Patricia Chuey

Food and Nutrition Expert | Recipe Developer

Sesame Lentil Slaw

By

Sesame Lentil Salad 002

Not exactly a new food, lentils are one of the world’s first cultivated crops as of about 10,000 years ago. They feed many people. India, Canada, Turkey and Australia are major producers. About a quarter of the world’s lentil supply is grown and consumed in India which has inspired an amazing array of savoury lentil dishes we enjoy in Canada. Canada is the world’s largest exporter of lentils, most of them grown in Saskatchewan.

Lentils are a nutritional superstar yet they keep a pretty low profile. As a great source of fibre, they’re helpful for athletes and anyone looking for more sustained energy or improved blood sugar control. They’re a very affordable plant source of protein and nutrients including folic acid and B vitamins. Every one cup serving of cooked lentils supplies 230 calories, 18 grams of protein, 16 grams of fibre and 37% of daily iron requirements. When included in a meal containing vegetables and grains, the protein in lentils is complete. Everyone should eat lentils. For toddlers, they’re a protein source that can be picked up and eaten by small fingers.

Grown in our country and a nutritional gem, their time has definitely come. Lentils are more than worthy of including at least a couple times each week to replace some or all of the animal protein in a meal. Toss them into stews and pasta sauces. Pureed lentils can be used in hummus-like dips to serve with vegetables or grainy crackers or pita as a snack or to use in place of some of the fat in baked goods like cookies, muffins and loaves.  They can even be stirred in to thicken soups while boosting the protein. Lentils come in various sizes and colours including red, green, brown and black. To cook dry lentils, simple rinse them and then boil 1 cup lentils to 2-3 cups water as for rice. Find more LOTS more delicious lentil recipe ideas at lentils.ca and enjoy them in every season.

Sesame Lentil Slaw    Makes 8 servings

  • 3 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1 T sesame oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 2 tsp sodium-reduced soy sauce
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 2 cups cooked green lentils
  • 3 cups green or Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced or grated
  • 3 cups purple cabbage, thinly sliced or grated
  • 6 green onions, sliced diagonally
  • 2 medium carrots, grated
  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  1. In a glass jar or container with lid, shake together rice vinegar, canola and sesame oil, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sugar. Drizzle about half the dressing over the lentils and allow to marinate in fridge overnight or while you assemble the remainder of the salad.
  2. In a large bowl, combine both cabbages, onion, carrots and sesame seeds. Drizzle over remaining dressing and toss well. Sprinkle marinated lentils on top to serve.
  3. Optional: top with a grilled skewer of prawns, tofu or chicken satay.

Cheers!

Eating is not a Recognized Religion

By

Grapes

Although a gift to appreciate and not take for granted, our ability to eat wholesome food is not a ‘recognized religion’

At the core of our ability to live (and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs) are a few basic requirements: air, water, food, safe shelter. Love and being connected to others are among those basic requirements too. Once these needs are met, should we choose, we can pursue a world of possibilities, self-actualization, that nourish our soul so meaningfully that they may become requirements to us too – music, art, careers, religion, travel, volunteering,  parenting, solving world problems, sports, reading, pet ownership…heck, even vitamin supplements and every other subject on the planet.

Like other mammals, most adults on earth have the task of hunting for (sourcing), gathering and providing food for themselves and their family. The range of what is consumed varies greatly based on many non-food factors not the least of which are geographical location and available funds. Although food plays a significant role in many religions, in and of itself it is not a religion. I’m for keeping it that way.

Many people are quite quickly turned off by the idea of religious beliefs being pushed upon them. I’m never excited when the ‘church salespeople’ ring our doorbell. I politely decline and try to end the transaction before it starts. I have beliefs I’m confident in. I also don’t love when someone comes to the door, or  inbox, selling anything I didn’t ask for. Yet, somehow, the basic need to eat and the freedom to choose what we want based on our likes, dislikes, values, health needs, budget, culture, traditions, location, season and circumstances has become seemingly everyone’s busine$$. A vocation that some have become evangelical about with a new religion of sorts.

While it’s not considered kind or politically correct in any way to push values regarding personal choices, race or religion on others, although snake-oil independent consultants have always existed, we’re in a particularly troubling time where ‘cleansed’, protein powder, supplement-fueled disciples seem to be on a mission to convert us all to, or at least attempt to intimidate us with, their ultra clean (and sometimes even mean) food religion.

There’s a big difference between being a passionate source of interesting, helpful, credible information and being a rude, won’t-take-no-for-an-answer salesperson. There’s also a difference in opting to look for nourishing food ideas you may wish to try with your family versus feeling judged harshly for not being vegan, organic or raw enough, for example. Where I come from, part of being a healthy person is to be kind to yourself, the earth and others. If clean, raw and/or vegan eating is super healthy, and I don’t disagree with being any of those should a person choose, why are some of the comments coming from those circles so extreme, judgmental and mean? I understand they are very passionate about their chosen energizing eating style and want to spread the word. But, mean-spirited comments, about food and eating, becoming commonplace deeply concerns me. Too frequently I come across tweets and posts making statements like “if you really loved your children, your family would be vegan” or “calling oneself vegetarian and still eating eggs and fish is a cop-out”. If a person opts out of eating eggs and fish, isn’t that their own very personal choice? If others opt to eat those foods, they shouldn’t be made to feel terrible or guilty. If they have no problems with gluten and choose to eat it, should they have to hide in the closet to enjoy a sandwich or bowl of cereal? Some would say no one makes you feel anything. How you react and feel is up to you. I must emphasize that I am all for eating a wholesome, plant-based diet. And, there are gifted thought leaders out there getting folks excited to adopt this eating style. Still,  there exist a few too many mean, unproductive, unfounded and/or inaccurate comments about what we choose to eat. That won’t move people in a positive healthy direction.

In his book Cooked, Michael Pollan suggests that perhaps the more specialized we’ve become in society, the more we’ve lost confidence in our own ability in the areas we don’t specialize in, such as cooking. Increasingly, we feel we need to look to others to guide us, even in the most very basic tasks like food selection and eating.  As we seek the way from the ‘experts’, resulting in the number of  their loyal subjects increasing, some become the new high priests and priestesses of clean eating – increasingly forceful in their advice. The more shocking or controversial the statements they make, evidence-based or more often not, the faster a certain sector of their congregation grows while others want nothing to do with what they see as ‘healthy eating’ nonsense.

I’m for each adult, who is able to, taking ownership of feeding themselves and their family and feeling great about it. I’m also for growing and cooking as much food as you can for yourself. Something I’ve been saying for years, I agree with Pollan that rates of obesity and chronic diseases rising at the same time that entire TV networks and endless healthy cooking resources exist is a truly strange paradox. If you never learned to cook, it is worth developing even basic skills. It’s never too late to start. And it is not a competitive sport. If you know how to cook, hone it, celebrate it and most importantly, use it. Respectfully share your recipes and healthy living ideas to inspire others. Feel proud of your high I.K. (Intelligence in the Kitchen). But please leave food religion, unhealthy and hurtful judging, the kind that even causes some to get sick physically or emotionally with orthorexia, out of it.

Amen.

 

 

Coconut and Banana Lentil Bites

By

Lentil truffles balls

If you’re an experienced cook or are just getting into it but don’t yet know lentils.ca, check them out! Not only a tremendous wealth of information on why you should eat these Canadian-grown red, brown, black or green nutrient-rich gems, their recipe collection is OUTSTANDING…and getting even better all the time. Subscribe to receive their quarterly Lentils for Every Season recipe booklets, always full of gorgeous, delicious and easy recipes to inspire. Sounds like I run their marketing department. I don’t. I can only dream of a job that sweet!

To be the coolest smoothie maker on your block for incorporating lentils into your breakfast, and mostly to eat healthy, delicious food, give their Green Lentil Power Smoothie a try. I recently had a chance to demo it on Saturday Chefs on Global News. I received excellent feedback and many requests for the easy, novel recipe.

These Coconut and Banana Lentil Bites (also from lentils.ca) are also super easy and were a big hit with the kids for an after school snack. They made a nice mid-day snack for Mom and Dad too.

Coconut and Banana Lentil Bites    Makes 25-30

  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1/4 cup unroasted, unsalted sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup mashed very ripe banana, about 1 large banana
  • 1/2 cup cooked (or from canned) green or red lentils
  • 3 Tbsp honey
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 Tbsp melted, cooled, coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup coconut or almond flour
  1. Place coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, banana, lentils, and honey into a food processor. Pulse until smooth, scrape down the sides and pulse again. Transfer to a bowl using a spatula.
  2. Stir in chocolate chips and oil until fully incorporated. Stir in the coconut flour until fully combined.
  3. Roll into bite-size balls, about 1 Tbsp in size. Optional garnish: roll some in extra coconut or dip in melted chocolate as pictured. Cover and refrigerate or freeze for 5-10 minutes. The bites will become more solid and ready to eat. Store in an air tight container in the fridge to snack on during the week, or freeze until you are ready to nibble.

Cheers!

 

 

20 Reasons to Shop the Core of the Store

By

Cheap Food

The “clean” eating trend currently upon us is good…and bad. Good in encouraging awareness of the quality of the ingredients in the food we eat. Very bad in leaving many people feeling guilty if they don’t eat perfectly wholesome, natural, organic, vegan or clean 100% of the time. For some, it’s creating a fear of food – particularly of items from the inner core of the grocery store. Even contributing to a serious eating disorder known as orthorexia. Recently, several absolutely lovely, smart, fit, educated, talented mothers raising kids have shared with me that they feel guilty buying anything that isn’t an organic vegetable or free-range protein. This is not a healthy situation.

For all sorts of reasons ranging from scientific evidence and world food sustainability to enjoyment and affordability, I stand my ground firmly when encouraging an 80-20 approach to food choices. I also continue to support the notion that the majority of what fills our shopping cart should come from the outer perimeter of the store – fresh fruit, vegetables, wholesome grains and baked goods, quality protein and milk products (vegetarian versions or not). Are there some real lousy foods in the aisles? Yes absolutely! But not all. There remain MANY excellent, affordable, wholesome options from what they call ‘centre of store’ in the grocery biz. You don’t need to feel like you have to wear a bag over your head and hide when venturing in there to choose foods for your family. These foods still come from farms. And food remains just one of the many spokes in the wheel of health that also includes being active, managing stress, good sleep, self-esteem, genetics and much more.

Twenty of the many items to continue including in your cart:

  1. Dried or canned pulses – aka legumes – such as lentils, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans and others. See lentils.ca for amazing recipe ideas.
  2. Canned wild salmon. And if you’re really seriously after omega-3 fatty acids, sardines and herring too!
  3. Canned tomatoes. Often more tasty than fresh in the winter months and still a great source of nutrients.
  4. Oatmeal.
  5. Whole grain cereals. Yes, you can find sugar-laden chocolate bars disguised as ‘breakfast’ in the cereal aisle, but you can also find fibre-rich, nutritious options. A quality cereal with milk also makes a great snack choice for growing kids. And honestly, those little 8-packs of mini cereal boxes are a mighty special, fun treat on a camping trip!
  6. Canned pumpkin (the pure stuff, not ‘pie filling’). A vitamin-rich, delicious ingredient when baking muffins, loaves and even pancakes.
  7. Dried prunes, cranberries and raisins (and other dried fruit). Great in baking and in a homemade trail mix. They’re super pantry items to keep on hand for a source of fruit when you run out of fresh or have just returned home from a vacation and haven’t had time to shop yet.
  8. Nuts and seeds. Tremendously important protein, fibre and nutrients.
  9. Soup stock. Homemade soups are one of the simplest, most affordable, delicious and nourishing meals you can make. Look for reduced-sodium and preservative-free options. Same if opting for a ready-to-eat soup.
  10. Coconut milk. No magical powers in my opinion, but a delicious natural ingredient to have on hand for cooking savoury dishes.
  11. Canned peaches, pears or other fruit. Especially in the dead of winter, adding canned fruit to a fresh fruit salad is a great way to make it more naturally colourful and tasty. For example, fresh bananas and kiwi with canned peaches or fresh apple and orange pieces with canned pears. Sugar-free applesauce is another nice option here.
  12. 100% real fruit juice. A great option for normal (or underweight) highly active kids. Also a helpful ingredient to have on hand for making real fruit smoothies or popsicles. For single serving use, avoid buying bottles or cans that are larger than a cup (250 mL or 8 ounces).
  13. Baking ingredients. Assuming you use them for baking rather than late-night snacking most nights, keep a supply on hand (flour, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, chocolate chips, etc). When the urge to whip up a batch of wholesome cookies or muffins hits you or the kids, especially in cold, icky weather, the supplies are available and you won’t opt of the healthy experience of baking because it’s too miserable to run out to the store.
  14. Coffee. Make it at home. Keep portions normal, not turbo-sized, and avoid sugary syrupy additions and expensive average-quality or over-sugared baked goods that can tempt even the most committed of us in the coffee shop lineup.
  15. Black tea, green tea and/or herbal tea. It’s tea season for sure, but also make your own iced teas come the hot weather.
  16. Pantry staples for cooking: vegetable oils (canola, olive, nut oils), vinegars, dried herbs and spices, honey, etc.
  17. Rice, pasta, quinoa, barley, millet…any whole grains you like.
  18. Popcorn kernels. Make popcorn at home for a fibre-rich snack.
  19. Fermented foods. They’re good for gut bacteria. Sauerkraut, real pickles and kimchi, for example.
  20. If you’re having a party, you may even want to pick up things like birthday candles or potato chips! Still no bag over your head required!

As to the instant ‘lunch’ and noodles pictured above, I don’t consider these particularly ‘good’ deals. Cheap prices but also cheap, low-nutrient food. I don’t really see any redeeming qualities in those little ‘lunch’ packages amidst their salt, fat, lack of fibre and plastic over-packaged-ness. A tiny bit of fun maybe??? A homemade version will always be better – and MORE fun. Ichiban-style noodles? Definitely not a whole, fibre-rich grain. I don’t recommend them as a ‘good staple’ like I overheard a couple telling their home-stay college student in the grocery store?!? That was in September back-to-school season when they were 19 cents a package. Seriously! Still, I won’t judge you if you eat them. Personally, I need to look after nourishing my own family. Professionally, as a responsible dietitian and member of the only regulated group of nutrition professionals in Canada, I want to keep being a trusted source you can consult for healthy and practical ideas and one that helps you feel calm and confident as you stroll through the store selecting foods to MAKE and ENJOY with your family.

PS – Not everyone will agree, but if the instant noodles are among the first foods that your young kids temporarily get practice with in ‘cooking’, the I.K. gained (kitchen intelligence) FAR outweighs drawbacks of the product. They’re ready quickly for impatient kid chefs. If the kids move on to add vegetables and protein to these noodle mixes, even better! When the noodles are replaced with whole grains in a fully homemade soup, mission accomplished!

Some food products have become like cosmetics. You pay extra for trendy, attractive packaging that makes you look cool in the check out line and might even connect you to the product emotionally. Many so-called ‘clean’ foods fall in this category. Stay smart and don’t be fooled by 3’s dressed up as 9’s, like the band Trooper would say. Example, many ‘energy’ bars.

Cheers!

Meet Patricia

Eating well is just one spoke in the wheel of health. An active life...

[Read More...]

Random Blog Goodness