I failed—plain and simple—no doubt about it. The taste-bud delighting recipe in my head turned out to be a tongue-repulsing creation on my plate. Yes, I’m serious. It was that bad. See, if all had gone according to plan, right now, I’d be writing about veggie-stuffed mushrooms that were so good they had my taste buds belting in joy, as if they were trying out to be the next Glee star. Instead, my taste buds recoiled in horror, as if they were Simon Cowell watching a tone deaf auditioner try out to be the next American Idol.

Lessons Learned

Although I can’t share a tantalizing stuffed mushroom recipe with you, I can share some rules to live by in the kitchen related to my fiasco.

• To avoid soggy stuffed mushrooms, bake, grill, or roast them before stuffing and baking.
• Follow recipes (even if you think you don’t need to). There’s a method to their madness.
• Taste your recipe before dishing it up to anyone.
• Test drive a recipe before serving it to large groups or for any special occasions. The last thing you want is a bunch of hungry party-goers staring at you, waiting for dinner, and all you have is soggy, texture-less, garlicky, over-onion-infused stuffed mushrooms.
• When using a food processor or Cuisinart®, don’t try to overstuff it with veggies. You’ll end up with soupy, mushy vegetables on the bottom, and large unchopped pieces on top. Stick with small veggie batches only.
• If your recipe fails, don’t give up! Get back in that kitchen and try again!
• Always have healthy staples in your kitchen—no ifs, ands, or buts.

The Biggest Lesson: Healthy Items Stocked at Home

The last point mentioned above is key. Not only can stocking your kitchen with healthy eats save you during dinner catastrophes, as I encountered, but in turn, will help keep your bod in top-notch shape. Simply because if healthy fare is what you have in your kitchen, that’s what you’ll have in your stomach. With today’s busy schedule, having easy-to-prepare healthful items ready to go is essential, as you’ll be less likely to dial your local Chinese food or pizza joint during that long work week when you had no time to hit the market. Plus, eating at home is almost always better for your waistline and ticker than eating out. Therefore, whether you’re a culinary genius or not, having lean protein and fiber-amped items on hand is your best bet.

Thus, the next time you hit your local market, grab some healthy eats that keep well, cook quick, and can be bought on a dime, such as brown rice, quinoa, frozen veggies, beans, and water-packed tuna. For example, I always have black beans, frozen broccoli, and quinoa on hand. So in times of need, I can quickly throw together a fiber- and protein-packed dinner that’s filled with healthifying nutrients, such as folic acid, antioxidants, and B vitamins. For those concerned about the beans’ sodium, simply rinse them for about 30-45 seconds to remove approximately 35% total sodium. I always do this. Too much sodium does not do a body good.

So please, learn from my mushroom mishap and adopt my healthy kitchen stocking philosophy, if you haven’t already. And, if you are a mushroom-stuffing extraordinaire, I hope you share your secrets!

Happy Healthifying!

This piece was a guest post for the award-winning dietitian, cookbook author, culinary instructor, recipe developer, and downright inspiration of a healthy foodie, Robyn Webb. Robyn has a WONDERFUL blog, Fabulous Food Finds. Here, you will discover the best food and kitchen tools on the market, awesome cooking tips, foodie news, and grand recipes! Simply said, her blog is fab!

It’s been a long road—with high highs and low lows. I’ve laughed so hard that I’ve cried, and I’ve cried so hard that I truly believed I wouldn’t laugh again for days. Trust me, feeling as a lowly dietetic intern in a big hospital can get rough at times. But, it’s okay because along the way I’ve learned a lot about myself, life, and nutrition. And what long-term goal isn’t full of the good and bad? None that I can think of. Experiencing both is a good thing, however, hopefully you have more of the former than the latter! Regardless, it means you’re growing and without the taste of the bad, you wouldn’t be able to recognize the good. Funny how that works out.

Nevertheless, I am thrilled to say that I’m an RD and so proud! And THANK YOU to all who have supported me along the way—friends, family, preceptors, mentors—you know who you are!!! I would not have been able to get through these last couple of years without you. From someone who went from majoring in communications (I was going into public relations) to delving into biochem, physiology, and medical nutrition therapy–the extra support was fully warranted. So once again, a big thank you to all! Including you GGB readers!!! Your thoughts, comments, and emails have kept me and this blog a-going!

What’s Next

I’m finishing up my time in Boston and moving back home to San Francisco! So excited to be near my family again. When I leave Boston, I will have been here for seven years! I’ve loved it, but what can I say—I left my heart in San Francisco! Regarding jobs, I’ll keep you posted. I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch.

Thanks for Reading!

If you have any must-eats or must-sees in San Fran, let me know!

The theme was peanut butter madness and boy do I have a couple FaB recipes to share with you from some awesome GGB readers! But first, let’s do a lil’ introduction and offer a BIG congrats to Anne from Running RD To Be and Janice from Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen!!!

CONGRATS Anne and Janice AND thanks for submitting! The recipes were truly amazing

Spring Challenge Finalists! WooT-WooT!!!

Peanut Butter Banana Tofu Pie from Anne at Running RD To Be

Piping-Hot Peanut Butter Soup from Janice at Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen

Check ‘em out!

Click HERE to get the recipe and VoTe who you think should be the GGB Spring Challenge Star!

The finalist will be announced by Friday!!!

Happy Healthifying!

Enter the Summer GGB Challenge!

One thing I think of when it comes to fun in the sun is good fresh food! And berries always TOP my list. Hence, the GGB Summer Challenge is getting berryific!

Entry Deadline for the SUMMER Challenge: July 31st

Challenge: Berry Blasting Bonanza!!!

Basically, anything your healthy heart desires …  made with berries! And ANY kind of berry!!! No discrimination here. YOU choose!

• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Blackberries
• Strawberries
• Boysenberries
• Cranberries

Did I miss any? If so, let me know! But, you get the point! Berry away your recipes and  send ‘em on in to GGB! Yay! And remember, your recipe doesn’t have to be Top Chef style–it can be, but doesn’t have to be–just make sure it’s GGB healthifying style!

Prize:A featured guest post on GGB

Submit your Berry Blasting recipes by July 31st  to:

Visit the Challenge Page for more details!

Anticipating your recipes!

Happy Healthifying!

Okay—so the other day I was asked, “What does made with whole grains mean?” So … here’s my answer…

Quite frankly, nothing much. For example, crackers labeled “made with whole grains” could contain a few measly whole grain kernels, but use wheat flour as the main ingredient. Did ya catch that? Just because an ingredient list includes “wheat flour” does NOT mean it’s a whole grain. The gosh-darn confusing label must read “whole-wheat flour” AND it should be listed as the numero uno ingredient. Basically, “made with whole grains” could mean as much as 90% or as little as 1% of the product is loaded with whole grain goodness. Either way—the good ain’t 100% whole grain.

So … label reading returns! You gotta make sure the label says “100% whole grains” and the 1st ingredient on the nutrition facts panel says “whole” before the grain. Oh labels…

Whole Grain Servings & Whole Grain Stamps–Deciphered

One thing that can help with this whole grain wackiness is the Whole Grain Stamp. Did you know that a serving of whole grains is 16 grams of whole grain? If you didn’t that’s A-okay because neither did I …

I mean—let’s GET REAL—people eat food–NOT grams or percentages of this or that–FOOD! And from a food perspective, 16 grams of whole grain is equal to one slice of whole grain bread, 3 cups of popcorn (yup, this delicacy is a whole grain—yay!), 1/2 cup of brown rice, or my personal FAV—oatmeal

Now, it’s recommended to make at least half your grains whole and to at least grub on 3 servings of whole grains per day.  But, of course, I’m rooting for all whole grains. Frankly, because they taste WAY better—they actually have texture! And the added fiber, helping me stay fuller longer (always a good thing) plus the mad health benefits are ultra bonuses along my grainy way.

Yet, despite my cheerleading for whole grains, I—by NO means—sit there and calculate my whole grain consumption per day, let alone in grams.  I mean … who does that? I may be a nutrition promoter, but I’m not a nutrition crazy.

HOWEVER … I will tell you who is! The Whole Grains Council. They have 2 stamps: the Whole Grain Stamp and the 100% Whole Grain Stamp. Now, I dig the Whole Grains Council because they’re healthful grain promoters, but I’m ashamed to say I wasn’t 100% sure what the Whole Grain Stamp implied. I got the 100% Whole Grain Stamp—I’d hope so, or else I really should reconsider my career… But, I needed to research what the basic stamp meant.

Hence, the below chart on behalf of the FaB Whole Grains Council!

Basically…

You simply MUST look at the bigger whole grain, healthifying picture, regardless if a product has a claim and in some cases, a stamp. Manufacturers can dupe you into thinking their products are WaY healthier than they really are. And regarding our stamp friends, the 100% Whole Grain Stamp is the gold standard here. The basic stamp is pretty good—at least it shows you’re getting in some whole grains.  But, remember, products like brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and oatmeal may not have a stamp and yet, they sure as heck have whole grains! Lastly, I don’t care if McDonald’s injects a whopping 8 grams of fiber into their Big Mac, NO stamp will healthify that item! You simply can’t forget about health along your grainy way

Wait! One More Thing! Winner & Challenge!

A big hug and thanks to all who participated in some “false foodie fact fun!” The overwhelming consensus was that #5 was wrong. So, YES! You’re all right! Egg yolks do NOT contain any Vitamin C! Instead, they naturally contain Vitamin D! So—let’s give a big CONGRATS to Didi Marie!!! Lucky Lady, you’ve been selected by random.org to be getting some pretty good eats, if I don’t say so myself!

Lastly, if you’ve got an awesome peanut butter recipe, have a camera, and want to be popchip! eligible (in a big way), enter GGB’s Challenge today! Looking forward to your recipes

Happy Healthifying!

What’s your favorite whole grain or whole grain product?

Photo Credit: Henrik Thorn

Thanks Kristen!!!

This fabulously fun award calls for 6 false statements about myself and 1 tried and true fact. But, let’s get a lil’ creative here…

Below are 6  TRUE statements and 1 “FALSITY” about nutrition. Can you guess which one is false? Simply put your two cents in and whether right or wrong, you’ll be eligible for some Newman’s Own Organics loot!!! Woot-Woot!!!

Which foodie fact is false?

1. Bakers used to be fined if their loaves were under weight, so they used to add an extra loaf to every dozen, just in case—creating the phrase “baker’s dozen.”
2. The peach is a member of the RoSe family and will have a sweet fragrance when ripe.
3. The egg shell may have as many as 17,000 tiny pores over its surface. Through them, the egg can absorb flavors and odors. Storing them in their cartons helps keep them fresh!
4. Lettuce (of all types) is the second most popular fresh vegetable in the United States behind #1 potatoes. The average American eats approximately 30 pounds of lettuce each year, which is five times what was eaten in 1900.
5. Egg yolks are one of the few foods that naturally contain Vitamin C.
6. There are more than 7,000 varieties of apples grown in the world.
7. Pasta is one of America’s favorite foods. Last year, 1.3 million pounds of pasta were sold in American grocery stores. If you lined up 1.3 million pounds of 16 oz. spaghetti packages, it could circle the Earth’s equator almost nine times!

So, what do you think? Which is false? Drop a comment AND let me know! You could be getting some dried fruit, soy chips, Fig Newton’s and whatnot in the mail! You gotta love the “whatnot!” Don’t worry … it’s all good.

Recipe Update!!!

Now, I MUST update you on the Roasted Cauliflower n’ Carrots recipe. Simply add a dash more parmesan cheese, a touch more olive oil, mushrooms, and sugar snap peas—and you’ll be in vegetable heaven. Honestly, the toasted mushrooms and roasted sugar snap peas make the dish even more of a delectable delight!

Out of any roasted veggie—I can now assuredly say that sugar snap peas take the cake! If anything, add some parm, salt, and a touch of olive oil and roast away snap peas! You won’t be sorry—at any time of day!

And, yes, I know the veggies in the picture don’t look appealing—at all—but in truth, the crispier these veggies are the better! At least in my opinion. Roast away and see how toasty you like your veggies … and don’t forget the snap peas

Challenge Update!

Lastly, if you love peanut butter and got a recipe with it, enter the Spring GGB Challenge today!!! Simply send in a recipe and pic of any healthified item made with natural peanut butter (and who doesn’t love peanut butter!?!) to GreenGrapesBlog@gmail.com by Aprils 1st to enter GGB’s Challenge, and you could WIN a 24-Variety Pack of popchips!

Click HERE for details.

Happy Healthifying!

So—which statement do you think is false!?! Drop an answer & you could win some Newman’s loot! The winner will be chosen by a random number generator & announced on Tuesday

And looking forward to your peanut butter madness!

References: AgDay, Food Reference

A little message from the American Dietetic Association, aka the “RD Mothership,”

“The American Dietetic Association proudly announces the third annual Registered Dietitian Day, celebrated this year on Wednesday, March 10. As the nation’s food and nutrition experts, registered dietitians are committed to improving the health of their patients and community. Registered Dietitian Day commemorates the dedication of Registered Dietitians as advocates for advancing the nutritional status of Americans and people around the world. There are over 70,000 registered dietitian members.”

Want a little more 411 on RDs?!? Click HERE!

Happy RD Day!!!

Corinne

Thanks to all who participated in the Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge! I definitely have a whole slew of new recipes I’m going to be trying out!

Today’s winner is Nour from Practical Nutrition with her recipe for Banana Walnut Flax Muffins! Nour will be the proud new owner of Futter Nut Butters walnut butter and Mollie Katzen’s cookbook, Get Cooking.

Banana Flax Muffins

No time for breakfast? Make these delicious and healthy muffins ahead of time and grab on your way out. Made with whole wheat, flax seeds, walnuts, canola oil, and bananas, these muffins are an excellent source of many good-for-you foods. Even kids would love it!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c whole wheat flour 
• 3/4 c ground flax seeds
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 c canola oil
• 1/4 c reduced fat milk
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 c walnuts

Directions:

• In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour, flax, sugar, and baking soda). In a separate bowl, mix the liquid ingredients (egg, vanilla, oil, milk, and bananas).
• Stir the liquids in the dry ingredients. Fold in the walnuts. If the batter is too dry, add more milk. Pour into 12 paper-lined muffin cups.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Thanks to all who took part in this blog challenge!

Jess

A Fete For Food

In response to last week’s post on the many health benefits of quinoa and call to the new-ingredient-breakfast-eating challenge, we received many calls to action—calls to action-cooking quinoa that is! BUT, there could only be one winner to claim Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge victory! And that winner, determined by a random number generator, is  Carolyn’s quinoa Breakfast

Carolyn, take it away…!!!

I love my quinoa breakfast, which I’ve been eating almost every day for about six months and still look forward to each morning. This makes a batch that’s enough for about a week. I usually eat it cold, sometimes I warm it up. I pour a little plain kefir over it, or milk is good, nut milks are tasty too. It’s just good food, any way you eat it. Besides the wonderful nutritional value of the quinoa, you get a healthy dose of nuts, fruit, cinnamon, and coconut oil. And the combination of the cinnamon and the coconut oil tastes fabulous.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups quinoa
• ¾  cup raisins (or to taste)
• ¾ cup chopped cashews or pistachios (or to taste)
• ¾  cup diced apples (or to taste)
• 2 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
• 1 to 2 Tb coconut oil

Procedure:

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly, and soak overnight in water with a little yogurt added if desired. Put the quinoa with water to cover (quantity of water is not important, since you’ll be draining it later) into a saucepan, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain any remaining water, and put the quinoa in a steamer (or just in a sieve over boiling water), steam for an additional 10 minutes. This method produces piles of fluffy quinoa, much better than just boiling in water. Put the warm quinoa in a bowl, add the remaining ingredients, and fluff with a fork. Can be enjoyed warm or cold, with milk, yogurt or kefir or all by itself.

Cheers!

Carolyn Goodwin

Again, CONGRATS Carolyn! Send your mailing address to TheSuperBreakfastBowlChallenge@gmail.com and you’ll be receiving some awesome lip-lickin’ goodies on behalf of Newman’s Own Organics—everything from dried fried to decadent delightful dark chocolate. And, YES this is a nutrition blog … BUT folks if ya don’t know by now, I fully support a daily treat! Come on now … I’m all about the 90:10 “rule”—90% lean, green, mean disease-fighting machine foods—fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins/legumes, healthy fats—and a daily indulgence! So … Carolyn enjoy!

Happy Healthifying!

Corinne at Green Grapes Blog

Welcome to the Lentil Day winner announcement for the Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge! We had so many tasty looking lentil submissions to choose from. You guys really are creative using little legumes in your morning meal! I’m glad I cooked up and froze a big batch of lentils weeks ago so I have plenty to use in all of these new recipes. They all looked so tasty I had to leave it up to the random number generator to choose and the lentil winner is….Julie from The Doctors Rheum! I never would have thought to combine pear and lentils but love this Pear Lentil Patty recipe.

Pear-Lentil Patties

This was a total experiment based on what I had in the house!

• Cook 1/2 cup lentils in 1 cup water until soft.
• Caramelize 1/2 a sweet yellow onion in EVOO with a dash of cumin and a dash of cinnamon.
• Chop a ripe pear.
• Combine all ingredients in a food processor pulsing several times until just combined.
• Shape into patties and cook on a hot pan or griddle like pancakes.

Made: 4 large patties

I added a beaten egg to see if it would hold together better and it made it a little soupy. Use your imagination. They seem to me like “sausage” patties so I put one on a toasted English muffin and put a poached egg on top. The taste is a sweet/savory mix. They did not hold together too well but the ones that fell apart could be used as “sausage” crumbles.

Congrats Julie and thank you for the superb recipe and photos! Make sure you send your mailing address to thesuperbreakfastbowlchallenge@gmail.com so we can send you your prizes: the awesome book Thrive—The Vegan Nutrition Guide and the handy book 101 Optimal Life Foods by Registered Dietitian (aka Gu-a-titian) Dave Grotto.

Thanks again to everyone who submitted a recipe! And if you haven’t yet, don’t forget to send in your quinoa, and walnut recipes! It’s time to challenge your morning meal!

Janel from EatWellwithJanelblog.com