Just BEET it....

One of my kids favorite things that I make for them is roasted beets and carrots. 
Odd, I know, my kids are ages 4 to 9 years old and they LIKE beets, go figure right?  They didnt always like them or even wanted to try them, but one day I made this dish, and now they love them.  So I wanted to share with all of you so that you can make this at home and share with your kids,. (even my husband eats it and he is a PICKY eater)  







 



So, here is what you do:  
I normally have 3 beets and about 6 carrots. 
Peel the beets and then cut them into quarters. then lay the beet down and slice them into thick slices, this is called a "country chop" due to its rustic appearance.  
Do the same with the carrots. I do not bother to peel the carrots since my kids eat them raw and whole all the time (as you can see from the picture of Arcee, she sat there munching on a whole carrot while I cooked), there isn't much need to and is a waste of time. 






Toss all the chopped pieces onto a baking sheet and sprinkle some olive oil on the tops of them and then some pepper and some sea salt. Then put them in the oven at 350 until they are soft. You may have to take them out and toss them a few times for them to cook evenly.

 Afterwards they look about like this: I ran out of time and had to pull them a little sooner then I usually do because the kids had school today and we needed to eat dinner.

I made some green beans, chicken, and some homemade chicken gravy to go with them for dinner. I like to keep to one side dish that grows above the grown and one that grows under the ground. It is a good way to keep a balanced mix of vegetables so that you do not eat too much of one kind. 

Dinner looked like this.  It was very yummy and the hubby and kids ate it right up!  :)

So,  Now that we have discussed HOW to eat beets, let talk about WHY!  :)

 One serving size of beets is 1/2 cup slices.  As you can see beets are naturally fat free, (and depending on how much olive oil you add to it, there isn't much in the whole dish.) They are not a good source of protein, but have good fiber. But beyond that, lets look at their vitamin and mineral levels.

A good source of:
Fiber
Folic Acid/Folate
Omega 6
Omega 3
Manganese
Magnesium
Potassium
Iron
Vitamin C

So just BEET it!  

And Have a Great Monday!!

Let me know in the comments if you tried this and how you liked it. 

Also, if you have a different way that you like to eat beets I would love to hear about it!  :)

a Big thanks to:
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2349/2
Who provided the nutritional graphs and information for my beets!  I couldn't have had such a great blog post without it!  :)

Here Fishy, fishy, fishy.......

Today we went to P.F.Changs, and they have added some sushi to their menu. I got the Ahi Tuna crisps. They were delicious!  With some raw sushi grade tuna and avocados, they really hit the spot.  :)

  

I was planning on making a great post all about the pros and cons of cholesterol.......But I had a great lunch, and now I have fish on the mind. So, if you all don't mind, I am going to put off the cholesterol talk, and instead talk about fish! :)

(Get ready to take some notes!! Or just bookmark this blog post and that will save you a bunch of writing that I have already done.)  ;)

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS.......

There are two essential fatty acids that the body cannot make on its own that it needs to function at optimum levels: Linoleic Acid (Omega 6) and Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA or Omega 3).  They are called such because the double bond in the fatty acid is on the 3 and 6 carbons in the chain. 

To the left is a diagram that lists the adequate levels of these for all ages. (This is a general amount and your doctor may recommend more or less then these amounts. Please listen to your doctors if they tell you different) 

Functions:  Fatty acids serve as part of cell membranes, play a role int he proper functioning of the immune system, vital to normal growth and development in infants and children, and the omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA are especially important for proper brain and eye development during pregnancy and infancy. 

Your body takes the ALA Omega 3 fatty acids and converts them into DHA and EPA fatty acids. (for you science geeks, that stands for: Docosahexaenoic acid, and Eicosapentaenoic Acid.)  The conversion of the ALA into DHA and EPA is very slow in your body, so you need to get them from a food source, and you can find these specific fatty acids in FISH!  ;)

Mainly fatty fish, the leaner white fish have very small amounts so its best to stick to the fatty fish for your DHA and EPA omega 3's  

Sources:  

Omega-6 

    Vegetable oils; such as corn, safflower, soybean, cottonseed, and sunflower oil. 

    Margarines

    Salad dressings.

(Most americans get plenty of this type of fatty acid. So focus on your Omega 3's.)

Omega-3

    canola, flaxseed, soybean, and walnut oils and ground meals.

DHA and EPA fatty acids:

Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, halibut, trout and tuna. 

These are the richest sources of omega 3's in the diet!!

Here is a diagram of the fish that you can eat and all their numbers. It can help you choose a fish that best fits your dietary needs. :)

Now, just remember, normal cooking processes do NOT destroy Omega 3 fatty acids to any significant degree. Deep frying and high heat cooking does effect them more then others, so I would stick to baking or sauteing. (so you do not have to eat it raw like I did for lunch)   

ALL fish do have traces of mercury, so you should limit your fish to around 12 ounces of fish a week that is low in mercury, but only 6 ounces of fish that are higher, and do not eat shark or swordfish, etc on a regular basis.  (If you have questions about mercury levels in fish, just ask, and I can add that to the comments.) :)

So there is something for you to chew on.....

Happy Fishing!!  :)

Sources for information and diagrams came from: 

Nutrition for Foodservice and Culinary Professionals Seventh Edition 

by Karen Eich Drummond and Lisa M. Brefere.