If you believe what a majority of people believe, then you probably regularly skip over canned and frozen fruit and vegetables because they are the lesser of options when it comes to nutrients.  You’ve heard, from somewhere, at some point, that freezing/canning fruit and vegetables depletes them of their nutrients.

Reasons aside, it’s actually not the case at all.  In fact, freezing and canning can be excellent ways of preserving nutrients.  The FDA even states that nutritional profiles of canned or frozen fruits and vegetables are nearly the same as fresh fruits and vegetables!

Hopefully this realization helps remove some barriers that would otherwise prevent us from consuming our recommended serving of 10 fruits and veggies a day.

There are several factors that contribute to the nutritional content of preserved produce:

1. Location
2. Growing conditions
3. Time of harvest
4. Method of cooking

Once a plant is cut off from it’s nutritional source, no additional nutrients can be fed into that plant, obviously.  And, the longer a plant is away from the soil, the more it loses it’s nutrients.  But did you know that some off-season plants are intentionally harvested before they are fully mature?  Had they been allowed to fully ripen on their vine, we would receive a more developed nutritional profile.  But, our produce expectations have changed.  Now, our consumer mentality expects a tomato to be readily available at our finger tips throughout the entire year.  So, of course that will change the journey of a tomato to our supermarkets!  Furthermore, exposure to varying light and heat throughout transport will also deplete nutrients, as it will even after we buy and store it.

Your best shot at consuming the highest amount of nutrients from fresh produce is to eat it with 72 hours of harvest.  Unless you grow your own fruits and veggies (which is highly recommended!), or buy directly from local farmers (also recommended), then that time frame will be quite difficult to assess accurately.  Fresh produce, while delicious, is more susceptible to moisture loss and spoilage.  Sticking your produce in the fridge does help slow this down a bit, but freezing or canning can completely prevent them from taking place at all.

Before a vegetable is frozen, many times it is blanched.  This means it is briefly immersed in boiling water.  This helps preserve it’s color and prevent microbial ickies (bacteria) from growing on the food.  Immediately following, it is frozen (called flash freezing).

Ok, so it may sound like I am trying to make an argument against fresh produce, but I’m not.  I do prefer the taste of fresh produce to frozen or canned, so don’t read what I’m not saying.  What I am saying is that we can, and should, open our produce options to more than just fresh.  By all means, buy some canned and frozen too! I’m also saying that we need to eat our fresh produce quickly after purchasing.

That said, there are a few helpful suggestions to look for when buying frozen or canned:

• Many canned goods come preserved with salts and sugars- this is a valid concern.  Always be sure to drain and thoroughly rinse to reduce both sugar and sodium intake.  This is an effective method of removing a decent amount of salt and sugar.
• There are some canned options that don’t use those means of preserving.  You will pay more, but they are there as an option if you want them.  Read your labels and list of ingredients.
• Speaking of labels, they aren’t always reliable since nutrients are influenced by washing, peeling, heating, oxygen, water losses, and food preparation at home.
• I try to buy certain fruits and veggies organic…especially if they are high on EWG’s top pesticide ridden.  I even have an app to help me remember which are on there.  When a fresh option is just too high for my budget that week I will buy them frozen.

Lastly, as a side note, be sure not to overcook.  Steaming or microwaving are good options for preserving nutrients.

Here’s the deal.  Fruit and vegetables are darn good for ya.  We all need to eat more of them.  Fresh, frozen, canned- I don’t care.  Just get em’ in.

Blah blah blah, salad is healthy for you (yuck!), blah blah blah eat more leafy greens (yuck!).  Perhaps some of you think this, perhaps some of you don’t.

The reality?

Dark green leafy veggies are just too darn important NOT to include them in our diets.

So, buck up and learn to work them in.  Ouch.  Sorry, I think I took my mean pill this morning.  Read on, I promise I’ll soften the blow.

Joking aside, dark green leafy vegetables offer our bodies vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients (plant nutrients) that are absolutely essential for our health.  All these things help to protect and repair our cells from damage.  You’ll also find our friends those amazing omega-3 fats in many greens as well.

Iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium, vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins are just a few of the wonderful vitamins and minerals available in these highly nutritious plants.

And, don’t worry, I’m not just gonna tell you to choke them down because I’ve been there, done that and that is no way to eat!  I want us to create lasting success and my driving theory is to find a way for you to actually ENJOY them!  I’m convinced it IS possible, but you have to give some of these suggestions a try.

Also, just so we’re clear, a dark green leafy veggie includes but is not limited to the following:  spinach, kale, collard greens, swiss chard, lettuce (the darker, the more nutritious), beet greens, dandelion greens and even cabbage.

When choosing a lettuce, don’t bother with iceberg.  It’s cousin, romaine, has 8 times the vitamin A and 6 times the vitamin C as iceberg lettuce.  A simple no-brainer that leaves you (pun intended) ahead of the game when it comes to nutrients.

It’s probably not any new news to you that we should eat dark green leafy vegetables.  So, moving on, I’ll provide us with some suggestions on how to do this with the end goal of actually LIKING it.

Suggestion #1:  Braise them. This involves cooking them down, slowly, in a pan with a small amount of liquid.  A stock of sorts will help add some flavor.

Suggestion #2:  Saute them. Using a small amount of oil in a pan you can cook them fairly quickly.  Adding a small amount of liquid in combination with the oil would also do the trick.

Suggestion #3:  Steam or boil them.

Suggestion #4:  Bake them. I’m thinking with eggs and cheese or as chips. See recipe below.

Suggestion #5:  Soup them. Leafy greens are super easy to throw in many soups.

Suggestion #6:  Flavor them. There are some common ways to flavor greens.  Try adding in some of the following for some flavorful combinations:  garlic, lemon, vinegar, hot pepper flakes, hot sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and cheese.  This is my favorite suggestion for finding new flavorful dishes!

I add cooked spinach to my pasta sauce, homemade pizzas, quesadillas, raw on sandwiches and even put it in my smoothies (cooked), which you CANNOT taste!  I try and get a leafy green every day.  Here is one of my all-time-favorite recipes.

Kale Chips

Soak kale in a bowl of water and swish around to remove dirt.  Drain and shake dry or use a salad spinner to speed up the process.  Pluck the kale leafs from the spine and put into a freezer bag or plastic container with a small amount of olive oil.  Close bag or seal plastic container and shake until leaves are lightly coated in oil.  Lay the leaves flat on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.  Lightly sprinkle with salt.  Should be crispy and taste strangely like a chip!

Click here for some additional recipes using lettuce.

If you haven’t heard by now, fiber is good for our health.

And, like many other topics, there is a lot of information to sort through.  I’ve done the sorting and here are the main points I think are most helpful to understand for optimal health regarding fiber.

Ok, so what is fiber?

Fiber is a non-digestable carbohydrate.  It’s the stuff that adds structure to a plant (think whole grains, legumes, nuts and fruits and vegetables).

Now, there are 2 categories of fiber based off how it acts inside our body:  soluble and insoluble fiber.

• Soluble fiber can help lower our cholesterol
• Insoluble fiber helps to bulk up our stool and keep our digestive tracks moving.

We need both types in our diet.

Soluble fiber absorbs water, becomes like a gel and acts “sponge-like.”  Since this type of fiber absorbs water it bulks up our stool which then helps the intestinal muscles to move and push things along.  This is why it helps to reduce cholesterol- it grabs the fat and get’s rid of it!  Be sure to drink enough water, though, because you’ll need some extra fluids to help soluble fiber do it’s job.  Lack of water in combination with soluble fiber could leave you constipated.  Actually, if you’re experiencing the opposite issue of loose stool, a little soluble fiber could really help you out!

Insoluble fiber is probably the type that people think to be most common.  It’s found mostly in wheat bran, oat bran, my friend flax seed and whole grains.  This type of fiber acts like a scrub to our large intestine, scraping along the intestinal tract.

However, there is some bad news.

See, our friends over in the food marketing industry have also caught on to the news that fiber is healthy.  Of course, now they’re trying to market foods that don’t naturally contain fiber.  Added forms of fiber, called “functional dietary fibers” are put in so they can market their food as “healthy.”  This is our world of fortified, enriched foods.  Boo.  Boo because fiber is rich (naturally) in WHOLE foods such as whole grains, legumes, nuts and fruits and vegetables!  This is one of the many reasons to consume a diet high in WHOLE foods!  You get the fiber AND you get all the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients instead of a processed food that is attempting to look healthy.

More important reasons to be sure to get your fiber in:

1. Remember how fiber helps to reduce cholesterol?  Yeah, so that helps to reduce our risk of cardiovascular disease (our #1 killer of Americans).
2. GI issues and poor bowel function can improve with a diet high in fiber by keeping our intestinal tracts “clean.”
3. Fiber gives us a feeling of fullness and can curb appetite which ultimately helps us to lose weight.
4. It can help control our blood sugar and insulin levels.  That helps to reduce our risk of diabetes (our #7 killer of Americans).
5. There are studies showing that people that consume the recommended amount of fiber are at half the risk for colon cancer.

What are the daily recommendations of fiber?

Men:  40-45 grams.  Women:  30-35 grams.

On average, the typical American consumes less than half the recommendation.  It’s no wonder we’re bombarded with so many health issues.  I’m not a fan of using scare tactics for motivation, but, heck, this is scary news, don’t you agree?  I’m not saying that fiber is the sole answer, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Eat more of these naturally occurring high-fiber foods:

• apples w/skin
• pears w/skin
• raspberries
• strawberries
• oranges
• figs
• raisins
• artichokes
• peas
• broccoli
• carrots
• corn
• spinach
• whole grain pasta
• quinoa
• oatmeal
• popcorn (air popped)
• brown rice
• split peas
• lentils
• black beans
• sunflower seeds
• almonds

…and many many more.

To sum it up: We need fiber for health and disease prevention.  Get it from whole food sources ranging from whole grains, fruits and vegetables, legumes (beans), nuts and seeds.  Get more of it.  Drink water.

p.s.  If you feel bloated from fiber it is most likely due to the irregular patterns of your fiber consumption.  Start in small portions to give your body time to adjust and then slowly increase.  Then, be sure to consume fiber regularly (I’m talking every meal and with snacks).

We’ve probably eaten thousands and thousands of breakfasts in our lifetime (unless you are a breakfast skipper, then maybe not) yet many of us still shuffle around the kitchen wasting time and energy over the question of what to eat for breakfast.

Mom was right, people, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Well, they’re ALL important, but especially breakfast due to the fact that you haven’t eaten for probably 8-12 hours.  Yes, breakfast is aptly named.  SO NO SKIPPING BREAKFAST!

Many, many people ask me about this beloved meal of mine.

• What do YOU eat for breakfast?
• What’s something healthy to cook for breakfast?
• What’s a healthy AND quick breakfast?

So, today’s post is dedicated to my absolute favorite meal of the day- breakfast!  Here are some healthy, yummy and pretty simple breakfasts for you and your family to try.  I picked some that maybe you haven’t tried yet and that aren’t super obvious like an egg white omelet loaded with veggies or whole wheat pancakes.

I do have some guidelines I follow for constructing my breakfasts:  must have protein, WHOLE grains, a tad of healthy fats, and fruit or veggies.  Click here to read more about how to choose the necessary components for a healthy meal.

Crock Pot Steel Cut Oats

In my house we just make time to cook them, but I’ve heard wonderful things about this crock pot method and I’m fresh out of steel cut oats otherwise I’d try it tonight.  Toss in 2 cups of the oats and 8 cups of water, set your slow cooker on low, cover and you’ll have yourself a warm breakfast waiting for you in the morning (8-10 hours).  I like to dump a tablespoon or two of ground flax seed to add an omega-3 boost too.  Then, garnish with your favorite fruit, pumpkin puree, cinnamon or even try replacing some of the water with almond milk for some additional nuttiness…as if your mornings weren’t chalk full already, right?  Click here if you want to read more about different types of oats.

Breakfast Burritos

Take a whole grain tortilla, scrambled eggs, sauteed veggies (I like mushrooms, peppers and onion), sliced avocado, salsa and wrap it up, baby.  Add some plain Greek yogurt for a “sour cream” taste and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese if you’d like.  Muchas gracias.

Almond Butter Fruit Wraps

I’m into almond butter lately, but plain peanut butter would work for this too.  Spread a thin layer of almond or natural peanut butter on a whole wheat tortilla.  Add a layer of yogurt (or vanilla soy yogurt in my case) with some smashed up blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, mango or even sliced grapes.  We keep bags of frozen fruit on hand if these fresh options are out of season and priced too high.  Oh man, I want to go to bed right now just so it can be morning quicker and I can eat this.  SO YUMMY! 

She did get some in her mouth...some.

Yogurt Sundae

Ate it this morning with my 18 month old.  Take your favorite yogurt, any of your favorite fruits in any combo and some granola (or even plain oats) and delight in the magic of a sundae for breakfast.  I suggest plain Greek yogurt (it contains double the protein to regular yogurt) with some honey or a spoonful of fruit preserves so that you can control the amount of sugar.  My sundae this morning included…wait for it…mango, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries over vanilla soy yogurt sprinkled with granola.  Darn, I wish I had a cherry to put on top!

Hard Boiled Egg and…

I would choose a whole grain of sorts (like a piece of toast or 1/2 an English muffin) and some fruit.  This is a super quick breakfast if you are always rushed in the morning.  Keep a carton of hard boiled eggs on hand and some fruit chopped up in containers for a grab n’ go type morning.  We all have them!  Generally, I preach mindful eating, but I’m also a practical, down-to-earth type gal and I recognize that sometimes you just gotta eat in the car…but it’s better to be prepared with nourishing foods for your body if you can.  And, you can. 

There ya go- 5 simple, healthy, delicious breakfasts to add into your meal rotation.  Say goodbye to breakfast frustration!

Do you have any simple, nutritious breakfast ideas you’d like to share?  Click on the title of the post and tell us all, please!

Not super heavy on the nutritional side of things today, but this subject is one of the main passions that drives me in my profession of fitness, nutrition and healthy living and I believe it’s something many of us need to hear.  Often.  Myself included.

It’s about us women and our bodies (though this does not exclude men).

I’ve been a personal trainer for almost 9 years and have spoken with probably hundreds of women about issues pertaining to our bodies.

Our beautiful bodies.

And while we all have different attitudes, most (or all?) of us struggle with our imperfections to some degree.  I do, and, well, I’m thin and toned.

I’m also human and far from perfect.

Maybe we don’t want to change.  Maybe there is a strange comfort that comes with the little world we build surrounding the disgust for the way our body looks. Maybe that’s all we really know.  And, maybe, it’s just too much work think differently.

But have you considered all the time, effort, emotion, worry…and…work we all put into disliking how we look?

What if we took all that energy and put it towards respecting our bodies?

Towards complimenting our bodies.

Towards giving our bodies the care they need to perform, feel and look healthy?

Towards learning to love our bodies.

Self-hatred is hard work.  So is loving our body, so why not choose love?

My personal drive comes from the fact that I believe I have a Creator.  An artist who had a specific plan for designing me to work in a certain way.  It’s my job to respect that and to be a good steward over what I’ve been given.  You don’t have to have those same beliefs to still agree that it is helpful, wise and good to learn to love your body.

Absolutely, it’s hard work.  But when did we start thinking that good things like respect and love don’t require hard work?

You deserve to love your body.

In all my experience motivating women to lead healthy lives, I’ve come across some common unhealthy behaviors.  I have some thoughts on these behaviors…

Step #1:  Stop putting yourself down and/or making fun of your body.

It’s unhelpful.  It is stepping in the opposite direction.  And, honestly, it makes (some) other people feel awkward.  What is someone supposed to say to things like, “I look like a beached whale in that picture.”?  I understand the culture around this type of talk.  It’s then the other person’s responsibility to say, “Oh, no you don’t!”  And if you’re not going to believe them then STOP asking for that assurance from others in that way.  While those affirming words are true and good (that you don’t actually look like a beached whale) save yourself a step and just start telling yourself that you are beautiful.

I understand that we think it helps relieve the pain and helps to make us feel better about disliking our body, but does it really?  I’d like to challenge that way of thinking.  We’ve all heard the phrase “If you say it over and over again you will start to believe it.”  Why do we want to believe such negative things about our bodies?  Start telling yourself you’re beautiful, or strong, or filled with character, love or faith over and over.  It’s a more helpful, and TRUE, alternative to the many phrases we use to put ourselves down.

Step #2:  Ditch the scale routine.

It’s a familiar place there, stepping on the scale.  First thing in the morning, after your workout, after you go to the bathroom, NOT after a big meal and naked as often as possible, right?  Ladies, it is not good to weigh ourselves that often when it leads us to only be discouraged, sad or depressed at the number we see.

I recommend 1x/week if you’re wanting to watch your weight.  The scale can be a useful tool, but instead we make it an object of obsession.  I’m more a fan of using pants size as a gauge, anyway.  Numbers on a scale are a tricky tricky thing.  Unless you have a solid understanding of how muscle, fat, water, hormones and food all play a role in adding up to that number, I say stay away from the scale.

I don’t even own a scale.

If you don’t own one, you can’t obsess over it.  I’m guessing most of us do own a scale, though, and my challenge is to put it away.  Oh, I know it will be so hard to keep it hidden, but it’s for your good.  Pull it out 1x/week if you must and if you’re feeling the urge to step anywhere outside of that 1x/week, try the stairs instead.   

Step #3:  Ditch the mirror routine.

I told you this was going to be hard work.  Ladies, seriously, how often do we look in the mirror?  Some more so than others, but I know A LOT of us spend time, again, loathing our imperfect parts as we point them out to ourselves time and again.  Really, do we need to grab, shove, squish, pull, and smooth down our bodies every time we get out of the shower?

Get out of the shower, dry off and leave the bathroom.

Better yet, go ahead and stand in front of the mirror.  Only this time, tell yourself you’re beautiful…then leave.  I don’t care if you don’t believe it, you soon will if you keep telling it to yourself.

Step #4:  Do something about it.

WARNING:  MORE HARD WORK AHEAD.  If you don’t like it, do something about it.  Either learn to love your body the way it is in it’s current state, or decide to change it.  That inbetween phase of disliking your body but not putting anything into action (especially your body) is a terrible place to be.  And if you don’t know what to do call us a MissFIT and read our blog!  We are happy to provide you with the tools and motivation to be fit and healthy!  Your body will always be imperfect, but you can at least feel energized, strong, capable, fit and healthy.    

Step #5:  Work hard.

Sorry, one last time.  Put in your effort and you will see results.  Not always the results we expect to see at the time we would like (sometimes our expectations are unrealistic), but there will be changes.  Maybe they are changes inside of your body.  Maybe they are small.  Maybe the changes come in your attitude or in how you start to actually believe that you can love yourself in a way that gives you confidence.  But I’m telling ya, there will be changes if you are intentional.  

So, here’s to learning to love our flabby, saggy, dimply, curvy, perky, scarred, flat, jiggly, muscular, fat, toned, skinny, flubby, chubby, bumpy, smooth, hairy, stretched and broken bodies.  Imperfect as they may be, they are ours so let’s learn to love them.