Need Mustard? You Must!

One of my clients is SaskMustard, so I've been learning lots about this spice/condiment/ingredient and it's been on my mind more loately. I was fortunate to be the recipient of Epicure's new mustards, but that also means that two lucky readers/followers will be too (keep reading...).

On May 1, Epicure launched four certified organic, gluten-free varieties made with Canadian mustard seed - Sweet & Spicy, Honey Mustard (made with Canadian honey), Pale Ale Whole-Grain and Stout Stoneground. My home province, Saskatchewan, produces about 70% of Canada's mustard and is a world leader in mustards exports (we're not just the 'bread basket' or wheat province; pulses grow here too!). I also love being able to try products with Canadian ingredients and from my colleagues (thanks Epicure and Crystal!).

I of course had to try them all before I could post this giveaway!

We had the Stout Stoneground with cheese, arugula, and spinach on smokies, because I figured I needed to try at least one in a 'hotdog' type of situation.

I tried the Pale Ale Whole-Grain on a pita with leftover chicken and leafy greens.

My daughter and I enjoyed the Sweet & Spicy with tilapia and a side of roasted zucchini and potatoes.

The Honey Mustard was used as a glaze on pork tenderloin, served with mashed potatoes and salad.

There are many ways I plan to continue to try these products - on sandwiches, for vinaigrettes, and if I'm adventurous, perhaps even in baking! They paired really well with proteins and potatoes. I thought it was nice to have different textures and of course the different flavours add a little something different and a little punch.

So...how do you enter?

'Like' the image below on my instagram feed and tag a friend (my husband always says food tastes better when you share). The giveaway ends at 11:59pm MT today (May 26th). I figured since it's National Salad Month, National BBQ Month, and National Hamburger Month, you should enjoy these before May is over!

Two (2) lucky individuals (that's you and your friend), will win four (4) Epicure mustards to enjoy this Spring/Summer.

Best wishes!

Cheers,

Steph

*Disclosure, Epicure provided me with 4 mustards to try and 4 mustards to giveaway. I work with SaskMustard. Opinions are my own.

Bruschetta Salad {ReDux}

July 21 and I'm ready with my ReDux post! For once, I was actually organized (I typically am, this mom thing just makes things harder!). This month's theme was Fresh from the Garden -The season of bountiful produce has arrived. Whether your produce comes from the Farmers Market, a CSA share, or a plot of dirt out back, show how you are using fresh July fruits or veggies. And if you have gardening successes – or failures – please share!

We just moved into our house in June, and the yard will likely be next year's project, so I don't have a garden of my own. I'm also not sure if I have a green thumb, but I have some in my social circles (hence the garden fresh basil in this recipe - thanks Jolene!). I have been enjoying Canadian grown summer fruit (cherries, nectarines) and picked fresh Saskatoon berries at our lake, but right away, my thoughts went to tomatoes for this post.

I love a good, garlicky bruschetta, but I also enjoy salads this time of year - I mean, do you really want to heat up the house with the stove?! So, a combo was my end goal. I made croutons, which I usually don't, because I think of bruschetta with a crispy bread. I also left some options depending on if you're using this as a side dish or an entree, or if you're not a big fan of onion, for example.

Bruschetta Salad

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

salad

4 ripe, roma tomatoes, de-seeded and diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

2-4 cups of fresh spinach, washed and torn

1/4 cup feta, crumbled

1-2 Tbsp red onion, diced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper, to taste

croutons (optional)

1 1/2 cups bread, cubed (I used leftover multigrain artisan bread)

1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Croutons: Heat oven to 375F. Drizzle 1/2 Tbsp olive oil on baking sheet. Add cubed bread, drizzle remaining 1/2 Tbsp and lightly toss to coat. Make sure bread is spread out. Place in pre-heated oven and bake for about 6 minutes, or until golden brown. Check and shake pan about every 2 minutes for even cooking.

2. Let croutons cool.

3. Combine salad ingredients and toss. Add olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

4. Mix in croutons and serve.

So simple, so flavourful, and a recipe I will definitely be making again!

See below for other garden inspired ideas and enjoy the rest of your summer! 

Steph Langdon, RD

something nutrishus

www.nutrishus.com

An InLinkz Link-up

Spring Clean-spiration

With the most recent ReDux challenge on my mind, I started sifting through my cupboards. You might also be in a bit of a 'spring clean' mood/mode in your kitchen. I know my mom said she was working her way through a few things in her freezer. I took a look at my pantry and spices. I often look for recipe inspiration in my own kitchen and then perhaps google ingredients to see what I can try together. It's not only a great way to clean, but also to help with meal planning, and budgeting.

Source: HealthLine

I found some freekeh (young green wheat; an ancient grain) in my cupboard and decided to be brave and try it. I also have wheat berries that I've been meaning to use, and the two are very similar. Of course, I followed the cooking directions and my husband asked "what did you cook it in?" and I said "water" to which I think he was a bit disappointed, but we had mushroom pork in the slow cooker and peas to go along, so I think in the end he was satisfied with the flavours. He's perhaps more adventurous with spices and experimenting in the kitchen. I love my time in the kitchen, but I tend to be more of a baker (which my monthly foodie group could attest to), so I'm more of a rule follower (in life as well!).

Oats, pasta, rice, and tortillas are probably the grains we see more often in our kitchen, with the occasional quinoa, bulgar, barley, bread, pitas, English muffins, bagels, or naan. I enjoy big batch cooking to help us through our busy days. I sometimes make granola, spiced oatmeal, overnight oats, or breakfast quinoa to get us through a few rushed mornings. I think it's a great reminder that grains can be both savory or sweet. I also attempt to add them to salads; I've had many great salads with rice, quinoa, bulgar, pasta, and wheat berries, but it's not really in my repertoire yet. I just think it's a great way to make a salad into a meal, which I find many people do in the spring and summer months. There are many whole grains to play around with - check out this A to Z list for inspiration.

I just tried a lentil granola recipe since some of my clean-spiration is also motivated by new recipes I've come across recently. One recipe on my 'to-make' list this spring/summer is Tropical Breakfast Couscous.
What have you found in your cupboard or what's on your 'to-make' list right now?

Enjoy the sunshine!
Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com

Moisture Removal {Recipe ReDux}

It's been a busy week here with presentations, renovations, and travel. Unfortunately, being out of my kitchen for renovationss means that I don't have a new recipe to share for this month's theme. I still wanted to share the links so you can see what my fellow dietitians are up to and figured I would mention some of my favourite ways to use dehydrated or dried foods. I must admit, because I often work with athletes, I think about fluid needs when I hear the word 'dehydration'.

This month's theme is:
Get Your Dehydrator On
Whether it’s extra garden bounty or a sale at the supermarket – dehydrating food is a budget-friendly way to stock up for later. You can use a food dehydrator, a low slow oven, or natural sunshine to preserve natural healthfulness. Show us how you like to dehydrate, or a healthy recipe for how you enjoy using dehydrated fruits, veggies or other bounty.

A food dehydrator is a kitchen appliance that I don't have, but I have used a low slow oven (for my dried ginger and orange slices) for past ReDux posts and often have dried fruit around for use in energy bites, muffins, bars, granola, etc. Food preservation (ie. canning) is something I haven't really ventured into (yet); so perhaps that will be a goal for next year! Summer is also coming to an end here in Saskatchewan, so I will have to get myself organized and try using sunshine to preserve veggies and fruit next July/August. I do like the idea of being able to enjoy summer's bounty all year round though!

I haven't fully explored the world of dehydrated food, or spent a lot of time in nature requiring compact, long lasting food. However, I have purchased sundried tomatoes a few times for use in egg dishes, pasta, etc. and the flavour is great. Last summer, our foodie group had a night themed "Everything Rolled" and one member made veggie roll ups/jerky - it was very tasty and packed with flavour. My husband also likes to occasionally treat himself to some beef jerky and I have athletes that need shelf stable items to leave in their gym bag or locker. Thus, whether it's a taste or texture you're looking for, an alternative to store-bought fruit snacks, or an emergency stash, there are many times when dehydrated foods can help you out. Since the water is removed, the sugar and calories are concentrated, so remember to practice portion control with dehydrated/dried food. You can read more about the nutritional value, storing, and uses for dried fruit on EatRight Ontario.

One kitchen tool I've been waiting for cool weather to use is the tagine I received for my birthday. Many of the recipes call for dried fruit, so this will be a new way for me to try using these sweet ingredients - I'll keep you posted on my tagine experiments!

Have you dehydrated fruit or veggies? What do you like to do with them?

Check out the great ideas below.
Cheers,
Steph

An InLinkz Link-up

Using Your Garden Goods

I enjoy situations that cause me to be creative and find new ways to use ingredients. This year that inspiration has come from our CSA PayDirt farms. We have received 4 deliveries of locally grown, organic produce so far this year and I have whipped up a variety of new dishes in the kitchen to enjoy the fresh ingredients. We split a share with my brother-in-law and his fiance since we both only have 2 mouths to feed and want to make sure we're able to use everything up. These situations challenge me, because like most people I have my go to items from the grocery store. I do try to combine them in different ways, but this year I've had more chard and mustard greens than I knew what to do with!

As summer sadly comes to an end and gardens are emptied I also like to enjoy the flavours of the changing seasons. Seeing different items at the market or store can also serve as an inspiration; I know I've been enjoying as many peaches and nectarines as I can before they're gone. Earlier this summer that also included cherries and berries, and now corn on the cob is out in abundance.

I also use social settings to test out new recipes and will cook in big batches to get us through a busy work week. Needless to say, there are lots of outside influences when it comes to what is created in my kitchen. We do have our standard favourites, but I like to think that we get a good amount of variety as well.

A few recipes that I've used lately and wanted to share include breaded green beans and a new take on potato salad.

The green beans were adapted from for the love of cooking as they were baked and most recipes involved frying.  I brought them to a potluck and they disappeared; I will definitely make them again. I posted the picture below on my instagram feed and someone asked for the recipe, so here it is...

Baked Breaded Green Beans
Ingredients
1-2 lbs of green beans, washed and ends trimmed
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 cup bread crumbs
spices (I used a smoked paprika, garlic, chili, and chives blend that I had)
2-3 Tbsp vegetable oil
salt and pepper
4 Tbsp mayo
2 tsp soya sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp sriracha sauce

Directions
1. Combine  2 Tbsp mayo with soya sauce and garlic - set aside. Combine remaining 2 Tbsp mayo with sriracha - set aside.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush with 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil. Preheat oven to 425F.
3. In a small bowl make a milk bath with your egg and milk. In a separate bowl combine bread crumbs, spices, and salt and pepper.
4. Dip beans in egg bath and crumb mixture; place in a single layer on baking sheet.
5. Drizzle remaining oil over beans and bake for 13-15 minutes.
6. Serve immediately with dipping sauces.

-----

The Creamy Cucumber and Grilled Potato Salad recipe comes from Food & Wine and was the dish I took to my August foodie group evening. Our theme was grilled food and I picked up my ingredients from our local farmer's market. It was a hit and is also a recipe I will make again.

What have you been inspired to try or create this summer?

Enjoy your garden goods while they last!
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

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

Grilled Fruit Chia Pudding {Recipe ReDux}

I hope you're been enjoying a great July so far and all the flavours of the season. This month's ReDux theme is A Spirited ReDux:
From plain Jane vanilla extract to fancy-pants elderflower liqueur, we like to keep a little liquor in the kitchen. Show us how you like to cook, bake or mix-it-up with spirits, extracts and other alcohols. A splash of vodka makes summer sauces shine – and liqueurs brighten desserts: What’s your healthy recipe with spirit?

 

I was inspired to combine grilled fruit and chia pudding since I enjoy fruit and chia with yogurt on a regular basis. Grilling allows you to spend time outside and brings out the sweetness of fruit.

 

Last summer we had a delicious grilled pineapple dessert made by a dear friend, and at a foodie night I think it was a cajun/creole theme) we enjoyed bananas foster - these were the flavours I was thinking of for this recipe. I wanted to make something 'summery' and somewhat healthy. You can definitely play around with the spices and spirits used in the chia pudding and try different fruit on your grill.

 

Grilled Fruit Chia Pudding
Makes: 4-8 servings (depending on portion size)

Ingredients 
Pudding
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup chia seeds
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp almond extract

Fruit
oil for grilling
2 peaches, cut in half, pit removed, and sliced again to create 8 circular pieces
1 pineapple, cut into 1/2" slices (you should get 4-6 slices)
2 bananas, peeled, cut in half length-wise and width-wise for 8 slices

Directions 
1. Prepare the chia pudding the night before you plan to use it. Combine all pudding ingredients. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Wash and slice fruit as above. Heat barbeque to medium heat and brush lightly with oil. Place sliced fruit on grill (as much as you can fit). Turn 45 degrees after appropriate cooking time (below) to get nice grill marks. Then flip once, grill, and turn 45 degrees. Remove from heat.
       Grill times: peaches 2-3 minutes (8-12 total), pinepple 3-4 minutes (12-16 total), banana 1-2 minutes (4-8 total)
3. Place fruit in 4-8 dishes. Remove chia pudding from fridge, stir, and spoon over top. Enjoy!

This is great as a dessert or as leftovers for breakfast. As always, see below for fabulous recipes from other reduxers.

Happy grilling, happy summer!
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

An InLinkz Link-up

Community and Creativity

This summer we're taking part in our first CSA (community supported agriculture) and receiving organic, heirloom vegetables from PayDirt Farm.

We've had one delivery so far and get our next one tonight, so I figured I better get posting! In our first one we received: spinach (3 varieties: Monstrueux de Viroflay, Nobel Giant & Gigante D'Inverno), radishes (2 varieties: purple plum & long scarlet Cincinnati radish), lettuces (3 varieties: Merlot, Merville de Quatre Saison & Vivian), chard (2 varieties: rainbow & Bright Lights - both colourful chard) and a bunch of onion chives. Just like when we received the CHEP Good Food Box in the past, I find it's always exciting to get items I might not typically purchase and then find recipes to use everything up.

I found lots of great recipes to try and shared some of our lettuces as well. Since we are only 2 adults in our household (which is why we're getting a 1/2 share), I also had to be creative and made a few big batches to freeze so that we can continue to enjoy these vegetables in the future. I made a pot of my New Year's Eve soup with chorizo from Pine View Farms, and a spinach soup from Farmgirl Fare that we now have as lunch leftovers from the freezer. I discovered that I prefer a creamier spinach soup or something more hearty - lesson learned.

I also made a swiss chard with raisins and pine nuts side dish that we enjoyed with grilled parmesan zucchini and shrimp. I 'failed' at feta, red pepper, and spinach quinoa bites in that they became squares as I couldn't get them to hold a bite/ball shape (I added a few bread crumbs, but decided squares would suffice).

I also made a crustless quiche with spinach and mushrooms, I find it's a great supper one night and breakfast the next, and we always have eggs in our fridge, so it's an easy dish for me to throw together and a great way to include more vegetables.

I served a lentil, swiss chard (in place of kale), and barley salad at the lake on the weekend and it was delicious, I will definitely make it again. It was also a great way to use some barley which I often have sitting in the pantry for addition to a soup in the fall/winter.

We enjoyed a variety of salads and sandwich type items with our lettuces and shared the fragrant and flavourful chives with my parents on baked potatoes.

Needless to say, I've been busy in the kitchen (which I love) and I still have lots to share with you. I look forward to posting our upcoming CSA vegetables and how I decide to use them in my kitchen.

Are you gardening, going to a local farmer's market, or participating in a food delivery or CSA program this year? 

Share in the comment section to help others know what's available, what's possible, and what you like to create this time of year.

To your health & happiness!

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

4 Ways to Chill Out

We are experiencing a few hot days of summer and for many people that means no motivation to cook.  Who wants to heat up the house by turning on the oven anyway?  The heat can also affect your appetite and means that you need to stay hydrated.  Try to hydrate with water or dilute your 100% juice with soda water so that you're not staying cool with a lot of extra sugar.

When it's hot you may seek coolness in the basement, air conditioned house, movie theatre, mall, or swimming pool.  Being out and about may mean grabbing food away from home, and it can be very tempting to go out to eat when you're too hot to cook.  You can make some wise choices eating out, but you can also chill out at home with a little planning and preparation.

1) Use proteins that don't need to be heated.

• tuna salad
• greek yogurt dip 
• get familiar with canned legumes (rinse before using): greek lentil salad
• sprinkle nuts and seeds onto a salad

2)  Make extra when it's not as hot (in the morning or evening)

• leftover quinoa, rice, couscous, bulgar, or pasta for a salad tonight or tomorrow
• leftover chicken or beef for a barbequed quesadilla or soft taco
• hard boiled eggs for salads or sandwiches

3) Cook outside (to avoid the heat indoors)

• enjoy the sun while you grill vegetables
• do potatoes or corn on the barbeque for a quick starch
• create skewers with a variety of vegetables and proteins
• grill fruit for dessert

 4) Spice things up

• many of the hottest countries have the spiciest food (think Thai curry, Jamaican jerk, etc.) - the spice gets you sweating which in turn helps your body to cool down

You can also stay hydrated and cool off with juice watermelon, cucumber slices, and frozen grapes.  Many people enjoy gazpacho (cold soup) with different fruits and vegetables as well.  Dietitians of Canada has a refreshing fruit gazpacho dessert you can try or use for inspiration.

What are you consuming when it's hot out?

We enjoyed leftover vegetable and bean salad with quinoa the other night for a light, quick, and cold supper.  I also tend to go towards black beans, avocado, onions, corn, tomatoes, etc. for a quick salad.

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

Incredible Edible

wedge salad

It's hot and humid and you don't feel like turning the stove on.  You want to enjoy the sunny evening and not be a slave to your kitchen.  Based on past experience, the idea of a salad may not excite you anymore.  However, with a few new combinations or ingredients, you can create a very tasty dish. 

Take advantage of local leafy greens and herbs and have fun adding different toppings for different flavours and textures (crunchy, soft, etc.).  Whether you're making a side salad or an entree, challenge yourself to pick and mix a new recipe.  As Jamie Oliver says "There are no rules, just start picking and mixing. Even using just 3 or 4 ingredients will give you a salad that rocks."

In Jamie's Food Revolution cookbook he provides a chart to guide you to pick a soft and a crunchy lettuce, herbs, veggies, cheese, and toppings such as seeds and nuts. You can see a visual of the chart on Jamie's Home Cooking Skills. 

Ingredients

• a soft ingredient
• a crunchy ingredient
• a herby ingredient
• a veg
• a cheese
• a topping
• your favourite dressing
• sea salt and black pepper

To make your pick-and-mix salad

1. Choose an ingredient from each

2. Wash and spin dry the soft and crunchy leaves
3. Pick the herby leaves off their stalks, discarding the stalks
4. Finely slice or peel the veg and shave, tear or crumble up the cheese
5. Toss everything together in a large bowl
6. Dress simply with your favourite salad dressing and season with a good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed 

7. Divide the salad between your serving bowls and sprinkle over your chosen topping

salad wrap

I also really like Jamie's 'chopped salads' and will throw together a variety of veggies and chop away.  We often dress our salads with some variation of olive oil, vinegar, spices, and pepper.  Recently at a friend's house for supper we had two beautiful salads (one from the host and one that we brought).  They were very different and equally delicious.  Think outside the salad bowl and try a lettuce wrap or a wedge salad.

Perhaps you even have a garden outside that can be your inspiration tonight or have a few fresh herbs left to experiment with.  As you know I think it's great to include children (and teens or partners) in meal planning or preparation - so ask them to choose a cheese, vegetable, and/or topping and see what you can create!

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

6 Tips for Summer Snacking

I wanted to share some of the tips I discussed with Jeremy Dodge on Saskatoon's CTV Morning Live this morning.  We discussed summer snacking since school is out and perhaps structure is gone.  Your children may be used to recess snacks and a packed lunch at noon, but now they're home and could end up nibbling all day and consuming potentially unnecessary calories.  Create a routine so that they know when snacks and meals will happen. 

Snacking can be done in a healthful way and can help children (and adults) meet their daily requirements.

1. Stock the kitchen with a variety of containers (ziploc bags, skewers, tackle box/craft kits, popsicle molds, etc.), slicers (mandolin, cookie cutters, etc.) and of course, food!

2. Portion out their snacks (and even their lunch) so that they can grab something quickly when they get hungry.  They'll eat whatever is easy, so make that a healthy choice.

3. Involve them in the process (grocery shopping, washing produce, portioning snacks, etc.) to peak their interest and perhaps increase their consumption.  Give them a drawer in the fridge and/or shelf in the pantry for their snacks.

Tackle box snack

4. Choose wisely so that snacks hit on the items your child (or you) tend to be low in (typically this is vegetables, fruit, and calcium containing proteins).  Include a variety of items and aim to have carbohydrate, lean protein, and healthy fats.

5.Hydrate with water instead of sugary beverages.  Fluids should be part of a snack as children may not notice their thirst and if they're outdoors on a hot/humid day and/or very active, hydration is even more important.  Let them choose the water flavour by adding orange slices, lemon slices, lime slices, mint leaves, or frozen berries.

6. Have fun and get creative with snacks such as celery canoes or ziploc butterflies.  Check out my Pinterest board: Fun with Food for more ideas and feel free to share your tips/suggestions.

Whether snacks are for home, camp, or a roadtrip, it can help to give your child a few healthy items to pick from and a fun container to store them.  That also makes your life easier when you're trying to focus on the road and they're hungry.

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

Summer Splurges

Saskatoon's summer festivals continue.  My husband and I roamed around the Saskatoon Fringe Festival yesterday afternoon.  It was great to see people outside (walking, biking) enjoying the great weather and getting a bit of exercise.  I honestly haven't ever been to one of the shows, but have fun watching the buskers and checking out the booths.  The fringe runs until Saturday (the 11th). 

The Saskatoon Ex starts today for all the ride lovers!  It runs until Sunday (the 12th).  I didn't grow up going to the Ex and have probably only been 3 or 4 times in my life, so it's not really an event I feel I'm missing out on.  I know many people also go for the shows, musicians, and food. 

The food of course is what gets my attention.  Think elephant ears, spudnuts, cotton candy, sausage on a bun, or whatever nostalgic foods remind you of your childhood.  This is where we can get caught eating for psychological reasons, not physical hunger.  As I'm sure you're aware, these foods tend to be high in fat, sugar, salt, or all three (and low or lacking in nutritional value). 

In the same way that I advise having a plan before heading to a Christmas party, it's also a good idea to have a plan before heading into an area full of potentially tempting foods.  I was actually amazed at how many food vendors were out at the fringe!  If this is your one time a year to have an elephant ear, then have it, enjoy it, savour it, and get back to your healthy eating pattern.  Don't deprive yourself, but don't eat half a dozen either!  Decide what you will allow yourself (ie. I'll have 2 items) and stick to that plan.  Make sure you eat before you go so that you're not starving (and more likely to make a less healthy choice), and include vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and low fat protein in your other meals to help reach your daily requirements.

Health Castle has a great post on carnival foods with the take-aways being:

• Don't show up hungry
• Split an order with someone else
• Find a comfortable spot to sit down and enjoy these treats
• Open your eyes to other food possibilities beyond the "traditional" carnival far
• Finally, put it all in context. Indulging in some treats during one visit to the fair probably won't do much harm, but if you are spending a week at an amusement park, "sprinkle out" the treats throughout the visit instead of gobbling them up for every meal. 

So since it's Q's Day, I would like to know:

What is your summer food splurge?

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

Too Hot to Handle?

It's hot out there!  If you're surviving in an air conditioned place then you may not be suffering like some, but you still might not be in the mood to heat up the house.

We went and picked up a second fan for our home yesterday, but I'm avoiding the oven for the time being.  Whether you are overheating indoors, or enjoying the sunshine outside, you may not feel like cooking in the heat.  This is not an excuse to grab the chips and forget about healthy variety.

It's important to stay hydrated, but we can't forget to feed ourselves and keep our metabolisms burning.  You still need your daily dose of nutrient-rich foods.  Since it's Q's Day, today I am asking:

What is your favourite no-cook meal?

I start thinking about proteins that don't need to be heated - beans, chickpeas, canned tuna, cottage cheese, etc.  You can also hard boil some eggs or cook a few extra chicken breasts one night and use leftovers in wraps or salads.  This is also a great time to use leftover pasta, couscous, quinoa, etc. in a salad.

TLC has a few basic tips for chicken or tuna salad:

Open a can, drain the liquid, chop some celery and onions and mix them all together. That's all you need to do to make tuna or chicken salad. Sprinkle with pepper and stir in mayonnaise [or plain yogurt] to hold it all together
If you're in an experimental mood, you can dress up your creation with sliced grapes, chopped apples, pecan bits, pineapple chunks or fresh dill. Serve it on a bed of lettuce for a light, cool treat. For a heartier dinner, place spoonfuls of your meat salad onto pieces of pita bread, or roll it up into a soft tortilla with some bean sprouts for an easy wrap.

CloverLeaf also has some easy and quick recipes (Take 5 - 5 ingredients, 5 minutes) to inspire you.

Share your favourite recipes/tips, mention your challenges, ask questions, or post answers.

Have a great hot day!

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

Fun in the Sun!

It's Q's Day again!  The weather has been beautiful lately which I find puts people in a better mood and gets them thinking about their holiday plans.  I know I am looking forward to some R&R at the lake this summer to recharge my batteries.  Our city is great in the summer.  More people get outdoors and enjoy the riverbank, Meewasin trails, and various festivals.

Tourism Saskatoon has a great list of festivals that you can enjoy all year round.  I know I'll wander around during the Jazz Festival, check out Taste of Saskatchewan (how can a foodie avoid checking it out), and one of my favourites is the Fireworks Festival at the end of August.  Chances are that I'll check out the Fringe, Folkfest, and the BBQ Festival at the Farmer's Market too.

I also love to get out of the city and go camping in the summer; there are just so many things to do and enjoy.  It's great to get outdoors for a beach volleyball game, tennis match, round of disc golf, or a nice walk in the evening.

So today, I want to know:

What are you looking forward to doing this summer?

Nutrition is only one part of health.  It's also important to be active and stress-free in your life, so get out there and do what you enjoy!

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