Celery and raw almond butter: celery is a carbohydrate; almond butter is both protein and natural fat.

Cheese and crackers: opt for grass-fed cheese for higher essential Omega 3 fatty acid content if possible.

Hummus and carrot sticks: hummus contains a little protein and natural fat.

Edamame sprinkled with sea salt: edamame is the whole soybean and it contains both protein and essential trace minerals if sprinkled with sea salt.

Greek yogurt: the low fat variety includes all three macronutrients, but the non-fat variety is just as beneficial.

Apple slices with honey and olives: perfect for those who crave sweet and salty.

Organic turkey breast slice with crackers: turkey contains both protein and natural fat.

This PDF shows the most economical way to store fruits and vegetables, whether it be in the fridge before or after ripening or whether to store on the countertop or in a cool dark place. It’s a handy reference to maximize freshness!

where-to-store-fruits-vegetables

1. Hard-Boiled Omega-3-Enriched Egg

These eggs come from hens fed an omega-3 enriched diet, typically from flaxseeds.

2. Trail Mix

Make your own healthy-fats trail mix by combining walnuts with dried fruit like raisins, cranberries and apricots. Walnuts are comprised of 15 percent protein, 15 percent carbs and 65 percent healthy oils. They also have an ideal ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for your body. You can also buy individual pack varieties at Trader Joe’s, which come in perfectly snack sized portions.

3. Flaxseeds Sprinkled On Salad

Just 2 tablespoons of flaxseeds contain nearly 200 percent of your recommended daily value of omega-3 fatty acids. Bonus: Make your own olive-oil salad dressing by combining 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon agave nectar, 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

4. Macadamia Nuts, On Non-fat or Greek Yogurt

83 percent of fats found in macadamia nuts are ‘good fats.’ Add 1/4 cup of these nuts to your favorite yogurt and top with fresh berries for an extra healthy punch.

5. Mini bruschetta

Take a slice of whole-wheat toast, brush it with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and top with diced tomatoes and diced black olives. You’ll get a dose of healthy fats from both the olive oil and the olives (three-quarters of the fat found in olives is from ‘good’ fats). Plus, black olives are a great source of iron.

6. Handful of Almonds

Not only are they satisfying and chock-full of healthy fats and vitamin E, but 23 almonds only has 162 calories. The nuts are also packed with alpha-linolenic acid, which can increase the bodies capacity to use energy.

7. Greek Guacamole

Puree an avocado, add chopped olives and tomatoes, sprinkle with feta cheese and you have a healthy guacamole that you can serve on whole-wheat pita slices. Avocados are one of the few fruits that provide ‘good’ fats, with 3 grams of monounsaturated fat and 0.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat per ounce.

The fun part is that you can easily grow your own avocado plant. Here’s how:

1) To start, use a throughly washed seed from an avocado.

2) Secure toothpicks into the seed so that they sit horizontally (see picture).

3) Suspend the seed with the heavy side down over a glass of water. About 3cm of the seed should be sitting in water.

4) Place the seed out of direct sunlight and top up the water as needed.

5) In 2-6 weeks, roots and stem should start to sprout.

• When the stem is 15 to 18cm long, cut it back to about 8cm in length.
  
  
• When the stem has grown leaves again and the roots are thick, plant it in a pot with half the seed exposed

1) In the first 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system (100% of RDI). You don’t immediately throw-up  from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor allowing you to keep it down.

2) 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can into adipose tissue (fat).

3) 40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises. As a response, your liver dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked preventing drowsiness.

4) 45 minutes: Your body increases your dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works.

5) >60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar which also increases the urinary excretion of calcium.

6) >60 Minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play (it makes you have to urinate). You will also evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolytes and water.

7) >60 minutes: As the sugar rush dies down you’ll start to have an energy crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You will have also evacuated all the water that was in the Coke. This same water was infused with valuable nutrients your body could have used for hydration and  building strong bones and teeth.

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/09/harvard-serves-up-its-own-plate/?utm_content/

Natural- this word has no legal definition, even sugar-laden sodas have made this claim

Made-with- these words do not guarantee that the healthy ingredient it claims to contain has any sizable amount in the product; in other words, the product may only have trace amounts of the ingredient

Whole grains- unless it has 100% whole grain, the product may only have trace amounts

Light- read the nutrition information, this word may still signify high amounts of refined sugar regardless if it is low-fat

100-Calorie- this labeling does not mean ‘healthy-’ often, these snack packs are empty calories with no nutritional value

Avocado- the high potassium level helps lower blood pressure.

Broccoli- the B vitamins, including folic acid, can help relieve anxiety as well as stress.

Spinach- the high level of magnesium helps fight irritability, indigestion, stress and fatigue.

Almonds- the selenium in nuts can help fight depression, fatigue, and anxiety. Almonds also have vitamin E, zinc and magnesium which can help boost the immune system.

Oranges- in addition to being an antioxidant, vitamin C in oranges helps reduce levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.

Salmon- the omega 3 fatty acids help balance stress hormones and mood swings as well as fight heart disease.

Oats- the complex carbohydrates in whole grains can help boost serotonin; a neurotransmitter responsible for boosting mood and relaxation.

Low-fat cottage cheese and yogurt- the calcium helps strengthen and relax the nervous system.

Ginger- has antioxidant properties which help fight psychological and physical stress.

My baby loves seaweed. It sounds strange but he just loves to hold those little slices of black/green paper-like substances in his little fingers and chomps away. Maybe it’s the texture, the crunch, maybe it is that sea-like flavor or it could possibly be the nutrient content that he is craving. It’s a good thing too because having a mom as a nutritionist, you’re lucky if you like seaweed as snack since it will be a looong time before you get to have cookies! You know I’ll be one of those moms that offers the kids seaweed and quinoa croquettes after school as a snack rather than sweets…so embarrassing- poor kid.

Seaweed is one of those mysteriously, magical foods. You know it’s probably good for you with that bright green color and unique texture.  It’s in your sushi and miso soup and may occasionally appear in some random dishes of Chinese food, but you may be wondering why it is healthy. Here are some of the reasons:

Nutrient content:

This sea vegetable is loaded with nutrients– potassium, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, iodine, B-12 (it is one of the few vegetables to contain B-12, thus making it beneficial for vegans and vegetarians), folic acid (great for pregnancy), zinc, chromium, selenium, and is loaded with antioxidants and anti-cancer agents. Seaweed also has many amino acids making it a great protein source for vegetarians. The perfect blend of vitamin C and iron makes the iron more bioavailable to the body when consumed (vitamin C is essential for the absorption of iron). One quarter of a cup of seaweed has approximately 3x the amount of calcium found in one cup of milk!

Blood sugar control

Some studies show that eating seaweed may improve insulin resistance. That is great news for diabetics.

Thyroid function

Seaweed is high in iodine, which is essential for proper thyroid function. Your thyroid controls your metabolism so you definitely want your iodine levels to be optimal.

Digestion

Seaweed is high in fiber, therefore making it great for digestion, blood sugar control, and even satiety. One sheet of nori may have close to as much fiber as one cup of spinach.

Other benefits…

There has been some media hype regarding seaweed’s association with weight loss. Recent studies demonstrate seaweeds ability to reduce the accumulation of fat in the bodies of laboratory animals, however, further research needs to be done in order to prove the same effects in humans.

You may think seaweed is going to be high in sodium but it’s actually naturally very low so always read the ingredients on the package and make sure no salt is added. They are also very low in calories! (added bonus) Seaweed is actually beneficial to high blood pressure and has a diuretic affect on the body. Additionally, the high levels of magnesium and panthanoic acids are important for counteracting the harmful effects of stress on the body. Seaweed is also used in many cosmetic products as it is believed to contain anti-aging compounds.

Enjoy them anytime and add them to soups, sprinkle on salads, eggs, stir-fries or just eat on their own as a snack like my baby does!

Here are some of their beautiful names given to the different varieties of seaweeds:

Nori, Kombu, Kelp, Carrageen, wakame, dulse, and arame

As a new mom myself, I am constantly looking for new recipes to make for my little man, Leo. I came across this great recipe that not only seems to make it into the mouth of my picky eater, but also meets the high nutritional quality criteria for his Nutritionist mother!

They are great for a meal or even for transporting with you while you’re out and about. They can definitely be eaten either warm or cold so that makes them extra easy for busy moms on the run.

Honestly, it doesn’t matter what your age is…these amazing croquettes are good for everyone.

QUINOA AND PEA SPICE CROQUETTES

A delicious, healthy vegetarian snack for your lunchbox, brunch with the girls or to throw on the grill.

Makes – 12 to 15

Ingredients

2 large potatoes, boiled peeled and mashed
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garama masala
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
salt to taste
few tablespoons olive oil for pan frying

Method

Heat one tablespoon oil on medium heat in a frying pan. Add garlic and peas. Sauté for a minute until soft. Remove from heat and tip into a large bowl. Wipe pan clean and return to low heat.

Add the potatoes, quinoa, coriander, salt, cumin and garam masala to the garlic and peas. Mix well and form into slightly flattened oblong croquettes.

Add a tablespoon of oil in the frying pan, increase heat to medium-high. When oil is hot, add four to five croquettes to tha pan depending on the size of the pan and cook each side for about four minutes flipping gently till done on both sides.

Repeat with remaining croquettes and oil. Serve hot with salad leaves and Sriracha sauce.

This recipe is from a lovely blog: Cook Republic