Nutritional Yeast Adds Flavor and Nutrition But NOT the Fat!

Nutritional Yeast is a secret gem. It is a wonderful ingredient that many vegans have discovered during their pursuit of finding a butter or cheese replacement in their meals. This ingredient can often be found in vegan dishes that are suppose to taste cheesy. I have found it in vegan recipes for Mac and Cheese, Pasta Premavera or as a butter replacement on top of popcorn or corn on the cob.

Now, many people who aren't vegan but are health-conscious are taking advantage of the wonderful flavor and benefits of nutritional yeast and ditching the calories and fat associated with cheese and butter. So what are these benefits I speak of?

1. Nutritional yeast contains 18 amino acids which means it is considered a complete protein and also contains 15 different minerals. For those on a low cholesterol diet, vegetarians or those looking to boost protein levels, nutritional yeast makes a great addition or substitution to meats, dairy and other high fat proteins.

2. This ingredient helps reduce stress and a boost in nutrition. Yeast is rich in B-complex vitamins, the most common vitamin deficiencies, which among other great benefits, help to regulate mood.

3. Do you have diabetes? Nutritional yeast contains chromium, a trace mineral known as the Glucose Tolerance Factor. If you have fluctuating blood sugar levels or a tendency towards low blood pressure, regular intake of nutritional yeast may help.

4. Substituting nutritional yeast in your recipes makes for healthier meals. Sprinkling it in soup creates a creamy consistency without adding milk. You can use it as a topping for popcorn instead of fattening butter or salt. Yeast mixed with vinegar and oil makes a delicious and healthy salad dressing. You can even sprinkle yeast on sandwiches to add a cheesy flavor.

Recipe: Mashed Indian-style Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are healthier for you than white potatoes so why not use them in your potato salads or mashed potato sides? Here is a recipe you can try to change things up.

You will need:

• 2 medium sized sweet potatoes, chopped into small pieces
  
• 2 TBS fresh orange juice
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• salt and white pepper to taste

How to prepare:

Bring lightly salted water to a boil in a steamer with a tight fitting lid and steam the diced sweet potato pieces in the steamer for about 10 minutes or until they are tender. When tender, mash the pieces with a potato masher (or fork if you don't have one) and then add the rest of the ingredients and mash together until well mixed.

Its a nice change and healthy one too!

A Comparison Review of Vegan Cheeses in the Market

Cheese. It is the one thing that people say they miss most when they can no longer consume dairy. Thank god there are many scientists out there working hard to make a replacement that is comparable. One thing you will notice if you look closely is that the dairy-free cheese is often much healthier for you in that they do not usually contain the long-chain saturated fats that regular cheese has. Some people are choosing the vegan cheeses for health reasons even when they can digest cheese with no problem!

I found this article on the "Go Dairy Free" blog which does an analysis of all the substitute cheeses out there in the stores. Makes life a little easier!

http://www.godairyfree.org/Alisa-s-Blog/Alisa-s-Milk-Free-Blog/Vegan-Pizza-Cheese-Face-off-Teese-Sheese-Follow-Your-Heart-and-Cheezly.html

Organic Food Bar

When I'm afraid I'm going to be stuck without food to eat, whether that means at an event without food my stomach can handle or a day away from my house, I usually carry around something that will help me get by JUST in case. A few months ago, I came across this organic food bar at Whole Foods that is both lactose-free and gluten-free and full of ingredients that are extremely good for you. It is also cold-processed which I'm reading is very important in maintaining the product's nutrients and avoiding oil rancidity (which leads to free radicals in the body, therefore, an aging body).

My immediate reaction to the nutrition info was "Whoa, that's a lot of fat!" 12 grams....but after closer inspection, I saw that only 2 of those grams were saturated. The fat is coming from almond butter...which has a lot of good things to offer as far as nutrition goes.

So I was at the Saints baseball game last week and I was in one of those situations where I couldn't find something to eat, so I took this food bar out of my purse and had it for dinner. Hey, there may be 12 grams of fat, but I was FULL afterward...so full I didn't have dessert that night! (and I never skip dessert...) so in the end, I probably ended up eating less calories than normal.

For a food bar, this wasn't bad. It was sweet and having something for dinner that was sweet wasn't exactly ideal, but it was tasty enough with the strongest flavors being almond butter and raisins. There are several other flavors: original, vegan, chocolate chip, omega-3 flax, active greens, wild blueberry, cranberry, protein and several "raw vegan" versions. I've seen these at Whole Foods, most co-ops and Trader Joes. I have pasted the ingredients and nutritional information below. If you would like to visit the website, click here.

Ingredients: Organic Almond Butter, organic date paste, organic agave nectar, organic brown rice protein, organic bio sprouts - flax, organic raisins, organic bio sprouts - quinoa, organic sesame seeds

Nutritional Information:
Calories - 300
Total Fat - 12g (2g saturated)
Total Carbohydrates - 34g (20g sugars, 6g dietary fiber)
Protein - 14g
Sodium - 25mg (1% daily value)
Cholesterol - 0mg

Lactose in Medications and Supplements?!

A few weeks back, I was having some severe allergy symptoms after the cottonwood tree let go of all the cotton here in Minneapolis. I went and bought a box of Claritin since that is the allergy medication that everyone seems to use. I took a pill and waited. I was relieved to see my allergy symptoms go away, but horrified to see my lactose intolerance symptoms appear. How could this be? I hadn't ingested any dairy whatsoever....so I thought!

On the back of the box in the ingredient section, the FIRST ingredient in my generic Claritin pills from Target was LACTOSE!!! I was completely shocked! WHY would they decide to add lactose to a pill? So I made my way back to Target in search of an allergy pill that did not include lactose. You would not believe how hard it was to find one that was free of this "poison"! The only adult dosage with non-drowsy listed on the box was Alavert. I am happy I can now say I have a pill that not only works and leaves my digestive tract alone, but one that dissolves in your mouth as a mint!

If you are avoiding dairy, be sure to check the ingredients of all supplements and medications you take. It is in a lot of them! To date, I've seen it in probiotics, antacids, dietary supplements, etc.

Winner of best milk alternative IS....

Shove that soymilk aside...I've got a milk alternative that I think you're going to just LOVE! Hazelnut milk! Hazelnut, you ask? Yes...you heard me right. I forgot about hazelnuts in general. I don't remember the last time I tried it in nut form and until a week ago, I didn't know a milk form existed! This is hands down the best milk I've ever tried.... I've never drank a milk alternative that is as smooth and tasty as hazelnut milk! What also impressed me was that this is the first milk alternative that I've liked that has not been masked with the flavor of vanilla.

According to health24.com, " Hazelnuts are rich in vitamin E (helps form red blood cells, muscles and other tissues) and are a useful source of thiamine (enhances energy and promotes normal appetite) and vitamin B6 (aids protein metabolism and absorption).

These nuts are also relatively good sources of protein (essential for growth and repair of the body's cells), dietary fiber (helps the movement of the digestive tract), iron (essential for red blood cell function and enzyme activity), calcium (helps build bones and teeth) and potassium (helps regulate the body's fluid balance)."

Each cup has 110 calories and 3.5 grams of fat....very comparable to all the milk alternatives on the market. I found my carton of Hazelnut milk at The Wedge Co-op but I've also seen it at various other co-ops, as well as Whole Foods.

Have you tried oat milk?

Ever since I read that consuming too much soy is unhealthy, I've been trying to alternate the kinds of dairy-alternative milks to use when eating my daily cereal. Up to this point, I had tried rice, almond, hemp and even black sesame milk! That last one was a mistake while honeymooning in Thailand. The only english on the package was "lactose-free" so I figured I was safe... I may have been safe from lactose but not from a considerable gag!

Then last week I came across "Organic Oat Milk" at Whole Foods. I like oatmeal, so I figured I'd give it a shot and bought the low fat vanilla option. I am happy to report that oat milk is pretty darn good and honestly, I think I like it better than my usual soy! Its sweeter, creamier and lacks that weird after taste you sometimes get from a swig of soy milk. It also has the same amount of calcium, vitamin A and D as soy milk with an addition of more iron and riboflavin. This particular brand (Pacific) has 130 calories per cup and 2.5 grams of fat.

So which milk is my current winner? Hmmm...at this time there is a tie between oat milk and hemp milk (both vanilla flavored). I like the creaminess of oat milk and the nutty flavor of hemp. One detail to note - both hemp and oat milks are considerably more expensive than soy milk...about double the price.

I spied a package of hazelnut milk at The Wedge the other day... A review to come shortly!

Recipe: Orange Julia Smoothie

Today I had the pleasure of meeting a co-worker/friend for lunch at The Ecopolitan, a raw vegan restaurant located in uptown Minneapolis. After a 5 mile run this morning, nothing looked better than a tall, filling smoothie to quench my thirst and feed my muscles.

I chose the "Orange Julia" smoothie and loved it so much I looked it up online when I got home. I must not be the only one in love with this smoothie as the Ecopolitan restaurant has posted the recipe online! The special ingredient in this recipe is Virgin Coconut Oil which offers an abundance of health benefits beyond it's vitamins and nutrience such as:

* Weight loss
* Healing properties
* Improves digestion and bowel function
* Reduces inflammation
* Aids immune system

To read more about coconut oil and its health benefits, visit: www.coconutresearchcenter.org

Here is the recipe for Orange Julia smoothie, compliments of The Ecopolitan (http://www.ecopolitan.com/)

1 Large, Frozen, Organic Banana
1 Cup of Fresh-Squeezed Organic Orange Juice
1 TBSP Virgin Organic Coconut Oil
1 Tsp Vanilla extract

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and enjoy for breakfast or a snack.

Trader Joe's Sticky Rice Snacks

I had been noticing these Japanese Sticky Rice Snacks at Trader Joe's for a while....not necessarily because they looked delicious but because they were so different and looked quite odd, to be frank. My husband and I were both so curious about them that I bought a bag to bring home.

My review is that they're a nice little snack. They're nothing to go CRAZY about but they hit the spot when you're looking for something very low calorie (110 calories for 10 large puffs), fat free and surprisingly kind of filling for their crisp bodies and light weight. If you like rice cakes, soy sauce and brown sugar, you should try these out.

Recipe: Soy Yogurt Parfaits

Just an idea for a healthy breakfast, snack or dessert!

* Choose a flavored soy yogurt (I used a 6 oz. container of Silk strawberry banana)

* Buy your granola of choice (I used Cascade Farms Oats & Honey Granola) and measure out a half cup

* Cut up your favorite fruit (Mine is strawberries- I made a half cup)

Get a small glass and start layering the ingredients. Take half of the yogurt and put it in the glass, toss in half of the cut up fruit and then sprinkle half of your of granola on top. Do this sequence one more time and you're done! Delicious, healthy and filling.