Foodie Friday: Rainbow Vegetable and Chicken Soup

Today's Foodie Friday recipe is a special post from Bowling Green State University dietetic intern, Jennifer Michelle, who worked with me during her wellness rotation over the summer.  I thought this would be a great cooler-weather recipe, so here it is for you on the first day of Fall.  Thank you for sharing with us, Jennifer!

Rainbow Vegetable and Chicken Soup

We all know it is important to eat a variety of colorful vegetables to maximize the nutrients in our diet. That is what inspired this light and healthy soup made with vegetables from all the colors of the rainbow. This colorful soup is not only lean and packed with nutrients it is EASY to prepare either in a slow cooker or on the stove top. Eating the rainbow can be easy and delicious!

Rainbow Vegetable and Chicken Soup

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Ingredients:

2 c boneless skinless chicken breast chopped (1 lb.)

4 c low sodium chicken broth

1 14.5 oz can Italian diced tomatoes

1 c carrot chopped

1 c yellow squash chopped

1 c celery chopped

1 c purple potatoes chopped

1 c red onion chopped

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

2 bay leaves

¼ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp poultry seasoning

Slow Cooker Directions:

1. Season chicken with salt pepper and poultry seasoning.

2. In a slow cooker, combine chicken and all remaining ingredients.

3. Cook on high for 3 hours or cook on low for 6 hours or until vegetables are tender.

Stove Top Directions:

1. Season chicken with salt pepper and poultry seasoning.

2. In a large pot, combine chicken and all remaining ingredients.

3. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes then simmer on low for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender.

Serving size: 2 cups, makes 5 servings

Nutritional information:

Calories: 210 Carbohydrate: 20 Fat: 5g Saturated fat: 1g Protein: 20g Cholesterol: 45mg Fiber: 4g Sodium: 944mg

Excellent source of: Vit A, vit C, potassium

Good source of: Folate, B vitamins

Foodie Friday: Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

I may be jumping the gun by introducing this Fall recipe before the official start of Fall, but for me, Fall somehow always starts when school starts.  While I do love Summer, I also love everything that is Fall...colorful, changing leaves, cool, crisp air, football, and comfort food.  A food that says Fall like no other to me is pumpkin.  When I discovered this recipe for Pumpkin Oatmeal, I knew I had to give it a shot.  And did you ever think you'd have a veggie in your oatmeal?  This oatmeal is rich, creamy, satisfying, and definitely a true Fall comfort food.  This dish also stores really well in the fridge for a few days, so that you can enjoy it as a quick breakfast or even snack for several days after you make it.  Here's to Fall!  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

Adapted from:  Aarti Sequeira, www.foodnetwork.com  

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Ingredients:
1 (14 oz) can pure pumpkin puree (Make sure it's pure pumpkin and not the sweetened pumpkin pie filling.)
3 cups water
1 cup pure coconut milk
2 Tbsp raisins
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 cups rolled oats (You could also use steel cut oats.)
1/4 cup pepitas (aka pumpkin seeds)
Honey or pure maple syrup for serving

Directions:
1.  In a large saucepan, combine the pumpkin puree, water, coconut milk, raisins, salt, and pumpkin pie spice over high heat and bring to a boil.
2.  Add the oats.  Turn the heat down and cook according to the directions for your oatmeal.  This may take 10-20 minutes (or up to 25-30 minutes if using steel cut oats).  Stir frequently.
3.  While the oatmeal is cooking, toast the pepitas in a small pan over medium heat until fragrant and golden brown, about 5-10 minutes.
4.  Once the oatmeal is cooked through, drizzle with honey or maple syrup and sprinkle with pepitas, if desired.  Serve immediately.

Serves:  4
Nutritional Information:
Calories:  349   Carbohydrate:  48 g   Protein:  8.5 g   Fat:  16 g   Cholesterol:  0 mg   Fiber:  8 g   Sugar:  10 g (4 g added)   Sodium:  164 mg
Excellent source of:  thiamin, vitamin A, iron, magnesium, and zinc.
Good source of:  riboflavin, vitamin B6, and potassium.

Foodie Friday: Lettuce-wrapped tacos

Lettuce-wrapped tacos - Copyright 2012 Michelle Loy, MPH, MS, RD, CSSD - Go Wellness

What do you get when you cross a person who loves to try new recipes with a little guy with newly discovered food allergies and sensitivities?  Me trying even MORE new recipes!  My poor little guy has suffered from eczema for some time, and after conducting a special diet and allergy testing, I've finally discovered that there are several trigger foods.  One of those items includes dairy, which means milk, yogurt, and cheese.  Because of this, I am really going outside of the box to find new ways to create some traditional faves in my home.  That's when I stumbled upon these lettuce-wrapped tacos.  No dairy!  The cabbage slaw adds a nice tangy, sweet flavor and freshness to the 'taco'.  This is the perfect way to 'wrap' up your summer;)  Enjoy!

Lettuce-wrapped Tacos

Adapted from: Everyday Paleo, 2010

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Ingredients for Cabbage Slaw:
3 cups red cabbage, chopped
1 cup cucumber, chopped
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup mango, diced
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Cracked black pepper to taste

Directions for Cabbage Slaw:
1.  Combine all ingredients together in a mixing bowl and set aside.

Ingredients for Tacos:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper (If you have little ones, you  may want to adjust this to their taste.)
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/4 cup green salsa
Lettuce leaves, for wrapping (Romaine or green leaf work well.)
Avocado, chopped for topping
Cilantro, chopped for topping

Directions for Tacos:
1.  Brown the ground beef in a medium pan.
2.  Stir in the garlic powder, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and salsa.
3.  Place a small amount of taco filling onto a lettuce leaf.  Top with the cabbage slaw, avocado, and cilantro. Enjoy!

Serves:  4
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 390   Protein:  27 g   Carbohydrate:  17 g   Fat:  25 g   Cholesterol:  63 mg   Fiber:  5 g   Sugar:  8 g   (natural)   Sodium:  205 mg
Excellent source of:  omega-3 fatty acid, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamins B6, B12, C, A, and E, iron, and zinc
Good source of:  folate, magnesium, and potassium
   

Guest Blog: Crossfit Q & A with Brian McFadden

CrossFit Fever Games 2011 (via Flickr)

Do you CrossFit?  Have you heard of it?  If you haven't heard of it yet, then you will because this form of activity is taking off.  I first learned of it a few years ago because a CrossFit "box" (aka, workout location) had opened up in a garage down the street from my home.  As I looked into it a little more, I learned that this whole CrossFit thing was a whole new workout world to me.  They had their own community with what seemed to be their own language and workouts called names, like "Fran" and "Isabel".  And all I can say is that these workouts look hard core!

I'm fortunate enough to have a friend and colleague, Brian McFadden, owner and fitness trainer at CrossFit iDog in Huntington Beach, CA.  He kindly agreed to a guest Q & A with me so that I could shed a little more light for you on CrossFit.  


In one sentence, how would you describe CrossFit?
CrossFit is a fitness regimen designed using constantly varied, high intensity, functional movements that facilitate better daily living, to optimizing elite level sport performance, and everything in between.

How is CrossFit different from other forms of exercise?
CrossFit is different from other exercise in the way that it combines three modalities, those being olympic lifting, gymnastics, and metabolic conditioning (running, biking, swimming, rowing, etc.) together in high intensity workouts that are never routine. Nothing is beyond the scope of what a CrossFitter is prepared to do.

What separates CrossFit from the typical gym, exercise class, or bootcamp? 

CrossFit is more than about just fitness. CrossFit is about community and encouragement. CrossFit is about high fives and fist bumps. An accomplishment for one person is an accomplishment for everyone. For many it rekindles a camaraderie from the days of high school or college sports and gives everyone a chance to reach goals of fitness or wellness that are otherwise difficult in gyms or classes filled with judgmental stares.

Who’s the best candidate for CrossFit? Do you have to be fit to CrossFit? 

Everyone! CrossFit is universally scaleable and designed to fit the needs of anyone willing to put in the effort. At CrossFit we firmly believe that the needs of a grandma and an olympic athlete do not differ in kind but simply degree.

What are the benefits that a participant might expect to see with CrossFit training? 

The CrossFit regimen is designed for people to excel in 10 fitness domains including but not limited to: Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance, and Accuracy. Our protocol for high intensity, constantly varied functional movements (which also happens to be part of what defines us) is unlike any other programming in it's ability to illicit such benefits as body composition, weight loss, increase in bone density, decreased risk of heart attack, and a general well being are among the many.

What’s the biggest challenge that CrossFit participants face? 

The biggest challenge CrossFitters face is understanding how important nutrition is and putting it into practice. Proper nutrition can amplify or diminish the effect of your training efforts in a tremendous way.

  

What does it take to become a CrossFit trainer? 

In order to train at an affiliate an individual must be level 1 certified through a CrossFit Level 1 ANSI accredited certification course. From there he/she may continue to become trained in specialized areas such as olympic lifting, kettlebells, CrossFit kids, combat (all of which which are certified for at CrossFit iDog) among many others.

What do you enjoy most about CrossFit?

CrossFit affords me an opportunity to help people do something in life that they may have never thought possible. It changed the way I live and the ability to share CrossFit that has become such a blessing in my life.

Thank you, Brian, for doing this Q & A with me!  I haven't tried CrossFit yet since I've been in triathlon training mode this year, but I do plan on checking it out.  I'll keep you posted to give you a dietitian's eye view of it all.  If you'd like to learn more about CrossFit iDog, check out the website and Facebook page.

What about you?  Have you heard about CrossFit?  Have you tried it?  What do you think of it?

Foodie Friday: Veggie Quiche Cups

Veggie Quiche Cups

High quality protein for breakfast is a must for two main reasons.  It will satisfy that morning hunger after a long night of fasting.  Plus, it helps sustain energy levels throughout the morning, providing a steady source of fuel for work, school, or play.  One amazing source of high quality protein is the egg due to its amino acid composition and ease of digestion in the body.  Inspired by this recipe from Recipes Under 400, I thought the veggie quiche cup could be the perfect vehicle for eggs at breakfast.  I also thought my kids would instantly love these simply because they're made in a muffin pan, and they did.  I think the reason that they loved them most though is because I let them help me make them.  This recipe is versatile, so try any combo of veggies that you like.  You can also save on prep time by pre-cutting and washing your veggies the night before.  If you decide to try it, let me know what you think.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Veggie Quiche Cups

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Ingredients:
Olive oil or olive oil spray
3 eggs
1 cup of vegetables, chopped (I used 1/4 cup each of red pepper, yellow pepper, onions, and mushrooms. You could also use spinach, broccoli, green pepper, or other veggies that you like.)
3/4 cup shredded cheese, like Swiss or cheddar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1)  Preheat the oven to 350F.  Coat the muffin pan with the olive oil or spray olive oil and set aside.
2)  In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs well.  Stir in the chopped vegetables and cheese. Season with salt, and pepper.
3)  Pour about 1/4 cup of the egg mixture into 6 muffin cups.
4)  Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Serves:  3-6
Nutritional Information per quiche cup:
Calories:  99   Carbohydrate:  2 g   Protein:  7 g   Fat:  7 g   Cholesterol:  118 mg   Fiber:  .5 g   Sugar:  1 g   Sodium:  115 mg
Excellent source of:  vitamin C and A
Good source of:  riboflavin, vitamin B12, and calcium