An Extra Meal for this Week!

This was a dinner one night recently.  Baked salmon, steamed broccoli, butternut squash and black beans, and half an avocado. Lots of color ... lots of nutrients. 

Step 1

First I baked the butternut squash which takes about 45 minutes.  You know the butternut squash is finished when you stick a knife through any part of the squash easily.  I cooked the squash at 400.  While the squash is cooking rinse a can of black beans through a colander.  Warm up the black beans in a pan with about a cm of water.  This literally takes a couple of minutes.  Season the squash and black beans with a sprinkle of curry, cumin, sea salt, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil  

Step 2

The salmon was baked simply with sea salt and black pepper at 350 until firm - about 15-20 minutes.  Put the salmon in the over after the butternut squash has been cooking about 20-25 minutes.  

Step 3

When Step 1 and Step 2 are about 10 minutes from being done steam your broccoli for 5-7 minutes or until fork tender.  I seasoned the broccoli with sea salt and olive oil.

Step 4

While the broccoli is steaming cut the avocado.  Season with a squirt of lemon and sea salt.  

Enjoy! 

Week 5 Meal 5

This is a quick lunch or dinner.  It is an egg and broccoli omelet, steamed carrots with curry and cumin, and cannellini beans with crushed tomatoes.  

For the Omelet:

1.  Steam the broccoli for 4-5 minutes or until fork tender

2.  When the broccoli is done pat it dry with kitchen towel 

3.  Cook the eggs in a pan of olive oil on low heat and add the broccoli

4.  Season with sea salt, black pepper and crushed chili flakes

For the Carrots:

1.  Slice the carrots

2.  Steam the carrots for 4-5 minutes or until fork tender

3.  Season with a dash of curry, cumin, a drizzle of olive oil, and sea salt

For the Beans:

1.  Rinse the cannellini beans in a collander

2.  Warm in a pan with crushed San Marzano tomatoes for 2-3 minutes ... these are the best!!! 

Season with sea salt and olive oil 

Enjoy! ​

Relax and Enjoy the Holidays!

I often hear people stressing out about gaining weight through the holiday season.  Is it a fair concern?  It can be; however, below are some tips to make it through the holiday season.
 
1.    It is not the holiday’s fault …  What I mean is that Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentines, St. Patrick's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day and Halloween are only 9 out of 365 days.  Even if you had another 40 days that are unhealthy with parties and special events there are still over 300 days to build your health around.   Relax and enjoy these celebrations!  Just make sure you win the other 300 days in a year.  
 
2.    Holiday Parties … These are different from the actual family feast on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s… these are the parties you find yourself invited to through the week during the holiday season.  Eat tapas style … small plates … small servings… and choose two healthier choices for every splurge.  Enjoy only one beverage that contains calories. 

3.    Don’t skip meals … this will help you during the holiday feasts not to eat as much.  Eat a healthy breakfast, snack healthfully and drink plenty of water especially before the “Big Meal.” 
 
4.    The candy and sweet baskets at work … treat yourself to only one a day, and enjoy it.  Follow tip #3 and it will be much easier.
 
5.    Plan, Plan, Plan … this simply means be thoughtful about the meals you are eating on a regular basis during the holiday season.  Think through your week ahead of time.  If you are traveling on the road, pack a healthy meal in a cooler.  If you are going to be in restaurants, check out the menu online before going and go ahead and make the healthy decision before you arrive. 
 
6.    Eat Right at Home … plan your grocery list for the week … make your refrigerator and cabinets at home a sanctuary of clean, whole foods.  Keep your refrigerator full of vegetables and fruit.  Purchase 5 different green veggies and 5 other vegetables of different colors as well as 5 different fruits.  Buy a variety of beans, nuts and seeds.  Purchase whole grain brown rice, oatmeal, whole grain cereal, and quinoa. You can find plenty of recipe ideas on the Internet.  Vegetable and bean based soups and salads made with citrus dressings, nuts and seeds will keep you full and healthy.  Keep your refrigerator and cabinets free from “junk food.”  If you don’t have the processed food and “junk food” at home, guess what?  You won’t eat it!
 
7.    Stay Active … make sure to schedule your exercise time into the week.  Throw in an extra walk for the extra splurges.  Pick out 3 days with one hour dedicated to exercise.  Put it in your calendar as a scheduled appointment.  Don’t break the appointment.  Treat it as an important meeting you have with someone very important … YOU.  If you have an unavoidable situation arise simply reschedule.  There are 168 hours in a week. Commit 3 of those hours to exercise!
 

To your health,

Julian

Week 4 Meal 4

Break the fast with a healthy breakfast!

Two eggs scrambled in olive oil with spinach and miniature red sweet bell peppers.  Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper, and crushed chili flakes.  Serve with a side of grapefruit and a smoothie.  The smoothie is Fage yogurt 1/4 cup, 1 banana, 1/2 cup of mixed berries (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries), 1/4 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup water, and a handful of ice cubes.  

Blame it on the Holidays...

I have posted this before, but it is a good reminder on this day - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I hear it every year. It was the holiday's fault.

First it is not the holiday's fault. How many holidays are there? Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentines, St. Patricks, Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, and Halloween ... ten days caused the weight problem??? Ok, so there were several holiday parties plus different events through the year like birthday parties and vacation. I will give you 52 days of total indulgence. 

Do not worry about the holidays and holiday eating. Enjoy it! The worry and stress over it is worse than a bit of weight gain. Try to stay on your exercise schedule even if eating healthfully is more difficult. If you are out of town and don’t have access to your gym you can use your own body to do push-ups, planks, lunges and go for a walk. Some exercise is better than none and a little goes a long way. 

Remember it is your lifestyle habits the other 300+ days that make the real difference. Make those 300 days count for your health and enjoy the holidays!

Week 3, Meal 3

A Healthy Italian Lunch 

In Italy we eat in courses.  Primo piatto or first plate pasta, rice, or soup.  Secondo piatto / second plate meat and vegetables. Insalata - salad follows  the second plate and is a healthy strategy because the high fiber foods of a salad clean the digestive tract, keep you satiated and the diversity of plants in a salad provide a wide range of nutrients.  Finally, Italians finish with dolce or sweets; however, sweets are not typically desserts except on special occasions.  In general Italian eat fresh, in season fruits at the end of the meal.  Fruit will satisfy the sweet tooth  Once again fruit will add to the feeling of being satiated and are always nutrient dense.  

Primo Piatto

This lunch started off with a SMALL bowl of pasta.  Follow the serving directions for pasta so that you don't over-carb.  It is also important to cook the pasta "al dente" which means the pasta is firm to the tooth.  Not only does it taste better, but it keeps the pasta glycemic index low so that it does not create an insulin spike. I used Barilla rigatoni.  While the pasta was cooking I diced red and yellow bell peppers full of vitamin C.  I rinsed a can of cannellini beans that are super high in fiber and protein.   When the pasta is done, simply mix the beans and peppers with a drizzle of olive oil.  Add sea salt and pepper to taste.  

Secondo Piatto

When I got married my wife told me she hated tuna fish.  But she had not had it the Italian way.  Use albacore tuna fish packed in water.  Drain the water and put it in a bowl. Chop red onion and parsley.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.  My wife and children love it, and it is an easy go-to for a quick lunch or snack.  Some of you may be concerned about the mercury levels in tuna.  Tuna consumed 1-2 times a month is not a concern.  Tuna is a lean source of protein.  The red onions are part of the Allium family, like garlic, and have numerous health benefits related to the sulfur compounds that fight cancer and promote cardiovascular health.  Parsley is as a dark, leafy green vegetable is a super food high in vitamin K,C,& A.  

Insalata

Chop roughly romaine lettuce and raddicchio, slice a carrot and fennel. Lightly salt the salad ingredients with sea salt and black pepper.  Drizzle extra vigin olive oil.  Mix the salad.  Add white balsamic vinegar evenly drizzled over the salad ingredients and mix.  Romaine lettuce is heart healthy high in fiber and vitamin K. Raddicchio is a cruciferous vegetable in the cabbage family.  It is a cancer fighter!  Carrots are high in beta carotene and multiple anti-oxidants they are heart healthy cancer fighters.  Fennel has very unique phyto-nutrients that support the immune system.  

Dolce

A bowl of red grapes

When I started this series I mentioned that a goal of mine is to see how many different colors and types of plants I could eat in a meal and through the day.  

Red Pepper

Yellow Pepper

Cannellini Beans

Parsley

Red Onion

Romaine Lettuce

Carrot

Raddicchio

Fennel

Red Grapes

That is 10 different plants and each contributes to our health in a different and unique way.  Try this meal!  It is healthy, filling and good! 

Recipe of the Week - Avocado, Lettuce and Tomato Pita Pockets

Ingredients: 

• 1 large ripe avocado 
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 
• Pinch fine sea salt 
• Pinch ground black pepper 
• 2 whole grain pita pockets 
• 4 butter lettuce leaves 
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves 
• 2 medium tomatoes, each cut into 4 slices 

Method: 

In a small bowl, mash avocado with vinegar, salt and pepper until smooth. 

Cut pita pockets in half. Stuff pita pockets with lettuce leaves and basil. Evenly divide avocado mixture between pita pockets, spreading it on the lettuce leaves. Add 2 tomato slices to each pocket.

Nutritional Info: 

Per Serving: Serving size: 1/2 stuffed pita, 180 calories (70 from fat), 8g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 220mg sodium, 25g carbohydrates, (7gdietary fiber, 2g sugar), 5g protein.

Meal #2 - Week #2

Hello Forte Blog Followers ... meal #2 week #2.  

My mom is from Italy, and I ate very well growing up. I was fortunate to stay with my family in Italy many summers.  I would eat and be blown away because the food was so good!!! I began watching my grandmother (nonna) whenever she cooked.  I learned to cook by watching her and helping her as she cooked.  Eating her food developed a sense of how food and flavors worked together.  This was a meal this past week that my grandmother definitely would have had on a chilly fall evening.  

Almost everyone has heard of minestrone which is a fairly fixed type of vegetable soup with some variation from family to family, region to region or simply based on what is available locally. Minestra is a general word used for vegetable based soups.  It is easy to make, and once you have made it one time you won't need a recipe.  

Ingredients:

Peel the same # of potatoes as people you will serve

Chop one whole onion

Chop two carrots

Chop two celery stalks

Finely chop 1-2 sprigs of fresh garlic 

2 Fresh Bay Leaves (optional for you but not according to my Nonna) 

Cannellini Beans servings equal to number of people served (rinse the beans in a collander)

Chopped Cavolo Nero or Lacinato Kale (1 cup per person)

Whole Grain Orzo servings equal to number of people served

Parmigiano Reggiano Heel (This is top secret.  Only Italians know this.  And when Italians smell the minestra cooking and the sent of the parmesan they know it is going to be good!!!) (It is optional but not according to my Nonna.) (You can get these at Whole Foods, just ask the cheese monger.)

Cooking Steps:

1.  Fill stock pot with 2 cups of water per person and bring to a low boil 

2.  Salt water as if you were salting the whole surface area of the water two times

3.  Grind pepper over the water's entire surface area

4.  Chop the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and add to the water

5.  Add the two bay leaves to the water

6.  While the water begins to boil peel and chop the potatoes

7.  Rinse the cannellini beans 

8.  Chop the Kale

9.  Read the orzo directions and put the orzo in for the amount of time the box recommends for al dente pasta (the soup is ready when the orzo is ready)

10.  Put the potatoes in two minutes before the orzo

11.  When there are two minutes left before the soup is done add the kale and cannellini beans 

When you serve the minestra drizzle some olive oil over it, salt to taste if needed and grate just a little fresh parmigiano.  Now eat it!!! 

Finish this great meal with an Italian salad of romaine lettuce, arugula, radicchio, sliced carrots, sliced fennel and dress the salad with sea salt, black pepper and mix, add extra virgin olive oil and mix, and finally white balsamic vinegar and mix.  

Now count the number of plants you just ate!!! And best of all " la minestra e piu buono il secondo giorno!!!"  (just google translate it)

Buon Appetito! 

Recipe of the Week - Gluten-Free Cranberry Maple Pear Bars

Ingredients: 

• Filling
• 2 firm but ripe pears, such as Anjou or Bartlett, cored and cut into 1/4-inch pieces 
• 1 cup dried cranberries 
• 1/3 cup Grade B pure maple syrup 
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest 
• Topping
• 1/3 cup gluten-free rolled oats 
• 1/3 cup pistachios, roughly chopped 
• Crust
• 1/3 cup pistachios 
• 3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats 
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour 
• 3 tablespoons potato starch 
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free baking powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced, plus more for the pan 
• 1 egg 

Method: 

To make the filling, combine pears, cranberries and maple syrup in a small saucepan, set over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until pears are very tender. Remove from heat and stir in orange zest. Let cool, then reserve 1/4 cup of the filling to use for making the topping. Transfer 1 cup of the remaining filling to a food processor or blender and blend until it forms a jam-like consistency. Add blended filling to remaining filling and stir to combine.  

To make the topping, combine oats, pistachios and reserved 1/4 cup filling in a small bowl.  

To make the crust, preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch square baking dish. Place pistachios in a food processor and pulse until finely ground, being careful not to create a paste. Transfer to a large bowl and add oats, brown sugar, brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt and cardamom. Stir until well combined. Using a pastry blender or 2 butter knives, cut butter into oat mixture until coarse crumbs form. Add egg and stir to form a dough. Press dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.  

Spread filling over dough, then sprinkle topping evenly over filling, pressing lightly so it adheres. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely, then cut into 16 squares.

What do I Eat??? Week One...

My name is Julian Kaufman.  I own Forte Fitness, and I am so grateful for our team of trainers and clients.  I am often asked, "What do you eat?"  Well each week I am going to send you a meal I have actually eaten and prepared.  I desire to eat beautiful food that tastes great and is nutritionally diverse.  I focus on eating whole foods, mainly plant-based.  I try to include as many different plants, vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds as I can each day.  

This is a breakfast I made and ate this week.  (Sorry the picture is grainy - I will try to get better ones as the weeks go on!)  I am busy like you.  I get up in the 5s or 6s each morning and work until 7pm or later.  I only mention this to say if you want to be a healthy eater, you can.  It just takes your commitment.  You owe it to yourself and your family because what you eat will determine your health.  

The breakfast you are looking at is no cheese omelet.  I sliced thinly small red, yellow and orange bell peppers.  I threw them in a pan with a little olive oil. I also chopped up some kale and threw it in the pan.  Then I cracked two free range eggs.  Meanwhile I steamed 4 asparagus.  I seasoned the eggs with sea salt, black pepper, and red chili flakes.  I seasoned the asparagus with a little olive oil and sea salt  I drank a glass of green tea with it.  

It was delicious and healthy.

Give it a try.  It is not hard to do.  And this was just my plate.  I made this for my son that I had to take to school as well.  Not only is he eating a healthy breakfast but he is learning to appreciate good, healthy food and to take the time to make it.