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Resolutionary Foods: Four Healthy Ways

Four recipes for salad, shakes, and cookies

by Victoria Abbott Riccardi

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Credit: Howard L. Puckett

Credit: Howard L. Puckett

Credit: Howard L. Puckett

The champagne is gone, the party is over, and the new year has arrived. If you're like most people, you'll resolve to take better care of your health, which usually means giving up a few favorite foods. But since denial so often backfires, we have a better idea: Instead of eliminating certain foods from your diet, pledge to eat specific ones. Our recommendations follow, along with several irresistible recipes to get you started.

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Aside from their terrific taste, fruits and vegetables brim with nutrition, including vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, many of which are antioxidants and show promise in helping to ward off disease. Phytochemicals ("phyto" from the Greek word for plant) are compounds found in plants that team up with nutrients and fiber to help boost the body's immune system and regulate metabolism. The bonus is that the fiber in fruits and vegetables fills you up and keeps you satisfied for longer periods of time than a bag of chips will. Fruit makes a terrific topping for low-fat yogurt or whole-grain cereal at breakfast. It also makes a delectable smoothie, such as the apricot and strawberry Fruit and Fiber Protein Shake below. For lunch, try a vegetable-rich soup, salad, or wrap sandwich. For dinner, pack in the produce with a vegetarian main course, a few sides of cooked veggies, or a supper salad, such as our Warm Chicken Spinach Salad with Oranges, Dates, and Goat Cheese.

Eat More Whole Grains

Whole grains, such as whole wheat, oats, and barley, are an important part of a healthy diet. Unlike refined carbohydrates (a plain bagel made with white flour, for example), which have been overprocessed and stripped of most of their nutrition, whole grains are kept intact and are potent with protein, fiber, and nutrients and may help lower the risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. From a breakfast bowl of oatmeal to our recipe for Soba Noodles Topped with Spicy Miso Scallops, you'll find numerous easy ways to enjoy the nutty, wholesome taste of these cereals.

Eat Good Fats

How to include fats in a healthy diet is a complicated subject. Mono- and polyunsaturated fats are known as "good" fats. These are found in many foods, including nuts and seeds, fish, olives, grains, and certain liquid oils such as olive, canola, soybean, corn, sunflower, and peanut. When eaten in moderation, these fats are beneficial: They're a great energy source, they're one of the building blocks of cell membranes, and they're essential for the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Saturated and trans fats are the bad guys -- these can raise cholesterol levels in the blood, which can lead to heart disease. Cottonseed and palm kernel oils, lard, cheese, cream, butter, and some meats all contain high levels of saturated fat. While some trans fats occur naturally, the majority are created through a process called hydrogenation -- heating vegetable oil in the presence of hydrogen to form a solid fat -- and are found in shortenings and snack foods. Big food manufacturers are keen on trans fats because they have a longer shelf life.

Our simple advice is to add more good fats to your repertoire. Our protein shake includes flaxseeds, which are rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids as well as fiber; our warm supper salad calls for olive oil and olives; and the Nutty Oatmeal Raisin-Chocolate Chip Cookies employ walnuts, peanut butter, and canola oil (instead of butter).

Choose Healthy Sources of Protein

Most nutrition experts agree that the most healthful sources of protein come from legumes (including beans), whole grains, nuts, low-fat dairy products, seafood, egg whites, and lean meats such as skinless chicken breasts, primarily because these foods are low in saturated fat. While protein is vital for cell repair and regulation of many bodily processes, the amount needed per day varies from person to person. Approximately 9 grams of protein per every 20 pounds of body weight is a useful guideline when trying to figure out how much protein to consume each day. Excellent protein choices in our recipes include the soymilk in the breakfast shake, the scallops on the soba noodles, and the chicken on the warm supper salad.

RECIPES:

Soba Noodles Topped with Spicy Miso Scallops

From Yankee Magazine — January 2007

Fish and Seafood Recipes

Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Start to Finish Time: 40 minutes

Yield: Yield: 4 servings

• 3 tablespoons white miso
• 3 tablespoons mirin (rice wine for cooking)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon (or more) garlic-chile paste (we used Sriracha, by Huy Fong Foods)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces soba noodles
• 4 scallions, trimmed and minced
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided
• 1 pound sea scallops, tough side muscles removed and patted dry

In a small bowl, whisk together miso, mirin, vinegar, garlic-chile paste, and garlic; set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add soba and cook 7 minutes; drain and immediately transfer to a large bowl (some cooking water will cling to noodles). Add most of the scallions to noodles (reserve some for garnish) along with 2 tablespoons sesame oil; toss to mix. Cover to keep warm. In a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Add scallops and cook 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and opaque. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Add miso mixture to skillet and cook over medium-high heat until bubbly, about 30 seconds. Pour sauce over soba noodles and toss to coat. Divide noodles among four shallow bowls and top each portion with scallops. Garnish with reserved scallions.

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Warm Chicken spinach Salad with Oranges, Dates, and Goat Cheese

From Yankee Magazine — January 2007

Salads Recipes

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Start to Finish Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

For this salad, arugula makes a fine substitute for spinach, if desired.

• 12 cups baby spinach, rinsed and spun dry
• 2 navel oranges, peeled, sectioned, and sliced into chunks
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped dried dates
• 12 pitted green olives, cut into halves
• 1/4 cup thawed frozen orange
• juice concentrate
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3 4-ounce boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground
• black pepper, to taste
• 3 ounces aged goat cheese, crumbled

Place spinach, oranges, dates, and olives in a large salad bowl; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together juice concentrate, vinegar, and mustard; set aside. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, sauté chicken in oil about 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes more. Stir in juice concentrate mixture and cook about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon warm chicken mixture over salad and gently toss to mix. Portion salad onto dinner plates and top with crumbled goat cheese.

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Fruit and Fiber Protein Shake

From Yankee Magazine — January 2007

Beverages Recipes

Preparation Time: 4 minutes

Start to Finish Time: 5 minutes

Yield: about 3 cups

• 2 tablespoons flaxseeds (or 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds)
• 1 cup whole frozen strawberries (about 10)
• 6 whole dried apricots, pitted
• 1 medium banana, peeled
• 1-1/2 cups low-fat vanilla soymilk, chilled

Place whole flaxseeds (if not using ground) in a clean spice or coffee grinder and whir until seeds are pulverized. Place strawberries, apricots, banana, and soymilk in a blender. Add powdered flaxseeds, cover blender, and process until mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour into glasses and serve.

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