Eat, Drink, Live Longer

Today's show is all about the microbiome: the trillions of bacteria that live in and on you. For the most part, all those good-for-you bugs live in your intestinal tract (AKA, your gut), and research shows that they play a role in everything from good digestion to the regulation of your metabolism, immune system, and even your mood. (I heard this crazy statistic once that if you lined up the bacteria that live in your gut end to end, they'd reach the moon!) To help us digest this exciting topic, I invited Brierley Horton, MS, RD to join me on the show. Brierley is the Food and Nutrition Director of Cooking Light magazine. If you haven't seen their June issue yet, you need to pick it up, because the issue is all about Gut Health. On the show, we'll be giving your microbiome a healthy makeover with a list of foods rich in probiotics (those are the beneficial bacteria) and prebiotics, the foods that your good bacteria love to eat. Hey, they have to eat something. And we have a few recipe ideas for your dinner table including a recipe for Broccoli-and-Kraut Slaw, which you can find right here on the blog. You can read the full show notes at www.lizshealthytable.com

Welcome to Season 2 of the podcast. To kick things off, I've invited Amy Roskelley and Natalie Monson, RD onto the show to talk about fast family dinners. You asked for 'em, and we've got 'em! Amy and Natalie are the dynamic duo behind Super Healthy Kids, a website packed with nourishing family recipes, resources for gathering your family around the table, meal planning tools and resources, and so much more. If you're hungry for easy-does-it recipes that everyone at your table will love, this is the show for you. Consider this episode your guide to colorful, creative, and nourishing meals that you can get on the table quickly. We have recipes to share, stories to tell, and tips for enticing your kids to try new foods. And read on for a chance to enter my latest giveaway!

With me today are Amy Roskelley and Natalie Monson. Amy and Natalie are the business partners (and neighbors) behind Super Healthy Kids. Super Healthy Kids has been a longtime friend of the podcast, and they specialize in nutritious meals that can be made in a flash. Natalie and Amy are on a mission to bring healthy eating to your table and the rest of the world. Today, we discuss how feeding kids nutritious foods is challenging but rewarding and the Super Healthy Kids philosophy that you succeed when you serve your kids healthy food … even if they don't eat it.

GIVEAWAY: One lucky winner (U.S. only, please) can enter to win a MyPlate Divided Kids Plate with Dairy Bowl and Parent Lesson Plan, an invaluable tool for encouraging your kids to eat their fruits, veggies, lean protein, and whole grains. To enter, leave a comment at the end of this post and tell me about your favorite (healthy) family dinner recipe and/or your best strategy for introducing variety to family mealtime. I'll pick the winner at random on May 16th.

Check out the new Super Healthy Kids app. It's called, Prepear, and we talk all about it on the show.

Show Highlights:

• How Super Healthy Kids is bringing healthy food to your table.
• Amy and Natalie share their feelings on picky eating and lots of unique solutions.
• Kids mimic each other and their parents so be a good role model.
• The ladies share their best ideas for fast dinners made easy.
• Seasonality is a great way to add variety to your tried-and-true recipes.
• Discover the most popular recipe on the Super Healthy Kids blog.
• Let's play Chopped! Hear what Amy would make for dinner if her "mystery" ingredient was a can of peas. And find out what Natalie would cook up with frozen shrimp. Oh, and hear what I'd do with sweet potato at dinner.
• Techniques for menu planning with Prepear and meal plans made uniquely for you.
• How Mason jars are a huge meal prepping lifesaver.
• Amy and Natalie share their favorite cookbooks.

You can read the full show notes at www.lizshealthytable.com

On this week's show, I'm celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Liz's Healthy Table podcast. Time flies by quickly when you build something new, so I'm taking a breath today, looking back on my food adventures from the year, and thanking all of you with a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card! I have a new recipe to share for Arugula, Apple & Brussels Sprouts Salad, and my husband Tim joins me for his annual "cameo" to tell you how he survived the year and to share highlights from our recent vacation in Riviera Maya, Mexico. It's a fun show, so I hope you'll stick around and tune in.

GIVEAWAY: To thank you for listening to the first session of the Liz's Healthy Table podcast, I'm giving away a $50.00 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner. To enter, post a comment at the end of this post and tell me about your favorite LHT episode in Season 1 and/or a topic or guest you'd like me to tackle in Season 2. Anyone anywhere can enter, so post your comments below!

Show Highlights:

• I look back on the Instant Pot episode with Melissa Clark, one of my favorites!
• Jenny Chandler's episode on pulses was an inspiration for more plant-based eating.
• Leanne Brown's budget episode was incredibly popular, because after all, doesn't everyone want to save money at the supermarket?
• Pati Jinich was one of my favorite guests to interview, and having just visited Mexico, her show really hits home now.
• The best burger I've ever made comes from, From Freezer to Table. Hear all about it on the Freezer Cooking show.
• Tune in to episode 3 for picky eater tips.
• I answer your questions about go-to snacks and my typical food day.
• Food stories from my year of travel.
• Adapt and play with my favorite salad recipe made with arugula, apples, and Brussels's sprouts.
• How to gain the confidence to tweak a recipe.
• Mohonk Mountain House memories.
• My husband, Tim, is back on the show to talk about this year from his perspective.
• Why our vacation in Riviera Maya, Mexico was a food lover's dream.

Resources:

- Arugula, Apple & Brussels Sprouts Salad: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2018/04/17/arugula-apple-brussels-sprouts-salad-lemon-shallot-vinaigrette/ - My trip to El Dorado Casitas Royale in Riviera Maya, Mexico: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2018/04/17/week-mexico-el-dorado-casitas-royale/ - Homemade Chex Mix recipe: https://www.chex.com/recipes/original-chex-mix/ - Shaya restaurant: http://www.shayarestaurant.com/menu/ - New Chefs on the Block: http://www.newchefsontheblock.com/ - Paris a Dream - food tour: http://www.paris-a-dream.com/ - Groed in Copenhagen where they make porridge: http://groed.com/en/

- Substituting Ingredients

https://www.amazon.com/Substituting-Ingredients-Z-Kitchen-Reference/dp/1564407411

Vegetables are a vibrant and vital part of a healthy diet, but sometimes it's hard to get excited about steamed broccoli and raw carrots. Here to shine a bright light on the beauty of vegetables is chef extraordinaire, Ana Sortun. I recently reconnected with Ana at the Healthy Kitchens Healthy Lives Conference in California where she demonstrated techniques and strategies for cooking colorful, flavorful vegetables in a variety of ways kids love. And on today's podcast, Ana shares those culinary tips with all of you.

Ana Sortun is a James Beard Award-winning chef, a mom, and a cookbook author, and she's married to the owner of Siena Farms outside Boston, so she knows a thing or two about making vegetables appealing to kids (and adults too). Ana joins me today to dish about her recipe for Cacik, a Turkish yogurt and veggie dip, and to share her best-ever tips for cooking broccoli to perfection, making 'real' caramelized onions (be patient!), and introducing kids to new, and sometimes weird, vegetable varieties. We're also giving away a copy of Ana's newest cookbook, Soframiz, so read on for instructions on how to enter to win.

You can read the full show notes and enter the giveaway at www.lizsheatlhytable.com.

We spend a lot of time talking about breakfast (AKA the most important meal of the day) and dinner, but lunch often seems to fall by the wayside. If you have school-age children, you know how challenging it can be to prepare and pack lunches over and over and over again. So here to the rescue with healthy, creative, and kid-friendly lunchbox ideas is dietitian, mom, and lifestyle expert Holley Grainger, MS, RDN. Whether you're packing lunches in a basic brown bag or a cool and colorful Bento Box, this is the show for you.

Holley Grainger is a nationally recognized nutrition and lifestyle expert who brings healthy fun to every part of your life with Cleverful Living. She's the mom of two girls, Ellie and Frances, and has been packing healthy little lunchboxes for over six years. From building a better sandwich to adding more nutrition and variety to packed school lunches, Holley serves up practical tips and plentiful inspiration to get you started. Lunchboxes never go away, so find out how to tame the lunchbox monster before it overwhelms you.

Packed school lunches are a simple way to introduce new foods to young kids and expose them to a healthy world filled with fruits and vegetables. And of course, if you're nibbling as you pack or making a lunch meal for yourself as well, you'll benefit too.

Show Highlights:

• Lunch doesn't get the love it deserves.
• Kids lunches should include a few key components: vegetable, protein source, whole grain, and fruit.
• Protein foods like lean turkey, beans, and/or cheese gives your kids the energy they need to get through the day.
• Dips (hummus, ranch, guacamole) are a great way to get kids excited about eating vegetables.
• Does the lunchbox itself matter? Holley weighs in.
• Lunch provides an opportunity to introduce new foods for picky eaters.
• How to can get your kids involved in meal prep. Hint: Do some lunch prep after dinner when the kitchen is already a mess!
• Tips to get ahead of the morning rush.
• Learn how to build a better sandwich.
• Use your dinner leftovers for lunch the next day.
• Instagram and Pinterest are great resources for finding lunchbox ideas. On Instagram, search for Holley's hashtag, #HealthyLittleLunchbox
• Tips for using a Bento Box.
• Discover Holley's favorite cookbooks including, Generations of Love and Food by Meme Inge, MS, RDN

Resources:

Instagram

@HolleyGrainger

@LizWeis

To learn more about Holley

Holleygrainer.com

Holley's Freebie

https://www.holleygrainger.com/125-healthy-lunchboxes-kids/

BentGo https://bentgo.com/

Planet Box

https://www.planetbox.com/

The Empowered Mama Podcast

https://fit4mom.com/podcast

Superhealthykids.com

Whether you're making dinner for your family or hosting a fabulous dinner party, the electric pressure can get you to the table quickly and deliciously. Looking for a super-flavorful, nourishing bowl of lentil soup for tonight's dinner? The Instant Pot (AKA electric pressure cooker) has you covered. Hungry for Coconut Curry Chicken? No problem! Joining me on today's podcast with insights into this wildly popular appliance is Melissa Clark, author of Dinner in an Instant: 75 Modern Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker + Instant Pot and reporter for the New York Times food section.

You can read the full show notes at www.lizsheathlytable.com

Ellie Krieger is a friend, fellow dietitian, cookbook author, TV cooking show host, and mom, and on today's show, she takes us into her kitchen for easy family recipes, last-minute cooking ideas, picky eater pointers, and a glimpse behind the scenes at her career journey. If you're looking for a new recipe to liven up your taste buds, tune in for Ellie's Herbed Salmon Orzo Casserole with Feta, Spinach Salad with Roasted Squash, Roasted Grapes and Pumpkin Seeds, and her go-to dessert indulgence. (Hint: If you love dark chocolate, you and Ellie will have something in common.)

Ellie is such a delight. On the show, she talked about her healthy eating philosophy, her new public television cooking show, Ellie's Real Good Food, and together, we told the story of how we met years ago when I worked at CNN. I know you're going to love this episode!

"A teaspoon of added natural sugar makes healthy food compellingly delicious."

- Ellie Krieger

I'm giving away a copy of, You Have It Made: Delicious, Healthy, Do-Ahead Meals by Ellie Krieger. (U.S. only, please.) To enter, post a comment at the bottom of this page and tell me why you want to win this book and/or your favorite make-ahead family dinner --- something that's always at the ready when stomachs are growling! I'll pick the winner at random on March 7th.

Show Highlights:

• Ellie's latest book, You Have it Made, which gives specific instructions and practical tips on make-ahead meals, including freezing, storing, thawing, and reheating.
• Freezing no-no's: certain potato dishes, creamy foods, and zucchini don't freeze well.
• Ellie's labor of love: her public TV show, Ellie's Real Good Food (now in Season 2), which "hits the 'sweet spot' where delicious and healthy meet."
• Spinach Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Roasted Grapes, Pumpkin Seeds, and Maple Syrup. A recipe bursting with flavor, color, and good nutrition.
• How a little natural sugar can take your recipe from good to delicious.
• Ellie's Facebook Live: "Airs" every Wednesday at 4 pm Eastern.
• Advice for dealing with a picky eater, based on Ellie's experiences with her daughter, now 15.
• Family favorites: Salmon with Orzo, Sole with Crispy Breadcrumbs and Roasted Vegetables, Taco Night, and Pasta Night
• Ellie's quick dinner go-to favorites: fish, broccoli, and potatoes cooked on a sheet pan; pasta, shrimp, and spinach (Keep your freezer and pantry well-stocked!)
• Ellie's next cookbook: Whole in One, with whole meals prepped in one pot, pan, or skillet.
• How we first met when Ellie joined me as an intern at CNN, where I worked for a show called, On the Menu.
• Herbed Salmon with Orzo: a skillet meal bursting with Greek flavors.
• Questions for Ellie from the Podcast Posse Facebook group.
• Ellie's favorite cookbook? Vegetables, by James Peterson.

Herbed Salmon and Orzo Casserole with Feta

[Tweet "Tune in to Liz's Healthy Table #PODCAST w/ @elliekrieger and hear about her healthy-meets-delicious food philosophy, her TV show, and 2 family-pleasing dinner recipes including MY favorite: Herbed Salmon and Orzo Casserole w/ Feta + enter to win You Have it Made"]

Links:

My email: [email protected]

Recipes: Herbed Salmon and Orzo Casserole with Feta Spinach Salad with Roasted Squash, Roasted Grapes, and Pumpkin Seeds Connect with Ellie: Ellie's Real Good Food Ellie on Facebook Twitter Instagram Have a question about the show or a suggestion for a future show? Ask away by posting a comment below or joining my Podcast Posse.

Fad diets come and go, but one style of wholesome eating that's withstood the test of time is the Mediterranean diet. On this week's podcast, I'm celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, created by Oldways as a nourishing alternative to the traditional USDA Pyramid. With fruits, vegetables, whole grain and other plant foods as the base and piled high with other wholesome foods like seafood, olive oil, and cheese, my guest Sara Baer-Sinnott, President of Oldways, walks us through the beautiful and delicious nuances of this age-old way of eating.

Thanks to the diverse, mostly plant-based ingredients and the wonderful flavors and health benefits, the Mediterranean diet is a keeper as far as I'm concerned. If you love platefuls of pasta, flatbread pizzas smothered with vegetables, and Greek salads brimming with cucumbers and tomatoes, you're well on your way to loving the Mediterranean diet. From Spain and Italy to Turkey and Israel, Sara and I dish about our favorite recipes, including Kisir (a grain dish made with bulgur), and I share my recent adventure in Portugal where I obtained a magnum of olive oil! Join us for an adventure in eating, and cheers to another 25 years of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.

You can read the full show notes and access the resources at www.lizshealthytable.com.

One of the biggest trends right now in the food world is meal prep. If you're new to meal prep, the basic idea is that you shop, prepare (usually on one designated day), and then pack multiple meals that are easy to assemble throughout the week. Meal prep saves time, money, and a bit of your sanity! From lunch and dinner to breakfast and snacks, meal prep is perfect for busy people who crave homemade meals with convenience, good nutrition, and great flavor.

I'm not a meal prep guru, so I turned to Toby Amidor, RD this week to get us started. Toby is the author of The Healthy Meal Prep Cookbook: Easy and Wholesome Meals to Cook, Prep, Grab, and Go. I'm giving away a copy, so scroll down for instructions on how to enter!

Drawing inspiration from her grandmother, Toby's cookbook is infused with step-by-step guide for grocery shopping, cooking multiple meals all on the same day, and storage dos and don'ts. Together, we share our favorite cook-ahead recipes including Tuna Nicoise Salad and tips for using up leftovers in crepes, tacos, soups, and salads.

You can read the full show notes at www.lizshealthytable.com

Sugar. It's everywhere in our food supply, and we eat a lot of it. Kids crave it, and parents struggle to keep it in check. Did you know that the average U.S. child consumes almost 80 grams (20 teaspoons) of added sugar per day? That's nearly half a cup! On this week's podcast, dietitian and mom, Laura Chalela Hoover, MPH, RD joins me to talk about her new book, Mom's Sugar Solution, share tips and tricks for taming your family's sweet tooth, and serve up recipes for kids' favorite foods made with less sugar. Wait till you hear about her Raspberry Chia Mini Muffins made with honey and her Ruby Red Soda made with no added sugar. You won't believe how sweet and delicious food can be without the added sugar!

I personally have a sweet tooth, so I was super excited to have Laura on the show to share her best tips and tricks to slashing sugar. Unfortunately for all of us humans, fighting sugar cravings is a bit like fighting our biology. Humans are hard-wired to crave sugar from birth, so Laura says the best way to tackle it is to wean off slowly. But Laura's book isn't entirely sugar free. She provides lower-sugar alternatives to kid favorites ... including dessert. Yes, we can all have our cake and eat a portion of it too!

Stick around for a chance to win a free copy of Mom's Sugar Solution as well as freebies and discounts from Laura to the Liz's Healthy Table community.

Are you hungry for new ways to tackle your sweet tooth? I am!

You can read the full show notes and access all the links and resources at www.lizshealthytable.com