Harvest Healthy Snacks with Chrisetta

It had been a while since I held a cooking presentation, but I was back at it again at one of my favorite spots on Saturday. I had the pleasure of whipping up Harvest Healthy Snacks at the Cascade Park Community Library. As always, it was a great time. I'm so blessed to share my passion for food with YOU.Here's a look at the delicious fun!

On the menu:

-Fuji Apples with fresh squeezed lime juice and sprinkled with chili powder
-Fresh popped popcorn with honey butter, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds
-Apple Fennel Salad

Outside of the Box: Soup and Sandwich

Another SOUPer day at Chuck's Produce & Street Market! Today, I whipped up my Simply Unforgettable Tomato Soup paired with Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (Provolone and White Sharp Cheddar). Bonus: I served Organic Honey Crisp Apple slices to go with.

Good eats. Good folks. Good times. I love what I do! 

Oh, goodness!

The other day I visited New Seasons Market to restock my produce. I usually go produce shopping every two to three days. If we had fresh corner markets I would go daily. Fresh corner markets...Wouldn't that be nice? Anyhow, some things I will only eat organic. Apples being one of them. Non-organic apples are sprayed with pesticides and waxed - no thanks. Buying organic, however, means paying considerably more. Organic Jazz apples were $2.49 a lb. Four apples cost $5.28. I used to gripe and complain, but now-a-days I just swipe my debit card with a smile. I want to fuel my body with good wholesome food and it's not cheap. That's typically the case with anything.  I could buy the non-organic apples at a lower price. Or if we look at it folks spend five bucks on a cheap processed McDonald's meal.  Instead, I chose to spend my dollar on four natural sweetened apples. 

As I professed a while ago, I have fallen in love with Kale. However, it is quite spendy too. I bought two bunches of Lacinato Kale to the tune of $4.98. It usually serves as a side for two meals. So that's not too bad when you break it down that way. Or if you look at the bigger picture -- I'm paying for my health and well-being upfront. Filling my body with inexpensive, crappy, processed so-called food would only cost me in the long run. I chose to eat good wholesome food and am willing to pay the price.   

*Disclaimer: I realize that eating organic and healthy comes with a significant price tag and when on a budget it can be nearly impossible to afford. I've been very fortunate to afford good quality food. I'm also fortunate enough to have the knowledge about what's good and what's not so good for me. One of my "Food and Your Health" books posed a very valid question: Is the healthy food movement elitist? Darn right it's elitist. It boils down to socioeconomic status (huge subject maybe in another blog post, maybe). Socioeconomic status is only part of the problem though. I believe for some eating healthy just is not a priority. For me, eating whole fresh food is top of my priority list because the alternative not only is going to cost more in the long run, but eating healthy never tasted so good. I hope that you too can make it a priority and find it in your budget to eat fresh whole food.

Repost: Steel Good

I love a warm bowl of oatmeal on a cold fall morning. For months, I’ve been reading and hearing about the benefits of Steel Cut Oats, so recently I decided to give them a try. I was quite impressed. They have a denser, nuttier texture and you can really taste the goodness. With each bite, you just feel like what you’re eating is wholesome, and it is. Steel Cut Oats are rich in B-vitamins, calcium, protein and fiber but low in sodium and unsaturated fat. And, get this, just one cup of steel-cut oats contains 8g of fiber. These little oats pack a big nutrient punch which means you stay full longer.

So what’s the difference between instant oats, rolled oats, and steel cut oats? Basically, it’s the processing. Instant pre-packaged oats are pre-cooked and sugars and additives are included - by far they’re the worse possible choice. Rolled oats are steamed, rolled, re-steamed and toasted – so although they are processed they would make a much better choice than the instant crap in the pouches. The King of oats - Steel cut oats are unrefined, they are only cut two to three times using a steel blade. They are a little pricey, but not if you shop at a store that sells them in bulk. Winco sells them bulk for .67 a lb. While the leading brands, such as Bob’s Red Mill are more expensive.

I prepared about two cups of oats and added two diced apples and dried cranberries. Yum-o! The oats do take a little longer to cook, but are well worth it. Since they do take longer to cook, I made a few servings and put the remainder in the fridge - they re-heat well. As always it’s important to pair complex carbs with protein. I typically eat about a ½ c. of oats with two scrambled eggs. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so make it count!

Sources: Wikipedia

Here are a couple of related articles:

http://www.myyogaonline.com/healthy-living/nutrition/why-choose-steel-cut-oats

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1494650/the_skinny_on_steel_cut_oats.html?cat=5

This thing MUST be broke!

For the last two and a half weeks the scale has not moved. I was sure the darn thing was broke until I tried the scale at the gym and the same numbers appeared. Apparently, my body has caught on to my exercise and diet regimen and is forcing me to re-evaluate. Instead, of becoming discouraged I’m just marveling at how amazing the human body is. I mean really, it won’t let me get away with the same old routine. I need to do something different. Keep challenging myself. So it’s time to re-evaluate my routine because backing down or giving up are NOT options.

I think it’s important I mention that although the scale is not moving my body is changing and I have slimmed down. I take photos to chronicle my progress and I can tell the difference in my upper body and in my face since my last official weigh in. I say this because I want to make sure I emphasis that the scale is not the only way to measure one’s success. Clearly, it’s a tool that is used to help measure progress but not solely relied on. I think I keep hopping on it only to make myself crazy or crazier.

**Ironically, about a week ago one of my FB followers asked me about breaking through a plateau and here’s what I told her. I guess it’s time I follow my own advice.

Plateaus are sooo frustrating. They can make the most determined people give up. So… First, don't give up. Secondly, re-evaluate your game plan. You can't keep doing the same thing and get different results. If you usually take cycling class four times a week and jog three days then switch it to kickboxing and weightlifting or… Main thing is to keep your body guessing. Our bodies are complex and they need to be challenged. If you were loosing weight with a certain workout routine it may help just to tweak the routine a little. Next, and MOST important is your diet. I’m not big on counting calories but I’ll say this, lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, lean meats, nuts, and water are your staples. Also, breakfast is very, very important because it gets your metabolism going. Try to eat six times a day no more than three hours a part. Apples and raw almonds are great portable snacks.  Lastly, did I mention not to give up? Okay, good. Stay at it!!! Just make some adjustments. Slow and steady wins the race there is no quick fix to change your lifestyle. I hope this helps. It brings me great pleasure to pass on advice/encouragement so please feel free to ask anytime. Ironically, I just came from the gym when I saw your post and a trainer there was telling me next year this time I’d be a trainer myself. Hmm… smile. 

An Apple A Day

I love apples. Absolutely love them. My favorite variety is Gala. What a great, nutritious, portable snack. Not only are they wonderfully crunchy and sweet in the raw, but there are many ways you can prepare and enjoy them. For breakfast, I like to dice them and add to a warm bowl of oatmeal with Craisins or on top of plain Greek yogurt with Craisins and walnuts. At lunch and dinner they continue to impress; they’re great on salads. A friend, hipped me to another way to jazz up an apple: drizzle a little lime juice on it and sprinkle with Chili powder, yup Chili powder - delightful. It’s a hit with her kids and I love it, too.  Of course, I can’t forget to mention the not-so-healthy American favorite…Apple pie – yum.

One day recently while I was enjoying an apple, the adage, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” came to me. I started wondering how much truth there is to the statement, so I researched it. And, low and behold, I found my love for apples goes beyond a tasty snack but indeed I’m getting loads of nutrients too. Here’s what I found:

Five Reasons To Eat An Apple Every Day

1. Your Diet - Apples are the perfect, portable snack: great tasting, energy-boosting, and free of fat.
2. Your Heart - Research confirms it! The antioxidant phytonutrients found in apples help fight the damaging effects of LDL (bad) cholesterol.
3. Your Digestion - Just one apple provides as much dietary fiber as a serving of bran cereal. (That's about one-fifth of the recommended daily intake of fiber.)
4. Your Lungs - An apple a day strengthens lung function and can lower the incidence of lung cancer, as well.
5. Your Bones - Apples contain the essential trace element, boron, which has been shown to strengthen bones - a good defense against osteoporosis.

Source: VirginiaApples.com