Pistachio Pairing 2: Toasty Tasty Trio {ReDux}

Yesterday I posted my first pairing, but I warned you that I had a few more ideas up my sleeve. With winter hanging on I was inspired to pair a warm drink with in-shell pistachios and flavoured popcorn - a fun snack for the whole family!

Please note that I received free pistachio samples from the Pistachio Health Institute mentioned in this post. By posting this pairing I am entering a contest sponsored by Pistachio Health Institute and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

I love popcorn, and the air-popper I received years ago for Christmas is put to good use from time to time when I want a light crunch. My husband isn't as big of a popcorn fan, but one night he got creative and came up with a tasty sweet and spicy combination. These flavours pair well with the sweet and saltiness of in-shell pistachios and a cup of hot cocoa.  Popcorn can be a great kid-friendly snack as you can change up the herbs and spices you use to flavour this whole grain choice - everyone can have a chance to experiment!  For this pairing (my Toasty Tasty Trio), I included:

In-shell pistachios + sweet & spicy popcorn + hot cocoa

To make the popcorn, place 1/2 cup of kernels into your air-popper and pop (or do in the microwave or on the stove).  Meanwhile, melt 2 Tbsp of unsalted butter; then add 1 1/2 tsp of chili powder, and 3 tsp of brown sugar.  Stir to combine and drizzle over the popped corn, stir or shake to distribute the flavour.  Serve warm with in-shell pistachios (remembering to keep the shells visible for mindfulness) and a cup of hot cocoa. Hot cocoa on a cold winter day hits the spot for a bit of sweetness and a way to get in a serving of milk or alternatives.

What do you snack on with your pistachios?

Stay warm!
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

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Treating Yourself to the Movies

We went out to a show last night, and no matter how often I go, I am always surprised that almost everyone has popcorn, and/or a drink, and/or other candy. I know we see it as a treat, so again as I always say: MODERATION, VARIETY, and BALANCE. If this is an occasional thing for you it can likely fit into your eating pattern. The thing that concerns me is that people may be choosing the popcorn as a 'healthy' option.

I love popcorn, but the way I love it is at home from my airpopper with a little dash (like 1 tsp) of melted margarine. In this situation, it can be considered a healthy snack - Canada's Food Guide counts 2 cups of plain popcorn as a whole grain choice! It's when we go out and have it covered in fat and salt that the nutritional value goes way down.

I found a great video from ctv from Feb. 2011 with some research results on 3 different theartre's popcorn. They show the calories, fat, and sodium for a size large with and without topping. In comparison, that 2 cups of airpopped popcorn at home has about 62 Calories, 0.7g of fat, and 1mg sodium (caloriecount.about.com). Again, I'm not saying you can never have it, but not too often, or get the small, or share with your partner. When we sit in front of the big screen our attention is on the movie, not how much we're eating, so help yourself out with portion control by getting a smaller size!

Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com