Nutrition Fact Friday

Hey ya’ll! I’ve been so lazy about blogging. Bad me. I should set an alarm for myself during the day to remind me that I need to take a break from my crazy life and relax for an hour to write a blog post. After all, I really do love blogging about food. I’ve been in school for two weeks now and it has completely taken over my life. I’m currently in Biochemistry, Food Systems and Management, Nutritional Assessment, and Technical Writing. It is a handful, but I’m surviving so far. Anyways, it is Friday and you know what that means. Nutrition Fact Friday. Today’s subject is pretty special to my heart. I wonder if ya’ll can guess? Probably because I’m pretty predictable, but it is….

OATMEAL.

All you talk about is oatmeal? Well yes when I’m sober I can be pretty boring. Oatmeal is a great food because not only is it a source of whole grains, but it has many functional benefits too. I know this because I had to sit through this girl’s boring presentation on oatmeal for my functional foods class last semester. YOU HAD OATMEAL. Come on. Snazz it up. Bust out some jazz hands or at least some sprinkles for godsake. However, I did end up learning a lot about oatmeal, mainly because I was going to be tested on it for my final, but oh well.

Blueberry Cheesecake Oatmeal

 One of the first things you learn as a nutrition major OVER and OVER again (yeah, they like to teach you the same thing a lot, so it sticks in your mind for the RD exam) is that fiber is important. Insoluble and soluble fiber are both needed in a healthy diet. Well, that is why oatmeal is such a great tool to have in your kitchen cupboard. Not only does it taste good, but it also contains both kinds of fiber. Why is fiber important you say? Insoluble fiber aids in bowel function, and more specifically helps speed up your stools. While the soluble fiber ends up forming a viscous gel within your stomach that allows a feeling of fullness to last for a long time, which can eventually aid in weight loss.

Most people do not know that soluble fiber contains a special bioactive compound that has a variety of positive affects on the body when consumed. The compound is called beta-glucans. In general, the beta-glucans of soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol, which is such an important thing for most people. When you go in deeper, you see that it traps the bad cholesterol, LDL, but there has been no connection to raising HDL levels, which is the good cholesterol. Instead, it just does not affect it, so that it can provide its benefits. Another positive affect of a beta-glucan is in regards to diabetes. Its beneficial effect is shown by slowing down the absorption of glucose following consumption of food.

Oats are seriously going to takeover the world. I know a lot of people that probably are like how are these healthy bloggers obsessed with oats, but really they are good for you and if you spruce them up enough then they are pretty mind-blowing. Wow, I get off track a lot. The ADD that I pretend to have, but really I just like to joke about it. So, where was I? Umm OATS. Yes, one last highlight of oats is that they contain a large amount of phytochemicals. If there is one thing that I took out of functional foods it is that phytochemicals are a killer thing to include in your diet. Why? Well, for the instance of oatmeal, the phytochemicals have an anti-cancer effect on the body. Heck, I’ll eat any food item that has yielded large positive results in research on cancer.

In general, oats are good for your overall health and longevity of life. So go out and buy the largest tub of oats you can find. Well don’t really do that unless you actually like the taste. I have a huge tub of oats in my pantry though. Oats can be confusing with the variety of types, but I tend to stick with the old fashioned rolled oats, but if you are in a hurry buy some quick oats OR if you want to be a super health nut get some steel cut oats, but they contain a larger amount of calories than the other two options.

Since this post was about oatmeal, I obviously wouldn’t leave ya’ll without a great recipe for oats.
Gingerbread Oatmeal

1/2 c. of oats (I used Quaker Old Fashioned)
1 1/3 c. of water
1 banana
1 tbsp molasses
cinnamon
a dash of nutmeg
1 packet of truvia
1 tsp of vanilla extract
a pinch of chocolate chips
1 gingerbread man
2 tbsp chocolate PB2

1. Place oats and water in a microwavable safe container, and heat for about 2:55. Let sit in microwave for about 2 minutes
2. Slice up banana, place on top of oatmeal, and microwave for about 2 minutes or until banana is mushy.
3. Stir up so that banana “melts” into the oatmeal.
4. Add all other ingredients except PB2, chocolate chips, and gingerbread man.
5. Stir all added ingredients until mixed thoroughly.
6. Top with chocolate chips, then PB2, and put your little gingerbread man in for a nice swim or crumble him up. Either way it will be delicious.

I hope you enjoyed a little health lesson about oatmeal. My blog may be going in a more serious place. BUM BUM BUM. Yeah right. I won’t be getting serious because lets be honest I’m a total goof, but I want to focus on more health related stuff like the food service industry, government regulations, nutrition in the news, and life as a nutrition student. OBVIOUSLY there will still be tons of food because I’m a pig. Really though. I wish I had one of those cute little tails, but I like to eat HEALTHY nutritious foods unlike the majority of the US population. Sad, but true.

I’m out for the night. It is Friday afterall. You know what that means. SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS….of biochemistry homework because I’m going out raging tomorrow night. I’m going to leave you with some of my favorite oatmeal recipes that I have seen out in the blog world.

Ya’ll should really check out Angela’s post about this delicious oatmeal recipe called Cherry Chocolate Bomb Vegan Overnight Oats. Drool worthy. Oh how I wish I had a nice camera to turn out such delicious photos like this one. She had me at chocolate and cherries. I’m obsessed with cherries, so throwing this classic combo in an oatmeal form. Oh god. Yes please.

One of my favorite blogs to check out for oatmeal recipes is Heather’s amazing blog, Kiss My Broccoli. She has crazy, creative recipes that include favorites such as Sante Fe Oats that have an egg, salsa, and avocado topping them. Ummm delicious. Can I hire you to make this for me please? Fine I’ll stop being lazy and do it myself, but if you want some delicious ideas check out this blog because the girl sure knows her stuff about cooking!

Do you get enough fiber in your diet?
How much do you know about phytochemicals, beta-glucans, and fiber?

A Case of The Mondays

Hey ya’ll. I’m sort of on the breaking point of exhaustion and delusion. I have been stressing like no other for my graduate class final exam that is tomorrow after my anatomy final (which I don’t really care about because it will be easy), so I’m exhausted from cramming so much into my brain. To add on to the misery of studying, I had a treatment for my arthritis and let me tell you that these just keep getting worse and worse. The nurse is so incompetent. Not to be mean, but you went to nursing school and you should know how to stick an IV in someone’s arm because you only do it every day, but no you had to blow three of my veins, so now I get to look like a heroin junkie on my trip to Israel. What sexy Israeli will want that? Luckily, I’m awesome and they will want me anyways. My mom was super pissed though, so she is going to make sure that nurse never sticks me again because this is the second time this has happened, and the old nurse used to always get it on the first try. Enough with that. Even though I’m having a pretty ugh Monday, I have had some good eats.

Birthday Cake Oatmeal (Gluten Free)
1/3 c of gluten free oats
1 1/3 c of water
1 tbsp of french vanilla powdered pudding mix
1/4 c. cottage cheese
1 packet of truvia
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 banana
Sprinkles
2 tbsp PB2

1. Make oatmeal like the normal method the night before.
2. Slice up a whole banana, place on top of oats, and microwave for 2 minutes or until “melted”
3. Stir well then add in all the ingredients (pudding mix, cottage cheese, truvia, vanilla extract, sprinkles)
4. Top with more sprinkles and Pb2

This is a party in a bowl. Not even kidding. It tastes like the liquid form of birthday cake. Next time I’m going to figure out how to make a sort of icing for it because that was all that was missing. Too bad I ate this before going to my treatment session because then I may have been in a better mood for the rest of the day if I ate it after. Oh well. I’ll just have to make it again. Hmmm maybe I’ll have that tomorrow before my exams, so I’m in a good mood. Success.

It can’t be a day without some hot cocoa. I seriously have an obsession with whip cream and sprinkles. It is getting a little crazy, but how can I turn down whip cream when it is only 74 cents at the grocery store. They sure know how to play at my Jewish parts. Evil.

Mmm so good. BBQ tofu with broccoli. I didn’t come up with this recipe myself, but instead I followed this recipe over at Clean Eating Chelsey. It is pretty simple, quick, and not to mention gluten free. I made so much tofu, and it was so good that my roommate’s cat tried to eat some of it. Maybe it just tried to eat it because my roommate hadn’t fed the cat, so it was hungry and would eat anything. Oh well, I’m going to pretend it is because I’m an excellent chef.

Baked Apple
1 medium sized apple
cinnamon
brown sugar
sprinkle of raisins

1. Slice up apple into small chunks and place into a microwavable safe dish
2. Sprinkle cinnamon on top, as much as you would like, and add a pinch or two of brown sugar.
3. Top with raisins and cover with plastic wrap.
4. Place in microwave for 5 minutes
5. Be careful when removing from microwave because when you pull back the plastic wrap the steam will burn you (I’ve learned this from experience – ouch)

This is my go to night time treat. It is super healthy for you and tastes like an apple pie without the crust.

While most of the day sort of sucked, I got to know Adam tonight, which pretty much changed the day to a much better one. He is freaking hilarious. I think we were meant to find each other because we have similar personalities and we can be real with each other. Let me tell you that is refreshing in the blog world because a lot of people put on this facade and are not being honest with themselves and others. That is there loss because I’m awesome, Adam is awesome, and if people don’t like us then screw them because at least we have each other. Hahaha. Adam, aren’t you glad you talked to me? Now he is probably like oh crap, what did I get myself into.

Anyways I hope ya’ll had a much better Monday than I did. I’m really just looking forward to getting the heck out of dodge once I finish my final for Functional Foods tomorrow. I’m driving straight to the airport to start my epic journey to attractive man land. I’ll be coming back with some good stories.

Do you ever get the case of the Mondays?
How do you make them better?

Back to the Party (WIAW)

Hey ya’ll! It is my favorite day of the week. I always consider it a little holiday because many bloggers take a break from their normal routine and post up an awesome spread of their eats. Best stalking site ever. Seriously, how do you think I found most of ya’ll? We have to give a big thanks to Jenn for hosting this weekly party. I seriously do not know what some bloggers would do without her. Enough talking, lets get to the good stuff: the eats.

PB&J Oatmeal (Gluten Free)

1/3 c gluten free oats
1 1/3 c of water
1 banana
2 tbsp organic raspberry preserves (or any jam/jelly of your choice)
2 tbsp PB2
1 packet of truvia
1 tsp of vanilla

1. Make oats the night before, using normal method.
2. Next morning, slice up 1 banana, place on top of oats, and microwave for about 2:50
3. Stir up everything until banana is “melted” in oats
4. Add in vanilla and truvia packet
5. Then swirl around one tablespoon of preserves at a time
6. Top with PB2 and you are ready to enjoy

I love peanut butter. I love jelly. I’m not really a fan of the sandwiches unless they are made just right, but I thought why not try this classic combination in one of my bowls of oats. I have the best ideas. The natural sweetness from the raspberry preserves made a perfect combination with the saltiness of the peanut butter. Next time I am going to through in some actual raspberries to make the meal even better than it already is.

Yes, for once I actually recorded some of my snacks. Lets not get ahead of ourselves because I did not manage to catch everything. I may have missed a cheesestick or two, but I’m trying here. I want to live up to the WIAW greatness.
I’m being a typical Jew when it comes to my grocery shopping lately, but I buy so much produce that I have to hit up the deals otherwise I will be dropping mega wads of cash all the time on fruit. Right now, Rome apples are on sale. Rome you say? Well, unfortunately the apple does not bring back memories of a warm summer day strolling through the Roman forum while ingesting coconut gelato, but I’m not going to complain because it is still a really tasty apple. I try to eat an apple a day; however, it definitely does not keep the doctor away because I have been having some arthritic pain lately.

Thanks to my school I have made one of the best discoveries. Okay, technically I did not discover it since they came to lecture about their company, but hey I did go out and try it on my own. Welcome to My Fit Foods. The company has pre-packaged healthy meals (with all of the nutrition information on a label) for each meal of the day. They serve vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free products. It is amazing. I went in this past week when they were having a 40% off sale and got two meals to try for the price of one. Jew heaven. This is the Salmon stir-fry, and it was so delicious. There was a wide variety of vegetables with a nice side of rice and a good chunk of salmon with a spicy rub on top. What a perfect lunch time meal.

Yes, I eat green beans out of a can and I like it. No, I love them. I may be weird, but I don’t really care. I’m getting my servings of vegetables, so who cares where they are coming from. That is a lot more than I can say for most people in America. Don’t be hating on my can veggie loving.

One of the best gluten-free snacks out there. Rice pudding. These little snack packs are the perfect sweet treat to hold you over for a while. Topped with fat free cool whip to make pure perfection. Also I have a kerropi spoon that I got from this guy that worked at yogurtland. Thanks for all the free spoons. Now eating my pudding is so much more fun. I think Katie would approve, especially because I have Hello Kitty, Chococat, and My Melody.

Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash (Gluten Free)
1 lb extra lean ground turkey meat
1 diced onion
2 egg whites (I used egg white substitutes)
1/2 c. gluten free oats
1/8 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c. fat-free milk

1. Turn on oven to 400 degrees, coat baking sheet with spray or use a piece of aluminum foil
2. In a bowl, mix egg whites, oats, and milk until combined
3. Add oregano, onion, garlic powder, and salt and mix.
4. Mix in turkey meat until all into a solid mass
5. Makes about 32 meatballs, roll with your hands, and place on baking sheet
6. Bake for about 10-12 minutes

I placed my meatballs on spaghetti squash. I know ya’ll are probably sick of seeing spaghetti squash, but I bought two of them and I just used up my second one. I can’t help it that I’m a little obsessed with this low calorie pasta substitute. I know nothing will replace the doughy taste of fresh pasta (trust me because I have eaten pasta all throughout Italy), but for those who are health conscious this is a pretty good sub. The meatballs had a great flavor from the oregano and garlic powder and went well with the squash. I’ll be eating these leftovers for a while.

I’m ending my day with a nice cup of hot cocoa, marshmallows, fat free cool whip, and some sprinkles. I feel like sprinkles makes everything better or at least prettier. This hot drink is soothing my throat, which is randomly sore, and making studying for my anatomy exam a little better. Although studying for anatomy, not really fun, ever. Luckily I’m a whiz when it comes to that stuff otherwise I would be screwed like 95% of the class. Three points for being smart.

Of course I’m going to leave ya’ll with a little fashion. This is sort of my low-key look. Yeah I know, low key, haha this is still dressing up for most people that go to school where I do. I just will never get into the lazy look. Its just not me. Anyways the top is forever21, pants are macys, boots are DSW, and scarf is JcPenneys. I paired it with a black leather jacket from Urban Outfitters for when I went to class.

 Hope everyone had a wonderful Wednesday and thanks again to Jenn for allowing me to shamelessly whore out my blog through WIAW!