Savory & Sweet Party Mix {Recipe ReDux}

It's been a busy month for us as we're getting used to the third member of our family (fourth if you count our dog Albert!). I'm sure it's been busy for many of you as you prepare for the holiday season, attend parties, and get together with family/friends. I still found time to take part in this month's ReDux by cooking while my mother-in-law had time with our little one.

The theme for this month was Grab a Book & Cook! It’s the end of the year and we’re taking a moment to reflect: ReDux has been around for 42 months! (Can you believe some of you have ReDux-ed 42 recipes?) To celebrate, we’re playing a little party game this month: Grab your nearest cookbook and ReDux the recipe on page 42 or 142. We can’t wait to see the books you’re cooking from these days – and how you make that recipe healthier.

I haven't taken part in all 42 months, and this was a unique challenge since I go on-line for many recipes and have a lot of healthy cookbooks, so the recipes didn't need much tweaking. I grabbed a cocktail cookbook since I'm not currently consuming alcohol, so I thought that would be a good way to change a recipe. As it turned out, there wasn't a recipe on page 42, but the one on page 142 was for party mix (not a drink), but I thought that was quite timely (and something I've never made before), so that's the one I chose! The book is Winter Cocktails by Maria Del Mar Sacasa and was a gift from a couple of our friends.

Savory Mix
Ingredients
4 cups Crispix cereal
2.5 cups air popped popcorn
1/4 cup butter
1 cup almonds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Put oven rack to upper-middle position and preheat to 250F.

2. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and toast almonds for about 5 minutes (until starting to brown).

3. In a large bowl combine cereal, popcorn, and almonds.

4. Melt butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, paprika, mustard powder, salt, and pepper. Cook until fragrant (about 1 minute), then stir in Worcestershire sauce.

5. Pour spice mixture over cereal mixture and mix with rubber spatula to distribute. Pour into a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes (stirring every 15 minutes).

6. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Sweet Mix
Ingredients
4 cups Crispix cereal
2.5 cups air popped popcorn
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 cup butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves

Directions

1. Put oven rack to upper-middle position and preheat to 250F.

2. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and toast cashews for about 5 minutes (until starting to brown).

3. In a large bowl combine cereal, popcorn, and nuts.

4. Melt butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat and continue cooking until the solids turn brown and sink to the bottom (about 6-8 minutes). Stir in sugar, spices, and salt.

5. Pour spice mixture over cereal mixture and mix with rubber spatula to distribute. Pour into a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes (stirring every 15 minutes).

6. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Happy partying!
See below for other dietitians' page 42 reduxes

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


   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

PB & B Balls {Recipe ReDux}

We're already more than half way through August and for some people that means the start of packing lunches again. For others, lunches are packed all year round and you might just need a change or something fun and exciting.

This month's Recipe ReDux theme is:
Bars & Bites for Brown Bags
Whether you pack your lunch in a bento box, a brown bag or a retro cartoon character lunch box, don’t forget the bars and bites. Small squares or round bites can pack nutrition into a sweet or savory taste. Show us your favorite way to jazz up any type of lunch box.

Since I work from home most days, I don't really pack a lunch box. I do however like to keep things around for my husband to pack and for when I need to grab a quick snack. I prefer to make things from scratch so that I know the ingredients and I also love spending time in my kitchen.

You may have noticed or made various 'energy bites' or 'power balls' over the last few years as these bite size treats have gained popularity. They are something I've made in cooking sessions with athletes and at home. I don't tend to make bars as often, but have recently tried two different hemp based bars which were great to add some variety. These little bites can pack a nutritional punch depending on the nuts, seeds, fruit, dried fruit, and other add-ins you choose to try. They can also be calorie dense, but I find the protein, fat, and fibre are great to help fill the gap between meals.

Feeling a bit nostalgic, I wanted to combine two of my favourite childhood favourites: peanut butter and banana. For whatever reason, we used to call pb and banana sandwiches, 'peanut butter and sardine sandwiches' - I don't think I even knew what sardines were at the time, but it was a fun nickname for a quick and basic snack/lunch. Depending on where you're sending these snacks, you may have to swap the peanut butter for a seed butter.

PB & B Balls
Ingredients
1 ripe banana, peeled
1/2 cup dates (about 12)
1/4 cup natural peanut butter (or almond butter or seed butter)
3-4 Tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup + 1 cup rolled oats
1/8 cup hemp hearts

Directions 
1. Combine banana, dates, peanut butter, 1 Tbsp coconut, 1/2 cup oats, and hemp hearts in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
2. Place remaining 1 cup of oats in a medium bowl and add the processed ingredients. Gently mix (with a spatula or your hands) to combine and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
3. Place 2-3 Tbsp of coconut on a plate. Remove mixture from refrigerator. Form mixture into 16-18 balls and roll in coconut. Return to fridge for storage and enjoy!

What are you packing to keep your lunch box interesting? Check out other ReDuxer ideas below.

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

An InLinkz Link-up

Smart Summer Snacking

As we start August today and celebrate a summer long weekend, I thought I'd put down a few snacking tips. In my experience, people eat differently on weekends compared to during the work week (and that could mean they eat more OR less healthy). The summer can add another challenge as people may head away from home on road trips or to a cabin/cottage or campsite. Each location can have an impact on what and when you're eating and drinking. It's also common for people to have a reduced appetite when the weather gets warmer and of course, even more important that you remember to hydrate yourself.

Yes, summer may mean barbeques and happy hours, but it doesn't have to be all hot dogs, chips, and beer, especially if you're being mindful, enjoying a variety of foods in moderation, and working on new goals/habits. As usual, it starts with a little preparation:

• pack healthy road trip snacks and water bottles
• chop fruit and veggies at home to reduce prep time at the cabin/cottage
• pick up healthy groceries so you have options when you look in the fridge/pantry
• bring snacks to people's homes/lakes so that you know there will at least be one thing healthy to choose from

Timing of intake can also change when you're away from home. Perhaps you stay up later, sleep in longer, and start the day with a large breakfast or brunch. You may not feel like you need a mid-day meal ('lunch'), but you also don't want to be starving and reaching for cheesies before supper.

Snacks can help us get from meal to meal, but they don't have to keep us full all day (I prefer if we avoid fullness and learn to achieve satisfaction anyway); they're meant to help us get important nutrients, hydrate us, keep our energy up, and fill the gaps when meals are far apart. Homemade bars, energy bites/balls, smoothies, muffins, and of course vegetables and fruit are both tasty and can be made/prepped ahead of time.

Lately I've baked a few snack items and have frozen them so that we have lots of variety available and I don't have to turn on the oven when it's really hot and humid out. I try to enjoy seasonal flavours (peaches, nectarines, berries, etc.) which means that the snacks in our house change all year round.

A few that I've tried recently or have been in our routine include:

•  peanut butter banana roll ups (an easy staple)
• strawberry, mango, sorrel smoothie (with sorrel from our CSA: PayDirt Farms)
• saskatoon berry, red river cereal muffins (adapted from Canadian Family; with berries I picked with a friend at our local Berry Barn)
• hemp bars (from my new roots; thanks to a sample box I received from Rocky Mountain Grain Products)
• frozen grapes (great on a hot day)
• chocolate cranberry balls (from elana's pantry; used in an athlete session; great to curb a sweet craving)
• carrots and celery with hummus
• spring rolls with vegetables and chicken or shrimp

 What have you been snacking on this summer?

Enjoy your weekend and make mindful snack choices!

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

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

An InLinkz Link-up

Pistachio Pairing Contest {ReDux}

This is my first entry into a Recipe Redux contest! As a Canadian member of the monthly recipe challenge, I am not always able to compete in American contests. I think it's a great one to wet my feet, because it's pairings. Having recently been to Napa and Sonoma in California, I am intrigued by pairings and I am very interested in mindfulness, which plays right into the idea of savouring flavours and enjoying how different foods and beverages compliment each other.

Please note: 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 nuts and they are a great little snack (or a bit of crunch) to get you through a busy day.  In-shell pistachios are a great one for mindfulness because you have evidence (the shell) of how many you've consumed. The Pistachio Health Institute also notes that pistachios have more nuts per serving than any other nut snack (1 oz = 49 nuts! or about 30 for 100 calories).

I'm hoping to submit multiple entries since I have lots of ideas, but this contest only runs until Sunday! For my first pairing, I created a sweet, salty, crunchy, refreshing, and indulgent pairing the Asian Inspired CranBacon Cheese Ball and Crackers.

In-shell pistachios + CranBacon Cheese Ball + rice crackers + iced green tea

To make this pairing, combine 100g of chevre (goat cheese) with about 3 Tbsp of bacon bits (save a strip or two from your Sunday bacon and eggs and chop finely) and 3 Tbsp of chopped dried cranberries. Form into 6 small balls with your hands.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.  

To make the tea, add 3 cups of boiled water (let it sit a few minutes after boiling) to 2 green tea bags in a pitcher.  Steep for about 4 minutes, remove the teabags and add 3-4 cups of cold water.  Refrigerate or add ice cubes to get desired coolness.  

To serve, plate about 10 in-shell pistachios with 3-4 plain rice crackers, 1 cheese ball, and a glass of iced green tea, enjoy! 

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

An InLinkz Link-up

Souper Bowl Sunday

Important sporting events, like festive holidays, can be a time to consume delicious and sometimes indulgent foods.  I've discussed the snacks that will be offered with a few of my clients, and sometimes we don't know because we get to be the guest at someone's gathering. 

True to form, I suggest planning ahead (perhaps even setting a few goals), and being mindful.  This may be a rare occasion where you enjoy the game and wings, but you also want to make sure to keep your health in focus.   

A few things to keep in mind:

• eat healthy and wholesome foods for breakfast and lunch since the game is in the evening this year
• earlier in the day make sure to consume foods that may not be available at kickoff (you know what I mean...get in those veggies!)
• decide what your 'treat' will be and savour it (take a few wings at a commercial break and really taste the flavours)
• don't let the game distract you from realizing how much you've eaten
• move away from the food; if it's tempting you because it's right in front of you, then you're more likely to overdo it
• enjoy an item that isn't part of your usual routine (or even better, share it so that you get a taste, but have room for other things)
• pay attention to your liquid calories (alcohol, pop) since they won't fill you up the same and make sure to sip on water too
• bring a healthy snack if you're a guest, that way you know there's at least one dish that fits within your goals
• take time to be active, not just an armchair coach
• don't stress about it, and be sure to get back on track Monday morning

Taking a page out of a friend's book, you could also have a Souper Bowl party and include vegetables, legumes, lean meats, and whole grains in your entree.  I recently had a nostalgic craving for grilled cheese and tomato soup.  I tried Jamie Oliver's recipe and really enjoyed it (see my adaptation below):

Serves 6-8   Approx time: 45   Difficulty: super easy

Ingredients

• 2 carrots, peeled & chopped
• 2 sticks celery, sliced
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 7 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 796ml can diced unsalted tomatoes
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 small bunch fresh basil
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Method

To make your soup:
Put a large pan on medium heat and add olive oil. Add all your chopped and sliced ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes with the lid askew, until the carrots have softened but are still holding their shape, and the onion is lightly golden.

Heat the broth, then add to the large pan of vegetables with your tomatoes (canned and fresh). Give it a good stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on. Meanwhile, pick your basil leaves.

To serve your soup:
Remove the pan from the heat. Season with salt and pepper and add the basil leaves. Using a hand blender pulse the soup until smooth. Season again (as necessary) before dividing between your serving bowls.

I love making soups for weekday lunches and the basil was a great flavour in this one.

What are your Super Bowl plans?

Cheers,
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

Green is the colour...

Whether you've just jumped on the band wagon, have been a fan all year, or just enjoy tuning in for the grey cup - there is sure to be some sitting and snacking this Sunday.  Don't let it be an excuse; turn it into an opportunity.  Think of the example you're setting for young sports fans and the health goal(s) you're working on.  It's a unique situation because we watch these great athletes fight to be the champion, but often as an armchair coach.  With kick off around supper time, be sure to fit in a quality breakfast, lunch, and some exercise before you settle in for the evening.

True to form, I think of holidays or special occasions and what the food theme can be. Rather than chips and dip, pizza, chicken wings, nachos, etc. why not challenge yourself to a green theme? Depending on the spirit in your workplace you might have had a Rider pride day this week already and perhaps you've already been thinking about healthy green foods (good for you!).

Put on that thinking cap and get green:

• guacamole with veggies or whole wheat pitas (you can crisp them up in the oven)
• veggies (celery, broccoli, green peppers, snap peas, cucumber) and a greek yogurt dip or cottage cheese
• fruit (honey dew melon, kiwi, green grapes, granny smith apples) and part skim mozzarella cheese
• roasted or steamed edamame
• green smoothies
• spinach salad
• feta and spinach frittata
• kale chips
• lentil potato spinach soup

What are you serving on grey cup Sunday?

Go Riders!
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

Sip and Snack Swaps

With holiday season soon upon us, the time for hot beverages, sweet/salty/crunchy snacks and cuddling up with a warm blanket in front of the TV has begun. The cold weather brings holiday drinks such as eggnog, hot chocolate, lattes and mochas and the parties bring sweet, salty and crunchy treats. It is important to be aware of these treats and drinks as they can pack a bunch of calories into a day. Many people are not aware of the amount of liquid calories consumed at the holiday time, but when a 16 oz. eggnog latte from Starbucks has 470 calories, it is something we need to start paying attention to. There is a place for beverages such as these in your diet. However, they should be consumed in smaller serving sizes and only occasionally. As well some of the traditional treats can be consumed but there are great alternatives out there to subdue the cravings for these snacks.

Try some of these alternative drinks this season when planning a party.

1. Fruity tea soda instead of a soft drink or flavored soda 

• To make this steep two tea bags of your favourite herbal tea in 3 cups of boiling water (we used Tetley's Mint Mojito - pictured above). Chill. Add 1 cup sparkling mineral or soda water. You will have an instant fizzy drink with close to no sugar

2. Citrus water instead of fruit juice 

• Mix a teaspoon of lemon or lime juice with 8 oz. of water to have a refreshing drink without the sugar and calories from fruit juice. Try using a water bowl instead of a punch bowl at the next party you host. 

3. Herbal tea instead of eggnog, hot chocolate, lattes and mochas.

• Consider picking up the holiday flavors of teas to have instead of having the sugar sweetened, high fat beverages. If you do go for the other beverages try a skinny version or get the drink with half the sweetness.

...more examples

Try some of these healthy snacks to curb the salty, crunchy or sweet cravings that come along with the holiday season:

• Cheesy Kale Chips - Tear kale leaves into large pieces and arrange on a baking sheet. Spritz with olive oil and bake in a 350°F oven until crisp. While still warm, sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan cheese (check out our past post and Today I Ate a Rainbow's video).
  
• Five-spice pumpkin seeds - Toss salted pumpkin seeds with sesame oil and Chinese five-spice powder; bake at 350°F until crisp.
  
• Buffalo popcorn - Toss air-popped popcorn with olive oil, chili powder, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese (how to make your own microwave popcorn)
  
• Chickpea poppers - Drain and rinse canned chickpeas, then dry them with a paper towel. Spritz with extra-virgin olive oil, season with dried oregano and garlic powder, and roast at 400°F until crisp (read more).
  
• Banana cream pie - Spread graham crackers with vanilla fat-free Greek yogurt, then top with a handful of banana slices and a sprinkle of ground flaxseed. (Read the label to make sure you stick to one serving of graham crackers.)
  
• Grapefruit Brule - Transform a simple grapefruit into something decadent: Halve it; drizzle each half with a little dark honey (use concentrated sweets sparingly), and broil until bubbly.

...more examples of sweet, salty, crunchy treats

 

Remember, there will be temptations at every holiday party you go to. If you focus on good choices most of the year, treats at the holiday season can fit in to a balanced diet. Just spend more time choosing the better option and don’t over indulge when you do have some treats. Enjoy the holiday season and stay warm this winter!

Kaitlyn Kwasney, Dietetic Intern

for Stephanie Langdon, RD

something nutrishus counselling & coaching

www.nutrishus.com