Staying In Control While Grocery Shopping

Grocery shopping can be overwhelming especially when trying to eat healthy when the stores are filled with treats. We already have enough shopping to do without having to stress out about our meal and snack preparations. Grocery shopping can be quick, easy and even enjoyable if you know what to look for.

1. Do not go to the store hungry – Grocery shopping while hungry is a bad combination. Grocery shopping hungry will hinder your decision making as cravings start to kick in and “will power” gets left in the car. If timing doesn’t allow you to shop when it is not meal time, pop some almonds in your mouth and drink some water to lessen the hunger and craving and halt you from ultimately impulse buying.
2. Shop the store parameters. If you shop the outside parameters of the store, you will likely be picking up staples I would recommend such as proteins, fruits, veggies and whole grains.
3. Read ingredients- If you do not know what something means on the label, it is likely very processed and you should consider putting it back. The closer to the natural state a food once was, the better it is for you. Think land, sea, ground and tree. 
4. Buy in bulk – If money and time is an issue for you, bulk purchases can save you money and time. Get to know stores like Sams and get to know the freezer and produce sections there! Stock your freezer with fish, chicken, veggie even frozen berries and then instantly you will have easier access to make meals.
5. Pick an ideal time-  If time is a hurdle for eating healthy, pick a day and time of the week that is slower for you and do your shopping then and then immediately prepare foods and store them in your fridge or freeze them. This way, you will have meals ready to grab and re-heat when it is time to eat.

If you are a shopping list kind of person, keep these basic ingredients in mind:

PROTEINS: Protein powder – ideal to add to smoothies, mix with water and drink in a pinch, Chicken breasts (boneless/skinless), frozen shrimp, frozen or fresh fish, tofu, canned tuna (in water), eggs or egg whites

VEGGIES and FRUITS: Fresh or frozen vegetables, Bok Choy, Fresh or frozen berries, apples, grapefruits, salad mix

STARCHY CARBS: Quinoa, Brown Rice, and oatmeal all can be easily cooked in a rice maker

DAIRY- Low fat cottage cheese, Greek yogurt-* must be eaten within five days of opening.

HEALTHY FATS- Almonds, walnuts, peanut butter, almond butter, coconut oil, olive oil.

ADDITIONAL- Unsweetened almond milk, Shirataki tofu noodles, garlic, ginger, cinnamon. 

Grilling Season is Upon Us

It's March and it's barbecue season! Grilling is a fun and easy way of getting meals done, and skewers are popular with kids and adults. Skewers are also a great way of serving smaller meat portions while adding more fruits and vegetables. Here are some fun ways to shake up your grilling routine with skewers.

Fun Ideas for Skewers on the Grill

1.       Rustic Bistro Skewer

Instead of a big slab of steak, put bite-size beef chunks on skewers, alternating them with beets, mushrooms, and asparagus. Brush with a mixture of olive oil, minced garlic, and rosemary, season with salt and pepper, and throw the whole thing on the grill.

2.       Souvlaki with Grilled Eggplant

To make souvlaki, marinate your meat of choice (cut into 1" cubes) in a mixture of olive oil, red wine, freshly squeezed lemon juice, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper. Make ahead and let this marinate overnight, or at least a few hours, before it's time to grill. To prepare the eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices, brush with olive oil, rosemary, and salt and pepper, and put these on the skewers, alternating with the marinated meat. Grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally.

3.       Seafood Skewers with Fresh Fruit Sections

For a zesty take on skewers, serve shrimp, scallops (or firm-fleshed fish like salmon) on skewers, alternating with fresh fruits. Great fruits to try are tropical ones like pineapple and mango, or stone fruits such as peaches, nectarines, or plums. Baste them lightly with a sauce made with lime juice, cilantro, shallots, cayenne pepper, and garlic while grilling. These skewers will cook within minutes on a hot grill.

4.       Chicken and Scallion Skewers

An easy way to serve chicken is to marinate thinly cut chicken thigh in a mixture of soy sauce, Japanese rice wine, sesame oil, and a pinch of sugar. Add these pieces to a skewer, alternating with 1.5-inch portions of scallion(pierced across the stem, not lengthwise), and grill for a few minutes on each side, turning once.

5.        Koftas (meatballs) on a Stick

For a Mediterranean twist to burgers, make meatballs or burger patties using lean ground meat flavored with lemon juice, cumin, coriander, garlic, and fresh mint. To extend the meat and help bind everything together, add an egg white and use cooked whole grains such as bulgur. If you want to cook this on a skewer, shape the resulting mixture into chunky ovals and gently thread the stick through. Otherwise, flattening them into patties will work just fine.

6.       Indonesian Satay with Peanut Sauce

Fans of satay, which features thinly sliced, well-marinated meats, will tell you that the tasty peanut sauce that goes on the skewers is just as important, if not more so, than what meat gets cooked on the skewers. For a basic satay marinade, puree the following ingredients to a fine consistency: shallots, garlic, coriander, turmeric, tamarind, salt, and brown sugar. Coat your meat of choice (cut into thin slices) and let it sit overnight in the fridge. A quick peanut sauce can be made by mixing unsalted chunky peanut butter, a few spoonfuls of chopped hot chili peppers, Indonesian sweet soy sauce called kecap manis (substitute with molasses and brown sugar if you can't find it), and a few spoonfuls of hot water. The flavorful sauce is so satisfying; you won't notice the smaller amount of meat.

Summary Tips

*Add flavor and variety to your usual grill menu with skewers. 

*Using skewers lets you combine smaller meat portions with fruits and vegetables, and by experimenting with different types of seasonings, even the meat lovers won't miss their gigantic slabs of meat.

*If you are using wooden skewers, pre-soak them in water for 20 to 30 minutes or wrap the exposed ends in foil to prevent burning.

Healthy Twist on Shrimp Scampi

Most definitions of shrimp scampi describe the dish as large shrimp sauteed in butter and garlic. Sounds delish but definitely not very healthy since the amount of butter used is usually nearly one half cup per pound of shrimp! Despite its high cholesterol content, shrimp is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and is a great lean proteinsource. No wonder it is one of the most popular seafood choices.

In my kitchen, I omit the butteraltogether and saute the shrimp in a little bit of heart-healthy olive oil. To add flavor, I will season the dish with lemon juice and white wine. Adding dark green spinach allows me to slip in a little of this fantastic superfood, which is rich in vitamin A, K, folate and illness-fighting flavonoids. In order to round out the dish, I will spice it up with some fresh parsley and serve it with high-fiber, whole-wheat pasta. The trick is to make sure the pasta doesn't dominate the dish, so keep in mind the recommended 1/2-cup portion size.

Serves: 4, 1 serving size: ½ cup

Ingredients

4 ounces whole-wheat linguini

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 cloves minced garlic

6 green onions, sliced

1 pound large shrimp

10 ounces frozen spinach

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to directions on the box.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add garlic, green onions and shrimp, and cook until shrimp starts turning pink. Add spinach and continue to cook until the spinach has cooked through.

3. Add white wine and lemon juice and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and sprinkle with lemon zest and parsley.

4. Serve with 1/2-cup pasta per serving.

Nutrition Content (per serving)

289 calories, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 26 g carbohydrates, 2 g sugars, 6 g fiber, 29 g protein, 225 mg sodium

It's National Seafood Month! Find Out why Seafood is so Healthy for You!!

Research has shown time and again that eating more fish prevents heart disease. Below are some quick tips regarding our favorite seafoods.

Shrimp are quick, easy and delicious. It does contain a lot of cholesterol but it's very low in fat(especially saturated fat) and the single most important thing in a healthydiet is not eating less cholesterol, but limiting the amount of saturated fat. Most of the shrimp that you find in the grocery has been frozen so it's not a bad idea to look for a good quality frozen shrimp and keep some on hand. Only purchase thawed shrimp if you are going to use it that day.

Sea scallops are sweet, succulent, meaty and satisfying. A 4-ounce serving of scallops has only 100 calories and less than a gram of fat. Sea scallops are widely available fresh these days. They should be a translucent creamy color (some are slightly pink). Look for scallops labeled chemical free," because treated scallops tend to have a bitter taste.

Mussels are quick and easy to cook. They are inexpensive and you can use them in almost any recipe that you might use clams. Mussels are low in fat, calories and cholesterol and oh, so tasty. One pound of mussels in the shell is about 3.5 ounces of edible fish and there's less than 100 calories with under 2 grams of fat (so eat a couple pounds if you like). Most mussels that you will find in the grocery are grown on farms. They are cultivated on long ropes along coastlines and in tidal pools or bays. The most common variety is the blue mussel has a dark blue to almost black shell. Mussels, like all live shellfish need to be kept ice cold. Buy mussels only at fish counters where the other fish looks fresh. Look for clean mussels with tightly closed shells--open shells indicate that the mussel might be dead.

Clams are also a great choice. Like mussels, they are low in fat and calories and are widely available. They are great simply steamed but also wonderful in any fish soup, chowder or fish stew. Also like mussels you want to purchase clams as close to the time that you are going to cook them as possible. Keeping them sitting on top of a bed of ice will keep them fresh a lot longer.

If you love crab but don't much like fighting with your food (as with whole crabs or crab legs), purchase crab meat and let someone else do the work. You'll find it sold in a variety of forms, but crab meat will keep for only a few days in your refrigerator. Crabs do have a moderate amount of cholesterol but they are very low in calories and saturated fat. The key is to pair crabs in recipes with good fats like olive oil.

Fin fish is pretty simple. It's great for you, eat more of it. Buy it as fresh as you can and if you can't buy really fresh fish, frozen is a good choice. That's it. There's not much more that you need to know. First and foremost, buy what you like and quite simply get what's fresh. You are far better off going to the grocery, choosing a great piece of fish and THEN coming home and picking a recipe than you would be if you said "I am going to have salmon tonight." If the salmon doesn't look great, choose another fish that does and then choose the recipe. If you are not used to eating fish, review this list. Most all of these fish are easy to find in the grocery store and are so good for you. The following fish are more fatty, high in Omega-3 fats, so choose these more often: halibut, grouper, sea bass, salmon and tuna.  Less fatty fish include: redfish, trout, catfish, perch and sole.

Even if you don't have the time to cook an elaborate recipe, fish is one of the quickest and easiest meals that you can make. Simply preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place a pan inside. While the oven is heating sprinkle each 4-ounce fish fillet with about 1/8 teaspoon salt and then pepper if you like. Sprinkle about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite herb over the top. When the oven is hot, spray the pan lightly with olive oil and then place the fish inside. After it has cooked for about 4 minutes on one side turn the fish and drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil over the top. In another 4 minutes or so your fish is done. Squeeze a little lemon over the top and you are ready to eat. That's less time than it takes to make a frozen pizza in the microwave.