Vitae Nutrition and Doula Services – Saskatoon

One of the Nutrition Month Myths dietitians across Canada tackled was “Multi Grain” is the same as whole grain. Studies have shown you get the most benefit from eating whole grains, but what does that mean? It means that the word ‘whole’ should be in front of any grain on an ingredient list and should be listed as one of the first ingredients. Most processed foods will not contain a lot of whole grains. Your best bet is to eat them from the source. If you were lucky enough to be at the farmers market on March 17th you already had a taste test of this week’s recipe.

Cold Barley Salad

Info: Barley is a whole grain that is high in fibre and low in fat. It is packed full of great minerals such as iron, zinc, manganese and selenium which are all important for your health. Barley is not just for soup anymore!

Inspiration: This recipe comes from Theo Philips for our demonstration for Nutrition Month

Ingredients: pearl barley, oil, lemon juice, pepper, red pepper, green onion, parsley (or any vegetables and herbs you have on hand)

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.

2. Add 1 cup barley, reduce heat and cook for about 50 minutes, until barley is tender.

3. Drain and rinse with cold water.

4. Mix in 1/2 cup each chopped green onion, red pepper and parsley. (change amounts to taste)

5. Dress with 1/4 cup each oil and lemon juice. Note: I used more lemon juice than oil.

6. Add pepper to taste.

Results: Lovely mild tasting salad to put on the docket for summer picnics. I think this recipe would be great with summer tomatoes, basil and feta cheese. This recipe is also great as a make ahead dish. Dress up or dress down, this could be the little black dress of salads.

I love fries. That’s all there is too it. It is the one junk food I could not live without! Yes I realize there are no redeeming nutritional benefits from fries, but they are delicious. There are some great ways to make French fries healthier, like today’s example sweet potato fries.

Info: Sweet potatoes are orange because they are packed full of beta carotene, which our bodies use as vitamin A. They are also a source of fibre, folate, potassium and other minerals, however, so are regular potatoes. A benefit of sweet potatoes is they take less time to cook than the traditional white potato.

Inspiration: A craving for fries plus a sweet potato in the cupboard

Ingredients: One sweet potato, oil, balsamic vinegar, honey mustard, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Pre heat oven to 400°F.

2. In a mixing bowl, mix a tablespoon (or two) of oil with equal parts vinegar.

3. Add a tablespoon mustard and season with spices to taste. I use different spices every time!

4. Peel and chop sweet potato and toss in oil and spice mixture.

5. Place on a pan in one layer.

6. Bake until golden, usually about 20 minutes.

Results: Craving bested with deliciousness. Mine got a little too golden brown. I would suggest a flip at about 10 minutes!

I am trying to cook more often with dry beans instead of canned. Dry beans take more prep time but don’t have any of the preservatives their canned counterparts have. Beans take more time to cook, therefore, I am going to use the slow cooker again. Hopefully with better results than the first try.

Info: I am not sure if I have shared with you yet my love of all things beans. Bean are rich in protein, fibre and iron without the saturated fats of meat. Not only are they delicious but easy on the food budget. Basically, I think everyone should eat more beans.

Inspiration: Black beans plus mushrooms that needed to be used

Ingredients: Check the recipe here.

Instructions:

1. Soak beans overnight in water.

2. Combine oil, mustard seeds, chili powder, cumin and cardamom in a  Dutch oven (or pan if you are like me and don’t have a dutch oven).  Place over med-high heat and stir until the spices sizzle, about 30 seconds.

3. Add onions, mushrooms, tomatillos and water.

Note: I used a tomatillo based salsa from my Las Palapas leftovers.

4. Cook, stirring occasionally, juices evaporate and the vegetables are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Add broth, tomato paste and chipotles; mix well.

Note: I did not use chipotles because I did not have any. I do love chipotles!

6 .Place the beans in slow cooker. Pour the hot vegetable mixture over the beans. Turn heat to high. Put the lid on and cook until the beans are creamy, 5 to 8 hours.

7. Garnish each serving with cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Note: I did not garnish with anything, but would have loved to have limes on hand.

Results: This recipe worked! I cooked it for about 8 hours.  The chili was smoky and delicious. I served it with quinoa instead of rice; I get tired of rice sometimes. Mine would have benefitted from lime, mostly because I LOVE lime.

March is Nutrition Month!

Dietitians across Canada, including this one, are helping you, “get the real deal on your meal.” In Saskatchewan, your community of dietitians has launched a five week challenge to help you beat food myths to eat well everyday. Check out the brand new Ask a Dietitian Sask page to keep up each week. This week’s challenge follows.

Myth: Cooking meals at home takes way too much time!

Challenge: Cook and put one meal in the freezer this week to eat at a later date.

Cooking meals at home can be a huge challenge with a new born baby at home. Planning is key. More specifically, planning for leftovers can cut the time you spend in the kitchen for healthy weekday meals. By making double batches when you do cook, you can have meal sized portions in the fridge to warm up when it is 5:00pm and everyone is already having hunger pangs. My favorite meals to cook and freeze are usually one pot wonders such as chili.

Meals aren’t the only thing that can be stocked in the freezer. You can make and freeze items like rice, pasta sauce, and stock to decrease your reliance on pre-packaged convenience foods. Check out more great time saving tips from Dietitians of Canda.

I hope you accept this week’s challenge as a great way to keep healthy meals on the table even in a time crunch!

All mothers are told their breastfed babies need to take a supplement of 400 IU of Vitamin D per day. If breast is best, why supplement? The answer is probably, in Canada, women have low levels of vitamin D and therefore our breastmilk does too.

What is Vitamin D?

It is a fat soluble vitamin. Vitamin D has actions all over the body but is most commonly known for increasing calcium absorption. Vitamin D is found food such as dairy products, fatty fish, and eggs. It is difficult to eat enough Vitamin D from foods. However, our bodies also get Vitamin D from the sun.

Why are we low?

In Canada, our skin only makes Vitamin D from April to October due to the angle of the sun. Many of us cover ourselves with sun screen in the summer which helps prevent sunburns. Sunscreen also prevents our bodies from making Vitamin D. More research is showing that us Northerners may be continually low in Vitamin D.

Do I supplement my baby?

Many women wonder, if my milk is low, can I just take supplements myself? While it may be a good idea for you to take a Vitamin D supplements, your baby should too. Studies dosing women only have been less than promising, although more research needs to be done. Babies usually enjoy taking Vitamin D supplements. My suggestion is to supplement your baby even if you are taking some yourself. It is also important to note that formula-fed babies also need to be supplemented until the time they are drinking one litre of formula per day.

To decide if you should take supplements talk your physician. You can get more information from a Registered Dietitian.