It’s delicious. It’s healthful. It’s a probiotic yogurt drink that can be enjoyed by lactose intolerant people.

It’s the original smoothie, when mixed with ripe fruit. And it’s our Top Pick Of The Week.

Lassi is a four thousand year-old drink. Dahlicious produces its lassi in Vermont, with Indian-style yogurt made from the milk of meadow-grazing, rBST-free cows living on family farms.

What a refreshing and nutritious treat! We’ve been enjoying all four flavors: Alphonso Mango, Ecuador Banana, Oregon Strawberry and Wild Maine Blueberry.

Read the full review: Lassi come home!

Make your own lassi. Cooking video and recipe.

How much do you know about yogurt? Check out our Yogurt Glossary.

Banana, one of four Dahlicious flavors. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.  

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You can blend your own smoothie or pour it
ready-to-drink from a bottle of flavored
kefir. Photo courtesy RevivalSoy.com.  

Many people think that kefir is the same as drinkable yogurt. That’s close, but not exact. Kefir is even healthier than yogurt. In fact, kefir is often called a “super yogurt,” since it is up to 36 times more probiotic than yogurt.

While the recipes are similar, kefie has even more live and active cultures (naturally occurring bacteria and yeasts) and is loaded with vitamins and minerals. It contains easily digestible, complete proteins, and is recommended for those with digestive issues, including colitis, Crohn’s disease, IBS and lactose intolerance.

The once-exotic drink is now available in supermarkets nationwide. It’s available in luscious fruit flavors in addition to plain.

The addition of fruit creates what we think of as a kefir smoothie (to differentiate it from a conventional yogurt smoothie). It’s just as delicious and better for you. And it’s more drinkable—less thick—than smoothies made with non-drinkable yogurt.

Our favorite flavored kefir, from Green Valley Organics, is made with lactose-free milk that is Certified Humane® plus a probiotic-rich combination of 10 live and active cultures. A blend of strawberry, pomegranate and açaí, It has less added sugar than many flavored kefirs. Also available in plain, the kefir is kosher-certified, organic and gluten free.

It is so delicious, an eight-ounce serving (150 calories, 20 from fat) satisfies our craving for ice cream or frozen yogurt, which has more than twice the calories and typically, none of the healthy components.

Another brand, Lifeway Kefir, makes Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, Pomegranate/Açaí, Raspberry and Strawberry kefir flavors, in addition to plain.

Genji Miso Dressing. Photo by Elvira Kalviste
| THE NIBBLE.  

Genji Inc. is a purveyor of sushi to 143 Whole Foods Markets and other food stores across the U.S. They supply the sushi bar and the staff who make the sushi.

Sushi bar customers loved the ginger miso salad dressing so much that the company bottled it. Consumers can purchase it from the sushi case in two versions: regular Ginger Miso dressing and Spicy Ginger Miso dressing, which is pretty spicy (the heat level is like hot salsa—use it to get the heat-lovers in your family to eat more salad).

The tasty, vegan dressings are made from white miso, canola oil and rice vinegar, flavored with onion, pickled ginger, soy sauce and lemon juice. The miso adds unique flavor not found in Western salad dressings—along with a pile of health benefits (more about them below). A two-tablespoon serving has 80 calories, 7g total fat, 0 cholesterol, 320 mg sodium, 3 total carbs and 1 g protein.

The dressings are very thick. Some people love thick dressings, but your two-tablespoon portion size doesn’t go too far in coating a bowl of salad greens because it doesn’t “slide.”

So we diluted the miso dressing 1:1 with salad oil to get more coverage without using half the bottle.

WHAT IS MISO

Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning made by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and koji kin, a natural fungus. The mixture ferments for three months to three years, producing an enzyme-rich food. The longer the fermentation, the higher quality the miso.

The result is a thick paste used to make sauces and spreads, to pickle vegetables and meats and to mix with dashi, a soup stock, to become miso soup (misoshiru). Westerners can add it to beans, grains, pasta, seafood dishes, spreads and dips, stews and numerous soups beyond misoshiru.

Here’s an entire book of delicious miso cookery. It also shows you how to make miso paste at home, from scratch.

The less ambitious among us can buy miso paste in the international section of supermarkets, in Asian markets and in health food stores.

There are different types of miso paste, based on whether they are made with bean malt, rice malt or wheat malt. Each type of miso paste can be made into either red miso or white miso, and different miso pastes are used in different recipes.

High in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals, miso is widely used in Japan, both in traditional and modern cooking. Different varieties of miso have been described as salty, sweet, earthy, fruity and savory, based on fermentation process, length of fermentation and added ingredients (rice or other grains can be added in addition to barley).

A great read and a permanent reference book for everyone who wants to make better food choices and teach kids how to do the same. Get your copy now.  

Junk food is a pejorative term attributed to Michael Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. He first used it in 1972 to refer to food that is of minimal nutritional value (little protein, vitamins or minerals) and worse, typically high in fat, sugar and other empty calories. Some of the culprits include candy bars, potato chips and other salty snacks, soda, and many desserts.

Could he have known that a substantial number of Americans—junk food lovers—would come to see the term as a positive? No doubt, if someone were to establish a chain called The Junk Food Food Court, the lines would be out the door. (Note that if you take this concept and run with it, you owe THE NIBBLE a royalty, which we will put to the service of healthier-eating awareness.)

In his series of Eat This, Not That books, David Zinczenko has done a great boon to America by pointing out the horrors in our diet: the salty, sugary and fat-laden foods we consume. While we know they are not good for us, we never realized how bad they were until he garnered so much media attention.

Two new books take on the topic of junk food, and both are worth putting on your bookshelf.

UNJUNK YOUR JUNK FOOD

The first book is Unjunk Your Junk Food: Healthy Alternatives to Conventional Snacks, by Andrea Donsky and Randy Boyer with Lisa Tsakos.

The premise is that you don’t have to give up junk food to eat healthy; just make smarter choices.

As such, the book features some 175 favorite brands of junk food, from candy and chocolate, to cookies and ice cream novelties, to chips and dips, to sodas and other beverages. It showcases the “bad food” on the left hand page, with the better alternative on the facing page.

Equally as important, the book explains why, giving a detailed comparison that is both enlightening and interesting. In addition to the specific food comparisons, there are helpful overviews and glossaries: basic nutrition, bad ingredients to watch out for and things even a ten-year-old can understand and appreciate.

In fact, we really like this book for both kids and adults. Instead of demanding change, it confers upon the reader a great understanding of the differences between good and bad ingredients, while providing a more-than-satisfactory alternative for each bad food.
 
Even though we don’t eat much junk food, we were enlightened by:

A chocolate mousse alternative that can be
vegan. Photo courtesy HouseFoods.com.  

Allergic to eggs? Lactose intolerant? Vegan? Cholesterol-averse?

You can still celebrate National Chocolate Mousse Day, April 3rd, by substituting soft tofu.

While traditional mousse recipes use heavy cream and eggs (high in calories and cholesterol), House Foods America provides a healthier and vegan-optional alternative for you to celebrate National Chocolate Mousse Day.

House Food’s Soft (Silken) Tofu is a flavorless ingredient that can transform itself into any flavor or texture (find more recipes on the company’s website).

The recipe delivers a smooth texture that, when blended with semi-sweet chocolate, milk or coconut milk, vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom, creates a luscious dessert that tastes just as indulgent as the traditional version.

This recipe serves 4-6, and takes only 15 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. Open the tofu package and strain out the water. Remove tofu and blend in blender until smooth.

2. With the stove on low or simmer, melt the chocolate chips and milk in a pot, stirring until smooth. Add the tofu mixture and stir until it is blended evenly with the chocolate.

3. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom. Quickly remove from heat, cool in a bowl or individual serving dishes and set in fridge until the mixture becomes mousse-thick.

You can add your own personal twist to this recipe:

The Classic Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Here’s Julia Child’s chocolate mousse recipe, and the history of mousse.

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With the increased consumer interest in gluten-free products, we find ourselves tasting more of them. Our rule of thumb with any special-diet product is: It’s got to be so good that anyone would enjoy it, and not notice that it’s meant for people on a restricted diet.

Last week our Top Pick was My Dad’s gluten-free cookies. Now we have two new items to add to our gluten-free roster: delicious pizzas.

Frozen Gluten-Free Pizzas From Bold Organics

The Bold Organics pizza line is not just gluten-free: It’s milk-free (no lactose, casein or whey), egg-free, peanut- and treenut-free.

It not only tastes like conventional pizza; it’s better than many of the other frozen choices in the supermarket, even the ones made with traditional wheat and dairy.

All of the flavor, none of the gluten (or other
allergens). Photo courtesy Bold Organics.  

These are individual pies, approximately eight inches in diameter. The number of servings is listed as two—for two five-year-olds, perhaps, but you’ll know that when you see the size of the box. Just count on one pizza per adult.

 
These tasty pizzas are available in four different flavors:

 
Bold Organics pizzas retail from $6.99 to $10.29. They’re being rolled out at retail locations around the country this month, with representation in Whole Foods and increased presence overall expected later this year. See the company website to view a store locator.

The line is certified by Organic Certifiers, the Non GMO Project and the Celiac Sprue Association.

A rainbow of fruits and veggies.
Photo courtesy Stephanie Suchat.  

In elementary school we learned how to remember the order of the colors of the rainbow: ROYGBIV—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

Now, nutritionists advise us to “eat the rainbow.” The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics made this year’s theme “Eat Right with Color,” to focus on improving eating habits, simply by eating a rainbow of colors.

Since March is National Nutrition Month, we share their recommendations.

So see how many of these colors you can work into daily meals. Make a game of it and get other family members to recommend their favorite foods—as long as they’re ROYGBIV. The following suggestions recommend just one food per color, but through the power of the Internet, you can find many more.

One of 5 varieties of organic Greek yogurt.
Photo courtesy Wallaby.  

Wallaby Yogurt Company, a family-owned producer of organic yogurt, has launched its first line of organic Greek yogurts.

Greek yogurt—properly called Greek-style yogurt when made outside of Greece—is typically triple-strained, removing much of the water to create a very thick texture.

Wallaby, based in Napa Valley, California, is known for its creamy, pudding-like yogurts which they call Australian-style, a term we’ve not come across elsewhere. We’d call them custard-style, French-style or Swiss-style (see our Yogurt Glossary for the different types of yogurt). The founders were inspired to make the yogurt while enjoying many a yogurt in Australia.

A press release notes that “Once the founders had decided [to make Greek yogurt], they tried every brand of Greek yogurt that they could get their hands on. When they were done, they ultimately concluded that there just weren’t any organic Greek yogurts out there that tasted really great. What followed was an intense effort of repeated trial and error, to come up with what they ultimately felt would be a Greek yogurt unmatched in taste.”

While we certainly respect the effort, this is a a different style of Greek yogurt than we’re accustomed to. It’s lighter and less thick, not too removed from the company’s regular lines. Instead of a thick, sour-cream-like consistency, Wallaby’s version of Greek yogurt is silky and elegant.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But if you’re an organic yogurt eater who is fond of Oikos* Greek yogurt from Stonyfield—or delight in the Greek-style yogurts from Chobani and FAGE Total—note that Wallaby takes a different approach.

*The Oikos brand name is also licensed to Dannon, a part-owner of Stonyfield, which produces a non-organic line of Dannon Oikos Greek yogurt. Yes, it is confusing!

Wallaby Organic Greek Lowfat Yogurt is available in a variety of flavors and sizes.

 
Learn your yogurt types in our Yogurt Glossary.

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Not your friend! Photo by Ramon Gonzalez |
SXC.  

While recent government initiatives have eliminated trans fats and have us eating more whole grains, two villains hidden in prepared foods have been relatively quiet on the media radar. More often than not, too much salt and sugar are hidden in recipes and prepared foods.

Some salt is needed for normal functioning, but the American Heart Association recommends that you cap your intake at 1,500 mg of sodium (salt) per day. That’s 500 calories per meal, not allowing for snacks.

But within a meal, one item—a sauce or a prepared vegetable—can contain more than 500 mg of salt. That’s why the average American’s salt intake is more than twice the recommended limit: 3,436 mg sodium daily.

Even good recipes and good restaurants can use too much salt. Prepared foods are overly laden with it—just read the labels.

Dr. David Katz, founder/director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, recommends a 1:1 ratio of sodium to calories. If the ratio is higher, the food has too much sodium. Most people’s recommended daily calorie intake is around 2,000 calories, so the formula provides more salt than the American Heart Association recommends. But it’s still less than what most of us consume!

What’s Wrong With Sodium?

Too much sodium can increase blood pressure, for starters. The Mayo Clinic explains why “just a pinch” of salt here and there adds up to unhealthy levels. Even if you feel young and healthy, you may want to take notice now.

It’s not difficult to make small adjustments. So we’re passing on these tips from John Bosse, of USANA Health Sciences:
 
1. Be an educated consumer. Read nutrition labels and choose foods that are low in sodium. Ideal foods have 5% or less of the daily recommended value of sodium per serving. Try your best to avoid foods containing 20% or more of the daily recommended value.

2. Savor the flavor. Flavor food with spices and herbs instead of salt. Use chile, curry, garlic, lemon and lime juices, onions, oregano, paprika, pepper, vinegar, wine and other favorites. THE NIBBLE’s favorite addition to savory dishes is fresh herbs—from basic parsley to fragrant fresh basil.

3. Consider a sub. Lite salts and salt substitutes offer an alternative that, when used in place of salt, will lower sodium intake and increase potassium intake, while still providing the desired saltiness. Always consult your physician before using one of these products as they are not appropriate for individuals with certain conditions or on certain medications.

4. Look for low sodium options. Look for lower sodium alternatives. Some manufacturers have created sauces and soups with half the sodium of their original recipes. Here are the differences between low sodium, reduced sodium and other terms. We also love raw almonds and other nuts; most nuts can be found without salt (see the health benefits of nuts).

5. Ask and you shall receive. Many restaurants are happy to make modifications to satisfy their customers. Many sit down restaurants can provide olive oil, vinegar, and lemon wedges as a dressing substitute; you just have to ask. Ordering pizza? Ask them to put half the amount of cheese on it. You might find the pizza still tastes just as good and probably has the same amount of cheese it would if you made your own. Not only will you have greatly reduced the sodium you consume, but also the calories and saturated fat.

6. Make a trade. We all know that fruits and vegetables are healthful foods, but most of us don’t eat enough of them. Packaged snacks and deli meats are high in sodium. If you consume salty snacks, make a daily effort to sub out one with fruit—an apple, banana, orange or pear, for example. If you don’t like fruit, choose vegetable alternatives such as baby carrots. At THE NIBBLE, we make salt-free potato chips and other veggie chips in the microwave, using this clever device. Swap out processed cereal for a bowl of sodium-free oatmeal (not the instant kind, which has added salt).

7. Switch the sandwich. If you enjoy a daily sandwich, in most cases, cooked chicken or turkey breast will be lower in sodium than ham and other deli meats. To change it up, use different condiments and salad vegetables, and look for pickles and other pickled vegetables that are low in sodium (or make your own—it couldn’t be easier).

8. Tip the potassium balance. Professional consensus supports aiming to consume potassium at roughly double the recommended sodium intake. Be sure to eat foods that are rich in potassium, such as low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, and unsalted or low-salt nuts and seeds. These are also solid sources of calcium and magnesium. Potassium, along with calcium and magnesium, help to rid the body of excess sodium.

If You Use Salt, Use The Tastiest Salt

Check out our Salt Glossary. While all salts have similar sodium and nutritional values,* sea salts and other culinary salts have more flavor than refined sea salts.

*Sea salts have trace minerals that are removed from refined table salt.

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Three of the five flavors of GH Cretors
elegant popcorn. Photo courtesy
GH Cretors.  

Flash back to Super Bowl Sunday: We consumed five bags of GH Cretors popcorn, one of each flavor. The empty bags were flattened and brought to the office, where they were added to the “to be written up” box.

Alas, due to an avalanche of other flattened bags and boxes that week, we’ve just uncovered the Cretors bags, but the happy memory lingers. As does our desire to order more.

GH Cretors helped to launch popcorn as a favorite snack of the modern age. In 1885,* Charles Cretors invented the steam-powered popcorn machine (see the photo below).

Previously, popcorn was popped in kitchens, over stove flames in large copper kettles. Cretors developed a raised steam popper that popped the kernels at the top of a large glass bin and spilled the fresh popcorn into the bin, where it could be scooped into bags (the system is still used in today’s movie theaters and elsewhere).

*It was an eventful year: Among other noteworthy happenings, the modern gasoline-fueled internal combustion automobile engine was invented, the the Statue of Liberty was delivered to New York Harbor and the Washington Monument was dedicated.

From Fresh-Popped To Store-Bought

Cretors brought the aroma and visuals of popping corn right in front of the consumer, which helped to catapult popcorn into one of the best-selling snacks of all time.

The GH Cretors brand of packaged popcorn is a relatively new one, launched by the fourth and fifth generations of Cretors descendants. While the family had continued to make popcorn at home through the generations, we’re glad that they’ve put their product on the shelf.

We’re big popcorn fans. Popcorn is a whole-grain snack; for this reason, it’s a better snack option, whether you crave sweet or salty (or a combination of the two). Whole grains are important in your diet (details).

The popcorn is crisp and deftly seasoned with just the right touch of caramel or cheese. And there are added benefits with GH Cretors Popcorn: