January: National Oatmeal Month!

Did you know that January is National Oatmeal Month?!

Hahaha...well apparently its true... Since oatmeal is apparently in the spotlight, I thought that I would post a link to this blog that I came across. It outlines the nutritional differences between steel-cut oats, stone ground oats and rolled oats. I mean, if you're already going to oatmeal for its nutrition, you may as well know which is the best route to take, right?

Also, we all know that oatmeal has a great amount of fiber and truly helps people lower their cholesterol. Add a few raisins or slices of banana, sprinkle some sunflower seeds or walnuts, pour some vanilla soymilk and you've got a meal that is not only extremely nutritious, but will stave off hunger for hours.

Happy reading!

http://blog.nutritiondata.com/ndblog/2010/01/more-on-oats-rolled-vs-steel-cut-vs-stone-ground.html

Are you getting your 1000 mg??

So apparently as a 30 year old woman, I am suppose to be getting 1000 mg of calcium every day. As you may know, I am a pretty healthy eater. I definitely get my 5-9 fruits/vegetebles per day but I most definitely do NOT get 1000 mg of calcium. So you think, okay then, just drink a glass of soy milk. Unfortunately I do and it doesn't do it alone. One cup only gives you 30% of your daily needs...and 3+ cups per day does not sound that appetizing. Unlike regular ice cream which provides 10% in a 1/2 cup, soy ice cream (at least the Soy Creamy I get from Trader Joes) has no calcium added. Oops...I guess not all soy products are fortified! I even make sure to add a cup of spinach to my daily vegetable soup, but you need 3 cups of it to get to 8% of your daily needs.

So, what I have learned is that I must look beyond my cereal bowl and my spinach soup to get the 1000 mg that I am suppose to get on a daily basis. What other products are high in calcium? Here is a brainstorming list for you with the % it meets for your daily needs.

1 cup of Broccoli = 3%

3 oz Mori-Nu Silken Tofu = 3%

1 cup Kidney Beans = 6%

1 oz Almonds = 6%

1 cup of an Orange = 7%

1 cup cabbage = 8%

1 packet instant fortified oatmeal = 10%

Chocolate ZenSoy Pudding =15%

Trader Joes Soy Yogurt = 30%

1 cup Vanilla Soy milk = 30%

Don't forget, spices can include calcium as well!

1 Tbsp Cumin = 6%

1 Tbsp Cloves = 4%

1 Tbsp Oregano = 9%