More Reasons To Enjoy Pasta This Fall + Tasty Recipes

Let’s be honest, crisp, fall weather doesn’t exactly make you want to eat salad—or anything cold for that matter. But that’s why there are other delicious food options out there, like hearty soups, flavorful pastas and gooey brownies, all of which will keep you feeling full and toasty. Is it just us or are you suddenly in the mood for something warm and chocolatey, too?

So while many fall favorites, like those listed above, have the reputation for being loaded with carbs and calories, that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. Who says you can’t have scrumptious pasta that’s also healthful and nutritious? And no, we aren’t just talking about spiralized vegetable noodles.

In addition to being affordable and versatile, pasta offers a surprising number of health benefits to enjoy, including:

·         Complex carbs, which help to provide sustained levels of energy

·         Low levels of salt and fat, depending what sauce you put on top

·         Ample fiber (found in whole-grain varieties) which supports digestion and keeps you feeling fuller for longer

·         Additional nutrients like selenium, manganese, folate and carotenoids, all of which can help support cell health

Now that you’re basically a pasta expert, it’s time to see all of its nutritious perks in action. And what better way is there than doing a taste test with a few yummy recipes?

Spicy Asian Veggie Pasta

Ingredients:

·         8 ounces angel hair rice pasta

·         1/4 cup gluten-free tamari

·         2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

·         2 tablespoons lemon juice

·         2 cloves minced garlic

·         2 teaspoons sesame oil

·         1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you like it hot)

·         1 teaspoon peanut oil

·         1 cup chopped red, yellow, or green pepper

·         1 cup sliced sweet onion

·         1 cup broccoli florets

·         1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced

·         1 cup grape tomatoes

·         For extra protein, try adding chicken or shrimp

Directions: Cook pasta according to package directions. Make sauce by combining tamari, rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes together in a small bowl. While pasta is cooking, heat peanut oil in a wok or large frying pan. Stir-fry peppers and onions. Add broccoli and mushrooms when onion and peppers begin to soften. Stir in tomatoes and sauce. Add noodles and mix well.

Chicken & Mushroom Pasta

Ingredients:

·         2 ⅔ c. rigatoni pasta (or other tube-shaped pasta)

·         2 tbsp. olive oil, divided

·         ¼ tsp. salt

·         ¼ tsp. ground black pepper

·         12 oz. skinless, boneless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

·         3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced

·         3 c. white button mushrooms, sliced

·         1 medium onion, thinly sliced

·         ½ c. low-sodium chicken broth

·         ¼ c. dry white wine (or chicken broth)

·         1 c. tomatoes, chopped

·         ¼ c. fresh basil, shredded

·         1 tbsp. dried oregano

·         ¼ c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions: Cook pasta, drain, and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the black pepper on chicken, then cook for 5 minutes or until center of chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm. Add remainder of the oil to skillet with garlic, mushrooms, and onions. Stir-fry until onions are just tender. Pour in broth and wine, then bring to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until liquid is reduced to about half, stirring occasionally (about 5 to 10 minutes.) Remove skillet from heat. Add the pasta, chicken, tomatoes, basil, and oregano; toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Pork Sauté with Vegetables

Ingredients:

·         4 cups cooked angel hair pasta 

·         1 teaspoon peanut oil

·         1 pound boneless pork (about 2 thick-cut chops), cut into 1-inch cubes

·         1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

·         1/4 cup water

·         1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (red wine vinegar is OK)

·         2 tablespoons sugar

·         1 piece fresh ginger (about 1 to 2 inches), peeled and thinly sliced, to make about 1 tablespoon

·         3 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

·         3 cups assorted mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, portobello, or ordinary white mushrooms)

·         2 cups snow peas, ends trimmed

Directions: In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a deep frying pan, big enough so the pork fits on one layer. Brown pork on one side, then turn to brown other side, about 3 minutes in all. Sprinkle ginger and garlic over pork. Mix soy sauce, water, vinegar, and sugar and pour over all. Bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat to low. Cook 5 minutes and add mushrooms. Cook the pork mixture 5 minutes more and stir to coat meat and mushrooms with sauce. Layer snow peas on top. Cook 2 more minutes, or just until snow peas are bright green. Once the pasta is cooked, strain from the water. Remove the pork mixture from heat and pour over angel hair pasta. 

Bon Appetite.

For more ideas on how to maintain a healthy diet, GMC’s Nutrition & Weight Management experts can provide the resources you need to make better food choices. Start feeling your best today by setting up a nutrition consultation.

5 Totally Jawesome Recipes To Eat Like A Shark

While humans and sharks don’t necessarily have a lot in common—after all, sharks do live in the ocean—there is one important lesson we could learn from them: eating fresh seafood is a must.

From fish and mollusks, to crustaceans and more, sharks eat it all—and for good reason. That’s because seafood of all kinds, namely fish, crab and shrimp, offer vital nutrients, with low calories and ample protein. And you don’t have to have a shark-sized appetite (eating up to 66 pounds in one meal) to enjoy all the benefits of seafood.

So, in honor of Shark Week, it’s time to update your weekly menu with a few of these fin-tastic recipes. Even if you don’t consider yourself a fish lover, there are plenty of options that are 

dog-shark friendly (they eat crab) 

and carpet-shark approved (they eat shrimp).

Sea-sational Crab Cakes: This easy recipe takes less than 10 ingredients to make, and you’ll get plenty of protein, omega-3 fatty acids and selenium (thanks to the crab), plus vitamin C and B6 (thanks to the bell pepper). And bonus, you can enjoy a serving of 2 cakes, topped with avocado sauce for less than 250 calories! Can we get a high fin?

Ginger Shrimp Bites: You’ll be dying to take a bite out of these killer, open-faced sandwiches. With just 7 mouth-watering ingredients, you can enjoy plentiful protein, selenium, vitamin B12 and phosphorous (thanks to the shrimp), and a hearty dose of gingerol (found in ginger), which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Jaw-dropping Crab Munchies: You won’t be able to just nibble these deliciously decadent appetizers. Inside of these chomp-worthy starters, you’ll find nutrient-packed crabmeat, along with mushrooms, which provide over a dozen vitamins and nutrients. And you can top them with parsley—or should we say seaweed?

Deep Blue Sea Scampi Pizza: It’s pizza, enough said. But in addition to all of the things that make pizza such a staple, there are a few ingredients that will really make splash: shrimp, ricotta cheese and roasted garlic. With just 6 ingredients, plus a pre-made pizza crust, this recipe is sure to start a feeding frenzy.

Dill-icious Surf Sauce: While sharks think this sauce goes swimmingly with salmon, you can use it to top any of your favorites. Made with sour cream, cucumber and dill (plus horseradish and lemon for a little extra bite), this sauce serves up potassium, flavonoids, polyphenols and water (which isn’t just important for gills).

We mako health easy.

There are tons of fish in the sea, but there is only one of you. That’s why your health care should be just as unique as you are. With the trusted providers of Gwinnett Medical Group Primary Care, you’ll receive personalized care tailored to fit all of your health needs. From knowledgeable experts and the latest treatment options, to a wide array of support services and convenient locations, we can care for any health condition under the sea.

Five Food Scraps You’re Tossing—But Should Be Eating

Sometimes it feels like we spend far more time preparing and cleaning up meals than we do actually enjoying them. With so much to do and so little time, it can be easy to find ourselves eating unhealthy fast food or heating up a frozen meal (which we’ve all been guilty of). But your good health shouldn’t come at the cost of saving time.

Now it may sound too good to be true, but there’s actually a much better way to eat conveniently and healthfully. In fact, what if you could prepare two completely different meals from the same fresh produce? What if the second meal was equally, if not more nutritious than the first? 

Well today is your lucky day—here are five nutritious food scraps you’ve been tossing during meal prep (that you should be repurposing for other dishes):

1.    Watermelon Rinds

Watermelon rinds are best known for holding the sweet and juicy flesh of a fruit that has been a staple of backyard cookouts for years. Once we munch down on the good stuff, the rinds usually end up the trash can or thrown into the woods for nature to take its course. Unfortunately, when we toss the rinds we are ridding ourselves of the most nutrient-rich and beneficial part of the entire watermelon.

Watermelon rinds are actually one of the richest natural sources of citrulline, an amino acid that helps with artery dilation and blood pressure. Next time you’ve gnawed your slice of watermelon down to the rind, find a way to incorporate the leftovers into your next meal by pickling, mashing them into preserves or even dicing them into your favorite coleslaw recipe as a healthy alternative to cabbage.   

  

2.    Carrot Tops

No—we aren’t talking about the comedian. Carrots are touted for their rich vitamin A content, a nutrient that helps support immune function, vision and even reproductive health. However if you’re looking to load up on vitamin A, you’d be better off eating the leafy carrot tops—which contain nearly six times the amount of vitamin A as the crunchy, orange root.

Try adding them to your next salad or drop them in a food processor with a bit of oil, cheese and nuts to create a delicious and nutritious pesto.    

3.    Cucumber Skins

Next time you add cucumbers to your favorite salad, be sure to leave the skin on. Cucumber skin contains significantly more nutrients than the flesh it covers—and is especially rich in vitamin K, which supports blood clotting and bone health. If you absolutely must remove the skin from the cucumbers in your salad, hold onto the skins and blend them into your next smoothie or cold soup.  

4.    Orange Peels

The two most commonly discarded parts of the orange—the pith and the peel—are also the most nutritious. The pith, which is the white stringy part between the peel and the flesh, contains a phytonutrient known as hesperidin. Hesperidin is known to lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels and fight inflammation. 

The peel is rich in hesperidin as well, and is also a great source of fiber. Try keeping the pith on when you peel and eat oranges, and grate the orange peel into a zest for your favorite baked goods or meat entrees.

5.    Beet Greens

The leafy tops to this popular root vegetable are extremely rich in vitamins and nutrients. Sporting more iron per serving than spinach, beet greens are also a great source of calcium, zinc and vitamins A and C. You can substitute beet greens for other leafy vegetables in your favorite dish, or sauté them with garlic and olive oil for a delicious and healthy side.

Struggling to maintain a healthy diet?

For more ideas on how to maintain a healthy diet, GMC’s Nutrition & Weight Management experts can provide the resources you need to make better food choices. With knowledgeable dietitians who can customize a nutrition plan to meet your unique needs, you’ll enjoy all the great benefits that a healthy diet can provide. Start feeling your best today by setting up a nutrition consultation.