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Welcome to the
March issue of “Making the Healthy Choice the Easy
Choice.”
Here you will
find information you can use on a timely topic, healthy
eating, recipes and more! I welcome your feedback and
questions. Please send them to
Janet@nourishyourlife.com Thank you!
March is the month to
hope.
We made it to March! The
month of “hope.” Did March come in like a lion or a
lamb where you live? Here in Michigan, it came in with
the forecast of eight inches of snow…UGH! Yet, I love
March. My husband, son, grandson, granddaughter and
daughter-in-law where all born in March. What’s not to
love…
For me, March brings with
it, gentle winds, daffodils and tulips. The hope and
promise of new life. What does March mean to you?
Email me at
janet@nourishyourlife.com. I would LOVE to hear
from you!
(For a conversation about
SPRING, please click
here )
Quote for the month:
Listen now to the gentle
whispers of hope.
--Charles D.
Brodhead
Healthy eating in March
Easter comes early this
year. It is actually as early as it can possibly
come-the end of March.
Easter has a deeply
spiritual meaning for us: the celebration of the Risen
Christ. In many households, eggs are decorated as one
of the traditions of Easter.
Patricia Zacharias of the
Detroit News states, “The joy and hope of Easter
Resurrection has been symbolized for centuries by
lambs, rabbits, lilies and crosses. The simple egg,
however is perhaps the oldest and most universal
symbol of rebirth and new life.”
And so we decorate eggs with dyes and appliqués and
hide them around our homes and in the out-of-doors.
How we love to watch little children running around in
search of these brightly colored eggs. And… the glee
on their faces, each time they find one and clutch in
their tiny hands.
By the way, did you know:
EGG TRIVIA (By the
American Egg Board)
A hen requires 24 to 26
hours to produce an egg. Thirty minutes later, she
starts all over again.
The egg shell may have
as many as 17,000 tiny pores over its surface.
Through them, the egg can absorb flavors and odors.
Storing them in their cartons helps keep them fresh.
Eggs age more in one day
at room temperature than in one week in the
refrigerator.
White shelled eggs are
produced by hens with white feathers and ear lobes.
Brown shelled eggs are produced by hens with red
feathers and red ear lobes.
To tell if an egg is raw
or hard-cooked, spin it! If the egg spins easily, it
is hard-cooked but if it wobbles, it is raw.
If an egg is
accidentally dropped on the floor, sprinkle it
heavily with salt for easy clean up.
Egg yolks are one of the
few foods that naturally contain Vitamin D.
Yolk color depends on
the diet of the hen. Natural yellow-orange
substances such as marigold petals may be added to
light-colored feeds to enhance colors. Artificial
color additives are not permitted.
Health benefits
Yes, eggs are high in
cholesterol (about 215 mg in a large egg yolk; there
is no cholesterol in the white.) This is the reason we
may ask you to limit your egg consumption to about
three egg yolks a week. One large egg contains only 70
calories, 4.5 grams fat, 1 gram of carbohydrate and 6
grams of protein. They also contain 13 essential
vitamins including vitamins A, D, B2 and B12 (which
are mostly found in the yolk.) Additionally, eggs are
high in lutein and zeaxanthin which has been shown to
reduce the risks of cataracts and macular
degeneration.
My challenge for you this
month is to eat a few eggs each week, (unless
medically unadvised.) You will certainly have plenty if
your family celebrates Easter along with the tradition
of decorating hard-boiled eggs.
What to do with these
hard-boiled eggs? Make an egg-quinoa bake, of course!
Egg-Quinoa Bake
Makes about 6 servings
Ingredients
1 cup water
½ cup quinoa
2 cans fat-free cream of mushroom soup (or homemade if
preferred)
½ cup skim milk
8 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
10 oz package frozen broccoli, cooked and drained
Directions
Preheat oven to 375
degrees
- Rinse quinoa before
cooking to remove the coating of a bitter substance
called saponins.
- Bring water to a boil
- Stir in quinoa, cover,
reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until
wall water is absorbed.
- Stir together milk and
soup
- Ladle 1/3 of mixture
into bottom of a 12x8” oven proof pan
- Arrange 1/2 of egg
slices on top of soup mixture
- Layer 1/2 quinoa; 1/2
broccoli;1/3 soup
- Repeat layers; broccoli
covered with soup will be on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes or
until heated through.
- ENJOY!
Nutrition facts: 160
calories;12.5gm carbohydrates; 10.5gm protein; 5 gm fat
Variations: Try other soups
or sauces and vegetables. It is great with asparagus and
cheese sauce!
Do you know of someone who would benefit from this
information?
We welcome you to pass it on.
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