SUPERMARKET SAVVY Blog

10 Basic Foods of the Mediterranean Diet

Linda McDonald — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:45:48 +0000

Following the Mediterranean Diet is easy if you have the right foods in your kitchen. Mix and match the following foods to prepare many delicious dishes. Add fresh vegetables and crispy, whole-grain bread, and serve fruit for dessert.

Med Diet Pyramid

Olive Oil is a healthy monounsaturated fat filled with vitamin E and antioxidants. Choose extra virgin olive oil for drizzling, dipping or cooking

Balsamic Vinegar contains antioxidants and can suppress your appetite. Combine balsamic vinegar with olive oil for salad dressings and marinades.

Herbs and Spices (Red Peppers, Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary, & Cinnamon) contain antioxidants and flavonols. Sprinkle generously to add flavor to salad dressings, marinades, sauces, etc.

Pasta is the basis of many Mediterranean dishes. Choose whole-grain pasta filled with fiber, complex carbohydrates, and B vitamins. Enjoy pasta drizzled with olive oil or covered with tomato sauces or pesto.

Brown and Wild Rice are more whole-grain, complex carbohydrates that provide fiber and B vitamins. Rice is a basic ingredient for casseroles, soups, and side dishes.

Tomatoes contain lycopene, a potent antioxidant, and vitamin C. Cooking intensifies the antioxidants, but fresh is great too. Use in salads and sauces.

Garlic is a potent source of vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants. Add garlic to sauces, salad dressings, and marinades or drizzle with olive oil and roast.

Cheese and Yogurt are protein powerhouses. Yogurt contains pre- and probiotics and is a beneficial bacteria for digestive health. It protects and strengthens bones. Sprinkle small amounts of strong-flavored cheese on salads, pasta, and casseroles.

Legumes (Beans & Nuts) are a great source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Substitute beans for red meats. Eat nuts in moderation because they are high in calories.

Fish, especially fatty fish, such as salmon, is a great source of heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids. Plan for 2 to 3-ounce servings several times a week.

For more tips on the Mediterranean Diet and Mediterranean Diet Handouts to assist you and your clients shop for health, check out our Mediterranean Diet Handouts- which for a limited time are 35% off if you buy the entire set!

Complete Whole Grain Cookbook Giveaway Winner

Linda McDonald — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:05:51 +0000

The winner of our Complete Whole Grain Cookbook Giveaway is Nancy of Frugal Dietitian who tweeted at us!

Congrats Nancy! We’ll be in touch!

How have YOU enjoyed whole grains today?

April Whole Grain Cereal Newsletter & Giveaway

Linda McDonald — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:39:09 +0000

Have you read the April Newsletter on Whole Grain Cereals yet? There’s info 9 RD approved Whole Grain cereals, and a comparison chart on many cereals in the aisle. I think you and your clients will find it very useful-since breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day! To continue spreading the Whole Grain Love we’re giving away one copy of The Complete Whole Grains Cookbook by Judith Finlayson!

To enter this giveaway simple leave a tip in the comment section below on your favorite whole grain cereal. Gain an additional entry by leaving a comment on our Facebook Wall about what your favorite whole grain breakfast food is! You can also enter by tweeting: “@SUPERMARKETSAVVY is giving away #WholeGrains #Cookbook http://tinyurl.com/7h7hozw”

This contest is open until 11:59pm April 29^th, 2012. I will pick one winner via Random.org and publish the winner next Monday (the 30^th). Please leave a valid email address with each comment so we can contact you if you win!

Want more whole grain goodness? We’re also having a special promotion on our Whole Grain Handouts There are 10 handouts and they can be purchased individually or all 10 for a 35% discount! These are great tools to help your clients embrace whole grains-check them out!

Shopping for Diabetes

Linda McDonald — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:13:08 +0000

Diabetes affects 25.8 million people of all ages and 8.3 percent of the U.S. population. In 2010, almost 2 million people were newly diagnosed with diabetes. Whether you are counseling a client, providing a lunch and learn session, or leading a supermarket tour, diabetes and blood sugar control will be a topic of interest. Be prepared with these Handouts on Diabetes and Blood Sugar Control, a Brand-Name Shopping List that includes Carb Choices, a Presentation Kit, and a Supermarket Tour Guide.

FREE Healthy Snacks for Diabetes. Find tips on choosing a healthy snack that will keep your blood sugar controlled and a list of easy to prepare 15 gram carbohydrate snacks.

Some tips are:

Plan 3 snacks a day and aim for 1 Carb Choice (11 to 20 grams each)
Add protein to slow blood sugar
Whole grains and fiber will also slow blood sugar

Sample 15 grams snacks are:

1/2 medium apple and 1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 cup lowfat chocolate milk
3 cups microwave popcorn (low fat)

Download the FREE Tip Sheet on Healthy Snacks for Diabetes

Gluten Free Resources

Linda McDonald — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:26:34 +0000

Gluten Free is quite the buzz in the supermarkets across the country. Gluten free products have come a long way in the past 5 years, both in taste and nutrition content. Because as dietitians we need to be recommending the best of the best products to our clients who may be avoiding gluten, SUPERMARKET SAVVY has created several tools to help you. We have a brand name shopping list that will take clients aisle by aisle as well as Gluten Free shopping and baking tips, and a side-by-side comparison chart of the many gluten free products available on the market.

And for this week only we are offering our readers a very special offer. For a limited time, when you can purchase any of the Gluten Free teaching tools at a 20% discount. If you purchase all 5 handouts, a 30% discount will be applied.

Give your clients the resources they need to live a healthy, happy gluten-free lifestyle with these teaching tools!

Have a health-filled week!

MyPlate Winner

Linda McDonald — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 07:01:22 +0000

Whew-It’s been a busy National Nutrition Month!

Thank you to all that entered our MyPlate Giveaway on Twitter and Facebook! Everyone’s plates look nutritious and oh so delicious but we could only pick on winner.

Without further ado, the winner of the MyPlate Presentation Kit is…

Alice Henneman !

Congrats Alice! We’ll be in touch with details

Have a healthful end of National Nutrition Month!

Get Your Plate In Shape to Win!

Linda McDonald — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:21:03 +0000

Thank you to all that entered the Whole Grains for Busy People Giveaway! Unfortunately we could only pick one winner, so Annie G it’s your lucky day! We will be in touch to get the book out to you via email!

It’s National Nutrition Month! As health professionals we are helping our communities get their plates in shape!

To help Dietitians and other Health Professionals share this nutrition knowledge with their clients we have created a series of presentation kits complete with powerpoints, tipsheets and handouts. And this March we are giving away one of our MyPlate Presentation Kits! (an $80 value!!)

Enter to win by…

Posting a picture of YOUR Plate on our Facebook Wall or Tweet it to @SUPERMRKTSAVVY. Not on Twitter or Facebook? No Problem! Just email a photo to Linda@supermarketsavvy.com to enter!

This is what our plate looked like last night:

Are you a vegetarian or vegan? Send us what YOUR plate looks like? What about an endurance athlete? What’s a 400 calorie plate vs a 1000 calorie plate look like? Don’t just stick to “American” food either. Foods of all different cultures can fit in MyPlate. We can’t wait to see what your plate looks like!

We will pick a winner on March 30^th at noon! Send us your plates!

Whole Grains for Busy People Giveaway

Linda McDonald — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:40:40 +0000

Thank you to all that entered the Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grains Cookbook Giveaway! Unfortunately we could only pick one winner, so Sara Moore it’s your lucky day! We will be in touch to get the book out to you via email!

Didn’t win? Never fear because today we are giving away Whole Grains for Busy People by Lorna Sass. This fantastic cookbook by a James Beard winner shows even the busiest of us how easily we can incorporate whole grains into our meals! Leave a comment below on your favorite whole grain when you’re in a rush to enter!

Gain an additional entry by leaving a comment on our Facebook Wall about How you incorporate whole grains into your meals. You can also enter by tweeting: “@SUPERMARKETSAVVY is giving away #WholeGrains #Cookbook http://tinyurl.com/6n9ftmq”

This contest is open until 11:59pm March 11^th, 2012. I will pick one winner via Random.org and publish the winner next Monday (the 12^th). Please leave a valid email address with each comment so we can contact you if you win!

Bob’s Red Mill Giveaway

Linda McDonald — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:10:20 +0000

Have you read the February Newsletter on Ancient Whole Grains yet? I hope you enjoyed it! One of the best ways to be sure you incorporate more whole grains you’re your diet is to learn how to cook with them. Which is why we’re giving away Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grains Cookbook! 1 winner will receive the cookbook, AND a bag each of Whole Wheat flour and 10 Grain Flour!

To enter this giveaway leave a tip in the comment section below on your favorite whole grain product.

Gain an additional entry by leaving a comment on our Facebook Wall about your favorite Bob’s Red Mill Product.

You can also enter by tweeting: “@SUPERMARKETSAVVY is giving away @Bobs_Red_Mill #WholeGrains #Cookbook http://tinyurl.com/6qzxwwa”

This contest is open until 11:59pm February 26^th, 2012. I will pick one winner via Random.org and publish the winner next Monday (the 27^th). Please leave a valid email address with each comment so we can contact you if you win! Good Luck!

Ancient & Alternative Grains

Linda McDonald — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:01:23 +0000

Whole grains have become a priority for health conscious consumers due to the 2010 USDA Guidelines and the MyPlate program that emphasizes the importance of eating at least 3 servings of whole grains (48 g) each day. Wheat, corn, rice, and oats represent the largest market share of whole grain food sales. However, various ancient and alternative grains are gaining the attention of savvy
consumers and the food industry. These include amaranth, buckwheat, flax, Indian rice grass, millet, teff, quinoa, and sorghum.

Several of these ancient grains have become common on grocery store shelves in the form of flours and flakes although few consumers know how to prepare and incorporate these grains into their diet. More of these ancient grains are showing up in prepared foods such as bread, cereal, crackers, chips, and side dishes.

This month’s SUPERMARKET SAVVY Newsletter searched the grocery shelves for foods that contain these ancient and alternative grains and provides information on buying, preparing, and eating all types of whole grains. Read reviews of Nature’s Path Ancient Grains Granola, Progresso Barley Soups, Kashi 7 Whole Grains and more. Enjoy recipes for 10 Grain Yogurt Quickbread and Tangy Quinoa Salad among others. Find a Whole Grain Tip Sheet and Comparison Chart. Read more about the current issue.

Let me know your favorite whole grain product or give me a tip on how you get your family to eat whole grains and you will be entered into a contest for a free Bob’s Red Mill Cookbook: Whole and Healthy Grains for Every Meal of the Day.