Product of the Week: Old Orchard Healthy Balance

Last week I posted a smoothie recipe that calls for a splash of juice, and mentioned that I typically use Old Orchard’s Healthy Balance Juice Cocktails in my smoothies.

I love these products – since they are sweetened with Splenda, a cup of this juice has only a few grams of sugar and falls under 30 calories. Adding around ¼ cup to my veggie smoothies sweetens them up and provides the desired consistency without adding a lot of extra sugar and calories.

And they taste great! I’ve tried several flavors and have loved them all. My current favorite is Pomegranate Cranberry.

I usually try to stick to water or milk with breakfast, but when I’m really craving something sweet or have come down with a cold, I turn to these Healthy Balance juices. Like many fruit juices, they provide 100% of your daily vitamin C per serving.

This juice cocktail would also be a good alternative to regular juice for people who need to watch their carbohydrate intake, such as those with diabetes. 1 cup has only 5g of carbohydrates, which is about the same amount of carbohydrates as a cup of broccoli.

Moreover, I can usually find Healthy Balance juices for a very fair price – at my local Marc’s grocery store, they usually run around $1.50 to $1.80 per ½ gallon.

Has anyone tried these before? What did you think?

Thanks for reading!

Anna

*Please note: I am not paid in any way for any product endorsement at this time. I just like to share!

Recipe: Fruit & Veggie Smoothies

Do you ever get home from work to find yourself heading straight to the kitchen? Spacing out snacks and meals while at work can be a real struggle at times; meetings, watchful bosses, and a lack of refrigerators or microwaves can sometimes serve as a barrier to keeping your fire fueled. By the time you make your way home that evening, all you can think about is what’s for dinner.

Whether it’s fast food on the way home or reaching for a bag of chips from your pantry, this sudden urge to eat can throw a balanced diet completely off-track. Instead, try having a planned snack you can throw together easily when you get home. One of my favorite go-to snacks is a quick and tasty fruit and vegetable smoothie.

This is a recipe to play around with for sure - there are countless ways to combine fruits and veggies to make a smoothie, so start with some of your favorite produce and blend away! Here's my current favorite combination:

Makes 1 smoothie.

Ingredients:

·         1 big carrot, chopped into carrot coins

·         ½ bell pepper, any color

·         A handful of spinach or kale

·         1 banana

·         A handful of mango or peaches, sliced

·         A handful of berries

·         A splash of juice – I prefer Healthy Balance Juice Cocktails by Old Orchard, which are sweetened with Splenda and are extremely low calorie AND tasty.

Directions:

1.       Wash your fruits and veggies.

2.       Add veggies and juice to blender and pulse until smooth.

3.       Add fruits and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

I use my Rocket Blender by Bella Kitchens to make these smoothies, since they are the perfect size and super easy to clean. These smoothies are very kid-friendly, too; not only are they fun and easy to make, but they also sneak in lots of fruits and veggies and taste great! You can even pour them into ice cube trays or popsicle molds and pop them in the freezer for the hot summer months for a healthy summer cool-off.

This smoothie is a good way to fit in some good nutrition into a hectic schedule. It makes an excellent breakfast as well when paired with a glass of milk, bowl of cottage cheese, or other source of protein. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Try it out and let me know what you think! Remember to make it your own by swapping in and out the fruits and veggies you like best - smoothies make playing with your food a breeze. Please share any particularly victorious culinary experiments in the comments section below!

Thanks for reading!

Anna

*Please note: I am not paid in any way for any product endorsement at this time. I just like to share!

All About Whole Grains

People often ask me if carbohydrates are “bad.” The short answer is "No, not at all!" but there is so much more to know about the kinds of carbohydrates to include in a well-balanced diet.

Carbohydrates are an essential component of a healthful diet, and provide energy for your body to perform its day-to-day tasks. However, when you choose grains (which are rich in carbohydrates), make sure you’re selecting whole grains as often as possible. Whole grains are incredibly nutrient-rich, while refined grains contain about the same amount of calories but are much lower in actual nutrition.

There has been a lot of talk about whole grains in recent years, so here’s what you need to know about this nutrient powerhouse.

Why All the Hype?

A “whole grain” is a grain that contains all three components of a grain kernel – the bran, germ, and endosperm. Since all portions of the kernel contain different nutrients, eating whole grains ensures you’re getting all of the nutritional benefits possible.

Refined grains, in contrast, are grains that have lost portions of the kernel during processing, rendering them nutritionally inferior to whole grains.

What Makes Up a Whole Grain?

Bran – the protective outside layer of the kernel

·         Nutritional Benefits: fiber, B-vitamins, trace minerals, phytonutrients & antioxidants

Germ – the part of the kernel that has the potential to sprout and grow into a new plant

·         Nutritional Benefits: essential fatty acids (healthy fats), vitamin E, B-vitamins, trace minerals, protein

Endosperm – the starchy portion of the kernel, which serves as the food for the germ

·         Nutritional Benefits: starchy carbohydrates, proteins, some vitamins and minerals

What are Examples of Popular Whole Grains?

·         100% whole grain bread

·         100% whole wheat pasta or orzo

·         Brown or Wild Rice

·         Oats

·         Quinoa

·         Whole wheat flour

·         Whole wheat couscous

·         Barley

·         Bulgur

·         Whole grain rye

·         Wheat berries

·         Corn (popcorn)

How Do I Know I’m Choosing a Whole Grain Product?

The only way to be sure a product is a 100% is to look at the ingredients list. The easiest way to spot a whole grain is to see the word “whole” before any grain ingredient on the ingredients list. For example, if you see the phrase “wheat flour” and not “whole wheat flour,” then you are not looking at a whole grain product. Typically, if the word “whole” isn’t on there, then it isn’t a whole grain. A few common exceptions are brown rice, oats, and wheatberries – these grains don’t usually include the word whole in the ingredients lists, but are still true whole grains.

Companies sometimes use phrases that can be misleading to describe their grains – for example, “multi-grain” does not necessarily mean “multi-whole grains.” A 9-Grain or 12-Grain bread is not often 100% whole grain, although I have found a few exceptions over the years. Organic products are not always whole grains, either. And just because it’s a darker brown or tan than usual does not automatically mean it is a whole grain. Actually, some companies add molasses to refined grain breads instead of just sugar or high fructose corn syrup – the molasses makes it a darker color, which can lead customers to assume it is a whole grain.

Words that mean the product is definitely not a whole grain: enriched, degerminated, bran, or wheat germ.

Phrases that do mean the product is a whole grain: 100% whole grain.

For more on identifying whole grains, check out the Whole Grains Council website.

Whole grains can sometimes be more expensive than less healthful refined grains. I recommend looking for a bakery outlet (I love the Nickle’s Bakery Outlet in Parma, Ohio, where you can find great day-old whole grain breads for about $1.00/loaf) or keeping an eye out for coupons and sales online or in weekly fliers. Although bulk grains can typically be found at health food stores, traditional locally owned markets, chain grocery stores, and bulk food stores often carry them as well, and sometimes at a lower price. Shop around for the best deals, and post them in the comments section below!

I know this is (unfortunately) a pretty confusing topic. I hope that, one day, labeling laws make identifying whole grains a simple yes/no process. Until then, please leave questions in the comments section!

Thanks for reading!

Anna