Dignity Health | St. Rose Dominican | Reach

Give it a try soon! How about

some pasta shells with garlicky

kale? Find the recipe at

StRoseReach.org

Healthy

shopping

on a budget.

Pick up quick tips for savvy

grocery shoppers. From what

to buy to what to skip, get the

goods at

StRoseReach.org .

Look under “Health Tools.”

Reach

Spring 2017

StRoseHospitals.org

Spring 2017

Get ready to raise a whisk to better health and vitality.

Before you hit the grocery store or the drive-thru, check out these cooking tips

and tricks from Sharon Nasser, Director of Nutrition Services at Dignity Health–

St. Rose Dominican’s San Martín Campus. “Each one is a no-fuss way to help you

and your family eat better—without sacrificing taste,” says Sharon. “Together, they

can help fuel your days with nourishing foods—and offer protection from serious

health conditions, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.”

COOKING

TIPS

TRICKS

Sharon

Nasser

Try something

grate

Sneak more produce into

your family’s diet by adding grated

or chopped fruits or veggies to your

favorite foods. A few ideas: Try

shredded carrots in muffins or

meatloaf, grated apples in pancakes,

or grated or chopped zucchini or

spinach in lasagna and other pasta

dishes.

Keep fishheart-healthy.

Fish such as salmon, albacore

tuna, and lake trout are rich in

omega-3 fatty acids, which help

reduce heart disease risk. But rather

than smother fish in a creamy sauce,

bake it with a splash of reduced-fat

salad dressing, tomatoes, and fresh

herbs. Likewise, instead of deep-

frying fish, oven-fry it. Dip it first in

egg whites, then coat it in

breadcrumbs and bake.

Createa rainbow.

Choose produce of

different hues to increase the

variety of nutrients, minerals, and

phytochemicals—disease-fighting

plant chemicals—in your diet. Tuck

spinach leaves and sliced red pepper

and avocado into sandwiches. Add

sliced beets, dried cranberries,

orange segments, or sweet peas to

salads. And top pizzas with colorful

veggies.

Save the skin.

Scrub—rather than peel—

edible skin on produce such as

carrots, potatoes, and pears. It’s a

rich source of vitamins, minerals,

and fiber. Consider: A medium

baked potato with the skin on

has twice the fiber of one

without it—about 5 grams

compared to 2.5.

Make over quickbreads

andmuffins.

Cut back on calories and saturated

fat by substituting three ripe,

well-mashed bananas for ½ cup

butter, lard, shortening, or oil in a

recipe. Or try this swap: Replace

1 cup of any of these fats with 1 cup

of applesauce.

Keepcookouts lean.

Please a crowd with turkey

burgers. Make them from ground

turkey breast (it can be as lean as

99 percent fat-free) seasoned with

cilantro, shallots, or chili sauce. For

variety, serve marinated and grilled

portobello mushrooms. They’re

beefy—without the

meat!

Scalebackonsugar.

Typically, you can reduce the

sugar in any recipe by a quarter, and

you won’t taste the difference. Or

you can switch out sugar for an

equal amount of unsweetened

applesauce. You can also sweeten

recipes with vanilla or peppermint

extracts or spices, such as cinnamon

or allspice.

Satisfya

sweet

toothwith

fruitydelights.

Serve baked

apples or pears for

dessert. Or grill

bananas, pineapple

slices, or peach halves until the fruit

is hot and slightly golden. Another

sweet trick: Puree apples, berries,

peaches, or pears in a blender to

make a nutrient-rich sauce for

whole-grain pancakes or waffles,

frozen yogurt, or even toast.

See page 16 for a quick and

fruity treat and more

sugar-cutting advice.

Gofor fiber-filledflour.

In dough and batter,

substitute fiber-rich whole-wheat

flour for half of the refined white

flour. Give oat flour a try, too—you

can even make your own. Just whirl

dry oatmeal in a blender. Then

replace up to a third of the white

flour in recipes with the oat flour.

Let garlic sit a spell.

After crushing or chopping

raw garlic, let it sit for 10 or 15

minutes, rather than tossing it into a

hot pan right away. The extra time

triggers an enzyme reaction that

boosts the production of allicin, a

powerful, health-promoting plant

chemical.

Fool your eyes.

Puree cooked orange veggies,

such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and

butternut squash. Then add them to

cheesy dishes, such as mac and

cheese, lasagna, and baked

enchiladas. Since cheeses and the

pureed veggies blend well, you can

use less cheese, which tends to be

high in saturated fat and sodium.

Save good-for-you

nutrients.

Some minerals and

vitamins dissolve in

cooking water. So

steam vegetables

in a microwave or

vegetable steamer. That

way, veggies and cooking

liquids usually stay separate. And

resist the urge to rinse rice before

cooking—that can wash nutrients

straight down the drain.

Eat Your Heart Out: 5 Easy Steps to

Boost Heart Health.

Find out about

our new class on page 10.