by Anita Muniz | Aug 16, 2016 | Food for thought, Recipes, Uncategorized
Who enjoys routine meals week in and week out? A simple and basic healthy diet is one thing, but we all get to that place just like hitting a plateau when working out, our tastebuds get bored. Our body needs and craves a diversified diet, which is why we wanted to share this unique dish with you. We love to change it up in the kitchen and come up with new recipes to add to the mix. Coucous can be a fun alternative to rice or pasta. It has less calories and a bit more protein than rice.
Ingredients:
10 ounces of Shrimp 1 cup of Pearl Couscous
3 cloves of Garlic 1 Green Squash
1 bunch of Parsley 2 tablespoon Butter
2 tablespoon Tomato Paste
1 tablespoon Verjus Rouge
1 teaspoon Summer Couscous Spice Blend
2 teaspoons of olive oil ¼ cup of water
Instructions:
• In a medium pot bring water to a boil on high. Add the couscous and cook for 6-8 minutes or until tender. Reserve ½ a cup of the cooking water. Drain the couscous and return to the pot.
• Wash and dry the produce. Cut the squash in to ¼ inch thick pieces. Mince the garlic and chop the parsley & stems.
• In a medium pan, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil until hot. Add the squash and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and stir occasionally for 2-4 minutes or until softened.
• To make the sauce, add the tomato paste to the pan with eh squash. Stir frequently for 1-2 minutes or until dark red. Add the Verjus and ¼ cup water. Stir frequently 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Pat shrimp dry and transfer to a bowl. Season with salt, pepper and spice blend. Add the shrimp to the pan with the squash and sauce. Cook on medium/high – stir occasionally for 2-4 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through.
• Add the couscous, butter and half reserved couscous cooking water to the pan. Stir occasionally for 1-2 minutes.
Eat up & Enjoy!
by Anita Muniz | Aug 15, 2016 | Food for thought, Partner
The truth is Marshmallows we enjoyed as kids are not as innocent an indulgence as our parents might have thought. We can always count on a little marshmallow to satisfy a sweet tooth. No guilt right? I mean it’s a marshmallow what’s there to feel guilty about? The answer might surprise you.
If you take the time to read and see what makes up a Marshmallow, you will surely think twice before reaching for the next bag. After enjoying them in hot cocoa, desserts, s’mores and so much more one starts to wonder, “What am I really putting in to my body?” The answer: Some serious empty calories and something that one would dare to call food. As a Nutritionist I give it an F and that’s not for food.
We turned to the Nutrition Facts label and what we learned next was less than appetizing.
You can always count on the ingredients so start there. We first read High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Dextrose, Modified Corn Startch…
The issue.. the most natural sounding ingredient, or at least the one we could easily understand was ‘sugar’ or technically Dextrose the most naturally occurring form of sugar, yet still just another way of saying more sugar.
Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, TPPS (Whipping Aid)
- Other than a Food Additive it is used as a Water Softener and Detergent Builder. TPPS has been shown to be toxic to Humans in small amounts. Specifically it is alkaline and irritating. Here’s a tip: if you have stress, skin issues or inflammation probably good to eliminate this from your diet.
Artificial Color, Artificial flavor, Gelatin (animal based ingredient, or the reason our vegan friends have never tried Marshmallows).
Once we discovered all of this, our only hope was to find a healthy marshmallow. Anyone with a sweet tooth and a love of camping would understand our struggle.
Then we found them, Dandies Marshmallows. Dandies made their debut in 2009 at Expo West as the first Vegan Marshmallow! This little vegan marshmallow has come a long way since and Dandies only continues to improve it. Check out their awesome timeline for details and see how Marshmallows became an actual guilt free food alas. Also, check out our next blog, the full Dandies story to come!
by Anita Muniz | Aug 12, 2016 | Uncategorized
The story of when Milk decided it was time to Go Dairy Free.
Introducing the worlds first Pistachio Milk. This delicious milk alternative has a history as rich as it’s flavor. Elmhurst, New York known as the “Cross Roads of the World” by the New York Times is a special place in Queens, New York.
Elmhurst is a neighborhood rich in all of the best ways, rich with culture, flavors, foodies and diversity. It is no wonder then that Elmhurst Dairy® was founded there in 1920 by brothers Max and Arthur Schwartz. In the midst of the Industrial Revolution, they started bottling milk from their cows and delivering it door to door. In 1980, to continue their legacy, Max’s son, Henry Schwartz started Steuben Foods Inc.
“We’re Nuts about Milk”
No Lactase, No Gluten, No Soy & GMO Free
Today, Steuben Foods Inc. is looking at milk in a whole new “Dairy Free” light as Steuben Consumer Products presents their delicious Elmhurst Harvest dairy alternatives. More than simply providing Nut Milks, they’ve taken on the role of creating the world’s first Pistachio-based milk. As if that wasn’t enough they went on to release the first Walnut based Milk. Each type of Nut based milk comes in multiple flavors, see their selection here.
The Pistachio milk –found in your August Fit Snack box – comes in Vanilla, Unsweetened and Original. It is lower in sugar and fat than regular milk – you also get more of your Omega 3’s aka “healthy fats”.
1 carton of 2% school milk = 8 ounces, has over 12 g of sugar
2% School Milk Carton
The same amount = 8 ounces of Elmhurst Harvest Original Pistachio Milk has 8g of sugar
8 ounces Unsweetened Pistachio Milk has 0g of sugar! 1g Protein. Only 2g fat!
If you’re looking for a low fat, delicious Pistachio milk smoothie, look no further.
Here’s a Pistachio Smoothie Recipe inspired by Elmhurst Harvest and created by our Nutritionist.
3/4 c. Elmhurst Harvest Pistachio Milk
1/2 c. Organic Strawberries 2 Tbsp Dairy Free Yogurt
3 ice cubes 1 Banana
2 Tbsp Dairy Free Dark Chocolate shavings (or a chocolate vegan protein powder)
When the kids start school and need a healthy dairy free alternative, it’s good to know Elmhurst Harvest has the best selection! You can count on their Nut Milks to be lower in sugar and fat. Shop Elmhurst Harvest for the cleanest and most delicious dairy alternatives.
by Anita Muniz | Jul 16, 2016 | Uncategorized
Nachos aren’t something you’d normally find at the top of your list of ‘healthy foods’, but thanks to RW Garcia Sweet Potato Crackers we have a recipe that will feed your cravings without sabotaging your diet. RW Garcia is a family owned and family run company committed to creating quality chips. All of their products are Gluten Free, GMO free and made using sustainable methods. Good for you and good for the environment! It’s no wonder they’ve discovered a delicious healthy nachos recipe. If you want the best results you have to buy the RW Garcia chips for these nachos!
- Start with RW Garcia Sweet Potato Crackers
- 4 cheese blend – melted over the top
- Heat up some black beans – spoon onto the nachos as desired
- Add chopped olives
- Add chopped tomatoes
- Add chopped green onions
- Garnish with jalapeño rings and cilantro
- Artistically place sliced avocado over your nachos
- Optional: Top it off with some greek yogurt in place of sour cream
Try this recipe out with the RW Garcia Sweet Potato Crackers in your May Fit Snack box. RW Garcia prides themselves on providing delicious products that will make you feel better about indulging your salty snack cravings.
Happy Snacking buy your Sweet Potato Crackers here!
by Anita Muniz | Jun 16, 2016 | Uncategorized
Created from a vision of local sustainability, we’d like to introduce you to Grayson Natural Farms Beef Sticks. From the mountains surrounding Grayson County, Virginia, you can count on Grayson Natural Farms for the best quality, family owned, home grown and always 100% natural beef sticks. The cattle are 100% grass-fed on the lush mountain meadows available on the farms of the Grayson Family Farmers. Sustainable farming practices are a foundation at Grayson Natural, but they go even further to work in facilities that are Animal Welfare Approved and Certified Humane. This tells you two things: they love their farms and they love their animals – we all know the best food is made with love.
Your June Box will feature all natural, grass-fed beef sticks.
“At Grayson Natural Farms we raise food the way it was meant to be raised – in sunshine and fresh air!”
Grayson Natural cattle are all raised on small family farms. As with many of these farms the Mitchell farm has been in the family for three generations and both adults and children participate in raising healthy cattle that never receive antibiotics or hormones. Instead, they enjoy the benefits of grazing on open mountain pastures with clean mountain water.
Here’s a few of the benefits of Grayson Natural Farms and what sets their Beef sticks apart from the rest:
-Lower in cholesterol and saturated fats
-Higher in beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids. Healthy fats, which are known to help generate lean muscle.
-Healthy antioxidant vitamins such as Vitamin E. Antioxidants combat stress, keeping you feeling your best.
We recommend snacking on Grayson Natural Beef Sticks after your next workout. It’s high in protein and won’t raise your insulin levels!
Gary and his daughter, Mary:
