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Healthy Cooking Tip: Boil Potatoes Whole

FitSugar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:30:00 PDT

Potatoes, reviled during the low-carb days of yore, are once again showing up on many American plates.

Labor Day means potato salad, and potato salad means boiling potatoes. I just read in the Berkeley Wellness Letter that you should boil your potatoes unpeeled and whole, which is easy to do if you buy the small red-skinned variety. Potatoes are a great source of potassium, especially the skin, which is why you should always eat the skin. But when cut for boiling, potatoes lose 50 percent of this valuable mineral as it leaches out into the water.

Save the potassium - boil your potatoes whole.

Source

Easy Ways to Get More From Your Food Budget

LearnVest — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:15:48 PDT

Go the extra mile with your food budget with these tips from LearnVest.

For years, many people - my husband, mom, sister and even my son - told me to stop wasting so much food.

Throwing away half a piece of chicken here or a handful of grapes there never seemed like such a big deal to me. If I was full or no longer in the mood for that particular food, then I had no problem tossing it.

That is, until I experienced a bad case of sticker shock during a recent trip to the supermarket. The cost of bread, eggs, fish - basically everything I was purchasing - had increased. And, according to the USDA, we can expect prices to rise even higher this year.

As I forked over my money and left with only a handful of bags, I realized just how important it is for me to pay more attention to what I spend on food . . . and to confront how much of it I shove down the garbage disposal.

Unfortunately, I'm not the only one with wasteful ways. In 2010, 33 million tons of food was thrown away, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Obviously, wasted food means wasted money, but figuring out how to make your grocery budget go further can be a challenge.

To keep more food in your fridge (and more money in your pocket), try these expert tips.

1. Ward Against Freezer Burn

Those large bags or packages of frozen veggies or meat come in handy when you have a large family, but "each time you open a bag of frozen food, air gets in and will cause freezer burn within two to three weeks," says consumer saving expert Andrea Woroch. Freezer burn will dry out the meat and make it less tasty. Woroch suggests going small.

Read on for more.

13 Health Gimmicks You Can Stop Wasting Money On

Business Insider — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:15:21 PDT

Consumers have a tendency of falling for the next big health gimmick. Save your money on health duds with these Business Insider tips.

No matter how many times we're told otherwise, Americans' obsession with get-healthy-quick schemes will likely never die. Too bad most of these fads aren't worth their weight in salt - or your hard-earned dollars. We've put together a list of some of the worst budget-sucking health trends that still persist today.

Coconut Water

Coconut water may be nature's version of Gatorade but some brands have already caught fire for over-hyping its nutrient content. Vita Coco agreed to settle a $10 million class action lawsuit over an independent study that showed the drinks didn't pack near as many electrolytes as advertisements implied. Some coconut waters are also loaded with added sugar, which will do nothing to help your waistline.

Alternative: Pick up your own young green coconuts on the cheap from an Asian produce market. Just crack them open with a cleaver and pop in a straw.

"All-Natural" Foods

30 percent of Americans bought more natural foods in 2011, according to a Rodale study. But what are we really paying more for? There's no clear cut regulation on what makes food "natural," which means just about any company can slap that label on its packages, add a fancy green theme and jack up the price.

Says Andrew Schrage of MoneyCrashers: "Before buying any food that is touted as being 'all natural,' take a look at the ingredient list before you check out. Keep in mind that butter and salt are indeed natural ingredients. So stocking up on natural foods may not achieve anything other than increasing your grocery bill."

Read on for more.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Shrimp, Corn & New Potato Boil

partysugar — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 09:01:31 PDT

A traditional seafood boil involves cooking shellfish and veggies in the sand for several hours under a huge pile of seaweed. This is a lot of work and definitely NOT a fast and easy dinner. However you can quickly create something along the same lines in the comfort of your very own kitchen. Tonight boil up a big pot of shrimp, potatoes, and corn. The shrimp plump succulently, the corn turns bright yellow, and the potatoes are melt in your mouth tender. Serve with super cold beer or chilled Sauvignon Blanc and chunks of good crusty sourdough. To learn how it's done,

Shrimp, Sweet Corn and New Potato Boil
From Betty Crocker
Image Source

6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 package (3 ounces) shrimp and crab boil mixture, (one 3-ounce bag)
1 pound small red potato
4 medium ears sweet corn, cut in half
1 pound uncooked peeled deveined medium shrimp, thawed if frozen
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 lemon, cut in to wedges
Fresh ground pepper, if desired
Chopped fresh parsley, if desired
Cocktail sauce, if desired

Mix water, salt and bag of crab boil mixture in 4-quart Dutch oven. Cover and heat to boiling.
Add potatoes and corn. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes or just until potatoes are tender and corn is bright yellow.
Remove Dutch oven from heat. Add shrimp; let stand 3 to 5 minutes or until shrimp are pink and firm.
Drain potatoes, corn and shrimp; discard crab boil bag. Place corn and potatoes on serving platter; drizzle with melted butter.
Arrange shrimp on platter; squeeze juice from lemon wedges over shrimp. Sprinkle with pepper and parsley; serve with cocktail sauce.

Serves 4.

Nutrition Information: 1 Serving: Calories 365 (Calories from Fat 100 ); Total Fat 11 g (Saturated Fat 6 g); Cholesterol 185 mg; Sodium 560 mg; Total Carbohydrate 48 g (Dietary Fiber 5 g); Protein 23 g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 20 %; Vitamin C 16 %; Calcium 4 %; Iron 24 % Exchanges: 3 Starch; 1 Vegetable; 2 Very Lean Meat

Print recipe with images | without images

Get Ready to Impress With a Fast and Easy Easter Feast

Camilla Salem — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:52:31 PDT

Holiday meals can be a source of great stress and anxiety. There's a lot to think about: what to serve, when to cook it, how to decorate. But with a well-thought-out meal and a little bit of effort, you can create an Easter feast that is sure to impress.

I've come up with a menu full of fast and easy dishes, many of which can and should be served at room temperature. Brightly colored Spring ingredients are highlighted and none of the dishes require much effort on your part. I love decorations that look like they were thrown together naturally - beautifully dyed Easter eggs scattered across the table, sweet stuffed Spring animals to join the party, and your favorite flowers in mismatched small vases to set a happy tone.

For the complete menu, read on.

The Truth About 5 Confusing Foods

Prevention — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 04:26:43 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Even the most nutrition-savvy women can get lost in the headlines. Here's what you really need to know.

By Sharon Liao, Prevention

You heard that eggs can be high in cholesterol, so you dutifully switched to whole grains for breakfast. Next, you swapped out red meat for fish - only to later learn that fish can contain dangerous levels of mercury . . . and eggs may not harm your heart after all. "With all of the different reports and headlines, it’s no wonder that many people get confused," says Angela Ginn, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and owner of Real Talk Real Food in Baltimore, MD. To help you make sense of these and other health head-scratchers, we consulted our experts and sifted through the research. Here, the new bottom line on a few "health" foods.

1. Potatoes
This starchy veggie has a bad rap among dieters, but that’s because people tend to consume it in the form of greasy french fries, chips, and buttery mashed potatoes, says Melissa Joy Dobbins, RD, of NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, IL. "When prepared the right way, potatoes are a nutritious food," she says. One medium potato, for instance, delivers five grams of fiber and nearly 20 percent of your daily quota for heart-healthy potassium.

Bottom line: Skip the fried versions and opt for baked or boiled potatoes. For an even healthier option, choose vitamin A-rich sweet potatoes or purple potatoes, which can help lower blood pressure.

Ten Healthy Ways to Splurge

2. Cheese
Hold the cheese? There’s no need if you eat it in moderation. A one-ounce serving delivers 20 percent of all the bone-building calcium that you need in a day, as well as plenty of protein and phosphorus. "The problem is that many people eat much more than one serving in one sitting," explains Sharon Richter, RD, a dietitian in New York City. And at 100 to 125 calories per ounce, that can add up.

Learn how to keep cheese, eggs, and beer in your diet after the break.

Love Thy Asparagi: Springtime Potato Salad

OnSugar Blog — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:09:20 PDT

We couldn't agree more with Food Orleans: the sight of grass-green asparagus is a sure sign of Spring.

Do you love asparagus like I do? 'Cause I really, really love it. I also love that it's a harbinger of spring eating, and even though we can technically buy it at the store year-round, I try not to. Waiting until the spring for asparagus is one of the first seasonal-buying lessons I learned when I started learning to cook. Plus, I like the fact that I can get excited about a vegetable.

It's like the beauty pageant version of broccoli. The diva of the vegetable world. I scan the market for its stalks as if I were checking for grass shoots. It's tall and lean and might be usable as a paintbrush, in a pinch. Plus it's awesome in salads of all kinds, especially this yummy potato salad full of herbs and lemony, light flavors. All it needs is a quick steam and a plunge in some ice water to set the color, and you've got spring in a bowl!

For her creole-inspired asparagus and potato salad recipe, keep reading.

Know Your Techniques: Steaming Vegetables

Camilla Salem — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 05:24:01 PDT

Lately I've found myself craving the simple, unadulterated flavors of steamed vegetables. Steaming is arguably one of the healthiest ways to cook vegetables, but that doesn't mean it's boring. Not only do properly steamed vegetables retain most of their nutrients, but the brightly colored vegetables are incredibly appetizing and full of flavor.

There are a few tricks to perfect steaming - and they don't necessarily involve having to own a steamer!

The Basics
Firstly, the water should be boiling before you add the vegetables to your steamer basket to ensure even temperature throughout the cooking process. Try not to crowd the steamer with too many vegetables and take care to either properly layer your steamer basket according to cooking time or just cook up several batches. Firm vegetables like potatoes and carrots take longer to steam and should be placed toward the bottom of the steamer basket, while green beans and spinach take much less time and can be added later to the top.

Timing Is Everything
The most important part of steaming vegetables is the timing. Oversteam, and you'll suffer through bland, nutrient-poor, dull vegetables. But practice makes perfect; you'll soon learn what timing works for you.

For more steaming tips, keep reading.

5 Ways to Serve Corned Beef

Laura Marie Given — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 04:20:39 PST

If you're hoping to cook up some traditional Irish eats for St. Patrick's Day, corned beef should definitely be on the menu. Its association with Irish-American culture makes corned beef a holiday must, but feel free to get creative with your dish. From a morning classic to a salty, cheesy sandwich, here are five delicious ways to serve corned beef on March 17.

With eggs. Start your St. Patrick's Day with a tasty take on the traditional beef. Corned beef hash and scrambled eggs are sure to get your holiday off on the right foot. Try the canned version or create your own with this simple corned beef hash recipe.
On a sandwich. Stick to a classic Reuben sandwich recipe or keep things simple by adding slices of corned beef to marbled rye. A few condiment ideas: horseradish, mustard, or a layer of your favorite cheese.
With potatoes and cabbage. Get in the Irish spirit by serving smoked corned beef with boiled potatoes and cabbage. Need some extra flavor? Add salt, pepper, onions, and fresh chopped dill to kick the savory taste up a notch.
Over pasta. Get creative with corned beef by serving slices over pasta. Pick a recipe with an extracreamy sauce and let the meat supply a salty accent flavor.
On a grilled cheese. With Dijon mustard and creamy fontina cheese, you're bound to fall for this corned beef grilled cheese recipe. Add just a handful of sliced sweet onion and toast some buttered rye bread for a dish you'll love year-round.

Do you have a favorite way to serve corned beef? Share your tips in the comments below!

Source: Flickr User Jeff Kubina

Learn How to Control Your Cravings

Health — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:10:03 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

By Tina Haupert

Cravings - we all get them. If you asked me what foods I typically crave, I can always reel off a number of items without hesitation: chewy oatmeal raisin cookies, cheesy loaded nachos, dark chocolate with sea salt, a malty ale . . . just to name a few. While trying to eat better and lose weight, these cravings often became my downfall, until I discovered where they came from and how to control them by simply cleaning up my diet.

There was a time in my life when I ate way too much sugar. In fact, some days I'd "save" my calories just so I could binge on sweets later. So much, in fact, that I experienced crazy mood swings and terrible breakouts because of all of the sugar I was consuming. Clearly this wasn't the best way to shed pounds. I knew something needed to change, so I decided to take control of my cravings once and for all.

Health.com: How the Pros Curb Food Cravings

My cravings were typically the strongest after eating a meal (for something sweet) or in the late afternoon before dinner (for something savory), so I tried to think back to times in my life when I didn't have these urges and suddenly things clicked! I didn't experience them when I ate a well-rounded and satisfying meal. You're probably thinking: "Well, duh," but hear me out.

Keep reading for more on dealing with food cravings.