GO green WITH PISTACHIOS FOR BETTER HEALTH

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Getting healthy can seem like a daunting task, especially when you don’t know where to begin.

Chef Kathleen Daelemans and registered dietitians Keri Glassman and Alyse Levine have teamed up with TheGreenNut.org to create quick tips on three of the country’s biggest health issues — diabetes, heart health and weight control — to encourage healthy living in 2010.

•Dietitian Alyse Levine recommends eating clean — choose a variety of healthy foods, limit portions, eat slowly, assess your hunger, no deprivation.

•Have a “survival kit” of snacks on hand. Going long periods of time without eating can lead to binging. Snacks should include some lean protein and healthy fats to help control blood sugar swings.

•Dietitian Keri Glassman says to stay heart-healthy. On days that you can’t exercise, make sure you move! Follow your kids around the playground instead of watching from the bench.

•Make the fats you eat healthy fats — like those found in nuts. A study from Penn State shows that pistachios, eaten with a heart-healthy diet, may decrease a person’s cardiovascular disease risk profile.

•Chef Kathleen Daelemans recommends losing weight and keeping it off by limiting empty calorie foods. If you’re going to eat, make it count with nutrient-rich foods.

Meet the Experts

Some of the nation’s leading nutrition experts are “going green” to share the great news about the many nutritional benefits of pistachios.

•Chef Kathleen Daelemans, author of “Cooking Thin with Chef Kathleen,” personally lost 75 pounds while creating a new regional cuisine for a five-star resort and spa in Maui, Hawaii.

•Keri Glassman, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., is the author of “The O2 Diet,” creator of Nutritious Life, and a regular contributor to the CBS Early Show.

•Alyse Levine, MS, RD, is the founder of NutritionBite, LLC, a wellness adviser for ABC’s Good Morning America, and the nutrition adviser for Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong.com.

Green Beans with Lemon, Olive Oil and Parmesan Cheese

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

1pound green beans, washed, ends removed

2teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Coarse grained salt and cracked black pepper to taste

1-2tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice

1ounce parmesan cheese curls

2tablespoons toasted pistachios, roughly chopped

Bring eight cups of salted water to boil. Place green beans in pot and cook to your desired degree of doneness. Strain water off green beans and place them back in pot.

Drizzle olive oil over beans and stir to coat. Season with salt and cracked pepper, stir once more. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Gradually add lemon juice to taste. Adjust seasonings.

Divide beans among serving plates. Garnish with cheese curls. Serve about 3-5 long cheese curls per guest.

Divide pistachios equally among salad plates. Serve immediately.

Tip: Toast pistachios for deeper flavor — place in a 350 degree oven or dry skillet over medium heat. Toast for 5-10 minutes, until they brown, but do not overcook. They will continue to cook when removed from the oven.

Fennel and Orange Salad with Toasted Pistachios

Serves: 4, 1 cup each

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

2navel oranges, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced (about 11‚Ñ2 cups)

1small bulb fennel, quartered, cored and very thinly sliced crosswise (about 21‚Ñ2 cups)

1cup very thinly sliced radishes (about 8 radishes) or diced peeled jicama

1‚Ñ4cup coarsely chopped cilantro

2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or pistachio oil

1tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1‚Ñ4teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

6tablespoons shelled salted pistachio nuts, toasted and chopped

Combine orange slices, fennel, radishes (or jicama), cilantro, oil, lime juice, salt and pepper in a decorative bowl.

Gently toss to mix.

Just before serving, sprinkle nuts over salad.

Courtesy of EatingWell

Salmon Pistachio Lettuce Wraps

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 7 minutes

4large romaine lettuce leaves

2tablespoons dill hummus

1‚Ñ2cup canned Alaskan salmon

1‚Ñ2fresh plum tomato, diced

1‚Ñ4cup cucumber, diced

2tablespoons pistachios chopped

Fill each lettuce leaf evenly with a portion of the hummus, salmon, tomato and cucumber. Sprinkle each with pistachios and roll as a wrap.

Courtesy of Prevention

Grilled Chicken Rice Salad with Pineapple and Pistachios

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Dressing

1can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks (packed in juice), drained, 1‚Ñ3 cup juice reserved

3tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1‚Ñ8teaspoon salt

1‚Ñ8teaspoon ground black pepper

Salad

3‚Ñ4pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, grilled and cut into cubes

11‚Ñ2cups cooked brown rice

1red bell pepper, chopped

1‚Ñ2cup red onion, finely chopped

4large lettuce leaves

2tablespoons chopped pistachios

To make the dressing: Reserve pineapple chunks for salad. In small bowl, stir 1‚Ñ3 cup pineapple juice with oil, salt, and pepper.

To make salad: In medium bowl, combine reserved pineapple chunks, chicken, rice, bell pepper, and red onion. Add dressing and toss gently to mix.

Arrange lettuce leaves on 4 plates. Top with salad and sprinkle with pistachios.

Courtesy of Prevention

XFor recipe nutrition information and more delicious healthy recipes visit TheGreenNut.org

Pistachio Fast Facts

•A one-ounce serving of pistachios equals 49 nuts — more per serving than any other snack nut.

•Pistachios are a naturally cholesterol-free snack that contains 1.5g of saturated fat — the least amount of fat per serving of any nut.

•In July 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that eating most nuts, such as pistachios, may help reduce the risk of heart disease when incorporated into a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

•One serving of pistachios has as much potassium (300mg, 8 percent) as an orange (250mg, 7 percent).

•Pistachios contain more than 10 percent of the Daily Value of dietary fiber and essential vitamins and minerals like B6, thiamin, copper and phosphorus.

•You can obtain about as much dietary fiber from a serving of pistachios (2.9g, 12 percent) as from a 1‚Ñ2 cup cooked broccoli (2.5g, 10 percent).

•Pistachios, with 6g of protein can serve as a great alternative to meat, poultry or beans, according to the USDA MyPyramid.

•Pistachios, like olive oil, primarily contain monounsaturated fat. The Dietary Guidelines recommend you get most of your fats from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids.

•Antioxidants in the form of vitamins and phytochemicals are found in pistachios. In a USDA analysis, pistachios are among the nuts highest in antioxidants.