Healthful Bites

Besides hosting March Madness and the start of Daylight Savings (don’t forget to spring forward on Sunday!) the third month of the year is known for two other celebrations—the combination of which inspired this recipe round-up. St. Patrick’s Day is coming up next weekend and National Nutrition Month is going on now!

St. Paddy’s is generally celebrated with green beers and gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins. However, since it’s also National Nutrition Month, why not mark the holiday on the 17th—and all month long—with healthier dishes sporting the festive hue? Rather than searching for a four-leaf clover, I browsed some of my favorite recipe resources to find plenty of tasty options. All of the following sides and mains contain real greens of some kind, and the desserts are lighter takes on seasonal favorites. Bonus: They’re all Friday-friendly for Lent followers, so feel free to try one (or more) today. :)

• Green Bean Fries: Sure, potatoes are an Irish staple. But if you follow the lead of Peas and Thank You and swap in snappy, fresh green beans, you’ll end up with an appetizer or side dish with a fraction of the calories. (35 calories, 0 g fat)

• Baby Pasta Shells with Asparagus and Marinara: Asparagus is just coming into season, making now the perfect time to try Skinny Taste’s crowd-pleasing noodle dish! (283 calories, 4 g fat)

• Salsa Chickpea Lettuce Wraps: Meatless protein options are available, and this recipe is Exhibit A. These Mexican wraps from Happy Herbivore pack a satisfying 23 grams, plus the same amount of fiber for a meal that will keep you full for hours. (450 calories, 6 g fat)

• Polenta with Lemony Asparagus and Chickpeas: Fat Free Vegan’s hearty meal includes spiced up seasonal veggies and creamy polenta. I’ve been meaning to try my hand at making this creamy cornmeal dish at home for eons! (276 calories, 2 g fat)

• Homemade Shamrock Shake: A dairy-free (and guilt-free) swap for the McDonald’s seasonal dessert favorite designed by Iowa Girl Eats. (285 calories, 8 g fat)

• Simple Green Cupcakes: These baked treats from, appropriately enough, Green Lite Bites, are the ultimate in baking trickery. Want to know what makes them emerald-colored? Shh…don’t tell the kids. It’s spinach! (153 calories, 2 g fat)

• Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream: I’m this close to caving and buying a blender (yes, I admit, I don’t have a very well-stocked kitchen!) so I can try Chocolate-Covered Katie’s easy, low-calorie ice cream recipes in a variety of flavors, including mint chocolate chip. (120 calories, 7 g fat)

Hungry for more? Serve up these five fun facts about the greens found in
these recipes at your next dinner party:

1. The folate in asparagus works with other vitamins and minerals to keep your brain fresh into old age.
2. You’ve probably heard that spinach is good for your heart and has properties that can help reduce cancer risk. But did you know that the phytochemicals found in Popeye’s favorite have been found to help prevent macular degeneration? Hint: Grab the greenest-looking bunch at the supermarket—brighter leaves apparently pack more vitamin C!
3. Broccoli may be part of a hypoallergenic diet, thanks to a flavaonoid called kaempferol found in the little trees. Good to know as we head into allergy season!
4. The timing is perfect for a big salad: lettuce is a symbol for good luck in China.
5. I’d never considered this before, but it’s true! Green beans are one of the few varieties of beans that we regularly eat fresh.

I like green eggs and ham and taco salads (among many others). What are your favorite green recipes?

Who’s ready to party? March is National Nutrition Month! To celebrate, I thought I’d try something new for a “good for you eats” post this week—a link-a-thon. Here’s a rundown of some great resources and some of my favorite nutrition-focused sites:

• First off, learn more about National Nutrition Month (NNM) at the American Dietetic Association’s EatRight.org. The theme for 2010’s NNM is “Nutrition from the Ground Up.” The site asks, what does the theme mean in your life? For me, I’d have to say that it relates to building general good nutritional habits (at the ground) and then building from there. If some of the things you add on aren’t as nutritious, that’s OK—because the base, or main parts, of your diet are healthy. How does “Nutrition from the Ground Up” translate into your life?

(Image from Eat Right)

• How long do you think weight loss diets have been around? Probably for longer than anyone can track down, but this Eat Right page shows you the diet trends since the early 1800s. It’s fascinating to see how some keep cycling through every few generations! Generally speaking, these are probably not the most nutritious plans :)

(Image from Lady Diet Tips)

• Many nutrition experts lately have been spreading the word about a national portion distortion issue. In fact, most restaurants serve portions two to four times as large as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends, according to a 2006 survey. With larger orders at restaurants becoming the norm, it’s more difficult for us to make smart dining choices size-wise as “regular” portions seem puny by comparison.
  • For a reminder of what a 300 calorie meal looks like, Diet Blog has you covered. In the mood for a quiz game? Try your hand at this portion “then and now” quiz from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
  • This handy tool from “Love Food Hate Waste” helps you calculate and measure the perfect portion size (based on UK recommendations, but still a good instrument!) depending on what food is being prepared and for how many.
• If you’re interested in tracking your food intake, the USDA’s MyPyramid Tracker is a fantastic find. You can input your eats to track them and the program will analyze the nutritional components. The Tracker also notes your progress related to the food group recommendations from MyPyramid. And if calorie counting is of interest, take a look at Nutrition Data. You must register, but it’s free and may be worthwhile if you’re looking to log, analyze and compare foods. 
  • Perhaps try using a tracking tool for a short period, then evaluate whether you find them helpful. It can be tedious and or stress-inducing for some, so only do what works for you!

(Image from Medline Plus)

• The Mayo Clinic has countless nutritious recipe recommendations. Take a look here! All Recipes has a new healthy recipe everyday. And of course magazines such as Cooking Light and Eating Well are a wealth of great information, recipes and tips!
• For a fun look at the eats of or tips from “normal people,” here are a few of my favorite foodie blogs: 
  • Eating Bender
  • Around the World in 340 Days
  • Eat Like Me
  • I Ate a Pie
  • Hungry Girl

These links barely scratch the surface of the wealth of wonderful nutrition resources out there, but these are a great amuse-bouche (Get it? Since we’re talking food?). I’ll be sure to pass along more links bite by bite, as time goes on. Now, I’d love to hear your take. What nutrition sites do you frequent for great information?