Tags: New Year
Jess’s Favorite Items (plus a new trend!) To Try In The New Year
Jess’s favorite items (plus a new trend!) to try in the new year
Cheers to 2023! As you reflect on the adventures of the past year and look forward to the opportunities of the year to come, I challenge you to consider trying something new. When I think about trying something new, I naturally gravitate towards food. So, to help you get started on your own “something new,” these are some of my favorite and lesser-known items (plus one trend) that I urge you to try in the New Year!
1. Sweet Haven Tonics
You have GOT to check this gem out! Sweet Haven Tonics handcrafts delicious concentrates right here in Minnesota for both cocktails and mocktails. These wonderfully fresh flavored tonics will produce an awe-worthy drink in about 30 seconds. Yes, you read that correctly – 30 seconds! With flavors like Lemon Basil Lavender and Spiced Cherry & Orange, these tonics are too exciting to pass up. Mix your flavor of choice with plain seltzer water for a mocktail or add liquor to make it a cocktail. The versatility and flavor of these products make them a bar cart must-have.
2. Black Bean Sun Chips
Sun Chips are an awesome choice for a savory and crunchy snack. They make reaching your daily 3 servings of whole grains easier by pairing whole grains with exciting and delicious flavors. In recent months, you may have noticed some new options in the chip aisle under the Sun Chips name! Sun Chips now sells a line of chips that contain real black beans. Black beans are rich in fiber and protein, so naturally these new chips boast slightly higher protein and fiber content. Not to mention the fun new flavors to compliment the inviting taste of black beans!
3. Superior Fresh Citrus Splash Greens
Sound familiar? That’s because I wrote about Superior Fresh Salmon back in October! At their facility, they recycle the water from the salmon pools to the aquaponic greenhouse, and the plants thrive on the nutrient rich water. They grow many varieties of leafy greens, but this one is by far my favorite. The unique sharp flavor of the Citrus Splash greens comes from red veined sorrel leaves. Which are as beautiful as they are scrumptious! Try out our Winter Greens and Grains Salad to experience it for yourself. Learn more about their salmon here!
4. Spindrift
I’m a HUGE fan of this sparkling water. While it may not be a new product, it’s newer on the seltzer water scene in the Midwest. The contents of this sparkling water set it apart from others, with each can of Spindrift featuring real fruit juice! The flavors range from a classic lime to a more adventurous pink lemonade, and everything in between. So, there’s a flavor for everyone! These are so yummy straight from the can, over ice, or even in a mocktail.
5. Swicy (sweet + spicy)
Here’s a new word to add to your vocabulary! We learn something new every day – right? This goofy word describes the collision of two bold flavors – sweet and spicy. You’ll see a lot more of these types of dishes and products heading into 2023. My personal favorite way to enjoy this flavor fusion involves combining the sweet of dark chocolate with the spice of Cayenne pepper. Get a head start on the trend with our Sweet & Spicy Chicken and Broccoli and Swicy Chile Brownies!
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It’s always fun to try something new! Who knows, maybe you’ll find a new favorite food in 2023.
Happy Eating!
Jess, Registered Dietitian
MPPD, RDN, LD
Good For You Veggie Grain Bowl
Grilled Portobello Mushroom and Farro Tacos with Cilantro Lime Crema
Meaty and protein-packed, you’d never guess these tacos are vegetarian. That’s because we’ve combined cumin and chipotle-marinated portobellos with farro to create these warm tortilla-wrapped treats. Topped with a zingy cilantro-lime crema, you’ll be wishing every day was Taco Tuesday with this mushroom tacos recipe.
Grilled Hawaiian Shrimp Bowl
Chicken Banh Mi Bowl
Meal Prep With The Instant Pot®
Meal Prep with The Instant Pot®
The Instant Pot® has been popular for a few years and many of you have maybe even received one as a gift for the holidays over the years or gone out and purchased one yourself. These pressure cookers are great for many reasons, but they can often be intimidating; they can be so intimidating in fact that many individuals may still have their pressure cooked hiding in their pantry or storage closet, and just aren’t quite sure where to start with it.Today we’ll be sharing a few of our favorite ways our Dietitian Team loves to use their Instant Pot® and/or pressure cooker. These next few recipes are EASY, and are great for meal prep for the week.
Salsa Verde Shredded Chicken – Instant Pot®
Ingredients:
• 2 raw, fresh chicken breasts
• 1 Jar of Low Sodium Salsa Verde (or your favorite salsa!)
Directions: Add the chicken breasts and the entire jar of salsa into the Instant Pot®. Set to MANUAL, HIGH pressure for 10 minutes. Allow to slow release for 5 minutes after cooking. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot® and shred with a fork. Then add back into the Instant Pot to help the chicken absorb more of the Salsa Verde. Add to your favorite dishes such as a Mexican powerbowl, enchiladas, or even tacos!
Quinoa – Instant Pot
Ingredients:
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Cup Quinoa, dry
• 1 1/2 Cups of Water or low sodium vegetable broth
• Pinch of Salt
Directions: Gently coat the instant pot with olive oil to prevent the quinoa from sticking. Add in quinoa, water, and salt. Seal with the lid and set to MANUAL, HIGH pressure, for 1 Minute (yep! ONE Minute!). Let the steam naturally release for about 8-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and it’s ready to be used it any of your favorite dishes!
Hard Boiled Eggs
Ingredients:
• 6-12 Eggs
• 1 Cup Water
• Metal trivet accessory for instant pot
Directions: Place Eggs on top of the metal trivet in the Instant Pot®, then add 1 Cup of water. Set on MANUAL, HIGH pressure for 5 minutes. Once cook time is complete, allow steam to naturally release for 5 minutes, then, place in a bowl with ice-cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the eggs. Once cooled, just peel them and enjoy or use in your favorite dishes!
New Year, New Moo
It’s February, which according to a U.S. News & World Report, 80 percent of our New Year’s resolutions have failed by now. Although the success rates of these resolutions are small, who says you can’t be in the 20% that do succeed? As dietitians, we often have our clients seek out our help with their nutrition resolutions. While many ask what the ideal diet looks like, we love to work with our clients and share that rather than diets, what we eat should be a balance of all foods. Restricting certain foods or food groups can often make us feel deprived and cause us to fall in and out of diets. By focusing on foods that both we enjoy and nourish our bodies, we can find peace with foods and meet our nutrition goals! Looking for easy recipes to help you meet your goals? Check out a few of our favorite recipes that contain nutrients such as protein, calcium, vitamin D, and B vitamins from you guessed it—dairy!
Smoothie Bowl
Blueberry, Avocado & Banana Smoothie Bowl
Serves: 1-2
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Blueberry Low-Fat Kefir
- 1 Cup Frozen Blueberries
- 2 Tbsp. Avocado
- 1 Banana, frozen
- Additional Toppings
- Granola
- Blueberries
- Banana Slices
- Fresh Mint
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth.
- Pour into 1-2 Bowls. Top with desired toppings.
*Try adding 1 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed or 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds for added nutrition!
Buttermilk Green Goddess Dressing
Buttermilk Green Goddess Dressing
Yield: 1 Cup
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise with Olive Oil
- 1/3 Cup Buttermilk
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Chives, chopped
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp. Fresh Tarragon, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
- 2 Anchovy Fillets in Oil, drained and chopped
- 1 Medium Garlic Clove
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl of a food processor, combine ingredients and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 3 days.
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 10 ounces pasta, dry
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 3/4 cup skim milk
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and add butternut squash. Cook until squash is softened and drain. Alternatively, microwave squash until softened (about 4-5 minutes).
- Prepare pasta according to box. Drain and set aside.
- Place squash and vegetable broth in food processor or blender. Pulse until mixture is smooth. Add water by 1/4 teaspoon if mixture is too firm.
- Heat butter over medium-low heat until melted in a small saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook 1-2 minutes.
- Whisk in garlic powder, milk and squash. Continue to whisk for another 1-2 minutes’ mixture thickens.
- Once thickened, add cheese and whisk until melted (about 5 minutes). Stir mixture into pasta.
Looking for more undeniably delicious dairy recipes? Check out DairyGood.org.
Happy & Healthy in the New Year
Getting a Happy and Healthy Start to the New Year
We may have just found the key to happiness—a daily dose of fruits and veggies. We are all well-aware that fruit and veggie consumption has been linked to various health benefits such as lowered risk for heart disease, cancer, and high blood pressure, but did you know that science has found that people who eat more fruits and veggies are actually happier, have increased life satisfaction, and better mental well-being?1
Researchers from the University of Warwick analyzed dietary habits of 80,000 British women and men.1 Over a 24-month period, it was found that extra servings of fruits and veggies led to increased happiness levels and that consumption of 7-8 servings per day led to the happiest people. Just how much happier are these individuals? According to the study, if an individual went from eating no produce to eating eight servings per day over the 24-month period, they experienced a 0.24 increase on average in their happiness score (scored 1-10). Although that may not sound like a large boost, the increase can be compared to the feeling of going from unemployed to employed.1
With just 1 in 10 adults meeting the recommendations for fruit and veggie consumption, researchers (and dietitians alike) hope this added benefit of fruit and veggie intake, increases people’s motivation to consume more.2
With health-related New Year’s Resolutions in full-gear, this is the perfect time to add more fruits and veggies to your diet. Look for creative ways to boost your consumption, such as adding seasonal produce to classic Midwest dishes. Try one of our team’s favorite easy breakfast recipes: Apple Cranberry Oatmeal Bake.
Looking for more ways to boost your fruit and veggie intake for you and your family? Check out these kid-friendly recipes
or head on over to our Dietitian’s Corner for all of our latest recipes, articles and resources!
Happy and Healthy Eating,
Emily, RD, LD
1News & Events. Retrieved December 29, 2017, from https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/7-a-day_for_happiness/
2CDC Newsroom. (2017, November 16). Retrieved December 29, 2017, from https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1116-fruit-vegetable-consumption.html
Chicken Fajita Salad With Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette
Jayne
Happy New Year and best wishes in 2018!!
I hope all of you enjoyed a wonderful holiday season together with family and friends! As the New Year starts so do the diets and getting back on track with eating healthy foods. I really like this time of year because Continue reading
Happy New Year From Your Coborn’s Dietitians
Amy
For those of you who are starting off 2018 with goals related to health & wellness, kudos to you! It’s a perfect time of year to get into a new routine. As far as better nutrition, just remember that it’s up to you to purchase good items at the store and eat your meals and snacks throughout the day to prevent yourself from getting too hungry!
The biggest struggle for individuals seems to be meal planning. Typically, dinner is the hardest for most families. With activities in the evening and coordinating when everyone will be home, planning dinner can be difficult. Others may struggle planning for dinner if they are cooking for just 1 or 2 people as well. Continue reading
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