Nourishing our Children | Winter 2015-16

By Jasmin Schellenberg —

HEALTHY SNACKS AND WHY

High Protein Energy Snacks (makes 30)

• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• 3/4 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips tablespoon (optional)

Line a tray with parchment paper. In a food processor, mix almonds until they are a fine crumb. Then add the chickpeas and mix until fine. Add the rest of ingredients, mix until smooth, and roll in the chocolate chips, making about 30 balls. Each ball will have about 3 gr. of protein, 2 gr. fibre, and 92 calories.

NUTRIENT DENSE MEAL

Butternut Squash and Kale Lasagna (serves 12)

• 1 large butternut squash, cut in half length-wise and seeds removed
• 5 Tbsp butter, divided
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3-4 large kale leaves, stems removed and finely chopped
• 1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1/4 cup flour (whole wheat or all-purpose)
• 4 cups milk (whole milk or reduced fat)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 11 no-boil whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 3 Tbsp grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 195 degrees C (375 degrees F). Cook halved squash in a baking dish flesh side down for 40 minutes. Allow to cool and scoop flesh into a bowl. Reduce heat to 175 degrees C (350 degrees F).

Heat one tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the kale leaves and cook until they are bright green and tender, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in mashed up butternut squash.

n a medium sauce pan, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons butter with the garlic over medium low heat until the garlic is soft, about 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring to a simmer, and cook until it thickens, about 10 minutes, whisking frequently. Stir in the butternut squash and kale mixture. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Pour 1 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Top with 3 noodles and then break a noodle into pieces and use 1/2 to 1/3 of it to cover the remaining space (2 of the 9 noodles will be broken to cover the small end space in each layer). Top the noodles with 1/3 of the remaining sauce and sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Add another layer of noodles. Add 1/3 of the sauce and top with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Add a last layer of noodles. Top with the remaining sauce and 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese.

Cover and bake in the 175 degrees C (350 degrees F) oven for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

Add a sausage or a piece of steak for the carnivore at your table. Also goes well with a green salad. Enjoy!

MYTHS UNVEILED

Why Salt is Essential to Health and Happiness.

Good sea salt could prevent tens of thousands of heart attacks, strokes, and deaths and trim billions from the health care tab, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. According to Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, lead author of the study, 30 per cent of salt intake lowered 25 per cent of cardiovascular diseases. The body needs salt and there is no substitute for it. Salt is vital to health.

Twenty-seven per cent of our bones is salt, and without salt a myriad chemical reactions that support enzyme function, energy production, hormone production, protein transport, and many other biochemical processes simply can’t work. The chemical requirements of the human body demand that the salt concentration in the blood be kept constant. If the body does not get enough salt, a hormonal mechanism compensates by reducing the excretion of salt in the urine and sweat. But it cannot reduce this output to zero. On a completely saltless diet, the body steadily loses small amounts of salt via the kidneys and sweat glands—more if the body is engaging in vigorous physical activity. It then attempts to adjust to this loss by accelerating its secretion of water, so that the blood’s salt concentration can be maintained at the vital level. The result is a gradual desiccation of the body and finally death. The organism literally dies of thirst.

One of salt’s major functions is to regulate blood volume and pressure, including the flexibility of the blood vessels. Blood pressure can be affected by stress, age, exercise, and diet. Salt plays a key role in digestion. We need salt for digesting carbohydrates and proteins; we also need salt for digesting fats as sodium is involved in the manufacture of bile, which emulsifies fats so that they can be absorbed. Dr. Enig testified that chloride was essential for the growth of the brain and development of neurological function, and that sodium activated an enzyme needed for the formation of glial cells. Salt is a natural mood booster. Watch Kirsten and Dr. Batmanghelidj on YouTube.

A WALK THROUGH YOUR PANTRY:

GET RID OF:

REPLACE WITH:

Good quality sea salt like Redmond or Himalayan sea salt; both are very high in minerals.