|
|
 Dreamstime-Monika Adamczyk Yogurt, fruits, vegetables and salmon added to your daily diet can boost your immune system this flu season. It’s a long flu season this year. Keep your family healthy by enjoying a whole foods diet.
Dr. Sears says, “Eat salmon, salad and smoothies — those are my three top immune-boosters.” Fruit and yogurt smoothies are the perfect snack, breakfast or dessert. They are a great source of protein and calcium. They also contain important phytonutrients, which are immune-boosters.
Both Dr. Sears and Dr. Alan Greene recommend yogurt smoothies as a great way to get kids to enjoy their fruit and veggies.
Check out the recipe below from Dr. Greene for a super-immune boosting smoothie that even a picky toddler will like. Yes, it’s green and it has spinach in it, but it is delicious!
I love this homemade frozen yogurt recipe. It is similar to the tart and tangy probiotic rich yogurt found at Red Mango or Pinkberry, except better because it’s made at my house and costs next to nothing.
If you get hooked on this like I am, you’ll want to start making your own big batches of yogurt so you can stock up your freezer with this healthy treat.
This is super easy…all you need is plain yogurt, sugar and vanilla.
Here I am mixing in some vanilla and sugar into my plain yogurt. I’ve strained this yogurt overnight to make a rich, thick greek-style yogurt. You could just buy greek yogurt at the store. This is a great way to use my homemade yogurt, which tends to be a bit thin.
Then pour the mixture into the ice cream maker. I have a very simple and inexpensive ice cream maker. It has a canister that can be removed. You place it in the freezer for at least 24 hours prior to using. I just keep it in the freezer, so it’s always ready to go.
The yogurt will expand as it freezes so you only want to fill it up half way full. Here is what the frozen yogurt looks like when it’s done (in about 15 minutes). I like to put the ice cream in the freezer for a few hours to firm it up a bit.
Now, this is NOT like ice cream. It is tangy and refreshing like lemon gelato. In fact many Pinkberry and Red Mango fans that try to re-create their favorite fro-yo at home mistakenly add lemon juice to their frozen yogurt.
That really is the closest thing to compare it to, but really it has a completely unique taste that quickly becomes addictive. I can’t get enough of it…it’s so good. And it’s just strained plain yogurt, sugar (or a healthier natural sweetner) and vanilla, so it is actually very good for you.
Yogurt Cheese is easy to make and can be used in so many delicious recipes.
The best way to enjoy yogurt cheese is to make it using your own homemade yogurt. If you were to make it with store bought yogurt it would be a bit expensive since you have to make a lot for most recipes. Generally, 1 cup yogurt yields 1/2 cup yogurt cheese and 1/2 cup whey.
Before you discard that whey, discover the many benefits of wonderful whey.
I used this yogurt cheese to make some homemade vanilla frozen yogurt. Yogurt cheese can also be used to make yogurt dips, sauces and cheesecake. It makes a great substitute for cream cheese.
To make yogurt cheese, simple strain yogurt in cheesecloth or a strainer lined with coffee filters. Cover it and let it set in the fridge overnight. It needs to strain for about 12-18 hours.
This is actually the same procedure as making greek yogurt, except you will strain the yogurt for longer.
Yogurt cheese will last up to 2 weeks in a tightly covered container. In middle eastern countries they roll it (called Labna) into balls and store them in a jar of olive oil. This cheese is similiar to raw mozzarella and can be used in many of the same recipes.
You can find out more about yogurt cheese recipes here.
I thought this post was great from Ginger, Boo and Pickles. I have never used the Easiyo yogurt maker before; I am a fan of making yogurt in the crock pot.
However this Easiyo invention is intriguing. They are fairly inexpensive and look about like a thermos (btw- you can make yogurt in a thermos).
If you’ve tried using Easiyo to make yogurt, let me know what you think and check out this tutorial.
One of the great things about making homemade yogurt is having a lot of nutritious whey on hand. You can use whey to soak whole grains and to make lacto-fermented vegetables.
Whey should not be considered a waste product because it is so valuable. Many cheese makers throw it out, but it is very useful in the kitchen and has many health benefits.
Sally Fallon says in Nourishing Traditions that, “Modern cheese makers consider whey a waste product, but in earlier times it was used to produce a variety of other fermented foods and beverages”.
I don’t know when whey ceased to be an everyday household item, but if you make homemade yogurt or cheese you will also be producing whey. Little Miss Muffet enjoyed her curds and whey, but I guess most people don’t do that anymore.
We use our whey for soaking rolled oats to make porridge, for making lacto-fermented veggies and sometimes we add it to smoothies (just a little-it’s tart!).
 Here are some more tidbits about whey from Hanna Kroeger of Ageless Remedies from Mother’s Kitchen.
~Whey is such a good helper in your kitchen. It has a lot of minerals. One tablespoon of whey in a little water will help digestion. It is a remedy that will keep your muscles young. It will keep your joints movable and ligaments elastic. When age wants to bend your back, take whey… With stomach ailments, take one tablespoon whey three times daily, this will feed the stomach glands and they will work well again.~
Health New Digest is discussing the top ten foods that offer high nutritional value and can help you with your fitness goals.
It doesn’t surprise me that yogurt comes in at first place. Here’s why:
It’s loaded with nutrients.
It’s a great source of bone building calcium.
It provides high quality protein.
Yogurt provides vital B vitamins.
It is full of healthy immune boosting bacteria known as probiotics (the kind that line our gastrointestinal tract).
Yogurt is a great food, snack or snack topping.
It’s portable and easy to find.
Diets high in low fat dairy products help you stay trim.
Health News Digest also names oatmeal, salmon, legumes, cabbage, tomato, spinach, asparagus, sweet potatoes, popcorn, banana and cottage cheese as top foods that are nutrient dense and offer incredible health benefits.
Making homemade yogurt salad dressing is easy and once you’ve taste it, you won’t want to buy the stuff at the store.
You don’t really even need a recipe, it’s easy to experiment and make make a great dressing by modifying the recipe below.
For some inspiration, check out these Yogurt Salad Dressing Recipes.
This is a great way to make your salads actually good for you. Are the salads you make healthy?
Of course any salads are healthy…right?
A bowl bowl of romaine, spinach, shredded carrots and cucumbers covered in rancid canola oil, soybean oil, high fructose corn syrup and mono-sodium glutamate (MSG) is considered a healthy salad by most people.
Why not add a nutritious fresh dressing that actually tastes better than anything you can find at the store.
Here is a recipe to start with:
Basic Yogurt Salad Dressing
- Ingredients:
- 8 oz plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp chives, dried
- 2 Tbsp dill, dried
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- Directions:
- Mix it up and refrigerate.
Since I make homemade yogurt, I always have plenty of whey on hand. I keep the whey in mason jars in the fridge and I use it to soak whole grains. You can also use yogurt or kefir.
Why should you soak whole grains in yogurt or whey?
Here are a few things you should know about whole grains:
~Proteins in grains, especially gluten, are difficult to digest.
~A diet high in unfermented and unsoaked whole grains, especially wheat, puts an enormous strain on the digestive organs.
~Digestive strain can lead to allergies, celiac disease, chronic indigestion and multiple sclerosis.
~By properly preparing our grains, much as traditional societies did, you can mitigate the effects of phytic acid, an anti-nutrient, a naturally-occuring plant compound found in grains.
~Phytic acid in grains is responsible for binding up minerals such as zinc (which you need for immunity and reproductive health), iron and others in your digestive tract and preventing you from fully absorbing them.
Grains containing gluten such as oats, rye, barley, buckwheat and wheat should always be soaked. This is easy to do. Simply add 1-2 Tablespoons of whey, yogurt or kefir to the grain and let is soak overnight.
Last night I added some whey (the liquid that can be strained off of yogurt) to a few cups of rolled oats. This morning I added some more water and cooked up the oatmeal. This simple step makes a big difference in the nutritional value of the oatmeal.
If you want to check out a recipe to get more detailed directions, see this recipe for Soaked Oatmeal Porridge from Nourished Kitchen.
This is an easy dietary change to make. If you want to make more important changes, check out Nourished Kitchen for great recipes and ideas.
You can still join the 28-day Real Food Challenge. We are on day three, so you can still catch up!
Go to the Archives – see the last three day’s assignments.
I am joining the Real Food Challenge at Nourished Kitchen. Monday morning’s assignment was to clean out the cupboards and get rid of the junk.
Unfortunately, I had just bought some new junk. In fact since baby Henry was born 5 months ago, my diet has not been the greatest. I really need this. This challenge has come along at just the right time. I’m inspired!
This challenge is for all of us who have wanted to switch to a more nourishing whole foods diet based on the principals of the Nourishing Traditions cookbook. Some of us know many of these principals, but need to begin again in the new year.
My Nourishing Traditions cookbooks is over 10 years old now. It’s worn and loved. Definitely my favorite cookbook and the most sound nutritional advice I’ve ever come across.
This is great way to find support, encouragement and great tips to make this important change.
Sign up for the challenge at Nourished Kitchen. You will be e-mailed each day with a new assignment for the entire month of February.
When you sign-up you also enter to win some wonderful prizes, including a culture starter kit from Cultures for Health.
Check out the challenge here:
28-day Real Food Challenge
Making yogurt is so much fun for kids. In addition to fun, it’s educational. What a great home school project! Give kids a chance to observe the miracle of fermentation up close and personal.
Teaching your children how to make yogurt is will be easy after they see other kids do it.
In this OPB video, Hey Kids Let’s Cook, two kids help make homemade yogurt. Not only do they make yogurt, but they also use the yogurt to make a yummy berry yogurt parfait.
The method used to make yogurt requires adult supervision since the milk is heated on the stove top. It is a little easier to make yogurt with children using the crock pot method.
I think it’s so great that the kids try the yogurt warm…and they like it even though it’s plain yogurt. I thought I was the only one that enjoyed eating a few bites of the fresh yogurt before it gets put in the fridge. It probably helps that fresh homemade yogurt is less tart.
So, take a break in your day to watch this yogurt making video with your kids. Happy yogurt making!
Here is link for the video:
Watch video
|
|
