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Lucky Foods for the Lunar New Year!

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Kung Hei Fat Choy! January 28, 2017 is the Lunar New Year and it’s the Year of the Rooster!

Watch my TV interview about the do’s and don’ts as well as lucky foods to ring in the new year!

DO…
• Wear red! It’s a lucky colour and is thought to scare away the bad spirits!
• Repay your debts so that you have no money owning going into the New Year.
• Give or accept lucky money envelopes. If you’re married, you give lucky money to your kids, nephews and nieces. If you’re single or unmarried, you can still receive these lucky money envelopes from your parents.

DON’T…
• Clean, sweep or dust your house because it will sweep out the good luck.
• Wash your hair. This is also thought to wash away the good luck and good fortune.
• Speak any negative words. For example, don’t talk about death and don’t say the number “four” because this sounds like the word for “death” in Chinese.

LUCKY FOODS

Fish
Fish
This is always on the menu for the Lunar New Year because the Chinese word for fish sounds like the word for “abundance” or “having a lot”. Fish symbolizes an abundance of money and wealth. The steamed white fish is served whole, with the head and tail intact, as this symbolizes a good start and end to the new year. The head of the fish is turned towards the elders as a sign of respect.

Chicken Wraps
Chicken
The Chinese word for chicken sounds like the word for “prosperity”. In this Lucky Chicken Lettuce Wrap recipe, you can use chicken breast or ground chicken. The fresh green lettuce (“choy”) represents wealth. Also, iceberg lettuce, bibb lettuce and romaine lettuce all symbolize longevity.

Dumplings
Dumplings
The boat shaped dumplings symbolize wealth and resemble the shape of the gold and silver ingots which were used as money 2,000 years ago. Legend has it that the more dumplings you can eat on New Year’s, the more money you will have in the year!

Noodles
Long noodles symbolize a long life. The noodle dish is often prepared as a vegetarian entrée and is made with a variety of vegetables – carrots for the lucky colour orange, and cabbage for the wealthy “choy”.

Oranges cookiesMandarin oranges and almond cookies
For a sweet start to the New Year, enjoy mandarins / clementines and almond cookies. Oranges with the stems and leaves intact symbolize life and longevity.

Lucky Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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Chicken Wraps

January 28th, 2017 is Chinese New Year! Ring in the New Year with this lucky appetizer – chicken symbolizes prosperity while lettuce symbolizes wealth! Bonus – the wraps are fun to eat and taste great!

Ingredients
4 – 5 T hoisin sauce
2 T light soy sauce
2 T rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp cornstarch
1 pound ground chicken (or diced chicken breast)
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T ginger, minced
1 head Bibb, Boston or romaine lettuce
Red pepper, julienned (for garnish)
Green onions, julienned (for garnish)

Directions
1. In a small bowl, mix the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. Whisk in cornstarch. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tsp of canola oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the ground chicken and crumble it with a spoon or spatula as you are cooking it. Cook for about 8 minutes or until the internal temperatures reaches 165 F. Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean bowl.
3. Heat 1 tsp of canola oil in the frying pan. Add the onions and carrots, and cook until tender. Add water chestnuts, garlic and ginger. Cook for about 30 seconds.
4. Add the chicken back to the pan. Stir in the sauce and continue cooking until the sauce begins to bubble and the chicken is thoroughly coated with sauce.
5. Gently separate the lettuce leaves. Wash and pat the leaves dry. Place a large spoonful of the chicken mixture in the centre of the lettuce leaf. Garnish with red pepper and green onions. Enjoy!

Makes 6 servings.

What’s Your Food Personality?

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Are your eating habits helping or hindering your New Year’s resolutions?

Watch / take my Food Personality quiz to find out.


Question #1: I eat when I am…
a) Bored
b) Stressed / Upset
c) Hungry
d) All of the above

We’ve probably all had time when we’ve nibbled out of boredom or stress. But if you answered a) or b) or are constantly reaching for food when you’re upset, you may be an Emotional Eater.

Advice: Keep a food diary. In your diary, write down everything you eat and drink, the amounts, the time, and how you were feeling before you ate. Do you notice any patterns and eating triggers? Are you always bored or stressed before you eat? If so, find a healthy distraction away from food. Go for a walk, clean out your closet or give yourself a manicure (you can’t eat with wet nails, right?)


Question #2: I stop eating when…
a) All of the food is gone
b) My plate is clean
c) I’m not hungry anymore
d) I feel stuffed

If you answered a), b) or d), you may be a Mindless Muncher. You may be overriding you natural cues for fullness and satiety, which can lead to overeating and weight gain.

Advice: Eat until you’re 80% full. Even though you could probably take a few more bites of food, you’re comfortably satisfied and not hungry anymore. To avoid picking at food until it’s gone, pack up any leftovers quickly or put your napkin on your plate as a signal to yourself that you’re finished eating.

Question #3: On my kitchen counter, I’m most likely to have…
a) Packaged snacks such as cookies, chips and baked goods
b) Cereal
c) Candy or soft drinks
d) A bowl of fresh fruit

If you answered d), you’re on the right track to being a Mindful Eater. Research from Cornell University shows that women who kept comfort foods on their counters, such as cookies, chips, soft drinks (regular or diet) and cereal, weighed 4 to 5 lbs more than women who kept a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter. Men who put candy on the counter were 3 to 4 lbs heavier than men who kept a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter.

Advice: Keep only a bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen counter. This helps to create a healthy kitchen environment. Make it easy to find the healthy choices.


Question #4: I tend to eat…
a) At my desk or while watching TV
b) In the car or on the go
c) Over the kitchen sink
d) Sitting down with family and friends

If you answered a), b) or c), you could be a Mindless Muncher. If you answered d), it’s a sign you may be a Mindful Eater. Distracted eating hits us with a double whammy! Research shows that when we’re visually distracted with TV or work or social media, we eat 10% more food at that particular meal, AND we eat about 25% more food at the next meal! When we’re distracted, we’re not building awareness or memories of the food that we’ve just eaten. So when it’s time for the next meal, we have no “food memories” of what we ate previously so we tend to overeat. On the other hand, when we’re eating with attention, we’re building food memories – what we’re eating, how much we’re eating, how the food tasted, how we felt full after the meal. These positive food memories actually lead us to eat about 10% less food at the next meal.

Advice: Enjoy your food and create wonderful food memories with friends and family!

References:

Slim by Design: Kitchen Counter Correlates of Obesity Wansink et al., Health Education & Behaviour, 2016; Vol.43(5):552–558.

Eating attentively: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of food intake memory and awareness on eating Robinson et al., Am J Clin Nutr 2013;97:728–42.

Last Minute DIY Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen!

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There’s something so special about making – and receiving – a homemade gift!
Here are my five gift ideas which use common ingredients from your kitchen!

Watch my interview video for step-by-step instructions.

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DYI Gift #1: Mini Clementine Wreath
Everyone loves clementines this time of year! Take this seasonal fruit to make a cute wreath.

Step 1: Cut a piece of clear wrapping paper or clear basket wrap about 2 feet long.
Step 2: About 6 inches from the top edge of the wrapping paper, place 8 mini clementines about 1 finger width apart.
Step 3: Fold the top edge of the wrapping paper over the clementines and continue rolling until you get to the end of the wrapping paper.
Step 4: Bring the two ends of the wrapping paper together to form a wreath shape and tie the ends together with floral wire or a large twist tie.
Step 5: Tie a little bow between each clementine.
Step 6: Finish off the wreath by tying a big bow at the bottom of the wreath to cover up the floral wire.

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DIY Gift #2: Soup in a Jar
A perfect gift for the health conscious person on your list. The fibre in beans and barley helps to lower blood cholesterol levels.

Step 1: In a 4 cup jar, layer 3/4 cup each of green split peas, red lentils and barley. Repeat the layers.
Step 2: Attach a wooden spoon or soup spoon.
Step 3: Include a gift tag with these cooking instructions: Heat about 2 T of vegetable oil on medium high heat in a heavy stockpot. Sauté one diced onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 diced carrots and 2 stalks of chopped celery for about 5 minutes. Add the soup mix and 10 cups of broth. Bring the soup to a boil, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until barley is tender.

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DIY Gift #3: Homemade Pancake Mix
The holidays can spell cookie overload! Give the gift of breakfast with this homemade pancake mix.

Step 1: In a tall clear bag, add 1 cup white flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 2 T sugar, 4 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt.
Step 2: Tie the bag with a festive ribbon.
Step 3: Attach these instructions on a gift tag: In a large bowl, whisk together 1 egg, 2 1/4 cups milk or buttermilk, 2 T oil or melted butter. Use a whisk to stir the pancake mix into the egg mixture. Heat a skillet with butter on medium high heat. Pour 1/4 cup of batter at a time per pancake. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until bubbles form on the pancake. Flip over and cook for another 30 to 60 seconds or until the pancake is set. Makes 12 pancakes.
Step 4: Attach a colourful whisk and/or a bottle of maple syrup.

chai-tea-mix
4. Chai Tea Mix
An aromatic mix for the tea lover on your list!

Step 1: In a small jar, combine: 1/2 T ground black pepper, 2 T ground cinnamon, 2 T ground ginger, 1 T ground cardamom, 1 T ground cloves, 1/2 T ground nutmeg.
Step 2: Attach a gift tag with these instructions: To make a cup of chai tea, add 1/2 tsp of the tea mix with 1 cup of hot milk and 2 tsp of black tea. Optional – add sugar to taste.
Step 3: Pair the chai tea mix with a festive mug and you’re all set!

coupons
5. DIY Coupons
Give the gift of your time or service.
Think beyond the kitchen and offer gifts that continue to give all year long.

Step 1: Hand write or print your own coupons.
Step 2: Place them in a tin or stocking stuffer. Have fun and be creative!

Here are some coupon ideas:

To spouse / partner / friend:
– No cooking tonight. Dinner on me at the restaurant of your choice.
– One month no garbage duty.
– Lunch on me today!
– One free night of babysitting.

To child from parent:
– Breakfast in bed!
– Stay up one hour past your bedtime.
– Dinner and movie with mom.

To parent from child:
– Free car wash by hand.
– Breakfast in bed!
– I’ll clean up my room without complaining.

Happy holidays and all the best for the New Year!

2016 Year in Review: Top Nutrition Headlines and What to Expect in 2017

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Wow, it’s been quite a year for trending food and nutrition issues! Here’s my take on the top three nutrition headlines of the year plus what you can expect in 2017.

1. CAULIFLOWER CRISIS
Who can ever forget the $8 sticker shock on a head of cauliflower in January?! It became the poster child for rising food prices in Canada. According to the CBC, the price of fresh veggies rose by 13% in the past two years.

What to expect in 2017: The average Canadian family can expect to pay up to $420 more for food next year, according to Canada’s Food Price Report, an annual publication by researchers at Dalhousie University in Halifax. The price of meats, fish, seafood and fresh vegetables may rise as much as 4 to 6 percent. Lead author Sylvain Charlebois points to weather disruptions caused by La Nina, energy related costs and the tanking Loonie as factors affecting the price hikes.

What you can do: Look at grocery store flyers and use e-coupons. Plan your meals and plan to use the leftovers too. See more money-saving tips in my interview with CBC The Exchange.

2. INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF PULSES
Declared by the United Nations, the International Year of Pulses successfully raised our awareness of pulses and their many health benefits. Chef Michael Smith, Canada’s ambassador of the International Year of Pulses, kicked off the year with an invitation for all of us to take the Pulse Pledge and eat pulses at least once a week for 10 weeks.

What to expect in 2017: The buzz about pulses will continue, starting with Global Pulse Day which occurs January 18th of every year. It’s a global event to celebrate pulses and continue the momentum of the 2016 International Year of Pulses. With rising food costs, look to economical and versatile pulses to be a staple on your grocery list.

What you can do: Plan to eat at least one meatless meal each week using beans, peas, lentils or chickpeas. Here are some of my favourite recipes – including a delicious flourless chickpea chocolate cake!

3. SUGAR TAX
In February, the Dietitians of Canada released a position statement calling for a 10-20% excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages such as soft drinks, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks and specialty coffee / tea beverages seems to be linked to excess weight in both kids and adults. In March, the Senate Report on Obesity also recommended a new tax on sugar-sweetened and artificially-sweetened beverages as one of many efforts to fight obesity in Canada.

What to expect in 2017: Sugar will continue to be under fire. In his Spring 2016 budget speech, Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau pledged to help families make better choices, including actions to include more information about added sugars on food labels. Earlier this month, Health Canada opened a public consultation about its proposed front-of-package nutrition labels. For the first time ever, sugar would be called out as one of the three nutrients that can negatively affect our health if consumed in excess. Health Canada proposes to set the % Daily Value (%DV) for total sugars (natural and added sugars) at 100 grams per day. Under these proposed new labelling regulations, foods which contain 15 grams or more of total sugars per serving would be considered “high in sugars” and carry a warning symbol.

What you can do: Share your opinions about nutrition labelling. Complete this brief consumer questionnaire and / or complete the technical questionnaire both by January 13th, 2017. This is YOUR chance to help shape the future of nutrition labelling in Canada.

New Nutrition Labels are Coming!

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It’s official! After two years of public consultations, Health Canada has finalized the changes to the Nutrition Facts table and ingredients list on packaged foods. On December 14th, 2016, the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health announced that these changes are all part of the strategy to help make healthy food choices the easy choice for all Canadians.

Here’s a quick at-a-glance comparison of the old versus the new Nutrition Facts table as well as ingredients lists.


The new Nutrition Facts table puts a greater emphasis on calories, potassium, calcium and iron. For the first time ever, there will be a % Daily Value (% DV) for total sugars at 100 grams:

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Colours will now be identified by their name rather than collectively grouped as “colours”:

ingreds-list-new

Different sugars will still be identified individually by name, and will now be grouped together as “Sugars”:

ingreds-list-sugars

The food industry has until 5 years – until 2021 – to make these changes, but you may start seeing new labels as early as next year.

5 Ways to Up Your Protein

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Want to build those muscles? For optimal muscle protein synthesis, aim to have 20-30 grams of protein at every meal. For most of us, this means pumping up the protein at breakfast and dialing down the protein at dinner time.

Watch my TV interview to see if you’re getting enough protein at every meal.

Here are 5 easy ideas to help you get enough.

1. Egg Sandwich – Start with 2 large eggs and add 2 T of grated cheese. Whip up some scrambled eggs or an omelet with veggies. Roll it up in a whole wheat tortilla. 20 grams of protein.

2. Greek Yogurt Smoothie – Make your favourite smoothie with 1 cup of Greek yogurt. Easy! 20 grams of protein.

3. Soup and Sandwich – Warm up to a bowl of minestrone soup and 1/2 veggie sandwich. For the sandwich, try Canadiana Rustic Bean Bread (made by Country Harvest) with with 2 T hummus and your favourite fresh veggies. Add a slice of cheese to the sandwich or add 3/4 cup Greek yogurt for dessert. 30 grams of protein.

4. Super Salad – Fill at least half your plate with leafy salad greens and colourful veggies. Top it with 3 ounces of cooked lean meat (about the size of a deck of cards). 20 grams of protein

5. Protein Power – Grab a handful of nuts and team it up with a latte made with 1 cup of milk or fortified soy beverage. 20 grams of protein.

Barley Butternut Squash Risotto

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I made this wonderful side dish for Thanksgiving dinner this year! It’s one of my all-time favourite recipes from Lucy Waverman’s cookbook Dinner Tonight.

Barley contains a unique fibre called beta-glucan. This type of fibre has been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels. Butternut squash is filled with beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A, and important for vision and a healthy immune system.

Ingredients
5 cups chicken stock or water (I use lower sodium chicken stock)
2 T olive oil or canola oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups diced butternut squash (about 1/2 small butternut squash)
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
salt and pepper to taste
2 T chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Heat stock in pot until simmering.
2. Heat oil in heavy pot on medium heat. Add onion and cook for 1 minute. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until onion is soft.
3. Add squash and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in barley and sauté for 1 minute or until barley is coated with oil.
4. Add 1 cup stock, bring to boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until barley absorbs most of stock. Add 2 more cups stock and cook for 20 minutes or until most of stock has been absorbed.
5. Stir in 1 cup more stock and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until stock is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add remaining stock and cook and stir until barley is tender, about 10 minutes longer. Season well with salt and pepper.
6. Beat in parsley and cheese. Serve immediately. Risotto thickens as it sits, but it can be reheated by beating in more stock or water.

Makes 4 servings.

Winners of the 2016 Grocery Innovations Show

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Here are a few of the winning products, as selected by the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers.

black-water

blk. Alkaline Mineral Water
blk. is a pure alkaline water that is infused with fulvic trace minerals.This beverage is naturally black with no artificial dyes or colouring. Fulvic acid (also called humic acid) occurs naturally in soil and sediment. Like all plain, unflavoured waters, blk has zero calories, zero sugar and zero caffeine.
My take: Tastes earthy. There are no human requirements for fulvic acid. Might make a good Halloween drink.

goh-goh-granola
goh-goh cereal
goh-goh cereal is made with air-dried milk. The first two ingredients are whole grain rolled oats and goh-goh whole milk powder. After adding water (warm or cold), the cereal is reconstituted. Available in two flavours: Honey, Hemp & Flax; and Raisin & Almond. A servings contains: 270-290 calories, 6-9 g fat, 43-45 g carbohydrates, 8-10 g protein, 3-4 g fibre, 15-20 g sugars and 10-15% DV (Daily Value) for calcium.
My take: Higher in sugars than I’d like, but tastes quite nice and is very filling. A novel idea for those who are camping, travelling or on the “goh”.

chickpea-beverage
Chickpea beverage
Made from organic chick peas, this is the first fortified chickpea beverage in the world. A serving (1 cup) contains: 70 calories, 2.5 g fat, 1 g omega-3 fat (from flaxseed oil), 2 g carbohydrate, 10 g protein, 0 g sugars and 30% DV (Daily Value) for calcium. (Vitamin D content not available.)
My take: Really does tastes like chickpeas. Contains more protein than other plant-based beverages such as almond beverage or rice beverage.

Asian Pork Tenderloin

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Pork tenderloin recipe
Flavourful and tender, you’ll love this on its own, in a Bánh Mì or in a Cuban-style sandwich.

Directions
2 pork tenderloins (about ¾ – 1 lb each)
¼ cup light soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp Dijon or honey mustard
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Trim off the silver skin on the pork tenderloin.
2. In a small bowl, make the marinade: whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, mustard, oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
3. Place the pork tenderloin in a large re-sealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or ideally overnight, turning the bag occasionally so that the pork is all coated.
4. Preheat oven to 375°F.
5. Transfer the pork tenderloin to a foil-lined baking dish.
6. Cook in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the centre reads 160°F.
7. Let stand 5-10 minutes before slicing.
8. Pour any remaining marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Drizzle over pork slices. Serve with green a green salad.
9. Use leftovers to make a Bánh Mì sandwich or a Cuban-style sandwich (see recipes below).

Makes 4-6 servings

Bánh Mì Sandwich
Slice a piece of French baguette lengthwise. Spread mayonnaise on each half of the bread. Add leftover pork slices, julienned cucumbers, julienned pickled carrots*, cilantro and a few slices of jalapeño pepper.

*To make Pickled Carrots: Combine ¼ cup white vinegar (or rice vinegar or cider vinegar) and ¼ cup white sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and stir in the carrots. Let the carrots stand for at least 30 minutes or overnight so that carrots soften. Drain well before adding to sandwich.


Cuban-style Sandwich
Slice a Panini roll lengthwise. Spread butter on the outside of each half. Spread mustard on the inside of each half. Add leftover pork slices, Swiss or provolone cheese and a few thin slices of pickles. Place sandwich in a heated Panini grill or sandwich press. Grill the sandwich until cheese has melted.

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