the cereal experiment: Nature's Path Organic Optimum Slim

I must admit, a cereal named 'Optimum Slim' doesn't sound all that appetizing. But, after perusing Nature's Path Organic Optimum Slim's nutritional facts, I decided this box was worth a try and is the next test case in my cereal experiment.

Results. My first bite Optimum Slim had me amazed. How could a cereal with such a bland name have such a crunchy, sweet, and enjoyable flavor? Unlike Kashi GoLean Original, which still forces me to mix it with more exciting and sweeter alternatives just to find it palatable, Optimum Slim has just the right amount of self-contained sweetness. I expected cardboard, but I received vanilla-flavored deliciousness.

But, alas, my cereal-loving friends, there is always a catch. Despite its great flavor - Optimum Slim leaves you with a slightly weird lingering taste. Taste for yourselves, but in my opinion this funny taste is slight enough to be ignored and almost expected when dealing with cereals of this nutritional caliber.

Optimum Slim doesn't disappoint in the serving size or texture categories either. I get to indulge in 1 cup of this cereal for a solid 210 fiber- and protein-packed calories. Optimum Slim is extra-crunchy and maintains this crunchiness throughout the entire eating experience. And, the variety of cereal pieces keeps things interesting: crisp flakes, crunchy chex-like squares, hearty fiber twigs, and delicate rice-like puffs. It's like someone has already done the cereal mixing for me!

*Ranking system.

Nature's Path Organic Optimum Slim cereal is highly competitive with its nutritional content. In fact, Optimum Slim has a remarkable 9 grams of fiber and protein per serving, falling just slightly behind Kashi GoLean Original. Somehow this cereal has maintained sweetness while containing the lowest percentage of sugar so far at 13%. The ingredient list on this organic cereal is also of note, it contains absolutely nothing artificial or weird. The price, however, is another story. This cereal has nearly 10 cents/ounce on all the other cereal types.

The combination of Optimum Slim's delicious vanilla sweetness, yummy crunchy texture, and superior nutrition give it a second place finish after ranking.

In conclusion, Nature's Path Organic Optimum Slim cereal has won my heart and a rotating place in my cereal bowl with its favorable flavor, texture, and nutrition.

weekend review: farfalliscious!

 Figure 1. In preparation: topping for farfalle, including roasted red bell peppers, onion, garlic, and golden raisins.

Figure 2. In preparation: final farfalle mix after adding black pepper, toasted pine nuts, feta cheese, and fresh basil.

Figure 3. Sunday night's dinner: mini farfalle with roasted pepper, onions, and feta with roasted broccoli.

commentary: chia seeds

I had never heard of chia seeds before my introduction into the world of healthy living blogs. Turns out, these little seeds are so fantastically nutritious they just may deserve a tiny super hero cape. Not only that, but incorporate these little wonders into oatmeal (my new favorite trick) and your bowl will be so creamy and delicious you will wonder how you ever stomached oats before.

I am by no means a chia seed expert, but I have compiled what I consider the essential information on these seeds after some serious, albeit non-scientific, internet 'research'. 

What Are Chia Seeds?

Yes, these are the seeds that give rise to the noteworthy Chia Pet. Not only have chia seeds given us this remarkable (?) decorative plant, but they are especially nutritious. They grow in southern Mexico and can now be found widely in health food stores (I found mine at Earth Fare and the local co-op) and online.

Nutritional Content*

Chia seeds are the highest natural source of both dietary fiber and omega-3 fatty acids (Vuksan 2007). That statement is so impressive that it deserves bold, italics, and underline font.

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids. One recommended serving (1T) per day contains more than 2,500 mg of omega-3 fatty acids. This is eight times more than contained in salmon. Note that although chia seeds have balanced levels of omega-3 and -6, they contain primarily ALA (not DHA and EPA as found in fish and other products).
• Fiber. Chia seeds have 25% more fiber than flax seeds. They contain both soluble and insoluble fiber (~3.5 grams per 1T serving). And, unlike flax, they don't need to be ground and are easier to digest.

And these wonder-seeds don't stop there. They also contain:

• Vegetable protein. Chia is about 20% protein (wheat is 14%).
• Essential vitamins and minerals. One T serving of chia contains 8% RDI of calcium, iron, phosphorus, and thiamin and 5% RDI of zinc and vitamin B6. Chia also contains magnesium, potassium, manganese, niacin, and folic acid.
• Antioxidants. A serving of chia has about 30% more antioxidants than blueberries.

*While trying to find nutritional information for chia seeds I found that their nutritional content tends to be highly variable and the information sources sometimes questionable. However, in addition to their high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and other features as noted above, this table provides ranges for some other nutrients about which you may be curious.

Other Health Benefits

• One scientific study (Vuksan 2007) found that people who ate chia seeds (about 37 grams per day for 12 weeks)
• had lowered systolic blood pressure by 6.3 mmHg,
• had reduced levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and other heart-healthy markers, and
• had maintained blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
• Chia seeds absorb 10 times their weight when submersed in liquid to form a gel. This gelling property may slow the absorption of sugar into blood stream and this *may* help weight loss by blocking calorie absorption. This also may help you feel fuller faster and creates fun eating possibilities.
  
  

How to Use Chia Seeds

Chia seeds don't taste like much so their add-on possibilities are endless. Some say they have a nutty flavor, but to me they add a bit of tasteless crunch (when eaten raw) or gell-ed texture (when eaten soaked in liquid). My favorite way to use chia seeds is to add them to oats to create an extra-thick experience.

• Add them raw on top of:
• Cereal
• Yogurt
• Oatmeal (best to add while cooking to create gel, see below)
• Toast with nut butter (toast + pb + banana + chia seeds is a great combination)
• Salads
• Take advantage of their gelling properties to create
• Chia pudding
• Add to overnight or stovetop oats to create extra-creamy and thick oatmeal
  
  

Lovely chia breakfast bowl photo: from Kath Eats Real Food: queen of oatmeal.

So, go out and buy a bag even if you aren't convinced. I swear to you - make your oatmeal with these babies and you will be preaching the glory that is the chia seed in no time.

(image 1, 2, 3, 4)

my less serious day: love struck

I am absolutely 100% utterly in love with this jacket. So in love that I may have worn it all last night over my PJ's. I'll tell you one thing, my friends, a jacket this beautiful makes even my bright red long johns and fuzzy lavender slippers look perfectly fantastic.

Wearing.

Top: Banana outlet; cardigan: LOFT; jeans: Gap; boots: Anthropologie; love obsession (i.e., motorcycle jacket): Bod & Christensen via ideeli

Doing.

This morning began with a brisk 45-minute run with L, the first 30 minutes I ran at hard-working pace and the last 15 minutes I took it easy. As usual, I took two 10-minutes walks during my day. My afternoon workout was a 60-minute cycling class (intervals).

Eating.

Today's breakfast was a bowl of Kashi GoLean Original mixed with Post Great Grains Crunchy Pecans cereals, 1/2 sliced banana, and almond milk.

Lunch was 1/2 can Amy's Organic Creamy Tomato soup (must tastier than the butternut squash variety) and a spinach and arugula salad with tomato, carrot, broccoli, red bell peppers, sliced almonds,and hummus.

My afternoon snack was a delicious Honeycrisp apple and almonds. I was inspired to purchase the slightly more expensive Honeycrisp after seeing it repeatedly on blogs. It is worth the price and may just be competitive with the Pink Lady as my favorite apple variety.

Dinner was wild mushroom agnolotti (Buitoni) lightly drizzled in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roasted broccoli, carrots, and onions, alongside a festive Halloween spider.

Dessert was an Apple 'Wannabe' Cupcake using 1/2 Honeycrisp apple, almond butter, and Cascadian Farms dark chocolate almond granola.





Note: this post represents what happened in my world on Tuesday, November 1.

weekend review: double the sauce, double the pleasure

So what if I always prepare double the sauce when cooking? In my world, extra sauce is a must - especially when it involves mushrooms, wine, and butter, like it did this past Saturday night.

Figure 1. Saturday night's dinner: chicken with mushroom sauce, caramelized onion mashed potatoes, and roasted green beans with toasted almonds.

For the green beans: Toss 1 lb. of trimmed green beans in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes. While beans are roasting, toast 2 T slivered almonds on the stove-top over medium heat. Sprinkle almonds on roasted beans and serve.

Figure 2. Saturday afternoon baked good: homemade pumpkin pie made from scratch. Although my boyfriend should get most of the credit for this. And by scratch I mean crust from scratch and pumpkin puree made by baking pumpkins. Much more flavorful (and a bit more soggy) than pumpkin pie from a canned puree.

Figure 3. Sunday night's dinner: sausage, tomato, and arugula fettuccine and steamed broccoli. This is a super tasty and quick recipe that will satisfy any sausage craving.

my less serious day: 1st place breakfast

Most every day, dinner is my favorite meal. Not today. Today, breakfast took the prize. Here's hoping that dinner isn't a sore loser... 

Wearing.

Skirt: LOFT; top: J Crew outlet; belt: Banana outlet; necklace: gifted; shoes: Urban Outfitters

Doing.

This morning I gladly stayed inside my house for a 35-minute stationary bike ride (ramp interval) followed by a 15-minute walk with L. I also took two more 10-minute walks during my day, one after lunch and one when I returned home from work. My afternoon workout was a 60-minue Body Pump class.

Eating.

Breakfast (1st place) was the prize-winning yogurt bowl containing ~1 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, cinnamon, 1/2 sliced banana, 1/2 slice leftover oatmeal pumpkin bread crumbled and warmed, and a drizzle of almond butter. Heaven in a bowl.

Lunch (last place, as usual) was a Lean Cuisine, a disappointingly-mealy Gala apple, and almonds.

Dinner (second place) was baked chicken (quick-marinated in lime, salt, and pepper) topped with avocado, wild mushroom couscous (Near East), and roasted eggplant on top of steamed spinach.

Dessert (third place) was a small bowl of Cascadian Farms dark chocolate almond granola drowned in almond milk.

Note: these are the actual events that took place on Wednesday, October 26.

what i ate wednesday: issue 7

Figure 1. Breakfast: a bowl of Kashi GoLean Original and Post Great Grains Crunchy Pecans cereals with 1/2 sliced banana and almond milk.

Figure 2. Lunch: spinach salad with tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots, and asparagus topped with hummus, salt, and pepper. A slice of leftover oatmeal pumpkin bread on the side.

Figure 3. Dinner: roasted Brussels sprouts, a Morningstar chicken patty with ketchup and a slice of whole wheat bread topped with Benecol. 

Figure 4. Dessert, Part 1: pumpkin pie yogurt (Greek yogurt + pumpkin puree + shredded coconut + pumpkin pie spice + cinnamon + honey).

Figure 5. Dessert, Part 2: a handful of Annie's Homegrown SnickerDoodle Bunny Cookies.

And that concludes another What I Ate Wednesday (featuring what I ate Monday, October 24).