Gretchen Scalpi, RDN

The folks at WellCat.com have created the “More Herbs, Less Salt Day” on August 29th.  Reducing your salt intake is a healthy goal and using herbs as a substitute is a good idea.  Consider making salt substitute herb mixes for friends and family who need to reduce the salt in their diet!

Some of the herbs you can use when creating your own salt substitute are chives, basil, cilantro, thyme, sage, parsley, marjoram, bay leaves and oregano.  We have compiled a list of sites that will help you create your own herb mix.

Herbal Salt Substitute Recipe
Zesty Salt Substitute Recipe
Salt Substitute
Heloise’s Salt Substitute
Herb Salt Substitute Recipe
Salt Substitute: Top Salt Substitute Recipes
A Spicy Substitute For Salt

Tags: herbs, reduce salt intake, salt reduction

Everyone loves a good outdoor barbeque or a summer picnic in the park or at the beach.  What we don’t love is the illnesses that can result from improper food preparation or storage when the heat rises.  According to the CDC approximately one in six Americans each year get sick from food borne illnesses and 128,000 are hospitalized.

To protect yourself and your guests during outdoor gatherings follow a few simple rules:

• Wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling and cooking food.
• Wash fruits and vegetables before your outdoor event.
• Use a meat thermometer to make sure your meat reaches a safe internal temperature.
• Do not leave any food out in the summer heat longer than two hours.  This includes cooked, non-cooked and fresh produce.
• Keep coolers packed with ice to store food and keep them closed as much as possible.
• Purchase and use food domes to keep the bugs away.
• Provide plenty of non-alcoholic drinks on hand to keep guests hydrated.
• Keep raw meat covered and do not reuse platters or plates that once held raw food.
• Do not provide dressings or dishes that use raw or undercooked eggs.

These simple rules will help you keep your family and friends healthy and happy so that they can enjoy the warm summer months!

Tags: barbeques, food safety, picnics, summer cooking

Georgia is understandably proud of their blueberries.  Their growing season is the longest and it lasts from late April through the end of July.  Most of the blueberries grown in Georgia are of the Highbush and Rabbiteye varieties.  Not only are blueberries delicious but they are healthy too.  Following are some of our favorite recipes incorporating blueberries.

Blueberry Banana Pie Vegan Overnight Oats
Vegetable Couscous With Wild Blueberries Recipe
Minted Watermelon, Cucumber, and Blueberry Salad

Tags: blueberries, blueberry, healthy eating, nutrition, weight loss

Nothing makes your mouth water more than the thought of breaking out the grill after a long hard winter.  Warm weather is finally becoming a reality so naturally we start to think about healthy ways to enjoy barbecued food this summer.

We have done the homework and found some lovely, delicious barbecue recipes that  the whole family will enjoy.  If you have a recipe you would like to share with our readers please add it to the comment section of this post!

Grilled Vegetables
Grilled Asparagus Medley Recipe
Barbecue Jack Chicken Recipe
Grilled Plum-Topped Pizza

Tags: barbeque recipes, national barbeque month

Everyone knows that a healthy diet includes fiber but most of us don’t know how to get enough for healthy digestion.

How much fiber do you need?  The USDA recommends 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories consumed.  It’s a good idea to check with your doctor before making any changes to your diet especially if you have any gastrointestinal diseases.

To increase your fiber intake add the following fresh items to your daily diet:

Apples
Bananas
Grapes
Berries
Prunes
Pears
Oranges
Carrots
Lentils
Legumes
Cabbage
Green Beans
Oatmeal
Beans
Corn
Celery
Peas
Squash

You can add fruit to cereal, yogurt and desserts and vegetables and beans to soup, stews, sandwiches, casseroles and other dishes.

Make sure to add more water to your diet while you increase fiber and be aware that, initially, you may have more gas than usual.

Tags: dietary fiber, fiber, roughage

“You can’t pick cherries with your back to the tree.”
-John N. Mitchell

February is National Cherry Month although it seems early to see cherries in the grocery store.  For fans of cherries it is never too early to start celebrating.  Cherries are rich in antioxidants, reduce inflammation and gout and may help recovery after exercise as well as promote better sleep.

There are hundreds or thousands of cherry recipes but we’ve rounded up some of our favorites below:

Montgomery Tart Cherries
Quinoa Salad With Cherries and Feta
Cherry-Berry Smoothies
Gluten Free Fresh Cherry Pavlova
Simple Cherry Green Salad

Tags: cherries, cherry, cherry recipes

“Once we sowed wild oats, now we cook them in the microwave.”
-Anonymous

January is National Oatmeal Month and we couldn’t be happier to celebrate. Oatmeal has long been one of our favorites but this month we’re going to talk about the health benefits of oatmeal.

The scientific name for oats is Avena sativa. To create oatmeal ground oat groats are de-husked, heated and cooled and then they are milled to create oatmeal. You’ll find steel-cut or rolled oatmeal in just about every grocery store.

The benefits of eating oatmeal include:

• Oatmeal contains contains fiber that keeps you fuller longer and stabilizes blood sugar.

• As a whole grain oatmeal can reduce the risk of several diseases like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

• Some people on a gluten-free diet may tolerate oatmeal well even though it contains a small amount of gluten. For those who can’t tolerate regular oatmeal purchase certified gluten free oatmeal.

• Want a good source of copper, biotin, vitamin B1, magnesium, dietary fiber, chromium, zinc, and protein? Eat oatmeal.

• The avenanthramides in oatmeal are an antioxidants that can prevent hardening of the arteries.

• The beta-gluten fiber in oatmeal increases the immune response to diseases by helping neutrophils get to an infection quickly while helping to eliminate bacterial.

Now that you know the numerous benefits of eating oatmeal you will want to add it to your diet as often as possible. You’ll find many recipes that include oatmeal in cookbooks or online.

Tags: gluten free, healthy eating, oatmeal

The consumer research organization that brings us television ratings also conducts other surveys.  One of them, Nielsen Global Survey of Snacking, polled more than 30,000 consumers in 60 countries between mid-February and mid-March of 2014.

What they learned is fascinating. Americans have a fondness for chips that isn’t shared by many other countries but across the globe it seems that everyone is increasingly snacking rather than having actual meals.  This means the food industry is going to sit up and pay attention to these trends in order to accommodate the needs and wishes of the consumer.

Tags: healthy eating, Nielsen Global Survey of Snacking, snacking

By Thursday afternoon, if you celebrate Thanksgiving, you will be in a food coma thanks to the turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, gravy and pie.  The thought of eating leftovers for days yet again this year might make you want to run away until Christmas.

This year try out some of these healthy recipes that use your favorite Thanksgiving leftovers.  You are certain to enjoy the taste and alleviate leftover boredom at the same time!

Turkey and Napa Cabbage Salad with Lime-Ginger Vinaigrette
Leftover Turkey Frittata
White Chili with Roast Turkey or Chicken
Turkey Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie and Cran-applesauce Sundaes
Thanks Benedict on Stuffing Cakes with Sage Hollandaise

Tags: cranberry sauce, gravy, healthy eating, mashed potatoes, stuffing, Thanksgiving leftovers, Turkey

In my last post about Halloween candy “Tricks for Dealing with Halloween Treats” I recommended a few things you could do to minimize the leftover candy after the holiday is over. This year I have discovered advice from others that offer even more options for getting rid of Halloween candy.

Read the book “Switch Witch” (available for Kindle) with your child after Halloween and then put a bag outside.  When your child goes to sleep switch the bag and replace it with a toy.

Donating Halloween Candy: 7 Sweet Ways to Give to Those in Need by Natalie Silverstein includes some tips from above but also has other places where you can donate your candy.

Do you have a budding scientist in the family.  If you do, check out Candy Experiments.  Your little geek can learn about science while getting rid of the candy!

If you are a cupcake freak like so many people are these days try out the recipe “Leftover Halloween Candy Cupcakes“.

Tags: chocolate, Halloween candy, leftover candy