Written by Erika Martin BSc Nutrition Candidate
Reviewed by Andrea Miller MHSc, RD
We have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day; essential to starting the day off right. I often like to include cereal in my breakfast, but with so many cereals claiming to be “healthy choices”, it can sometimes be overwhelming to choose.
Written by Sierra Steele BSc Nutrition, Candidate
Reviewed by Andrea Miller MHSC, RD
Iron Pots – Low levels of iron in the body is a global issue. Interestingly, iron can be obtained through the use of iron pots or pans. Iron from the pots leaches into foods cooked in them, increasing the iron content of whatever you are cooking. In some cases, this could make up approximately 20% of the recommended daily intake of iron. Iron is most easily leached when cooking with foods that are acidic or high in vitamin C, such as tomatoes or tomato sauce.
Kelsey Hamilton BSc MScFN in progress
Reviewed by Andrea Miller MHSc, RD
As a graduate student and future Registered Dietitian, I am always on the lookout for quick, nutritious and tasty snacks that I can have while studying and that are easy to pack with me to go for my internship placements. I am usually wary of snack foods- all too often, foods that make health claims such as “low fat” or “sugar free” are deceptive- if you take out one thing, a whole lot of others are added! However, when I came across ShaSha Bread Co.’s buckwheat snacks, I was intrigued. They are marketed as gluten free, raw, vegan, high fibre as well as a source of prebiotics and probiotics. I picked up a package of the blueberry apple flavour to try. I was pleasantly surprised with this snack. It is similar to granola in that it contains a mixture of dried fruits, nuts, seeds. However, instead of oats, buckwheat groats are used, which enable the product to be completely gluten free. I found the product to have a nice flavour- not an artificial fruit flavour- and it had natural sweetness but it was not too sweet. It was definitely very filling, and I could see myself pairing it with some yogurt for a quick, nutritious breakfast in the morning, as well as packing some as part of my lunch for when I have to go to work/placements. Overall, it is a nutritionally sound product- it does not have any artificial ingredients or preservatives and it is a source of a number of different vitamins and minerals. In fact, a 1/3 cup serving provides 20% of the daily value for fibre. Often, fibre is something that many people find difficult to get enough of in their diet. Therefore, ShaSha Bread Co. buckwheat snacks can be an easy, tasty way to increase your fibre intake. I find it a little pricey to include in my diet on a daily basis, however, I could see myself eating a few times per week to increase my nutrient intake in a tasty, easy way. They are available in your local grocery stores.
Written by Hilary Rock BSc, Nutrition
Reviewed by Andrea Miller MHSc, RD
The other day I was strolling around my local farmer’s market when I came across yellow watermelon. This is the first time that I had ever seen this fruit. Being the curious and food driven person I am I just had to try it. I assumed it would be pretty similar to the more common pink watermelon but the one I tasted wasn’t as sweet and almost had a slight sour taste. To me it tasted more like melons such as honeydew than the traditional pink watermelon. However, it did still have tender crispness and watery texture as pink watermelon. Very intrigued about my new discovery I wanted to do a little more research about yellow watermelon.
