Tag Archives: walnuts

29 Ways to Use Up Holiday Leftovers

When you host holiday dinners, you have more than leftover turkey to deal with, and if you’re like me, you hate to waste cranberry sauce, vegetables, pie, and other festive food. Here are 29 ways to use up holiday leftovers and prevent food waste.

How to Use Up Cranberry Sauce

Use cranberry sauce in place of jelly in a peanut butter sandwich, and add to turkey sandwiches as a spread.

• Stir cranberry sauce into warm oatmeal that’s been microwaved with milk (milk for extra protein, calcium, and other minerals, and vitamins). Top with chopped walnuts or pecans.

• Add a tablespoon or two of cranberry sauce to fruit smoothies and eliminate sugar or other sweeteners.

• Combine cranberry sauce with plain Greek yogurt and make a parfait with whole grain ready-to-eat cereal.

• Warm 2 tablespoons of cranberry sauce in the microwave for 10 seconds and put it on top of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

• Top French toast, waffles, and pancakes with warm cranberry sauce instead of maple syrup.

Reduce food waste, save money, and help the environment!

How to Use Leftover Stuffing and Dressing

• Prepare stuffing “pancakes” and top with a fried egg.

• Stir stuffing or dressing into turkey soup.

• Use as a topping on turkey pot pie.

What to Make with Leftover Holiday Vegetables

Prepare a vegetable strata from leftover bread, chopped vegetables, eggs, and cheese, or make a quiche.

• Puree cooked broccoli, cauliflower, or carrots and add milk or cream to make soup.

Mix butternut squash and sweet potato together for soup, and add coconut milk.

• Add cooked sweet potato or beets to smoothies.

• Stir plain pumpkin or mashed or sweet potatoes into turkey soup for a thicker, more flavorful soup.

• Stuff a cooked baked sweet or white potato with 1/4 cup cooked diced turkey or 1/4 cup black beans, and top with cranberry sauce or salsa.

• Top turkey pot pie with mashed sweet or white potatoes instead of pastry crust.

• Smash (gently!) whole cooked small potatoes, roast in 400˚F oven for 10 minutes, and top with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt and fresh chives.

• Chop cooked veggies and add to omelettes along with leftover cheese or use on top of pizza.

• Puree cooked cauliflower and mix with milk or cream and grated Parmesan cheese to the desired consistency for a side dish.

• Whip up potato pancakes with white or sweet potatoes.

What to Make with Leftover Bread and Rolls

• Prepare French toast or pancakes with leftover cream or eggnog.

• Make croutons from cornbread, rolls, or other leftover bread. Cut into large pieces and roast in oven at 300˚F until dry, about 20 minutes.

Pancakes with powdered sugar, and fresh raspberries

Use leftover eggnog to whip up a quick batch of pancakes.

Simple Ways to Use Up Leftover Turkey

• Prepare turkey pot pie with leftover sweet potato, white potato, or stuffing for the topping.

• Make a white bean and turkey chili and include leftover vegetables.

• Prepare quick quesadillas using whole wheat tortillas, leftover cheese, and sliced turkey. Serve with cranberry sauce for dipping.

• Add chopped turkey to your favorite macaroni and cheese recipe.

Simple Recipes for Leftover Eggnog

• Use eggnog in place of milk when you prepare French toast, vanilla cake from a mix pancakes, waffles, and bread pudding.

• Combine eggnog and fruit for a delicious smoothie.

Scoop pumpkin pie out of the crust and combine with plain Greek yogurt for a creamy pudding, or add some milk and make a smoothie.

What to Do with Leftover Wine

• Freeze red wine in ice cube trays to use later in stews.

What are your favorite ways to use up holiday leftovers?

Eat to Conceive: Food and Fertility

Chances are, you’re familiar with someone struggling with infertility, and you may not even know it. About 15% of couples have trouble getting pregnant, and that makes fertility issues common. I wrote about infertility in Expect the Best, Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During, and After Pregnancy, and while I’m aware of the stats, they don’t convey the fact that women who face fertility issues may experience shame.

Talking openly about infertility can help to ease a couple’s burden, and hopefully, reduce negative feelings about a condition that is not their fault. Registered dietitians Elizabeth (Liz) Shaw and Sara Haas, also a chef, have taken the lead in this regard in the Fertility Foods Cookbook, 100+ Recipes to Nourish Your Body. I spoke with Liz about book, which is full of amazing recipes, about food and fertility.

Elizabeth Shaw, MS, RDN

Why did you write this book about food and fertility with Sara?

I always knew that I wanted to write a book, and when I realized that there was a need for a fertility foods book, I reached out to Sara Haas, a friend that I had made online through our mutually-exhaustive experiences with infertility. After asking Sara for her opinion about my book idea, she told me that she wanted to work on a fertility book, too! Two heads are better than one, and so began our book adventure. We took the opportunity to tell our uniques stories and struggles with fertility, and to let our audience know that they are not alone.

Chef Sara Haas, RDN, LDN

A healthy body weight improves fertility in women and men

What are foods for fertility?

While fertility-fueling foods are certainly no different than other wholesome, delicious foods, there are some principles of an eating plan conducive to conception that are important to consider. We recommend plant-based eating. You don’t have to eat a vegan diet, or severely restrict animal foods, but the bulk of your plate should be plant-based. We discuss ways in which combining healthy fats with whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and plant-based proteins, such as soy and legumes, creates a plate that promotes fertility, giving couples a sense of control over a condition that sometimes feels so out of their control.

Here’s one of the recipes from the book that I tried and loved:

Chickpea Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette from the Fertility Foods Cookbook by Elizabeth Shaw, MS, RDN and Chef Sara Haas, RDN, LDN is easy, delicious, and can be served as an entree or as a side dish. It’s a plant-based recipe that everyone in the family will enjoy!

What foods should men eat to improve their fertility?

Although we specify in the introduction that the book is directed toward females, we include advice about food choices for men, and how some may be different than for women. While females who struggle with anovulatory infertility are encouraged to choose whole milk dairy products to enhance fertility, men are encouraged to stick with low-fat dairy. Slow-releasing carbohydrates, such as those found in whole grains, vegetables, legumes and soy, are good for both genders. One other interesting note is the research that suggests regular walnut consumption may help support male fertility in animal studies.

Walnuts may help support male fertility. They are also good for your gut health, and your partner’s.

Are there foods to avoid when trying to conceive a baby, and why?

While Sara and I certainly don’t want to discourage any food, we do recommend limiting added sugar, as well as reliance on highly-processed foods. Most highly-processed foods supply fewer nutrients than their less-processed counterparts. While nearly all the foods you eat, including plain milk, eggs, and lettuce, are technically “processed,” it’s possible to make better choices. For example, whole wheat bread is better for you than highly refined white bread, even though both foods are processed.

Don’t worry about engaging in a slice of birthday cake or other special occasion treats. Rather, focus on a fertility-fueling mindset most of the time. In addition, since those actively trying to conceive may become pregnant, we also recommended focusing on safer seafood choices, such as salmon, canned light tuna, and shrimp, and steering clear of fish that tend to be higher in mercury, such as King mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, tilefish (Gulf of Mexico), and big eye tuna (not canned) that is typically used in sushi.

Heavenly Chocolate Cake with Rich and Creamy Chocolate Frosting is gluten-free and vegetarian

Heavenly Chocolate Cake with Rich and Creamy Chocolate Frosting is gluten-free, vegetarian, and packed with far more protein, fiber, and other nutrients than regular chocolate cake.

In your discussions with those who are trying to conceive, what are they most confused about?

One of the common misconceptions is that couples think they need to completely avoid carbohydrates, maybe because of the gluten-free trend. (Men and women with diagnosed celiac disease should avoid gluten.) My job is to help educate people about the importance of including whole grains, many of which are gluten-free, in a diet that can help fuel fertility. I find once people recognize that they can become satiated, satisfied and at ease with a nourishing bowl of quinoa, mixed vegetables, and a delicious walnut sauce, their mindset about eating for fertility shifts. They start thinking of food preparation not as another chore but as a controllable way to fuel their fertility.

If you know someone who is struggling with fertility issues, check out BumpsToBaby.com, the support community that Liz started and runs. BumpsToBaby offers a free, closed group for those seeking health and support from others who are trying to conceive.

No Added Sugar Banana Raisin Oatmeal Muffin Cups

No Added Sugar Banana Raisin Oatmeal Muffin Cups get their sweetness from fruit.

No added sugar banana raisin oatmeal muffin cups are healthy

Why are these muffins a better choice than most others?

For some reason, muffins have a health halo. People often think muffins are a healthy choice, but most are loaded with ingredients you just don’t need, such as added sugar and fat. Both contribute calories that you probably want to avoid.

Consider this comparison. At about 380 calories, a bakery blueberry muffin has more than 100 calories than a chocolate frosted donut sold at a national chain coffee shop. The blueberry muffin contains 38 grams of added sugar (about 9 teaspoons) while the donut has about 13 grams of added sugar (about 3 teaspoons)!

This recipe has no added sugar, and doesn’t need any. Bananas and raisins supply natural sweetness, as well as vitamins, minerals, and fiber. My muffins are made with oatmeal and no refined flour, which means they are 100% whole grain. That’s also different from many commercial muffins which contain only refined white flour.

Walnuts add crunch, heart-healthy fat, fiber, and protein, too. You could leave out the walnuts if you or anyone in your household has a tree nut allergy, but don’t eliminate them for the calories. Each one of these muffins has just 149 calories, a far cry from commercial types.

Use gluten-free oatmeal to be sure these muffin cups don’t contain gluten.

Why I choose dairy milk

The recipe for No Added Sugar Banana Raisin Oatmeal Muffin Cups calls for dairy milk, and that is one of the reasons why the protein content is relatively high. Muffins are not known for their protein, but each one of these supplies 4 grams, which is remarkable considering their smaller size. In addition, each muffin provides 80 milligrams of calcium, almost as much as one-third glass of milk.

no added sugar banana raisin oatmeal cup batter in muffin pan

Use a 1/4-cup measuring cup to fill each muffin cup.

If you’d like to replace the milk with a non-dairy alternative, I recommend unsweetened soy beverage. The protein, and calcium, content are comparable. Almond milk and other plant milks tend to be lower in protein, and may not contain added calcium and other nutrients, such as vitamin D.

Print Recipe

No Added Sugar Banana Raisin Oatmeal Muffin Cups

Ripe bananas and raisins provide the sweetness in these delicious, moist, and gluten-free muffin cups!

Prep Time10

Cook Time18

Total Time28

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bananarecipe, glutenfree, muffins, no added sugar, wholegrain

Servings: 18

Calories: 149kcal

Author: ewardrd

Ingredients

3 cups oats, uncooked
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray. (I find this works better than lining the pan with paper liners because the muffins tend to stick to the paper.)
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the mashed bananas, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined. Whisk in the milk.
Pour the banana mixture into the oats mixture. Add the raisins. Stir well to combine. The batter has a lot of liquid in it, so it will be soupy.
Fill the muffin cups nearly to the top with batter (a scant 1/4-cup full).
Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack for 5 minutes, with the muffins still in the pan. Remove the muffins from the pan and allow them to cool on the wire rack.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

Per serving: Calories: 149, Carbohydrate: 21 grams, Fiber: 2 grams, Protein: 4 grams, Fat: 6 grams, Saturated fat: 1 gram, Cholesterol: 23 milligrams, Sodium: 142 milligrams, Calcium: 81 milligrams.

No-Diet Tips for Weight Loss

March 13, 2017
ewardrd
2 comments
#calories, #pistachios, #weightcontrol, #weightloss, #wholegrains, almonds, breakfast, nuts, peanuts, walnuts

Just thinking about what to eat to lose weight can be overwhelming. The good news is that you don’t have to try so hard! These three delicious no-diet tips for weight loss will put you on track for easier weight control, and you won’t feel deprived.

Peanut butter smoothie bowl topped with fresh raspberries, bananas, and chopped peanuts.

Peanut Butter, Raspberry, and Oats Smoothie Bowl from Expect the Best, Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During and After Pregnancy.

No-Diet Tip #1: Eat breakfast

Breakfast is an opportunity to include the nutrients you need. The energy it provides helps to jump-start the body and brain after sleep.

I talk here about how studies suggest that eating the morning meal does not guarantee better weight control, and it may seem like I am contradicting myself by suggesting breakfast. However, the research about breakfast and weight loss is inconclusive.

You may skip breakfast because you’re not hungry in the morning. Maybe you’re not hungry in the morning because you ate too much before going to bed. Eating more regularly throughout the day, starting in the morning, may prevent overeating at night and may decrease your calorie intake overall.

Many people don’t like traditional “breakfast” foods. Not a problem. Any food eaten in the morning counts as breakfast. Your A.M. meal just needs to be balanced and nutritious and include enough protein, found in foods such as dairy, eggs, and beans.

You don’t have to eat breakfast all at once. It’s OK to divide up the morning into two smaller meals.

No-Diet Tip #2: Switch to whole grains

I wrote about a study that showed swapping whole grains for the refined kind burns calories and boosts metabolism. What a gift! You eat delicious whole grains, and you burn calories!

no added sugar fruit and nut quick bread is healthy and delicious

This No-Added Sugar Fruit and Nut Quick Bread is packed with whole grains and nuts. Get the recipe here.

It’s easier than you think to include more whole grains in your eating plan.

For example, instead of white bread, have whole grain. Enjoy oatmeal for breakfast in place of a highly refined cereal. Experiment with whole grains such as freekeh or farro. Munch on popcorn instead of chips.

No-Diet Tip #3: Include nuts for better health

Studies show that nuts often have fewer calories than what’s on the Nutrient Facts label. That’s good reason to include them as snacks, and in other ways.

Research has found that whole roasted almonds have 25% fewer calories than what is listed on food labels; walnuts supply 21% fewer calories; and pistachios also contain fewer calories than what the label says. It stands to reason the same goes for peanuts, too.

Skip the chips, cookies, and candy. Reach for delicious and nutritious nuts!

One ounce of nuts is an excellent substitution for the same amount of snack chips, pretzels, or crackers.

In addition to having fewer calories, nuts provide protein, heart-healthy fat, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are powerful plant compounds that protect your cells.

Include nuts in salads, homemade trail mix, and in smoothies.

Bottom line: No-diet weight loss tips

Simple changes can help you to lose weight and keep it off. Making a few small tweaks to your eating plan promotes eating satisfaction. In addition, including more healthy food choices in your diet provides you with the nutrients you need to support health.

No Added Sugar Fruit and Nut Bread (gluten-free)

Baking without sugar and gluten

I love to bake, but the last thing I need is more sugar in my life. Sugary foods are my downfall, especially muffins, quick breads, and other baked goods that are often as sweet as cake! This no-added sugar fruit and nut bread satisfies my sweet tooth. What’s more, it’s perfect for nutritious meals and snacks, especially if you’re following a no added sugar diet.

Baking with ripe bananas is a great way to cut down on added sugar without sacrificing great taste. I use raisins to provide even more natural sweetness so there’s no need for sugar, honey, or other sweeteners. And, almonds and walnuts supply protein, heart-healthy fat, fiber, and some serious crunch!

I don’t have a problem with gluten, but I know others may. My healthy fruit bread recipe uses oat flour, which is really easy to make at home, instead of wheat flour. As a result, this moist and delicious gluten-free bread is packed with whole grain goodness.

Click on this link to find out why carbohydrates are important

How to Make Healthy No Added Sugar Fruit and Nut Bread

The beauty of this healthy bread recipe is that it’s flexible. You can mix and match the types of nuts and dried fruits in any combination. And, you can make 12 muffins out of the batter instead of a single loaf of bread.

There are so many ways to enjoy a slice of this tasty quick bread. For instance, top a slice with peanut butter, almond butter, or cottage cheese. Pair a slice with an egg or two or a carton of Greek yogurt for a quick meal or snack. Add a piece of fruit for a balanced meal or snack.

I hope you enjoy this bread as much as we do in our house. Here are a few notes before you begin:

• To make oat flour, place 2 cups of gluten-free one-minute or old fashioned oats in a food processor and process on high speed for about 1 minute or until oats achieve a powder-like consistency.

• The recipe calls for dried cranberries. It’s worth noting that nearly all brands of dried cranberries contain added sugar, so use raisins if you want to limit added sugar.

• The riper the bananas, the sweeter the bread!

Print Recipe

No Added Sugar Fruit and Nut Bread

This gluten-free quick bread gets its sweetness from ripe bananas and dried fruit – no added sugar required!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Resting Time15

Total Time45

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana, glutenfree, no added sugar, quickbread

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 253kcal

Author: ewardrd