Another Delicious Summery Salad...Made With Fava Beans!

I had a half empty bag of fava beans in my cupboard for awhile now, and it's just one of those things I really wanted to get rid of...but in a good way. I felt like just cooking them and tossing them on the side of something wouldn't really taste amazing, so I saw a cool recipe on the back of the bag that sounded easy and healthy.

Fava beans are delicious and healthy, full of fiber (10 grams a serving...WOW!) and pretty high in protein ( about 8 grams a serving), but they can be a pain to cook. You might want to soak them overnight, and then they take about 45 minutes on the stove to be cooked. Even then, you have to check, because sometimes there will be a few sneaky ones that didn't cook all the way through.

Here is the recipe...ENJOY!

 

FAVA BEAN SALAD

2 cups cooked fava beans

¼ cup bell pepper of choice

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

¼ cup red onion, chopped

½ cup Shitake Mushrooms

3 ounces extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. garlic or garlic powder

1 tsp. shallot

Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix chopped up fresh ingredients with the fava beans and ENJOY!

A Meaningful Day For Steps2Nutrition...Education Is Where It's At!

Educating teenage girls on how to own a fit and healthy body and mind!

I have been so blessed this past month to have the opportunity to combine my services with Vision Fitness and Wellness Trainer Natania Goldberg. She was invited this weekend to speak on fitness and nutrition at an event for underprivileged teenage girls in Pacific Palisades called Women Empowered, and she invited me as her new nutrition specialist to speak to the participants on healthy eating.

Women Empowered is an organization that connects,educates and supports women of all ages and backgrounds and inspires them to give back to their respected communities through networking and volunteer work. We worked with nine girls, Natania teaching fitness basics and showing the girls how to monitor their heart rates and myself giving them tear-away handouts of MyPlate, the USDA’s latest choosing of illustration for the five basic foods groups and using plastic food models to show portion sizes and designate healthy foods from not so healthy food items. We ended the session with a fun rap music video about healthy eating that the girls seemed to like.

The coolest part for me was at the end, when Natania asked the girls if they could take away ONE THING from today, what would it be? 7 out of the 9 girls said nutrition based things. After my lecture on Pop Tarts, one girl said she would stop eating them. Another said she would try to eat more fruits and vegetables. It was such an awesome feeling knowing that THEY LISTENED. It sounds silly, but we all know teenagers, when it comes to adults…sometimes they like to tune us out. Maybe because we made it fun and interactive? Maybe because we asked a lot of questions and demanded answers? I don’t know exactly what it was, but the feeling when you leave a venue knowing you might really have made a difference, that maybe a few of those girls would pick a whole grain granola bar instead of candy at the convenience store, and maybe a few of them would try to do something active with their down time, it is an AMAZING feeling.

A lot of these girls live in food deserts, where they might not have access to fresh goods, or they might have parents who are on a budget and are not able to buy all the fresh groceries they might ask for. They might have parents who are uneducated about nutrition and won’t understand why they should buy more apples or broccoli from the store. But the point is, now THEY KNOW. Driving back from the Palisades on the Pacific Coast Highway and watching the ocean go by, I feel good about what I did today. Making a difference is cool. I would like to do more of that!

Spiced Peach and Pistachio Crisp...Healthy, Delicious Summer Desserts!

I was on a mission earlier in the week to find a new healthy yet delicious dessert to eat. I came across this recipe and it is a sure fire win. My friend video taped me making it but I am not sure the final cut will make it to my new website...so that being said I am just going to share it here. This dish is so delicious, you would probably never guess it is good for you.

This is a spiced peach and pistachio crisp. Peaches are low in calories, have no saturated fat and are high in antioxidants. Pistachios are a rich source of vitamin B6 (which is great for the nervous system), great for your eyes and heart and can help keep diabetes at bay.

Spiced Peach and Pistachio Crisp

5 medium peaches, pitted and sliced ( I kept the peels on for extra fiber, but you can take those off too if you wish!)

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon white whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped shelled pistachios

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons non-fat plain Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons of butter, melted

1. Pre-heat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, combine the peaches, honey, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of the flour.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the remaining flour, oats, brown sugar, pistachios, ginger, cardamom and salt. Then with a wooden spoon, mix in the yogurt and melted butter. Stir until mixture is moistened.

3. Pour the peach filling in a baking dish and top with the oat mixture. Bake for about 35 minutes.

ENJOY!!

Happy, Healthy 4th of July!!

You may not want to hear this...but here are 5 tips for eating healthy today...pretty simple and you can still enjoy the day.

1. FRUIT SALADS--good replacement for the heavier desserts at parties. Plus strawberries and blueberries are part of the color theme!

2. VEGGIE PLATTERS-a great substitute for chips, less bloating for your body if you will be hanging out all day in swim gear.

3. THE GRILL-the grill is your friend, because you don't need to add any oil to cook a piece of chicken or burger on it.

4. DRINKING WATER-it may be hot where you are, so if you are drinking alcoholic beverages, maybe substitute in a glass of water every other drink for optimal hydration. Also, being dehydrated makes you crave more salty foods than your body really needs.

5. FORGIVE YOURSELF- 4th of July is a day to relax and enjoy, but living a healthy lifestyle is about learning how to accommodate for situations that are out of your control. You may be in situations where there might not be food that fits your eating habits, but get creative and make it work for you. So you eat a hamburger with a white bun instead of a whole grain one... and a few chips...and a piece of that 4th of July cake your friend brought to the party. Oh well, it's one day and you will live. Don't let one slip-up cause a crazy binge and ruin your whole week.