Perception

Body image is described as the not only the mental picture you have of your body, but your feelings about it too. This image is often different from actual appearance or how others see you. This idea is clearly depicted in the video below. I think it’s a creative way to illustrate and highlight the vast differences between actual versus perceived appearance. You must check it out!! I truly believe it deserves all of the hits and hype it’s received thus far.

Grilled Cheese

I love grilled cheese! I’m not sure if you heard, but last Friday was National Grilled Cheese Day. The great thing about grilled cheese is that the options are endless! You can get as creative as you please. Whether it's a classic dipped/drowning in ketchup or there's an added twist, there's nothing I enjoy more on a Saturday afternoon. In honour of the occasion, I picked Brie, Granny Smith apples, and fig jam... Deelish! :)

I may have also indulged in some Easter 'leftovers' that I'll share with you too. For these cupcakes I dropped in some green food coloring to add in a pop of spring and crushed up some leftover Mini Eggs instead of using other sprinkles or toppings.

PS. Sorry for the hiatus!

Berry Cobbler

To contrast the gloom outside, I’ve decided it’s time for some pictures! I stocked up on berries a few weeks ago when I found a good sale, so I just pulled them out of the freezer for this recipe. Not only is this recipe super easy, but using frozen berries incorporates Nutrition Month tips too. J

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

2 pints strawberries 1 pint blueberries 1 cup sucralose/Splenda 1 Tbsp cornstarch ¾ cup flour 1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt 1 egg ¼ cup skim milk ½ tsp vanilla extract 4 Tbsp margarine, melted

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a bowl, combine all berries, 1/3 cup + 2 tsp sucralose/Splenda, and cornstarch. Let sit for 10 minutes.

2. In another bowl, mix flour, ½ cup sucralose/Splenda, baking powder, and salt. In a third bowl, stir egg, milk, vanilla, and butter. Add dry ingredients. Stir well.

3. Evenly place berries in a 9x9” baking dish. Top with batter. Bake 25-30 minutes until tops are golden brown.

To change it up, try picking a variety of fruits. If you’re hosting or trying to portion size, divide the berries and batter into small ramekins. 

Enjoy!

Adapted from Sue Zemanick’s Cobbler.

Budget-Friendly Grocery Shopping

Here are some ideas to help keep your grocery bill close to nil. ;)

1. Shop the sales- Check flyers and coupons. You can even find these online these days! 

2. Stock up when there’s a great deal- Buy extra staple items that have long shelf lives, such as whole grains, dried legumes, and canned fruits and veggies. Fresh meat, poultry and fish can be frozen. 

3. Don’t forget the clearance section

4. Compare prices- Check for differences between various brands. Store or “no name” brands are usually cheaper. 

5. Avoid shopping on an empty stomach- You’re more likely to pick up extra items when you’re hungry! 

Adapted from: Dietitians of Canada (www.dietitians.ca)

Happy Nutrition Month!

Can you believe it’s March already?! The focus of this year’s Nutrition Month campaign is Best Food Forward: Plan Shop Cook Enjoy, which focuses on navigating the grocery store (a place where we’re all faced with an abundance of choices!).

Here are some tips on shopping for just one or two people.

1. Plan wisely- Plan ahead so you know what you’ll be eating and can make a grocery list before you head to the grocery store.

2. Cook from scratch- This way you can prepare the exact number of servings you need.

3. Shop in bulk- But remember to only buy items that you need.

4. Shop as a team- Grocery shop with a friend so you can split bulk items and take advantage of volume discounts (think ‘buy one get one free’) while avoiding waste.

5. Buy only what you need- Try splitting a bunch of bananas (they always seem to go brown so fast!), buying smaller packages of eggs, and asking the butcher to split packages of meat.

6. Be wary of coupons- This tip aligns with #3 & 5… it’s only a deal if you actually need what you’re buying!

Adapted from: Dietitians of Canada. (2013) http://www.dietitians.ca/Downloadable-Content/Public/NM2013_Factsheet_1_Englsih_C.aspx

Take it with a Grain of Salt... Or Not

Another element of heart healthy eating is reducing sodium intake, which may help control blood pressure (and can keep your bones strong and may lower your risk of getting kidney stones too). Here are some quick tips to lower sodium (a major component of salt) intake:

Tips

• Take the salt shaker off the table
• Try herbs and spices for flavouring
• Replace garlic salts, onion salts or celery salts with the fresh product
• If Kosher meats are used, soak them in water first

Limit

• Foods that have been pickled, processed, cured, smoked or salted 
• Canned vegetables, sauces, gravies, dressing, marinades 

Avoid 

• Sea salt, salt substitutes, visible salt

Let’s Talk About Fat, Baby

I cannot believe it’s almost the end of February and we haven’t talked about heart healthy eating! February is heart month, after all.  I’ll do my best to squeeze in a few more posts in honour of the great organ before the end of the month.    

To start, let’s talk about fat.  Choosing appropriate fats is a huge component of heart healthy eating.  Generally (if you’re thinking about bloodwork), what you’re aiming for is:

o  Decreasing triglycerides

o  Decreasing LDL (‘lousy’ cholesterol)

o   ­ Increasing HDL (‘healthy’ cholesterol)

To help do so, try following the dietary recommendations below:

My friend and colleague Marci always makes fun of me for using charts, but I really do think they’re a great way to organize information.  Hopefully you find it helpful :)   

PS.  Yes, that title is a cheesy reference to the 1991 song.