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Parmesan Spinach Cakes
Ingredients
12 ounces fresh spinach
1 /2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese, or low-fat cottage cheese1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish2 large eggs, beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Pulse spinach in three batches in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add ricotta (or cottage cheese), Parmesan, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper; stir to combine.
Coat 8 cups of the muffin pan with cooking spray. Divide the spinach mixture among the 8 cups (they will be very full).
Bake the spinach cakes until set, about 20 minutes. Let stand in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife and turn out onto a clean cutting board or large plate. Serve warm, sprinkled with more Parmesan, if desired.
Nutrition
Makes 4 servings, 2 cakes each
Per serving : 141 Calories; 8 g Fat; 4 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 123 mg Cholesterol; 6 g Carbohydrates; 13 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 456 mg Sodium; 560 mg Potassium
Source: www.eatingwell.com | |
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Hello !
This week's story about snacking reminds me of when my son, now 5 years old, was just old enough to figure out how yummy sweets are. The morning after his 2nd birthday party, I remember waking up with him next to me, nudging me and smiling! What was the first word out of his mouth when I opened my eyes? "CAKE!"
As a mom and a nutritionist, it was my job to teach him that healthy eaters don't eat cake for breakfast! A hard lesson for a 2-year-old, but a worthwhile one for all of us. If we can fill our bodies with delicious and nutritious foods FIRST, then there will be less opportunity (but certainly some) to take in less healthful snacks and treats. It's all about balance!
Have a great week!
-Debra |
| Snacking the Day Away |
 All dietitians will tell you the same thing, snacking is a great way to maintain a healthy weight... if the snack is healthful: whole grains, fruit or vegetables. What you won't hear recommended is to snack on chips, crackers, juice and candy. Unfortunately this is exactly what the children of America are eating between meals, to the tune of 600 calories per day.
A recent study that analyzed the food intake of 31,337 children and adolescents in the U.S. revealed large increases in snacking between the 1989-91 to 1994-98 and 1994-98 to 2003-06 periods. On average, children snacked on junk food about three times a day, and more than half of the kids snacked about four times a day.
The study discovered that daily snack calories have increased by 168 calories/day since the late 1970s and snacking now accounts for about 27 percent of an average child's total daily calories. Desserts and sweetened beverages such as soda and juice are the major source of calories from snacks.
Bottom Line: Children need to snack; they have smaller stomachs and can get full quickly, so snacking is essential for optimal growth. However choosing snacks that are high in calories but low in nutrients (junk food) is detrimental for two reasons. The first being that junk food with its high fat, sugar and sodium content can lead to obesity, and the second reason being that filling up on junk food leaves little room for the healthful foods that are essential for proper growth and development.
Source: Health Affairs 2010, 29(3): 398-404 |
| Eating or Raising a Cow? Start with Grass |
 Until recently, cattle ate grass as their main source of food. They did not wander into corn fields, hoist themselves onto their hind legs and feast on corn on the cob - corn just wasn't in their diet. However with the modernization of cattle-raising-techniques corn and other grains became the standard feed for these ruminants. The cattle are now shipped to feed lots where they are fattened on grain before slaughter. This results in bigger animals (more money for the ranchers) and more marbling (fat) in the meat, which means more saturated fat and cholesterol for the consumer. Feeding cattle grains reduces the quality of the meat both in taste and nutrition.
Purely grass-fed animals are known to have better tasting meat. The beef is leaner and has a better flavor than their corn-fed counterparts. And now there is research to show that beef from grass-fed animals is healthier. A recent study published in Nutrition Journal shows that grass-fed beef has more healthful fats (omega-3 fatty acids) and less unhealthful fats than corn-fed cows. Grass-fed beef also had lower levels of cholesterol and contained more vitamins A and E and other antioxidants.
Bottom Line: Beef from grass-fed animals is healthier, better tasting and in some cases more ethically derived. However, this beef can also be more expensive than the cheaply produced grain-fed beef, and the regulation on labeling meat as "grass-fed" is not very stringent. If you choose to eat red meat, be sure you know what you are buying; check out www.americangrassfed.org to see where you can purchase certified grass-fed meat.
Source: Nutrition Journal 2010, 9:10 | |
About Sensible Nutrition
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Contact us at www.sensiblenutrition.com or 781-741-5483 | |
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