Eat, Drink, Live Longer

Latest Episodes:

118: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Anti-Inflammatory Diet with Ginger Hultin, MS, RDN May 12, 2022

Welcome, Fellow Health Warriors! Today’s show is packed with valuable information about inflammation. Our focus is on chronic inflammation, how it impacts our health, and how to prevent and reverse it through diet. You’ll learn what chronic inflammation is and why it plays a major role in many diseases. Join us to learn about the anti-inflammatory diet and how you can follow it to better health! Ginger Hultin is a nationally-recognized registered dietitian and health writer. She owns the Seattle-based virtual nutrition practices Champagne Nutrition and Seattle Cancer Nutritionists, where she helps clients solve complex mysteries with an integrative approach. She specializes in vegetarian diets, oncology nutrition, supplements, and nutrigenomics (the scientific study of the interaction of genes in disease treatment and prevention). Ginger currently serves as adjunct clinical faculty at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health, where she teaches master’s level nutrition students. She authored the Eat to Beat Disease Cookbook and the Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Prep book.

Show Highlights:

Ginger’s life in Seattle and why she is passionate about clinical and integrative nutrition and solving complex health mysteries
The nitty-gritty truth about chronic inflammation, its causes, and why it can make you feel tired and fatigued over time
How to recognize chronic inflammation in your body
Common causes of chronic inflammation: cigarette smoke exposure, lack of physical activity, lack of sleep, excess stress, etc.
How the immune system can turn against you because of chronic inflammation
Categories of foods that cause chronic inflammation: excessive consumption of alcohol, added sugar, saturated fats, trans fats, and highly-processed foods
Anti-inflammatory food superstars: fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, plant-based proteins, whole grains, herbs, spices, tea, and cocoa (Aim to eat more of these!)
Why meal prep can be a lifesaver for those with chronic inflammation
Ginger’s meal prep secrets: make a list, plan the week, and make use of grocery delivery/pickup as a timesaving tool
How Ginger sets the record straight regarding gluten and dairy in an anti-inflammatory diet (Hint: Research shows that they have nutritional benefits and are anti-inflammatory.)
Ginger’s research-based opinions on controversial foods, like nightshade vegetables, coconut oil, and turmeric in the anti-inflammatory diet
Why cinnamon, ginger, and garlic are superfoods in the inflammatory diet
How Ginger’s book is structured with information about inflammation and nutrition, meal prep tips and sample plans, and helpful recipes
How you can increase the nutritional benefit by making your own sauces, marinades, dressings, and vinaigrettes
Ginger’s favorite recipe in the book, Lasagna Roll-ups, which is vegetarian and plant-based
Why the anti-inflammatory diet could help you live longer and enjoy a healthy life
How Ginger is focusing on better sleep and stress management moving into her 40s
Why focusing on familiar foods with a healthier twist is a good start to a better diet
Where tofu, tempeh, and edamame fit into the anti-inflammatory diet
Ginger’s recipe for with Sheet Pan Tofu and Vegetables with Simple Ginger Teriyaki Sauce
A few more of Ginger’s favorite recipes from her book, like Flourless Banana Pancakes and Vegetable Fried Cauliflower Rice
Ginger’s final tips on looking at science-based research and evidence about nutrition and the anti-inflammatory diet

Resources:

Ginger's website: Champagne Nutrition

Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Prep

Ginger on Instagram

Ginger on Facebook

Ginger on Twitter

117: Longevity Kitchen: Kale Edition with Liz Weiss Apr 20, 2022

Welcome, Health Warriors! Today’s episode is dedicated to one of my favorite anti-aging ingredients: kale. Not to be forgotten are some other leafy greens that are good for us, like collards and bok choy. We will talk about the health benefits of kale, the different varieties available at the supermarket, all about kale chips, and a new recipe for Kale and Pine Nut Pesto that I created specifically for this show. Kale has been the “veggie of the moment” for a while now, and it’s super nutritious and versatile. It can be added to soups, salads, and smoothies. Join me for a closer look at this superfood!

Show Highlights:

A little info about kale, a cruciferous vegetable related to cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, arugula, bok choy, radishes, turnips, watercress, and wasabi
The types of kale:
- Curly kale can be added to salads, soups, and smoothies.
- Dinosaur or Tuscan kale, Italian kale also called Lacinato kale, is distinguished by long, slender, blue-green leaves that are not curly but puckered like savoy cabbage.
- Red Russian or Ragged Jack kale is an heirloom kale that looks like overgrown oak leaves and ranges in color from blue-green to purple-red; it has a sweeter flavor.
- Baby kale is the term for the young, immature leaves of the kale plant that are great for any use.
Superfood nutrition and antioxidants in kale: Kale is packed with vitamin K, C, beta carotene, calcium, folate, and fiber.
Kale is packed with antioxidants like beta carotene, vitamin C, flavonoids, and polyphenols, which help to slow the aging process and help reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, and neurodegenerative disorders.
How kale is one of the best sources of compounds that help protect our eyes against damage and degenerative diseases
Facts: only one in ten people in the US eats the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables each day!
Why we shouldn’t pay too much attention to the recent Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen List of produce items with dangerous levels of pesticide residue (You would have to eat over 18,000 servings of kale daily to put your body at risk!)
Ideas to add more kale to your everyday diet for dinner, breakfast, sides, and salads
My favorite smoothie recipe includes orange juice, baby kale, Greek yogurt, fresh mint leaves, English cucumber, mango chunks, banana, and honey.
The scoop on kale chips and my best tips for getting them not to be soggy
My recipe for Kale and Pine Nut Pesto: baby kale leaves, toasted pine nuts, olive oil, mint leaves, Parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper
Check out the Recipe Roundup on the blog with recipes for Wild Rice and Kale Salad; Kale and Sausage Gnocchi Bake; Creamy Chicken, Kale, and Rice Mushroom Soup; and Caesar Salad with Kale and Chicken

Resources:

Helpful links mentioned in this episode:

Cruciferous vegetables and cancer: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/cruciferous-vegetables-fact-sheet#what-are-cruciferous-vegetables

Don't be afraid of the Dirty Dozen: https://fruitsandveggies.org/expert-advice/should-i-be-afraid-of-the-dirty-dozen/

Safe Produce Calculator: https://www.safefruitsandveggies.com/calculate/

Liz’s Links:

My website: www.lizshealthytable.com

My email: liz@lizshealthytable.com

116: The Impact of Alcohol on Health, and How to Calculate a Standard Drink, with Kathleen Zelman, MS, RDN Mar 22, 2022

Have you ever wondered how much impact beer, wine, and spirits have on your health and longevity? The US Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting the number of alcoholic beverages we consume, but that can be pretty confusing. How do we even know how much alcohol is considered moderate and how much is too much? Or if we’re offered a cocktail at a party, how do we know how much alcohol is in it? My friend, and fellow dietician, Kathleen Zelman is joining us today to answer all those questions and tell us how moderate alcohol consumption can affect our health. She will also explain how alcohol can sabotage our well-being and longevity. Kathleen Zelman is a food, nutrition, and media communications consultant, co-host of the new podcast, True Health Revealed, and owner of No Nonsense Nutrition. Kathleen helped launch WebMD and spent seventeen years as their Director of Nutrition. Kathleen has received many awards throughout her career, including the prestigious Lenna Frances Cooper Memorial Award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in recognition of her distinguished career and remarkable contributions to the dietetics profession. Kathleen is also a consultant for the Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS), so she is savvy on the subject of alcohol. She is here to give us the scoop on alcohol and talk about a new online calculator designed to help us figure out how much alcohol we are drinking. We will also share some snazzy ideas for cocktails and mocktails!

Show highlights:

Kathleen is excited about her new podcast that launched in January! She and her co-host, Dr. Tom Rifai, are doing it on behalf of the True Health Initiative, a non-profit organization that wants to ensure that they get information to consumers, translate science, and give consumers evidence-based facts.
Dr. Eric Rimm, a Harvard professor and true expert on alcohol, was on Kathleen’s podcast. He said it's okay to have a glass of wine now and then.
What does moderation mean for men and women, and how does that translate into beer, wine, and spirits?
To find out what up to one drink per day looks like, go to www.standarddrinks.org to find a calculator. One standard drink is one and a half ounces of 80-proof spirits, a 12-ounce bottle of regular 5% alcohol beer, or five ounces of 12% volume wine.
An exercise to do at home is to measure five ounces of wine and pour it into different glasses to see what a standard drink looks like.
Become aware of what you are drinking and what the alcohol content is. Most wines have 12% alcohol, but some have much higher alcohol content- 15 or 16%.
Most ready-to-drink canned cocktails are 12 ounces and have 5% alcohol content. However, some brands could contain up to 8 or 10% alcohol, so make sure you know how concentrated they are before drinking them. The information is on the label.
Get to know how much you are drinking using the standard drinks calculator. Kathleen explains how it works.
Having too many drinks in a row or drinking too quickly is considered binge drinking. It is always best to moderate your drinking or have your drinks with food.
Why does one type of alcohol impact some people more than another?
If your face becomes flushed after drinking, it is your body telling you to slow down. It means you are not tolerating the alcohol.
Kathleen discusses the potential health benefits of drinking in moderation, whether or not there is any truth to the French paradox, and how drinking too much alcohol can sabotage your health.
Kathleen lists the people who should not consume alcohol at all.
Some tips to help you enjoy alcohol, reap the health benefits and make your drink last longer.
A standard drink contains roughly 150 calories. Calories add up, so try to use low-calorie mixers, like club soda, and DON’T drink with a straw!
Kathleen enjoys a tall vodka soda with a splash of cranberry and a wedge of lime. Her latest favorite is the Aperol Spritz- a serving of prosecco over lots of ice with a splash of Aperol and a wedge of lime.
Kathleen and I share some recipes for mocktails. They are a good option for a “dry January” or taking a break from alcohol.
Blue zones are hot spots in various places in the world where people live particularly long and healthy lives. One of the common denominators in all the blue zones is moderate alcohol consumption.
Kathleen talks about the Distilled Spirits Council of the US (DISCUS) and explains what you will find on the DISCUS website.

Resources:

The standard drinks calculator

The Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS) website is called Standard Drinks.Org

Liz’s Links:

My website: www.lizshealthytable.com

My email: liz@lizshealthytable.com

Mocktail Recipe:

Pomegranate Winter Spiced Mocktail (Serves 2)

Place a cup of 100% pomegranate juice, a cup of 100% orange juice, some cloves, star anise, and a cinnamon stick in a small saucepan. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes, and then allow it to cool.

Pour it into a tall glass filled with ice, and garnish it with some orange slices or a wedge of orange. You can also add a sprig of mint. Or stretch it by adding some sparkling water.

115: Longevity Kitchen: Dark Chocolate Edition with Liz Weiss, MS, RDN Mar 09, 2022

In today’s Longevity Kitchen episode, we are highlighting one of my very favorite foods in the whole world: dark chocolate. Chocolate is universally adored and appreciated by people everywhere as the world’s favorite sweet treat. Beyond the fact that it’s delicious and versatile, dark chocolate has specific and proven health benefits. Don’t feel guilty; grab a piece of dark chocolate and savor the flavor.

Chocolate comes from cacao, which is found in the seeds of football-shaped pods that grow on the cacao tree. So yes, there IS such a thing as a chocolate forest! I’ve never been in one, but I’m SO ready to go! Today I’m telling you why dark chocolate is good for us, along with a brief history of chocolate, the differences in types of chocolate, and I’m sharing some delicious recipes. I created a new recipe for Dark Chocolate, Pecan, and Dried Cherry Clusters; they are crunchy and yummy and very easy to make. I’ll also highlight a few favorites from my Recipe Roundup, which includes 40 recipes from some fellow dietitians who also love dark chocolate. Join me for this delicious adventure!

Show Highlights:

The basics to know about dark chocolate:
- Cacao is high in magnesium and antioxidants.
- Dark chocolate has higher amounts of cacao and less sugar than milk chocolate.
- The health benefits are greater with dark chocolate than other varieties because of the phytonutrients, which may play a role in cancer prevention and heart health.
Other health benefits of dark chocolate include reduced inflammation, lower blood pressure, better cholesterol levels, improved cognition, better mood, better gut health, and improved blood sugar levels. There is some evidence of dark chocolate preventing memory loss and lowering the risk of Type-2 diabetes.
The facts: dark chocolate has more antioxidants than green tea or red wine (The darker the chocolate, the more antioxidants.)
How dark and how much? Choose a cacao content of 70% or higher, and eat about an ounce each day for maximum health benefits.
We go WAY back for a brief history of chocolate, spanning the Olmec tribes of present-day Mexico in 1500 BC, the Mayans, Aztecs, and Spaniards. (It was in the early 1800s when chocolate became available to the masses, and aren’t we thankful?!)
Important nutrients in dark chocolate include iron, fiber, magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium.
Chocolate isn’t just for desserts; there are great savory recipes for Triple Chocolate Beef and Bean Chili and Eggplant Caponata. (I will be trying these!)
My new recipe for Dark Chocolate, Pecan, and Dried Cherry Crunchy Clusters–they are made with dark chocolate chips, flaked cereal, chopped pecans, and dried unsweetened tart cherries.
From the Dark Chocolate Recipe Roundup:
From Laura @lauramali.com: Dark Chocolate Orange Mousse is made with dark chocolate, silken tofu, orange zest, agave syrup, kosher salt, orange-flavored liquor, and sliced strawberries.
From Jackie @jackienewgent.com: Double Chocolate Banana Dessert Bread is made with whole wheat pastry flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, ripe bananas, chopped pistachios, vanilla and almond extracts, bittersweet chocolate chips, sugar, butter, and eggs.
From Kelly @kellyjonesnutrition.com: Vegan Turtles are made with dates, salt, walnuts or pecans, dark chocolate chips, and cayenne pepper.
The differences in types of chocolate, like cocoa powder, dark chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, semisweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate (which isn’t really chocolate at all!)

Resources

History of Chocolate:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/archaeology-chocolate-180954243/

Video of Cacao Bean Processing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_JuQCiKWUc

Savory recipes with dark chocolate:

Triple Chocolate Beef and Bean Chili: https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Triple-Chocolate-Beef-Bean-Chili/

Eggplant Caponata: https://www.saveur.com/gallery/Savory-Chocolate-Recipes/

Dark Chocolate Orange Mousse:

https://www.lauramali.com/easy-dark-chocolate-orange-mousse/

Vegan Turtles:

https://kellyjonesnutrition.com/vegan-turtles/

Double chocolate banana dessert bread: https://jackienewgent.com/dessert-bread/

Liz’s Links:

My website: www.lizshealthytable.com

My email: liz@lizshealthytable.com

114: Recipes, Tips, & Strategies to Turn Burnout Into Balance with Patricia Bannan, MS, RDN Feb 16, 2022

Do you find yourself running in a million different directions all day long? Burnout is a reality for many people, especially busy women. It is terrible for our health and takes a huge toll on the quality of our lives. If you want to live a long and vibrant life, join me to learn more about the fight against burnout!

Patricia Bannan is the author of the new cookbook, From Burnout to Balance: 60+ Healing Recipes and Simple Strategies to Boost Mood, Immunity, Focus, and Sleep. Patricia joins me to share her personal experience with burnout and how she turned it into balance. She’ll tell us how the foods on our plates can have a profound impact on improving our health and happiness. Her cookbook has solutions for breakfast, main meals, salads, snacks, and desserts, including her Fudgy Avocado Walnut Brownies. Yum! I tried her Zucchini and Black Bean Chilaquiles Skillet yesterday, and I’m sharing that recipe on today’s show and on my blog. Patricia is a nationally recognized dietitian and healthy cooking expert who has done thousands of media interviews, and she is a busy mom who lives in California.

Show Highlights:

Get to know Patricia, an East Coast girl who loves living in the Los Angeles sunshine and has combined her loves of journalism and nutrition into her work
How burnout is characterized by feeling energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from work and cynicism about work, and a drop in professional performance
Why burnout is best visualized with a holistic approach to work, personal life, and personality type
How stress and burnout are different
Highlights of Patricia’s burnout experience a few years ago–and how she recovered by simplifying, prioritizing, and re-evaluating her life
Why Patricia wrote a book about burnout (The facts: ⅓ of women report feeling full-blown burnout, which has only worsened due to the pandemic)
Why Patricia structured her book as part health book and part cookbook
Why the consequences of burnout include serious health risks and a heavy toll on longevity, relationships, and overall quality of life
Tips for busting burnout: prioritize plants and find balance in the kitchen
The connection between what we eat and our mood (“feel-good” foods can help!)
How eating 30 different plants each week can help create a healthier microbiome in your gut (from the American Gut Project)
How whole, unprocessed foods help with mood and gut health (“Whole foods make a whole person.”)
How foods and healthy lifestyle factors can support a strong immune system
Immune system boosters include vitamin D-rich foods like mushrooms, dairy, and seafood, along with zinc-rich foods like red meat and shellfish
Patricia’s recipe for Golden Carrot Spice Muffins made with flour, oat bran, baking powder, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, honey, coconut oil, Greek yogurt, eggs, vanilla, grated carrots, and walnuts
How burnout impacts our brain health and ability to focus
Foods to improve focus include blueberries, olives/olive oil, and walnuts
Foods for better sleep include kiwi, peanut butter, and tart cherries
Patricia’s favorite recipe in her cookbook: Sheet Pan Salmon with Fingerling Potatoes, Asparagus, and Citrus Miso Sauce (This dish is a good source of 27 essential nutrients!)
Patricia’s Zucchini and Black Bean Chilaquiles Skillet, a one-pot dish made with sauteed veggies, corn tortilla chips, green enchilada sauce, cheese, and toppings
A sleepytime beverage: Patricia’s Tart Cherry Chamomile Tea with Oat Milk

Resources:

Patricia Bannan's website: https://www.patriciabannan.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NutritionGoGo

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patriciabannan/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patriciabannanRD

Where to find Patricia's book: https://www.patriciabannan.com/from-burnout-to-balance-book

Connect with Liz: www.lizshealthytable.com

113: Longevity Kitchen: Chickpea Edition with Liz Weiss, MS, RDN Feb 02, 2022

This Longevity Kitchen episode is dedicated to one of my favorite anti-aging ingredients: chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans. I love them so much, and they are always a go-to staple in my pantry. Join me to learn more about this superfood! Whether canned or dried, chickpeas are versatile, convenient, inexpensive, and incredibly nutritious. You can roast them, smash them, add them to soups and salads, and even add them to energy balls and desserts like cookies, blondies, and seven-layer bars. We are covering the history of chickpeas, where they are from, why they are good for the environment, and why they are good for your health. I have lots of ideas about adding them to your table! I’m highlighting a few favorite contributions from my chickpea Recipe Roundup, including my own new recipe for Sweet Potato, Chickpea, and Coconut Soup. If you haven’t been giving chickpeas the love they deserve, listen in–and be inspired!

Show Highlights:

The lowdown on the lovely chickpea: a type of bean (pulse) which is sustainable, easy to grow, and extremely nourishing
Why chickpeas contribute to longevity, as evidenced by their place as the cornerstone of the diets of those in the world’s “Blue Zones”
Why chickpeas can be a “gateway bean” that provides health benefits with just ½ cup each day
Trust the science! The WHO records that 20 grams of beans daily reduce the risk of death by 8%
How chickpeas play a major role in the cuisines of Mediterranean countries, the Middle East, and Africa, and are one of the oldest cultivated foods in existence today
The nutrition numbers: ½ cup of chickpeas has 120 calories, 6-7 grams protein, and 4 grams fiber, along with manganese, folate, selenium, and potassium–all of which promote heart health and immunity
How beans as a whole promote digestive health by improving our gut microbiome
How chickpeas can lower cholesterol, help control blood sugar, help maintain a healthy weight, and help prevent certain cancers
My recipe for Sweet Potato, Chickpea, and Coconut Soup: it’s made with diced sweet potato and bell pepper, red Thai curry paste, grated ginger and garlic, vegetable broth, coconut milk, chickpeas, brown rice, baby spinach, and lime juice/zest; the best part is the toppings of fresh cilantro, fresh mint, avocado, and chopped nuts
From the Chickpea Recipe Roundup:

From Laura @ Being Nutritious: Peanut Butter & Jelly Dessert Bars are made with chickpeas, dates, peanut butter, whole wheat flour, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt—then swirled with peanut butter and jelly on top.

From Chelsea @ Chelsea Dishes: Fresh & Herby Couscous Salad is made with roasted chickpeas, pearl couscous, mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, mint, parsley, feta, lime juice, and olive oil.

From Sarah @ Bucket List Tummy: Roasted Chickpea Cauliflower Sandwiches are made with roasted chickpeas, chopped cauliflower, Greek yogurt, goat cheese, red pepper, shredded carrot, corn kernels, dill, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper–and then stuffed into pita bread.

Resources:

CannedBeans.org

Recipe roundup

Sweet Potato, Chickpea & Coconut Soup

Blue Zones: Why beans are the #1 longevity food in the world

USA Pulses

112: What is Pre-Diabetes and How to Manage and Reverse It with Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN Jan 19, 2022

Do you or a family member or friend have pre-diabetes? Pre-diabetes is a condition that can lead to type 2 diabetes. It impacts 88 million Americans (that's one in three!) and can zap years from your life and vibrant health from those years. On today’s show, my guest is Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, author of The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook. Together, we'll explain how to manage pre-diabetes through diet and lifestyle and in some cases, even reverse it.

Lauren Harris-Pincus is the author of The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook: 200 Healthy Recipes to Help Reverse and Manage Pre-Diabetes. Lauren is a nutrition communications specialist, speaker, spokesperson, consultant, and registered dietitian in private practice. She is the founder and owner of Nutrition Starring You, LLC, where she specializes in weight management and pre-diabetes. She is the author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club as well as her latest cookbook already mentioned. After growing up with weight issues and obesity, Lauren dedicated herself to combatting the growing adult and childhood obesity epidemic. She has wisdom to share about pre-diabetes, a condition that impacts 88 million Americans.

Show Highlights:

Get to know Lauren, a Jersey mom of two young adult kids; she is passionate about nutrition and healthy living and spends as much time as possible at the theater
What is pre-diabetes? A blood sugar level that is higher than normal but not quite high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes
How A1C measures blood sugar as a solid measure (5.7-6.4 is pre-diabetic)
Why pre-diabetes is scary because one in three adults have it–and at least 90% don’t even know they have it
Why so many people are unaware that they have pre-diabetes
Why pre-diabetes is only the tip of the iceberg for what is going on with your insulin levels and your pancreas
Harmful effects of pre-diabetes include elevated blood sugar that damages blood vessels, kidneys, and eyes; it can also cause neuropathy and affect your longevity and quality of life
Causes of pre-diabetes can include weight gain, genetic components, high-stress levels, certain medications, lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, and more
How Lauren’s action plan to address pre-diabetes includes positive steps with no stigma and focuses on what to add vs. what to take away
Why it is important to add more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, and seeds
Why Lauren’s plan includes ways to add better nutrition that helps you feel good, joyful movement that is sustainable, and managing stress, sleep, and mental health
How to consider circadian rhythms in fueling our bodies earlier in the day vs. late at night because digestion and metabolism slow down as the sun goes down
How modest weight loss can impact pre-diabetes–but shouldn’t be the primary goal
How Lauren’s book is structured with 200 recipes in different categories of cuisine that feature “carb-controlled” ingredients of high fiber sources and nutrition information
Why 95% of people don’t meet daily fiber intake goals, which impacts gut health and overall health
Lauren’s favorite recipe: Deconstructed Spicy California Roll Salad made with romaine, cucumber, avocado, crab, spicy mayo, chopped seaweed snacks, and rice
Lauren’s Spicy Chickpea Tacos with Arugula made with chickpeas, tomato paste and sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, spices, dijon mustard, taco shells, arugula, and cilantro
Where sugar fits into the pre-diabetes story–the key is moderation
Why the prevalence of pre-diabetes reveals that most people are not eating the right foods for optimal health
Lauren’s advice about where to start: “Try to eat a fruit or veggie at every meal, or even more than one is better. More produce, more produce, more produce! If your doctor diagnoses you with pre-diabetes and only tells you to lose weight, you need to go find another doctor.”

Resources:

Link to The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook

Lauren online and on social media:

Website: Nutrition Starring You

Find Lauren on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

111: Introducing Eat, Drink, Live Longer with Liz Weiss, MS, RDN Jan 05, 2022

Welcome to my new podcast! This show is all about living a longer and better life, feeling vibrant and energized, and radiating good health from the inside out. On each episode, I'll be sharing simple changes to the ways we eat and drink that can add years to our lives and better health to those years. I look forward to being your tour guide on this delicious journey!

Show Highlights:

A little history of my podcasts:
- In 2008, I launched Cooking with the Moms, a podcast focused on family nutrition.
- From 2017-2021, Liz’s Healthy Table ran with 110 episodes!
- Now, in 2022, I’m launching Eat, Drink, Live Longer, which will take us down new roads related to longevity.
How my website hub will still be www.lizshealthytable.com
- The blog takes a new spin in featuring nourishing recipes with a grown-up focus.
- The website includes information about my in-person and virtual speaking engagements, my cookbooks and freebies page, and links to my social media channels (which includes my new foray into the world of TikTok!).
How my cooking life has changed since my boys are grown and out of the house, along with my interest in good nutrition as it relates to lifelong health and longevity
What you can expect on Eat, Drink, Live Longer:
- With two shows monthly, one of them will feature a guest and important topics related to the quality and health of our lives.
- The other show each month will be my “Longevity Kitchen,” in which we will explore topics like stocking your fridge/pantry, and recipes with superfoods like chickpeas, salmon, kale, etc. We will share important secrets to living longer on topics like pre-diabetes, stress reduction, inflammation, and more.
- Part of our focus will be on the common health factors of those living in the world’s “Blue Zones,” like daily movement, stress reduction, a plant-based diet, and more. (You can find out more about the Blue Zones in Ep. 99 of Liz’s Healthy Table.)

Resources:

Connect with me: www.lizshealthytable.com

Check out my closed Facebook group: Liz's Podcast Posse

Email me: liz@lizshealthytable.com

110: Feeding Picky Eaters with Sally Sampson Dec 21, 2021

Why are kids picky? Is it possible to turn finicky eaters into adventurous eaters? You'll be surprised, the answer is YES! Listen in to lots of veggie talk today, because I'm going to be talking about picky eating and I'm going to be sharing two recipes from Chop Chop. One of them is for a delicious, Raw Brussels Sprout Salad and the other is for a Carrot Salad, with mint, honey, lime juice and peanuts (only if you like them).

Sally Sampson will be joining me on the show, today. She is the founder of Chop Chop Kids, which is the non-profit publisher of Chop Chop, the fun Cooking Magazine for Families. This was named The Publication Of The Year by the James Beard Foundation, back in 2013. Sally has written twenty-three cookbooks, so she knows a thing or two about cooking! She's a mom of two and she's written a book called The Picky Eater Project, Six Weeks To Happier, Healthier Family Mealtimes.

Whether you have picky eaters or not, I still think you're going to love this episode, because we have so many ideas for making vegetables more appealing and even including your kids in the cooking process. Listen in now to find out more!

Today, Sally talks to Liz about:

A life and career changing event that happened in her family.
More about Chop Chop Magazine, which is distributed in Pediatrician's offices all over the country.
Her book, The Picky Eater Project and how it all started.
Her rules, which are neither mean-spirited, nor rigid- they involve treating children with respect.
What she's noticed about kids at her photo shoots.
The negative messages that parents tend to give their kids.
Dealing with issues about texture.
90% of kids will eat food that they've cooked themselves.
Making the dreaded green vegetable more appealing.
Setting up taste tests for your kids as a fun game.
The best way to cook broccoli florets.
Tips for roasting vegetables.
The thing about lettuce cups...
The ingredients that go into the Raw Brussels Sprout Salad and why kids love it.
A lazy tip to make the Raw Brussels Sprout Salad easier.
Getting your child to do a Recipe Review.
Letting kids learn about what they like.
Sally's favorite Cookbook-The Chop Chop Cookbook.
Sally's Online Cooking Club for Kids.

Links:

Sally's website: www.chopchopmag.org

Sally's Free Online Cooking Club for Kids: www.chopchopcookingclub.org

To be part of the Podcast Posse, go to the podcast page on www.lizshealthytable.com and there's a little button in the sidebar that says “Join the Podcast Posse”.

109: Winter Squash 101 Dec 01, 2021

They come in a wild variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, and winter squash are everywhere this time of year. In addition to their vibrant beauty, winter squash are versatile and nutritious. The stars of today’s show are some of my favorite winter squash varieties--butternut, acorn, delicata, kabocha, Honeynut, spaghetti--and together with my two guests, we'll be sharing interesting ways to prepare winter squash that even your pickiest eaters will love. It's time for some winter squash wisdom!

My first guest today is Katie Morford, a registered dietitian, food writer, and cookbook author. She has a blog called Mom’s Kitchen Handbook: Raising Fresh-food Kids in a French-fried World, and her recipes rock. Wait till you hear about Katie's recipe for Delicata Squash Tacos with Quick Pickled Onions.

My second guest is the Executive Chef at Wilson Farm, a family farm located down the road from my home in Lexington, Massachusetts. Chef Raymond Ost was on the show last spring to talk about asparagus, and he’s here again to share some of his favorite winter squash creations including a stuffed Honeynut squash recipe.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

The nutritional value of winter squash: high in beta carotene, vitamin C, fiber, magnesium, and potassium.
The seeds can be roasted for an additional nutrient-dense food.
Spaghetti squash: less nutritious than others, but lower in calories.
Katie’s recipe for Spaghetti Squash Lasagna, borrowed from the Foodie Physician. It has lasagna flavors but a foundation of spaghetti squash instead of noodles.
How to use the microwave to soften winter squashes, and then roast or puree.
Katie’s recipe for Delicata Squash Tacos.
Why delicata squash can be considered a “gateway” squash to get kids to try winter squash.
Why most people are only familiar with a few of the winter squash varieties.
Typical ways to prepare winter squash.
Chef Ost’s recipe for delicata stuffed with onion, panko, sage, and chestnuts.
The shelf life of winter squash and storing them outside in cool weather.
How honeynut squash can be used in recipes. Check out my new recipe for Honeynut squash with Caramelized Onion, Cranberries, Spinach, and Bacon.
Ideas for stuffing, baking, and roasting
A good squash to use if you have picky kids: butternut or sugar pumpkin (Chef Ost’s favorite is to blanch pumpkin, puree it, and mix it with mashed potato)
An idea for filling acorn squash “bowls” with butternut squash soup
Chef Ost’s favorite red quinoa salad with roasted squash and leeks.

Resources:

Katie's recipe for Delicata Squash Tacos with Quick Pickled Onions

https://www.momskitchenhandbook.com/recipes/roasted-winter-squash-tacos-with-quick-pickled-onions/

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

https://www.momskitchenhandbook.com/recipes/spaghetti-squash-lasagne-just-what-the-doctor-ordered/

Katie Morford, RD

Mom's Kitchen Handbook: https://www.momskitchenhandbook.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MKHandbook

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momskitchenhandbook/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/momskitchenhandbook/

_________________________

Wilson Farm: http://www.wilsonfarm.com/v2.0/home.php

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wilsonfarm/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wilsonfarm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopwilsonfarm

www.lizshealthytable.com/roundup Find a roundup of 17 winter squash recipes on my blog

www.superhealthykids.com

108: Health-ify the Holidays with Mona Dolgov Nov 03, 2021

On this week’s show, back by popular demand, is my guest from Show 88, Mona Dolgov. You’ll be inspired for the upcoming holidays with great ideas from Mona. Join us to learn more!

Mona Dolgov is a nutritionist, cookbook author, and publisher with a lifelong passion for creating kitchen comfort and simple, healthy habits through her delicious recipes. Her new cookbook, Satisfy, is about to hit bookstores and your favorite online retailers, including Amazon, and she’s here today to help us “health-ify” the holidays. We have a lot in store for you! You’ll learn how to health-ify gravy, sweet potato casserole, appetizers, and a peanut butter sauce to die for. You’ll definitely want to try her ideas for this Thanksgiving. We also have desserts: mini-cheesecakes and personal pumpkin pies. You’ll learn how to make the best brussels sprouts ever in the air fryer.

Show Highlights:

Updates in Mona’s world: her new cookbook is out November 9, cooking classes are ongoing, and she’s working on a new cookbook for next summer; Mona loves her city apartment life in the Boston seaport area
Mona’s philosophy to health-ify the holidays by lightening up dishes
Mona’s Butternut Squash Soup, made with roasted butternut squash and sauteed apples and onions; the mixture is blended with broth and spices that can be customized with different flavor profiles
How Mona and LIz will team up for cooking classes on Nov. 16th and 18th on appetizers and side dishes
Their favorite appetizers include Liz’s Roasted Carrot Hummus, Mona’s Peanut Sauce (made with peanut butter, coconut aminos, sesame oil, ginger, rice vinegar, and honey), Asparagus Wrapped in Turkey Bacon, and Cauliflower Wings
How Mona’s Peanut Sauce with fresh veggies leaves everyone wanting more
Liz’s funny story about “double-dipping”
Mona’s chapter in the cookbook called “Snack-ertaining,” which features her Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
How the air fryer has become Mona’s best friend and a favorite time-saving tool for veggies and protein
Check out the Phillips Premium XXL Airfryer giveaway in our Resources section, and use the 20% discount code “Mona20” to order yours!
Liz’s favorite side dishes: Sweet Potato Casserole with orange juice, zest, cinnamon, and ginger; Brussels Sprout Gratin
Why Mona makes a “Mona Salad” for many gatherings; it’s made with leafy dark greens, roasted squash and zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkin seeds, and pomegranate arils; her dressing is olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, canned pumpkin, and her spice blend of oregano, basil, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper
How Mona uses the air fryer for the best brussels sprouts ever: after cutting them in half, she sprays them with olive oil and sprinkles with salt and pepper; after 12 minutes, she adds minced garlic and cooks for three more minutes; she adds apples, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and a balsamic glaze at the end
Why the key to lighter desserts is to make them in bite-sizes
Mona’s crustless mini-cheesecakes: they are made with orange zest, sugar, and reduced-fat cream cheese and drizzled with melted dark chocolate and topped with an orange section
Mona’s upside-down individual pumpkin pies: they are made with pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and a pinch of salt; after being baked in ramekins, she tops them with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds, pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon
Final words from Mona: “Don’t stress about the holidays. Have fun. Be mindful. Focus on the traditions and bring your family in to help.”

Resources:

Sign up for our Health-ify the Holidays virtual cook-along. We'll be making appetizers on November 16th at 6 pm ET and sensational side dishes on November 18th at 6 pm ET. The cost for both classes is $69.00 (cost for single classes is $39). You can sign up on Mona's website. We hope to see you there.

GIVEAWAY: We have the most epic giveaway EVER going on until Monday, November 22nd! One winner will receive a Philips Premium XXL Airfryer with Fat Removal Technology. (Retail value: $299.95). Our second winner will receive a copy of Mona's new cookbook, SATISFY: Delicious, Healthy, and Full-Filling Meals for 500 Calories or Less! To enter for a chance to win one of these two prizes, post a comment in the comments section below and tell us about your favorite holiday recipe and/or why you want to win the air fryer or Mona's cookbook. This is a U.S. giveaway only. Good luck!

Find Mona online:

Instagram

Website

Cookbook on Amazon (official release date is Nov. 9th, but you can pre-order now)

Facebook

Find Liz Weiss:

Author, Color, Cook, Eat! coloring book series

Website: Liz's Healthy Table

Listen to my Podcast

Read my Blog

107: Hello Leftovers: Turn Tonight’s Dinner Into Tomorrow’s Feast with Cassy Joy Garcia Oct 20, 2021

Leftover meals get a glamorous makeover in today’s show. With super practical planning tips and creativity, my guest has the scoop on elevating your leftover game from boring to spectacular. Join us to learn more about a new way to meal-prep fantastic meals with her new cookbook, Cook Once Dinner Fix.

Cassie Joy Garcia is a busy mom, meal planner, prepper extraordinaire, and healthy recipe guru. She joins me for new ways of turning tonight’s dinner into tomorrow’s feast. Whether you’re cooking chicken, beef, pork, seafood, or vegetarian fare, Cassie has you covered with creative dinner inspiration. For example, her Harvest Squash can be Monday’s dinner followed on Tuesday by Yellow Curry with Squash and Crispy Spiced Tofu. You can plan a dinner of Roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Fresh Arugula Salad on Friday, and turn these leftovers into Butter Chicken Bowls with White Rice for the next night. Cassie has pointers with every recipe in her cookbook to customize each one to your preferences and dietary needs.

Show Highlights:

Cassie’s life in San Antonio, where she started her healthy living blog and became a holistic nutritionist; she makes her home with two young daughters (and a third due in a few months), her husband, and two large dogs
How Cassie’s Fed and Fit blog was birthed out of her personal journey of yoyo dieting and discovering the science of inflammatory foods
How focusing on gut health gave Cassie a new lease on life
Why Cassie’s goal was to heal her gut, reintroduce foods, and eat as many different foods as possible
An overview of Cook Once Dinner Fix, which gives the benefits of a prep day without having to have a prep day!
An example using chicken that’s cooked and shredded is Chicken Sloppy Joes with Ginger Carrot Slaw and White Chicken Enchilada Casserole with Tomato-Avocado Salad
Cassie’s goal is to lessen the burden of getting an efficient meal on the table
How repurposing the meal’s protein allows you to focus on side dishes to differentiate the meals
How Cassie’s system allows her to “plate dinner with a more joyful heart”
An example of a beef recipe is Garlic Peppercorn Beef Roast, which is slow-roasted in the oven with carrots and served with a horseradish cream sauce; it’s then used in Shredded Beef Ragout over Pappardelle Pasta with a rich tomato sauce
How Cassie is building adventurous food kiddos in her young children by getting them involved in choosing meals and prepping
Cassie’s favorite seafood recipe from the book: Dill Aioli Salmon Bake, which is a salmon fillet with a lemon dill aioli mixture served with roasted potatoes; leftover salmon is made into Salmon Cakes, which Cassie serves with pan-seared green beans

Resources:

Cookbook Giveaway:

We’re giving away a copy of Cook Once Dinner Fix: Quick and Exciting Ways to Transform Tonight's Dinner into Tomorrow's Feast (Simon & Schuster) to one lucky U.S. winner. Leave a comment in the comments section below telling me about your biggest dinnertime challenge or dilemma and/or why you want to win this book. I’ll pick the winner at random on November 3rd at noon. (U.S. only giveaway, please.)

Link to Cassie’s cookbook on Amazon:

Fed and Fit website: https://fedandfit.com/

Instagram: @fedandfit

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fedandfit/

Twitter: @fedandfit

106: Kids, Cooking, and Sustainability with Jenny Chandler Oct 06, 2021

Many parents fight a losing battle to get more fruits and vegetables into their kids’ diets, but there are simple ways to give kids more empowerment and control. Teaching them to enjoy cooking and eat more sustainably gives them more flexibility and a chance to explore. Join us as we dive into practical ways to get your kids involved in preparing and enjoying healthier meals.

Jenny Chandler is a cooking instructor and cookbook author who lives in Bristol, England. Her latest cookbook, Green Kids Cook, encourages kids to cook and eat food that’s good for their bodies and good for the planet. The book is aimed at ages 7-14 but is suitable for people of all ages with its recipes, crafts, how-tos, tips for reducing food waste, and so much more. On today’s show, Jenny and I share some of her plant-forward recipes from the book, including Green Pea and Coconut Soup, Seeded Oat Bread, and we’ll wrap up with dessert. Of course, we’ll share tips for getting kids to cook, appreciate, love, and eat more fruits and vegetables. Jenny has been on the show before to talk about pulses like lentils, beans, and chickpeas and to talk about one of her other cookbooks, Great Food for Kids. Her goal is to help you, your children, and grandchildren get more plants on the plate.

Show Highlights:

Get to know Jenny’s life with her teenage daughter, a husband who makes wildlife films, and city life in Bristol that’s only a short walk to the countryside
Why Jenny is passionate about writing and teaching people to eat more healthily and sustainably for regard for animal welfare
What it means to eat sustainably
Jenny’s mission: to teach, inspire, and engage kids in cooking skills, so they become more adventurous eaters, especially with fruits and vegetables
How Jenny incorporated “theme nights” with her husband and daughter on Fridays during the COVID lockdown
How Green Kids Cook teaches kids to have fun in the kitchen, explore more fruits and vegetables, and learn more about where foods come from
How the book covers snacks and desserts but focuses on skills for cooking simple meals
Jenny’s recipe for Green Pea and Coconut Soup, made with sauteed green onions, garlic, ginger, cilantro, frozen peas, and vegetable stock; after pureeing the mixture, add coconut milk and lime juice. (Good served cold or hot--and it’s ready in 15 minutes!)
How to balance plant-forward meals for those who love meat
Jenny’s tips for reducing food waste at home:
- Have a “use me now” shelf in the fridge.
- Incorporate recipes that can handle odd scraps of vegetables, like minestrone soup.
- Have a “clean sweep” every 3-4 days.
- Shop locally and more often, making it a family activity for everyone.
Jenny’s recipe for Seeded Oat Bread, made with rolled oats, yogurt, baking soda, various seeds, and molasses
A family favorite dessert recipe for Galette, made with fresh seasonal fruit and a simple pastry

Resources:

Cookbook Giveaway:

We're giving away a copy of Green Kids Cook: Simple, Delicious Recipes & Top Tips to one lucky U.S. winner. Leave a comment below telling me about the recipe your kids/grandkids love to make most and/or why you'd love to win a copy. I'll pick the winner at random on October 20th at noon. (U.S. giveaway, only.)

Link to Jenny’s latest book:

https://www.amazon.com/Green-Kids-Cook-Delicious-Recipes/dp/1911663585/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=green+kids+cook+jenny+chandler&qid=1633018328&sr=8-1)

Jenny's website: http://www.jennychandler.co.uk/

Jenny on Instagram @jennychandlerUK

Jenny on Facebook

Jenny on Twitter @jennychandlerUK

Liz's Links:

Author, Color, Cook, Eat! coloring book series

Website: Liz's Healthy Table

Listen to my Podcast

Read my Blog

105: A Year of Fruits and Vegetables with Andrea Mathis, MA, RDN Sep 15, 2021

September is National Fruit and Veggies Month, and if that wasn't enough, the UN General Assembly designated 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables. There’s no excuse not to elevate your fruit and veggie game! Who's with me?

On today’s show, we’re talking about fresh new ways to add more fresh, frozen, canned, and dried fruits and veggies to your family’s table every season and all year long. My guest is Andrea Mathis, MS, RDN from Beautiful Eats and Things, and together, we're turning our passion for produce into real-world recipes for you and your family.

Andrea Mathis is an Alabama-based registered dietitian/nutritionist and the owner of two blogs: Beautiful Eats and Things and Little Eats and Things. She’s the mom of two little boys and the author of The Complete Book of Smoothies, which is filled with gorgeous and nutritious recipes that bring fruits and veggies to the center of the plate in easy and delicious ways. We are sharing delicious seasonal recipes and cooking techniques that will inspire you with great ideas. Most people don’t eat enough fruits and veggies, so we plan to change that with today’s show!

Show Highlights:

Andrea’s life in Birmingham, Alabama, with two little boys, two blogs, and a lifelong love of cooking
Andrea’s cookbook, The Complete Book of Smoothies: 115 Healthy Recipes to Nourish, Heal, and Energize
Andrea’s #1 tip to get picky eaters to try new fruits and veggies: pair the new food with something already familiar
Why people need to know that all forms of fruits and veggies count, such as canned, dried, and frozen
How Andrea uses “smoothie packs,” prepped fruits and veggies frozen in serving size freezer bags for smoothies
Andrea and Liz share seasonal fruit and veggie faves:
- Winter
- - Brussels sprouts, roasted or sliced thin in salads or casseroles
  - Winter squash, baked as a bowl to be filled or roasted with cinnamon and brown sugar
- Spring
- - Asparagus, roasted or blanched and sliced in salads or dredged in egg and flour to be air-fried as “fries”
  - Radishes, roasted or sauteed with onion and garlic
- Summer
- - Corn on the cob, eaten whole or added as kernels to other dishes or buttered and spiced with flavorful seasonings and wrapped in foil to be baked in the oven
  - Peaches, sliced thin on BBQ chicken pizzas or grilled and spiced
- Fall
- - Kale, in a salad or added to smoothies
  - Pumpkin, canned pumpkin to be added in muffins, breads, pancakes, smoothies, chili, enchiladas, etc. or roasted and stuffed mini-pumpkins

Resources:

Andrea's cookbook The Complete Book of Smoothies: 115 Healthy Recipes to Nourish, Heal, and Energize

Where to find Andrea:

Beautiful Eats & Things: https://www.beautifuleatsandthings.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/beautifuleatsandthings/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/beautifuleatsandthings/

Twitter (BeautifulEandT): https://twitter.com/BeautifulEandT

Pinterest (BEandThings): https://www.pinterest.com/BEandThings/

TikTok (@beautifuleatsandthings): https://vm.tiktok.com/Jd728bJ/ https://www.tiktok.com/@beautifuleatsandthings/

104: Olive Oil: What Every Home Cook Should Know with David Garci-Aguirre Sep 01, 2021

On today’s show, I'm joined by olive oil expert extraordinaire, David Garcia-Aguirre from Corto Olive Company with a primer on extra virgin olive oil, which he says is "the ingredient that farm-to-table forgot." Discover how olives are grown, harvested and pressed, how to choose the freshest EVOO at the market, how to cook with it, and get recipes galore ... and hear why David wants us all to think of EVOO as the "fresh-pressed juice of olives."

David Garci-Aguirre is the Vice President of Operations and Master Miller at Corto Olive Company in Lodi, CA. With a focus on serving independent restaurants throughout the US, Corto uniquely harvests and produces fresh, premium-quality, award-winning Extra Virgin olive oils that enhance the flavor of foods. David is an olive oil guru who is dedicated to the advancement of high-quality olive oil production, research, and education. He’s educating us today about what to look for at the market to know you’re buying the freshest oil, how to store it at home to keep it fresh, and why heat, light, and air are the three biggest enemies of your bottle of olive oil. He teaches us about the latest innovations in packaging, how to use Extra Virgin olive oil to elevate everyday cooking, and why it’s a nutritious addition to your meals. David will bust some myths about olive oil and take us behind-the-scenes at Corto to highlight their gorgeous olive groves and their harvesting, milling, storing, and packing processes.

Show Highlights:

David’s life and work in Lodi, CA
Why olive oil is the ingredient that “farm to table” forgot
How olive oil is different from all other edible oils in that it’s fresh-pressed juice that retains the flavors and nutrients
Why all olive oils are NOT created equal--and most olive oil in your supermarket is already rancid before you even get it home!
How Corto focuses on a new technology called “vineyard-style” planting that allows mechanized fall harvests of the fruit when it’s perfectly ripe
How most olive oil is produced with olives harvested by the old-style “tree-shaking” method that yields poor quality fruit not at the optimal ripeness
How to tell if your olive oil is fresh by its smell and taste (Hint: it SHOULD have a taste!)
David’s overview of the milling process: The fruit is crushed into a paste that’s mixed together and then separated with a centrifuge to obtain the oil at cold temperatures; the oil goes straight into stainless steel casks where oxygen can’t get to it.
How the “Extra Virgin” olive oil designation is reserved for a natural, unrefined product (CA has the tightest legal standard for EVOO in the world!)
Tips for buying olive oil: buy local, if possible, from a reputable company; make sure the oil is in dark glass, stainless steel, or a bag-in-box package, and always check the harvest date
How flavor-lock (bag in box) packaging preserves the oil from light and air
David busts the most popular myth regarding olive oil, which is that you should never saute or use high heat cooking with it
Because of the many healthy compounds unique to olives, olive oil is the #1 food item studied for nutritional health in medical journals
Easy salad dressing ideas using olive oil:
- David keeps it simple with salt, citrus, and an oil variety that pairs with his food
- Liz relies on the standard go-to of olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, shallot or garlic, and salt and pepper
Unusual ways to use olive oil: drizzled on ice cream, as a dip for dark chocolate truffles, poured on popcorn, and homemade mayonnaise
How uses olive oil in her rendition of Ina Garten’s recipe for gazpacho; it’s made with cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, red onion, red wine vinegar, garlic, fresh herbs, and fresh corn kernels
How to introduce kids to the wonders of olive oil with creative thinking
David’s final words: “Rethink how you think about olive oil. Think of it as a fresh-pressed juice.”

Resources:

Giveaway: We are giving away a 3-liter Truly 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil, California Grown, Flavor-Lock Box from Corto. I don't know about you, but I go through a lot of EVOO in my house, so I can attest that this oil rocks. I use it every day ... all day. To enter for a chance to win, post a comment telling me how you use olive oil in your everyday cooking or why you want to win this bag-in-a-box from Corto. (PS: US only giveaway.) (PSS: If you have an awesome recipe for olive oil lemon cake, please share it with me!)

Website: www.corto-olive.com

IG: @Corto_Olive

FB: @CortoOlive

103: How to Raise a Healthy Eater Aug 18, 2021

On today’s show, we’ll be talking about how to raise a healthy eater, one nourishing bite and sip at a time.

This episode is sponsored by Fresh Avocados – Love One Today®, a leading source of the healthiest reasons and tastiest ways to enjoy fresh avocados. A science-based resource, it provides recipes and articles to help make it easy for consumers and health professionals to learn more about the nutritional benefits of fresh avocados and ways to include them in everyday menus.

As a mom of two grown boys, I’ve been in the family food and nutrition trenches for quite some time now, and so it’s no surprise that I’m often asked by listeners about the how-tos of raising a healthy eater especially when families are busy, kids are finicky, and unhealthy snack foods are a constant temptation. Well, on today’s show I’ll be giving you my top tips for raising healthy eaters including strategies on how to stock your kitchen as children progress from starting solids to school age and how to reduce the amount of added sugar in your family’s diet. I’m a firm believer that when families make the healthy choice the easy choice, they set a good example and help to build a foundation for life-long healthy eating.

On the show, I also share a new, no-sugar-added recipe for Chewy Avocado, Apple, Banana and Oatmeal Cookie. This recipe is ideal for toddlers and kids, and it does double duty as a snack or dessert.

But wait, there’s more. On the show, I’ll also tell you about this Avocado and Mango Smoothie. And yes, you guessed it: No added sugar.

Show Highlights:

Get my top 7 tips for raising your kids or your grandkids to be healthy eaters
- Set the tone for yourself and family from Day One
- Take a strategic/thoughtful approach to transitioning infants to solid foods
- Focus on fresh fruits and vegetables
- Rethink your drink
- Get Creative
- Eat and prepare meals together as a family
- And don’t deny dessert … but do pay attention to making them “better for you” and lower in added sugar
CDC research shows that about a third of all US children are overweight… and that diseases with risk factors linked to poor nutrition like diabetes that were once unique to adults are now impacting our kids
More research featured on LoveOneToday.com about the role of avocados in maternal diets that suggests eating avocados may support breastfeeding by supporting the production of nutritious breastmilk. So even before the baby arrives, whether you are the mom, the dad or grandparent, you can help set the family up for success by stocking the pantry with healthy, fresh foods like avocados.
Make mealtime easier with the following free resources:
- 7-Day Meal Planner
- Supermarket Shopping List
9 out of 10 Americans don’t eat the recommended number of fruit and vegetables servings each day. If you could only make one change to your family’s diet, I’d steer you in the direction of eating more fresh fruits and veggies.
Learn about my Fruit First strategy at breakfast.
- Serve fruit before things like cereal or waffles are presented. Kids will gobble it up, because they’ll be hungry. Plus, fruit is naturally sweet and kids love it
- Make my pumpkin pancakes
- Whip up a fruit smoothie
- Smash avocado on whole grain toast
Get strategies for reducing added sugar from your family’s diet
NEW recipe for No sugar added Soft and Chewy Avocado, Apple, Banana and Oatmeal Cookie
Thirsty for a new smoothie recipe? Try this one from Love One Today for Avocado and Mango Kick-Starter Smoothie
Tips for how to freeze fresh avocados (so you can use them up later!)
A family dinner recipe for Avocado Shrimp Tacos
The latest guidance from the USDA on nutrition: Resource: 2020 – 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

102: Michelle Dudash, RDN: Low-Carb Mediterranean Jul 29, 2021

The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest diets on the planet. It’s rich in fruits and vegetables, olive oil, seafood, nuts, and beans, and it makes good nutrition a pleasure to eat. But what about bread and pasta? Are they AOK to eat as well? Join me on today’s show with guest, Michelle Dudash, RDN as we tackle questions about carbs, kids, and how to enjoy a Mediterranean-style diet with the carbs you love … but fewer of them.

Michelle Dudash is an award-winning registered dietitian nutritionist, Cordon Bleu certified chef, a TV personality, and the founder of Dash Dinners Spice Kits. She’s the author of the top-selling Clean Eating for Busy Families, which was featured back in Episode 53. Michelle shares the benefits of a low-carb Mediterranean diet with recipes and tips from her newest cookbook, The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook: Quick and Easy High-Protein, Low-Sugar, Healthy-Fat Recipes for Lifelong Health. We are discussing a few recipes from the book, including Simmered Tahini Chicken and an unbelievably decadent dessert recipe that is low in carbs.

Show Highlights:

Michelle’s life in Indiana as the mom of two daughters and a regular on local and national TV ; she spends her time in recipe development, cookbook writing, and designing her spice kit dinners
How Michelle’s Lebanese heritage gave her a love for a varied diet of Mediterranean foods that explores different cultures and new foods
Why kibbeh was a childhood favorite for Michelle; it’s a traditional dish made with ground meat, seasonings, and bulgur wheat
How carbs fuel our bodies with energy
Why kids need carbs and parents want options
Michelle’s new book: a mix of recipes of different types with readily available ingredients
Michelle’s favorite recipe in the book: Grilled Chicken Gyro Lettuce Wraps, which are made with chicken thighs marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, garlic, thyme, oregano, and salt and pepper--then served with a tahini sauce or cucumber yogurt sauce
From the book: Simmered Tahini Chicken-- made with chicken tenders sauteed in olive oil and combined with onion, garlic, chicken broth, tahini, lemon juice, and soy sauce; to serve, top them with Greek yogurt and freshly chopped herbs
Michelle’s daughters’ favorites from the new book are Fruit Tarts and Mini Molten Chocolate Cakes
Michelle’s Berry Tart with Almond Flour Crust is made with butter, honey, cinnamon, salt, dark chocolate, mascarpone cheese, and topped with fresh berries
Healthy salads in the book include a Lebanese classic made with iceberg or Bibb lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and a dressing made with lemon juice, mint, olive oil, and salt; the other salad is made with kale, blueberries, feta cheese, walnuts, and a basic vinaigrette
Michelle’s experience in Croatia with a delicious adult beverage made from sparkling rosé with fresh herbs, elderflower liqueur, orange zest, and grapefruit-flavored sparkling water
Michelle’s advice for one change you can make for better health: “Plan a family meal and sit down to enjoy it together.”

Resources:

We're giving away a copy of The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook: Quick and Easy High-Protein, Low-Sugar, Healthy-Fat Recipes for Lifelong Health. Leave a comment below telling me about your favorite Mediterranean recipe, a Mediterranean recipe you'd love to have lightened up, and/or why you'd love to win a copy. I'll pick one lucky winner at noon on August 11th.

Michelle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelledudash/

Michelle on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleDudashRD/

Michelle's website: https://www.michelledudash.com/

101: African American Cooking with Sadé Meeks, MS, RD Jul 14, 2021

On today’s show, I'm joined by Sadé Meeks, MS, RD to discuss the evolution of African American cuisine in the U.S.; the foods that define this creative cuisine; the vegetables and staple crops that have been an integral part of the African American table (hint: okra, sweet potatoes, kale, and corn.); how nutrition professionals can honor the traditional foodways of African Americans while emphasizing nutrition; and how African American cuisine continues to evolve.

My guest is Sadé Meeks, MS, RD, a food activist and registered dietitian who was born and raised in Mississippi. She is the founder of GRITS (Growing Resilience in the South) with the mission to improve the health and well-being of communities through increased awareness of nutrition, food history, and culture.

On the show, Sadé shares the history of African American cooking, traditional foods of the enslaved and how many of those foodways continue today, and she explains how to make small changes to traditional recipes to honor ingredients and flavors while reducing saturated fat and sodium. Together, we also talk about a few recipes you'll definitely want to try including Smoky Collards and Shrimp and Grits.

Show Highlights:

Get to know Sadé, her big Mississippi family, and why she pursued degrees in dietetics and food science
How GRITS helps bridge the gap between nutrition and culture
The need for cultural competence in nutrition and food science
Highlights of African-American cuisine as the slaves brought their food habits to America
How slaves’ diets differed according to the regions they inhabited
How true African-American cuisine relies on plant-based meals, one-pot meals, and the pairing of a starch, sauce, and protein, like Shrimp and Grits
How the history of fried foods and pork developed in the African-American community as a matter of necessity
The story of soul food as an affirmation of the resourcefulness of African-Americans and their meager rations
How Sadé learned about cooking as she grew up
The importance of small changes in eating a healthier diet, especially in seasonings and cooking methods
Sadé’s Smoky Collards, made with onion, garlic, vegetable stock, smoked paprika, seasoned salt, cayenne pepper, and a touch of brown sugar
Shrimp and Grits: how the grits are cooked in chicken stock and milk with added salt, pepper, butter, and cheddar cheese; the shrimp is seasoned with Cajun seasoning and paprika, and baby spinach is added at the end
How Sadé combines her favorite cheesecake with Red Velvet Cake for a delectable dessert

Resources:

www.gritsinc.org

Grow with the Flow podcast

Find Sadé on Instagram: @SadeMeeks

100: Healthy Aging from Your Head to Your Toes with Liz Weiss, MS, RDN and Love One Today Jun 30, 2021

For today’s 100th episode of Liz’s Healthy Table, I chose a topic that’s near and dear to my heart: Healthy Aging: From Your Head to Your Toes. The Fountain of Youth does not exist, but as you’ll learn on this week’s show, by placing certain foods at the center of our tables and living an active and vibrant life, we can help to set ourselves up for aging gracefully with a spring in our step and a twinkle in our eye.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Fresh Avocados – Love One Today®, a leading source of the healthiest reasons and tastiest ways to enjoy fresh avocados. A science-based resource, it provides recipes and articles to help make it easy for consumers and health professionals to learn more about the nutritional benefits of fresh avocados and ways to include them in everyday menus.

Show Highlights:

A discussion on nutrient density (a food that provides substantial amounts of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and other nutrients with relatively few calories.)
Avocados are nutrient dense. One serving (1/3 of a medium avocado) has 80 calories and contributes nearly 20 vitamins and minerals.
Avocados contain 6 grams naturally good unsaturated fats per serving, and that fat acts as a nutrient booster in the body helping to increase the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, K, and E.
An explanation of cognitive health and how diet and physical activity can play a role.
Why the antioxidant, lutein, may play a role in cognition and eye health, plus food sources (kale, spinach, eggs, avocados).
A 2019 study of 40 healthy, older adults that looked at how consuming one avocado a day for 6 months impacted cognition.
How following certain lifestyle habits, including the MIND Diet, can influence health.
Two recipes shared: Avocado and Tuna Niçoise Salad (hyperlink to be added when available) and Avocado Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies.
The best way to pick, ripen, and store fresh avocados.
How I’ve been adding more physical activity into my daily life… and why!

99: The Blue Zones with Nick Buettner Jun 16, 2021

In today’s show, we’re exploring the blue zones, rare longevity hotspots worldwide where people are thriving into their 100s. Where are these hot spots, and who are these people who have discovered the secrets to living longer, better lives?

Nick Buettner is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, award-winning journalist and producer, and NYT bestselling author. He has spent the past 20 years leading expeditions across six continents around the world, with three of these trips being to the world’s “blue zones.” These are places with longer-than-normal life expectancy and where more people reach age 100 than anywhere else in the world. Nick worked with his brother, Dan, National Geographic, and a team of longevity researchers to identify and explore these pockets of the world where people are living longer lives. In his current role as the VP of Product for The Blue Zones Project, Nick is responsible for taking the Blue Zone longevity lessons to communities across the US. The Project supports well-being initiatives that apply lessons from the Blue Zones to entire communities by focusing on changes to the local environment, public policy, and social networks. The Blue Zone Project uses evidence-informed, sustainable transformations with people, places, and policies to make the healthy choice the easy choice. To date, the Blue Zone Project has empowered over 5 million people to live longer, better lives.

Show Highlights:

Get to know world-traveler Nick, who is from Minnesota but has traveled to 45 countries and 48 states in the US
The Blue Zones: What are they?
How Nick and his brother, Dan, became interested in finding and identifying these places where mortality rates and disease rates are down, and longevity rates are higher
The five demographically confirmed Blue Zones: Okinawa, Japan; Icaria, Greece; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California
Common denominators in the Blue Zones that boost longevity and help people age healthfully:
- Daily movement and activity in natural ways
- Simple stress-reducing techniques, like prayer, naps, ancestor veneration, and gathering with friends and family
- A strong sense of purpose throughout all of life
- Wine, in moderation, as part of celebrations and family gatherings
- Mostly plant-based diets with smaller portion sizes
- Lower caloric intake
- A focus on family and love throughout life
- A strong sense of faith
- Healthy friends who support healthy behaviors
How Nick is bringing Blue Zone living to US communities with policy change, purpose, accessible and affordable healthy food systems, policies to reduce tobacco use, lower obesity rates, engagement among citizens to eliminate isolation, and healthier places to live, work, pray, and play
How Nick collects data, does research, formulates policies and outcomes, and rallies people in forming committees to achieve common goals
How we can eat a more Blue Zone-like diet by reducing meat portions, adding more vegetables, and using beans consistently for protein
Nick’s favorite recipe in The Blue Zones Kitchen: Sardinia Minestrone--and the amazing family story behind this recipe
Why people in the Blue Zones have a different perspective on eating carbohydrates
How Nick has learned the importance of gardening from his time in the Blue Zones
How exercise and movement, social engagement, and healthy foods have contributed to lower rates of dementia in the Blue Zones, along with a special tea made with dandelion, oregano, and thyme
Five things we can do to live a “Blue Zone life”:
- Set up your environment to make the healthy choice easier
- Be a dependable, supportive, and attentive friend
- Have intentionality around your sleep habits
- De-convenience your life so that you take extra steps throughout the day
- Volunteer to use your skills and passions to give back to your community
How kids in Blue Zones eat with their families and eat the same foods as the adults--and are healthier than kids in the US
Nick’s advice for eating like you live in a Blue Zone: “Eat food that’s good for you, tastes good, is easy to prepare, and is affordable.”

Resources:

https://www.bluezones.com

98: Ekua Walker, NP: Raising Resilient Kids and Nurturing Families During the Pandemic and Beyond Jun 03, 2021

On this week’s show, we’re talking about raising resilient kids and nurturing families during the pandemic and beyond. We can accomplish this with help from good nutrition, healthy eating habits, regular mealtime routines, and help from today’s guest.

Ekua Walker is a pediatric child development nurse and CEO (chief encouragement officer) who lives and practices in the San Francisco Bay area. Ekua works with families of young children and teens with a range of challenges, including ADHD, communication delays, and disabilities that impact learning. She is board-certified in primary care pediatrics; she also hosts the phenomenal podcast, Moms Changing the World, where moms of all kinds from all over the world find encouragement, tools, and inspiration to raise world-changers, one child at a time, one day at a time. In today’s show, we’ll discuss the importance of established routines, helping kids stay focused, and re-establishing social skills, along with how good nutrition and routines can help with anxiety. Let’s learn more about how we can change the world with good nutrition and strong families.

Show Highlights:

Ekua’s life in the Bay area, where she works in a large specialty pediatrics practice, partnering with parents for the treatment and management of many problems for kids; she’s the mom to two girls, ages 7 and 10, hosts her podcast, and loves Zumba
What’s come out of the disruption of routines due to the pandemic
The mental health impact of the pandemic for children and young people
How we can use coping strategies like mindfulness and awareness and making space for the feelings
How parents can be the calming influence when a kid’s stress level is escalating
Why children need their parents to “just be there” above all else, even in the middle of stressful situations
Why downtime and rest are necessities for kids and adults
One habit that helps promote attention and focus is single-tasking instead of multitasking
What family meals look like at Ekua’s house
Ekua’s family background as immigrants from Ghana; her culture has carried over into her cooking
The importance of sleep for focus; manage light and screens and use natural sources of melatonin
How cooking together with kids can be a powerful teaching tool and help develop their social skills
Anxiety: what it is, how it’s common to people of all ages, and foods that can help
Ekua’s podcast, in which she talks to moms who are changing the world in interesting ways

Resources:

www.momschangingtheworld.org

Moms Changing the World - Podcast

https://www.momschangingtheworld.org/episodes

Moms Changing the World (private group on Facebook -- anyone can join)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/320775455777462

97: Eat Like a Flexitarian...With a Side of Joy with DJ Blatner, RDN May 19, 2021

On this week’s show, we are adding flexibility and joy to the meals you feed yourself and your family. Join us to learn how to balance your plate with foods that still allow fun and freedom instead of leaving you burdened and oppressed by dietary restrictions.

Dawn Jackson (DJ) Blatner is a fellow registered dietitian and author of The Flexitarian Diet: 100 Quick and Delicious Recipes and The Superfood Swap: The 4-Week Program to Eat What You Crave Without the C.R.A.P. DJ is a certified specialist in sports dietetics and on the advisory board of Shape magazine. She’s also a celebrity diet consultant for People magazine and a trusted expert who appears regularly on local and national media outlets such as Good Morning America. DJ starred in and won the primetime, weight-loss reality ABC TV show, My Diet is Better Than Yours. She owns a nutrition consulting and communications business with a focus on real food, more fun, and no BS. DJ is a proud Chicagoan who admits to a healthy obsession with jumping rope. In today’s show, you’ll learn why a flexitarian diet is the eating style you may want to adopt, and we’ll share a bunch of recipes to curb your cravings for sugar and bring super nutrition to your table. Join us!

Show Highlights:

Getting to know DJ, who has been married for 17 years and is stepmom to Christian; she loves her hometown of Chicago
How the pandemic spurred DJ to jump rope, which she loves
DJ’s Nutrition WOW (Words of Wisdom) that come through an email every Monday
How brand work gets DJ’s creative juices flowing
Why DJ believes that fun and joy are critical elements of success in life
How to balance your plate with your “wild child” and your “health nut” in mind every time you eat
“Flexitarian”--a plant-based, vegetarian-ish eating style that doesn’t cut anything out, where meat becomes a condiment-sized part of the meal that can be swapped out for a plant protein
One of DJ’s favorite recipes: Nutty Brown Rice, which is made with chopped nuts, green onion, and an egg
DJ’s Chickpea Flatbread with Tahini Sauce, which is made with chickpea flour, water, and olive oil; cook it like a pancake
How tahini (made with ground sesame seeds) pairs great with yogurt and lemon to make great sauces
DJ’s BBQ Chicken Bowl, which is made with canned beans cooked in a skillet with BBQ sauce (but it can be made without the chicken!)
How to use beans and themes in swapping out meat for plant protein by adding taco seasoning, pesto, or lemon juice and herbs
DJ’s tips for adding fun to meals and reducing stress in meal planning
How to break up with sugar but “own it like a boss” when you decide to enjoy a treat; DJ says it’s all about the situation and the energy with which we eat it
DJ’s tips for dealing with picky eaters: Use the calendar to allow each person to pick the family meal and respectfully try to enjoy everyone’s choices. Also, have a snack list on the refrigerator of what’s in stock
What’s next for DJ?
Final words from DJ: “Wake up and show up. Do the work in front of you with joyful enthusiasm, and stay open to all possibilities.”

Resources:

Website:

djblatner.com

IG: @djblatner

Liz Weiss

Author, Color, Cook, Eat! coloring book series

Website: Liz's Healthy Table

Listen to my Podcast

Read my Blog

96: COVID-19, Food Safety, and Your Questions Answered with Ben Chapman, PhD May 05, 2021

We’ve been living with the pandemic for over a year. How in the world have we survived? There has been much confusion about doing simple things like going to the grocery store and eating out. My guest, Dr. Ben Chapman, is here with the latest on food safety and COVID. He’s answering our most pressing questions about the virus and teaching us the basics that we need to know. I hope today’s show will help you feel more comfortable and better prepared for that next grocery shopping trip or an excursion to get takeout food.

Dr. Ben Chapman is a professor and Food Safety Extension Specialist at NC State University. He studies pathogens and public health with the goal of less foodborne illness. He has a BS in Molecular Biology and Genetics and a Master’s and Ph.D. in Plant Agriculture. Ben’s team at NC State is involved in a cool project called FoodCoVNET, which provides evidence-based information designed to alleviate all of our fears about the food supply and community spread of the virus.

Show Highlights:

Get to know Ben, his work, and his family: Originally from Toronto, Ben has been at NC State University for 13 years; he lives in Raleigh, NC, with his two kids and his wife, who works in home design
Ben’s research and work on how people prepare food in the interest of food safety
Ben’s podcasts, Food Safety Talk and Risky or Not
The website, FoodCoVNET, which is a one-stop-shop for information and answers to our questions about food and COVID
The basics of mucous, spit, virus transmission, and the dangers of inhaling “shared air”
How noroviruses and salmonella differ from COVID in the ways they are transmitted and contracted
Why respiratory viruses like the common cold, influenza, and others don’t usually cause infection through food consumption
If you can catch the common cold by touching a germy shopping cart, why can’t you catch COVID by touching something?
Are we over-sanitizing?
If a waitress or kitchen staff coughs on your plate and food and then hands it to you, can you get sick?
Do we need to wipe down our groceries before we bring them into our home?
Does COVID-19 behave like salmonella and other food pathogens?
Is our continual sanitizing just “hygiene theater,” or will the sanitizing of public spaces continue?
How much of a risk is it to have food made by others at a group gathering?
Are the new mutations able to spread more easily by contact instead of air? Will the new variants make it safe to get takeout?
Is there any difference between eating outdoors and indoors when dining out? Once we’re all vaccinated, will it be safer to eat indoors again?
Should we call restaurants and ask what their practices are to prevent the spread of COVID?
What is happening in the meat industry that we can feel good about how and where our food is produced?
Final words on food safety and COVID: “The biggest risk in this pandemic is being around other people and shared air. These are the things that we know lead to illnesses and problems around the world. The normal everyday food safety guidelines like cleaning and sanitizing after food handling and keeping our hands clean and sanitized will go a long way in reducing our risk even further.”

Resources:

www.foodcov.net

https://foodsafety.ces.ncsu.edu

Ben's Podcasts:

http://foodsafetytalk.com

https://www.riskyornot.co

facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/SafePlatesFSIC/

Ben on Social Media:

Twitter

@benjaminchapman

@foodcovnet

@safeplatesFSIC

Instagram

@barfblogben

@foodcovnet

@safeplatesfsic

Blog:

Barfblog.com

95: Cuban Cooking: YUM! with Lourdes Castro, MS, RDN Apr 21, 2021

COVID may be restricting our travel, but you can join me today on a food adventure to Cuba, a beautiful and exciting place that I’ve always wanted to visit. We are talking about all things Cuban cooking, so join us to learn more!

Lourdes Castro is a fellow dietitian and cookbook author, and the co-author of a brand new cookbook, Cuba Cooks. She shares insights to traditional Cuban cuisine and what you might find if you travel across this island in the Caribbean. We’ll discuss delicious recipes that you will want to try, like Cuban Rice and Beans, Citrus Marinated Chicken, Seared Romaine Hearts, and Quick Pickled Onions.

Show Highlights:

Get to know Lourdes and learn about her life growing up in Miami and her work in Brooklyn as the Director of the NYU Food Lab, where she teaches food science and nutrition
How COVID has given Lourdes a richer toolbox with which to teach students via Zoom
How Cuban family meals revolve around beans, rice, tropical fruits, and fish, but are very “benign” in many ways and not as varied as we might assume
How traditional Cuban foods are full of sweet, sour, and tangy flavors from a combination of Spanish, African, and Chinese influences
How Cuban food is MUCH more than rice and beans and Cuban sandwiches
How Cuban pizza became popular in the 1970s
How Lourdes’ parents reacted to her visit to their Cuban homeland with her mother
Lourdes’ recipe for Cuban Rice and Beans starts with garlic, olive oil, onion, and green peppers. Cumin, oregano, and rice are added and sauteed. Canned black beans with their liquid are added with water, and the dish cooks for 45 minutes. For full flavor and color, let the dish sit for about an hour before serving. (Use medium or long-grain rice, and other beans can be substituted.)
Lourdes’ recipe for Citrus Marinated Chicken starts with a Mojo-like blend of olive oil, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, oregano, cumin, and salt and pepper. Puree in a blender and marinate for 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator. Cook the chicken quickly in a skillet for a beautiful caramelization.
With Citrus Marinated Chicken, Lourdes serves Seared Romaine Hearts sprinkled with seared lime juice and Pickled Onion, which is simply thinly sliced red onion marinated in red wine vinegar.

Resources:

Giveaway: Cuba Cooks by Lourdes Castro and Guillermo Pernot

Post a comment below and tell me about your favorite Cuban recipe or the best Cuban restaurant you've been to, or tell me why you'd like to win a copy of this cookbook.

Website: http://lourdescastro.net/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lourdes.castro.rdn/

Culinary Nutrition Collaborative (how Liz and Lourdes met): https://www.culinarynutritioncollaborative.com/

94: Living a Vibrant Life with Amanda Haas Apr 07, 2021

What is the secret to eating well, feeling great, and staying vibrant through midlife and beyond? Don’t we all want to know? Join us for kitchen inspiration to boost your wellness!

Amanda Haas is a bestselling cookbook author, instructor, and mom to two teenage sons. She’s the voice behind the website and blog, Amanda Haas Cooks. She’s a past test kitchen manager at Williams-Sonoma and the author of several cookbooks, including her latest, The Vibrant Life.

Amanda’s motto is: “I make food that tastes so good, you don’t even realize it’s good for you.” She’s a foodie after my own heart! You’ll hear all kinds of inspiration for delicious meals and a healthy life, including Amanda’s recipe for Fall Quinoa Salad and Coconut Ginger Sea Bass in Parchment. Join us!

Show Highlights:

Amanda’s life in northern CA with two teenage boys, who are BIG eaters
What family dinner looks like in Amanda’s house
Amanda’s career journey from cooking school, writing cookbooks and being the culinary director at Williams-Sonoma
Amanda’s go-to chimichurri sauce made with cilantro, parsley, basil, mint, olive oil, garlic, shallots, lime/lemon juice, and dijon mustard
Why Amanda’s book includes self-care practices for midlife and beyond, along with many other helpful topics to raise awareness about feeling great
Why Amanda went gluten-free because of chronic health issues and increasing pain
Amanda’s advice: “Educate yourself and realize that there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.”
Amanda’s Fall Quinoa Salad made with a lemon vinaigrette, arugula, roasted butternut squash, toasted pepitas, golden raisins, and tarragon
How tarragon is underused and underappreciated
Why herbs are a great way to get kids used to “eating green”
Amanda’s Coconut Ginger Sea Bass in Parchment made with sesame oil, tamari, coconut milk, lime, ginger, garlic, honey, mushrooms, bok choy, green onion, and sesame seeds (You can substitute salmon, halibut, or other firm fish.)
Amanda’s favorite dessert recipe for Panna Cotta with coconut milk, matcha, berries, and sesame seeds
What’s next for Amanda?

Giveaway:

We are giving away one copy of The Vibrant Life to a lucky U.S. winner. For a chance to enter to win, post a comment in the Comments section at the end of this post, and tell me about why you want to win the book or the recipe you turn to time and time again that makes you feel good and gives you a sense of vitality. I'll pick the winner on April 21st. For extra entries, head to my Instagram page.

Find Amanda:

YouTube

Instagram

Facebook

Visit her website: www.amandahaascooks.com

93: Easy Cooking for Two with Jenna Braddock, MSH, RDN, CSSD Mar 24, 2021

If you’re like me, a recent empty-nester, or perhaps newly married or cooking for just yourself and a partner, you may be frustrated with the task of cooking for two. If you’ve been accustomed to cooking for several people, you might be horrified at the food waste when it’s just the two of you. Today’s guest has all the bases covered with helpful tips and kitchen inspiration for cooking for two.

Jenna Braddock is a registered dietitian and certified Sports Dietetics specialist who lives in Florida with her husband and two kids. She hosts the blog, Make Healthy Easy, and her new cookbook is Easy Cooking for Two: 75 Perfectly Portioned Recipes. In today’s show, you’ll hear Jenna’s advice for stocking a pantry for cooking for two and not a crowd. Do you wonder how to keep herbs fresh when you buy a big bunch but only need a handful? Jenna has the answer! We will discuss the benefits of cooking for two regarding less food waste and delicious recipes from Jenna’s book, like Adobo Turkey Tacos, Warm Quinoa Salad, and Mango Salsa Pork Chops.

Show Highlights:

Get to know Jenna and her life in St. Augustine with her football coach husband and two young sons; it’s a football-filled life!
Tips for group gatherings for teenagers (think about salads and fresh fruit)
What dinner looks like at Jenna’s house
Why Jenna started her blog, Make Healthy Easy, which is food-focused with do-able and delicious recipes
How Jenna’s cookbook provides the perfect solution for those who don’t want to cook large meals
How cooking for two helps eliminate food waste
The benefits of cooking for two include experimenting with different ingredients and recipes and avoiding the “condiment graveyard” in your refrigerator and pantry
How Jenna’s cookbook is structured with vegetarian/vegan recipes, lighter fare, seafood, poultry, pork, and beef
Tips on how to make fresh herbs last longer so they don’t end up in the trash
One of Jenna’s kids’ favorite recipes: Taco Bowl with refried beans, beef, cheese, tortillas, and toppings
How we can rethink grocery shopping to accommodate cooking for two
Jenna’s Adobo Turkey Nachos, which are made with diced onions, broccoli slaw, ground turkey, and adobo seasoning
How using key spice blends keep you from needing a ton of in
Jenna’s recipe for Warm Quinoa Salad, which is made with quinoa, wilted and chopped spinach, frozen edamame, red wine vinegar, and dried cherries
How Jenna’s Sheet Pan Shrimp Bowls use frozen rice as an ingredient
Why freezer section fruits, veggies, and grains are perfect for easy and nutritious recipes for two
Jenna’s recipe for Mango Salsa Pork Chops uses boneless pork loin chops and a salsa made with chopped mango, jalapeno, red onion, and lime juice
Jenna’s husband’s favorite recipe is Chile Lime Pork Chops, which are seasoned with chipotle chile powder, lime juice, and salt
Jenna’s favorite family go-to recipe is Apricot Chicken with Spinach Rice; she uses two boneless, skinless thighs from a frozen bag of chicken thighs and makes a pan sauce of apricot preserves and balsamic vinegar

Resources:

Giveaway:

We are giving away a copy of Easy Cooking for Two: 75 Perfectly Portioned Recipes to one lucky U.S. winner. For a chance to enter to win, post a comment in the Comments section at the end of this post and tell me about why you want to win the book or your favorite recipe for two. I'll pick the winner on April 7th.

Find Jenna on the web:

https://jennabraddock.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/make.healthy.easy/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakeHealthyEasy/

Easy Cooking for Two on Amazon

92: California Vegan with Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN Mar 10, 2021

Today we are taking a journey to the sunny state of California. My friend and fellow dietitian, Sharon Palmer, aka The Plant-Powered Dietitian, will share news about her brand new cookbook, California Vegan.

Sharon Palmer is one of the country’s top experts on plant-based nutrition and sustainability. California’s plant-based vibe stems from the colorful and incredible variety of produce available year-round, the infusion of global culinary influences from around the world, a Mediterranean climate, and a fresh and innovative attitude about food. You’ll hear about plant-forward and vegan eating, Sharon’s favorite vegan recipes from her book, including the Mediterranean Tofu in Parchment recipe that I made for dinner last night. We’ll give helpful vegan cooking techniques, and Sharon has the answers for your vegan cooking dilemmas. We’ll discuss how you can embrace a vegan diet whether you live in California, Boston, or anywhere in-between. You’ll also find out what Sharon is growing in her diverse and ever-changing fruit and vegetable garden.

Show Highlights:

The backstory of Sharon’s life in California as a wife and mother of two who (amazingly) blogs every day
How Sharon defines plant-based eating
How Sharon describes Ojai, CA, as a paradise known for small farms, citrus fruit, and avocados
What’s growing in Sharon’s garden and orchard right now
What to expect in Sharon’s new book, California Vegan
How plant-based eating originated in the US in California, thanks to the hippie and health nut influences
Sharon’s family history of growing up in a vegetarian household
Reasons why a plant-based diet is a healthier way to eat to lower the risk of many diseases and disorders, besides lowering the environmental footprint
Sharon’s favorite recipe from her book: Pomegranate Faro Bowl, made with pomegranate seeds, faro, mandarin oranges, cucumbers, and an herbed almond yogurt dressing
Sharon’s trick for getting seeds out of the pomegranate
Sharon’s recipe for Tofu in Parchment, made with cherry tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and capers
How to adapt plant-based recipes for just one or two people by using versatile ingredients
How to incorporate more protein into healthy vegan meals
Why soy milk is Sharon’s choice for superior nutrition in a plant-based milk
How to get your family on board with eating less meat
Vegan cooking techniques regarding egg replacements and aquafaba (also an egg replacement)
Sharon’s favorite veggie burger recipes in the cookbook: Sweet Potato Sorghum Burgers and Chipotle Black Bean Burgers
Sharon’s best vegan meals in California and around the world
Why plant-based eating can fit into everyone’s budget
Why beans are the least expensive protein source and the most versatile ingredient of plant-based meals

Resources:

GIVEAWAY NEWS: We are giving away a copy of California Vegan to one lucky U.S. winner. Post a comment in the comments section below, and tell us about your favorite vegan recipes. I'll pick the lucky winner on March 24th.

California Vegan: Learn more on Sharon’s website

How to Make Aquafaba

Natural plant-based egg replacements

Sweet Potato Sorghum Veggie Burger

SharonPalmer.com

Twitter: @SharonPalmerRD

Instagram: @SharonPalmerRD

Facebook: @SharonPalmerThePlantPoweredDietitian

91: The Food and Nutrition Q&A Show with Liz Weiss, MS, RDN Feb 17, 2021

A fews weeks ago, I sent a survey to my readers and listeners asking all sorts of questions including: What's your biggest food or nutrition challenge, question, or concern? The comments came flooding in, and on today's podcast, I answer and address them. With help from my Boston University intern, Jordan Ball, this episode covers everything from meal planning and confusion over carbs to tips for getting quick and healthy meals on the table and strategies for cutting added sugar from the diet. . This show is action packed!

I’m joined by my trusty sidekick, Jordan Ball, a Boston University nutrition grad student who is my intern. Jordan recently helped me create a reader survey where people shared their biggest food challenges and questions. Jordan has organized the questions, so she will ask them, and I’ll answer, but we will be sure to get her opinion, too. We will address everything from meal-planning tips to questions about carbs, along with ways to get your teens excited about eating vegetables and healthy family dinner ideas when you’re pressed for time.

Show Highlights:

Get to know Jordan better: she’s in the second year of a three-year program and wants to combine clinical work with a private practice as a dietitian; she currently tries out her cooking skills on her fiance
How do I manage to include fruits and vegetables in a busy life?
- Buy pre-sliced produce, use canned or frozen incorporated into everyday meals, and consider batch prepping fresh vegetables to use in quick dishes.
Is it advised to hide vegetables in recipes rather than be honest with a picky eater?
- Rather than hide them, incorporate vegetables into pancakes, smoothies, sauces, etc., and get the kids involved in meal planning and cooking.
If you have a picky eater who only eats fruit, is that cause for concern?
- Aim for a variety of fruits, and try “food chaining” techniques.
Is it bad to sneak veggies into family meals--when they just want pizza?
- Get the family involved in shopping for vegetables and preparing meals; try dips with familiar foods and vegetables, and try smoothies and pizza with veggies.
What is the healthiest way to prepare vegetables? Are they better for you raw?
- Any way is fine because each vegetable counts; remember that fats help with the absorption of nutrients from vegetables.
What are new, healthy, fast, tasty weeknight dinner ideas, along with interesting and quick lunch ideas?
- Utilize leftovers for easy lunches the next day; try “build-your-own” power bowls with assorted items.
How can I prep my weekly meals on the weekend when I have more time?
- Use meal planning and prepping for a couple hours on Sunday; slice and dice produce and pre-package them in the refrigerator for later in the week.
Do you have suggestions for nutritious after-school snacks or post-workout small dinners?
- Smoothies (use almond or dairy milk, nut butter, banana, protein powder or Greek yogurt, blueberries, and cocoa powder), quesadillas (cheese, black beans, leftover veggies, and salsa), peanut butter sandwich with sliced banana or apple, or sliced veggies with various Greek yogurt or hummus dips.
What are some quick, nutritional meal ideas?
- Pasta with meatballs and sauce, pre-made salad, roasted broccoli, tuna/salmon cakes, and veggie burgers.
Are meal delivery services worth the money?
- They are pricey and contain a lot of wasteful packaging, but they are an easy option to get kids involved in planning meals and cooking.
How does batch cooking work?
- It’s easy to do with friends (in non-COVID times) and allows you to put meals in the freezer for later days; most recipes are easy to double and freeze for later.
What can I throw together when I’m tired and haven’t planned ahead?
- One idea is frozen butternut squash cubes cooked in a saucepan, then blended with shredded cheese to make a sauce for baked potatoes, nachos, pasta, and roasted broccoli.
How do I plan meals with variety that everyone will eat?
- Try “build-your-own” nights with tacos, chili, and pizza with assorted toppings.
What are tips for cooking for someone with a sensitive stomach?
- Try the Low FODMAP diet foods. (See Resources)
How do I get off sugar?
- Cut down on sugar amounts in recipes; use raisins, dates, and apricots in recipes; and always read the labels for added sugar.
How do I get my family to eat less meat?
- Use leaner cuts of meat, but make vegetables and whole grains the stars of the meal; don’t be afraid to try meat substitutes.
How do I cut carbs and use less sugar?
- Watch out for refined carbs; you can also pair grains with dried fruits, nuts, roasted vegetables, and fresh herbs, and mix riced cauliflower or broccoli with regular rice.
What can I do if I want to try new and interesting vegetables that aren’t nightshades?
- Try bok choy, roasted brussels sprouts or cauliflower, asparagus and snap peas, green beans, and sliced cucumbers and carrots with dips.
What are some healthy fats that make good snacks?
- Try pumpkin, chia, and hemp seeds; other options are olives, tahini, salmon, eggs, and nut butters.
How much meat is OK to eat, and which varieties are best?
- Go for variety, and remember that the recommendation is 5.5-6.0 ounces per day for the average adult.
What is the difference between probiotics and prebiotics?
- Probiotics are the good bacteria in your gut that have a healthy benefit; prebiotics are foods that feed probiotics; fiber is the best prebiotic, so go for fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
What are some healthy smoothie recipes?
- Liz’s favorite green smoothie recipe: ¾ to 1 c. 100% orange juice, ½ c. plain or vanilla Greek yogurt, 1 c. baby spinach, 3-4 mint leaves, a 2-in. Piece of English cucumber, ½ c. frozen mango or pineapple, and ½ banana. You can drizzle honey or agave if you want, and kiwi and fresh ginger are optional add-ins.
What are some unique ways to incorporate fiber into each meal?
- Try adding avocado, raspberries, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grain cereals, apples, and pears.
Why are people so into organics and non-GMO foods? Are they worth it?
- If it’s a food you eat a lot of, then you might want to pay more for the organic variety; remember that non-GMO and GMO foods have the same nutritional value.
What is the very best hard-boiled egg method?
- Liz’s version: Bring one inch of water to boil in a saucepan and place your eggs in a steamer basket into the water. Lower the heat and simmer for 14-15 minutes. Remove from heat and run cold water over the pot in the sink. Let cool for 5 minutes and then peel under cool running water. Perfect eggs every time!

Resources:

Podcast episodes on

- IBS and the Low FODMAP Diet

Blog post: 12 Ways to Get Your Teens to Eat Vegetables Happily

90: The Power of Potatoes with Amy Myrdal Miller, MS, RDN Feb 03, 2021

Today’s show is all about one of my favorite comfort foods: potatoes. They are versatile, affordable, nutritious, and delicious. In fact, my new passion this winter is Hasselback Potatoes. Join us!

Joining me for “all things spuds” is fellow culinary dietitian Amy Myrdal Miller, a farmer’s daughter, public speaker, author, and president of Farmer’s Daughter Consulting. Together, we will tell you all about potato nutrition, give you potato recipes galore, and explain why potatoes are the perfect gateway for getting other vegetables into your diet. For example, how about a potato bar with crispy Brussels sprouts or crispy shallots? The sky's the limit when it comes to potatoes!

Show Highlights:

Get to know Amy and her life in CA, running her consulting business and living with her husband and naughty kittens
Why Amy, the farm girl from North Dakota, became a dietitian after her childhood diabetes diagnosis
How potatoes fit into world cuisine, with possible origins in South America
Most common potato varieties include Idaho, Yukon Gold, Fingerling, and Red Bliss (there are over 200 varieties in the US alone!)
A few varieties that are well-suited for specific cooking techniques are Colomba, Sifra, Mozart, Mulberry Beauty, and Rickey Russet
Dispelling the myth of “potato shame,” potatoes are rich in nutrients like vitamin C, potassium (more than a banana!), and fiber and antioxidants (in the skin)
How to use potatoes with other veggies as diverse toppings
Why many families are turning to potatoes as a staple during the pandemic
Amy’s favorite mashed potatoes are a Yukon Gold-type with milk steeped with fresh rosemary; she also likes a preparation with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and pepper, or perhaps milk, sour cream, and cheese
How nutrition-packed potatoes compare to rice and pasta as a dinner side dish
Liz and Amy compete in a recipe smackdown to name different potato dishes and applications--with over 20 ideas in 60 seconds!
Amy’s favorite potato recipe is a childhood favorite: boiled and buttered baby potatoes with fresh dill
Liz’s easy prep for Potato Latkes made with pre-baked potatoes
How silver linings during the pandemic have shown up with more family cooking and family connections
How efficiency in water requirements, growing conditions, and space requirements have made potatoes the 4th most popular crop grown around the world

Resources:

A Genius Method for Making Latkes (by Joan Nathan): https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/04/dining/hanukkah-latke-recipe.html

Potato Wonder: https://www.potatowonder.com/

Potato varieties and breeding: HZPC

https://www.hzpc.com/

Potato Goodness (a great resource for potato nutrition, storage, preparation): https://www.potatogoodness.com/

Potato recipe roundup (TBD ... Liz to add)

Liz's Podcast Posse. Join the closed Facebook group!

Hasselback potato slicer on Amazon

89: A New Vision for Healthy Eating in 2021 with Maya Feller, MS, RD Jan 22, 2021

Today’s show covers many different aspects of food nutrition. We are honing in on a new vision for healthy eating in 2021. Join us!

Maya Feller is a registered dietitian and nutritionist from www.mayafellernutrition.com. She is a nationally recognized nutrition expert and author of The Southern Comfort Food Diabetes Cookbook, which features over 100 healthy and delicious recipes. As if her life isn’t busy enough, Maya also works as an adjunct professor at NYU. She joins me today with approachable nutrition solutions and a new perspective on how all of us can eat a healthy diet during the pandemic and beyond.

What you won’t hear today are diet prescriptions, strict rules, and weight loss advice. Instead, we’re looking at nutrition through a slightly different lens. We will discuss how systemic racism drives inequities in healthcare, access to healthy foods, and healthy outcomes, along with what we can do to right those wrongs and improve the health of all communities. Get ready to be empowered! Maya also explains why there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to healthy eating, and why a new emphasis on embracing and celebrating your cultural food ways can lead to better eating and better health. If your family is like a lot of families out there, where everyone has a different food preference and different food priority, Maya explains how you can still get one meal on the table that everyone will happily eat.

Show Highlights:

Maya’s life in Brooklyn with her husband, two children, and pets; she’s busy working from home and managing the kids’ remote schoolwork
Why Maya’s work and website focus on helping people reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases and helping those who have them (diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc.)
Why the representatives we elect into office and existing laws impact our access to healthy food; people cannot eat a healthy diet without access to safe, healthy, and affordable foods in their neighborhoods
How systemic racism drives inequities in healthcare and health outcomes
Why we should advocate for the collective and not just for individual needs
Why there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution when it comes to nutrition and how cultural food ways are taken into consideration when defining a “healthy” diet
Why your weight on the scale doesn’t necessarily predict metabolic health
How the foods that show up regularly in your house can fit into a healthy eating style
How a family of four with different eating styles can eat the same foods (hint: start with plant-based meals with added flavor from herbs and spices)
How Maya uses plenty of herbs and spices to add flavor to family meals
What Maya would do to create something delicious from a can of collard greens: add sweet onion, garlic, pepper, paprika, cumin, and hot pepper or red pepper flakes
Why eating mindfully and intuitively is a trend for 2021
Small changes we can make for healthier families and communities in 2021 include the following: go outside and get fresh air daily; find your food style and modify it to be nourishing and health-promoting
Maya’s hopeful messages: “I hope to see systemic shifts in which marginalized and disenfranchised communities will receive the help they need. I also hope to see expansion in the dietitian field to be more inclusive of all people.”
Maya’s newest cookbook that’s in the works right now

Resources:

Maya Feller Nutrition - Website

Instagram: MayaFellerRD

Twitter: MayaFellerRD

Facebook: Maya Feller Nutrition

Maya's cookbook: The Southern Comfort Food Diabetes Cookbook

Liz's Podcast Posse on Facebook

88: SATISFY: Healthy Recipes That Hit the Spot Jan 06, 2021

Happy New Year! We made it through 2020! I hope you’re looking forward to more fun in 2021 and more fun in the kitchen as you cook up recipes your family will love!

Mona Dolgov is the author of Satisfy, a brand-new cookbook packed with 120 easy and delicious, gluten-free recipes made with real ingredients, real portions, and lots of vegetables. Every recipe is nutrient-dense, clocks in at 500 calories or less, and will leave you feeling full and satisfied. On today’s show, you’ll learn about Mona’s career in nutrition and food, along with her unique brand of recipe inspiration. You’ll hear about Chocolate Avocado Cookies, Pecan-Crusted Chicken, and Salmon Scampi Salad. Mona also has a delicious hummus recipe that has half the calories of the usual version. We’re also discussing simple ways to cut added sugar from your family’s diet and why Mona believes 65% of your plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables. Mona also tells us how to join her cooking classes on Zoom and Facebook. Join us to learn more about adding new inspiration to your family dinner fare!

Show Highlights:

Get to know Mona: she lives in the Boston area with her husband, loves when her two children make it home for a visit, and wants to make a difference in people’s lives with food and nutrition
Why Mona identifies portion control as an important element of the healthy and delicious recipes in Satisfy
The value of “plant-forward” meals that are 65% vegetables
Some of Mona’s favorite recipes in her book are Chicken Marsala, Egg Roll in a Bowl, and Smoked Salmon Salsa
The secret to Mona’s Peanut Sauce, made with peanut butter (or almond butter or sunflower seed butter), fresh ginger, coconut aminos, honey, crushed red pepper, rice vinegar, and sesame oil
Why gluten-free alternatives bring SO many choices to the table
Mona’s Grilled Salmon Scampi Salad is a pleasing combination of warm and cool food; it’s assembled with grilled fresh veggies, grilled salmon, and a light sauce of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic-- then placed atop a bed of fresh greens and tomatoes
How Satisfy is divided into chapters and categories
How Mona’s hummus recipe checks in with half the calories of the usual version because it doesn’t include olive oil
Mona’s tips for reducing the added sugar in the typical American diet:
- Make desserts in pieces and small portions
- Use pie alternatives without a heavy crust
- Watch out for hidden sugar in processed sauces and foods
- Use flavor enhancers like vanilla and cinnamon
Mona’s delicious Chocolate Avocado Cookies are made in the food processor with an egg, avocado, unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar (only ¼ cup!), baking soda, dark chocolate chips, and a pinch of salt (it’s a dairy-free and gluten-free recipe!)
Mona’s Pecan-Crusted Chicken with Butternut Squash is a delicious sheet pan meal made with gluten-free bread crumbs, chopped pecans, dijon mustard, and honey; the key is to pound your chicken breasts to a uniform thickness and uniformly cube the butternut squash and brussels sprouts
Mona’s community, which includes Facebook, Instagram, and weekly Zoom cooking classes

Resources:

Giveaway:

Enter for a chance to win SATISFY: Real Ingredients; Real Portions; Real Simple. Post a comment in the Comments section below and tell me what you and your family are doing to eat a healthier diet in 2021. What changes are you planning to make to your everyday diets, and/or are there any new habits you're planning to adopt in the new year? I'll pick one lucky U.S. winner on January 20th.

Mona's website:

www.monadolgov.com

Instagram @MonaDolgov

Facebook

Buy the cookbook:

https://www.monadolgov.com/satisfy-cookbook

SATISFY Zoom cooking classes: https://www.monadolgov.com/january-event

Liz's regular links:

Liz Weiss, MS, RDN

Food & Nutrition Blogger, Podcast Host, Author, Speaker, Spokesperson

Author, Color, Cook, Eat! coloring book series

Website: Liz's Healthy Table

Listen to my Podcast

Read my Blog

Media Excellence Award winner - Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics

87: Silver Linings in 2020 and the Best Chocolate Cookie Recipe with Liz Weiss, MS, RDN Dec 24, 2020

2020 was a doozy of a year, and I don’t need to say why! On this week’s show, I look back at my favorite episodes from 2020, the changing food and eating trends we saw during the pandemic, a new killer recipe for Chocolate, Orange & Almond Sparkle Cookies, and the silver linings that sprung from nearly a year of quarantine. Of course, we all had big hopes and dreams for the year, and I even talked about them on episode 67 during my Celebrate 2020 episode. But like so many people out there, I nixed a year of food adventure and travel for an at-home lifestyle that included working (initially) from my dining room table and cooking a heck of a lot more for my immediate family. What were YOUR silver linings? Share a comment below and tell me about the good things that emerged from your COVID life.

Today’s show is about silver linings as I want to explore all the good things that came with the difficulties of the pandemic. We’ll wrap up the show with one of my new favorite cookie recipes, Chocolate Orange Almond Sparkle Cookies. It’s a yummy treat for the holidays--or any day! Join me as we take a look back at 2020’s Silver Linings and look ahead to 2021 and new adventures!

Show Highlights:

How I transitioned to my new stand-up desk and saw immediate improvement in my physical health
How I discovered yoga classes at home; my new favorite teacher is Jordan at Burning Wheel
How I’ve had great fun discovering new parts of Nantucket with my new eBike
How I’ve enjoyed some really good TV shows, like Emily in Paris, The Queen’s Gambit, and The Mandalorian
How I’ve been cooking a LOT! Like many of you, I’ve enjoyed the return to family mealtimes
How I’ve discovered Master Classes; I’m currently taking a class on Modern Middle Eastern Cooking with my favorite chef, Yotam Ottolenghi
How I’ve loved working with my awesome intern from Shanghai who currently lives in Boston; check out Resources for her delicious family recipe for Ketchup Shrimp with Vegetables
How I’ve learned to do Zooms, webinars, and TV segments--all from my home kitchen, with the help of some basic lighting and recording equipment
Some of my favorite Liz’s Healthy Table episodes from 2020: my visit with Joe Yonan, the author of Cool Beans and food editor of the Washington Post; my visit with Annie Fenn, the doctor and chef whose blog is Brain Health Kitchen; and the relevant shows we did on quarantine cooking, immunity, and food safety
Some favorite 2020 Silver Linings shared by listeners
My plans for this winter include moving into our new Boston condo, enjoying city life, and waiting for the COVID vaccine
As promised, my recipe for Chocolate Orange Almond Sparkle cookies; they are made with gluten-free baking flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, sugar, canola oil, vanilla extract, orange zest, and sparkly sprinkles
Glimpses into upcoming shows for 2021; I hope you’ll join us in 2021!

Resources:

Master Class - Modern Middle Eastern Cooking with Yotam Ottolengi

Learn more about Liz Weiss, MS, RDN, Food & Nutrition Blogger, Podcast Host, Author, Speaker, Spokesperson

Author, Color, Cook, Eat! coloring book series

Website: Liz's Healthy Table

Listen to my Podcast

Read my Blog

Media Excellence Award winner - Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics

86: Smoothies All Year Long with Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN Dec 02, 2020

On this week’s show, we’re making smoothies--but not just any smoothies. The blended drinks we’re making today are designed to support your family’s gut health and heart health and to deliver benefits like glowing skin, strong muscles, and calming chronic inflammation, which can wreak havoc on your health. Join us as today’s guest explains why delicious smoothies aren’t just a summertime treat.

Frances Largeman-Roth is a registered dietitian, mom of three, avid runner, and author of Smoothies & Juices: 100 Delicious Recipes for Optimal Wellness. (See our Resources section below to learn how you can enter the giveaway for this amazing cookbook.) Frances is the founder of FrancesLargemanRoth.com, where you will find delicious recipes for the whole family and many free healthy eating guides. She’s a cookbook author and contributor to Today.com, Parents, and Parade. She has appeared on TV shows like Good Morning America and the Rachael Ray Show. Frances is a whiz when it comes to making smoothies!

On today’s show, we’ll share recipes made with unexpected ingredients like fresh and frozen peaches and oats. We’ll blend up one of my favorite recipes from the book for a Ginger Mango Orange Smoothie. Frances shares inside information about what to stock in your gut-healthy smoothie pantry. You’ll also get the scoop on protein powder and collagen and learn why you may want to add these to your smoothies. It’s time to break out your blenders again and make smoothies!

Show Highlights:

The scoop on Frances’ country life after 12 years in Brooklyn as she raises her kids, 11, 9, and 6--and prepares to add a new puppy to the mix
Frances’ work for food magazines, writing cookbooks, and her website/newsletter
What mealtime looks like in Frances’ busy household
Frances’ cookbooks: Feed the Belly (a guide for pregnant moms who want to eat a healthy diet), The Carb Lovers Diet, and Eating in Color (prompted by her picky daughter)
Her latest cookbook, Smoothies & Juices, focuses on the nutrients packed into smoothies made with quality ingredients
What you need to start your smoothie adventure: a blender, measuring cups, and freezer bags
The ideal smoothie for gut health includes prebiotic fiber (good sources are bananas, oats, apples, kiwi, chia seeds, flax seeds, honey, and maple syrup) and probiotics (good sources are kefir and yogurt)
Frances’ Gut Health Smoothie is made with kefir, kale, almond butter, banana, and kiwi
Why you should add oats to your smoothies for body and texture
Other surprising smoothie ingredients include avocado, chia seeds, and flax seeds
Try Frances’ Ginger Mango Orange Cream Smoothie that’s made with carrots, ginger, mango, orange carrot juice, and vanilla yogurt
Frances’ helpful tips:
- Add juice to your blender before other ingredients
- Add baby spinach for iron, fiber, and a mild sweetness
- Clean your blender by adding two drops of liquid soap and water; blend it and it will clean itself!
How smoothies and their powerful nutrients can boost immunity
How smoothies can help improve your skin if you add collagen and beta carotene
To reduce inflammation:
- Reduce added sugars, refined carbs, and saturated and trans fats
- Use grapes, cherries, turmeric, ginger, chia seeds, and blueberries
In smoothies, avoid added sugar, but don’t shy away from the natural sugars in fruits and dairy ingredients because they provide energy and added nutrition
Should I add protein powder to smoothies? Which ones are best? Check out Frances’ book for all the information you need
Frances’ family favorite smoothies:
- Strawberry Avocado Refresher: strawberries, avocado, frozen banana, lime juice, and ice
- Banana Avocado Zinger: banana, avocado, baby spinach, coconut water, frozen pineapple chunks, chopped fresh parsley, and lime juice (jalapeno is optional)

Resources:

Giveaway: We're giving away a copy of Smoothies & Juices to one lucky U.S. winner. For a chance to win, post a comment in the comments section below and tell me about your favorite smoothie recipe and/or your favorite go-to smoothie ingredient. I'll pick one winner at random on December 16th at noon ET. Good luck!

Find Francis on the web:

Instagram and Twitter:

@FrancesLRothRD

Get my FREE monthly FLR VIP newsletter with recipes and discounts

www.franceslargemanroth.com

Smoothies & Juices: Prevention Healing Kitchen

Author of Eating in Color and Feed the Belly

Contributor At Today.com and Parents magazine

Host of The Milk & Honey Kitchen with Frances on YouTube

Like me on Facebook!

Frances’ recommendation: Collagen -- unflavored collagen from Vital Proteins and the vanilla multi collage from Ancient Nutrition. Frances uses it in her coffee daily and also enjoys adding it to smoothies.

85: Real Simple Holidays with Jenna Helwig Nov 11, 2020

We’re all busy making plans for the holidays, starting with Thanksgiving. How are you celebrating this year? Are you making your typical sweet potato side dish, or are you preparing the entire meal from scratch, like me? How are you keeping your stress meter out of the red? My guest today has simple advice for adding ease, flavor, and a dash of good health to your Thanksgiving Day dinner--and beyond.

Jenna Helwig is the food director at Real Simple magazine and the author of four cookbooks; her fifth is coming out next year. She’s also the founder of a NYC-based personal chef services company called Rosaberry. When it comes to simplicity in the kitchen, Jenna’s got us covered. Today’s show brings lots of recipe inspiration, like Maple Sweet Potatoes with Spicy Pecan Praline and a Vanilla Sweet Potato Cheesecake dessert that I’m planning to make for Thanksgiving. Jenna has advice for staying grounded and grateful during the holidays, along with tips for streamlining your holiday dinner to-do list. If you love mashed potatoes, don’t miss Jenna’s easy hacks for adding fun, new flavors to your old favorites. Thanksgiving may look a little different this year, but Jenna is here to help us cope and cook delicious meals with confidence.

Show Highlights:

Get to know Jenna, her life in Brooklyn as she raises a teenager, loves cookbooks, and indulges in her passion for New York Yankees baseball
Jenna’s books, blog, and her work at Real Simple and Rosaberry
A glimpse at an average day in Jenna’s life
Plans for Thanksgiving at Jenna’s house
Maple Sweet Potatoes with Spicy Pecan Praline features roasted sweet potatoes and shallots topped with candied pecans and lime zest
Jenna demystifies the under-appreciated shallot
Vanilla Sweet Potato Cheesecake, which is made with cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, sweet potato, and a pie crust
Five ways to add better nutrition and flavor to mashed potatoes: swirl in chimichurri or pesto, drizzle with pumpkin seed oil and top with pepitas, add Greek yogurt, blend with cauliflower, add roasted garlic
Jenna’s tips for streamlining Thanksgiving: “Realize that not every dish has to be over the top, and make dishes ahead when possible.”
Why pumpkin pie is Jenna’s go-to Thanksgiving dessert
Tips for pursuing positivity during the holidays: practice password therapy and list thankfulness in threes
How Jenna balances holiday indulgences with healthy hacks
How we can take opportunities to be more intentional in the ways we celebrate holidays

Resources:

Mash Notes: Recipes from Real Simple featuring potatoes

https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/maple-sweet-potatoes-recipe

Hear from Jenna's non-binary teenager. An essay about Rosen's gender journey can be found here: https://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/teenagers/teen-talk/im-a-teen-who-is-nonbinary-heres-what-i-wish-parents-would-know-about-gender/

Jenna's website: https://www.jennahelwig.com/

Follow Jenna:

Instagram: @jennahelwig and @realbabyfood

Twitter: @JennaRosaberry

Jenna’s books: The Multi-Cooker Baby Food Cookbook, Baby-Led Feeding, Real Baby Food, and Smoothie-licious

84: Indian Cooking Demystified Oct 29, 2020

This week’s show is all about authentic and healthy Indian cooking. Indian food has always been a bit of a mystery to me, but my guest today explains the diverse and delicious cuisine of India in an easy and understandable way. If the extent of your Indian cooking knowledge revolves around the word “curry,” then you don’t want to miss today’s show!

Madhu Gadia is a leading authority on Indian cooking and the author of The Indian Vegan Kitchen. Madhu is the mother of two grown children, grandmother, and a fellow registered dietitian. She’s also the voice behind the must-visit website, Cuisine of India.com. Hope over to Madhu’s website to see her delightful cooking videos, blog posts, and recipes. Think of it as your one-stop-shop for all things Indian cooking. On today’s show, you’ll hear about her life as a child around the kitchen table in India, her favorite family recipes (hint: you’re going to need some chickpeas!), and how you can set up a nourishing Indian pantry in no time, including the six spices you’ll need to make traditional Indian dishes. We’ll also talk about the exciting recipes in Madhu’s latest book.

Show Highlights:

Madhu’s life in Ames, Iowa, her work, and her family
How Madhu feels comfortable in both Indian and American culture
The biggest differences in the regions of northern India and southern India are the staple grains; wheat is prevalent in the north and west, and rice is used mainly in the south and east
Misconceptions about “curry” in Indian cuisine: Is it a spice or a dish?
Madhu’s Creamy Mushroom Curry, a side dish with no cream, is made with onions, ginger, garlic, green chiles, almonds, cashews, mushrooms, turmeric, salt, and cayenne pepper
Starter spices for Indian cooking include turmeric, cumin seeds, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, garam masala, and black mustard seeds
What is garam masala? A flavorful spice blend of cloves, ginger, cumin seeds, and cardamom; it’s “heating” to the body and good for health and digestion
Other basics for the Indian pantry include onions, ginger, garlic, green chiles, beans, whole wheat flour, lentils, chickpeas, and basmati rice
Madhu’s first cookbook, Light and Luscious Cuisine of India, was published in 1997; it was later republished and renamed New Indian Home Cooking
Why Indian cooks add asafoetida (a spice) to most bean dishes
Madhu’s favorite Indian recipe: Quick Chickpea Curry, which brings all the flavors of India with canned chickpeas, onions, cumin seeds, ginger, chopped tomatoes, turmeric, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, salt, garam masala, and lemon juice; it’s ready in 15 minutes and goes well with rice for a quick meal
“Masala”--a general Indian term for a dry spice blend
“Dal”--a general Indian term for a dish with beans
Madhu’s life as a young girl growing up in India
The prevalence of vegetarianism among Indian people
Madhu’s Pea and Tofu Curry made with tofu, frozen peas, onions, ginger, garlic, green chiles, tomato sauce, cumin seeds, almond meal, white poppy seeds, turmeric, coriander seeds, garam masala, and cilantro
Madhu’s favorite Indian desserts: Jalebi (a dessert similar to funnel cake) and Almond Halwa, which is made with roasted almond meal and a syrup of sugar, water, and cardamom
Kid-friendly, starter recipes to try in Madhu’s book: Potato Flatbread and Veggie Noodles

Resources:

Cuisine of India: Madhu's website

Madhu's Quick Chickpea Curry

Madu's YouTube cooking channel

Madhu on Instagram

83: DASH Diet for Two with Rosanne Rust, MS, RDN Oct 08, 2020

Today’s show is all about the DASH diet, which stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.” It’s a diet filled with fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and fiber and low in sodium and saturated fat. It’s how I love to eat, and it’s a healthy way of eating whether you have high blood pressure or not. My guest today is Rosanne Rust, MS, RDN, author of the new cookbook, DASH Diet for Two.

Rosanne Rust is a dietitian, friend, and the author of The DASH Diet for Two: 125 Heart-Healthy Recipes to Lower Your Blood Pressure Together. Rosanne is an internationally recognized nutrition expert who has a passion for facts. She created her blog, Chew the Facts, to help consumers decipher nutritional facts from myths. She’s also the author of DASH Diet for Dummies, Glycemic Index Cookbook for Dummies, and Calorie Counter Journal for Dummies. In today’s show, we talk about Rosanne’s decision to become a dietitian, and why preventing and treating high blood pressure through a healthy lifestyle is near and dear to Rosanne’s heart. You’ll also get some great recipes, including Noodles with Mushrooms and Cabbage and Grilled Shrimp Stuffed Poppers, an appetizer that will blow your mind.

Show Highlights:

The scoop on Rosanne and her story
How Rosanne’s blog and website, Chew the Facts, give the facts to combat the misinformation about nutrition
Rosanne’s path to becoming a dietitian after battling food intolerances and digestive issues for years
Rosanne’s book about the DASH diet
Why high blood pressure is more common than you think, with nearly ½ of all US adults having it and 1 in 3 of the world’s population
How high blood pressure is often misdiagnosed, even though it contributes to millions of deaths each year
How certain populations are affected by high blood pressure at greater risk, like Africans-Americans
Rosanne’s personal high blood pressure story, which includes a strong family history and low dose medicine
DASH diet basics: “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension”
- Not for weight loss, but a lifestyle
- Based on clinical research, trials, and dietary patterns
The pattern for all-around healthy eating includes low sodium, 8-10 daily servings of fruits and vegetables, 2-3 daily servings of low-fat dairy, low saturated fat and sugar, and high fiber
The lifestyle components of the DASH diet: stay active and manage stress and weight
The importance of adding important nutrients in a “food first” health plan
An overview of Rosanne’s cookbook and chapters (it’s packed with 125 delicious recipes!)
DASH-style Cobb Salad: uses roasted sunflower seeds instead of bacon, fewer blue cheese crumbles, amped-up veggies, and a lighter dressing
Grilled Shrimp Stuffed Poppers: uses low-fat cream cheese
How eggs and shrimp have gotten a bad rap on most diets, but are allowed on the DASH diet
Tips on cutting sodium without sacrificing flavor
Noodles with Mushrooms and Cabbage: a Hungarian-inspired recipe with onions, butter, egg noodles, cayenne pepper, mushrooms, and cabbage
Baked Apples: a reduced-sugar dessert with heart-healthy nuts
Rosanne’s next book is DASH Diet for Dummies, 2nd edition; it’s a reference book on nutrition with 45 recipes

Resources:

DASH Diet for Two: 125 Heart-Healthy Recipes to Lower Your Blood Pressure Together

Rust Nutrition and Chew the Facts blog: https://rustnutrition.com/

Rosanne on:

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

82: Menopause Diet Plan with Elizabeth Ward, MS, RDN and Hillary Wright, M.Ed, RDN Sep 23, 2020

Today’s show is relevant to every woman because, if we haven’t gone through it already, we all will face menopause one day. You may not realize that there are steps we can take regarding diet and exercise to prepare our bodies ahead of time. Join us for a closer look at natural ways to manage hormones, health, and happiness.

Elizabeth Ward and Hillary Wright are the authors of the new book, The Menopause Diet Plan. The book explores the physiology of menopause symptoms that many women experience and outlines important diet strategies to manage those symptoms. We’ll also talk about eating according to your body clock, why plant-forward diets can be your best friend, and why many of us should cut back on carbs.

Liz Ward is an award-winning nutrition coordinator and writer who lives in the Boston area. She’s the author of several books including Expect the Best: Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During, and After Pregnancy.

Hillary Wright has over 30 years’ experience as a nutrition educator with expertise in women’s health. She’s the author of two previous books, The PCOS Diet Plan and The Prediabetes Diet Plan. She is also the senior nutritionist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and she’s a founding member of the nutrition technology company, Good Measures.

Show Highlights:

Get to know Liz, the mother of three girls, and Hillary, the mother of three boys (and no, none of the children of these lifelong friends ever matched up together as their mothers wished)
Menopause and perimenopause defined
Common menopause symptoms include the following: hot flashes, night sweats, trouble sleeping, irregular periods, mood swings, dry skin, and weight gain
Why perimenopause and menopause symptoms vary from woman to woman
Other symptoms can include bone loss and a greater risk of heart disease from lack of estrogen
Is there a magic bullet for hot flashes? Sadly, the answer is no.
Things that may help with symptoms include hormone replacement therapy, soy foods, exercise, proper sleep, acupuncture, cognitive behavioral therapy, and relaxation techniques
Use caution with supplements that have an estrogen-like effect
Why Liz and Hillary wrote their book about menopause
From the book, the core principles of menopause nutrition:
- Eat according to your body clock
- Focus on plant-based foods
- Focus on eating lower carb/higher protein diet
- Get regular physical activity
Why Liz and Hillary’s menopause diet plan doesn’t exclude any food
The benefits of curbing refined carbs and eating fewer refined grains while eating high-quality carbs and more protein
The supplements that might be helpful are calcium, vitamin D, and Omega-3 fatty acids
What it means to eat a “plant-based” diet
Liz and Hillary’s recipe for walnut pesto; it’s made with yogurt and walnuts and tastes great on fish and chicken
How the recipes in the book are delicious, easy, flexible, and family-friendly
How many recipes in the book can be modified to fit your tastes, like Stir-Fry, Your Way
From the book, a recipe for Chicken Italiano that includes lots of vegetables
The biggest take-home message about menopause today: “Women need to start paying attention to preparing for menopause long before their period ends.”
Why belly weight gain happens in menopause

Resources:

The Menopause Diet Plan on Amazon

Find Elizabeth Ward on the web at: Better is the New Perfect

Find Hillary Wright on the web at: Hillary Wright

Elizabeth Ward on IG: @ewardmsrd

Elizabeth Ward on Twitter: @ewardrd

Elizabeth Ward on Facebook

Hillary Wright on IG: @Hwrightrd

Hillary Wright on Twitter: @pcosdiet

Menopause Diet Plan on Facebook

81: Family Meals and Fruits & Veggies Month with Elise and Stephen Compston, RD Sep 09, 2020

Today’s show is a celebration in honor of National Family Meals Month and National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month. For dietitians, it doesn’t get much more exciting than that! Join us to learn more!

Elise Compston and Stephen Compston are joining me with tips for gathering your family around the table more often. They also have clever ways to increase your fruit and veggie consumption. This husband and wife dietitian duo are the parents of two young kids, and they run the blog, Straight Outta Compston Kitchen. Their blog is loaded with healthy recipes and mealtime inspiration galore, and there are lots of freebies in the resources for today’s show, so check it out!

Show Highlights:

More about Elise and Stephen, their family, and their work
Elise’s passion is recipe development, while Stephens’ specialty is working with diabetes sufferers
How their business, Straight Outta Compston Kitchen, exists to develop healthy, simple, family-friendly meals
Why Elise, Stephen, and Liz all serve as Fruit and Vegetable Ambassadors in Action for the Have A Plant Program of the Produce for Better Health Foundation
The benefits of family meals include cooking at home, trying new things, eating meals together, and helping kids develop palates for healthy foods
From Elise and Stephen: Top tips for family meals at the table include cook together with your kids, and start simple if you think you can’t cook
What family mealtime was like for Elise and Stephen as they grew up
The best tips for fulfilling the pledge to eat one more fruit or vegetable every day
The Family Meal Mystery Basket ingredients: rotisserie chicken, carrots, apple, parsley, and honey
- Elise and Stephen created a Harvest Chicken Waldorf Pita Pocket
- Liz created Chicken and Carrot Shawarma Salad Bowls
The Pantry Survival Guide, Top Ten Staples:
- From Elise and Stephen: frozen fruits and vegetables, canned vegetables, broth, salsa, eggs, canned tuna, canned pumpkin, ground flaxseed, nuts and seeds, and herbs and spices
- From Liz: corn tortillas, shredded cheese, canned salmon, frozen fruits and vegetables, eggs, nut butter, canned beans, pasta, and pasta sauce
Go-to favorites for Elise and Stephen: Turkey Jerky and Pesto Chickpea Salad
What’s next for the Compston family--maybe a cookbook in the future?

Resources:

Straight Outta Compston Kitchen website and blog

The Compstons on Instagram

Harvest Waldorf Pita Pockets

Chicken and Carrot Shawarma Salad Bowls

National Family Meals Month

National Fruits & Veggies Month

Freebies discussed on the podcast:

Liz's Top 10 Pantry Essentials

Fridge/Pantry Checklist from the Compstons

80: Anti-Inflammatory Diet with Carolyn Williams, PhD, RD Aug 20, 2020

This week’s show is all about inflammation. What is it? What role does it play in gut health, cancer, heart disease, and other chronic conditions? What can we do to keep inflammation at bay? And what role does diet play in both causing it and preventing it? My guest is Carolyn Williams, PhD, RD, author of one of my favorite new cookbooks, Meals that Heal: 100+ Everyday Anti-Inflammatory Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less. This episode may change the way you eat forever!

Carolyn Williams, Ph. D., is a registered dietitian, culinary nutrition expert, and author of Meals that Heal: 100 Everyday Anti-inflammatory Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less. Carolyn’s recipes are simple, easy, and family-friendly--and they feature many of my favorite foods. Carolyn received a 2017 James Beard Journalism Award, and her work is regularly featured in top magazines like Cooking Light, Eating Well, Real Simple, All Recipes, and Prevention. She teaches culinary arts and nutrition classes at a local college, where she is a tenured faculty member. She lives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with her two children.

In this episode, we talk about some of Carolyn’s recipes like Avocado and Tomato Chicken Salad, Salmon with Quinoa and Kale Salad, and her Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites, made with chickpeas.

Show Highlights:

Get to know Carolyn better
How Carolyn honed her cooking skills with outdoor mud pie creations as a kid
Why Carolyn wanted to understand nutrition better
How Carolyn’s book, Meals that Heal, came to be
Carolyn’s “Aha” moment of realization about inflammation and multiple health issues
Low-grade, chronic, and acute inflammation: the good, the bad, and the ugly
Foods to avoid to minimize inflammation: fast food, fried foods, and processed foods
Guidelines for reading food labels to look for minimally-processed foods
Foods we should eat more often: leafy greens, olive oil, berried, cruciferous vegetables, fatty fish, green tea, cultured/fermented foods, and nuts and seeds
How a healthy microbiome keeps inflammation in check
Carolyn answers Liz’s questions about dairy, gluten, and inflammation
Salmon with Quinoa and Kale Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette (use frozen quinoa from Trader Joe’s for an easy shortcut!)
Avocado Chicken Salad: shredded, cooked chicken, cherry tomatoes, scallions, ripe avocado, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and cumin
Some favorite recipes at Carolyn’s house:
- Zucchini Taco Skillet, made with zucchini noodles
- Yogurt Bark, made with fruit and granola
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites: made with chickpeas, peanut or almond butter, brown sugar, almond milk, vanilla, salt, old-fashioned oats, and dark chocolate chips
Liz’s healthier version of 7-Layer Bars: made with chickpeas, sweetened condensed milk, nuts, dried fruit, oats, chocolate chips, and shredded coconut
Benefits of incorporating more anti-inflammatory foods for people of all ages
A random question from the Mason jar about Carolyn’s worst kitchen blunders
Carolyn’s inspiration to dig more into inflammation and foods that heal

Resources:

Liz's Lightened-Up 7 Layer Bars

Carolyn's website

Carolyn on social media:

Instagram

Facebook

Liz Weiss, MS, RDNFood & Nutrition Blogger, Podcast Host, Author, Speaker, Spokesperson

Author, Color, Cook, Eat! coloring book series

Website: Liz's Healthy Table

Listen to my Podcast

Read my Blog

Media Excellence Award winner - Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics

79: Sick of Cooking? We've Got You Covered with Wendy Lopez, MS, RDN & Jessica Jones, MS, RDN Jul 24, 2020

If you are sick of cooking, we’ve got you covered with today’s show. Since March, I’ve been cooking up a storm, and I’ve only been out to eat twice, which is a big deal for me. Maybe quarantine cooking has you frustrated, uninspired, and tired of planning yet another family meal. This episode will give you lots of delicious, healthy ways to get quick, effortless meals on your family’s table night after night and day after day.

Joining me on today’s show are Jessica Jones and Wendy Lopez, fellow dietitians and founders of Food Heaven, an online resource for inclusive and accessible wellness. They also host the popular Food Heaven podcast, named by iTunes as a New & Noteworthy Podcast in 2016. Jess and Wendy are the co-authors of 28-Day Plant-Powered Health Reboot. They write a monthly food and nutrition column for Self magazine, and their Instagram page is a must-follow. Together, we’ve got mealtime hacks and speedy recipes designed to get you in and out of the kitchen quickly and without a single ounce of stress. You don’t want to miss Wendy’s “Avocado Tale of Woe;” I’m still laughing at her crazy story that explains why avocados are NOT her favorite food.

Show Highlights:

Get to know Jessica and Wendy, how their brand was born, and their podcast that focuses on healthy and sustainable strategies for living
The reality of cooking in quarantine, then and now
Best throw-together meals to use leftover vegetables, fresh vegetables, canned beans, etc.: quesadillas, pitas, salads
Jessica’s favorite three-ingredient meals: pasta, marinara sauce, and cashews; frozen burrito (Trader Joe’s), avocado, and baby carrots; rice, black beans, and salsa
Liz’s new four-ingredient favorite filling for tacos: chipotle salsa, ground beef, black beans, and shredded cheese
The best prep ahead meals are one-pot/pan meals like soups, stews, and casseroles; Jessica’s favorite go-to site is Pinch of Yum for balanced, flavorful, and simple meal ideas
Foods that are easy to prep ahead and freeze for later use: hard cheeses, tofu, pizza dough, and sauces like pesto and sofrito
Why the neighborhood food swap is perfect for quarantine and the best practices to follow to stay safe
A great idea to prepare and share with neighbors: stir fry with tofu, peppers, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and soy sauce
Why pre-made meals can preserve your mental sanity, make life easier and less stressful, and still be nutritious and delicious
Jessica’s meal kit experience takeaways, including why she loves the many options and how she found favorites like ramen noodle stir-fry and sloppy joe varieties
Mental health hacks to keep from stressing out about preparing meals
Final words of advice: “Take it one day--or one hour--at a time. Don’t pressure yourself to keep going when you need a break. Don’t try to be perfect.”

Resources:

Recipes and topics discussed on the show:

No-Knead Focaccia from Basically: https://www.bonappetit.com/story/focaccia-pizza

No-Knead bread - Mark Bittman: https://www.markbittman.com/recipes-1/no-knead-bread

3 Ingredient Creamy Tomato Shells from Pinch of Yum: https://pinchofyum.com/creamy-tomato-shells

Self Magazine articles from Wendy and Jess:

- 5 Ways to Make Sure You Eat When You're Sick of Cooking and Burned Out By Daily Life: https://www.self.com/story/food-tips-burned-out

- 9 Quick Meals I’m Throwing Together Lately Because Cooking During the Pandemic Is a Scam. 3 Ingredient Meals: https://www.self.com/story/quick-meals

Food Prep show episode with Toby Amidor, MS, RDN:

https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2018/01/24/meal-prep-magic-with-toby-amidor-ms-rd/

Want to learn more about Eritrean cuisine? Read about it here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eritrean_cuisine

Almond Brownies from King Arthur:

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/almond-flour-brownies-recipe

Crispy Pan Pizza from King Arthur:

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/crispy-cheesy-pan-pizza-recipe

Find Wendy and Jess on the web:

https://foodheavenmadeeasy.com/

Food Heaven Podcast: https://foodheavenmadeeasy.com/podcast/

Food Heaven on Social Media:

28-Day Plant-Powered Health Reboot by Jessica Jones and Wendy Lopez

78: Diet, Immunity, and Covid-19 with Anthony Thomas, PhD Jul 01, 2020

On today’s Liz's Healthy Table podcast, we’re talking about foods, nutrition, and dietary supplements that support a healthy immune system. What does science say about vitamins D, C, A, and E? What about zinc? Why is a diet rich in fruits and vegetables more important now than ever as we deal with a global pandemic? And why are the elderly at greater risk for nutritional deficiencies? Join me as we dive into these topics and more, including why you’ll never hear me claim that anything can "boost" your immune system. (I prefer the term, "support.")

Anthony Thomas, Ph.D., is a Nutrition Researcher and Director of Scientific Affairs at Jarrow Formulas in Los Angeles. Anthony evaluates research for ingredient use in dietary supplement formulations, including dosing and usage recommendations to reflect scientifically supported benefits. He has authored and co-authored multiple published peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts and served as peer reviewer with relevant expertise in the field of nutrition and metabolism for multiple scientific journals. Anthony is an avid user of dietary supplements, but he believes strongly that diet and physical activity come first. You may remember Anthony from last year’s two-part series on probiotics. If you scroll down, you'll find those links.

Show Highlights:

Updates on Anthony’s family, which includes a new baby girl
To put diet and immunity in perspective, Anthony doesn’t use the phrase “boost immunity,” but thinks of diet and supplements as things that reinforce and prime immunity
How macronutrients and micronutrients are the building blocks for cellular function
With Anthony’s “food first” approach, nutrition supplements are one tool to support immunity and overall health
Other lifestyle factors that affect immunity include stress management, sleep, and physical activity
The role of a healthy immune system and how it relates to COVID-19
Why the elderly and people who suffer from obesity tend to have higher rates of nutrient deficiency, and may be more susceptible to COVID-19
How to get more calcium, vitamin D, and zinc into your diet
Why eating for immunity is not an “all-or-nothing” proposition (a weekend cheat meal won’t blow it for you!)
Protein’s role in a healthy immune system
How fruits and vegetables (and vitamins A and C) are critical for fighting infections
Anthony’s thoughts on the role of probiotics in immune function
The scoop on turmeric, garlic, and ginger as they relate to immunity
Why elderberry and mushroom supplements could be important during times of higher stress and vulnerability
Why Anthony says everyone could benefit from taking vitamin D supplements
The benefits of zinc supplementation
The supplements that Anthony takes every day or every other day: vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, and probiotics
Takeaways we’ve learned from the global pandemic: “We weren’t well-prepared, but we can learn and be better prepared for the next one with our diet and strategic supplementation.”
A final question: Does a healthy immune system reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 or improve our outcome?

77: Cooking with Beans with Joe Yonan Jun 11, 2020

They are healthy, nutrition-packed, and can be the building blocks to some pretty delicious, yet hearty meals. There is perhaps no food quite so convenient, versatile, and humble--finding a home in even the tightest of food budgets. What is this miracle food of which we speak? Beans! They come in so many different varieties, and the meal possibilities are endless.

A kitchen without beans is like a day without sunshine. Beans are versatile, delicious, nutritious, and they add an endless array of recipe possibilities to meals, snacks, and desserts. I use them all the time in my everyday cooking, and so does Joe Yonan, author of the new cookbook, Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with the World's Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein. If you've been cooking more and more and more these days at home, then you'll love the recipes, kitchen wisdom, and cooking advice from Joe Yonan. He's the Food and Dining Editor for The Washington Post, and as you'll discover on this week's show, he's also the master of cool bean cookery. Oh, and wait till you hear about his recipe for Harissa Roasted Carrots and White Bean Dip and Julia's Deep, Dark Chocolate Mousse. Let’s get cooking with Joe!

Show Highlights:

Get to know Joe better
How Joe became interested in food shopping and meal prep at eight years of age
How the coronavirus crisis has affected the restaurant industry and food journalism
The new website geared to novice cooks with recipes, tips, and guidance for beginning cooks: Voraciously
The silver lining to the pandemic: more people are interested in cooking at home, and family dinners have made a comeback
How Joe became fascinated by beans as a vegetarian for the past eight years
Benefits of beans: incredible nutrition, packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, versatile, shelf-stable, and affordable
How beans are a common denominator in “blue zones,” places across the globe where people live longer than average
Benefits of dried beans over canned: they are cheap and include many different varieties that aren’t canned; also, you have more control in the cooking process and texture and have the cooking liquid that can be added to dishes for extra flavor
Joe’s rules for cooking dried beans and his take on the “to soak or not to soak” question
How kombu (dried seaweed) helps digest beans to reduce flatulence and soften the beans
Joe’s favorite recipe in Cool Beans, Lalo’s Cacahuate Beans
Joe’s recipe for Harissa Roasted Carrot and White Bean Dip, which uses harissa (a North African chili paste); toss the carrots with harissa and roast them at high heat (chipotle peppers in adobo sauce can be substituted) and puree them with a can of white beans with mint and lemon juice
Where Joe’s inspiration for recipes comes from
The adaptability of beans in many recipes, since they are a vegetable AND a protein that’s starchy
Gateway recipes for beans include hummus, chili, and purees to use in soups and pasta
Joe’s recipes for Julia’s Deep, Dark Chocolate Mousse and Black Bean Brownies

Resources:

Photos by Aubrie Pick, food styling by Lillian Kang, courtesy Ten Speed Press.

Joe Yonan

Food and Dining Editor, The Washington Post

Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking With the World's Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein is out NOW from Ten Speed Press.

Find Joe on social media!

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

Read more on my website!

76: Kitchen Conversations During Quarantine with Amber Pankonin, David Orozco, and Melissa Joy Dobbins May 27, 2020

How have you been navigating grocery shopping, cooking, and meal planning during quarantine? My habits certainly have changed, and I've talked about it on the show over the past few months. So this week, I thought it would be fun to hear from three fellow dietitian friends and podcast hosts to see how they're coping with the new normal and how their cooking, shopping, and eating habits have evolved over the past few months. Tune in for tips on turning dinner into tasty lunch leftovers the next day; how to bust through dinnertime boredom by trying new "out of the box" recipes; and why you don't have to feel guilty if you're not baking your own sourdough bread.

Amber Pankonin hails from the great state of Nebraska. She hosts the Healthy Under Pressure podcast, where she interviews entrepreneurs about how they thrive and grow even when faced with daily stresses and challenges. Amber has important words of wisdom for each of us about giving ourselves a break during difficult times and not feeling like we have to be Wonder Woman or Superman right now. She reminds us that we don’t have to play the comparison game. I am not making sourdough bread at home, and I’m no longer feeling guilty about it.

David Orozco is a “guy-e-titian” who hosts the One Small Bite podcast where he addresses nutrition topics for men. He joins us from Georgia with survival stories from his home kitchen. Every night he’s there with his wife and daughter as they prepare healthy dinner meals that double up as lunch the next day. No PB & J for this guy-e-titian!

Melissa Joy Dobbins, from Illinois, hosts the Sound Bites podcast. She has a magical way of taking the latest science and nutrition and translating it into essential news that we can all use. She’s home with her husband and two kids now, and she’s craving variety because she’s bored with the same old meals. You could say that the pandemic has brought out the chef in Melissa as she has explored new mealtime creations. She’ll share her inspiration with us.

Show Highlights:

From Amber:

Get to know Amber and her podcast
How we stay healthy during stressful times:
- Take care of yourself
- Don’t play the comparison game
- Give yourself grace
How Amber’s shopping habits have changed as she is more intentional about food waste and more experimental in the kitchen
Liz’s dinner plans for tonight: Asparagus Quiche (check out the recipe in Resources!)
Why Amber is more intentional about meal planning
How living in Nebraska gives Amber access to local meat and produce directly from the farmers

From David:

Get to know David and his podcast that’s geared to men
How David is handling the pandemic with weekly grocery trips that include masks, gloves, and extra cleaning measures
The biggest difference for David and his family is that they are home together for all three meals---and the dishwasher runs almost non-stop
Repurposing family dinners for lunch the next day:
- Cuban Pork Sandwiches made from leftover tenderloin
- Buddha Bowls made with leftover tofu stir-fry
Why handmade pizza is a favorite for dinner--and breakfast--and lunch
David’s Colombian roots, his childhood in NJ, and the last 30 years in Atlanta

From Melissa:

Get to know Melissa, her podcast, and her family
How Melissa has coped by shopping less often, mostly buying the same foods, but keeping more junk food on hand
The changes in Melissa’s household: her husband has started making homemade bread again, and they have made homemade birthday cakes
Why dinnertime for Melissa’s family has included more variety and more comfort food
How Melissa finds one-pot inspiration from Shelley Rael’s The One-Pot Weight Loss Plan cookbook
Why ordering takeout has become a huge treat for the family
Melissa’s advice for feeding a family during a pandemic: “Find what works for you.”

Resources:

Links for Amber:

Amber’s website: www.stirlist.com

Amber’s podcast: www.healthyunderpressure.com

Instagram: @RDamber

Twitter: @RDamber

Liz’s Asparagus Quiche: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2014/06/06/crustless-asparagus-quiche/

Liz’s cookbooks that she’s revisiting: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/cookbooks/

Links for David:

David’s website: https://www.onesmallbite.net

David’s podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/one-small-bite/id1492400550

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david_tdwellness/

Links for Melissa::

Melissa’s podcast: https://www.soundbitesrd.com/podcast/

Instagram: @melissajoyrd

Twitter: @melissajoyrd

Facebook: @MelissaJoyDobbinsSoundBites

Do More with Dinner initiative: https://www.soundbitesrd.com/download-m-o-r-e-dinner-kit/

Joan Nathan’s chicken soup: https://food52.com/blog/6142-joan-nathan-s-chosen-matzo-ball-soup

The One-Pot Weight Loss Plan by Shelley Rael, MS, RDN

75: Heather Englund: Self-Care for Body & Mind May 06, 2020

Just in time for Mother’s Day, let’s all take a deep breath together and celebrate the hard work we do every day taking care of our families … by taking care of ourselves. Today’s show features self-care strategies and “you” time. Together with my guest, Heather Englund from Fit Mama Real Food, we’ll explore things like food and hydration, mindful movement and outdoor time, and fun, laughter and gratitude. Self care is important for the health of your body and your mind.

Heather Englund is a self-care guru and fellow podcaster. She’s the face and voice behind the food and healthy living website, Fit Mama Real Food. On her blog, podcast, and website, she shares recipes for the entire family, tips for bringing kids into the kitchen, and quick and effective home workouts--all to help you feel and live your healthiest, happiest, and best life. Heather and I met through email and connected over our love of podcasts. In today’s episode, Heather shares self-care strategies to help us carve out that essential time for ourselves.

Show Highlights:

Get to know Heather: she’s a mom of four young kids, makes her home in the state of Washington, and is a fitness instructor, blogger, and podcaster
Why Heather wakes up early to get it all done and steal a few kid-free moments
Eight strategies for carving out time for self-care:
- Nourishing food--You will feel better and more energized if you fuel yourself with good food.
- Meal planning--It cuts down on food waste and takes stress away. Heather shares how she makes Banana Custard Oatmeal and Homemade Flaxseed Granola for her family.
- Moments of quiet--You have to be intentional about stopping and being quiet. Take a solo walk and find ways to pause to breathe and be present.
- Hydration--Water is good for your health and affects your energy level. Add in fruits and flavors to make it fancy!
- Laughter and fun--It really is like medicine for your soul. Tell jokes, play games, and don’t be so serious about life.
- Gratitude--Think about what you’re grateful for and how you are blessed with big things and little things. Be more positive.
- Outside time--Vitamin D from the sunshine is good for your health and immunity. Even a few minutes of sunshine and fresh air can improve your quality of life.
- Mindful movement--Take a walk. Find an exercise that you enjoy to get the maximum physical and emotional benefits. Get the kids involved, and remember, if you can’t commit to long workouts, that every single minute still counts!

Resources:

Banana Custard Oatmeal recipe

Meal Planning Mamas Meal Planner:

A 52-week meal planner and favorite recipe keeper. Includes step-by-step meal planning + meal prep instructions to simplify your meals.

Hemp Granola recipe

8 Minute Get-Energized Yoga Workout with Heather

5 minute fitness challenge on YouTube

YouTube channel with more workouts + recipes

Fit Mama Real Food: https://www.fitmamarealfood.com/

Liz Weiss, MS, RDNFood & Nutrition Blogger, Podcast Host, Author, Speaker, Spokesperson

Author, Color, Cook, Eat! coloring book series

Website: Liz's Healthy Table

Listen to my Podcast

Read my Blog

Media Excellence Award winner - Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics

74: Grocery Shopping, Food Safety, and Take Out in the Age of COVID-19 with Hilary Thesmar, PhD, RD Apr 15, 2020

Join me on this week’s podcast as I clear up the confusion about the safest and most efficient way to grocery shop, food safety and coronavirus, and restaurant take-out in the age of COVID-19. My guest is Hilary Thesmar, PhD, RD, Chief Food and Product Safety Officer and Senior VP of Food Safety Programs for the Food Marketing Institute (FMI). Hilary is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in Human Nutrition and a Ph.D. in Food Technology. Wait until you hear her advice on how to handle your groceries when you get home from the supermarket, why it’s OK to order and eat take-out from your favorite restaurants, and how the supply chain is adapting to the distribution of things like milk, eggs, and toilet paper to the supermarket.

Show Highlights:

Get to know Hilary, her work at FMI, her family, and her dog
A recent survey’s findings about grocery shopping habits during the pandemic.
How people have changed their shopping habits
Why people worry about finding groceries and supplies that they need
How the supply and demand principle affects our resources during a pandemic
Why we can’t find toilet paper at the store
Why farmers are having to dump their milk
Procedures to follow for food safety in the middle of COVID-19, including employee health, cleaning and sanitation policies, and social distancing rules
What to do with your groceries when you get home from the supermarket
Why water is the best way to clean your fruits and vegetables
Why we need to be smart in our shopping practices
The increase in food assistance programs and their benefits
Why it’s OK and safe to order take-out meals from your favorite restaurants
Hilary’s home-cooking food philosophy during the pandemic

Resources:

Grilled cabbage from Liz’s website

Podcast Posse

COLOR, COOK, LEARN 26-Day Challenge

73: Kid Food: How to Make It Better! with Bettina Elias Siegel Apr 01, 2020

Today’s guest, Bettina Elias Siegel, explains why kids are bombarded with unhealthy foods and messages about unhealthy foods all day long, why it's hard to raise healthy eaters, and why the notion that kids are inherently picky is a myth. Join us to find out how you can advocate in your community for healthier kid foods in schools, restaurants, and on the playing field. Become an advocate for change and learn valuable lessons from Bettina's book, Kid Food.

Bettina is the mother of two teenagers, and they make their home in Houston. Bettina recently appeared on Episode 5 of the new MSNBC series, What’s Eating America, where she spoke with chef and host Andrew Zimmern about the role of processed food in school meals.

Show Highlights:

Bettina’s back story of her varied careers as a lawyer, freelance writer, food advocate, and food policy writer
Why family dinner is a priority at Bettina’s home, where they eat healthy, tasty, and quickly prepared meals
The lack of cooking skills and home economics education in schools today
How Bettina made the leap from lawyer to kid-food advocate
Bettina’s blog, The Lunch Tray, which is a 10-year-old platform for food advocacy
The bombardment of unhealthy food choices on today’s kids
Why Bettina’s book, Kid Food, is her attempt to explain why it’s difficult to raise healthy eaters
How parents assume all kids are picky eaters, but they really aren’t! They just go through phases of being reluctant to try new foods
How parents give kids too much autonomy over the foods we buy and prepare
Why we need to understand the “flavor window” of when kids are most receptive to new flavors
How cultural factors influence kids’ diets
The need to improve school lunch programs and have more advocacy
How to advocate for school lunches on the local level
Why advocacy is truly “strength in numbers”
Why parents are a source of untapped power at every level
Why parents have to be well-informed if they want to advocate
How to offer solutions to existing problems
Why kid athletes are eating more junk foods than most non-active kids
Why wellness committees can be powerful in affecting change
Some up and down moments of advocacy from Bettina and Liz
A random question from the Mason jar about Bettina’s dream kitchen job

Resources:

Civil Eats article: https://civileats.com/2020/03/06/coronavirus-is-closing-schools-heres-what-it-means-for-millions-of-kids-who-rely-on-school-meals/

Bettina on What's Eating America

blog: The Lunch Tray (thelunchtray.com)

book/author website: bettinasiegel.com

FB: facebook.com/thelunchtray

Twitter: @thelunchtray

Instagram: @bettinaeliassiegel

Find Bettina’s book, Kid Food, on www.amazon.com or at bookstores everywhere.

www.msnbc.com/whatseatingamerica

www.superhealthykids.com

72: How to Stock a Healthy Quarantine Kitchen with Leslie Bonci, MPH, RDN Mar 18, 2020

This week, I find myself spending more and more time at home as I distance myself from others. Due to Coronavirus concerns (and they are mighty concerns indeed), a growing number of individuals and communities are staying home. On this week's show, I talk to fellow dietitian, Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD about the importance of keeping your pantry, fridge, and freezer stocked to the brim with nourishing and delicious foods that fortify the body and the soul. Whether you are laying low to reduce the spread of the virus, are required to self-quarantine, or are not feeling well yourself, having healthy foods on hand that your family loves can help to carry all of us through this crisis. Don't panic, my friends, but please be prepared.

Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD is the owner of Active Eating Advice, co-founder of Performance 365, sports dietitian to the Kansas City Chiefs, and a fellow Producer for Better Health Fruit and Vegetable Ambassador in Action. She's also one of the most clever, witty, and compassionate dietitians I know! Together, we tell you what we have both stocked in our pantries, refrigerators, and freezers, and we share easy meal ideas using what's on hand. I've got a Peanut Butter & Chickpea Soup made with veggie broth, bell pepper, spices, canned tomato sauce, a can of chickpeas, and peanut butter that I can't wait for you to try, and Leslie has all sorts of mealtime inspiration including baked potatoes topped with chili (whether you make from it scratch or use canned chili).

I'm curious about what you're making from your kitchen staples, so tell me about your recipe creations in the comments section at the end of this post.

Show Highlights:

Find out about Leslie, her work, her family, and the Super Bowl ring she hopes to have on her finger soon
The bottom line on handwashing with running water and soap
Food safety guidelines for hot food, cold food, fresh produce, and food you might share with others
Leslie’s favorite go-to recipe for Lentil Soup with mushrooms and tomatoes
Liz’s Peanut Butter and Chickpea Soup made with bell pepper, onion, garlic, vegetable broth, spices, tomato sauce, peanut butter, chickpeas, and rice (it’s gluten-free AND vegan!)
The importance of eating enough calories and drinking enough water to fortify your system and boost your immunity
The importance of phytonutrients found in fruits and veggies
Canned foods to keep on hand in your pantry: fruits, vegetables, tomatoes, beans, corn, tuna, sardines, salmon, and clams
Other important pantry items: nut butters, whole grain pasta, rice, quinoa, broths, oils, shelf-stable milk, dried fruit, cereals, and oatmeal
Refrigerator staples to keep on hand: eggs, cheese, juice, and milk
Hearty produce to keep on hand: pears, grapefruit, oranges, apples, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, squashes, white potatoes, onions, garlic, and carrots
Don’t forget about comfort foods that your family loves, like chili and mac & cheese
Leslie’s opinion about jerky, the protein-on-the-go that’s lean and healthy and adheres to food safety guidelines
Freezer staples to keep on hand: shrimp, edamame, veggie burgers, ground beef, tofu, fruits, vegetables, bananas, and even guacamole
Liz’s Creamy Broccoli Soup Makeover made with frozen broccoli, cannellini beans, and broth
Liz’s Tuna Bean Salad, made with canned tuna, cannellini beans, capers, olives, red onion, lemon juice, olive oil, and salad greens
Leslie’s Vegetable Palooza made with black beans, corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, and spices; add rice to make a meal bowl, use it to top a baked potato, or use it as a dip
The benefits of frozen veggie burgers and veggie crumbles, but look at the protein and calorie content
Leslie’s final words of wisdom: “Control what you can with your eating plan. A healthy shelfie can be a healthy selfie. Do what you can do to keep yourself well and nourish those who gather around your table. Have a plant; incorporating fruits and vegetables every day is one step we can take to keep ourselves well.”

Resources:

For Powerful Produce advice and recipes, visit Have a Plant: Fruits & Veggies for Better Health

Important reminders from the Food Marketing Institute:

“Coronavirus is a respiratory virus – it is not considered to be a foodborne illness by the CDC or the FDA – but similar actions to prevent foodborne illness can be taken to minimize the risk of contracting coronavirus.”

1. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water.

https://www.fightbac.org/featured/

https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/show-me-the-science.html

2. Ensure touchpoints are regularly cleaned and sanitized.

https://www.fightbac.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/PFSE-7696-Fact-Sheets-Clean_FINAL.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/home/cleaning-disinfection.html

3. Do not show up to work when sick or when a family member is sick.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/steps-when-sick.html

4. Scrub and rinse produce under running water (warm or cold) to help remove germs or contaminants from the surface.

http://www.saferecipeguide.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/SafeRecipe-Styleguide-Print.pdf

Peanut Butter & Chickpea Soup

https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2015/01/29/peanut-butter-chickpea-soup/

Produce for Better Health Foundation:

https://fruitsandveggies.org/

Connect with Leslie Bonci, MPH, RDN:

Instagram @Leslie Bonci

Facebook LeslieBonci

Twitter @lesliebonci #ActiveAdvice

Twitter: @P365sportsRDs

website: www.activeeatingadvice.com

www.superhealthykids.com

71: Brain Health Diet with Annie Fenn, MD Mar 05, 2020

On today’s show, we are exploring the connection between diet and brain health. What is this connection? Are there foods we can eat to protect our brains against Alzheimer’s and other dementia symptoms? Let’s dive into this fascinating topic together!

Dr. Annie Fenn is a physician, chef, and culinary instructor. For 20 years, she practiced Obstetrics and Gynecology with a specialty in menopause. Her career took an interesting turn, and today, she’s the founder of The Brain Health Kitchen Cooking School, the only culinary school of its kind in the country. Annie’s classes focus on fending off Alzheimer’s and other dementias with brain-healthy foods and cooking techniques. We are going to talk about the MIND Diet, which features ten healthy brain food groups that we should be eating each week. We will also cover unhealthy brain food groups that we should avoid. We’ll share a few recipes, including my take on Annie’s Moroccan Forbidden Rice Salad. You’ll definitely want to check out this recipe, along with Annie’s Rustic Marmalade Cake, made with olive oil instead of butter.

Show Highlights:

Annie’s life in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, as the mom of two college-aged sons; she’s a board-certified Ob-gyn who retired in 2010 to be home with her boys
Annie wanted to learn more about food as medicine, so she went to culinary school and started teaching cooking classes in her community
How Annie became interested in how eating choices affect Alzheimer’s, just as her mom was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s
In 2017, Annie launched The Brain Health Kitchen Cooking School to teach people to cook and eat foods that prevent Alzheimer’s
Her mission is to create irresistible recipes that are nutrient-dense with neuroprotective foods
How common food prep methods create particles that are unhealthy for our brains
Why Americans shouldn’t grill foods in the traditional ways we love
Why you should eat a large serving of leafy greens with your grilled steak
The MIND Diet, Mediterranean Intervention for Neuro-Degenerative Decline, a hybrid of two diets that prevent chronic diseases
Ten brain-healthy food groups: berries, leafy greens, vegetables, beans, whole grains, olive oil, fish/seafood, chicken, nuts, and red wine
Five unhealthy foods to avoid: fast and fried foods, pastries and sweets, butter, cheese, and meat
How Annie cared for her brain health with foods and supplements after a recent concussion
The benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids for our brains
Feeding kids with Alzheimer’s in mind
Forbidden rice, black rice that is rich in anthocyanins, the same phytonutrients that make blueberries so nutritious for us
Annie’s recipe ideas for using Forbidden rice
Annie’s cooking classes, programs, and wellness retreats
The aging of our population, and the increased research on all types of dementia
Annie’s website, where you can find free resources, recipes, and her newsletter

Resources:

Tahini-Swirled Brownie Bites: https://www.brainhealthkitchen.com/recipe/tahini-swirled-brownie-bites/

Rustic Marmalade Cake: https://www.brainhealthkitchen.com/recipe/rustic-marmalade-cake/

What to Eat to Fend Off Alzheimer's: https://www.brainhealthkitchen.com/what-to-eat-fend-off-alzheimers/

www.brainhealthkitchen.com

Find Brain Health Kitchen on Instagram, and email Annie at Brainhealthkitchen@gmail.com

70: New Nutrition Facts Label with Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RDN Feb 20, 2020

We’re hitting the grocery store to check out the new food label. The Nutrition Facts Panel just got a makeover earlier this year, and my guest will help us decipher what we can find. From the addition of added sugars to a bigger and bolder callout for calories and serving sizes, Bonnie has the scoop on how the new food label can help you and your family make better food choices.

Bonnie Taub-Dix is the author of Read It Before You Eat It: How to Decode Food Labels and Make the Healthiest Choice Every Time. She’s also the creator of the website and blog, Better Than Dieting.com. Bonnie is a mom and grandma, a great home cook, a and great friend. Making a cameo appearance on the show is Amy Cohn, a dietitian who works at General Mills. I’m inviting her to share with us about the revamping process for the food label and how Big G is working to reduce added sugar in some of their food products. If you love to grocery shop, then this is the show for you!

Show Highlights:

Get to know Bonnie, who lives in NY and has three grown sons, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way
What family dinner looks like at Bonnie’s house
Why Bonnie decided to become a dietitian
Bonnie’s other superpowers: painting and showing true empathy in giving good advice
Bonnie’s craziest interview ever (she did the interview while getting her legs waxed!)
Bonnie’s book, which explains how to use the new food label, along with an aisle-by-aisle tour of the grocery store
The biggest things consumers will notice on the new food label, like bigger and bolder calorie counts, tweaked serving sizes, and a listing for added sugar
How to use the ingredient list of a product to gauge sugar content in its hidden forms
How to translate teaspoons and grams of sugar on labels
How to balance sugar content with healthy options
From Amy Cohn, a dietitian with General Mills:
- Her work at General Mills in helping develop nutrition strategies
- The most significant changes in food labels
- Tricks that companies use to reduce sugar content
- The benefits of milk in your cereal
- The Big G promotional paper straw, to encourage kids to drink the milk in their cereal
- Cereals are the #1 source of whole grains, vitamins, and minerals in the American diet
- What excites Amy about the new nutrition facts panel
Back to Bonnie, who explains how shortfall nutrients are addressed on food labels
Why we should be mindful of fiber, protein, and calcium in how we feed our kids
Bonnie’s thoughts on organic foods
The food label changes that Bonnie thinks are the best
How to be a super-shopper at the supermarket
How honey and maple syrup are treated with the new label
A random question from the Mason jar about the weirdest fad diet Bonnie has ever encountered

Resources:

Bonnie’s website: BetterThanDieting

Bonnie’s book: Read It Before You Eat It: How to Decode Food Labels and Make the Healthiest Choice Every Time

Instagram: @bonnietaubdix and @BTDmedia

Twitter: @eatshartbd

Facebook: @BonnieTaubDix.RDN

Download my FREE aisle-by-aisle shopping list: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/shoppinglist/

69: Nourishing Healthy Relationships with Lisa Davis, MPH Feb 05, 2020

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, today’s show is all about nurturing healthy relationships. Lisa Davis joins the show to talk about aphrodisiacs, sexy superfoods, and recipes designed to keep you and the loves in your life feeling healthy, vibrant, and strong. From beets and berries to good fats and good bacteria, Lisa serves up superfoods for a super you and gives us tips for keeping your skin looking its best. She has recipes to share, including her Gluten-free Ooey Gooey Brownies made with cashew butter and dark chocolate and her Cauliflower Rice, which is brimming with colorful vegetables.

Lisa is a health expert with a master’s degree in public health, and she’s the host of two podcasts, including Talk Healthy Today and Naturally Savvy Radio. Sit back and enjoy today’s show that’s chock full of information and healthy ways to nourish yourself and your relationships.

Show Highlights:

Lisa is a California girl who has spent the last 20 years living near Boston; she loves family, outdoors, cooking, and podcasts, and she’s the busy mom of a teenage daughter
How Lisa learned to leave her dirty eating habits behind and embrace healthy foods
Some of Lisa’s most memorable guest interviews for her podcast
Why Valentine’s Day should be about nourishing healthy relationships
Lisa’s book, Clean Eating, Dirty Sex, which is really about improving overall health, intimacy, and communication
The standard American diet (SAD) is full of heavily processed foods, fried foods, hydrogenated oils, high fructose sweeteners, and lots of added sugar and salt
Why your diet should include healthy fats like avocados and olive oils, along with brightly-colored vegetables
Women of “a certain age” need healthy fats to help with hormone regulation
How nitrous oxide helps with blood flow and sexual function; it can be found in beets, watermelon, nuts, and berries
Why water is the forgotten superfood that you should turn to every morning
How beneficial bacteria are good for gut health and come from fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha
The need for prebiotics like garlic, asparagus, dark chocolate, jicama, and onions
Aphrodisiac foods:
- Asparagus has vitamin E and vitamins B6 and B9, which stimulate sex hormones and can boost arousal (try it roasted with salt and pepper and olive oil!)
- Berries have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and they help improve blood flow
- Dark chocolate has “feel good” hormones and healthy fats (look for 70% cocoa or higher)
- Pumpkin seeds have healthy fats, zinc, and magnesium (they help improve testosterone levels, which are essential for men AND women))
How to practice mindful eating for maximum enjoyment
Lisa’s Ooey Gooey Brownies: made with cashew butter, almond butter, or peanut butter, honey, cocoa powder, egg, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and dark chocolate
How to improve skin health with hydration and a skincare routine
Lisa’s Cauliflower Fried Rice: a head of cauliflower (grated or processed), avocado oil, chopped onion, carrot, zucchini, and garlic (it’s a great way to use leftover veggies!)
Other favorite recipes from Lisa’s book: Spiced Chicken Thighs, Sticky and Spicy Japanese Eggplant, and Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes and Pesto
A random question for Lisa about her ideal romantic Valentine’s Day meal

Resources:

Find Lisa: http://www.lisadavismph.com

@lisadavismph on Twitter and Instagram

https://www.facebook.com/healthradiogalLisa

Link to Honeynut Squash recipe: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2019/11/09/honeynut-squash-stuffed-with-mushrooms-chickpeas-pistachios-cranberries/

www.parentsondemand.com

www.superhealthykids.com

68: From Freezer to Cooker: Rachel Tiemeyer Jan 15, 2020

We are celebrating the frigid month of January with a show about freezer cooking. Today’s show just might inspire you to get going with that new Instant Pot you received for Christmas. We are covering the process of preparing those time-saving freezer meals and using the latest kitchen appliances to put nutritious meals on the table for your busy family.

Rachel Tiemeyer is the author of the new cookbook, From Freezer to Cooker: Delicious Whole Food Meals for the Slow Cooker, Pressure Cooker, and Instant Pot. The recipes are easy, delicious, family-pleasing, and nourishing. We’ll dig into Rachel’s new recipe for the humble home cook’s Beef Bourguignon, which can be made in a slow cooker or instant pot. We’ll talk about another recipe that I contributed to Rachel’s cookbook for Barley and Chickpea Soup, which is a vegetarian soup made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot. It’s chock-full of good nutrition and fiber. Rachel is co-founder with Polly Conner of Thriving Home, a down-to-earth lifestyle blog that they began in 2012 as a way to encourage and equip moms at home. Check out their blog for lots of great recipes. Their website is one of the top sites for freezer cooking in the online space. You might remember Rachel from Episode 11 when she visited with us to talk about one of her favorite topics, freezer meals. Let’s jump into more deliciousness with Rachel!

Show Highlights:

Getting to know Rachel, a busy mom of three who lives in Columbia, MO, and is known as a “Freezer Cooking Evangelist”
Why freezing prepared meals does not deplete nutrients
Rachel’s first book, From Freezer to Table, published in 2017; it covers how to prep, package, store, and thaw freezer meals
How her new book came from the needs of busy families to get healthy meals on the table by using a slow cooker and Instant Pot
How every recipe in Rachel’s new book can be prepared in either the slow cooker or Instant Pot---and can be used as a freezer meal!
Why you don’t want to fully cook a freezer meal before freezing
Rachel’s Beef Bourguignon: A flavorful concoction of stew meat or chuck roast, bacon, aromatics, flour, red wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, soy sauce, thyme, bay leaf, carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes
Rachel’s specifics in using a pressure cooker or Instant Pot for freezer meals
Safe ways to thaw freezer meals: in the refrigerator, in a cold water bath, or in the microwave
Why the Instant Pot keeps food juicier than a slow cooker
Why chicken is usually overcooked in the slow cooker
Rachel’s rules for knowing your slow cooker
Some favorites from the cookbook at the Tiemeyer house: Jack’s Chicken and Dumpling Stew and French Dip Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Breakfasts and desserts, like steel cut oats, egg casseroles, and french toast casseroles
How to use “Pot in pot” cooking
Liz’s Barley and Chickpea Soup
A favorite vegetarian recipe in the book: Pumpkin Chili
A random question from the Mason jar about Rachel’s favorite food

Resources:

Giveaway: One lucky U.S. listener or reader can enter for a chance to win a copy of From Freezer to Cooker: Delicious Whole-Foods Meals for the Slow Cooker, Pressure cooker, and Instant Pot by Polly Conner & Rachel Tiemeyer. Post a comment in the comments section at the end of this post and tell me about your favorite slow cooker or Instant Pot recipe. Or if you're a freezer diva, tell me what you like to cook from your freezer! Giveaway ends on January 29th.

Special FREEBIE page for LHT listeners: ThrivingHome.org/lizshealthytable

Top 10 EASY Freezer Meals – This collection of favorites will get you started right away on stocking your freezer.

Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart – We spent years testing these cooking times (for fresh and frozen meals)!

Weekly Menu Planner – A simple printable to help you plan each week.

Freezer Smoothie Pack Bundle – Stock your freezer with delicious and healthy smoothies.

Check out my "Reduce Your Kitchen Carbon Footprint" blog series. In January, we're tackling COMPOSTING:

https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2020/01/06/reduce-your-kitchen-carbon-footprint-compost-food-scraps-and-kitchen-waste/

Episode 11 featured Rachel's first cookbook, From Freezer to Table: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2017/09/19/freezer-cooking-with-rachel-tiemeyer/

Website: ThrivingHome.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thrivinghomeblog/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivinghome/

67: Celebrate 2020 with Liz Weiss, MS, RDN Jan 01, 2020

Happy New Year! It’s 2020, which I find hard to believe. It freaks me out in a way that time flies by so fast. As this year holds a big milestone birthday for me, and I mean a really BIG one, my defining word for 2020 in my personal and professional life is----celebrate. I want to celebrate so many things this year, so that’s what we are talking about in today’s show. Let’s talk about resolutions, goals, and intentions for 2020, along with a brand-new delicious recipe.

Show Highlights:

Five themes to celebrate this year:
- My birthday in August-- I have cool trips planned in my quest to travel more, like Prague, Budapest, Croatia, Greece, and a cruise with my husband.
- A healthy planet--We need to reduce food waste and make changes to the way we shop, cook, and repurpose. My action for January is composting. (Look for a new action each month!)
- Simple, fast, healthy dinners--This is the #1 request I receive, and I have some great shows planned.
- - Today’s recipe is for Easy Red Lentil and Vegetable Soup, which uses split red lentils, extra virgin olive oil, diced onion, mushrooms, minced garlic, celery seed, vegetable broth, shredded carrots, bite-sized cauliflower florets, and fresh thyme.
- The benefits of eating for health--Everyone is on a different diet for some reason or another. We’ll talk about these diets along with prebiotics, which feed your good gut bacteria.
- The power of advocacy--We want kids and families to eat healthy foods and be part of a food system that nourishes and feeds us. We’ll cover tips to becoming an advocate, along with how to read the new food labels this year.

Resources:

Black Earth Compost: https://blackearthcompost.com/

Biggest Little Farm: https://www.biggestlittlefarmmovie.com/

From Freezer to Cooker: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/from-freezer-to-cooker

The Best Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Rotisserie-Chicken-Cookbook-Store-Bought/dp/0778806588

Regenerative Agriculture: http://www.regenerativeagriculturedefinition.com/

Kid Food by Bettina Elias Siegel: https://www.amazon.com/Kid-Food-Challenge-Children-Processed/dp/0190862122\

66: Half the Sugar, All the Love: Jennifer Tyler Lee Dec 19, 2019

You’ve probably heard the buzz about the typical American diet that’s filled with excess sugar. There are many health problems associated with high sugar intake, and sadly, these problems are showing up at younger and younger ages in America’s youth. Today’s show was all about tips and tricks for cutting added sugar from your family’s diet without sacrificing the fun and flavor of your favorite recipes.

My guest today is Jennifer Tyler Lee, author and healthy eating advocate. Her new cookbook, Half the Sugar, All the Love: A Family Cookbook, is being released later this month. You might remember her previous cookbook, The 52 New Foods Challenge, or her really cool kids’ nutrition game, Crunch A Color. Half the Sugar, All the Love is filled with 100 sweet and savory recipes that have been remastered to be lower in sugar than their original counterparts. If you crave a chocolate brownie, Jennifer has you covered with her Double-Chocolate Brownies, and just wait until you hear how she uses sweet potatoes as a secret ingredient. If you wonder how much added sugar is in that stir-fry chicken dish you ordered out last week, Jennifer is here for you with her Better For You Citrus Chicken Stir Fry with Green Beans. This is an action-packed show that will fill you in about how much added sugar we, as a nation, are currently consuming. We’ll talk about the health consequences of all that sugar and the upper limit of the recommendations from the American Heart Association. We’re talking about tips for reading food labels and spotting added sugar, and US listeners can enter to win a copy of Jennifer’s new cookbook!

Show Highlights:

The basics of Jennifer’s busy life as a Canadian mom of two living in CA
The positive changes we see in the health of families due to the resurgence of cooking
How Jennifer’s love of cooking comes from the influence of her grandma, who taught her that home-cooked family meals should be the norm
How Jennifer’s new cookbook helps you cut the sugar in all types of recipes and enjoy the foods you love in healthier ways
The current trend: 1 in 5 kids is prediabetic
The secret to “half the sugar” is to sweeten with fiber-rich fruits and vegetables instead of added sugar
Why “sneaky sugar” is an insidious problem in savory foods many so-called “healthy” foods, like yogurt and granola
The sad truth: most people consume more than 3x the daily allowance of added sugar, according to the American Heart Association, which says kids and women should have no more than 6 tsp/day and men should have no more than 9 tsp/day
The new research that shows how artificial sweeteners and even natural sweeteners may lead to increased sugar cravings due to how the brain interprets them
Jennifer’s work with Dr. Patel for the book, showing the dangers of too much added sugar, which include obesity, chronic disease, Type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fatty liver disease, and cavities
Why Jennifer likes to sweeten recipes with fiber-rich fruits and vegetables like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, dates, pineapple, and mango
Some of Jennifer’s favorites from the new cookbook: Pumpkin Spice Waffles, and Pineapple Teriyaki Short Ribs
How Jennifer’s Double Chocolate Brownies cut the sugar in a typical brownie from 4-½ tsp. to 1-½ tsp.
How to determine the amounts of added sugar by reading food labels and converting grams to teaspoons
Why beverages are the worst way to consume added sugar and calories
How nuts, seeds, and dried fruits can be used in sugar replacement
The big problems in removing sugar from a recipe are changes in texture and flavor
Jennifer’s recipe for granola that’s made with lots of nutritious ingredients like oats, nuts, and dried fruits; it’s a flexible recipe with maple syrup being the only added sweetener
Jennifer’s Citrus Chicken Stir Fry with Green Beans made with tangerine juice, ginger, garlic, toasted sesame oil, almonds (with zero added sugar)
A bonus! If you pre-order Jennifer’s book and enter your confirmation number on her website, you’ll receive Jennifer’s holiday cookie recipes
An example of a recipe with dates: Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
A random question from the Mason jar about Jennifer’s first food memory

Resources:

Jennifer's website: 52newfoods.com (where she shares new recipes each week)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifertylerlee/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifertylerlee

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jtylerlee

Giveaway: We're giving away a copy of Half the Sugar: All the Love by Jennifer Tyler Lee to one lucky US winner. Tell me why you'd love to win the book and/or your favorite sweet or savory recipe that's lower in sugar than its original version. Giveaway ends January 1, 2020.

If you pre-order Jennifer's book (before the release date of 12/24/2019), you'll be able to claim 3 HOLIDAY BONUS RECIPES from Jennifer. Click here to learn about the bonus,

65: Beautiful Boards with Maegan Brown Dec 04, 2019

If you board it, they will come. And if you put snacks, appetizers, and nibbles on a board, everyone at your table will eat and enjoy every bite! Whether you call them cheese boards, snack boards, appetizer boards, or charcuterie boards, Maegan Brown, author of Beautiful Boards, has the complete scoop on creating irresistible boards for every eating occasion.

Maegan Brown is The Baker Mama and author of the stunning new cookbook, Beautiful Boards. She has tips for everything from creating a sensational Cobb Salad Board piled high with all the fixings to a make-your-own Pancake Board, complete with colorful berries, maple syrup, and bacon on the side! Tune in for my delightful conversation with Maegan. If you’re looking for a new way to serve food that’s fun, interesting, and easy, then this is the show for you!

Show Highlights:

The story of Maegan, The Baker Mama, who is the mom of four kids under age 8 and is married to her fellow foodie husband, with whom she makes her home in Dallas, TX
How Maegan’s blog began in 2012 with a focus on baking but branched out into family-friendly original recipes and entertaining
How Maegan’s background is in family-friendly meals that have people gathering around the table to enjoy great food
Maegan’s food philosophy revolves around helping kids to have an appreciation for food and the work that goes into growing and preparing it
How boards give everyone the freedom to pick and choose the foods they want
Why the 1970’s Lazy Susan was the precursor to today’s board meals
A look inside Maegan’s book, filled with 50 creative snack, appetizer, holiday, breakfast, dinner, and brunch ideas
Why Maegan’s boards are produce-centric, loaded with fruits and vegetables
How to start with a small collection of boards and grow your collection as you go
Where to get boards: www.boardsbythebakermama.com, World Market, Crate & Barrel, Target, and Trader Joe’s
Maegan’s dad’s boards, which are handcrafted from start to finish
How to clean a board properly with dish soap and warm water
The secret to great boards is that there are no rules; be creative and learn as you go
Why boards are approachable and interesting to everyone
Maegan’s Cobb Salad board components: hard-boiled eggs, lettuce, pecans, roasted chicken, tomatoes, red onion, croutons, cheese, bacon bits, avocado, and dressing
Maegan’s Candy Cane Caprese Board components: mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and balsamic vinaigrette
Some of Maegan’s other boards include a Game Day Board, Rainbow Board, New Year’s Eve Board, Princess Board, Vegan Board, and Gluten-Free Board
How you can ask the bakery experts in your supermarket to help with your board
A behind-the-scenes look at the photography procedure to make the boards look fresh and delicious
What’s next for Maegan? “We are enjoying the ride, and we’re working to grow the board business and take it to the next level.”
A random question from the Mason jar about the one food that The Baker Mama just doesn’t like

Resources:

WANT TO BUY A BOOK AND A HAND-CRAFTED BOARD? CHECK OUT MAEGAN'S NEW BUSINESS, Boards by the Baker Mama: https://boardsbythebakermama.com/

Website: http://thebakermama.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebakermama/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebakermamablog

Giveaway: We are giving away a copy of Beautiful Boards: 50 Amazing Snack Boards for Any Occasion by Maegan Brown, The Baker Mama, to one lucky U.S. winner. To enter to win, tell me about your favorite way to create snack and/or meal boards ... or tell me why you'd love to win a copy of Beautiful Boards. GIVEAWAY ends December 18th, 2019 (just in time for the holidays)!

64: Maria Lichty: Two Peas & Their Pod Nov 20, 2019

Finding recipes that are easy to make, delicious, nourishing and a joy for your family and friends to eat is like hitting the jackpot … and that’s what you’ll get on the show today. Joining me is Maria Lichty from the Two Peas & Their Pod Cookbook and blog.

Maria Lichty is the voice and home cook behind the food blog and cookbook, Two Peas and Their Pod. Rounding out Maria’s pod are her husband and sous chef, Josh, and her two adorable boys, Caleb and Maxwell. Maria shares her journey from wedding day to top food blogger, her adventures in the kitchen as she feeds a household full of all those guys, and some of our favorite recipes from her blog and cookbook. We’ll end with some great cookie ideas to prepare you for holiday baking. We’ll learn about her recipe for Asian-Glazed Sheet Pan Salmon and Broccoli, Artichoke and Spinach Dip, and many more!

Show HIghlights:

Getting to know Maria, her family, her blog, and her cookbook
How Maria got into food blogging ten years ago, mainly to get through their wedding
Maria’s background in learning how to cook at home with her dad
How their blogging community has grown and changed over the years
What family dinners are like in Maria’s home as she deals with picky eaters at times
The most popular recipe on the blog: Dad’s Cinnamon Rolls
How Maria defines her food focus and style
How exposing kids to different foods helps eliminate picky eaters
The process from developing recipe ideas to putting them on the blog or in the cookbook
How Maria shares tips and tricks for getting confident and comfortable in the kitchen
Maria’s top pantry staples: canned beans, pasta, whole grains, oatmeal, oils and vinegar, nuts and nut butters, canned tomatoes, and broth
Maria’s “Feeling Toasty” breakfast ideas: avocado toast; toast with peanut butter, honey, and banana; toast with almond butter and fresh peach slices; and hummus on toast with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and feta cheese
Maria’s recipe for Asian-Glazed Sheet Pan Salmon and Broccoli: made with olive oil, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, fresh mint and cilantro, orange zest and juice, ginger, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes
Maria’s Everyday Butter Lettuce Salad with a vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic or champagne vinegar, honey, garlic, and salt and pepper
Maria’s Four Cheese Spinach and Artichoke Dip: made with cream cheese, Greek yogurt, frozen spinach, canned artichoke hearts, shredded fontina, mozzarella, parmesan, fresh basil, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper
Some of Maria’s kids’ favorites: Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs, Black Bean Quinoa Enchilada Bake, Pesto Havarti Mac and Cheese, Enchilada-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, and Tomato Basil Soup with Cheesy Garlic Dunkers
How Maria and Josh meal-plan with their boys on Sundays to help them take ownership of the process
One of Maria’s favorite go-to cookbooks: Baking: From My Home to Yours
Favorite desserts in the book: Why Maria loves the cookie chapter and the dessert chapter, and her husband loves the Key Lime Bars
The next big adventure for Maria?
A random question from the Mason jar about Maria’s favorite food city or town

Resources:

Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/twopeasandpod

IG: https://www.instagram.com/twopeasandpod/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twopeasandtheirpod

Two Peas and Their Pod website: https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/

Liz's better-for-you 7 Layer Bars: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2015/02/26/lightened-up-seven-layer-bars/

GIVEAWAY:

We are giving away a copy of the Two Peas & Their Pod Cookbook to one lucky U.S. winner. To enter for a chance to win, tell me about your go-to, always-a-win recipe that you make when you're feeding your family ... or your friends. So family vs. cooking for a crowd. What's your favorite?

I'll pick the winner on December 4th at noon ET.

63: Tieghan Gerard: Half Baked Harvest Super Simple Oct 30, 2019

Today’s episode is all about comfort food recipes that are hearty, easy to make, and celebrate what’s in season. My guest is cookbook author and blogger, Tieghan Gerard from Half Baked Harvest. Tieghan’s new cookbook, Half Baked Harvest Super Simple is hot off the press, and she joins me to talk all about it!

Half Baked Harvest Super Simple features recipes like Cream of Mushroom Soup with Garlic Bread Crumbs, Sesame Orange Chicken, and Harvest Butternut Squash and Apple Pizza, which are all perfect for cozy family dinners or festive gatherings.

Tieghan took time off from her book launch to talk about the new cookbook, her journey into the wild world of food blogging, her Colorado barn where she cooks and photographs her recipes, and why her recipes appeal to even the pickiest of eaters.

Show Highlights:

Getting to know Tieghan and the food blog that grew out of her crazy family experiences
What family mealtime was like for Tieghan growing up in a family of nine
How Tieghan began cooking as a young teen to help her dad with the family cooking responsibilities
The broad appeal of Tieghan’s blog, with recipes that use whole foods to create approachable recipes for everyday families
How Tieghan makes an effort to stay connected to her blogging community and gives them feedback
A behind-the-scenes look at Tieghan’s barn in Colorado, where she lives and cooks
Why Tieghan’s new cookbook is geared to help people create delicious food easily and quickly, with recipes of a wide variety for everyone’s food taste
Tieghan’s Harvest Butternut Squash and Apple Pizza made with butternut squash ribbons, cheddar cheese, sage, thinly-sliced shallots and apples, prosciutto, thyme, honey, and apple butter
Apple butter: a thickened, seasoned applesauce that you need to stock in your fridge
Swirled Banana Bundt Cake: an easy and delicious concoction of chocolate, bananas, with a cream cheese swirl
Why Tieghan’s favorite recipes in the book revolve around pasta and pizza creations
Tieghan’s Pomegranate Braised Short Ribs with Sweet Potato Mash: a one-pot wonder!
What’s next for Tieghan? There are exciting projects and new things coming to her ever-expanding blog
A random question from the Mason jar reveals why Tieghan would love to have dinner with Ina Garten

Resources:

Giveaway: We are giving away a copy of Half Baked Harvest: Super Simple by Tieghan Gerard to one lucky US listener. To enter, post a comment in the comments section at the end of this post, and tell me why you'd like to win this cookbook and/or your favorite harvest-inspired family recipe right now. In other words, tell me about a recipe that celebrates an ingredient that's in season (i.e. something with butternut squash, apples, pears, kale, etc). Giveaway ends on November 6, 2019.

Discussed on the show (Pasta & Pizza Dinners e-cookbook): https://www.lizshealthytable.com/pastapizzadinners/

Follow Tieghan here:

Half Baked Harvest: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/

Tieghan's studio barn: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/the-studio-barn-kitchen-appliances-by-kitchenaid/

IG: @halfbakedharvest

FB: @hbharvest

Pinterest: @hbharvest

Twitter: @hbharvest

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

62: A Passion for Pumpkin with Maggie Michalczyk, RDN Oct 16, 2019

Today’s show is all about pumpkin! While this versatile and nutritious autumn fruit is best known as a front porch decoration on Halloween and a flavoring in trendy coffee drinks, it's also an ingredient that makes its way into everything from wholesome muffins and pancakes to chili, enchiladas, and mac & cheese! As a dietitian, I adore pumpkin, and as you'll learn on the show today, it turns out that my guest is even more obsessed with this fall favorite than I am.

On the show today is registered dietitian, food blogger, and cookbook author Maggie Michalczyk. She lives in Chicago, where she runs Once Upon A Pumpkin, a blog that’s filled with recipes and tips for cooking with pumpkin. Maggie has lots of recipe ideas to keep you cooking all autumn long and beyond. On the show, we dish about Maggie’s recipes for Pumpkin Mac and Cheese and Gluten-free Pumpkin Chickpea Blondies, and we've got tips for roasting pumpkin and pumpkin seeds. And of course, we dive deep into the nutritional benefits of pumpkin.

Show Highlights:

What dinner was like in Maggie’s house as she grew up in a Polish household
Pumpkin’s appeal to even the pickiest of eaters
The nutrition breakdown on pumpkin’s fiber, vitamins A, C, and E, and potassium
Is there a nutritional difference between fresh and canned pumpkin?
The ideal pumpkins for roasting are the 2-4 lb. “sugar” or “pie” pumpkins (bigger pumpkins won’t have as much flavor!)
Maggie’s favorite seasonal foods with pumpkin: nut butter, chips, salsa, hummus, and pumpkin spice latte popcorn (Just browse the pumpkin offerings at Trader Joe’s for a real treat!)
Ideas for using the can of pumpkin puree in your pantry: smoothies, oatmeal, muffins, crepes, enchiladas, quesadillas, chili, and soups
How to roast pumpkin seeds with salt, cinnamon sugar, or pumpkin pie spice (get creative with the seasonings!); place on a baking sheet with parchment paper and roast at 250-300 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Pumpkin seeds are a source of plant-based protein, fiber, and magnesium
Maggie’s cookbook, with over 50 pumpkin recipes with something for everyone---even the family dog!
Pumpkin Mac and Cheese, with a cheesy, pumpkiny sauce and lots of optional add-ins
Maggie’s Gluten-free Pumpkin Chickpea Blondies--yummy and nutritious!
A random question from the Mason jar about the weirdest, strangest thing Maggie has ever eaten
What’s next on Maggie’s horizon

Resources:

IG: @onceuponapumpkin

Website: OnceUponAPumpkinRD.com

www.lizshealthytable.com/podcast Join our Podcast Posse!

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

61: Recipes & Tips for Memorable Family Mealtime with Brianne DeRosa Oct 02, 2019

Today’s show is all about the benefits of family mealtime. Sharing family meals is good for body and soul, but making it to the dinner table night after night can be a challenge. To make mealtime a regular reality, I’m joined this week by Brianne DeRosa from The Family Dinner Project.

Brianne DeRosa is the Content Manager for The Family Dinner Project. She’s the co-author of an incredible new book, Eat, Laugh, Talk! The Family Dinner Playbook. This book is over-the-top awesome with 52 weeks of easy recipes and hundreds of conversation starters and hilarious games designed specifically for the family dinner table. In this episode, Brianne and I share our family dinner experiences from childhood AND today, as busy moms. We have lots of tips to make family dinner happen more often, in spite of dealing with picky eaters and hectic family schedules. We’re cutting through those barriers today to give you easy solutions and delicious recipes, like Skillet Chicken with Goat Cheese Sauce. We’ll also tell you about The Family Dinner Project, a non-profit initiative begun in 2010 to champion family dinner as a way to connect through food, fun, and conversation. Join us to learn how your family dinners can become easier and more memorable!

Show Highlights:

How The Family Dinner Project has built a movement of food, fun, and conversation
Brianne’s work at The Family Dinner Project over the past five years, where she manages web and social media content--while being a mom to two sons, ages 10 and 13
What family dinner was like for Liz and Brianne as kids, and what it looks like today
Dealing with technology’s assault on family dinner
From The Family Dinner Project: resourceful ways to use devices to further the connection between family members
Brianne’s new book is filled with resources for families and is laid out to cover 52 weeks of tips and solutions from real families
How the book gives weekly strategies for combating the most common obstacles to family Dinner
Three of the biggest challenges (and solutions!) that parents face with family dinner:
- Lack of time: Solutions include managing the family’s schedule, using meal planning and “fallback” meals, trying “split-shift” dinners, and sitting down together for breakfast, lunch, or even a snack.
- Picky eaters and special diets: Solutions revolve around using variations of “build-your-own” meals, like a taco bar, salad bar, pasta bar, etc.
- Enhancing the connection piece: Solutions include being intentional about conversations and connecting with each other.t
How to implement “fallback” meals with ingredients that are easy to keep on hand
What it means to “lean on a dinner village” for meal prep
Brianne’s recipe for Skillet Chicken with Goat Cheese Sauce, using boneless, skinless chicken, garlic, crushed tomatoes, goat cheese, basil, salt and pepper, and olive oil.
The health benefits of eating family dinner together, both for children AND their parents
A random question from the Mason jar about the one pantry item that Brianne couldn’t do without

Resources:

How to find Brianne: www.thefamilydinnerproject.org

Facebook: @thefamilydinnerproject

Twitter:@FDP_Tweets

Instagram: @thefamilydinnerproject

Pinterest: @famdinnerproj

Giveaway: We're giving away a copy of Eat, Laugh, Talk! The Family Dinner Playbook; 52 Weeks of Easy Recipes, Engaging Conversation, and Hilarious Games to one lucky U.S. winner. Tell me about your fondest mealtime memory from when you were a kid or your favorite thing about family mealtime today. We'll pick one winner at random on October 16th.

Eat, Laugh, Talk! The Family Dinner Playbook by The Family Dinner Project, Lynn Barendson, Brianne DeRosa, Anne Fishel, and Shelly London

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

www.lizshealthytable.com/podcast Join the Podcast Posse!

60: Culinary Travel with Carolyn O'Neil, MS, RDN Sep 19, 2019

Are you ready for food adventures from around the world? Today’s show is all about culinary travel from the spice markets of Marrakech to the island of Sicily, where a traditional pasta dish is topped with crispy bread crumbs. Join me for a whirlwind journey of flavors with food and travel writer Carolyn O’Neil, who has been a great friend of mine for many decades.

Carolyn O’Neil is a registered dietitian nutritionist who lives in Atlanta, Georgia, but calls the world her home. After 20 years at CNN, where she launched and led the network’s coverage of food, nutrition, and cuisine, Carolyn is now a food and travel writer. She contributes to a number of publications including Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles magazine and Food & Wine magazine. She has authored two cookbooks, The Dish: On Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous! AND The Slim Down South Cookbook with Southern Living magazine. Carolyn also appears on the Food Network as the “Lady of the Refrigerator” on Alton Brown’s Good Eats: The Return!

Show Highlights:

Why Carolyn became interested in culinary travel
Sights, sounds, and flavors from Carolyn’s travels to Greece and Italy
The benefits of taking a food tour when you travel
Why Carolyn suggests “off the radar” locations vs. hot tourist destinations
How bread crumbs pair well with pasta dishes
How other countries can teach us to repurpose and eliminate food waste (like uses for the rind of parmesan cheese!)
South American food highlights: from Lima, Peru and the Amaz Restaurant
How kids’ lives can be changed by exposing them to different foods and cultures
Carolyn’s experiences with food trends in Vietnam, China, and Korea
Tips and tricks to remember about culinary travel and getting off the beaten path
Food trends in the South today which celebrate diversity in agriculture and the fruits and vegetables of the land
An easy dinner from Carolyn’s latest cookbook: Honey Grilled Pork Tenderloin with a marinade of soy sauce, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, honey, and dark sesame oil
Carolyn’s trip to the Galapagos Islands, where chefs are limited because of what grows there and strict importation regulations
Liz and Carolyn share highlights from their craziest culinary trips
A random question from the Mason jar: Carolyn shares her favorite inexpensive kitchen gadget, the lemon juicer

Resources:

Ikaia Lodge

Cypress Culinary Tour

https://www.virtuoso.com/articles/virtuoso-communities/Our-Favorite-Vacation-Ideas-for-Food-Lovers

(Great article above with a good list!)

Lemon Juicer

The Happy, Healthy Kitchen Blog by Carolyn O’Neil

Find Carolyn O’Neil on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

59: Plant-Based Juniors with Alex Caspero, MA, RDN Aug 28, 2019

Are you interested in raising plant-based eaters? From babies and toddlers to kids of all ages, prepping plant-based meals and snacks requires a bit of planning and plotting, but the payoff is a family table brimming with fruits, veggies, beans, tofu, and other plant-based foods. Joining me on today's podcast is Alex Caspero, dietitian, mom, and co-founder of Plant-Based Juniors---better known as, PBJs. She’s sharing lots of tips and words of wisdom about the food choices that exist today.

Show Highlights:

Alex’s background, her website, and her life in St. Louis with her husband and toddler son
When Alex was pregnant, she looked for a one-stop website with the information she needed about a plant-based lifestyle, but couldn’t find it
How PBJ was created with Whitney English to help other moms who are in the same boat that Whitney and Alex were as new moms
How to tap into the PBJ community via the website, Instagram, and YouTube
Why the term “plant-based” is more fitting than “vegetarian” or “vegan”
The benefits of plant-based eating include lower rates of chronic diseases and higher intake of antioxidants
The “A plant on every plate” platform
How Alex’s e-book, Plant-Based Juniors: First Bites, is all about introducing a baby to solid food, with high-iron and baby-led weaning appropriate recipes
Tofu Frittata Cups--a versatile recipe that works with any vegetables; think of it as baby’s first omelet!
Why adding a source of vitamin C to a plant-based iron source (beans, lentils, quinoa, tofu, and broccoli) will increase iron absorption by 4-6 times
Why zinc is vital for red blood cell development and immunity, especially in infants
Plant-based calcium sources include fortified plant-based milk, broccoli, oranges, beans, tofu, tahini, and almond butter
Why pea milk and soy milk are top plant-based milk choices--because of their higher fat content
Why a plant-based diet for infants and toddlers should include more fat than you might think
Two family favorites for Alex: Tofu Marinara Sticks and Cinnamon Sweet Potato Sticks
Why coconut oil should be used occasionally and is ideal for baking and roasting
How plant-based eaters can get sufficient omega 3 fatty acids from nuts and seeds
Why DHA supplementation is recommended in infancy and pregnancy; it’s plentiful in fatty fish and algae
How baby-led weaning can reduce the likelihood of having a picky eater
Alex’s favorite go-to family dinners: Lentil Tacos and Pasta with veggies
Details about the e-book, First Bites: the nutrition primer to raise your infant or start solid foods in a plant-based way (20 recipes included!)
Details about the e-book, The Predominantly Plant-Based Pregnancy Guide: the primer with everything you need to know about a plant-based pregnancy (175 pages!)
The #1 question from parents about plant-based eating for juniors is about which milk is best

Giveaway: We are giving away of a copy of the awesome new e-book, Plant-Based Juniors: First Bites. Starting solids can be intimidating, so Alex and co-author, Whitney English, demystify the process. The e-book provides a primer on baby-led weaning, tackles nutrients of concern for plant-based babies including iron, calcium, and omega-3 fats, and serves up 20 colorful and nourishing baby-led weaning recipes, all designed for plant-based eaters. To enter for a chance to win (retail value: $12.99), tell me about your baby's favorite first food and/or why you've decided to go plant-based with your baby or toddler. Giveaway ends on Wednesday, September 11th at noon ET.

Resources and Links:

The Lentil Tacos recipe on Delish Knowledge

https://www.delishknowledge.com/lentil-tacos/

Predominantly Plant-Based Pregnancy Guide

https://plantbasedjuniors.lpages.co/pregnancy-guide-full/#call-to-action

Plant-Based Juniors: First Bites

https://plantbasedjuniors.com/firstbites/

Alex on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delishknowledge/

Whitney on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitneyerd/

PBJs on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantbasedjuniors/

www.plantbasedjuniors.com

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

58: Virtual Cooking School with Liz Weiss, MS, RDN Aug 08, 2019

On today’s show, I’m taking you behind the scenes to one of my hands-on cooking classes. I realize that most of you don’t live in my home state of Massachusetts, so this is going to be a virtual cooking class. Sound fun?

I’ve been on Nantucket this summer, and over at the Nantucket Culinary Center, I’ve been giving cooking classes throughout the summer to locals and island visitors. These classes are always an adventure, and of course, everyone who joins one of my classes gets to cook up all sorts of nourishing foods. I thought it would be cool to take you along to one of my classes--not in person, but through this podcast episode.

Show Highlights:

Deviled Eggs:
- Ingredients include hard-boiled eggs, mayo, diced orange bell pepper, dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper, and paprika
- Cook’s tips: steam the eggs; use a sandwich bag as a piping bag
Salmon Cakes:
- Ingredients include grilled, diced salmon, whole-wheat panko bread crumbs, shredded cheddar cheese, corn kernels, mayo, dijon mustard, egg, fresh dill, and lemon zest. Avocado sauce ingredients include ripe avocado, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, fresh tarragon, dill, or parsley, honey, dijon mustard, and salt and pepper.
- Cook’s tips: substitute canned salmon if grilled isn’t available
Wild Rice and Kale Salad:
- Ingredients include cooked brown or wild rice, kale, diced orange bell pepper, green onions, fresh parsley, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, diced celery. Dressing ingredients include olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, honey, and salt and pepper.
- Cook’s tips: Add crumbled feta cheese, if desired. This recipe is a great lunchbox option, topped with grilled chicken. For shortcuts, use pre-washed baby kale, boil-in-bag rice, and other dried fruits.
Peach Apple Berry Crisp:
- Ingredients include diced ripe peaches, diced pink lady apples, strawberries, blueberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, corn starch, quick-cooking oats, chopped pecans, salt, and oil.
- Cook’s tips: Use frozen peaches if fresh aren’t available, and feel free to substitute other seasonal fruits.
Find a way to celebrate summer; have a cooking class with your friends or your kids
A tip for stabilizing your cutting board: place a wet paper towel under the cutting board to create a non-slip surface

Resources:

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

57: Summer Produce Celebration with Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN Jul 25, 2019

On this week's Liz's Healthy Table podcast, I'm celebrating the best and brightest that summer produce has to offer, and I hope you'll join me by tuning in and sharing your summer produce stories in the comments section at the end of this post. I want to know what’s growing in your garden, what’s for sale at your local farmers’ market, and which summer fruit or vegetable you can’t stop eating. For me ... it's cabbage! I’ve been grilling it all summer and my family has happily joined the obsession.

Today’s guest is Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, a mother of three and President and CEO of the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH). PBH is dedicated to helping consumers live healthier, happier lives by eating more fruits and vegetables. While today’s show highlights fresh summer produce, I want to remind you that frozen, canned, dried, and even 100% fruit juice all count toward your daily fruit and vegetable consumption. Eating your greens (and yellows, and reds, and oranges ...) may sound easy, but about 90% of U.S. consumers still struggle to get enough fruits and vegetables into their diets. That’s why I wanted to devote an episode to the importance of fruits and vegetables.

On the show, Wendy and I discuss PBH’s new campaign, Have A Plant, aimed and encouraging all of us to eat and enjoy more produce. And we share snack and meal ideas to keep you busy cooking up fresh produce for the rest of the summer.

Show Highlights:

Grilled cabbage: try my easy foil packet method to caramelize and sweeten this perfect veggie side dish in less than 30 minutes on the grill
Why Americans are not eating the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables
Why most of us need to double our consumption of fruits and vegetables
Current family favorites: for Wendy, watermelon, and for Liz, roasted radishes
Why “5 A Day” fruits and vegetables is a baseline, but more is better
The new recommendation that ½ your plate should be fruits and vegetables
The Have A Plant campaign, rooted in behavioral science and extensive consumer research
How PBH is changing people’s relationship with fruits and vegetables with a new approach
The research from Australia and New Zealand showing that frequent fruit and vegetable consumers report much greater overall satisfaction and happiness with life
The emotional AND health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables
The importance of exposure to new fruits and vegetables, especially for moms so their kids can cultivate an enjoyment
How social media affects food trends with fruits and vegetables
Ideas for using summer produce:
- Whole carrots: roasted, glazed, or shaved in curlicues on salads
- Watermelon: carved into shapes, grilled, or blended into drinks and smoothies
- Zucchini: grilled, fried, or spiralized into noodles or on salads
- Jackfruit: can be used in vegan meals as meat substitutes
Tips for using more summer fruits and vegetables:
- Farmers’ Market scavenger hunt for kids
- Grill fruits and vegetables
- Try specialty produce items
- Use frozen smoothie kits or try a smoothie bar at home
- Use canned fruit cups for road trips
- Add dried fruit in trail mix
What’s hot in produce for 2020? Wendy says, “The next big thing will be specialty produce items, specialty packaging, and powerful produce pairings.”

Resources:

For the research and science behind Have a Plant, tune in to the Sound Bites podcast with Melissa Joy Dobbins: https://www.soundbitesrd.com/podcast-episode-123-have-a-plant-the-roots-of-healthy-eating-wendy-reinhardt-kapsak/

Produce for Better Health

- Website: https://fruitsandveggies.org/

- Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/FruitsandVeggies/

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FruitsandVeggies/

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fruitsandveggies/

- Have a Plant: https://fruitsandveggies.org/join-the-movement/

- Jackfruit: https://fruitsandveggies.org/stories/insiders-viewpoint-try-meat-alternative-national-nutrition-month-jackfruit/

- Wiki page on Jackfruit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackfruit

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

56: Grain Foods: Myths Debunked with Christine Cochran Jul 06, 2019

Grains have gotten a bad rap in light of recent low carb and keto diets, but what’s the real deal? Are grains to be avoided completely, or is there a place for them in a balanced diet? Today’s show will clear up the confusion about grains and set the record straight. My guest is Christine Cochran, Executive Director of the Grain Foods Foundation. I met Christine at a conference back in January, and I’m thrilled to get to the bottom of the grain dilemma with her in today’s show. Christine lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband, three kids, and a new puppy.

Show Highlights:

Christine’s background in agricultural economics, traveling and working on farms in Costa Rica and the Czech Republic, and her work at the US Embassy in Nigeria
The Grain Foods Foundation, established in 2004; their mission is to provide science-based messaging on the nutritional benefits of grains
Grain foods include corn rice, oats, faro, and quinoa--not just wheat
How grains are the main source of protein in other countries, but only about 16% of the American diet
A gluten-free diet can still include grains like rice, corn, amaranth, buckwheat, tamarind, millet, quinoa, sorghum, wild rice, teff, and oats (although you have to be careful about the processing of oat products)
Why wheat is NOT a GMO product
Why carbs are getting a bad rap in today’s nutrition circles
Why diets of moderation should include grains because they provide fiber, B vitamins, and minerals
The forms of wheat as it comes to the food supply: whole milling, flour milling, and cracked milling
How a whole grain is made up of the germ, bran, and endosperm
The difference in whole wheat flour and refined flour
Why “enriched” and “fortified” are important distinctions in flour
Why the USDA recommends making ½ your grains whole grains and the other ½ enriched
The difference in staple grains and indulgent grains
The versatility of grains, like my oven-dried tomatoes to add to pasta with pesto
Christine’s favorite go-to pasta with seafood and asparagus
How to read bread labels to find 100% whole grain
Christine’s favorite grain additions for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Lightning Round:
- How Christine uses couscous: mix with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and garlic to make a soup with ginger and spices
- How Christine uses basmati rice: make fried rice with carrots, peas, onion, soy sauce, garlic, and cilantro
My recent minestrone soup with leftover tidbits from my fridge and pasta
Why grains are good, nutritional, versatile, and social

Resources:

Grain Foods Foundation: https://grainfoodsfoundation.org/

Find the Grain Foods Foundation on social media:

https://twitter.com/grainfoods

https://www.facebook.com/GrainFoods

https://www.instagram.com/grainfoodsfoundation/

Link to Melissa Joy Dobbins’ podcast, Sound Bites and her interview with Glenn Gaesser on refined grains: https://www.soundbitesrd.com/podcast-episode-120-refined-grains-diabetes-guilt-by-association-dr-glenn-gaesser/

55: Healthy Family Recipes with Julia Nordgren, MD Jun 12, 2019

Dr. Julia Nordgren is a pediatrician who is also a trained professional chef. With her stethoscope and whisk, she's on a mission to teach her patients (and now you) about eating a healthy and delicious diet. Julia is the author of The New Family Table, a cookbook filled with no-fuss, no-muss recipes that make healthy eating flavorful, affordable, and accessible to everyone.

Show Highlights:

Julia’s unique roles as a pediatrician and chef, because she wanted to acquire cooking skills to help solve problems for her and her patients
How the issues of childhood obesity and poor nutrition prompted her to want to offer solutions
A story of a patient who saw significant results by incorporating more home-cooked meals in place of takeout dinners
How to plan ahead and prepare healthy meals
Julia’s new cookbook, which helps readers prepare more meals at home with simple ingredients and lots of flavors
Julia’s recipe for Braised Carrots, made with butter, brown sugar, ginger, salt, and fresh thyme
Why you should get your kids used to eating food with herbs
Secrets to veggie prep to save time and get kids involved
Julia’s kids’ favorites from the book: fajitas and Brazilian Chicken and Rice Soup
For a kid who doesn’t like veggies, use a “gateway” flavor, like teriyaki or taco seasoning
Julia’s philosophy on meat: lean, healthy proteins fit nicely into healthy and balanced diets, but most kids don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables
Why Julia believes we need to eat as many plant-based foods as possible
Tofu Lettuce Wraps, with Boston Bibb lettuce, carrots, red cabbage, hoisin sauce, tofu, and lime juice (ground pork or turkey can be substituted for tofu)
How the cookbook is divided into sections covering breakfast, snacks, dinners with more vegetables, and desserts that capitalize on fruit
Julia’s favorite snacks: minestrone soup and homemade trail mix (move away from packaged foods)
How to use citrus zest or juice to freshen, liven, and balance flavors
Kid-Friendly Kale Salad, with couscous, grated carrot, dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and a dressing of balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, olive oil, and salt and pepper
How the salad balances flavors and offers a contrast in textures
Julia’s “Aha” moment when she looked at the mess in her pantry
How she learned to make Vietnamese Pho
Tips for family dinner:
- Make dinner a priority
- Have rules about devices
- Create a welcoming table, even after your kids leave the house
Julia’s favorite go-to family dinner: steamed carrots, broccoli, or cauliflower, canned beans, quinoa or couscous, and fresh herbs
What’s next for Julia? Travel, a food blogger conference in Alaska, and her next cookbook about feeding teenagers

Resources:

Giveaway: We're giving away a copy of The New Family Table: Cooking More, Eating Together & Staying (Relatively) Sane by chef Dr. Julia Nordgren, MD. (U.S. only, please.) To enter, leave a comment in the comments section at the bottom of this post and tell me about YOUR favorite family dinner recipe. Giveaway ends June 26th.

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

www.drjuliacooks.com

Find Julia on Instagram: @drjuliacooks

54: Vegan Diet 101 with Gena Hamshaw May 29, 2019

Today’s show is all about eating a vegan diet, and my guest is cookbook author, blogger, and dietitian-to-be, Gena Hamshaw.

Gena is a vegan lifestyle guru. She's the voice behind The Full Helping and the author of several cookbooks including, Power Plates: 100 Nutritionally Balanced, One-Dish Vegan Meals. She joins me with tips for getting started on eating a vegan diet, important rules of the road when it comes to getting the right balance of nutrients on a vegan diet, the scoop on all those plant-based milk alternatives popping up in supermarkets, answers to questions from the Podcast Posse, and lots of vegan recipe inspiration for you and your family. The featured recipes we discuss on the show include Gena's Spring Panzanella Salad with Artichokes, Asparagus, Peas and Lemon Dill Vinaigrette and her Cauliflower Scramble, a tasty substitute for scrambled eggs.

Show Highlights:

How and why Gena started her blog, The Full Helping, in 2009
The juggling act between blogging, writing cookbooks and being a dietetic intern
Gena’s new cookbook, Power Plates, and how she guides people to healthy and balanced vegan meals
Gena’s ideal vegan meal: “A grain, a green, a bean, and a sauce”
Other ideas for go-to vegan dinners
How to use tempeh, which is a soy product and a cousin of tofu; one of Gena’s favorite recipes is Polenta with Balsamic Braised Tempeh and Vegetables
Why vegan eating is not difficult, but it takes practice with "a whole new cast of characters”
A plant-based diet vs. a vegan diet. What's the difference?
The nutrients that are of concern for vegans and the tricks for getting them: vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, zinc, calcium, and iron
A good starting point for vegan meals for kids: (some of Gena’s favorite recipes)
- Creamy Brown Rice with Shiitakes and Peas
- Pasta with Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- Soups
- Spiced Lentil Tamale Pie
- Baked Potatoes with Broccolini and White Beans
- Enchiladas
Breakfast ideas for vegans include Tofu Scramble and Cauliflower Scramble, instead of eggs
How to bake without eggs: Gena uses a “flax egg,” which is ground flax seeds with water; another idea is the liquid left from a can of chickpeas (aquafaba), which can be used in various ways.
Gena’s advice for swapping cow's milk with non-dairy alternatives:
- Soy milk is the most comparable to dairy
- Use soy, cashew, or coconut milk in soups
- Use almond or cashew milk in smoothies
- Use oat milk for coffee beverages
- Look for fortification and watch out for added sugar. Read the label!
Favorite ways to use beans and lentils: salads, bowls, grain pilaf, pasta dishes, soups, and sauces
Gena’s advice about pre-soaking nuts and seeds
Gena’s Spring Panzanella Salad, with asparagus, frozen peas, greens, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, and croutons
Tofu and Greens: a hearty meal to feed a crowd
Gena’s connection to Food52
Gena’s #1 favorite vegan dessert: chocolate cake
What’s next for Gena

Giveaway:

Who wants to win a copy of Power Plates: 100 Nutritionally Balanced, One-Dish Vegan Meals? In the comments section at the end of this post, tell me about your favorite vegan recipe (something that's always a "win" with your family) and/or why you'd love to win the book. I'll pick one U.S. winner at random on June 12th.

Links:

The Full Helping (Gena's blog): https://www.thefullhelping.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFullHelping/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefullhelping Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefullhelping/

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

53: Clean Eating for Busy Families with Michelle Dudash, RDN May 09, 2019

What if I told you there was a cookbook out there guaranteed to solve your biggest dinnertime dilemmas: lack of time, finicky eaters, and the lure of heavily-processed convenience foods. Would you jump for joy? I bet you would, which is why I invited chef and registered dietitian, Michelle Dudash, RDN, onto the show this week.

Michelle joins me this week to dish about her new book, Clean Eating for Busy Families: Simple and Satisfying Real-Food Recipes You and Your Kids Will Love. Michelle takes us into her clean eating pantry for recipes like Four Seasons Fruit Pizza (her daughters’ favorite), Turkey, Vegetable, and Oat Mini-Meatloaves with Marinara Sauce, and Hoisin Beef and Edamame Lettuce Wraps in a Hurry.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

Michelle’s background as a dietitian and a chef, and her life in Carmel, Indiana with her husband and two daughters, ages 5 and 9
A crazy chef story about how Michelle once served Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and how he taught her how to brew a proper pot of tea
Why Michelle wrote a book about clean eating
“Clean eating” and how Michelle defines it as whole foods in their least processed state, which means they have more nutrients, no added sugar, more fiber, and no trans fats
How some processed foods, like canned beans, are actually a good nutritional choice
Michelle’s extensive recipe testing process when she writes a cookbook
Michelle’s daughters’ favorites: Four Seasons Fruit Pizza and “Meatball Cupcakes”
How to get kids to try new foods:
- Keep it low pressure
- Help them to learn to enjoy food
- Focus on the healthy things they WILL eat, and keep those on hand
Michelle’s recipe for Turkey, Vegetable, and Oat Mini-Meatloaves with Marinara Sauce: finely chopped mushrooms, onion, garlic, dry rolled oats, and lean ground turkey
Why dry rolled oats are a wholesome recipe swap for bread crumbs
Hoisin Beef and Edamame Lettuce Wraps: use Boston Bibb lettuce as a “cup,” and a sauce made with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, hoisin sauce, and Chinese mustard. Sear the ground beef with onion, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, frozen edamame, and canned water chestnuts. Stir in the sauce and serve in lettuce cups.
How to get Michelle’s Clean Eating Grocery List as a free download
Michelle’s favorite go-to weeknight dinners:
Whole-grain pasta with tomato sauce, sautéed spinach, ground beef or chicken, veggies, seasoning, and olive oil
Stir-fry with leftover veggies, onion, garlic, tamari sauce or reduced-sodium soy sauce, and dark sesame oil (Michelle’s secret ingredient for Asian dishes)
Marinated Chicken Thighs with apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, seasoning, and oil (great for grilling or baking)
Tips for healthy snacking for kids and adults: whole fruit, cheese sticks, hummus with seeded crackers, hard-boiled eggs, natural microwave popcorn, raisins, and nuts
Date Night recipes from Michelle’s book:
- Chicken Piccata: chicken breast pounded thin and lightly sautéed in olive oil with a silky lemon and butter sauce
- Halibut in a parchment paper pouch
A wholesome sweet treat: Peanut Butter Brittle Bars with Dark Chocolate Drizzle, made with graham crackers, honey, butter, and dry roasted peanuts

Resources:

Michelle’s website: https://www.michelledudash.com/

Find Michelle’s book: https://www.michelledudash.com/clean-eating-for-busy-families/

Find Michelle on social media: https://www.instagram.com/michelledudash/

https://www.facebook.com/MichelleDudashRD/

https://twitter.com/michelledudash

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

Cookbook Giveaway: Enter for a chance to win Clean Eating for Busy Families: Simple and Satisfying Real-Food Recipes You and Your Kids Will Love. This giveaway is for Canada, the US, and Europe. To enter, post a comment in the comments section at the end of this post and tell me about your favorite wholesome, easy family dinner recipe (your go-to when you want a quick win!), or tell me why you want to win the book. Giveaway ends on May 22, 2019.

52: PREP Cookbook for Teens with Katie Morford, MS, RDN Apr 24, 2019

Today’s show features a new cookbook designed to empower teens, college students, and young adults how to cook. It's written by one of my favorite dietitian cookbook authors, Katie Morford, MS, RDN. Katie’s new book is called, PREP: The Essential College Cookbook, and the tips, recipes, and kitchen wisdom in the book provide the foundation for a lifetime of kitchen confidence.

I hope you’re hungry because Katie joins me to answer your questions and to talk about some of my favorite recipes from the book including Butter Lettuce with Green Goodness Dressing, Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Parmesan, and Golden Banana Bread. We dish about how to teach kids knife skills (yup, it can be intimidating), the importance of empowering kids of all ages with the skills they need to work their way around the kitchen, lots of kitchen wisdom, the benefits of knowing how to cook when you're a young adult.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

All the juicy details of Katie’s life and work as a registered dietitian, writer, cookbook author, and busy mom of three daughters
Katie’s go-to supper meal: roasted veggies tossed with cooked grains ora dded to tacos or eggs
Katie’s new book, a “starter” cookbook for people of any age
How the cookbook idea came about as Katie’s oldest daughter prepared to go to college
The double meaning of the title, PREP
Benefits of learning to cook from scratch (and not relying on take-out!)
How to teach your kids knife skills
How to encourage a college kid to eat healthier and learn to prepare simple meals
Katie’s basic tips for cooking rookies, which you'll learn about in the book:
- Taste as you go
- Realize that everyone makes mistakes
- Double check your recipe
- Know terms like chop, dice, whisk, beat, etc.
Kitchen equipment essentials that Katie recommends
How Katie wrote the directions for the recipes in PREP
How anyone can pick up this book and have success, even if they’ve never cooked before
Family favorites for Katie: Applesauce Cake, Banana Bread, and salads
Katie’s Butter Lettuce with Green Goodness Dressing, which is made with avocado, green onion, fresh basil, lemon juice, olive oil, sour cream, and mayo
Katie’s hacks for using a blender for the dressing and for cleaning the blender
Katie's Lighter Green Goodness Dressing from Mom's Kitchen Handbook
Tips for quick and easy meals after a long day at school (or work):
- Plan ahead on the weekend
- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the slow cooker for versatile meals
- Liz's Pulled Pork slow cooker recipe
Katie’s Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Parmesan (this technique can be used with cauliflower, sweet potatoes, fennel, and turnips)
The importance of knowing how to prep vegetables
Katie’s personal favorites from the chapter called, “How to Feed Your Friends:” Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup and “Mix-in-the-pan” Applesauce Cake
Why the book doesn’t include nutrition information
Which, if any, of Katie's daughters is destined to become a Michelin Star Chef
What’s next for Katie

Resources:

www.momskitchenhandbook.com

Rise and Shine: Better Breakfasts for Busy Mornings by Katie Morford

PREP: The Essential College Cookbook by Katie Morford

Best Lunch Box Ever: Ideas and Recipes for School Lunches Kids Will Love by Katie Morford

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

Enter for a chance to win a copy of Katie’s new book!

Katie and I are giving away a copy of PREP: The Essential College Cookbook to one lucky winner (U.S. only, please). To enter for a chance to win, tell me why you'd like to win the book and/or tell me about your first kitchen cooking experience. What was the first recipe you ever made or the first recipe you made with your teen? Winner selected at random on May 8th.

51: Foods That Confuse with Mary Purdy, MS, RDN Apr 11, 2019

Do you ever walk through the grocery store scratching your head and wondering what to put in your shopping cart? Do you pass by foods like coconut oil, soy, dark chocolate, coffee and other caffeinated beverages, and kombucha … and just keep walking?

Are foods like coconut oil, soy, and coffee good for you and your family or bad? Or could they be both? Do these foods confuse you? To set the record straight on foods that confuse is Mary Purdy, MS, RDN, an Integrative Registered Dietitian with Arivale.

{The information presented on today’s show is that of Mary Purdy and may not necessarily reflect the beliefs and policies of Arivale.}

Mary is a health coach who provides nutrition and lifestyle counseling to clients using personalized genetic data, functional labs, and a food-as-medicine approach. She's also the co-host of the informative and hilarious podcast, Mary's Nutrition Show, and author of Serving the Broccoli Gods.

Show Highlights:

Mary’s background as an NYC theater actress who moved to Seattle to become a dietitian
Why Mary now focuses on coaching and clinical education to promote health and wellness
Mary’s book, Serving the Broccoli Gods, which allowed her to be vulnerable in celebrating flaws and sharing stories
Mary’s podcast (with her husband) allows her to dive deep into a variety of topics that people have questions about–with humor, fun, and engagement
Why people are so confused about nutrition
Foods that are confusing and controversial
Coconut oil: It’s health impact depends on the individual, the amount, and the type of coconut oil. It’s high in saturated fat and in excessive amounts, it may increase levels of cholesterol, inflammation, and weight gain. It’s delicious, so use it in small amounts. Go for the less refined varieties, like virgin coconut oil. Use it when roasting things like sweet potatoes. A little bit can go a long way.
Why you don’t need to buy low-fat canned coconut milk. Just add water.
Soy: Is it friend or foe? There are protective properties in soy like isoflavones. It also provides healthy fats, protein, and fiber. Tofu, edamame, tempeh, and soy milk are whole soy products, but beware of extra added ingredients like sugar.
Caffeine: Know how it affects YOU. For some people, it can increase blood pressure, insomnia, and anxiety, but for others, it decreases headaches and boosts athletic performance, mood, and outlook. Don’t depend on caffeine to survive the day
Kids are nervous enough already and many are sleep deprived, so be on the lookout for kids who consume caffeine. Mary recommends against it.
Chocolate: It has beneficial compounds like flavanols, minerals, and even fiber! Go for the least processed forms and the highest percentage of cacao. Experiment with different flavor combos.
Kombucha: This is a fermented tea beverage with a very small amount of sugar, bacteria, and yeast. It’s beneficial because of the good bacteria, but it can be expensive. Check out Mary’s homemade “Fauxbucha.”
Visit Mary’s website for her free: Mary’s Quick Start Nutrition Guide
Mary’s favorite quick family dinner: quick and flavorful soft tacos with refried beans, salsa, avocado, and shredded cabbage

Resources:

Book Giveaway:

We're giving away a copy of Mary's personal memoir, Serving the Broccoli Gods: True Tales and Tips from a Nutritionist on a Quest. Get ready to laugh along with Mary as you read, Serving the Broccoli Gods. This book is packed with nutritional tips wrapped around the lighthearted and humorous tale of Purdy’s journey of transitioning from a gritty New York City actor to a registered dietitian. It takes the dull edge off of nutritional education in favor of a creative and uproarious perspective that will have readers laughing and learning simultaneously.

Mary's website: http://marypurdy.co/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaryPurdyRD

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryPurdyHere

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/marypurdy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marypurdyRD/

Get Mary's Quick Start Nutrition Guide. Click here!

Recipes discussed on the show:

Link to Ellie Krieger's dark chocolate tofu mousse:

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/dark-chocolate-mousse-recipe-1945893

Link to Liz's Chocolate Pumpkin Whoopie Pies:

https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2011/05/23/chocolate-pumpkin-whoopie-pies/

Mary's Fauxbucha recipe (Mary's alternative to kombucha):

http://marypurdy.co/fauxbucha-marys-alternative-to-kombucha-quick-cheap-healthy-recipe/

50: Nutrition Q and A with Liz Weiss, MS, RDN Apr 10, 2019

Back in February, I sent a survey out to the LHT community. Over 200 of you responded, and wow! Did you have questions! You wanted to know about the best ways to plan healthy meals and tips for getting your kids, even your independent teens, to eat more fruits and veggies. You wanted dinner ideas that could do double duty, pleasing the vegetarians and meat eaters at your table, and a lot of you were eager for advice on cutting sugar from your family’s diet. You asked ... and I’ve got the answers.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

Dan’s background in nutrition and his work as my intern
The easiest things to do to have a healthy diet:
- Use the USDA’s “Choose My Plate,” and fill ½ with fruits/veg, ¼ with protein, ¼ with grains, and don’t forget to hydrate!
Quick and healthy dinner meals:
- Use “Build your own" nights, for tacos, Buddha bowls, or pizza
- Use versatile, healthy foods like eggs and rotisserie chicken
Tips about meal planning and prep
- Check out my 30 meal-planning tips
- Have a plan and use it for shopping
Making vegetables more appealing to teenagers:
- Use veggies with dips, roast veggies to bring out the sweetness, and make quesadillas with veggies
How to wean kids off too many carbs:
- Know the difference between whole grains and refined grains, which have added nutrients
- Use carbs as part of the meal and not the whole meal
How to deal with kids and their endless snacks:
- Think of snacks as mini-meals to fill in the nutrient gaps
Low-sugar options for desserts:
- Limit soft drinks and sugary “fake” juice drinks
- Cut back on sugar in most recipes
How to get healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for the heart, brain, and eyes:
- Get these healthy fats in seafood, walnuts, flaxseed, edamame, and soy
How to make healthy substitutes for chicken fingers:
- Try fish fingers or “no fry” chicken fingers
- Read labels on frozen chicken fingers to find the most protein and the least amount of sodium
Adding more fermented foods to your diet:
- Add kefir to fruit smoothies and sauerkraut to sandwiches
Getting enough calcium when dairy is a problem:
- Look for calcium-fortified foods, broccoli, kale, almonds, and salmon and sardines with bones
Cooking with more spices and less salt:
- Make your own seasonings, like taco seasoning
- Use fresh herbs, lime and lemon juice, zest, and use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
How to please both meat-eaters and vegetarians:
- Make a veggie lasagna and put meat in half of it
- Use “build your own ” nights for pizza, tacos, and Buddha bowls
- Grill portobello mushrooms and serve as burgers
Incorporating more inexpensive whole grains:
- Try Trader Joe’s 10-minute grains that cook quickly
- Don’t be afraid to try tabouli and couscous
Tips for feeding an athlete:
- Try Chicken of the Sea Infusions, which are ready-to-eat seasoned tuna snacks
- Other ideas include Greek yogurt, cheese sticks, hummus with carrot sticks and crackers, Bush’s bean dips, peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat, ready-made smoothies, and milk

Resources:

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

USDA's Choose MyPlate

Eggs for Dinner recipes from the LHT blog

30 Meal Planning Tips from Registered Dietitians

Jessica Levinson's podcast interview on Dinner Dilemma Solved

You can find my FREE 7-Day Meal Planner and aisle-by-aisle Supermarket Shopping List printables over on the Freebies section of my website.

To find out how many vegetables your kids need each day, visit Choose MyPlate. The amount may surprise you.

12 Tips for Getting Teens to Eat Vegetables Happily

Whole Grains versus Enriched Grains. Slice for slice, enriched white bread, as well as other enriched grain products, are a good source of iron and four B vitamins; thiamin, niacin, riboflavin and folic acid, as well as complex carbohydrates.

Pumpkin Maple Pancakes recipe

Tips for reducing added sugar from your kid's diets. Listen to my podcast with Laura Hoover, MPH, RDN.

My recipe for Mango Soft Serve.

The scoop on omega-3 fats. They're good for your heart, eyes, and brain ... but how much should you get each day? Visit Always Omega-3s for the answers.

Lentil Alphabet Soup recipe.

Products Mentioned:

Bush's Beans seasoned savory canned beans and Bush's Best Bean Dips

Chicken of the Sea Infusions

Trader Joe's 10-minute grains

Buddha bowl meal ideas:

Asian Beef Bowl

Tuscan Tuna Bowls

Jessica Levinson's build-your-own buddha bowl

49: Probiotic Supplements (Part 2) with Anthony Thomas, Ph.D. Mar 13, 2019

Today’s show is the second in a two-part series on probiotic supplements. Last week in Probiotic Supplements (Part 1), we explored probiotics: What are they? How do you choose the strain that’s right for you? And how do you know if you’re really getting what you paid for? Read on for what you'll learn in Part 2 of this series!

In Part 2 of our Probiotic Supplements series, Anthony Thomas, PhD, from Jarrow Formulas, is back to answer YOUR questions, including: How do I store my probiotic supplement? How do I pick and choose a probiotic for my kids? Do different probiotic strains do different things? What are the best probiotics for IBS? Are there any long-term studies to back up the validity of probiotics? How do I take a probiotic supplement when I’m on antibiotics? And more.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

Why most probiotics will be more beneficial if stored in the refrigerator
Why the most efficient doses of probiotics contain billions of CFU’s (colony-forming units)
Why probiotics won’t “go bad,” but the potency can’t be guaranteed beyond the expiration date
How some probiotics can positively influence IBS symptoms
A link to an NCBI study on Lactobacillus plantarum 299v and how it improves symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Listen to episode #32 on the Low FODMAP diet for IBS with Kate Scarlata, RDN to learn more about IBS
How probiotics might interfere with medications (or vice versa)
How to take probiotics and antibiotics together
Why a type of yeast called Saccharomyces Boulardii (S. Boulardii) may be beneficial when you're taking antibiotics
Why probiotics can be harmful for those who are immunocompromised
Tips for knowing when you’re getting a specific strain instead of random bacteria
Why long-term studies are difficult to do
Using specific strains for various ailments, like anxiety and constipation
The new research on probiotic use in treating mental health conditions
Tips for choosing probiotics for adults and kids: look at the relevant research
Why consumers need to look for the accurate strain ID numbers on the label and even request evidence from the manufacturer
Liz's upcoming article in Today's Dietitian on probiotics for vaginal health

Resources:

www.usprobioticguide.com

www.jarrowprobiotics.com

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

48: Probiotic Supplements (Part 1) with Anthony Thomas, Ph.D. Feb 28, 2019

We’re talking about a hot topic today: probiotic supplements. On the show, my guest, Anthony Thomas, Ph.D., shares the true definition of a probiotic, discusses why taking the right probiotic supplement may be good for your health, and explains what to look for on supplement labels to make sure you're getting what you paid for.

Antony Thomas, Ph.D. is the Director of Scientific Affairs at Jarrow Formulas. I met him back in January at a conference where he gave an eye-opening lecture on probiotic supplements and the importance of knowing about the strains you're taking. It turns out that not all probiotics are created equal. The key to choosing the right supplement for you or a family member is to look for probiotic strains that been studied for a specific health benefit.

We covered a lot of ground on the podcast, so I decided to split the Probiotic Supplements episode into two parts. In Part 1, Dr. Thomas offers a primer on probiotics. In Part 2, he answers YOUR questions ... and trust me, you had a lot of questions!

Show Highlights:

A brief discussion about dietary supplements that have been studies for healthy aging and longevity.
The “microbiome” and “microbiota” ... what they are and what they mean.
Where microbial communities live in and on our bodies and their many health benefits.
How certain probiotic supplements can help some women ward off urinary tract infections (UTIs).
The intricacies of the vaginal microbiota. Less diversity is better.
A probiotic is defined by the World Health Organization as: Live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.
Probiotics are strain, dose, and condition specific.
Good Examples:
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (marketed to support digestive health and supported by science)
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 (marketed to support women's vaginal and urinary tract health and supported by science)
When evaluating a probiotic supplement, make sure the manufacturer identifies the Genus, Species, and Strain. If a probiotic, for example, is listed as Lactobacillus (which is the genus) and rhamnosus (which is the species), that's simply not enough. You need to know the specific STRAIN, which is generally designated with a combination of letters and numbers after the genus and species.
Do your own research! It's easy. Here are two ways to learn more about probiotics before you buy them:
When you see a probiotic strain listed on a label, you can search the published scientific research by going to Pubmed and typing in the name of that specific strain. For example, if you go to Pubmed and search for Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1, which is found in Jarrow's fem dophilus, nearly 100 published studies come up.
You can go to the Clinical Guide to Probiotics for information on brands, specific strains, recommended dosage, indication, and references for the studies that back up each health indication.
The widespread misuse of the term “probiotics.”
What happens when you swallow a probiotic? How does it get to where it needs to be?
How a probiotic supplement may help to keep kids healthy.
How a properly-labeled probiotic should have company contact information listed.
Why we should limit exposure to antibiotics and antimicrobials.

Resources:

International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics

Clinical Guide to Probiotics - You'll find information on brands, specific strains, recommended dosage, indication, and references for the studies to back up each health indication.

Clinical Guide to probiotics for women's health

Jarrow Formulas website:

Jarrow on Facebook

Jarrow on Twitter

Jarrow on Instagram

www.lizshealthytable.com/podcast

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

We are giving away a bundle of 5 Jarrow Formulas probiotic and/or prebiotic supplements. The winner will have an opportunity to stop by the Jarrow website to choose the 5 products that meet the needs of their family. To enter to win (U.S. only, please), post a comment at the end of the Show Notes and tell me if you or a family member are currently taking a probiotic supplement and why, or tell me why you'd like to win this supplement bundle. I'll pick one U.S. winner at random on March 13th at noon ET. And of course, if you have a question about probiotics, feel free to post it in the comments section below.

47: Southern Cooking with Chef Virginia Willis Feb 14, 2019

Southern cuisine is having a moment! Whether you were raised in the south or you're simply curious about the food, recipes, and farming culture from this diverse U.S. region, I hope you'll tune in to hear my interview with Georgia-born chef and cookbook author, Virginia Willis.

Virginia is the author of the gorgeous new cookbook, Secrets of the Southern Table, and she's here with tips for stocking a southern pantry, nutritious recipes your family will love -- including a sweet potato and pecan bread that's to die for, spatchcock chicken, and the best sweet potato & greens gratin recipe on the planet -- and family stories that shaped her love of southern cooking.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

Southern cuisine is defined as diverse foods from the 13 states in the south, which has a year-round growing season.
Why the always-growing immigrant population of the south means the cuisine is always evolving
Traditional Southern food includes healthy superstars like corn, tomatoes, butterbeans, green beans, okra, eggplant, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
Okra, is a polarizing vegetable, and the key to culinary success is to lightly cook it. Virginia loves to grill or broil it and pair it with an acid, like tomatoes).
Virginia’s culinary path: She grew up with fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden in a family of adventurous cooks who loved a variety of foods.
What family dinner looked like for Virginia when she was growing up complete with good manners, politeness, and respect for the food.
Virginia’s weeknight Southern family go-to: a one-pot or skillet meal with sauteed greens or veggies with seared boneless chicken thighs sprinkled with Cajun seasoning.
Tips for parents: get kids’ hands into the food prep process. (Hint: make taco night more healthy.)
Virginia’s book, a celebration of the South, and why she included stories of different farmers and ethnic groups. We are giving away a copy of Secrets of the Southern Table. (Giveaway ends Feb. 27th, 2019.)
How Virginia grew up eating “gospel bird” every Sunday.
Virginia’s favorite recipe from the book: Spatchcock Sorghum Chicken. Brine it first, then cut out the backbone and open the chicken like a book (this cuts down on cooking time and allows more even cooking). Season with butter, smoked paprika, and sorghum (or honey).
Other favorite recipes from the book:
- Smashed fried okra with spicy yogurt dipping sauce
- Spiced sweet potato and pecan breakfast bread: it’s made with a large sweet potato, whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, black pepper, brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, pecans, and flax seeds
- Savory sweet potato and greens gratin, which bakes up rich and creamy, with a panko and Parmesan topping
- Seared scallops with radish and candied jalapeño
- Peach upside-down cake (use cake flour for a lighter texture)
Virginia’s tips for cooking collard greens, which are higher in nutritional value than kale!
Virginia’s work for Martha Stewart as the kitchen director for the TV series. She was in charge of all the food and all the farmers’ market shopping!
Coming up next for Virginia is a more internationally-focused book, as she ventures away from strictly Southern cooking.

Resources:

Virginia's website: https://virginiawillis.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/virginiawillis

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virginiawillis/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChefVirginiaWillis/

Virginia's cookbooks: https://virginiawillis.com/cookbooks.html

Secrets of the Southern Table on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0544932544/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Link to How to Spatchcock a Chicken:

https://www.seriouseats.com/2017/01/the-food-lab-how-to-roast-a-butterflied-spatchcocked-chicken.html

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

46: My New England Kitchen with Chef Matt Jennings Jan 30, 2019

He's a chef, a dad, a cookbook author, and he's married to a pastry chef; so how did Chef Matt Jennings go from working 17 hour days in one of Boston's hottest restaurants to losing 200 pounds and keeping it off? Tune in to the podcast and find out!

On today's show, my interview with Matt explores his incredible journey from fat to fit, his stunning breakout cookbook, Homegrown: Cooking From My New England Roots, Matt's favorite ways to add flavor to nourishing meals, how to create a killer cheese plate, Matt's newest tattoo, and two recipes: a lamb meatball recipe with yogurt sauce that's to die for and a recipe for little gem salad with cheddar vinaigrette and pistachio granola. By the way, Matt's granola is THE BEST homemade granola I've ever made.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

Matt’s journey: how he started cooking at age 14, attended culinary school in Vermont, worked in restaurants all over the world, and owned and operated and two of his own restaurants.
Matt’s two sons, ages 9 and 5, who are growing up as “restaurant brats” and just beginning to dabble in the world of cooking.
How Matt shifted priorities from his 17-hour days at the restaurant and recommitted to living a healthier life. He lost 200 pounds and has kept it off with exercise and a healthy diet.
Matt’s gastric sleeve surgery and his new-found addiction to the gym.
Matt’s ideal healthy lunch: greens cooked with olive oil, a protein like grilled chicken or steamed fish, and some cooked grains on the side (barley, quinoa, or wheat berries).
The key to flavor: sauces and spices (keep them on hand and experiment).
Matt’s 30 day no-refined-sugar challenge ... all while being married to a pastry chef.
How Matt and his wife met when she was the baker and catering manager at a restaurant in Cambridge, MA and he was the cheese buyer.
Matt explains how being a chef in New England defined his life and how it drove him to write Homegrown.
The influence of Nantucket and seafood on Matt early culinary life.
Some of Matt’s favorite recipes from Homegrown: his mother’s chowder, his chowder, meatloaf, and lime marinated grilled chicken.
Matt’s little gem salad with cheddar vinaigrette and pistachio granola.
The best granola on the plant (from Homegrown), made with old-fashioned oats, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, maple syrup, olive oil, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom.
Matt’s lamb meatballs made with ground lamb, egg, bread crumbs, shallots, salt, cumin, black pepper, and harissa, along with the yogurt sauce of garlic, mint, and dill.
How Matt encourages his kids to be adventurous eaters.
What’s next for Matt as a consultant: Growing Full Heart Hospitality, which is a full-service food, beverage, and hospitality consultancy.
Matt’s rules for the perfect cheese plate: Buy from the right place, store the cheese properly, and serve at room temperature with the right condiments.
Why Matt’s tattoos are a collection of stories.

Resources:

We're giving away a copy of Homegrown: Cooking From My New England Roots. (U.S. only, please.) To enter, post a comment at the end of this post telling me why you want to win the book and/or your favorite New England food memory or meal. My favorite memory is trying clam cakes for the very first time at Narraganset Beach in Rhode Island! And if you've gone through your own weight loss journey, please tell us about it. Giveaway ends February 13th, 2019.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewjennings/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/matthewjennings

Homegrown: https://www.amazon.com/Homegrown-Cooking-New-England-Roots/dp/1579656749

Matt’s website:

www.fullhearthospitality.com or www.chefmattjennings.com

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

45: Food Trends 2019 with Dr. Joan Salge Blake, EdD, RDN Jan 16, 2019

What are the hottest diet and food trends for 2019? From the keto diet and non-dairy milk alternatives to dinners cooked campfire style in foil packets, today's guest puts this year's food trends into perspective. Joining me is Dr. Joan Salge Blake, long-time friend, colleague, author of Nutrition & You, and Clinical Associate Professor at Boston University.

Here are the top trends you'll hear about on the show: the keto diet, the push to lower added sugar in everyday food products, non-dairy milk, foods cooked in foil, and plant-based eating.

Show Highlights:

A new foil-packet dinner recipe for Cod, Carrot, & Green Beans, which can be used with any seafood. It’s seasoned with green onions and teriyaki sauce and topped with a fresh avocado sauce.
Check out my blog, with a dozen new foil pack dinner recipes.
What’s coming up on the podcast in 2019? A listener survey to get specific feedback and show ideas and my soon-to-be-announced “March into Good Nutrition” campaign featuring short videos to answer your questions and solve listener cooking and nutrition challenges.
Joan’s Italian background and how her love of good food led her to become a dietitian and help others to eat better.
Joan’s work as a professor at Boston University, nutrition textbook author, and her work in media (she’s logged over 1,500 interviews).
Food trends in 2019:
- The Keto Diet: Very low in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and very high in fat
  - The evidence shows that the Keto Diet is helpful for children with epilepsy, but more research is needed on its role in weight loss
  - The Keto Diet is a far cry from the healthiest diet of all. What's the most popular diet style out there? The Mediterranean diet!
    - Have you listened to my podcast on the Mediterranean Diet? Check it out!
  - The bottom line on the Keto Diet: “Try it if you want to, because it may or may not work for you.”
- Lower sugar content:
  - Upcoming new labeling requirements on the Nutrition Facts Panel will begin in January 2020, and the goal is to make it easier to identify sugar content in foods
  - Why you can’t just “cut out” all sugar in products and foods
  - Liz's recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Non-dairy milk alternatives, which provide different ways to drink, cook, and bake
  - Look out for added sugar in milk alternatives
  - Regular milk is packed with protein, potassium, vitamin D, and calcium, and the alternatives don’t always measure up nutritionally
- Foil-pack dinners are easy, no muss, no fuss ways to prepare healthy meals:
  - The food inside steams and stays moist
  - No mess, no fuss, and no dishes to clean up
  - This method reduces food waste by using up leftover vegetables
- Plant-based eating, which is a trend that’s being repeated and finally understood
- Fermented foods, which are being promoted as champions of gut health
Joan’s podcast, Spot On, launching at the end of January. It focuses on health and wellness for college students and will be full of trendy and useful nutrition information.
Joan’s family favorite recipe: homemade pizza.
Joan’s advice: “Make sure you get food and nutrition advice from credible and trained nutritionists and dietitians.”

Resources:

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

Find Joan Salge Blake on Instagram and Twitter

Find Joan’s podcast, Spot On, on Facebook

Find Joan’s blog: Nutrition & You

44: Hungry Girl with Lisa Lillien Jan 02, 2019

She's a foodie who's always hungry, and for well over a decade, Lisa Lillien has been sharing her love of healthy food through her Hungry Girl platform. Lisa makes smart eating easier with a daily email filled with recipes, diet hacks, and nutritious food finds; cookbooks (she has published 12 so far!); magazines; and a weekly podcast. On this week's show, Lisa takes us behind the scenes to Hungry Land where we dish about her most recent cookbook, Clean & Hungry Obsessed, the most popular recipes on her site, diet and food trends (wow, they've changed a lot over the years), and a sneak peek at her next cookbook.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

- The Hungry Girl platform and brand: It began as a daily email newsletter in 2004 because Lisa loved food and wanted to help regular people make good food choices
- Why the growth and the magic of Hungry Girl?
- Lisa’s 12th book, Clean & Hungry Obsessed, featuring clean ingredients and lots of fresh, healthy vegetables
- The one degree of separation between Robert Davis, “The Healthy Skeptic,” Lisa and Liz
- How food trends have changed since 2004, when people avoided carbs, but used many processed foods
- Lisa’s realistic philosophy: everything in moderation and calories DO count
- Lisa’s advice: Figure out YOUR trigger foods and don’t latch on to someone else’s magic bullet
- Why people look for one type of food to call “the enemy” and avoid it
- Using the right spices and sauces can help vegetables taste like (and be substituted for) higher carb foods
- Lisa’s recipe for Mexilicious Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Feedback from the book, with the favorites being meatloaf, veggie noodles and veggie fries, and cauliflower rice
- Lisa’s top two all-time most popular recipes:
  - Yum Yum Brownie Muffins, made with cake mix and pumpkin
  - Egg Mugs, made in the microwave with eggs, cheese, and veggies (2 -1/2 to 3 minutes)
- “Hungry Land” in Los Angeles, with test kitchens, content creation, and 10 full-time employees
- Lisa’s 13th book is coming out in March: Hungry Girl Simply 6, featuring what her audience wants ... simple and easy meals with six or fewer main ingredients
- Chocolate, and how it fits in with healthy desserts for a fraction of the calories
- Using cocoa powder in overnight oats. (Find the recipe in Lisa’s book!)
- How Lisa fits into the recipe development and test kitchen process at Hungry Land
- “House walking:" Walking in your house while on the phone or doing small tasks, to get more steps and improve fitness
- A tip from Lisa: “People are too extreme and hard on themselves, and then they throw in the towel when they can’t be perfect. Don’t be too hard on yourself, and take one day -- or one meal -- at a time”
- Focusing on small swaps that can be satisfying

Resources:

www.hungry-girl.com Find out about Lisa’s daily email newsletter, podcast, books, and the magazine

Find Hungry Girl on Facebook and Instagram, too!

Lisa is giving away a copy of her latest cookbook, Clean & Hungry Obsessed: All-Natural Recipes for the Foods You Can't Live Without to one lucky U.S. winner. To enter for a chance to win, post a comment at the end of this blog post and tell me why you'd love to win Lisa's cookbook and/or your favorite Hungry Girl recipe. Winner picked at random on January 16 at noon.

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

43: Healthy Kitchen Gadget Guru with Dana Angelo White, MS, RD Dec 12, 2018

Are your small kitchen appliances and gadgets collecting dust? Wondering what to make in your new Air Fryer or Instant Pot? Are you thirsty for new ways to use your high-powered blender for nutrient-rich smoothies? If you answered, yes, yes, and yes, this is the show for you. My guest is dietitian, cookbook author, mom, and kitchen gadget guru extraordinaire, Dana Angelo White, MS, RD. Dana joins me to dish about kitchen gadget benefits, challenges and potential pitfalls, and new ways to use your Instant Pot, Air Fryer, and blender to get healthier meals onto your family's table and into your kid's tummies.

Dana is a culinary dietitian, media consultant, and she's been the nutrition expert FoodNetwork.com for over a decade. She is also the sports dietitian and associate clinical professor at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT. She is the author of three cookbooks, and guess what ... we're away a copy of each: the Healthy Air Fryer Cookbook: 100 great recipes with fewer calories and less fat!; the Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook: 100 great recipes with fewer calories and less fat; Healthy, Quick & Easy Smoothies: 100 no-fuss recipes under 300 you can make with 5 ingredients.

You can read the full show notes at www.lizhealthytable.com.

42: Winter Squash Wonderland Nov 28, 2018

What you’ll hear in this episode:

The nutritional value of winter squash: high in beta carotene, vitamin C, fiber, magnesium, and potassium.
The seeds can be roasted for an additional nutrient-dense food.
Spaghetti squash: less nutritious than others, but lower in calories.
Katie’s recipe for Spaghetti Squash Lasagna, borrowed from the Foodie Physician. It has lasagna flavors but a foundation of spaghetti squash instead of noodles.
How to use the microwave to soften winter squashes, and then roast or puree.
Katie’s recipe for Delicata Squash Tacos.
Why delicata squash can be considered a “gateway” squash to get kids to try winter squash.
Why most people are only familiar with a few of the winter squash varieties.
Typical ways to prepare winter squash.
Chef Ost’s recipe for delicata stuffed with onion, panko, sage, and chestnuts.
The shelf life of winter squash and storing them outside in cool weather.
How honeynut squash can be used in recipes. Check out my new recipe for Honeynut squash with Caramelized Onion, Cranberries, Spinach, and Bacon.
Ideas for stuffing, baking, and roasting
A good squash to use if you have picky kids: butternut or sugar pumpkin (Chef Ost’s favorite is to blanch pumpkin, puree it, and mix it with mashed potato)
An idea for filling acorn squash “bowls” with butternut squash soup
Chef Ost’s favorite red quinoa salad with roasted squash and leeks.

Resources:

Katie's recipe for Delicata Squash Tacos with Quick Pickled Onions

https://www.momskitchenhandbook.com/recipes/roasted-winter-squash-tacos-with-quick-pickled-onions/

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

https://www.momskitchenhandbook.com/recipes/spaghetti-squash-lasagne-just-what-the-doctor-ordered/

Katie Morford, RD

Mom's Kitchen Handbook: https://www.momskitchenhandbook.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MKHandbook

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momskitchenhandbook/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/momskitchenhandbook/

_________________________

Wilson Farm: http://www.wilsonfarm.com/v2.0/home.php

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wilsonfarm/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wilsonfarm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopwilsonfarm

www.lizshealthytable.com/roundup Find a roundup of 17 winter squash recipes on my blog

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

41: 101 Healthiest Foods for Kids with Sally Kuzemchak, RD Nov 15, 2018

What are the healthiest foods for kids to eat? From kohlrabi and watermelon to lentils and chickpeas, today's guest rounds up the 101 healthiest foods every kid everywhere should put on their plates and into their tummies. Registered dietitian, Sally Kuzemchak is a mom of two, founder of Real Mom Nutrition, and author of the awesome new book, The 101 Healthiest Foods for Kids.

Sally joins me with highlights from her book including advice for feeding finicky eaters, tips for getting kids to try new foods, super healthy recipe ideas, and realistic food rules to make family mealtime a breeze (or close to it).

What you’ll hear in this episode:

Sally’s “mom-life” in Columbus, Ohio with her husband, two sons ages 10 and 14, and her dog, Copper.
The Real Mom Nutrition online platform, started in 2009 as a no-judgement zone and resource for feeding kids a healthy diet.
How Sally started out as a writer, fell in love with the subjects of nutrition and women’s health, and then went back to school to become a registered dietitian.
The two biggest challenges for parents: lack of time and dealing with picky eaters.
Why Sally wrote The 101 Healthiest Foods for Kids.
How the 101 foods were chosen; Sally wanted them to be accessible at most grocery stores.
How the book can be the inspiration to get kids (and adults!) to try new foods.
What the book includes: Food category chapters (fruits, veggies, grains, protein foods), nutrition information on each food, and shopping, storage, prep, and serving tips.
Why the book includes a “try it” tip for each food and 26 great recipes.
Sally’s Red Lentil Snack Cookies, made with red lentils, peanut butter, chocolate chips, oats, applesauce, and maple syrup.
Other ways to add lentils to recipes include mixing them with ground meat for tacos and sloppy Joes.
How Sally feels about “sneaking new foods” into recipes vs. full disclosure.
How Sally uses kefir, the fermented dairy drink, that makes a great base for smoothies, can be swapped for buttermilk, and used in marinades and salad dressings.
Sally answers another question about adding a sweetener like sugar, maple syrup, or honey to carrots. News flash---it’s OK to use sweetness, fat, and salt to help flavor vegetables.
Some of Sally’s “Ten Healthy Food Rules to Live By:”
- Offer fruits and vegetables at most meals and snacks
- Be neutral about desserts
- Eat together as much as possible
- Focus on having a happy mealtime
The weirdest food in Sally’s book? “Probably kohlrabi, which is a trendy new vegetable that looks alien and intimidating but has a crispy white flesh that can be eaten raw.” How to cut kohlrabi (watch this YouTube video.)
Why many moms have guilt and angst about feeding kids and Sally's advice for adding ease to feeding kids.

Resources:

Giveaway News: We're giving away a copy of The 101 Healthiest Foods for Kids. Post a comment at the end of this blog post and tell me about the healthiest foods you feed your kids (happily without complaint!) and/or why you'd like to win the book. U.S. entries only, please. Winner picked at random on November 28th at noon.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RMNutrition

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realmomnutrition

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rmnutrition/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realmomnutrition/

40: Home Ec is Hip with Carolyn Federman Oct 31, 2018

On this week's show, food educator and author, Carolyn Federman introduces budding cooks to the concept of seasonal, organic, and local food with easy and delicious recipes that they can easily tackle on their own. Want to learn how to handle and use a real knife? Curious how to choose fresh and nourishing ingredients at the supermarket? Eager to treat mom and dad to pancakes this weekend? This show empowers parents to teach their kids how to cook and offers easy ways to bring home ec back to schools with Carolyn's mobile kitchen classroom, The Charlie Cart Project. We are giving away a coy of New Favorites for New Cooks: 50 Delicious Recipes for Kids to Make by Carolyn Federman. Post a comment in the comments section at the bottom of this post and tell me about the recipe or recipes your kids love to make on their own (or with your help) and/or tell me why you'd love to win a copy of New Favorites for New Cooks. (U.S. entries only, please.) Giveaway ends on November 14th at noon.

Carolyn shares that she lives in Berkeley, CA and is the mother of two teenagers.
Carolyn worked with Alice Waters 20 years ago and considers her a mentor even today.
Liz and Carolyn share a passion for teaching kids how to cook.
Carolyn’s Charlie Cart Project is an integrated educational program that connects food and cooking with lessons in Math, English Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies.
The Charlie Cart Project costs about $10,000.00 and combines a rigorous curriculum with a mobile kitchen classroom on a cart so that educators can use it in any room at a school to deliver hands-on nutrition education.
The Charlie Cart Program is in about 100 organizations and about 75 of them are schools. Currently, the program is in 31 states.
The inspiration behind the book was to offer kids approachable recipes with sophisticated flavors.
Carolyn says her book demystifies cooking, allow kids to try new flavors, and does not talk down to them.
Along with recipes, Carolyn’s book teaches children the proper way to use a knife.
Looking for a "gateway" recipe to entice young kids to cook and eat nourishing foods? Carolyn recommends trying a simple salad with dressing. BTW, dressings teach kids about ratios.
Carolyn talks about her favorite pumpkin soup recipe made with roasted pumpkin, sautéed onions, and chicken stock -- Just whir everything together in a blender.
Carolyn serves up tips for getting kids to eat more vegetables.
Carolyn says the Pioneer Recipe in her book is her favorite because they are made with buckwheat flour, which doesn’t taste as doughy as pancakes made with all-purpose white flour.

39: Fighting Food Insecurity with Clancy Cash Harrison, RD Oct 18, 2018

Do you know the difference between hunger and food insecurity? Wondering what you can do in your community to lend a helping hand to people in need? My guest this week is #FoodDignity advocate and dietitian, Clancy Harrison, RDN. She's on a mission to remove the stigma associated with food stamps, WIC, and other food assistance programs (she sees these programs as a hand "up" versus a hand "out") and improve the quality of the food provided.

Show Highlights:

Clancy Harrison, MS, RDN shares her mission to bust the stigma surrounding food assistance programs.
Clancy defines hunger as something everyone can feel at any time when you don’t have enough food and defines food insecurity as not having enough food to curb the hunger, or you’re eating poor quality food choices that lack nutritional value.
Liz and Clancy discuss the health/psychological consequences of not having enough to eat and Clancy asks you to imagine putting your child to bed hungry and how stressful it would be to worry every day how you'll feed your child.
Psychosocial feelings associated with not eating enough nutritional food particularly affect children negatively and may even prevent them from participating in sports or school activities.
58% of people who are food insecure live above the poverty rate.
The majority of people who use food stamps are the working poor.
Clancy talks about working at a food pantry and how it enabled her to talk to people who were food insecure and discover how embarrassed they often feel when accepting food assistance.
Clancy discussed how volunteers at the food pantry were reluctant to take extra food and how they eventually accepted food and began sharing recipes with one another.
Liz shares about a dietitian in Cincinnati named Lisa Andrews who won a $10,000.00 grant to set up 10 mini food pantries around the city. The program is called, the People's Pantry Cincy.
In 2017, one in five families in the US did not have enough food and one in three chronically ill adults have to choose between food, medicine or both.
Clancy and Liz discuss whose responsibility it is to take care of those who are food insecure.
Obese and food insecure? Clancy says they do co-exist because people may be purchasing poor quality food or may be sedentary because they can’t afford to join a gym, etc.
Clancy suggests taking plastic grocery bags to food pantries so they can use them to distribute food. She also suggests donating canned foods with flip-top cans so they're easy to open.

Here is how YOU can get involved: Examples of food assistance volunteer opportunities in communities across the U.S.

* Lisa Andrews is a dietitian in Cincinnati who won a grant to put Mini Food Pantries in food deserts throughout the city. Learn more about the People's Pantry Cincy here:

* https://www.facebook.com/peoplespantrycincy/

*https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/06/27/neighborhood-mini-food-pantries-take-bite-out-of.html

* Podcast Posse member, Yvonne C. is involved with a program called, Community Food Rescue in Montgomery County, Maryland. Their motto is, Donate, Deliver, Feed. They get surplus food delivered to places that can use it. The goal is to help feed more and waste less. Learn more here: https://www.communityfoodrescue.org/

* Lex Eat Together in Lexington, MA: I volunteer once a month for this program. Volunteers come together to provide a weekly meal in a setting which respects privacy and dignity. Food is purchased, and some of it is donated through a program called Food Link (a food rescue organization). Volunteers cook, serve, and clean up after the meal, which takes place in a local church. Anywhere from 50 - 70 people enjoy the meal together.

Learn more here: http://www.lexeattogether.org/

Food Link: http://www.foodlinkma.org/

Resources:

Feeding America. Lists food banks in your area.

https://www.feedingamerica.org/

Website: http://clancyharrison.com

Clancy's TEDx talk: The Shocking Truth About Food Insecurity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HakCAdPrlms

Get Clancy's free handout: 3 Ways to I.G.N.I.T.E. a culture of Food Dignity

https://fieldsofflavor.lpages.co/ignite-dignity/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClancyCHarrison

Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/ClancyHarrisonRD

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clancyharrison/

Cooking with Cancy

Liz’s healthy Table Website

Liz’s Healthy Table Blog

Parents on Demand

38: Dinner Dilemma Solved with Jessica Levinson, MS, RDN Oct 03, 2018

What’s your biggest dinner dilemma? No plan? Bored with the same thing night after night? At a loss for fresh new ideas? Picky kids? Picky husbands?! To the rescue this week to solve your biggest dinnertime dilemmas is mom, dietitian, and friend, Jessica Levinson, MS, RDN. Jessica is the author of the 52 Week Meal Planner: The Complete Guide to Planning Menus, Groceries, Recipes, and More. Jessica is passionate about creating nutritious and delicious meals that your family will love, and her meal planning tips and tricks are about to make your life easier, healthier, and tastier!

Show Highlights:

Jessica’s suburban life in New Rochelle, NY, after many years living in NYC.
How and why she became a dietitian.
How her new book helps people get organized with templates for 52 weeks of meal plans, shopping lists, price comparisons, and a place to add your favorite, go-to recipes.
Jessica’s Crispy Baked Tofu made with cubed, marinated tofu, baked at a high temp to make it crispy outside and tender inside.
Liz’s Healthy Table survey results: 33% of moms are at a loss for dinner ideas, 25% say they didn’t have time for meal prep/planning, and 16% say picky eaters are their biggest dinner dilemma challenge.
How to get started with meal planning:
- Take stock of the pantry items you already have on hand.
- Base your menu on what you already have in your kitchen. IE “shop your kitchen.”
- Shop for what’s in season or on sale.
Where to get good dinner inspiration: Pinterest, cookbooks, Facebook groups.
Jessica’s favorite Buddha bowl: A bowl filled with a grain, veggies, and assorted protein foods.
Picky husbands: Start slow with new veggies; use flavor; and keep experimenting.
Jessica’s #1 tip for dealing with picky eaters: “Keep plugging away and hope that there is at least one thing they will eat. Look at nutrition for the whole week, and don’t stress out over one day.”
How to spot an EASY recipe that won’t take hours to make … or clean up: Jessica says to read the recipe first in its entirety, and look for healthy convenience foods (like at Trader Joe’s). Shredded Brussels sprouts; cubed tweet potatoes; spiralized veggies.
With leftovers, use them for lunches, repurpose them for new meals, or freeze them for later meals.
How to cook and use ingredients over 2 to 3 meals without making the same thing.
Take advantage of the time you have to plan ahead, especially to prep veggies or salads.
How to add variety in plant-based meals. If you haven’t listened to my episode on Going Meatless More Often, be sure to tune in.
Delicious winter squash-based recipes (look for an entire squash episode–coming soon!)
How to roast spaghetti squash.
Liz’s NEW recipe for Kale Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash.
How to use fresh herbs before they go bad: plan meals, freeze them, dry them, make sauces, or add them to salads.
Liz’s favorite slow cooker go-tos: Pulled pork made with lean pork loin, onion, bell pepper, carrot, and all natural BBQ sauce.
The miracle of the Instant Pot for meal prep: Liz’s Bean and Barley soup comes together in just 7 minutes vs 6 hours in the slow cooker!
A Healthy Kitchen Hack for keeping fresh herbs fresher for longer from Teaspoon of Spice.
Seafood in a pouch. Here’s an idea for cod or haddock with mushrooms and corn kernels and another idea for salmon, carrots, and snow peas in parchment.
Making interactive meals to get your kids involved in meal prep and planning.

Jessica's website and blog: https://jessicalevinson.com/

Jessica's Crispy Baked Tofu recipe: https://jessicalevinson.com/farro-buddha-bowl/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jlevinsonrd

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jlevinsonRD/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JLevinsonRD

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jlevinsonrd/

Links:

Spaghetti Squash with Meat-Free Bolognese Sauce

https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2016/03/29/spaghetti-squash-meat-free-bolognese-sauce/

Pulled Pork in the slow cooker: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2015/03/21/slow-cooker-pulled-pork/

Bean and Barley Soup: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2015/01/29/slow-cooker-barley-bean-soup/

37: 100 Days of Real Food on a Budget with Lisa Leake Sep 19, 2018

TUNE IN: Today’s Liz's Healthy Table is all about tips and tricks for eating healthy when you’re on a budget. My guest is Lisa Leake, author of the new book, 100 Days of Real Food on a Budget. Lisa is a mom, founder of 100 Days of Real Food, and she’s here with practical advice for cutting processed foods out of your diet and cooking up tasty recipes without breaking the bank. You'll hear Lisa’s story about her family’s diet makeover ... and her real world secrets for eating well when budgets are tight. Together, we'll share a few recipes from Lisa’s new book including, My Favorite Summer Salad, Zucchini Egg Scramble, and Oatmeal Cookie Energy Bites.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

100 Days of Real Food: The backstory!
The subjectivity of the terms, “clean eating” and “real food,” which Lisa defines as foods with five or fewer whole ingredients.
Lisa wrote the cookbook, in part, to combat the belief that ...“it’s too expensive to eat a healthy diet!” and she stuck with a budget of $125/weekly for a family of four.
Some of Lisa’s top tips for eating real food on a budget:
- Plan ahead with a menu
- Don’t toss leftovers, but be creative with them
- Understand expiration dates
- Utilize inexpensive foods and staples
- Identify your “nice to haves” vs. your “need to haves”
A few favorites from the cookbook: Portobello Tartine, Chicken Burrito Bowls, and a terrific tomato/mozzarella salad.
How she priced out the meals for the new cookbook
Lisa’s meal plans available on her website. Prepear.
My interview with Super Healthy Kids. We gave them a shoutout on the show.
Using affordable eggs as a staple for your family. Don't toss those yolks! The whole egg is nutritious.
Lisa’s Oatmeal Cookie Energy Bites: a delicious blend of oats, peanut butter, raisins, maple syrup, and cinnamon.
An important tip from Lisa: To manage portions, stop eating when you feel full!
Find out where Lisa gets her recipe inspiration. And get my recipe for Parmesan Fish Sticks.
Lisa’s biggest aha moment was when she added up meal plan costs and realized the budget could stay around $100/week for a family of four.
What’s next for Lisa? Being more proactive about redesigning her online programs and school lunch programs.
How YOU can get started: “Don’t be overwhelmed with big changes in cutting processed foods. Start small so you can stick with it like start and don’t give up.

Resources:

100 Days of Real Food: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com /

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/100daysofrealfood/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/100daysrealfood/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/100daysofrealfood/

Cookbook Giveaway:

Enter for a chance to win a copy of 100 Days of Real Food on a Budget: Simple Tips and Tasty Recipes to help you CUT OUT PROCESSED FOOD Without Breaking the Bank by Lisa Leake. (This giveaway is U.S. only, please.) To enter, post a comment at the end of this post and tell me about YOUR best tip for eating healthy on a budget. Giveaway ends October 10, 2018 at noon EST. Good luck!

36: Seafood Suppers for Your Family Sep 05, 2018

On this week's show, we're celebrating National Family Meals Month with tips for gathering your family around the table more often and simple ways to get more seafood onto your weekly meal plan. Eating seafood at least two times a week is the recommendation from the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and on this episode, I've got tips for making that recommendation an easy reality. I also have a brand new recipe for Parmesan Salmon Sticks with Zesty Avocado Dipping Sauce that's sure to get you one tasty step closer to that goal. My salmon sticks recipe is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and on the show, I'll tell you why omega-3s are considered an essential fat that plays a vital role in heart, eye, and brain health.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

Benefits of eating family meals together. For more info, visit the Food Marketing Institute's Family Meals Month page.
Why engaging kids in food shopping, prep and meal planning boosts family mealtime.
Why removing distractions from family meals is important.
Flexibility with family meals is key. Breakfast together counts as a family meal.
The importance of incorporating seafood into your diet - It's rich in protein and healthy omega-3 fats.
Recipe inspiration for adding more seafood to your diet:
- Canned tuna or salmon salad with shredded carrot, light mayo, and Dijon mustard stuffed inside a pita pocket or served on top of halved avocados
- Wild halibut Baked in Parchment with Cilantro and Ginger
- Omelet with leftover baked tilapia or lox (smoked salmon) with sauteed baby spinach and the cheese of your choice.
- Fish tacos.
The benefits of incorporating omega-3s in your diet (read on for Omega-3 Smarts).
My son Josh is moving to a new apartment in New York near Russ & Daughters. Read more about this iconic "appetizer" shop in the Lower East Side of NYC.
Corny salmon cakes and Teriyaki Salmon, Snow Peas, and Carrots on the LHT blog.
Parmesan Salmon Sticks with Zesty Avocado Dipping Sauce.
- EPA and DHA omega-3s are nutrients that play a key role in heart, brain and eye health throughout life.

- According to PubMed, there are more than 30,000 studies on EPA and DHA omega-3s, including more than 3,000 human clinical trials, making EPA and DHA among the most studied nutrients in the world.

- EPA and DHA omega-3s may help maintain healthy blood pressure and healthy triglyceride levels and improved blood vessel function.

- Just as calcium is essential for building strong bones, DHA is a building block for the brain. DHA not only is important for brain development – it actually is a significant percentage of the fatty tissue that makes up the brain.

- Pregnant moms pass DHA to their growing babies through the placenta, and in breast milk after birth. Therefore, it’s important that pregnant and nursing mothers eat enough fatty fish or take an omega-3 supplement not only for themselves, but for their growing babies.

- The body’s highest concentration of DHA is found in the retina of the eye. Therefore, DHA plays an essential role in eye health, especially for infant eye development.

- There are three simple ways to get recommended amounts of EPA and DHA: eating fatty fish such as salmon, consuming EPA and DHA-fortified foods and beverages, or taking omega-3 supplements.

Plant-based sources of omega-3s do not provide the same benefit. You need to get EPA and DHA directly from the diet (such as by eating fatty fish and by taking an omega-3 supplement).

FYI: 3 ounces of salmon has 1, 670 milligrams of omega-3 fats while 3 ounces of tuna has 325 milligrams.
- You should aim to get 250mg to 500mg of EPA and DHA per day.

Resources:

Liz’s healthy Table Website

Liz’s Healthy Table Blog

Liz’s Color, Cook, Eat! coloring book series

Super Healthy Kids

The Parents On Demand Network

GOED Omega-3 - Global Organization for EPA and DHA

Food Marketing Institute

Fish in Parchment Recipe, by Pamela Salzman

Family Dinner Projects

Kids Cook Monday

35: Taco! Taco! Taco! with Sara Haas, RDN Aug 22, 2018

If recipes like Creamy Avocado Sauce Chicken Tacos, Apricot Maple Pork Tenderloin Tacos with Pickled Pineapple, and Mexican Grilled Corn Tacos sound good to you, today’s show if for you. My guest is chef and registered dietitian, Sara Haas, RDN, and she joins me with tips and recipes for making fast, healthy, and delicious tacos for you and your family. We've got a taco for everyone. And if you're like me and LOVE S'mores, wait till you hear about Sara's S'mores Tacos.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

What is a taco?
Does a taco have to be in a taco shell?
Corn tortillas, flour tortillas, soft and crunchy tortillas...so many varieties
Sara shares a whole wheat tortilla recipe in her new book, Tacos, Tacos, Tacos!
Should you use store-bought taco seasoning, or make your own?
Sara shares an easy taco seasoning recipe.
Tips for preparing and cooking fish for tacos
Healthy tacos can also be very flavorful and delicious!
Combinations of cuisines are included in Sarah’s taco recipes.
Liz describes a Mexican, grilled fresh corn taco recipe on p. 148 of Sara’s book and shared on the blog!
Flat-bottomed tacos make filling shells easy.
Sara shares how to make S’mores tacos and gives tips for making the shells.
Allow your kids to “build” food and experiment in the kitchen.
Sara shares all about Kids in the Kitchen
Follow the #kidsinthekitchen on social media to see what people are posting.
Sara shares an awesome, yogurt-based sauce recipe.

Giveaway:

Enter for a chance to win a copy of Taco! Taco! Taco! Over 100 Recipes for Everybody on Liz’s Healthy Table website. This giveaway is U.S. only please. Post a comment at the end of the Show Notes and tell me about YOUR favorite taco recipe and/or why you would love to win this book. Giveaway ends September 5th, 2018 at noon EST. Good luck!

Find Sarah on the Web:

Website: http://www.sarahaasrdn.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cookinRD

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChefSaraHaas/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cookinrd/

Resources:

#Kids in the kitchen on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter

Liz’s Healthy Table Blog

Super Healthy Kids

The Parents On Demand Network

34: Kids in the Kitchen with Mrs. Broccoli and Daisy Aug 08, 2018

Cooking with kids can be messy, zany, and best of all, very rewarding. Teaching kids how to cook and getting them comfy in the kitchen (especially with fruit and vegetable preparation) can set them up for a lifetime of healthy eating habits. August is Kids Eat Right Month, so it’s only fitting that on today's show, I tackle the topic of Kids in the Kitchen. Join the fun today as we cook our way through recipes for Chicken & Fresh Corn Salad and Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Pistachio Pesto, and hear from my sister-in-law and niece about the innovative way kids in England are now learning how to cook!

On today’s show, I take you behind the scenes to two kid/adult cooking classes I taught at Nantucket Culinary this summer and the recipes we prepared. My special guests on the show are my British my sister-in-law, Karen (aka “Mrs. Broccoli”) and my niece, Daisy. We discuss efforts underway in England to teach kids how to cook through a cool, contemporary curriculum called, Food Tech

What you’ll hear in this episode:

The small cooking class I taught in June at Nantucket Culinary, where we made Roasted Radishes, Homemade Coleslaw, Fish Tacos with Salmon, and Apple Berry Crisp.
Why you shouldn’t shy away from teaching kids how to slice and dice fruits and veggies.
The July class, which was bigger, where we made Chicken & Fresh Corn Salad, Make-Your-Own Smoothies, Chirp Chirp Deviled Eggs, and Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Pistachio Pesto.
'Liz’s Chicken Salad' made with fresh corn kernels, fresh tarragon, Dijon mustard, mayo, and salt and pepper: “When you add some fresh peas it tastes just like summer.”
Teaching kids about using a "Mother Spoon" to avoid double-dipping.
How to prepare and make cauliflower steaks.
Why a mini food processor works best for making pistachio pesto, which is made with EVOO, fresh basil, fresh tarragon, grated Parmesan cheese, pistachios, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, and kosher salt and pepper.
“Mrs. Broccoli” and her daughter, Daisy, talk about the food and nutrition scene in England where they live.
- Not as many food additives and artificial colors are used in the UK
- Children pack their lunches according to strict rules. Only fruit, sandwich, and water are allowed---no chips and no soft drinks
- Hear all about the Turkey Twizzler Time in England and their school lunch revolution
What Daisy enjoys cooking most: crepes (called pancakes in England) and smoothies.
Daisy’s Food Tech class, where she learns about kitchen skills, nutrition, and how to make different foods including bread rolls, omelettes, pasta sauce, and Victoria Sponge Cake.
The goal of the Food Tech class is for the kids to practice and learn at school and then go home and make the foods for their families.
Other components of the program include woodworking, textiles, and graphic design.
Why Karen and I love Chef Yotam Ottolenghi, an Israeli-British chef, restaurant owner, and food writer.
How Karen became “Mrs. Broccoli.” You're going to love this story!
Daisy’s top takeaways from her class: kitchen safety, knife skills, and how to spot the difference between organic and free-range eggs.

Resources:

Kids in the Kitchen - For Kids Eat Right Month this August, I have joined up with fellow dietitians and healthy family food bloggers to share tips for getting kids into the kitchen. On today's show, I've got recipe ideas to jumpstart your kids-in-the-kitchen journey. Follow along on Twitter and Instagram by searching the hashtag: #kidsinthekitchen
Cooking class at Nantucket Culinary
Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Pistachio Pesto
Chicken Salad

www.parentsondemand.com

33: Food & Fitness After 50 with Christine Rosenbloom, PhD, RDN Jul 25, 2018

Today’s episode is all about aging gracefully. While it’s impossible to turn back the hands of time, through a healthy diet and regular exercise it is possible to slow things down a bit. Today’s conversation with Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, RDN offers tips for getting one stop closer to the fountain of youth with insights into which super foods to add to your diet and easy ways to add more fitness to your day.

Dr. Chris Rosenbloom is owner of Chris Rosenbloom Food & Nutrition Services, where she provides nutrition consulting, writing, and media work to a variety of clients. She's held various teaching, administrative, and sports dietitian positions at Georgia State University and Georgia Tech and has served on numerous boards and committees. Chris is the coauthor of Food and Fitness After 50, so she's my go-to for the latest research on healthy aging.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

We answer listener questions from the Facebook Podcast Posse.
How Chris and I met way back in the late 1980 when I worked s at CNN.
Christine's story about buying a house in Atlanta for $1.
What it means to be “functionally fit.”
The signs of aging begin around age 40 and can’t be reversed, but aging can be slowed down.
Normal aging: We lose muscle mass and strength as we age, but 10 to 15 minutes just twice a week can make a difference, and you need more exercise besides just yoga and walking.
Since older adults spend up to 85% of the day being sedentary, it's important to find ways to be active.
How to integrate “activity snacks” throughout your day.
How to avoid weight gain during aging as metabolism slows down:
- Boost your metabolism with strength training
- While you don’t have to give up fats and carbs, you may want to cut back on portions and boost your usual exercise
- Balance refined carbohydrates with whole grains. 50% of your grains should be whole grains
- Don’t be too restrictive---enjoy your food!
The role of omega-3 fatty acids and brain health and how healthy fats help with cognition and muscle strength and function.
Why Chris recommends you weigh yourself every day to monitor weight gain.
How the same fitness and nutrition rules apply for people in their 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s: eat a wide variety of foods for health, watch portion sizes, and consider your risk for chronic disease.
Some of Chris’ favorite superfoods: salmon, tuna, walnuts, flaxseeds, fresh fruits and vegetables. Chris also loves watermelon. Check out my Hawaiian Punch Makeover.
Some of the best Super Diets: Mediterranean, DASH, Flexitarian, and the MIND Diet, a combo of the Mediterranean and DASH diets. MIND stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay.
Why we need MORE protein as we age. Chris recommends adults aim for 30 to 40 grams of protein per meal. Distribute protein throughout the day.
Daily protein requirement: Body weight in pounds X .6 = daily protein need in grams.
Breakfast protein options other than eggs: soy-based meat alternatives, protein powder, Greek yogurt, milk, soy milk, cottage cheese, peanut butter, and nuts.
The most important supplement for older people is a multivitamin specially formulated for them.
Chris’ tips for nutrition and fitness after 50: Focus on nutrient-intense foods, watch out for liquid calories, and beware of alcohol calories.
There is no magic bullet for aging backwards.
The ABC’s of fitness: those movements that increase agility, balance, and coordination.
What Chris is making for dinner tonight: Homemade margherita pizza with fresh tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella---and a big salad.

Resources:

www.chrisrosenbloom.com

Food & Fitness After 50 by Christine Rosenbloom

32: Low FODMAP Diet: Kate Scarlata, RDN Jul 11, 2018

Do you know someone who suffers from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)? It’s a condition that’s more common than you might think, and there is a new cookbook designed for people who suffer from this illness. Join us to take a deep and delicious dive into the diet and the cookbook that can make life more bearable for IBS sufferers.

Kate Scarlata is a registered dietitian and cookbook author who lives in Boston. She is a NY Times bestselling author and has over 25 years’ experience working in digestive health. She is a world-renowned low-FODMAP diet and gut health expert, and her passion is to advocate for her patients and others who have gut disorders. Part of her advocacy work includes a grassroots campaign she started called, I Believe in Your Story, which has helped raise research funding for IBS and awareness. She has authored The 21-Day Tummy Diet, The 21-Day Tummy Cookbook, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Well with IBS, and The Low-FODMAP Diet Step by Step. On today’s show, Kate walks us through the symptoms and triggers for IBS, along with dietary solutions. We’re talking IBS and recipes!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

Kate’s background in the nutrition business for 30 years and a mom of three kids
How she grew up the youngest of nine kids and what family dinner was like in a large family
IBS affects 1 in 5 Americans and is a motility disorder, in which food doesn’t move through the intestines like it should
IBS is some sort of disregulation between the gut and the brain, with gut microbes being big players in the symptoms, which include bellyache, constipation, gas, bloating, and diarrhea
The causes are not clear, but there seems to be a genetic component to IBS and some connection to food-borne illness
Treatment course usually includes medical tests, psyllium husks (like Metamucil), the low-FODMAP diet, and some probiotics and even antibiotics
FODMAP-- a group of commonly malabsorbed carbohydrates that are “fast food” for your gut bacteria
Common foods to avoid because they are high in FODMAPs are watermelon, apples, pears, mango, asparagus, artichokes, wheat, onion, and cabbage
Following the low-FODMAP diet is a temporary situation and is a plan to substitute low-FODMAP foods for the higher ones
Pre-biotic foods are allowed on the diet, like oats and many fruits and vegetables
The plan is to stay on the diet for 2-4 weeks and then add some foods back in systematically to identify the biggest triggers
Kate felt helpless working with her IBS patients and then had a severe intestinal problem while pregnant with her second child. She had 6 ft. of her small intestine removed, became intolerable of certain foods, and found the low-FODMAP diet to be helpful
For her personally, her FODMAP sensitivity is quantity-related, so she avoids large amounts of certain trigger foods, like onions
Kate shares success stories, the role of exercise and yoga in IBS, and how sugar affects IBS
The cookbook has 130 recipes (I recently tried Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry and loved it!) Kate’s favorites include Peanut Noodles, Cheesy Grits, and Chocolate Walnut Brownies
Most GI conditions are on the rise in the US and there is more awareness of probiotics and the gut biome
Why it’s important to talk about these issues
Common foods linked to IBS: emulsifiers, ultra-processed foods,and polyunsaturated fats
How Omega-3 fatty acids are protective and fruits and vegetables can lower the IBS risk
Kate recommends eating mostly whole foods, less packaged foods, and minimal emulsifiers

Resources:

We're giving away a copy of The Low-FODMAP Diet, Step by Step by Kate Scarlata, RDN and Dede Wilson. Post a comment at the end of this post telling me why you want to win this book and/or how the low FODMAP diet has helped you or someone you know with IBS.

Website: http://www.katescarlata.com Find many valuable resources!

Twitter handle: KateScarlata_RD https://twitter.com/KateScarlata_RD

Instagram: katescarlata https://www.instagram.com/katescarlata/

Facebook:Kate Scarlata RD https://www.facebook.com/katescarlataRD/?ref=bookmarks

31: All About Pork with Charlotte Rommereim, RDN Jun 27, 2018

What’s your favorite go-to supper? Pork chops? Pulled pork? Pork Kebabs. Pork is one of the most popular animal protein on the planet, and with new breeding methods, pork is leaner than ever. It's versatile, affordable, and you'll find it in pretty much every world cuisine. My guest this week is dietitian and fifth generation farmer, Charlotte Rommereim, RDN, and she joins me for all things pork, including how to shop for the leanest cuts, how to cook it just right, and healthy recipes your family will love.

Charlotte lives in South Dakota where her family raises pigs, corn, and soybeans. The land they farm has been in their family since 1874, and Charlotte’s children are preparing to continue the farm tradition. Charlotte is a clinical dietitian for rural hospitals and healthcare facilities, and truly lives a “farm to fork” lifestyle. Charlotte shares her perspective on how pigs are raised and bred, food safety, her favorite ways to use pork, and some surprising information on cooking temperatures. Her husband, Steve, is the president of the National Pork Board and they have two daughters and an adorable grandson.

You can read the full show notes at www.lizshealthytable.com.

30: Health + Happiness with Joy Bauer, MS, RDN Jun 13, 2018

What's the secret to being both healthy and happy? One of the country's top dietitians, Joy Bauer, weighs in with her nourishing and joyful approach (pun intended) to living your best life. Joy is best known for her work as health and nutrition expert for the TODAY show and her new hit NBC show, Health + Happiness. Joy is the founder of Nourish Snacks, and she's the author of 12 New York Times best-selling books. She's a mom of three and loves to cook for her family.

Today, Joy is going to share her favorite recipes, healthy eating habits, and culinary inspiration with the podcast audience. We will also discuss Joy’s favorite ways to eat vegetables, including a truly tasty Zucchini Linguini with meatballs. You do not want to miss out on all of Joy’s sage advice about how to be healthy and happy!

You can read the full show notes at www.lizshealthytable.com

29: Asparagus Season with Wilson Farm May 30, 2018

Asparagus is in season. Hooray. To celebrate the versatility, nutritional benefits, and flavor of this ancient vegetable, I invited Jim Wilson and Chef Raymond Ost to join me on the show. Jim is the head farmer and co-owner of Wilson Farm in Lexington, MA and Raymond Ost is their executive chef. They know a lot about asparagus, so tune in for growing tips, cooking tips, recipes, and a whole lot more!

Find out how asparagus is grown and harvested and how to choose the freshest stalks. Discover prep and cooking tips, recipe ideas, and hear all about its nutritional benefits. Did you know asparagus is considered a prebiotic food, which supports a healthy microbiome?

Stick around to find out how to make Asparagus Salad with Eggs and Prosciutto, and check out my asparagus recipe roundup blog post. There's so much to learn about this seasonal and sensational vegetable, so let’s get started.

Show Highlights:

Discover the history of Wilson Farm in Lexington, MA
How Wilson has grown and evolved with the times.
Jim describes what it looks like to see asparagus growing in the field.
The difference between white, green, and purple asparagus.
Jim's favorite way to eat asparagus.
The story of the Wilson Farm llama, Bell.
Learn how Chef Ost from Wilson Farm became a Master French Chef.
What to look for when buying asparagus at the market.
Learn how to make Asparagus Salad with Egg and Prosciutto, with a basil and tarragon dressing. Chef Ost created it and I have been eating it all week!
Discover the best way to grill asparagus.
Why Chef Ost loves tarragon.
Wait till you hear about how Chef Ost makes soup with asparagus and uses roasted asparagus tips as garnish.
How to roast asparagus.
How Chef Ost would make a rhubarb dessert.

Resources from the Show:

28: Microbiome Makeover with Brierley Horton, MS, RD May 16, 2018

Today's show is all about the microbiome: the trillions of bacteria that live in and on you. For the most part, all those good-for-you bugs live in your intestinal tract (AKA, your gut), and research shows that they play a role in everything from good digestion to the regulation of your metabolism, immune system, and even your mood. (I heard this crazy statistic once that if you lined up the bacteria that live in your gut end to end, they’d reach the moon!) To help us digest this exciting topic, I invited Brierley Horton, MS, RD to join me on the show. Brierley is the Food and Nutrition Director of Cooking Light magazine. If you haven’t seen their June issue yet, you need to pick it up, because the issue is all about Gut Health. On the show, we'll be giving your microbiome a healthy makeover with a list of foods rich in probiotics (those are the beneficial bacteria) and prebiotics, the foods that your good bacteria love to eat. Hey, they have to eat something. And we have a few recipe ideas for your dinner table including a recipe for Broccoli-and-Kraut Slaw, which you can find right here on the blog. You can read the full show notes at www.lizshealthytable.com

27: Fast Family Dinners with Amy Roskelley and Natalie Monson, RD May 02, 2018

Welcome to Season 2 of the podcast. To kick things off, I've invited Amy Roskelley and Natalie Monson, RD onto the show to talk about fast family dinners. You asked for 'em, and we've got 'em! Amy and Natalie are the dynamic duo behind Super Healthy Kids, a website packed with nourishing family recipes, resources for gathering your family around the table, meal planning tools and resources, and so much more. If you're hungry for easy-does-it recipes that everyone at your table will love, this is the show for you. Consider this episode your guide to colorful, creative, and nourishing meals that you can get on the table quickly. We have recipes to share, stories to tell, and tips for enticing your kids to try new foods. And read on for a chance to enter my latest giveaway!

With me today are Amy Roskelley and Natalie Monson. Amy and Natalie are the business partners (and neighbors) behind Super Healthy Kids. Super Healthy Kids has been a longtime friend of the podcast, and they specialize in nutritious meals that can be made in a flash. Natalie and Amy are on a mission to bring healthy eating to your table and the rest of the world. Today, we discuss how feeding kids nutritious foods is challenging but rewarding and the Super Healthy Kids philosophy that you succeed when you serve your kids healthy food … even if they don’t eat it.

GIVEAWAY: One lucky winner (U.S. only, please) can enter to win a MyPlate Divided Kids Plate with Dairy Bowl and Parent Lesson Plan, an invaluable tool for encouraging your kids to eat their fruits, veggies, lean protein, and whole grains. To enter, leave a comment at the end of this post and tell me about your favorite (healthy) family dinner recipe and/or your best strategy for introducing variety to family mealtime. I'll pick the winner at random on May 16th.

Check out the new Super Healthy Kids app. It's called, Prepear, and we talk all about it on the show.

Show Highlights:

How Super Healthy Kids is bringing healthy food to your table.
Amy and Natalie share their feelings on picky eating and lots of unique solutions.
Kids mimic each other and their parents so be a good role model.
The ladies share their best ideas for fast dinners made easy.
Seasonality is a great way to add variety to your tried-and-true recipes.
Discover the most popular recipe on the Super Healthy Kids blog.
Let's play Chopped! Hear what Amy would make for dinner if her "mystery" ingredient was a can of peas. And find out what Natalie would cook up with frozen shrimp. Oh, and hear what I'd do with sweet potato at dinner.
Techniques for menu planning with Prepear and meal plans made uniquely for you.
How Mason jars are a huge meal prepping lifesaver.
Amy and Natalie share their favorite cookbooks.

You can read the full show notes at www.lizshealthytable.com

26: One Year Anniversary Apr 18, 2018

On this week's show, I'm celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Liz's Healthy Table podcast. Time flies by quickly when you build something new, so I'm taking a breath today, looking back on my food adventures from the year, and thanking all of you with a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card! I have a new recipe to share for Arugula, Apple & Brussels Sprouts Salad, and my husband Tim joins me for his annual "cameo" to tell you how he survived the year and to share highlights from our recent vacation in Riviera Maya, Mexico. It's a fun show, so I hope you'll stick around and tune in.

GIVEAWAY: To thank you for listening to the first session of the Liz's Healthy Table podcast, I'm giving away a $50.00 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner. To enter, post a comment at the end of this post and tell me about your favorite LHT episode in Season 1 and/or a topic or guest you'd like me to tackle in Season 2. Anyone anywhere can enter, so post your comments below!

Show Highlights:

I look back on the Instant Pot episode with Melissa Clark, one of my favorites!
Jenny Chandler’s episode on pulses was an inspiration for more plant-based eating.
Leanne Brown’s budget episode was incredibly popular, because after all, doesn't everyone want to save money at the supermarket?
Pati Jinich was one of my favorite guests to interview, and having just visited Mexico, her show really hits home now.
The best burger I've ever made comes from, From Freezer to Table. Hear all about it on the Freezer Cooking show.
Tune in to episode 3 for picky eater tips.
I answer your questions about go-to snacks and my typical food day.
Food stories from my year of travel.
Adapt and play with my favorite salad recipe made with arugula, apples, and Brussels’s sprouts.
How to gain the confidence to tweak a recipe.
Mohonk Mountain House memories.
My husband, Tim, is back on the show to talk about this year from his perspective.
Why our vacation in Riviera Maya, Mexico was a food lover's dream.

Resources:

- Arugula, Apple & Brussels Sprouts Salad: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2018/04/17/arugula-apple-brussels-sprouts-salad-lemon-shallot-vinaigrette/ - My trip to El Dorado Casitas Royale in Riviera Maya, Mexico: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2018/04/17/week-mexico-el-dorado-casitas-royale/ - Homemade Chex Mix recipe: https://www.chex.com/recipes/original-chex-mix/ - Shaya restaurant: http://www.shayarestaurant.com/menu/ - New Chefs on the Block: http://www.newchefsontheblock.com/ - Paris a Dream - food tour: http://www.paris-a-dream.com/ - Groed in Copenhagen where they make porridge: http://groed.com/en/

- Substituting Ingredients

https://www.amazon.com/Substituting-Ingredients-Z-Kitchen-Reference/dp/1564407411

25: Eat Your Vegetables with Ana Sortun Apr 04, 2018

Vegetables are a vibrant and vital part of a healthy diet, but sometimes it's hard to get excited about steamed broccoli and raw carrots. Here to shine a bright light on the beauty of vegetables is chef extraordinaire, Ana Sortun. I recently reconnected with Ana at the Healthy Kitchens Healthy Lives Conference in California where she demonstrated techniques and strategies for cooking colorful, flavorful vegetables in a variety of ways kids love. And on today's podcast, Ana shares those culinary tips with all of you.

Ana Sortun is a James Beard Award-winning chef, a mom, and a cookbook author, and she's married to the owner of Siena Farms outside Boston, so she knows a thing or two about making vegetables appealing to kids (and adults too). Ana joins me today to dish about her recipe for Cacik, a Turkish yogurt and veggie dip, and to share her best-ever tips for cooking broccoli to perfection, making 'real' caramelized onions (be patient!), and introducing kids to new, and sometimes weird, vegetable varieties. We're also giving away a copy of Ana's newest cookbook, Soframiz, so read on for instructions on how to enter to win.

You can read the full show notes and enter the giveaway at www.lizsheatlhytable.com.

24: School Lunchbox Reimagined with Holley Grainger, MS, RDN Mar 21, 2018

We spend a lot of time talking about breakfast (AKA the most important meal of the day) and dinner, but lunch often seems to fall by the wayside. If you have school-age children, you know how challenging it can be to prepare and pack lunches over and over and over again. So here to the rescue with healthy, creative, and kid-friendly lunchbox ideas is dietitian, mom, and lifestyle expert Holley Grainger, MS, RDN. Whether you're packing lunches in a basic brown bag or a cool and colorful Bento Box, this is the show for you.

Holley Grainger is a nationally recognized nutrition and lifestyle expert who brings healthy fun to every part of your life with Cleverful Living. She's the mom of two girls, Ellie and Frances, and has been packing healthy little lunchboxes for over six years. From building a better sandwich to adding more nutrition and variety to packed school lunches, Holley serves up practical tips and plentiful inspiration to get you started. Lunchboxes never go away, so find out how to tame the lunchbox monster before it overwhelms you.

Packed school lunches are a simple way to introduce new foods to young kids and expose them to a healthy world filled with fruits and vegetables. And of course, if you're nibbling as you pack or making a lunch meal for yourself as well, you'll benefit too.

Show Highlights:

Lunch doesn’t get the love it deserves.
Kids lunches should include a few key components: vegetable, protein source, whole grain, and fruit.
Protein foods like lean turkey, beans, and/or cheese gives your kids the energy they need to get through the day.
Dips (hummus, ranch, guacamole) are a great way to get kids excited about eating vegetables.
Does the lunchbox itself matter? Holley weighs in.
Lunch provides an opportunity to introduce new foods for picky eaters.
How to can get your kids involved in meal prep. Hint: Do some lunch prep after dinner when the kitchen is already a mess!
Tips to get ahead of the morning rush.
Learn how to build a better sandwich.
Use your dinner leftovers for lunch the next day.
Instagram and Pinterest are great resources for finding lunchbox ideas. On Instagram, search for Holley's hashtag, #HealthyLittleLunchbox
Tips for using a Bento Box.
Discover Holley’s favorite cookbooks including, Generations of Love and Food by Meme Inge, MS, RDN

Resources:

Instagram

@HolleyGrainger

@LizWeis

To learn more about Holley

Holleygrainer.com

Holley’s Freebie

https://www.holleygrainger.com/125-healthy-lunchboxes-kids/

BentGo https://bentgo.com/

Planet Box

https://www.planetbox.com/

The Empowered Mama Podcast

https://fit4mom.com/podcast

Superhealthykids.com

23: Pressure Cooker Craze with Melissa Clark Mar 07, 2018

Whether you're making dinner for your family or hosting a fabulous dinner party, the electric pressure can get you to the table quickly and deliciously. Looking for a super-flavorful, nourishing bowl of lentil soup for tonight's dinner? The Instant Pot (AKA electric pressure cooker) has you covered. Hungry for Coconut Curry Chicken? No problem! Joining me on today's podcast with insights into this wildly popular appliance is Melissa Clark, author of Dinner in an Instant: 75 Modern Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker + Instant Pot and reporter for the New York Times food section.

You can read the full show notes at www.lizsheathlytable.com

22. Real Good Food with Ellie Krieger, MS, RDN Feb 21, 2018

Ellie Krieger is a friend, fellow dietitian, cookbook author, TV cooking show host, and mom, and on today's show, she takes us into her kitchen for easy family recipes, last-minute cooking ideas, picky eater pointers, and a glimpse behind the scenes at her career journey. If you're looking for a new recipe to liven up your taste buds, tune in for Ellie's Herbed Salmon Orzo Casserole with Feta, Spinach Salad with Roasted Squash, Roasted Grapes and Pumpkin Seeds, and her go-to dessert indulgence. (Hint: If you love dark chocolate, you and Ellie will have something in common.)

Ellie is such a delight. On the show, she talked about her healthy eating philosophy, her new public television cooking show, Ellie's Real Good Food, and together, we told the story of how we met years ago when I worked at CNN. I know you're going to love this episode!

"A teaspoon of added natural sugar makes healthy food compellingly delicious."

- Ellie Krieger

I'm giving away a copy of, You Have It Made: Delicious, Healthy, Do-Ahead Meals by Ellie Krieger. (U.S. only, please.) To enter, post a comment at the bottom of this page and tell me why you want to win this book and/or your favorite make-ahead family dinner --- something that's always at the ready when stomachs are growling! I'll pick the winner at random on March 7th.

Show Highlights:

Ellie’s latest book, You Have it Made, which gives specific instructions and practical tips on make-ahead meals, including freezing, storing, thawing, and reheating.
Freezing no-no’s: certain potato dishes, creamy foods, and zucchini don't freeze well.
Ellie’s labor of love: her public TV show, Ellie’s Real Good Food (now in Season 2), which “hits the ‘sweet spot’ where delicious and healthy meet.”
Spinach Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Roasted Grapes, Pumpkin Seeds, and Maple Syrup. A recipe bursting with flavor, color, and good nutrition.
How a little natural sugar can take your recipe from good to delicious.
Ellie’s Facebook Live: "Airs" every Wednesday at 4 pm Eastern.
Advice for dealing with a picky eater, based on Ellie’s experiences with her daughter, now 15.
Family favorites: Salmon with Orzo, Sole with Crispy Breadcrumbs and Roasted Vegetables, Taco Night, and Pasta Night
Ellie’s quick dinner go-to favorites: fish, broccoli, and potatoes cooked on a sheet pan; pasta, shrimp, and spinach (Keep your freezer and pantry well-stocked!)
Ellie’s next cookbook: Whole in One, with whole meals prepped in one pot, pan, or skillet.
How we first met when Ellie joined me as an intern at CNN, where I worked for a show called, On the Menu.
Herbed Salmon with Orzo: a skillet meal bursting with Greek flavors.
Questions for Ellie from the Podcast Posse Facebook group.
Ellie’s favorite cookbook? Vegetables, by James Peterson.

Herbed Salmon and Orzo Casserole with Feta

[Tweet "Tune in to Liz's Healthy Table #PODCAST w/ @elliekrieger and hear about her healthy-meets-delicious food philosophy, her TV show, and 2 family-pleasing dinner recipes including MY favorite: Herbed Salmon and Orzo Casserole w/ Feta + enter to win You Have it Made"]

Links:

My email: liz@lizshealthytable.com

Recipes: Herbed Salmon and Orzo Casserole with Feta Spinach Salad with Roasted Squash, Roasted Grapes, and Pumpkin Seeds Connect with Ellie: Ellie's Real Good Food Ellie on Facebook Twitter Instagram Have a question about the show or a suggestion for a future show? Ask away by posting a comment below or joining my Podcast Posse.

21: Mediterranean Diet Pyramid with Sara Baer-Sinnott Feb 07, 2018

Fad diets come and go, but one style of wholesome eating that's withstood the test of time is the Mediterranean diet. On this week's podcast, I'm celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, created by Oldways as a nourishing alternative to the traditional USDA Pyramid. With fruits, vegetables, whole grain and other plant foods as the base and piled high with other wholesome foods like seafood, olive oil, and cheese, my guest Sara Baer-Sinnott, President of Oldways, walks us through the beautiful and delicious nuances of this age-old way of eating.

Thanks to the diverse, mostly plant-based ingredients and the wonderful flavors and health benefits, the Mediterranean diet is a keeper as far as I'm concerned. If you love platefuls of pasta, flatbread pizzas smothered with vegetables, and Greek salads brimming with cucumbers and tomatoes, you're well on your way to loving the Mediterranean diet. From Spain and Italy to Turkey and Israel, Sara and I dish about our favorite recipes, including Kisir (a grain dish made with bulgur), and I share my recent adventure in Portugal where I obtained a magnum of olive oil! Join us for an adventure in eating, and cheers to another 25 years of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.

You can read the full show notes and access the resources at www.lizshealthytable.com.

20: Meal Prep Magic with Toby Amidor, MS, RD Jan 24, 2018

One of the biggest trends right now in the food world is meal prep. If you’re new to meal prep, the basic idea is that you shop, prepare (usually on one designated day), and then pack multiple meals that are easy to assemble throughout the week. Meal prep saves time, money, and a bit of your sanity! From lunch and dinner to breakfast and snacks, meal prep is perfect for busy people who crave homemade meals with convenience, good nutrition, and great flavor.

I’m not a meal prep guru, so I turned to Toby Amidor, RD this week to get us started. Toby is the author of The Healthy Meal Prep Cookbook: Easy and Wholesome Meals to Cook, Prep, Grab, and Go. I'm giving away a copy, so scroll down for instructions on how to enter!

Drawing inspiration from her grandmother, Toby's cookbook is infused with step-by-step guide for grocery shopping, cooking multiple meals all on the same day, and storage dos and don'ts. Together, we share our favorite cook-ahead recipes including Tuna Nicoise Salad and tips for using up leftovers in crepes, tacos, soups, and salads.

You can read the full show notes at www.lizshealthytable.com

19: Cutting Back on Sugar with Laura Hoover, MPH, RD Jan 10, 2018

Sugar. It's everywhere in our food supply, and we eat a lot of it. Kids crave it, and parents struggle to keep it in check. Did you know that the average U.S. child consumes almost 80 grams (20 teaspoons) of added sugar per day? That's nearly half a cup! On this week's podcast, dietitian and mom, Laura Chalela Hoover, MPH, RD joins me to talk about her new book, Mom's Sugar Solution, share tips and tricks for taming your family's sweet tooth, and serve up recipes for kids' favorite foods made with less sugar. Wait till you hear about her Raspberry Chia Mini Muffins made with honey and her Ruby Red Soda made with no added sugar. You won’t believe how sweet and delicious food can be without the added sugar!

I personally have a sweet tooth, so I was super excited to have Laura on the show to share her best tips and tricks to slashing sugar. Unfortunately for all of us humans, fighting sugar cravings is a bit like fighting our biology. Humans are hard-wired to crave sugar from birth, so Laura says the best way to tackle it is to wean off slowly. But Laura's book isn't entirely sugar free. She provides lower-sugar alternatives to kid favorites ... including dessert. Yes, we can all have our cake and eat a portion of it too!

Stick around for a chance to win a free copy of Mom’s Sugar Solution as well as freebies and discounts from Laura to the Liz’s Healthy Table community.

Are you hungry for new ways to tackle your sweet tooth? I am!

You can read the full show notes and access all the links and resources at www.lizshealthytable.com

18: Family Feeding Styles with Jill Castle, MS, RDN Dec 27, 2017

On average, parents serve up an estimated 28,000 meals and snacks during their child’s lifetime. That's one BIG reason it's important to get this whole feeding thing right! My podcast guest this week is Jill Castle, MS, RDN an expert on feeding styles and child nutrition. While she says good nutrition is a key component to raising healthy kids, Jill believes the "how to" of mealtime is just as critical. Tune in to find out why the Authoritative style of family feeding is the gold standard.

Jill is the host of The Nourished Child, which you can find on iTunes and other popular podcast sites. She is the author of Eat Like a Champion and co-author of Fearless Feeding. Her four children are now teens and young adults, and like me (and many of your, I'm sure), she has faced plenty of mealtime challenges. Her own experiences fueled Jill's passion to teach parents about the do's and don'ts of feeding kids.

Tune in to hear about the four most common styles of feeding--Authoritarian, Permissive, Neglectful, Authoritative--identify your style, and discover best practices for feeding families. Are you a clean-your-plate parent? Is your kitchen open 24/7? Or do you practice a "love with limits" style? You won't want to miss this show because some styles can actual sabotage a child's health over time.

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