Health Food Blog

Try these recipes: Hearty Breakfast

onhealthfood — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:38:02 +0000

Try these recipes of originally published as Hearty Breakfast Bowl at Laurel On Health Food.

Hearty Breakfast Bowl

1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 avocado
1 handful fresh arugula
2-3 patties vegan breakfast sausage (such as Gimme Lean)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. maple syrup
Sprinkle of salt

Perfect salad green

onhealthfood — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:08:38 +0000

Kale Avocado Salad is in the list of Foods that lower cholesterol in 2012. Try these recipes of Kale Avocado Salad

Kale Avocado Salad

Kale is a perfect salad green to use this time of year because it loves the cold weather! leafy green vegetables such as spinach and kale are loaded with fiber and lutein, a carotenoid which has been found to reduce LDL cholesterol particles and help prevent heart disease with its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant powers.

Diet That Satisfying To Eat

onhealthfood — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:57:24 +0000

The Mediterranean diet is a diet rich in olive oil, beans, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, etc. It’s great for for your skin, it’s recommended by many doctors for the disease-fighting benefits, and it’s very satisfying to eat.

Baked Mediterranean Toasts

Try out this simple Mediterranean appetizer on a weeknight It’s really easy, and there are no specific proportions or servings. Just serve up as many as you like (enough for just you or a full party of people). I munched on a few of these toasts with a big bowl of veggie soup last night. It was filling, spicy, and warm.

Pumpkin Salad For New Year Eve’s

onhealthfood — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 04:50:16 +0000

A few weeks back I made this simple pumpkin salad (Click for Recipe) with warm onions and mushrooms. Toasted pine nuts and fresh romaine lettuce give it a healthy crunch, and the honey vinaigrette makes it a little sweet. Pumpkin is not for everyone, so you can always swap it out with another winter squash such as butternut or acorn squash.

Winter Pumpkin Salad
(serves 2-4)

Granted, New Year’s Eve is still this weekend, but why not start now?

List Of Healthy Holiday Gift Ideas

onhealthfood — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 06:50:58 +0000

Laurel On Health Food recently posted their Laurel’s 2011 Healthy Holiday Gift Ideas for everyone who is procrastinating.

I hope you enjoyed the list! Happy holidays to all.

Foods To Lower Cholesterol

onhealthfood — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 01:32:00 +0000

Here are the list of some and latest research and recommendations from nutrition experts in foods that lower cholesterol. 14 Foods that Lower Cholesterol

Heart-Healthy Almonds

onhealthfood — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:29:17 +0000

Eating 12 almonds will give 84 calories, It is high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and calcium also the highest in protein and vitamins, including vitamin E, The antioxidant in almonds compared to other nuts. but also avoid salted almonds to avoid high blood pressure. helps boost your immune system

Almond also are on top of food that will help you loss weight. It can be substitute for regular milk. Also that almonds has less calories, it do not contain saturated fat, good for loosing weight. and it contain healthy fat that help activate ghrelin. Almonds are a perfect healthy snacks, such as smoothies, milkshakes.

Breakfast For Weight Loss

onhealthfood — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:02:12 +0000

It help to reduce insulin levels which is helpful for weight loss, lycopene loaded that may reduce your risk of developing cancer. All these health benefits from grapefruit and best to reach darker colored grapefruits. Eating 1 medium grapefruit give you 80 calories. Healthy snacks isn’t it!

Also according to University of Chicago that eating grapefruit may help get much out on your prescriptions that there are enzyme in our liver and intestines called CYP3A help breaks down drugs you ingest. these enzyme may cause less of the medicine to survive our digestive process. Also found out that these compound in grapefruit that allow more medicine to get into our bloodstream (reference: Women’s Health, May 2008, p. 24). Citrus

Try these easy fruit salad for breakfast, Citrus Avocado Salad organic and healthy recipe from Laurel On Health Food.

1 pink grapefruit
2 oranges
1 avocado
1 handful fresh mint leaves

Chop up the grapefruit, oranges, and avocado into bite-sized pieces. Toss together and garnish with fresh mint leaves. Serve chilled. Tip: If you can’t eat grapefruit because of medications (or personal preference), you could substitute extra oranges, tangerines, or mango.

Hearth Healthy Snacks

onhealthfood — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 08:56:59 +0000

Cashew nuts nuts are packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and are a great source of magnesium. Also it Reduces the total level of cholesterol. Decreases your LDL level of “bad” cholesterol and Improve your total good cholesterol which is important for heart and bone health, even if you eat just a handful. They are incredibly rich in protein and fiber, which makes a filling snack

Nuts are a choice filling and satisfying snack.They are a perfect all-natural choice when you travel. Choose unsalted raw nuts and when available.

Protect Against Cancer

onhealthfood — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:35:55 +0000

Try these snacks certified nutritionist, health risks of sugar before your stomach starts to growl and scratch! Put your mind to eat healthy foods every day. Fill unfilled promise.

“The avocado is a heart healthy alternative, rich in folate, vitamin E, C
and B6, potassium and soluble fiber,” according to the American Dietetic
Association. “They also contain heart-healthy unsaturated fat, and
nutrients, which reduce cholesterol levels, promote the vision, and possibly protect against cancer.”

This smoothie recipe from Laurel On Health Food is great for the skin. Coconut water and avocado will keep you hydrated and silky.

Avocado Pineapple Smoothie
(Makes 2-3 Servings)

1 ripe avocado
1 cup fresh pineapple
1½ cups coconut water, unsweetened
½ cup 100% orange juice
6 ice cubes
1 tbsp. agave nectar (optional)

Scoop out the avocado flesh to the blender. Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.

Fiber Rich Snacks

onhealthfood — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:27:10 +0000

Try these certified nutritionist sugar risk healthy snacks before your
stomach starts to growl and scratch! Set your mind to eat healthy foodeveryday. They promise to fill up without filling out.

Unsweetened Applesauce:
Serving size: 1 cup
Calories: 100
Health benefits:
Good source of antioxidant quercetin, and can protect against heart disease and cancer, prevent inflammation. Rich in Fiber and keeps your digestion on track. preventing cholesterol from building.
Make your own Applesauce: This recipe is from Laurel on Health Food.

Raw Kiwi-Raspberry Applesauce

1 large Fuji apple, peeled
1 kiwi, peeled
7-8 raspberries
1/2 lemon

Cut the apples and kiwi large pieces and place them in a food processor or
blender. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice of one half on top
of the fruit. Blend or process until smooth consistency high. Serve at
room temperature or chilled.

Tip
1: Use organic products if possible. Tip 2: I used a Fuji apple, but
you can use any juicy apple that you like. Tip 3: You can store this
sauce in the refrigerator in a container with a lid for 1-2 days.

Useful Remedy For Athritis

onhealthfood — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 03:12:58 +0000

Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and can therefore be a useful remedy for arthritis. •
Researchers at the University of Michigan, Some recent discoveries:

• Ginger has anti-cancer properties. said recently that it deems to be of ovarian cancer cells at bay – in a test tube. (This is far from saying that ginger can prevent cancer, though.) • can prevent bacterial growth. For example, in a laboratory study, reduced the bacterium H. pylor4 responsible for most stomach ulcers and stomach cancer perhaps. • In one study, asthmatics who took ginger reported fewer symptoms, but found no evidence of changes in lung function

Ginger does not seem to relieve nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, motion sickness and chemotherapy. What to do if you want to try ginger for nausea and vomiting, you can buy ginger capsules. But keep in mind the ginger can cause major digestive problems and nausea. instead of treating them.You can try the candied ginger or ginger tea. Most bottled ginger ginger also contain little or none.

Hummus, bell peppers for a snack

onhealthfood — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 08:54:37 +0000

This post was originally published as Adirondacks Camping by Laurel on Health Food blog.

Last weekend I went camping in the Adirondacks in upstate New York. Goodness, it was such a beautiful weekend. Perfect weather (sunshine and breezes), great company, canoes, camp fires, and lots of fresh air for me to breathe in. It was a great escape from the city, even if just for the weekend.

I took a bunch of healthy food on the trip to share with my friends. My big pot of vegetarian chili was a hit, and our group ate it all weekend long. I made it with tomato sauce, vegetable stock, 3 kinds of beans, mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, garlic, corn, and lots of spices. I also brought hummus and red bell peppers for snacks, avocados, and my friends brought peanut butter and whole grain bread, coffee, peaches, eggs, pasta, and oatmeal with blueberries and honey for our breakfast. We also noshed on lots of beer, wine, and potato chips because it WAS a vacation. But, for me it’s all about having lots of healthy foods around to balance things out. The whole weekend was a big success and we’re already dying to go back.

Looks good, huh? I’m not an experienced camper but I am big on being organized and prepared…especially when I’m out of my element. The chili ended up being a perfect camping food and something I will definitely do again.

Breakfast of eggs with chili and avocado next to oatmeal with blueberries.

The view from our campsite at sunset.

Vegetarian chili and spaghetti to warm us up at night.

Hummus and raw yellow bell peppers for a snack.

Me standing on the dock, happy to be breathing in lots of fresh air.

Oatmeal, blueberries, cinnamon, honey, and a dab of peanut butter.

Camping Food Bars

onhealthfood — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 09:38:43 +0000

This post was originally published as Skout Trailbars Giveaway by Laurel on Health Food.

This week I tried out some awesome all natural snack bars from Skout Natural. The bars come in five yummy flavors: Cherry + Vanilla, Chocolate + Peanut Butter, Apple + Cinnamon, Blueberry +Almond, and Chocolate + Coconut. They contain all organic ingredients and are free of dairy and added sugar. Oh, they’re also kosher and vegan. Suhweet.

My favorite flavor is apple cinnamon, but they were all pretty good. Second favorite: cherry vanilla. I was expecting for the chocolate peanut butter to be the best, but it didn’t have enough quite enough peanut butter taste to it, and I am a peanut butter lover! To me, the best thing about Skout’s bars is the simple, all natural ingredients. They’re a great thing to eat if you need some energy after a workout, or anytime on the go. I’m planning to bring a few with me on an upcoming camping trip.

Announcing a giveaway! To submit your entry to win 5 free Skout Trailbars (all 5 flavors), leave a comment on this blog post telling me why you’d love to try them out. I’ll choose one winner to receive a box of the 5 bars. All entries must be complete by Friday July 29th, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. If you’re chosen as the winner, I’ll contact you by email to ask for your full name and address to send you the bars. Open to U.S. residents only. Good luck!

Red Quinoa Salad

onhealthfood — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:23:35 +0000

This post was originally published as Weekend Eats by Laurel on Health Food.

I’ve been so busy the past few weekends and didn’t do much cooking at home, but I’ve had some wonderful food while out and about.

We had some family in town last weekend, and I recommended Land Thai Kitchen on the Upper West Side for dinner on Friday night. We went early and didn’t have to wait to sit down. I had a lychee margarita and shared root vegetable spring rolls and vegetable dumplings for appetizers. Both apps were delicious, but I especially loved the vegetable dumplings because they had a nice crunch inside (thanks to crumbled peanuts). I ordered a Jamaican Curry Tofu and Vegetables meal for the entree. I forgot to ask for brown rice, so I mostly stuck to eating the tofu and mixed vegetables which included green tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus, carrot, and more. I’m always happy with my food at Land Thai. It’s so fresh and the vegetables are never overcooked.

Vegetable dumplings at Land Thai Kitchen

Root vegetable spring rolls at Land Thai Kitchen

Jamaican curry tofu and vegetables at Land Thai Kitchen

The weekend before I was on my way to meet up with my boyfriend and his business partner over at their Midtown studio and had worked up a healthy appetite on my walk across town. Le Pain Quotidien is always a favorite of mine, so I swung by and picked up an Organic Red Quinoa salad with arugula, chickpeas, artichoke, side of avocado, and a basil dressing. I absolutely loved this fresh salad. It was filling and perfect for the hot summer afternoon. Oh, I also tried the watermelon cooler with fresh mint. Le Pain makes it with fresh watermelon juice, and it’s just heavenly.

I love my home-cooked meals, but eating out is such a treat here in NY.

Red quinoa salad at Le Pain Quotidien

Watermelon cooler at Le Pain Quotidien