Monday, February 3, 2025

Homemade Soup Day - Southwest Black Bean and Vegetable Soup



Serves: 13

Serving Size: 3/4 cups

Ingredients.
1 onion, large, chopped
1 green pepper, medium, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 (32 ounces) low sodium chicken broth
1 (15 ounces) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounces) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
28 ounces diced tomatoes, unsalted
6 ounces chopped green chilies
1 (15 ounces) can corn, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions.
1. In a large nonstick saucepan, sauté vegetables and
garlic until almost tender.
2. Stir in all ingredients and bring to a boil.
3. Simmer 20 minutes.
4. Soup freezes well.



Nutrition Information



Resources.
1. Wikipedia. Soups - History, Types, and Varieties
2. Food Network.  Healthy Soup Recipes
4. EatingWell. Healthy Winter Soup Recipes


Ensure accurate nutritional analysis for your recipes utilizing an extensive research database and over 30 years of experience. A valuable service for Recipe Bloggers, Media, Cookbook Publishers, Writers, Chefs, and Recipe Websites. Your readers will benefit from the Nutrition information and a Registered Dietitian. Contact: Dietitians-Online.com; Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RDN, FAND at recipenews@gmail.com  954-294-6300





Friday, January 31, 2025

National Hot Chocolate Day


Save Calories and Fat by using Skim (Nonfat) Milk 
instead of Whole Milk. You still receive the
benefits of calcium and vitamin D.
Skim /NonFat Milk
90 Calories
0 g Fat;
250 mg Calcium
124 IU / 3.2 mcg Vitamin D
Whole Milk
149 Calories
8 g Fat;
276 mg Calcium
124 IU / 3.2 mcg Vitamin D


The Polar Express, "Hot Chocolate Song" 









Thursday, January 30, 2025

Croissant from Dough to Joy

Croissant from Dough to Joy





Tabouli, Tomatoes, and Feta Cheese on
Mini Croissant
#NationalCroissantDay 





Croissant Sandwich with Tabouli,
Tomatoes, and Feta Cheese

Serves One

Ingredients

1 Croissant (1 ounce)
1 Tbsp Tabouli Salad
2 slices Tomatoes
1/2 oz Feta Cheese

Nutrition Information


Nutritional Analysis Services

Ensure accurate and cost-effective nutritional analysis and food nutrition facts labels for your recipes and menus utilizing an extensive research database. A great service for the Media, Cookbook Publishers, Writers, Chefs, Recipe Websites and Blogs. Your readers will enjoy and benefit from the Nutrition information.

For more information, visit Dietitians-Online Nutritional Analysis Services
contact: Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RDN, FAND recipenews@gmail.com
954-294-6300




Wednesday, January 29, 2025

A Culinary Voyage: The World's Most Famous Soups




In a world brimming with diverse cultures and traditions, nothing quite encapsulates the essence of a place like its local cuisine. Among the many culinary delights, soups stand out as a universal comfort food, transcending borders and bringing the taste of culture to our tables. Each spoonful of these simmering concoctions tells a story – a tale of heritage, geography, and the unique blend of ingredients that define a region's palate.

Join us on a gastronomic adventure, where each sip is a discovery, and every bowl is a celebration of the world's vast and vibrant culinary heritage. Embark on a journey, one spoonful at a time, to discover the stories and secrets simmering within these global soups. 



Gazpacho (Spain) is a refreshing, cold soup made from raw, blended vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers, often enjoyed in the summer.

Harira (Morocco) is a rich and hearty soup traditionally eaten during Ramadan. It is made with tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, and lamb and flavored with a blend of fragrant spices.

Laksa (Malaysia and Singapore): A spicy noodle soup with a distinctive coconut milk base, it comes in various forms, including curry laksa and asam laksa, often served with chicken, prawn, or fish.

Minestrone (Italy): A thick Italian vegetable soup often containing beans, onions, celery, carrots, stock, and tomatoes, sometimes with pasta or rice.

Tom Yum (Thailand): A hot and sour soup known for its intense flavors, it typically includes shrimp (Tom Yum Goong), mushrooms, tomatoes, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves.

Tortilla Soup (Mexico): A hearty, flavorful soup made with chicken broth, roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chilies and topped with crispy fried tortilla strips, avocado, cheese, and sour cream.

Caldo Verde (Portugal): A simple, comforting soup made with thinly sliced kale, potatoes, and chorizo sausage, often served during celebrations.

Phở (Vietnam): A Vietnamese soup known for its fragrant broth, rice noodles, herbs, and usually beef (Phở Bò) or chicken (Phở Gà).

French Onion Soup (France): A rich and savory soup based on caramelized onions and beef stock, and typically served with a crouton and melted cheese on top.

Chupe de Mariscos (Peru): A creamy seafood soup from Peru, loaded with various seafood like shrimp, crab, and fish, often enriched with potatoes, corn, and a base of aji peppers and cilantro.

New England Clam Chowder (USA): A creamy, hearty soup from the New England region, known for its chunks of clams, diced potatoes, onions, and sometimes bacon in a milk or cream base.

Borscht (Russia/Ukraine): A sour soup common in Eastern European countries, famous for its distinctive red color from beetroots, usually served with sour cream, and can contain a variety of vegetables and meat.

Ramen (Japan) is a popular Japanese soup consisting of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or fish-based broth flavored with soy sauce or miso and topped with ingredients like sliced pork, nori, and scallions.

These soups not only offer a taste of their respective cultures but also embody the diversity and richness of global culinary traditions.


Nutrition Notes


Soup is a combination of foods with endless possibilities. It represents comfort, warmth, tradition, and nourishment.

Soups can be an economical way of meeting nutritional needs. Leftovers are perfect when preparing soups.

Soups have been known to curb the appetite and slow the eating process. Studies show slower eaters are more likely to notice signs of fullness sooner and consume fewer calories. With the extra time, enjoy the flavor, aroma, and texture of the foods.

Soups can be prepared with various healthy ingredients and traditional favorites made healthier with some substitutions.


Foods you can substitute to make heart-healthy choices.
Instead of:
 Try these heart-healthy suggestions:
whole milk or 2% milk1% milk or skim milk
whipped creamchilled evaporated skim milk, whipped
cheese (American, Cheddar, Swiss)Cheeses with 5 or less grams of fat per ounce. Terms used: reduced-fat, low-fat, or fat-free. Reduced fat is easier to substitute when cooking.
creamed cottage cheesenonfat or 1% fat cottage cheese, or farmers' cheese
cream cheeselight, fat-free products, or Neufchatel cheese
Mozzarella cheesepart-skim mozzarella cheese
Ricotta cheesenonfat, lite, or part-skim
sour cream, regularnon-fat, light, or low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt.
butterlower-calorie margarine in soft tubes, vegetable cooking sprays, or nonstick cookware.
margarine, regularlower-calorie margarine in soft tubes, vegetable cooking sprays, or nonstick cookware.
mayonnaise, regularreduced-fat, cholesterol-free, low-fat, or fat-free. If making a dip, you can substitute plain nonfat or low-fat yogurt. Reduce the amount required in the recipe.
salad dressingreduced-fat, cholesterol-free, low-fat, or fat-free dressings or lemon juice, vinegar, or mustard. Reduce the amount required in the recipe.
one whole eggequals 2 egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute
egg noodlesnoodles made without egg yolk
condensed cream soup99% fat-free condensed cream soup
salteliminate or reduce by 1/2; explore herbs and spices
gravygravies made with low sodium broth and thickened with flour/cornstarch
beef, pork, veal, lambchoose lean cuts trimmed of all visible fat, or substitute with chicken or turkey without the skin.
oil for sautéingwater, broth, tomato juice
fryingbroil, bake, microwave, poach, steam, grill, stir fry


Healthy Soup Additions
1. Instead of salt, add herbs and spices to enhance the flavor. Explore the many possible seasonings available.
2. Add fresh, frozen, or leftover vegetables (use fruits if making a cold soup) to increase fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Avoid canned vegetables high in sodium. Read the label. A low-sodium food contains 140 mg or less per serving of sodium.
3. Increase fiber and protein by eating foods such as beans, lentils, brown rice, whole-grain pasta, barley, and bulgur.
4. Increase calcium and protein by using skim milk, evaporated skim milk, non-fat dry milk powder, or calcium-fortified soymilk. These low-fat ingredients can replace higher-fat alternatives like whole milk or cream.

Canned and Dry Soup Mixes are known for their high sodium content. Read the label and check the serving size. Remember, a low-sodium food contains 140 mg or less per serving.


Some companies within the food industry are making great strides in lowering the sodium content in their products. At Campbell, they have more than 100 products with a healthy level of sodium, more than 200 that are low in fat and saturated fat, more than 150 products that have 100 calories or less per serving, and more than 85 products certified by the American Heart Association.


I was searching the Campbell archives when I came across a 1959 commercial. Campbell had the foresight to recognize the importance of nutrition over 50 years ago.


Campbell's Soup, 1959



Soup Tidbits
Soup is a staple in almost every American home. After NBC's "Seinfeld" show introduced the "Soup Nazi" in the United States on November 2, 1995 - Soup became a fashionable food.

The Soup Nazi - Revenge


Tuesday, January 28, 2025

A Stack of Pancakes is Not One Serving
National Blueberry Pancake Day



Oatmeal Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes,
by Martha Rose Shulman, #NYTCooking. 




Blueberry Pancakes with Fresh Blueberries



Serves One
Ingredients
2 Blueberry Pancakes frozen
1/3 cup Fresh Blueberries

Portion Control



Nutritional Analysis Services

Ensure accurate and cost-effective nutritional analysis and food nutrition facts labels for your recipes and menus utilizing an extensive research database. A great service for the Media, Cookbook Publishers, Writers, Chefs, Recipe Websites, and Blogs. Your readers will enjoy and benefit from the Nutrition information.

For more information, visit Dietitians-Online Nutritional Analysis Services.

contact:
Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RDN, FAND

Friday, January 24, 2025

Peanut Butter Magic: Tasty Recipes & Fascinating Facts

The American Peanut Council proclaims peanut butter as one of America’s favorite foods. It is a good source of protein, niacin, and folate and is enjoyed by people of all ages.


Peanut Butter Magic: Tasty Recipes & Fascinating Facts





1. 54 Delish Peanut Butter Recipes, Delish








The National Peanut Board has a fun website filled with recipes, classroom activities, and fun facts. Did you know...

*It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.

*There are enough peanuts in one acre to make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches.

*By law, any product labeled "peanut butter" in the United States must be at least 90 percent peanuts.

*Peanut butter has been banned in some schools due to peanut butter allergies. Make sure to read the ingredient label.

A Journey through the Years
with Peanut Butter

Peter Pan Peanut Butter, 1957


1960's Skippy Peanut Butter



Kraft Peanut Butter, 1987



updated 01/24/2025

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Squeeze the Rainbow

Squeeze the Rainbow:
The Journey of Fresh-Squeezed Juice
from Nature to Juice.









A glass of fresh-squeezed juice is a great way to meet your fruit and vegetable needs. There are numerous combinations to create a variety of flavors that are packed with a lot of vitamins and minerals.




Juicer Recipes
Note that not all juicers produce the same amount of liquid. Consider buying extra ingredients if your juicer produces a low output. To avoid pesticides and other chemicals, use organic fruits and vegetables and wash everything thoroughly. Some juicers heat juice slightly, so chill your ingredients before juicing them.

Carrot, Granny Smith, and Ginger Juice
yield: Makes about 7-1/2 cups, 1 serving (3/4 cup)
Calories (kcal) 69.7; Carbohydrates (g) 16.8; Fat (g) 0; 
Saturated Fat (g) 0; Trans Fatty Acid (g) 0;
Cholesterol (mg) 0; 
Vitamin A (IU) 12250 (245.0%); Vitamin C (mg) 5.3 (8.9%); 
Potassium (mg) 114.7; Sodium (mg) 56.7

Ingredients
4 to 5 pounds Granny Smith apples
3 to 4 pounds carrots, peeled and trimmed
1 (6-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger
Special equipment: a juicer (see cooks' note, below)


Preparation
Slice apples. Process enough slices in a juicer, skimming and discarding any foam, to measure 4 cups juice, then transfer the juice to a pitcher. Process enough carrots, skimming and discarding any foam, to measure 3 1/2 cups juice, then add to the pitcher with apple juice. Process ginger, then stir 2 1/2 tablespoons of ginger juice into a pitcher. Chill until cold, about 2 hours.  Serve over ice, if desired. 
 
Spa Juice
yield: Makes 1 (1-cup) serving
Calories (kcal) 90; Carbohydrates (g) 21; Fat (g) 0; 
Trans Fatty Acid (g) 0; Cholesterol (mg) 0; 
Vitamin A - IU (IU) 4988 (99.8%); Vitamin C (mg) 51 (84.6%);
Iron (mg) 0.6 (3.2%); Sodium (mg) 67 (2.8%)
In addition, the recipe contains Vitamin B1; B2; B6; Folate;
Calcium; Phosphorus; and Potassium

Editor's note: This juice is fruity but not overly sweet. It gets its green color from parsley and spinach, but neither ingredient overwhelms the flavors of the pineapple, grapefruit, and carrots. The recipe is part of a spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Chris Miller, executive chef at Como Shambhala Estate at Begawan Giri in Bali.

Use an electric juice extractor or heavy-duty juicer that can process stems, skin, and seeds.

Ingredients
5 ounces fresh pineapple (about 1 cup or 1/8 large pineapple), peeled, cored, cut into large chunks, and chilled
4 ounces pear (about 1 cup or 1/2 medium pear), unpeeled, cut into large chunks and chilled
2 cups (packed) spinach with stems (about 4 ounces), chilled
1 (2-ounce) bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley with stems, chilled
1/2 medium carrot, peeled and chilled
1/4 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (from 1/2 small grapefruit), chilled

Preparation

Process pineapple, pear, spinach, parsley, and carrot in the juice extractor and skimming foam if necessary. Stir in grapefruit juice, chill if desired, and serve. The juice is best served immediately but refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days.

In Memory of Jack LaLanne
Jack LaLanne Sings His Theme Song
as I conclude this Blog on Juicers.
In this clip from the Power Juicer infomercial,
Jack LaLanne sings the closing song from his old TV show
as a duet with an old video of himself.



Dietitian Blog List