I Am Boosting the Economy One Frozen Dinner At A Time

While trying to bend with a learning curve that comes with graduate school, I am discovering what it means to forsake oneself for something bigger. Although my nutrition knowledge pool may be on the rise, my diet has gone to the gutter. Amid hunting for my normal foods, learning to run errands by subway, bike or on foot and trying to tackle the mountain of homework that calls my name each and every night, my dietary world feels to be in shambles at the moment. Oh, and let's not forget my new Game of Thrones addiction. Say what you will about literary adaptations, but that show makes True Blood look like a tacky bargain bin romance novel meant for those without taste. Game of Thrones makes me want to put on a forty pound dress, learn how to ride a horse, shoot a bow and arrow and eat a turkey leg...simultaneously. Word to the wise - get HBO. If profanity, nudity or gore offends you - don't get HBO.

Long ago I found my freezer can be my greatest ally in the kitchen. Gone are my days of lounging, cooking, and baking. I am still batch cooking, just on a smaller scale. Thanks to my time and space constraints, my traditional food choices have been slightly compromised for the sake of my own sanity. Lucky for you, my total anguish and partial melt down has paved the way for your body's betterment. Rest assured, I receive no monetary compensation for this blog so the products spotlighted here are purely of my own opinion. There is no exchange of money for product endorsement. Just ask my depleted bank account.

Like so many people around our great nation, I am pressed for time. My coursework is demanding, homework is unrelenting and I live two blocks from Fenway Ballpark so you better believe I am getting used to living with noise. Perhaps my greatest Boston rival to date has been eating on a budget. Holy bagel sandwiches! Food is expensive out east. My conservative mid-west food spending days are over.  When my plane flew over the Pennsylvania border, there was no turning back. My new home city is awesome but high-priced.

Frozen Dinners - often times these words next to one another makes the health conscience cringe. Understandable. For MANY years frozen entrees meant three things: high sodium, high fat and no vegetables. Over the last decade however, the food industry has made some pretty substantial improvements in these pre-made meals. Still, at times walking through the freezer section can feel like a bad movie preview you can't look away from because your intelligent inner self just wants to see if it can get any worse. Well that and those twenty milk duds you just ate make you think the lead actor looks like your gym teacher minus the unisex polyester gym shorts.

Enough schticking. There are two important things to remember when opening that freezer door:

1. Not all frozen meals are created equal.
2. Just because the word 'healthy' is on the cover doesn't necessarily make it your waist or heart's friend. 

Below are three more favorable choices I find to be both nutritious and delicious. Because, let's be honest, no matter how nutrient packed a meal is, if it tastes like crap from a dumpster that been rotting in the sun for four days, I sure as heck ain't eating it.

PRODUCT #1
Amy's Light in Sodium Vegetable Lasagna 

Yes, it's a vegetable lasagna. Get over it. With stacks of organic lasagna noodles layered with tomato sauce, roasted vegetables and low fat cheese, this one is unapologetically delicious. One serving has 290 calories and 8 grams of fat. The real thing about Amy's Vegetable Lasagna that gets my heart pumping (in a good way) is its sodium content. With 340mg per nine-ounce piece, Amy's makes Stouffer's like a bottle of soy sauce. Most traditional frozen lasagna pieces run around seven ounces, pack 350 calories, 12 grams of fat and carry between 600 to 800 mg of sodium. You're body and taste buds will thank you.


PRODUCT #2
Kashi Mushroom Trio and Spinach Pizza

With a whole grain and flax crust topped with a tomato Parmesan sauce, baby portobello, champignon and shiitake mushrooms, spinach, mozzarella and provolone cheeses you really can't go wrong. One serving (1/3 the pizza) has 250 calories and 9 grams of fat. The sodium content on this one isn't a bragging point, however, it does bring a sizable amount of dietary fiber (4 grams) and protein (2 ounces). Enjoy it for dinner and heat up the leftovers for lunch the next day. Yum, yum!

PRODUCT #3
Amy's Light & Lean Bean & Cheese Burrito

It's like a fiesta in your mouth. This burrito has a whole-wheat tortilla filled with pinto beans, Cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese, brown rice and a tab of chili sauce. One serving contains 280 calories and 5 grams of fat, 8 grams of fiber and nearly 2 ounces of protein. Does the word burrito make you flatulent simply reading it? Well, take your Beno, drink some water and put the dog outside. No but really, for some, beans require practice. With practice will come tolerance. It may not be pleasantville, USA the first time around but it does get better with time.

Note: If you can't find the Light & Lean version, the traditional bean and cheese burrito is just as good and honestly, the nutrition profile is not greatly different.

One final frozen dinner tip. Add vegetables. Toss up a side salad. Roast or steam vegetables. The possibilities are endless. The frozen dinners can be on the smaller end and rightfully so for the sake of calorie, fat and sodium control. The trick to making sure they are both filling and nutrient dense is to add some color either directly into the dish or on the side. 

Happy Heating!

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

Where was I? If you've been keeping up with my blog or know me in any way, then you're aware I am now living in Boston. Allow me to apologize again for the month of August. There was no Shameless Product Placement and ONE measly post for the entire month. Talk about slacking. See the opening paragraph of the last blog post for further explanation. Bottom line: August, like that three year old I babysat when I was twelve, totally got away from me. At least I had hurricane Irene to welcome me to New England.

I am happy to report I am alive and well.  Finally settled into my apartment, I've taken the subway, navigated the city streets on my bike and walked my mid-west butt all over the 2 mile radius that surrounds my overpriced, frat-house adjacent apartment. This new (terrifying) chapter in my life may have repercussions for this blog. I didn't move to Boston solely for the beautiful Fall foliage and 'wicked' clam bakes. Obtaining a MS in nutrition and completing my dietetic internship are all on the docket for the next sixteen months. Hello anxiety.

I'm not one of those people who pretends to have it all together while the pieces of her life crumble internally. I'm more the openly paranoid, borderline neurotic, caffeine dependent type. One finals week during my college career I actually attempted to sleep in a lecture auditorium to negate the time wasting activities of driving, eating, and bathing. It was going pretty well until the janitor showed up around mid-night and called the department of public safety on me.  Armed with nothing but Twizzlers, notecards, and 4 one-liter bottles of Mountain Dew, the three officers set me free with a warning for loitering. To this day I wonder why three officers were corralled. The greatest danger I posed to anyone in the immediate area would have been a legendary sugar crash. Moving on, I'm afraid the days of weekly blog posts may be on strike for a bit. My obligation is to school and the Stafford Loans keeping me here. I am hoping to continue the blog so don't loose faith. I only ask for patience. 

My relocation has already brought some new challenges in the area of, you guessed it, food. Don't get me wrong, Boston has some pretty amazing food to offer.  But this girl is as single as it gets, not to mention on a budget, so you better believe I'm not wining and dining every night. Well, maybe a little wine. I have discovered that cultivating some of my familiar favorites isn't as easy as I thought it would be. Not only that, my apartment sqaure footage has been chopped in half and yet I'm paying more in rent. Location, location, location. Yeah, I know. Did I mention my kitchen is less than ten square feet? And with no dish washer, I am quickly adapting to what it means to be kitchen efficient.

Over the last five years I've perfected batch cooking. The whole idea is to give myself some options when it comes time for dinner. It goes a little something like this. I make recipes that typically feed six or eight, divide it up into single portions, stick them into tupperware and freeze. Cashew burgers, lasagna, homemade spaghetti sauce, chili, and chicken enchiladas are just a few of the various dishes I have on hand in my freezer at any one time. This eggplant parmesan is about the easiest thing in the world to make. It freezes, defrosts, and reheats without a glitch. Making it in my tiny kitchen was no easy feat so if I can do it, so can you. 

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

Serves: 6-8

1 medium-large eggplant

1 egg beaten plus 2 TBS milk

Dried Italian bread crumbs (at least one cup, may need more)

8 ounces mozarella, sliced

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

4-5 cups of marinara sauce 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch slices. (NOTE: if you wish to peel the eggplant, do it before you start slicing)   Dip each eggplant slice into eggwash, followed by breadcrumbs. Place onto cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until underside is golden brown.  Flip slices over and repeat for another 15 minutes.  

Remove eggplant from oven.  In a 13x9 baking dish, cover bottom of pan in marinara.  Next arrange eggplant slices in one layer (some overlapping may be necessary).  Top each eggplant piece with a slice of mozarella, cover with marinara and top with parmesan cheese.  

Bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Recipe Note:  I used a combo of italian breadcrumbs and panko breadcrumbs and it turned out very good.

Happy Cooking

August's Nutrition Hot Topic: Weighing In On Food Scales

First off, allow me to apologize for the lack of posts. This month has been a crazy one. Wrapping up my receptionist gig, moving back in with my parents, getting sick, and preparing to move to Boston are all things taking place during the turbulent month of August.

Now then, if I may say so myself, you are in good hands with me. I think I have been doing an all right job at this whole blogging thing, but on August fifth my suspicions were confirmed. The opening page on MSN.com was...

Booya. In the words of SportCenter's Kenny Mayne, "It must be a homer Simpson because the pitcher just went D'oh!"

I just want to say to my few, but dedicated readers, you are well informed...at least for now. The gluten conundrum was discussed right here on this very blog back on Cinco de Mayo. Cinco de Mayo people! Olay indeed. Let's not even address the decline in the stock market. That man's face says more than any of my Neanderthal rambling could ever convey. As for JWoww, Mr. Bean, and polar bear violence - more on that later.

While August gets on with itself, I am currently in the midst of my first week of summer vacation.  It is a lot of lounging and Food Network watching. I hope it's not just me, but watching the Food Network actually makes me hungry. Either that or it makes me think I am hungry. I think it's more of the later if you want to know the truth. Much like Cheech and Chong, watching television while (over) eating are two things that go very well together. So as a reminder to all of us that portion control is important, it's time to discuss food scales.

Most of us are relatively familiar with volume measurement - maybe not visually, but rather conceptually. Weight is more of a black box area. During college I decided to purchase a food scale more out of curiosity than necessity. What does two ounces of pasta really look like? What about four ounces of chicken? Generally speaking, there are two kinds of people out there. People either over- or underestimate what a serving size actually is.

I've mentioned it here before perfection is overrated.  For a while I obsessively measured every gosh-blessed thing I ate. Looking back, it was annoying. However, I did gain one skill from that brief period of lunacy. I am now much more comfortable measuring out foods and ball parking their quantities.  

Health professionals try to come up with all kinds of tricks to help the average Joe deduce serving sizes.  

• Three ounces of meat = size of a deck of cards
• 1 medium apple or orange = size of a tennis ball
• 1/4 cup dried fruit = one small handful
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter = size of a golf ball

What the what?! These guess-timations are not applicable for someone like me. I instantly start to perspire as I work to recall what a tennis ball even looks like. Here is where the food scale comes in. I never weighed my fruit or peanut butter, but dry pasta, natural cheese (goat or feta) and meat were all fair game. After so many times of weighing a given piece of food, you'll eventually come to realize you already know about how much is there. In the beginning, however, you may not be so confident or knowledgeable.

Food scales can be found just about anywhere these days. Your local grocery store, Target, Wal-Mart, and most kitchen supply stores such as William Sonoma carry food scales. They start around  $4 and go up for there. The one I own was around $20 at the time of purchase. I'd go for a digital model if you can. The four-dollar variety is more of a manual scale. It involves zeroing the scale out and rotating the dial for each use. That's just too much physical labor for me. The digital models bring two buttons and that's it: On/Off and Tare/Mode. The answer is instantly given, no squinting-at-eye-level-to-read-the-dial required.

Most scales can read in ounces, grams or pounds and the average digital scale reads up to 11 pounds. Handy when you bring your newborn home from the hospital and want to track its growth. That right there just gave me away - its growth. They're not human. Oh brother. Reason number 743 why I should not look to conceive in the next five years.

Portion control, that's the whole reason to dive into the world of food scales. Should you start measuring everything you eat?  No. Is it good to learn and become more familiar with portion sizes? Absolutely. Over-sized portions are an all-too-common culprit for weight gain.

Being more cognizant of the foods we put into our mouths is an important part of a healthy mind and body. It is not always fun, but it does help one become more aware of where their calories are coming from. Mindless eating is the devil's playground when it comes to your waistline. In 2004, a study done by Cornell University's Department of Nutrition and Psychology was published in the Journal of Nutrition. The study found that the more food young adults were served, the more they overate. The bottom line of weight gain is this: if you eat more calories than your body needs in a given day, you gain weight.  It's just that cruel.

When people learn I am a nutrition major, the conversations take either one of two directions. Option A: they tell me about someone they know in the field. Option B (my favorite): they want to discuss the weight loss diet they are currently trying to follow. More times than not, B trumps A. So this means one thing to me - most of us want to loose some amount of weight. I will say this though - count your calories, measure out your food, eat your fruits and vegetables, work out - it is important to always have realistic expectations of yourself.  More on tips for Mindful Eating to come...

In the meantime, I encourage you to venture into the painfully accurate world of food scales. Some days you'll love it; other days you'll hate it. Mark my words. But food is fuel and knowledge is power and if I could think of one more cliché here, I'd be really happy. None the less, as a true realist I'll give you one final alternative use for your beloved food scale should you purchase one, hate it, and not be able to refund your precious dinero. My mother also doubles hers as a scale for mail. Never again will the question, does it need more than one stamp, trip you up.

July's Nutrition Hot Topic: In Season Local Produce

Summer is upon us. You know it has arrived when the smell of charcoal is misconstrued for food. I actually did that. It's not something I am proud of. It was only the fifth most embarrassing thing to happen to me. Numbers one through three I refuse to discuss. The fourth being the time I fell into the stingray tank at Sea World when I was nine. The tank was only a foot deep and there weren't technically any stingrays in it at the time, but they had to send a rescue team in after me. Something to do with my quote 'unwarranted fear and inability to move'.  Well, that and I soiled myself while immersed in the tank. In my defense there is something unsettling about 20 tourists taking pictures of you with waterproof disposable cameras while four people wearing foam Shamu hats pull you out of what feels like a kiddie pool.

Moving on, as the summer scorcher settles in and my sweat glands make known their ardent disapproval, I am happy to report that these summer months bring some pretty amazing food. During our remaining weeks of this sweltering season, I encourage you to venture to your local farmer's markets and explore what wonderful foods your state has to offer.

This topic was inspired by a few things.  First, local produce is going gang busters right now. Secondly, I'm feeling lazy. Thirdly, Ina Garten is my hero. Hero may be too strong of a word. If I could afford Tivo, it would be programmed out the gills with this woman. There is something about observing Ina in her Hampton house kitchen that makes me want to buy a house, gut the kitchen, install marble counter tops, purchase some Viking appliances, and stock the cabinetry with All-Clad pots and pans and a set of stainless steel mixing bowl. As a girl who recycles zip lock bags to save money, did I mention I intend to win the lottery? Getting back on tract, her show is straight up aesthetically pleasing. One of the countless things I like about watching this woman work is her avid use of local foods.  Produce, meat, fish, cheese, bread - you name it, she's buying it. Sure it's staged, but I suppose it's the message that counts.  Buy locally!

During various times of the year, towns across the country have different local produce to offer their citizenry. Pop on over the National Resources Defense Council's website to identify which fruits and vegetables are sprouting up in your area. The website even contains a link for locating farmer's markets near you! Good, good stuff. 

I thought I would highlight three items on the massive list of in season produce found in my area for the month of July.

BLUEBERRIES

   Ahh, my little blue friends. These things are wondrous. At 80 calories a cup, this fruit is focused on your health. Blueberries are one the most antioxidant rich foods out there. I've mentioned it here before, but antioxidants are crucial in optimizing health. They reduce free radicals and thus protect cells (and their DNA) from damage. What's more, one serving of blueberries contains roughly 30% of your daily vitamin C requirement. Support for the immune system, collagen formation, and aid in calcium absorption are all benefits of vitamin C. Lastly, one cannot ignore their dietary fiber. One serving of these bad boys gets you to 15% of your daily requirement with 4 grams per cup.

Eating Tip: On top of your cereal, in your yogurt, or simply by the handful.

BROCCOLI 

   This cruciferous vegetable is one to pick up weekly.  I swear, I pick up a head or two of it every weekend. In my humble opinion, it's one of the simplest vegetables to prepare and eat. It also goes with just about anything. Burgers, chicken, fish - you name it, broccoli is a perfect side dish to just about any protein. As part of the cruciferous family, these vegetables are aptly categorized by their flower's petal shape. Cruciferae, New Latin for "cross bearing", refers to the pedal's - you guessed it -cross-like shape. 


One cup of chopped broccoli delivers a healthy dose of vitamins K (116% of DV), C (135% DV) and  A (11% of DV). Like blueberries, broccoli is also a decent source of dietary fiber with three grams per cup. What may come as a surprise to some is that broccoli is also a good source of calcium. With 43 mg per serving, this green vegetable can help you get a slight leg up on your calcium consumption. 

Eating Tip: Steam it and top with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cut off stems, peal, cut into stalks and dip into hummus or Ranch dressing.

PEACHES

Last, but most certainly not least, the luxuriously sweet peach. If there is a fruit I identify most with summer, it would have to be the peach. Hands down. One large peach has about 70 calories and like broccoli wields about 3 grams of dietary fiber, vitamins A (11% of DV) and C (19%).  Peaches are to summer what apples are to fall. Make crisp, bake them into pie, or eat this summer stone fruit right off the pit. 

Eating tip: Peach Melba was something my Nana made each summer we went to visit. All you need is one cut up peach, some vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce and you're golden. It's the perfect summer dessert on those nights when the heat seems unrelenting. 

There are numerous benefits to eating locally. Reducing the carbon foot print and supporting your local farmers are the two obvious benefits. But one advantage of eating locally that often goes unnoticed is the decrease in time it takes to get food(s) from the farm to the table. The less time a fruit or vegetable sits on a truck the better. Where produce is concerned, nutrient loss is a by-product of storage. The further your zucchini has to travel, the less vitamins and minerals it will deliver upon arrival. Just something to think about.

If you don't have a farmer's market nearby, look in your grocery store for local produce. Two grocery chains in my area have displays of local produce in their lobbies during various times of the year. One chain brags,

"All [produce] items are picked fresh from the stalk, vine or tree and delivered to Dierbergs stores within 24 hours – and in many cases, sooner than that."

In the midst of an obesity epidemic, noshing on low calorie, nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables is crucial in keeping the pounds off. Loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber - fruits and vegetables are just the weapons you need to protect your body and your health.

Shameless Product Placement of July

This weekend marked the beginning of the end. I have officially commenced packing up my apartment in preparation for my move at the start of next month. I will be living like a slight nomad for 3 weeks. My apartment leases didn't align, so my parents will be taking me in for what's sure to be an interesting 21 days. Cue eye roll. I can't really run with this one because one of my future roommates is also my editor. But I will say this - deciding what to pack, what to take home, and what to throw away has been entertaining. Will I need twelve rolls of Scotch tape during my stay in my childhood habitat? What about my emergency Saturday Night Fever 'Staying Alive' flashlight? Needless to say, this past weekend felt like some weird marathon of Minute to Win It. Should it stay? Should it go? Decide now!

I'm still unsure what this month's Hot Topic will be. While dragging my feet on all things 'life', I thought I'd give you the Shameless Product Placement of July. . .

Amy's Quarter Pound Veggie Burger

I know what you're thinking - this granola loving, tree hugging, birdseed eating chick is trying to make me eat cardboard. I promise you, my feelings toward vegetable burgers were lukewarm at best before I discovered Amy's. If you're a devoted meat eater, these veggie burgers are not trying to resemble meat. Something about vegetable based products that attempt to resemble meat grosses me out. For instance, Tofurkey. Why? If I were so repulsed by the act of eating turkey, be it morally or biologically, why would I want to even touch a piece of tofu trying to pass itself off as the animal protein it's clearly not.  

Although the burger's ingredient list is not exactly short, it is 100% readable. I don't have the time to develop and make a decent veggie burger that isn't loaded up with grain. One thing that erks me about homemade veggie burgers is they are often oat or rice based. Why bother? Being grain based, there's a clear lack of protein and I'm just going to put it on a bun! I'm not anti-carb, but come on. Putting a rice patty on a bun is like putting macaroni and cheese on top of pizza. At some point it's like okay, let's just eat a loaf of bread and be done with it.  

So what makes Amy's so remarkable you ask? 

One, 4-ounce burger brings a lot to the table. Let's start with protein. One burger is nearly three ounces of protein. Amy's does make other veggie burgers, but the Quarter Pound packs the most protein - hence the name. Trying to get in an adequate amount of protein is a common predicament I find myself in when trying to go vegetarian. Cottage cheese, eggs, nuts, and beans just don't cut it when they must be eaten on a daily basis. And one of these burgers gets me halfway to my daily protein allotment.

These burgers deliver in both the protein and fiber departments. With six grams of fiber per burger, they don't shy away from getting your bowels movin'. The average adult should aim for 25 grams of fiber a day.  Most of us don't even come close to that number, so every little bit helps. I've mentioned it here before, fiber is an important part of our diet and should not be over looked. Return to The Shameless Product Placement of April for a fiber refresher. 

Lastly, one of these burgers contains a mere 210 calories, 30 of which are from fat. Beside the all-too-common down fall of being grain based, many veggie burgers are often loaded with nuts and seeds. There is nothing wrong with fat, but sometimes a girl just wants to eat some protein and nothing more. These beautiful, delicious patties are 75% organic, kosher, diary-, lactose-, and cholesterol free. They're also vegan, but who cares.

The only aspect of these burgers that I don't care for is their sodium content: 600mg per burger is a wee bit steep. One burger is equivalent to two teaspoons of soy sauce. However, if I'm being totally honest, I was unaware of this small detail until I sat down to write this post. So reader, thank you so much for ruining this for me.  Stupid nutrition facts labels. 

Moving on, I like to put these burgers on either a whole wheat bun or one of those whole grain 100-calorie sandwich flats.  Top them with hummus, spinach and tomato for the perfect lunch. I also enjoy them coated in barbecue sauce. Simply pop them in your microwave for a minute or two and they're ready to go.  You can heat them in the oven or on the grill, but I don't have the patience for all that hoopla.

Hop on over to Amy's Website here.  Take a look all the wonderful items this company has to offer. Amy's products can be found in most grocery stores or specialty health food stores (i.e. Whole Foods). Pot pies, soup, salsa, cake, or pie - this company is one to put stock in and I mean that figuratively. 

Homemade Granola

Last weekend was in-sane. Similar to most twenty-three year olds I know, my weekends are a spectacle. And by spectacle I mean my book club is getting out of control. You put too much paprika in the deviled eggs and the claws really come out. Not to mention the fact that on Saturday twelve, eighty-something year-olds received their disappointment of 2011 when I ruined the ending of this month's book. In my defense, I think we all knew how A Farewell to Arms was going to turn out. The unrest that followed grew intense, then disorganized, then confusing and ultimately ended with my dismissal. It was both aggressive and unanimous. When Hester left to go to the bathroom for the fifth time that hour, my one ally, much like her bladder control, was gone. The room managed to become so cold and damp that during the vote stalactites began to descend from the ceiling.

I should have seen this coming. The lipstick stained denture club, better known as Delores, Cecelia, and Ruth, have never been my biggest fans. After the Stephen Hawking/Stephen King debacle of January 2008, my forced departure was merely impending. All the old bags wanted to discuss was the Big Bang and I didn't read The Shining for nothing! Book jockey vigilantes. Looking back, it was a recipe for disaster. Then again, I've always been one of questionable judgment and taste. I like to think the Naked Gun films are O.J.'s greatest legacy and Ringo is my favorite Beatle. While keeping this in mind, I promise olive oil granola isn't as crazy or as gross as it sounds.

This granola is my favorite (to date). It's simple, but delicious. The thing about most homemade granola is it often comes coated in butter and sugar. Instead, I've made one that is both heart healthy and tasty to boot. So I present to you Kimberly's Olive Oil Granola. Bowl, spoon and milk - enjoy this stuff the traditional way as the perfect breakfast or evening nosh. Use it to top your yogurt or ricotta cheese and add some fresh berries for a great afternoon snack. Stir into ice cream for a little extra crunch. Add pretzel pieces and dark chocolate chips for the best trail mix EVER. The possibilities are endless. You are so very welcome.

Kimberly's Olive Oil Granola

Dry:
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Wet:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1 frothy egg white

Add Ins:
1/2 cup raisins, dried cranberries and/or apricot pieces

In a large bowl combine oats, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, shredded coconut and cinnamon.  In a smaller bowl mix oil, maple syrup, honey, and salt together. Add wet mixture to larger oats bowl. Stir to combine. Fold in frothy egg white. Spread onto cookie sheet with a lip that has been lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 300F for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.  Allow to cool. Add raisins and store in airtight container(s).

Shameless Product Placement of June

Holy freaking moly. How is it already the last day of June. When I got home from work Monday night, I sat down to ponder what my next blog post would be. After taking a few moments to review my monster list of topic ideas, the date hit me like a brick in the face. I quickly realized a shameless product placement was in order. They're not always the most informative pieces, but they are easy.  Much like CSPAN, these posts are nearly effortless and run the risk of putting you to sleep. You're welcome.

I cannot continue without first acknowledging this Blagojevich situation. How could he have possibly thought he could sell Obama's Senate seat and not get caught in the process? We're talking about a man whose dismissal from The Apprentice was reportedly due to his technological inadequacies. He literally could not use a computer or text for that matter. On Monday he was found guilty on 17 counts of wire fraud, attempted extortion, soliciting bribes, conspiracy to commit extortion and conspiracy to solicit and accept bribes. I would think that in order to even attempt getting away with any of this, some knowledge of how to operate an iPhone would be necessary. This isn't Hogan's Heroes.  

Now then, the Shameless Product Placement of June is....

Natural Peanut Butter 

I was a kid raised on Jiff. It was (and still is) delicious awesomeness. From the artery clogging sensation it induced to the way it cements to plates in the dishwasher, I genuinely loved everything about it. It sufficed for the first twenty or so years of my life. But the honeymoon had to eventually come to an end. A of couple years back, a cardiovascular surgeon was a guest at the after school program where I volunteered to help teach inner-city middle schoolers how to cook healthfully. He brought in real human hearts, each one having a greater degree of cardiovascular disease. They were interestingly disgusting. Being the strong stomached girl that I am, I fainted only four times, wet myself twice and threw up once. You'd think after one of those episodes, someone would have asked me to leave the room.

The demonstration continued on with a miniature Eat This Not That lesson: chicken over red meat, fruit over candy, olive oil over butter, blah blah blah. One topic discussed was trans fats. Thanks to the butter vs. margarine post from Monday, you've been well informed on trans fats. The thing about a lot of peanut butter products out there is they contain hydrogenated oil(s). That probably means nothing to most of you, so I encourage you to keep reading.  There's a prize at the end.

To put hydrogenation into laymen's terms, the word simply means to treat with hydrogen. By chemically introducing hydrogen to oils, it turns them into solid fats. It's a process done to extend a food's shelf life. You'll recall from butter vs. margarine that NYC health code prevents food service operations from using artificial trans fats. Hydrogenated oils are one such example.

There is a slight catch when it comes to fat labeling. A product can claim to be 'trans fat free' and list zero grams of trans fat on the nutrition label if there is less than 0.5g per serving. Okay, that's fine. However, that food doesn't necessarily remain trans fat free if you eat three servings of it. Enough about the mundane details of labeling, let's get to the good stuff.

Similar to all other products I've chosen to spotlight on this blog, the theme they all seem to carry is simplicity. All of them (all two of them) have contained a limited number of easy-to-read ingredients. This one is no exception.

Most natural peanut butters typically have one, maybe two, ingredients: peanuts and salt. Yes, this is the kind you have to stir and store in your refrigerator. Over the last three years I've tried numerous brands and various nut versions - think almond and cashew. As a former Jiff devotee, the best one I've found is Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter. It's sweet and has a normal peanut butter consistency, not that gritty texture other natural nut butters often bring to the table. Best of all, Smucker's has somehow discovered a way to make a natural peanut butter than requires little to no stirring.

Other than the traditional pb & j, I thought I'd give you some other unique ideas for ways to eat peanut butter.

1. Spread onto a frozen waffle for an easy on-the-go breakfast or snack
2. Stir it into your oatmeal as it finishes cooking and top with banana or apple slices 
3. Spread onto apple slices and top with granola
4. Put into a smoothie
5. Spread onto pretzels, graham crackers, or squares of dark chocolate

That list got increasingly decadent. For a while I boycotted peanut butter due it's fat content. Was I insane? Yes. Here's the thing about fat.  Like the infamous carbohydrate, fat should not be feared. Of the macro-nutrients, fat is the most complex one to digest and therefore, keeps you feeling full longer. If you disagree that capitalizing on satiety is not a fundamental part of weight loss and/or weight maintenance, meet me outside. But peanut butter isn't just a good source of fat, it also packs some protein.  Two tablespoons equals one ounce of protein.

Check this scrumptious stuff out!  No need to go to a health food store either. Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter can be found in your normal grocery store.  It's available in Creamy, Chunky, Honey, or No Salt Added. Come back next week for I don't know what, but it's sure to be fantastic.