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By Jennifer Vagios, R.D.
APOGEE’s Dietitian

When clients tell me they want a more healthful diet, but aren’t sure how to go about it, I always ask, “Are you eating your greens?”

By greens, I mean leafy vegetables such as kale and Swiss chard that thrive in cooler temperatures. These tasty veggies add nutrition to any meal—try to include them in your diet three to five times a week. My favorites are kale and Swiss chard; collard and mustard greens are also nutritious and easy to prepare.  I shred greens and add them to soups, stews, salads, pasta sauces and omelets.

Rich Sources
The deep green color of kale and Swiss chard is one clue that their thick leaves are packed with nutrients: These vegetables are excellent sources of vitamin A, vitamin C and manganese; both also contain vitamin K, magnesium, potassium, iron, vitamin E and dietary fiber, with Swiss chard delivering more of these nutrients. In fact, there’s so much vitamin K in Swiss chard that people using blood thinners such as Coumadin should check with their doctor before making it part of their regular diet. Swiss chard also contains the phytonutrient anthocyan, which has given this vegetable bragging rights to possibly protect against digestive tract cancers. All winter greens are a very good source of calcium.

Shop for Fresh
At the store, choose greens that have a deep, dark color, without wilting and discoloration. Store them with a damp paper towel in a plastic bag in the fridge and wash in cold water before using; I use a salad spinner.

Chop
You’ll be able to use the celery-like stem of Swiss Chard—just chop or shred it along with the leaves. If your kale has a thick center rib, you may want to remove it with two swipes of a knife before slicing the leaves into ribbons or shredding them by hand.

Sauté or Steam
As well as tossing them raw into soups, stews, sauces and omelets, you can sauté greens to use them as a side dish. Start with eight cups of chopped or shredded greens, 1/2 cup of water and minced garlic to your taste. Saute the garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil to soften it, then add the greens and water. Stir, cover and cook until wilted. Or steam your greens, then top them with garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Make enough for two meals and use the leftovers in an omelet, sauce or even a burrito!

Now that the bright colors of fall have faded, you might think that seasonal eating has become dull, too. Not so: Enter the pomegranate. These ruby red fruits from California are in season November through February and are packed with flavor, crunch, and nutrition. Pomegranates started appearing in salads at the APOGEE Cafés this week. “Pomegranate add seasonal spirit,” says Myong, who creates the café’s dishes.

Jewel red and juicy, pomegranates deliver vitamin C, potassium and powerful antioxidants called polyphenols. The potassium and C help you recover from exercise and resist colds and flu; polyphenols help fight cancer and heart disease. And do eat the crunchy seeds inside each fruit section—they deliver 5 grams of fiber per 80-calorie half-cup serving

Getting to the delicious parts of a pomegranate can be a puzzle. Under the tough red skin are hundreds of fruit sections in membrane-lined pockets. There are several ways to remove the fruit: You can cut the whole globe into halves or quarters and ease out the fruit by peeling the membrane; or cut them in half, score the skin and then tap the outside with a rolling pin and catch the seeds in a bowl (here’s a video of de-seeding a pomegranate).

Once fruit is out, sprinkle the sections in salads or add them to sauces; they’re also a sweet-tart topper for oatmeal or granola. Or, drizzle them with orange juice and eat them with a spoon as a nutritious dessert. Myong adds pomegranate to butternut squash with pine nuts for a vegan treat in her Thanksgiving catering menu. Enjoy the season!

By Jennifer Vagios, RD, APOGEE’s Dietitian

Many APOGEE members ask me how to include more vegetables in their diet. Here’s one way: I make a quick and nutritious dinner using spaghetti squash instead of pasta.

In local farmer’s markets right now you’ll find a colorful spectrum of winter squash, including spaghetti squash. Yellow, smooth, and cylindrical, it’s what’s on the inside that makes this squash so versatile: When cooked, the flesh separates into long, tender strands, perfect for topping with your favorite traditional pasta sauce.

How to prepare spaghetti squash: Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scrape the seeds out, then place both halves cut-side down on a baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces the squash. When done, flip it over and pull out the strands with a fork.

I top the cooked squash with my favorite tomato sauce and, for protein, vegetarian meatballs. Like grain-based pasta, spaghetti squash is a good source of carbohydrates, but because it’s a veggie, it also contains fiber, Vitamin B6, potassium, and Vitamin C.

Westchester County has many good farmer’s markets; this site may list one near you.

If you weren’t able to attend the “Quick & Lite: Easy Meals for Summer” event presented by Myong from the APOGEE Café and our resident dietitian Jennifer Vagios, here’s a taste of what you missed…

Grilled burgers, shish kebob and potato salad will always be welcome summer fare. But this year, how about shaking things up the healthy way with jicama, seaweed, rice noodles and daikon radish? No need to feel intimidated. “There are many simple ways to add variety to your diet and to your entertaining that are very accessible,” says Jennifer. “You chop, dice, slice, mix and end up with a meal that is delicious, healthy and original.”

Here are a few tips from Jennifer and Myong to help broaden your summer palate:

•    Color, variety and texture keep meals interesting and flavorful. Try a new ingredient every week! Most can be used raw or cooked or added to salads and stir fry-recipes for both meals and snacks.

•    Don’t be intimidated by foods you can’t pronounce, like jicama (HIK-A-MA). There’s a lot of information out there to build your confidence and suggest recipes that incorporate more exotic foods. One site to try: eatingwell.com

•    Having the right equipment makes a difference. Consider investing in a mandoline, which allows you to slice with ease and precision for stress-free preparation.

Here’s Myong’s recipe for a cold rice noodle meal that can be used as a salad or an entrée. It’s not only perfect for those on a gluten-free diet or with wheat allergies, but it’s delicious enough to be an APOGEE Cafe favorite. So, if you’re really in a rush, you can pick some up on your way out the door. In the meantime, we’ll continue to inspire healthy eating with more workshops by our resident pros. Stay tuned!

RICE NOODLES WITH RAW VEGETABLES
SERVES 4 AS A MAIN DISH

Ingredients
Rice noodles, 4 cups after being soaked in hot water
¼ cup dried hijiki seaweed* (Japanese seaweed available at Asian markets)
1 cucumber
1 carrot
½ medium daikon (Asian) radish
1 small jicima
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
4 cups mesclun greens
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Chives to garnish

Marinade
¼ cup rice vinegar
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp sugar
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped

Instructions
Soak the rice noodles in hot water for about 4 minutes and set aside. Soak the hijiki in water for about 5 minutes and set aside. Shred the cucumber, carrot, daikon radish and jicima on a mandoline or grater. Mix the marinade ingredients together and add in the shredded vegetables and hijiki. Let the vegetables marinate for about 5 minutes. Drain the noodles and add to the vegetable with ginger, greens and black pepper. Garnish with chives.

If you want to make a complete meal with protein, add grilled chicken, shrimp or tofu.

*Note: Hijiki or hiziki is a brown sea vegetable growing wild on rocky coastlines around Japan, Korea and China. Hijiki is a traditional food and has been a part of a balanced diet in Japan for centuries. It’s known to be rich in dietary fiber and essential minerals such as calcium, iron and magnesium.