Healthy & Kosher

Is there anything better than a frozen drink on a hot sunny day while lounging at the pool?  It just screams: SUMMER!  But did you ever read the label on some of those drink mixes (high fructose corn syrup, yellow 5, blue 1, etc.)  Yuck!  I think I found my dietitian mission: to create a healthy, great tasting frozen cocktail without all the unnecessary artificial colors, flavors and sugar.  It’s a tough job but someone has to do it…

Summertime is the perfect time to enjoy blueberries, strawberries, peaches and mangos, but sometimes you just can’t finish what you bought at the store or farmer’s market.  For years, I’ve been freezing my leftover fresh fruit to use in yogurt smoothies, but until recently, I never tried using frozen fruit in my cocktails.

Strawberry Peach Daiquiri

To freeze your own fruit, make sure to wash thoroughly and then pat dry the excess water with a paper towel.  If it has a peel like peaches, remove the skin and slice into wedges.  Lay on a flat surface for about an hour then put into a tightly sealed Ziploc bag and save in your freezer until you are ready to use.

Frozen Mojito

When my favorite fresh fruit is out of stock or out of season, I run over to the frozen food aisle.  Frozen fruit is packed at the peak of freshness and retains more nutrients than many of those fruits sitting around the fresh fruit aisle.

Who knew a Strawberry Daiquiri can be (a little) good for you?

Whether you start fresh or frozen, your favorite drink is never more than a blender away.  In moderation, alcohol can lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes and many of your favorite fruits like kiwi, blueberry, raspberry and strawberry are rich in antioxidants and other important nutrients.

The best part of a frozen cocktail is they take longer to drink and provide natural fiber from the fruit that will fill you up and keep you from overeating and over drinking your calories.  So reach out and grab that bottle of rum gathering dust in your liquor cabinet and start trying some of these delicious fresh fruit cocktail recipes.

Frozen Margarita (Mango)

***GIVEAWAY***: You could win a free Back to the Roots Mushroom Growing Kit and grow your own mushrooms at home. This unique kit grows mushrooms in recycled coffee grounds. To qualify for a chance to win, leave us a comment below telling us your favorite frozen cocktail . One winner will be chosen by an online randomizer from qualified entries only. Must be US resident of at least 18 years of age. Contest ends Wednesday August 17th 2011 at 9 am EST.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED – WINNER TO BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY!

For those of you who are not the lucky winner we have a coupon code for you that gets you 10% off – Mushrooms4me10. If you order two or more kits you will get free shipping too. For more info on this contest click here.

You can’t eat just one.  Staring at the empty bag of potato chips in my lap and the crumbs all over my couch, I knew there had to be a smarter way to snack.  The average serving of potato chips has 150 calories, but if you’re like most people you are eating three times the average serving. And all you have to show for it is an empty bag and over 30 grams of fat that will go straight to your waist.

Maybe it’s time to change your chip?  Making your own baked vegetable chips takes just a couple of minutes to prepare and will be a family favorite — especially for finicky kids.   Root vegetables, like kohlrabi and acorn squash, are fantastic and all you need is a sharp knife, olive oil and your favorite seasonings.  Favorites such as carrots and zucchini work well too and pair well with a Greek  tzatziki or yogurt sauce for delicious dipping.

Zucchini Chips

My personal favorite, kale chips, pack a powerful nutritional punch and can be made with any salad dressing or seasoning. For seasoning ideas, try a raging Cajun spice rub, middle eastern zaatar, grill seasoning or ranch powdered seasoning mix.

Kale Chips

Although there are many kosher veggie chip options on the market, many of them are really potato crisps with a small amount of spinach powder for color (so no real nutrients) and way too much sodium.  Not only do homemade veggie chips taste better, they are better for you.

With these guilt-free recipes you won’t have any regrets when you are staring at an empty bowl.

Warm weather + fun in the sun = summer!   Summer is such a wonderful time of year.  We spend more time outdoors, the days are longer, school is out and we tend to feel more relaxed.  We also indulge in more picnics, snack times and other potential pitfalls to nutritious eating.

There’s no denying that everyone, at one time or another, has had a snack attack. If you are like me, you probably enjoy snacks.  Let me take it one step further and say I enjoy snacks daily.  In my opinion, the key to a healthy lifestyle does include snacks.  As a certified health and wellness coach it is my job to educate clients on exactly what constitutes a healthy snack. The 5 essential things to keep in mind for a healthy snack are:

1) Whole grains

2)     Fiber

3)     Protein

4)     Low amount of added sugar (fruit is a great choice)

5)     Healthy fat

The combination of fiber, protein, healthy fats and whole grains (complex carbohydrates) will fill you up longer and as a bonus add essential nutrients.

Many convenient snack foods are highly processed and full of chemicals, additives, unhealthy fats and refined sugars.  Selecting healthy snacks is extremely doable. Think apple with peanut or almond butter for a crunchy treat, trail mix for a sweet treat or even plain yogurt with agave for something creamy.

What about healthy snacks if you are gluten-free? This is actually easier to do than you think. Many of us, myself included, follow a gluten-free lifestyle whether by choice or for health reasons.

So what exactly is gluten?  Gluten is a protein commonly found in wheat (einkorn, durum, faro, graham, kamut, semolina, spelt) rye, barley and triticale.  Once you know what to avoid, finding healthy products and snacks can be really easy.   Some of my favorite snacks are:

• Mary’s Gone Crackers with hummus
• Raw nuts or trail mix or my Crispy Nut Mix
• Food Should Taste Good Multigrain chips
• Good Health Half-Naked popcorn
• Cut-up vegetables (peppers, cucumbers, carrots) with hummus
• Celery with almond or peanut butter and raisins on top (ants on a log)
• Larabars or Kind bars (without yogurt coating)
• Piece of fruit (apples and bananas are very portable)  or frozen grapes
• Trader Joe’s or Brother’s-all-natural freeze dried fruit snacks
• Edamame
• Snyder’s gluten-free pretzels
• Homemade Gluten Free Pita Chips

For those of you who are not gluten-free, I should mention that you will probably enjoy the suggested snack choices as well. Having these snacks readily available at the beach or pool will prevent you from seeking “unhealthy alternatives” to satisfy your families hunger.  Snacking is enjoyable and there is a wide variety of healthful goodies for whatever you’re craving, be it sweet, crunchy, salty, creamy or spicy.  Go ahead and be creative.  Here’s to healthy snacking!

Heart disease is no laughing matter. I know this from experience. Last year, a month prior to Passover, my husband had a minor heart attack. What began as seemingly innocent heartburn pain turned into 100% artery blockage and a diagnosis of myocardial infarction. Luckily for us, the minor vessel was cleared and my husband had a great prognosis.

With such a diagnosis comes dietary changes. Since we were so close to Passover and I, of course, insisted on hosting not one, but two Passover seders, it was my job as a wife, hostess and dietitian to alter the menu to meet my husband’s dietary restrictions. I pondered how to host a seder without the traditional fare, brisket included. After much debate, I decided on a brisket which I trimmed clean of all the offending fat. In light of the recent circumstances, it really did not feel 100% “kosher” to be making brisket part of our holiday meal. Despite my misgivings, the five pound brisket was placed in the top oven to roast for the requisite 4-5 hours. Whether it was divine intervention or sheer stupidity on my part, the brisket pan slid from the oven and proceeded to land on my arm. It took an ER visit, second degree burns, a cancelled seder and $50 worth of lost meat for me to realize that red meat was no longer an option for our family.

Maintaining a low fat diet can conjure up images of dry grilled chicken breasts and broiled fish topped solely with a slice of lemon for flavoring. This however does not have to be the case.

When we look across the globe; those who live in the Mediterranean region appear to have lower incidence of heart disease and elevated cholesterol. Key components of Mediterranean cuisine include whole grains; monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, nuts, and avocados; polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, and trout); fat from plant sources, like flaxseed and moderate amounts of wine and red meat.

Lucky for us, even if you do not live in the Mediterranean, your family can easily adopt this healthy and flavorful lifestyle.  Below are some simple ideas to introduce Mediterranean foods to your family.

• Make meatballs and meatloaf with ground chicken or turkey. Mix 1-2 tsp. ground flax seed into the meat.
• Dredge fish in a mixture of fresh herbs, ground almonds and whole wheat bread crumbs; spray with olive oil and bake.
• Spray eggplant slices with olive oil; season with fresh cracked pepper – serve grilled or roasted.
• Snack on nuts and seeds. Watch portion size. Even though nuts and seeds contain heart healthy fats, they are also quite high in calories.
• Greek yogurt makes a healthy and delicious snack with 14g of protein per 6 oz serving. Plain Greek yogurt can also be a healthy alternative to sour cream.
• Give lunch a healthy twist. To replace mayonnaise, mash ¼ of a small avocado. Spread on whole wheat bread and top with turkey or chicken.

Remember; a healthy diet can be flavorful. Be adventurous- take a dietary trip to the Mediterranean. Your heart will thank you!

For Mediterranean recipe ideas click here.

I rarely mind cooking, in fact I love to cook, whether it’s wintery cold outside or blazingly hot. But when the temperature climbs above 80 degrees, what I make for dinner changes. It has to be easy on me and easy on the digestion.

I’m fortunate that my husband loves or pretends to love or at least accepts without complaint (most of the time) whatever I cook for him. When summer comes around and I serve salad a few times a week, he eats it up as happily as he feasts on stew in January.

Now, I could get along with lettuce, tomato and some cooked veggies and chick peas and avocado and the like, with a hard roll and butter or some toasted, olive-oil brushed, zatar-sprinkled pita. But my husband needs something more substantial. Meat, chicken or fish. And since I make a lot of fish it’s frequently fish salad he gets. Sometimes it’s a from-scratch salad, but sometimes I plan ahead, buy more fish than I need for dinner, and use what’s left for salad the next night.

Fish salads have several advantages for us. It’s not just that they’re healthy, filling and delicious, but also because we like cheese, which I can use to give the salads an additional flavor element. With the variety of fish we like (Arctic char, salmon, tuna, cod, halibut) and the different cheeses out there (goat, blue, feta, and so on) I can mix and match all summer and never combine the same ingredients twice.

That, plus the changes I make to the dressing, creates so much variety that dinner never becomes boring, same-old, same-old.

I don’t care for bottled dressings because they’re usually too salty and too filled with ingredients I don’t want us to eat, so I make my own, which takes about 4-5 minutes, tops. Most of the time the dressing consists of olive oil and some kind of wine vinegar (with fish it’s often white wine vinegar) but then I change things and use corn oil and rice vinegar or canola oil and apple cider vinegar, depending on what fish I’m including. Or I nix the vinegar altogether and use fresh lemon juice instead and maybe add other flavors too: a little bit of orange juice for a salad that has sweetish ingredients like dried cranberries and salmon or Dijon mustard to a more robust salad I might make with mackerel or bluefish.

Fresh herbs are so readily available these days (in the summer I grow my own basil, mint and oregano) and I find these very useful to keep the dinner flavors exciting. Tuna with thyme, tarragon or oregano. Salmon with dill, mint or coriander. You get the point.

If you think fish salads won’t be substantial enough for your family, consider this: you can mix in yesterday’s leftover potatoes or pasta. Add thawed frozen lima beans or canned kidney beans. Corn kernels (even better from leftover grilled corn). Leftover broccoli, asparagus, cooked carrots or parsnips. What better way to clean up the fridge of leftovers and serve vegetables too?

It’s true, sometimes I notice that my husband eats every part of a salad except for the Swiss chard or fennel, which aren’t his favorites. Still, fish salad is a good way to serve a one-dish dinner that’s easy, healthy, tasty and economically savvy too.

Enjoy these recipes:
Fresh Tuna Nicoise Salad
Grilled Halibut Salad with Avocado, Tomato, Olives and Egg with Herb-Garlic Toasts
Salmon Salad with Couscous, Blue Cheese and Dried Cranberries

The holiday of Shavuot is fast approaching.   If you are a type A personality your menu has been planned for weeks…  And if you are not, there is still some time and some great ideas.  So ditch the chicken and chuck the cholent!  It is time to think outside the meat box and start spinning the cheese wheel.

Dairy might be good for our bones but is it good for our bodies? The dairy food group is the number 2 source of saturated fat and cholesterol in the American diet (after meat).   And if you are concerned about sodium (and we all should be) a slice of cheese pizza can pack as much as 900 mg of sodium – almost half your recommended daily intake.  On the plus side, cheese is an excellent source of high quality protein and calcium.  Cheese also contains vitamins, A and B12, riboflavin, phosphorous and zinc.

So, can you have your cheese and eat it too?  Of course!  Here are a few slices of advice to help you be more choosy about your cheese:

• Skim the fat.  Whole milk cheese contains 6 to 10 g of fat per 1 ounce serving, more than half is saturated. Cut it by a third with reduced fat or part skim options.
• Look at the labels.  Find cheese varieties with less sodium. The sodium content of cheese varies greatly.  For example, feta has approximately 317 mg per ounce while Swiss cheese has a mere 54 mg of sodium (the lowest sodium natural cheese).  On average, most natural cheeses range between 100 and 200 mg per ounce and processed cheese and cheesy foods contain 350 to 450 mg per ounce.
• Follow the French.  Eat your cheese at the end of a meal.  Some cheeses have even been shown to protect against cavities, such as Gouda, blue, and Monterey Jack.
• Savor the flavor.  Choose strong flavored cheeses for  maximum taste but fewer calories.  Except for my sister-in-law, I don’t know too many people that can devour blue cheese the way you might mozzarella.  The rich taste and strong smell are delicious, and deliver a powerful taste in small doses – perfect  forsprinkling on salads, shaving on pasta and crumbling on anything green.

Ready to try some healthy cheese recipes, here are a couple to get your started.  Try the gorgeous Shaved Asparagus Salad with Pecorino and these Sweet Potato Skins with Blue Cheese and Pecans.

When I was growing up my parents used to only buy salmon steaks.  I didn’t even know salmon fillet existed.  Now salmon is practically everywhere!  From fish displays at the grocery store to restaurant menus and the now ubiquitous sushi counter, you have to swim pretty fast upstream to run away from salmon.  Not only does it taste great, but it is relatively affordable, easy to prepare and a healthy alternative to red meat.

Salmon is a high quality protein source that is low in saturated fat and has the added bonus of Omega-3 fatty acids.  Omega-3 is one of only 2 essential fatty acids in our diet (along with Omega-6), which means our body cannot produce these fatty acids organically. Omega-3 plays an important role in brain function and structure, as well as bone and nervous system growth and development.  They have also been found to help lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol, which can decrease risk for heart disease.  Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help control inflammation, decreasing the risk for diabetes, arthritis, and even some cancers.   The USDA recommends at least 8 ounces of fish per week, equivalent to two standard size servings.   And if you prefer staring at the mirror instead of your dinner plate, you can take additional comfort to know that salmon is good for your skin.

Is salmon safe? Many people are legitimately concerned about mercury and the high toxicity of farm-raised fish.  Farmed salmon has been shown to contain high levels of PCBs (toxins).  If you are staying away from salmon because of concerns over toxicity you may be making a mistake.  According to a 2006 study in the Journal of American Medical Association, the benefits of eating farmed salmon still outweigh any risks imposed by contaminants.  If you follow the FDA guidelines, up to 12 ounces of fish each week is safe for most everyone.

The best choice is to find wild salmon, which is low in toxins and higher in Omega-3 fatty acids.  Prepare it simply Pan Seared and you have a quick, restaurant quality, delicious dinner any night of the week.   For a more kid friendly approach try these baked Salmon Fish Sticks.   However, it is also higher in price.    An alternative to fresh wild salmon is canned or packets of salmon.  These are usually made from wild salmon and can be mixed into a salad or sandwich and make excellent Salmon Cakes.  I try and balance my salmon intake between farmed and wild.  Most of the time if I eat salmon at a restaurant or sushi place I assume it is farmed, but at home I go “wild”!

Most Americans do not eat enough fish to meet their Omega-3 needs.  Luckily, we have a longstanding Jewish tradition to eat fish on Shabbat.  Whether you serve a fancy gefilte fish terrine or pickled herring out of a jar this is one Jewish food custom that was ahead of its time.  Don’t forget bagels and lox on Sunday morning.  That is another great way to help your family catch their fish!

**GIVEAWAY** In keeping with our fish week theme, we are giving away a gift package from Vita Food Products . One lucky winner will win a sample of Vita’s new premium natural line of smoked salmon and herring.  The product line comes recommended by Dr. Andrew Weil:  Vita Smoked salmon – Sockeye, Coho, Norwegian Atlantic. Vita Herring – wine and mustard. This is a prize package worth $50! In order for you to qualify to win let us know your favorite fish dish – one entry. If you Submit a Recipe for fish it counts for a bonus 3 entries! Please make sure it’s a kosher recipe! [Contest open to US Residents only. Winner will be picked at random. Contest ends 9 am EST Wednesday May 18 2011].

On all other nights I eat whole wheat bread, but on Pesach I eat whole wheat matzo.  Here’s my story…

My family switched to whole wheat bread a long time ago. I don’t really remember white bread in our house. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy a nice baguette or focaccia when I am at a café or restaurant, but for everyday sandwiches I always choose whole wheat. Why should Passover be any different?

You can bet that original matzo was whole grain and probably tasted pretty good, too.  Food historian Gil Marks, author of The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, recently told me that in the pre-industrial age matzo used to be soft, more like a flatbread than a stale cracker…  I am a little jealous!

Today we know that whole grains will decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and even some cancer.   Whole wheat matzo is a very good source of fiber and manganese and a valuable source of magnesium.  And it tastes pretty good, too.  If you are not much of a matzo maven, white cardboard will not taste much different from brown, so give it a try this year.

Despite its historical roots, whole wheat matzo is a relatively recent arrival on store shelves. The first year it came out, my parents were so excited to have a high fiber alternative to help with the inevitable Passover digestive problems.  There are quite a few brands to choose from this year and we can even get whole wheat shmura matzo, whole wheat matzo meal and whole wheat matzo farfel!

A few recipes actually work better with whole wheat.  I am going to share some of my favorites below.  Granola with Orange Essence gets an extra crispiness from the whole wheat farfel and holds up better to milk and yogurt than regular matzo.  The Matzo Rolls with Caramelized Onions and Rosemary will fill you up all morning.  And the tasty Butternut Squash Matzo Lasagna is so delicious, you might find yourself trying it during the year!

Matzo shmeared with deliciously fluffy cream cheese and some sweet preserves or jam is what Passover food means to me. That, and, of course, matzo pizza delicately baked and devoured within minutes. I haven’t been observing Passover long enough to really loathe the classic Passover treats, so I tend to find a sort of misplaced joy in these once-a-year concoctions. All of that changed, however, last year after I spent the entire week of Passover sick with stomach cramps and aches. No matter how much or how little matzo or matzo by-products I ate, I felt rotten. For the first time in several years, I really learned to suffer through Passover.

After a test, some advice, attempting to give up other foods (like dairy and coffee), and a huge decision, I decided that a gluten-free diet was the best way to feel better. In the simplest terms possible, that means the five grains that Jews so cherish — barley, oats, rye, spelt, and wheat — became off limits to me. Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, spelt, barley, rye, and, according to some, oats. (I haven’t had problems with oats, so I purchase gluten-free oats, which are sold by Bob’s Red Mill.) Many of those who hold to a gluten-free diet have Celiac Disease, but there also are individuals who have found relief from IBS and other gastrointestinal woes. Although I took the gluten-free plunge before finding out if I officially have Celiac Disease, I haven’t looked back and over the past year have been feeling better and better. And no matter what anyone tells you — it is not as bad as it sounds. Believe me, you can live without challah, not to mention barley in your cholent (rice makes a great substitute, as does quinoa).

I’ve surprised myself and others by finding the perfect gluten-free bread and muffins, nutritious bars, pizza crust, and all of the other things that I miss from my gluten-filled diet. There is little that I miss these days, other than a gluten-free protein substitute in the vein of Morningstar that is wheat and soy free.

So here comes Passover, rearing its ugly head of matzo, taunting those of us who are gluten free. So what’s a girl to do? For those who don’t eat oats, oat matzo is out, and not all oat matzo is certified gluten free anyhow. Now, there are some — even those with Celiac Disease — who will eat the minimum amount of matzo to fulfill the mitzvah. But what about all of those other, non-seder meals? How do you get through Passover on a gluten-free diet?

My first piece of advice? Stick to fruits and vegetable as much as possible, and if you can handle them, eggs. The great thing about a gluten-free diet is that it forces you to eat those things that come out of the ground and off trees, because they are naturally gluten-free and kosher. When it comes to grains, rice is naturally gluten-free, and so is quinoa. The former isn’t kosher for Passover if you’re Ashkenazic, but luckily, there are certain brands of quinoa that are perfectly kosher for Passover, and quinoa is packed with protein and fiber and is an incredibly versatile grain. There is more than one way to cook a vegetable, and I don’t advise a week of salads — so get creative!

But we all have cravings for sweet treats, and Passover is a mere week, right? Lucky for you, I happened to accidentally stumble upon the Passover aisle at my local ShopRite and found an amazing assortment of gluten-free Passover foods that have me salivating and ready for Passover. Potato starch is every gluten-free foodie’s best friend, and, luckily, on Passover it is a staple in most houses. Likewise, there are tons of products on the market this year from the brands we all know and love like Osem, Gefen, and Kedem that are gluten free and non-gebrokts. I picked up some cake mixes, lady finger cookies, macaroon-style crusts, and more. I even got a chance to try out Osem’s pre-packeged gluten-free cakes, which come in a ton of flavors like chocolate chip and coffee cake and are actually quite delicious and moist (even my gluten-loving husband was raving about them), and they aren’t too expensive, either. There also are “matzo-like crackers” this year, which look and taste like real matzo, which will be more than perfect for my favorites. Just remember that they are not a substitute for matzo, as they lack wheat. It’s easy to look the Passover part without dealing with the unfortunate side effects. And the great thing is that you can stock up during Passover and have some gluten-free options for the rest of the year, too.

But beware: A lot of gluten-free products are packed with sugars and lacking in nutritional value, so make sure you balance the sweets and treats, crackers and cakes with natural goodies like potatoes, tomatoes, and other vegetables. It’s good to indulge, but don’t go crazy. I had to stop myself in the grocery store because the amount of gluten-free goods was overwhelming this year. Noodles, cakes, bread-like crumbs, crackers, cookies, you name it, they have it.

All signs point to Spring: the sun is shining brightly, trees are awash in their leafy splendor and, most notably, boxes of Matzo begin to line most supermarket shelves. As a child, I always looked forward to Passover. It meant Seder dinner with Nana’s stove-top apple kugel and nut cake, Afikomen prizes, chocolate lollipops and vacation from school.  Even the dreaded Matzo was a treat; when shmeared with whipped cream cheese, it became an instant delight. Passover represented a rare departure from the everyday way of eating; snacks that were a rare treat were the norm for Passover week. I never understood why the adults grumbled and groaned about the preparation and food doldrums. As a married mother of two and full time Dietitian, I can finally appreciate how truly beautiful and difficult this holiday can be – especially when trying to maintain a healthy diet.

While it is possible to maintain a varied and healthy intake during Passover, it is more difficult to include high fiber foods. The use of whole grains is forbidden and the majority of our Passover intake includes foods made from matzo and matzo meal.

As a Dietitian, I am constantly extolling the benefits of fiber. Fiber-rich foods not only fill us up, but also are essential to a healthy diet. Fiber can lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Daily recommended intake of fiber for adults is 25 grams for woman and 35 grams for men. Most importantly, especially during Passover, it can prevent or relieve constipation. One of the side effects of the dreaded “Matzo diet” is irregularity. It is a passing joke during the holidays, but can really put a damper on enjoying the holiday in comfort.

Over the years, I have had to become more creative in Passover meal creation to prevent food boredom and the dreaded matzo side effects. In recent years, I discovered a grain that is not only kosher for Passover, but also delicious: Quinoa. This wonder food packs quite the nutrition punch; ½ cup of prepared Quinoa is only 127 calories, 2 grams of fat, 10 mg of sodium, 2 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein.  When prepared with fresh fiber-rich vegetables, as in my recipe for Portabella Mushroom, Onion and Spinach Quinoa, you have quite a nutritious and fiber-rich meal. Quinoa varieties with reliable Kosher for Passover supervision are permissible during Passover. However, please consult your Rabbi before using quinoa on Passover.

Some additional tips to maintain healthy digestion include:

1. Add a side salad, steamed vegetables or small baked potato to each dinner meal.
2. Top low fat yogurt or cottage cheese with fresh berries for breakfast. A ½ cup of raspberries packs 4 grams of fiber into only 30 calories.
3. Pre-chop vegetables for easy snacking in place of chips and matzo-based cookies.
4. Eat fruit in between meals. Apples, pears and oranges are good sources of fiber.
5. 10-12 almonds make a healthy, high-fiber snack.
6. Stay hydrated by drinking at least 64 fl oz water daily.
7. Get plenty of exercise.

Passover is a time to celebrate with family and friends.  Enjoy the holiday’s many splendours while nourishing and fortifying your body with healthy, high-fiber foods.  Perhaps this will be the year thoughts of Passover will be changed from “oh no, it’s Passover” to “oh yes, it’s Passover!” Chag Sameach!

Suzanne Fisher is a Registered Dietitian with over 20 years experience. She has experience in weight loss management, nutritional counseling, meal planning and recipe creation. Suzanne is currently the in-house Dietitian for large South Florida Physicians group. Her main focus is weight loss and medical nutritional counseling. Prior to her current position, Suzanne was employed as a Corporate Dietitian for a leading on-line weight loss program. While there, she created healthy meal plans and recipes for clients such as Kraft, Bally’s, Healthy Choice and P90X. Suzanne is known to balance a healthy lifestyle with the busy life of raising two teenagers. She considers herself a bit of a foodie and enjoys creating healthier versions of traditional kosher meals. Suzanne loves to encourage others to make dietary and fitness changes that will improve their general health and well being.

Yogurt is one of my family’s favorite “go to” foods. I blend it with frozen fruit for a quick breakfast smoothie, pack it with a granola bar and fresh fruit for lunch and I use it in the summer as a base for a popsicle or to make tart frozen yogurt.  Rich in calcium, protein and other healthful nutrients, yogurt really packs a punch.

Yogurt can also be a fantastic source of probiotics, look for live and active cultures written on the label.  Probiotics are “good” bacteria that your body actually needs. Based on the strain, probiotics have been shown to increase immunity and improve digestion. Greek yogurt is typically strained of excess liquid, creating a thicker texture that is very popular right now.

I try and stick to plain yogurt instead of the flavored ones which contain excess sugar. If I am in the mood for a little sweetness, I just add a drop of honey or fresh fruit.

Jamie likes yogurt too, check out how she uses it Quick & Kosher style: Yogurt Parfait Buffet

Here are a few yummy yogurt recipes you will absolutely love!

Apple Crunch Bread Pudding

Quick Mixed Berry Topping

Tropical Fruit in Spiced Syrup

Cranberry Muesli

CONTEST!!! For your chance to win 12 free Chobani Greek yogurts tell us your favorite flavor of yogurt in the comment section below. [Contest open to US Residents only. Contest closes Wednesday March 30th at 9 am. Winner will be picked at random from qualifying entries]

Erma Bombeck once said, “I’ve been on a diet for the last two decades.  I’ve lost a total of 789 pounds.  By all accounts, I should be hanging from a charm bracelet!”  With Purim just around the corner, here are a few tips and tricks to have fun, without all the fat.

As you instinctively reach for a hamentasch on Purim morning, do you find yourself thinking: It’s okay to stray from my eating plan because: “I’m celebrating” or “I really want it, everyone else is eating it” or “it’s only a little piece, I’ll make up for it later.”  The reality is that the food in front of you tempts you to try it and eating generates immediate rewards (and other “gains” as well), while the rewards from watching what you eat might take weeks, months or even years!

This is the classic formula for yo-yo dieting: future benefits vs. our immediate desire to eat.  Inside some of us is a thin person struggling to get out, but they can stay imprisoned with a few spoonfuls of chocolate mousse!

So here are a few tips to actually lose weight on Purim!

• Self-Control – don’t allow yourself to eat everything in sight!
• If you are going to friends or family for the seudah, bring some of your own food (prepared in a more healthy way) to “help” the host with the preparations and give you some more options.
• Don’t starve the day of Purim because you are so busy running around with the kids.  Have some low-fat yogurt, cut up fruit or veggies around to grab, instead of  junk.
• Start your meal with a healthful soup to help fill you up, before you finish a few pieces of challah without even noticing.
• For the seudah, make some flavorful lighter dishes for everyone to enjoy.  My Easy Szechuan Broccoli is a personal favorite, your guests (especially their thighs) will thank you.
• Use spray oil and flavored vinegars to season salads.
• Instead of mayonnaise-based salads, try Crunchy Red Cabbage Slaw.
• Use Truvia in place of sugar in your coleslaw and cucumber salads.
• Scrape off some of the extra dressing, sauces or breading — lots of the extra calories come from the things we add on top of our food.
• If you are going to make some unhealthy choices, eat smaller portions, and make sure everything fits on ONE plate!
• Listen to your body signaling you have had enough to eat, it is okay to tell the host how much you enjoyed the food and you can’t have another bite!

This time of year there is always more food coming (and coming).  Think how wonderful you will feel going to bed at night knowing you followed your plan when you easily could have consumed thousands of extra calories!  It’s worth forgoing the momentary pleasure of eating foods you didn’t plan to eat so that you can stay in control, be happier with your food choices, AND finally lose the weight you always wanted to.

Street vendors across Mexico sell this style of roasted or grilled corn—topped with mayonnaise, chili powder and Cotija cheese. You can serve the unadorned corn on a platter with small bowls of the sauce, cheese and lime on the side so everyone can make their own.

• Prep Time: 25 min
• Total Time: 25 min
• Serves: 4 servings

Contributed by: EatingWell.com

Everyone knows tortellini make a quick weeknight pasta dinner—but they also add substance that turns this quick, colorful vegetable soup into a meal. One caveat: Read the label carefully; avoid pasta products made with hydrogenated oils or unnecessary preservatives. Enjoy this soup with a slice of multigrain baguette and a spinach salad.

• Prep Time: 25 min
• Cook Time: 15 min
• Total Time: 40 min
• Serves: 6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

Contributed by: EatingWell.com

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large carrots, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth
• 2 medium zucchini, diced
• 9 ounces (about 2 cups) fresh or frozen tortellini, preferably spinach-&-cheese
• 4 plum tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots and onion; stir, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and just beginning to brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Stir in broth and zucchini; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add tortellini and tomatoes and simmer until the tortellini are plump and the tomatoes are beginning to break down, 6 to 10 minutes. Stir vinegar into the hot soup just before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 203 calories; 8 g fat ( 2 g sat , 4 g mono ); 10 mg cholesterol; 28 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 4 g fiber; 386 mg sodium; 400 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (80% daily value), Vitamin C (35% dv).

Bountiful summer vegetables—zucchini, summer squash, fresh tomatoes—are quickly sautéed with protein-rich white beans and topped with Parmesan for a hearty dish. This sauté is endlessly versatile and works well with eggplant, peppers or corn. Serve with: Brown rice or bulgur.

Contributed by: EatingWell.com

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, halved and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 15- or 19-ounce can cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed (see Tip)
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini, summer squash, oregano, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring once, until the vegetables are tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Stir in beans, tomatoes and vinegar; increase heat to medium and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in Parmesan.

Tips & Notes

• Tip: While we love the convenience of canned beans, they tend to be high in sodium. Give them a good rinse before adding to a recipe to rid them of some of their sodium (up to 35 percent) or opt for low-sodium or no-salt-added varieties. (These recipes are analyzed with rinsed, regular canned beans.) Or, if you have the time, cook your own beans from scratch.

Nutrition

Per serving: 195 calories; 6 g fat ( 2 g sat , 4 g mono ); 5 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrates; 11 g protein; 8 g fiber; 600 mg sodium; 726 mg potassium.