Salmon with Mango Chimichurri + Weekly Menu

July 15, 2012 by · 12 Comments

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As Mr. Prevention and I (Lily, too!) were driving to the CSA farm yesterday, he said he had received a Groupon email notification for Lake Michigan salmon fishing. Naive little me had to do some research into this — I thought salmon was a salt water commodity only. Clearly, I’ve lived in the central states forever.

What I do know about salmon (fresh water varieties, I’m not sure about) is that 2 servings a week meets the recommended (DRI) amounts of omega 3 fatty acids. I also know that we’ve only been managing about 1 serving of fresh fish a week.

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This salmon recipe jumped out at the page thanks to that bright mango chimichurri and quick preparation time. The yellow/orange and green are so beautiful together and the flavor combination was outstanding, especially served over the meaty salmon.

Being the foodie that I am, chimichurri is something I haven’t made before. It is designed to serve over grilled meat and uses the equation of oil + acid (citrus or vinegar) + fresh herb for its creation. So simple, so good…and so many possibilities.

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I purchased a 2 pound piece of salmon that had not been pre-portioned because I find that easier to throw on the grill. The larger cut also seems to be the preferred way of selling wild caught salmon around here, which is totally fine by me. It makes for a fun presentation!

I served the salmon with sauteed green beans that had a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice along with some slow roasted fingerling potatoes that had been halved and tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper.

We’re serving salmon this week in the hospital cafeteria…I hope staff love it as much as me!

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Salmon with Mango Chimichurri from Martha Stewart

1 mango, peeled, pitted, and diced
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp lime juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 lbs skin-on salmon fillet

Directions:

Stir together mango, cilantro, red-pepper flakes, oil, and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. Season salmon with salt and pepper and lightly brush with oil. Grill, skin side up, until salmon begins to turn opaque, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook until opaque throughout, 4 to 6 minutes. Once cooked, spoon chimichurri over top, and serve.

Yield: 6 servings (5 ounces salmon + ~1/3 cup chimichurri)

Nutrition Information (per serving): 374 calories; 22.5 g. fat; 93 mg. cholesterol; 172 mg. sodium; 6.5 g. carbohydrate; 0.83 g. fiber; 32.3 g. protein

Result: Summer meets salmon! This was my first chimichurri attempt and it was beyond simple. Fresh fruit + herb and oil…sign me up any day, especially when severed over a piece of flaky, grilled wild salmon chock full of omega 3 fatty acids. This meal is whole some and pairs well with nearly any side. This comes together in about 15-20 minutes and makes for a perfect weeknight meal with loads of flavor. Enjoy!

Weekly Menu: July 14th – 19th

Other than grocery shopping and playing my first hockey game in MI, I’m not sure what’s on the agenda! In case you missed the Facebook update, Lily can swim…and there’s a cute photo of her in her life jacket!

Be well,

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Filed Under: 400 calories or less, antioxidants, carb-controlled, fish oil/omega-3's, fruits and vegetables, gluten-free, heart health, low-carb, quick meals, recipe, Uncategorized, weekly menu ·

RD Q&A

July 3, 2012 by · 16 Comments

My house is starting to feel like a home. Mr. Prevention worked all day yesterday and I managed to unpack 60-70% of the boxes on my own. Here’s some shots of the…mayhem.

Before…
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During…

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 Let’s get on with the Q&A…just looking at those pictures is making me exhausted and stressed!

Cheryl: While at the health food store picking up some Satiereal Saffron Extract (Dr. Oz’s suggestion for natural appetite suppressant), I asked the owner if there was anything to supplement thyroid medication.  She suggested cold pressed, extra-virgin, coconut oil, 1 tsp 3x per day.  Told me that it helps with memory, cholesterol, weight loss, and some other things.  My concern is the calories.  She said when it is taken as a supplement, calories aren’t counted because it contains MLTs(?).  Is this true?  The label said 1 tsp is 125 calories.  She has customer’s that take it for energy and other benefits that have also lost weight.

Prevention RD: Hi Ceryl! :) I think she’s referring to medium-chain trigycerides (MCT’s) which is the main type of fat in coconut oil and why it is being touted as a “healthier” oil. While MCT’s are metabolized differently (check out this post for more info on that), the calories very much so still “count”. In fact, in a clinical setting, some patients are given MCT’s for quick energy (calories) and to assist in weight GAIN. Three teaspoons (1 tablespoon) is typically 120 calories. Certainly people can lose weight any number of ways – it all boils down to calories. As for the calories not “counting” – false! :)

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Nicole O.: Please explain the difference between and allergy and an intolerance. I have been having issues with this because I believe an allergy can be detected with a blood test, correct? But, what about an intolerance? Would an allergy have more severe reactions and an intolerance may not? Is an allergy inherited and an intolerance may just upset the system? Help! with the “gluten intolerance” craze sweeping the nation, I need to know. Also, some people with a lactose intolerance can tolerate soft serve or yogurt, but not ice cream…and so on…

Prevention RD: Good question! An allergy has a true allergen (usually detected by blood or skin testing), but adverse symptoms may or may not exist with an allergy. An intolerance is identifiable by adverse symptoms consistently after ingestion or contact. I am definitely not an expert on gluten intolerance vs. Celiac disease (gluten allergy), but I believe there is a spectrum just like many other food allergies — some people may experience an unsightly, itchy rash while others may go into anaphyalatic shock. Lactose is a bit different because that is a issue with enzymes. People lose lactase (the enzyme used to breakdown lactose in the body) over time (lactose allergies can thus develop later in life), and some people simply don’t make lactase, or enough of it. The more “liquid” a dairy product, the more lactose it contains. Generally, cheese and yogurt may be tolerated, but milk and ice cream (liquid at room temperature) cause problems. Hope this helps :)

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Gina, RD: I’d love to hear your opinion about; What is “too little” calories? And when do you go in “starvation” mode? I have an answer I like to give, but I’d love to hear your thoughts and what you’ve read. So many people seem to think that even if they are overweight they can eat too few calories and then they will burn muscle…I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Prevention RD: Generally, anything under 1200 calories or less than 130 grams of carbs and I raise a brow, but this is highly dependent upon a person’s body weight and activity level. I use an adjusted body weight measurement (in essence, you are feeding excess body weight at 1/4th the rate of lean muscle mass – you can read more about that equation in this post) and then a  simple 20-25 calories/kg calculation (this is a wide range, so I use my clinical judgement as to which end a person would best fit at based on gender, age, activity level, etc.). I think it’s important to feed the body properly with weight loss to ensure nutrient needs are being met without excess, while avoiding “starvation mode”. You want to “feed fat”, literally, but not too much or too little. As for eating too few calories and burning muscle, it’s absolutely true. Things like red blood cells and the brain need glucose (sugar) which should not comes from fat or protein come from fat. When the body is not getting enough calories, the body will eventually start to use lean tissue (muscle, organ, etc.) for usable energy – not good! At this point, I would certainly consider the body in “starvation mode”, but that terms is often used synonymously with a weight loss plateau. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Heather of Southern Pink Lemonade: Could you describe the benefits/differences of palm/coconut sugar vs. white granulated sugar?

Prevention RD: Coconut sugar is getting famous for its low(er) glycemic index, meaning the energy (calories) are absorbed more slowly and the body does not see the quick spike in blood sugar that it may from other sugars (this spike can cause anything from fatigue to hunger). While this sounds positive, the glycemic index (GI) is not a very well-respected measurement for nutrition. What I love about coocnut sugar is that it has 1/3 less calories (30 calories/tablespoon vs. cane sugar’s 45 calories) and 7 grams of sugar per tablespoon vs. cane sugar’s 12 grams. In short, it’s lower carbohydrate. That said, recipes may call for more to offer up adequate “sweetness” and the reduced sugar content is then irrelevant. Coconut sugar is VERY expensive and in my very limited experience, does not “act” like sugar in baking. In short, it may offer a nutritional edge, but the cost, availability, and benefit may not make it worth the c0mmotion.

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Chrissy of Stick a Fork in It: What are your thoughts on flax seed, and what is the best form to consume it (whole, ground or oil)?

Prevention RD: I’m glad you asked! Whole flaxseed are NOT digested and therefore, no nutritional benefit is gained. Flaxseeds must be ground or their oil extracted to yield the nutrition. Flaxseed oil is expensive, so I usually opt for the ground seeds, but both are nutrition powerhouses and packed with omega 3 fatty acids. I love to use flaxseed oil in salad dressings and is there anything better than a warm flaxseed muffin with some dried fruit? Yum!

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That’s it for today. As always, please feel free to pass along your questions on the Prevention RD Facebook page, as a comment below, or via email at preventionrd at gmail dot com! Thanks for all the great questions! :-D

I have to run up to the hospital for my TB test and then it’s on to unpacking some  more. The family comes tomorrow…gotta be ready!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes. Love you all to pieces! xo!

Be well,

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Filed Under: carb-controlled, dietitians, fish oil/omega-3's, gluten-free, low-carb, RD Q&A, Uncategorized, weight loss ·

RD Q&A + a few moving pics

June 20, 2012 by · 25 Comments

Day 3, here we come. But first, a few pictures of the “fun”…

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 Okay, now onto the Q&A :)

Jess from Flying on Jess Fuel: Can you suggest some of the best yogurts with highest culture counts?

Prevention RD: Great question, Jess! Activia (3 strains), Oikos (5 strains), and Kefir (12 strains) are some of the most popular and easiest to find yogurts with the highest number of cultures and CFU’s. There’s many more out there, but why talk about products no one can find? There are two things to consider with cultures – the number of bacterial strands and the number of CFU’s (culture forming units). The more of each, the better. Yogurt can be a tricky beast because so many of the flavored varieties include tons of sugar. One serving of flavored yogurt can contain over 20 grams of sugar! My personal pick would be which ever plain variety you enjoy (I love the plain Kefir as a drinkable yogurt that can be added to fruit smoothies), without adding in too much sugar. As a side note, many companies will offer up the number of bacteria strands, but not necessarily CFU’s. As usual, it’s hard to be a consumer…but this is my $0.02!

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Eva of Eva Bakes: What differences, if any, are there between grocery store-bought eggs and ones I’d get at a local farmer’s market or farm? Do organic or natural eggs actually have any added benefits?

Prevention RD: Nutritionally, no difference…unless they are fed a diet rich in omega 3′s, in which case the yolk will contain omega 3′s (this can be regardless of organic vs. inorganic). Organic eggs have to do with the diet the chickens are fed – organic vs. non-organic (potential for pesticide-containing feed). Eggs can be hard to purchase with the considerations of cage free/free range (ethics), organics (pesticides), and diet (grain/organic). With each step in a the earth-friendly, “healthier” direction, the price tag will increase from about $1.20/dozen to $5/dozen. It really boils down to personal choice more than nutrition.

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Lena: Vitamin Water seems to be really popular here in Singapore. But is it worth anything? Or is it just watered down kool aid :) ? Does it help provide those extra vitamins?

Prevention RD: It’s not going to harm a healthy adult to take in the added vitamins and minerals, but 120 calories and over 30 grams of sugar might! I am pretty certain there are low-calorie or calorie-free versions, as well…but then I could argue for and against artificial sweeteners ;) My impression of Vitamin Water is that they are very good advertisers. Will 100% of Vitamin A help me “focus” (yes, they have a flavor called “Focus”) at work? I sure wish, however nearly no one in the US is deficient in Vitamin A…or the B vitamins. Vitamin E is the most “valuable” addition, and it’s only in about half of the flavors. As for antioxidants, those are best coming from whole food sources, like fruits and vegetables. Vitamin waters offer a small leg up on regular soda, but probably not worth the cash.

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Rumana: Hey Nicole, could explain why people say that vegetable oil (including canola) is bad and that you should avoid it like the plague?

Prevention RD: I’m really glad you asked this question! To start, “vegetable oils” would include canola, soybean, sunflower, and safflower oil (I may be missing a few). Hundreds of years ago, we didn’t derive oil from these plants and the process by which it is extracted is where in lies some of its opposition. Nutritionally, canola oil offers up the lowest amount of saturated fat, which we want to limit in the diet. I posted about canola oil back in May of 2010 and I still feel the same way. Here’s the post: Is Canola Oil Good for You?.

Let’s take a look at this graph (which I love and used when teaching college nutrition courses):

You can clearly see fat proportions this way. Ideally, you want less red (saturated) and blue (omega 6) and more orange (omega 3). That said, canola and flaxseed oil clearly win out. Flaxseed oil is the winner here, however, it is quite expensive. I would choose olive oil as a second choice because of its moderate saturated fat content and low omega 6 content. It is also a more “natural” choice. You can see that the other vegetable oils don’t offer up much of any omega 3 and tend to be high in omega 6′s.

You may be wondering about omega 3′s vs. omega 6′s and why we won’t want too many omega 6′s. I mean, they sound healthy…right? In the American diet, we have PLENTIFUL amounts of omega 6′s and we really don’t want any more. Our body prefers to keep a healthy ratio of omega 6′s to omega 3′s and ideally that ratio should be lower to help prevent everything from heart disease to breast cancer to rheumatoid arthritis. Many sources believe that humans started with a 1:1 ratio and we have evolved to intake up to a 1:17 ratio in America (a good goal would be 1:3 to 1:5). In short, we need less vegetable oils, such as corn, sunflower, and soy (sources of omega 6′s) and more flax, walnuts, and fish (sources of omega 3′s) to keep this ratio balanced. Personally, I think canola oil can help people obtain this goal as it is so plentiful in omega 3 fatty acids, but it’s not the only way to get’em in!

Thanks for all the wonderful questions!

Have a question YOU would love answered? Please feel free to leave a comment below or email me at preventionrd at gmail dot com! Thanks for all the wonderful questions…hope you find the answers helpful!

Be well,

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Filed Under: antioxidants, fish oil/omega-3's, heart health, RD Q&A, saturated fat, Uncategorized ·