You know, you know... dark leafy greens are supposed to be so good for you. But no matter how healthy a food is, if you don't like it, you aren't going to eat it. Enter Bok Choy, a type of Chinese cabbage. Prepared properly, this stuff is so good, I ate a giant bowl last night and couldn't wait until lunch today to polish off the leftovers!
Why it's good... & good for you!
The mild flavor, crunchy stalk and tender leaves of Bok Choy make it fun to eat and a versatile side dish. Bok Choy is an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K, as well as a very good source of vitamin B6, calcium, iron, potassium, manganese, fiber and folate.
What to look for
At the market, look for Bok Choy that has tightly packed, firm white stalks and crisp, bright green leaves. Avoid wilted, bruised and discolored Bok Choy. I prefer the bite-sized "baby" Bok Choy.
How to clean it
Don't wash your Bok Choy until you are ready to prepare it. (Bok Choy will typically last 3 days to a week in your vegetable crisper.) This article from eHow.com, How To Clean Bok Choy, explains how to wash your new favorite "green" in 5 insanely easy steps.
How to cook it
My favorite way to enjoy this vegetable is to order Baby Bok Choy, sauteed with a little oil and garlic, at my favorite traditional Chinese restaurant but you can make your own using this super simple recipe from Martha Stewart: Baby Bok Choy with Chile and Garlic. The red pepper flakes and soy sauce are totally optional. You can also choose to use low-sodium soy sauce.
Cheers!
Diane
Image: MarthaStewart.com
Are you hungry for a second slice o' cake? Because I've got a bonus blog post for you this week, from my New York City-focused series, Piece o' Cheesecake. I've got a hot tip on one of my favorite things: cheap workouts! This deal may be ending soon so I couldn't wait until next week to share it with you.
I knew that Planet Fitness had partnered with one of my favorite shows, NBC's The Biggest Loser. I also knew that they had recently arrived in the Chelsea neighborhood in Manhattan at 158 W 27th street between 6th and 7th avenues. What I didn't know was that they offer insanely low deals on gym membership at their clubs!
Add that to the list of Top 10 Things People Say When They Find Out I'm A Dietitian. It is usually followed by some version of "So, what foods have vitamin D in them?" or "So, how do I get more vitamin D?"
Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium. Calcium, vitamin D and phosphorus work together to build and remodel bones. So, vitamin D is important for the health of your bones and teeth.
Vitamin D is unique in that our bodies can make it following exposure to the sun. The catch is that while the amount of sun exposure we need may be as little as 5-30 minutes on arms and legs twice a week, experts are still trying to figure out how much sun is enough, especially since the efficiency of sun exposure is affected by time of day, season of year, geography, sunscreen and even skin color.
Hello Friends,
This week I'm keeping it short and sweet.
I'm so excited to share that my first official writing gig as an RD is now live on the website of Kids Eat Right, a part of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that describes itself as "your source for scientifically-based health and nutrition information you can trust to help your child grow healthy."
In my first vegan-themed blog post I mentioned that my husband and I chose to go Vegan for Lent this year because it was the first year we remembered the idea with enough time to do significant planning and preparation beforehand. Even so, as we near the halfway point of Lent, and despite the fact that one of us is a dietitian, we still find ourselves making mistakes and getting frustrated with our vegan diet.
The other day I heard my husband walk through the door and say "This is vegan?! This isn't vegan. Why did you buy this?"
Don't you love sneaking a peek at other people's shopping carts? I do. I feel like seeing the foods a person is bringing home gives me a little taste of his life. Especially if there's an obvious trend, like all low-sodium products, all ready-to-eat foods, all organic or, let's be honest, all just plain junk (we've all seen them and I've been guilty of having a shopping cart that starts to look like this if I'm baking and purchasing goodies for a major holiday).
When we tell people we are following a vegan diet for six weeks, after their initial reaction, one of the first questions is: "So then, what do you eat?" In response to that question, I thought I'd give you all a sneak peek into our shopping cart, to see what foods we've bought in the past week or so and what we've made with those foods.
This list is the no-holds-barred, honest to goodness, compilation of what we purchased during the past 10 days. To the best of my knowledge there are no additions or subtractions. This isn't a list of what you should or shouldn't be eating. It is just our best attempt, in week one, of experimenting with a well-balanced vegan diet. Here goes...
Before I start tracking my six-week vegan challenge on this blog, I wanted to point something out to you all that may not be so obvious. The stories and information that I'll be sharing here aren't just for vegans or vegetarians or people considering one of those diets. If you're a proud and happy meat eater, my vegan blog posts are for you too! Especially if you've been searching for a way to be just a little bit healthier and feel a little bit better, without turning your world upside down or feeling like you are sacrificing all your favorite foods.
How, you ask? Well, stop looking at it so black-and-white!
