by kelsey | Sep 21, 2017 | Cooking Tips, Food
Fall is my favorite seasons and I am always excited when this time of the year comes around. One of my favorite things about fall is all of the tasty foods we get to enjoy thanks to harvest time. My parents have a big garden and I get to reap the benefits of their hard work with fresh garden produce as well as lots of really great apples from their trees. A lot of time and effort goes into harvesting the garden, but being able to enjoy home grown produce nearly year round makes it well worth it. If you do not have a garden of your own, I encourage you to check out the farmer’s market and take advantage of all of the great foods present there during this time of year! The are located in the Running’s parking lot every Saturday morning. One of my all time favorite foods of fall is apple crisp. I think I could eat this every day! Since this is one of my favorites and I struggle with portion control, I have adapted a recipe to make it a bit healthier. Give it a try!
Apple Crisp
Mix your sliced apples with cinnamon and sugar (I use Splenda/Splenda Blend as the sugar form). Mix to your liking of taste.
Layer the apples in the bottom of a pan (use a smaller pan if you like it thicker).
Topping: 1 c flour, 1 c brown sugar, 1 cup quick oats, 1 stick of butter.
My alterations for the topping include: You can use whole wheat flour in place of white flour, Splenda Brown Sugar (use the conversion guide on the back of the bag) in place of regular brown sugar, and in place of the butter, I use Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter All-Purpose stick—this kind is trans fat free and has lower saturated fats than regular butter.
Mix the topping together and crumble over the apples.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 min.
Enjoy!!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Sep 20, 2017 | Etc.
A support group for people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) will hold a meeting on Tuesday, September 26th at 6:30pm in the west conference room at Prairie Lakes Hospital.
The group works to educate those who are living with IBS and to increase awareness of the disorder. IBS is a functional bowel disorder characterized by recurrent abdominal pain and diarrhea, constipation, or a combination of both. There is no cure for IBS.
The September 26th meeting will include a presentation by our very own Doctor of Pharmacy Deidra VanGilder. Deidra practices pharmacy at Brown Clinic and is also an associate professor of pharmacy at SDSU. She will discuss and answer questions about the over-the-counter and prescription medications for management of IBS symptoms.
Attendees should sue the west hospital entrance for easy access. There is no advance registration and no cost. Everyone is welcome. To learn more, contact Bruce Ford at 880-5213.
Deidra is a great expert in this area–please join if you are affected by IBS and want to learn more!
-Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
by kelsey | Sep 14, 2017 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
September is National Cholesterol Education Month. Whether you have high cholesterol of not, it is important to know what your cholesterol levels are and what you can do to help control them so you can reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke.
According to the American Heart Association, one out of every three people in the United States is affected by heart-related diseases. There are many risk factors when it comes to heart disease including: excess weight, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure (to name a few). In addition to working with your doctor, you can minimize these risk factors by your dietary intake and physical activity.
For a healthy heart you want to consume a diet low in sodium, low in saturated and trans fat, and cholesterol. Challenge yourself to replace these with some of the foods and food components listed below:
•Fruits and Vegetables– Many fruits and vegetables contain fiber, which helps your body take in more nutrients, can lower cholesterol levels, aid in achieving a healthy weight. Fruits and vegetables not only contain fiber, but they also contain potassium and antioxidants. Potassium can help with blood pressure by blunting the effects of sodium on blood pressure. Antioxidants may help prevent disease and keep your body working properly.. At the grocery store, be sure to choose a variety of deeply colored fruits and vegetables like carrots, apricots, broccoli, beets, berries and kidney beans to maximize your intake of vitamins and minerals.
•Whole Grains-There are many components within whole grains which provide benefits. Whole grains provide fiber, vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants. To reap the benefits, aim for at least 3 daily servings of whole grains. On the label, look for the phrase “whole grain” or “whole” before the grain’s name. Some examples include: whole grain breads, cereals and pasta, brown rice, oatmeal and popcorn. Using a supplement such as ground flax seed (shown in the picture) is beneficial to improving total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. You can work up to using 2-3 Tbsps/day for improved levels. This is often mixed into cereal, oatmeal, or used like granola with yogurt…you can also bake with it.
•Heart Healthy Fats– A diet of moderate fat intake is beneficial to your health. You can enjoy the healthy benefits by choosing oils and spreads rich in unsaturated fat, such as olive, canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, or soybean oils. Salmon, sardines, herring, trout, and tuna are terrific sources of the omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are types of polyunsaturated fats that may reduce the risk of heart disease. If you are unable to get fish into your diet, you should consider taking a fish oil supplement of 1-4g/day with at least 1g of DHA and EPA.
•Stanols and Sterols– These plant-based food components help block the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine, which has a beneficial effect on blood cholesterol. They are found in foods like corn, soy, wheat and some fortified foods like orange juice and yogurt. 1-3 grams of stanols or sterols are needed each day to see beneficial effects.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Sep 13, 2017 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Fall is a wonderful time of year, the leaves begin to change, children are back to school, and the temperature starts to cool off. With all of these changes that are taking place you may find it hard to get away from all of the summer time BBQ and picnic eating habits. A way to help you get back to healthier eating habits is to start using some seasonal vegetables. Fall vegetables are great tasting and easy to cook with. Swapping out a regular potato for a seasonal sweet potato is a simple and easy way to get more bang for your buck. Sweet potatoes are much more nutrient dense which means that they contain more nutrients in a serving compared to a regular potato of the same size. A quick and easy recipe for sweet potatoes is to make sweet potato fries in the oven. Another fun way to incorporate seasonal vegetables is to make Kale chips in the oven. These make for delicious and healthy after school snacks for your children when paired with a low-fat cup of milk.
Baked Sweet Potato Fries: First, peel and wash the potatoes and cut them into strips around a ¼ in thick. Second, place in a bowl and toss with olive oil, paprika, salt, and pepper then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lastly, place the baking sheet in a preheated 450-degree oven for 10-15 minutes or golden brown and crispy.
Kale Chips: kale is classified as a super food and is packed with antioxidants along with vitamins and minerals. First, cut up the kale into bite size pieces then in a bowl drizzle olive oil over the pieces then toss so the olive oil coats the pieces evenly. Second, salt and pepper the kale to taste and then place on a baking sheet and place into a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until edges are slightly brown.
-Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
by kelsey | Sep 5, 2017 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Wellness/Health
As school gets into full swing now after the Labor Day weekend, you may be in need of some lunch ideas for those that help pack lunch for your kids. Check out these ideas below!
- Conventional sandwiches—deli turkey, chicken or roast beef, peanut butter (if it’s a peanut safe school) and jelly, cheese, bagel and cream cheese, bagel and peanut butter, vegetarian pita pocket, tuna fish, chicken salad
- Unconventional sandwiches—hummus and pita bread, cheese and crackers, cream cheese and jelly, cream cheese and olives, sunflower butter, soy-nut butter, wrap filled with vegetables and cheese or deli meats, quesadilla, calzone, stromboli, Canadian bacon with lettuce and tomato
- Conventional alternatives to sandwiches—dinner leftovers (meat/chicken/fish/pork, grains, pasta or potatoes, vegetables), cheese and crackers, leftover pizza, soup, stew, takeout leftovers
- Unconventional alternatives to sandwiches—single-serving cereal or cereal from home in storage container (just add milk), scrambled eggs or hard-boiled eggs, yogurt with granola, chili, pancakes or waffles, nuts (if school allows), homemade smoothies, bean salad, homemade muffin, string cheese.
- Fruits—apple, pear, banana, grapes, berries, orange, grapefruit sections, canned fruit in juice, fruit cocktail, grapefruit sections, cherries, pineapple chunks, melon, pomegranate, guava, papaya, tangerines, clementine, fruit salad
- Vegetables to eat raw, steamed, or with dip—cucumber slices, celery, carrots, green beans, snow peas, blanched broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, grape tomatoes, beets, corn, salad, guacamole, bean salad
- Snacks—fruit snacks, sunflower seeds, baked potato chips, pretzels, multigrain crackers, high-fiber granola bar, graham crackers, applesauce, multigrain chips or tortilla, dried fruit, tube yogurt (try freezing), cereal bars, dry cereal, banana chips, dried peas, breadsticks
Always be sure to give them some money to buy their milk to go with their meal as well! Adequate calcium intake in childhood is essential for bone strength later in life!
-Kelsey
(Adapted from http://www.consultant360.com/n411/content/lunch-box-suggestions-children)
