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Confessions of a Corned Beef Hash Lover

3/31/2016

Organic Produce or Not?

The Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen Foods

Confessions of a corned beef hash lover

As far back as I can remember, I have loved meats. Corned beef, salami and other deli favorites. I had a favorite Uncle Ron who was in the Deli Style meat business and all family parties and holidays were celebrated with cuts of brisket, corned beefs, salamis and other very high fat cuts of meat. It couldn’t have been more fun.

Then I became a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist in 1982 and began to recommend healthier food choices to my clients, family and friends. It was now my job to find alternatives for the fatty, tasty delicacies of my past. When my son was little, I would indulge this again on special occasion and we would go in search of the best Corned Beef Hash we could find. We would try it on vacation everywhere and it still remains a high fat favorite of ours. Yet full of fat, salt and saturated fats galore.

Some Nutrition Facts for you:

Three ounces of corned beef has almost 210 calories, 16 grams of fat, 6 grams saturated fat and 827 mgs sodium. Whew- that’s a lot of sodium.

Calorie content of 3 ounces of turkey: 153 calories, .8 grams of fat, .3 grams of saturated fat and 59 mgs of sodium.

I have a new idea of how to approach old favorites with healthier versions of my favorite recipes- so here is my Thanksgiving Leftover version of Turkey Hash- although you may decide to make this anytime of year- you can replace the potatoes, with sweet potatoes, the turkey with chicken, add an egg or egg white.

Put in more salt, less salt. Top with hot sauce, or anything else that suits your fancy. Hope your Thanksgiving was fun, and your December is busy and fulfilling.

Best Regards,

Nancy

Turkey Hash Recipe

Serves 4 ½ cup servings

2 cups cut up cooked turkey cubed
3 par boiled potatoes ( I used Colorado yellow potatoes)
1 cup chopped onion- yellow, or sweet onion
½-1 whole chopped bell pepper (any color)
Salt to taste, pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons suitable oil or saturated fat free margarine (butter optional)

Directions

In a 9-11 inch skillet pan-Saute potatoes, peppers and onions together until soft and onions are translucent with 2 Tablespoons of cooking oil or low or no saturated fat margarine
Add in 2 cups turkey cubes or other cooked cubed low fat meat (chicken, pork or lean meat alternative)
Brown for another 5 minutes until ready to serve. Season to taste.

Add a poached egg on top for a tasty breakfast or serve as a snack or meal. (Double the recipe for more people or larger servings)

Applesauce-Raisin Bread Recipe

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Organic Produce or Not?

3/31/2016

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Related Post - The Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen Foods

Whether you are a parent feeding a family or are a single person or a couple- the motivation to eat organic food choices ranges from "without a doubt" to "it's very pricey".

As a Nutritionist working with the public for so many years, there is a lot of pressure for me to suggest that organic is the way to go. But what if you cannot afford to? Or your college,work or school cafeteria does not provide these items.

Then I'd like to offer you some quick tips for making alternative selections when it comes to Organic Produce vs Conventional.

1. Buy these produce items as often as possible- they are referred to as "The Dirty Dozen" as coined by the Environmental Working Group

I suggest you buy these organic as often as possible:

apples, celery, sweet bell peppers, peaches, strawberries, nectarines, grapes, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, blueberries, and potatoes.

2. These are called "The Clean Fifteen (tm)" and are considered the lowest in Pesticide for those who still choose not to purchase organic.

Onions, sweet corn, pineapples, avocado, cabbage, sweet peas, asparagus, mangoes, eggplant, kiwi, cantaloupe-domestic, sweet potatoes, grapefruit, watermelon, and mushrooms.

Keep eating your produce. Wash it thoroughly,

In Good Health,

Nancy