Homemade Applesauce...Yum!

                I enjoy preparing my own food rather than buying things I can make myself. There are a few reasons for this. First, I actually enjoy preparing food. Second, I usually can make a healthier version of common packaged goods. And finally, I can often make the food for a lot cheaper than what it would cost to buy it in a store—though there is the increased cost associated with the time it takes me to make it. But again, usually I am enjoying myself in the kitchen.

                One food that I have been making a lot recently is homemade applesauce. Yes, it does take time to peel a bunch of apples. Yes, it does take time to chop them up. And yes, you have to occasionally mix it while it is simmering to make sure it does not burn. But it comes out so yummy and sweet, and it has no sugar!

                Here is how you do it. This will make a large-ish batch

1. Peel, core, and dice 8 medium or 4 humongous apples.
2. Put the diced apples into a large pot.
3. Add enough water to fill up to half the height of the apples.
4. You can add a cinnamon stick at this point. Then, you will get yummy cinnamon flavor and retain the light color. Or you can skip the cinnamon stick, and it will still taste delicious. 
5. Simmer on a low flame, stirring occasionally until the apples are soft enough that they mush when touched with a spoon and there is barely any water left.
6. Remove from heat and stir well until the apples become applesauce texture.

                One of my favorite ways to eat applesauce is on my oatmeal. It gives it plenty of sweetness without adding extra sugar.

 

you can barely see the oatmeal, but it is under the (homemade) yogurt and applesauce

                

Popcorn Attempt

                This past weekend, I had a few friends over, and I made some popcorn. It was bad popcorn. Think a tad charred and too salty. I had tried to make kettle corn. I have successfully made it in the past, but have not in the past many years. Standard kernels popped over the stove top in oil I can do. But adding sugar and caramelizing it to perfection without getting it burned—I can’t replicate my past results! This is where my popcorn ended up: in the garbage can.

popcorn that didn't work out

 How to pop popcorn kernels the simpler way:

1. You need a large pot. Cover the bottom with oil, and add 2 kernels of popcorn.
2. Heat on medium to high flame until both kernels pop.
3. Now add enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pot.
4. Once you hear the kernels start to pop, give the pot a shake every 10 seconds or so to prevent burning.
5. When the popping slows down, turn the stove off.
6. Pour the popcorn into a paper bag, sprinkle with salt, and shake well

                When you do that, you should get this:

                Onto the nutrition now. Popcorn itself is considered a whole grain. Three cups of air-popped popcorn contains 90 calories, 3 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fiber. Popcorn popped over the stove top in oil and microwave popcorn are another story. The added fats and/or sugar in those make the popcorn a high calorie food. The calorie content in those versions can be double or more the calories in air-popped popcorn. Be an educated eater!

                If anyone has advice on how to make kettle corn, let me know!

Juice…It’s All-Natural! What could be Wrong?

                Way too often, my patients tell me proudly that they are drinking only natural juice with no sugar. However, I do not congratulate them on that choice. :’( Many assume that natural juice must be good for their diabetes or whatever health condition they have. But what is it with juice? Why is that often not the best choice?

                Even without adding any sugar to a cup of 100% fruit juice, it will have 25-35grams of sugar. The differences depend on the fruit used to make the juice, with grape juice having one of the highest amounts of juice per cup. Any sweet food will have sugar. Many foods have naturally-occurring sugars. All fruit will have naturally-occurring sugar, as will vegetables, milk, and honey.

For someone who is working on achieving a healthy weight, there are a few points that are relevant. Fruit juice does not have fiber. When fruit juice is made, all the fibrous parts, such as the skin, are removed. Because it is fiber-free liquid, it will not help increase your satiety, as juice pretty much goes right through you without stimulating any fullness receptors. Its 120-140 calories per cup provide a sweet drink, but not the same fullness as 120-140 calories of a fruit. For example, a large apple is around 120 calories, and also give you 5 grams of fiber…now that will keep you going a bit.

Next time you want a sweet treat, reach for a whole fruit. My favorites are Honey Crisp apple, bananas, and strawberries. What are your favorite fruits? 

Try Something New!

                I often talk to my patients about trying new foods. I have countless patients who have told me some variation of, “I don’t eat vegetables…no, none…well, I do eat French fries.” Some of them are up for the challenge to try a new vegetable when I suggest it. I remember a teenage patient who was a no-vegetable guy, and he agreed to try one new vegetable before I saw him for his next appointment. He came back and told me he had asparagus in a cheese sauce, and they were “not too bad.” I was so proud of him. (Bringing up the nutrient profile of cheese sauce was not going to happen at that moment!) Since then, he has tried so many more vegetables and actually eats vegetables every day. We often laugh together about how he used to eat no vegetables.

                Given that I am constantly telling my patients to try new foods, I have also started to be more adventurous with what I eat. Here are a few foods or dishes that I have tried for the first time within the past few months.

• Shaksuka
• Grilled tofu
• Eggplant
• Stir-fried cabbage
• Overnight oats
• Kabocha squash

                I think that trying new foods is exciting…mostly because I now have more foods in the world that I can enjoy!

                In the comments section, tell me what new foods you have tried that you now eat often. 

Is Soup Healthy?

                There is a health aura around soup. Often, when foods have a health aura, people are under the impression that there is no such thing as too much. Here are a few points to keep in mind to help you understand how soup can fit into your eating habits.

• Canned soups tend to be very high in sodium
• Homemade soups are often high in sodium—especially when powdered soup bases or soup bouillon cubes are used
• Flavoring your soup with herbs and spices and going light on the salt will yield a lower sodium soup
• Potato soup, butternut squash soup, bean/legume soup, and other soups with a starchy vegetable as the base will be higher in carbohydrates and have more calories than a soup made from only non-starchy vegetables
• A soup with beans, chickpeas, or other legumes will often be more filling, as it has a lot of fiber and some protein
• A soup that is only a broth will have close to zero calories, but it will not keep you satiated for long
• Cream soups can be high in calories because of the fat content of the butter and cream in them
• Adding croutons adds calories from carbohydrates and fat
• A soup that contains protein, vegetables, and a carbohydrate can be a full meal

                In the comments section, let me know what questions you have about nutrition for soups. 

Monkey Bread

                Today I will talk about something wonderful. And that is Monkey Bread. Basically, Monkey Bread is a yeast dough made into small balls that are rolled into a cinnamon-sugar mixture, piled in a pan, and drizzled with oil. When it is done baking, you have a delicious pull-apart, cinnamony yumminess.

                I made it for the first time when I was making challah a few months ago and had too much challah dough. You see, my freezer is quite small, so I do not have room to store the 8 challah that my 7-cup of flour recipe makes. So I turned half of the dough into challah, and the other half had to serve another purpose. I had been reading about Monkey Bread for a long time, and I thought it was time.

                Last night was actually my third attempt at Monkey Bread. I made my challah dough recipe, which is the first recipe in Shira Wiener and Ayelet Yifrach’s The Taste of Challah. It is recipe that produces an incredibly fluffy challah….maybe too fluffy as you will soon see. I left my braided challahs and prepared Monkey Bread on my counter to rise while I went to the supermarket. When I returned, my Monkey Bread was humongous! It had doubled in size, and some of the cinnamon-sugar rolled balls had rolled off of the loaf and onto the counter and floor! Once it was in the oven and rising a bit more from the heat, more cinnamon-sugar balls rolled off and landed on the bottom of the oven. (One of which is still there—it was too stuck to pry off while the oven was hot!) But it baked beautifully, and I have one report that it tastes good. My first hand report is upcoming—I had already brushed my teeth by the time it was ready, and who wants to brush their teeth twice in one evening??

humongous Monkey Bread after rising

you can see the runaway cinnamon-sugar balls on the counter, challah pan, and floor

What to do With Yogurt

• Mix in some frozen fruit (they get nice and juicy as they defrost)
• Spoon over oatmeal instead of adding milk
• Chop in your favorite fresh fruit or add fresh berries (mango, banana, strawberries, blueberries…)
• Add in ¼ cup nuts or seeds
• Use as base for a creamy salad dressing or dip
• Mix in fruit and freeze for a yummy cold treat
• Add to mac and cheese instead of adding extra cheese to add creaminess
• Use thick yogurt instead of cream cheese in frosting
• Add to a smoothie
• Swirl in a spoonful of nut butter
• Use instead of mayonnaise in egg salad or tuna fish
• Add ¼ cup raisins, dried cranberries, or your favorite dried fruit
• Sprinkle with some cinnamon or coconut flakes
• Serve with dry cereal such as Cheerios, Chex, or Grapenuts
• Add ½ cup dry oats and 1 cup milk and leave in fridge overnight for overnight oats
• Stir in some jelly or jam
• Drizzle with honey, syrup, or some sugar
• Add some applesauce or fruit compote
• Serve over warm pureed butternut squash
• Use as a spread on toast
• Eat it plain