68 THE QUEENS COURIER • WELLNESS • JUNE 21, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
wellness
Simple, local nutrition: 5 reasons to
feel good about the dairy in your diet
When you sip a wholesome smoothie
or savor a slice of cheesy pizza, do you
ever wonder who’s behind your favorite
dairy foods?
More than 97 percent of dairy farms in
the United States are family-owned and
operated - and these families are as passionate
about craft ing simple, nutritious
dairy products as you are about enjoying
them. From dairy farmers to chefs, and
everyone in between, the hardworking
people who put delicious dairy foods on
your table all share one undeniable characteristic:
devotion.
Other than the great taste and rich
farming tradition behind dairy products,
here are fi ve more reasons to make dairy
a regular part of your diet:
*Dairy is a local business. When you
buy cheese, yogurt or milk, you’re supporting
hard-working dairy farm families
near you, which helps create jobs. Th e
dairy products you’re feeding your family
probably came from another hard-working
family near you. And dairy farms are
the ultimate local businesses: Most milk
is made less than a two-hour drive from
where it’s sold.
*It’s natural: Real milk, cheese and butter
taste the most natural because, well,
they are the most natural. So, when you
add a splash of milk to your morning coffee
or top a baked potato with butter and
sour cream, you’re keeping it real - and
fresh.
• Dairy is simple and aff ordable. At a time
when eating healthy seems to get more
and more complicated - and expensive
- dairy remains simple and aff ordable.
Why? A glass of milk is the No. 1 source
of nine essential nutrients like calcium,
vitamin D and B vitamins.
• It’s good at any age. Dairy is benefi cial
for all ages, because it is a top food source
for calcium, potassium and vitamin D -
nutrients that many Americans, including
children, are most lacking in their
diets. And dairy products are safe to consume.
“Th e bottom line is milk and other
dairy foods are safe and nutritious foods
you can recommend to others and enjoy
with confi dence,” confi rms Dr. Gregory
Miller, PhD, FACN, chief science offi cer
at National Dairy Council.
• Dairy packs a protein punch. Dairy is an
important and widely available source
of protein, which helps rebuild and
repair muscle. If you took it out of your
diet, you’d need to eat up to 30 percent
more plant proteins to match the quality
of the protein that’s in dairy.
Learn more about the people behind
your favorite dairy foods and the benefi
ts of eating dairy at UndeniablyDairy.
org/devoted.
Courtesy BPT
An easy start to better eating: Healthy surfaces and simple ingredients
When you become a parent, your
child’s health and well-being takes top
priority. Th is is why when it comes to
getting dinner on the table, parents these
days are less likely to reach for that box
of mac and cheese and other heavily processed
foods. Instead, parents tend to
gravitate to dishes, sides and snacks featuring
real ingredients that even a small
child can name.
Chef Alex Guarnaschelli is on board
with this approach to mealtime, as she
creates delicious and simple meals for her
own family in between appearances on
Food Network’s Iron Chef. At the same
time, she wants to remind parents that
healthier eating begins with healthier surfaces,
making it important to practice safe
food-handling techniques, such as killing
germs on food prep surfaces.
Th e importance of safe food handling
Pathogens like E. coli, listeria and salmonella
can be transferred from foods to
food preparation surfaces and fi nd their
way into the food itself. To keep your
family safe, it’s important to take time
to disinfect the kitchen counter before,
during and aft er food prep - especially if
raw meat is involved.
Guarnaschelli recommends a product
like Lysol Daily Cleanser, because it contains
only three simple ingredients and
leaves no harsh chemical residue behind
- this means no rinse step is required. It’s
safe to use throughout the home, not
only on food contact surfaces in the
kitchen, but also baby areas, pet areas
and the bathroom.
Here’s to healthier eating
In partnership with Lysol, Guarnaschelli
created a series of delicious recipes that
are a hit with the kids, but don’t take too
much prep and cooking time. Like Lysol
Daily Cleanser, the following recipes feature
just three simple ingredients inspired
by the three simple ingredients in Lysol
Daily Cleanser, making these the perfect
meal solution for busy families.
Spinach and Curried Red
Potato Frittata
Servings: 2-3
Ingredients: 7-8
medium Red Bliss
potatoes 6 large
eggs, beaten 2 1/2
cups (about 1/4
pound) spinach
leaves
S e a s o n i n g :
Kosher salt
1 teas
p o o n
h o t
curry powder 3 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
Fahrenheit. Place the potatoes in a single
layer on a baking sheet, place in the oven
and bake until tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and quarter
the potatoes. Toss with the curry powder
and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the
eggs and salt with 1 tablespoon cool
water. Whisk only enough to integrate
the eggs. You don’t want to whip too
much air into them or make them frothy.
Heat the non-stick skillet and add the
olive oil. Arrange the potatoes in a single
layer on the bottom of the skillet
and cook until browned on all
sides, 10-12 minutes. Stir in the spinach
and cook for only 1 minute until
it wilts. Pour the eggs over the spinach
and place the skillet in the
center of the oven. Allow
the eggs to cook, undisturbed,
10-12 minutes
or until cooked through
but still slightly soft in
the center. Unmold
and season again. Slice
into wedges.
Quinoa and
Chicken Bowl
with Fresh
Parsley
Servings: 4
Ingredients: 2
boneless chicken breasts, 6-8 ounces each,
skin on 1 1/2 cups quinoa 1 cup fresh
parsley leaves
Seasoning: 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon
Spanish paprika
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice
the raw chicken breasts, and season generously
with cumin, salt and pepper on
all sides and arrange them, skin side up,
on a baking sheet. Place the tray in the
center of the oven and roast until cooked
through (internal temperature of 165
degrees F) and the skin browned, 18-20
minutes. Remove from the oven, cover
loosely with foil and let rest. Lower the
oven temperature to 350 degrees.
In the meantime, bundle the parsley
leaves and chop into fi ne pieces.
Heat a large sauté pan and add the
olive oil and quinoa and cook for 2 minutes,
until you hear it crackling. Add 3
1/2 cups water. Stir gently. Season with
salt and the paprika and bring the liquid
to a simmer over medium heat. Place the
sauté pan in the center of the oven and
allow to cook, undisturbed, 12-15 minutes
or until the grains fl uff slightly and
separate.
Remove quinoa from the oven, fl ake it
with a fork and allow to rest for 10 minutes
before spooning into a large bowl or
4 individual bowls. Arrange the sliced,
cooked chicken with the parsley leaves on
top of the quinoa.
Courtesy BPT