A member of the legume family (with things such as beans), lentils are what we call edible pulses (dried seeds grown in enclosed pods). Lentils are very high in protein and fiber; one cup cooked contains 18g of protein and 16g of fiber. A one cup serving is also an excellent source of folate, iron, potassium, phosphorous, and magnesium. Research has shown that regular intake of lentils lowers cholesterol and helps reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.

Unlike dried beans, you don’t have to soak
lentils overnight! Lentils cook quickly in 15-20 minutes, making them easy and convenient kitchen staples. However, with so many different kinds, how do you know what to use for what? Here are a few quick facts about the different kinds and ways to use them.

Brown Lentils (the most common): With a mild flavor and earthy taste, brown lentils can be used in a range of culinary applications and tend to retain their shape and texture. They are often used as a meat substitute or extender in dishes such as, chili, tacos, or meatloaf.

French Lentils: Compared to brown lentils, French lentils are slightly smaller, take longer to cook, and have a peppery flavor. These lentils hold their shape making them ideal for cold salads and side dishes for fish, game, or sausage.

Red or Yellow Lentils: These lentils break down quickly and do not hold their shape, making them best suited for soups and stews.

Pink Lentils: Pink lentils cook quickly, turning a golden color and breaking down into a silky smooth texture, which makes them a great choice for soups and side dishes.

Black Lentils: These lentils look great when mixed with salads and grains. Black lentils have a strong, nutty, and earthy flavor. They also hold their shape well.

Lentil Soup Recipe

Ingredients

¼ C olive oil

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried basil

2 C dry lentils of your choice

8 C water

½ C spinach, rinsed and sliced

2 T vinegar

Black pepper to taste

Directions

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in lentils, and add water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with pepper, and more vinegar if desired.

Yield: 6 servings

349 calories per serving, 48g carbohydrates per serving, 10g fat per serving, and 18g protein per serving

As we start the New Year, the
temperatures continue to chill us, the leaves are gone, the days stay short and the air continues to crisp. It can only mean one thing: Time to make soup! Grab your ladles and start simmering… We are “souping” with style. I pulled this recipe from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Food & Nutrition Magazine and I absolutely loved it! It was robust and hearty but also had that “healthy” feel too! This recipe is a perfect match for any dreary winter day! -SY

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon olive oil

½ Vidalia onion, diced

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

½ tablespoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 bay leaf

5 cups chopped kale

3 pre-cooked Italian-flavored chicken sausages, sliced

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

1-14 ½oz can low-sodium great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic, cover and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, pepper, thyme, oregano, and bay leaf. Cover and cook 3-5 minutes.

Add kale and chicken sausage, stirring to ensure kale is coated with oil. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes until kale is slightly wilted.

Add broth, water and beans. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10-15 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

Serves 4

Serving size: 1 cup

Calories-222; Total Fat-10g; Saturated Fat-2g; Cholesterol-33mg; Sodium-330mg; Carbohydrates-20g; Fiber-7g; Sugars-3g; Protein-15g

Much like fashion, nutrition trends come and go
frivolously in hopes of being one that will stick with consumers. Published in Today’s Dietitian magazine, registered dietitians from across the nation weighed in on what products they think will be “trending” this coming year.

Here are a few things they foresee:

Souping – “Souping is the new juicing,” according to Rachel Beller, MS, RDN, CEO of Beller Nutritional Institute. Souping isn’t referring to bone broth diets that you drink before a meal to suppress your appetite, but rather to exclusive soup meal plans that even include desserts.

Sprouted Grains – Sprouted grains provides increased vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, increased digestibility, and nutrient absorption. Sprouting creates enzymes that make plant proteins, essential fatty acids, starches, and vitamins more available for absorption. You can expect to see sprouted grains in cereals, snack bars, rice, and risotto mixes.

More Products With Less Sugar – On average, we as Americans consume around 22 teaspoons of added sugar per day. This without question is leading to an industrial push of decreasing sugar in food products. As a result, companies will probably turn to more “natural sweeteners” like stevia, maple syrup, agave syrup, etc.

Probiotic Push – Probiotics are most often found in food products such as yogurt. With research proving a strong relation between a healthy gut and brain connection, probiotics will continue to be a hot topic. According to Sarah-Jane Bedwell, RD, LDN, a dietitian from Nashville, “looking into 2016, it won’t be uncommon to find probiotic-fortified foods and beverages, such as orange juice, cereals, and waters.”

International Year of Pulses – Pulses include lentils, dry beans, beans, and chickpeas. Pulses are a vital source of plant-based proteins and amino acids. They can be expected to be seen in snack bars, prepackaged salads with edamame and roasted soy nuts, and in soups. –SY

*This list was revised from Today’s Dietitian magazine. For a complete list follow this link http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/1215p26.shtml

Unfortunately, one of the number one things that seems to come with the holidays is stress. Dinner parties, family get-togethers, gift shopping, hosting, planning, ahhhhh stress!! While we’d all like to never have stress at all, sometimes it’s just part of life and we have to deal with it. The good news is that there are foods that can help reduce some of that stress! Here’s a list of some foods that make it to the top of our list:

Nuts – Stress depletes a lot of our B vitamin stores which are also related to energy. A couple servings of pistachios a day can lower blood pressure and reduce stress.

Red peppers – A recent study showed that people who took high doses of vitamin C before engaging in stress-inducing activities had lower blood pressure and recovered faster with replenishing cortisol.

Salmon – Omega-3’s have been known to reduce stress and anxiety by at least 20 percent and salmon is packed with it. Try getting at least 2 servings a week.

Spinach – Not only does spinach have the ability to make you stronger like Popeye, it’s loaded with magnesium which regulates cortisol and blood pressure too.

Oatmeal – Complex carbs like oatmeal, take longer to digest which leads to more comfort and “soothing” power.

Dark chocolate – There aren’t many people that don’t like chocolate (because it tastes amazing). The good news is that dark chocolate lowers cortisol and stress levels so indulge! Just remember to keep portion sizes in mind!

Tea – Especially decaf, herbal teas like chamomile, peppermint or ginger. Herbal teas are known to be calming and they soothe the digestive tract that can often times be affected by stress. -SY

At my house, pumpkin pie is a must have on Thanksgiving. We all have those traditions that we don’t really like to change but if we could save 254 calories, time it takes to make the pie, and it still tastes great, why wouldn’t we!? This Frozen Pumpkin Mousse Pie is super easy to throw together and you can make it up to 3 days ahead of time! Enjoy!

Ingredients

CRUST

30 small gingersnap cookies (about 7 ½ ounces)

2 T raisins

1 T canola oil

FILLING

1 C canned pumpkin puree

1/3 C packed brown sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2 pints (4 C) frozen low-fat vanilla ice cream, softened

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan with cooking spray.

To prepare crust: Combine gingersnaps and raisins in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add oil and pulse until blended. Press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan.

Bake the crust until set (about 10 minutes). Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare filling: Combine pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a large bowl and mix well. Add ice cream and stir until blended. Spoon the mixture into the cooled pie crust. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours. Let the pie soften slightly in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Makes 10 servings.

Nutrition Comparison
Frozen Pumpkin Mousse Pie	Regular Pumpkin Pie
230 Calories	484 Calories
5g Fat	33g Fat
1g Saturated Fat	20g Saturated Fat
2g Fiber	3g Fiber
179mg Sodium	191mg Sodium

Give it a try! I promise it’s worth it! -SY