On My Plate: Taste the Rainbow

It's not important to just eat your veggies for healthy body benefits, you have to eat your colors too. For me, that's always meant eating with the Rainbow Method, or adding a rainbow of colors to my salads and sides. I perk up leafy greens with tomatoes and yellow peppers, for example, or add cauliflower to a broccoli plate. 

Now, the Rainbow Method has grown to be much more than my healthy habit. Researchers and nutritionists agree that a veg plate in a variety of colors can give a boost to everything from our bones to our brains, improve heart health and give us glowing skin.

"Every hue - green, yellow, orange, red, purple and even white - signifies a different class of nutrients, each of which offers a unique benefit," explains USDA research chemist Ronald Prior, PhD, who was among the first researchers to measure antioxidants in food.

The colorful chemicals that carry a vegetable's good stuff are called phytochemicals. These natural compounds act as a neon sign of sorts for vegetables. Those with the most phytochemicals glow in the brightest hues, and are the richest in vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. 

Eating the bright along with the lighter shades of vegetables ensures your body gets a well-rounded shot of nutrients. One of my favorite dishes to do this with is my Warm Rainbow Quinoa Salad with chicken and veg. It serves a crowd, and also works for weekly lunchboxes. I made it this week for my sister and baby niece, and it was a hit. Try it yourself!

Laura's Warm Rainbow Quinoa Salad

2 chicken breasts (optional)

1 green pepper

1 yellow or orange pepper

1/2 spicy red pepper

1 small red onion

grape tomatoes

juice from 1/2 lemon

1 clove garlic

1 cup quinoa

2 cups chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Prepare chicken. (I like pulled meats in my dishes, but some people like chunks. To each their own!)

Set aside cooked chicken.

Finely chop all peppers, the garlic and onion.

Warm a good lug of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. 

Add onions and garlic and let simmer for a few minutes.

Add cooked chicken and mix well. 

Add peppers and let simmer over medium heat for about 10 mins stirring occasionally.

Add sliced grape tomatoes and the juice from 1/2 lemon.

Add salt and pepper as you please.

Let simmer for 5 mins more.

Prepare quinoa. (I used the box directions: Add 2 cups chicken stock to 1 cup quinoa and bring to the boil. Then, bring down heat and let simmer for 10-15 mins. This method always comes out a bit on the moist side, but I like how it works in this dish).

Pour quinoa into large serving bowl.

Fold in cooked chicken and veg

Serve in bowls, topped with finely grated Parmesan cheese.

Finish bowl, return for seconds! 

It's True: Chicken Soup Fights the Flu

This year's flu season has hit epidemic levels. According the Center for Disease Control, 7.3 percent of the country has come down with the bug, and it doesn't look like we're out of the sickhouse yet.

The speed of this year's flu "has been pretty much unparalleled," John Hick, an emergency physician in Minneapolis told USA Today last week. "My general sense is that we have not peaked. We've probably got a few weeks to go on this."

While we can repeat the rounds of obsessive hand washing, steering clear of sickies and even wearing surgical masks, there's no sure fire way to escape the flu. And once you've got it, it can take up to three weeks to get better.

But, you can speed that up by eating. Good food can give your immune system a much needed jolt, and the most beneficial is a bowl of chicken soup.

Lovingly known as Jewish Pennicillin, chicken soup has been hailed as a cure-all thoughout history. Greek medics used to prescribe the broth, and the Egyptian physician and philosopher Moshe ben Maimonides wrote volumes on it's flu fighting abilities in the 12th century.

Today, science has started to back what these ancient healers have known for centuries. Research shows chicken soup actually has a mild medicinal effect. The heat, salt and hydation work to inhibit inflammation of cells in the nasal passage, reducing stuffy symptoms. The soup has also been found to root out and kill virus-carrying cells, while stoping the growth of new ones.

Another extra benefit of chicken soup is the food itself. When you're barely able to get out of bed for a new box of tissues, eatting anything can be a challenge. But, if you get down some of the lean, protein-rich chicken and nutritious veg, you'll give your body the energy it needs to do battle with the bug.

So, if you fall ill this season, heat up a cup of good ol' chicken soup. Any brand will do, but if you want to make the same soup scientists used to prove it's flu fighing power, try Grandma's Chicken Soup Recipe from the University of Nebraska Medical Center's own research team.


Grandma's Chicken Soup Recipe:

1 5- to 6-pound stewing hen or baking chicken
1 package of chicken wings
3 large onions
1 large sweet potato
3 parsnips
2 turnips
11 to 12 large carrots
5 to 6 celery stems
1 bunch of parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Clean the chicken, put it in a large pot and cover it with cold water. Bring the water to boil.
2. Add the chicken wings, onions, sweet potato, parsnips, turnips and carrots. Boil about 1 and a half hours. Remove fat from the surface as it accumulates.
3. Add the parsley and celery. Cook the mixture about 45 min. longer.
4. Remove the chicken. The chicken is not used further for the soup. (The meat makes excellent chicken parmesan.)
5. Put the vegetables in a food processor until they are chopped fine or pass through a strainer. Both were performed in the present study.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

McDonalds sales driven by Dollar Menu

I read recently that sales at McDonald's blew away analyst expectations this winter with the help of $1 meals. Apparently, Micky D's was suffering from a "rare decline" in November. The company then beefed up its Dollar Menu promos with "renewed emphasis on low-priced menu options, such as $1 Sausage McMuffins and coffee."

It's fast, it's easy, and it costs $1. It was a genius way for McDonalds to boost their sales. But, because I've sworn off fast food forever (or, at least until I'm stuck at a highway service station with a massive case of the munchies!), I decided investigate what other foods I could buy with just a buck.

Grabbing my single George Washington, I stepped out into the big city to find a healthy meal for a dollar.

At my first stop - the usual lunch cafe - there was actually nothing available for a single dollar. Yogurt, a power bar, even a bag of chips was too expensive! I had to fight the hunger pangs and move on.

At another cafe, I discovered that the lack of $1 items is compounded by a hierarchy in options. The average assortment of fruit goes for $1 a piece. That is, if you can survive a workday on a Red Delicious. Surprisingly, at the same cafe, a 1.5 inch slice of Stromboli stuffed with salami and cheese, also goes for a dollar.

Across the street at the local news shop, a cup of coffee costs 99 cents. But, so does a slice from the pizza guy next door. In New York City, where every corner has a pizzeria, my stomach was beginning to fight harder than my one dollar mission. Then, I stepped into a nondescript deli shop and was greeted by the unthinkable: a basket of hard boiled eggs.

"They're fifty cents," the cashier said as I stared hungrily. "Two for a dollar."

Here, at the corner store, I had found a healthy, protein packed meal that could tide me over for a good few hours.

I bought two, went back to work, and felt good about my Dollar Meal Quest. If you want to find a fast food alternative on a $1 budget, you have to look for it. It will take work, but it's out there. With talk of the fiscal cliff, rising taxes, and a soaring obeisty rate, maybe menus everywhere will start to jump on the dollar deal. If it worked for McDonald's, it can work for the little, healthier guy too.

What to Eat: January Superfoods

Hello 2013! Hello a new year, new starts and New Year's resolutions! As I join the ranks of the many out there determined to make healthy eating habits a number one priority this year, I bring you the monthly superfoods section.

Fresh, ripe and in season, hit your local farmers market for these precious picks and keep your new year's resolutions on track....even if the rest of your rules fall to the wayside!

Entering into the cold months with January, the spotlight is on root veg and vitamin C. These goodies are fat free, full of fiber and antioxidants - just what your winter body needs!

Grapefruit
This bitter fruit was bred in 18th century Barbados as the 'forbidden fruit.' Today, it's more an acquired taste than an exotic treat, but its nutritional qualities remain remarkable. Hitting its peak between October and May, grapefruit has virtually no fat or carbos, but packs a huge nutrient punch that's essential in winter. It's a good source of vitamin C, the fiber pectin, and the antioxidant lycopene. Plus, its been found to lower cholesterol and boost metabolism. It has long been a breakfast staple, but grapefruit is also a great addition to salads, marinades and as a mixer for the occasional cocktail...or two

Beets
I love beets. It wasn't until I was older that I discovered these deep red delicacies, but once I did I became hooked. And lucky I did, because these root veggies are hugely healthy. Beets are bursting with nutrients that provide antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and detoxifying benefits - all especially essential after the holiday season. Beets are a super versatile food that can be cooked, steamed, pickled, shredded and marinated. For decades, they have been used to cure everything from fever to constipation to garlic-breath. Which is especially notable, considering the ancient Romans used beets as an aphrodisiac!

Pears
A wonderful winter fruit, pears are a super source of fiber and vitamin C. But, its actually the skin of the pear that holds most of this health. It's bursting with three to four more times the antioxidants, anti-infammatories and cancer fighting nutrients than the fruit's flesh. When they hit the perfect ripeness, they're sweet enough to fill in for dessert, especially when poached in their own fine juices. Coincidentally  pears instigate the fewest allergens, so they can be introduced to infants as their first fruit without too much worry.

Brussels Sprout
Another one of those veggies I only picked up in adulthood, these mini-cabbages are harvested from June to January. Sprouts are abundant in the cancer fighting chemical, sulforaphane. And, studies have shown a sprout hearty diet can help boost DNA repair in healthy cells and block the growth of cancer cells. Their antioxidant and fiber levels are also high, but the benefit depends on how they're cooked. Steaming and stir frying are the best methods for harnessing their healthiness, sadly, without the bacon and butter we love to cook them in.

My Plate: Beer Marinated Pork Chops

When it comes to evening boozing, "eating is cheating," is what I always say. Unless, that is, you can incorporate your beverage of choice into your meal. And, with the surprising health benefits of beer being touted lately, I decided to do just that with the exceptionally drinkable Brooklyn Brewery's Oktoberfest for dinner.

A slew of recent research finds beer can be good for everything from boosting heart, bone and brain strength, to reducing your risk of stroke and cancer. Beer can even help you live a longer, happier life, according to one study that concludes, "If European beer drinkers stopped imbibing, there would be a decrease in life expectancy of two years - and much unhappiness."

No need to sell me! I'm ecstatic about the news, and ready to baste my local butcher's pork chops in brew.

My marinade is simple, and luckily not measurement specific (which is handy once you've had a few). I just threw a few of the following ingredients in a large bowl:

Good glug of Olive Oil
Splash Soy Sauce
Splash Worcestershire Sauce
1 Clove Garlic
Juice of half Lemon
Tsp Brown Sugar
Good glug Oktoberfest
Sprinkle Salt and Pepper

Voila! Taste to make sure it's sweet or savory enough (I had to add a few more splashes of Soy and Worcestershire for my liking), then lay the chops to wait for about an hour - or until you're sufficiently boozed to cook.

I broiled mine, and saved some of the marinade to add to my leafy veg side. Absolutely delicious result. Enjoy!