Quick Links

March is Nutrition Month. That means we’ll be highlighting several super-foods throughout the coming weeks – foods that truly need to be a part of any healthy diet. Along the way, we’ll be offering some helpful tips and recipes making it easy to add a nutrition spike to any one of your daily dishes.

Today’s super-food is an old – but under-appreciated – standby: Yogurt.

Yogurt is loaded with vitamins like potassium, phosphorous, riboflavin, iodine, zinc and vitamin B5 just to name a few.  And, aside from being a virtual powerhouse of vitamins, yogurt also contains healthy fats, protein and probiotics – an organism that serves as support to the groups of constructive bacteria in your body – helping boost your immune system and even providing protection against cancer.

The good news is yogurt doesn’t have to be reserved as a breakfast or snack food anymore. Here are two ways you can incorporate yogurt into any meal. Hey, one is even kid-friendly and guaranteed to have them asking for more.

Tzatziki Sauce. Although hard to read, Tzatziki is a delicious cucumber and yogurt sauce commonly found in Greek dishes. It goes perfect with chicken or vegetables and can easily be used as a dip or sandwich spread in place of mayo.

Just mix drained Greek yogurt with pureed cucumber, garlic, lemon juice and dill and you’re done! You can find a more detailed recipe with step-by-step directions here.

Yogurt Popsicle. This fun dessert is a great way to get kids to enjoy all the benefits of yogurt or just quell that sweet-tooth craving after a healthy meal.

Start off by taking your favorite yogurt (flavored or plain) and mixing in some honey or Agave nectar as a natural sweetener. Then, mix in some fresh or frozen berries of your choice. Place the mix into a Popsicle mold with a tongue depressor for a handle. If you don’t have a mold, try using an ice cube tray or plastic cup with tooth picks for the handle.

Then, just pop it in the freezer and a few hours later you have a healthy, vitamin packed dessert.

Yogurt truly is a super-food and one we hope you can make a little more room for in your daily diet. If you have any tips or recipes for yogurt-based foods, be sure to share them. We want to hear from you!

For many, it’s American as apple pie – with a cup of coffee and two sugars, that is.

It’s caffeine – and whether we realize it or not, it’s everywhere. Now, with a growing number of Americans depending on several trips to the break room and Lent just around the corner, we think it’s time to kick our caffeine addiction.

Caffeine, like the kind found in tea, coffee, and soda, does have its benefits. Aside from a physical and emotional boost, a U.S. Nurses Health study published in 2006 suggests that Middle-aged, moderate coffee drinkers are less likely to develop type 2 Diabetes than their non-coffee drinking counterparts. This, coupled with the desired energy boost, is the reason many are willing to wait in line or spend major bucks on a can with a small bull each morning and several times each day.

But it’s important to remember the downside to any over indulgence – drinks like coffee and soda impair the body’s absorption of crucial minerals including iron, magnesium, calcium, and vitamin B. And, when consumed in excess, caffeine can impair sleeping patterns while wreaking havoc on blood pressure and cardiovascular health – a key factor in the fight against Hypertentenion.

Many caffeine lovers complain of withdrawal-like syndromes if they don’t have their morning fix. Headaches, lack of focus, and major irritability are some of the more common complaints. There’s a reason why it’s often referred to as the “drug in a mug”.

Caffeine provides a quick pick-me-up typically needed throughout the day. We can’t argue that (we took a nap or two just writing this article), but we also believe there is a healthy alternative to every daily routine out there.

So, if you’re looking to cut some caffeine out of your day, it doesn’t have to be hard. Just try replacing one cup of coffee with a small snack of peanuts, almonds, or trail mix. Even 1 ounce of dark chocolate contains 10 milligrams of caffeine which you may find is just enough to get you over that mid-day slump. Apogee has even expanded our Smoothie line to include Almond milk, flax seed oil, and rice protein mixed drinks – all built from the ground up to ensure an optimal energy without the use of caffeine and perfect for any mid-day snooze fest of a meeting.

Then, simply phase out as many trips to the break room as you feel comfortable by using one of these smoothies or a small power snack options.

Is your addiction a little more serious than that?  For those who are looking into eliminating caffeine and other harsh substances completely, check out Apogee’s Juice Cleanse and 21-day powerful detox programs. These systems are designed to get your body perfectly aligned both inside, and out.

With work mounting and the hours ticking, it’s no wonder we look for ways to keep ourselves churning and the vitality flowing.  However, by substituting in some healthy options along the way, we can have our coffee and drink it too.

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.