Mix and Match Soup – fresh, healthy & quick

Do you find yourself often trying to think of quick and easy lunches for yourself and your family?

Well, last week I worked with Erin from well.ca on an article about nutrition trends for 2016. One of the ideas we talked about were easy lunch ideas, and specifically – mix and match soup.

I love this idea because this is a regular lunch I have, particularly when I’m at the office.

There is a restaurant a couple of blocks form my work that has a lemongrass soup, and you can pick and choose the veggies and protein you would like to add.

So for example you can add beans or lentils or chicken if you like. Then you get to choose the vegetables. They’re all fresh and added to the soup, and voila! A healthy custom made lunch that you’ll love.

So I thought, why not make this myself, and share it in a blog post! It’s simple and healthy and delicious, and is quick and easy to prepare.

2 simple tips to save you time so you can make this lunch in 10 minutes

• As a first step, you can use frozen vegetables that are already prepared for you. Also, because frozen vegetables are just as healthy, and in some cases healthier than fresh, because they are picked at the peak of the season, it’s quicker than having to peel and prep fresh veggies. Another option is to use pre-washed greens vs a bunch that you would have to separate and wash to save time.
• Also, If you have a food processer, you can whiz all your veggies in the processor and use the cut veggies for 2-3 days to save you time. Add celery, carrots and cucumber and set it to shred, and your done!

Healthy Homemade Mix and Match Soup

For the broth, start by using a simple chicken broth you like. You can also spice it up, by adding some garlic, ginger, or even hot sauce.

Once you have your broth, then you can start making your mix and match soup!

here’s how it works…

carbohydrate – 1-2 servings of grains (1/2 – 1 cup)

1-2 servings of grains
Cook grains for 2-3 days
Quinoa, brown rice or buckwheat noodles

Add choice of protein 2-4 ounces of protein or 1/3 cup of beans

Use leftover chicken breast or wild salmon, or use chickpeas or blackbeans for protein and a fibre boost

Add-1-2 tsp Healthy oils or 2 tbsp nuts/seeds

For healthy fats, add a little flaxseed oil or olive oil. Sesame oil will add a nice flavour to the broth.
Include hempseed or ground flaxseed for omega 3s, and crushed pistachios, peanuts or cashews for crunch.

Add 1+ cup Vegetables, seasonings and Fresh Herbs

This is where you get to be adventurous! Try Cilantro, parsley or other herbs you enjoy!
Add garlic, ginger, lemongrass to give it some kick.
Mix in fresh (or frozen) veggies – Carrots, cabbage, corn, spinach, mushrooms, zucchini…

Add your soup base

Salt free chicken or vegetable broth (you can either heat this on the stove or in the microwave if you are at work or school)

ENJOY!

It is super healthy, packed with nutrients and antioxidants, and delicious, and once the veggies are prepped, (which remember you can then use for a few days) it can be put together in 10 minutes or less.

It’s just that simple.

Here’s a soup with quinoa, grated zucchini & carrots, blackbeans, cilantro, garlic and ginger.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Try different vegetables and herbs and share your recipes – I would love to try them!

They say having a baby changes you…

…and honestly, it does!

My little guy, Isaiah, has taken me away from everything that was part of my normal routine for the last 11 months. He has given me a new perspective on life, and on what really matters.

He is such a gift, I feel truly blessed and I can`t imagine my life without him in it.

Having said that, I have missed being in touch with you. Sharing nutrition tips and helping you decipher some of the nutrition information that is on the internet was why I started writing this blog in the first place.

So now that this little guy is getting a little older (and letting me get a little more sleep),

I’m looking forward to re-connecting with you!

Q & A

While working as the Nutritionist for the show – The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp with Tommy Europe, part of my job was to answer questions from our audience. Viewers would send their nutrition questions and I would reply in a blog post at Slice.ca

It was a great way to connect people who loved the show, and it helped me understand what mattered most to them.

People asked everything from how they could shed their last 10 pounds to what they should eat to boost their iron intake as a vegetarian.

Now, I would love to know what matters to YOU.

So ask! I would love to hear from you. Send me your questions, and I will answer them in the blog posts.

Nutrition & Fertility

Having Isaiah has opened up the door for me to a new area of nutrition – Fertility Nutrition.

Specifically, what nutritionally can be done to maintain and potentially boost fertility for those of us who have waited to start a family.

This topic is close to my heart.

Would you like to learn more about Nutrition & Fertility?

So that’s it for now, but I’ll be in touch again soon. Also, don’t hesitate to send me an email, I read ALL of them and love to hear from you.

Maria

xo

The facts about artificial sweeteners

Have you ever thought about using a sweetener, and wondered if it was safe?

This is a common question and I actually filmed a segment with Lynda Steele of Steele On Your Side with CTV news to talk about sweeteners.

Click here to watch the segment

When you watch the segment, you’ll notice I talk a lot about Health Canada’s guidelines, and that there has been a significant number of studies demonstrating the safety of sweeteners. Aspartame for example has been used for over 25 years and is approved by all major food authorities around the world as safe.

Does this mean I’m recommending you use sweeteners?

No! Not at all.

Just because something is considered safe and approved for use in Canada, doesn’t mean it is healthy. Artificial sweeteners are just an alternative.

Just like I said in a previous blog post –Sugar, Are You Eating Too Much? – where I talked about sugar (which is also a sweetener, it just doesn’t fall into the “artificial sweetener” category), in the big picture your best bet at being your healthiest is to focus on building your eating habits around wholesome, real food and to limit all types of additives.

 Here’s what I said during the interview that unfortunately hit the cutting room floor with the CTV segment

My opinion about sweeteners as a dietitian and a consumer is that ideally, you choose foods as natural and wholesome as possible. The closer it looks to the way it did when it came off a tree or from the ground, the better. With sweeteners, although Health Canada has said they are safe, for the general population I don’t believe they are necessary, and as Lynda said in the segment, sweeteners are not proven to help you lose weight.

Is there a situation when sweeteners may be a good idea? (again, this part didn’t make the segment)

The place where sweeteners may be beneficial, is with people with specific health concerns, such as diabetes as certain sweeteners can make it easier to keep blood sugar levels within a healthy range. But for the average healthy person, I would much rather your taste buds enjoy the natural flavor of food…without the additives.

Plus, you have to be particularly careful with specific sweeteners that end in the letters “ol” such as sorbital and xylitol. If you consume too much of this type of sweetener, it can trigger a….lets just say – horrible reaction in your gut, and I don’t just mean feeling bloated and gassy. It can send you running to the bathroom like your pants are on fire.

 What do you think about artificial sweeteners? Do you use them and are you concerned about their safety?