READER'S ROCK LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE VOL 2 ISSUE 4 NOVEMBER 2014 Vol. 1 Issue 9 March 2014 | Page 59
(BPT) - Healthy food that also
tastes good is always in vogue and
now it's getting a spring makeover.
The theme of the Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics (AND)
National Nutrition Month (R) this
March is "Enjoy the Taste of Eating
Right." As spring approaches and
fitness routines move outdoors,
AND reminds you that healthy
snacks can fuel a workout, get you
through the day and taste delicious.
"It's easy to get stuck in a rut with
snacks," notes Becci Twombley,
director of sports nutrition at the
University of Southern California
and ambassador for the American
Pistachio Growers. "Spring is a
time for renewal - cleaning out
closets, setting new goals and
making a fresh commitment to
health and nutrition. Just as it's
important to switch up your
exercise routine every few weeks,
you want to experiment with
different snack combinations and
have fun with your food. You'll be
more likely to stick with a healthy
routine if you keep it interesting."
Twombley's "snacks from scratch"
involves some creativity. Try one
of her snacking experiments below
if you need a snack makeover this
spring.
1. Pick one protein-based
ingredient and think about different
ways to eat it as a snack. Twombley
often recommends pistachios as a
performance snack for exercise
because, calorie-for-calorie,
pistachios pack more protein than
most common snacks. Additionally,
a serving size of pistachios is 49
nuts (more than any other tree nut),
which provides 6 grams of filling
protein and 3 grams of fiber for
only 160 calories.
Research at the University of
Toronto and Pennsylvania State
University suggests that eating
about 1.5-2 ounces of pistachios
(about 20 percent of calories) per
day helps curb the rise in blood
glucose after a meal and lowers
blood pressure, blood triglycerides
and LDL-cholesterol, all of which,
in turn, lower the risk for metabolic
syndrome and heart disease.
Researchers at Loma Linda
University found that high tree nut
consumption was associated with a
lower occurrence of obesity and
metabolic syndrome, increasing a
person's risk for cardiovascular
disease, diabetes and stroke.
Pistachio Fruit Chews, which
combine a mixture of fresh and
dried fruit and pistachios.
As a snack ingredient, pistachios
can be baked into homemade
energy bars, sprinkled on yogurt or
combined with dried fruit in a
make-your-own trail mix.
Directions:
2. Work backwards. Think about
your favorite snacks, and then
experiment with different ways to
add new proteins to that snack. For
instance, Twombley loves the
portability of sport bars, but not the
lengthy ingredient list that can
accompany some store-bought
brands. Instead, Twombley
encourages her athletes to make
their own sport bars. The Pistachio
Sport Bars recipe below combines
the protein power of pistachios
with energizing carbohydrates and
allows you to control the
ingredients in your own kitchen.
3. Get creative with the ultimate
snack duo: protein and fiber. Rather
than buying a traditional trail mix,
make your own mix of pistachios
and your favorite dried fruit. Mix
pistachios with air popped popcorn
for a satisfying and filling postworkout snack. Or make your own
easy and portable American
Pistachio Sport Bars
Serving: 24 pieces
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups pistachios
1 cup dried banana chips
1 1/2 cups cornflakes
1/3 cup dried pears
1/3 cup dried apricots
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup crisp oat flakes
Chop the pistachios coarsely and
banana chips finely. Partly crush
the cornflakes. Cut the pears and
apricots into small cubes.
Heat the honey and sugar over a
double boiler until the honey and
sugar are well combined. Mix in
the pistachios, banana chips,
cornflakes, pears, apricots and oat
flakes. Spread the mixture in a
square dish lined with baking paper
(9 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches),
approximately 1/2 inch deep, and
press well into dish. The bars can
also be formed individually and
then be put on a baking tray lined
with baking paper.
Bake the mix in a pre-heated oven
at 350 F for about 10-15 minutes.
Cut into bars of approximately 1
1/2 x 2 inches and leave to cool on
a tray.
For more information about the
health benefits of pistachios and
recipes developed by renowned
chefs, visit
www.AmericanPistachios.org.