Monday, August 27, 2012

Good, Nutritious, and Cheap: Can it Be Done?

Before starting my dietetic internship in a couple of weeks, I have to complete an assignment where I eat for three days with the budget suggested by the USDA Thrifty Meal Plan. Based on my age and the fact that I only cook for myself, that will give me about $19 to stretch for three days. Oh, and I have to attempt to get in all of the suggested amounts of macro and micro nutrients with that money. I'm actually really looking forward to the challenge and have been contemplating various meal combinations over the past few days.

Today I ran across a link to this site, the Environmental Working Group's Good Food on a Tight Budget. While eating for cheap and still getting nutritious food is going to be hard enough on its own, it's interesting to think of the added challenge of also picking foods that have the fewest pesticides or the least amount of added chemicals. Take a look at their lists of good food on a tight budget and see if it inspires you to make a change in the way that you grocery shop. And if you have any suggestions for my three days of eating with a budget, let me know!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Eggs Still Excellent

www.freedigitalphotos.net
Perhaps you've seen the recent headline about how eating eggs is just as "dangerous" as smoking cigarettes. I know it caught my eye on more than one occasion, especially as multiple news outlets picked it up and ran with it. The gist of the recent study is that egg yolks can clog your arteries just as much as smoking tobacco can clog your arteries. If I had more time on my hands I'd read the study to figure out just what kind of correlation they were basing this headline on. Luckily, the editor over at Livestrong did that already, so here's the link to his article: Do Eggs Cause Heart Disease?

What it (hard) boils down to is that eggs are a great source of protein and the yolks are full of important vitamins and minerals. Yes, they also contain cholesterol, so as you would with any food that has some good parts and some less-amazing aspects, enjoy in moderation!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Talking Nutrition with Triathletes

Healthy food for hungry triathletes!
Last night I gave my first of (hopefully) many talks about nutrition to athletes. It helped that the athletes in question were members of my triathlon team and helped even more that I had the support of Nicole Cormier, RD of Delicious Living Nutrition in case there were any questions that I couldn't answer! Back in my former life as an editor, I hired Nicole to work on several nutrition books, which she's still doing. It's great to be working with her in a different capacity now.
The talk was at the bike shop that sponsors my team, Wheelworks in Belmont and about 17 teammates came out for the "Everyday Nutrition for Triathletes" talk. I brought lots of fresh fruit and veggies along with hummus, greek yogurt mixed with dill, and two healthy dishes, recipes below. We talked through daily calorie needs based on the Harris Benedict Equation, daily protein and carbohydrate needs, and talked a bit about pre- and post-race nutrition and hydration. I think it went really well and people were really receptive. It's always great to get little reminders of why you've made life changes like this - I love talking to people (especially athletes) about healthy eating, and look forward to continuing to do it for a long time!

Southwestern Protein Fiesta

1 bag Trader Joe’s frozen Fire-Roasted Corn, defrosted
1 bag frozen edamame, defrosted
1 can black beans (no-salt added), rinsed
1 bunch cilantro, rinsed and chopped
1 container fresh salsa
 
Mix all ingredients together and bring cold to a potluck or BBQ, serve warm over rice or quinoa for dinner, roll it in a whole-wheat tortilla for lunch, throw it over salad, or put in your morning eggs!

Whole-Grain Mediterranean Toss

½ cucumber, diced
½ container cherry tomatoes, halved
1 can garbanzo beans (no-salt added), rinsed
1 package low-fat feta cheese
3-4 cups cooked whole grain (quinoa, brown rice, whole-wheat orzo, or barley)
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
Balsamic vinegar, pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and serve hot inside steamed halved peppers, cold at a picnic, or as a side with grilled chicken!