Zesty Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes Recipe

In honor of the 2013 National Nutrition Month theme of “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day,” I wanted to feature a recipe that balances taste and nutrition. Enter my wholesome sloppy joes bursting with flavor!

I originally created this recipe for Mazola, and it’s great as sloppy joes on a wheat bun, or on its own as a hearty chili (if you are bunless). Sloppy Joes might not be a dish you typically think of as “healthy” but in the spirit of “eating right, my way”, my version has lean meat, 6 colorful veggies, nutrient-rich beans, and spices that add flavor without added sodium.

To make it vegetarian either just omit the meat altogether, or substitute with soy crumbles. Have your older kids help in the kitchen by having them chop the vegetables, while younger kids can help measure the spices. Making dinner together helps you bond as a family, but it also helps introduce kids to cooking early which is a skill to last the rest of their lives.

Zesty Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

Kid friendly, delicious and nutritious – this recipe provides a full serving of vegetables in every serving.  Black beans and  ground turkey provide fiber and lean protein.  Customize the heat level with the amount of chipotle pepper you choose to add!

Yield: 12 servings // Prep Time: 15 minutes // Slow Cooker Time: 4 hours (on High) or 8 hours (on LOW)

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons Mazola Corn Oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup shredded OR chopped carrots
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 cans (15 ounces each), no salt added tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons no added salt tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon Spice Islands Ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Spice Islands Ground Mustard
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• To taste, Spice Islands Medium Grind Black Pepper
• 1/2 to 1 chipotle in adobo sauce (use 1/2 for mild, or 1 for spicy), optional
• 1 pound 98% lean ground turkey breast
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 12 whole wheat hamburger buns

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic, onion, bell pepper, carrots, mushrooms and corn.  Saute for 5 minutes until vegetables are slightly tender and onions are translucent.  Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Stir together tomato sauce, tomato paste, cumin, mustard, vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper and chipotle if desired, in a large bowl.
3. Add ground turkey to slow cooker, breaking up into smaller pieces with a large spoon or spatula.  Add sauteed vegetables, tomato mixture and black beans; stir to combine.
4. Cover and cook 4 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW.
5. To serve, scoop a 1/2 cup portion on to a sliced bun.

What are some of your favorite slow cooker recipes????

Leave a comment below to share your favorite go-to slow cooker recipes. Maybe I’ll feature it in my newsletter next month! Don’t forget to “like” my page on Facebook, and “follow” me on Twitter and Pinterest to get other great recipe and wellness ideas.

Healthier Superbowl Party Food and Snacks

I was so honored to be included as one of the nutrition experts the Huffington Post reached out to in order to find out what to eat for a healthy superbowl party. To keep everyone happy — meat eaters and vegetarians alike — I recommended a bunch of great snacks:

• Lamb sliders — nutrient-rich, full of protein and a little unexpected!
• Shrimp cocktail — packed with protein and heart healthy fats
• Veggie platter with yogurt and herb dip
• Healthy dips like salsa, guacamole or black beans
• Heart-healthy nuts like pistachios — one serving is a whopping 49 kernals!
• Whole grain chips — pick one made with a few simple ingredients

You can read the whole article here for all my superbowl snack picks, and tips from other nutrition experts too. What are some of your favorite healthy superbowl bites???

Save Time, Stay Cool — “No Cook” Cooking

This month’s Recipe Redux theme was “no cook” recipes –  perfect for those nights when it’s too hot to grill outside, and still want something that tastes fresh and summery. My top two go-to items are store bought black bean dip and guacamole dip. Pick an option that has just a few simple ingredients (that you can pronounce!) so it’s more likely to be minimally processed, and jazz them up with a few fresh items to bring them alive!

How can I jazz up my store bought dip?

To liven up store bought guacamole, add diced cherry tomatoes, fresh cilantro, peppers, corn, or for smokey flavor add some chipotle in adobo sauce.  Add fresh mango, jalapeno and cilantro to store bought black bean dip for a sweet and spicey kick.

Are dips just for chips?

Heck no! Veggies like sugar snap peas,  sliced peppers, baby carrots and slice cucumber are perfect for dipping. Dips are also great toppers for salads and can add tons of flavor and crunch. Add rotisserie chicken, pre-cooked/frozen shrimp (defrost in the fridge), or even canned tuna for a true no-cook, balanced plate!

Don’t forget about dressings!

Dressings are another easy way to add some variety to your salad routine and requires just a little assembly. Try this one that uses tahini which can be a nice change-up from your everyday vinaigrette:

•   1/4 cup tahini (peanut butter, almond butter, or any nut butter)
•   1-2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
•   1 clove garlic minced
•   1/2 -1 tablespoon tamari or lite soy sauce (or shoyu)
•    1/3 cup water (+/- amount added for consistency)

 Variations:

• Ginger: add 1/2-1 tablespoon of grated ginger
• Tamari: +/- amount in the base dressing. Then add sesame oil to taste.
• Parsley: chopped parsley to taste

What are some of your favorite no-cook recipes???

The Most Effective Diet: Listening to Your Body

Hey everybody! I am so excited about my new opportunity to contribute to the U.S. News Blog, Eat+Run. I will be writing a post weekly so you can check it out on Mondays for some realistic and practical advice on instilling healthy self-care habits.

This week’s post is all about ditching your diet and LISTENING TO YOUR BODY. Your body knows what it wants and the key is learning how to listen. Here are the first 3 tips on how to to set yourself up for long term healthy eating habits:

1. Eat within two hours of waking up

Even if you don’t feel hungry in the morning. Eating breakfast gives you energy, helps you focus on the day’s tasks, and can set you up for healthy eating the rest of the day.

2. Wait until you feel hungry to eat.

If you don’t get hungry at least three times a day, you may need to eat every three to four hours in order to find your hunger cycle. Instead of resisting hunger, welcome it with open arms.

3. Practice eating slowly and without distractions.

Most people can finish a meal in five minutes. You need to slow down so you can feel the hunger go away and a comfortable, full feeling set in.

Read the full post for the rest of my advice on how to create healthy eating habits for yourself.

Like I said, you can check out my post every Monday on the U.S. News Eat+Run  blog. I would love to hear your thoughts on this week’s post and am open to your suggestions for future posts!

Ellie Krieger’s Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

Ellie Krieger is an award winning dietitian, author, and chef. I love her books and regularly recommend them to clients. One of my clients wanted to make her stuffed pepper recipe with a few substitutions. She likes turkey over beef. I was thinking you could also replace with tofu or soy veggie crumbles if you are looking for more variations. Here’s Ellie’s original recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/greek-style-stuffed-peppers-recipe/index.html and if you read through the post, I did the analysis for you too! I would stick to one pepper and add a side garden salad with about 1 tbsp of dressing. You could do two peppers if you prefer, but as always, make sure you need them to get comfortable full — not stuffed like these peppers!

First Rule of Healthy Eating – Balance Your Plate

A balanced plate is important for a healthy lifestyle. Meals should contain the balanced amount of protein, vegetables, and quality carbohydrates to make sure your nutrition needs are met. This Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers recipe is great for those who might have trouble with the “balanced plate” concept.

The turkey and cheese contribute to the 21 grams of protein in the dish, the peppers, zucchini and onions are nutritious veggies, and the bulghur is a good source of starch.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean turkey (substituted for beef)
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 medium zucchini, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)
• 1 small onion, minced (about 1 cup)
• ½ cup bulghur
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, cores and ribs removed
• 2 (14 ½ ounce) cans low-sodium stewed tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine the beef, spinach, zucchini, onion, bulghur, egg, oregano, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Arrange the pepper halves cut side up in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and fill each pepper half with the meat mixture. Pour the tomatoes over the peppers and sprinkle with the feta cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the meat mixture is completely cooked and the peppers are tender, about 25 minutes longer.

Nutrition Info per Serving (serves 6):

Calories 254 | Fat 9g | Sat. Fat 3g | Cholesterol 95 mg | Sodium 413mg | Carbs 26g | Fiber 6g | Protein 21g | Calcium 111mg

Converse!

What do you think? Is this recipe worth a try? If you are crunched on time, make it over the weekend. It tastes awesome reheated. Any ideas for modifications you would like to try?

Family Friendly Recipes: Making It Easy to Get Half Your Plate Fruits and Veggies!

I was recently on WBAL NBC sharing some recipe ideas for snacks and meals to help get 1/2 your plate fruits and veggies. If you’re like most Americans, you’re only getting 2 out of the recommended 6 servings every day.

These recipes are so easy and family-friendly — it’s barely cooking I promise! To view the entire segment click here.

Ants on a log: The classic that never goes out of style! Spread your favorite peanut butter on celery spears and top with California raisins for a snack packed with heart healthy fat, fiber and antioxidants. Plus raisins are dried in the sun naturally without any added sugar!

Fruit pizza: Top whole wheat pita with jam, diced apples, shredded cheese and raisins, then bake to melt. This is packed with calcium, fiber, antioxidants and has a sweet taste kids will love.

Spinach salad: For a quick lunch or weeknight dinner, top a spinach salad with canned tuna, shredded carrots and raisins. Tuna provides heart healthy fats and protein, while the raisins add sweetness along with vitamins and minerals.

Crustless quiche: You can add any of your favorite fresh or frozen veggies to a baked omelet. The more the better! Add flavor by using a butter alternative like I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. It adds flavor with 70% less saturated fat than butter. Pair with a side salad and you’ve easily got 1/2 your plate veggies! Quiches are great any time of day or night, so make 1 at the beginning of the week and reheat during the week for a quick supper.

Veggies and hummus: Hummus is a great snack packed with protein and fiber. Instead of something starchy like crackers, try it with veggies like sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes or sliced cucumber. It’s cool and refreshing, especially as it’s getting hot outside and it’s packed with nutrition.

Hopefully you’ll find some of these recipes just as tasty and will give them a try!

Barilla is Pitching In to Get Kids in the Kitchen

Big Apple Bound

I’m so excited to have the opportunity to watch this awesome Italian culinary experience next Monday April 16, 2012 in New York City. I was invited by Barilla to come watch as they partner with the Italian American Committee on Education (IACE) to sponsor a cooking series for kids called “Eat Healthy and Speak Italian”. It’s held at The International Culinary Center in New York City so I’ll be taking the train up for the day to see kids learn about food and cooking from professional chefs, and even how to speak Italian!

Kids Can Cook

Healthy adults start out by being healthy kids. More and more people care about where their food is coming from, which is great. Kids will get involved with cooking when given the opportunity. It’s a great way to bond with them and spend “WE time”. Getting kids into the kitchen is so important in helping them form healthy relationships with food and help promotes their own personal wellness and self care.

In a previous post I talked about the importance of family meals, and the fact that research has shown that kids who share family meals 3 or more times per week are more likely to be in a normal weight range, have healthier eating patterns, and are less likely to engage in disordered eating.

Here’s a little background on the event:

The educational cooking classes are a celebration of Italian food and culture, where students ages 10-15 will learn to cook traditional and nutritious pasta dishes from scratch. Renowned Italian Chef Cesare Casella, Dean of The School of Italian Studies at The International Culinary Center, will teach students to make authentic Italian recipes, demonstrating the same techniques used in the school’s professional culinary career programs.

The kids will even get the opportunity to prepare dishes including whole grain pastas and fresh vegetables. Working with whole grain pasta is such a quick and easy way to get a wholesome dinner on the table. For a quick primavera, you just need to mix fresh or frozen veggies with store bought pasta sauce and whole grain pasta and you have dinner in 15 minutes!

Stay tuned to hear more about my experience at the event Monday! In the meantime, check out Barilla’s website for some tasty recipes.

Say “Wow” at the Baltimore Health and Fitness Expo Sat March 12

Avocados from Mexico “Taste the Wow” multi-city tour is stopping in Baltimore to spread the word about The Amazing Avocado!

When: Saturday, March 12th, 10am-5pm
Where: Baltimore Health Expo

And who will be there with them helping people find NEW ways to “taste the wow”? Yours truly! I’m excited to partner with them and I can’t wait to experience all the tasty recipes. Evidently one of the “tastes” is an avocado smoothie! YUM… and green smoothies are all the rage these days. (Which reminds me, I still haven’t taken my vita-mix out of the box…. I know, I know. I feel like I’m waiting for the winter thaw, then it’s smoothies for me!)

I will be tasting the avocado one at the Baltimore Health Expo! Will you?
The Avocados from Mexico Taste-mobile will sample delicious and easy to prepare avocado recipes that will let you “Taste the Wow!” that avocados can bring to their meals. Visitors will also get handy booklets with great recipes, tips on how to select the perfect avocado, and the correct way to slice and prepare as well as other fun avocado goodies! The Taste-mobile will be parked inside the Expo and the first 25 people who check-in on FourSquare will get a t-shirt.

Check out pictures from the last tour stop on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/eDMXCs

For more information about Avocados from Mexico, visit www.theamazingavocado.com or download a free iPhone app with great recipes and tips (search Avocados from Mexico in the iTunes store).

Look for me and I’ll be more than happy to discuss the nutrition benefits of avocados and help you find fun ways to add them in to your food routine. See you there!

Twitter: @AmazingAvocado and #tastethewow

Better Baking for Your Health

Fresh baked goods find their way into our diets from time to time, there’s no denying that, but with all of the refined carbohydrates, the treats only leave us feeling guilty. Made with white flour and sugar, most of the time they are empty calories that pack pounds onto the waistline.

To make your baked goods a bit less treacherous for your waistline, there are some changes you can try!

• Cut back on sugar: Depending on the recipe, you can cut back as much as half of the normal amount suggested! Though sugar is still needed, this will definitely help the cause. With this, it is best to test out before planning to bake a large amount to give to someone else, because it can be a tricky switch.
• Fat replacement: A lot of cooking forums suggest unsweetened applesauce as a replacement for oil or butter in baking recipes. This can be a huge success. What I’ve found is that the applesauce can easily be substituted 1:1 with recipes that call for oil, such as breads or cakes. The product is still extremely moist and delicious. With butter based recipes, it changes the consistency a bit, so it is best to test those recipes.
• White flour woes: Made from only the endosperm of the grain, it doesn’t offer much along the lines of nutrition. Because of this, many people have made the switch from white to wheat bread. Wheat flour is ground as the “whole” grain: the bran, germ and endosperm, which packs a bigger punch with fiber and protein. Substitutions work best in cookies, breads and muffins. Whether you substitute half of or the entire amount of flour with whole wheat is totally dependent upon your personal tastes. If you ask me, whole grain chocolate chip cookies are way better than the original!

*Credit to King Arthur Flour website (their whole wheat flour is what I use and recommend!)

Check out my yummy Banana Bread recipe make-over here, using the suggestions above, and see how the fat, calorie and even fiber content changed!

Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat

Is it possible to eat what you want without gaining weight? Many people, especially those who are chronic dieters are afraid this is not possible. Breaking away from the rigid set of dieting rules feels scary, and dieters are comfortable with the “restrictive” state diets teach. How can we learn to reshape our relationship with food, and respect our hunger?

Michelle May, MD is the  author of “Eat what you love, love what you eat: How to break your eat-repent-repeat cycle.“ Her website Am I Hungry? describes many of her eating philosophies. In her own words:

“Most diets are restrictive and unsustainable, leaving the dieter feeling guilty and disappointed. My goal is to help people recognize and cope with their triggers for overeating, rediscover joy in physical activity, and effectively nourish their body, mind, heart and spirit.“

After reading her article on the blog “Dieting and You” entitled Paint-by-Numbers or a Masterpiece, I decided to reach out to her for an interview. Michelle was kind enough to take the time out of her busy schedule to answer some of my questions. Eloquently and kindly she spoke about how we can turn our relationship with food around and answer the question “What are you hungry for?”

Q: You don’t advocate “Dieting,” So tell us, Why don’t diets work?

A: They do work-temporarily. But they fail to address the root cause, and for many people, result in feelings of deprivation. This causes them to crave food more, and feel more out of control when they are around food. Restriction drives overeating. People think they don’t have enough willpower. Restriction also leads to obsession which is bad. Our body is wise, but people are skeptical because we are so diet-focused as a society. we think that we need to diet chronically to maintain are weight. But, we are all born with the instinctive ability to eat what our body needs. Instinctive eaters eat what they love, when they’re hungry, stop when they’re full and don’t worry about food in the between times.

Q: It can be very difficult and scary for chronic dieters to look at this approach to eating. They believe being intuitive is impossible and they will never know when they are really hungry and full. How do we separate cravings/hunger for love etc. from real biological hunger

A: This is a deceptively simple step. Ask yourself the question “Am I hungry?” Before you eat. Before starting to eat, focus on what’s going on inside. Do a Mind-body scan for the physical sign/symptoms (such as a drop in blood sugar) and also notice emotions/feelings. If your not sure you’re hungry, you’re probably not. If you decide to eat even if you are not physically hungry, notice this, and try to gain insight on why you want to eat. This question, “Am I hungry” must not become a rule to abide to, instead look at it as a way to pause, and reflect, being more mindful of your eating habits.

Q: So if we learn to appreciate and respect our hunger we can end yo-yo dieting and the eat-repent-repeat cycle?

A: Instead of a yo-yo I like to think of this as a Pendulum between excess and restriction.  Find the flexible arc in the middle of the pendulum where you still have freedom. We need to get away from this hopeless pursuit of trying to be perfect. Accept where you are. Everyone overeats, undereats, over exercises, underexerises sometimes. Its just important that we find a Balance.

Q: How can we move away from the “perfect” “skinny” mindset and learn to appreciate ourselves and our bodies, our health?
A: For too long now, we’ve tried to measure things by physical attributes-health is just a trophy that everyone seeks.
We need a balance of body, mind, health and spirit.  Health is  more than a number on a scale. Numbers like BMI, blood pressure, are easy to get obsessed with, and we need to take a step back and look at the whole picture of health.

Q: How can we fit fitness into this pictures without it becoming obsessive?

A: Often we look at exercise as punishment for eating or we need to exercise to earn the right to eat, which creates a very negative relationship with exercise. It turns into a penance for eating a “bad” food, and often you feel guilty if it is missed. This becomes an obsessive behavior which strips all of the joy from exercise. I think we need to not discuss exercise at the same time as weight loss. Exercise is good for everyone! Not just for those people that need to lose weight. It is also important to pay attention to the positive aspects of exercise, and find something you love doing.

Q: How do we create an atmosphere where food is not viewed as an enemy but can be savored and enjoyed without going overboard?

A: We need to put food back into perspective. When you are eating, EAT. Eat with abandon and joy, not to pay penance or seek to be virtuous. When you are not eating, let it go. Don’t think about it. Enjoy what you are doing at the time. Approach life fully engaged in the present moment. Mindfulness is not only a form of eating, but also a life skill.

Thank you Michelle for your wonderful insight and tips! Check out her website Am I hungry?, read her new book “Eat what you love, love what you eat” and follow her on twitter @eatwhatyoulove