Vegetable of the Month

Hey, guess what?  This is Snack Sweat Spirit's 100th post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a great day to bring you another tasty Vegetable of the Month :D!




Drumroll please!


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It's RHUBARB!!!

Though this leafy plant is often associated with fruit, it is indeed actually a veggie!  Once revered for its medicinal properties, today rhubarb's fruity flavour is enjoyed during the springtime before most other fruits are available locally.  These ruby red stalks are just coming out of season in Ontario, so get them while they're still available!

According to the Canadian Nutrient File, 1 cup of diced raw rhubarb will yield...

• only 27 calories!  Almost 0 fat, only 5g of carbohydrate, and 1g of protein
• Over 2g of fibre, helping you feel fuller longer!
• About 11% of your daily calcium needs 
• About 8% of your daily potassium needs, an important mineral that aids in digestive and kidney health, and may help to lower blood pressure
• About 13% of your Vitamin C!

EatRightOntario, run by the Dietitians of Canada, and Canadian Living have great articles about the benefits of rhubarb, preparation ideas, how to choose rhubarb, and how to store and freeze it.  Here are a few highlights to help you enjoy this veggie as soon as possible!

Look for rhubarb that is still crisp, not soft or saggy (kind of like when you're looking for celery).  The stalks should be straight, brightly coloured, and (if the leaves are still attached) have bright unblemished leaves.  However, do not eat the leaves.  Rhubarb leaves contain a compound called oxalic acid, which can be harmful or even fatal to humans if consumed.  The leaves can be safely composted though, so no need to worry about tossing them in your pile.  Store your rhubarb in the fridge, or freeze by washing, boiling for about 2 minutes (blanching), chopping into small pieces and store in an airtight bag.

Most people are familiar with rhubarb paired with fruity preparations, like strawberry rhubarb jam, and of course strawberry rhubarb pie (mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm).  But this veggie can be used in many different ways!  It can be baked into muffins or breads, fermented into wine, enjoyed in jams and compotes, and included in desserts like tarts, pies, trifles and cakes.  It also pairs beautifully in sauces and chutneys with pork or chicken.  The recipe below comes to you from Foodland Ontario:

Rhubarb Chutney

3 cups chopped rhubarb stalks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 apple, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup raisins
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves

In a medium saucepan, combine the rhubarb, sugar, water, raisins and ginger.  Cook at medium heat, covered and stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until the sauce is thickened and the fruit has softened. Stir in the salt, cinnamon and cloves.
If you wish to store this chutney, pour it into clean and sterilized jars (run them through the dishwasher) and refrigerate for up to 1 month.  Try this chutney over grilled pork chops or tenderloin for a tangy surprise!

What's your favourite summer veggie?  Leave me a comment, it could be next month's veggie!

Staying on track while on staycation

It's almost Canada Day!  And if you aren't Canadian, well, there's probably another holiday coming up for you sometime in the next couple of weeks too :)

Tradition for me on Canada Day is to go to my friend's cottage for 3 or 4 days for a weekend of debauchery, copious drink and not-so-WW-friendly food.  Don't get me wrong - I do generally still try to eat well while away for this beach extravaganza, but it can be hard to do so when my fellow cottagers have brought only sacks of meat, bags of chips/junky snack foods, and several 24's of beer.

I've been to the cottage while actively losing weight, and several more times while maintaining my weight.  What gives?  How can someone attend such a social gathering and still stay even remotely on track???  Here are a few of my tried-and-true tricks to help you stay on plan while on staycation.  (stay-cay?)

• Bring your own food.  My friends and I usually do a group grocery shop for the cottage and split the costs.  I try to go with them to the store (if the timing works out that I'm actually there when the shop happens) to make sure that some healthy things make it into the cart.  My friends usually end up eating it too, since they might not have bought it themselves, but once it's in the house they will happily eat it. I make sure to bring or stock up on veggies for the grill or for fresh salads, lean meats for the grill (chicken breasts, lean ground meats to make hamburgers, etc), and bring lots of healthy snacks (see below).
• Bring your own snacks.  Though my friends are happier to bring a carload of chips and junky snacks, I always always bring snacks that I know I will feel good eating.  I'm one of those unfortunate people who really can't eat just one chip or salty snack - I will eat the entire bag.  In minutes.  Uncontrollably.  After nearly 7 years of maintained weight loss, I've learned that I simply can't have those things around lest I demolish them.  To avoid going anywhere near them at the cottage and throwing myself under the wagon (not just off the wagon, I would get run over by it :P), I bring my own snacks and gladly share them with friends.  On the way to the cottage, grab a bag of apples, oranges, cherries, peaches, or other in-season fruit, and some easy-to-cut and munch veggies like celery, cucumbers, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, and bell peppers.  I also always stop at a bulk store before I head out of town to get other healthy snacks, like dry roasted unsalted almonds, dried apricots, pineapples or other fruits, mini pretzels, and a low-sodium trail mix.  
• Look for nutritional info at your bulk store (e.g. Bulk Barn has nutrition info right on the bins) to pick snacks that will keep you on track - lower in sodium, lower in sugar, and higher in protein and fibre.  Watch for the portion sizes as well!  I sometimes will portion my trail mix and nuts out into little snack baggies so that I know I won't overindulge.
• Be active.  In years past, cottage weekend meant doing little beyond moving from bed to the kitchen, kitchen to the beach chair, and not much else.  There is always an opportunity to be active, wherever you go.  My friends invested in a bocce ball set a couple of years ago, keeping us up and moving on the beach.  We also have a volleyball, and a couple of badminton rackets (no nets for either).  But you don't need fancy equipment to stay active - go for a walk along the beach, do some yoga, swim in the lake, or just have fun in the sand - build a sandcastle, dig for shells, whatever.
• Pace yourself.  In Canada, "cottage weekend" is synonymous with "drink yourself stupid".  If it's possible to just say no to the booze altogether, more power to you.  However it can be very hard to sustain that, especially when all of your friends are having drinks.  If you do decide to drink, make it a conscious choice, and make a decision to pace yourself over the weekend.  Generally, my friends operate on a BYOB system, so to control how much booze I'm going to drink, I simply don't bring as much with me!  Instead of a 24, bring a 6 or 12 pack to last the weekend.  Drink lots of water in between to keep well-hydrated, especially when you're spending time outside.  

The absolute most important thing about going to the cottage or wherever you're going is to have fun!  And, if you end up getting off track, don't beat yourself up over it.  It happens.  In fact, it can sometimes be worthwhile to give yourself a break from your program and have a social life - however it's even more worthwhile to get back on track as soon as you can!  If you blow it for a day or two - forgive yourself, and get back on track the next day or the next meal.  You can still meet your goals despite long weekends getting in the way!

How do you stay on track while on vacation?

Vegetable of the month

It's that time again!  This month's veggie is..........................






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Fiddleheads!!!

Fiddle whaaaat?

Fiddleheads are in season at this time of year, and won't be around for long!  Get these tasty little ferns while you still can :)

So what is a fiddlehead?  They are the curled up fronds of young ferns - left on their own, they would eventually uncurl and turn into ferns, but when harvested at this stage, they make for a tasty veggie.  The taste and texture somewhat resembles asparagus, though with a bit of leafiness - not everyone is a fan of the taste of fiddleheads, but if you've never tried them it's worth a go!

Fiddleheads are not cultivated through traditional large farming methods, but picked by individuals along the side of rivers and streams.  As a result, they might be a bit tricky to find at grocery stores, but are often found at farmer's markets and your local fruit and vegetable stands.  Look for fiddleheads that are tightly curled, and a bright green colour without much brown spotting.

What's so great about fiddleheads anyway?  Per 1/2 cup serving, according to the Canadian Nutrient File...

• only 21 calories!
• 16% of a woman's vitamin A needs
• over 21% of your vitamin C needs
• over 21% of your niacin needs
• low in sodium, but high in phosphorus, so this veggie can be helpful for people on very low-sodium diets

How do I prepare fiddleheads?

Because fiddleheads are cut close to the ground, they hold the potential to contain bacteria.  As a result, Health Canada recommends that fiddleheads only be consumed when cooked.  Before cooking, brush off any brown scaly bits, then wash thoroughly with cold running water and trim off the bottom of the stems (like asparagus, the ends of the stems can be tough and woody).  

There are many ways to prepare and eat fiddleheads.  Try boiling them in lightly salted water for 10 minutes, then drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.  Or, sautee with garlic and a bit of butter for a flavourful side dish.  Spice it up by adding a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.  Fiddleheads can be used much like asparagus in recipes, such as pastas, omelettes, quiches, and salads.

How can you enjoy the goodness of fiddleheads later in the year when they're so seasonal?  Fear not -- fiddleheads can be frozen too!  Before you freeze your fiddleheads, you'll need to wash them well and boil to prevent bacterial growth.  Cook till fork tender, drain, rinse with cold water and lay them on a paper towel.  When the fiddleheads are completely cooled and dried off, put them into an airtight plastic baggie and try to get all of the air out before you seal it up and freeze.  Enjoy your fiddleheads within a few months for optimal goodness!

Happy eating!

Bye bye hair!

Yesterday I got a haircut.  Exciting, right??

My hair has been pretty long for a few years now, but lately it's gotten to the point of being so long that it's just annoying.  It gets stuck on things (under my purse or backpack, under my shoulder when I sleep, trapped under boyfriend's arm and then I struggle to move without pulling my scalp off), and it doesn't have a style - just kind of hangs there, so I just leave it in a ponytail all the time because it won't really do anything else.  It's also outrageously thick, so if it's not in a ponytail, it feels like wearing a parka all the time!

It was time for this cray hair to go.

Called my local Aveda Institute, where I've been getting my hair cut for several years (because where else can you get a really good quality haircut for $25?!) to make an appointment for "just a cut".

When I walked in, it looked like this:

When I walked out, I looked like this:

And had this in my hand:

So... that escalated quickly!  I decided on the way to get my hair cut that - you know - I want to lose a lot of this hair, so maybe it might be long enough to donate!  I've actually donated hair once before about 6 or 7 years ago.  I figure that if it's so long that I'm not having fun with it anymore, then I might as well lop it off and give someone else the opportunity to have thick long hair instead.  And, since I'm still a poor and starving student, I don't have any money to give to charity, but hey!  I can put my talent of ridiculously fast hair growth to good use :P

I've donated my 9.5" of luscious locks to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program, where it will be put together with other people's donated hair to be made into wigs for cancer patients.

Interested in donating?  Here are some things you should know:

• Find an organization to donate to.  The Canadian Cancer Society has a list on their website that you can start with!  There are also US organizations, such as Locks for Love.
• Check the minimum requirements of the organization you want to donate to.  Each organization has slightly different requirements, but generally, you will need a minimum of 8-10" of clean hair cut straight off of your head in a ponytail or braid (i.e. not cut and swept off the floor).  Some organizations will accept hair with minimal processing or with a small percentage of grey hair, but not all will accept this.  Generally, "virgin hair" (i.e. not dyed or chemically processed) is preferable.
• Bring a plastic baggie with you to the hair salon.  Otherwise you'll be carrying a ponytail home with you, and it might be awkward :P  You'll need to mail your hair to the organization in a baggie anyway.
• Mail your hair by regular mail, preferably in a padded envelope.  Make sure to include your name and address on a separate slip inside the envelope, as most organizations will send you a confirmation that your hair has been received.

Fluffy pumpkin pancakes

I bought a can of puree pumpkin, because I sometimes like to put it in my oatmeal or make pumpkin-blueberry smoothies.  But I wound up with nearly half of a can left over, and I was sick of eating oatmeal/smoothies after a while.  I couldn't just let that tasty canned veggie go to waste, so what's a girl to do??

Fluffy pumpkin pancakes!

I experimented with a few recipes, but this one produced the fluffiest, most filling breakfast ever.  It's originally from the Dietitians of Canada website, though I adapted it a bit because I didn't have all of the ingredients that it asked for.

Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes
Yields about 12 pancakes

2 cups flour (I only had all-purpose available, but you could use 1 cup all purpose and 1 cup whole wheat)
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
(^^ note, if you have pumpkin pie spice, you can use that in place of these three spices)
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp white vinegar

1. In a bowl, combine your flour(s), brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. 
2. In a second bowl, combine the egg, milk, pumpkin, oil and vinegar. 
3. Get ready to work quickly -- start by getting a frying pan or griddle heated over medium heat.  Spray with cooking spray or use a small amount of canola oil to prevent sticking.
4. Combine your pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Mix it all together well.
5. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of the mixture for each pancake, plop it onto the frying pan and spread it out a little bit (my pancakes ended up being about 5 or 6cm in diameter).  Cook for about 2 minutes each side, till it starts getting bubbly around the edge and turns golden brown.  Flip over and cook for about 2 minutes on the other side.
6. Transfer the cooked pancakes to a plate and keep cooking the remaining batter.

Ohhhhhhh boy! I topped my pancakes with blueberries and a drizzle of maple syrup for a filling, fluffy, fabulous breakfast.  The remaining pancakes can be kept in a covered container in the fridge to eat for breakfast tomorrow and the next day (I imagine that they could also be frozen as well) - just pop it in your toaster oven or microwave when you're ready to eat.

I entered this information into MyFitnessPal's recipe builder and popped out this nutrition info for two pancakes (and note that this was using only all-purpose flour - fibre content would be much improved with whole wheat mixed in):

• 215 calories
• 6g fat
• 7g protein
• 1g fibre
• 35g carbohydrate
• 139mg sodium

PS, that picture is from my Instagram - what?  Didn't know that I post on Instagram?  Follow me at evans_miche for more gastronomic adventures  

Vegetable of the Month

It's that time again!

This month's veggie is....

Sweet Potatoes!

We already talked once about potatoes, but sweet potatoes are a whole other breed unto themselves.  These popular potatoes have a much sweeter flavour (duh) than regular potatoes, and are a bright, colourful addition to your plate.

Here's the scoop!

According to the Canadian Nutrient File, one medium sweet potato (about 130g, including skin) contains:

• Only 112 calories!  FOR A WHOLE SWEET POTATO!
• 26g of carbohydrate
• 2g of protein
• about 4g of fibre
• practically zero fat!
• More than 100% of your daily Vitamin A needs!!
• 3% of your daily folate needs
• 4% of a woman's daily iron needs (9% for men)
• 9% of your daily potassium needs (more than 1 medium banana!)

Sweet potatoes are available year round and - yes!  They're available in Ontario right now!

Are sweet potatoes and yams the same thing?
No.  Though they look very similar from the outside, they taste quite different on the inside.  Yams are starchier and drier than sweet potatoes, and tend to be grown primarily in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.  Sweet potatoes have a much lower glycemic index than yams (meaning that they won't cause large spikes in blood glucose), and are higher in beta-carotene than yams.  In North America, chances are good that you're eating sweet potatoes, even though they might be mislabeled as yams.
This doesn't mean that yams are bad for you or not full of great nutritive value though - they're still super sources of fibre and potassium, still have no fat, and just a tad more calories than a sweet potato.  If you're looking for actual yams, you might have to look farther than your neighbourhood grocery store - they're sold in international stores and Caribbean grocery stores, but not often in your local No Frills.

How to use sweet potatoes

Just like regular potatoes, sweet potatoes are very versatile and can be enjoyed in many ways - roasted, mashed, fried, baked, in chunks in soups and stews.  It can even be made into pie :)

Conveniently, I happened to be making sweet potato fries this week anyway.  Behold!

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
Don't like things spicy?  Just take out the cayenne and crushed red pepper.  You can add other flavours like cinnamon and nutmeg, or garlic powder, or keep it simple with just salt and pepper.

• 2 sweet potatoes
• about 1-2 Tbsp canola oil, just enough to lightly coat the fries (I use canola because it has a more neutral taste and a lower smoke point to prevent accidental smoke detector incidents. You can totes use olive oil if you have that instead)
• about 1tsp each cayenne and crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to your taste)
• salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 to 1tsp of each)

1. Preheat your oven to 450 C.

2. Cut your sweet potatoes into fry shapes, trying to get each piece around the same size so that they all cook evenly.  You can make big chunky wedge fries or thinner McDonalds-sized fries, whatever your taste.

3. Meanwhile, put your fries into a bowl, along with your spices, salt and pepper, and oil.  Mix mix mix...

4. Arrange your fries in a single layer on the sheet.  This is important -- they need to be in a single layer and, ideally, have a bit of space around them in order to get good and crispy :)!  Some people report that using parchment paper can help make crispiness happen.  Plain old baking sheets also work well, but look out for sticking.  

5. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip them over to cook on the other side, and cook for another 10-15 minutes.

6. Eat.  Om nom nom nom...

Voila - crispy fries!  And with only about 2 Tbsp of oil in that ENTIRE recipe, they're a much healthier version than the deep-fried version sold at your local burger joint.

*tap tap* This thing still on?

Wow.  So remember back when I was all "I'm going to post at least once a month, if nothing else to give you a veggie of the month!".  And then remember how that didn't happen?

Hi.

The last 4 months have been cray.  Like, really cray.  I've been in school (full course load), working 5 jobs, sat on two student organizations doing events and communications, and was dealing with the EPIC STRESS of dietetic internship applications.  More on that later.

Long story short is that school is now DONE.  DOOOOOOOOONNNNEEE!!!!  No more classes, no more books, no more assignments or exams or deadlines DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I managed to cram a four year undergraduate degree into three years by working my BUTT off, taking full course loads every semester (including the summers - I've had exactly two weeks of summer vacation the last two years). I volunteered everywhere.  I've also managed to do it all without getting into debt, thanks to managing between 3-5 jobs each year and definitely thanks to the support of my awesome family and boyfriend.  I couldn't have done it without them, and I owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude.

So.  Now what?

In January/February I applied to dietetic internships and graduate schools to finish what I started and become a Registered Dietitian.  Let me tell you - this process was brutal.  It was very stressful to manage the applications (really, the application process is a whole course in itself.  It was super hard to manage all that while already taking a full course load and writing midterms during the interview period).  Across the country, an estimated 30% of applicants will actually get an internship spot, so I really wasn't expecting much.  I wanted it bad, but I didn't want to have any expectation of succeeding at all.  After all, most of the people I knew last year who applied for the first time didn't get in.  After three straight years of hard ass work, of sacrifice and struggling, it was all over.  On internship selection day, my boyfriend was out of town for business.  I whined: "The ONE DAY that I need you the most, and you're GONE OUT OF TOWN!?!??!  Whether its good news or bad, I'm going to be crying hysterically!"   

I got an email on internship selection day:

WHAT??????

It was probably a good thing that boyfriend wasn't home that day.  It was a tremendous ugly cry, giggle fit, hysterical screeching kind of a day.  On the way to class later that morning, I cried four times on the 30 minute subway ride to campus.

This fall, I will be a dietetic intern at the University Health Network, a network of four hospitals in Toronto (Toronto Western, Toronto General, Princess Margaret, and Toronto Rehab) which are among the best of the best in the country.  AND THEY WANTED ME!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm officially an RD-to-be!


Now that all of that drama has passed, all of the school is DONE FOREVER (for real this time - second undergrad degree complete!), I have much more time on my hands over the summer to pay attention to blogging.  What can you expect coming up?

- Graduation!
- Prepping for internship, and the life of a dietetic intern (coming in the fall)
- Fun with fitness!
- Recipes and nutrition information
- More vegetables and/or fruits of the month
- More??? (you tell me!  What would you like to see?)

After a waaaay too long hiatus, I'm happy to be back!  You can expect your next veggie of the month to pop up sometime in the next day or two.

And, anyone reading this who is interested in the dietetic internship process, what to expect, etc., please don't hesitate to comment and I will gladly get back to you.  I might make another post about it when internship application time comes up again next year, but given how my promises to post things have gone lately, I wouldn't hold your breath over it :P