Hi friends! How are ya today! I posted a delicious recipe for Wild Blueberry Coconut Granola Bars late last night due to technical difficulties, so if you missed that be sure to check it out too!

Anyway, many of you would probably assume that a post such as this is typical of a dietitian; however, this isn’t something to ignore. Spending all day, every day talking about nutrition and health, unfortunately, I’ve noticed one common habit among our population. Plain and simple, we don’t eat enough fruits and veggies.

Many of my conversations go the same…

Me: “Tell me a little bit about what you do know about nutrition.”

Other: “You should eat your fruits and veggies.”

You should?

No, you should.

In fact, we all should.

Even though, verbally speaking, people know that we should “eat our fruits and veggies,” when it comes to actually putting it into action we are failing.

Fruits and veggies are literally the keys to the doors of life. Plant-based foods provide the disease fighting vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants that are REQUIRED to live a disease-free life. Without these foods, disease will exist. These are the foods that allow us to maximize our potential and live our lives to the fullest. Fruits and vegetables heal our bodies from the inside out.

Although some studies are suggesting that Americans are actually eating more veggies every day, white potatoes account for 30% of the veggies we consume, and even worse, nearly 33% of that comes in the form of French fries.  I not saying that white potatoes are bad, in fact, remember when I told you how good they were just a few months ago? All I am suggesting is that we need more than white potatoes to keep our bodies healthy. By just adding one serving of fruit/vegetables a day, you can lower your risk for heart disease! That broccoli looks a little bit more appealing now doesn’t it!? Did you know that a diet rich in fruits and veggies can actually reduce blood pressure and cholesterol the same if not better than medications in some cases?

Because of all of this, for this week’s Tip of the Week, I’m suggesting that you don’t skip on plants!

If you are like many of the folks that I speak to about nutrition every day, here are eight easy ways to eat more fruits and veggies:

1. Blend them in your smoothies: kale spinach, berries, bananas, apples, oranges, beets, kiwi, etc.
2. Add them to your omelets: spinach, kale, peppers, tomatoes, onions, etc.
3. Fill your sandwich with them: lettuce, spinach, onions, peppers, avocados, sprouts, etc.
4. Down them in your soups: any and all veggies go here!
5. Eat them as snacks: baby carrots, cucumber slices, apple slices, orange slices, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper slices, etc.
6. Add them to your pasta sauce: spinach, kale, onions, zucchini, squash, carrots, etc.
7. Top them on your pizza: onions, chopped spinach, cherry tomatoes, artichokes, bell peppers, etc.
8. Sneak them into baked goods: blueberries, apple sauce, cranberries, etc.

What’s your favorite way to eat your fruits and veggies? Do you get 5-13 servings of fruits and veggies per day? If not, how can you eat more throughout the day?

Have a great evening!

Good health!

The post TOTW Tuesday: Don’t Skip on Plants appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Good morning friends! How are you today? I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday! Hump day! And that the rain has finally moved on out of here! Making the walk into work in the rain has been rather cumbersome for the past few days.

Anyway, today I’m asking you for a favor. I am asking you to give one of my favorite… foods… a second chance.

Brussels sprouts to be exact.

Now before I lose you, hear me out.

When I tell people that Brussels sprouts are my favorite food, I get one of two reactions:

“OMG! Me too!”

or…

“Tell me you’re kidding, Ashley.”

For those of you who can relate to the second response, please just give them one more chance – following the guidelines below that is!

I find that the majority of people that respond this way are a part of the Baby Boomer generation and their response always follows with this story:

“Growing up, my mom used to boil Brussels sprouts and then she would make us eat them. They were so disgusting and I have never liked them sense!”

Yes, I would agree with you too… boiled Brussels sprouts are probably pretty nasty – especially, for a non-veggie loving person unlike myself.

Today, I beg that if you can relate to this story at all, give them a second chance and try them a different way.

Brussels sprouts are one of the world’s healthiest foods for many reasons.

• They are in the family with broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower and are are low in calories (40 calories per four-sprout serving) and high in fiber, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A and folate.
• They have been shown to provide cholesterol- lowering benefits, DNA protection and cancer-protective substances.

Brussels are not a vegetable that you want to give up on just yet!

If you will, try the recipe below and if you stilllll don’t like them, then okay, chow down on broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower instead; however, I am pretty confident that you will find a new love for them prepared a different way then the method that your mom or grandmother used decades ago!

Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of fresh Brussels sprouts
• 1.5 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1.5 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
• adobo seasoning to taste (or salt,  pepper and garlic powder to taste will work too)

The post My Favorite Food is Asking You for a Second Chance: Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Sweet potatoes vs regular potatoes – the great debate.

People often ask me which is healthier – a sweet potato or a white potato? And there are also those that tell me that they wouldn’t dare touch a white potato because “white potatoes are bad.”

Today, I hope to put an end to the questions and give you the information that you need to make the best decision the next time your faced with, “sweet potato or baked potato?”

First things first: to many of your contrary believe, both the sweet potato and the white potato are healthy.

Here’s the truth behind the potatoes:

Regarding Vitamins, Minerals, Antioxidants and Phytonutrients:

• Both are full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients.
• Both have a similar vitamin and mineral profile.
• Sweet potatoes contain more vitamin A than regular potatoes.
• White potatoes have slightly more folate than regular potatoes.
• Sweet potatoes contain slightly more vitamin K than regular potatoes.
• Sweet potatoes contain more calcium than regular potatoes.
• When choosing regular potatoes, chose the red or purple-fleshed potatoes; they have higher amounts of antioxidants and phytochemicals than white potatoes.

• Sweet potatoes are slightly lower in calories (emphasizing slightly) than regular potatoes.
• Sweet potatoes are slightly lower in protein than regular potatoes.
• Sweet potatoes are slightly lower in carbohydrates than regular potatoes.
• Sweet potatoes have more natural sugar than regular potatoes (hence the name).
• Regular potatoes have more undigestible resistant starch (a good thing!) than sweet potatoes.
• Both are slow digesting.

For this weeks Tip of the Week Tuesday, I free you to choose whichever potato you enjoy most. As you can see, it’s not the kind of potato that is the problem; it’s the method of cooking (fried, pies, etc.) and the other ingredients used (oil, butter, sour cream, cheese, sugar, marshmallows, etc.). When choosing either a regular potato or a sweet potato, opt for the whole potato over fries, mashed potatoes, or sweet potato pie. 

If you just can’t stand a regular potato without a dollop of sour cream, try fat-free plain Greek yogurt instead. It taste nearly the exact same without the saturated fat! And when it comes to sweet potatoes… if you think you just can’t eat them without butter, cinnamon and sugar, try coconut oil and cinnamon instead. The coconut oil provides a healthier fat and tastes slightly sweet too!

Whatever one you choose, choose it in it’s whole, minimally processed form.

Which do you like better, sweet potatoes or regular potatoes? I’m a sweet potato girl myself!

Have a great day!

Good health!

The post TOTW Tuesday: Sweet Potatoes vs Regular Potatoes? appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Parsnip fries anyone? Ha, the idea sounded crazy to me at first too! Just give them a try! Parsnip fries anyone? Ha, the idea sounded crazy to me at first too! Just give them a try!

Coming out of the oven.

Ingredients

• 3 parsnips
• 2 tbsp EVOO or less
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

Shave and slice thinly (into fries!)

Roast for 30-40 minutes at 375 or broil until crispy.

Recipe adapted from http://www.foodmayhem.com/ For a lonely dinner, while the hub is already in Charleston with the baseball team, BBQ lentils, parsnip fries, and sautéed purple potatoes, purple onions, and zucchini topped with Nutritional Yeast. 

The post Think health… not McDonalds: Parsnip Fries appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Who needs processed foods when you can get ALL of this from your local market, we’ll mine anyways?  In my quest to meet my October Challenge, giving up ALL processed foods, staying prepared is always important in finding success.

After the race this morning (which went great!), I stopped by the market to pick up some more fresh foods to really ensure that I get rid of the processed foods in my diet.

Pictured Above:

Baby Banana Nut Loaf- For Dustin, not me unfortunately, as I’m sure it contains milk.

Turnip Greens

Roasted Pepper Rigatoni- Fresh, preservative free pasta now @ the market, made in Savannah @ Frali Gourmet

Okra

Organic Free- Range Eggs

Pork Chops– Savanna River Farms; I have never tried them out before (SRF), but they look delicious.  A 20 acre farm located in Newington, GA, with free range pigs and hogs;  raised, of course, without antibiotics or artificial growth hormones.  That reminds me, Cullen thinks that Dustin and I are not going to have ‘good athlete’ kids because I won’t feed them ‘steroided’ meats.  He thinks our boys are going to be too skinny because of this; haha, at least our girls won’t have a problem with it.  I guess you can count me out for raising the big, offensive linemen, sorry dad.

Persimmons– I thought these were tomatoes at first so I told the man to give me 10 (to make tomato sauce).  I asked him if he cooked with them and he replied, “no, they get eaten up too fast.”  I mean I love tomatoes, but I’m probably not going to eat one like an apple, although I think my dad would.  He said, “There just so sweet, try one.”  I’ve had a tomato before, I believe you, sir.  But, I tried one anyways, and learned that, no, it was not a tomato, a different kind of fruit, rather, a persimmon.

Goats Milk Soap– Good for sensitive, dry skin, free of fragrance, dyes, etc.  This reminds me also of a conversation I had with Dustin the other day.  He took it upon himself to start a load of laundry the other day (He’s learning! Hopefully, soon, he will think this is a man’s job… but I won’t hold my breath).  He said, “Are we really using organic laundry detergent?”  I thought this was funny.  No, it’s not organic, just also, free of dyes, fragrance, etc.  He said, “WHY?” Because Dustin, as I’m learning in Anatomy (applying my knowledge), our skin is permeable, meaning harmful poisons, drugs, and chemicals can enter our bodies through it.  And also, I just wanted to help this little lady’s business out.

Yellow Cherry Tomatoes– From my favorite farmer, Al Clark, @ Clark and Son’s Organics.

Sweet Potato

Zucchini

That right there = good eats! Enjoy your Saturday, isn’t it beautiful?

One more October goal/challenge: blog more.  I’m not going to stop living and doing what I love just because I’m ‘too’ busy.  ”Life happens when you are busy planning other things.”  As I plan other things (my future: by going back to school), life is still happening, so I must live it and never forget it!

The post Processed Food Challenge Preparation appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

I bought a broccoli plant at the market today and am going to start growing my own, 6-8 weeks and I’ll give you some too! Ha, hopefully! Have you ever grown your own broccoli?

The post My Broccoli Plant appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.