My Favorite: Spices

A common complaint I hear from people when they begin eating healthier is that the food is "bland" and "flavorless." Because of all of the artificial flavoring, preservatives, and excess salt that is put in processed foods it has caused society's tastebuds to be underdeveloped and makes it more difficult for people to appreciate flavor from real sources. That is why I highly encourage seasoning your foods with spices, and using a wide variety of herbs and spices. Building your spice collection is key to enjoying, not only cooking, but eating.

Also, did you know that you can buy spices in bulk? Buying spices in bulk is great if you're wanting to try out new ones for the first time. You can only buy a little at a time and if you like it you can decide to go buy more. If you hate it, then you didn't waste your money on a whole bottle of it. Spices that are sold in bulk are usually in containers so you're able to smell them before purchasing them, which can help you decide whether or not you would use it. Places like Whole Foods, Earth Fare, and local co-op grocery stores usually sell spices in bulk. I definitely recommend buying spices like this if you're just starting to expand your spice collection or your palette. 

Now on to MY top five favorite spices...

1. Cinnamon 

There has never been a time where I wasn't obsessed with cinnamon. Fall time or not, cinnamon should be used all year. It is the perfect spice to put into a warm bowl of oatmeal, sprinkle on top of a sweet potato, apple slices, or a hot cup of coffee. Cinnamon is not only delicious, but it also has a ton of health benefits! Believe it or not cinnamon helps to control blood sugar, as well as control appetite, and it even can lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

2. Ginger

Like cinnamon, ginger is a spice that is typically used during the fall, but should definitely be used throughout the entire year. Ginger and cinnamon go hand in hand, so wherever/whenever you used cinnamon use ginger as well! Just like cinnamon, ginger has plenty of health benefits: immune support, helps with nutrient absorption, reduces inflammation, and improves blood flow. 

3. Cumin

Cumin is an incredible spice to use in almost any hearty dish. I love using cumin when I'm making Mexican inspired dishes because it gives a smoky and deep flavor that is so incredible. I throw cumin into chillies, stir fries, stews, soups, guacamole, and tacos. Again, cumin is a spice that has nutritional benefits as well: it's rich in iron and fiber, aids in digestion, prevents premature aging, reduces toxins in the body, and even helps relieve stress and anxiety.  

4. Turmeric 

I don't even like to consider turmeric a spice, but rather a form of medicine. Not only is it delicious but it is seriously an incredible health booster. The nutritional benefits that are packed into this spice is unbelievable, so I definitely try to use turmeric in as many dishes as possible. 

Turmeric is commonly found in Indian cuisine, so I like to use it when I make curries, or other Indian dishes. It is good in Mexican cuisine too, combining well with chili powder and cumin as well as cayenne pepper. So now that you know how to use it, let me tell you why you need to use it: Turmeric is highly anti-inflammatory, helps reduce oxidation in the body, helps brain function, can lower risk or Alzheimer's and heart disease, relieve stress, and even help delay aging. 

5. Ground Mustard Seed

I absolutely love using mustard powder when cooking. Any dish I use it in becomes so rich and filled with flavor, I just love it. Of course ground mustard is more flavorful than the condiment so be careful with adding too much! Ground mustard seed is great to use with the other spices I've mentioned (cumin and turmeric). It definitely provides a depth of flavor with a hint of spice. And naturally, ground mustard seed is full of nutritional benefits which makes it that much better! Ground mustard seed has some omega-3 fatty acids which are important to have in your diet, it also is an anti-oxidant, and is full of minerals such as iron, magnesium, and calcium. 

How To Build An Epic Salad

Salads can be one of the most nutritious meals you can eat, but they can also be a dangerous trap you can get caught in. All parts of a salad can be either beneficial or not depending on the base, toppings, add-ins, and dressing you choose to use to build your salad. 

To me, it's important to always be eating with a purpose by packing as many nutrients in a meal that I possibly can. Salads are an excellent way to "eat with a purpose" and I'm going to show you how you can do that!

Samantha's Guide To Building an Epic Salad . . .

Start off with a nutrient filled base:

Picking the base is essential in building your epic salad. My advice towards this is the darker the green, the better. Using a dark green for the base to your salad is the best start to a nutrient packed meal. Choosing a dark green, rather than a lighter one, means that there are more vitamins and minerals, providing you with the most bang for your buck. 

Try to pick from this list of nutrient packed greens for the base to your salad:

Kale, swiss chard, spinach, red cabbage, beet greens, dandelion greens, arugula

Also, try to buy organic when you can!

Choosing your vegetables:

The next part of building your salad usually includes adding vegetables. This is where you can go the crazy! Throw in as many vegetables as you possibly can and don't be afraid to cook them in different ways; roasted, raw, boiled, sautéed, or steamed. Try chopping the vegetables up in different sizes, or even shred some of the heartier vegetables for a different texture. Again, choosing nutrient dense vegetables is key to making sure you are not skimping out on the health potential of your salad!

Here are a list of some of my favorite vegetables to add to my epic salads:

Carrots (raw), celery (raw and including the leaves), cherry tomatoes (diced), beets (roasted or raw/shredded), cucumbers (finely diced), green peas (frozen), sprouts (raw), mushrooms (raw or sautéed)

Put some heart into your salad:





Often times people complain about salads not being filling or leaving them satisfied. This usually is because they need to add a "hearty" component; by this I mean something that bulks it up and allows it to feel like a full meal in a bowl. This is also an opportunity to add grains to your salad which is a huge part in making it into a meal, rather than a side dish. So don't leave out those complex carbohydrates!

Choose one or two of these to give your epic salad some heartiness:

roasted potatoes, cooked/cooled quinoa, buckwheat, or rice, roasted/sautéed corn, roasted spaghetti squash


Don't forget the protein:

Another key part of turning a salad into a full meal is adding protein. I suggest choosing a plant-based protein that will provide a low fat, high protein element to your epic salad.

Plant-based proteins to add:

sautéed, baked, or raw organic tofu or tempeh (season with whatever seasonings you enjoy), rinsed canned or home prepared beans (black, garbanzo, pinto, red kidney, navy, cannellini), hemp seeds, lentils, organic edamame (shelled)

Just a little fat:

Fat is another important part of a salad, mostly because fat combined with a salad helps our bodies absorb all the nutrients. So by incorporating some fat into your salad, you're not just adding flavoring but allowing your body a better chance to absorb all the nutrients. Fat is an essential part of our diet, but be careful of the type, quality, and quantity of the fat you decide to use. Also, I typically use a vinegar based dressing rather than an oil based one, so if you use a oil based salad dressing, you may not need as much of these fat components I'm mentioning. 

Choose 1 of these servings of  fat to add:

1/8 medium/large avocado, 1 Tbsp. flax seed, 2 Tbsp. seeds or nuts (almonds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, pecans, walnuts), 2 Tbsp. chopped olives, 1-2 Tbsp. hummus

Boost up your salad:

Adding booster foods to your salads is another key part in turning a normal salad into an epic salad. Booster foods are foods that are eaten in an effort to obtain medicinal benefits. They are super important to incorporate into your diet because they provide large amounts of nutrients that are equivalent to supplements, or medicine that you may be taking in a
pill form. 

Choose as many of these booster foods as you'd like:

1-2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast, 1 tsp. liquid aminos,  1/4 tsp. kelp, 1 Tbsp chia seeds, 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp. bee pollen, 1 Tbsp. spirulina, 1 Tbsp. wheat germ, 1 Tbsp. raw garlic, 1/4 cup fresh herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro are recommended)

Dress it up:

The place where most people mess up their salad is with the dressing they choose to use. Often time the dressing itself turns a perfectly fine salad into a disaster. I always recommend making and using your own salad dressing, rather than buying it in a store. But if you find it easier to buy dressing, make sure to choose vinaigrettes rather than "cream" based and check the ingredients, making sure there are no artificial sweeteners or even high fructose corn syrup that is in it. Also avoid any hydrogenated oils, artificial coloring, "natural flavors," and modified starches. 



There are TONS of homemade salad dressing recipes online, but a simple combination of a vinegar, oil, and/or fruit juice makes a delicious dressing for any type of salad! If you're wanting a creamy dressing for your salad, use tahini, hummus, avocado, or mustard as a "creamy" element to your salad instead of ranch or caesar dressing which don't provide any nutritional value. 

Top it off:

Many people turn to croutons or bacon bits to finish off their salad, but there are definitely some better options to give your salad a crunch. An easy way to add crunch to your salad is roasted chick peas! Simply roast some canned (rinsed) chick peas and throw them on your salad for a healthy, protein packed topping! Another way to top off your salad is with crumbled up rice or corn cakes, this adds a crunchy texture that is a better alternative to croutons.


Ways to add some crunch/texture to the top of your salad:

1-2 crumbled organic rice or corn cake, 1/4 cup roasted chick peas/edamame, 1/4 cup sprouts, dehydrated sweet potatoes

And there you go, my guide to making an epic salad. Salads can definitely be eaten as a meal, and you can pack in a ton of nutrients and beneficial components, just get creative and don't be afraid to try new things! Happy salad making (and eating)!

Things I Loved In July

Rice Cakes:

This month I haven't been able to get enough rice cakes! They are so delicious, and I love how they only have ONE ingredient: rice! I've been getting the Full Circle Organic Rice Cakes (unsalted) and have been either just eating them plain, crumbling them up to put onto of things, or smashing a banana ontop. They are such a good base for just about anything; jam, fruit, hummus, or nut butter.

Asian Food:

At the beginning of the month my mom and I took a trip to the Grand Asian Market in Cary and I fell in love! I had never really enjoyed Asian cuisine, but once I had the "proper" ingredients I've really enjoyed incorporating Asian foods into my diet. I've been making sushi (without the fish) every so often, and also made a really delicious miso soup. The Grand Asian Market also had a really good selection of teas, so I've really been enjoying those as well (especially chamomile green tea).

 

 

Frozen Grapes:

I've been loving cold treats all this month, to stay cool, and frozen green grapes have been my favorite! All I do is rinse the grapes off and de-stem them and then put them in a jar and stick them in the freezer overnight. They are the perfect sweet, cold treat to suck on and enjoy throughout the day!



French Pressed Coffee:

I don't know why it's taken me so long to realize how amazing a french press is, but this month I came to that realization. French pressed coffee is so much better than drip coffee, it is so much richer and creamier. Also, it doesn't take up as much room/energy as a bulky coffee maker does.




Master Chef:

I've always enjoyed watching Master Chef, it's so entertaining and I love trying to create recipes in my mind from the ingredients the contestants are given in the show. It's definitely been one of my favorite TV shows this summer.









"The Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick":

This was the book that I read this month, and I found it so interesting as well as useful. It's an easy read and is fascinating to read about other people's regimens of how they stay healthy. Definitely a book to check out!

Orange You Glad You Came?

While on vacation at Disney, I took advantage of the Florida produce, and made sure to stop for a few minutes to get some delicious Florida oranges. On our way to Disney World on the first day, I noticed a HUGE building that was shaped like an orange. I started freaking out, and knew that was the place I wanted to go to get some oranges.

On the last day we were in Florida, we stopped at Orange World to check out their oranges. Unfortunately, the building wasn't filled with fruit (like I thought it was) but there was a beautiful selection of freshly picked oranges and grapefruits. There were also samples of all the fruit that was being sold so we were able to taste to see which types of oranges we like best. After trying all the different types of oranges, my mom and I decided to go with the Valencia oranges. They were big, juicy, and very sweet. We bought a huge bag so that we could share some with family back in North Carolina.



  


Take advantage of your vacation location, and take home some food souvenirs that will bring your vacation back home with you!

                                   

Enjoy The Taste of Eating Right: National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month, which is so exciting! This month is dedicated to eating nutritiously, and motivating people to make healthy changes in their life. I love that there is whole month dedicated to nutrition, something that I live everyday celebrating.

For the past three years, I have truly dedicated my life to not only studying and learning about good nutrition, but also to eating and living a more nutritious life. I also try to encourage, and motivate others to make steps to healthier eating. When I decided I wanted major in nutrition I had no idea that I would develop such a passion for this field, and for this career, but I'm so glad that I did.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is promoting this month, so you should definitely go check out their website/information about National Nutrition Month at http://www.eatright.org/nnm/#.UxQCPnm9ZuY
They've also provided a subject for us bloggers to discuss, and that is Enjoying the Taste of Eating Right. 

Personally, there is nothing more satisfying than biting into a big juicy cantaloupe, or crunching on fresh baby carrots, or sipping a sweet green juice, or slurping up a warm cauliflower soup, so eating right for me is pure enjoyment. I haven't always like to eat these foods, and in the past I would have been disgusted by the thought of cauliflower soup....much less anything that had to do with cauliflower. Enjoying the taste of eating right took time.



It took my taste buds getting used to different foods. I think that this is why so many people refuse to eat fresh, nature made foods, because their taste buds are so used to eating processed, fake, and chemical invested foods. All of these foods have become a huge part in our culture, and it may take a while for it to leave our taste buds.


That's why I'm a strong believer in  t r y i n g  new foods, different foods, fresh foods, natural foods, locally grown foods, good for you foods. The more times you try something, the more chances you'll grow to like it...trust me, it worked for me! Also, don't be scared to not like something. If you've tried tomatoes multiple times, and every time they've made you gag....then that's okay, you don't like tomatoes. But trying multiple times is what matters.

I enjoy the taste of eating right, because eating right makes me feel right. When I have my flax pumpkin oatmeal in the mornings I start the day feeling good. Not only does it taste amazing, but it makes me feel amazing for the rest of the day. Starting your day on a positive healthy breakfast will leave you feeling confident and feeling like you've already had success in your day.



Food and guilt is something that is a struggle in many people, including myself. Many people associate guilt and food, which can be dangerous to your mental health, as well as your physical health. It's important to not feel guilty when it comes to food, because food is supposed to be happy, and make you feel happy, from the inside out. So find your balance, and don't feel guilty when you indulge every now and then...especially if you're trying, because trying is all that matters.



So back to the question.....how do I enjoy the taste of eating right? I enjoy the taste of eating right by eating foods that make my body happy. I eat foods that are fresh, from the ground or from a tree, because theses are the foods that make me happy! That's how I enjoy eating right!