Eat beans to lower your risk for Type 2 Diabetes!

A new study has found that eating beans can lower your risk for diabetes. Lentils, chickpeas, and peas may be particularly helpful, especially when substituting them foreggs, bread, rice, and baked potato. http://www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com/article/S0261-5614(17)30106-1/fulltext Check out this awesome recipe for curried lentils: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=111

Overnight Oats in the Mason Jar: A Winning Snack or Breakfast!

I have a new favorite way to make oatmeal that I use as a meal or snack. I use a mason jar, add oats, liquid (see my recipe below) nuts and fruit, shake, then store in the refrigerator, or pack in an insulated cooler/bag to take with you. I find it takes about an hour for the ingredients to mix and for the oats to absorb the liquid. Most times I make it the night before. While you can microwave the oatmeal in the jar (after removing the cap and lid), I actually enjoy the texture of eating it cold. It makes the perfect portable meal or snack for people on the go!

Tips from Quaker Oats:

• For best results, let oats soak in the fridge for a full 8 hours so they can absorb all the liquid. Of course, a few hours is OK too.
• Use a one-to-one ratio of raw oats and your choice of milk, yogurt, or any other dairy substitutes.
• For a more crunchy, textured breakfast, set some toppings aside to add in the morning.
• Achieve maximum texture with Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. Although, we won't stop you from trying it with Instant or Steel Cut Oats, too!
• Overnight Oats taste delicious in any container, so mix it up with mason jars, mugs, even hollowed out fruit!
• Frozen fruit toppings work especially well when soaking overnight - as they "thaw", the delicious juices are released into the oats!

Source: http://www.quakeroats.com/cooking-and-recipes/overnightoats

 Tricia’s simple recipe:

Overnight Oatmeal Blueberry Delight

¼   cup old fashioned oats
¼  cup milk (dairy, soy, etc.)
1/3 cup blueberries
8 pecans

217 calories, 24 g carbs, 7 g protein, 12 g fa

A Quick Potato!

Potatoes are rich in fiber, iron, and Vitamin C and a medium one has 160 calories. Check out these two quick ways for making a potato!

Rapid-Fire Potato Recipe: 

1.    Pierce a potato with a fork 5-6 times all around the potato
2.    Microwave for approximately 5-8 minutes, rotating halfway through
3.    Enjoy!

Here are some healthy potato topping ideas:

1.    Cut open and add light sour cream, black beans and salsa for a yummy Mexican flair. Add spinach to this to make it a meal.
2.    Cut open and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, basil, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder and parmesan cheese for an Italian flavor

French Fry Alternative Recipe:

Another fun way to cook potatoes in the microwave is to take a potato and slice thin and lay out the slices on a large microwave-safe plate. Microwave for 4-5 minutes and then flip the slices over and microwave another 4-5 minutes. Dip into ketchup and enjoy! 

Here is a quick and mouthwatering Black Bean-Smothered Sweet Potato Recipe from Eating Well.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Delight

I love that the only ingredient in Old-fashioned oats is oats! Oatmeal with peanut butter is one of my favorite things to eat!

Ingredients: 
¼ cup Old Fashioned Oats
¼ cup Water
1-2 tsp Peanut Butter
Fruit (blueberries, strawberries, ½ banana, etc.)
Optional: ¼ - 1/3 cup of Plain Greek Yogurt

Directions:

1. Place oats in microwave-safe bowl
2. Add water
3. Microwave for 1.5 minutes
4. Stir
5. Microwave for an additional 1-1.5 minutes (microwave times may vary)
6. Mix in 1-2 tsp peanut butter (Teddie is my favorite brand!)
7. Mix in your favorite fruit
8. Optional: Add a scoop of yogurt on top if you want to increase the protein content of your breakfast or want to make it more filling. 

Yield: 1 serving
165 Calories per serving using ½ banana and 1 tsp peanut butter

Tips:

• If you buy the old fashioned oats in the large canister and use ¼ cup at a time as suggested on the left, you will get 60 servings, and it will only cost you pennies per serving.
• If you double the oats, double the water.
• Avoid pre-packaged oatmeal which often has many additives. Look for plain oatmeal and add your own toppings.
• Can be eaten as a breakfast or a snack.

Nutrient of Note: Zucchini

One of my clients made Dr. Oz’s Italian Bowl and absolutely loved it. I took the original recipe, and updated it to include more ingredient and preparation details, and parsley to give it an extra kick. The updated recipe appears below.

Zucchini noodles have become popular because they taste like pasta, but are much lower in calories and starchy carbohydrates. Spiralizers are kitchen gadgets that can help turn the zucchini into noodles. I looked at the reviews of them, which led me to buy the Paderno Spiralizer and Spiralizer cookbook at William Sonoma. What an awesome device! 

Comparison of Carbs and Calories in 1 Cup of Whole Wheat Spaghetti compared with 1 Cup of Zucchini Noodles

Nutrient of Note: Zucchini

Zucchini may be helpful for your eyes due to its high content of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These nutrients protect against macular degeneration. Zucchini is also rich in fiber and copper, a nutrient important for making collagen, a structural protein in the body. Copper is also important for energy production and antioxidant protection. Zucchini is a good source of Vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, and potassium. A whole medium zucchini has approximately 35 calories, which makes it a weight-management superfood! 

Italian Turkey Bowl over Zucchini Noodles

Ingredients

• 2 T canola oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 1b 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 can unsalted diced tomato (use the liquid, too, don’t drain)
• ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/8 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• dash salt (optional) and pepper
• 2 medium zucchini (green and/or yellow), turned into noodles with spiralizer
• 1 tsp parmesan cheese (reduced fat feta cheese also goes well with this recipe)

1. Heat up canola oil in frying pan.
2. Add onion and cook 3-5 minutes until tender, stirring frequently.
3. Add garlic and cook for 3 additional minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add ground turkey. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring and breaking it apart frequently.
5. Add diced tomatoes, parsley, and basil.
6. Add a dash of salt (optional) and pepper.
7. Cook for approximately 11 more minutes. Temperature with a food thermometer should be at least 165 degrees before removing mixture from pot.
8. Remove mixture from pot and place zucchini noodles in the pot. 
9. Cook noodles for 2-3 minutes. Flip with tongs as you cook it.
10. Place noodles on plate, with turkey mixture over it, sprinkle on cheese, and enjoy!