January: National Soup Month

It’s cold outside, and I know I should eat my super-foods, but the last thing I want is a blueberry smoothie or a fresh crisp salad to remind me that it’s not summer. This means it’s time to get creative, or I’ll end up hibernating with my friend mac-&-cheese all winter.

Luckily, January is National Soup Month, and a great time to work some of those super foods into your winter-warming menu.

  

Whole Grains

Whole grains like brown rice, barley, and quinoa are perfect for soups and stews, and can be a hearty low-calorie replacement in recipes that call for pasta. Both barley and quinoahave about 3 grams of dietary fiber per half cup, and brown rice has nearly 2 grams. The additional fiber can help you feel full longer, possibly avoiding the dreadful winter weight gain. Here are some ways to try these grains in soup:

• Mushroom barley soup. This is a no brainer — it goes together like peanut butter and jelly. Trying loading it up with carrots and chickpeas for an even bigger nutritional punch.

• Black bean soup with quinoa. Quinoa only takes about 15 minutes to cook, so you can enjoy this in no time.

• Chicken soup with brown rice – instead of noodles. (Also yummy in vegetable soup.)

Beans

There are millions of soups to be made with beans, peas, and lentils. Packed with protein, fiber, and antioxidants, beans can keep you satiated while helping to prevent chronic disease.

• Try white bean chicken chili, or white bean kale soup.

• Add pureed or mashed white beans instead of flour to thicken potato soup.

• Try adding a can of fat-free refried beans to thicken beef stews or chili.

• Get your luck and money all in one pot, with a black-eyed pea and kale soup.

Veggies and Nuts

• Broccoli is super for its cancer fighting properties. Try a simple and low-fat cream of broccoli soup made with low-fat milk.

• Avocados are rich in healthyfats and can be chopped into tortilla or black bean soup. They are also a nice thickener for stews if pureed.

• For an added crunch, sprinkle heart-healthy chopped walnuts or pistachios on top of individual bowls.

At Peoria Club Fitness, we have a great selection of soups for the month such as Chicken Jambalaya, Hearty Chicken Sausage with Kale and White Cannellini Beans, Brunswick Stew, Hearty Beef and Barley Stew, Butternut Squash and Apple, and Hearty Tomato Stew with Black-eyed Peas and Turnip Greens to name a few.

Contact Jessy for additional recipes!

What's In Your Pantry?

Does your kitchen pantry work with or against your healthy eating habits? By having a pantry stocked with healthy items, planning and cooking meals and preparing snacks will be easier, making eating wholesome food a breeze. Buy bags and containers that allow you to store food in serving-size portions. Stock up on snack, sandwich and quart-size storage bags, airtight containers, twist ties, and measuring cups of varying sizes.

Breakfast

Oatmeal is a must-have, but move away from the instant variety unless you can find a brand that has no added salt or sugar. Try Quaker Oats’ Old Fashioned Rolled Oats which takes no more than 5 minutes to cook. If oatmeal is not your thing, purchase a whole grain cereal with no added sugar. Shredded wheat is an option, but you can also try Kashi’s Cereal. Adding fresh fruit to oatmeal or cereal is the best way to get a kick of energy-boosting natural sugar. 

Lunch

Store canned tomato products including whole, crushed, diced, or pureed tomatoes. Make your own salsa, pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce instead of buying them prepackaged, which are loaded with sodium. Another item to add to your pantry is low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock for homemade soup. By making your own soups and sauces, you’ll skip the added salt and preservatives, and gain a cleaner, fresher taste in exchange. Also, keep beans of different varieties including black, red kidney, and black eyed peas. If you go canned, be sure to get those with no salt added. You might also add lentils and lima beans into your legume experience. Add these to rice cooked in vegetable stock with a variety of vegetables for a hearty lunch. For a great source of protein, keep salmon and tuna pouches handy as well.

Dinner

Kick the instant rice out of your cupboard and pick the boil-in-a-bag brown rice or quick-cooking barley instead. Some additional whole grains to have are quinoa and bulgur, both of which can be used instead of rice in most recipes. When cooking with oils, extra virgin olive oil and olive oil cooking spray are mainstays. Spray a pastry brush and coat a frying pan to grill vegetables or cook fish or chicken. Use the oil in salad dressings or toss with whole wheat pasta. You can also add canola oil to your pantry for cooking at higher temperatures as olive oil burns at a lower temperature. Fresh garlic is best stored in a cool, dry place in an airtight container or storage bag. Jars of minced garlic and ground ginger are fine before opening in the pantry, but need to be refrigerated after opening. Regarding spices, check to make sure they are not expired. A good stash includes garlic and onion powder, cumin, turmeric, pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano, basil, thyme, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, sage, poultry seasoning, and chili powder.

Snacks

You can keep nuts, seeds, and dried fruits around for eating in between meals, but keep the serving size in mind! Just a third of a cup of dried raisins is 143 calories and almost 38 grams of carbs. Nuts like almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds are also high in calories and fat if overdone, so use small storage bags to divide them into single serve packets. Frozen fruits are also a great way to enjoy a sweet treat if the fresh variety is not available.