Food Synergy 

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Nicole Palmieri, who is currently studying Dietetics at the University of Dayton, shared with Healthy Lombard that…

Certain food pairings will increase nutrient absorption to create a possible health benefit, which is also known as food synergy. These are great to utilize in order to boost our bodies’ protection level from diseases and overall health. Here are a few notable examples of food pairings:

Vitamin C with Iron

Specifically speaking to non-heme iron, or the iron that does not come from animal meat, plant-based iron can be better absorbed when paired with foods rich in Vitamin C. Plant-based sources of iron include legumes, nuts, seeds, quinoa, spinach, iron-fortified grains, and more. Foods rich in Vitamin C include tomatoes, oranges, grapefruits, bell peppers, broccoli, and more. Making a meal such as a lentil salad with cooked bell peppers and broccoli, or a snack platter of mixed unsalted nuts with vegetable sticks and tomatoes are great for food synergy!

Vitamins A, D, E, and K with Fat

Vitamins are classified as either fat-soluble or water-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins include Vitamin C and B Vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins are Vitamins A, D, E, and K. Since these are absorbed alongside fats, it would make sense that these are better absorbed when consumed with fats! The fats that we are talking about are healthy fats, such as monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, versus saturated and trans fats. Examples of healthy fats include olive oil, avocado, nuts, chia seeds, fatty fish, and more. Examples of foods plentiful with fat-soluble vitamins include dark leafy greens, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables (Vitamin A), egg yolks and other animal products (Vitamin D), almonds, and sunflower seeds (Vitamin E), and dairy products and dark leafy greens (Vitamin K). Cooking a meal such as avocado toast with scrambled eggs or a grilled 6 oz. salmon with a side salad of dark leafy greens topped with sunflower seeds and olive oil are great options for this pairing!

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Spring Break Travel Tips 

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Nicole Palmieri, who is currently studying Dietetics at the University of Dayton, shared with Healthy Lombard that…

If you are going somewhere for spring break this year, travel of any kind calls for snacks that should be fueling and nutritious!

Here are a few ideas when it comes to staying properly fed on trips!

  1. Fresh Fruit and Vegetables – Fresh fruit such as clementines, grapes, and bananas, and vegetables such as carrots, celery, and cucumbers are great options for travel snacks because they are hydrating and do not cause messy crumbs!
  2. Granola Bars – This is the least time-consuming and most convenient snack to travel with! Brands I enjoy are RXBARs, KIND bars, GoMacro, and Kate’s Real Food granola bars because they offer minimal and clean ingredients.

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Meal Prep Ideas to Start Your Week Strong! 

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Nicole Palmieri, who is currently studying Dietetics at the University of Dayton, shared with Healthy Lombard that… whether you are busy running around with kids, completing errands, or constantly working, it seems that there is always another task on the to-do list to cross off. Being on the go for most of the day can create little time and energy given to the food we choose to eat. Instead of grabbing the most convenient meal or snack, preparing your meals at the beginning of the week will be a time-saver and ensure you are fitting in a nutritious meal, even on your busiest days!

Here are some ideas for meal prep:

Salad

  • First, pick your base: arugula, spinach, a spring mix, or kale.
  • Then, pick your protein: chicken, tofu, a hard-boiled egg, edamame, or chickpeas.
  • Next, pick your starch: sweet potato, corn, peas, squash, and there are plenty more options!
  • Now, load up on the vegetables – select your favorites! I like adding tomatoes, cucumbers, and roasting broccoli, red onion, and zucchini.
  • Finally, top it off with a healthy fat such as avocado slices, a sprinkle of hemp hearts, walnuts, or a drizzle of olive oil! Save the olive oil to add on the day you are eating it, so the salad does not get soggy!

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Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids 

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Nicole Palmieri, who is currently studying Dietetics at the University of Dayton, shared with Healthy Lombard that…

It is difficult to encourage kids to eat healthier snacks when there are so many sweet treats and salty bites out there. Here are a few snack ideas that use produce, protein, and whole grains to add to the options of what to feed your kids!

Sandwich Skewers

Place little squares of whole wheat bread on a skewer stick, alternating with squares of cheese, a leaf of lettuce, and a half of a cherry or grape tomato!

Candied Grapes

This snack tastes like dessert! To make, place about 1 ½ cups of grapes in a bowl of water. While the grapes sit, place ½ c. Kool-Aid powder in a gallon Ziploc bag. Drain the grapes, pour them into the bag, and shake the bag so the grapes are well-coated. Then, stick toothpicks in the grapes and place them on a plate. Refrigerate for an hour or freeze for about 30 minutes and enjoy!

 

Banana Wrap

A fun twist on peanut butter banana toast is to spread peanut butter on a whole wheat tortilla, add a sprinkle of cinnamon or honey, peel and place a banana on the end, and roll it up. Then, cut up the wrap so that it looks like sushi!

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4 Healthy Cakes Your Kids Will Love 

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Robert from Way of Martial Arts shared that there’s this belief that eating cakes is unhealthy. Because of that, most people often limit the way they consume them. While eating too much cake is very unhealthy, you need to understand that some cakes are healthy for your kids to consume.

One of the benefits of eating healthy cakes is that it can help to improve digestion. Apart from that, healthy cakes can also provide you and your kids with enough energy to get through the rest of the day.

Although there are a lot of cakes out there, only a few of them are healthy for kids. One of them is Flan, a sponge base cake that’s highly favored across several European countries. This cake provides several essential nutrients, including protein, vitamins, carbohydrates, and saturated fats.

As you read the rest of this post, Robert further shares with you the list of four healthy cakes that you can consider getting for your kids.

Flan

Flan is one of the healthy cakes that you can consider getting for your kids. Flan cake is a type of dish that’s made to have a sponge base, containing a sweet and savory filling. Sometimes, people also call Flan a custard cake.

Flan cake is popular across several countries in the world, including Spain, Germany, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico. Furthermore, Flan cakes are available in several types.

For instance, there are a couple of sugar-free protein-rich flan products out there. A good example is Keto Flan. The tasty creamy custard is known to be delicious and offers low calories, carbohydrates, and fat.

Another health benefit of Keto flan cake is that it’s high in protein and formulated without polyols. You can check here to get more information regarding the product and its recipes. Read more 

What to Do When “Hanger” Strikes at the Office 

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ZeroCater shared with Healthy Lombard that whether it’s in the morning or afternoon, feeling hangry is horrible. Your temper gets short. Your body feels off. Your stomach’s not rumbling, it’s roaring. It’s hard to think clearly at the moment, much less think ahead, and you’re ready to bite the head off anyone who irks you.

That double-punch combo of anger and hunger, a feeling is known as “hanger”, is very real. It doesn’t mean you are a horrible, ill-tempered person. It just means you really need something to eat. Even better, feeling hangry can be prevented, even during a busy workday.

What hanger is (and yes, it’s real)

“Hangry” has been in common use since 1918, but only officially joined the English language in 2018, when Merriam-Webster added the word to the dictionary. Even prior to becoming an official word, you’d find hangry mentioned everywhere from The New York Times to Ebony, CNN, and NBC.  A portmanteau of “hungry” and “angry”, hangry simply means you feel incredibly hungry to the point that you feel increasingly irritable and short-tempered.

Hanger has also been the subject of a growing body of research and study, as scientists and medical professionals try to figure out the physical and psychological causes and effects of feeling hangry. At the workplace too, “hanger” can be an issue: When you can’t think clearly or have a snippy attitude, it’s hard to be a productive, focused, get-it-done team player. Read more 

MANAGING YOUR CHILD’S DIABETES DURING THE HOLIDAYS 

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Rise and Shine shared that while the holidays are a great time for indulging in your favorite sweets and treats, they can be stressful if you have a child with diabetes. You’re tasked with paying close attention to your child’s eating choices while making sure he or she doesn’t feel left out of the festivities.

With careful planning, your child can participate and enjoy the holidays with friends and family.

Monitor blood sugar levels frequently

High carb holiday foods, including cakes, bread, and pasta can cause blood sugar levels to spike. Therefore, it’s a good idea to check your child’s level more frequently during the holidays and dose insulin accordingly; keeping in mind that activity may also affect blood sugars.

Different insulin regimens require different strategies

If your child is on an insulin regimen requiring two or three shots per day (known as conventional insulin therapy), try to time the holiday meal around dinner so that the short or rapid-acting insulin can be easily adjusted. Otherwise, if the meal is in the afternoon, consider adding an extra dose of rapid or short-acting insulin to cover the meal. Please discuss details with your child’s diabetes team, which will happily assist in managing insulin doses during holiday festivities. Read more 

Making good choices in the protein bar and shake aisle 

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Toni Havala MS, RD a registered dietitian at Endeavor Health® Weight Management in Naperville shared in Edwards-Elmhurst Health’s Healthy Driven Blog that protein shakes and bars are growing in popularity as Americans try to squeeze healthy eating into their busy lives.

All dietitians would agree that whole, real foods are always the best choice. But on occasion, protein bars and shakes can be a decent option when pressed for time. Sticking a protein shake or bar in your purse, car or gym bag provides something convenient but healthier to eat rather than skipping a meal or resorting to fast food.

Shopping for the best options in the protein bar aisle can be overwhelming with the multitude of choices in tempting flavors, such as cookies and cream or birthday cake. Here’s how to sort through the marketing and hype to make good choices:

First: what type of protein is it?

The type of protein used to make the bar or shake is an important factor in deciding which product to select. Protein helps promote satiety, build muscle mass, improve blood sugar control, and reduce blood pressure.

The ability to keep us full and build muscle while we lose fat makes high-protein foods a great choice when we’re trying to lose weight. Protein bars and shakes typically contain whey, soy, pea protein, nuts, seeds, brown rice protein or a combination of these. Read more 

Snack on This 

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While the kids are out of school for winter break, you’ll probably be hearing a lot of requests for snacks.

Fear not: Parents for Healthy Kids has got plenty of ideas for healthy snacks, from ones you can quickly grab to others that you can make together on a relaxing afternoon.

The first thing you can do to help your kiddos create healthy snack habits is to set yourself up for success. Limit the amount of junk food you have in the house, and stock the fridge and pantry with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products. Bonus: If only (or almost only) healthy options are available, you don’t have to be the bad guy by always saying no.

Below are some of our favorite nutritious snack ideas – for after school, or anytime – organized by how quickly you can pull them off. Because let’s be honest, some days, removing the packaging is about all that’s possible.

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Quick Tips to Tackle Emotional Eating 

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College of DuPage Nursing Student Elena Basch suggests you ask yourself, “Am I hungry or am I bored? Stressed? Depressed? Am I rewarding myself? Why am I hungry?”  because it’s essential to know the cause of hunger in order to address it appropriately. Eating is something we all do to provide nutrition and nourishment to our bodies. Our bodies need this for it to perform adequately, but our bodies need GOOD food. Ever notice that when we eat poorly, we often feel the same way?

The food choices we make in relation to our emotions often aren’t the healthiest ones. It’s easy when feeling emotionally distressed, to pick unhealthy comfort foods. For me, that’s probably any baked good in reach or anything with sugar. Sugar makes me feel great. According to Laura Schwechrel from the goodist.com, sugar releases endorphins which cause a temporary “high”. To tackle my emotions, I have started doing two things in lieu of eating:

  1. I feel wonderful after a good workout. It also helps with weight loss. It’s a win-win. Need exercise ideas? I use Pinterest to look for exercises, they also have visuals to aid in the exercise I wish to perform. Also, it lets me try exercises I never thought I would try before. Some of these can be done in 15 minutes or less at home. Do what best fits your needs
  2. This one might not be as popular but writing on getting my thoughts down on paper has proved revolutionary. The poems don’t even have to be good but I sure do feel relief.

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