What are the latest and greatest health-related products? How can I spice up my ho-hum workout? Are the new nutritious food products and health-focused restaurants worth my money? If you're asking any of these questions you've found the right spot!Note: While I'm a journalist with a Bachelor's degree in kinesiology and am a Certified Health Education Specialist, I don't replace the guidance/counseling that comes from a good chat with your doctor or dietitian. For more information, feel free to contact me at karlaswalsh@gmail.com!
Healthful Bites
For today’s Good for you Eats, I turned the spotlight on my kitchen—literally. After requests from a few readers, I whipped out my camera for a brief tour of my humble cooking area! (Apologies in advance for the potentially dizzying camera work.)
As you can see, among other things, my fridge is a happy home to plenty of Laughing Cow, Egg Beaters, salad mix, onion, apple slices, high-fiber whole wheat tortillas and assorted fruits. And for a treat? York Pieces, as recommended by the Fitness Magazine 2010 Healthy Food Awards!
In case you’re curious or interested in stocking up, I picked up my storage containers at Bed, Bath & Beyond. What a steal: 50 pieces for $9.99? Yes please!
What’s your fridge holding? In my opinion, that can be a pretty fascinating question, as everyone is different. In fact, there was a whole magazine article about it! If you want to share your kitchen tips or give a tour of your own, give me a holler and we may be able to set up a guest blog post. I dare you! ;)
You could say that my love for cooking shows began with the original incarnation of “Iron Chef.” Back in the early years of the Food Network and my junior high days, the Japanese game show was a weekly mainstay in my TV diet. This fascination was sparked, in part, by the fact that I would soon be taking Japanese in high school to fulfill my language credits and you could hear both the English and Japanese translations of the action. But the show also struck a cord with it’s creativity and campy-ness (I can use that as an adjective, right?).
Since then, Food Network and cooking shows on other channels have been among my favorites. Why? There’s something about the ingenuity of these chefs/cooks that I don’t believe I have ever possessed. I’m much better at following recipes than creating them ;) Each series gets me wondering:
- How do they come up with these recipes and how do they keep “reinventing the wheel” with new versions of classics?
- What inspires the new dishes?
- Where does the inspiration come from?
Plus, I find it works as excellent background noise when you’re doing other things (I know, I’m probably not as efficient by multitasking….but sometimes you just need a little sound!). It’s often possible to jump in mid-show and still get all the information and entertainment you need too.
So why all this talk about cooking on the tube? Today I thought we could discuss my favorite food-related TV shows to draw inspiration from in the kitchen, or simply to gain knowledge or be entertained.
(Image from City Paper)
Top Chef Masters competitors get serious!
“30 Minute Meals:” Media juggernaut Rachael Ray shares tales of travels, family and food while whipping up a meal in half an hour. Her ingredients are generally healthful and the indulgent dishes can almost always be tweaked to be more nutritious. Ray’s bubbly personality and new take on classic recipes make this a go-to show for beginner to intermediate level kitchen adventurers. (And if you would enjoy a larger side of travel with your Ray, check out “Rachel’s Vacation” or reruns of “$40 a Day!”)
“Top Chef:” This Bravo reality competition’s lessons keep on coming. First, I learned that chefs use foams and other molecular gastronomy tricks in high end dishes. In other episodes, I discovered the best ways to cook for crowds and found out that it’s hard to please picky palates with dessert. (Countless cheftestants have been forced to pack their knives after a disastrous sweet treat…) ;) And where else would I learn what an amuse bouche is? “Top Chef” is perfect for foodie sports fans who enjoy learning about innovative ingredients and cuisines.
“Healthy Decadence with Devin Alexander:” While there are only 18 episodes of this series, they are chock-full of fun recipes to try. Alexander, who lost 55 pounds and has kept it off for over 15 years, tells viewers how to keep calories in check without feeling deprived. If you’re looking for a (skinnier) Big Mac makeover or a lighter take on hearty Italian fare such as chicken parmesan, this is the show for you!
“Food Revolution:” Jaime Oliver’s miniseries about making over school lunches surely struck a cord this spring. The Brit brought his youth-focused wellness crusade stateside, taking on the local media, school officials stuck in unhealthy habits and haters in the community. Widespread results from the show are still being monitored. But I, for one, learned quite a bit from “Food Revolution” about why school districts and the government are making it more difficult for students to be healthy. Celebrities from Ryan Seacrest to Heidi Klum to Jennifer Aniston signed Oliver’s petition to upgrade school food and improve cooking education programs.
“Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger:” While this is not the most exciting show of the bunch, the recipes are sure to be healthful, as the host is a registered dietitian. Krieger creates new, innovative recipes and also whips up wholesome and balanced versions of comfort foods (macaroni and cheese or carrot cake cupcakes anyone?) She shares great tips throughout the show that are especially helpful for those new to watching what they eat.
(Image from Buzzle)
A few not-so-healthy shows that I find fun to watch because of the stories and entertaining hosts: “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” “Man v. Food” and “Paula’s Home Cooking” (she’s a hoot!). And game shows such as “Chefs v. City” are enjoyable too.
Now, I want to hear your thoughts! Do you find cooking shows mind-numbing or a breath of fresh air in the all-to-commonly negative news channels? If you watch them, what are your favorite food shows and why do you enjoy them?
Vitamin A-packed sweet potatoes make an appearance on many Thanksgiving tables, most likely in a sugary, marshmallowy dish or a pie that doesn’t much resemble a sweet potato anymore. But these orange root vegetables make for tasty eats all year long. Personally, I enjoy sweet potatoes baked whole or sliced into oven fries. What a delicious and nutritious substitute to the fast food staple!
When I stumbled upon this recipe in FITNESS magazine (of course a favorite publication of mine!), I knew I had to give it a shot. It’s so simple and fairly quick—it’ll seem easy to grab an order of these rather than hit the drive thru!
Here’s how I make the recipe for one…feel free to multiply for a larger crowd.
Wash and peel one medium-sized sweet potato. You can leave the skin on for extra nutrition, but the skin gets quite chewy after baking.
Slice the potato in sticks, not too thick (they’ll be a bit mushy and undercooked) and not too thin (they’ll burn and blacken).
Arrange the sliced potatoes on a foil-lined sheet pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
Now it’s time to add some spice: mix 1/2 tsp. sea salt, 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. paprika and 1/4 tsp. black pepper and evenly sprinkle this mixture over the fries. Place them in a 425* oven for about 20 minutes, or until browned and beginning to crisp (flip once halfway through).
All that’s left is to grab a plate and your appetite! These sweet potato fries are so well spiced that I don’t think any dippers are even necessary, but feel free if that’s your style ;).
The finished product next to their magazine debut in FITNESS. A perfect “better burger” accompaniment!
Do you have a go-to healthy side dish?
Who hasn’t eaten pasta from a blue box or a bowl of my childhood favorite, Velveeta Shells and Cheese? Well, my tastes have changed in the past ten years or so, and I can’t even remember the last time I ate Macaroni and Cheese. More than the flavor, I’m turned off by the usually heavy cream-filled sauce that is a saturated fat mine.
When I saw Fiber Gourmet reviewed online, I kept an eye out at the grocery store (it has some grocery store distribution, but you can always find their products online). I stumbled upon a box some time ago and forgot about it for a bit—that is, until last night! I whipped out the box (which is also blue) and stirred up a healthier twist on the kid’s menu favorite.
(Image from http://www.fibergourmet.com/Mac.aspx)
Fiber Gourmet’s macaroni boasts no artificial colors or flavors and they manage to pack 18 grams of fiber in each serving (three servings per box)!
The instructions are simple: boil water, add fiber-packed pasta, strain and mix in cheese mixture and 1/4 cup milk. I’m not a huge plain milk fan, so I didn’t have any around. Instead, I reserved 1/4 cup of the starchy pasta water to be my liquid.
Next I heated up some frozen vegetables to for variety and extra nutrition and tossed these on top. Bon appetit!
The pasta was remarkably similar in texture to traditional pasta and the sauce, while a bit runny (could have been my water use), tasted of tangy cheddar cheese.
Here’s another great tip that this photo displays: if you want to feel as if you’re not eating a tiny amount, use a smaller bowl! Think about pouring your morning cereal into a mug compared to a bowl the size of a basketball. Which would you fill with more food?
Yummy! Looks delicious, right? Serve with a side of fresh fruit and you have a delicious, well-balanced meal!
Here’s a comparison of nutrition panels…
Fiber Gourmet Mac-mmm-Cheese
Compare with Kraft Macaroni and Cheese nutrition.
