Good Measure Meals » holidays

12Mar

A Grand Excuse for Green

Contributed by GMM’s Registered Dietitian, Rachel Stroud

The history of St. Patrick’s Day has been long lost on us. No longer do we spend the day recognizing Saint Patrick’s contribution of Christianity to Ireland, or observing the richness of native Irish culture. Instead St. Patrick’s Day has become the grand excuse to wear green (and pinch those who failed to check the date), make green cupcakes, and drink “Irish” drink in an attempt to feel connected to a commercialized version of Irish Heritage.

But whether our celebration of St. Patrick’s Day is authentic to the origin of the day or not, it provides us with a reason to celebrate—a reason to gather with friends, cook new recipes, drink new drinks, and connect for a day. In my opinion, no matter what the occasion is, gathering together is always a positive thing.

As a dietitian and a foodie, I am a strong believer in the fact that every chance to attempt a new recipe should be taken, and that if it’s green – you have a 70% chance that it’s moderately healthy (the other 30% contains a large amount of food coloring). If you’re at all like me, and are looking for creative ways to fold green into your St. Patrick’s Day recipes and celebration, see my 3 latest Green Food Ideas below to get your creative juices flowing:

3 Recipes to Get More Green (that do not include food coloring):

Pesto – Most of us get stuck on the fact that pesto must include basil, olive oil, lemon juice, nuts, and parmesan…I am here to tell you that there ARE other options, and they couldn’t be simpler. Take out the basil and substitute in ANYTHING green. Cilantro, Broccoli, Arugula, Peas, Parsley, Mint…feel free to get creative. Use as dippings for your Irish Soda bread, or drizzle on top of corned beef and cabbage for a little spin on the traditional.
Grown-Up Grilled Cheese – My life changed the day someone suggested I put pickles on top of Grilled Cheese. Disclaimer: I’m not even a big pickle fan. I saw the suggestion as adulterating something simple and delicious and wanted nothing to do with it for the first 5 times it was suggested. And then…the 6^thtime came. They’re glorious. Some dill pickle slices on top of a classic grilled cheese sandwich are the perfect addition to your St Patrick’s Day dinner or appetizer spread. Consider cutting them into small squares and placing a pickle round on top with a toothpick through the center.
Roasty Toasty Broccoli – Calling all vegetable haters! Would you eat broccoli if it crunched like a pastry and was as sweet as fruit? Broccoli has natural sugars in it that come out and caramelize when exposed to high temperatures and a little extra help. Cut broccoli into spears, toss in olive oil, sprinkle with a dash of salt, and a pinch of sugar. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until the tips are brown and crisp, and then I dare you to refrain from eating them off the pan.

Permalink Filed under: In the Kitchen, Nutrition Tags: Dietitian, eating healthy, healthy choices, healthy foods, Holiday, holidays, leafy greens, St. Patrick's Day 1 Comment
28Dec

Good Measure Meals – Always in Season!

Contributed by Atlanta-based Registered Dietitian Joanna Skinner

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!

I’m back to talk about the nutrition highlights of two meals I recently had the pleasure of sampling. This week, I tried the cinnamon sweet potato pancakes with primavera egg whites and vanilla Greek yogurt with strawberry compote, and the lentil stuffed pepper with a mixture of vegetables, brown
rice, and cheese with a side of mashed cauliflower.

Both meals have an assortment of flavors, and they pack a serious nutritional punch. In addition to the excellent nutrient profile, both meals feature ingredients (sweet potatoes and cauliflower, respectively) that are in season in Georgia now. As you could probably tell from my last post about greens, eating in season is a priority for me.

Seasonal or not, one way you can tell whether a meal offers you a wide range of vitamins and minerals is by looking at the variety of colors. The more colorful your meal (artificial colors not included, of course), the more vitamins and minerals you’ll get. That’s what I love about both of the meals I tried: they each had an array of colors, so I knew I was getting a lot of different nutrients. I’ll break down the main nutrition highlights of each meal.

Sweet Potato Pancakes, Greek Yogurt, and Eggs:

Sweet potatoes are very high in beta carotene (the orange color gives this away), which is converted to vitamin A in your body. Vitamin A helps protect your eyes, skin, and immune system. Sweet potatoes also contain vitamin C (which is good for the collagen in your skin and may boost immunity), iron (an important part of red blood cells) and calcium (to keep your bones strong and help your nervous system work properly).

Greek yogurt, as you’re probably aware, is known for being a good source of protein. Though it’s not as high in calcium as non-Greek yogurt, it’s still a good source. It also contains potassium (which helps keep your blood pressure normal and is necessary for muscle contractions) and vitamin B12 (to keep your brain functioning well and your blood cells healthy).

Egg whites are high in protein and free of saturated fat and cholesterol, making them heart healthy. Mixing them with vegetables like spinach and mushrooms adds some fiber and small amounts of a few extra nutrients, such as vitamins A and D.

Stuffed Peppers with Cauliflower:

Have you ever doubted that white vegetables, such as cauliflower and onions, contain many nutrients? If so, put your doubts away. A cup of cauliflower, for example, contains more than half the vitamin C you need in a day, and it also has potassium, folate (needed by everyone for healthy red blood cells and DNA, but especially by women of child-bearing age), and vitamin K (needed for normal blood clotting as well as for bone health).

Bell peppers of all colors are high in vitamin C, folate, vitamin A, and potassium. In addition to providing a meaty texture, the lentils in the pepper’s filling contribute protein, iron, folate, phosphorus (which is mostly found in bones and teeth, but also assists with kidney function and tissue repair), potassium, and large amounts of trace minerals that keep your body working.

On top of providing an assortment of vitamins and minerals, vegetables in general are high in fiber and low in calories. Though we often associate holiday eating with endless sugary and high-fat foods, it’s a great time of year to chow down on veggies, too.

Happy (and healthy) eating!

Permalink Filed under: In the Kitchen, Nutrition, Uncategorized Tags: bell pepper, cauliflower, greek yogurt, holidays, joanna skinner, seasonal produce, sweet potatoes No Comments
21Nov

GMM Blitz! “We are Thankful for…”

Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends! In the spirit of the holiday, we asked the GMM staff what they’re thankful for this year. We’ll let the answers speak for themselves.

Katherine: Since starting at GMM this spring, I’ve been so thankful for our customers’ honesty through the year about their favorite parts of the menu and their suggestions/ideas for improvement. And more than that, I’m thankful to be part of a team that actually listens to the customer and makes the changes needed to put out the best product possible.

Sule: I am thankful for being part of a team whose success is directly tied to providing a product that improves the health of our overall community. I am also thankful that our customers are taking an active interest in making healthy lifestyle choices not only for themselves, but also knowingly do so to help people in need they may never meet. True “Health Care” happens when all of us help each other, not just an individual feeling better or one entity being profitable.

Philip: This year, I am thankful for family. Not only does this include my immediate household, but my family here at Open Hand/Good Measure Meals. Coming to work every day is such a pleasure. I thoroughly enjoy working with like-minded people who are committed to helping others achieve their fitness and health goals. I am thankful that I get to help others.

David: I am thankful for customers that give us great feedback about our meal plans. I am also thankful for our OH/GMM staff that listens and works together to accommodate needed changes.

Jess: I am thankful for our amazing team of passionate health nuts! Everyone has their own unique reason for driving our mission and it makes my job so enjoyable and rewarding! I am also thankful to have a job that allows me to positively impact the health of our community through helping each and every one of our customers pursue their health and wellness goals.

Judi: I am thankful for the incredible opportunity I have to affect so many lives in a positive way just by working for Open Hand and Good Measure Meals. It is a way to connect to people in our community who were invisible to me before I started working here.

Harmony: I am very thankful that we have customers who not only care about themselves, but care about others. Our customers are aware that we give back to Open Hand, and they still give extra donations when ordering. I am thankful to work with a group of people whose commitment to health and wellness is outstanding! And I am thankful to work with such a great team in customer service! We, as a team, take pride in what we do, and we have so much fun in the process! From teamwork to problem solving, it’s always a good day at Good Measure Meals!

Permalink Filed under: Corporate Wellness, In the Community, Nutrition, Uncategorized Tags: GMM Blitz!, holidays, Thanksgiving No Comments
20Nov

Put your Thanksgiving Leftovers to Good Use!

Thanksgiving leftovers. We all have them (if we’re lucky), but we don’t always want to eat the same meal ten times in succession.

Leftovers at work! Leftovers at home! Leftovers coming out of our ears!

Fortunately our resident chefs and dietitians have put together some winning recipes for how to retool your leftovers into completely different and altogether delicious dishes. Happy cooking and bon appetit!

Turkey Omelet

Organic canola oil

½ small onion, chopped

½ small red bell pepper, chopped

½ cup leftover cooked turkey breast, shredded

¼ cup shredded cheese

2 eggs + 1 egg white, beaten

2 Tbsp skim milk

1/2 avocado, sliced

Salt & pepper, to taste

Saute onion and bell pepper in 1-2 tsp oil over medium heat until tender. Add in leftover turkey until warm. Remove vegetables and turkey from pan. Beat eggs and milk together and season with salt and pepper. Pour into pan and cook until no longer runny. Place turkey, vegetables and cheese on ½ of omelet. Fold in half, top with avocado and serve.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

1 ¾ cup leftover mashed sweet potatoes

½ cup whole wheat flour (add more if needed until you reach desired thickness)

1 egg or 2 egg whites, beaten

Organic canola oil

Mix all ingredients well. Heat a small amount of oil over low-medium heat in a nonstick skillet. Pour 1/3 cup batter into pan and spread slightly to make pancake. Cook until lightly brown on one side about 2-3 minutes, then flip and brown on other side. Top with crushed pecans and a drizzle of 100% maple syrup. Makes 6 small pancakes.

Turkey Salad

2 cups cooked turkey breast, shredded

¼ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup pecans

¼ cup celery, diced

¼ cup plain 0% fat Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp light mayo

½ Tbsp honey

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

¾ tsp dried tarragon (or 1 ½ tsp fresh)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Serve on a bed of lettuce with whole grain crackers and fruit.

Turkey Brunswick Stew

1-28oz can peeled stewed tomatoes

1 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed

1 cup frozen lima beans, thawed

1 ½ cups leftover diced new potatoes

1 ½ cups leftover shredded turkey breast

½ cup BBQ sauce

1 cup water

1 small onion, chopped

½ bell pepper, chopped

Place tomatoes, corn, lima beans, turkey, potatoes, BBQ sauce and water in pot and heat over medium-low heat. Saute bell pepper and onion in nonstick skillet. Add pepper and onion to soup. Simmer on low 30 minutes and serve.

Permalink Filed under: In the Kitchen, Nutrition, Uncategorized Tags: healthy, holidays, leftovers, Recipes, Thanksgiving No Comments
14Nov

Mindful Eating: Prioritize

With Thanksgiving around the corner, now is the time to consider what your diet next week might look like. You CAN plan ahead and have a week of healthy nutrition and balanced meals each day. A little thought goes a long way. Contact GMM if you have any questions or need any help prioritizing your diet during the holidays.

Mindful eating to me means taking the time to making healthy eating a priority.

It’s not just about being mindful in the moment, but purposefully taking an hour or two each weekend to plan my upcoming week along with what I will eat when.

When I do this, I eat well and generally feel well about what I’m eating. The weeks I don’t plan well or grocery shop, I am victim to more mindless eating and grabbing the easiest thing to eat out of sheer convenience or necessity.

Planning for me is the key to mindful eating.

- Bethany Smith, RD, CSO, LD, GMM Community Wellness Representative

Bethany, making a healthy vinaigrette for a GMM cooking demonstration.

Permalink Filed under: In the Kitchen, Nutrition, Uncategorized Tags: bethany, diet, health, holidays, mindful eating No Comments
30Oct

Mindful Eating: On Habits

The holidays are fast approaching, and if there’s one thing I know about the holidays, it is that they are difficult waters to navigate in the food department.

First of all, there’s the fact that with the time change and darker evenings, it is really difficult to work up motivation to exercise
before or after the average 9-5 work hours. Not to mention the cold (or the Hurricane Sandy winds).

Then there are all the parties. With food. With holiday food – desserts, cheese-laden casseroles, spiked warm drinks – easy, rich foods to nab from an hors d’oeuvres or snack table….every time you walk by.

Plus, there’s football and tailgating, reunions with friends, and reunions with family – and all the ensuing rollercoasters of emotional stressors that those interactions inevitably bring.

The holidays are fast approaching, and I know myself and my tendency to just throw my hands and all my healthful eating patterns up in the air in a big “Who cares!/Resistance is futile!” bluster. I usually always do, and then I find myself all the way into Easter season realizing that summertime beach trips are just around the corner, and what the heck happened to my waistline and my health and my self image during the winter holiday months, anyway?!

Mindful eating is a choice, and it is a conscious choice. Mindful eating doesn’t mean being restrictive so as to deny myself treats and tastes of my favorite (and rich!) winter foods and drinks during holiday times. It doesn’t mean comparing myself to or subconsciously competing with my friends in a sort of “holier than thou” way with the things I choose to order or eat in a group setting. It doesn’t recognize “good” foods or “bad” foods - just food choices, to be mindfully considered and selected in healthful moderation.
To me, mindful eating takes work and is a lifestyle change. And now – with Halloween knocking at our door, at the beginning of the holiday season – now is the time to start practicing this change.

Here’s a graphic way to understand change. Picture a hill of damp sand with a marble on top. If you give the marble a nudge in one direction, it will roll down the hill, forming a slight groove in the sand. Each time the marble gets nudged in the same direction, it will slide into the groove and the groove will deepen until you only have to place the marble on top of the hill for it to plop right into the groove and plunge downward.

Now suppose you decide that you want the marble to roll down the other side of the sand hill. You’ll have to place the marble on top of the hill and push it in the other direction
because if you don’t, it will slip automatically into its old groove. If you push it only once or twice in the new direction, its inclination will still be to return to its old groove. So initially, you’ll need to push the marble in the new direction over and over until a new groove is carved out. Eventually when your old groove and the new groove are about even, the marble will have the potential to roll either way. To ensure that it will always go in the new direction, you’ll have to keep gently nudging it until the old groove fills up with sand and the new groove is deeply carved. Then the marble will naturally fall into the new groove every time (Koenig 28-29).

(Koenig, Karen. The Rules of Normal Eating: A Commonsense Approach for Dieters, Overeaters, Undereaters, Emotional Eaters, and Everyone in Between! Carlsbad, CA: Gurze Books, 2005. Print.)

Permalink Filed under: In the Kitchen, Nutrition, Uncategorized Tags: healthy choices, holidays, katherine, mindful eating 2 Comments
19Dec

Surviving this holiday season, unscathed….

I’m not a trained exercise coach or a registered dietitian, but I have acquired some helpful suggestions while working here at Good Measure Meals, that I will use to help me get through the next couple of weeks. My goal is to survive this holiday season unscathed by those pesky extra 5-10 pounds that I always seem to gain this time of year.

Here are the things I’ve been told will be helpful:

1)      Buddy up with a friend and keep each other accountable. Make this person someone who has goals like your own. Help keep each other on track by being a supportive friend and vice versa.

2)      Don’t go to a holiday party on an empty stomach. Make sure to nosh on something healthy before you leave for your night-on–the-town. The chances are slim-to-none that you are going to find a healthy holiday spread waiting for you when you arrive. If you show up with a little food in your stomach, you will be less likely to stuff yourself with all of the decadent foods that will be offered.

3)      Limit your intake of “holiday cheer.”   A 6oz. glass of red wine has 128 calories. Who pours a 6 oz glass of wine, especially during the holidays? Here’s a great tip: Drink a full 8 oz glass of water between each alcoholic beverage. Not only will you cut down on how much you drink, but you will look great because you are keeping yourself hydrated and better yet, lessen the chance of a nasty hangover.

4)      Try to keep to your regular workout schedule. Even if you shorten the duration or intensity of your workouts during the next couple of weeks, you are still making the effort. Some exercise is better than none, and if you are usually consistent with your workouts throughout the year, a week or two of lower intensity isn’t going to derail what you’ve accomplished.

5)      Get 8 hours of sleep a night. I know, I know…..with all the wonderful, festive parties and all, how can you not stay up until the sun rises? Sleep is crucial to regulate food cravings.   And having a fresh-mind will help you make healthy choices.

6)      Wear your seatbelt. And for goodness sake, call a taxi if you need one.

7)      Last, but not least, Don’t Deprive Yourself. The holiday season only comes around once a year. If you already have a solid nutrition foundation and fitness routine, a little indulging for a week or two isn’t going to hurt in the short-term. Just be sure to get back on track with your routine after the new year arrives!

I’m hoping to put some of these suggestions into practice this holiday season. I know I won’t be perfect, and will probably eat a little more than I should, stay out a little later than is best for me, and skip a run or two. But I’m not going to go overboard. For me, this season, it’s “all things in moderation.” I’m going to enjoy myself and everything this holiday season has to offer. I hope you do the same!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Philip Niekro, your Good Measure Meals Customer Service Representative

Permalink Filed under: Fitness Tags: alcohol, cheer, christmas, fitness, goals, holidays, indulge, new year, party, season, sleep, workout, xmas 2 Comments
08Dec

Give the Gift of Health to Yourself
During this season of giving, we shop ’til we drop for the perfect gift. We donate to the mitten tree at church. We chip in at the office for a coworker who can’t afford to buy the kids Christmas gifts this year. We make cookies and candies for parties and gifts. But how much energy do we spend taking care of ourselves?

Personally, I love doing all of the above. Somehow I also manage to “gift” myself the pair of leather boots on the 60% off rack (what a deal!), or the indulgent peppermint hot chocolate at the local coffee house (they only sell it once a year!). I convince myself that these strategies help manage the holiday stress. But are these “gifts” to myself truly helping?

Temporarily, yes.

But later on the guilt sets in and I’m thinking either 1) I just paid $100 for a pair of boots that I should have spent on gifts or 2) The $5.00 spent on the decadent drink should have gone to the man ringing the bell outside of Macy’s.

An ABC news story today entitled, The Hormone Effect: Why Christmas Makes Us Nutty, highlights the effects of stress hormones on our bodies during the holidays. And it’s not good. I’m afraid my splurge on boots and hot cocoa will not solve the problem.

But what exactly are stress hormones and what do they do? And how can we effectively manage holiday stress in a healthy way?

Stress hormones – cortisol and adrenaline - were our saving grace hundreds of years ago to help us fight or flee in a dangerous situation. A threat from nature (like a nine foot grizzly bear) triggered the stress response, increasing blood pressure, heart rate and blood glucose to prepare us for attack. Cortisol also stopped processes that are not needed in a fight-or-flight situation, such as immune system responses and digestion.

Where does that leave us in today’s world where we no longer fight off grizzly bears?

The mental stress that comes from the holidays as well as our daily lives (rush hour traffic, families, school and careers) can trigger the same hormonal response. The problem is that we are not fighting or fleeing to use the energy our body has created for that purpose. And as cortisol halts normal processes – like immunity and digestion - our risk for catching a cold or the flu or having an upset stomach increases.

Now don’t get me wrong, you could fight your coworker or flee the office to burn off that energy, but then you will have a whole new set of stressors – like no job.

So what do we do with all this energy? We can ”stew and chew” by sitting and worrying over everything and eat comfort foods to feel better. But again, this doesn’t solve the problem.

To help manage holiday stress, look to these activities to make you feel happy, relaxed and energetic and consider removing items from your to-do list to alleviate some of the stress:
- Rather than ‘stew and chew’, choose to ‘walk and talk’. Grab a coworker for a break in the middle of the day or after work to unwind and connect.
- Spend meaningful time with friends and family to boost serotonin - a “feel good” hormone.
- Take time off from work if possible during the holidays. Use weekdays off to shop in less crowded stores or avoid them altogether and shop online.
- Get some sunshine on your lunch break. No matter how it works or why, we all know that it’s good for the soul. Lunch time is most likely the warmest time to be outdoors in the winter as well!
- Cross off non-urgent to-do list items, like the routine car maintenance, and reschedule them for January.
- Consider Good Measure Meals. I signed up for the meal plan this month simply to take two things off my to-do list – grocery shopping and cooking. I’m sharing my plan with a friend and it’s serving it’s purpose well!
Permalink Filed under: Nutrition, Uncategorized Tags: holidays, stress No Comments