The next time you cook pasta, add a handful of baby spinach for every serving. Just drop it into the pasta water about 2 minutes before the pasta is done cooking. Drain the pasta and spinach into a colander, and top with your favorite sauce.

It’s easy to add GREEN (and all its nutrients) to your meals.

We’re ready to start thinking about St. Patrick’s Day (yes, already). Maybe it’s all the snow that’s still on the ground, or even still falling in some places. Maybe it’s the days getting just enough longer to notice the sunrise each morning. Maybe it’s a need for a rainbow and a pot of gold. But we’re thinking GREEN.

And today, that means the king of green vegetables – kale.

Here’s an unusual snack that is kid-tested (and kid-approved). Yes, really – by middle school students even. Kale chips are delicious. The woman who made this video is pregnant, but you don’t have to be eating for two to be looking for a healthy and delicious alternative to potato chips.

Let us know how you like them!

Holiday baking means using sweeteners. Try these substitutes for sugar – they’ve all been tested by our members and their families, and have passed with flying colors.

• Sugar (dry sweetener) * Most of the time, the Total Health Makeover® recommends the least processed sweeteners.

  The dry versions are Sucanat® and Rapadura. However, they will make your baked goods darker in color, and while that’s not a problem with chocolate, gingerbread, molasses, or other dark cookies, with some recipes, a light color is more desirable. Instead, use turbinado sugar, Florida crystals or evaporated cane juice (different manufacturers may call them by different names). In some cases, these sweeteners are labeled “organic sugar.”

  Other dry sweeteners that you may find in these recipes include date sugar and maple sugar, which are also good substitutes, especially in combination with Sucanat® or Rapadura.

  When recipes call for white and brown sugar, you can often use two different sweeteners for great flavor (for example, Sucanat® and maple sugar in oatmeal cookies; Sucanat® and date sugar in chocolate chip cookies).

• Syrup (liquid sweeteners) * Liquid sweeteners include maple syrup, blackstrap molasses, raw honey, agave nectar (or agave syrup), and brown rice syrup. Brown rice syrup is a good substitute for corn syrup. Use it in combination with other syrups for more complex flavors.

  Unless you want to do a lot of experimenting, substitute a dry sweetener for sugar, and a liquid sweetener for syrup. That is – dry for dry, wet for wet.

Marilu’s book Healthy Life Kitchen contains a table with more details.

• Avocados * A healthy plant-based fat source, rich in cholesterol-lowering phytosterols and high in the anti-oxidant glutathione. Use in place of butter or margarine, mash plain or with bananas for young children, and use as a base for dips and dressings.
• Blueberries/Blackberries * Packed with tannins, anthocyanidins, flavonoids, polyphenols, and proanthcyanidins that have been linked to prevention and reversal of age-related mental decline, and powerful anti-cancer effects. Use frozen organic berries when fresh are not available.
• Cantaloupes * Only 56 calories/cup, the cantaloupe is nutrient dense with huge amounts of vitamin C and beta-carotene, as well as folate, potassium, fiber, thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, and vitamin B6. Blend 1/2 melon with 1 cup ice for a cantaloupe slushie.
• Carrots/Beets * High in fiber and in antioxidants like caratonoids and beta-cyanin (inhibits cell mutations – critical in reducing cancer risk). Shred raw and add to salads and wraps/sandwiches; steam or roast for side dishes; add to soups and other one-pot meals. Add juice to soups, and use as base in juice drinks.
• Flax seeds * Rich in lignans and omega-3 fatty acids, they help lower cholesterol, relieve constipation, and help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. Use ground seeds in oatmeal, or add to whipped frozen bananas, stewed apples, and fruit/veggie smoothies. Scientifically documented benefits come from raw ground flax seed, not from flax seed oil.
• Green lettuce * Low in calories, containing an abundance of phytonutrients, plant proteins, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Eat salad with lettuce every day. Children often prefer plain, undressed leaves.
• Kale * A high-nutrient, high-fiber green vegetable that’s great in soups and other main dishes. Just chop it up and give it plenty of cooking time with other food. Also a great side dish, sauteed with some onion, and then braised with some veggie stock. Dry roast it for kale chips.
• Sesame seeds * Rich in minerals calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc, as well as vitamins and fiber. Also contain unique cancer-fighting lignans. Grind to a powder to sprinkle on foods, or “garnish” dishes with a teaspoon of sesame seeds per serving. Grind fresh to make tahini, and use it as a dip base.
• Strawberries * High in folic acid, flavonoids, iron, and vitamin C, as well as dietary fiber and potassium – all for only 60 calories/cup. This is one place to spend the money and buy organic. Frozen berries are good in the off-season. Use in fruit/veggie smoothies, or on salads (dress with balsamic vinaigrette). Or just eat them – yum.
• Tomatoes * Consumption of tomatoes (especially cooked tomatoes) has been linked to a dramatic reduction in common cancers. The phytochemical lycopene is protective against prostate cancer, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer. Tomato sauces are easily served with any grain and most animal protein, and are part of nearly every ethnic cuisine.

Seafood is part of the Total Health Makeover® for those who choose to eat animal protein. But not all seafood is good for you. How do you know what’s good for you, and what’s really not so healthy? (Don’t trust the person trying to make the sale…)

Monterey Bay Aquarium keeps this information updated and available for everyone. We love that they’ve dedicated themselves to gathering this information and publishing it.

Download pocket guides here – they’re available by region of the US.

Or get a mobile application – iPhone users can download this application, or if you have another phone with internet service, just go to mobile.seafoodwatch.org.

When you get that beautiful fresh produce home from the store or farmer’s market, be sure to remove it from the plastic bag or wrap. That’s a surefire way to keep it from ripening properly and to ensure it rots faster.

Store produce in brown paper bags or cloth produce bags. Both of these draw moisture away from the produce, but keep the air moist.

Wash out your veggie drawer, dry it really well, and line it with paper towels or an old dishtowel. Again, they will draw the moisture away from the food, but help to keep the air moist. And cool, moist air is perfect for storing produce.

The next time you’re grocery shopping, pick up a package of sushi nori and use a sheet of it every day for a week.

It’s filled with vitamins and minerals, and extremely versatile.

Use it like you would a tortilla (except it’s a sea vegetable). So, fill it and roll it up, wrap it up, “burrito” it, or “sno cone” it.

Fill it with veggie salad, or tuna salad, or chicken salad, or egg (or eggless) salad. Fill it with brown rice and veggies, or any leftover cooked grain and veggies, or leftover stirfry or veggie saute. Fill it with salmon with cucumbers and tomatoes, or with shredded barbequed chicken, or with tofu scramble.

Don’t prepare these in advance. Instead, prepare a container of filling and a sheet of nori, and assemble it at mealtime. If you aren’t sure you’ll like the nori, line it with a leaf of romaine before filling.

Hey! Good timing. We’ve been doing some posts on the labels we see on food and what they mean for us. And then we got yesterday’s request to support Farm Sanctuary’s Truth in Labeling campaign by telling the USDA that factory farming practices should not be labeled “natural.” (Read it here)

Here’s another label you might see regarding animal care. We’ve also added a link to Farm Sanctuary’s report summary on labeling at the end of this post – be sure to read that for more detailed info.

The Certified Humane Raised and Handled label comes from Humane Farm Animal Care, a nonprofit organization that uses the American Meat Institute Standards for certification

You can expect:

• Meat or animal products come from facilities that use responsible farm-animal practices, including providing animals with ample space and shelter, clean water, and hormone-free feed.
• Animals aren’t given antibiotics.
• Cages and crates are prohibited.
• The organization’s scientific committee writes the standards and inspectors conduct annual on-site inspections, including interviews, record reviews, observation and evaluation of operating procedures, and handling and slaughter inspections.
• The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Livestock and Seed Program verifies inspections.

Where you’ll see the Certified Humane Raised and Handled label: meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products

Read Farm Sanctuary’s position on the Humane Raised and Handled Certification, along with other certifications and labels used for animal welfare standards and labels.

Farm Sanctuary spoke up, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is listening. In 2007, Farm Sanctuary formally petitioned the federal regulatory body to consider the treatment and living conditions of farm animals when creating rules allowing producers to label their meat and poultry products as “natural.” It took two years, but the agency has now officially acknowledged the petition and is requesting public comments on this issue.

Tell the USDA That Factory Farming Isn’t “Natural” – From now until November 13, you can contact the agency and let it know that allowing producers to label food products from animals raised in intensive confinement as “natural” is misleading and deceptive.

Don’t let the USDA condone animal cruelty in this way. Speak up today! (Don’t wait until November – speak up now!)

More info about Farm Sanctuary’s Truth in Labeling campaign
More info about contacting the USDA

A few fun facts about apples ~

Here are a couple of simple apple recipes to please everyone in the family.

BUSY DAY APPLE BARS
Yellow * Makes 16 bars

1/2 cup Earth Balance (1/4 tub)
1 cup flour (unbleached, or whole wheat pastry flour, or a combination)
1 egg, beaten
1 cup Sucanat® or evaporated cane juice crystals
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour an 8X8 inch pan.

In small saucepan, melt margarine over low heat. Pour into mixing bowl and combine with other ingredients, mixing well. Pour batter into pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes, until done.

SHERI’S APPLE CRISP
Yellow * 15 servings

Filling
3/4 cup Sucanat®
1 Tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 cups cored and sliced tart apples (Haralson, Braeburn, Granny Smith) – peeled or unpeeled, your choice; about 10-12 apples

Crumb Topping
3/4 cup Sucanat®
1 cup Earth Balance (1/2 tub), really cold
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup quick oats
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix Filling dry ingredients in a large bowl, add apple slices and mix well. Spoon into greased 12×8 baking pan. Mix Crumb Topping ingredients with pastry blender or 2 forks until it is the consistency of coarse meal. Cover the apples with the crumb topping. Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve warm or cold with Soy Delicious or Soy Dream Vanilla ice “cream.”

For a gluten-free version, substitute brown rice flour for all whole wheat pastry flour. Substitute ground pecans and walnuts for the oatmeal.

Copyright © 2009 Hennergy, Inc. All rights reserved.