Eat, Drink, Live Longer

On this week’s show, back by popular demand, is my guest from Show 88, Mona Dolgov. You’ll be inspired for the upcoming holidays with great ideas from Mona. Join us to learn more!

Mona Dolgov is a nutritionist, cookbook author, and publisher with a lifelong passion for creating kitchen comfort and simple, healthy habits through her delicious recipes. Her new cookbook, Satisfy, is about to hit bookstores and your favorite online retailers, including Amazon, and she’s here today to help us “health-ify” the holidays. We have a lot in store for you! You’ll learn how to health-ify gravy, sweet potato casserole, appetizers, and a peanut butter sauce to die for. You’ll definitely want to try her ideas for this Thanksgiving. We also have desserts: mini-cheesecakes and personal pumpkin pies. You’ll learn how to make the best brussels sprouts ever in the air fryer.

Show Highlights:

• Updates in Mona’s world: her new cookbook is out November 9, cooking classes are ongoing, and she’s working on a new cookbook for next summer; Mona loves her city apartment life in the Boston seaport area
• Mona’s philosophy to health-ify the holidays by lightening up dishes
• Mona’s Butternut Squash Soup, made with roasted butternut squash and sauteed apples and onions; the mixture is blended with broth and spices that can be customized with different flavor profiles
• How Mona and LIz will team up for cooking classes on Nov. 16th and 18th on appetizers and side dishes
• Their favorite appetizers include Liz’s Roasted Carrot Hummus, Mona’s Peanut Sauce (made with peanut butter, coconut aminos, sesame oil, ginger, rice vinegar, and honey), Asparagus Wrapped in Turkey Bacon, and Cauliflower Wings
• How Mona’s Peanut Sauce with fresh veggies leaves everyone wanting more
• Liz’s funny story about “double-dipping”
• Mona’s chapter in the cookbook called “Snack-ertaining,” which features her Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
• How the air fryer has become Mona’s best friend and a favorite time-saving tool for veggies and protein
• Check out the Phillips Premium XXL Airfryer giveaway in our Resources section, and use the 20% discount code “Mona20” to order yours!
• Liz’s favorite side dishes: Sweet Potato Casserole with orange juice, zest, cinnamon, and ginger; Brussels Sprout Gratin
• Why Mona makes a “Mona Salad” for many gatherings; it’s made with leafy dark greens, roasted squash and zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkin seeds, and pomegranate arils; her dressing is olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, canned pumpkin, and her spice blend of oregano, basil, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper
• How Mona uses the air fryer for the best brussels sprouts ever: after cutting them in half, she sprays them with olive oil and sprinkles with salt and pepper; after 12 minutes, she adds minced garlic and cooks for three more minutes; she adds apples, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and a balsamic glaze at the end
• Why the key to lighter desserts is to make them in bite-sizes
• Mona’s crustless mini-cheesecakes: they are made with orange zest, sugar, and reduced-fat cream cheese and drizzled with melted dark chocolate and topped with an orange section
• Mona’s upside-down individual pumpkin pies: they are made with pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and a pinch of salt; after being baked in ramekins, she tops them with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds, pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon
• Final words from Mona: “Don’t stress about the holidays. Have fun. Be mindful. Focus on the traditions and bring your family in to help.”

Resources:

Sign up for our Health-ify the Holidays virtual cook-along. We'll be making appetizers on November 16th at 6 pm ET and sensational side dishes on November 18th at 6 pm ET. The cost for both classes is $69.00 (cost for single classes is $39). You can sign up on Mona's website. We hope to see you there.

GIVEAWAY: We have the most epic giveaway EVER going on until Monday, November 22nd! One winner will receive a Philips Premium XXL Airfryer with Fat Removal Technology. (Retail value: $299.95). Our second winner will receive a copy of Mona's new cookbook, SATISFY: Delicious, Healthy, and Full-Filling Meals for 500 Calories or Less! To enter for a chance to win one of these two prizes, post a comment in the comments section below and tell us about your favorite holiday recipe and/or why you want to win the air fryer or Mona's cookbook. This is a U.S. giveaway only. Good luck!

Find Mona online:

Instagram

Website

Cookbook on Amazon (official release date is Nov. 9th, but you can pre-order now)

Facebook

Find Liz Weiss:

Author, Color, Cook, Eat! coloring book series

Website: Liz's Healthy Table

Listen to my Podcast

Read my Blog

Leftover meals get a glamorous makeover in today’s show. With super practical planning tips and creativity, my guest has the scoop on elevating your leftover game from boring to spectacular. Join us to learn more about a new way to meal-prep fantastic meals with her new cookbook, Cook Once Dinner Fix.

Cassie Joy Garcia is a busy mom, meal planner, prepper extraordinaire, and healthy recipe guru. She joins me for new ways of turning tonight’s dinner into tomorrow’s feast. Whether you’re cooking chicken, beef, pork, seafood, or vegetarian fare, Cassie has you covered with creative dinner inspiration. For example, her Harvest Squash can be Monday’s dinner followed on Tuesday by Yellow Curry with Squash and Crispy Spiced Tofu. You can plan a dinner of Roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Fresh Arugula Salad on Friday, and turn these leftovers into Butter Chicken Bowls with White Rice for the next night. Cassie has pointers with every recipe in her cookbook to customize each one to your preferences and dietary needs.

Show Highlights:

• Cassie’s life in San Antonio, where she started her healthy living blog and became a holistic nutritionist; she makes her home with two young daughters (and a third due in a few months), her husband, and two large dogs
• How Cassie’s Fed and Fit blog was birthed out of her personal journey of yoyo dieting and discovering the science of inflammatory foods
• How focusing on gut health gave Cassie a new lease on life
• Why Cassie’s goal was to heal her gut, reintroduce foods, and eat as many different foods as possible
• An overview of Cook Once Dinner Fix, which gives the benefits of a prep day without having to have a prep day!
• An example using chicken that’s cooked and shredded is Chicken Sloppy Joes with Ginger Carrot Slaw and White Chicken Enchilada Casserole with Tomato-Avocado Salad
• Cassie’s goal is to lessen the burden of getting an efficient meal on the table
• How repurposing the meal’s protein allows you to focus on side dishes to differentiate the meals
• How Cassie’s system allows her to “plate dinner with a more joyful heart”
• An example of a beef recipe is Garlic Peppercorn Beef Roast, which is slow-roasted in the oven with carrots and served with a horseradish cream sauce; it’s then used in Shredded Beef Ragout over Pappardelle Pasta with a rich tomato sauce
• How Cassie is building adventurous food kiddos in her young children by getting them involved in choosing meals and prepping
• Cassie’s favorite seafood recipe from the book: Dill Aioli Salmon Bake, which is a salmon fillet with a lemon dill aioli mixture served with roasted potatoes; leftover salmon is made into Salmon Cakes, which Cassie serves with pan-seared green beans

Resources:

Cookbook Giveaway:

We’re giving away a copy of Cook Once Dinner Fix: Quick and Exciting Ways to Transform Tonight's Dinner into Tomorrow's Feast (Simon & Schuster) to one lucky U.S. winner. Leave a comment in the comments section below telling me about your biggest dinnertime challenge or dilemma and/or why you want to win this book. I’ll pick the winner at random on November 3rd at noon. (U.S. only giveaway, please.)

Link to Cassie’s cookbook on Amazon:

Fed and Fit website: https://fedandfit.com/

Instagram: @fedandfit

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fedandfit/

Twitter: @fedandfit

Many parents fight a losing battle to get more fruits and vegetables into their kids’ diets, but there are simple ways to give kids more empowerment and control. Teaching them to enjoy cooking and eat more sustainably gives them more flexibility and a chance to explore. Join us as we dive into practical ways to get your kids involved in preparing and enjoying healthier meals.

Jenny Chandler is a cooking instructor and cookbook author who lives in Bristol, England. Her latest cookbook, Green Kids Cook, encourages kids to cook and eat food that’s good for their bodies and good for the planet. The book is aimed at ages 7-14 but is suitable for people of all ages with its recipes, crafts, how-tos, tips for reducing food waste, and so much more. On today’s show, Jenny and I share some of her plant-forward recipes from the book, including Green Pea and Coconut Soup, Seeded Oat Bread, and we’ll wrap up with dessert. Of course, we’ll share tips for getting kids to cook, appreciate, love, and eat more fruits and vegetables. Jenny has been on the show before to talk about pulses like lentils, beans, and chickpeas and to talk about one of her other cookbooks, Great Food for Kids. Her goal is to help you, your children, and grandchildren get more plants on the plate.

Show Highlights:

• Get to know Jenny’s life with her teenage daughter, a husband who makes wildlife films, and city life in Bristol that’s only a short walk to the countryside
• Why Jenny is passionate about writing and teaching people to eat more healthily and sustainably for regard for animal welfare
• What it means to eat sustainably
• Jenny’s mission: to teach, inspire, and engage kids in cooking skills, so they become more adventurous eaters, especially with fruits and vegetables
• How Jenny incorporated “theme nights” with her husband and daughter on Fridays during the COVID lockdown
• How Green Kids Cook teaches kids to have fun in the kitchen, explore more fruits and vegetables, and learn more about where foods come from
• How the book covers snacks and desserts but focuses on skills for cooking simple meals
• Jenny’s recipe for Green Pea and Coconut Soup, made with sauteed green onions, garlic, ginger, cilantro, frozen peas, and vegetable stock; after pureeing the mixture, add coconut milk and lime juice. (Good served cold or hot--and it’s ready in 15 minutes!)
• How to balance plant-forward meals for those who love meat
• Jenny’s tips for reducing food waste at home:
• • Have a “use me now” shelf in the fridge.
  • Incorporate recipes that can handle odd scraps of vegetables, like minestrone soup.
  • Have a “clean sweep” every 3-4 days.
  • Shop locally and more often, making it a family activity for everyone.
• Jenny’s recipe for Seeded Oat Bread, made with rolled oats, yogurt, baking soda, various seeds, and molasses
• A family favorite dessert recipe for Galette, made with fresh seasonal fruit and a simple pastry

Resources:

Cookbook Giveaway:

We're giving away a copy of Green Kids Cook: Simple, Delicious Recipes & Top Tips to one lucky U.S. winner. Leave a comment below telling me about the recipe your kids/grandkids love to make most and/or why you'd love to win a copy. I'll pick the winner at random on October 20th at noon. (U.S. giveaway, only.)

Link to Jenny’s latest book:

https://www.amazon.com/Green-Kids-Cook-Delicious-Recipes/dp/1911663585/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=green+kids+cook+jenny+chandler&qid=1633018328&sr=8-1)

Jenny's website: http://www.jennychandler.co.uk/

Jenny on Instagram @jennychandlerUK

Jenny on Facebook

Jenny on Twitter @jennychandlerUK

Liz's Links:

Author, Color, Cook, Eat! coloring book series

Website: Liz's Healthy Table

Listen to my Podcast

Read my Blog

September is National Fruit and Veggies Month, and if that wasn't enough, the UN General Assembly designated 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables. There’s no excuse not to elevate your fruit and veggie game! Who's with me?

On today’s show, we’re talking about fresh new ways to add more fresh, frozen, canned, and dried fruits and veggies to your family’s table every season and all year long. My guest is Andrea Mathis, MS, RDN from Beautiful Eats and Things, and together, we're turning our passion for produce into real-world recipes for you and your family.

Andrea Mathis is an Alabama-based registered dietitian/nutritionist and the owner of two blogs: Beautiful Eats and Things and Little Eats and Things. She’s the mom of two little boys and the author of The Complete Book of Smoothies, which is filled with gorgeous and nutritious recipes that bring fruits and veggies to the center of the plate in easy and delicious ways. We are sharing delicious seasonal recipes and cooking techniques that will inspire you with great ideas. Most people don’t eat enough fruits and veggies, so we plan to change that with today’s show!

Show Highlights:

• Andrea’s life in Birmingham, Alabama, with two little boys, two blogs, and a lifelong love of cooking
• Andrea’s cookbook, The Complete Book of Smoothies: 115 Healthy Recipes to Nourish, Heal, and Energize
• Andrea’s #1 tip to get picky eaters to try new fruits and veggies: pair the new food with something already familiar
• Why people need to know that all forms of fruits and veggies count, such as canned, dried, and frozen
• How Andrea uses “smoothie packs,” prepped fruits and veggies frozen in serving size freezer bags for smoothies
• Andrea and Liz share seasonal fruit and veggie faves:
• • Winter
  • • Brussels sprouts, roasted or sliced thin in salads or casseroles
    • Winter squash, baked as a bowl to be filled or roasted with cinnamon and brown sugar
  • Spring
  • • Asparagus, roasted or blanched and sliced in salads or dredged in egg and flour to be air-fried as “fries”
    • Radishes, roasted or sauteed with onion and garlic
  • Summer
  • • Corn on the cob, eaten whole or added as kernels to other dishes or buttered and spiced with flavorful seasonings and wrapped in foil to be baked in the oven
    • Peaches, sliced thin on BBQ chicken pizzas or grilled and spiced
  • Fall
  • • Kale, in a salad or added to smoothies
    • Pumpkin, canned pumpkin to be added in muffins, breads, pancakes, smoothies, chili, enchiladas, etc. or roasted and stuffed mini-pumpkins

Resources:

Andrea's cookbook The Complete Book of Smoothies: 115 Healthy Recipes to Nourish, Heal, and Energize

Where to find Andrea:

Beautiful Eats & Things: https://www.beautifuleatsandthings.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/beautifuleatsandthings/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/beautifuleatsandthings/

Twitter (BeautifulEandT): https://twitter.com/BeautifulEandT

Pinterest (BEandThings): https://www.pinterest.com/BEandThings/

TikTok (@beautifuleatsandthings): https://vm.tiktok.com/Jd728bJ/ https://www.tiktok.com/@beautifuleatsandthings/

On today’s show, I'm joined by olive oil expert extraordinaire, David Garcia-Aguirre from Corto Olive Company with a primer on extra virgin olive oil, which he says is "the ingredient that farm-to-table forgot." Discover how olives are grown, harvested and pressed, how to choose the freshest EVOO at the market, how to cook with it, and get recipes galore ... and hear why David wants us all to think of EVOO as the "fresh-pressed juice of olives."

David Garci-Aguirre is the Vice President of Operations and Master Miller at Corto Olive Company in Lodi, CA. With a focus on serving independent restaurants throughout the US, Corto uniquely harvests and produces fresh, premium-quality, award-winning Extra Virgin olive oils that enhance the flavor of foods. David is an olive oil guru who is dedicated to the advancement of high-quality olive oil production, research, and education. He’s educating us today about what to look for at the market to know you’re buying the freshest oil, how to store it at home to keep it fresh, and why heat, light, and air are the three biggest enemies of your bottle of olive oil. He teaches us about the latest innovations in packaging, how to use Extra Virgin olive oil to elevate everyday cooking, and why it’s a nutritious addition to your meals. David will bust some myths about olive oil and take us behind-the-scenes at Corto to highlight their gorgeous olive groves and their harvesting, milling, storing, and packing processes.

Show Highlights:

• David’s life and work in Lodi, CA
• Why olive oil is the ingredient that “farm to table” forgot
• How olive oil is different from all other edible oils in that it’s fresh-pressed juice that retains the flavors and nutrients
• Why all olive oils are NOT created equal--and most olive oil in your supermarket is already rancid before you even get it home!
• How Corto focuses on a new technology called “vineyard-style” planting that allows mechanized fall harvests of the fruit when it’s perfectly ripe
• How most olive oil is produced with olives harvested by the old-style “tree-shaking” method that yields poor quality fruit not at the optimal ripeness
• How to tell if your olive oil is fresh by its smell and taste (Hint: it SHOULD have a taste!)
• David’s overview of the milling process: The fruit is crushed into a paste that’s mixed together and then separated with a centrifuge to obtain the oil at cold temperatures; the oil goes straight into stainless steel casks where oxygen can’t get to it.
• How the “Extra Virgin” olive oil designation is reserved for a natural, unrefined product (CA has the tightest legal standard for EVOO in the world!)
• Tips for buying olive oil: buy local, if possible, from a reputable company; make sure the oil is in dark glass, stainless steel, or a bag-in-box package, and always check the harvest date
• How flavor-lock (bag in box) packaging preserves the oil from light and air
• David busts the most popular myth regarding olive oil, which is that you should never saute or use high heat cooking with it
• Because of the many healthy compounds unique to olives, olive oil is the #1 food item studied for nutritional health in medical journals
• Easy salad dressing ideas using olive oil:
• • David keeps it simple with salt, citrus, and an oil variety that pairs with his food
  • Liz relies on the standard go-to of olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, shallot or garlic, and salt and pepper
• Unusual ways to use olive oil: drizzled on ice cream, as a dip for dark chocolate truffles, poured on popcorn, and homemade mayonnaise
• How uses olive oil in her rendition of Ina Garten’s recipe for gazpacho; it’s made with cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, red onion, red wine vinegar, garlic, fresh herbs, and fresh corn kernels
• How to introduce kids to the wonders of olive oil with creative thinking
• David’s final words: “Rethink how you think about olive oil. Think of it as a fresh-pressed juice.”

Resources:

Giveaway: We are giving away a 3-liter Truly 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil, California Grown, Flavor-Lock Box from Corto. I don't know about you, but I go through a lot of EVOO in my house, so I can attest that this oil rocks. I use it every day ... all day. To enter for a chance to win, post a comment telling me how you use olive oil in your everyday cooking or why you want to win this bag-in-a-box from Corto. (PS: US only giveaway.) (PSS: If you have an awesome recipe for olive oil lemon cake, please share it with me!)

Website: www.corto-olive.com

IG: @Corto_Olive

FB: @CortoOlive

On today’s show, I'm joined by olive oil expert extraordinaire, David Garcia-Aguirre from Corto Olive Company with a primer on extra virgin olive oil, which he says is "the ingredient that farm-to-table forgot." Discover how olives are grown, harvested and pressed, how to choose the freshest EVOO at the market, how to cook with it, and get recipes galore ... and hear why David wants us all to think of EVOO as the "fresh-pressed juice of olives."

David Garci-Aguirre is the Vice President of Operations and Master Miller at Corto Olive Company in Lodi, CA. With a focus on serving independent restaurants throughout the US, Corto uniquely harvests and produces fresh, premium-quality, award-winning Extra Virgin olive oils that enhance the flavor of foods. David is an olive oil guru who is dedicated to the advancement of high-quality olive oil production, research, and education. He’s educating us today about what to look for at the market to know you’re buying the freshest oil, how to store it at home to keep it fresh, and why heat, light, and air are the three biggest enemies of your bottle of olive oil. He teaches us about the latest innovations in packaging, how to use Extra Virgin olive oil to elevate everyday cooking, and why it’s a nutritious addition to your meals. David will bust some myths about olive oil and take us behind-the-scenes at Corto to highlight their gorgeous olive groves and their harvesting, milling, storing, and packing processes.

Show Highlights:

• David’s life and work in Lodi, CA
• Why olive oil is the ingredient that “farm to table” forgot
• How olive oil is different from all other edible oils in that it’s fresh-pressed juice that retains the flavors and nutrients
• Why all olive oils are NOT created equal--and most olive oil in your supermarket is already rancid before you even get it home!
• How Corto focuses on a new technology called “vineyard-style” planting that allows mechanized fall harvests of the fruit when it’s perfectly ripe
• How most olive oil is produced with olives harvested by the old-style “tree-shaking” method that yields poor quality fruit not at the optimal ripeness
• How to tell if your olive oil is fresh by its smell and taste (Hint: it SHOULD have a taste!)
• David’s overview of the milling process: The fruit is crushed into a paste that’s mixed together and then separated with a centrifuge to obtain the oil at cold temperatures; the oil goes straight into stainless steel casks where oxygen can’t get to it.
• How the “Extra Virgin” olive oil designation is reserved for a natural, unrefined product (CA has the tightest legal standard for EVOO in the world!)
• Tips for buying olive oil: buy local, if possible, from a reputable company; make sure the oil is in dark glass, stainless steel, or a bag-in-box package, and always check the harvest date
• How flavor-lock (bag in box) packaging preserves the oil from light and air
• David busts the most popular myth regarding olive oil, which is that you should never saute or use high heat cooking with it
• Because of the many healthy compounds unique to olives, olive oil is the #1 food item studied for nutritional health in medical journals
• Easy salad dressing ideas using olive oil:
• • David keeps it simple with salt, citrus, and an oil variety that pairs with his food
  • Liz relies on the standard go-to of olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, shallot or garlic, and salt and pepper
• Unusual ways to use olive oil: drizzled on ice cream, as a dip for dark chocolate truffles, poured on popcorn, and homemade mayonnaise
• How uses olive oil in her rendition of Ina Garten’s recipe for gazpacho; it’s made with cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, red onion, red wine vinegar, garlic, fresh herbs, and fresh corn kernels
• How to introduce kids to the wonders of olive oil with creative thinking
• David’s final words: “Rethink how you think about olive oil. Think of it as a fresh-pressed juice.”

Resources:

Giveaway: We are giving away a 3-liter Truly 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil, California Grown, Flavor-Lock Box from Corto. I don't know about you, but I go through a lot of EVOO in my house, so I can attest that this oil rocks. I use it every day ... all day. To enter for a chance to win, post a comment telling me how you use olive oil in your everyday cooking or why you want to win this bag-in-a-box from Corto. (PS: US only giveaway.) (PSS: If you have an awesome recipe for olive oil lemon cake, please share it with me!)

Website: www.corto-olive.com

IG: @Corto_Olive

FB: @CortoOlive

On today’s show, we’ll be talking about how to raise a healthy eater, one nourishing bite and sip at a time.

This episode is sponsored by Fresh Avocados – Love One Today®, a leading source of the healthiest reasons and tastiest ways to enjoy fresh avocados. A science-based resource, it provides recipes and articles to help make it easy for consumers and health professionals to learn more about the nutritional benefits of fresh avocados and ways to include them in everyday menus.

As a mom of two grown boys, I’ve been in the family food and nutrition trenches for quite some time now, and so it’s no surprise that I’m often asked by listeners about the how-tos of raising a healthy eater especially when families are busy, kids are finicky, and unhealthy snack foods are a constant temptation. Well, on today’s show I’ll be giving you my top tips for raising healthy eaters including strategies on how to stock your kitchen as children progress from starting solids to school age and how to reduce the amount of added sugar in your family’s diet. I’m a firm believer that when families make the healthy choice the easy choice, they set a good example and help to build a foundation for life-long healthy eating.

On the show, I also share a new, no-sugar-added recipe for Chewy Avocado, Apple, Banana and Oatmeal Cookie. This recipe is ideal for toddlers and kids, and it does double duty as a snack or dessert.

But wait, there’s more. On the show, I’ll also tell you about this Avocado and Mango Smoothie. And yes, you guessed it: No added sugar.

Show Highlights:

• Get my top 7 tips for raising your kids or your grandkids to be healthy eaters
  • Set the tone for yourself and family from Day One
  • Take a strategic/thoughtful approach to transitioning infants to solid foods
  • Focus on fresh fruits and vegetables
  • Rethink your drink
  • Get Creative
  • Eat and prepare meals together as a family
  • And don’t deny dessert … but do pay attention to making them “better for you” and lower in added sugar
• CDC research shows that about a third of all US children are overweight… and that diseases with risk factors linked to poor nutrition like diabetes that were once unique to adults are now impacting our kids
• More research featured on LoveOneToday.com about the role of avocados in maternal diets that suggests eating avocados may support breastfeeding by supporting the production of nutritious breastmilk. So even before the baby arrives, whether you are the mom, the dad or grandparent, you can help set the family up for success by stocking the pantry with healthy, fresh foods like avocados.
• Make mealtime easier with the following free resources:
  • 7-Day Meal Planner
  • Supermarket Shopping List
• 9 out of 10 Americans don’t eat the recommended number of fruit and vegetables servings each day. If you could only make one change to your family’s diet, I’d steer you in the direction of eating more fresh fruits and veggies.
• Learn about my Fruit First strategy at breakfast.
  • Serve fruit before things like cereal or waffles are presented. Kids will gobble it up, because they’ll be hungry. Plus, fruit is naturally sweet and kids love it
  • Make my pumpkin pancakes
  • Whip up a fruit smoothie
  • Smash avocado on whole grain toast
• Get strategies for reducing added sugar from your family’s diet
• NEW recipe for No sugar added Soft and Chewy Avocado, Apple, Banana and Oatmeal Cookie
• Thirsty for a new smoothie recipe? Try this one from Love One Today for Avocado and Mango Kick-Starter Smoothie
• Tips for how to freeze fresh avocados (so you can use them up later!)
• A family dinner recipe for Avocado Shrimp Tacos
• The latest guidance from the USDA on nutrition: Resource: 2020 – 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest diets on the planet. It’s rich in fruits and vegetables, olive oil, seafood, nuts, and beans, and it makes good nutrition a pleasure to eat. But what about bread and pasta? Are they AOK to eat as well? Join me on today’s show with guest, Michelle Dudash, RDN as we tackle questions about carbs, kids, and how to enjoy a Mediterranean-style diet with the carbs you love … but fewer of them.

Michelle Dudash is an award-winning registered dietitian nutritionist, Cordon Bleu certified chef, a TV personality, and the founder of Dash Dinners Spice Kits. She’s the author of the top-selling Clean Eating for Busy Families, which was featured back in Episode 53. Michelle shares the benefits of a low-carb Mediterranean diet with recipes and tips from her newest cookbook, The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook: Quick and Easy High-Protein, Low-Sugar, Healthy-Fat Recipes for Lifelong Health. We are discussing a few recipes from the book, including Simmered Tahini Chicken and an unbelievably decadent dessert recipe that is low in carbs.

Show Highlights:

• Michelle’s life in Indiana as the mom of two daughters and a regular on local and national TV ; she spends her time in recipe development, cookbook writing, and designing her spice kit dinners
• How Michelle’s Lebanese heritage gave her a love for a varied diet of Mediterranean foods that explores different cultures and new foods
• Why kibbeh was a childhood favorite for Michelle; it’s a traditional dish made with ground meat, seasonings, and bulgur wheat
• How carbs fuel our bodies with energy
• Why kids need carbs and parents want options
• Michelle’s new book: a mix of recipes of different types with readily available ingredients
• Michelle’s favorite recipe in the book: Grilled Chicken Gyro Lettuce Wraps, which are made with chicken thighs marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, garlic, thyme, oregano, and salt and pepper--then served with a tahini sauce or cucumber yogurt sauce
• From the book: Simmered Tahini Chicken-- made with chicken tenders sauteed in olive oil and combined with onion, garlic, chicken broth, tahini, lemon juice, and soy sauce; to serve, top them with Greek yogurt and freshly chopped herbs
• Michelle’s daughters’ favorites from the new book are Fruit Tarts and Mini Molten Chocolate Cakes
• Michelle’s Berry Tart with Almond Flour Crust is made with butter, honey, cinnamon, salt, dark chocolate, mascarpone cheese, and topped with fresh berries
• Healthy salads in the book include a Lebanese classic made with iceberg or Bibb lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and a dressing made with lemon juice, mint, olive oil, and salt; the other salad is made with kale, blueberries, feta cheese, walnuts, and a basic vinaigrette
• Michelle’s experience in Croatia with a delicious adult beverage made from sparkling rosé with fresh herbs, elderflower liqueur, orange zest, and grapefruit-flavored sparkling water
• Michelle’s advice for one change you can make for better health: “Plan a family meal and sit down to enjoy it together.”

Resources:

We're giving away a copy of The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook: Quick and Easy High-Protein, Low-Sugar, Healthy-Fat Recipes for Lifelong Health. Leave a comment below telling me about your favorite Mediterranean recipe, a Mediterranean recipe you'd love to have lightened up, and/or why you'd love to win a copy. I'll pick one lucky winner at noon on August 11th.

Michelle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelledudash/

Michelle on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleDudashRD/

Michelle's website: https://www.michelledudash.com/

On today’s show, I'm joined by Sadé Meeks, MS, RD to discuss the evolution of African American cuisine in the U.S.; the foods that define this creative cuisine; the vegetables and staple crops that have been an integral part of the African American table (hint: okra, sweet potatoes, kale, and corn.); how nutrition professionals can honor the traditional foodways of African Americans while emphasizing nutrition; and how African American cuisine continues to evolve.

My guest is Sadé Meeks, MS, RD, a food activist and registered dietitian who was born and raised in Mississippi. She is the founder of GRITS (Growing Resilience in the South) with the mission to improve the health and well-being of communities through increased awareness of nutrition, food history, and culture.

On the show, Sadé shares the history of African American cooking, traditional foods of the enslaved and how many of those foodways continue today, and she explains how to make small changes to traditional recipes to honor ingredients and flavors while reducing saturated fat and sodium. Together, we also talk about a few recipes you'll definitely want to try including Smoky Collards and Shrimp and Grits.

Show Highlights:

• Get to know Sadé, her big Mississippi family, and why she pursued degrees in dietetics and food science
• How GRITS helps bridge the gap between nutrition and culture
• The need for cultural competence in nutrition and food science
• Highlights of African-American cuisine as the slaves brought their food habits to America
• How slaves’ diets differed according to the regions they inhabited
• How true African-American cuisine relies on plant-based meals, one-pot meals, and the pairing of a starch, sauce, and protein, like Shrimp and Grits
• How the history of fried foods and pork developed in the African-American community as a matter of necessity
• The story of soul food as an affirmation of the resourcefulness of African-Americans and their meager rations
• How Sadé learned about cooking as she grew up
• The importance of small changes in eating a healthier diet, especially in seasonings and cooking methods
• Sadé’s Smoky Collards, made with onion, garlic, vegetable stock, smoked paprika, seasoned salt, cayenne pepper, and a touch of brown sugar
• Shrimp and Grits: how the grits are cooked in chicken stock and milk with added salt, pepper, butter, and cheddar cheese; the shrimp is seasoned with Cajun seasoning and paprika, and baby spinach is added at the end
• How Sadé combines her favorite cheesecake with Red Velvet Cake for a delectable dessert

Resources:

www.gritsinc.org

Grow with the Flow podcast

Find Sadé on Instagram: @SadeMeeks

For today’s 100^th episode of Liz’s Healthy Table, I chose a topic that’s near and dear to my heart: Healthy Aging: From Your Head to Your Toes. The Fountain of Youth does not exist, but as you’ll learn on this week’s show, by placing certain foods at the center of our tables and living an active and vibrant life, we can help to set ourselves up for aging gracefully with a spring in our step and a twinkle in our eye.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Fresh Avocados – Love One Today®, a leading source of the healthiest reasons and tastiest ways to enjoy fresh avocados. A science-based resource, it provides recipes and articles to help make it easy for consumers and health professionals to learn more about the nutritional benefits of fresh avocados and ways to include them in everyday menus.

Show Highlights:

• A discussion on nutrient density (a food that provides substantial amounts of vitamins, minerals,dietary fiber, and other nutrients with relatively few calories.)
• Avocados are nutrient dense. One serving (1/3 of a medium avocado) has 80 calories and contributes nearly 20 vitamins and minerals.
• Avocados contain 6 grams naturally good unsaturated fats per serving, and that fat acts as a nutrient booster in the body helping to increase the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, K, and E.
• An explanation of cognitive health and how diet and physical activity can play a role.
• Why the antioxidant, lutein, may play a role in cognition and eye health, plus food sources (kale, spinach, eggs, avocados).
• A 2019 study of 40 healthy, older adults that looked at how consuming one avocado a day for 6 months impacted cognition.
• How following certain lifestyle habits, including the MIND Diet, can influence health.
• Two recipes shared: Avocado and Tuna Niçoise Salad (hyperlink to be added when available) and Avocado Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies.
• The best way to pick, ripen, and store fresh avocados.
• How I’ve been adding more physical activity into my daily life… and why!