Johnna's Pick of the Week: G Natural and G2 Natural

The only time I reach for a Gatorade is the night after…the night after a hangover (*Off the record, Gatorade is one of the best things that happened to recovering from a hangover…). That was until I had an opportunity to taste the G Series: G Natural and G2 Natural from Gatorade. Created with the purpose to fuel, fluid and add nutrients (*before, during and after) activity, the new line from Gatorade has taken a healthy approach to the fruit juice family. Sober Johnna stays away from Gatorade unless it is the only option around. Now sober Johnna has a reason to skip the other stuff and head for the Gatorade G Series.

Sweet, but not to sweet, light and refreshing (*blah, blah, blah…), the typical features of a good natural fruit juice fill this quirky bottle, but the most appealing part is not listed above. Perhaps it comes in the calories (*its beach bod season, no time for games…): G Natural holds about 50 calories per 8-oz. serving and the G2 Natural has 20 calories per 8-oz. serving. This fact combined with the flavor count: Blackberry Raspberry, Orange Citrus and Citrus Mango, to name a few, makes this our new drink of the week. Johnna’s Pick of the Week is evolving…I realize I do not always go to a good (*Emphasis on “Good”) restaurant, ice cream shop or the like every week so it would be unrealistic to limit the span of subjects. The evolution begins with G Natural and G2 Natural…good drinks, perfect time of year to enjoy a nice cold one and they encourage your belly to stay flat instead of initiating a gut. Quench your thirst!

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Wednesday Guest Post: Nutrition with Women's Professional Soccer

Celebrate the World Cup with Healthy Snacks!

With World Cup fever firmly taken hold, and the trumpeting sound of the vuvuzelas heard wherever there’s a game, it’s time to turn to the best possible accompaniment to viewing the games; that means snacking!

Below is a dish which honors the heritage of many of the teams taking part in the World Cup, and features both nutritional benefits and taste.

In the meantime, Women’s Professional Soccer’s 2010 season continues to role on, with the WPS All-Star Game presented by U.S. Coast Guard Reserve kicking off on June 30th.

Boston Breakers Black Bean Spinach Dip
Here’s a tasty dip that’s a helpful recovery food because it is rich in both carbs and protein. Bring it to a post-game tailgate party, along with some baked chips.

1 15.5 ounce (440 g) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup (120 g) salsa
1 4.5 ounce (135 g) can chopped chilies
1 10-ounce box (300 g) chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 teaspoons cumin
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (8 ounces, 240 g), preferably low-fat
1 chopped jalapeno, as desired
Optional: 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro, or to taste

1. Mash the beans either by hand using the back of a fork or in a blender or food processor. Leave some beans whole, for varied texture.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the beans, salsa, chilies, spinach, cumin, cheese (cilantro and jalapeno).

3. Pour the bean mixture into a pie-plate or other similar baking dish. Bake in 350º F (180º C) oven until well heated, about 20-30 minutes.

4. Serve with baked corn chips.

Yield: 10 servings
Total Calories: 1,200 (without chips)
Calories per serving: 120
16 g Carbohydrate
9 g Protein
2 g Fat

Excerpted from Food Guide for Soccer—Tips & Recipes From the Pros, with Women’s Professional Soccer, by Gloria Averbuch and Nancy Clark, RD. Available on www.amazon.com or www.nancyclarkrd.com.

Guest Post: 3 Reasons Diet Soda May Be Worse Than Regular Soda

We all know the dangers of soda – how they’re foods with zero nutrition and laded with calories and sugar, how they make you pack on the pounds even if you’re careful about what you eat, and how they leach minerals from your bone and bring on osteoporosis, how the sugar causes tooth decay and other more serious diseases like diabetes, and many, many more. Also, soda is a nothing food in that it does nothing to satisfy your hunger or quench your thirst. Sure we love to drink tall, cool, fizzy sodas when we’re parched and thirsty, but the sugar and caffeine in the drink cause more dehydration and make you thirstier than you were before.

If that’s the bad news about soda, wait until you hear what diet soda does. Yes, you heard that right; diet soda is worse than regular soda, not a healthy substitute as the smarmy sales spiels scream. If you’re wondering about the truth of this statement, read on:

Aspartame is worse than sugar: Sugar is the main villain in any diet story; cut the sugar, trim the fat – that’s what the experts say. But if you knew how dangerous aspartame, the most common sugar substitute used in diet sodas, was, you would start to think of sugar as your best friend. Although the FDA has certified aspartame as a safe food additive, research has proved that this chemical is responsible for hastening Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia when ingested on a regular and continuous basis. Also, aspartame has been known to bring on mood swings, headaches, dizziness, and even diarrhea.

The sweetness does the damage, not the sugar: If you’ve labored under the mistaken assumption that diet soda causes weight loss, all I can say is that the marketers have you just where they want you. Diet soda does not hasten or cause weight loss; rather, it promotes weight gain because it’s not just the sugar in regular soda that is the villain. Rather, your brain senses that you’re eating or drinking something sweet and immediately signals the body to start producing insulin. This slows down the fat burning process and plays havoc with your metabolism. It’s the same reaction as when you drink a can of regular soda, only, because you assume it is healthier and conducive to weight loss, you end up drinking more of the diet soda. You also end up increasing your risk for heart disease, stroke, blood pressure and cholesterol.

You lose nutrition and strength: Soda contains phosphorous and other chemicals that leach your bones of calcium and also deplete your body’s store of iodine. When you drink sodas, your body uses its cache of iodine to neutralize your blood pH from becoming too acidic. When you lose iodine this way, your thyroid does not have enough to regulate your metabolism, and this in turn causes you to gain weight and suffer from thyroidal problems as well. Also, without adequate calcium, your bones become brittle and more prone to fractures and the early onset of osteoporosis.

So the next time you reach for a can of diet soda because you’re dying of thirst, remember that this drink could end up killing you too.

*This article is contributed by Ashley M. Jones, who regularly writes on the subject of Pharmacy Technician Certification. She invites your questions, comments at her email address: ashleym.jones643@gmail.com.

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Recipe: Pad Thai (NY Times)

Pad Thai

4 oz. fettuccine-width rice stick noodles
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup tamarind paste
1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 garlic clove, minced
2 eggs
1 small head Napa cabbage, shredded (*about 4 cups)
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1/2 lb. peeled shrimp, pressed tofu or a combination
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 limes, quartered.

Put noodles in a large bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let sit until noodles are just tender; check every 5 minutes or so to make sure they do not get too soft. Drain, drizzle with one tablespoon peanut oil to keep from sticking and set aside. Meanwhile, put tamarind paste, fish sauce, honey and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and bring just to a simmer. Stir in red pepper flakes and set aside. Put remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; when oil shimmers, add scallions and garlic and cook for about a minute. Add eggs to pan; once they begin to set, scramble them until just done. Add cabbage and bean sprouts and continue to cook until cabbage begins to wilt, then add shrimp or tofu (or both). When shrimp begin to turn pink and tofu begins to brown, add drained noodles to pan along with sauce. Toss everything together to coat with tamarind sauce and combine well. When noodles are warmed through, serve, sprinkling each dish with peanuts and garnishing with cilantro and lime wedges.

*Johnna's tip: This recipe is courtesy one of our New York readers who came across this in the NY Times. Yum. Pad Thai is one of those easy and extremely flavorful dishes that takes no time to make. It is a great dish to entertain with or to take with you to a Spring get-together. With graduation celebrations, Mother's Day and summer gatherings on the rise, we can make use of a simple classic like this one...

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Recipe: Easy Tofu Stir Fry

Easy Tofu Stir Fry

1 (12 oz.) bag of mixed vegetables for stir fry
1 (14 oz.) pkg. firm tofu (cut into 1" pieces)
1 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup stir fry sauce (*can be found at your local grocery store)
1 cup cooked rice

In a skillet, add the olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Add in the vegetables and allow to cook for 5-7 minutes; add in the tofu and sauce; combine so sauce spreads throughout entire pan over veggies and tofu. Remove from heat and spoon tofu mixture on top of a bed of rice. Serve hot.

*Johnna's tip: Stir Fry's are it. They meet all the health needs while providing profuse flavor. The veggie mix doesn't have everything you want in it?? Feel free to add your own style to the dish...that's the good thing about its name: Stir Fry. This implies anything goes...have fun with it and share!

Recipe: Low Fat Baked Potato Soup

Low Fat Baked Potato Soup

4 large russet potatoes
2 tsp. salt
4 slices of bacon (cut into 1" pieces)
1 cup low fat sour cream
8 tbsp. butter
2 2/3 low fat 1 % milk
Pepper (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Scallions (thinly sliced for garnish)
Shredded 2 % Milk Cheddar Cheese

Peel, rinse and dice the potatoes into small cubes and add them to a large pot. Cover the potatoes with water, sprinkle in 2 tsp. salt and bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover; cook for 30-45 minutes. Cook the bacon in a pan until crispy and drain oil from the bacon. Drain the potatoes and add back to the pot; mash the potatoes until smooth. Add in the sour cream and butter; stir until fully combined. Add the milk, pepper and salt to the pot and bring to a slight boil. Garnish with scallions, cheese and bacon. Serve hot.

*Johnna's tip: Ok, we are officially about to bust. After two hefty bowls of this soup, our eyes are glazing over this post, but we were determined to make it happen. Recently, we began focusing on recipes that are easy and to the point without a lot of clean up post-cooking. This is how we came across this recipe and it is truly the easiest two pot meal that we have met this month. The hardest or most time consuming part is peeling the potatoes (*what did people do before the invention of the potato peeler??) but everything else is a breeze. Serve with nothing. It is fine all by itself.

Recipe: Quick and Easy Tomato Sauce

Quick and Easy Tomato Sauce

2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 sprigs of thyme
1 tbsp. kosher salt (*or to taste)

Add all ingredients to a medium to large pot and simmer for 20-25 minutes on Low-Medium heat until bubbling. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: We love when friends share their recipes. This recipe comes from a JKGF favorite who cooks healthy, good foods all the time and this is no exception. She created this basic sauce on NYE and our mouths were watering as she went thru the list of ingredients...a big, fat Yum. to fresh thyme, garlic and tomatoes in one steaming, hot dish. We know. It's basic. Basic is good especially when its been a long day and you need to get off those tired soles as quickly as possible. Try this recipe alongside your favorite pasta or even tie it in your fave lasagna recipe. Enjoy!

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Recipe: Cheese Balls

Cheese Balls

2 (8 oz.) pkg. low fat cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup bell pepper (finely chopped) (*you choose colors of bell peppers)
2 tbsp. onion (finely chopped)
1 tbsp. seasoning salt
2 cups nuts

Combine all ingredients and place in place wrap; roll into a ball; chill for 4-6 hours and serve.

*Johnna's tip: Recently, one of our Twitter buddies requested a recipe from the 80's. We searched our brain for a recipe that was straight out of this punk era and the one thing that came to mind was Cheese Balls. In 1989, we were absolutely in love with the Babysitters Club book series (*We seriously read every book out of that teenage series). Cheese balls seemed to be Claudia's favorite dish to make when the club members got together which is what made us think this must have been the cuisine of the times (*well for teens that is...). Thinking about the Babysitters Club makes us miss the 80's immensely! Love the stories about Jess, Mallory and aww Stacey living at the Dakota! Funny we can still remember their names and stories like they were family members or real-life friends...

*Johnna's tip, tip: Serve with your favorite crackers or dippers such as celery or carrots.

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Recipe: Easy No-Fat Yogurt Sauce

Easy No-Fat Yogurt Sauce

1 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup no-fat plain yogurt
1 tsp. olive oil

In a small bowl, mash together the garlic and salt to form a paste. Stir in the yogurt and oil. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. Remove and serve.

*Johnna's tip: Where there's a will, there's a way. We want to reduce our fat intake but we don't want to give up all our comfort foods, so what do we do? We replace the fatty content with plenty of flavor. We say sprinkle a little sea salt on some sweet potatoes sliced into fries, slide them in the oven, bake/broil them and then pair them with this yogurt sauce. Delish.

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Recipe: Sweetgreen Holiday Quinoa Salad

Sweetgreen Holiday Quinoa Salad

1 cup red quinoa (rinsed)
1 cup white quinoa (rinsed)
1 large sweet potato (diced small)
1 large red beet (diced into cubes)
1 bunch Kale- flat leaf
2 tbsp. of dried cranberries
½ cup toasted almonds
Squeeze of fresh lemon
Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 cup balsamic vinegar
Freshly chopped parsley or basil
Garlic Salt
Pepper to taste
½ lb. of baby arugula or baby spinach

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the rinsed quinoa. Lower heat to a simmer and let cook until the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes); About 5 minutes before it is done. Remove from the heat and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Allow Quinoa to cool in large separate bowl. Coat sweet potatoes and beets with balsamic vinegar and roast in oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Then add to quinoa mixture. De-stem the kale and cut into ribbons ½ inch thick. Add to warm quinoa mixture. The heat from the quinoa will wilt the quinoa. Add cranberries, toasted almonds, parsley or basil. Give it a squeeze of fresh lemon, drizzle with a little olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Add garlic salt and pepper. You can either mix in a handful of baby arugula or spinach.

Johnna's tip: Trying to stay healthy in the new year?? If yes, this is your recipe. Thanks to Sweetgreen (*the health food haven) for this one. We are actually a little late on posting this one, this was their holiday salad, but we felt it would match perfectly with our New Years Resolutions postings. At the beginning of the year, everyone is trying to eat healthy and work out so they want recipes that will help in those efforts. After tasting this salad at Sweetgreen, we decided it made the cut, it's a tasty little number. Try alongside a baked chicken or as a lunch entree, Enjoy!

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Food.Fun.Stuff: Essential Herbs for Good Health & Beauty

Thanks to our guest blogger, Mary, for this Thursday's post. Not only is it informative, it is just in time for our New Years Resolution: Healthier Living! (*Not that this changes on any New Years but somewhere during the year we seem to revert back to unhealthier living, 2010 will be different...we promise.)

"Essential Herbs for Good Health & Beauty"

Everybody seems to be on the quest for more beauty. There are always aspects of ourselves that we don’t really are for or that we would like to improve upon. No matter how beautiful we are, there’s always something else that we want to make better. The concept of health and beauty go hand in hand. If you are healthy and maintain a good clean lifestyle, this is often directly linked to your beauty. To be truly beautiful means that you institute clean living and that you possess both inner and outer beauty. So though people will tend to run to the store and spend a small fortune on beauty products, this doesn’t need to be the answer. You can find some of the best health and beauty secrets contained in some of the very herbs you may have used at some point. There are some herbs that are naturally positioned to help you to achieve the health and beauty that you are after, and knowing this will help you to achieve the results you are after.

Cinnamon
Not only is cinnamon delicious and used in many of our favorite dishes, but it has some serious health benefits. Consuming cinnamon on a regular basis can help to keep blood pressure levels at a healthy range. Cinnamon can also be quite helpful in ensuring that you have appropriate glucose levels. Additionally this herb is helpful in awakening the senses, and this translates into a sort of rejuvenation. Just smelling it can make you come alive, and eating it regularly make help you to achieve a healthy and beautiful complexion.

Ginseng
Many of us know of ginseng for the energy that it provides, but the benefits of this herb run much deeper. Ginseng has natural antibacterial properties, and so consuming ginseng helps to clean and clarify the skin and the organs. The result is cleaner healthier looking skin, and a more toned and glowing complexion. This herb also helps to increase circulation, so this can be quite beneficial in ensuring that there are no blockages or toxins throughout the body. This is good for your health and most certainly contributes to a more beautiful appearance.

Green Tea
Though it is helpful in the form of a steaming cup of green tea, it also works equally well as a natural herb. Green tea helps to aid with weight loss and provides oxygen throughout the body in the process. It helps to relieve irritation and stimulates fresh new cells in the skin. This all means that you achieve a healthy complexion, clean and clear pores, and more definition in a toned skin tone. All the while, you’re contributing to a lower cholesterol and weight loss—this is one powerful herb!

If you want to achieve better health and more beauty, and who doesn’t, then turning to these herbs may be of great help. Many of the herbs that we use each day or that have been around for centuries may provide us with the best health and most beauty we’ve ever known.

M.E. Ward writes about how to apply to online bsn programs.

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Recipe: Light Tuna Salad

Light Tuna Salad

1 (5 oz.) can tuna (*We recommend Bumble Bee)
2 boiled eggs (chopped)
1 cup light mayonnaise
4-5 small red grapes
1 tbsp. relish
Garlic Powder (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Dash of paprika

In a bowl, combine the tuna (drained of excess water), boiled eggs, mayo, grapes (be careful not to smash grapes) and relish. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper; mix well. Top with dash of paprika and serve.

*Johnna's tip: Serve with saltine crackers and enjoy a light and easy snack. We thought of adding the grapes just to jazz things up and we have seen/liked a pasta dish we had with red grapes in it. Tuna salad is such an old American favorite there are so many twist and turns you can put on it. Try garnishing with some fresh herbs such as parsley or dill.

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Recipe: Feta Spinach

Feta Spinach

1 (6 oz.) bag of fresh spinach
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Dash Garlic Powder
1 tbsp. butter
1 garlic clove (finely chopped)
2 tbsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. feta cheese

Add oil to a pan, bring to medium heat. Add in spinach and allow to wilt down a bit. Sprinkle in salt, pepper and garlic powder; combine. Add in butter and garlic; folding into spinach. Reduce heat and add in vinegar; fold in spinach. Remove from heat to serving dish and top with crumbled feta cheese. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: This makes two servings and is more than enough for one person (*All my single ladies/men). We are back in the kitchen experimenting and playing with Greek ingredients such as feta cheese and olives. Spinach had not been on our plate in a long time because frankly we were getting bored with the same old recipes of the Popeye favorite. Feta cheese jazzed things up a bit and we are excited about what will follow...feta/spinach pasta perhaps??

*Johnna's tip, tip: This isn't the first time feta and spinach meet...how about a recipe for spanokopita??

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Recipe: Old Bay Ultimate Sweet and Spicy Grilled Salmon

Old Bay Ultimate Sweet and Spicy Grilled Salmon

1 tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar
1 tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1 lb. salmon fillets
Oil

Mix the brown sugar and Old Bay together in a bowl. Brush the salmon lightly with oil (*We recommend using Olive Oil). Rub generously with seasoning mixture. Grill over medium-high heat 8 minutes per inch of the thickness or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: JKGF realizes we are actually fish people. For a long time we thought we didn't like the small creatures of the sea (*fish), but we ate fish a few time this weekend while at home in NY and we loved it! Fish needs to be dressed up and jazzed up to keep it interesting for our palate. Anything with Old Bay excites our senses so maybe we can give salmon another try, which we had sworn off our dining list. Try this alongside a mixed green salad and a nice glass of wine.

*Johnna's tip, tip: Don't forget we have an Old Bay Giveaway going on right now, send us your recipes. (*Bloody Mary's with Old Bay...be creative!)

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Recipe: Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

1 lb. shrimp (peeled and deveined)
Old Bay seasoning (to taste)
Ground pepper (to taste) (*preferably from a pepper mill) 1 tbsp. of finely minced garlic
1 avocado
Mixed Greens
1 tomato

Season shrimp with Old Bay seasoning, ground pepper and finely minced garlic. Put in fridge for about 2-3 hours. Broil shrimp in oven for 6-10 minutes or until reddish color. Cut up avocado and tomato into small pieces. Put mixed greens in a bowl and add avocado and tomato pieces. Add shrimp to mixed greens mixture and a dressing of your choice (*I like Brianna's Real French Vinaigrette) Enjoy it!

*Johnna's tips: Today's recipe comes from one of our readers out of New York, thanks for the great salad! This is definitely healthy eating on a budget and can be your lunch for the week. Side with a delicious summer fruit like sliced mango, peaches or oranges.

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Food.Fun.Stuff: Keeping it Green

Earth Day Cocktails- Poste Brasserie (*Infamous for the most delicious happy hour fries...) is hosting the Earth Day Garden Party tonight with FREE hors d'oevres. Try the original cocktails they're creating starting @ 5 p.m. Happy Earth Day!

The Where: 555 Eigth St., NW Washington, D.C. (202)783-6060
The When: Tonight, April 22, 2009 starting @ 5 p.m.
The Money: $5 donation to FreshFarm Markets

The Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown (Red/Green/Yellow Lines)

Picture source: http://www.il.nrcs.usda.gov/features/earthday/earthday2004.html

Food.Fun.Stuff: Founding Farmers is Certified Gold

Again, Congrats to Founding Farmers today! For those of you who missed it from last week, JKGF posted about Founding Farmers receiving certification as the first LEED Gold full-service, upscale casual restaurant in the U.S. If you missed the post, here it is (*Circa April 15, 2009...) :

Going green, we love it! Kudos to Founding Farmers who will become the first Certified restaurant in the District and the first LEED (*Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold full-service, upscale-casual restaurant in the U.S. Good stuff Founding Farmers;-) LEED is the USGBC's (*U.S. Green Building Council) rating system for designing and constructing the world's greenest, most energy efficient, high performing buildings and interior spaces. LEED based their decision on Founding Farmers having a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project and the community including having: Energy Star Appliances, higher efficient HVAC System and Green Power, just to name a few.

Congrats to Founding Farmers!!

*The certification becomes official on Wednesday, April 22 which is also Earth Day 2009:-)

Picture source: http://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/index.php/component/content/article/6

Food.Fun.Stuff: Go Green!

Going green, we love it! Kudos to Founding Farmers who will become the first Certified restaurant in the District and the first LEED (*Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold full-service, upscale-casual restaurant in the U.S. Good stuff Founding Farmers;-) LEED is the USGBC's (*U.S. Green Building Council) rating system for designing and constructing the world's greenest, most energy efficient, high performing buildings and interior spaces. LEED based their decision on Founding Farmers having a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project and the community including having: Energy Star Appliances, higher efficient HVAC System and Green Power, just to name a few.

Congrats to Founding Farmers!!

*The certification becomes official on Wednesday, April 22 which is also Earth Day 2009:-)

Picture source: http://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/index.php/component/content/article/6

Food.Fun.Stuff: The Underdogs

While scoping out the Internet yesterday getting our daily fix of foodie news, we came across an article written by Dr. Patricia Fitzgerald entitled "Obama Garden Watch II: 8 Culinary Herbs to Revitalize Your Health and Palate". We recently did a post on a topic closely related to this called "The Healthy Life" (*Circa April 2, 2009) where we highlighted the most underated veggies that people should be eating. This herb article was the perfect follow up to what we had already discussed and we wanted to share with you the top 8 herbs that should be in peoples diets:

1. Thyme
>Good Use? Marinate your meat with this.
2. Oregano
>Good Use? Great for breads and the article suggests "pizza".
3. Sage
>Good Use? Try in a stuffed turkey or split pea soup or in a potato dish.
4. Rosemary
>Good Use? Try in your spaghetti's or a pasta dish.
5. Hyssop
>Good Use? Article suggests "sparingly on salads, stews and marinades".
6. Dill
>Good Use? Try with cheese or a veggie dish.
7. Cilantro
>Good Use? Try with a soup, salsa or even in your cocktail;-)
8. Parsley
>Good Use? Where does the list stop for uses of parsley?? Pasta, broths, marinades, etc., etc...

Herbs have a ton of ways that they can be intertwined in your diet and they actually make meals more interesting. Dress up your plate with a sprinkle or a few sprigs of this or that, it'll make you feel better, literally!

Picture source: http://www.meadowview.com/catalog.htm#1

Food.Fun.Stuff: The Healthy Life

Johnna knows and loves good food, but we also love, love, love our health as well. Our health concerns pushed us to do a little research on foods and drinks we should be investing more time in eating these days. JKGF has its usual veggies it loves (i.e. okra, beets and spinach), but after tasting POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice and learning about all the massive health benefits that little bottle contains, we wanted more. Lucky for us, we didn't have to go far, Men's Health did an article on this very same issue entitled "The Ten Best Foods You Aren't Eating". Well guess who made the list...:

>Beets
How to get it in your diet? Roasted beet salads are served everywhere now! We wouldn't be surprised if they start popping up at Mickey D's soon...
>Cabbage
How to get it in your diet? The article made a great suggestion, instead of lettuce on your burgers, use cabbage;-)
>Guava
How to get it in your diet? There's all kinds of guava juices to drink out there, but go the natural route and devour the fruit without all the additives.
>Swiss Chard
How to get it in your diet? Serve alongside your meat meals i.e. fish, chicken, steak.
>Cinnamon
How to get it in your diet? Ohh how can we count the ways...try on top of your latte's, coffee's etc.
>Purslane
How to get it in your diet? Good salad alternative.
>Pomegranate Juice
How to get it in your diet? POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice a day will keep the doctor away...this small bottle is all you need to get your dietary needs of pomegranate;-)
>Goji berries
How to get it in your diet? The article suggested plain yogurt or even oatmeal.
>Dried Plums
How to get it in your diet? You can munch on these between a commercial break or grab a couple before you head out the door for work.
>Pumpkin Seeds
How to get it in your diet? Try Gerbs Pumpkin Seeds, they are soo addictive and come in various flavors such as Toasted Onion and Garlic and Roasted Red Pepper.

This list sounds like a bunch of things you don't have in your pantry?? Run to the store now if this is the case and get these items! They will make your body feel good and allow your body to welcome some junk food from time to time;-)

Picture source: http://www.pomwonderful.com/juice.html