N is for Nuts

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Nuts

There are approximately eleventy-gazillion types of nuts out there.  Most are pretty healthy, in moderation.  They have unsaturated fats, help lower cholesterol and are a good source of protein. 

You can get some wonderful things from nuts.  

(Google images)

and of course....

MmMmMmMm !

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Note - I got the idea of my A-Z theme from this site, but I hardly used any of their info & cited what I did use - like here!  It's a pretty neat site. 

M is the Milk!

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MmMmMmMm milk !

Ugh, so I really want to get into all the different types of milk?
Everyone has their favorite.
Whole
2%
1/2%
Skim
Chocolate
Almond
Soy

Or to go in a completely different direction....

Milk, the drag queen!
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Yeah, I wasn't feeling the M post today.  Sorry! 

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Random weird food that fits with the letter of the day...

 Mo Qua

The sign at the store said it has a zucchini-like texture, contains 0% fat and is perfect in tofu stir fry. 

L is for LATE (and Lentils) !!

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Sometimes LIFE gets in the way of posting to the blog, ya know.  But the craziness here has simmered down and I should be back on track in no time.  

Lentils are high in protein - supposed more than even beef!  They have more protein & fiber than quinoa, too.  High fiber & protein help keep you full longer. 

 Ta-da!

Serving size is 1/4 dry beans

70 calories

0g fat

19g carbs

9g fiber

8g protein

That comes to 2 WW PointsPlus. 

I made the pan below with 1/2 c lentils and 2 cups chicken broth - it made a decent amount!

 Like it says one the package, I sorted them & rinsed them.  I didn't see any stems or odd items, so I picked out the odd colored ones, like that bright red one up there!

The package said to just used plain, unsalted water, but I was rebellious and used chicken broth.  Toward the end, about 5 minutes before I turned the burner off, I stirred in a tsp or so of minced garlic & some salt & pepper.  

I think they're pretty good !  The family hasn't tried them yet, but they will soon 

(muahahahaha!) 

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K is for Kelp

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  I found Kelp (seaweed) at the health food store.  I was extremely interested.

Interesting that it says to "please check for occasional tiny hidden pebbles or shells in the fronds" .

I tried eating it straight out of the package.

It was very chewy & salty & had an aftertaste of how a bale of hay smells.
There are instructions to use it in soups, salads, in beans and as a snack or garnish.

Looking at the back of the package...
Service size is 1/3 of a cup.
17 calories
0 fat
3g carbs
3g fiber
1 g protein

A whopping 0 Weight Watchers Points Plus !

and if it's important to anyone - 2110% of your daily allowance of iodine!!

The only issue I have is that it gets stuck in my teeth, blargh.

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Random weird food that fits the letter of the day...

 Karela

The sign at the store said it is extremely bitter & crisp, is a good source of magnesium and zinc and you grind it up for soups & stews. 

Ummm, no. 

J is for Jicama

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I confess that this is the only food I did not personally go out to purchase and consume in order to write my post. I couldn't find the darn things!!

Jicamas (Jicami?? Jicamus??) originally come from South & Central America. They are sweet & crunchy and can be eaten raw or cooked like a potato. Sounds like something I'd like to try!

*they have a lot of vitamin C.

*they are low sodium and very little fat. 

*they have few calories and lots of fiber.

*they contain soluable fiber, so it can lower cholesterol and stabilizes blood sugar levels. 

*they contain 4 mg of iron - that's about 22% of the daily recommeded allowance. 

*they full of potassium, calcium & magnesium

*they contain B-6 for brain functions

Has anyone had these before??

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