So PepsiCo may have some fabulous health and sustainability initiatives coming down the pipe, but their food repertoire still boasts a wide array of that crunchy snack food we’ve all grown up on: Chips!

In addition to owning Quaker Oats and Gatorade, PepsiCo also owns Frito-Lay, which encompasses Tostitos, Doritos, Cheetos, Sunchips, Fritos, and Lay’s potato chips.  Here in the U.S., we’re familiar with our standard chip flavors: ranch, nacho cheese, harvest cheddar, etc., but did you ever stop to think that maybe the folks over in China aren’t so fond of ranch? Or maybe people in Brazil don’t think nacho cheese is the greatest thing since sliced bread?  Well PepsiCo did.  They recognize these cultural variances in taste preference, and deliver their products in unique flavors all over the world!

Now, lucky for us Nutrition Communications interns, our fellow intern Leia had the inside hook-up with a foreign chip dealer (i.e., her mom works for PepsiCo and receives product samples from around the world).  So we got our hands on some foreign chip products and decided to take our foodie taste buds on a cultural whirl.

First up was Lay’s Max, Hot Chili Squid flavor – a chip flavor native to Taiwan.  As you can see, Ashley was a little apprehensive about this flavor, as we all were.  Upon opening the bag, our intern room was immediately filled with what smelled like rancid seafood.  We proceeded to pass the bag around like hot potato, until it finally landed on Jacqui as the first guinea pig to test them out.  “Hmmm… tastes like chili, not so much seafood,” she mused, though she kept her fingers over her nose to ward off the smell coming from the bag.

One by one the rest of us gave in, and we each gave the chips a go.  In the end we agreed that it was not so much the seafood taste that was the problem, as much as it was the smell.

Next up were Star Chips, in Cheese and Onion from Poland.  These gems weren’t nearly as pungent as the Hot Chili Squid ones.  They actually didn’t taste much like anything at all; kind of a weird cardboard texture, with a very bland flavor.  After subjecting our taste buds to the Hot Chili Squid, Poland seemed pretty boring.

Brazil graced us with Cream Cheese flavored Ruffles, which actually tasted and smelled more like parmesan cheese, but were surprisingly tasty!

Then we tried two semi-Americanized flavors: Barbeque Ribs Ruffles from Brazil, and Teriyaki Doritos from Japan.

I have to say that these were the two favorites of the group (not surprisingly), though we were a little perplexed as to why the Teriyaki Doritos had a graphic of a burger on the bag???  Not typically what I think of when I think teriyaki…

Last but not least came the most bizarre one of the pack: Spicy Seafood Lay’s from Thailand.  Leia won first tasting rights to these treats.

The graphic on the bag depicted flavors including lobster, crab, limes, chili peppers, and fire – just what you look for in a mid-afternoon snack, right???  These suckers were HOT! Luckily no rancid seafood taste or smell from this flavor, just tasted like a TON of wasabi mixed with lime juice.

We were extremely intrigued by the bag and the flavors, so we went online and found the accompanying commercial which has since provided us with countless hours of entertainment and laughs – check it out!

“Ah! Spicy Seafood!”

All in all it was an extremely interesting experience to see first-hand how widely taste preferences vary around the globe, and impressive that PepsiCo caters to so many different taste preferences.  Our office smelled like squid the rest of the day, but I think we all felt a little more worldly!

Happy Snacking,

Lindsey

I hope you all had a fabulous first day of summer yesterday!  With all of the fresh produce and hot weather, I just know it’s going to be a great one.

Two weeks ago, I started off my summer in a big way: I moved to New York to work for PepsiCo as a Nutrition Communications intern!  Now on my third week, I’m having a blast and learning A TON about the food industry, which I think is crucial for someone who prides themselves on being a food expert.

In addition to the insight I’ve gained on the food industry in general, I’m learning a ton about PepsiCo as a company.  I’ll admit, my immediate reaction to “Pepsi” prior to starting with them was, “AH! SODA!!! SUGAR!! RUN!!” But did you know PepsiCo also owns Quaker, Tropicana, and Gatorade?  In fact, PepsiCo is the leading food and beverage company, owning 18 brands each with sales over $1 billion, and with a presence in over 200 countries!

Well PepsiCo has recognized that its products play a role in health and wellness, and they have taken the initiative to launch Performance with Purpose – PepsiCo’s initiative to invest in a healthier future for people as well as for our planet.  As far as nutrition, PepsiCo has specifically honed in on some key initiatives regarding human sustainability:

In Products

• Increase the amount of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and low-fat dairy in our global product portfolio.
• Reduce the average amount of sodium per serving in key global food brands, in key countries, by 25 percent by 2015 with a 2006 baseline.
• Reduce the average amount of saturated fat per serving in key global food brands, in key countries, by 15 percent by 2020 with a 2006 baseline.
• Reduce the average amount of added sugar per serving in key global beverage brands, in key countries, by 25 percent by 2020 with a 2006 baseline.

In the Marketplace

• Display calorie count and key nutrients on our food and beverage packaging by 2012.
• Advertise to children under 12 only products that meet our global science-based nutrition standards.
• Eliminate the direct sale of full-sugar soft drinks to primary and secondary schools around the globe by 2012.
• Increase the range of foods and beverages that offer solutions for managing calories, like portion sizes.

In the Community

• Invest in our business and research and development to expand our offerings of more affordable, nutritionally relevant products for underserved and lower-income communities.
• Expand PepsiCo Foundation and PepsiCo corporate contribution initiatives to promote healthier communities, including enhancing diet and physical activity programs.
• Integrate our policies and actions on human health, agriculture and the environment to make sure that they support each other.

Check out PepsiCo’s site to read more about their initiatives, and keep an eye out for similar trends within other food companies in the coming months and years.  As PepsiCo leads the way in becoming a socially responsible company, I hope other companies will follow in their footsteps, leading to a healthier source of food, and hopefully, a healthier nation.

Happy Snacking,

Lindsey

It’s recap time for day 2 of the Food for Your Whole Life symposium, people – another whirlwind day of nutrition know-how! While the first day of the symposium was dedicated to expanding the public’s nutrition knowledge base, the second day was all for helping health professionals convey accurate, up-to-date, and cutting edge nutrition and health knowledge to their clients and/or patients.

Another spectacular line-up of speakers was set up for the day, and we even had an invigorating stretch break, led by Petra Kolber right before lunch to get us re-energized and refreshed.

From the Beginning: Feeding the Children

Dr. David Katz kicked off the symposium with his talk From the Beginning: Feeding the Children, starting it with a hilarious spoof on Paul Simon’s Writing on the Wall. As he stepped out on stage, he sang, “Out of all the crap I learned in med school, it’s a wonder I can think aaaat alllll…” Between his hilarious vocal performance this day, and his poetry reading from the day before, the man sure knew how to get a crowd’s attention!

Dr. Katz used his time with the audience to talk about childhood nutrition in terms of perinatal nutrition and school-based nutrition interventions. He discussed how nowadays, weight gain during pregnancy is not being as encouraged, simply because more and more women are already overweight going into pregnancy. In addition, he highlighted some key considerations for mothers-to-be and perinatal nutrition, including the importance of monitoring weight gain, the decision to breastfeed or not, and the decision to go organic or not, among others.

On school-based health and nutrition interventions, Dr. Katz said:

“It has been found that school based interventions (nutrition education, in addition to actual changes in the food environment) are successful. Better still are the programs that also engage the parents. Unfortunately, though successful, these interventions have been found to have only a modest effect on weight change. If you add up the hours in a child’s day, much more time is spent outside of the school than in.”

Dr. Katz was inferring that even though these programs have defined themselves as “successful”, their impact on the obesity epidemic is minimal. We’re going to have to provide programs that target these children where they’re eating behaviors are actually being shaped: in the home.

Interview with Elisa Zied, MS, RD, CDN

After hearing Dr. Katz speak, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Registered Dietitian, Elisa Zied, MS, RD, CDN, to interview her on the roles food and nutrition play in adolescence:

Lindsey: How has being a parent affected the kind of advice and counseling you provide children and parents regarding health and nutrition?

Elisa: The difference has been going from book advice to advice as it applies to real life. I’ve learned so much more about kids’ nutrition needs from my own children, and how to apply my book knowledge to real life situations. Fast food or no? Snacks or not? I’m able to work with my clientele on a different, more relatable level now because I’ve been there.

Lindsey: Conversely, how has being a dietitian shaped your children’s eating habits and perceptions of food as they have grown up?

Elisa: My children have grown up seeing mine and my husband’s eating habits, and we try to teach by example so they know what balance and moderation look like. We create healthy boundaries with them but also really empower them to make their own decisions when it comes to food; we never want them to feel restricted. My child has asked, “Mommy what does this make for me?” about certain foods, meaning “what does this food do for my body?” They understand that different foods impact their health differently because we’ve given them the tools they need to be critical thinkers.

Nutrition During Transition

Later in the day, Dr. Joan Sabaté, MD, Dr.PH, spoke on coronary heart disease and the protective health benefits conferred from nuts, including their ability to lower total cholesterol, lower LDL cholesterol (the “lousy” cholesterol), lower the LDL:HDL ratio, and they may even increase your HDL cholesterol (the “healthy” cholesterol). He also talked about the protective health benefits that unsaturated oils, whole grains, and adequate omega-3 intake have been found to have – so next time you need a quick snack, try a handful of walnuts or almonds!

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For a recap on the rest of the symposium’s day 2 speakers, check out my fellow media bloggers’ posts as they become available:

• Eat Well With Janel
  
• Don’t (White) Sugar Coat It
  
• A Fete for Food
  
• Green Grapes Blog
  

What an amazing two days of nutrition knowledge!   I am honored to have been a part of such a fabulous event, and I can’t wait to see what next year’s conference brings!

Happy Snacking,

Lindsey

It’s official folks, the Food for Your Whole Life health symposium has commenced and the Boston foodie bloggers are here in NYC taking in all of the kick-off festivities! The running theme of the symposium is using the power of food to prevent disease and support the body throughout the development and aging processes, a powerful topic to someone like me who’s career revolves around the belief that food should be our only medicine (thanks to Hippocrates).  According to Dennis Balint, CEO of the California Walnut Commission, the conference was developed in an effort to help reverse the ongoing demise of America’s health, including information for both lay-people and health professionals alike.

Monday’s events were open to the general public, health professionals, and the media, and included treats, goodies, and fun booths from the Wild Blueberry Association of North America, USA Pears, and the California Walnut Commission, among others. Dr. Mehmet Oz, of the Dr. Oz Show, kicked off the symposium as the keynote speaker, where he spoke on motivating people towards better health by making it personal to them. As he said, “if you play the game correctly, you can make not so fun health topics resonate deep within a person.”

Following Dr. Oz was Dr. Michael Roizen, chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic and co-author along with Dr. Oz of a series of highly popular and #1 New York Times bestselling books, including YOU: The Smart Patient, YOU: The Owner’s Manual, and YOU: On a Diet. Dr. Roizen frequently appears on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The TODAY Show, and Good Morning America as a health and wellness expert.

Dr. Roizen, followed up Dr. Oz’s opening speech by bringing the name of the conference to life with his talk on “Food for Your Whole Life.”

Side Note: Dr. Roizen is 64 and looks absolutely fabulous! A testament to the fact that prevention via health and nutrition not only helps you live longer, but look fabulous as well! 

Roizen began his talk by showing a clip from a past Dr. Oz episode detailing a “meat-lovin’ cowboy’s” 28-day vegan diet challenge. Rocco was 53 years old with a blood sugar of 172 (diagnostic of being diabetic), a waist circumference of 49 inches, and a weight of 269 lbs. He was in the 97^th percentile in terms of heart disease and plaque build-up – he had the heart of an 85 yr old! Dr. Roizen brought comedy to Rocco’s quest to improve his diet and health as “The Enforcer,” helping our “meat lovin’ cowboy” get back on track! Rocco rocked the vegan diet and boy did it pay off. He not only reversed his diabetes, hypertension, and osteoarthritis, but by the end of the 28 days, his arteries looked more like those of a 60 year old’s!

Dr. Roizen used Rocco’s story as a chance to show the audience that with small changes, big health impacts can be made. Rocco may have had the genes that predisposed him to his disease states, but he had control over what genes were expressed through his food and exercise choices.

For a recap on the rest of Monday’s speakers, check out my fellow media bloggers’ posts as they become available:

• Eat Well With Janel
• Don’t (White) Sugar Coat It
• A Fete for Food
• Green Grapes Blog

Today is day 2 of the symposium, and I’m already daydreaming about all of the exciting speakers we are going to get to hear!  For live symposium updates, follow me on Twitter at @NutritionTalk, or stay tuned here for the recap!

Happy Snacking,

Lindsey

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With the many March of Dimes March for Babies walks looming in the near future, I thought it only appropriate to touch on something that the March of Dimes fights against, and something that can easily affect any new mother: neural tube defects.

Every mother-to-be wants her newest bundle of joy to arrive pink, plump, and perfectly healthy. So what do you do when your baby is at risk for the permanently disabling birth defect, Spina Bifida?

What is Spina Bifida?

Spina Bifida is the most common birth defect in the U.S., occurring in 7 out of every 10,000 live births. It is a type of neural tube defect (NTD), where the baby’s spinal column fails to close in the womb. A child living with Spina Bifida can face social problems, learning disabilities, gastrointestinal disorders, or can even be born paralyzed.

What’s the 411 on folic acid?

Spina Bifida can occur in any pregnancy, though one of the biggest determinants in its development is folic acid deficiency. Folic acid is a B-vitamin that our bodies use to make red blood cells, and synthesize and repair DNA. During pregnancy, our bodies’ need for folic acid increases to accommodate the growth of the baby.

Half of all U.S. pregnancies are unplanned, and because Spina Bifida develops as early as the first trimester, adequate folic acid intake during childbearing years is crucial to Spina Bifida prevention. Studies suggest that if all women of childbearing age were to take a daily multivitamin with folic acid, NTDs like Spina Bifida could be reduced by up to 70%.

The recommended dose of folic acid for women of childbearing age is 400 micrograms (mcg) per day, which can be found in most over-the-counter multivitamins. During pregnancy, that recommendation jumps to 600 to 800 mcg per day.

What can I do to decrease my child’s risk?

A diet rich in folic acid-containing foods (see sidebar) provides enough folic acid for fetal growth and development, but unfortunately, the average American Diet tends to fall short. The best way to ensure your baby is getting enough folic acid is to talk with your physician about taking a prescription prenatal vitamin. These vitamins contain between 800 and 1,000 mcg of folic acid, more than enough to meet your baby’s needs and help prevent Spina Bifida.

Bonus: From March 28 through May 1, Kmart Pharmacy is providing free folic acid to pharmacy customers when they fill a prescription! Check out the March of Dimes press release for more info, or head over to the Kmart Pharmacy website.

Check out this post, and other similar posts, on the Food for Your Whole Life Blog!

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Happy Snacking,

Lindsey

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With all of the fabulous food products coming in for me to review, I’ve decided to institute Food Review Fridays to get down to business and give you guys the low-down on some of the food products that come my way. If at any time you have tried the food that I’m reviewing, I encourage you to post your own 2 cents in the comments section.

This Friday’s company is Nuts Online. They recently sent me a BUNCH of their products to review (the package was appropriately called, “The Indulgent Sampler Pack“). Based on the name, I thought I would just be receiving some almonds and pistachios in the mail, but boy did I have another thing coming. This pack had everything from chocolate covered pretzels, to malted milk balls, to barbeque toasted corn. I mean when they said “indulgent” they weren’t kidding around!
Some of the products were a little too indulgent for my taste (specifically the Jumbo Gourmet Buttercrunch Mix and the Chocolate Walnut Fudge), but the majority of the products were delish. Hands-down my favorite was the BBQ Toasted Corn – I could not get enough! And hey, you can’t go wrong munching on corn! I had also never had chocolate covered espresso beans before, and Nuts Online’s Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans were phenomenal.

Nuts Online also has some great gift packs available, and some very sought after health foods that may be hard to find in your neighborhood store (such as chia seeds). Tried Nuts Online before?  What did you think?

Happy Food Review Friday Snacking,

Lindsey

*Note: I am in no way affiliated with Nuts Online*

This summer, I will be attending the Food for Your Whole Life Symposium as a media blogger, along with my fellow blog partners in crime, Corinne, Janel, Jessica, and Elizabeth. The symposium will be bringing together an amazing group of internationally renowned health experts, including Dr. Mehmet Oz, Mollie Katzen, Michael Roizen, David Katz, Roger Clemens, Karen Collins RD, Keri Gans RD, James Joseph, Petra Kolber, Joan Sabate, Brian Wansink, and Elisa Zied RD. These experts will be offering up their expertise on age-based nutrition for health and disease prevention during this 2 day workshop in NYC, and I cannot WAIT!

As part of our media blogging experience, the five of us will also be guest posting on the Food for Your Whole Life Blog, covering many of the age-related health issues that the symposium experts themselves will also be addressing.

This coming week, my post addresses the state of health of our nation, by focusing on the upcoming World Health Day.

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America’s Wellness: World Health Day and National Public Health Week

By Lindsey D. Toth, BS

Every year since 1995, the first full week of April (April 5^th through 11^th this year) has been dedicated to improving the health of our nation, as National Public Health Week (NPHW). Within that same week, one day has been set aside dedicated to improving the health of our entire world– World Health Day, on April 7^th, 2010.

This year’s World Health Day caters its message at overcoming health hurdles in urbanized areas, with the campaign “1000 CITIES, 1000 LIVES“. Over three billion people currently live in cities- a number that continues to rise. By the year 2030, six out of every ten people will be city dwellers, and by the year 2050, this number will increase up to seven out of ten. This rising trend in urbanization ultimately has consequences on the health of the citizens living within the urban community. Want to walk to work? Sorry, there are no sidewalks. Want to go for a run in the park? Nope, no green space available to do that. Thinking about going for a bike ride? It can get dangerous with no bike paths available.

So what can you do to make your city a healthier place on April 7^th?   Join the global movement to make cities healthier. The World Health Organization is encouraging cities around the globe to open their streets to promote health activities on April 7^th, so get YOUR city involved:

• Close down one street in your city. Work with community members to have mental and physical health activities available, such as massages and dance lessons.
• Organize a group walk or bike run. It can be five blocks, or five miles! Get the city involved so that it’s safe and fun for everyone.
• Promote local produce with a farmer’s market. Get local restaurants involved for cooking demonstrations on how to use the fruits and vegetables at the market.
• Organize a free, outdoor exercise class. If you have a park, organize an evening or morning yoga class to promote physical and mental health after a long day’s work.
• Provide health screening. Get your local clinic involved by inviting them to hold free health-risk screening sessions and a health education booth.
• Organize a “Walking School Bus.” Encourage your children to walk to school in the morning under the safety supervision of an adult.
• Make it “Bike to Work Day” at the office. Encourage everyone at work to ride their bike into work that day, or form a “car pool” of bike-riders, picking each other up on your way in to the office.

Get online and register your city today as one of the 1000 healthy cities that will be involved in World Health Day this year, and get creative with your ideas to get your city moving and shaking!

How would you make YOUR city a healthier place?

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Happy Snacking,

Lindsey

Ever wondered what a compilation of some of the world’s most disgusting, modern-day, food-like substances would look like? Well the folks over at Grist have done the dirty work for you, gathering up a slide show of the top 12 things out there that probably shouldn’t pass for food. Some of my “favorites” from the list include the Twinkie Sushi (see above) and the Cheeseburger in a Can (below).  Yes I am dead serious – the burger includes a soggy bun and all. They’ve even included a taste-test testimony of the canned burger for your reading pleasure. Apparently it tastes similar to a McDonald’s cheeseburger, which isn’t saying much in my opinion.

Want to check out the other 10 food-like items? Head here.  I recommend waiting a bit after eating though, for the sake of your stomach.

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@AmazingAvocado + Biggest Loser Giveaway

Don’t forget to tweet @AmazingAvocado today with your fave avocado tips and tricks!  You could win a copy of the new book “The Biggest Loser: 6 Weeks to a Healthier You.” Check out the Avocados from Mexico site for more info, and enter today!

Happy Snacking,

Lindsey

The first image the phrase “The Happiness Machine,” brings to mind is somewhat similar to the insanity of Willie Wonka’s candy factory: Happiness pumped out in the form of chocolate, bubble-gum, schnozzberries, and golden tickets. Maybe that vision isn’t so far off. Coca Cola has launched an online video that’s gone viral, dubbed “The Happiness Machine.”

The gist: Coke kicks off “The Happiness Machine” with a YouTube video, as they plan to travel to college campuses across the U.S., installing their “happiness machines” and watching the fun begin. The video delivers on its promise of happiness, bringing the unknowing participants to their knees in laughter (one girl even hugs the machine!), and an equal number of laugh-out-louds to its online viewers. I know for me, it totally made my week knowing that something so small could bring a whole cafeteria of college students together (even if that something had to be empty calories – c’mon Coke, you do make water too!).

So remember, the next time you’re buying a soda, you may end up with 20… or a balloon animal… or a pizza… or a six-foot sub sandwich…

Happy Snacking,

Lindsey

Curious how your town measures up in local produce against the rest of the U.S.? Want to know if you’ve got the most fast food restaurants in your state? The USDA just launched a neat tool that’ll show you! The Your Food Environment Atlas tool lets you assemble country-level statistics based on food choices, health, and community characteristics so you can see how your town or state compares to others across the nation.

Obviously the chillier states are the low end of the local-food scale right now, but I wonder if the map will reflect seasonal changes in fresh produce availability? I guess I’ll have to wait until summer to see… it feels so far away! Start getting ready for summer now by finding a farmers’ market near you. Check out the USDA’s Farmers Market Search to find your local market, and start supporting your inner locavore this summer!

Happy Snacking,

Lindsey

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By Jessica Maillet from A Fete for Food

Thanks to all who participated in the Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge! I definitely have a whole slew of new recipes I’m going to be trying out!

Today’s winner is Nour from Practical Nutrition with her recipe for Banana Walnut Flax Muffins! Nour will be the proud new owner of Futter Nut Butters walnut butter and Mollie Katzen’s cookbook, Get Cooking.

Banana Flax Muffins

No time for breakfast? Make these delicious and healthy muffins ahead of time and grab on your way out. Made with whole wheat, flax seeds, walnuts, canola oil, and bananas, these muffins are an excellent source of many good-for-you foods. Even kids would love it!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
• 3/4 c ground flax seeds
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 egg
•  tsp vanilla
• 1/4 c canola oil
• 1/4 c reduced fat milk
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 c walnuts

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour, flax, sugar, and baking soda). In a separate bowl, mix the liquid ingredients (egg, vanilla, oil, milk, and bananas).

Stir the liquids in the dry ingredients. Fold in the walnuts. If the batter is too dry, add more milk. Pour into 12 paper-lined muffin cups. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 

Thanks to all who took part in this blog challenge!

Jess

A Fete For Food

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By Corinne at Green Grapes Blog

WooT-WooT! Folks—we got a winner! A Ka-Ka-Ka QUINOA WINNER! And, that winner is Ms. Carolyn Goodwin!

In response to last week’s post on the many health benefits of quinoa and call to the new-ingredient-breakfast-eating challenge, we received many calls to action—calls to action-cooking quinoa that is! BUT, there could only be one winner to claim Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge victory! And that winner, determined by a random number generator, is Carolyn’s Quinoa Breakfast

Carolyn, take it away…!!!

I love my quinoa breakfast, which I’ve been eating almost every day for about six months and still look forward to each morning. This makes a batch that’s enough for about a week. I usually eat it cold, sometimes I warm it up. I pour a little plain kefir over it, or milk is good, nut milks are tasty too. It’s just good food, any way you eat it. Besides the wonderful nutritional value of the quinoa, you get a healthy dose of nuts, fruit, cinnamon, and coconut oil. And the combination of the cinnamon and the coconut oil tastes fabulous.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups quinoa
  
• ¾  cup raisins (or to taste)
  
• ¾ cup chopped cashews or pistachios (or to taste)
  
• ¾  cup diced apples (or to taste)
  
• 2 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
  
• 1 to 2 Tb coconut oil
  

Directions:

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly, and soak overnight in water with a little yogurt added if desired. Put the quinoa with water to cover (quantity of water is not important, since you’ll be draining it later) into a saucepan, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain any remaining water, and put the quinoa in a steamer (or just in a sieve over boiling water), steam for an additional 10 minutes. This method produces piles of fluffy quinoa, much better than just boiling in water. Put the warm quinoa in a bowl, add the remaining ingredients, and fluff with a fork. Can be enjoyed warm or cold, with milk, yogurt or kefir or all by itself.

Cheers!

Again, CONGRATS Carolyn! Send your mailing address to TheSuperBreakfastBowlChallenge@gmail.com and you’ll be receiving some awesome lip-lickin’ goodies on behalf of Newman’s Own Organics—everything from dried fried to decadent delightful dark chocolate. And, YES this is a nutrition blog … BUT folks if ya don’t know by now, I fully support a daily treat! Come on now … I’m all about the 90:10 “rule”—90% lean, green, mean disease-fighting machine foods—fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins/legumes, healthy fats—and a daily indulgence! So … Carolyn enjoy!

Happy Healthifying!

Corinne at Green Grapes Blog

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By Janel Ovrut at Eat Well With Janel

Welcome to the Lentil Day winner announcement for the Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge! We had so many tasty looking lentil submissions to choose from. You guys really are creative using little legumes in your morning meal! I’m glad I cooked up and froze a big batch of lentils weeks ago so I have plenty to use in all of these new recipes. They all looked so tasty I had to leave it up to the random number generator to choose and the lentil winner is….Julie from The Doctors Rheum! I never would have thought to combine pear and lentils but love this Pear Lentil Patty recipe.

Pear-Lentil Patties

This was a total experiment based on what I had in the house!

1. Cook 1/2 cup lentils in 1 cup water until soft.
   
2. Caramelize 1/2 a sweet yellow onion in EVOO with a dash of cumin and a dash of cinnamon.
   
3. Chop a ripe pear.
   
4. Combine all ingredients in a food processor pulsing several times until just combined.
   
5. Shape into patties and cook on a hot pan or griddle like pancakes.
   
6. Made: 4 large patties

I added a beaten egg to see if it would hold together better and it made it a little soupy. Use your imagination. They seem to me like “sausage” patties so I put one on a toasted English muffin and put a poached egg on top. The taste is a sweet/savory mix. They did not hold together too well but the ones that fell apart could be used as “sausage” crumbles.

Congrats Julie and thank you for the superb recipe and photos! Make sure you send your mailing address to thesuperbreakfastbowlchallenge@gmail.com so we can send you your prizes: the awesome book Thrive—The Vegan Nutrition Guide and the handy book 101 Optimal Life Foods by Registered Dietitian (aka Gu-a-titian) Dave Grotto.

Thanks again to everyone who submitted a recipe! And if you haven’t yet, don’t forget to send in your quinoa, andwalnut recipes! It’s time to challenge your morning meal!

Janel from EatWellwithJanelblog.com

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By Elizabeth Jarrard at Don’t White Sugar Coat it

Thank you to everyone that submitted a Flax Seed recipe! They all looked delicious and I can’t wait to try out some new recipes that all have our little omega-3 friend-Flax Seed. There’s no way I could have ever picked my favorite, or “the best” recipe, so I headed over to random.org to help me choose! Without further ado, The Winner of the Flax Seed Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge
is….

Christine of Hot Mama Health with her Nutty Granola ‘n Flax

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup Oats
• 1/2 cup Ground Flax Seed
• 3/4 cup slivered almonds
• 3/4 cup walnuts
• 3/4 cup peanuts
• Salt to taste (added to dry ingredients above)
• 3/4 cup Apricots (Chopped) or your favorite dried fruit
• 1/2 cup Raisins
• 1/2 cup Dried Mango (Chopped) or another dried fruit of your choosing
• 4 tablespoons of vegan butter
• 1/2 cup Packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup Honey
• 1/3 cup Orange Juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Chop the dried fruit and set aside.
2. Mix dry ingredients (oats, flax seed, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and salt) in a bowl and spread out onto a baking sheet w/ built up sides.
3. Roast dry ingredients in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring occasionally.
4. In a pot melt the 4 tablespoons of vegan butter
5. Once the butter is melted, mix in brown sugar, honey, and orange juice.
6. Stir until ingredients are completely mixed, remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
7. Stir ingredients.
8. When the nuts are done roasting, transfer to a bowl and add the melted wet ingredients, stir.  Once mixed well, add the dried fruit. Mix well.
9. Put granola in an 8 x 8 pan, pack in firmly. Put in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. When you see the sides are browning, it’s time to remove.
10. Let cool completely, overnight is best.
11. Cut into granola squares OR take the squares and place in a large bowl and pull apart with hands to make a chunky granola!
12. Can eat plain, on top of oatmeal, or on top of your favorite yogurt!  Delicious and rich, also makes a great dessert

Congrats Christine and thank you for the excellent recipe and photos! Send your mailing address to thesuperbreakfastbowlchallenge@gmail.com. Christine will be receiving Perfect Pancake Mix from Purely Elizabeth (gluten free and delicious!) and a whole slew of Vega Goodies
and a tea top brew travel mug from Mighty Leaf Tea Company!

Thanks again to everyone who submitted a recipe! And if you haven’t yet, don’t forget to send in your lentil, quinoa, and walnut recipes! It’s time to think outside the (cereal) box!

Cheers!

Elizabeth

Don’t (White) Sugar-Coat It

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By Lindsey Toth from Healthy Blog Snack

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine’s Day weekend, and I hope you’re ready for the winner of The Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge #1: Avocado!

First of all, thank you to everyone for all of your submissions. I was amazed with your breakfast creativity, and impressed that so many of you stepped up to take on the challenge – congrats to all of you on your breakfast creations!

Although all of your creations were amazing, unfortunately there can only be one winner. So using the random integer generator, the winner of The Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge #1 is…

Drum roll please…

Danielle of Coffee Run with her fabulous Rocky Road Oatmeal – congratulations Danielle!

Danielle took on our challenge and created a delicious Chocolate Chai Pudding with avocado, which she incorporated into a whole slew of breakfast creations – including her delicious looking Rocky Road Oatmeal. Congratulations on the win Danielle, send us your address at thesuperbreakfastbowlchallenge@gmail.com, and be on the look-out for your prizes in the mail: The Chef’n Vibe Avocado Slicer, courtesy of Kitchen Stuff Plus, an avocado gift pack, courtesy of Avocados from Mexico, and a ton of Newman’s Own Organic products.

Now, time to share Danielle’s Rockin’ Rocky Road Oatmeal recipe…

Rocky Road Oatmeal

Ingredients:

Chocolate Chai Pudding

1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted

12 oz. (1 block) silken tofu

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. allspice

Sweetener, to taste (I used 5 packets of Nu Naturals Stevia. You could also use agave- starting with 1/3 cup and adding more if desired)

Rocky Road Oatmeal

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 cup water

Slices of banana

Coconut Cream

Crushed Walnuts

Chocolate Chai Pudding

Directions:

Chocolate Chai Pudding

1. Blend ingredients together
2. Serve and enjoy as a pudding! Or incorporate into the oatmeal as follows…

Rocky Road Oatmeal

1. Cook oats with water
2. Top with/mix in rest of ingredients (including Chocolate Chai Pudding)
3. Serve and enjoy!

Thanks again to everyone who submitted a recipe for the avocado challenge, and stay tuned for the winner of the Flax Seed Challenge tomorrow. There’s still time to submit your Flax Seed breakfast recipes today, so challenge yourself today!

Happy Super Breakfast Bowl Snacking!

Lindsey Toth at Healthy Blog Snack

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By Jessica Maillet from A Fete for Food

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We live in a nutty world where “foods” come packaged, bagged, boxed, and wrapped. It’s time to forgo the outer shell and crack into some real superfood: WALNUTS!

Walnuts have often got a bad rap, commonly being touted as the “fruitcake nut.” It’s time to redeem them and bring them into the nutritional limelight!

But first, what’s in it for you?

Futter Nut Butters agreed to let a lucky reader of the Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge try two jars of their awesome products! I bet you’ve never tried walnut butter before… here’s your chance! I also have a cookbook from Mollie Katzen called “Get Cooking.” Katzen is one of the experts for the California Walnut Board and her cookbook is no-nonsense, simple recipes that are chock-full of whole foods and delicious ingredients.

Onto the 411 about these nutritional gems…

Nutritional Lowdown

A little less than one-fourth cup of chopped walnuts, or a one-ounce serving, (or about 14 halves) provides 180 calories and 18 grams of fat. Whoa! EighTEEN grams of fat?! Well, 13 of these come from the polyunsaturated fat, and 2.5 grams come from alpha linolenic acid (ALA), a precursor to EPA and DHA, or the omega-3 fatty acids that we all hear are healthy for our heart. (After all, February is Heart Health Awareness Month.) But let’s not stop there. An ounce of walnuts also contains 4 grams of protein, fiber, manganese, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and a host of other good-for-you nutrients.

What’s ALA again?

Alpha linolenic acid is the omega-3 fatty acid precursor that is found in plant sources, as opposed to EPA and DHA, the omega-3s often heard about in fatty fish. Although there is no Dietary Reference Intake set by the government for ALA right now, the FDA recognizes that we should get 1.6 grams of ALA daily (for the purpose of nutrient content claims.) Since one ounce of walnuts contains 2.5 grams, you’re golden!

Aren’t walnuts going to make me fat?

Nope. Remember, calories in equals calories out, so while walnuts have more calories per gram than bread or meat, they can (and should) be incorporated into your diet, if, for nothing else, a chance to get in some much-needed ALA.

I’ve seen walnut oil in recipes. What’s this all about?

Walnut oil, like the more commonly recognized peanut oil, is the oil extracted from the nut. Walnut oil is a rich, luxurious nut oil and is great whisked with some balsamic vinegar and poured over a spinach salad with toasted walnuts and dried cranberries. Walnut oil has a relatively low smoke point, so it’s best not to heat it; buy it in small amounts, because the high amount of polyunsaturated fat oxidizes quickly when it comes in contact with air. As such, it’s best to refrigerate walnut oil and walnuts that have been cracked open or ones that you buy chopped. And, if you open a bag and they smell like paint thinner, toss ‘em! They’re rancid and are apt to do more harm than good.

How do you open shelled walnuts?

Here’s how it’s done. Kind of.

How do I get walnuts in for breakfast?

When I’m on the run and don’t have time for a steaming bowl of oats with chopped walnuts or nut butter, I snag one of these bars from my freezer. They’re simple to make, easy to transport, and very very delicious! I originally had the idea when I was training for a half marathon and buying Clif Nectar bars like they were going out of style. They were expensive, and I needed another way to meet my craving.

So, I have this corny and slightly inappropriate joke about this recipe that involves a date with a walnut, but I think I’ll keep that one to myself. Anyway, here’s a fabulous recipe for The Walnut-Date Breakfast Bar. In fact, it is my version of the Lemon, Vanilla and Cashew Clif Nectar Bar.

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The Walnut-Date Breakfast Bar

(Note: They are not a beautiful food, but they sure are tasty.)

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup chopped dates

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp olive oil

Directions:

Add walnuts to food processor and pulse on high until walnuts are a crumbly powder. Transfer to a bowl. Add dates to food processor and pulse for about 20 seconds. Add walnuts, lemon juice, olive oil, and walnut powder and pulse until mixture is a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl and mix with your hands to combine. Make 8 1″ mini-bars, transfer to a Ziplock bag or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. If you double the recipe, freeze them for later!

Nutrition Info: 1 bar: 120 calories, 3.5 gm fat (polyunsaturated), 23 gm carbohydrate, 2 gm fiber

For more information and recipes about walnuts and fabulous recipes, visit the California Walnut website.

Don’t forget- you have the weekend to test your recipes and submit your breakfast recipe for avocado by Sunday, Monday for flaxseed, Tuesday for lentils, Wednesday for quinoa, and THURSDAY for the wonderful walnuts! I REALLY want you to win that walnut butter and Mollie Katzen’s cookbook! Make sure to email your breakfast creations to thesuperbreakfastbowlchallenge@gmail.com!

Best of luck and happy breakfasting!

Jess

A Fete For Food

afeteforfood@gmail.com

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By Corinne Dobbas of Green Grapes Blog

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Okay—perhaps a semi-cheesy title, but hey—after ya read why quinoa should be your new ladle to your pot—or for those who don’t take a liken’ to the kitchen—bread to your sandwich … you’ll see why…

Quinoa, pronounced keen-wah, is a nutritional powerhouse, according to not just I, but the ancient Incas. In fact, quinoa was so highly revered by those from its motherland—South America—that this lil’ protein, fiber-filled nugget was referred to as “the mother grain.” That’s a pretty gosh darn BIG title, if I don’t say so myself!

Today, dozens of foodie-nutrition blogs, health mags, and popular press tout quinoa’s “mother grain” status and often refer to it as “the super grain of the future.” However, I like to think of quinoa as the super grain of all time—past, present, and future (ya know … just to be clear here). But, before we get ahead of ourselves, I must provide you with the disclaimer that although quinoa presents as a grain … it’s actually the seed of the plant, Chenopodium quinoa. This plant is related to beets, chard, and spinach … who knew?!? Okay, I’ll refrain my inner dorkdum…but, really—isn’t that cool?

A Nutrition Lover’s Ode to Quinoa

What makes quinoa so absolutely fantastic is:

• It’s a WHOLE GRAIN! …okay, a whole seed!
  
• It contains more protein than any other grain or seed!
  
• It’s a complete protein! Meaning quinoa contains all the essential amino acids, or building blocks, our bodies need to form new proteins and keep our lean, green, mean, disease-fighting machine system in top-notch!
  
• It’s splashed with a good dose of gut, heart, and healthy- weight lovin’ fiber
  
• It’s laced with lysine! No—this is NOT somethin’ to worry about! Lysine is an amino acid essential for tissue growth and repair.
  
• It’s gluten and wheat free—those with wheat/gluten allergies, rejoice!
  

A Foodie’s Ode to Quinoa

• Its fluffiness accompanied by crunchiness offers up an escape from the ordinary grain.
  
• Its delicate nutty flavor tantalizes the palate.
  
• It’s a pretty cheap tasty health food!
  
• Although mellow yellow is the most popular variety, quinoa exists in many different colors, including orange, pink, yellow, purple, and black.  Get lookin’ for it and experiment with color in the kitchen!
  
• It’s versatile! Quinoa can be used in soups, salads, breads, puddings, breakfast cereal—you name it, and I betcha quinoa can do it!
  
• Quinoa will adjust to your foodie schedule. It can be cooked in a pinch–in the microwave—or with more time—on the stovetop.
  

Now, for a lil’ Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge Fun!

Today, we’re eating breakfast and lickin’ up new b-fast duds while we’re at it! The new b-fast food today is—can you guess?!?—quinoa! Now, I usually dig my quinoa ensconced in a smattering of veggies… at dinner time (I tell ya, I’m addicted to my oats), but NOPE—not today my friends. See—even I had to challenge myself! Today, I had to get creative … so, I thought of what flavors, textures, and smells jive together. And, by-gosh-by-golly-gee … I think I got a winner!

Cinnamon-Cran Quinoa

Servings per recipe: 1

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup quinoa
  
• 1/2 cup water
  
• 1/4 Tablespoon of Cinnamon
  
• 1 Light Laughing Original Cow Wedge
  
• 1/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries
  
• 1 tablespoon of honey or brown sugar

Directions:

• Cook quinoa (microwave for 4-5 minutes in 1/2 cup water. If heating on stovetop, follow package instructions. Generally, the ratio of quinoa to water is kept to a 1:2 ratio)
  
• When done cooking and still hot, add the Light Laughing Cow Wedge to the Quinoa and stir until creamy and dissolving
  
• Add cranberries, cinnamon, and honey or brown sugar to the mix and stir!
  
• Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts per Serving: 338 calories, 4 grams fat, 70 grams carbohydrate, 10 grams protein, 5 grams fiber

Step Up & Send in Your Quinoa Breakfasty Goodness!

If Ms. Healthy in a Skillet (aka yours truly) can whip something up, you can too! AND—I want to see watcha got! So … send in your quinoa breakfast duds to TheSuperBreakfastBowlChallenge@gmail.com along with a picture of your FAB dish and its recipe! If ya win, not only will YOU be featured on all 5 of our blogs, BUT you’ll get a bunch of Newman’s Own Organics products—everything from delicious, decadent, dark chocolate to dried fruit to super sassy soy crisps!

Looking forward to your Quinoa Recipes!

Happy Healthifying!

Corinne at Green Grapes Blog

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By Janel Ovrut at Eat Well With Janel

Welcome to Lentil Day of the Breakfast Blog Challenge!!! Have you been trying new breakfast recipes this week? I like to tell my clients that breakfast never has to be a big sit down meal when you’re rushing to get ready in the morning. Any healthy food will do to jump start your metabolism and energize your day (aim to eat within 45 minutes of getting up!). Even if all you can manage is a little handful of almonds as you’re running out the door, or a piece of fruit on the train and a yogurt when you get to your desk will do for breakfast. But this week we’re hoping to inspire new breakfast ideas with the Breakfast Blog Challenge and I was challenged with finding a good breakfast recipe using lentils!

Lentils are a fan favorite in our home. Funk devours them daily in his lunch salad, and I love a good lentil soup or Indian dish that’s chock full o’ lentils. But for breakfast?! I was up for the challenge. The Breakfast Blog Challenge.

Elizabeth told me about a lentil breakfast muffin she discovered on the Malomeals blog and after lots of web searching, I found the recipe on Post Punk Kitchen (recipe below).

This was my first major attempt at baking since my hip surgery, which means my balance was off on all accounts. I wanted to have a batch of warm muffins in the oven when Funk came home from work but instead he came home to a batch of lentils all over the floor. Oops. Fortunately I had made a double batch of lentils so I went back to attempt the muffins again (with Funk’s supervision this time).

When I finally got to taste my Lentil Muffin, I really enjoyed the chai tea flavors! Delish! They taste fantastic with a berry jam smeared on top and they’re so filling! One muffin plus an orange kept me satisfied til lunch, which is a rarity! All that protein and fiber from the little lentils as well as whole wheat flour will help hold you over.

The true taste test was with my mom. She took me to a doctor’s appointment so I brought her some muffins, not telling her any ingredients, and just advising her to eat them with jam on top, and left it at that. When I came out of my appointment, mom told me she got hungry and enjoyed a muffin where she, “Could see and taste all of the ingredients! Raisins…coconuts. It was good!” I kept my lips zipped and decided to let my mom discover, when reading this post, that she loved a lentil muffin. Who woulda guessed it!? You love lentils, mom! Now that was a Breakfast Blog Challenge success!

I can’t wait to see what you submit for your lentil recipe in the Breakfast Blog Challenge. Don’t forget, you could win the awesome book Thrive—The Vegan Nutrition Guide. And a new prize was just added! You can ALSO win the book 101 Optimal Life Foods by Registered Dietitian (aka Gu-a-titian) Dave Grotto. Two prizes! Just remember to email your recipe and pics to thesuperbreakfastbowlchallenge@gmail.com by Tuesday, February 16^th. Good luck!

- Janel of Eat Well with Janel

Lentil Breakfast Muffins/Cake

Wet Ingredients:
2 c chai tea
2 c cooked lentils
4 T fresh ginger (I left this out)
¾ c coconut
1 T cinnamon
1 t ground cloves (I used pumpkin pie spice here)
1 t coconut extract (or vanilla or almond)
¼ c flax meal
¼ t kal stevia (optional) or 4 t liquid sweetener (I used 4t agave)
1 T vinegar

Dry Ingredients:
4 c whole wheat flour
1 T baking powder
1.5 t baking soda
½ c sugar
1 t salt
Optional: 1 c raisins – great option! I’d suggest adding some plump raisins

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 375

Place the wet ingredients in a blender and blend

Mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, make a well and fold the wet ingredients in until just combined.

Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and scoop a quarter  cup into the tins.  Bake for 15- 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Or spray a 9 by 13 baking pan and place mixture in there.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

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By Elizabeth Jarrard at Don’t White Sugar Coat it

Hey there! This is Elizabeth from Don’t (White) Sugar-Coat It and I’m here to represent Flax Seeds. So why should flax be a part of your Super Breakfast Bowl? Don’t underestimate these little seeds-they pack a nutritional punch!  No doubt you’ve heard all the buzz about Omega 3 fatty acids. These good fats have been shown to lower heart disease risk. Flax seeds contain are one of the greatest plant-sources of those omega-3 fatty acids. Flax is also very high in fiber, which helps to keep your cholesterol low, and intestines functioning. One tablespoon of ground flax has almost 4 g of fiber! It is loaded with phytochemicals, and lots of antioxidants. It is also high in lignans, a phytoestrogen, which may balance female hormones, and prevent cancer.

Even better is how easy it is to let a little flax into your life. Flax can be added to your cooking in its milled or whole seed form. The whole seeds will give a tasty crunch to baked goods, while milled flax greatly increases the nutritional value. You see, by grinding the seeds, you let your body easily absorb the nutrients, rather than letting them just pass through. You can put it on top of cereal or oatmeal, or toss it in your smoothies, muffins, scones, crepes, waffles and pancakes. Need an egg? Grind up 1 Tablespoon whole flax seeds (2.5 T flaxmeal) to replace one egg. Transfer to a bowl and beat in 3 tablespoons of water using a whisk or fork. Not only can these “flax eggs” make a recipe vegan, but they add a little omega-3 boost to your baked goodies!

So what are you waiting for? Head over to your grocery store of choice and pick up some flax seeds! If you’re still a little afraid, you have some time to warm up to these little powerhouses. According to the Flax Council of Canada Whole flax seeds can be stored at room temperature for up to a year. Ground flax seed should be refrigerated in an airtight, opaque container, eh? There’s also flax seed oil, but then you miss out on a great source of fiber-so I stick with the seeds!

I use flax on a daily basis, but here’s a recipe I’d love to share with you for breakfast scone! I like manipulating recipes, so significantly adapted one from Ricki Heller’s Sweet Freedom

Pear Ginger Scones

Ingredients:

1 tsp apple cider vinegar + almond milk to make 1/2 cup (rice or soy milk would work as well)
1/4 cup honey (or agave)
3 Tbsp Apple Sauce (or if you don’t want to make it low-fat, 3T light tasting oil)
1Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1.75 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tbsp ground flax meal
1.5 tsp baking powder
.5 tsp baking soda
.75 tsp salt
1 pear, diced. or if you want to use dried pears, about 1/2 cup, diced
2 T almond milk to brush tops with

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

Mix the wet ingredients together and set aside. Then mix the dry ingredients and slowly add the wet to the dry. Once mixed, fold in the diced pear, and then scoop onto baking sheet in desired scone shape.

Put in pre-heated over for 6-8 minutes. Remove, brush tops with almond milk and return to oven for another 6-8 minutes. Knowing thy oven is almost as important as knowing thy self, so your baking times may differ from mine.

This recipe is so easy to play with-try Apricot Pear, Orange Anise, Plum Pecan, Lemon Blueberry, and any other combination!

What breakfast bowl would you put flax in? I’d love to know! And for a little extra incentive, there’re prizes!!! If you send in a picture of your breakfast item along with its recipe to thesuperbreakfastbowlchallenge@gmail.com by next Monday, you will be entered, and I will randomly choose a winner of a SUPER Prize pack which includes: Fantastic Grab bag of Vega Products and Purely Elizabeth’s Perfect Pancake Mix and A wonderful Mighty Leaf Tea Top Brew Mug!

Not only that but we’ll feature your winning recipe on all four blogs

Look at that- Cooking experience, health, creativity, great prizes, and free publicity all in one-what more could you ask for??

Don’t forget about Lindsey’s avocado richness, and stay tuned for Janel’s lentil bake-off tomorrow!!

Cheers!
Elizabeth
Don’t (White) Sugar Coat-It

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By Lindsey Toth from Healthy Blog Snack

Welcome to the beginning of The Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge everyone! I hope you are all revved up and ready to challenge your early-morning selves with some breakfasty goodness.

Today’s the day we tout the wonderful characteristics of the Avocado. You can review the complete challenge perks and guidelines here, but to recap, send your creative avocado breakfast creations +pictures to thesuperbreakfastbowlchallenge@gmail.com by Sunday, February 14^th. The winner of today’s challenge will get The Chef’n Vibe Avocado Slicer, courtesy of Kitchen Stuff Plus, an avocado gift pack, courtesy of Avocados from Mexico, and a boat load of Newman’s Own Organic products.

Now for the Avocado Fun!

The avocado is actually a fruit, not a vegetable, and is native to the Caribbean, Mexico, South America, and Central America, although you could try growing one in your own home or backyard if you’d like. These pear-shaped fruits pack a mean nutrient-rich punch, weighing in at about 250 calories each, less than 5 grams of fat per serving, 80 micrograms of lutein and 19 micrograms of beta-carotene (which both help to maintain eye health), and over 20 other vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. In short, avocados are nutrient powerhouses!

Fat?! What?!

You heard correctly when I said avocados have fat in them – did you know they had fat? Yep, a fruit with fat. Who’da thunk? This isn’t greasy, fried-food fat though, it’s a heart-healthy fat called monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fat is good for your heart because it has actually been shown to reduce bad cholesterol levels – LDL cholesterol – in your blood, lowering your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Shopping for Avocados

So how do you know if an avocado is ripe for the pickin’ at your local supermarket? First off, try to avoid ones with dark blemishes on the skin, or ones that are overly soft. The best way to tell if an avocado is ready for immediate consumption is to gently squeeze the fruit in the palm of your hand. Ripe, ready-to-eat fruit will be firm, but it will wield slightly to the pressure. If you plan to use the fruit in a few days, pick avocados that are extra-firm, so they will be ripe by the time you want to use them. Only hard, and unripened avocados at your stores? When you get home, place the unripened fruit in a brown paper bag and store it at room temperature until it’s ready to eat – you can even throw in an apple or a banana to accelerate the process, as these fruits give off a ripening agent called ethylene. Soft fruit can be placed in the refrigerator until it is ready to eat, but not more than a few days because it can become too ripe.

How Do I Eat an Avocado?

One of the trickiest things about avocados, I think, is figuring out how to eat them. They are an awkward shape, with an awkward pit, and an awkward skin. Awwwkwaaaaaaaard. So, what’s the trick to digging into this delicious fruit?

1. Start with a ripe avocado, and run your knife lengthwise around it to split the avocado in half.
2. Now the tricky part: removing the pit. If you’re up to the challenge, use a knife to strike the pit, making it stick. Once the knife is stuck in the pit, rotate it, and pull the knife and pit out of the avocado. If that seems a little too Evel Knievel for you, you can use a spoon to scoop it out.
3. If you’re looking for pretty slices, gently use a butter knife to slice strips of avocado (careful not to slice through the skin), and then turn the skin inside out to release the meat. If you’re making a spread or a dip, and don’t care what it looks like, just use a spoon to scoop the avocado out.

Avocado Breakfast Toast

There are a zillion ways to eat an avocado: topped on a salad, mixed as guacamole, rolled into sushi – the list is endless! My all-time favorite way to eat avocado though, is in Avocado Toast. I found this recipe in the cookbook Muscle Chow, from the fabulous folks at Men’s Health magazine, and made a few tiny recipe tweaks to fit my personal fancy. The foreword of the book was written by David Grotto, RD, LDN, who is a leader in the field of nutrition and dietetics. I figured if he was on board, the book must be worth checking out. Use your shopping and eating skills from above to take this toast for morning test drive!

Ingredients:

2 slices of whole wheat bread, toasted

2 teaspoons of Dijon-honey mustard

½ avocado, peeled and sliced

½ tomato, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon of dried basil

½ tablespoon of ground flaxseed

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Spread 1 teaspoon of the Dijon-honey mustard on each piece of toast.
2. Add half of the avocado and half of the tomato to each slice.
3. Drizzle each slice of toast with the olive oil.
4. Sprinkle both slices with the basil, ground flaxseed, and the salt and pepper
5. Eat with caution – this can get messy but it’s totally worth it!!

We Challenge YOU!

Now that you’re in-the-know on the awesomeness of avocados, don’t forget to send us YOUR crazy avocado breakfast creations. If your creation is chosen, you’ll be the lucky winner of The Chef’n Vibe Avocado Slicer, an avocado gift pack courtesy of Avocados from Mexico, and a ton of Newman’s Own Organics products – AND your recipe will be featured on all four of our blogs!

Stay tuned for Elizabeth’s flax seed post tomorrow!

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Happy Super Breakfast Bowl Snacking!

Lindsey Toth at Healthy Blog Snack

Happy Friday Snackers!

Just thought I’d spread the blogger word that I just worked with Kate Geagan to post a fantastically tech savvy post on America’s Green Nutritionist’s™ blog: 7 Ways to Go Green on Your Mobile Phone.

Check out some of the great mobile apps available to help you Go Green in 2010, and while you’re there, check out Kate’s site – it’s phenomenal!

Happy Snacking,

Lindsey

Are you ready to get challenged?!? NO … really—are you?! Because we are ready to have some true healthifying blogger fun!!!

So—what’s the dealio with this so called “challenge?”

Okay—here’s the 411.

Five of us nutrition ladies—Jessica at A Fete For Food, Janel at Eat Well with Janel, Elizabeth at Don’t White Sugar Coat It, Lindsey at Healthy Blog Snack, and Corinne at Green Grapes Blog, invite YOU to take the Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge! If you accept, you’ll incorporate a food that typically doesn’t make it onto your breakfast plate or into your usual b-fast bowl—or hey, if you’re really in a jam … your hand or napkin. Simply put, as long as ya eat breakfast within an hour of your rise-n-shine time, incorporate the chosen breakfast item, and send us a pic of your b-fast duds along with its recipe within six days of the highlighted item’s post—you’re good to go and eligible for prizes!!!!!!!!!!

Woo-hoo! Yes, we said prizes.

The Deal

But, before we get on to prizes, let’s talk a lot more nitty-gritty, shall we??? I know—details, details, details…

Starting next week—on February 8^th—we’ll each have a day where we’ll post why our ingredient is AWESOME and invite you to use the ingredient in your breakfast within the upcoming week.

The Five Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge Ingredients, Revealed:

• Avocado – Monday, February 8^th
  
  • Pics and recipes needed Sunday, February 14^th
• Flax Seed – Tuesday, February 9^th
  • Pics and recipes needed Monday, February 15^th
• Lentils – Wednesday, February 10^th
  • Pics and recipes needed Tuesday, February 16^th
• Quinoa – Thursday, February 11^th
  • Pics and recipes needed Wednesday, February 17^th
• Walnuts – Friday, February 12^th
  • Pics and recipes needed Thursday, February 18^th

Now, to get clout and be eligible to receive a FAB prize—you’ll need to send a pic of your breakfast item along with its recipe to thesuperbreakfastbowlchallenge@gmail.com within six days of the ingredient’s post date (noted above).

So for example, if I write about the avocado’s awesomeness next Monday, then you have until Sunday to send in a pic of your avocado breakfast goodness! AND—if you win, on Monday, the picture of your breakfast along with its recipe will be posted on ALL of our blogs!

So… Basically…

Each “ingredient post” will appear on each of our 5 blogs and each person who sends in a breakfast pic with the chosen ingredient AND recipe will be eligible for a prize! But … wait, there’s more! The winner—chosen by a random number generator—will be featured on ALL of our blogs along with your name and blog/website name, if ya got one.

Don’t ya love it?!? Cooking experience, health, creativity, great prizes, and free publicity all in one!

So, if ya use all five ingredients and submit a pic each time, you’ll have FIVE opportunities to win some pretty fabulous items—if I don’t say so myself! Plus, get publicity across the blogosphere!

PRIZE TIME!

Now, what you’ve all been waiting for!

Below are the items you could nab if you enter each Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge!

1. Avocado: The Chef’n Vibe Avocado Slicer courtesy of Kitchen Stuff Plus + lots of Newman’s Own Organics fun + an avocado gift pack courtesy of Avocados from Mexico!
2. Flax Seed: Fantastic Vega Products and Purely Elizabeth’s Perfect Pancake Mix
   and A wonderful Mighty Leaf Tea Top Brew Mug!
3. Lentils: A truly terrific text, Thrive—The Vegan Nutrition Guide and the book 101 Optimal Life Foods by Registered Dietitian Dave Grotto.
4. Quinoa: Newman’s Own Organics loot—everything from delicious, decadent, dark chocolate to dried fruit!
5. Walnuts: Mollie Katzen’s get cooking. cookbook and a jar of walnut butter and a jar of chocolate walnut butter, courtesy of Futters Nut Butters
   

GO ON—Challenge yourself to a Super Breakfast Bowl!

There’s never a time like the present! Send us your Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge pics with their recipe—come on now, you must share the health—and you could win some good loot in addition to some good ol’ blogger fun!

We’re looking forward to hearing about your breakfast creations!!!

Lindsey at Healthy Blog Snack

Jessica at A Fete For Food

Corinne at Green Grapes Blog

Janel at Eat Well with Janel

Elizabeth at Don’t White Sugar Coat It

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Happy Breakfast Bowl Snacking!

Lindsey

New York residents were shocked this week by the new ads released by the New York City health department, equating drinking soda with drinking FAT.  That’s right; straight up ooey, gooey, yellowey, lardy, fat. If it sounds disgusting, oh just you wait ’til you see the actual commercial. Check out the nausea-inducing, fat slurping ad below.

Yum yum yum, right? Eh no, absolutely disgusting; but think about this:

I’ll be interested to see how effective this ad campaign really ends up being, how long it will take for the cola companies to lobby hard enough to shut it down, and if the sales of regular sodas are actually affected.

If you saw this commercial on TV, would it make you think twice about reaching for your regular cola?

How effective do you think this campaign will be?

Happy Snacking,

Lindsey

HOORAY HOORAH! Healthy Blog Snack has been chosen for the Beautiful Blogger Award! But wait – there IS a catch! The rules say I have to share 7 zaney facts about me with ya’ll, and then nominate another 7 bloggers for this fabulicious award. A big THANKS to Corinne at Green Grapes Blog for the nomination – reading your facts was a hoot!

Okay, now time to get down-’n-dirty with these facts:

7 Little Known Facts About Lindsey Toth

1. I used to want to move to the Caribbean to be a dolphin trainer when I grew up. I was convinced me and my dolphin were going to be the next Flipper. True story.
   
2. My belly-button is confused: it’s half inney, and half outey. I used to really want to get it pierced, but figured it already looked weird enough and a piercing would just draw attention to its weirdness. As I grew up and watched all of my friends take out and retire their belly-button rings, I was thankful for my dysfunctional belly-button.
   
3. I love writing, and one of my life goals is to write and publish a book. I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to write a spicy romance novel or the next revelation in nutrition advice – I guess you’ll just have to wait and see .
   
4. I save brown smooshy bananas in my freezer. The brown ones are the sweetest and make the best banana bread!
   
5. One of my favorite hobbies is rock climbing. I love the challenge that indoor climbing walls present. An ideal Saturday for me would be spent sweating it out at an indoor climbing gym, or even better, outside on some real rock.
6. My newest mindless and guilty pleasure is watching The Jersey Shore L. It just boggles my mind that these people actually exist! And let’s face it, it really is absolutely hilarious.
   
7. When I was 18, I spent time in Australia as a volunteer, helping to build a land and wildlife preservation school in order to educate young people on the importance of eco-friendly and sustainable living.
   

So now that you know a few random bites of info about me, it’s time for me to announce the next 7 award recipients:

1. The Hip Hostess duo, Debbie and Andrea, at The Hip Hostess
   
2. Kim at Kimmy’s Kitchen
3. Helen at Tartelette
   
4. Nicole at Prevention RD
   
5. Stephanie at The Skinny Plate
   
6. Kristen at Eating RD
   
7. Kasey at Fit for Wellness
   

Congrats to the winners! I can’t wait to read all of your fun facts!

Happy Snacking,

Lindsey

Just goes to show that physical activity can be fun.  Every step counts folks, and these people just added a few more to their day!  Where do you get your steps in?

Happy Snacking,

Lindsey