Portion Control: Leafy Greens

Tuesday's tip: A proper serving of leafy vegetables like kale, lettuce, swiss chard, green cabbage or spinach is 1 cup. If you cook or steam these vegetables, the serving size is 1/2 cup. A serving of crunchy vegetables—carrots, broccoli, bell pepper, celery, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cucumber, zucchini—is 1/2 cup.

Your daily intake of both leafy and crunchy vegetables is 2 to 6 servings. This might seem like a lot of food, but when you measure your portions you will see that you might already be consuming this many servings. A diet rich in vegetables is nutrient dense, good for your digestion and immune system.

Portion Control: Nuts

I love munching on nuts when I need a quick energy boost. I keep a small bag of mixed nuts in my purse in case hunger strikes when I'm on the go.

A single serving of nuts or seeds, and other healthy fats, is 2 tablespoons. Keep that in mind as your spoon keeps disappearing into that jar of peanut butter.

Being prepared and bringing your own healthy snacks, eliminates the temptation to reach for a bag of Doritos later. It also lets you control how much you consume. Portion control is difficult in a country that loves to supersize meals, but knowing the accurate serving size can help you from eating too much.

Do you carry snacks with you? If so, do you accurately measure out a single serving?

The humble flaxseed

Flax is an extraordinary seed. Besides being an excellent source of magnesium, fiber, potassium and manganese, it also houses plant lignans. Lignans have been found to help fight against breast cancer.

Flaxseed oil contains more omega-3 essential fatty acid (ALA) than fish oil. Alpha-linolenic acid is thought to reduce heart disease.1


Adding two teaspoons of flax a day is easy and very beneficial. Add flaxseeds to your yogurt with fruit, mix it into smoothies or sprinkle into your homemade muffins or granola.

1(Murray 2005, p 425-427)

Leftovers

Last night I headed to the kitchen, turned up Bonnie Prince Billy, and rolled up my sleeves. I minced a little onion and a lot of garlic. I sauteed them until the aroma was strong and complex, then I mixed in some kale. I soaked black beans all afternoon, cooked them, drained them and dumped them into the pan with the kale. Two large sweet potatoes were baking in the oven with a few small red beets. I removed the greens and beans from the stove, squeezed half a lime over the top and sprinkled cilantro on top. I filled a bowl with greens, beans, and half of a diced up sweet potato.

A delicious protein-packed, nutrient dense meal for one. The sweetness of the potato couples well with the garlicky flavor of the greens. This colorful meal is rich in carotenes, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, fiber and protein.

I can't wait for leftovers today.

Top ten foods of 2009

I stumbled upon this post on Bitten's blog last night. Check out the top ten foods America consumed this past year.

Wow, if this doesn't show you that we (Americans) have a lot to change about our eating habits, I don't know what will.

And, yes that's billions of dollars.

A weekend of soups

Fall is really here. I love how fall slowly transitions to cold weather after the hot & humid NC summer.

Since it was grey and chilly outside, I spent the weekend making soup. I made a Christmas lima bean soup with celery & kale on Saturday and a cumin-spiked carrot soup today. The bean soup is complex, partnering well with a sprinkling of goat cheese. But I like the simplicity of the carrot soup. It would be great with a hunk of rustic bread or ladled over quinoa.

Soups and mineral broths are a great way to get more vitamins, phytonutrients and booster foods into the diet. They are also easy to digest. Since it's flu and cold season, these vegetable rich soups are a great way to keep your immune system strong. They also warm you up on a chilly fall day.

Adrienneats Brooklyn

A few photos from my trip last week to NYC:

Heirloom Christmas lima beans and Italian pasta purchased at the lovely Marlow & Daughters.

The Standard hotel. Enjoyed a Pimms cup at the Standard Grill.

A blueberry chocolate cupcake on the Highline & beautiful packaging and tasty chocolate from Mast Brothers.

I did a lot of eating in New York, mostly in Brooklyn.

Here are a few places and some remarkable dishes: I highly recommend the daily special of norimaki (sweet potato, broccoli, tofu) with kimchi and a chai at Angelica's Kitchen. You can't leave the city without the grilled corn at Cafe Habana. Tucked away on Bedford Ave, Wild Ginger is an all vegan asian restaurant that serves a mean Malaysian curry stew. Enjoyed two spicy Blood Marys Saturday evening at the Lodge, followed by a killer Chickpea burger (kind of like a falfel) at Dumont burger. Before leaving on Sunday, we had a leisurely brunch at Diner with a coffee & biscuit from Marlow&Sons.

Edamame Salad

Last week I received a box of fresh edamame from my Papa Spuds box. I was elated. Sure, I've had edamame before, but it usually arrives on my table at a restaurant or from the frozen section at Whole Foods.

I boiled a small bunch, shelled them, and sprinkled the beans with celtic salt and lemon. I stood in the kitchen popping the beans one by one in my mouth. So simple and satisfying.

The next night I decided to make a bean salad. I boiled the rest of the beans, shelled and put them in a bowl. I diced up a red bell pepper and a shallot, adding them to the beans. Next I mixed sesame oil, rice vinegar, lemon, Eden shake*, and a dash of agave nectar together. I added the dressing and let it marinate overnight. I ate the edamame salad on a bed of red leaf lettuce, radishes**, carrots, cilantro and parsley for lunch the following day.

Edamame contain lecithin, which emulsifies bile so it isn't too toxic. Bile is made in the liver, and stored in the gall bladder. Edamame helps keep these vital organs healthy.1

1 (Bauman 2009, NE102, Audio)
*An easy, delicious way to add seaweed to the diet
** A great tonic for the kidneys.

Brrrunch!

My lovely friend Amanda, a holistic personal chef, and I are trying to hold brunch each month. Amanda is amazing. She creates a delicious menu with local ingredients and seasonal flare. I provide some ideas and then assist with making yogurt or pickles or peeling the skins off roasted peppers. We meet early on a weekend morning, arms loaded with vegetables, eggs, & cheeses from the market. We get out the french press and then prepare a delicious brunch for our friends.

The first brunch was at Amanda & Thomas' lovely home in Carrboro/Chapel Hill. The second followed several weeks later at Tim Kiernan's house in Oakwood. We're trying to rotate between Raleigh and Chapel Hill/Carrboro. Here are photos and the menu from brunch #2. Look forward to more Brrrunch posts each month.

*I'm sad I didn't get a photo of the purple pickled eggs Amanda made. Beautiful & delicious.

Homemade granola

I went to Whole Foods this morning to pick up a few things. As I was looking for a yummy granola to eat with my yogurt, I decided to make my own. I used ingredients I had on hand, making enough to enjoy all week long. Substitute your favorite nuts, spices and dried fruit in place of mine.

Apricot-Coconut Granola
Rolled oats, 2 c.

Pepitas, 5 tbsp

Walnuts, 4 tbsp, chopped

Flax seeds, 3 tbsp

Cinnamon, 1 tsp

Ginger, 1/2 tsp

Nutmeg, 1/2 tsp

Coconut oil, 1/3 cup

Agave, few drizzles

Vanilla, 1 tsp

Dried apricots, about 6, chopped

Raisins, 1/8 c.

Black strap molasses, 1 tbsp

Unsweetened shredded coconut, 3 tbsp

Preheat oven to 300. Mix the oats with the nuts and spices. Melt the coconut oil, and stir in the agave and vanilla. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together. Spread mixture onto a baking sheet. Bake for 25 or so minutes, stirring granola a few times. While granola is baking, mix together the apricots, raisins, molasses, and coconut. Remove granola from oven, mix in dried fruit mixture. Let cool completely before storing. Enjoy with yogurt and fresh fruit for a healthy breakfast or snack!