Dietitians Share their Diet Secrets with the Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is celebrating National Nutrition Month! To do so, they’ve asked dietitians to share some of their nutrition and diet secrets! We were elated to see that many of them included pasta! You know we love pasta because it’s convenient , inexpensive, and healthy but we were excited to see what they shared! We’ve pulled out some of our favorites to share with you:
1. Get Ready In Advance: “Make weekday dinners easier on yourself by getting started on the weekend. Peel wash and chop vegetables for the next couple of dinners, buy, marinate and freeze meat in small portions, or cook a big pot of whole grain pasta, barley or quinoa so it’s ready to reheat when you need it”
2. Cheat With Healthy Convenience Foods: “For people in a rush, there are some prepared foods that retain their healthy properties. They include:
• Light canned tuna or canned salmon
• Pre-cut butternut squash
• Canned legumes such as chickpeas or lentils
• Canned diced tomatoes
• Shredded cheese
• Eggs
• Plain frozen fish fillets
• Frozen vegetables and fruit
• Fresh or frozen whole wheat tortellini
• Whole grain pizza crusts
3. Six-Ingredient Meals: “Put the intimidating cookbooks away, and try these super simple recipes that are just as delicious:
• Cheesy Frittata – eggs, spinach, diced potato, red onion, milk and old cheddar cheese
• Lemony Pasta – whole grain pasta tossed with grilled zucchini, cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic, chickpeas and lemon juice
• Loaded Sweet Potato – baked sweet potato topped with black beans, green onion, tomato, cilantro and a spoonful of plain yogurt.”
4. Soups Are Actually The Easiest Meals Ever: “Once you create your own stock (which just needs a bit of time, some vegetables, chicken or beef if you’d like), you can have soup any day by adding in pasta, more veggies or whatever your favourite ingredients are.”
5. Dinner Party In Bulk: “If you’re planning to entertain friends, you can do it without ordering in. Try preparing things like leafy green salads, chilis, lasagnas, curries and stews a day in advance, or pasta salads a couple of days prior. And just … make a lot of it. If it doesn’t get eaten that night, it can always be leftovers after”
6. Use Ingredients That Count: “Forget adding in filler — if you put nutrient-rich ingredients into dishes, they’ll help fill you up and add serious health factors. For example:
• Cheese – just a sprinkle of strong-tasting cheese such as Parmesan, Asiago or aged cheddar fills your food with flavour
• Pesto – it’s bursting with basil, so you just need a spoonful to turn plain pasta into a gourmet meal
• Nuts – toasting nutrient-rich nuts brings out their rich flavour, so a handful will do”
7. Heck, Know Your Cooking Swaps: “Dessert is the part of the meal that gets the bad rap, but there are plenty of hidden (read: unnecessary) fats in meals as well. Check out these ideas for keeping the flavour, but losing the fats:
• Use evaporated milk instead of cream for a luscious pasta Alfredo
• Substitute lower-fat yogurt for mayonnaise to make a creamy salad dressing
• Sweeten whole grain hot cereal with fruit, such as bananas, apples or peaches, instead of sugar
• Use lemon juice, garlic, herbs and spices instead of salt to flavour savoury dishes”
For these great tips and 23 more – check out the full article! If you’re looking for an easy pasta dish that might fit the bill, visit our recipes page and you will not be disappointed.