aluminum foil, a masterpiece of vibrant green spinach and plump tomatoes in a sea of ziti was revealed. Covered in melted cheese, the ziti made our mouths water, and we quickly served everyone a portion. I was pleased to find that the baked ziti was just as comforting and delicious as my own mom’s recipe.

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Sargent Choice

Baked Ziti with Spinach and Tomatoes

Yields 12 servings

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 28 –oz. can diced peeled tomatoes

¼ cup purchased pesto sauce

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 13-oz box whole wheat penne, freshly cooked according to package directions

12 cups ready-to-use spinach leaves (about 10-oz package)

6 ounces low-fat mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

Directions:

1.       Heat oil in large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft

2.       Add garlic and cook for an additional minute or so, being careful not to burn.

3.       Add tomatoes with juices to pan. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

4.       Stir in pesto and season with salt and pepper.

5.       Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish.

6.       Combine pasta, spinach, mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese in large bowl.

7.       Stir in hot tomato sauce

8.       Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese on top.

9.       Cover the pan with foil. Bake for 20 minutes.

10.   Uncover and bake for ~10 minutes additional minutes, until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt.

1 Serving
Calories 248
Fat 8 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Protein 12 g
Carbohydrates 30 g
Fiber 5 g

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

Make a Difference Monday: It’s Already November!

November 6, 2011 at 1:51 pm

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With October all ready come and gone, November is here whether we're ready or not. Although this means the coming of cold weather and more exams, it also means it's time for another Make A Difference Monday in the dining halls! Tomorrow, Monday November 7th, all dining halls will be serving MADM food options! The menu listed below (pumpkin pancakes for breakfast!) is full of delicious, November-inspired dishes that are all sustainable,  many including local ingredients. As always, the smaller dining halls wont have all of these options, but, as you can see for yourself, I'm positive that no matter which dining hall you choose, you will have a delicious Monday meal! For more information on Make A Difference Monday check out this post. See you in the dining halls!

Breakfast

  • Turkey Bacon
  • Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes
  • Maine shredded potatoes and maple glazed turkey patties
  • Whole wheat English muffin with cage-free egg, local Cabot cheddar cheese, and fresh tomato

Lunch

Soups:

  • Parsnip
  • Apple and Leek
  • SC Chicken Curry

Pizza:

  • Caramelized local three onion pizza
  • SC shrimp and pesto pizza

Other Entrée Options

  • SC mu shu turkey wrap with local Napa cabbage served with Asian slaw
  • Mac and cheese with local Cabot cheddar
  • Cheese ravioli served with a lemon parsley brown butter sauce and garnished with toasted local diced pumpkin
  • SC chicken and vegetable fajitas
  • Hot roast turkey sandwich with cranberry orange spread served with garden pesto pasta salad
  • Smoked Haddox fish cakes served with oven roasted local beets, baked beans, and tartar sauce
  • Chopped shrimp salad with mustard dressing and local red cabbage
  • Maple raisin stuffed local acorn squash (vegan)
  • Tuna sub with organic sprouts on whole wheat pita with local Maine potato chips

Dessert:

  • Warm local apple and cranberry crisp with vanilla ice cream

Dinner

Soups:

  • Parsnip
  • Apple and leek
  • SC chicken curry

Pizza:

  • Caramelized local three onion pizza
  • SC shrimp and pesto pizza

Other Entrée Options;

  • Grilled Italian chicken sandwich served with local apple slaw
  • Baked manicotti topped with marinara sauce and natural mozzarella cheese
  • Local p.e.i. mussels Fra Diablo over linguine
  • Vegetable lo mein
  • SC home-style turkey meatloaf served with gravy, baked potato, and honey carrots
  • SC chicken Caesar
  • Vegan chili burger
  • Spicy chickpea and cucumber salad (vegan)
  • Tuna sub with organic sprouts on whole wheat pita with local Maine potato chips

Dessert:

  • Deconstructed pumpkin pie

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Nutrition News | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

CSA Week 21: The Final Box

November 4, 2011 at 9:58 am

By Kelli Swensen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

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It’s now officially November and the end of the CSA season. Here at Sargent Choice, we’d like to thank Ward’s Berry Farm, and Carver Hill Orchard, for providing beautiful and delicious fresh produce for the past 21 weeks. One of the great things about the CSA box aside from supporting a local farm was discovering new kinds of foods and new ways to use familiar produce.

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Here’s a quick recap of all the recipes we featured that incorporated CSA ingredients:

I hope you had a chance to make some of these! We'd love to hear if you came up with any original recipes using CSA box ingredients! If you did, be sure to leave a comment at the end of this post!

So what's in the FINAL CSA box?

2 Hubba Hubba Squash, 1 bunch Carrots, 4 ears Popcorn, ½ head Cabbage, 2lbs Potatoes, 1.5 lbs Beets, 6 Apples (Carver Hill Orchard)

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Looking at this list I was immediately drawn to the Hubba Hubba Squash. After doing some researching, I discovered that it is just another name for Red Kuri Squash, which we featured in a past CSA post.

For the last CSA-inspired recipe, I wanted to give you something different from all the others: a breakfast dish. With chilly weather here to stay, nothing is more comforting than a bowl of hot oatmeal to get your day running. Oatmeal is a great breakfast option because it is both cheep and filling. Depending on the types of oats you buy, it can be prepared anywhere from overnight to one minute. This recipe takes a little longer because it's baked, but if you are short on time you can make it the night before then heat it up in the microwave in the morning. Another great thing about this recipe? It uses up some of those apples you have sitting around your kitchen and tastes like apple pie. Enjoy!

Picture Credit to Naturally Ella

Picture Credit to Naturally Ella

Baked Apple Pie Oatmeal
Original recipe here

Serves 2
Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats
1 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup non-fat milk (or a non-dairy alternative)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 large apple, peeled and cubed

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees
  2. Peel apple and cut into cubes. If you only have small apples, use two or three in place of one larger apple
  3. In mixing bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In separate bowl, stir together the milk and vanilla.
  4. Take two 4 or 5-in ramekins and layer half of the apples in each. Next put half the oat mixture in each followed by a couple of tablespoons of milk mixture over the oats. Continue to layer with apples, oats, then milk.
  5. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the apples are bubbling and the oats are browned.

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Bummed about not getting local produce each week in the CSA box? Although it's harder to find local produce in the winter, it's not impossible! Here are some options in the Boston area:

-Whole Foods lists where their produce comes from. Look for produce from Massachusetts or nearby states like New York.

-Trader Joe’s also supplies some local produce for very reasonable prices.

-Boston Organics. Although similar to CSA boxes in that they deliver produce boxes, Boston Organics differs in that the produce comes from all different farms in Massachusetts rather than one farm. Another difference? You pay each time. They have pick-up times throughout the week all over Boston. For more information, be sure to check out their website.

-Boston Localvores, an online community group of people in Boston who support eating locally as often as possible, has a whole list of farms that do winter CSA boxes. Although an option for supporting local farms, these winter CSA boxes are generally more expensive than the summer boxes and the areas to pick them up are more limited, so if you don’t have a car it may be difficult to pick yours up.

-Also check out our previous Best of the Food Web where we featured Local Harvest, which has a local food finder map!

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Nutrition News | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (15)

Healthy Cooking on a Budget: Black Bean Vegetarian Chili

November 3, 2011 at 12:10 pm

By Kelsey Michelsen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

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Photo credit to BU Today

This week in Healthy Cooking on a Budget, we made a Black Bean Vegetarian Chili.

Chili is a fall and winter staple; it’s quick, easy and loaded with flavor. This particular recipe was modified to include more vegetables (double than the original recipe called for!) and to cut down on the sodium. In class we used mostly fresh veggies, but this chili could be made almost entirely with frozen, which helps cut down on price and prep time. Enjoy!

HPIM2190[1]

Black Bean Vegetarian Chili

Makes 5-6 servings

Ingredients

2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
3 large (or four small) sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 medium carrots, sliced
2 red bell peppers, chopped (fresh or frozen)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 15 ounce can black beans
2 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
½-1 cup vegetable broth
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp cayenne (optional)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

Directions

1.     Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil for a minute or two, then add sweet potatoes, carrots, bell peppers and corn. Continue to cook for about 5-6 minutes.

2.     Reduce heat to medium low, and add remaining ingredients and spices, stirring to combine well.

3.     Simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, until flavors mingle and vegetables are cooked.

Nutrition Facts (2 ½ cups)

Calories 290
Fat 6g
Saturated Fat 1g
Carbohydrates 56g
Fiber 12g
Protein 8g
Sodium 320mg

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

Best of the Food Web: Local Harvest

November 2, 2011 at 11:03 am

By Kelli Swensen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Every Wednesday this semester we will be posting about a new blog or cooking website that we love! The internet is filled with food websites, and our goal is to arm you with the “Best of the Food Web”!

local_harvest

Although not heavy in recipes, Local Harvest is a go-to site for finding organic and local foods close to where you are. The homepage features an interactive map that allows you to search for online stores that deliver to your area, nearby farms, CSA pick-ups, Farmers’ Markets, and grocery stores, wholesalers, meat processors, and restaurants that feature local and/or organic products. When I typed in Boston’s zip code and searched for restaurants, the website listed Oleana in Cambridge and The Fireplace in Brookline as two restaurants known for using sustainable ingredients. Under each restaurant is a short description of the restaurant including the head chef’s food philosophy. Local Harvest also has an online store that you can order from. They supply a huge variety of sustainable and fair-trade ingredients at reasonable prices. Missing recipe blogs? Local Harvest has a Blog Tab that takes you to a page that lists blogs whose authors are Local Harvest members. If you’ve been looking for ways to support sustainable foods, Local Harvest should be among your first stops.

Disclaimer: The Sargent Choice blog includes links to other websites only as information to consumers, not as medical advice. When you access an external website, keep in mind that Sargent Choice has no control over its content. Sargent Choice is not responsible for the content found at any of the sites, nor do any links imply endorsement or promotion of the company/organization, its content, services, therapeutic treatment options, or products. Accordingly, you visit any site at your own risk. Sargent Choice is also not responsible for the policies and practices of these sites, such as their Privacy Policy, use of “cookies”, etc. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each site that you visit through a link on our website



By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Best of the Food Web | Tagged , , , | Comments (4)

Kiss Take Out Fried Rice Goodbye

November 1, 2011 at 12:07 pm

By Bianca Tamburello, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

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When I think of Fried rice, the first image that flutters into my head is ordering out for Chinese food on a rainy and cold day. But the second memory that immediately follows the meal is the terrible feeling in my stomach that usually arises after take-out food.

We’ve all gotten a stomach-ache after take-out, but for some reason we continue to order out even though we know it may not be the best choice. This week at Karen Jacob’s Test Kitchen we made fried rice with our usual Sargent Choice twist. I was a tad skeptical that this recipe would not compare to the less healthy versions of fried rice, but once again I left KJ’s Test Kitchen with a new recipe to add to my cook book and a happy belly instead of a sick one.

Karen Jacobs kindly cooked the brown rice ahead of time, allowing us to plunge into the recipe as soon as we arrived. If you’re trying this recipe at home, cooking the rice ahead of time cuts down the cook time to about 20 minutes, which leaves you more time to get back to your busy schedule.

We cooked the ginger, scallions and garlic until soft. Then we added the brown rice, red pepper, edamame, corn, broccoli, and tofu and cooked for about 5 minutes. We decided to hollow out a 3 inch well, cooked the tofu in the middle of the well until slightly golden and mixed it through the rice.

rice1

This is where the recipe involves a little imagination and creativity! Remember when you enjoyed making a volcano out of mashed potatoes and created molten lava with gravy? Well, these skills are very important for today’s recipe.

Make a volcano shaped structure out of the fried rice. Next add the oil and crack the eggs into the center. Voila, fried rice volcano with egg molten lava!

Allow the eggs to cook until fully scrambled. Stir the eggs into the rice, add 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and mix until the brown rice has acquired a rich brown color.

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The brown rice soaked up the delicious flavor of the ginger, garlic and soy sauce that tasted delicious with the broccoli, corn and edamame. Karen even made her own Miso soup recipe to partner the fried rice.

The ginger, scallions and garlic combined to create a wonderful aroma that not only filled the room but trickled all the way out the door, down the hall and reached the StuVi 2 elevators. As we sat on the carpet around Karen’s coffee table with our fried rice, miso soup and the smell of gingery delight in the air, Karen Jacob’s apartment transformed into an intimate Hibachi restaurant.

This SC fried rice recipe is no comparison to the rice served in take-out containers. It is loaded with wonderful vegetables and tofu that even the least enthusiastic vegetable eater will love. Most importantly, it is absolutely delicious and doesn’t leave you with a belly-ache. I promise, you will be burning your take-out menus once you try this SC creation!

Fried Rice with Scallions, Edamame, and Tofu

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
4 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
4 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups broccoli florets
¾ cup frozen shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions and drained
½ cup fresh or frozen (thawed corn kernels)
6 ounces firm tofu, cut into ¼-inch cubes
2 large eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a wok or large skillet until hot.

2. Add garlic, scallions and ginger and cook, stirring, about 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the rice, broccoli, edamame, corn and tofu and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes.

4. Make a 3-inch well in the center of the rice mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of canola oil, then add the eggs and cook until nearly fully scrambled.

5. Stir the eggs into the rice mixture, then mix in the soy sauce.

6. Enjoy hot.

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (2)

Healthier Halloween: Keep Your Costume the Scariest Part of Your Night

October 29, 2011 at 12:24 pm

By Alli Mars, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Dentists’ least favorite day of the year is upon us…Halloween. It’s a day full of fun costumes and plenty of sweets and treats. Everyone loves to go candy crazy on Halloween but we have some tips to make this day a little less sugar filled but still just as delicious.

halloween_candies_showdown_700Image Source

-          Try making some candy swaps. Look for ones that have a better ingredient profile, such as not listing sugar as the first ingredient. Health Castle made up a helpful list here

-          Make some baked goodies or other treats instead of eating candy.

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Try Cooking Light's Peanut Butter Caramel Corn

o   If you’re throwing a party don’t just put out bowls of candy – get creative! Make some Thai cashew brittle, or Cinnamon cider candied apples from Cooking Light who has a great Halloween treat list

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-          If you’re going out, eat before you leave. If you’re eating on an empty stomach you’ll be more likely to fill up on the snacks at the party which might not be the healthiest. Try have a fiber-rich snack such as some cut-up fruit or veggies and hummus which will keep you full while you party away.

Need ideas? Check out our homemade hummus, pita chips, and baked chickpea recipes!

-          When you’re eating candy a smaller size doesn’t mean you can eat more. Grab a few of your favorite candies and stop there.  Limiting yourself now will save you more candy to have later and stop that sugar high followed by an ultra-crash.

Have a great Halloween weekend!

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Nutrition News, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments (6)

CSA: Decoration One Season, Dinner the Next

October 28, 2011 at 9:41 am

By Kelli Swensen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

It's finally here: the last CSA box of the year. Although this marks the end of our weekly CSA posts, definitely go back through them to find recipes or ingredients to change up your meal routine! At the end of the post you'll find a link back to some of our featured ingredients as well as some recipes, but before then, take a look at this week's CSA:

4 ears Mini Indian Corn (decorative), 2 lbs Potatoes, 1 bunch Parsley, 1 bunch Arugula, 1 Turban Squash, 1 bunch Carrots, 1.5 lbs Beets, 3 Sweet Peppers, 6 Jalapeno Peppers, 6 Apples (Carver Hill Orchard)

turban2Turban Squash: Probably one of the most interestingly-shaped varieties of squash, turban squash has a bulb-like cap that sticks out from its body. Like many other winter squashes, it can be orange, green, or white, or even all three at once. Due to its unique appearance, turban squash makes for great decoration, and, because it stays good for up to 6 months (as long as you don’t cut it), feel free to use it as decoration during the fall and as an ingredient in the winter. With a flavor similar to hazelnut, turban squash goes great in soups, pastas, breads, and baked goods. To prepare, simply cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, place on a cooking sheet, and roast in a 350 degree oven for 60-90minutes, or until the flesh is tender and you can poke through the skin with a fork. (Image source)

To get both the season feeling and the sweet taste at once, try making stuffed turban squash. This recipe is a perfect Thanksgiving side dish, especially since it can be made vegetarian or with any meat of choice.

Stuffed Turban Squash

Original recipe HERE

Ingredients:

  • 1 large turban squash (about 5lbs)
  • 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
  • 1 cup chopped apples
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 4 oz firm tofu or diced boneless, skinless chicken or turkey
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cup vegetable stock or broth

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450-degrees. Wash the squash and cut off the bulb. Save this top part! Scoop out the seeds and pulp.
  2. Lightly brush the inside of the squash with olive oil and put the bulb back on. Wrap in foil, then place on baking sheet and roast in oven for 30min or until a sharp knife can easily pierce all the way through. Reduce oven to 400-degrees
  3. While the squash is roasting, mix parsley, tofu, apples, and cooked quinoa in mixing bowl. Add in salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
  4. Once cool enough to touch, unwrap the squash and fill with quinoa mixture. Any mix that doesn't fit in squash, place in casserole dish. Ladle the broth over the mixture inside the squash and over the excess in the casserole dish. Put the top of the squash back on and re-wrap the stuffed squash in foil.
  5. Bake at 400-degrees for 1 hour or until the inner flesh is soft.

Highlights from this season's CSA Box:

All about the ingredients:

Produce-inspired Recipes:

For more CSA click HERE!

I hoped you enjoyed our CSA series! Keep checking back on the blog, we'll definitely be featuring ways to get your fruit and vegetable fill even in the freezing months of winter!

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, CSA, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Healthy Cooking On A Budget: Money Saving Isn’t Just About Clipping Coupons

October 27, 2011 at 12:23 pm

By Kelsey Michelsen, Student, Sargent College

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In class this week we went over meal planning and grocery shopping.  One of the most helpful things you can do before you go grocery shopping is plan out your meals.  This will help you make the right choices on what food to eat and give you a definite idea of the type of food to buy. Planning what you are going to make and writing out a shopping list of the ingredients you need to buy will allow you to minimize the amount of food you waste. Cutting down on waste will save you money and guilt. If you do buy something that you aren’t planning on using right away, you should freeze it or buy it frozen. Foods that you can put in the freezer are great because they will last much longer than if they were in the refrigerator.  Fruits and vegetables are always good to buy frozen since they are frozen right after they are picked, when they are still at the peak of ripeness and are full of nutrients. Leafy greens are an exception to this because they don’t freeze well. When buying greens, make sure you have a plan for using them up within the week.

grocery-list

Another money saver before making a trip to the grocery store is checking what is on sale. You can do this through the circular in the paper or log on to your store’s website, type in your zip code and you can get the circular for your local store. Looking through the circular can help you get inspiration for what you want to cook that week and will save you money!

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Image Source

Sometimes it can be hard to work up the motivation to cook something for dinner, and in those instances throwing a frozen meal in the microwave is an easy alternative to cooking your own meal. Frozen meals aren’t necessarily bad, they can be low in calories and saturated fats, plus they are easy and quick to make. One thing that you do have to look out for in frozen meals is the sodium content.

Having a goal to cook a certain amount and type of meals during the week can help you stay healthy by avoiding fast foods and large portions at restaurants. Need help planning meals? We have some great resources to help:

A brochure on how long food keeps:

http://aboutcalories.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/food_keeper_brochure.pdf

A healthy shopping list:

http://www.bu.edu/sargentchoice/files/2011/09/SCNC-SC-Healthy-Shopping-List.pdf

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Nutrition News | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)