Review Post Turned Non-Review Post on Protein Supplements

Just because protein powdered supplements are available out there doesn't mean that you need to automatically purchase and consume them. Depending on your circumstance(s), which may be connected to a medical condition or preparing for a sports event, certain powdered supplements/drinks may be warranted and necessary. Especially when it comes to certain protein supplements/drinks, there is no one size fits all.


This post started out to be a product review of a protein powdered supplement that was sent to me by its makers. I truly, absolutely like this product and would recommend it for individualized situations. In fact, in my lecture this week, I will be informing my dietetic students about this product. I have been wanting to write about this product for some time now; however, I am turning this product review post into a non-product review post, because I wouldn't want anyone to start buying this product if it isn't necessary for him or her. I am definitely not in the business of leading others to spend their hard-earned money unwisely.

To really determine what meal plan is appropriate for your situation, health, and nutritional goals, please meet with a registered dietitian. If you would like to meet with a registered dietitian in your area, I would be happy to locate one for you. I am also available for online consultations as well. 

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Spending this Memorial Day relaxing with family.:) Thank you to the men and women who have selflessly served our country. How are you spending Memorial Day today? 

Children's Day Fair at Loma Linda

Last week, two of my students and I held a nutrition booth at Loma Linda University and Medical Center's annual Children's Day Fair. Over 1300 children and 400 parents/teachers were in attendance to enjoy the various booths by all the different medical departments including the fire department and police department. This is definitely a fun time of learning for many children in the Inland Empire.

The wagon was filled with colorful fruits & vegetables.

My two dietetic students may look familiar to you. They are Melani Sadanala and Zsaleh Rahimi. I had posted their outstanding video cooking demo presentations a few months ago. They both are great students who will be graduating in about two weeks.

The theme I chose for our booth this year is "Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables!". I believe it is never too early to encourage children in the right path of eating right. If they are taught from the get go that eating fruits and vegetables is definitely a wonderful thing to do in order to grow strong and be healthy, there is a good possibility they will embrace these good lifestyle practices into adulthood. As a registered dietitian, I don't believe in deceiving your children by "hiding" vegetables in food. 

For our give-aways at our booth, we handed out bananas as well as colorful handouts on what constitutes a portion size for fruits and vegetables. We also handed out magnets, pens, and little note-pads. 

As the children came to our booth, we talked to them about what their favorite fruits and vegetables are and explained to them why it is important for them to continue eating these delicious whole foods every single day. We showed the children that a baseball is equivalent to the portion size of one fresh vegetable serving. A tennis ball was used to show that a serving of fresh fruit is about the size of that particular ball. Although all of the children listened intently, many of them asked if they can have the baseballs.:-D  Many of the children do understand what it means to be healthy and to be sick. They understand that being as healthy as they possibly can is the way they want to go.

Even though it was a hot day, it still was an enjoyable day for all of us with the children. We were very glad to once again be part of a fair that introduces children to the various medical professions as well as to the professions that help protect our communities...and of course, introduce them to healthy living. We hope that all of the children we saw that day will grow up to making healthy choices when it comes to food!

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How do you encourage your children to eat fruits and vegetables?

Recipe Redux: Silver Fish Patties

I got really excited when I found out that this month's Recipe Redux's theme is "little fishes".  I absolutely love little fishes and that's maybe due to my Filipino background. Little fishes is one of the delicacies served from the Philippines.  I have eaten silver fish patties at my relative's restaurant and of course, my Mom has made silver fish patties for us.  However, I did not ask my relatives or mother for their silver fish patty recipe. I wanted to make my own up.

These silver fishes do come to us from the Philippines and other Asian countries.  Of course, they provide omega-3 fatty acids, which are definitely heart healthy; but they also most likely do not have much mercury or none due to the fact that these fishes are so little that they haven't been given the chance to grow and devour some mercury.

So here's my version of Filipino silver fish patties paired together with LaChoy's Sweet and Sour Sauce.






Ingredients:
1 small 8 oz. box of silver fish (can be bought at Asian stores)
1 cup of low sodium panko bread crumbs
5 stalks of green onions chopped
5 pieces of minced and chopped garlic cloves
3 eggs and 2 eggs whites
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
pepper to taste
1 tsp mushroom seasoning
1 tsp of fish sauce
2 Tbsp of canola oil
LaChoy's Sweet and Sour Sauce


Directions:
Defrost silver fish in refrigerator over night. Mix all of the ingredients together and very well in a medium size bowl. Take a 1/3 cup measuring cup and spoon this portion of the mixture onto a skillet with the added oil. Press down and shape the mixture as to desired or as in a patty shape. Have on medium heat. After a few minutes or so, flip patty on to other side. Heat until both sides are slightly golden brown or until desired crispness. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.


Hope you enjoy this Filipino-turned-American recipe of Silver Fish Patties!:)

Also, please check out the other tasty and delicious little fish recipes by my colleagues! Bon apetit!


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What Filipino fish dishes have you enjoyed or like?

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Henry & a Farmer's Market in Vienna

I arrived a week ago from a wonderful and memorable trip to Slovakia and Austria. I had the privilege of accompanying a current dietetic student and a former dietetic student (now a colleague) as they taught the lay people of Slovakia and Serbia on nutrition and how to counsel others. However, the three of us gals had a memorable time together on our trip.

One of the highlights of our trip to Eastern Europe was when we stopped at a splendid little market in downtown Vienna called Henry, the art of living.  Visit their website at www.enjoyhenry.com. If you love food and you love nutritious, good-for-you food...this is the kind of store you would enjoy walking through. Their fruits and vegetables were truly amazing to feast your eyes on.  I did get to enjoy some sweet plums that they sold there.  Here are some of the pics from this delightful Viennese market.

Then we also got to see a farmer's market of sorts in another beautiful Austrian town called Salzburg. Does Salzburg sound familiar? I'm sure "Sound of Music" rings a bell when you hear Salzburg.:)

Of course, I also got to enjoy there the infamous Sacher Torte in Vienna as well as this other decadent dessert which name I cannot remember.  However, my Sacher Torte picture doesn't look good so I'm not posting it, but here's a picture of the other dessert I ate, which I had a scrumptious toffee topping on top! Delicious!

If you ever get a chance to visit Austria, I certainly would highly recommend it. The beauty of this country is spectacular. The culture, architecture, natural surroundings, and kindness of the people truly make this place a wonderful to visit.

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What are your favorite European countries that you have visited or would like to visit one day?