I won’t be posting recipes on this blog this year. Please journey with me thru 29-days of gluten free eating this Ramadhan. I promise to give you some really great non-wheat recipes complete with photos!

To find out why I’m not eating gluten, visit the About page.

Hope to see you there @ My Gluten Free Ramadhan!
Ramadhan Planner

Julia Ross, a pioneer in nutritional psychology and eating disorders and author of the book titled  The Mood Cure, has developed an eating guideline that is a great deal more clear than the food pyramid.

Her plan spells out exactly how much fats, protein, vegetables, water each person needs for optimal health.

There are no gray areas or guessing what and when to eat. You will notice that sweets are not on this eating guide. That is because sugar is the main cause of so many health problems including diabetes, depression, and mood swings.

Protein

Each person needs to eat 10-30 grams per meal. The ideal is 20 – 30 grams.

Choose from fish, chicken, turkey, (a palm-of-you-hand-size portion), eggs, cottage cheese, beans, grains, nuts, seeds, or protein powder. Eat  protein 3 times a day and for snacks in between meals. Nuts and seeds make a great snack.

Here is a quick list of the grams of protein in some of the most common foods:

• Buttermilk 1 C :: 8 grams
• Cheese, firm 1 oz :: 6-10 grams
• Cheese, soft 1 ounce :: 2 to 4 grams
• Cottage cheese 2/3 C. :: 30 grams
• Eggs (1) :: 6 to 7 grams
• Fruits :: 1 gram
• Meat, fish, poultry 3 to 4 oz ::-20 grams
• Milk 1 C. :: 8 to 10 grams
• Nuts ¼ C (4 T) :: 2 to 7 grams
• Oatmeal, cooked 1 C. :: 6 grams
• Rice, cooked 1 C. :: 6 grams
• Seeds 1 ounce (2 T) :: 6 grams
• Tuna ½ can (3 oz) :: 22 grams
• Yogurt 1 C. ::  8 to 10 grams

As you can see from the list, it is easy to decide what to eat when a person sets a goal to eat 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal.

Inshallah I’ll be back with a more detailed list of protein amounts in certain foods.

In the meantime, if you start incorporating this new way of eating into your life right now, you’ll be a pro at it by Ramadhaan inshallah!

From The Mood Cure by Julia Ross

This recipe is very easy.  This is one of those great cook and store in the freezer kind of foods.  Just heat cooked, frozen patties in the microwave and serve.

If you use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to measure out each patty, you will get 8 patties. Each patty has about 9 grams of protein. Remember, you want 20 grams of protein per meal, or at least as close as you can get to 20.

So, a breakfast would look something like this: 2-egg fritatta, 1 sausage patty (26 gm protein), plus 1/2 C fruit; or even a 1-egg fritatta and 2 patties w/fruit (24 gm protein) using this fritatta recipe.

Eating less than 20 grams of protein in a meal will leave you hungry, moody, and nutritionally compromised. You will be more likely to snack on high-carb foods or sugary treats. You will also be more likely to over eat at a later meal.

Store dried dates in a cool, dry place for 6 to 12 months. Tightly wrapped fresh dates will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Date Yields: 8 ounces dried dates = 1 cup chopped dates

Recipes Using Dates

Source: About.com

Extra virgin olive oil is made from the first pressing of the olives, contains the lowest level of acidity (the marketplace standard for labeling is less than 1%), the best taste, and the highest level of antioxidant phytonutrients. The next best after extra virgin would be virgin olive oil. While it is also made from the first pressing of the olives, it has less antioxidants, more acidity (up to 2% is allowed), and a taste that is not as rich as extra virgin olive oil.

You’ll notice that “pure” olive oil and “light” olive oils are less expensive, but in this case you get what you pay for. These olives oils are by no means as beneficial (let alone flavorful) as extra virgin olive oil.

“Pure” olive oil is actually refined oil that is created through chemical processing. One method of refining olive oil involves the use of a strong sodium hydroxide solution to “wash” the oil; other methods involve steam distillation of the oil. All refinement methods expose the oil to heats of at least 140-160˚F (60-71˚C).

“Light” olive oils are only light in terms of their taste and color; they are not lower in calories or fat. To a certain extent, the richer and deeper shades of color in an olive oil correspond to the concentration of polyphenol phytonutrients in the oil. These polyphenols may be the most heart-supportive nutrients that olives have to offer. Once they are processed out, the oil may become classified as “light,” but light and other refined olive oils are nutritionally inferior to extra virgin and virgin olive oils because of this more extensive processing.

The other consideration would be whether or not to buy organic olive oil. There’s no question about organic olive oil being your best choice. Although the nutrient richness of the organic oil may not be vastly greater than the nutrient richness of non-organic oil, the presence of toxic residues is likely to be very different. You’re very likely to get fewer toxins in the certified organic oil-especially pesticides and fungicides.

From The World’s Healthiest Foods, Copyright © 2009 The George Mateljan Foundation

Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 4 oz can diced green chili
• 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 TBS + 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups finely chopped kale
• 1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 TBS chopped fresh oregano
• 3 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Chop garlic and onion and let sit for at least 5 minutes to enhance their health-promoting benefits.
2. Heat 1 TBS broth in a medium soup pot. Healthy Sauté onion in broth for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add garlic and ground turkey with a pinch of salt and pepper. Continue to sauté, breaking up turkey for another 5 minutes.
3. Add diced tomatoes, chili, and broth to turkey mixture and bring to a boil on high heat. Stir in chopped kale, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
4. Add beans, simmer for another several minutes and add herbs, salt, and pepper.

Serves 4

Printer Friendly Version of Turkey and Vegetable Chili Verde

In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Turkey and Vegetable Chili Verde

From The World’s Healthiest Foods, Copyright © 2009 The George Mateljan Foundation

Prep and Cook Time: 3 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium ripe avocado
• 1 TBS lemon or lime juice
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• Serve with:
• 1/2 cup carrot strips
• 1/2 cup celery sticks
• 1/2 cup sliced cucumbers

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend for 1 minute. Alternatively, you can mash the avocado with a potato masher or fork and then add the rest of the ingredients.

Serves 2

Nutritional Profile will be added soon.

Printer Friendly Version of 3-Minute Guacamole with Crudités

In-Depth Nutritional Profile for 3-Minute Guacamole with Crudités

From The World’s Healthiest Foods, Copyright © 2009 The George Mateljan Foundation

Finished!

Get Ingredient Ready

Oiled Up and Ready for Curry

okay . . . time’s up. dd popped some curry ones and said, “mmm! . . . these taste just like corn nuts!” I ain’t never seen no curry corn nuts but I get the idea. They are crunchy and full of flavor. So, this recipe is a keeper! The sweet ones are good too. This is a really good crunchy snack that is easy to make and healthy.

Ingredients:
Chick peas, canned (or cook your own)
a bit of olive or other oil
favorite spices

Directions:
Drain the chickpeas well, and then toss with enough oil to coat and sprinkle with spices. I like to make with curry type stuff.  Anything you like with chickpeas should work well.  Spread the chickpeas on a baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.  Stir midway through the cooking time. They are nice and crunchy!

Nutrition Facts: 1/2 C Chickpeas =  Fat: 2.5g; Sodium: 460mg; Carbs: 15g; Protein: 7g

Source: http://vegweb.com/

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