Eat Well by Enjoying Your Favorite Foods

by Guest | Apr 5, 2017 | Eat Well

by Jessica Linnell, Assistant Professor of Practice, Family and Community Health, OSU Extension Tillamook County
March was National Nutrition Month, and one of the key messages is to include a variety of your favorite, healthful foods every month.  This message is a good reminder that healthy eating also includes enjoyment of our favorite foods.  In addition to supporting a healthy body, food also plays a central role in family and cultural traditions, social gatherings, and celebrations.  What are some of your favorite healthy foods?  How you can include your favorite healthy foods into your day?

When I think about my favorite foods, I think about potatoes.  These are one of my favorite foods because they are delicious, nutritious, and versatile, and you will always find them in my pantry.  According to studies, most Americans eat potatoes in the form of potato chips and french-fries.  While delicious, these foods also contain many calories, few nutrients, and are better to enjoy only occasionally.  However, potatoes can be a delicious healthy food when they are prepared in other ways.

Did you know that potatoes have more potassium than a banana?
One large, russet potato with the skin, has 1.6 grams of potassium, which is more than 30% of your daily needs.  Did you know it also contains more than 25% of the vitamin C you need in a day?  Potato skins also have a lot of fiber.  While large russets are 290 calories, they can be part of a healthy diet because they are an excellent source of these important nutrients.

Explore the rainbow of potatoes!
Potatoes come in a variety of colors and sizes.  The potatoes I use most often are Yukon Gold because of their lovely yellow color and buttery flavor.  I also really like red potatoes and like to throw them in the bottom of my roasting pan when roasting a chicken. I really love fingerling potatoes.  These small, skinny potatoes are excellent when tossed with a little olive oil, sprinkled with salt, and roasted until their papery skins are wonderfully crisp and delicious.  Perhaps my absolute favorite, when I can find them, are the beautiful purple potatoes.  They are delicious and add wonderful color.  I love to combine them with red and yellow potatoes to make a rainbow potato salad.

When it comes to my favorite dishes that include potatoes, one at the top of the list is beef stew.  With hearty pieces of beef swimming in a delicious gravy with potatoes, carrots, and sometimes parsnips and other root vegetables.  Another favorite is baked potatoes with crispy skin and topped with black beans, green onions, salsa, and cheese. During springtime my favorite potato recipe is potato leek soup, when the leeks are in season.  It’s a wonderful side dish for a big meal, or can be a simple lunch or light dinner.

Creamy Potato Leek Soup
Food Hero www.foodhero.org
Number of servings: 8 cups
Ingredients:
3 leeks (about 3 cups diced)
3 potatoes (about 3 cups diced)
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
4 1⁄2 cups chicken broth
1⁄4 cup 1% milk
2 garlic cloves, minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Prep time: 30 minutes. Cooking time: 30 minutes
Remove root and green tops from leeks.  Slice in half lengthwise and rinse well under running water.  Slice crosswise into ¼ inch slices.
Scrub potatoes well; cut into small cubes.
Melt butter or margarine in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat.
Add garlic and chopped leeks. Cook until softened.
Add potatoes and enough broth to cover.  Cover pan and simmer until potatoes are soft.  Mash with a potato masher or fork until potatoes are fairly smooth.
Add remaining broth, milk and pepper.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Eating Well, Being Well Speaker Judy Barbe Gives Great Guidance to Event Attendees

by Guest | Mar 31, 2017 | Eat Well

Who doesn’t want to live a stronger, healthier and happier life?
All were elements of Judy Barbe’s Eating Well, Being Well workshop in Tillamook on Saturday, March 11. Barbe is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and a nationally-known author and speaker, and her appearance was sponsored by the Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council OSU Extension, Oregon Food Bank and YOW.
Organized by the Tillamook County Year of Wellness Nutrition Committee, and led by Oregon State University Extension Professor Jessica Linnell, PhD, the event drew more than 70 attendees, including all ages and walks of life. In addition to Tillamook Mayor Suzanne Weber and Commissioner Bill Baertlein, dairy representatives included local dairy farmers Julie Lourenzo and Joanne Seals, as well as Dairy Extension County Leader Troy Downing.
Judy Barbe engaged the audience in exercises aimed at assessing their food and lifestyle choices along with some goal setting activities to make improvements. She made an impression. One of the attendees said, “I am going to lose the prejudices I’ve formed about several food groups.”
Another later posted a picture of his notes from the presentation posted on his refrigerator at home. Still another Tweeted about her meal prepping after the workshop.
Barbe gave positive “dairy deliciousness” food suggestions and addressed the health benefits of consuming real dairy. She answered questions about dairy fat and alternative beverages. Hallie Hopkins with Oregon State University Extension Service provided a tasty and instructive food demonstration with bulgur, roasted vegetables and a yogurt dressing made with donated Tillamook yogurt.
“The workshop concluded with participants sharing the goals they set for themselves based on what they learned,” said Anne Goetze, Senior Director of Nutrition Affairs for the Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council. “People left motivated to make positive changes.”
Here is the recipe for the Roasted Vegetable Bulgur Salad sampled at the event.
Roasted Vegetable Bulgur Salad
Roasted vegetables, whole-grain bulgur and a herbed yogurt dressing make this salad delish and nutrish. Substitute vegetables you have on hand red cabbage, butternut squash, eggplant, beets, cauliflower, sweet potatoes or broccoli. No raisins? Try cranberries, apples or pomegranate seeds.
You can speed the process by combining bulgur and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Whatever spin you put on it, each bite will deliver taste and health, all on the same fork!
1 cup bulgur
2 cups water
1 red pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 cup Greek-style plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried chile flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons raisins
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
Presoak bulgur. In a quart-sized bowl, stir bulgur and water together. Allow to sit 1 hour as bulgur absorbs water. This can be done a day or 2 ahead of time. Refrigerate after water is absorbed.
Heat oven to 425°F.
Place vegetables on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, spread in a single layer. Bake 20-25 minutes until lightly browned and cooked until softened but still have a ‘bite” to them. Set aside to cool.
While vegetables are roasting, in a separate bowl combine yogurt, cumin, oregano, basil, salt, dried chile flakes, and black pepper.
In a large bowl, combine bulgur, roasted vegetables, yogurt herb dressing, parsley, raisins, and lemon juice. Stir to blend. Sprinkle walnuts over before serving.
Yield: 5 cups
Recipe source: Judy Barbe, www.LiveBest.info
Judy Barbe is a registered dietitian, speaker and author of Your 6-Week Guide to LiveBest: Simple Solutions for Fresh Food & Well-Being. Visit her website www.LiveBest.info for every day food solutions. What are you waiting for?

FOOD HERO – February Feature – Turnips

by Guest | Feb 12, 2017 | Eat Well

Heart Healthy Eating

by Guest | Feb 5, 2017 | Eat Well

By Erin Wisbey Martin M.D.
      Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the US.  There are five risk factors for CVD: high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and smoking.  These risks accounted for half of the CVD deaths in US adults but can be reduced with simple lifestyle changes.  In particular, two areas of focus for the Year of Wellness, healthy eating and regular exercise to maintain an ideal weight have been shown to decrease these risk factors. A healthy eating includes daily consumption of fruits and vegetables, adequate fiber, foods with a low glycemic index (low carbohydrate/sugar foods), and healthy fats.
A primarily plant based diet is one aspect of healthy eating.  The recommended intake is at least five servings of fruits and/or vegetables every day.  Make them part of every meal.  Keeping a bowl of fruit out will encourage healthy snacking for kids and adults. This will help increase fiber intake which has been shown to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease and colon cancer. Fiber is also great at helping to control blood sugar in people who have diabetes.
Grains with a lower glycemic index tend to be foods that are less processed such as 100% whole wheat bread/pasta, steel cut oats and brown rice.  These should be chosen over refined grains and simple sugars such as white bread and rice, tortillas, potatoes, pasta, or dessert.   A hidden source of carbohydrates (sugars) many of us don’t consider are the beverages we consume.  Soda, sweetened drinks and even fruit juices are loaded with sugar and empty calories.  Choose water or a piece of whole fruit instead.  Moderate consumption of lower glycemic index foods and beverages has been shown to help with weight loss and a decreased risk of diabetes.
The types of fat we eat may be more important than the total amount of fat.  The different types of fat can seem confusing, but the main point is that unsaturated fats from plants (seeds/nuts) are healthier than saturated fats from animals (butter/bacon) and synthetic trans fats (margarine/deep fried foods/commercial bakery treats).  Omega 3 fatty acids have long been known to be a very healthy fat, these are found in certain seeds (flax seed) and fish (salmon).  When cutting back on fats, it’s important not to replace these calories with carbohydrates.  Instead replace them with plant based foods and lean sources of protein like tofu, beans or chicken breast.
Too much of a good thing, even “healthy foods”, can lead to overconsumption of calories and obesity.  It’s very important to have a general idea of how many calories you should be eating per day.  I recommend an honest discussion with your doctor to get an estimate of this.  Metabolic needs depend on your age/height/weight/sex and actual activity level (not the exercise you aspire to do).  Reading food labels is the next step to managing calories.  The appropriate serving size corresponds to the accurate number of calories.  If you eat two to three times the recommended small bowl of cereal for example, the calories you consume will increase exponentially. And as Americans, we classically consume unnecessarily large serving sizes.  Portion control is key to preventing obesity and maintaining good cardiovascular health.
An excellent local resource to learn more about heart healthy nutrition is CHIP (Complete Health Improvement Program).  There are classes currently underway, and the next session will start in mid-March with a CHIP Information session on March 14 or March 16 from 6:30-7:30 p.m.  For more information, contact Ginny Gabel, RN at Tillamook Regional Medical Center, 503-815-2270.
 
Dr. Erin Wisbey Martin sees patients at Adventist Health Medical Group – Manzanita Urgent, Primary and Specialty Care.  Her specialties are family medicine and obstretics.