Tag: fiber

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

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Squash season is here! This is a great recipe that can help sneak in some additional vegetables onto the dinner plate, and you can substitute any winter squash in this recipe. Try it with pumpkin, acorn squash, honeynut, delicatas or really any mystery gourd at the farm stand. Side note: You can eat any winter squash, which is always my excuse to buy some fun gourds!

Winter squash is a great source of many vitamins and minerals but it’s a great source of beta carotene, which is a precursor to vitamin A. Winter squashes are also high in vitamin C, B6, magnesium and fiber.  –Dana Mealing, RDN, LDN, CIEC, Tevis Center for Wellness community nutrition educator

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Chicken with Rhubarb Sauce

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Although in the culinary would its often treated as a fruit, rhubarb is actually a vegetable! And, as a vegetable, it has many health benefits; it’s rich in nutrients and a good source of fiber. Rhubarb originated from the western parts of China and has been used in traditional medicines for hundreds of years. Contemporary research shows that rhubarb has a host of health benefits. It has anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory properties, and it also has an impact on gut health. Not only does it have anti-microbial properties that help fight bad bacteria, such as H. pylori (the cause of stomach ulcers), but also helps to feed the good bacteria in our intestine while also strengthening the mucosal lining of the intestine. Learn more about rhubarb here. –Dana Mealing, RDN, LDN

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Roasted Radishes

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What do you do with radishes? They’re spicy, maybe a little smelly to some people … but overall, a vegetable that needs a glow up. This recipe is that glow up! It’s easy, low carb and a good source of fiber, vitamin C, folate and more. When cooked radishes take on a soft potato-like texture and lose their sharp bite. They’re great roasted, pan fried and even boiled in soups. –Dana Mealing, RDN, LDN

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Cauliflower Turmeric Soup

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Eat the rainbow is definitely good advice when comes to eating your produce, but remember, just because a veggie is white doesn’t mean it’s not nutritious! Cauliflower, the cloud of your produce rainbow, is still loaded with nutrition. Cauliflower is an excellent source of potassium and it’s a good source of fiber, with about 3g of fiber per cup. Cauliflower and other white veggies, such as parsnips and mushrooms, are also rich in a phytochemical called anthoxanthin. Research so far shows that this phytochemical can help with improve heart health, reduce risk of cancer and stroke, and reduce inflammation.

— Dana Mealing, RDN, LDN, community nutrition educator, Tevis Center for Wellness

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Pumpkin Chili

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Chili is the ultimate comfort food for fall! It signals cool weather, family gatherings and football. This recipe is even more reminiscent of fall because it includes pumpkin. This adds a nice mild sweetness that pairs well with the spices found in chili. The thing that really makes a good chili, though, is the beans. A variety of beans adds textural interest to the dish and a ton of heart- healthy fiber, plus plant-based protein. The combination of the two in addition to the pumpkin flavor are sure to leave you feeling satisfied—both in your tummy and in your soul! If you’re looking for a little extra nutrition boost, try swapping out sour cream for plain 2% Greek yogurt as a topping, adding protein and probiotics.

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Corn Salad

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Corn gets a bad reputation for spiking blood sugar, but there are benefits to this misunderstood starchy vegetable. Corn is a good source of fiber, which can actually help reduce an extreme fluctuation in blood sugar. This recipe has extra fiber added through the additional veggies, and the protein from the cottage cheese can also help reduce blood sugar spikes. Corn is also a good source of nutrients, such as zeaxanthin and lutein, which are carotenoids that may help improve eye health. 

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Crunchy Parmesan Kale Salad

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It’s easy to get stuck in the same old salad routine. It’s time to add some pizzaz to your greens with this crunchy, cheesy kale salad recipe. Kale can be difficult for some people to introduce into their diet. It’s high fiber, which is great for your health, but it’s difficult to chew; it also has a strong, bitter taste. This recipe calls for a technique called massaging. It’s exactly how it sounds. With clean hands, squeeze and squish the kale with your dressing. This does two things. One is that manually squeezing physically helps to break the fiber in the leaves, making the kale more tender. The acidity of the dressing will also help with this. The crushing also impacts the flavor, making the kale less bitter while maintaining its nutrition. You can use this technique on all sorts of bitter greens in your salad. Try this technique with arugula, mustard greens, chard or collards.

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White Bean Pizza Dip

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Tomato season is coming in, and many are looking for new creative ways to use tomatoes. This bean dip is high in fiber and protein but still gives the cheesy satisfaction of pizza. This recipe would also make a great topping for grilled or baked chicken or shrimp. Pair with a fresh salad, and you have a delicious and healthy summer meal the whole family will love. 

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The Best Peas and Pasta

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Peas are far more versatile than they’re given credit for. It’s likely you’re used to something like a pile of peas, topped with a little pat of salted butter, rolling away on your plate. But so much more can be done with peas! They can be braised, roasted or pureed into a hummus type dip or a creamy sauce base like this recipe. If you buy whole pea pods, they’re great as a raw snack, sliced and added to salads, or sauteed or even grilled. This recipe features a thick, creamy, garlicy sauce made from pureed peas. Peas are a good plant-based protein high in fiber and they’re an excellent addition to something like pasta. Top this with grilled chicken or shrimp and consider garnishing with some chopped sun-dried tomato to complete the meal.

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Berry Oatmeal Muffins

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This recipe is a great grab-and-go breakfast or a satisfying snack. Fiber from the oatmeal makes this a filling treat, and the mixed berries are rich in a family of phytochemicals called anthocyanins, among others. Anthocyanins are found in many plant foods that vary in the red/blue/purple color range. Research has shown that these chemicals may have a protective effect on our heart health and on neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, in addition to acting as powerful antioxidants. 

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