TK Smith, Fitness Nutritionist & Lifestyle Coach

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Organic vs. Non-Organic – When Does it Matter?

August 8, 2012 by tk

People often ask about organic vs. non-organic. 

Choosing organic foods has several benefits for both you and the environment. 1) You’re exposed to less chemicals (so are the farmers & neighbors of farmers). 2) Often you are getting more nutrition from organic varietals. 3) When you chose organic, it equates to less fossil fuel being converted into fertilizers. 4) And, healthier soil is more sustainable into the future. 

While, we always prefer organic options, what happens if you can’t find an organic option? Or, what if the non-organic version is a LOT cheaper than the organic option? How do you chose? When is it worth it?

Here are some simple tips to help guide your shopping. 

DAILY HABITS:
First rule of thumb: When looking to improve your diet or make changes, always start by looking at your daily habits. What foods/ingredients do you use on a daily basis? These are the ones you should make a priority for choosing the best ingredients. 

Here’s the reasoning…When it comes to your long-term health, daily exposure to a range of chemicals is probably where the biggest problems develop. It is the daily, consistent, chronic actions & exposure that wear our bodies down — not so much the occasional missteps. Therefore, 
make the things you eat on a daily basis the highest quality, organic ingredients whenever possible.

SOME EXAMPLES:

Beverages – If you drink coffee or tea every day, you should make sure you are choosing organic coffees & teas. (Yes, that’s what curbed our Starbucks habit at our house a few years back). Trader Joe’s offers several organic coffees, so do most health food/specialty stores. Coffee bean and tea crops are subject to a wide variety of chemicals. To minimize your exposure, make organic coffees & teas a top priority.

Cereal – Do you have a favorite cereal that you turn to for breakfast or as a meal replacement when you’re in a hurry or just too hungry? If so, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting the best quality cereal you can buy. 

Same for yogurts, fruit & vegetables that you eat every day. …whatever those standard staples are at your house – make sure you make organic a priority for those things. 

We would also rate meat, dairy and eggs high on the priority list for organics – especially if you eat these on a regular basis.

BEYOND DAILY:
If the store doesn’t have an organic option for you, remember that the benefits of eating fruits & vegetables outweighs the risks of pesticide exposure. You can remove pesticide residue on the surface by removing outer leaves and washing the food in cold running water. So, take some extra time to clean your non-organic produce well.

Each year, the Environmental Working Group releases at “Dirty Dozen” list. (You can read the entire report here.) They suggest that you buy organic versions of the following (or from local farmers markets, or grow in your own garden) whenever possible:

The Dirty Dozen Plus:

  • apples
  • celery
  • sweet bell peppers
  • peaches
  • strawberries
  • imported nectarines
  • grapes
  • spinach
  • lettuce
  • cucumbers
  • domestic blueberries
  • potatoes
  • green beans
  • kale, collards, and leafy greens
At the same time, there are foods that are generally grown with less pesticides. The following items tend to have about five or less different types of pesticides. If you have to cut corners, here’s where to start.


The Clean 15: 

  • onions
  • sweet corn
  • pineapples
  • avocado
  • cabbage
  • sweet Peas
  • asparagus
  • mangoes
  • eggplant
  • kiwi
  • domestic cantaloupe
  • sweet potatoes
  • grapefruit
  • watermelon
  • mushrooms
Hope this gives you a good starting point and helps you in your shopping.  If you would like more helpful cooking, shopping and healthy food tips, sign for free updates from TheKitchenSkinny.com by clicking here.

Filed Under: did ya know?, eats and drinks

Strawberry Delight

April 5, 2012 by tk

Those of you that know me, know that I am not a big fan of sugar. Having kids makes it even more tough to completely eliminate. It is spring break at our house and both the girls are home. I have had this recipe that I have been wanting to try out and figured this would be a the perfect time to give it a whirl. The only sugar in this dessert is the natural sugars from the fruit. It probably works out to about 40 grams for the batch and the batch made 5 servings, so that is about 8 grams per serving (which for a treat is something I can support now and then, especially since this treat is coming with some of the natural fiber in the fruit and tofu, which will help your system handle the sugar load). If you find yourself needing a treat, give this one a try.

Here is a link to the recipe – enjoy!

Filed Under: eats and drinks, treats

If You Want It Done Right You Have To Make Them Yourself – Super Food Protein Bars (or Balls)

February 28, 2012 by tk

I have yet to find a food bar that I am happy with the ingredients AND the nutritional profile.   So I made my own!  I call them, “If You Want It Done Right You Have To Make Them Yourself – Super Food Protein Bars”.  I think the name is catchy don’t you?    I feel much better about giving my kids these, compared to some of the things I see in the store.  Give them a try.

Here is a link to the recipe.

Filed Under: eats and drinks, snacks

no bake protein bars

December 7, 2011 by tk

People have been asking for this recipe, so I figured I would post it.  We made this last night for Tyler’s weight training class.

stuff:
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
2 scoops chocolate whey protein
2 tbsp ground flaxseed (or hemp seeds)
1/2 cup raw peanut butter
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raw walnuts
what to do with the stuff:
-Mix all the dry ingredients together in a  bowl (oats, protein powder, flax, walnuts)
-Mix wet ingredients in another bowl (peanut butter, water, vanilla)
-Pour and stir dry ingredients into the wet ingredients
-Wet your hands and spread in a 8×8 pan (or you can make balls like I did here)
-Freeze for one hour

Filed Under: treats

sweet potato – cauliflower gratin w/crispy sage leaves

November 23, 2011 by tk

This is what we are serving for Thanksgiving this year instead of the traditional yams with marshmallows on top.  We tested this recipe last week and we all enjoyed it.  I guess we were hungry again, so we forgot to take a picture of the final product, but snap one during our Thanksgiving feast.  In the meantime, I thought you might like a healthier option for your Thanksgiving.  Enjoy!

Stuff:
2 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 cup unsweetened soymilk
¼ cup fresh parmesan cheese
20 fresh sage leaves
1 tbsp fresh sage leaves – chopped
fresh ground pepper
dulse (optional)
2lbs sweet potatoes (orange yams) – sliced
1 head cauliflower – quartered and sliced ¼ inch thick
some additional coconut oil for frying

What to do with the stuff:
-Preheat oven to 350
-In a medium sauce pan, heat over medium heat the 2 tbsp of coconut oil and add flour and cook stirring for 1 min.  Slowly whisk in soy milk, and 1 cup water.  Cook whisking until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 12 min)
-Remove sauce pan from heat and add stir in ¼ cup parmesan and the chopped sage, season with pepper and dulse

-Pour 1/3 of the mixture in the bottom of a 9×13 inch casserole dish.  Arrange 1/3 of the sweet potatoes and cauliflower along the bottom of the dish, season with pepper and dulse.  Repeat layer with sauce, potatoes and cauliflower 2 more times.

– cover casserole dish with foil and bake until vegetables are tender (about 1 hour)
-increase oven temperature to 425, remove foil, sprinkle a little parmesan on top and cook until golden brown (about 20min) – let stand 10min before serving.

-crips the sage – heat coconut oil in a small pan (a good thin layer at the bottom)
– add the sage leaves one at a time until they are crips, about 10 seconds each, remove and place on paper towel to drain off the oil.

-top the gratin with the sage leaves and season with pepper and dulse to taste.

Filed Under: eats and drinks, Thanksgiving, things I like for DINNER

white bean & vegetable mash

November 23, 2011 by tk

If you’re looking for a healthier option for your standard mashed potatoes, this is what we are serving for Thanksgiving this year.  This recipe adds some protein, fiber and some additional nutrients compared to the traditional mashed potatoes. We tested this recipe last week and we all enjoyed it (so much so that we forgot to get a picture – will work on that).  We had it with a green salad for dinner and it was delicious. You won’t even miss it.  Enjoy!  It makes about 6 servings.

stuff:
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 yellow onion – chopped
1 celery stalk – thinly sliced
1 carrot – peeled and thinly sliced
2 lbs – sweet potatoes (white not the orange yams) – cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cups cooked white beans
olive oil for drizzling
fresh ground pepper
dulse (optional)

what to do with the stuff:
-Heat  coconut oil in large sauce pan over medium heat.
-Cook onion, celery, and carrots until onions are translucent (about 6-8 minutes)
-Add potatoes and white beans and cover with water by 2 inches, season generously with pepper and dulse. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 8 min).
-Drain, saving about 1 cup of cooking water.
-Mash adding saved cooking water for consistence
-Season with pepper and dulse and drizzle with olive oil before serving

Filed Under: eats and drinks, Thanksgiving, things I like for DINNER

eat what you want and feel great this thanksgiving

November 22, 2011 by tk

Thanksgiving is a wonderful day.  It is a time to relax, spend time with family, friends and eat some good wholesome food.  Like I have said in the past, if every day was more like Thanksgiving, we would all be better off.  The food you eat on Thanksgiving is not going to make or break your weight loss goals.  It is what you do the the other 364 days of the year, that is the real problem.

I always let myself enjoy whatever I want on Thanksgiving.  Do I pig out? Generally not. Do I eat more than a normal day? Probably.  Either way, this particular day always brings up a lot of feelings and conversations about food and overconsumption.

To me, Thanksgiving is like the Super Bowl of all food holidays and we are all on the team playing in this food Super Bowl.  If you were playing in the actual Super Bowl, you would not go into the big game cold turkey (so to speak)!  Of course not, you would practice and then on game day you would get warmed up and be at your peak before the big game, right?

Well, before we get into the game day tips, we first need to define what your goals are.  Obviously for football, it is to make more points than the other team.  But what does it mean to win at the Thanksgiving dinner table?  Well, I guess it is different for everyone.  If your goal is to pig out, over-consume,  feel stuffed and bloated afterwards, well then, the odds are probably in your favor.  But if your goal is more along the lines of enjoying time with family & friends, good whole food made from scratch, and not feeling sick, guilty or bloated at the end of the day, well then, you may be the underdog in this game.

If you’re the underdog, you will need a strategy.  Here are some tips that may help you win this year:

Pre-game preparation – Don’t skip breakfast.  Breakfast is and always will be the most important meal of the day.  Skipping meals will actually slow your metabolism and will generally cause you to eat more once you do eat.  Going into the big meal hungry and having your body in ‘fat storage mode’ is not the winning combination.  A good, healthy, protein-rich breakfast, followed by some regular healthy snacks up until the big meal and you should be in great shape!

Hydrate – Yes, drink plenty of water, all day long.   We are suppose to consume about 8 glasses per day.  I would say a lot of us don’t.  But drinking water on this day will help.  You will feel fuller and it will help you stay in control.  If you are having adult beverages, a good rule of thumb is to have a full glass of water before you fill up your wine glass or crack open that next beer.

Enjoy the experience – You’re in the Super Bowl!  Don’t deprive yourself of anything.  There will be a lot of good food.  You should try a little of everything you really want to try.   But don’t load your plate with huge portions of everything you want.  Just a dab will do ya!   Typically, our plates are a lot more full than a normal meal, so pace yourself.  Just take a small portion of everything you want to try.  I promise it will turn out to be enough to fill you up and you won’t end up on the couch an hour later with your belt unbuckled (believe me no one wants to see that).

Stay away from the food bullies and buddy up with the good guys – The bullies are the ones that will take you down.  Gravy, not a big fan, but if you must have some, go easy on it.  Just a little drizzle is plenty and will give you all the flavor you need. White mashed potatoes and bread, the simple carbs will get you every time.  Plus, bread and potatoes?  Come on, you can have that any time.  It’s Thanksgiving, enjoy the good stuff!  Speaking of the good stuff enjoy the, turkey, veggies, salads, fruit – these are all healthy good stuff!

Pace yourself – It’s not a race.  Chew your food. It will help slow you down, it will help your body digest better and will give you more time to spend with your loved ones visiting.  Yet another reason not to go into the big meal hungry.  If you are too hungry, you will be too busy wolfing your food down to enjoy the experience!

Second half – This is where most people go wrong –  seconds.  One full plate is all your body needs at one time.   I promise the food is not going to get up and run away.  It will still be there for you later.  Besides leftovers later on in the day are the best!   But if you feel you must have seconds, all I ask is this – have a glass of water and wait 20 minutes before you go back for more.   If you are still hungry, knock yourself out!

Overtime – Dessert is a tough one. There are few desserts I would consider “healthy” options during this great day.  So my only advice is to pick the one you really want and enjoy a piece – not a ginormous piece.  A small piece is all your body really needs to be satisfied.

Well, these tips are not going to help you lose any weight on Thanksgiving, but they should help you not feel sick and bloated at the end of the day.  You should also feel very satisfied that you got to enjoy all that Thanksgiving has to offer.  If you can say this at the end of the day, then I think you may have just won the game!

Remember, it’s not this one day that is the problem, it is what you eat the rest of the 364 days of the year.   How was your 2011?  If it was not perfect, don’t beat yourself up.  Just choose to make 2012 your best year ever! If you do, I promise you,  next year at this time you will be a different person.  If you need help, give me a call.  I would be glad to help you out!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

Filed Under: did ya know?, Thanksgiving

raw brownies

October 20, 2011 by tk

Made these raw brownies the other night for the kids.  They are super good and are not filled with a bunch of junk.  In fact, besides the sugar in the dates, I am a big fan of everything in them!   Having some  in your freezer, for one of those moments, is not a bad idea (one should do the trick).   Give them a try when you need a little sweet treat!

 

 

the stuff:
1 1/2 cups organic walnuts
1/3 cup raw cacao powder
8 pitted organic medjool dates
1 tsp organic vanilla extract
2 teaspoon water
raw almonds (about 14)

what to do with the stuff:
1. In your Vita-Mix (or  food processor), grind the walnuts until fine
2. Add raw cacao powder
3. Add dates until dough forms
4. Add the vanilla and water
5. Scoop out a tablespoon full of dough and roll into a ball and pat down
6. Add a raw almond (or walnut) on top of each brownie
7. Put in freezer for about 15-20min

Filed Under: treats

zucchini patty sandwiches

September 27, 2011 by tk

We found this one in whole living magazine and it is for sure off the hook!   In the last 3 weeks, I have made this one like, 3 times.  Big hit in at our house.  Plus it is hearty and easy to make!  You have to try this one!

the stuff:
1 15oz can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 zucchini (grated)
1 red onion (grated)
1 egg (lightly whisked)
coconut oil
whole-wheat pitas
1 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt
8 lettuce leaves (chopped)
1 cup fresh mint (chopped)
1 avocado (peeled and sliced)

what to do with the stuff:
-mash chickpeas in a bowl until mostly smooth
-stir in bread crumbs, zucchini, onion and egg
-from mixture to patties (like burgers)
-saute patties in coconut oil until golden brown (about 3-5 min per side)
-serve in pitas stuffed with yogurt, lettuce, mint and avocado

hint: I would double the recipe because they are so good left over for lunch!!! If you want to go leaner just skip the pita.  I have been doing that and it is still great just with the toppings.

Filed Under: eats and drinks, things I like for DINNER

guacamole goji berry salad

September 20, 2011 by tk

Made this guacamole goji berry salad tonight. I was a little concerned making it, but it turned out really good!  It got 4 thumbs up.  The only bummer, was that we all wanted just a little more (it’s about right for 4 but no more).  It was quick and easy to make and is perfect for that light dinner, or if you are trying to eat clean and lean.

stuff (for the salad):
1 large bowl mixed baby greens (I used 1 whole a bag of mixed greens)
3/4 cup of goji berries
1 fuji apple cored and chopped
1 teaspoon Vegan DHA Flax Oil (I used Udo’s Oil)
1 lime – juiced
pinch cayenne pepper

stuff for guacamole:
2-3  avocados
small handful cilantro chopped
1 green onion chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 lime – juiced
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 red onion chopped

what to do with the stuff:

  • Mix baby greens, goji berries, and apple in a bowl with lime juice, pinch of cayenne, and flax oil (or  Udo’s oil).
  • In a separate bowl mash avocado with guacamole ingredients to make guacamole.
  • Top salad with guacamole

Filed Under: eats and drinks, things I like for DINNER

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