My Supermarket Non-negotiables

I am so excited to share this guest blog post from my all-star Associate Editor, Rebecca Jay! Rebecca is pursuing a Master's of Science Degree in Nutrition Communications at Tufts University and studying to become a registered dietitian at Simmons College. She loves to cook-up healthy recipes and is always brainstorming new ways to make communicating nutrition fun and interesting. Rebecca believes that shopping for healthy foods at the grocery store should not be a bewildering chore. In this post, Rebecca explains how she analyzes a food product's nutritional information before bringing it to the checkout line. 

Some things you should know about me: turkey sandwiches are a staple in my diet, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and I absolutely love going to the grocery store. Yes, you heard that last part correctly. I’m a huge fan of supermarket shopping- not just because I enjoy having a stocked refrigerator and pantry, but also because I love browsing through the brightly colored aisles, and comparing the different food products. I know…I admit I’m a bit of a nutrition nerd!

It has taken me some time to understand what makes a particular food product worth purchasing.  Before I embarked on my nutrition career, I used to focus mainly on taste and calories. If I knew a product was tasty (or at least the packaging made it appear that way), and if it didn’t have too many calories, I would place that bag of cookies in my cart without a second thought. Now, as a graduate student pursuing my Masters of Science in Nutrition, I consider other factors before I deem a food item worthy of a spot in my grocery cart. I call these my “supermarket non-negotiables.”

Of course, no food product is perfect, but just as you may have a list of non-negotiables when looking for a job, an apartment, or a boyfriend, why not have a list of non-negotiables when it comes to choosing your food at the grocery store?

My disclaimer: Non-negotiables can vary for different people- it’s perfectly okay if your list looks different from mine! Also, keep in mind that non-negotiables can be negotiable to a certain extent, because it’s important to practice moderation and not deprive yourself of food you enjoy.  Without further ado, I present my comprehensive list that will have you feeling supermarket savvy in no time. 

1.     DO buy if it tastes good.

First and foremost, you have to enjoy what you are eating. A food item can be super healthy, but if it has no flavor, you probably won’t eat it unless there is a blizzard outside, or if it’s the only item still in your fridge at the end of a long week. The bottom line is to be realistic when you see a product on the grocery store shelf and ask yourself the ever important question, “Will I really eat this?”  Be honest!

2.     DON'T buy just because it sounds healthy.

Don’t be fooled…claims like “gluten-free,” “natural” and “organic” do not mean that the product is necessarily healthful. In fact, foods that are gluten-free may sometimes be more processed, contain fewer nutrients, and have more sugar to make up for the lack of gluten. So, don’t judge a product by its “gluten-free” claim. Similarly, don’t be swayed to purchase an item that’s advertised as “organic” or “natural” until you look at the rest of the product’s nutritional quality and the ingredients label. While junk foods can be labeled “organic” or “natural,” the bottom line is that a candy bar is still a candy bar - not something you want to gobble down on a daily basis.

3.     DON'T buy if it contains a lot of scary ingredients.

It can be difficult to avoid food products that have long lists of ingredients these days. I do my best to try and steer clear of products that contain artificial sweeteners, and other ingredients that sound like chemicals that I can’t pronounce.

4.     DO buy if the calories are coming from quality ingredients. Looking at the calorie content on the nutrition label is a great place to start, but don’t stop there. A nutrition label tells you so much more than just calories. While the ideal number of calories varies for each individual, pay close attention to where these calories are distributed. Calories should go toward good things- like protein and healthy fats. I try to avoid items where the calories come mainly from saturated fat or added sugars. Research has shown that a continued diet high in added sugars may increase your risk of developing type II diabetes, while a diet high in saturated fat can raise your risk of heart disease by increasing your “bad” LDL cholesterol. If a product is low in calories, but high in sugar, saturated fat and/or sodium, it might be worth putting the item back on the shelf and moving on.

This is just my personal non-negotiable list, and I encourage you to find what works best for you.  Once you have your own criteria, be sure to go to the supermarket prepared. Make sure you’re armed with a well-planned grocery list, you’re fully fed, and be sure to bring a jacket so you can spend time in the refrigerated produce section. 

Skinny Super Bowl Munchies!

Super Bowl Sunday is the second biggest eating day after Thanksgiving – and the calorie load may even top your Turkey Day feast. Typical pigskin party fare – pizza, wings, chips, and beer – is about as heavy as it gets, but there’s absolutely no reason you can’t enjoy game day favorites without having to unbutton your pants. These slimming substitutions are fat on flavor, but light on calories!

Skip the fatty, fried wings and instead enjoy a lean, mean bowl of my Buffalo Chicken Chili . It’s made with ground chicken breast, so you can enjoy the rich, spicy flavors of this Super Bowl party staple without all the calories and artery-clogging fat.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

Or, get your fiery wing fix from low-cal, crunchy popcorn. Drizzle air-popped popcorn or any bagged light popcorn (such as Skinny Pop or Fit Popcorn) with Frank’s Red Hot Sauce. (Don’t have an air-popper? You can pop plain kernels right in your microwave using this trick!) To really put this snack over the top, serve your popcorn with a slim-style blue cheese dressing. Mix 1 (6 oz) container nonfat plain Greek yogurt with 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese and black pepper to taste. Be sure to mash the blue cheese well with a fork to distribute it evenly throughout the dressing.

Buffalo Popcorn and Blue Cheese Dip

While we’re on the topic of dips, check out some of the other delicious, healthy creations in my Recipe Center. Your crowd will cheer for my Edamame Hummus, Southwestern Black Bean Dip, or lightened-up Spinach Artichoke Dip. Be sure to offer plenty of crunchy veggies for dunking along with the chips!

Edamame Hummus

If you’re serving up pizza, you can slash the calories in half by ordering your pies with thin crust, light cheese, and veggie toppings instead of sausage or pepperoni. Add in one or two of these pizzas along with your usual order and you and your health conscious guests can get your cheesy fix without feeling weighed down.

Enjoy these tasty snacks while watching the big game. I know they all score a touchdown in my house! 

Amaranth: The Super Grain

I am so excited to share this guest blog post from one of my all-star interns, Raquel Squires! Raquel graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelors of Science in Nutrition, and a minor in English. She loves to experiment with new foods and whips up many tasty concoctions on a regular basis. In this post, Raquel introduces us to a super trendy whole grain and a really cool way to whip up a batch.

With a history as rich as its nutrition content, it’s no wonder amaranth is a super grain. A broad-leafed plant that can grow up to six feet tall, there are over 60 known species of amaranth. This trendy whole-grain dates back to the time of the Ancient Aztecs, where it was used for various religious ceremonies and celebrations.  Today, the popularity of this protein powerhouse has soared, thanks to its gluten-free and nutrient rich profile.

Amaranth gets its name from the Greek word amarantos, meaning “the never-fading.” It flourishes in the summer and autumn months, and is a terrific source of vitamins and minerals. In fact, just one cup of cooked amaranth provides over 20% of your daily need of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and selenium—talk about being nature’s multivitamin!  Amaranth is also unique because it contains an essential amino acid, lysine, that the body cannot manufacture on its own.  In fact, amaranth easily trumps the protein content of most other grains, helping us to feel fuller for longer.

Clearly, when it comes to nutrition, amaranth is a winner. Still, being a foodie, it had to pass the ultimate test, taste. After picking up amaranth from my local Whole Foods, I did some recipe research to see the typical ways the grain is used. I discovered that it’s mostly used in salads, soups, porridges, or served popped.

Having no idea that it was possible to “pop” amaranth, this definitely piqued my interest, so that’s what I decided to experiment with. Time to have some fun with this all-star whole grain!

How to pop amaranth:

I don’t believe there is an exact science to popping amaranth, but I do know two things from my recent experience: a little bit goes a long way, and although small in size, amaranth certainly gets a lot of height when popped.

Heat an ungreased frying pan over medium heat. Be sure that the pan is hot enough for a water droplet to disintegrate when dropped. Take a pinch of amaranth and toss into the hot frying pan. You should see the amaranth immediately start to pop. After a minute or so, empty the contents of the frying pan into a clean dish and repeat the process. Unfortunately, there is no way that all of the grains will pop without burning the already popped amaranth. It’s tasty though, because it adds some extra crunch. Your finished result should look something like this (nothing like popcorn but still delicious!):

Popped Amaranth Peach Plum Parfait: When popped, amaranth has a nutty, crunchy flavor. So I took advantage incorporated into this yummy parfait.

Ingredients:

                       

1/4 cup amaranth, uncooked

1 cup plain yogurt

2 teaspoons amber agave nectar or honey

1 peach, cut into 1/4” half-moon slices (or seasonal fruit of choice)

1 plum, cut into ¼” half-moon slices (or seasonal fruit of choice)

Yield: 2 servings

Divide peach and plum slices evenly, and use to assemble two parfaits. In addition to the peach and plum slices, each parfait will get: 1/2 cup of the yogurt, 2 tablespoons of the popped amaranth, and 1 teaspoon of the amber agave nectar, Layer the parfait ingredients in desired order.

*Note:  Be sure to consume parfait immediately after assembly. If sitting out too long, popped amaranth will get soggy when layered on top of the yogurt.

Drum roll please... and amaranth officially passes the ultimate taste test! Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Paying it Forward

The incredibly talented actress, singer, health coach, and Joy Fit Club member, Kate Chapman is spreading her first-hand knowledge on wellness in the United States and beyond. After losing 100 pounds, Kate understands what it means to make real sustainable changes for better health and a more vibrant life. Read about her journey to Uganda and what it truly means to pay it forward. 

Kate - Before and after losing 100 pounds!

For the past few weeks I have been working and living in Uganda.  I was invited here for a variety of reasons (singing concerts, directing a brand-new Broadway-type musical called “Mango Roses”, teaching drama) but my favorite work so far has been speaking to schoolchildren about wellness.  Just this week I addressed the student body at the Kampala International School and was overwhelmed by the positive response it received. 

I began my talk showing the video from my June appearance on the TODAY Show as the newest member of the “Joy Fit Club”.  I felt the students could best see my journey through that piece, and, since it marks the completion of one of “My Impossible Dreams”, I wanted to share it with them.  The beautiful students at the school were immediately drawn in.  I was so grateful, yet again, to have had that experience with Joy Bauer, Kathie Lee and Hoda, and the incredible people who work with Joy and at NBC.  Showing that clip made me a “big shot” before I ever took the stage.

Once I took the stage after that video presentation my work was easy!  I had their rapt attention!  For the next 30 minutes I spoke to them about the beauty of realizing Impossible Dreams, how to envision and make their own dreams come true…..and the incredible importance that being healthy makes when moving along the path towards those dreams.  As I can personally attest, a dream can become a nightmare if your body hasn’t been given the opportunity to live in its dream-state, too.

What did I mean by that, exactly?  Quite simply, I had achieved one of my Impossible Dreams of being a Broadway actress while living inside of a body that was slowly, systematically failing me.  Except, in reality, I was failing it.  I hadn’t incorporated my physical health into my original “Dream Equation”.  I wanted to let the students know – while they are still at an age where they are building cells and growing – that in order to fully enjoy their efforts along their personal paths to success, they would be wise to place their physical health into the equation.  Dream + Health + Success = Pure Heaven.  Dream + Success – Health = “Wait, what was my dream?

Here in Uganda eating healthy is easy.  Very, very easy.  And, extremely cheap. In many ways I’m sad to leave here next week because of this indisputable fact.  Ugandans are fortunate to have a year-round growing season.  Fruits and vegetables are plentiful, organically grown and readily available.  Local vendors bring their fresh fruit and veg right to your door throughout the day or you can go to the market areas where multiple vendors have stands to choose from.  Just recently I went to the market to purchase goods to make dinner.  For $7.50 (U.S. price) I was able to purchase enough food to feed me for a week!  I purchased several items I had zero idea about, along with ginger root, mushrooms, sugar cane, mangoes, sweet potatoes, and shallots.  At my apartment I already had gorgeous tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, watermelon, bananas, beans and passion fruit from a previous market day.  (Dinner, by the way, was INCREDIBLE! – if I do say so myself.)

In addition to the mind-blowing produce, the meat, dairy and eggs here are all grown and produced locally, pasture-fed, and humanely raised.  These aren’t beloved pets (as I would make them, and then never be able to eat them), but they are livestock that are patiently raised, then slaughtered and the whole animal used.  Overall, meat isn’t a staple of a local Ugandan’s diet.  Raising those animals takes time and they are respectful that meat is a luxury item.  I like that sentiment.  I’m not a vegetarian, but I eat increasingly less meat, especially as the United States commercial farming continues to produce animals raised in horrific circumstances and fed food and substances that cause them to grow quickly – often at the expense of the animals’ welfare.

So, in a way, the charge I gave my audience was fairly easy – especially given that their school lunches are beautifully prepared and vegetarian and multiple vegetable choices are offered every day.  However, Western-type junk food is also a plenty here for those who can afford to buy it.  (I recently picked up a bag of chips here that listed “Edible Oil” as one of its ingredients.  Oy!)  It’s a “luxury” item here as most people are quite poor and usually eat what they grow themselves for most of the year.  As I was recently told, “Nobody needs to work to eat in Uganda.  Put a seed in the ground and you will have food.”  In another way, however, it was a difficult assignment.

Children are mostly naturally healthy.  The body is an incredible ecosystem that works to build immunity and resistance continually in order to protect itself from external and ingested toxins.  These children, by and large, haven’t had the kind of childhood I had that was filled with chronic illness.  The idea of “being sick” has been a mostly fleeting (thankfully!) reality for them.  In order to successfully impart my message I needed to ask them to connect with those times in their lives when sickness got in the way of something they wanted to do.  Telling these children to simply “eat more fruits and veg” wasn’t going to cut it!

So, instead, I painted a tale of two lives – my two lives.  The first lifetime where I lived in a constant state of illness management and my current lifetime where I live each day feeling SPECTACULAR and where I can enjoy the fact that all my dreams have – and continue to – come true.  I also told them that I eat tons of fruit and veg and how those incredible plants continue to keep me well, vibrant, and not worried about my waistline.  I am free to simply define – and attain – more, bigger Impossible Dreams.

The great news?  The speech was designed for the students – who embraced the message with immense (and humbling) voracity – but the faculty got it, too.  I had the pleasure of speaking to several of them afterward who imparted to me the impact my presentation had upon them.  I hope that as I leave Kampala next week I have empowered a whole new troupe of people to take the story of my two lives and allow it to be an inspiration that will help them to achieve all of their Impossible Dreams – and feel great each moment along the way. 

Kate in Uganda

The Wonderful World of Almonds

As an amazing job perk, Joy sent me across the country to explore all things ALMOND last week at the Almond Orchard Experience in Lodi, California. I’ve always been a big fan of nuts for their health value, and having an Indian ancestry (India is one of the largest importer of almonds in the world) there was never a shortage of almonds growing up. However, I never really new much about where these nutrient-powerhouses came from or how they were grown (other than that they grew on trees). It turns out that this trip was more than just an opportunity to meet incredible health and nutrition professionals, sip on tasty wine, eat heavenly 4-course meals, and have a little R&R time in the spa…I managed to learn quite a bit about the amazing almond – everything from what it takes to grow them to the science behind eating them, and of course, the scrumptious recipes they fit perfectly into. Though, I have to say, the most fascinating part of the week was actually visiting the mostly family-owned orchards to see how almonds get from the tree to your kitchen cabinet. So, here’s a little virtual tour in the life of an almond…

In late January buds begin to appear on the trees and the early stages of bloom are a sign that spring has sprung in California (those lucky ducks!).

It looks like popcorn on the trees!

Once February arrives, the trees are in full bloom – there are no leaves and all you see is white. They stay this way for about 3 weeks…how BEAUTIFUL!

It looks like snow...but it's not!

Almonds need a few things to grow: hot summers, cool winters, water (but not rain), and most importantly, bees. They are responsible for pollination so almond growers work closely with bee keepers to have boxes brought to the orchard at the perfect time. Without the bee, there are no almonds!

Once pollination has occurred, the petals drop (it looks like snow!) and the trees begin to sprout leaves and little nutlets. Immature green almonds can be picked by hand, refrigerated, and delivered overnight for a short period of time to appear on spring tasting menus. You can find them in ethnic markets - typically pickled or preserved. 

From March to June, the almonds continue to mature on the tree. The shell hardens while the hull surrounding the nut offers protection. The hull begins to split in July and early August, indicating that the almonds will soon be ready to harvest.  

Inside the split hull, you can see the almond encased in a shell.

Then finally from mid-August through October, harvest season begins! To get the almonds off of the trees, a machine called “the shaker,” clamps to a trunk and literally shakes the tree to make the almonds rain down. The machine moves down the orchard row and stops at each tree to repeat the process (can you believe they used to do this with a pole!?). I have to say this was one of the most exciting things to see when visiting the orchard – there was a simultaneous “WOW!” from the whole group.

On the count of three - 1, 2, 3....WOW!

The almonds spend some time drying in the sun (about 7-10 days) before a sweeper comes by and pushes them all into a nice neat line.

A harvester then goes down the row and picks up all the almonds and transfers them to a trailer.

The almonds are now ready to be hulled and de-shelled, sorted and sized, packed and shipped to companies so they can be used in all the almond products we know and love. Almonds are sold in the shell, plain, roasted, sliced, ground, chocolate-covered, and everything in between.

I hope you enjoyed your virtual tour through the almond orchard and that you are inspired to grab a handful of nuts as an incredibly delicious and nutritious snack today.  

**Thank you to the Almond Board of California for these amazing photos**