• 19Nov

    Power Up With Breakfast, Good Measure Style!

    Breakfast is an essential component of a balanced diet, and not only provides your body with the energy that you need to function throughout the morning, but also assists with weight management by jump starting your metabolism!  I will admit that I have always been a breakfast eater, but until I started on my Good Measure Meals™- I usually resorted to a grab and go item or a bowl of cereal if I had the time.  I knew that I should be eating a more nutrient dense morning meal, but who has the time to whip up and perfectly balance breakfast?

    I have GMM to thank for my new morning routine, that still manages to keep my mornings quick (I really do enjoy hitting the snooze button in the A.M.!) and provides me with the protein and energy to make it through the day!  In honor of breakfast, I wanted to write a quick blog post about one of my favorite breakfast entrees, the Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Bar with Cranberries and Walnuts!  We all love the taste, but in GMM fashion, there is a lot of great nutrition that goes into the recipe, so I thought I would break down some of the ingredients for everyone, to show you why our culinary staff includes certain items in our menu!  Here it goes…

    Pumpkin: A naturally low fat and low calorie food, pumpkin is packed with disease fighting nutrients like alpha and beta-carotene, fiber, vitamins C & E, potassium and magnesium. The carotenes are converted into vitamin A once eaten and promote healthy vision immune response.  There is also evidence that pumpkin helps reverse skin damage caused by the sun and acts as an anti-inflammatory.  The Carotenoid properties of pumpkin also boost immunity and lessen the risk of heart disease!

    Oats: A great source of soluble fiber, oats have been proven to help lower “bad” cholesterol (LDL), boost “good” cholesterol(HDL), maintain a healthy circulatory system, and help prevent heart attacks!  Not only do they provide these heart healthy benefits, they are also jam packed with a wide range of vitamins and minerals including vitamins B and E, magnesium, iron and calcium!  They are also low on the glycemic index, so for folks managing insulin resistance, oats are a great addition to the diet!

    Cranberries: They may be small, but this tiny fruit is a powerhouse for health!  Cranberries are high in soluble fiber and protect against heart disease.  Because of their quinic acid content, they are one of the best treatments for urinary tract infections and help prevent digestive disorders and stomach ulcers

    Walnuts: Nuts are notorious for their high fat content, but walnuts are much richer in polyunsaturated fats than monounsaturated fats, boasting an unusually high content of omega-3 fatty acid.  This makeup proves walnuts to be helpful in the prevention of heart disease, cancers, arthritis, skin problems and disorders of the nervous system.  There’s more too!  Walnuts have been should to lower “bad” cholesterol and blood pressure, while increasing the elasticity of the arteries!

    Cinnamon: Did you know that cinnamon has an anticoagulant compound (cinnamaldehyde) that can help protect against strokes?  It is also an anti-inflammatory, shown to relieve symptoms of arthritis and asthma…hard to believe, right?  The benefits don’t stop there though, cinnamon also functions as a digestive aid- relieving bloating and flatulence, and reducing heartburn… maybe that’s why it is so abundant in the holiday feasts!

    Now that you know some of the health benefits of this morning treat, get excited about Monday morning, because your GMM breakfast kicks off the week with our very own Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Bar goodness!

    What’s your favorite Good Measure Meal™ Breakfast?

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  • 02Nov

    What to do with those Pumpkin Seeds?

    Halloween is over and many of you are left with Jack-o-lanterns and a pile of dried pumpkin seeds that you were planning on doing something with, but just haven’t gotten around to yet… am I right?

     As my favorite seasonal food, pumpkin makes its way into many of my holiday recipes and while most people would probably guess that this means pumpkin breads, pies and cookies- there are also many healthy ways to use this amazing food. Today I want to focus on pumpkin seeds. Many of you might have noticed that new GMM menu found a use for pumpkin seeds in one of our new Dinner Selections: Northern Italian Raviolis of Sage Pasta stuffed with Butternut Squash topped with Genoa Style Tomato Sauce. Fresh Spinach Salad with Carrots, Pumpkin Seeds and Multigrain Croutons with Balsamic Vinaigrette. Sound delicious? It is and also a great way to incorporate the nutrient packed pumpkin seed into a balanced meal! Great work Ashley!

    Pumpkin seeds are not edible when raw, but with a little olive oil and 20 minutes in the oven on low heat, you have a tasty and oh so healthy snack. The seeds are extremely high in both zinc and iron, both minerals needed in our daily diets. Zinc is an antioxidant mineral, which not only boosts the immune system, but also protects against prostate enlargement and cancer in the male population. Iron improves energy levels and is vital for healthy blood cells. Foods that contain high amounts of these minerals are particularly important for vegetarians, but also very beneficial to meat eaters, as the seeds also contain sterols, which help remove “bad” cholesterol, lowering LDL. As if these benefits weren’t enough to entice you to add pumpkin seeds into your diet, they also contain some Omega-3 fats (the healthy fat!), vitamin E, folate, and magnesium that can maintain heart health!

     Tips for Using Pumpkin Seeds: Always chew the seeds well to ensure maximum absorption of nutrients and think about adding seeds to salads, yogurt, muesli or cereal. You can also consider grounding the seeds and adding it to veggie, nut or bean burgers to increase your iron!

    How do you use pumpkin seeds?

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  • 23Mar

    The New Menu is Almost Here!!

    The weather is just starting to warm up and the official start of spring has begun!! This is perfect timing for the introduction of Good Measure Meals’ new spring summer menu. The first delivery for the new menu is next week!! This is a very exciting time for me. I have been working on the menu with our chefs for the last 6 months. It is finally time for us to get to see all of our hard work come together.

    My goal is to raise the bar with every menu update. This time I have changed 40% of the meals. That is up from about 35% with past menus. This means you will see even more new side items, new flavors, new menu combinations, entirely new meals and recipes. Since this is our spring menu – I’ve incorporated seasonal produce and increased the number of cold lunches and salads. 

    Here is a preview of some of the new things you will see next week:

    · Angela’s Special Chewy Granola Bars made with Wheat Germ, Oats, Dried Fruit, Honey and Almonds

    · Peachtree Panini Sandwich with Roasted Turkey, Fresh Spinach, Provolone Cheese and Peach Dijon Mustard. Garlic and Herb Pasta Salad with Garden Vegetables.

    · Huevos Rancheros layered with Corn Tortillas and Black Beans, Tomatoes, Cheddar and Monterrey Jack Cheeses. Turkey Sausage Links. Southwestern Style Red Skinned Potatoes.

    · Grilled Chicken with Blueberry Ginger Chutney over Long Grain Brown and Wild Rice Pilaf. Asparagus and Button Mushrooms.

    · Tomato Striped Ravioli topped with Mediterranean Style Tomato Sauce with Eggplants and Zucchini. Parmesan Broccoli and Cauliflower Florets.

    · Carved Chicken stuffed with a Mango Chutney and topped with Chopped Walnuts. Brown Rice Pilaf. Gingered Black-eyed Peas.

    And this is JUST the first week! There are a lot more new meals to come!!

    Please let me know how you like the new menu by leaving me a comment here on the blog. The more feedback I get the better I can accommodate your wishes and wants.

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  • 19Feb

    Nutrition Balancing Act

    We take nutrition very seriously here at Good Measure Meals. The meals adhere to nutrition guidelines encouraged by important health associations including the American Diabetes Association, American Dietetic Association, American Heart Association and American Cancer Society.

    Balancing the nutritionals for each meal is a lengthy process. I enter each ingredient, recipe and meal into a very sophisticated nutrition analysis program. During this process, I spend the majority of time balancing each individual meal (ie breakfast) – adjusting portion sizes to hit the nutritional targets. I take a close look at carbohydrates, ensuring that they are consistent from meal to meal. I also look at the nutrition for the whole day (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner all together) and the whole week to make sure everything is in line with the nutrition targets.

    Our chefs weigh and measure every ingredient during the cooking process.

    Each portion is weighed using scales.

    Paying close attention to the nutritional analysis ensures that the meals are effective for individuals who want to lose weight or are managing diabetes or working to lower their blood pressure or cholesterol.

    Nutrition facts are printed on the outside of each container, as well.

    Do you look at the nutrition facts on the meals? Do you use them to help reach your goals or to track calories and carbohydrates? Let me know by leaving a comment.

    Cheers to good health!

    Permalink Filed under: In the Kitchen, Nutrition Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 6 Comments