Meatless Monday: Increasing Your Vegetable Intake

One Step At a Time...

You Can Go Meatless

For All Three Meals

Veggie Round-UP

When it comes to making sound nutrition choices, many would like it to be black and white. This food is good; this food is bad. This fruit is the worst; this vegetable is the best. However, healthy eating isn’t all black and white. Eating nutritiously is all about selecting a variety of wholesome foods. When it comes to vegetables, certainly all are good for you, but some are stronger in specific nutritional contributions, for example, vitamin A, potassium, fiber, and phytochemicals—plant compounds with health benefits. A nutrient-rich diet that protects against disease is packed with a variety of different vegetables.

According to the USDA Dietary Guidelines, adults should consume 2-3 cups of vegetables daily, depending on age and gender. Unfortunately, many Americans aren’t reaching that goal. Getting the recommended amount of vegetables per day can help improve your overall health by lowering your risk of certain cancers, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. Vegetables, rich in fiber, also can help boost your digestive health and promote a healthier weight. And of course, eating your veggies helps you pack your diet with essential nutrients and antioxidant compounds. Our vegetable nutrition comparison gives you a little more information on just how hardworking those vegetables are.

If you’re trying to get more vegetables into your diet, try these helpful tips:

Sandwich Stacking. If your sandwich is usually just bread, meat and cheese, consider adding a healthy layer of vegetables. In addition to the usual tomato and lettuce, try baby spinach, roasted red peppers, and shredded carrots.

Soup’s On! Vegetable soups or pasta sauces are great vehicles to boost your vegetable intake. Add chopped peppers, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, and more to the pot as it simmers.

Casserole Fillers. Macaroni and cheese, chili, and other one-pot meals are delicious with extra vegetables mixed in, such as bell peppers, broccoli, corn, or tomatoes.

( Adapted from Heidi Mclndoo )

Healthy Meatless Recipe:

SPAGHETTI WITH QUINOA MEATBALLS

( Adapted from aidamollenkamp.com )

Ingredients:

For the quinoa balls:

• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 small onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 225 grams of mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste or 3 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ¼ cup panko or regular bread crumbs

For the spaghetti

• Spaghetti (Whole Wheat or Spaghetti Squash)
• Tomato sauce
• Vegetables of your choice ( artichoke hearts and cherry tomatoes are very tasty)

Directions:

1. Bring ¾ of a cup of water to a boil. Add the quinoa and cover. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer until the water is absorbed.
2. In a separate pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the crushed red pepper and allow to cook for about 30 seconds. Add the onion, salt and pepper to taste, and cook until soft. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a further 30 seconds.
3. Add the mushrooms and cook until brown, about 10 minutes, then add the tomato paste and cook for a further minute. Once ready, remove from heat and allow to cool.
4. In a bowl, combine the quinoa, mushroom mixture, egg, panko, and basil. Wet your hands a little and form mixture into 1 tablespoon balls. Arrange the balls on a greased or lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350° Fahrenheit oven for 15 – 20 minutes until a little crispy on the outside.
5. While the quinoa balls bake, prepare spaghetti, tomato sauce, and vegetables to your liking. Gently remove quinoa balls from the baking sheet, they can be a little delicate. Serve on top of your spaghetti.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Healthy Weekly Motivator

Try A Monday Mile

Get your health back on track with the Monday Mile. Organize a walk, jog or run with friends, family and co-workers!

Remember Green Goes with Everything

Non-Toxic Green Cleaning Products

Did you know that 1 in every 10 children develops asthma, and that chemicals in many of the mainstream cleaning products have been scientifically linked to asthma?* Did you know that rate of child autism development has increased to 1 in every 88 children, and that autism is linked to not just genes, but also the environment?

This is scary stuff. If you want to keep your kids and family healthy, you absolutely must limit the amount of toxins that they all interact with. One of the most common way that toxins enter our bodies is through home cleaning supplies. These can be easily replaced with green cleaning products. Here’s a real-life story from Sloan Barnett, wife of Shaklee’s CEO (Roger), as she explains how their son’s sudden asthma development was linked to home cleaning products.

90% of our time is spent inside, and indoor air pollution is 2-5x higher inside than outside. Where do your kids spend most of their time?

There is something you can do about this: limit chemicals in your home. It’s time to make a change for the health of your family. Shaklee’s Get Clean green cleaning products are the solution to a healthier home.

Have a great week and remember a better tomorrow starts with what you eat today!

Do you have a favorite meatless recipe you would like to share with us? Send it my way!

Wishing you health and wellness from the inside out,

Lisa

LQ WELLNESS

Professional Wellness Coach

973-383-0955

lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com

Interested in Optimal Wellness? Take a look at products available here!

Make sure to follow me on Twitter @lq_wellness

Like me on Facebook

Follow me on Pinterest

“Respect your body. Eat well. Dance forever.”

~ Eliza Gaynor Minden ~

Meatless Monday: Squeezing In Fruits and Vegetables

One Step At a Time...

You Can Go Meatless

For All Three Meals

When you were a young, your Mother probably struggled to get you to eat enough fruits and vegetables. Now that you're grown up, you may be struggling to follow through on Mom's advice on your own.

Fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants, yet many adult women find it a chore to eat the recommended amount of five to nine servings every day. It's especially challenging with today's stressful lifestyles that juggle careers with motherhood, but by following just a few of these tips you'll go a long way towards reaching your daily quota:

Make it a habit to include fruit or vegetables with breakfast, and you'll be getting a head start on your daily intake right away. Add veggies to your omelet and berries or banana slices to your cereal or pancakes, or try a smoothie made with yogurt and fruit.

Have fruit or vegetables as a snack, and pair them with something else to make them easier to consume. Carrots, cucumbers, and red pepper slices go great with hummus, and fruit is a natural match for cheese.

Have a vegetable-based soup with your lunchtime sandwich instead of chips. Soup provides one of the tastiest ways to eat your veggies, and the varieties available are endless, so you're sure to find a favorite that provides you with a full serving.

An 8-ounce glass of vegetable or fruit juice counts as a serving. Just be sure to check the label to make sure it contains 100 percent juice, rather than a small percentage added to high fructose corn syrup and water. V8's V-Fusion beverages contain nothing but juice and fruit and vegetable products with no added sweeteners. Or consider buying a good quality juicer, and have fun creating your own tasty combinations.

Eat a fruity dessert. Traditional pies are high in calories and fat, but fruit tarts and cobblers provide the same taste for fewer calories. For simpler desserts, make your own chunky applesauce; try grilled fruit kabobs made of sliced pineapple and bananas; or drizzle cut figs with honey and crumbled Gorgonzola cheese.

Food manufacturers are jumping on the healthy snack bandwagon by incorporating real fruit and vegetables into their products, so keep an eye out for them when you go grocery shopping. Some breakfast cereals contain dehydrated fruit such as bananas and strawberries, and Frito-Lay's Flat Earth product line of snack chips provide a half serving of produce in every ounce.

Pick your own fruit when it's in season. Not only is apple, strawberry or blueberry picking a fun activity (especially with the family), but you'll also be more motivated to use up the fruit right away.Try a fruit or vegetable you've never tasted before, and you may discover it's something you can't get enough of. Pomegranates and figs usually come into season in the fall, and unusual tropical fruits start appearing in your supermarket in the winter.

Buying fresh produce when it's in season such as squash during the autumn months means you'll enjoy them when they're at their tastiest.The key is to get so used to eating fruits and vegetables as part of a daily diet that you couldn't imagine meals without them. You will thank your Mother... and your body will thank you!

Healthy Meatless Recipe:

Eggplant Parmesan Quinoa Casserole

(Adapted from The Iron You)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa (you’ll need about 1 cup of uncooked quinoa)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 large eggplant (about 1 lb), cubed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• a handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 29 oz (good tasting or your own) tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) 
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated*
• ½ cup Romano cheese, grated*
  *Vegans: sub this with vegan cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 8x8 baking dish.
• Fill a large bowl with cold water, add one teaspoon of sea salt and stir until it dissolves completely. Place eggplant cubes into the water and let sit for 20 minutes to draw out the bitterness.
• Drain the eggplant cubes and pat them dry.
• Heat olive oil in a large non-stick pan (or skillet) over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and ½ teaspoon of sea salt and saute’ for 6 to 7 minutes, or until onions are translucent.
• Add eggplant cubes and saute’ for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, making sure that the eggplant doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Add tomato sauce, basil and ½ teaspoon of sea salt, turn the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 25 to 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, in another dry non-stick pan (or skillet) over medium-high heat, toast quinoa with red pepper flakes, black pepper and a pinch of salt for 2 minutes. Set aside.
• In a large bowl combine quinoa, eggplant sauce and ½ cup of Parmesan cheese.
• Transfer quinoa mixture to baking dish, top with remaining Parmesan and Romano cheeses.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes and then turn the broiler on and broil for 1 to 2 minutes and carefully brown the top.
• Remove for the over and top with fresh oregano leaves (or basil ribbons). Allow to sit 10 minutes and then serve.
• Serves 6 and this casserole will be better the next day or even the day after that.
  
  
  

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Healthy Weekly Motivator

Talk It Out

Although it can be hard to discuss stressful situations, keeping perspective and coming up with potential solutions is an important part of remaining calm and moving forward.

Friends or coworkers - who are often facing similar issues or have advice from past experiences - can provide the perfect support system to help you do just that.

If you feel stressed this week, ask friends or family to lend an ear. They may be able to offer insight that you wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

Remember Green Goes With Everything

Let's Do Fall House Cleaning

Let's get every nook and cranny spick-and-span for winter. And let's make sure you do it right with products that are SAFE, especially around your little ones. Powerful against even the most stubborn dirt; Green for the planet; and Smart on your wallet. In other words,let's try Shaklee's Get Clean products.

Get Clean: Safe for you, your home, and your planet. To learn more click here.

Have a great week and remember a better tomorrow starts with what you eat today!

Do you have a favorite meatless recipe you would like to share with us? Send it my way!

Wishing you health and wellness from the inside out,

Lisa

LQ WELLNESS

Professional Wellness Coach

973-383-0955

lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com

Interested in Optimal Wellness? Take a look at products available here!

Make sure to follow me on Twitter @lq_wellness

Like me on Facebook

Follow me on Pinterest

“As I see it, every day you do one of two things:

build health or produce disease in yourself.”

~Adelle Davis~