National Nutrition Month -- what you can do to partake

I received this email from the Nutrition Council of Greater Cincinnati, and instead of trying to paraphrase and reproduce the helpful links embedded within it, I've pasted the communication within this post.
Be sure to check out their link "50 ways to eat more fruits and vegetables," below.

Also note that their annual Food on the Run Fitness walk/run is this Saturday, March 3rd -- scroll down for the details.

Food For Thought E-News Celebrate Nutrition Month Winter 2012

MyPlate Recipes Very Berry Yogurt Parfaits w/ skillet Granola More Healthy & Fit Links 50 Ways To Eat More Fruits & Vegetables  Sodium Handout  Fiber Handout  Join Our List

It's almost time to Get Your Plate in Shape to celebrate National Nutrition Month! Read on to find out the hottest topics in nutrition for March.  Get Your Plate In Shape Build a healthy plate. Start with more vegetables and fruit, add smaller portions of proteins and grains. Here are more tips to get your plate in shape. Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Make at least half your grains whole grains. Switch to fat-free or low-fat milk. Cut back on sodium and empty calories from solid fats and added sugars. Enjoy your food but eat less. Use the online supertracker to track your daily food intake and physical activity. Visit www.choosemyplate.gov for more information. Food on the Run 2012 Join us for our annual Food on the Run 10K & 5K Run/Fitness Walk on Saturday, March 3rd. Register online no later than Thursday, March 1st at midnight.  We recommend participants carpool, we are expecting 1200 runners/walkers. Parking is available for $4 at Yeatman's Cove and other lots. For more information or to get involved contact Jane Boback or visit our website. We are now on Facebook!

Best of Health, The Nutrition Council Registered Dietitians

Good spot -- no, better than good -- in a neighborhood that needs it

Dinner at Emilia

With so much wealth clustered on the east-central side of Cincinnati, you'd think there would be better dining choices, or at least more interesting and inventive ones. But Hyde Park, Indian Hill, Oakley and Walnut Hills have a lot more chain restaurants (Bonefish Grill, PF Chang's, J. Alexander's, First Watch, Chipotle and the like), casual diner style spots (Arthur's, Hitching Post), or mediocre Thai/Asian places than independent eateries. The ones that are there are either limited in scope (Essencha teahouse, great at what it does) and/or tired (Teller's) or are about to exit from the area (Boca, Hugo's).
That's a long intro to bringing up a new restaurant in O'Bryonville that is packing people in -- grateful, no doubt, for the excitement of a place worth seeking out. Enoteca Emilia couldn't be more welcome to the area. Owned by a couple who used to run the bistro at Joseph-Beth bookstore in Rookwood/Hyde Park, the former home of several failed concepts seems to be firing on all cylinders and boasting packed houses most nights.

Faro/Beet Salad, yum

The food is relatively casual but well executed -- Italian, and mostly small plates. We had a couple of meat skewers (lamb for me, chicken for my husband) and split a couple of excellent side dishes -- roasted cauliflower and a cold faro salad with beets and mint.
Everything was delicious and we loved the feel of the place -- very lively and with a friendly and happy vibe.
My husband declared this his new favorite restaurant.

Light dining, with great drinking!

My favorite restaurant (not counting the high-end, once-in-awhile options) is La Poste in Clifton, Cincinnati. Happily, Clifton is my home 'hood and the restaurant is about a 10-minute walk from our house.

The food is good at La Poste, but the drinks are stellar. In addition to perhaps the best, most extensive and most adventurous wine list within a 200-mile radius, head bartender Suzy whips up some delicious cocktails. She's not satisfied doing the same things over and over, so every couple of months she creates a new list of about 10 fun drinks.

On her latest list, the "Hot Manhattan" is my favorite so far. I can't tell you the ingredients -- figs are involved, as well as a bit of Amaretto and of course bourbon -- but it has a kick from chili peppers that is just right. Not too spicy but enough heat to give it a great aftertaste.

Great bartender!

Here's a photo of Suzy with a couple of her drinks. For my meal, I just had their flatbread appetizer. They usually have a flatbread option but the one on the current menu is the best so far. It's lighter than most, with only a sprinkling of goat cheese. The crispy, cracker-like bread is topped with a mushroom spread, candied lemon peel, the goat cheese and frisee salad. Believe it or not, it was plenty of food.

Another time I went with my husband and we split the flatbread as an appetizer. I had the roasted pear salad and he had a salmon entree, rounding out the meal.

Flatbread that's a meal

Fat belly? Eat these foods, help it melt away

Try emphasizing whole grains, vinegar and nuts -- and get rid of that spare tire.
So says Eating Well. Here are some tasty and easy recipes that include filling foods that contain these stomach-reducing ingredients....for example, this couscous salad.

Recipe: Couscous and Berry Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped shallots
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups cooked whole-wheat couscous
• 1 cup chopped nectarine
• 1 cup mixed fresh berries, such as blueberries and raspberries
• 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

Instructions: Whisk oil, orange juice, vinegar, shallots, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add cooked couscous, nectarines, berries and almonds; gently toss to combine.

The best sources for protein -- lean and nutritious

Ever since I started working out with a personal trainer a few months ago, I've been a lot more conscious of reducing starchy foods (pasta, potatoes, bread, and rice) and upping the amount of protein I eat every day.

Yes, I often supplement food sources with a helping of low fat protein powder dissolved in water, but here are a few really great ways to enjoy protein on a daily basis. 

(In no special order)

Yogurt (especially Greek) -- buy nonfat or low-fat plain, add vanilla flavoring and a no-cal sweetener if you want. I have it for breakfast with berries, half a banana, chopped walnuts and a couple tablespoons of granola for crunch. It's become my favorite breakfast.

Almond butter -- almonds are so much more nutritious than peanuts, and while like most folks I love (chunky, unsalted) peanut butter, almond butter is a better choice. Spread it on apple slices or celery sticks to avoid the starchy bread or crackers that we tend to put our nut butters on.

Quinoa -- instead of rice, couscous or pasta, this grain is a great source of protein, and it's just as satisfying to the soul as those other, starchier grain products.

Eggs (especially organic) -- the ultimate fast food because they cook in no time. I don't bother with them for breakfast but at lunch I enjoy a couple of eggs scrambled with cooked veggies, perhaps some leftover chicken or salmon, and a sprinkle of cheese. A quick fritatta or omelet also makes a nutritious supper.

Wild salmon and other wild (not farmed) fish -- we eat fish for dinner at least three times a week. It cooks very fast (like eggs) in a frying pan with just a bit of oil. One of our go-to meals.

Organic Chicken and Grass-Fed Beef -- one of my healthy-foodie rules is "no supermarket or fast-food meat," if only because I am offended by the inhumane treatment of animals by our industrial food system. We don't eat beef of any kind very often, to tell you the truth, and prefer ground bison (buffalo) in chili, sauces and as burgers. 

Hummus -- made from protein-rich chickpeas (garbanzo beans), I like the chipotle flavored kind by Trader Joe's, and also the Luscious Lemon of another brand. To avoid a starchy bed for this spread, I have it with carrots and celery, usually.

Best coffee in town (by a lot)

Hyde Park Coffee Empo

This won't be news to anyone who loves coffee and lives in Cincinnati, but Coffee Emporium is the king of the Queen City when it comes to the bean.
It's probably because they roast their own at the downtown (OTR) location. Man, the stuff is good.
OTR has more indoor seating than does Hyde Park, but the parking is so expensive down there that it's hard to a) find a space at all during weekday mornings, and b) spring for the pricey meters if you do get one.
The Hyde Park locale is wonderful in warm weather because of the many outdoor spots, in front of and behind the cute house where you get your coffee, pastries, etc.
I'm there right now, about to grade a batch of papers while enjoying a superb mug of capuccino.
I do have to avoid the pastries, however, since they are large and caloric. The vegan cinnamon coffee cake would be less guilt-inducing if it were a few ounces smaller. (Yes, I know -- in theory I don't have to eat the whole thing, but what are the odds when it tastes so good?)

A lovely salad

This crunchy, healthful salad was featured on Epicurious recently.

Recipe: Shaved Cauliflower and Radicchio Salad

Ingredients:

Salad:

·         1/2 head of a 1-pound cauliflower, cored, cut into florets

·         1/2 head of a 6-ounce radicchio, cored, quartered lengthwise

·         6 inner celery stalks with leaves

·         1/4 cup thinly sliced chives

·         1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

·         1 lemon

Dressing:

·         2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

·         1/4 cup walnut oil

·         Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

·         1 ripe Bosc pear

·         1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted if desired

Instructions:

For salad: 
Push cauliflower florets, then radicchio, through the feed tube of a food processor fitted with a slicing disk, or thinly slice cauliflower on a mandoline and radicchio with a knife. Mix in a large bowl.

Peel rounded side of celery with a peeler to remove strings. Remove leaves; add to bowl. Thinly slice stalks with a knife; place in bowl and add chives and parsley. Finely grate zest from whole lemon directly over the bowl to catch any citrus oil. Toss to mix well. Squeeze juice from lemon for dressing.

For dressing: 
Place 1 tablespoon juice in a small bowl. Whisk in Dijon mustard. Gradually whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Up to 1 hour before serving, add dressing to salad; toss to coat. Season salad with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.

Cut pear into matchstick-size pieces. Add pear and walnuts to salad; toss to combine.