We all do it. Once a week, twice a week, maybe almost every day. The supermarket is a big part of our lives. Some of my favorite items are easy to get and won’t break the bank. Next time you find yourself at Trader Joe’s, Fairway, or the Food Emporium check these products out:

Frozen Organic Broccoli Florets A great staple for any freezer and a perfect compliment to any dinner when you don’t have time to grab the fresh version. Add them to chicken to make a stir fry, saute with garlic cloves and olive oil to serve with salmon, or feed them to your children with whole wheat raviolis

Barbara’s Bakery Shredded Spoonfuls Cereal If you never have tried her cereals you are missing out–they are tasty, low in sugar and high in fiber. Sprinkle some on top of your favorite cereal or eat them alone with milk and blueberries. They also serve as a great snack.

Back to Nature Crackers Choose the big box or the package of individual bags for food on the go. They are crunchy, all natural and delicious. To add flavor spread peanut butter on them, dip them in hummus, or eat along side a cheddar cheese stick.

Sweet Potato French Fries Frozen french fries are an easy compliment to any chicken or turkey burger; sweet potato fries have even more flavor and nutrition. Bake them in the toaster oven with olive oil cooking spray–they are one of my best kept secrets.

Dark Chocolate Morsels We all need something in our back pocket to end a meal or honor a craving. Dark chocolate morsels are rich, delicious, and easy to grab in handfuls. For a blend of flavors add them to a spoonful of peanut butter or sprinkle them in pancakes to sweeten up a Sunday morning.

These are just a few of my favorites…feel free to comment and share yours!

Enjoy!

Spices are often a forgotten food. Not only do they add flavor to some of our favorite classic dishes but they also can offer a host of nutritional benefits. Here are a few of my favorites…

Oregano The warm, balsamic and aromatic flavor of oregano makes it the perfect addition to Mediterranean and Mexican cuisines. Origanum vulgareis is rich in phytochemicals such as thymol and rosmarinic acid and the antioxidant vitamin E. Not only  can it help inhibit the growth of bacteria but oregano is an excellent source of fiber, Vitamin K, manganese, iron, calcium and tryptophan. To add extra flavor and nutrients try garnishing pizza or omelets with fresh oregano.

Ginger Ginger is an herb that comes from the root of the perennial herb Zingiber officinale. Ginger has been used to treat everything from the common cold to motion sickness and gastrointestinal ailments. Ground ginger can add flavor to vegetables, salad dressings, and marinades. Enjoy ginger fresh, dried powdered, or as a juice or oil.

Cinnamon Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of evergreen trees within the genus Cinnamomum. It can act as an antioxidant as well as help in lowering blood sugar. Cinnamon is an excellent source of fiber, manganese and calcium. Try sprinkling cinnamon on oatmeal, yogurt, toast, apples of pears.

Happy National Nutrition Month! Since 1980, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly known as the American Dietetic Association) has dedicated the month of March to nutrition education across the US to get the word out about the importance of healthy eating. Each year has a different theme, and this year is “Get your plate in shape!” The theme is based off of the new visual called “MyPlate” that recently replaced the food pyramid. The link to the picture below was created by the US Department of Agriculture.

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/images/MyPlateImages/JPG/myplate_green.jpg

As you can see, new guidelines suggest that half of your plate be made up of fruits and vegetables, and the other half with grains and protein. Dairy such as low fat milk or yogurt are great side items to add to your plate as well. Here are some tips from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics regarding a healthy plate and healthy lifestyle!

1. Make half of your plate fruits and vegetables. The more color, the better! Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day, fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables all count. When choosing canned vegetables look for reduced sodium or no salt added.

2. Make half of your grains whole! Whole grains contain the fiber our bodies need to stay healthy. Look for 100 % whole grain breads, pasta, cereals, and brown rice when grocery shopping.

3. Switch to fat free or low fat milk. These choices have the same amount of bone-strengthening calcium as whole milk but a fraction of the fat and calories. When purchasing yogurt, look for the “light” version.

4. Eat a variety of foods from the protein food group. Seafood, nuts, beans, eggs, turkey and chicken are all healthy choices to choose from.

5. Watch out for processed foods with added sodium and sugar! Be sure to look at food labels for sodium content. Choose products lower in sodium and add spices or herbs to add flavor during cooking. Drink more water and cut back on soda. Look for 100 % fruit juice instead of fruit-flavored drinks at the grocery store.

For more information and tips on how to get your plate in shape, visit eatright.org

-Lauren Shadle, Intern at Stacey Schulman Nutrition

Selective eating disorder (SED) (also known as fussy eating or picky eating) is an eating disorder that prevents the consumption of certain foods. It can be as transient as phase children go through or a disorder that follows someone into adulthood.  At this time SED lacks a formal diagnostic criteria  and is not currently listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Sufferers often have difficulty eating foods with a specific texture, smell, or taste; as a result these clients are often nutrition deficient and possibly even underweight. Types of foods such as fats and carbohydrates can also be restricted at times. Many are rigid with their behaviors–a similarity to anorexia. Restricted foods can also be based on color or temperature.

SED is common in young people with autistic tendencies and sensory integration deficits, as well as those with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). If you know somebody who may be affected the recommendation is to seek professional support.

With all of the talk about gluten free foods and celiac disease, it may have you asking a few questions. Questions like “Is a gluten free diet healthier?” or “Am I at risk for developing a gluten allergy?” are all great questions to ask, and will be addressed in this article.

Celiac disease, also known as gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is a small intestinal disorder caused by an autoimmune response to the ingestion of gluten by people who are genetically predisposed to the disease. This disease is not always present at birth. In fact, most people are diagnosed with the disorder in their 20’s or 30’s. The condition can be triggered or unmasked later in life by GI surgery, stress, pregnancy, or viral infections. When a person develops the disease, gluten can no longer be digested by GI enzymes, and an inflammatory response occurs that can eventually result in damage to the villi and intestinal mucosa. The extent of damage varies greatly, and each case is handled differently. Common side effects of celiac disease include diarrhea, abdominal bloating, and fatigue. Though these are typical symptoms that may occur, 50 % of patients may have few or no obvious symptoms. It is estimated that 1 in 133 persons in the U.S. has celiac disease, and prevalence is higher in people with a family history of the disease. If you are experiencing symptoms, both dietitians and doctors recommend that you omit foods containing gluten from your diet for a few days. Foods containing gluten include wheat, rye, barley, and oats.  If symptoms improve when avoiding these foods, visit your doctor and ask to be tested for the disease.

As you can see, avoiding gluten is necessary for those that have a gluten allergy, but if you are not affected by it, keep eating things with gluten! There has been a lot of false information that has lead people to believe that a gluten free diet is healthier, but this is far from true. Foods containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, and oats) are all healthy whole grains that are necessary for a healthy diet. They contain the fiber that our bodies need on a daily basis in order to function properly. If you do suffer from celiac disease, you will need to use other grains in cooking that do not contain gluten. Examples of common substitutes include corn, potatoes, rice, soybean, quinoa, and buckwheat. Depending on each individual’s situation, certain vitamins and minerals may need to be taken in supplement form to make up for the malabsorption that often comes with celiac disease. I hope this cleared up any questions you may have had about celiac disease or a gluten free diet!

-Lauren Shadle, Intern at Stacey Schulman Nutrition