Category Archives: Sound Nutrition

Redefine Your Understanding of Fat

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The ancient Greeks had three distinct words for love. Philia, a love borne of loyalty and familiarity, would never be used to describe the passionate attraction of eros or the deep contentment of agape. I think we need to take that concept—having words that describe the intricacies of a more general term—and apply it to the word “fat.”

redefine-fat-gheeHere’s my take:

  • Food Fat – This is what what’s clinically called “dietary fat.” This actually applies to a class of macronutrients that consists of several different types of fats: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated and so on, which can be broken down further into omega-6 fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids, etc. Although it was demonized for making us fat, it has since been proven that there is no direct link between dietary fat and weight gain.
  • Body Fat –  The fat on our bodies is comprised largely of what is called “adipose fat.” Beneath the skin, it insulates our innards. Around our organs it acts as a protective buffer. And all fat in our body is on call to burn for energy when needed. Body fat, in correct proportions, serves several vital functions. It’s when we have too much that it becomes unhealthy.
  • Thought Fat – This is my term for the way we throw around “I’m fat.” It’s the cultural judgment we impose on ourselves and others for carrying an excess of body fat.

Why is this important? Because all three terms have distinctly different meanings, yet we tend to muddy them all together in our minds and sentences. A glug of olive oil (a healthy food fat) will elicit a response of “that will make you fat.” And in that sentence is the implication that the olive oil will add adipose fat to your body (which it won’t, not directly anyway) and that adipose fat is a bad thing (which it isn’t in correct quantities). You can see how those five little words carry three misconceptions and a grand assumption that a little bit of a healthy oil will lead to an excess of body fat, which in and of itself imposes a judgment.

This week, catch yourself—both what you say out loud and the chatter in your head—and redefine your understanding of fat.

Making Sense of Salt

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If you’ve been cooking our recipes here on , you’ve probably noticed that the vast majority of them have no measurement when it comes to salt–only “sea salt” listed in the ingredients. The reason is twofold. First, range of preference varies widely when it comes to how heavily to salt a dish. Second, I’m more interested in encouraging people to wisely discern how much salt suits both their taste and needs than dictate how much to use in a single dish.

making-sense-salt-postI’ve heard it time and time and time again: Someone reads this or that saying to cut down on sodium, so the reader throws the salt dish out with the brine. But judiciously seasoning whole foods with salt both during cooking and afterwards—almost as a garnish—is not what we need to be worrying about. Way back when there were no Doritos or boxed mac ‘n’ cheese and humans lived off vegetables and meats and fruit and grain, the average person consumed about a gram of sodium per day compared to today’s average of 10-12 grams and even more. That’s not to say that salt was shunned by humans in the old days; quite the opposite in fact. Salt, which is made up primarily of sodium chloride, has been a prized ingredient for millennia, both for its ability to draw out the natural flavors of foods as well as its role in preserving them.

The issue with salt—and the hypertension and kidney problems associated with excessive sodium intake—lies more in processed food than in seasoning at the stove. One hot dog, for instance, has over 900 milligrams of sodium in it, whereas a quarter teaspoon of salt—a generous pinch that could easily season a dish for four—has only 500 milligrams.

Another element to using salt wisely is understanding what type to use for what application. A fine, crystallized sea salt works well as a cooking seasoning since it disperses evenly, but might very well overwhelm a finished dish. Salts with a coarser texture make excellent “finishing salts” to be used, almost as a garnish, at the table.

Still skeptical about salt? Here’s a breakdown of how a day’s meals can stack up sodium-wise with meals cooked from (using a 1/2 teaspoon sea salt in the tartines and 1/4 in the carbonara) versus processed and packaged foods.

Sodium Chart
Sodium Chart

If you’re salt sensitive or if you have a predisposition to hypertension, certainly you’ll want to watch your sodium intake. But the numbers above show–with processed foods coming in over 300% higher in sodium than those on –that if a pinch of salt is going to make whole foods more appealing to you, it’s probably worth it in the long run.

Get Your Flax Straight

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It seems talk about flax—both flax oil and ground flaxseed—heats up and cools down at various intervals. There’s no question, flax is an incredibly nutritious food. But no matter what the buzz of the moment, it’s important to understand that flaxseed and the oil pressed from those seeds bring different benefits to our bodies.

Flaxseed Oil

Flaxseed oil is nature’s greatest source of plant-based Omega-3 Fatty Acids (walnuts and Canola oil are other non-animal sources, and salmon is also rich in Omega-3s of a slightly different makeup), which are vital to our health, but that our bodies cannot produce on their own. These fats affect the function of each cell membrane throughout our bodies, so it’s no surprise to find that their impact is wide reaching. Numerous studies have shown them to play an important role in protecting against heart disease and some cancers, and perhaps even autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Ground Flaxseed

Many people seek out ground flaxseed for the Omega-3s that make the oil so healthy, but they’re looking for the wrong thing. Flaxseed’s claim to fame is its lignans (flaxseed has 100 times higher lignan count than oats, which are next in line). Lignans are powerful phytochemicals with antioxidant properties that regulate estrogen, which may explain why they appear to protect against certain cancers and cardiovascular disease.

Balancing it Out

Adding flaxseed oil to your diet—either as a condiment (it’s a fragile oil that doesn’t taste super-inspiring, so you’re best off adding a drizzle here and there) or a supplement—is not a bad idea. Most recommendations are for a bare minimum of 2-4 grams of Omega-3 Fatty Acids a day, and just a half tablespoons of flax oil will give you 4 grams. To get that much from flaxseed, you’d have to eat over 2 tablespoons a day. But don’t discount flaxseed, with its lignans and fiber and nutty taste. I like it paired with oats and dark chocolate in these beauties.

Change Your Oil

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One of the most frequent questions I get is, “Which oil am I supposed to use for what?” My answer is a combination of unwavering advice and “it depends.” Here are three questions to ask for choosing wisely in all circumstances—from grocery store shelf to pan on stove.

How was it extracted?

The first thing you want to ask—no matter what you’re going to use it for—is how was the oil extracted? I like to steer clear of any that are not expeller pressed.

  • Expeller Pressed — Expeller pressed means it was literally squeezed from the nut, seed or olive paste using pressure. Oils that are not expeller pressed are extracted by soaking the grounds in a chemical solvent (usually hexane) and then boiling it off, which removes any flavor or aroma. If an oil does not expressly state that it is expeller pressed, it is probably hexane extracted.
  • Cold Pressed – All extraction methods create friction and, consequently, heat—even expeller pressing. Yet heat is the bane of an oil. For especially delicate oils, cold-pressing (technically defined as expeller pressing below 120 degrees Fahrenheit) keeps both flavor and nutritional compounds in tact.

How was it refined?

The next thing you’re looking at is how it was refined and to what state. I keep a combination of refined and unrefined oils in my cupboard for different uses, although for refined oils, I opt for brands that use natural methods.

  • Refined — Refined oils have had impurities filtered out; in many cases through chemical processes. Look for oils that have been naturally refined to steer clear of unwanted chemicals. The upside to refined oils is that they’re more shelf-stable and have a higher smoke point.* The downside is that much of the flavor and nutritional content—like antioxidants—are removed during refining. Use refined oils when stir-frying or high-heat sautéing.
  • Unrefined and Unfiltered – Unrefined oils are unprocessed, although they may have been filtered of particulate matter. Unfiltered oils are essentially crude oils left in their virgin state after pressing. The solids in them make them flavorful, healthy (powerful polyphenols are what make your lips tingle when you taste a cloudy, unfiltered extra-virgin olive oil) . . . and unstable—all of which means they’ll spoil quickly and will smoke over even moderate heat. For this reason, unfiltered oils are best kept refrigerated and used only as finishing oils. If an oil solidifies when refrigerated (a function of a higher level of saturated fat), simply set it out on the counter to soften before using.

How are you going to use it?

In general, the more flavor an oil has, the lower its smoke point will be. The higher an oil’s smoke point, the more neutral its flavor will be. If you’re looking for a full-flavored oil to use in a vinaigrette, break out your best bottle of unfiltered extra-virgin olive oil or toasted nut oil. But if you’re making a high-heat stir-fry, reach for an oil that may have a milder flavor but can take the heat, like peanut or canola oil.

Oils can add enormous dimension and variety to your cooking—whether in the pan or on the plate. Now that you know how to choose wisely, buy a few and experiment with different uses.

* The smoke point is the temperature at which an oil begins to emit fumes (the flash point is the temperature at which it will ignite). While not an exact science, each type of oil will generally begin to smoke within a given temperature range due to its fatty acid makeup (some fats are more stable than others), but particulate matter in unfiltered and unrefined oils will also cause an oil to smoke at lower temperatures. When an oil smokes, it’s releasing unhealthy compounds into both the air and the oil and should be (carefully) discarded.

Heavenly Desserts: Indulgences That are Light by Nature

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By Alison Ashton

Lately, I’ve preached the benefits of indulgences. I believe that if you eat what you really want, you’re less likely to overdo it in the long run. For me, that means saving room for dessert. Most of the time, however, all I really want is a little something to end a meal on a sweet grace note–a treat to enjoy, not make me groan, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”

heavenly-dessertsThat point came home for me during the recent holiday season, when I offered to bring dessert for dinner at our friends’ house. I spent all day making a rich chocolate torte. With chocolate ganache. And pumpkinseed brittle. And cranberry coulis to brighten up the plate. It was delicious, but after our wonderful supper of heritage turkey and all the fixings, it was the last thing I wanted.

Instead, I craved something simple and light–a refreshing citrus sorbet, perhaps, or a selection of cookies to nibble with after-dinner coffee.

The best light desserts are those that aren’t too heavy to begin with; many of which are simple affairs. I’m a big fan of icy, refreshing sorbets or granitas, especially when they spotlight seasonal fruit. Fruit compote served over low-fat Greek yogurt is creamy and satisfying, and simple savory-sweet concoctions like Chocolate Crostini with Orange Zest and Sea Salt deliver big flavor in petite packages.

All Whipped Up

The main tool in the light baking arsenal is meringue, which is nothing more than egg whites beaten with sugar. There are three types of meringues, which you can use in any number of ways:

  • French: egg whites and sugar beaten as stiff as you like (anywhere from soft to stiff peaks). Because the eggs are raw, a French meringue must be cooked. If you beat a French meringue to stiff peaks, you can bake it into crunchy little cookies or into larger circles to use as a base for fruit-topped Pavlovas.
  • Italian: egg whites beaten with hot sugar syrup to a creamy consistency. The hot syrup raises the temperature of the egg whites to a level that’s safe to consume without further cooking. An Italian meringue is stable enough to use as a naturally low-fat cake frosting.
  • Swiss: egg whites and sugar are heated in a double-boiler. This also brings the egg whites up to a safe temperature so the meringue requires no further cooking. Like an Italian meringue, this is a stable mixture that can be used to frost cakes, decorate tarts, and pies.

Angel food cake is a classic foam cake that is leavened by a French meringue for a heavenly light texture (most likely the source of its celestial name). Some food historians credit the Pennsylvania Dutch with the angel food cake’s creation, as a way to use leftover egg whites. Others believe it was perfected by African-American slaves, since beating the egg whites would have been a laborious chore before the invention of the electric mixer. Both stories sound plausible to me, but either way this old-time dessert is perfect for modern meals.

alison-thumbA longtime editor, writer, and recipe developer, Alison Ashton is a Cordon Bleu-trained chef. She has worked as a features editor for a national wire service and as senior food editor for a top food magazine. Her work has appeared in Cooking Light, Vegetarian Times, and Natural Health as well as on her blog, Eat Cheap, Eat Well, Eat Up.

Super Bowls V

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Yes, I’m turning to the Super Bowl as a theme today which probably comes as a shock to those of you who know me (“Super Bowl . . . that’s baseball, right?”). But it struck me as a good opportunity to highlight some of the bowls we have here on NOURISH Evolution and talk about what makes them so, well, super. Here are five for a winning Super Bowl Sunday (warning . . . there are cheesy sports puns throughout this post: be forewarned).

Warm Uppumpkin-oatmeal-thumb

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal with Toasted Pecans – Oats are a wonder food. The beta glucans (which are a subset of carbohydrates . . . see, carbs are good) in them help lower total and LDL cholesterol, increase immune function and suppress tumor formation. But you don’t really need to be thinking about all that as you’re enjoying this ridiculously decadent bowl of oatmeal (I swear, it tastes like pumpkin pie). You can just feel good about what you’re eating and know, too, that it’s a great way to kick off the day.

Pre-Gameparty-mix-thumb

Noemi’s Remixed Party Mix – Most often, we here at NOURISH Evolution don’t look to make traditional junk food more healthy; instead we’ll look for ways to make inherently healthy foods taste sublime. But there are exceptions, and this staple of Mack family get-togethers, Chex Mix, was one of them. Make our remixed version for an addictive nibble that’s preservative-free and not entirely full of empty calories.

Kick-Offguacamole-thumb

Guatemalan Guacamole – Let’s face it; games are more about munching than about actual mindful eating. Even I know that. So if you’re going to graze, this guacamole—based on a Guatemalan recipe—will fill you up with good things: good fats, good protein. It’ll also literally fill you up . . . there’s an amazing amount of fiber in those little green guys.

Half Timeorechiette-thumb

Orrechiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage – OK. Half time. The Who (could my husband be happier?). At this point you’re probably over the noshing. So let’s turn to a bowl of a different sort. I’ve doubled up the vegetables in this dish and halved the pasta, but trust me, you’ll never miss it. Pungent bitter greens, nose-tingling garlic, just a crumble of spicy sausage. And easy-to-maneuver forkfuls. All-in-all, a bowl you want in hand as you watch the half-time show.

Fourth Quartercherry-crisp-thumb

Cherry-Almond Crumble – Now this is a bowl to wrap it all up with. As satisfying as this dessert is, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything to wag your finger at. Whole oats, whole wheat, a whole lot of whole fruit and a touch of butter and sugar come together for a super-simple, sweet-tart, rich and crunchy treat.

Now dare I say it . . . go Saints! 😉

In the Slow Lane

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by Cheryl Sternman Rule

With mid-winter’s chill stoking our appetite for hot, hearty meals, we often turn to long, slow braises and gently gurgling stews.  Given our hectic lifestyles, though, it’s not always practical to babysit a meal for hours as it cooks.  The answer?  Embrace your slow cooker.

carrot-soup-postAs part of our focus on Nourishing Yourself in the New Year, I ask you to reconsider this relatively modest, affordable appliance.  (Mine cost $30.)  Slow cookers allow us re-jigger our time and cook when it’s most convenient.  Evenings hectic? Prepare dinner before work.  There’s nothing more calming then coming home to a healthful meal that’s ready to be served.

Slow cookers have enjoyed a renaissance in recent years. I’m a relatively recent convert myself: my slow cooker has gotten more use in the past four months than in the last decade combined. The reason, I believe, is that I’ve learned how to harness the machine’s potential to my advantage.

Here are some slow cooker tips to help guide you:

  • Choose meats that benefit from long cook times and low, moist heat. Tougher, inexpensive beef cuts like shanks, chuck or bottom round (pot roast), brisket, and short ribs tend to have a lot of connective tissue, which softens considerably in the slow cooker and leaves the meat tender, moist, and flavorful. (Save lean, expensive cuts for the broiler or grill.)  For pork, think shoulder, blade roast, and spare ribs. When it comes to chicken, I prefer making stocks and soups, because slow cooked chicken meat can often be dry and unappealing. (If you’re going to experiment, however, be sure to brown the meat first.)
  • Pick hard, fibrous veggies.  Carrots, potatoes, turnips, and winter squash will cook nicely in the slow cooker. More tender vegetables, like leafy greens and zucchini, should be added towards the end of cooking. You can even wrap trimmed beets and whole garlic bulbs in foil and place them directly into the crock. When preparing any vegetables, be sure to cut them uniformly to ensure even cooking.
  • Entertain with warm foods right from the crock. Spiced nuts and hot cider may be prepared in advance and kept in your slow cooker for serving at a party or open-house.
  • A word on beans.  Many varieties of beans and pulses may be safely cooked in the slow cooker. Beans should first be soaked overnight, and then cooked until tender on the HIGH setting. (Note: kidney beans are an exception. They may release a potential toxin if not boiled rapidly, so opt for canned instead.) Split peas and lentils may be cooked on low and create lovely, thick soups and stews.
  • Safety first.  Just as you’d never toss a frozen steak onto a skillet or a frozen chicken into the soup pot, never put frozen food directly into your slow cooker. Always defrost food completely, preferable in the refrigerator overnight.

For other tips and tricks, I recommend Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker by Beth Hensperger. If you have other favorite resources, share them in the slow cooker conversation here. Do, however, be sure to look for recipes using fresh whole foods rather than processed ingredients. After all, one of the greatest benefits of using a slow cooker isn’t simply to ease your stress and free up your time – it’s to nourish your body as well.

cheryl-thumb

Cheryl Sternman Rule is a food and nutrition writer whose work has appeared in numerous national magazines, including EatingWell and Body+Soul. She is the voice behind the food blog 5 Second Rule.


Nourish Yourself in the New Year: Make a Night of It

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In this month’s theme of giving you tools and practical strategies for eating smarter throughout the year, this one is low-hanging fruit; a super-easy step that will radically simplify your meal planning. Rather than start from scratch each week with what you’re going to make, designate two or three nights as themes. For us Hubers, we’re going with Monday vegetarian, Wednesday whole grains (which could include whole grain pastas) and Thursday seafood.

night-of-itThe beauty of this approach is that it allows you to structure your meal planning while still leaving you open to creative interpretation. For instance, I’m not starting from scratch when deliberating what to make on a Thursday night; I already know I’ll be making seafood. But that could be as varied as Curried Mussels or Blackened Catfish or Barramundi with Shallots and Chile.

It’s also a good idea to feature food groups you’d like to eat more of. By putting whole grains in the spotlight once a week, for example, you’ll come up with creative ways to use them rather than defaulting to your comfort zone. And don’t forget to share the weekly themes with the rest of the family; post them on the fridge or a chalkboard so that everyone can get on board.

This week, make a night of it—even two or three nights of it—and see how it affects the way your weekly meal mix.

Nourish Yourself in the New Year: Love Your Lists

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Originally, I was just going to write about keeping a par stock list to keep track of your (fabulously efficient) pantry. But then I looked around my own kitchen and realized I have three lists working synergistically to help me keep the basics well-stocked and use what I have on hand to turn out healthy meals. Here’s how I use them and how they work together.

par-stock-lists-post1.    Par Stock — In professional kitchens, chefs keep what’s called a “par stock,” which basically means a minimum level of essential ingredients. I’ve adapted this practice for my own kitchen with a laminated list of the ingredients my family can’t do without: olive oil, garlic, milk, bread, etc.. Then I go through the list to check the status of each ingredient before heading out to the store. Working with a par stock virtually eliminates those annoying “uh, oh, we’re out of olive oil” trips.

2.    Produce List – There’s always something in the fridge. If you’ve been to the farmers’ market, it’ll be full of veggies. If you’ve roasted a chicken over the weekend there might be some extra breast meat. The trick is keeping track of everything you have so you’ll use it before it spoils. I’m an out-of-sight, out-of-mind kind of person, so this was a real challenge for me before I found a simple solution . . . in black and white, right before my eyes: a chalkboard. Now, when I come back from the market or if I’ve just picked a crop from the garden, I jot down what I’ve put in the fridge on the blackboard by the kitchen. I love to sit down, sip a cup of tea and let my mind wander to concoct meals out of what’s written on the board.

3.    Cupboard List — My grains, pulses and legumes are on a shelf above eye-level so, in the spirit of my produce chalkboard, I’ve added a white-board to the inside of the cupboard door to keep track of how much quinoa and rice and red lentils I’ve got stashed up there.

The idea is to form a system of lists that keeps your basics stocked while capturing the ever-changing contents of your fridge and cupboards so you know what you have to work with at a glance. The payoff? Big savings on time, money and effort come mealtime . . . and a healthier approach to boot.

Build a Healthy Pantry

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Let’s be honest. Come 5:30, how many of us throw open the fridge and hope something will shout, “I’M YOUR DINNER!”? Then, disheartened, we close the door and resort to pizza or take-out or Lean Cuisine . . . again. Having a well-stocked pantry can help you break that cycle by giving you the ability to transform whatever looks back at you from the fridge into a wholesome, home-cooked meal. Here’s how to build a pantry to nourish a healthier you.

pantry-postCooking oils. No matter whether it’s a head of broccoli or leftover chicken thighs in the fridge, a drizzle of oil in a hot sauté pan can transform it into something magnificent. Choose healthy oils like extra-virgin olive oil, expeller-pressed canola oil and peanut oil as your basics. Others, like walnut and toasted sesame oil, are great as finishing oils for adding depth of flavor.

A variety of vinegars. It may sound extravagant, but I heartily advocate for a half-dozen vinegars in your pantry. Sure it’s an investment initially, but the shelf-life of vinegar (unlike oils) is virtually infinite. My ideal spread includes good white and red wine vinegar, Champagne vinegar, balsamic vinegar, cider vinegar and sherry vinegar. You’ll be amazed how the variety zips up your vinaigrettes (and your desire to make homemade dressing). And don’t be afraid to use them in sauces or even as a braising liquid.

Whole grains and dried beans and legumes. Wholesome, quick-cooking starches like whole grain pasta and couscous, bulgur and farro make a substantial base for a variety of dishes in under half an hour. Dried beans can be soaked and cooked in about the same time using a pressure cooker, and many legumes, like lentils, cook in about 20 minutes on the stove top.

Canned beans and veggies. These are your secret weapon for rounding out a meal. Whip up a quick pasta sauce with diced tomatoes, turn a simple sauté into a hearty dish with canned beans, add a splash of coconut milk to a stir-fry to keep it from becoming ho-hum.

Stock. I go through about a quart of stock a week. I use it to deglaze sautés and stir-fries, I use it to stretch oil-based pasta sauces, I use it to braise anything from chicken to endive, and as a base for quick soups. I find having chicken, beef and mushroom stock (for vegetarian options, I prefer mushroom stock over vegetable stock, which can taste like smushed carrots to me) on hand leaves me well-prepared for whatever the fridge presents.

Basic aromatics. If you eschew the Champagne vinegar, fine. If you skip on the bulgur or mushroom stock, that’s OK. But don’t let your pantry go without at least one head of garlic, one onion and shallot, and a knob of fresh ginger at all times. Those are like the primary colors of your pantry palette.

Spices. If the aromatics are your primary colors, spices are the rest of the rainbow. Yes, grinding (and oftentimes toasting) your own spices is preferable to shaking them out of a jar, but in all honesty, I don’t do that unless I have an abundance of time. Instead, I rely on small jars (so they stay fresh) of basic spices like cumin, coriander, cayenne (I noticed when I was organizing my spices recently that a disproportionate number start with C . . . hmmm), chile flakes, cinnamon, curry powder, bay leaves, fennel seeds (which I do take time to crush in my mortar and pestle), nutmeg and oregano. If you want to expand a bit further you could include cardamom (like a heady, perfumed cinnamon), juniper berries (great with duck and pork), turmeric, fennel powder, five-spice, allspice and star anise. Beyond that there are a slew of other spices and mixes, like various chile powders, sumac and zaatar. As a general rule, if a spice smells musty or dusty, toss it.

Salt. I’m a sucker for salt. It may sound simplistic, but having a medium-grained crystal salt (like kosher salt) to cook with and a separate, coarser salt to sprinkle on almost as a condiment has changed everything in my kitchen. And I continue to learn about how different finishing salts—red Hawaiian, black Cyprus, pink Brittany—each have a distinct flavor and texture that can be used to enhance a dish. If your market carries various salts in bulk (which, pinch me, mine just started doing), I encourage you try a few. At the very least, stock kosher salt and a simple finishing salt like Maldon.

Nuts. Nuts, like beans, are another one of those satisfying, protein and fiber-packed add-ons. I like to keep peanuts, walnuts and pecans on hand, which can span from stir-fries to salads.

And . . . A few other also-nices are a jar of raw, unfiltered honey (a staple in many of our vinaigrettes); dried chiles and mushrooms; and a variety of cooking wines like dry red and white, marsala, mirin (sweet rice wine), sake and Shaoxing rice wine.