we should

A few weeks back I posted a nifty little video about the up and coming movement of entomophagy (otherwise known as eating insects). At the time of my post, while I did find the idea interesting and exciting, I didn't exactly see it panning out anytime soon. I mean seriously, how many people that you know would actually be down to eat bugs? But of course, I'm getting to this. To my surprise, there are a lot more insect-enthusiasts than one might think, and as of last night, I am proud to join the ranks of modern day insect eaters.

Thanks to Rose Wang and Laura D'Asaro's ambitious plan to bring insect snacks to the public, we might all be enjoying insects pretty soon (and without even tasting them, I might add).

Together, these Harvard grads have created SixFoods, a company which aims to produce "chirps" the cricket chips made of cricket flour, among other snacks including cricket cookies. These guys are even part owners of the first ever urban cricket farm.

At the SixFoods kickstarter event last night at the Harvard NGIN Space in Cambridge, the company launched its month long crowdfunding project, which offers a variety of incentives and prizes for those who help out by donating money. Of course, the event featured a spread of insect snacks and treats for attendees to try. And while I certainly could never have expected to find myself at this event a few weeks back, I am most certainly glad I did.

Check out the sixfoods kickstarter video, and browse the site for interesting facts and other funny videos! If you're still feeling it after, check out SixFoods for more information. Bug Appetite!

kale pesto

We all crave chips and other bready, crunchy snack items once in a while, (or all the time) but while they may taste great, they rarely satisfy that hungry beast within. Instead of poring over that huge bag of Lays, or finishing a whole sleeve of crackers in one sitting, I offer this filling, kale pesto. Spread it on your crackers, serve it up with bruschetta at a dinner party, add it to pasta, whatever works—but it’s dense in nutrients, lighter than your typical oily pesto, and is incredibly filling.  

 

What you’ll need:

• ½ bunch kale, pureed 
• ½ cup olive oil 
• 1 big handful pine nuts 
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 
• ½ cup chopped cilantro  
• ½ tsp salt

(If making for large groups of people, consider doubling or tripling the recipe)

Like most of my recipes thus far, this kale pesto is simple and quick. First, puree the kale in a blender. If your blender is like mine, and can’t handle much, start by adding small amounts of chopped kale and gradually add water until you’ve eventually pureed half the bunch. It might be easier to steam the kale first until the leaves have just started to wilt, and then blend them. Be careful not to add too much water, you don’t want it to be runny.

Once you’ve got your base, add in the rest of the ingredients and continue to blend. I used half a teaspoon of salt, but if you prefer more—go for it. 

How to make French bread crackers: 

Take a thin baguette and slice it into ¾ inch thick pieces. Place them on a baking sheet, put them in the oven on a low broil for 2 minutes. Flip each piece over, replace in oven for another two minutes, or until golden brown.

Should We Eat Bugs?

Fried Tarantula? Popcorn crickets? Flour made from ground beetles? Your initial instinct might be to scowl, gag, or run as fast as you can in the opposite direction - but the idea of eating bugs isn't truly all that new. In fact, with the human population having surpassed the Earth's carrying capacity, turning these creepy crawlers into meals would not only be doing our bodies a favor (as they're dense in protein, fiber, and iron), but would be doing the Earth a favor, as they are super sustainable.

Before you knock the idea, at least check out this short video. And if it sways you even a little, check out the full lesson at TedEd.

lemon, avocado (and more!) spaghetti sauce

As someone with pretty severe dietary restrictions, I have formed somewhat of a love-hate relationship with pasta over the past few years. Of course it’s delicious, it’s filling, and it’s perfect for providing enough energy to get me through my intensive weekly workouts—I mean, even little kids love it. But for individuals who cannot digest red-sauce, Alfredo sauce, or even a simple butter-garlic sauce —the struggle is real.

One can only alternate balsamic vinegar and soy sauce in dressing their pasta for so long. So, in an expansion of a wonderful avocado lemon sauce—brought to me by a woman of great taste, Anne-Sophie Deman—I decided to post a light, oil-free, dairy free, preservative free pasta sauce to remind everyone that alternative spaghetti sauces do exist. 

 

Luckily it’s also easy.

Ingredients:

• 2 whole avocados
• ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 cups chopped spinach
• 1 box whole grain spaghetti (or gluten free pasta)
• ½ cup almond milk
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• ½ medium pear, finely chopped

Steps:

1. Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil. Add spaghetti and let cook for 8-12 minutes.
2. Chop the avocados into small cube-like pieces and place them in the blender, along with the lemon juice, spinach, parsley and pear. Blend until smooth.
3. Pour sauce into a different bowl, and stir in the almond milk. 
4. Once fully mixed, apply the sauce to the pasta. Toss to get an even coating.

 (Side note: if you taste the sauce by itself, and find it hard to imagine on pasta, have faith, I promise it works. Though maybe try adding the sauce in small amounts to the pasta, to see how much suits you.) 

What I love about this sauce is the lightness. The only fat in this recipe is from the avocado, which is healthy fat. The lemon and parsley give a nice light citrus flavor combination, while the pear adds a hint of sweetness. I should warn you however, if you are looking for a very strong flavor-blasted meal, this is not for you. The flavors of each ingredient come across in a very subtle manner once applied to the spaghetti, which is why this is great for those with dietary restrictions.

Now for the good stuff: nutrient value. I want to preface this with a few facts about sodium levels in the United States.

The FDA recommends we get around 1500 mg of sodium per day, and 2,300mg at the max—to prevent things like high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure. The current daily average for US citizens, sadly, happens to be around 3500 mg. The reason I am noting these facts is this: jarred spaghetti sauces are among the top foods containing excessive amounts of sodium, with upwards of 600mg per serving (which is only ½ cup, so yeah, not much).You might also be interested in learning some surprising other foods saltier than potato chips.

I guarantee you wont find nearly as much sodium in this homemade veggie sauce as you would in any jarred or canned store bought pasta sauce. Now, on that note, for people with high levels of sodium in their diets, the FDA recommendation is to eat foods high in potassium to offset this sodium.

So at last, we come to the avocado. Avocados have more potassium than bananas—making this sauce not only a great way to reduce your sodium intake, but a great way to fight the adverse effects of high sodium levels, and keep yourself healthy while indulging in spaghetti.

a lesson in seafood

What was once a critical component of the human diet has now become somewhat of a controversy (though realistically, what hasn’t?).  Seafood in general is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which we all know aids in brain development, reduces inflammation that causes cardiovascular disease, and is said to help prevent Alzheimer’s Disease. All of these things are good, but are they worth all of the other negative side effects that fish have become associated with? 

The difference between the fish we eat today, and the fish our great, great, grandparents were eating is simple: waste. Over the past two hundred years or so our oceans have become a dumping ground for the mass quantities of trash and chemical waste that are byproducts of human life.

This post aims to break down the confusion of the seafood puzzle which plagues today's media, and to help you navigate the fish market in the healthiest way possible.

I first want to emphasize what our oceans have become today. Many of us tend to forget (especially when ordering up our seafood) that this still exists:

Yes, this is an image of the great pacific garbage patch, which, in case you may have forgotten, is more than twice the size of Texas. So, I urge you to think about where that tasty swordfish filet lived, (and what it ate) before it found itself on your plate. 

In general there are a few simple rules that I like to follow when purchasing seafood:

1. Make sure you know where the fish came from
2. Only order bottom-of-the-food-chain fish   

The first rule addresses the seafood labeling confusion, which I know troubles more individuals than just myself. When browsing the fish market we see a select number of magical words plastered across tags and signs, which target our little confused brains and convince us to shell out the megabucks and cart them off. Sustainable, local, fresh caught, farm raised, among others, tell us very little about the quality of our fish. 

Just because something is local and fresh caught, for example, does not mean that it hasn't been exposed to the high levels of toxins in the ocean, including Mercury. So here we are taking home dinner, thinking we're supporting the community and getting fresh not-frozen fish, but really it's all entirely irrelevant to our health. 

Here is a rather depressing info-graphic (if you live in the US). This only goes to show how truly difficult it is to know what we're eating. 

If you want to read more about this, check out the Oceana site. 

The second rule I have adopted when navigating the seafood section of the supermarket is to only purchase bottom of the food chain seafood (with the exception of salmon, which seems to be less affected by the pollution). This general rule of thumb is based on the premise that fish eat plastics and pollution that we humans have dumped upon them, and these toxins then travel up the food chain. The lower the fish on the food chain, the less build up of pollution it is likely to have.

Examples of acceptable seafood include:

• scallops
• shrimp (farm raised is best)
• carp (requires a lot of flavoring)
• salmon (be aware that some salmon has added coloring. Don't be fooled into thinking its a better quality just because its brightly colored.) 

For a more extensive list of fish high and low in mercury levels: click here

That being said, it is important to still be aware of what you are purchasing, as the graph above shows, seafood does not have the strictest of labeling laws here in the US. Though other countries might have different laws and regulations regarding seafood, it is easier than you might think to be duped into buying a cheaper substitute without even knowing it. 

This is common with scallops, as shark meat is often stamped out and sold in its place. One way to check for this is to make sure your scallops are not perfectly round and shaped exactly alike. Remember, scallops are muscles, which should not be flawlessly symmetrical. 

Am I telling you to stop eating fish? Certainly not. But the take away is this: be aware when purchasing seafood. Question those behind the counter, and remember that even though higher quality fish is expensive, it is better to pay the grocer than the doctor.

a taste of spring

With the start of March, the emergence of the sun, and St.Patrick's day upon us, I decided a spring post was in order. As winter dwindles and the air smells fresh again, I find myself craving healthy fruits and vegetables more than ever. That is why after a beautiful afternoon spent in Prospect Park I came home and created this green little wonder. 

Sure, there are some who jump in excitement at the sight of a green smoothie, however, there are certainly others who take one look at the color and turn their noses in the opposite direction. I know this because I used to be one of those people. But what I want to stress about this smoothie is that is does not taste like grass. For those who are not used to mixing in veggies to fruit smoothies, I hope that you will give this a chance, because I promise, you can't taste what makes it green. 

Usually when I mix up smoothies and other blended concoctions I don't measure whatever it is I'm tossing in. For this post however, I decided it might be useful--so as not to overpower the smoothie with spinach, or coconut milk for that matter. 

Ingredients 

• 1 large banana
• 1 cup spinach (about a large handful) 
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup pear juice (or any other juice which you might like)
• 1/4 cup almond milk 
• 1/2 cup chopped cantaloupe

As far as steps go, there is only one: throw everything into a blender and blend until smooth. Simple.

In terms of nutrient content: spinach is an extremely nutritious leafy green. But you already know that. What you might not know, however, is that it has lots of vitamin A, E, and K - which are fat soluble vitamins (meaning fat is necessary for absorption and storage). 

Because this smoothie uses coconut milk which has some fat, your body is able to make better use of all of these vitamins, rather than if it called for water, fat free yogurt, or fruit juice exclusively. Additionally, banana provides potassium and the richness of the drink, while the almond milk provides lots of calcium (even more than milk), making this ideal for vegans, or the lactose intolerant. 

Regardless of dietary restrictions, this smoothie is tropical and delicious and I urge those who aren't used to green smoothies to give it a try.

a lesson in protein

In my experiences in reading the health and wellness sections of the newspaper, and articles explaining various macronutrient needs I have found that rather than actually learning something useful to my everyday life, I simply just end up confused. One article says this—another says that—and they all contradict each other! That is why today’s post is simple. It is an easy to understand lesson in protein.

First, there are two simple things you should know when deciding what kind and how much protein to eat. 

• Eat complete proteins
• Calculate your individual protein needs

While many of you (especially those of you who are vegetarians) may think you are getting all the protein you need from nuts, seeds, peanut butter, beans and the like, you should know this: not all proteins are complete proteins. Complete proteins are those that contain all 9 of the amino acids (the essential amino acids) that your body cannot synthesize.

While most complete proteins are animal-product proteins like poultry, fish, eggs, milk and yogurt, there are still ways to make sure you are eating complete proteins if you are a vegan or vegetarian.

Rule of thumb when pairing proteins:

1.     Pair legumes with grains

2.     Pair nuts and seeds with grains

As long as you pair complementary proteins during a meal, or even throughout the day (ex. Peanut butter for breakfast, rice at dinner) you will still be getting the complete proteins you need.

Some complete proteins:

• Soy (tofu)
• Fish
• Poultry
• Eggs
• Dairy
• Whey
• Casein
• Quinoa

Some incomplete proteins:

• Whole grains (with the exception of quinoa)
• Nuts/seeds
• Legumes
• Peanut butters
• Bread

Here is more information about complete and incomplete proteins.

An easy way to calculate your personal needs is this:

Weight in kg x (.8 if you are sedentary) = g protein needed

Weight in kg x (1.4 if you are extremely active) = g protein needed

If you fall in between sedentary and extremely active, multiply your weight in kg by around 1.0 or 1.2

As for calculating individual protein needs, none of us are the same. Many of you will be surprised by how many grams of protein you find that you need. Many of you might also say—oh well I eat tons of eggs and tons of nuts so I’m fine, right? Wrong.

What you should know is this – two eggs contain 7g of protein. So if your protein needs are around 70g a day, you’ll be needing to eat a lot of eggs to reach that. Try going through your usual diet and Googling how much protein is actually in what you’re eating, and adjust your diet if you need to.

chocolate nutty fruity brownie balls

The first thing you should know about these brownie balls is this: they are easy to make. No baking, no precise measuring, no way to go wrong. The idea for this little recipe came to me from the healthiest chocolate addict that I know: Tracy Murray (who's birthday happened to be yesterday--so happy birthday Tracy!).

What is the most important little piece of knowledge to take away from this recipe is the following: you must have one cup of dried fruit, per cup of walnuts. In this recipe, I used dates, walnuts, hazelnuts, cocoa powder, and a splash of vanilla. I am telling you, this is quite possibly one of the healthiest ways to eat dessert. 

The dark chocolate cocoa powder provides antioxidants, the nuts provide healthy fats, the vanilla adds a hint of sweetness without the added sugar that most chocolate treats are loaded with, and the dates provide natural fruit sugar as well as vitamins and minerals. For those of you who have had a Larabar, these are simply a homemade version--and also serve as awesome little energy balls.  

What you need: 

• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 cup dried, pitted dates
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
• 2 tbsp. dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
• shredded coconut (for rolling)

Steps:

1. Throw everything in the blender until the dates have softened, and the mixture becomes loose, but slightly sticky (you might have to pulse the blender a few times)
2. Take the loose mixture in your hands and form it into small rounded balls (the size of your choice)
3. Roll the balls in shredded coconut, powdered sugar, cinnamon-sugar, or whatever you prefer

What makes these brownie balls so great is their versatility. You can change out the dates for cherries, or any other type of dried fruit. Almonds work well too instead of hazelnuts, and powdered sugar is great for rolling if you're not a coconut person.

don't fear your appetite!

“We are genetically like different breeds of dogs, but we can't tell what breed we are by sight. You have to tell your "breed" by the weight that you turn out to be when you are living a good life.”- Deb Burgard (in The Fat Studies Reader by Esther Rothblum and Sondra Solovay)

This quote was first introduced to me in a book I read for one of my public health classes, about the Health at Every Size movement. Now, I’ll admit that reading this quote out of context probably doesn’t resonate as well as it does were it in-context. But what it essentially is getting at is this: we are not all born to be effortlessly thin, and fit. We are not all natural greyhounds. Some of us are born St.Bernards—muscular, strong and built. For anybody who knows anything about dogs: is it likely that a St. Bernard will start to look like a greyhound if you stop feeding it? Probably not. In fact, that St. Bernard will probably be really sad.

Interestingly enough, the same applies to humans. When we deny ourselves food, we become hungry, angry (hangry), tired, weak, and really sad, among other things. What I love about the Health at Every Size movement is that its goal is to promote a healthier lifestyle, not to lose weight. If healthy weight loss comes as a result, awesome—if not, awesome!

For the sake of not being preachy, I will leave you with the following TED Talk,and the link to Health at Every Size. Don't fear your appetite! 

 

mason jar parfait

While I know that throwing some Greek yogurt in a mason jar with some fruit isn’t exactly a recipe—I do think it’s an idea worth sharing. This is something that I have been doing for the past few months for a number reasons. For one, I love plain Greek yogurt.  Its filling—it has about 17g of protein per serving (to put protein in perspective, two eggs has about 7 grams), it has a tartness that makes it perfect for mixing in other sweet things, and it’s a source of calcium.  It makes me feel good!

But realistically, I make these mason jars because they’re easy to throw in the fridge for a week’s worth of breakfast. When I first started changing my eating habits, I found that starting off with a meal like this made it a lot easier to eat right throughout the rest of the day. For one, I am not a morning person, and with this lifestyle comes waking up and running out the door before you’ve had a chance to eat. For many of you who are accustomed to this, you also know that this means you stop at Dunks and grab a bagel or donut with your morning coffee.

 Starting off the day with highly palatable and tasty bagels and pastries? Nope, it’s all over. I’ll be on an irreversible downward escalator for the rest of the day. But! Wake up and spot this treat in the fridge –pre made and looking beautiful – it’s a no brainer.

What you need:

• Mason jars—the size of your choice
• Fruit of your choice (berries work great) 
• Nuts or granola of your choice

Combine them all together in a way that looks nice. This is pretty important because if you spot something in your fridge that doesn’t have that aesthetic appeal, it might be easier than you think to shut the fridge and head to dunks.

spinach quinoa cakes

Okay, so I know quinoa (and grains in general) might be on the up-and-out right now according to all you food-fad-followers and super-food enthusiasts. First kale was the new spinach, now cauliflower is the new kale, blah blah blahhh. No—I don’t like any of it. First of all, spinach will always hold a special place in my heart (not that I dislike kale, that’s just the nerdy nutrition student in me), and second of all, regardless of the whole ‘grains are bad’ controversy--quinoa is still immensely good for you. Carbs for our little brains, protein for our muscles, and whole grains for fiber and other good stuff.  

Taste on the other hand, is a different story. Maybe some of you health nuts out there can eat quinoa by the spoonful and lovingly enjoy every second of it—but not I. I actually really hate the taste of quinoa. That’s why I mash up as many veggies, nuts (yes nuts) and other flavors as possible into these quinoa patties. Realistically, all you need for this recipe is four eggs to every one-cup of uncooked quinoa, and the rest is up to you.

What you need:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, whatever) 
• 1/2 cup shaved carrots (or less, or more, if you like carrots)
• 2 cups chopped spinach (or kale, or whatever you like)
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
• 2 cloves garlic, minced  (or more, or less--do you see a pattern here?)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. olive oil 

Steps:

First cook the quinoa—put the cup of uncooked quinoa in a pot/ pan with 2 cups of water. Let it cook for about 20 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water.

Next, let this cool! I tend to get excited when I’m cooking, and don’t have the patience to let things cool, but trust me its wise to do so with this recipe.

After the quinoa has cooled, combine all of your chopped, shaven, diced, minced and other ingredients into the bowl. Be sure to whisk the eggs first and then pour them in.

Stir this mixture around until it is soft—it should not be runny. But, lucky for you, if it is runny, this can be fixed! Simply throw the bowl in the fridge for a few minutes, or pour out the mixture into a muffin tin, and then stick that in the fridge. (This is what happens when you get too excited and you mix everything in while the quinoa is still hot). The muffin tin actually makes a nice patty shape that’s easy to pop onto the skillet once they’ve firmed up.

Once you have your quinoa mixture, scoop out about ¼ cup sized patties, and cook them on the skillet like you would little mini pancakes. Flip them after a few minutes, and eat up.

(Side bar: would go great with a slice of cheese or a fried egg on top)