Product Showcase: Candy Cane Green Tea from Trader Joe's

The holiday season gets me all excited for special things that are only available this time of year. Cozy sweaters, holiday decorations, Christmas music, the scent of cinnamon swirling in my apartment, and Burdick's hot chocolate (to name a few). But this year, I discovered a new favorite holiday obsession: decaffeinated Candy Cane Green Tea from Trader Joe's (which I just discovered is available on Amazon for those of you far from a TJ's!).

The topic of the health benefits of green tea is quite a controversial one. If you are interested in delving in to some of the research, this article summarizes a lot of the recent studies on the topic. Despite the enthusiasm over the tea's ability to fight cancer, lower cholesterol, and improve diabetes "real-world evidence is lacking; most of the consistent findings about green tea's health benefits have come out of the lab."

But don't let this dissuade you from warming up with a cup of Trader's Joe's holiday version. We do know that green tea is loaded with antioxidants. And THAT should come in handy as the holiday stress begins to mount. Call it fact or fiction, I can't deny that sipping on a cup of delicious tea does wonders for my mental health...not to mention the boost I may be getting from the antioxidant qualities of green tea.

Do you have any holiday favorites? I'd love to know about them!

Tweet 

Product Showcase: Two New Frozen Favorites

Ok, I'm going to keep it real here. I like to cook. But recently, there hasn't been time for much else but microwaving. So I recently picked up two new frozen items to try. (Yes, frozen and pre-prepared items from Whole Foods and Trader Joe's have been keeping me fed the past couple of weeks.) And I just warmed them up for dinner and was pleasantly surprised!

Product Showcase Item #1: Turkey Meatballs from Trader Joe'sSuper tasty. Just microwave them! I can imagine they'd be great with pasta, a baked potato, or wild rice. I paired it with...

Product Showcase Item #2: Garden Lites Butternut Squash Souffle from Whole FoodsTop with some brown sugar and you're good to go! Would be super tasty with salmon or grilled chicken as well. I totally enjoyed both the flavor and fluffy texture!

In under 10 minutes I had a bowl of meatballs and squash ready to go, along with a glass of milk. Yummy, balanced, and super super speedy when cookin' just ain't gonna' happen!

What are super speedy meal time favorites?

Tweet 

Product Showcase: Ak Mak Crackers

Alright, a few days ago I tore to shreds the poor brown rice cake in my product no case post. But I promised to share with you a whole grain cracker that I simply love.

It is the yummy and inexpensive Ak Mak Cracker! They have been around for ages and are available at just about every store. Yes, they are dry and crunchy (so that may be a turn off to some people). But the sesame seed flavor is super yummy.

I don’t mind snacking on them alone but find them to be a much more satisfying snack when eaten:
1. with peanut butter
2. with hummus
3. with turkey and cheese

I think you get the idea. I prefer them when eaten with some protein and fat to add flavor and balance for a more satisfying/longer lasting snack. You can even crumble on salads or soup too.

Do you love Ak Mak crackers? What’s your favorite way to eat them?

Tweet 

Product Showcase: Peanut Butter & Co Cinnamon Raisin Swirl

I love peanut butter. So when a client brought me a jar of Peanut Butter & Co's Cinnamon Raisin Swirl peanut butter I was pretty excited. BUT I was not prepared for the DELICIOUSNESS awaiting me. If you like peanut butter, cinnamon, and raisins then you MUST find the nearest store that sells Peanut Butter & Co ASAP. (If you don't like all of those things, they have some other fun flavors which you should check out.)

I love peanut butter for a lot of reasons:

• The smooth, rich, creaminess is like a little heaven on my tongue
• It pairs nicely with so many things: apples, bananas, crackers, oatmeal, waffles, marinades, soups, dressings, smoothies, and cookies
• The natural blend of protein and fat makes it a stellar partner with carbs like grains, fruits and veggies giving your snack or meal staying power!

Tip: as the temperatures cool and oatmeal starts to sound appealing, try mixing your favorite PB spread in your oatmeal. It's delicious and will keep you full for much longer than the oatmeal alone. Add some fruit and your set for a balanced, energizing, and comforting meal.

Are you a peanut butter lover too? What's your favorite way to eat it?

Note: If you have a peanut allergy, I apologize. I hope I didn't make you feel left out. I'll try to pick something next month that is allergy free. :)

Tweet 

Product Showcase: Sweet & Snappy Thai Chili Glaze

Wow. I just finished up a super duper delicious dinner and had to share my new favorite product with you. I found it at a farmer's market on Martha's Vineyard and have been lovin' it ever since. It's called Chesca's Kitchen: Sweet and Snappy Thai Chili Glaze. You can check it out here and send her an email to place an order. It's a fabulous glaze that you can eat with veggies, drizzle on top of crackers and cheese, brush it on meats before grilling, or toss in a stir-fry or salad.

I needed a quick an easy meal tonight and this worked in a pinch. While roasting some pre-cut veggies at 400 degrees for 20 min (as always, aluminum foil goes on the baking sheet first, followed by cooking spray, then the veggies, then the olive oil), I boiled up some soba noodles. After letting everything cool, I tossed it together with Chesca's snappy glaze and I was in heaven. Yum Yum Yummy!

Do you have any products you can't live without?! Share!

Your sweet and snappy dietitian in Cambridge,
Marci
Tweet 

Product Show Case: Seasoning Blends

Each month I try to highlight a product I think is fabulous. As I was whipping up some fajitas for dinner last night, I knew exactly what I wanted to blog about- seasoning blends. You may be wondering why I get psyched about spices, but let me explain. The key to delicious/nutritious cooking is all about developing flavor. And the “typical American diet” is over-reliant on salt and butter. Turns out that with a little olive oil and spices, you can turn some pretty blah meals into something fabulous. And the really cool thing about spice blends is that you don’t have to be an expert on how to season your food to use them. If you’re making Mexican food, select a southwest blend. If it’s an Italian night, select an Italian blend. I have 3-4 go to spice blends, plus garlic, black pepper, and crushed red pepper when I cook.

Any spice blends at your grocery store should do the trick. But if you’re interested, check out this handy website I just discovered, Savory Spice Shop. Also, I wrote this blog post on how to select, store, and use spices and seasonings that might also be helpful.

Here’s a great recipe that uses an Italian seasoning blend. I think you’ll like it!

Do you have any spices or seasonings you love? If yes, please share!

Marci RD
Nutrition Counseling in Cambridge

Picture Source
Tweet 

Product Showcase: Aluminum Foil

Each month I love to highlight a product I think is fabulous. And while I was thinking about the product I wanted to showcase, I realized that aluminum foil is a kitchen staple I just couldn’t live without. Not only is handy for cooking, it SAVES me from messy and very time consuming clean up.

Picture Source

• I line baking dishes when cooking fish, like my killer salmon
• I line baking sheets when roasting veggies and baking cookies, like when I making my favorite kick-butt veggie lasagna
• I’ve even used it to make foil dinners, like Kraft's Foil Packet Southwestern Chicken Dinner
• And it comes in handy when wrapping up leftovers

Do you have a kitchen tool or product you can’t live without? I’d love to hear about it! Please email me at marci at marcird dot com.

Your eating and nutrition expert in Cambridge
Marci
Tweet 

Product Showcase: Guest blogger Janel Ovrut

Product Showcase: Trader Joe’s Frozen Brown Rice
Picture Source

When Marci asked me to do a Product Showcase guest blog post for a food I love, the first thing that came to mind for me was Trader Joe’s Frozen Brown Rice. I know it sounds basic and boring, but this frozen food gem has saved me many nights when I was too tired, rushed, or hungry to make a more elaborate meal.

This frozen brown rice makes life easier by coming packaged in three 10-ounce packets of rice, that you simply snip a tiny hole in, and pop in the microwave for three minutes. Voila! You have chewy, nutty, nutritious brown rice ready to build a base for the rest of your meal. Each packet contains two servings, so it’s perfectly portioned for dinner with my fiancé, or enough for me to have leftovers for lunch.

Usually I add to the rice a can of drained black beans, a bag of cooked frozen veggies, and a jar of spicy salsa for a complete meal that takes less than five minutes to put together! I always make sure my meals are well-rounded with a combination of whole grains (the brown rice), protein (the beans), and veggies, and this fits the bill. You can alter it however you’d like:

• Try the rice with marinara sauce, peas, and grilled chicken
• Roll the rice, beans and salsa into a burrito and have veggies on the side
• Stir fry veggies and tofu in teriyaki sauce and serve over a bed of brown rice
• Add to soup to stretch your meal

I realize it’s relatively simple to boil water and cook rice, or even easier – toss water and rice into my amazing rice cooker. But both of these methods take longer than three minutes. When I’m in a real pinch, I turn to Trader Joe’s Frozen Brown Rice every time. It’s a “fast food” I can count on that’s good for me too.

What’s your favorite “fast food” that you rely on when you’re rushed?


Janel Ovrut MS RD LDN is a Boston-based dietitian who enjoys helping others reach their nutrition goals, one bite at a time. Janel shares her culinary adventures in her blog Eat Well with Janel and loves to tweet @DietitianJanel.
Tweet 

Product Show Case: Trader Joe's Frozen Oatmeal

Each month I love to showcase a favorite food or culinary product I think is fabulous. I was recently introduced to Trader Joe's frozen steel-cut oatmeal. It comes in packs of two. All you do is drop in a bowl and microwave for a few minutes.  And you have a beautiful bowl of warm oatmeal.  It is totally divine! It's a life savor if you love steel-cut oatmeal but don't have time for the stove top version.  And wouldn't you know it, the 2nd Monday of February is National Oatmeal Day.  So on February 14th, you can celebrate by starting your day with a bowl of oatmeal. :)

Oatmeal is a super stellar whole grain with plenty of soluble fiber that has benefits for heart health.  Here's an article on how to get more nutritional bang for your buck when it comes to oatmeal.  And wouldn't you know it, the timing is perfect since February is American Heart Month. 

Here are some fun ways to enjoy your oatmeal:

• Creamy Apple: add raisins, chopped apples, dash of cinnamon
• Trail Mix: sprinkle in almonds, craisins, and chocolate chips
• Banana Split: bananas and dried cherries
• French Toast: 1 packet instant oatmeal, mixed with one egg white, fry up in a non-stick skillet
• PB & J: 1 T peanut butter, handful of your favorite dried fruit

Do you have a favorite way to enjoy your oatmeal?  Please share!

Tweet 

Product Show Case: Wholly Guacamole

Typically I am not a fan of the 100 calorie snack pack revolution that has taken over the grocery stores. It's usually highly processed, not so tasty, and totally unsatisfying "non-food" food. And as an eating disorder expert, I'm NOT a fan of calorie counting.

But, I totally love the single serve packets of Wholly Guacamole. So, I couldn't help but showcase it as the product I'm loving this month.  I don't love it because it's 100 calories in a serving.  I love it for three simple reasons:

1. I don't have to worry about an under or overripe avocado when whipping up dinner during the week.
2. They can easily be packed and transported for a simple and nutritious addition to what would potentially be a blaw frozen burrito.
3. The guacamole is seriously delicious! It really passes the taste test.

Do have any products you're in love with?  If yes, please share! I'm always on the look out for something new to get excited about.
Tweet