Veggie Bee

The playoffs are over and now we know who is going to the Super Bowl. Give me a WHO DAT!! Our big question now is what are we serving at the Super Bowl party?! Finger foods and appetizers are inevitable, but making sure they’re effective for losing or maintaining weight is something that has to be planned. Whether the party is at your house or you’ll be watching at someone else’s house, be sure to take a healthy appetizer that you can share with the group. And always follow the standard strategy of eating something filling and healthy before the party starts, like a protein shake or a healthy soup.

Dips and salsas are great as appetizers, but processed chips and crackers are loaded with calories that can add up very quickly. Fill up on high-volume, low-calorie veggies and be sure you’re dipping into your favorite low-cal dip. Try a Mango Black Bean Salsa or make your own hummus for healthy snacking.

Here are some "chip" ideas to use for dipping:

• Jicama
• Bell Pepper
• Cucumber
• Celery
• Carrots (try slicing them as chips)
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Potatoes (baked or microwaved as chips)
• Zucchini
• Yellow squash
• Asparagus
• Snow peas
• Cherry tomatoes
• Radishes

Who will you be cheering for in the Super Bowl?? And what’s your favorite healthy dip & “chip” combo??

I found this easy recipe a while ago and now I can’t find the source, but it’s very tasty and great to keep in the refrigerator for an extra fruit & veggie boost to your daily diet. It’s great to try with home-made baked potato “chips”, as a salad topping or with my new favorite jalapeno tortilla chips from Food Should Taste Good. They’re perfectly spicy! Food Should Taste Good has other flavors that I’m sure are delicious, but I always gravitate to the jalapeno flavor!  I promise to try the other flavors and give you a review.  I like these tortilla chips because they do not contain any artificial ingredients and they’re so tasty, but they are still 140 calories per ounce (as opposed to about 25 calories per ounce for home-made baked potato chips), so you should eat them with vegetables or vegetable dips like this salsa if you need help with portion control.  

I use the Trader Joe’s frozen mangos in place of fresh mango, just allow to defrost before mixing.

Ingredients
1 large mango, chopped
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime

Preparation
Combine mango, red onion, black beans, cilantro and jalapeno in a medium bowl. Squeeze lime juice over mixture. Stir well, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

What are your favorite salsa or healthy dip recipes??

Today’s post is by Jeremy & Jamie Clear, of Clearly Vegan. Whether you’re interested in becoming a vegetarian or simply interested in better health, this is great information for adding healthier proteins to your daily diet.  Take a moment to subscribe to their newsletter, Elevate Your Plate for more great healthy living information!

7 Sources of Plant Based Proteins

by Jeremy & Jamie Clear 

One of the most common myths (perpetuated by the meat industry) is that vegetarians don’t get enough protein. Here’s  something everyone should know about protein: Every whole food contains protein! 

 Carrots contain it, celery contains it. We do not have to restrict ourselves entirely to nuts, seeds, and beans when thinking about protein. We certainly do not need to focus on animal products. The protein consumed from a balanced plant-based diet appears to be plenty. Many of us have been conditioned to worry about specific nutrients, such as protein. If we just consume the foods the human body is designed for, we don’t have to worry about the nutrients and we should experience optimal health.

The American Heart Association agrees “You don’t need to eat foods from animals to have enough protein in your diet. Plant proteins alone can provide enough of the essential and non-essential amino acids, as long as sources of dietary protein are varied and caloric intake is high enough to meet energy needs.”

In fact, diets high in animal protein are linked to an increase in cancer, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis.

Try these 7 great sources of plant-based protein:

 Read more at: The Protein Myth - Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine

Asparagus is one of those power foods that should be included in any healthy diet. If you’re not a fan of asparagus by itself as a side dish, there are plenty of recipes that include it in the mix.

Check out these impressive facts for a cup of asparagus (134 grams):

• Contains only 27 calories and 3 grams of fiber! Definitely a high-volume low-calorie whole food.
• No fat or cholesterol.
• 3 grams of protein.
• Minerals such as potassium and iron.
• Vitamins such as vitamin C, folacin, thiamine and B6.

Now pick a recipe to try this week and keep me posted on which recipes are your favorites for asparagus!

• Martha Stewart ~ a fantastic collection of asparagus recipes, you’re bound to find something you like here.
• Fitness Magazine ~ a simple roasted asparagus recipe for a side dish in no time at all.
• 101 Cookbooks ~ Asparagus Stir Fry ~ I really love this blog for all kinds of interesting recipes, mainly vegetarian and whole food ideas and beautiful food pics.
• California Asparagus Commission ~ they’re not kidding around about asparagus, everything you always wanted to know you can find here.
• Michigan Asparagus Advisory board brochure (pdf) ~ simple and easy-to-follow recipe ideas.

Asparagus is a wonderful whole food and you don’t have to worry about additives or preservatives. Go organic and buy locally and that’s as close to an ideal food that you can get!

I’m going to make the Asparagus Stir Fry from 101 Cookbooks this weekend. Which recipe looks good to you?? Do you have a favorite recipe for asparagus??