Another for the Wee-Ones

I found another crowd-pleasing quinoa mixture for the little ones this weekend. It even got rave reviews from a certain difficult-to-please-little-peanut of ours:



In a food processor, I mixed together a cup or so of cooked quinoa, a baked sweet potato (skin removed) and a ripe banana along with a teaspoon of cinnamon. Voila, dinner was served ... and even enjoyed.



This, along with the quinoa, black bean and banana puree, freezes well so don't be afraid to make a big batch and then store in smaller containers in the freezer. We do and it definitely makes the age-old question, 'what's for dinner mom?' an easy one to answer.

Bon appetite!

Keen-What?

Hello Friends. I've missed you.

And I've missed sharing recipes and ideas for living healthier with you as well. It would seem that when I'm not sharing these things with you and being inspired by your tips, tricks and efforts that I'm less inclined to make the best choices myself.

So, without further ado, I offer you a week long series on quinoa. Quin-WHAT you may ask? I will tell you.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is actually not a grain; it is a seed. It is closely related to the spinach family but when cooked, it is light, fluffy, and slightly nutty in flavor. It is a complete protein, meaning it contains all essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for muscles. It also contains high levels of magnesium which helps relax your muscles and blood vessels, helping to lower blood pressure. Quinoa is also packed with fiber, manganese and copper which act as antioxidants in your body to get rid of dangerous cancer and disease-causing substances. It is also non-allergic and can be used in a wheat-free or gluten-free diet. ‘Nuf said.

Quinoa cooks and tastes like a grain so you can use it anywhere you would use rice or couscous. However, it cooks much FASTER than brown rice and really is a snap to make:

Combine 2 parts water (or broth) to 1 part quinoa (e.g., 2 cups water with 1 cup quinoa) and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the water is combined.

How easy is that?

For a super simple lunch or light weeknight dinner, toss together baby spinach leaves with sliced strawberries, toasted pecans, cooked quinoa and a sprinkle of goat cheese. Dress the salad with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Yum.



Mel’s variation of this includes baby spinach, cooked quinoa, sliced cherry tomatoes, pecans and kalamata olives.

Experiment with your favorite ingredients and let us know what you discover!

Kale Chips

By now you probably know that I am obsessed with the nutritional benefits of kale, so much so that I blend it into my morning smoothie. It is, quite possibly, the single most nutritious thing you can eat (even though it didn't land on The Doctor's top ten spring food list). And now I offer you another way to enjoy this nutritional powerhouse: kale chips.

That's right, I said chips.

Admittedly, they are hardly an even swap for potato chips; however, if you are craving something salty and crunchy these will definitely do the trick. They also make good "croutons" for soup and are a great healthy snack option for little people.


Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 375 degrees.

Wash and thoroughly dry kale.

With a knife carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear kale leaves into bite size pieces.

Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, and kale is crispy; about 12 to 18 minutes, depending on your oven.

Enjoy :)


Also, I am headed back to VA today to spend time with family and meet our newest addition, baby Lucy, so I will be posting on reduced schedule the rest of April. If you enjoy the blog, I encourage you to sign up as a follower so you know when a new post is up and ready for viewing.

I will miss you all but I am really looking forward to smothering my newest little cousin, and her adorable older brother, with a thousand smooches. And escaping the snow. I'm really excited about that too.

Super Food: Chickpeas

Let's keep it light today. I'm sure I ruffled enough feathers with yesterday's soda post so today I offer you a ridiculously easy recipe and some great reasons to eat chickpeas.

Garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, are a very good source of folic acid, fiber and manganese. They are also a good source of protein and include minerals such as iron, copper, zinc and magnesium.

If they aren't already a part of your diet you should consider adding them. You can toss some on a salad for a super fast and easy way to bump up the nutritional power of your lunch or dinner. Or make a batch of Harper's Hummus and dip your favorite raw vegetables in it. You can also use it as a spread for sandwiches and wraps.

And, for the world's easiest, no-cook appetizer I present to you:

Chickpea and Red Pepper Salsa
Recipe and photo by Real Simple magazine



1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and roughly chopped
4 scallions, sliced
1 cup arugula, chopped
2 jarred roasted red peppers, chopped (about ¼ cup)
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Use homemade whole wheat pita chips (slice and broil, bake or toast whole wheat pita pockets) or organic blue corn tortilla chips (I like Garden of Eatin' brand) for dipping.

I like to take the leftover dip, if there is any, and toss it on a bed of greens the next day for a fast and easy lunch.

Glennon: I feel like this recipe has your name written all over it. There's no cooking or appliances involved, other than a can-opener, so I feel confident this will get the GSA (Glennon Stamp of Approval). Don't make a liar out of me girl.

Bon appetite!

Green Machine

Ladies and gentlemen ... I give you the all-mighty green drink!



This delicious little concoction is packed with amazing nutrients that will help you look and feel better, and it will literally flood your body with goodness first thing in the morning. On the mornings that I choose to start my day with this tasty treat I find I have more energy, need less coffee, stay full until lunch and tend to make better eating decisions the rest of the day.

But if you must know the truth, health benefits aside, I started drinking this because my friend Melanie suggested that it would help reduce facial fine lines and wrinkles. It’s cheaper than Botox and doesn’t involve needles so I figured it was worth a try. And, while I’m hardly aging backwards, I have noticed a huge improvement in the texture of my skin and my overall appearance.

The star of this smoothie is kale which is one of the most nutritionally dense foods available. It is a nutritional POWERHOUSE that is rich in calcium, lutein, iron, and Vitamins A, C, and K. Kale has seven times the beta-carotene of broccoli and ten times more lutein. Kale is rich in Vitamin C not to mention the much needed fiber so lacking in the typical American diet. The "icing on the kale" is the naturally occurring all important phytochemicals which research suggests may protect against cancer.

I’ve been told that you can wilt kale in soups or sauté it like you would spinach but I just can’t find a yummy way to cook it that I enjoy, so I blend it. Also, since I’m not cooking it, I’m not losing any of the key nutrients through the heating process and I’m getting ALL of the fiber from the leaf and stalk since I’m not juicing it.

Green Smoothie

Ingredients:
32 or more oz. of cold, filtered water
2-3 stalks of kale (other leafy greens can work as well)
2 frozen bananas
Frozen strawberries (or any “fleshy” fruit), or frozen red grapes for sweetness
¼ cup ground flaxseed

1 scoop Juice Plus+ Complete vanilla protein powder, optional, for added nutrition and sweetness**

1 tsp milk thistle, optional (milk thistle is a seed that has been shown to be an excellent liver detoxifier; check with your doctor if you have concerns or are on any medication).

Directions:
Blend above ingredients in a blender. Add more or less water for desired consistency and more or less fruit for desired sweetness. It helps to liquefy the kale in the water before adding other ingredients for a smoother consistency.

**The protein in JP+ Complete comes from 5 different plant-based sources including soy and chickpeas so it is easier to digest and more nutritious than a highly concentrated whey protein powder. It’s also ridiculously delicious.


The smoothie does have a grainy texture due to the whole kale leaves and flaxseed so it takes a little getting used to. However, it is much more nutritious than juicing because you get all of the fiber from the kale and fruit, as well as the vitamins and minerals, which will keep you full. Play around with the combination and proportions to find a consistency you like.

Also, if you already have a favorite smoothie recipe you can experiment by just tossing in a few greens to bump up the nutrition. Other than the beautiful green hue, you probably won't notice. Your kids probably won't notice either. Our little taster Harper actually requests the green smoothie these days over his old favorite chocolate. If a 4-year old can try it, like it and come back for more I'm betting that you can too!

Bottoms up!

Squash This!

Until recently I did not purchase, or probably even knowingly eat, squash. I mean, they are these big, scary looking vegetables and I was generally clueless as to what to do with them. But, in my quest to eat more vegetables and be the healthiest version of me possible, I have had to overcome many fears, including my fear of squash. It turns out they really aren’t so scary after all. And, like most vegetables, they are packed with nutrients.

The winter squash group includes pumpkin, acorn, butternut and spaghetti squash. Like other richly colored vegetables, they provide excellent sources of carotenes. They also offer a very good source of vitamins B1 and C, folic acid, fiber and potassium. Winter squash are also a good source of vitamin B6 and niacin.

Winter squash are all in season now and at my local grocery store they are practically giving them away. Yesterday I saw they were selling acorn, butternut and spaghetti squash for a dollar a piece. Ten for $10 to be precise and you can even mix-and-match your squash. That’s a lot of squash for not a lot of dollar.

If you are feeling adventurous this weekend, I offer you two SUPER simple, SUPER tasty recipes to try. I like to serve the spaghetti squash as a main dish with a slice of whole wheat bread and a green salad to round out the meal. You could also incorporate it into your meal as more of a side dish.

You should know that Eric really enjoys the spaghetti squash and recently confessed, albeit begrudgingly, that he sleeps much better after the “veggie spaghetti” then he does after a bowl of regular pasta. That’s what happens when your system isn’t bogged down with the arduous task of digestion … it can actually rest. Things that make you go hmm.

The acorn squash recipe makes a tasty side dish although, on nights when Eric is not home for dinner and I’m feeling lazy, I sometimes bake one to share with the babies, add a small salad for me, and call it dinner. Also, this acorn squash dish also happens to be the first recipe Glennon SUCCESSFULLY attempted to cook and serve to her family, thereby making it foolproof.



Acorn squash

Ingredients:
Acorn Squash

Preheat oven to 400

Directions:
Cut squash in half and spoon out seeds.

Fill oven-safe dish with ¼ inch of water and place squash flesh-side down in pan (the hard skin will be facing up).

Bake for 40 minutes or until tender (fork or knife should slide in/out easily)

Remove from oven and spread with 1 tsp butter (I use Earth Balance, a non-dairy butter substitute) and 1 tsp orange marmalade.

Return to oven and broil for 5 minutes or until slightly browned and bubbly. (Make sure you keep an eye on it b/c things can burn fast under the broiler).

Enjoy!

Note: for a variation try drizzling the squash with olive oil and sprinkling with nutmeg, or your favorite spices, wrapping in foil and baking until tender.

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Spaghetti Squash
From the healthy kitchen of Erica Arnold



Ingredients:
Spaghetti squash

Preheat oven to 400

Directions:
Cut spaghetti squash in half and spoon out seeds.

Fill glass cooking pan 1/4 inch with water.

Sprinkle kosher/sea salt over squash for flavor.

Place pasta sauce (jar or homemade – if using jar look for all-natural ingredients and/or organic sauce) in the hollow of the spaghetti squash.

Place spaghetti squash in pan and bake for 30-45 min, or until squash is tender.

Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle; then take a fork and scrape squash away from skin (squash will come out in strands that look like spaghetti). Garnish with freshly grated parmesan, if desired.



I mean, seriously, doesn't that look good? It is strangely satisfying, I think, because you can have a heaping bowl full of "pasta" without the guilt or tummy ache. Try it and let me know what you think!

Let Them Eat Flax

OK, so I couldn't stay away ... for now, we are going to dedicate Tuesdays and Thursdays to reader questions so please email me any fitness, nutrition, exercise, and/or recipe questions. We will address them here so everyone can benefit from the information. I am also considering doing a FAL "reader of the month" segment where we can highlight a different reader each month and learn about their journey, struggles and achievements. Kind of like how Shape Magazine follows the weight-loss journey of one of their readers but better because the blog is FREE and environmentally friendly. Please email me if you are interested in participating in this. It could be a source of great motivation to have the support of all our readers.

Also, if you are happy that I will be posting 5 days a week you can thank "LifeWithLove" who lovingly guilted me into reconsidering my position on this. Conversely, if you were hoping to get a break from me a few times a week you can blame "LifeWithLove." Either way, it looks like I'm here to stay.




On to the business of the day. I’ve had a few people ask me questions about flaxseed. What is it? What do I do with it? Does it matter if I buy whole seeds or already ground seeds? What does it taste like? How do I get my kids to eat it. And so on. So, here you go … the 411 on flaxseed.

Flaxseed is high in Omega-3 fatty acids which is an Essential Fatty Acid. They are “essential” because your body cannot make them so they must be obtained from the foods you eat. Flaxseed is an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids, as are walnuts, wheat germ, beans and fatty fish like tuna and salmon. However, you would have to eat over 3lbs of salmon to get the equivalent amount of Omega-3’s contained in ¼ cup of flaxseed. Flaxseed is very high in fiber as well and we all know by now that fiber is our friend.

Flaxseed is also rich in lignans which are molecules with anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer properties. Flax contains 100 times the amount of lignans as the next best source, wheat bran. And, only 2% of the flax lignans end up in flax oil, while 98% remains in the seed meal, make consumption of flaxseed far more nutritious and beneficial than that of flax oil. I’m telling you, this little seed packs quite a punch.

The yellow bowl on the left shows what the whole seed looks like prior to grinding; the pink bowl on the right contains freshly ground flaxseed, ready to sprinkle on anything.



I know you can purchase already ground flaxseed at the store, conventional and health food stores alike, as well as the whole seed. I buy the whole seed in bulk because I think it is less expensive and fresher when I grind it myself, but both have the same nutritional benefit. Regardless of which you prefer you should store ground flaxseed in the refrigerator as it can go rancid easily.

Also, if you do buy the whole seed you MUST grind it prior to consumption or it will pass through your system … err … intact, if you know what I mean. So, to get the nutritional benefits of eating flaxseed you must make sure you are consuming ground flaxseed.

Ground flaxseed offers a nutritional boost to soups, chili, salads, oatmeal, smoothies and pancake batter. It has a mild, nutty flavor and is a great way to sneak extra nutrition (fiber, omega-3s) into things your kids eat as well. I include it in pancake and muffin batter and sprinkle it on oatmeal for my babies. It definitely keeps them regular!

Flaxseed is a pretty simple, relatively inexpensive way to bump up the nutritional power of almost anything you make or eat. Try to include 2-4 TBS a day into your diet and feel the difference.

Special note: Jeannie uses a mixture of flaxseed and water to replace the eggs in some of her recipes, like her delicious 4-grain pancakes. I’m sure she would be happy to tell us more about that … right, Jeannie???

Two Tasty Treats to Try

These are the last two recipes featuring black beans. They are the last recipes for two equally important reasons: 1) I ran out of ideas and, 2) Eric is responding to the week of bean recipes in a very odoriferous way, if you know what I mean. He keeps blaming the gas on our dog, Berkley, but I'm on to his little ruse.


Black Bean Salsa Chili
Inspired by Cooking Light, made even healthier by Mel



Ingredients:
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed & drained
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon Agave nectar
8 ounce Tempeh
1 cup chopped sweet onion
½ cup chopped yellow bell pepper
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
1 ½ TBLS chili powder
1 TBLS ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (14-ounce) can vegetable broth
1 ½ cups fresh salsa—medium
3 TBLS tomato paste
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Directions:
Combine 1 ½ cup beans, 2/3 cup water & agave nectar in food processor & blend until smooth. Add remaining black beans & set aside. (Do not blend remaining beans).

Heat a large sauce pan over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Crumble tempeh and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add onions and bell peppers & cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add spices, tomato paste, bean mixture, vegetable broth & salsa. Bring to a boil & then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Add lime juice & stir. Garnish with cilantro.

Taster notes
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this chili and think it is particularly divine served over a baked sweet potato, as does Mel. My meat-loving husband, Eric, was completely fooled by the tempeh and thought it was ground turkey (please do not inform him otherwise or it may put a screeching hault to my healthy recipe testing); he prefered his chili plain with some blue corn chips or served over a regular baked potato. All of the Simons gave this recipe their Super Simon stamp of approval.

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World's Easiest Black Bean Burgers



Ingredients:
1/2 onion, diced
1 can black beans, well drained
1/2 cup flour
2 slices whole wheat bread, crumbled
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Sautee the onions in a little bit of olive oil until soft, about 3-5 minutes.
In a large bowl, mash the beans until almost smooth; you can also use a food processor but I would "pulse" the mixture so it doesn't completely puree. Add sauteed onions and the rest of the ingredients to combine, adding the flour a few tablespoons at a time. Mixture will be thick.

Form bean mixture into patties, approximately ½ inch thick and cook patties in a small amount of oil until slightly firm. Please note that you can use a "grill pan" but they are not sturdy enough to stand up to an actual grill. Serve and enjoy.

Taster notes
We dressed these burgers up in the traditional way with lettuce, tomato and katsup and served them on a whole wheat bun. Eric had a small issue with the consistency (they are not as firm as a meat burger) but he really enjoyed the flavor. He gave me the thumbs up to make them again. I think chilling the patties in the refrigerator for 30 minutes prior to cooking might help with the consistency.

Jackson, age 6, was so smitten with these burgers that he just ate his plain, with his bare hands before Mel could even get them to the table. Harrison, 3, dipped his "burger" into some hummus and Harper, 4, declined to try this recipe.

I toasted the leftovers until warm (use a toaster oven or broil them as the microwave will make them too soggy), and served them with a mound of fresh salsa and slices of avacado for lunch the next day. Yum.

Remember, not only are beans healthy, but they are also extra easy on the budget. Have fun experimenting with these nutritious recipes and go ahead and pat yourself on the back for trying some healthy new meals this weekend.

Let me know what you think!

Bon appetite!

Where do we go from here?

In an attempt to better understand everyone I have spent the weekend reading, and re-reading, all of your comments and emails about your goals, frustrations and desires for better health. So far, the most common themes seem to be the following:

1. How to incorporate fast, easy and healthy recipes into your diets.
2. How to use food to promote good health and to help prevent or reverse disease.
3. How to fit in exercise for busy moms, working moms, and just overcommitted, busy people in general.
4. How to maintain good health during pregnancy and how to reclaim your body after pregnancy.
5. How to find the motivation to exercise and eat right when you are already stressed and overwhelmed and overcommitted.
6. How to lose weight without extreme and unhealthy diets and countless hours in the gym, as well as how to maintain a healthy weight while remaining emotionally calm and balanced.
7. How to bolster self-esteem, improve body-image and set a good example for our children.
8. How to kick unhealthy cravings, make better food choices and teach our children to do the same.

We are going to tackle all of this and more.

I have also had some interest in starting a book club to better understand and cope with emotional and compulsive overeating. If you are interested in this topic and haven’t emailed me yet, please do so. I hope to kick the book club off next week. We will select a new book each month or two to read and discuss.

For starters though, I thought we would look at how to include easy, delicious recipes into our diets that also promote good health. We are going to look at a few “super foods” over the next few weeks that are nutritional powerhouses. We will also try a few simple recipes for each super food and share our successes, or humorous blunders, with each attempt.

Remember, the more nutrient-dense, healthy foods we can include in our diets the better chance we have at staying healthy at the cellular level so our bodies can actually fight disease. Of course, I understand that food has to taste good too and be easy to make, so the idea here is simply this: super tasty "super foods," made super easy.

On Wednesday I will introduce you to the Full At Last Taste Test Team. Our team ranges in ages from temperamental 1-year old twins to a pork-fat loving 40-year old man. There are three finicky children (ages, 3, 4, and 6) a maniacal, health-obsessed tri-athlete, two stay-at-home moms and a 13-year old mutt that round out the team. Each recipe passes the lips, or attempts to, of the entire team and receives reviews from each. My hope is that this will lend credit to each recipe and help you decide whether or not it is something worth trying in your home. Please try these recipes on your own and comment with your thoughts so we can all benefit. We are in this together so your feedback is critical to our collective success.

And, without further ado … our first “super food” is … black beans!

Black beans are a fiber all-star, as are most legumes, and help lower blood cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar while providing a good source of protein and a healthy shot of anti-oxidants.

I typically make a double-batch of this black-bean hummus each week and use it for snacking (I love dipping baby carrots and raw bell peppers into it) as well as for the base of a super fast lunch (veggie wraps). When I run out of dinner options, I like to make a “Mexican pizza” with the remaining hummus and whatever vegetables I have on hand.

We will start with the hummus as it is the base for all three recipes.

Black Bean Hummus



Ingredients:
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini (roasted sesame seed paste)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small jalapeño pepper, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
Dash of crushed red pepper
1-2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Dash of ground red pepper


Directions:
Place garlic in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add lemon juice, tahini, cumin, salt, black beans, jalapeño pepper, and crushed red pepper; process until smooth.

Spoon bean mixture into a medium bowl, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with ground red pepper. (note: I often skip this step and it still tastes fantastic)

Serve with homemade whole wheat pita chips, blue corn tortilla chips (I like organic Garden of Eatin’ blue corn chips) and/or your favorite raw veggies.

Note: you can also buy fresh chopped garlic in a jar for a time-saver.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Vegetable Black Bean Hummus Wrap

Spread hummus on a 100% whole wheat tortilla. Fill tortilla with sliced bell peppers (high in vitamin C), cucumbers, sprouts (superb source of nutrients and contain concentrated amounts of phytochemicals that can protect against disease), lettuce and/or your favorite vegetables. Roll it up and enjoy.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Mexican Pizza




Ingredients:
Tortillas
Black Bean Hummus
Shredded romaine lettuce
Black beans
Corn
Grape tomatoes, halved or chopped
Green chilies, chopped
Green onions, diced
Cilantro, chopped
Jalapeno, diced
Lime & Avocado for garnish


Directions:
Heat tortilla in a pan until crispy.

Spread black bean hummus on tortillas.

Combine black beans, corn, tomatoes, green chilies, green onions, cilantro & jalapeno in a bowl and then spread the corn mixture on the pizza.

Spread romaine over the top. Garnish with diced avocado & lime.

Hello, Fiber.

Hi Brave Monkees.

Before we get into the nitty gritty today, I'd like to pause to acknowledge some strong, brave hearts out there. I have learned a lot in the past two days, probably much more than you've learned from me. Let me explain.

I am learning that there are two camps of Monkees here. Some of you are looking to improve your food choices, learn a little more about nutrition and try some healthy recipes. Great, we have that here. But there's another group of Monkees who are really hurting. Food and body image have played a painful part in their lives for years, decades... forever, maybe. These Monkees don't need information from me, they need a safe place to talk and learn that they are NOT ALONE. I can promise those Monkees...just based on what I've learned recently, you are NOT ALONE. There are a lot of you who are hurting. And I don't have answers for you. I've got more questions than answers, really. So I can't offer solutions. But I can offer you a safe place to share your heart and struggles. I will create that here for you. This place is going to be for you hurting Monkees, too. If you are hurting and you feel you need support and a safe sharing place more than, or in addition to, nutrition information, would you email me? I am considering starting a book club group with a book that helped Glennon and Sister begin to understand their food addictions. I'd love to learn alongside you, if you're interested in joining us.

OK, on to the business of the day.

Everyone, meet Fiber. Fiber is your new best friend.


Fiber, meet everyone. We are going to be eating a lot of you.

Now that the introductions are out of the way, let’s talk about the tremendous health and weight-loss benefits that fiber provides. A high-fiber diet has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, lower blood cholesterol levels and a reduced risk of many types of cancer. That bit of info, combined with the fact that fiber helps satisfy your hunger longer and helps stabilize your blood sugar, helping to slow carbohydrate absorption, should have you screaming PASS THE BEANS. Or vegetables. Or fruit. Or whole grains.

The RDA for fiber in this country is 25 grams per day, although most nutritionist recommend consuming 35 grams; however, the average American consumes just 17 grams of fiber each day. Interestingly enough, in countries where the cancer and heart disease rates are the lowest, fiber consumption exceeds 45 grams per day. That’s some serious fiber for thought.

As most of you probably know, good sources of fiber include, whole grains (bran has the highest fiber content), brown rice, legumes (such as dried peas, beans, lentils), fruits and vegetables. Here are some quick and easy tips for sneaking more fiber into your diet:

• Add a few tablespoons of unprocessed wheat bran or ground flaxseed to whole wheat pancake batter, oatmeal (whole oats are less processed and better for you than “quick” oats) or a fruit smoothie to jump start your day.
• Switch to whole grains. Look for breads that list 100% whole wheat or another whole grain as the first ingredient on the label.
• Experiment with brown rice, wild rice, barley, quinoa and bulgur.
• Add pre-cut fresh or frozen vegetables to soups and sauces. For example, mix chopped frozen broccoli into prepared spaghetti sauce or toss fresh baby carrots into stews.
• Eat more beans, peas and lentils. Add kidney beans to soup or chick peas to a green salad.
• Eat fruit with every meal and/or for snacks or desert. Apples, bananas, oranges, pears and berries are all good sources of fiber.

High-fiber foods are good for your health and waistline. But, before you scarf down a can of beans on your way to your next party remember this: adding too much fiber too quickly can promote intestinal gas, abdominal bloating and cramping and make you very unpopular at the party. So, please, increase fiber consumption gradually over a few weeks and make sure to drink PLENTY of water to aid in digestion.

Check back on Monday as we start our “Super Foods” series, complete with super easy recipes for each super nutritious food we discuss. To start we are simply going to focus on including more healthy choices into our current diets. We aren't going to talk about eliminating anything at this point because it's too easy to go off the deep end and try to change everything all at once, which we know never works, only to wind up more frustrated than when we started. The goal is to STAY BALANCED on our quest for better health, right? So we must remind each other that it's about progress ... not perfection. If one of us, including me -- ok, especially me (my enthusiasm sometimes gets the better of me), stumbles and forgets this golden rule, we must remind her.

In an effort to keep it real (and humorous), Glennon will be attempting to make some of the suggested "super food" recipes and blogging about it on Momastery. Stay tuned, you won't want to miss that!


Finally, for those of you interested in some medical mumbo jumbo about how fiber can help promote good health, this is for you:

Fiber normalizes bowel movements
Dietary fiber increases the weight and size of your stool and softens it, making it easier to pass. For some, fiber may provide relief from irritable bowel syndrome.

Fiber helps maintain bowel integrity and health
A high-fiber diet may lower your risk of developing hemorrhoids, and small pouches in your colon known as diverticular disease.

Fiber lowers blood cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease
Soluble fiber found in beans, oats, flaxseed and oat bran may help lower total blood cholesterol levels by lowering "bad" cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that increased fiber in the diet can reduce blood pressure and inflammation, which is also protective to heart health.

Fiber helps control blood sugar levels
Fiber, particularly soluble fiber, can slow the absorption of sugar, which for people with diabetes can help improve blood sugar levels. A diet that includes insoluble fiber has been associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Fiber may reduce the risk of certain types of cancer
Eating fiber speeds up the passage of food through the body. Some experts believe this may prevent harmful substances found in some foods from affecting the colon and may protect against colon cancer.

Fiber aids in weight loss
High-fiber foods generally require more chewing time, which gives your body time to register when you're no longer hungry, so you're less likely to overeat. Also, a high-fiber diet tends to make a meal feel larger and linger longer, so you stay full for a greater amount of time. (i.e., more volume of food for less calories).