by kelsey | Oct 10, 2012 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
As the weather starts changing and it gets colder out, we tend to change our pattern of eating to more soups, stews, and casseroles. These selections are a great way to pack a variety of nutrients into one dish. In addition, they can be very cost effective due to the excess garden produce present in our grocery stores and farmer’s market lately. Here are a few nutrition tips to consider when you’re prepping your favorite meal:
- When using store bought broths or soup mixes such as cream of chicken, choose the low-sodium or reduced fat varieties.
- Use herbs and spices to season rather than salt.
- Add more vegetables and lean meat to the recipe to give you more nutrition.
- Thicken with pureed beans, potatoes, or vegetables.
- Sprinkle your soups or stews with low fat cheese for added flavor and nutrients, without too many calories.
- Think about balance: incorporate something from each food group into your meal to provide your body with a top notch quality and nutritious meal.
- Practice portion control: it’s easy to dish up your plate with casserole or fill up a big bowl of stew and not realize how much you’re eating, so measure out your foods and eat mindfully to ensure appropriate portion control.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Oct 3, 2012 | Cooking Tips, Food, Weight Management
Once again, County Fair Foods provided us with an excellent treat at last night’s STRIVE 2 Survive meeting. The Breakfast Berry Parfait provides us with a great source of nutrients including protein, calcium, fiber, and excellent vitamins and minerals. You can make your own twist to it, but here is their recipe for your enjoyment and nourishment.
3/4 c sliced strawberries
3/4 c blueberries
6 oz fat free yogurt
1 Tbsp wheat germ
1/2 banana sliced
1/3 c granola
To add additional protein to your dish, use the Greek yogurt. It is processed a bit differently than our regular yogurt, thus making it thicker and double the protein and typically lower in carbohydrates. Just be sure to choose the low fat/fat free as some can contain high amounts of saturated fats.
This is good for breakfast or for a snack….enjoy!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Sep 27, 2012 | Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
A few weeks ago, my mom taught me the art of canning tomatoes and salsa. It certainly makes that can of salsa seem a lot more valuable when you learn how tedious the process of canning is! Tomatoes are one of her favorite vegetables so her garden had plenty of them. There are several varieties of tomatoes, but all are a great source of nutrients for our body. As you have heard me say before, the more color, the better! Incorporating tomatoes into your meals and snacks is a great way to add a great deal of nutrients to your diet.
Tomatoes are especially high in lycopene which is a powerful antioxidant that aids in disease prevention. In addition, they are a great source of vitamin A, vitamin E, and potassium. They are loaded with great vitamins and minerals, but low in calories, making them an excellent part of a healthy diet. You can certainly eat the tomato raw like we do an apple, however you can add them to various dishes and still get these great benefits. Be sure to check out the Farmer’s Market and our local grocery stores, as they are ripe right now, making them be at a great price and quality!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Sep 13, 2012 | Weight Management
Stress is a part of everyone’s life and many of us deal with it by resorting to food. Emotional and stress eating is very common and can be very detrimental to your health, so it’s important to learn how to deal with that stress to not only reduce your stress, but also improve your health! Try these easy to follow tips, to help you avoid stress eating.
1. Tune Out & Move! Turn on your favorite tunes and get moving! Exercise is always an easy way to reduce stress because it helps clear your mind. Even 5-10 minutes of walking after a stressful situation can relax your body and help you be more level headed. An added bonus is that it burns calories and can help you reach your weight goals.
2. Drink Up! Drinking water not only keeps you hydrated but also can help you to function. Drinking 64oz per day is a great place to start. Warm teas can also be helpful because they may have a calming effect, in addition to providing your body with antioxidants, beneficial for disease prevention.
3. Eat some carbs. Choosing complex carbs such as whole grains, will keep your blood sugar more level and help to keep you from getting stressed. Including small portions of these complex carbs at each meal can give your blood sugars a better consistency throughout the day, as those ups and downs can be extremely stressful, and lead to more eating.
4. Increase veggie consumption. Crunchy veggies help reduce tension because it gives some release in those jaw muscles that always tighten up when we are stressed. Eating raw carrots or celery is a good snack that won’t ruin your waist line
5. Make “good fats” your friend. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in foods such as olive oil, canola oil, nuts and fish. These can help control stress hormone levels as well as mood disorders. These fats also contribute to brain function, allowing you to deal with the stress properly instead of turning to food.
Written by University of South Dakota Dietetic Intern Alyssa Gehle for
Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
by kelsey | Aug 15, 2012 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management
A popular topic of discussion with my patients is fat content and ways to reduce fat in our diets. You have read about lean beef options in previous posts, but it’s also important to discuss white meat poultry compared to dark meat. Many prefer the chicken thigh over the breast due to the flavor and taste. The dark meat certainly may have more flavor, but it also has more calories, fat, and saturated fat all contributing to the flavor. A 3 oz portion of a chicken breast without the skin contains about 3 g of fat, <1g sat fat and about 140 calories. A similar serving of dark meat has about 170 calories, 9 g of fat and 3 g of saturated fat. The nutritional composition of dark meat is very similar to that of a T-bone steak. Thus, the white meat has less calories and significantly less fat.
Choosing lean meats is going to help reduce your risk for heart disease, but it’s also important to be mindful of your portion sizes to help keep your calories balanced. Keeping your protein to a quarter of your plate or about 3-4 oz will provide your body with the right amount of nutrients, while not breaking the calorie bank. In addition, be sure always include a balance at your meals with a quarter of your plate whole grains and half your plate fruits and veggies.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Aug 14, 2012 | Diet, Weight Management
Eating out can be a challenge as you aren’t sure how the foods are prepared, what types of foods are used, and what the food prep consists of. You may question, are the healthier looking choices sometimes worse for you? A salad over a hamburger should always be healthier, right? We find that in some scenarios this is not the case at all. Because of added seasoning, dressing, and breading the choices that appear to be healthier can have more calories. A way to avoid some of these unnecessary calories is to ask for the dressing on the side, or ask for your meats grilled instead of fried. If you eat at a restaurant regularly it’s not a bad idea to look at their menu online for their nutritional values. This could help you make a healthier decision when going out to eat. In addition, you may also consider using a pocket guide book such as Calorie King’s book (www.calorieking.com) or using an app on your smart phone. Besides making a good choices, portion control is essential! Take half of your meal home or share with a friend or family member. That alone will cut down on calories, fat, and sodium.
Here is a fun quiz to help you compare some foods and see which have more calories. The results may surprise you.
1) Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad (with dressing) Vs. Applebee’s Bacon Cheeseburger
2) McDonalds the Big Breakfast with Hotcakes Vs. McDonalds Angus Delight
3) McDonalds Cheeseburger Vs. McDonalds Chocolate Shake
4) Culvers Fresh Fried Chicken Dinner Vs. Culvers Chicken Sandwich Value Basket
5) Arby’s Medium Curly Fries Vs. Arby’s Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwich
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Answer #1 The Bacon Cheeseburger has fewer calories at 970 calories compared to the Oriental Chicken Salad that has 1390 calories.
Answer #2 The Angus Delight has fewer calories at 750 compared to the Big Breakfast with Hotcakes that has 1090 calories.
Answer #3 The Cheeseburger has 300 calories compared to a Chocolate Shake that has 570 calories.
Answer #4 The Chicken Sandwich Value Basket is 422 calories compared to the Fresh Fried Chicken Dinner that has 2220 calories.
Answer #5 The Curly Fries are 540 calories compared to the Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwich that has 840 calories
*This blog post was prepared by SDSU Dietetic Student Megan Bren.
-Kelsey
