Perfect Pineapples

Pineapples are an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese, and they just taste so darn good!  I never used to buy whole pineapples because I was intimidated by them - pathetic, but true.  Then my friend Hallie whipped out her pineapple corer one day and sliced some pineapple for the kiddos at lunch...in less than a minute.  My mom got me one for Christmas, and life hasn't been the same since.  Now when I see a stand of these prickly dudes, I confidently approach and grab one to add some variety to our fruit rotation.

Slice off the top and place the corer over the center of the "meat"

Twist the device until it reaches the bottom and then lift the fruit out of the skin

Mine comes with a slicer that can then be easily pushed down to cut the pineapple into bite-size pieces.  If you are uber creative, you can then use the empty skin as a funky fruit bowl, or even a vase.  Soooo Martha.

Substitutions

One of the easiest ways I have found to improve our eating habits has been incorporating small substitutions over time.  Most of the time I didn't even tell the crew what I was doing, and they almost never noticed (with the exception of whole wheat tortillas; Andy's reaction was as though I had asked him to eat his taco from a wool blanket).  Here are some of our standards:

2% plain greek yogurt (I like Fage) instead of sour cream (this was hard to even try, since I liked a little potato with my sour cream, but we made it!)

Olive oil for grilled sandwiches instead of butter

Multi-grain tortillas (I like Mission and LaTortilla Factory), sandwich thins (I like Arnold "Flax and Fiber"), whole wheat pita pockets, or Ezekiel bread (find it in your freezer section) instead of my standard mystery generic "wheat bread" that when I read the label I learned was actually made from white flour, not whole wheat flour

Pita chips and blue corn tortilla chips instead of potato chips (BIG conversion for Andy)

Brown rice, cous cous, or quinoa instead of white rice

Shakeology instead of a handful of candy

Beets Can't Be Beat

Beets belong to the chenopod family (other members include brother chard, sister spinach, and little baby quinoa) and have multiple health benefits not easily found in other foods.  Beet phytonutrients contribute to the health of our nervous system, and the red and yellow batalin phytonutrients specifically help our bodies by having anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and detoxification effects.

I have loved beets ever since I was a little girl and my Grandma Erma would pickle them in the summer.  With the encouragement of my sister-in-law, Julia, I decided it was time once again to add beets to my diet...and of course the diet of my guinea pig family.

I chose to roast both a red and a golden beet as our veggies for the night.  I started by slicing off the ends and placing them in a foil pocket.  I drizzled a little olive oil on top to keep them moist, and then placed them in the oven at 375º for about an hour*.  Batalin levels decrease as a food is cooked, so it is best to limit steaming to 15 minutes and roasting to 1 hour.

A beet is cooked when a knife is easily inserted and removed.  Once done, the skin can be peeled away fairly easily and the beet prepared Westley style - "as you wish."

*The rest of the story played out as such: I apparently do not have the willpower to wait an hour for anything new that I try.  I had trust issues with multiple factors, including the chef who told me what to do, the manufacturer of our oven, and my ability to properly follow directions.  I therefore removed the red beet after about a half hour and proceeded to eat it even though it was like chewing soft tree bark.  I forced myself to wait on the yellow guy, and he turned out fabulously.  Whit and I both munched them up while Andy watched with a look on his face of "I can't believe he likes to eat the weird stuff that Joy does."

Chill Out

Often our hyper-focus on freshness causes us to bypass the frozen section of our grocery store.  However, you may be surprised to learn that frozen fruits and vegetables are sometimes more nutritious than what you will find in the produce section.  This is because they are picked when they most ripe and have their highest nutritional value, and are then flash-frozen to seal in as many of the nutrients as possible.  In contrast, most fresh produce is picked before ripening, and while its outward appearance may look ripe when you buy it, it is not as rich in vitamins and minerals as it would be if it were left to vine-ripen.

So what is one to do?  If a fruit or vegetable is in season, buy it fresh, preferably at a farmer's market.  Purchase off-season produce in frozen form.  For frozen, your best option is produce with the USDA's "U.S. Fancy" seal, indicating that it contains not only the best looking but also typically the most nutritious fruits and vegetables.  Also, you want to consume frozen options soon after you buy them because the nutrients still degrade over time.  And finally, the best way to cook frozen vegetables is by steaming them so they do not lose as many water-soluble vitamins as they do through boiling.

I happened to find a cool (pun intended) brand of frozen corn in the freezer section several weeks ago.  Husk sells only central Indiana sweet corn, and the label on each bag tells you exactly which farm grew your meal, including when it was harvested!  Whit thought it was pretty neat (well, I thought it was awesome, and he humored me and agreed).

Our bag of corn was from lovely Arcadia (well, never been there, but I imagine an idyllic setting in which to grow our tasty side dish).

Amazing Avocados

Avocados are actually a type of berry.  While you may not be looking to add them to your next fruit salad, they are something to consider adding to your regular menu.  Rich in folate, copper, vitamin K, and fiber, they are also a great source of beneficial fats.  The unique fats found in avocados have anti-inflammatory benefits and also aid in absorption of fat-soluble nutrients.  A multitude of studies have been done and are underway to evaluate the potential benefits of avocados in regards to heart disease, regulation of blood sugar, and cancer prevention.

It took me a long time to become friendly with avocados because I was not sure how to pick a good one.  And then I was not sure what to do with it besides make guacamole!  Avocados are ripe when they are slightly soft to the touch.  I like to buy them a little firm and let them ripen at home.  They should not have any dark sunken spots or cracks.  To prepare one, slice it lengthwise with a knife and then twist apart the two slices.  Remove the pit and then either peel away the skin or scrape out the inside with a spoon or avocado scoop.  The greatest concentration of carotenoids exists in the dark green flesh just under the skin, and therefore you want to try to get as much of that when scraping or peeling.

I buy one of these dark green babies every week.  I mash it and then add lemon juice for flavor and to slow the oxidation, and then place it in a sealed container in the fridge for the week.  I use it as a spread in multiple ways, from atop a chicken breast to atop a salad to atop a sandwich.  My favorite thing to do is to spread it inside a pita pocket and add hard boiled egg whites and spinach.  The lemon adds a wonderful zing to the butteriness of the avocado, and the eggs and spinach turn it into a rogue egg salad sandwich of sorts.

If your avocado ages faster Benjamin Button in reverse, that's ok.  It is still ok to eat if it is slightly brown, it may just taste more bitter.  However, if the flesh is very dark or stringy, it is not a good idea to eat.  Be careful to also avoid a moldy avocado.  Avocados age fast at room temperature because of their high fat content.  Do not refrigerate an avocado until it is ripe; it can then be stored cold for several days.  It is best to keep avocados whole until use, but if you do slice it, cover the unused portion in plastic and store in the fridge.  I add lemon or lime juice to the exposed flesh, again to slow oxidation.

Avocado Egg Salad

A surprisingly tangy and creamy alternative that is packed with the power of avocados.  The lemon juice keeps the avocados from oxidizing, so this yummy blend lasts in the fridge for several days and many happy lunches.  Below is my modified version of a recipe from "Two Peas and their Pod."

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
2 hard boiled egg whites, chopped
2 small avocados, pitted and peeled
1 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt
1.5 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (add more if you want to ensure oxidation prevention, or if you LOVE lemons like I do)
2 Tbsp chopped green onion
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and mash with potato masher or fork.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  I like to eat mine with spinach in a whole wheat pita or open face on Ezekiel bread!