Steamboat Pilot & Today

Meal Plan

Heading out onto a lengthy snowshoe or day of skiing? Registered dieticians Pam Wooster and Jenny Thomsen have come up with a meal plan that is energy dense and nutrient-packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals to support health and an active day.

Breakfast

Three 6-inch buckwheat pancakes topped with fresh blueberries and real maple syrup, 1% milk, 12 oz. latte or milk substitute of your choice (rice milk or soy milk)

Snack

Trail mix with nuts and dried fruit

Water or sports drink

Take-along lunch

Thermos of hot, hearty soup such as Black Bean Soup with Lime and Cumin (see recipe below)

Winter Vegetable Stew (see recipe)

Need more energy?

Have half a peanut butter sandwich

A couple of Fig Newton cookies

Water or sports drink

Another portable lunch

Whole wheat pita pocket filled with hummus or black beans or pinto beans and chopped vegetables.

Chopped vegetable could include: red, green, orange or yellow peppers, sliced mushrooms, dark green leafy lettuce and/or spinach, red onion and a hint of cilantro. Optional: Add a small amount of feta or a slice of provolone cheese for added protein.

For a tasty variation, stuff a couple of mandarin oranges or a couple slices of kiwi into the pita with the vegetables and beans.

For dessert, have a banana, small bunch of grapes or an apple.

Water, sports drink or calorie-free flavored water

Need more energy?

Add a granola bar

End the day right

Grilled Salmon

Roasted Herbed Sweet Potatoes

Salad with dark green leafy lettuce, red onion, sliced strawberries or mandarin oranges and walnut halves drizzled with a simple balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing

Whole grain dinner roll

Milk or yogurt for dessert

Recipes

Energy-packed snack

Recipe provided by Jenny Thomsen, RD

Ingredients

6-inch whole-wheat tortilla

2 Tablespoons peanut butter

½ banana cut into slices

Cinnamon to sprinkle

Directions:

Spread the tortilla with peanut butter, place slices of banana on top, sprinkle cinnamon over the banana. Roll up the tortilla and take a bite. For a higher-energy-boosting snack, drizzle a small amount of honey over the bananas and roll up.

Variations

To make an easy take-along snack, substitute 1 to 2 tablespoons of raisins or craisins for the banana.

Curried Cashews

Recipe provided by Jenny Thomsen, RD

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted raw cashews

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon curry powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

Combine above ingredients. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow cashews to cool completely, put into a plastic bag. Cashews are great to stuff into your jacket pocket and take out on your winter adventures.

Buckwheat Pancakes

(An adjusted recipe from the Betty Crocker Recipe Cookbook)

Makes 6 10-inch pancakes

Ingredients:

1 egg or ¼ cup egg substitute

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons canola oil

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup buckwheat flour

1 tablespoon of sugar or honey

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

Beat egg; add remaining ingredients in order listed and beat until smooth. Spray a heated griddle with a non-stick canola spray. To test griddle, sprinkle with a few drops of water. If bubbles skitter around, heat is just right.

Pour batter from a pitcher or a soup ladle onto hot griddle. Turn pancakes as soon as they are puffed and full of bubbles but before the bubbles break. Bake other side until brown.

Winter Vegetable stew

Recipe from FruitsandVeggiesmatter.gov

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Number of servings: 6

Cups of fruits and vegetables per serving: 1 ½

Ingredients

1 cup onions, cut into ½-inch wedges

2 sweet potatoes

2 carrots

1 pound banana or Hubbard squash

1 cup parsnips

2 cloves garlic

1 red bell pepper

2 cups low-sodium, low-fat vegetable broth

1 cup pureed tomato

2 tablespoons lime juice

¼ teaspoon cayenne

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas

¼ tablespoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 bunch cilantro sprigs, rinsed, or thinly sliced green onions

Directions:

Peel onions and cut into ½-inch thick wedges. Peel the sweet potato, carrots, squash and parsnips; cut into ¾-inch pieces. Peel and mince or press garlic. Rinse bell pepper, stem, seed and cut into ½-inch strips. Cook onions, sweet potato, carrots, squash, parsnips, garlic and 1 cup of broth in a covered pan for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a few tablespoons of water if mixture begins sticking to the pan. Add 1more cup of broth, along with red bell pepper, tomato sauce, lime juice, and cayenne to taste. Return to a boil, and then reduce heat. Simmer covered until vegetables are tender when pierced, about 12 to 15 minutes. If stew sticks to pan or gets thicker than desired, add more broth as needed. Add peas and stir occasionally until hot, about 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into soup bowls, and garnish with cilantro or sliced green onions.

Black Bean Soup with Lime and Cumin

Recipe from FruitsandVeggiesmatter.gov

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Number of Servings: 6

Cups of Fruits and Vegetables Per Person: 1.0

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked black beans

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon cumin

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup sliced carrots

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock

1/4 cup chopped chipotle chiles (or green chiles)

1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons lime juice

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a nonstick or heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat. Add cumin, chopped onions, carrots, garlic and bell pepper and cook slowly until browned. Puree the beans with 4 cups stock in a blender or food processor. Add the vegetable mixture, 1/2 canned chipotle chiles, 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp lime juice, and salt to taste. Process until velvety smooth. If the soup is too thick, thin it with more stock. Garnish each serving with a slice of lime floating in the middle and a sprinkling of finely chopped cilantro.