Green beans and carrots are brought together and sauteed with orange juice and other ingredient to make for a crisp, healthy, and sweet side dish that adults and kids will both enjoy. -Intern Jennifer

Recipe Submitted by: Jennifer Messing
Disclaimer: the photo above is a stock photo of green beans; actual recipe will probably look a little differently than the image above

The post Citrus Rosemary Green Beans appeared first on Around the Plate.

We’re really proud to say that Jen is apart of our blogger community! She’s a pretty phenomenal RD working on the front lines of nutrition – in your grocery store!

Meet Jen, our Nutrition Expert in the Spotlight! 

Meet Jen Haugen, RD!

Hi, I’m Jen. I am a registered dietitian (have been for 12 years), and most importantly a wife and a mom to two fun kids who continue to challenge me and inspire me every day.  I have been a supermarket dietitian for nearly 5 years where I love to teach people how to shop for health in various ways – in the aisles, through classes, weekly television segments and newspaper columns. I started the first garden for kids at a supermarket in the nation and I teach kids the connection of fresh food to good health through gardening and cooking. My hobbies are no surprise, cooking and gardening, but I also love to read and learn and am teaching myself how to sew.

AtP: How did you become a nutrition blogger? 

Jen: I am a registered dietitian that loves to teach families how to be healthier. I took a leap of faith starting my blog in March 2012 after a long process working with a life/career coach and discovering what makes me the most happy – creating fun memories with my kids around food. As a supermarket dietitian by day, I realized I would come home thinking: “I am teaching other people’s kids more about food than my own kids.” Looking back over my life, I realized important family memories are made in the kitchen and garden as I was growing up and I wanted to pass on those same memories. I decided to be more intentional about creating learning opportunities with my family and documenting them in hopes of inspiring another family to do the same. Working as a supermarket RD, I am constantly teaching families how to shop for health and I wanted to share that on my blog too.

AtP: What is your food mantra or food philosophy? 

Jen: Happy memories start in the kitchen – teach your kids about food through gardening, shopping, cooking and eating healthier. You won’t regret it.

AtP: What foods are “must haves” in your kitchen? 

Jen: There are so many, but here are a few of my favs:

• Chobani Yogurt – I love the extra protein, calcium, and great flavor. I use it for making smoothies and breakfast parfaits. 
• Bolthouse Farms or Naked Juice purees – we make fruit smoothies almost daily and along with a little milk, these juice purees add a richness in flavor like you are at a restaurant.
• Spinach – constantly in the fridge for the best strawberry and spinach salads with poppyseed dressing. I love sauteing it with sweet potatoes, peppers, chicken sausage and eggs for a delicious, hearty and filling scramble to get my day going too.

AtP: For others looking to start a food, nutrition, or health blog, what’s one piece of advice you would give them? 

Jen: Know what your passion or focus will be. Be a student of yourself. Keep an idea journal and notice the trends. As you discover what your niche is, start writing. I also love the tip I read somewhere that says, don’t tell anyone about your blog until you are 10 posts into it. That way, there will be some bulk to your blog when you invite people to start reading.

AtP: How does your blog help others live healthier and eat a little happier? 

Jen: My goal for my blog is to help families connect through gardening together, shopping for food together, cooking in the kitchen together and eating together. Happy and healthier families connect with each other and the kitchen is the perfect place for making happy memories.

AtP: What three posts would you like our readers to check out on your blog right now? 

Jen: I’m really excited about my United States of MyPlates Challenge – which is a fun way to cook with your kids across America. Here’s to the latest post:

Deleware MyPlate Meal: Stuffed Tomatoes

And here are two more must reads:

The Reason Why I Blog

Kids Garden Ideas

The post In the Spotlight: Nutrition Expert Jen Haugen, RD appeared first on Around the Plate.

Yet if you’ve ever cooked with skewers before, you may have noticed one small, irritating thing. The foods you layer tend to move all over the place. Around and around they go! Some also get too hot to handle after being on the grill long enough to cook your food. Luckily, someone took note of these annoying features and remedied them. In fact, skewers come in all shapes, sizes, and finishes. Some even come flavored!

So if you love kabobs for their versatility and ability to add a little health to your table, chances are you are going to love these skewers too. They’ll add a little extra flare to any dinner table this side of the grill.

The Flat Skewer

photo credit: picture taken of photo in Charcoal Companion catalog

Not only will the flat shape of these skewers help prevent your food from sliding and spinning, they are also FLAVORED! These scented wood skewers can come in cedar, hickory, maple and alder ash varieties to give your kabobs a little extra somethin’ somethin’.

The Rounded Skewer

photo credit: amazon.com

If you’re looking for some major plate appeal, then you need these skewers. They add a touch of class to any grilled meal and your onion chunks, squash wedges, and zucchini slices are much less likely to slide around on these curve-shaped skewers. They also come in two sizes for small and big appetites alike.

The Flexible Skewer

Photo Credit: amazon.com

The true benefit to these skewers is how versatile they are. Many veggies, fruits, mushrooms, and meats can be added to this skewer string. You can also better fit these skewers into a plastic baggie filled with marinade for enhanced flavor.

Although these skewers can be found in a variety of locations, we’re pretty excited to announce that they will soon be available in thePlate Boutique! Keep an eye out for these and many other healthy grilling accessories hitting our store shelves soon!

What’s your favorite way to stack a skewer? 

The post Build the Best Kabob With One of These 3 Skewer Options appeared first on Around the Plate.

If You Want to Eat Less, Eat Angry?

Happy eating is something we take pretty seriously here at Around the Plate. After all, our motto is “live healthy, eat happy” and we truly believe that people can do both by learning to love nourishing, nutrient-rich foods.

So when a study came out saying that happy eating increases your odds of overeating, we started to get a little panicky! Both for all the readers who we have been encouraging for years to eat happily along and for ourselves because lets face it, if eating happy means you overindulge, the only way to eat the right amount would require us to eat unhappily right? And that to me sounds dreadful.

Before you all freak out with me, lets be clear about one thing. The results of this study have nothing to do with how much you enjoy your food at meal times.  Instead, “happy eating” in this study simply means that you eat when you are feeling happy – not that you are happily enjoying and savoring your food when its time to eat it. These two acts sound really similar, but they are actually quite different.

The first could be classified as a form of emotional eating. Although we often tie emotional eating to negative feelings, it does make sense that when we are in a good mood, our food decisions may sway just as easily as they would  when negative feelings or emotions strike. To test this theory, researchers showed an array of movie clips to study participants to see just how feelings may impact eating decisions. Sure enough, those who watched the positive movie clip were more likely to overindulge as they ate. Interestingly enough, those who saw the negative film clip did not overindulge  afterwards. Of course, they did watch the ending of the Green Mile and I have to say I probably wouldn’t have much of an appetite either after seeing someone get electrocuted.

Luckily, emotional eating doesn’t have to get the best of you and I think that’s the main take away here. Emotional eating isn’t based on hunger. Its based on events and situations that occur in your every day life. Sometimes it can even cause you to crave or want specific foods right away in response to whatever emotion, positive or negative, you are experiencing. See how this isn’t the same as sitting down and enjoying the foods you eat?

Sitting down and thoroughly enjoying the foods you eat doesn’t tend to happen on a whim or because of a triggering emotional event. Instead, allowing yourself to savor each bite you take requires intentional thought and planning. Being present at each meal can also help you better listen to your body’s cues and signals.  Believe it or not, your body knows a lot more about what you need then you might think. We just get really good at ignoring what its saying and let things like our emotions drown out those important cues and signals.

So eat happy, not emotionally, but by deliberately planning to enjoy those nutrient-rich foods you serve yourself on a regular basis.

How do you define “happy eating?”

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Healing Your Relationship with Food through Meditation

When you think relationship status, do you think significant other? A lover?

When I think “relationship status,” I think beyond the relationships we have with one another. Our relationships can extend far beyond that – even to the foods we eat. And it’s important to build a healthy relationship with the fuel that energizes our bodies so that we understand why we should strive to eat with both our physical and mental health in mind.

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that 1 in 10 US adults report depression. That means its quite likely that you know at least one person in your circle of friends who might be experiencing depressive symptoms.

Why bring up depression? Depression may play a role in the relationship we have with the foods we eat. Often, it can effect how much we enjoy our foods and even the amount we eat on a regular basis. Sometimes we can even try to relieve the symptoms of depression by eating certain foods or in a particular way. Yet there is a better way to relieve the effects of depression and it’s not food-related at all.

It’s called meditation. The Merriam Webster definition of meditation states it is a discourse intended to express its author’s reflections or to guide others in contemplation. The practice of meditation can also be described as mental discipline. The various techniques of meditation are designed to promote relaxation, build internal energy or life force and develop compassion, love, patience, generosity and forgiveness.

There are dozens of meditation styles out there, but if you are just getting started, follow these movements to get your meditation practice under way:

Step 1: Set a cushion on the floor and choose a quiet location free from distraction.

Step 2: Sit on the edge of the pillow with your legs in front of you and rest the backs of your hands on your knees.

Step 3:  Close your eyes and breathe slowly in and out through your nose and fill your belly with air. Make the breath sound like the ocean. This is called Ujjayi Pranayama, or Victorious Breath.

Step 4: Give the feelings and thoughts that flow permission to exist and experience any and all sensations you’re feeling. Bring your mind back to observing your breath.

Step 5: Remain in meditation for approximately 15 minutes.

It is recommended that you practice meditation on a daily basis and that you slowly increase the length of your sessions. As your practice “matures” they say, you should feel more relief from symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Have you tried meditation before? Let us know what meditation has done for you! 

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Egg cartons. An egg carton can be the start of many great projects. When you are done with an egg carton, instead of tossing it in the trash, wash it out thoroughly to eliminate any harmful bacteria and then get ready to let your creativity run wild!  After you’ve prepped and cleaned your egg carton, flip it over so the ridges are facing up.  Now you’ve got the backbone of a scary dragon, the base of an itsy-bitsy spider, or the beginnings of an adorable egg carton caterpillar. Let your kids help you decorate, design, and create a truly unique masterpiece.

Butter Containers. Don’t throw away that butter or margarine container! Instead, save the lid and wash each piece thoroughly. Have an adult punch holes in the top, and viola, a homemade bug box! Butter containers can make great mini gardens to set out on the window sill or on the patio. Kids will have fun planting seedlings and watching them grow throughout the summer months.

Empty Water Bottles. After finishing off a plastic water bottle, like the other two items, make sure you give it a nice warm scrub. Let kids decorate with stickers or ribbon and then have them fill it with their favorite beads or pasta pieces for a quick and fun noise maker. Or create your own Find It game, hiding small little treasures amidst beads, sand, or Easter straw.

Cereal Boxes. It’s still unknown why kids enjoy playing with boxes so much, but use it to your advantage! When the cereal is all gone,  cut off the front and back sides of the box and punch holes along one side of each cut off side. Grab some string and paper, and create a homemade journal. The boxes can also be cut into shapes and used as stencils, or homemade buttons.

The next time you’re looking for something fun for your kids to do, explore your house for a variety of reusable items. Its a great way to spend time together and reduce waste. Who knows, you might even become the next DIY Guru!

Do you have any fun and inventive crafts you like to do with your kids?

The post Don’t Throw Away That Food Package! Make a Craft Instead appeared first on Around the Plate.

One of the simplest, most meaningful ways to celebrate Mother’s day is to serve up a healthy, delicious breakfast in bed. Not only will this allow your mom to feel pampered and extra special right from the get go, but its also a relatively easy way to say that you are invested in your mom’s well-being. Think about it – what says “I love you” more than showing your mom that you know what her favorite flavors, tastes and aromas are? It takes a thoughtful person to put in the extra effort to wake up early and create a dish for someone else. Throw in a few healthy ingredients or healthify your mom’s favorite recipe and now you’ve gone the extra step.

Of course, not everyone wants the same thing year after year and not everyone is a skilled chef in the kitchen. So if you want to surprise the best mom in the world with a special breakfast in bed creation, don’t feel like you have to start from scratch.  First, take special note of the foods your mom seems to enjoy the most. Does she prefer sweet foods or salty foods? When traveling, does your mom order something special from the breakfast menu? Once you start identifying what foods your mom tends to gravitate to, you can then start building your menu. Search online or grab a cookbook and search for a recipe that speaks your mom’s food language and won’t be too hard to tackle. Be honest here with your cooking abilities! If you are a beginner chef, perhaps choosing a recipe with 5 or 6 steps and no more than 10 ingredients might be a good place to start.

Members of our blog network, thePlate Community, also have a few recipe ideas your mom might enjoy. Be sure to check these out too as you begin to develop your breakfast in bed menu this year:

Gluten Free Raspberry Muffins

Gluten-Free Raspberry Muffins
photo credit: Giselle from My Healthy Happy Home

Homemade Whole Wheat and Flax Pancakes

Whole Wheat Flax Pancakes
Photo Credit: Liz Patton, MS, RD, LD, CDE

5 Ingredient Spring Vegetable Frittata

5 Ingredient Spring Vegetable Frittata
photo credit: Chere Bork, MS, RD, LDN

My Favorite Dark Chocolate Biscotti

My Favorite Chocolate Biscotti
Photo Credit: Kelly Morrison

Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes
Photo Credit: Jen Haugen, RD

And if you aren’t doing breakfast in bed this year, but are planning a  brunch, perhaps you might need some help planning a healthy one! Start your  brainstorming by reading this post: My Sunday Brunch Cravings

What’s your all-time favorite Breakfast in Bed food memory? 

The post 5 Last Minute Breakfast in Bed Recipe Ideas for Mother’s Day appeared first on Around the Plate.

It’s easy, it’s tasty and it’s heart healthy for mom. – Jen Haugen, RD, Down to Earth Dietitian

Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes
Photo Credit: Jen Haugen, RD

Recipe submitted by: Jen Haugen, RD
Original Recipe can be found here: Recipe Redux – Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

The post Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes appeared first on Around the Plate.

Crunchy. Chocolatey. 38 calories for each GIANT piece. Oh yeah. - Kelly Morrison, Foodie Fiasco

My Favorite Chocolate Biscotti
Photo Credit: Kelly Morrison

Recipe Submitted by: Kelly Morrison
Original recipe can be found here: My Favorite Healthy Chocolate Biscotti (Paleo/Low Carb/Vegan/Gluten Free) 

The post My Favorite Dark Chocolate Biscotti appeared first on Around the Plate.

Making Time to Eat Right Morning ’til Night

Making time to eat right can be one of the most challenging barriers to leading a healthy life, but with a few tips we can all make better choices.  When life gets busy and crazy, we can sometimes push our healthy habits to the side.  There are things that we can do from the start of our day to the end that can help us feeling our best.  You can start by following these three ideas: eating a healthy breakfast, planning ahead, and eating for energy.

Eating a Healthy Breakfast

We’ve all heard the saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  But why?

•  It ‘breaks your fast’ after a night of sleeping.

•  It can help to control your appetite until lunch and prevent overeating later in the day.

•  It can help to kick start your metabolism and may help with weight control.

• It can provide essential vitamins and nutrients.

Despite all these great reasons, not everybody wants to eat breakfast and its not really surprising why. The morning isn’t always an ideal time to eat. Time is often short, our appetite isn’t quiet ready to go, and there may not be many breakfast options to choose from. Luckily, these reasons don’t have to stop us from enjoying the many benefits breakfast has to offer.  Meals for breakfast can be made on a Sunday afternoon and foods can be packed the night before so they are easy to grab and go. This means you’ll always have something waiting for you in the kitchen no matter how short on time you are. Plus, you can always wait to eat your breakfast until after your appetite has decided to wake up too.

Plan Ahead

Planning ahead isn’t just for breakfast. If we plan ahead and pack other meals and snacks, we are less likely to wind up at a convenience store or snack machine later in the day.  So be prepared! Have healthy snacks on hand or packed away in your purse, lunch bag, car, desk, or break room.  A few good snacking options include:

• low fat yogurt
• nuts
• hummus and vegetables
• fruit
• whole grain crackers with low fat cheese
• fresh fruit smoothies

Eat for Energy

Another important reason to choose nutrient dense foods is the energy that they provide. Having a nutrient-rich meal or snack every few hours can really help keep your energy levels up without resorting to another glass of soda, coffee drink, or energy beverage.  Start by including a good source of lean protein and fiber into each meal or snack to help you feel full and energized.  Fiber  can be found in foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

For full energy potential, make sure you are also drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Keeping a water bottle close by can help remind you to drink your water.  Thirst can be easily confused with hunger, so drinking enough can often help with weight management too!

Eating healthy and making good choices does take time, so planning ahead really can make a huge difference.  Use these ideas and try to implement them into your daily routine.   We are all different and the key to success is finding what works best for you.  

 Whats your favorite energy boosting food?

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