Top Produce Picks for Picky Eaters

As a dietitian I am often asked what I keep in my refrigerator.  Since I am super busy and I also live with someone who only likes certain fruits and veggies I developed a staple of products to rely on.  My top criteria is that my produce involve minimal prep - which usually means wash and go, easy peeling or open and serve items.  I also try to select organic in some cases.  Check out this link to find out why.

1.  Bananas - 450 mg potassium, 3 grams of fiber
I eat one of these every day in some form.  I keep a bunch on the counter and freeze ripe bananas.  These will go whole in my husband's lunch, in a breakfast smoothie or I use one to make a frozen milkshake type drink.  Blend together 2 frozen bananas, 2 cups of chocolate or vanilla almond milk,1/2 scoop of soy protein powder and a dash of vanilla.

2. Mini Sweet Peppers - 3 = 270% Vitamin C  (Percent of Daily Value based on 2000 calorie diet)
For years I have cut up peppers and put them in my lunch.  I had no idea there was an easier way to eat peppers!  Recently I discovered mini sweet peppers.  No cutting necessary.  I always assumed these would be hot so I avoided them.  Rinse & pop in a ziploc bag for lunch.
 

3. Organic Fuji Apples - 3 grams of fiber, 10% Vitamin C
I was never a fan of apples until I tried organic.  I keep about 4-5 of these on hand per week.  I can't get my husband to eat these - so it's just me - unless I sneak it into a smoothie.  They can be a little expensive - $2.50-2.99 a pound - but the taste is worth the price.  Apples are on the "Dirty Dozen" list which means non-organic has a lot of pesticides (and probably the reason I did not like the taste prior to trying organic.)

4. Earthbound Farm Pre-washed Spinach - 2 grams fiber, 160% Vitamin A
Love this because it can be taken right out of the bag and put into a bowl for a quick salad.  This brand is also organic.  It goes for about$4.49 for a 1 pound container at Marc's Discount Grocery Stores.  Besides for salads, spinach is great to add to an omelet or saute with garlic and shrimp.  I have even added spinach to smoothies before, however I tell my husband that the green color comes from grapes or I know he won't drink it. (Also try the1/2 spring mix and1/2 spinach blend.)





5. Cherry, Grape or Plum Tomatoes - packed with antioxidants!
Wash and go or saute and add to an omelet or stir fry.  Need I say more!

A Vegan Jerky Christmas

My husband and I recently got back from a pre-holiday Niagara Falls trip.  On the way from Ohio to Canada we stopped for gas in Geneva, Ohio.  We found what I call "jerky heaven" right next to the gas station.  A placed called "Tommy's Jerky Outlet" had about every type of Jerky you could imagine.  

Recently I discover a brand of vegan jerky that, believe it or not, my husband actually likes better than beef jerky.  It's called "Primal Strips" and is made out of soy beans or mushrooms depending on which flavor you choose.  I told my husband I wanted to ask the store clerk if they carried vegan jerky.  My husband responded, "please don't embarrass me."  I went and asked anyway.  While the store did not carry "vegan jerky," it turned out the owner was a health nut!  He has another business manufacturing other products that are for sale in Whole Foods and The Mustard Seed. (More about that in an upcoming post!)

Getting back to the jerky... I discovered the "Primal Strips" brand at a vegan cafe called "The Flaming Ice Cube" which is located in both Youngstown and Cleveland, Ohio.  If you can't get there you can also purchase online.  They go for about $1.29 for a 1 ounce package.   Even though they are a little pricey, health-wise they are far superior to traditional beef jerky snacks because they contain no preservatives, no GMO and are cholesterol free.   

Now if your loved one won't eat anything with the word "vegan" on the front of the package, what I recommend when purchasing traditional beef jerky is to flip the product over and look for the words "sodium nitrite" in the ingredients list.  If you see those words, I suggest not buying the product.  The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) (page 67) research recommends that processed meat preserved in this way be avoided all together due to potential cancer risk.  

The Oberto brand of jerky is a preservative-free product carried at Costco for about .80 an ounce - however my husband preferred the taste of the vegan brand.  So now due to bulk purchasing I am stuck with 17 ounces of jerky.  I hear they make great stocking stuffers! lol






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