Something New and Nutritious!!

Hey Readers!

We here at Nutrition4U believe we have an easy solution for any homesickness that may arise upon arriving in London. What better way to make London feel like home other than by introducing some familiar cuisine of course! Census have shown some of the largest communities of immigrants who travel to London, Ontario, Canada, come from countries such China, Colombia, Yugoslavia, Boznia and Herzegovina, India, Iraq, and South Korea (London census, 2011). Our team has decided to deliver to you a recipe for a nutritious, popular dish from one of these countries and will list the preparation instructions that go along with it. We know majority of the ingredients can be found in your local grocery stores, but have also listed addresses to farmers markets right here in London! Nutrition4U wants to ensure you’re maintaining a healthy diet as you begin your life here in London, and what better way to do that then to bring international food right to your home in London! Our country for this blog is: Colombia. The dish we’ll be showcasing today is: Chicken Breasts in Creamy Coconut Sauce!

Chicken in coconut sauce is an easy and delicious Colombian dish. Onions and red peppers help to season the creamy sauce made with coconut milk. The coconut flavor is subtle – not overpowering or overly sweet. Chicken in coconut sauce is fairly quick to prepare, making it a good weeknight choice. It’s out of this world when served with Colombian coconut rice.

 

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

Majority of the ingredients can be found in your local supermarkets, but here is an address for one of London’s Farmers market, which is open year round. You can get freshly harvested fruits and vegetables here:

Western Fair Farmers’ Artisans’ Market Dundas St. East at Ontario St. Open Every Saturday. Select Vendors Open On Thursdays 8am to 3pm All Year Round.

 

 

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

3/4 cup finely chopped white onion

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 package Sazon Goya seasoning (con azafran)

1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk

1 tablespoon flour

Preparation:

Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally, to make thinner pieces.

Toss the chicken breasts with the oil and vinegar. Place them in a bowl and sprinkle them with the onion salt, cumin, and ground black pepper. Let them marinate for about an hour if possible, or overnight.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, sauté the chicken breasts for several minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add chopped onion, red pepper and garlic to the skillet. Stir in Sazon Goya seasoning, and sauté vegetables until soft and fragrant.

Whisk flour into coconut milk, then add coconut milk to the skillet. Add the chicken breasts. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and tender (do not overcook).

Serve warm over rice.

Serves 4-6.

Sources:

Chicken Breasts in Creamy Coconut Sauce http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/maincourses/r/coconutchicken.htm

Immigration and Ethno-Cultural Diversity

Click to access 4-%20ethnoculturalJune21.pdf

 

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An Intro to Healthy Canadian Cuisine!

Hey Readers!

 

Moving to a new country can be a huge undertaking.  Acclimating to a new culture, climate, demographic, can all be challenging and time consuming. We hope that this blog can offer some guidance on maintaining a healthy diet while you get settled. Fall has set in and the winter season is steadily approaching! Nutrition4U felt the least we could do is to introduce our readers to a nutritious, hearty meal to tide you over during the cooler months! As the weather gets colder, it’s important you maintain your caloric intake, healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, and small amounts of organic meat.  This may sound like quite an undertaking with so many other competing elements to adapt to during the Canadian winter season. That is why today we will be introducing you to a Canadian dish that can help fill this dietary recommendation. Today’s meal of choice is a turkey chili! This meal is relatively easy to make and only takes about an hour and a half to prepare. Below you’ll find both the ingredients and preparation instructions. Also, all the ingredients listed can be found at your local grocery store.

 

Happy Eating!

 

Original recipe makes 6 servings

Change Servings

         Secret Chili Spice Mix:

         
1/4 cup ancho chile powder

         
1 tablespoon paprika

         
1 tablespoon ground cumin

         
2 1/2 teaspoons salt

         
1 1/2 teaspoons ground dried chipotle pepper

         
1 teaspoon dried oregano

         
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

         
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

         
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

         
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

          

         
1 tablespoon olive oil

         
1 onion, chopped

         
2 1/2 pounds ground turkey

         
3 cloves garlic, minced

         
1 cup tomato puree

         
2 cups water

                  
2 (12 ounce) cans pinquito or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

 

Directions

Mix the ancho chile powder, paprika, cumin, salt, chipotle pepper, oregano, cocoa powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon in a bowl; set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ground turkey and garlic. Cook and stir until turkey is no longer pink, breaking up any large chunks, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the spice mixture. Cook until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in the tomato puree and water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cook until the turkey meat is broken down, about 1 hour. Stir in the beans, and continue to simmer until flavors have blended, 20 to 30 more minutes.

 

Source: Chef John’s Turkey Chili

 http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chef-johns-turkey-chili/detail.aspx?src=VD_Summary

 

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Healthy Eating and Stress-Part II

Healthy Eating and Stress-Part II

 

We’ve talked about some effects of stress and general tips on healthy eating. In Part II, we will discuss some examples of healthy food choices you can incorporate into your diet to keep your health at optimal levels, and less susceptible to the effects of stress which can be physical, emotional, or psychological.

Some Healthy Eating Options:

• Drink plenty of water throughout the day (8-10 glasses a day)
• Drink decaffeinated teas or calming teas such as camomile.
• Limit yourself to 2-2.5 cups (500ml-625ml) of coffee a day.
• Eat from a variety of the Canada’s Food Guide groups.
• Healthy snacks can include: lower-fat cheese, whole grain crackers, fruits, or hard boiled eggs.
• Eat plenty of raw vegetables.
• Eat a variety of fresh fruits rich in vitamins.
• Low-fat yogurt.
• Hummus and whole wheat pita.
• Whole grain cereal and low-fat milk.
• Chickpea and cherry tomato salad.
• Eat more whole foods rather than processed foods.
• When on the go, choose healthy food options rather than fast-food.
• Prepare healthy snacks in advance, so you are less likely to choose poor food options.

We hope you have enjoyed our discussion on healthy eating and stress.  If you have any other healthy snack ideas, please share with us at nutrition4ulondon!

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International Grocery Stores – Halal Food

Grocery Stores for Halal Food

There are some challenges that new immigrants encounter in a country where halal meat is not available everywhere. Muslims can only eat halal meat to fulfill their bodily requirement of meat protein. Proteins are the building blocks of life. Our body needs protein to repair and maintain itself. People need protein in their diet to help the body repair cells and make new ones. Protein is also important for growth and development during childhood, adolescence, and pregnancy. You can purchase halal meat in London, Ontario. Please check the link below for groceries where you can get halal/zabiha meat:

http://www.zabihah.com/c/London+227/?t=g

International Grocery Stores (African)

In a new country, finding food that you are used to can be difficult. New immigrants in London often do not have access to information regarding grocery stores where they can get foods of their choice. Certain vegetables, fruits, and special spices are especially difficult to find in regular western grocery shops. This can make preparing the food you want difficult, and can cause new residents of a country to turn to pre-packaged food, or be unhappy with their diet. If you are able to find the foods that you want, then you will be in a better position to eat healthy.

Individuals from different countries in Africa have a wide range of diets. If you don’t know where to look, it can be difficult to find traditional African foods in London. Many staples of African diets are very nutritious and should be included in your diet, while fried food and sweets should be kept to a minimum. Below is a link posted containing a list, locations, and phone numbers for African grocery stores in London:

African Grocery Stores

 

Many items found in African diets can also be found in Canadian grocery stores, so make sure to check thoroughly to find the best location to buy your food. In our upcoming posts, we will be providing information on where to find other international food in London. Let us know if you know of any other places to find African foods in the comments section below!

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Nutrition Claims

Canada has allowed risk reduction claims on food packages since 2003. All Nutrition claims follow the rules of Health Canada. This is to ensure that all claims are consistent and not misleading
Nutrition claims can be found on the front of pre-packaged foods. They contain additional information we can use to help us make better food choices. There are two types of Nutrition Claims:

1. Nutrient Content Claims: Give information on the quantity of nutrient in a particular food. Nutrient content claims can help us choose food content that we want more or less of in our diet
Some examples of nutrient content claims:

•Nutrient Content Claim
•What to expect​
•High in Fibre
•Minimum 4 grams of fiber per serving
•Fat-free
•0.5 grams or less of fat per serving
•Low Sodium
•140 milligrams per serving

2. Health Claims: Tell us about a food and its positive effects on health when the food is included in our diet. They help us make food choices that may reduce the risk of certain diseases.
Examples of health claims on some foods:

• Frosted flakes “Good source of Vitamin D”
• A healthy diet high in potassium low in sodium

Resources
http://www.hc.gc.ca
http://www.eatrightontario.ca
http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca