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FnVs Hidden in Breakfast and Dessert!
By now, we hope you are finding it easier to eat more FnVs and that maybe you’ve explored a new recipe or two. Today, we’re tackling breakfast and dessert. This is kind of ironic since a typical American breakfast has as much sugar as a dessert. The recipes below are lightly sweetened with natural sugar, which is a marginally better option than white table sugar, meaning they retain some of their original micronutrients—they were not stripped away in the processing, bleaching and handling. This week wraps up our resolution to eat more FnVs! Did you have a favorite recipe from this past month? If so, let us know! Track Your Fruit and Veggie Consumption! This month, our mini resolution is to strive for 7 servings of fruit and vegetables (FnVs) a day. Wondering what counts as a serving of fruits & veggies? Here is a handy graphic you may refer to when logging your intake! Email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele at [email protected] with your individual questions. We have all made our fair share of fruit crisps and pies or banana and zucchini breads. And from the era of the Snackwell cookie (the ultimate UPF!), many of us are familiar with the trick of adding applesauce or pumpkin to our baking to increase the texture/moisture in low-fat desserts… But this week we’re wholesale swapping out the grains for FnVs. Plantains, pumpkin, sweet potato and beets parlay well with their natural sweetness and firmness. CLICK TO VIEW IN YOUR BROWSER WITH GRAPHICS AND RECIPE LINKS! FnV breakfast options: WAFFLES A minimal ingredient list and no added sweeteners make these two waffle recipes superstars! Save the sweetener for your toppings where you can see how much you use/add. PANCAKES Another breakfast staple tackled here without added sugar. MUFFINS We love blender muffins for their simplicity. Dump it, blend it, pour it, bake it and eat it! FnV frozen dessert options ICE CREAM Everyone screams for ice cream, even when it’s not actually “cream” but a fruit dessert made from bananas! FROZEN POPS Even kids won’t know these delicious Green Monster Ice Pops have spinach in them. Kids can easily pitch in and help make these own chocolate banana pops. The recipe calls for sprinkles, but you can be creative with chopped nuts or shredded coconut too. FnV baked dessert options BROWNIES If you aren’t super comfy in the kitchen or if you’re hesitant about trying new recipes, then a brownie is usually a safe bet. Brownies are the most forgiving of the baked variety—it doesn’t matter if the top sinks cracks or domes, it doesn’t need to rise and there is always an audience for an over cooked edge. The first recipe uses beets as the base. Chocolate is a great way to hide your beets! The sweet potato brownies get a dusting of buckwheat flour—which, despite the name, doesn’t contain wheat or gluten. COOKIES Even the fussiest cookie monster will devour these veggie-based cookies! CAKES These cakes cook up more like a torte, because of the absence of flour. Please let us know if you try the banana-avocado frosting!! We’ll see you next week for a new resolution!
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Dishing Out Fruits and Veggies As Dinner & Lunch Sides
Good morning! We hope you tried a salad a day last week and saw how easy it is to hit the goal of 7 servings of fruits and veggies (FnVs) each day. In these next couple of weeks, we’re moving beyond the obvious salad onto different ways to substitute and replace grains with FnVs in some of your favorite dishes. Track Your Fruit and Veggie Consumption! This month, our mini resolution is to strive for 7 servings of fruit and vegetables (FnVs) a day. Wondering what counts as a serving of fruits & veggies? Here is a handy graphic you may refer to when logging your intake! Each Monday in June, we will provide you with a different strategy to achieve your daily goal, including recipes. We will also continue to log added sugar consumption, exercise, and sleep. Record it all in your log! Email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele at [email protected] with your individual questions. You probably remember the old government-issued food pyramid from the low-fat craze of the 90’s… The one that told us to eat SEVEN servings of grains per day? Keep in mind this was also the same food pyramid that also incorrectly told us eggs were a dairy product! That isn’t even anatomically correct! That grain serving size suggestion is just bonkers! Importantly, eating all those grains crowds your plate of more nutrient-dense foods like FnVs (and protein, but that’s another story). So, for the next two weeks we will be showing you how to replace those grains with FnVs, which are more nutritious and carb/diet friendly. If you need a little guidance in the kitchen, feel free to reach out. We have a retired chef on board! This week, we’re exploring pasta and rice substitutes and recipes. SPAGHETTI SQUASH Spaghetti squash is probably the OG pasta substitute. For those unfamiliar, spaghetti squash is a type of squash that, when cooked, forms noodle-like strands. It can be baked or microwaved and served with sauces or toppings just like pasta. PREPARING SPAGHETTI SQUASH You can prepare it in the oven or in the microwave. SPAGHETTI SQUASH RECIPES The recipes for spaghetti squash are endless! Getting started is easy by subbing out your pasta for spaghetti squash, but here are some more unusual recipe options for this versatile veggie. There is also a dehydrated version of spaghetti squash on the market, which can be rehydrated and then topped. The jury is out on this concept, but we guess it’s probably convenient for camping. Zoodles—noodles made out of zucchini—hit the scene in 1991 as part of the raw food movement. This quickly progressed to boodles (noodles made out of beets) and then coodles (noodles made out of carrots). Now most all FnVs can be noodled—even red cabbage! NOODLED FnVs PREPARING FRUIT & VEGGIE-BASED NOODLES In the early days, folks had to invest in a large countertop spiralizer. Now, most grocery stores sell them pre-noodled for you fresh and frozen. FRUIT & VEGGIE-BASED NOODLES RECIPES Here are the recipes ready to go with your purchased veggie noodles. They can replace pasta in hot dishes and can also be a lovely alternative to lettuce in a salad. Firm fruit can also be spiralized! Guests at the next BBQ will be dazzled by your spiralized fruit salad and kids will gobble up your fruit crumble recipe. OTHER NOODLE OPTIONS Palmini—hearts of palm pasta—is a fairly new player to the market. There is an entire line of palmini pasta alternatives, including lasagna noodles. These cook up a little firmer, more al dente than typical veggie noodles. Shirataki noodles have been around a while and are made from the fiber of the Konjac plant. They are decidedly NOT for everyone except for those adventurous eaters out there (We like them! 😀). RICE ALTERNATIVES As with the noodles, riced vegetables are more nutritious and carb/dieter friendly. And just like noodles, they can be made at home or purchased fresh or frozen. Popular suggestions include the Green Giant and Trader Joe’s varieties. Palmini also has a hearts of palm rice version of their products too. PREPARING RICED VEGGIES If you choose to make your own at home, here is how. RICED VEGGIE RECIPES Once you have your riced veggies, you can search for riced vegetable recipes like risottos, sushi, fried rice, and even rice pudding! See you next week for FnV-based breakfast and dessert ideas! Your New Mini Resolution: Eat More Fruits & Veggies (FnVs)!
Happy Monday! Welcome to a NEW mini resolution! If you are joining us mid-year you can view past Motivated Mondays editions on our website. This month, our mini resolution will be to strive for 7 servings of fruit and vegetables (FnVs) a day. Track Your Fruit and Veggie Consumption! This month, our mini resolution is to strive for 7 servings of fruit and vegetables (FnVs) a day. Wondering what counts as a serving of fruits & veggies? Here is a handy graphic you may refer to when logging your intake! Each Monday in June, we will provide you with a different strategy to achieve your daily goal, including recipes. We will also continue to log added sugar consumption, exercise, and sleep. Record it all in your log! Email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele at [email protected] with your individual questions. One aspect of a healthy brain diet is prioritizing fruits and vegetables. To be clear, fruits & veggies shouldn’t comprise the entirety of one’s plate, but a substantial portion is recommended. This is because FnVs are chock full of micronutrients, water and fiber which either outright prevent neurodegeneration or slow disease progression once it has initiated, here is how:
Serving Size You might be saying, “Hey, why so many? The government says I only need 5 servings a day!” Keep in mind, government recommendations for nutrition are minimal standards to support life and prevent overt disease (think scurvy or rickets). We are looking to optimize our nutrition to build brains that are resilient to degeneration. A recent meta-analysis found that in a stepwise fashion, every 100 grams of FnVs each day (1/2 cup) was related to a 13% reduction in the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. So, we are reaching beyond the government recommendations. Food for thought… (literally) Increasing your daily consumption of FnVs essentially crowds out poor food choices. One study found that replacing 10% of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in the diet with minimally processed foods participants lowered risk of dementia by 19%. Last week we shared a special edition on UPFs. Read it here. But is it Too Late to Make Change? Some may be thinking it’s too late in life to make dietary changes, but recent studies on cognitive function have shown people over age 60 benefit more from increased FnV consumption than children and adolescents. What aspect of cognitive function is most impacted by FnV intake? Executive function, specifically verbal memory, is linked to a diet high in FnVs. Blueberries and green leafy vegetables are frequently cited in research for their cognitive benefits. One study found those who consumed at least two servings a day of green leafy vegetables were cognitively younger by 11 years than those who rarely or never consumed them One final thought, a recent longitudinal study found those who both exercise and consume a diet high in FnVs demonstrate exponentially less cognitive decline than those who only reported each independent variable. Our mini resolutions interact synergistically! Want to revisit the resolution to exercise? View our blog archive. Exercise & FnVs We’ll see you next week for your first strategy. In the interim, here are two past editions that parlay nicely into this month’s mini resolution:
Hello and happy Monday! Before we kick off our next mini resolution—which will be to eat more fruits and vegetables—we first want to take a dive, in today’s Special Edition of Motivated Mondays, into ultra-processed foods and their relationship with cognitive decline.
Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) In today’s fast-paced world, grocery shopping has transformed into a complex experience filled with a large array of choices. Among these options, processed and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have become staples for many, offering convenience and instant gratification. But as our carts fill with brightly packaged snacks and ready-to-eat meals, it’s crucial to pause and consider what we’re really putting into our bodies. And recent media coverage has shone the spotlight on just how harmful these UPFs can be. In order to better understand health outcomes and inform food policy, researchers have created four food categories based on their degree of processing:
What is the definition of “ultra-processed foods”? In general, UPFs are industrial formulations primarily composed of chemically modified substances extracted from foods, along with additives to enhance taste, texture, appearance, and durability, with minimal to no inclusion of whole foods. UPFs are typically inexpensive, high in salt, sugar, and fat, but low in fiber, protein, and the nutrients found in the original foods. They are characterized by hyper-palatability, which is chemically engineered. As American molecular biologist and nutritionist Dr. Marion Nestle points out, UPFs are foods you could not make at home due to a lack of the necessary equipment and ingredients. These lab-created foods are designed to encourage individuals to eat beyond the point of satiety. Remember the ad, “No one can eat just one? Examples of UPFs Snacks: Chips, biscuits, cakes, pastries, sweets, chocolate, and ice cream. Processed meats: Sausages, hot dogs, deli meats, and chicken nuggets. Drinks: Sugar-sweetened beverages, energy drinks, and fruit drinks. Ready meals: Frozen pizzas, pre-prepared pasta dishes, and packaged pies. Breakfast cereals: Especially those with added sugars, artificial colors, and flavors. Breads: Mass-produced packaged breads often contain additives. Condiments: Bottled sauces, and dressings. Health Risks As Americans, 58% of our daily caloric intake comes from UPFs, displacing minimally processed, nutritious food in the diet. Alarmingly, a diet high in UPFs has been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, depression, anxiety, and now cognitive decline and neurodegeneration. Can’t the lab add the nutrients back in and restore a healthy diet? No, and here’s why. Processing alters the chemical and physical properties of food, leading to a dietary reconstitution that affects not only the nutrients in the food item itself but also how or if those nutrients can be absorbed. Furthermore, industrial processing can produce harmful substances such as advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), trans fats, furans, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The additives—emulsifiers, coloring agents, artificial sweeteners, and nitrates/nitrites—must also be considered, as they can disrupt the gut microbiome. These additives have been studied for safety as individual ingredients, yet they are often consumed together as a “cocktail,” which may amplify negative effects on human health. Additionally, contaminants in packaging, such as bisphenols, microplastics, mineral oils, and phthalates, pose further health risks. The body perceives these chemicals as foreign, triggering a cascading inflammatory response often referred to as “fast food fever.” Collectively, these factors result in elevated circulating biomarkers indicating oxidative stress and cellular damage. Alarmingly, more than 1,500 observational studies indicate a strong, direct association between UPF consumption and mortality, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, including diabetes, and mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. All of these are known risk factors for cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases. A rare clinical trial (PMID 31105044) supports observational findings on ultra-processed foods (UPFs). In a 4-week controlled study, participants alternated between UPF and minimally processed diets, matched for calories and nutrients. On the UPF diet, they consumed ~500 more calories daily and gained 2 pounds. On the minimally processed diet, they lost 2 pounds and showed improved hunger hormone profiles and metabolic markers. Moreover, studies regarding UPFs, cognitive decline and neurodegeneration have found a direct association between consumption of UPFs and the development of dementia in a dose-response fashion, meaning more UPFs consumed = greater risk of cognitive decline and/or dementia. Conversely, replacing just 10% of UPFs in the diet with a proportional equivalent of minimally processed foods has been estimated to reduce the risk of dementia by 19%, a finding which gives credence to the value of minimally processed diets, such as the Mediterranean and Nordic Diets. Just last month, a groundbreaking study identified a strong association between long term consumption of UPFs and the development of non-motor prodromal Parkinson’s disease (PD) features, including partial loss of the ability to smell, daytime sleepiness, body pain, impaired color vision and depressive symptoms. The research on UPFs is fairly new, dating as far back only to 2017... But there is likely a direct, yet to be established, mechanism of action where UPFs negatively impact neurological health. Presently we understand the relationship to be inflammatory in nature and also related to comorbidities such as cardiometabolic diseases and mental health disorders. What does all this mean for you? It’s all a matter of making better choices, namely, eating real food!! What is real food? Simply ask yourself, “Did my grandmother eat this food,” “Can I make this at home?” “Are the listed ingredients sold on grocery shelves?” If the answer is “no,” don’t put it in your grocery cart. If you need some additional guidance on how to make better choices, you can try the Yuka app. Just scan your item’s barcode and the app will provide a grade for that item out of 100, as well as better food alternatives. Sometimes the alternatives include items with artificial sweeteners—be sure to avoid those! |
MICHELE MCCAMBRIDGE, MPH, MSMichele is the Senior VP of Membership Development at Concierge Choice Physicians. She is also a professional in the areas of nutrition, fitness and wellness. Archives
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