Blog

Recipe: Pesto Grilled Asparagus

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

imageAs I pinched back my basil plants this morning, I suddenly realized that I still have a couple of packets of pesto in the freezer from last year’s harvest. Obviously, I can’t start making this year’s pesto until last year’s is consumed!

Yet, in the midst of a several-day stretch of hot, humid weather, I just couldn’t see putting a pot of pasta on to boil. Instead, I thawed out some pesto and tossed it with some asparagus I picked up from the farmer’s market this week and threw it on the grill for 15 minutes. The results were too good not to share.

I use this Epicurious recipe for basic pesto as a template, but often substitute other greens (such as arugula) or nuts (such as walnuts).

Why you should look for peanut butter made with unblanched peanuts

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

peanut butterDan wonders how you can tell whether peanut butter was made with the peanut skins–that papery reddish stuff that surrounds each nut. As Dan points out, these skins are quite rich in phenolic compounds (fancy antioxidants) and peanut butter made with the skins is a lot more nutritious. Continue reading “Why you should look for peanut butter made with unblanched peanuts” >

Eggs are back on the menu for diabetics

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Eggs for breakfast helps you eat lessThe government finally relaxed its stance on cholesterol in this year’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, but, as you know, I have been defending eggs as delicious, nutritious, and unfairly maligned for years.

See also: Are Eggs Really as Bad as Smoking?

I’ve reassured people that it’s fine to eat eggs everyday–assuming you are otherwise healthy. But with nutrition, one size never fits all.  Thus my “assuming you are otherwise healthy” caveat. Continue reading “Eggs are back on the menu for diabetics” >

Is Shakeology all it’s cracked up to be?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN
Michelle writes:

“I would love to hear your thoughts on the popular drinks Shakeology and Vega One. I really like drinking a smoothie on my way to work.  I usually put in things like hemp seed, flax seed, Greek yogurt, almond milk, and frozen fruit. But recently, a friend of mine was touting the benefits of Shakeology and telling me that I couldn’t possibly be getting the same nutrition in my morning smoothie as she gets from hers. What’s your take? Is Shakeology all it’s cracked up to be?”

I get three or four questions a week about Shakeology, which promises “a world of superfood nutrition in every glass.” You’ll pay about $5 a serving for this shake mix, which is a protein powder fortified with additional nutrients, herbs, and other goodies. “There’s nothing out there that can supply you with all the nutrients, vitamins, proteins, and minerals in these amounts,” they claim.

Your morning smoothie recipe sounds a lot like mine, Michelle.  We’re getting plenty of protein, fiber, probiotics, prebiotics, and a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. But are we getting as many nutrients from our whole food smoothies as your friend is getting from her processed shake powder? Probably not.

The real question, however, is whether your friend is getting any additional benefit from those additional nutrients.

I’m sure she thinks she is—why else would she be spending $5 bucks a pop? And the website is over-flowing with testimonials from enthusiastic users. But there’s not a lot of solid evidence to back this up.

For one thing, there’s not a linear relationship between how much of a nutrient you take in and the benefit you get from it. Taking twice as much of a nutrient doesn’t necessarily do you twice as much good.

Secondly, nutritional supplements almost never provide the same benefits as getting your nutrition from whole foods.

See also: Can I Get My Vegetables in a Pill?

I’m not convinced that any proven benefits come close to justifying the hefty price tag. Personally, I think I’d rather spend that money on food!

This post originally appeared at Quickanddirtytips.com

Let’s not make THAT mistake again

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

I was browsing through the nutrition newswire this morning when two items caught my eye–primarly due to their juxtaposition.

The first was in reference to a study done by Brian Wansinck at Cornell University, which found that–surprise, surprise–positive messaging about nutrition (“Eat more vegetables) are more effective at getting people to make positive behavior change than negative instructions (“Eat less candy”).

That was the basic but powerful idea that I explored a while back in this Nutrition Diva episode: Shift Your Focus to Make Dieting Easier.

In and of itself, it wouldn’t have been worth mentioning to you. But the NEXT item in the feed was an article by Ellie Krieger in the Washington Post, Eating Less Meat? Be Careful What you Replace it With. Continue reading “Let’s not make THAT mistake again” >

Cast iron pans can increase your iron intake

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Shrimp Stir Fry

Q. I enjoy using cast-iron cookware and I have heard that it can increase the iron content of some foods during cooking.  Is this a safe source of iron and are there any foods that I shouldn’t be cooking in cast-iron?

A. It’s true! Acidic foods like tomatoes can react with the metal in a cast-iron skillet and actually absorb some of the iron molecules. This is a safe and effective way to increase your iron intake.

So, how much of a difference does this make in the iron content of foods? Potentially, a lot. Continue reading “Cast iron pans can increase your iron intake” >

Is Sugar Nutritionally Necessary?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

sugar-free[1]Q.  I work with girls with eating disorders and the topic of sugar keeps coming up. There is a lot of info in the media targeting sugar, and diets that encourage you to “quit” sugar completely. I’d really like to be able to give the girls I work with an evidence-based explanation for why cutting out sugar completely isn’t a good idea. So far I mostly take the line that food is not simply about nutrition. If you avoid sugar at all costs then you are going to miss out on life (you can’t share a cupcake at a friends birthday, you’re too worried about ingredients to enjoy your food etc.). But I’d love your perspective on whether low to moderate amounts of sugar is OK.  Continue reading “Is Sugar Nutritionally Necessary?” >

Great news for cheese lovers

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

sweet dreams“Cheese: milk’s leap toward immortality,” swooned one aficionado, and many foodies agree. And yet it’s rich in saturated fat, which is why the Dietary Guidelines tell us to limit our consumption.

Even if you’re not that worried about saturated fat*, a new study suggests that you’re better off eating your butterfat as cheese than otherwise. Compared with an equivalent amount of butter, cheese consumption has more favorable effects on blood cholesterol levels.

Why would this be? Shouldn’t the same amount of saturated fat have the same effect on blood chemistry? Not necessarily. Continue reading “Great news for cheese lovers” >