LUNCH Archives - Page 6 of 8 - Sara Haas, RDN, LDN

No Fail, Winning Guacamole Recipe

in LUNCH / Recipes / SNACKS May 4, 2016March 6, 2017 9 comments

Award* Winning Guacamole Recipe

*Disclaimer – this recipe hasn’t actually won any official awards or titles. And it hasn’t been entered in any recipe contests or been featured on the Food Network. So my guacamole is technically “award-less,” however it’s unofficially a “winner” (hence, Winning Guacamole) in my small circle of nearest and dearest. And I’m about to let you in on my not-so-secret recipe! But first, there are some things you should know.

Guacamole 101: What You Need to Know

Pick the Avocado – This is a big deal, so it’s imperative you get it right. How do you choose the right avocado? Depends on when you want to make your guacamole. If you don’t need it until a couple of days from now, it’s ok to buy the rock-solid avocado because it will continue to ripen. If you want it tonight, buy the one that gives just a little when you apply a light pressure to it. Skip the super soft ones and the ones with dents and dings.
Don’t Skip the Onion – So many people tell me they want to leave out the onion, but I encourage you not to do that. Instead, if onion causes you trouble, consider this little trick – chop it and then add it to a bowl of water. Let it sit there while you’re making the guacamole and then drain it and add it. Soaking the onion will help remove some of the bitter compounds, so you won’t have that pungent onion taste in your mouth.
Add salt – Every time I make this guacamole someone always asks, “why does this taste so good?” It’s not that I am an awesome guacamole maker or that I have a special guacamole secret, it’s just salt. Yes, you heard me, salt. If you don’t add the right amount, it’ll just taste like mashed avocados and onion. Add the salt, and you’ve become a culinary genius! Afraid of salt, it’s ok, I understand, but in this recipe I’m only using 1/4 teaspoon of salt and that equals to about 145 milligrams of sodium per serving. That’s a relatively small amount considering 2300 milligrams per day is your cutoff.

There, now you’re armed and dangerous. Time to get to the store and stock up on avocados so you can make a big batch of my No Fail Winning Guacamole!

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No Fail, Winning Guacamole

Author: Sara Haas

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Description

A recipe for delicious guacamole that works every time!

Ingredients

Scale

1 ripe avocado, sliced in half and seeded
2 teaspoons -1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 jalapeño, finely chopped*
3 tablespoons finely chopped white or yellow onion**

Instructions

Scoop out the avocado flesh into a bowl and gently mash. Stir in the lime juice and salt. Mix in the cilantro, onion and jalapeño.
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

*If you prefer your guacamole less spicy, remove and discard the seeds and membrane from the jalapeño before chopping. Careful, those seeds are hot, so best to remove them with a spoon or knife.
**Do raw onions bother you? Try soaking them in water first before adding them to your guacamole.
Makes about 1 cup guacamole.

Nutrition

Calories: 339
Sugar: 3
Sodium: 608
Fat: 30
Saturated Fat: 4
Unsaturated Fat: 23
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 21
Protein: 5
Cholesterol: 0

Maple Cinnamon Almonds

in Fertility Feature / Fertility Friday's / LUNCH / SNACKS April 29, 2016March 6, 2017 13 comments

Fertility Friday + Recipe for Maple Cinnamon Almonds

Do you remember back in the ’80’s and ’90’s when all fat was considered “bad?”

Looking back on that time, it was almost comical the degree to which we feared fat. Companies worked so hard removing it from their products and people went crazy buying fat-free everything. I remember noshing on a box of fat-free cookies thinking, “wow, no fat, but they sure taste good, I’m so glad they’re good for me!”

Fat is Back?

Oh dear! Luckily research has improved and we are no longer shunning fat. In fact, now we know that fat is vital to our existence. Fats provide energy, help us absorb fat-soluble vitamins, and can keep our hearts healthy. We just have to be smart about the type of fats we’re choosing and how much of them we’re eating.

But I Can’t Eat as Much as I Want?

While all fats fit, it’s important to keep moderation in mind. Saturated and trans fats are the types of fats we should limit. Research is always on-going on this, and recently saturated fast have been in the news about not being as “bad” as we once thought. My advice? Stick with moderation. Go for the whole milk, but keep your serving to one cup. Enjoy that birthday cake, but choose the small slice instead of the massive monster piece. See where I’m going with this? Don’t over-indulge. It’s never wise to eat too much of one thing, right?

Instead, focus on getting more healthy fats into your diet. We call those unsaturated (specifically monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) fats. These unsaturated fats can also help support fertility by helping control blood sugar and tamper inflammation. Where do you find them? Great question!

Where to Find The Fantastic Fat:

Sources of polyunsaturated fats: fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines; flax seed and flax seed oil, walnuts and edamame

Sources of monounsaturated fats: nuts (like in these Maple Cinnamon Almonds!) and seeds, avocado, canola and olive oil

Putting it Together

It’s easy! Eat fat, but make smart choices. Stick with moderation and balance your intake with other foods. Eating this way just makes sense! Feeling inspired? Get into your kitchen and make these yummy Maple Cinnamon Almonds so that you can enjoy some of those nutritious healthy fats!

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