Rosemary Mustard Lamb

It’s spring, and although lamb can now be found in the supermarket year round, now is still a great time to enjoy it.

Lamb is a very good source of Protein, Vitamin A, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B12, Iron, Zinc, Copper and Selenium. It is also a good source of Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus and Manganese.

A four-ounce serving of lamb contains 38.3% of the daily value for zinc. Zinc is helpful for healthy immune function, wound healing, normal cell division, stabilizing blood sugar levels and the body's metabolic rate, and maintaining prostate health.

Just four-ounces of lamb supplies 40.8% of your daily needs for vitamin B12 which supports production of red blood cells and prevents anemia, allows nerve cells to develop properly, and helps your cells metabolize protein, carbohydrate, and fat.

Lamb and other food rich in Niacin (a B vitamin) may provide protection against Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive decline.

Choose your cut of meat (look for leg or loin) and portion size carefully. Unfortunately, like other meat, it is high in saturated fat and cholesterol.

This recipe is easy enough for a week night meal but impressive enough for company. These flavorings can also be used when roasting a whole leg of lamb.

Rosemary Mustard Lamb

Servings: 4

2 tablespoons dijon or whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons fresh (or dried) rosemary
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper -- coarsely ground
12 ounces lamb leg steaks

Preheat grill or broiler
Combine mustard and seasonings. Rub over steaks to coat.
Grill or broil steaks until 145 degrees or about 4-5 minutes each side.

Per Serving : 165 Calories; 12g Fat; 13g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 46mg Cholesterol.

Carrot Raisin Flax Muffins

Flax has a high content of alpha linolenic acid, a type of plant-derived omega-3 fatty acid, which is similar to those found in salmon. It is also rich in lignan, a type phytoestrogen (antioxidant ) and also provides fiber (both soluble and insoluble). Flax seeds are high in most of the B vitamins, magnesium, and manganese.

Flax may help to lower cholesterol, protect against heart disease, control high blood pressure, and reduce cancer risk (breast, colon, prostate, and skin). It may also help prevent Type 2 diabetes or lessen the severity of diabetes by stabilizing blood-sugar levels. Its combination of healthy fat and high fiber make it a great food for weight loss and maintenance.

Flax seeds need to be ground to make the nutrients available. Whole seeds keep longer than ground flax seeds but if you don’t want to grind your own, sealing and storing in the refrigerator will help keep ground flax from becoming rancid.

These muffins are a delicious and easy way to add flax seeds into your diet. If you don’t have soy flour, you may substitute more whole wheat flour, other whole grain flour, or all purpose flour instead. These muffins freeze well so you can grab one out of the freezer and microwave for 30 seconds for a warm tasty breakfast or snack.

Carrot Raisin Flax Muffins

Servings : 12

1/2 cup flax seed meal
2 cups grated carrot
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup soy flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin pan or add paper liners.

Beat eggs and sugar until light and thick. Stir in orange juice and yogurt. Fold in carrots.

Sift dry ingredients together, and stir into carrot mixture until just blended. (don't over mix) Pour into muffins pans.

Bake 20-25 minutes.


Nutrition: 151 Calories; 4g Fat; 6g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 36mg Cholesterol; 223mg Sodium.

Outsmarting the Fussy Eater

Today's Guest Blogger, Suzanne Brady MSW, LCSW, Counseling for Kids and Teens, has been helping parents with practical solutions for today’s challenges for over 10years. www.suzannebrady.com

Tired of catering to your child’s food whims? Wanting to stop “running a restaurant” in your own home? Looking for a way out of the power struggle surrounding food with your child?

To paraphrase a famous quote: “To eat, or not to eat, that is the problem.” We want our children to learn to enjoy a wide array of healthy foods, but how do we do this in a world where children are targeted to eat all sorts of fatty, highly sugared, and over processed foods. What’s a parent to do?

Here’s some tips for outsmarting your fussy eater:

• Offer a “tasting” of foods and ignore your child’s “I will not eat ____” dictates.. One or two tastes of a food will encourage testing the “yuck” factor. Don’t react if this means taking a bite and following that with a milk chaser to swallow it down.
• Get kids involved with the preparation and cooking of their food. Kids are more likely to eat something when they’ve been involved in getting it to the table.
• Pair up favorite foods with the not so favorite foods; Cheesy broccoli anyone?
• Grow you own or go to the farmer’s market together. Fresh grown just tastes better than frozen or grocery store bought and kids of all ages are much more likely to eat veggies if they’ve watched it grow or hand picked it from the stand.
• Last, and perhaps the most challenging, model eating for health. Fake it if you have to; kids pay much more attention to what we do than what we say.

Changing any habit occurs over time, so pick your best way to get started and look to make it fun. The pay-off for your time and efforts will be huge for the entire family.

If you have concerns about your child’s nutritional needs or eating habits, please consult with your family physician.