Vegetarian Awareness Month

We've probably all heard of Meatless Mondays but did you know that  October is National Vegetarian Awareness Month? Even though the month is nearly over, now is as good a time as any to think about replacing your meat protein with beans, whole grains, legumes and fruit.  Just try it for one meal once a week, then you can add another meal to work your way up to even a whole day or a couple of days entirely meat free.  From Food and Nutrition Magazine, here are 5 really good reasons to try to eat more vegetarian based meals.

Reasons to celebrate Vegetarian Awareness Month, even for non-vegetarians

Taste! Vegetarian meals are delicious, fast and easy. Meatless food is far from boring; experimenting with antioxidant-rich herbs, spices and sauces for flavor can be fun for chefs and families alike.  

Meatless Monday has gained national and worldwide attention. Gaining knowledge about meatless meals can help save money and time and increase dietary micronutrients and fiber for you and your family.

Save money. Meat accounts for an estimated 10 percent of American food-spending. Eating vegetables, grains and fruit in place of the roughly 250 pounds of beef, chicken and fish each non-vegetarian eats annually could cut individual food bills by an average $4,000 per year. 

Vegetarian diets are statistically higher in fiber. Though 25-38 grams of fiber per day is recommended, the typical American consumes only 12-15 grams. Increasing whole grains, legumes and fresh produce can easily help achieve the goal. For example, a pound of beef contains zero grams of fiber, but just one cup of lentils has 16 grams. 

Health. Studies show that vegetarian diets are statistically higher in many vitamins. There is also recent research that indicates vegetarians experience a significantly lower overall incidence of cancer and have a lower saturated fats and cholesterol intake.

The key to a healthy nutritious vegetarian diet is to make sure you're eating a variety of foods. Make sure you're getting enough:

Protein: lentils, beans, tofu and cheese

Calcium: cheese, milk, yogurt, and dark green leafy vegetables such as bok choy, broccoli, kale and collard greens

Fruits and Vegetables: eat as much as you can in all their different colors

Seasonal Foods: It'll be cheaper to eat fruits and vegetables that are in season since you'll potentially find more of it in the grocery stores. Plus, you'll get the full amount of antioxidants, fiber, minerals and vitamins from eating fresh seasonal foods. 

Whole Grains: Full of fiber which will keep you feeling full longer while also fighting against heart disease, obesity and diabetes and lowering cholesterol levels.

For vegetarian recipes, click here: http://projectbridge12.blogspot.com/p/recipies.html

September is Whole Grains Month!

We've heard lots of talk about eating healthy, right? Include more fruits and vegetables into our daily diet, eat less sugar, less artificial foods.  Adding more fruits and veggies does make for very colorful lunch and dinner plates but is there more we can do for our bodies?

Yes. Whole grains! What are whole grains, though? What's the difference between whole and refined grains?  What are multigrains? What are the health benefits to eating whole grains? How do we look for them while grocery shopping? Come to the next Project BRIDGE Seminar, Saturday Sept 20 and learn more plus help prepare a whole grains pasta dish!  In the meantime, here are a few worthwhile whole grain dietary facts, tips and recipes.

5 ways whole grains are important to your overall health:

1.  Reduce the risk of heart disease

2.  Reduce the risks of certain cancers such as colon and stomach

3.  Manage diabetes

4.  Aid in digestion and keep you regular

5.  Weight management---people have healthier weights and gain less weight over time

What are whole and refined grains?

Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel, the bran, germ and endosperm while refined grains have been milled so that the bran and germ have been removed.

Refined grain foods have longer shelf-life but vital dietary fiber, iron and many important B vitamins that aid metabolism have been removed. Enriched means that some of the B vitamins have been put back in, but none of the fiber has.

Examples of whole grains include: oats, barley, brown rice, bulgur, rye, corn (yes, popcorn!), wild rice and whole-wheat flour

Examples of refined grains include: white flour, white bread and white rice

Truly, September is Whole Grains Month, so start today swapping out refined grains with whole grains by following this chart:

Swap This:	For a Whole Grain Option:
White Rice	Brown Rice, Bulgur or Quinoa
White Pasta	Whole Grain Pasta
Muffin	Slice of 100% Whole Grain Toast
Traditional Pizza Dough	Whole Wheat Pita
1 Cup of White Flour	½ cup White + ½ cup Whole Wheat Flour

Recipes

Roasted Red Peppers Stuffed with Kale and Brown Rice:
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/roasted_red_peppers_stuffed_with_kale_rice.html

Whole Grain Pasta Shells with Roasted Cauliflower and Cherry Tomatoes:
http://wholegrainscouncil.org/recipes/main-dishes/whole-grain-medium-shells-with-roasted-cauliflower-and-cherry-tomatoes

Hearty Chicken Rice Soup
http://wholegrainscouncil.org/recipes/soups-starters/hearty-chicken-rice-soup

Whole Grain Minestrone Soup
http://wholegrainscouncil.org/recipes/soups-starters/kamut-minestrone-soup

Tacos
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/eatingwell_taco.html

Popcorn:
http://www.fitsugar.com/Healthy-Popcorn-Recipes-18106283

September 20, 9:00 am Make Half Your Grains Whole Seminar!