Nutso-Sweet Friday & food combining

Happy Nutso-Sweet Friday!

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As promised, here is Lacey’s

Chocolate peanut butter cups recipe, winner of our MORSELICIOUS Peanut Butter Giveaway!

This recipe is inspired by my cousin who makes “Buckeyes,” a treat from Ohio that is similar to a chocolate peanut butter cup, but I have improved on the traditional buckeye in taste and nutrition, so let’s call them chocolate peanut butter cups:

Makes 6 large
2 very soft bananas
1/2 cup peanut butter and co. old fashioned smooth (BUT it would be wonderful with any of their flavors!)
1/2 cup of the morselicious mix
6 oz. chocolate (I used an unsweetened ghiradelli bar, but you can use any chocolate that will melt. Make sure it has a high percentage of cocoa and a low percentage of sugar!)

-Beat the first two ingredients with a mixer
-Stir in the morselicious mix
-Scoop into muffin cups with a cookie scooper, put in freezer for 1 hour
-Melt chocolate in pan and dip the cup in chocolate and place in freezer or fridge until your ready to enjoy (they won’t last long).
-You can skip the chocolate step and they will be just as MORSELICIOUS!

And, now for your NUTSO-SWEET question from Tara:

Q: Do certain foods need to be eaten alone? Or at specific times of the day?

Thank you for your question!

A. While some nutritionists believe in food-combining: suggesting only eating certain foods together and asserting that some items, like fruits, should be eaten alone. It is my educated opinion that unless you have difficulty digesting certain foods together (one example being: milk products with meat), it doesn’t matter how or when you eat your foods so long as you stay portion-controlled and maintain a good balance of nutrients throughout the day. Your body has the capability of digesting and absorbing nutrients from a variety of food combos (ie a PB and jelly sandwich with an apple provides protein, heart-healthy fat, fruit and whole grains).

Though to combat candida (yeast), which is a growing issue for many people, Mo suggests eating fruit alone, which isn’t a bad idea. In fact, eating a small apple for a snack is a great way to curb mid-morning hunger (as I can attest to myself). She and I both encourage nut milks instead of cow’s milk as there are many issues surrounding dairy, including antibiotics.

However, you probably don’t want to go to bed right after a meal rich in animal protein as it will take longer to digest that your carbohydrate grains and fruits/vegetables. It may take 3-5 hours to digest depending on how much you’ve eaten. Whereas a simple carbohydrate snack (ie fresh fruit or a piece of toast) will digest more quickly and help you avoid the incidence of any stomach discomfort or acid reflux while laying down.

Morning meals should be adequate in calories and nutrients to keep you energized and satisfied to start off your day. Consider a whole grain (cereal or toast), a protein (milk of choice (i.e.. nut milks, etc., peanut butter, yogurt, egg) and a fruit or vegetable. Here are some great healthy breakfast ideas. If you will be working out shortly after breakfast, be sure to keep it light enough so your body doesn’t have to endure the heavy work of digesting while you are exercising (that could cause cramps or stomach discomfort, not too mention it might weigh you down because you have less energy for moving as your body is using it for its process of breaking down nutrients, absorbing and distributing them).

Other than these guidelines, feel free to eat what appeals to you so long as you keep a healthy balance of protein, healthy fats, carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, whole grains) throughout your day. Consider myplate.org for plating guidelines (ratio of fruits/vegetables on your plate to proteins and starches).

Here is Mo’s and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition’s approach to dietary guidelines: http://mo-themorselist.healthcoach.integrativenutrition.com/my-approach

We hope this helps, Tara.

Lauren O’Connor, MS, RD

http://nutrisavvysblog.wordpress.com