Category: Superfoods

Don’t Wait Until January. Do the 5-Day Delish Detox Today!

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5-Day Detox

Hi everyone! We’ve got two holidays down, and a couple more to go… but a full 4 weeks of school before winter break starts (my kids just calculated it). So, why wait until January to take the squash by the stem when you can do our simple 5-Day Delish Detox now? It’s simple, fun and super tasty. And you’ll set yourself up for success for all those upcoming cocktail parties and gatherings.

The 5-Day Delish Detox is 100% plant-based, gluten-free and includes 5 full days of meals and snacks with a personalized shopping list. Day 1’s breakfast is the Popeye Smoothie. Take a peak and consider it today (we’re doing it too)! xo – Jen & Corinne

Making Raw Hemp Milk Couldn’t Be Easier – Video!

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Raw Hemp Milk
Makes 4 cups

1 cup hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds)
4 cups filtered water

Blend, and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Add to smoothies, pudding, desserts, soups, or cereal. High in protein, fiber, and Omega-3’s. Yum!

 

Secret Sprinkle Cookies

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Well I made and perfected these back on National Homemade Cookies Day (October 1st, don’t you celebrate?), and am finally out of my nutrient-rich cookie coma and getting a chance to share them. They are adorable, colorful, and protein-packed for growing kids. Sprinkles in them, on them, and around them (and on the floor them). Enjoy with a hot cup of something and a smile. Oh, and send an extra or two in your kids’ lunch boxes for their friends.

Secret Sprinkle Cookies
Makes 24

1/2 cup softened butter-type ingredient (I used Earth Balance)
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp chia seeds soaked in 3 Tbsp water for 5 minutes
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup hemp hearts
1/3 cup sprinkles plus 3 Tbsp for sprinkling on top
2 Tbsp soymilk or water if batter is too dry

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine buttery spread, sugar, vanilla, and chia/water combo in a bowl until mixed through. Add dry ingredients and stir to combine, adding 2 Tbsp water or non-dairy milk if batter is crumbly.

Form dough into 1-inch size balls and place 1 inch apart on a nonstick cookie sheet, topping with a few extra sprinkles — I use a funnel for less mess. Bake 10-15 minutes until dough spreads out and very slightly golden brown on the edges.

Per cookie: 102 calories, 4.5 g fat, 14 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 7.5 g sugar, 2 g protein.

High & Mighty Brownie Cookies

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Ever thought to put veggies and beans into brownie mix and then turn them into cookies? Wait, that’s not what you think about as you lie in bed at night? Oh. Well, I’ve taken on the age-old question and attempted an answer: How do we make brownies a complete meal? Announcing the High & Mighty Brownie Cookie. High in nutrients, mighty in taste and energy. And while I still serve them for dessert, they can certainly pass for a side dish or maybe even a main squeeze…

High & Mighty Brownie Cookies
Makes 48

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained & rinsed (about 1 1/2 cups cooked beans)
Large handful kale, about 2 cups chopped
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (the canned type)
1 box brownie mix
1/2 cup coconut flour, almond meal, or cashew meal

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Blend or food process beans, kale, and pumpkin into a smooth, olive green glop (probably not wise to taste-test this…).

Stir glop together with brownie mix and coconut flour (or almond or cashew meal).

With slightly wet hands, form into 1 1/2-inch round balls (slightly smaller than golf balls) and drop onto an ungreased cookie sheet about an inch apart.

Press down gently with a fork in a criss-cross fashion.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and chow down!

Nutrition Information Per Cookie: 74 calories, 1 g fat, 36 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 11 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 1 g protein, 21% vitamin A, 3% iron.

Now you (or at least I) can rest soundly. Cheers to chocolate! xo

Skin Glow from Fruits and Veggies Better Than a Sun Tan

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Arugula Salad in SKINNY DISH

Arugula Salad in SKINNY DISH

Ever noticed that people who eat lots of fruits and veggies have a magical glow? Wait, you haven’t? It’s the kind where you want to run right up to them and ask if they just ate a salad. Yes, that’s the one I’m talking about. Well, here’s some new science to prove the phenomenon. A study published in The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology showed that people who ate more carotenoid-rich fruits and veggies (basically all of them, but especially the orange, red, yellow, and dark green ones), had more attractive skin tone. So, not only are these colorful crops good for your insides, but for your outsides, and for your friends’ eyes as well. Great excuse then to chow this simple and fall-friendly arugula salad. Cheers, attractive people!

Arugula Salad with Pan-Seared Butternut Squash

Makes 2 servings
Prep and cooking time: 15 minutes

Searing is a great way to bring out the flavors in veggies, and it’s done by cooking them in a skillet with high heat and very little oil, a good way to keep the fat content down. Enjoy this colorful salad in the fall when squash is aplenty.

1 tsp olive oil
2 cups very small butternut squash cubes (about the top portion of a butternut squash, peeled and finely cubed)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 (7-oz) bag TJ’s Wild Arugula Wild Rocket Salad, or other bag of prewashed arugula
2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar, divided
Dash of sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

1. In a medium-sized skillet, heat oil. Add butternut squash chunks, salt, and garlic powder. Pan-sear the squash for 6 minutes stirring it every minute or so and removing it from the heat for 10 seconds at a time if the pan gets too smoky. Remove from heat and place on a plate in the fridge for 5 minutes to cool.

2. Divide bag of arugula onto 2 plates. Top each plate with the butternut squash cubes and 1 Tbsp of white balsamic vinegar. Garnish each one with sesame seeds if desired.

3. Dressed salad will not last past the current meal, so eat up! Butternut squash cubes make perfect finger foods for toddlers or toothpick veggie kebabs for young children.

NUTRITION SNAPSHOT
Per serving: 143 calories, 3 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 325 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 4 g protein, 327% vitamin A, 71.5% vitamin C, 23.5% calcium, 13% iron

Watermelon Protein Cooler

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Well hello! I fell of the earth for a bit and finally founnd my way back. Phew! And when I say “fell off the earth,” I really mean I’ve been tackling an enormous pre-baby-#4 to-do list (baby due in 3 weeks). Thankfully, I finally reached item #47: Post something new on BitchinDietitian.com! And here it is. A standby since watermelons have appeared at CostCo, and a creative way to get more watermelons in your life if you’re tackling high blood pressure (new research here).

watermelon smoothie

Watermelon Protein Cooler
Serves 3 (or 1 very thirsty pregnant lady!)

4 cups watermelon chunks (about 430 grams)
12 frozen strawberries (or 12 fresh strawberries, stems removed, plus 1 cup ice)
2 tsp lime juice (fresh is best!)
8 ounces almond milk, hemp milk, or other non-dairy milk
1 scoop protein powder of choice (I like Plant Fusion vanilla)

Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Each serving has 121 calories, 18 g carbs, and 9 g protein.

See you sooner than later. Cheers! xoxo

Detox Day 7: Top 13 Detox Foods

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Can you believe it’s the last day? What a super journey this has been! Now that you’re accustomed to inhaling so many of nature’s powerfoods (raw nuts, berries, quinoa, broccoli, kale, spinach, beans, lentils…), I thought a quick list of my top favorite 13 detoxing foods along with their top reasons why they’re so awesome would be a cool graduation gift. Try to incorporate at least FIVE of these every day from now on, and you’ll continue to feel like you have wings.

Wheatgrass Juice from mekonfarm.com

Wheatgrass Juice from mekonfarm.com

1. ALMONDS: Help remove impurities from your intestinal tract. Almond milk is a great dairy alternative to cow’s milk.

2. APPLES: Contain glucaric acid which helps your body get rid of estrogen-like chemicals and heavy metals.

3. AVOCADOS: Rich in healthy monounsaturated fat which doesn’t upset the proper balance of Omega-3’s to Omega-6’s. Contain glutathione which blocks 30 different carcinogens and helps the liver detoxify synthetic chemicals.

4. BEETS: Contain the compound betaine which lowers levels of several inflammatory markers and protects against liver damage. Also contain antioxidant betacyanin, which helps liver detoxify chemicals.

5. BLUEBERRIES: Super-rich in antioxidants including anthocyanins which stop free radical damage (free radical damage can lead to wrinkles and cancer tumor growth). Enhance glutathione production (see AVOCADOS).

6. CABBAGE:  Cleanses the digestive tract and contains powerful cancer-purging isothiocyanates. Eat raw in juices or salads as heat destroys isothiocyanates. Fermented cabbage (kim chi) is rich in natural probiotics.

7. GARLIC: Contains allicin which fights off harmful bacteria. Increases production of glutathione (see AVOCADOS). Garlic also cleanses the arteries, lowers high blood pressure, and cleanses mucous buildup in the lungs and sinuses.

8. GINGER: Eases nausea and digestion, but also promotes detoxification by speeding the movement of food through the intestines.

9. KALE: Rich in tons of anti-cancer compounds and flavonoids which reduce chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, but also contains a compound that jumpstarts the liver’s production of cleansing enzymes.

10. LEMONS: Super liver detoxifier and very alkalinizing: help restore the alkaline-acid balance of the body. Add 1/4 lemon to a glass of water every morning.

11. PARSLEY: Rich source of chlorophyll, a natural detoxifier. Raises glutathione levels (see AVOCADOS). Contains the volatile oil eugenol which is a strong anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic agent.

12. SEAWEED: Binds to heavy metals and radioactive waste (from medical tests and food grown in contaminated soil) for elimination. Rich source of iodine which is essential for thyroid hormone production and your body’s metabolism.

13. WHEATGRASS: Potent detoxifier, and richest edible source of chlorophyll which rebuilds bloodstream, nourishes tissues, and purifies the liver. High in oxygen which helps brain and body function at optimal levels (a pregnancy must!). Grow and grind your own, or buy as frozen cubes or powder, and add to juices or smoothies.

Good thing you’re going grocery shopping today! Thank you thank you for joining all of us on this better-you health trip. You are all shining green stars! xoxo

Gone Bananas! Peeling the Love with Spirulina

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Spirulina Colada

I spent a good part of my childhood hating bananas simply because my brother loved them. Sibling rivalry at its strangest. In reality, I liked the taste, but the strings (technically called phloem, pronounced “FLOM”) scared me. All that chatter about peeling the banana upside down and not getting any strings is a bunch of banana bologna!

Fast-forward to today and I cheerlead for what bananas do for creamy smoothies, how they turn so nicely from frozen chunks into ice cream, and how important they are for banana bread. Ever made banana bread without bananas? It’s REALLY hard. Plus, who doesn’t love a fruit that has its own online museum?

So, when DOLE asked me to host a “Peel the Love” banana fest, I was psyched for an excuse to get a little bananas with bananas. They gave me banana recipes on a banana-shaped flash drive (dude!). But, the dietitian and direction diverter in me had to put a green spin on the yellow. Enter, the green Pina Colada….

Spirulina Colada
Makes 3

2 cups frozen pineapple chunks
2 medium bananas
2 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (the kind in the fridge section of the grocery store)
2 teaspoons spirulina powder (I like this one, and I get it at Whole Foods Market)

Blend and drink. Freeze leftovers in popsicle molds.

Nutrition info per serving: 188 calories, 3 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 431 mg potassium, 33 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 20 g sugar, 6.5 g protein, 470% vitamin A, 300% vitamin B12, 85% vitamin C, 40% calcium, 87% iron

Why Spirulina? It takes any smoothie from zero to hero. Check out the nutrition info again! Look at all that iron! Sorry Colada, but that is from the Spirulina alone. Spirulina is a TASTELESS blue-green algae that does everything from cleaning your house (well, your body’s house), boosting your immune system, getting your sex hormone situation in order, to lowering high blood pressure. It even helps prevent cancer. Did I mention it’s tasteless? So you can add it to pretty much anything. Annnnd, it has *more* complete protein than meat! Spirulina is 65-71% protein. Red meat is 22%. Just 2 tablespoons of spirulina per meal gives you all the protein you need. I know, I know. Green powder on your dinner plate is even a little too extreme for a dietitian. But, throw it in a smoothie, stir it into a fresh juice, add it to pancakes on St. Patrick’s Day, or mix it into your brownie batter. You *could* take it in pill form, but where’s the fun in that? 🙂

Next up… Brownies made with bananas, pecans, and black beans. And you thought eating algae was weird! XOXO

Thyroid Demystified

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Hd-butterfly-pictureWondering about soy, cruciferous veggies, all the different types of thyroid hypers and hypos, why there’s a picture of a butterfly here, or just want some new cocktail party convo material? Check out this new post on KrisCarr.com. Thyroid Demystified!

2 Must-Drink Summer Power Smoothies

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I’m on a new kick this summer — I’ve dropped the breakfast oatmeal and bran flakes and have become a blending maniac! EVERY morning, I throw a bunch of colorful plant matter plus some seeds and perhaps a yummy powder into my Vitamix, blend it, and go. If there are leftovers, I pour them into sealed glass jars and guzzle later in the morning. Here are my 2 favorite blendcoctions:

Daiquiri Power Tower

Daiquiri Power Tower

Chia Daiquiri
Makes 3 12-ounce portions

2 cups frozen organic strawberries
1 banana
Handful organic kale leaves (lacinato or dinosaur kale are my fave), spinach if the kale is too kale-ey
1/4 cup chia seeds (get them at Costco: $10 for a 2-lb. bag): Awesome source of LDL cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber and heart-healthy Omega-3’s
3 cups fortified non-dairy milk such as unsweetened coconut milk: Great source of calcium and vitamin D
1 scoop Vanilla Almondilla Vega One Energizing Smoothie powder: Superstar for protein, fiber, and sweetened with stevia so low-sugar too!

Blend, pour, and go!

Nutrition Info per 12-ounce serving: 246 calories, 12 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 22 g carbohydrate, 14 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 11 g protein, 90% vitamin A, 141% vitamin C, 30% vitamin D, 25% calcium, 14% iron.


Brown Hippie
Makes 3 12-ounce portions

Not pictured, because you might not try it! It’s brown, people. Close your eyes and enjoy!

1 cup frozen organic blueberries
1 cup frozen mango chunks
1 banana
Handful organic spinach leaves
3 cups fortified non-dairy milk such as unsweetened soymilk: Great source of calcium and vitamin D
1 scoop vanilla hemp protein powder (such as the one from Trader Joe’): Super rich in protein, Omega-3’s, and insoluble fiber
1 frozen cube wheatgrass juice (optional): adds nature’s richest edible source of chlorophyll – a natural detoxifier and blood pressure reducer

Blend, pour, and go!

Nutrition Info per 12-ounce serving: 220 calories, 5 g fat, <1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 33 g carbohydrate, 8 g fiber, 19 g sugar, 12 g protein, 31% vitamin A, 37% vitamin C, 30% vitamin D, 32% calcium, 25% iron.

Ta da! 🙂