High Protein, Good Fiber Convenience Snack @kaysnaturals #glutenfree #wls

Product Review

Kay's Naturals Gluten-free 

Cinnamon Almond 

Protein Cookie Bites

We can't nibble on fruits and veggies all the time. Every now and then it is okay to indulge in convenience foods - only after reading the product label, of course! Nutrients in Kay's Naturals product line caught my attention for being gluten-free, low fat, and high in fiber and protein. And, the whole 1 ounce bag was under 150 calories.

Everyone in my family gave these protein bites a thumbs up, but we would not describe them as "cookies". They reminded us more like a cereal puff. Their stevia sweetened, cinnamon flavor is pleasant and their texture is light and crunchy. They can also be mixed with added nuts and dried fruit. 

• This protein snack is suitable for those on gluten-free diets and for post-op weight loss surgery patients who have low sugar and higher protein needs. They are available online direct from Kay's Naturals or from many different online retailers. Other flavors include Cinnamon and Honey Almond.

Excellent source: Protein
Good Source: dietary Fiber and Iron
Blog post and photo Copyright (C)2013 Wind. All rights reserved.

You'll go nuts when u learn the highest food source of Selenium! #GardenCuizine

Brazil Nuts
highest source of trace mineral
Selenium

Recently, I had a patient ask me about the trace mineral Selenium. She wanted to know what Selenium was good for. I remembered learning about Selenium at Rutgers. My professor told us a story of someone who actually got sick from eating too many brazil nuts. Brazil nuts are the highest food source of Selenium.  

As I was writing up my patient's nutrition assessment, one of South Jersey Healthcare's dietetic interns stopped by to say hello. He asked me if I had ever seen a brazil nut fresh off the tree. "No," I replied. So this weekend, I tracked down some great photos taken by Lior Golgher (shown) that shows what brazil nuts look like clustered inside the fresh cut fruit. The outer shell looks like a crater and reminds me of a coconut.

Brazil nut trees (Bertholletia excelsa) grow in the Amazon Rain Forest and can grow really tall - over 150 feet. One tree can produce 250 pounds of nuts!

Selenium is essential for good health but is only required in small amounts. The body uses Selenium to make antioxidant enzymes called selenoproteins, which may contribute to prevention of chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. 

GardenCuizine Nutrition Data Brazil nuts
Excellent Source: Selenium, Magnesium,Copper
Good Source: Thiamin  
One ounce (28 grams): 184 calories; total fat 19g; saturated fat 4g; monounsaturated fat 7g; polyunsaturated fat 6g; total carbohydrate 3g; dietary fiber 2g (8% DV); protein 4g (8% DV); Vitamin E 2 mg (8% DV); Thiamin 0.2 (12% DV); Magnesium 105 mg (26% DV); Phosphorus 203 mg (20%); Copper 0.5 mg (24% DV); Selenium 534 mcg (767% YIKES over the upper limit recommended for safe eating!!) Enjoy a few at a time or in with a variety of mixed nuts.

Besides brazil nuts, other food sources of selenium include tuna, cod, chicken breast meat, sunflower seed kernels and beef chuck roast. 

Selenium RDA

Kids age 1-3	Kids age 4-8	M/F age 9-13	M/F 14 - >70	Pregnant 14-50
20 mcg/d	30 mcg/d	40 mcg/d	55 mcg/d	60 mcg/d
UL: 90	150	280	400	400

M/F = males/females. Mcg/d = micrograms per day. UL = Upper Limit. RDA data courtesy of Diana Wind, RD using Institute of Medicine reference tables.
Photos Copyright (C) Lior Golgher Picasa Public Web Albums. A fresh cut Brazil nut fruit near Jauaperi River, Lower Rio Branco-Rio Jauaperi Extractive Reserve, Brazil.
Related Links:
What is Selenium? Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet 
Rainforest Alliance Brazil Nut Trees 
Heart Healthy Fats from Nuts
Blog post Copyright (C) 2013 Wind. All rights reserved.

@HungryHappening @SuperBowl Football Veggie Fritters (Mücver) #GardenCuizine

Super Bowl Appetizers - Football Shaped Zucchini Fritters
(aka, Mücver)

Yes, a dietitian will tell you that in moderation even fried foods can fit into a healthy diet.

 Visit Hungry Happenings for the story, ingredients and recipe.

Fun at our local Farm! Stinging Nettles @cherrygrovefarm Artisan Cheese #GardenCuizine @SuperBowl snacks

 Cherry Grove Farm

Look for local farms and CSA's in your area to seek out fresh eggs, fruits, vegetables, herbs, local honey, jams, apple butter, organic meats and other sustainable local fare. We recently discovered Cherry Grove Farm in Lawrenceville, New Jersey in the Princeton area; they even make their own handcrafted farmstead cheeses. 

For Superbowl Sunday snacks we're trying one of their award winning cheese blends made with stinging nettles - Full Nettle Jack. Cheese can add nutrients, especially calcium, to your diet, but cheese can also add fat and sodium. Select reduced fat varieties when available and keep the portion sizes small and bite-sized. Serve cheese atop low sodium, multigrain crackers; melt cheese over veggies or multigrain nachos; enjoy shredded cheese atop salads and prepared foods.

Artisan Cheese with Greens = a Winning combo
Artisan cheese with Nettles...what is that? We used to have herbaceous perennial Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica) growing near our garden that I actually planted there on purpose; and someone (we won't mention any names) dug them out to get rid of them thinking they were unwanted weeds, which to many they are. Stinging Nettles can actually be eaten like other nutritious weed greens - ie dandelion, purslane, violets, watercress. Nettles contain nutrients that include dietary fiber, calcium and vitamin A. 

Go @Ravens!

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis Stinging Nettles: calculated by Diana Wind, RD from USDA Nutrient Database 
Excellent Source: dietary Fiber, Calcium, Vitamin A
Good Source: Magnesium 
1 cup (89g): 37 calories; dietary Fiber 6g (24% DV); Calcium 428 mg (42% DV); Iron 1.5 mg (8% DV); Magnesium 51mg (13% DV); Potassium 297mg (8.5% DV); Riboflavin 0.142 mg (8% DV); Vitamin A 1790 IU (36% DV); Lutein + Zeaxanthin 3718 mcg

Related Links
Test your Cheese Knowledge 
Edible Wild Plants
Photo collage and blog post Copyright (C)2013 Wind. All rights reserved.