Tag: iron

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Homemade Hemp Milk Hot Cocoa

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According to last month’s issue of Outside Magazine, among the many alternatives to cow’s milk, hemp milk tops the charts as the best dairy-free, plant-based alternative. Hemp milk is loaded with heart-healthy omega-3s, athletic performance-enhancing magnesium, disease-fighting beta-carotene, and brain-boosting iron. It’s also the only non-dairy alternative that can be considered a complete protein as it has all 9 essential amino acids. The runners’ up are almond, soy and coconut milk, which each have their own pros and cons. In my humble opinion, if you can get down with the sometimes slightly bitter taste of hemp milk then that is where it’s at, nutritionally speaking.

Lucky for you I have here a homemade hemp milk recipe, naturally sweetened with dates and made more palatable by a touch of vanilla extract (bye-bye bitter). As a holiday bonus, I’ve also included a recipe for Homemade Hemp Milk Hot Cocoa, featuring my new favorite low-glycemic index sugar alternative–raw coconut sugar–which I gushed over in my post on Pumpkin Power Cookies earlier this month.

Homemade Hemp Milk

Homemade Hemp Milk

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 cup hemp seeds
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 medjool dates
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
How to Make It:
  1. Add all ingredients to a powerful blender and mix on high until smooth.
  2. Optional: strain mixture with cheesecloth to remove any clumps if you want your homemade batches to be smooth not pulpy like the store-bought kind.

Hemp Milk Hot Cocoa

Homemade Hemp Milk Hot Cocoa

What You’ll Need:

  • 2 cups homemade or store-bought vanilla hemp milk
  • 2 tbs (heaping) raw cacao powder
  • 2 tbs raw coconut sugar
  • 1 tbs coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cardamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/8 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp ground cayenne

How to Make It:

  1. Heat hemp milk over medium heat to just under a boil.
  2. Remove from stove and add heated hemp milk with all the other ingredients to your blender and blend for a minute, or until smooth.

Serve hot with a side of my Pumpkin Power Cookies or Sweetly Salted Nut Butter Power Cookies for a healthy and festive afternoon snack.

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Lentil, Barley, and Kale Soup (Meatless Monday)

Lentils, a member of the legume family, should be a staple in everyone’s cupboard–especially for you vegans and vegetarians. These little earthy pillows are an excellent source of plant-based protein and have a lot of the vitamins and minerals that meat-abstainers often miss in their diet. A one-cup serving of lentils has only 230 calories, 16g of dietary fiber, 18g of protein, and 37% of the recommended daily intake for iron. This high soluble fiber content helps lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar levels.

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Beyond the vast health benefits, lentils are cheap, easy to cook, and store forever. If you’re at a loss for what to do with them (aside from this recipe), check out the New York Times’ Martha Rose Shulman for some great ideas .

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Lentil, Barley, and Kale Soup

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 tbs vegan buttery spread (I like Earth Balance’s Soy-Free Buttery Spread)
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 1 tbs toasted sesame seeds
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup French lentils
  • 1 cup pearled barley
  • Juice of 1 lemon, plus 4 long strips of the peel
  • 2 1/2 cartons of reduced sodium vegetable broth
  • 3 cups kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (or parmesan cheese if you opting for a non-vegan version)
  • 1/4 cup fresh dill

How to Make It:

  1. Add buttery spread (or real butter if you aren’t vegan), olive oil, onions and a pinch of salt to a slow-cooker and cover on high for 45min.
  2. Add garlic, turmeric, pepper, cayenne, and toasted sesame seeds (crushing them between your fingers as you sprinkle them in) and cook for another 15min on high.
  3. Add lentils, pearled barley, broth, lemon juice and strips of peel (you’ll remove these at the end).
  4. Layer 3 cups of chopped kale on top but don’t mix it in. Cover and turn to Low for 3-5 more hours.
  5. Turn off your slow-cooker. Remove lemon peels and adjust for seasoning to taste. Stop here if you plan to freeze half and save for later.
  6. When you are ready to serve, add nutritional yeast (or parmesan) and fresh dill to taste.

Serve this with a slice of my Saffron Fennel Bread for a hearty weeknight supper or an easy-to-pack work lunch.

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Cherry-Goji Overnight Oats

With all the buzz overnight oats have been getting these days, I felt obliged to give them a whirl. I also wanted to use this as an opportunity to test out how my gut would react to a little Greek yogurt. It’s been nearly two years since I’ve had any dairy but the health benefits of Greek yogurt in particular have left me constantly lusting for its low-cal, high-protein, calcium-and-B Vitamins-packed goodness. I’m happy to report that it did not upset my stomach in the least–must be all those gut-friendly probiotics in there, which not only help regulate digestion but also strengthen your immune system.

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While Greek yogurt was the most exciting ingredient for me, the real spotlight ought to be shined on the oats. According to the FDA, all that soluble fiber found in oats lowers LDL cholesterol (aka the bad kind). The antioxidants found in the goji berries, dried cherries and oats themselves have anti-inflammatory properties, making them an excellent choice for athletic, active folks like you and me. Muscle soreness, see ya later! 

When you add nutritional rockstar chia seeds into the mix you’re getting a higher concentration of omega-3 fatty acids than salmon. Omega-3s have been linked to health benefits related to conditions including cancer, IBS, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. One tablespoon contains 18% of your RDA for calcium, tons of fiber and potassium and 4 g of protein. What can I say? Good things come in small packages.

Finally, I can’t let you get to the recipe without a quick reminder of how great maca powder is. If you haven’t hopped on the bandwagon yet, it’s time. Maca is rich in B-vitamins and minerals like calcium, zinc and iron, all of which are essential to proper muscle and energy metabolism function. Ladies suffering from PMS or menopause, this should be your go-to for holistic health. And let’s not leave out the men. Maca powder is said to increase testosterone, boosting your libido and endurance…The list of benefits goes on and on. For more ways to incorporate this Peruvian delight, check out my Top Five Greenies post for some go-to smoothies that’ll jumpstart your morning.

Cherry-Goji Overnight Oats

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
  • 6 oz nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 8 oz unsweetened vanilla hemp milk
  • 2 tbs raw honey
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tsp maca powder
  • 3 tbs chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup goji berries
  • 1/4 cup tart dried cherries (unsulphured)

How to Make Them:

  1. Mix all ingredients together in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.
  2. Enjoy with your tea or coffee the next morning!

Makes 4 servings and will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

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Post-Workout Recovery Fuel: The Golden Rule

Diet crazes may come and go, but one macronutrient has always remained largely unscathed by the mainstream fitness and nutrition media.

Protein is an essential part of our daily diet, forming the structural basis of our muscles, skin, nails and hair, amongst other functions. True, this macronutrient is mighty important, but the hype it gets and the marketing power that is thrown behind protein powders and other supplements could make you think the entire American population is suffering from protein deficiency.

That is just not the case. In fact, most of us get more than enough protein through our regular daily food intake—including vegetarians and savvy vegans.

For most people, the RDA for protein intake is 0.8-1.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (2.2kg/1lb). If you’re an athlete or someone performing high-intensity physical activity (e.g. training for a marathon), you should bump that RDA up a few notches to 1.1-1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (Williams 2006).  In other words, a 135 lb woman should consume between 68 to 86 grams of protein, while a 180 lb man should target 90 to 195 grams. When we get too much protein, excess is converted into carbohydrates or fat and can stress the liver and kidneys. Eventually excess protein substrate is doomed to be a waste, excreted through urination.

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The ideal food intake breakdown for athletes is to get 25-35% of your calories from fat, 15-20% from protein, and 55-60% from carbohydrates. For the sake of comparison, the once very popular ZONE Diet encourages a 30:40:30 ratio, or double the amount of protein according to RDA standards and not nearly enough carbohydrates to fuel your muscles’ glycogen stores for exercise. While these ratios are helpful for me as a nutrition coach, most people just want to be told how much protein they need after a workout.

This question always prompts my Golden Rule for Post-Workout Recovery Fuel: consume 10 grams of protein within one hour of intense physical activity for improved muscle repair.

Ideally, your post-workout snack or meal would fit into that 25-35%:15-20%:%55-60% ratio of fats:proteins:carbs. Most Clif bars fit the bill when you’re on the go with 45g carbs (5g of which are dietary fiber), 10g protein, 5g fat, and only 250 calories. And if you’re looking for something lighter—maybe saving room for that brunch in a couple hours—Clif Builder’s Snack Size are my go-to. The still have that 10g grams of protein your body needs, are a mere 130 calories, and provide a good source of iron, magnesium, zinc and calcium, as well as vitamins A, C, E and K and many of the B vitamins that are so essential to our metabolism.

I’m a big fan of Clif bars not only for their impressive nutritional profiles but also because of the company’s ethos. Clif is a 1% for the Planet member, they use 100% recycled materials for their packaging, and their bars never contain ingredients like artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols, or trans fats.

Please keep in mind that these kind of bars should not be viewed as a regular meal replacement. Whole grains, fruits and veggies, beans and other sources of lean protein are essential to a well-balanced, healthy diet. That said, they are definitely a MOARyoga-approved, convenient way to fulfill the protein needs of your muscles in that one-hour post-workout window.

References:
Williams, Melvin H. Nutrition for Health, Fitness and Sport: 8th Edition. McGraw-Hill. May 2006.
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Tomatillo Spicy Green Salsa

I don’t know what it is about summer, but all I want to cook these days is food with spicy, Latin American flavors. Perhaps I just want to embrace the sweltering heat and fire up my body’s natural cooling system–a.k.a. get my sweat on. As a result, I’ve become mildly obsessed with trying out different gazpacho and salsa recipes. And with farmers markets in full flourish the available ingredients are bountiful, fresh and packed with flavor.

Most recently I taste tangoed with a curious little fruit and member of the tomato family: the tomatillo (or “little tomato” in Spanish). To me, tomatillos look like miniature paper lanterns. They have this thin, veiny husk and it’s like unwrapping a present when you reveal the brilliant lime-colored gem underneath.

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Beyond their aesthetic appeal, they are incredibly good for you. Packed with fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamins C and K, and antioxidants, these low-calorie beauties will help keep your body fit as a fiddle from the inside out.

Without further ado, the recipe….

What You’ll Need:

  • 10 medium tomatillos
  • 1/4 sliced sweet onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 jalapeño
  • 1/2 poblano pepper
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro

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How to Make It:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 450F
  2. Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeño  and poblano on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Dust with salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat.
  3. Bake at 450F for 15 min or until skin on tomatillos and peppers start to caramelize and bubble.
  4. Let cool then seed your jalapeño and poblano (unless you want it suuuuper spicy). Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor with one cup of fresh cilantro. Process until smooth.
  5. Refrigerate for at least 30 min then serve.

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This is delish on homemade fish tacos or drizzled over a piece of grilled flank steak. It can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months.

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MOAR’s Healthy GB Fries w/ Lemon Aioli

Inspired by a recent article in the NYT by one of my food idols, Mark Bittman, I decided to break open my glass jar of garbanzo bean (GB) flour and make something out of the ordinary. I purchased the flour a while back because I loved the idea of using it as an alternative to white or wheat. GB flour is not only gluten-free but has 21% of your DV for dietary fiber, 10% of your iron, and 6g of protein per serving. Compare that to whole wheat flour’s 12%, 8%, and 4g respectively (white flour doesn’t even hold a candle), and GB flour takes the perverbial cake.

Don’t get my wrong, these babies are still fried (though grapeseed oil keeps them light and crispy) but they’re an excellent nutritional alternative to the golden arches or BK. Give them a try and I promise you won’t want anything to do with the French kind.

Garbanzo Bean Fries w/ Lemon Aioli

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What You’ll Need:

  • 1 1/2 cups garbanzo bean (GB) flour
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 2 tbs Herbes de Provence
  • Salt & pepper (to taste)
  • Grapeseed oil (amount depends on pan size, for frying)

How to Make Them:

  1. Grease an 8-by-8 baking dish with some oil or spray.
  2. Boil 3 cups of water in a medium saucepan.
  3. Put the GB flour in a large bowl and when the water comes to a boil, slowly add it to the bowl. Whisk constantly as you pour to prevent lumps. (Tip: you can also do this in a KitchenAid standing mixer if you have one. If you do it by hand–as I did in the featured photo–the batter will inevitably have a lump or two.)
  4. Scrape the mixture back into the same saucepan you used, add a little salt and pepper, and bring it to a boil (it should take just a couple minutes). Reduce it to a gentle simmer, add in the 2 tbs of olive oil, and cook for one more minute.
  5. Scoop your doughy mix into the baking dish and spread it into an even layer, which should be about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Let it cool all the way then cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour or as long as a day.
  6. Heat at least 1/4 inch of grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium. Let it heat until a drop of water makes the oil hiss and spit (stand back!).
  7. Slide the chilled dough out onto a cutting board (this is why you greased the pan) and slice the GB mixture into the shape of fries. These don’t have to look perfect–think handcut or as my Italian familia would say, al rustico! Pat dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
  8. Working in batches, gently sliding them into the hot oil. Nudge them around occasionally until they’re golden all over, cooking for about 4 to 5 minutes.
  9. Transfer your fries to paper towels (removing the excess oil) and immediately sprinkle with salt, pepper and Herbes de Provence. Serve immediately for the tastiest results.

Lemon Aioli

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 cup organic mayonaise (you can go reduced fat here if you like)
  • Zest of one lemon
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 2 cloves of garlic

How to Make It:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the garlic is well-blended. If you don’t have a food processor, you can easily do this by hand–just mince the garlic before mixing.
  2. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

My GB Fries and Lemon Aioli make for a great appetizer or side dish to my homemade Quinoa Black Bean Zucchini Burgers. Enjoy these tasty bites with no guilt and maybe even your favorite icy brew. A wise woman once said: “everything in moderation, including moderation.”

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Sweetly Salted Nut Butter Power Cookies

After drooling over a photo of grain-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies posted by my friend Jehan on Instagram, I decided to put my own twist on a healthy, garbanzo bean-based power cookie. If you’re gluten-free, garbanzo bean flour is just about the best “alternative” flour out there. Unlike other bean flours and substitutes like almond meal, it doesn’t need to be combined with regular flour.

Not convinced? Check out this nutritional tête à tête:

Garbanzo Bean Flour:

  • 1/4 cup contains 110 calories
  • 6g protein
  • 18g of carbohydrate (of which 5g is dietary fiber)
  • 10% of the daily value for iron

Whole Wheat Flour:

  • 1/4 cup contains 110 calories
  • 4g of protein
  • 23g of carbohydrate (of which 4g is dietary fiber)
  • 6% of the daily value for iron

Brown Rice Flour:

  • 1/4 cup contains 140 calories
  • 3g of protein
  • 31g of carbohydrate (of which only 1g is dietary fiber)
  • 4% of the daily value for iron

Let’s all clap for the heavyweight champ: Garbanzo Bean Flour!

These power cookies are full of protein, dietary fiber, vitamin E, iron and a delicious kick of sea salt, dark chocolate and your favorite natural nut butter.  If you’re constantly on-the-go, this is the perfect snack to tuck in your purse, backpack or hipster messenger bag for a healthy pre- or post-workout way to (re)fuel your body.

Chocolate Nut Butter Power Cookies

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What You’ll Need:

  • 3/4 cup natural almond or peanut butter (raw, unsalted)
  • 1/3 cup raw honey (+2 tbs hot water)
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups garbanzo bean flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp  baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp table salt
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt (to spring on top)

How to Make Them:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
  2. In a KitchenAid mixer or food processor, mix your nut butter, raw honey and water until smooth. Add in apple sauce, egg and vanilla extract and blend again.
  3. Slowly fold in the dry mix, blending as you go.
  4. Mix in the chocolate chips with a baking spatula. (Don’t be alarmed if it doesn’t look like the typical cookie mix. It is meant to be very thick and sticky.)
  5. With wet hands, form into 1″ balls. Place balls 1″ apart on a piece of parchment paper. Gently press down on each with a fork, criss-crossing imprints if you want to be fancy.
  6. Sprinkle each cookie with a few grains of coarse sea salt (if you’re into the whole salted-sweets crazy like I am:). Bake for ~10 min.

If you try this recipe out, let me know what you think. The dough can be hard to work with but these tasty power cookies are worth it!

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Quinoa Black Bean Zucchini “Burgers”

I love a juicy burger as much as the next gal but let’s face it, scarfing a quarter pounder with cheese doesn’t exactly put you on the healthy train. I am not going to pretend that my vegetarian “burgers” made from quinoa, black beans, and zucchini will be as finger-licking good as your typical beef or bison burger, but they are yummy and darn good for you!

Quinoa is a whole grain and complete protein (meaning it contains all of the essential amino acids). It’s also a great source of fiber, iron, and magnesium.  As mentioned in an earlier post on my 3-Alarm Turkey Chili, beans are a full of fiber and phytonutrients—naturally occurring chemical compounds found only in plants that are proven to have important disease fighting and antioxidant properties. And zucchini? Well it’s an excellent source of vitamin A, beta carotene, and folate.

These patties are vegetarian and can be made gluten-free as well. Eat them on their lonesome, slap them on a salad, or top them with a poached egg for a protein-packed post-workout meal. Enjoy!

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What You’ll Need:

  • 1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
  • 1 can black beans, drained, rinsed and mashed
  • ½ cup whole wheat bread crumbs
  • 1 medium zucchini, grated
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp coriander
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste

How to Make It:

  1. Bring 2 cups water and 1 cup quinoa to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the water is absorbed (about 10-15 min). Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and spread out to cool for about 15 min.
  2. Add zucchini, black beans, eggs, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, spices, and salt and pepper to the quinoa. Use your hands to thoroughly combine all ingredients and squeeze the mixture to bring it together.
  3. Shape eight patties from your mixture. Place them on a large plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 min.
  4. Heat 2 tsp olive oil on a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties, reduce heat to medium, and cook until golden brown (3-4 min per side).