Six Reasons Why We’re Hooked on the Pescatarian Diet
Adding at least two servings of seafood a week to an otherwise vegetarian diet may make you smarter, happier, and help you live longer. It’s the extra boost of protein combined with the omega-3 fatty acids found in many types of seafood that some researchers believe may be a secret sauce to help prevent disease, and keep you sane.
A diet rich in omega-3s may reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammatory disorders, and mental and emotional problems. Recent findings suggest that omega-3s can also help treat depression, bipolar disorder, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. While some vegetables like chia seeds and soy are sources of omega-3s, many types of fish and seafood, such as salmon and albacore tuna, are also loaded with the stuff.
Sun Basket’s team of dietitians share their six reasons why the secret to a happy, healthy life may be found on the business end of a fishing pole.
Be true to your heart.
Omega-3 fatty acids may decrease triglycerides, lower blood pressure, reduce blood clotting, decrease stroke and heart failure risk and reduce irregular heartbeats.
Get happy.
A study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health examined the link between fish consumption and depression. They found people who ate the most fish had a 17% lower risk of depression than people who ate the least fish.
Give your baby a boost.
The FDA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommend fish as a great source of source of nutrients that are critical for fetal growth and development. In addition, a long-term study in the United Kingdom indicated that children born to women who ate at least 12 ounces of fish per week during pregnancy, had higher IQs and better social, fine motor, and communication skills than kids whose moms ate fewer than 12 ounces.
Keep Cancer at bay.
Although more research is needed, studies have linked higher fish consumption with reduced risk of certain types of cancers, including colon, breast, and prostate.
Live long.
Research has suggested that eating fish one to two times per week may reduce total mortality by 17%.
Stay sharp.
A four-year study by Chicago’s Rush Institute for Healthy Aging found that over participants (aged 65 to 94), who had at least one fish meal per week, had a 60% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared with those who rarely or never ate fish.
—Kaley Todd, MS, RDN
How to Sear Salmon for the Crispest Skin Ever
Watch Sun Basket’s Test Kitchen demo the best technique for searing skin-on salmon.
Warm oil in a pan over high heat.
- While the oil heats, pat the salmon fillet dry with a paper towel.
- Season both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper.
- When the pan is hot, add the fillet, skin side down, and press with a fish spatula for 1 minute to make sure the skin comes into even contact with the hot surface.
- Cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Flip and cook 2 to 4 minutes more, until the salmon is opaque and flaky.
Salmon skin is not only delicious, but it’s also loaded to the gills with good-for-you fatty acids.
January Market Watch: Mushroom Magic
At Sun Basket, our commitment to seasonal cooking requires us to adapt to the unpredictability of the marketplace. That means that sometimes you’ll find fresh produce in your box that’s different than what’s shown in the photograph of the recipe. On this page, we’ll be exploring those potential substitutions and sharing some more information about the seasonal vegetables in your box each week.
Neither a fruit or a vegetable, mushrooms occupy a world all their own. Their unique cell composition is unlike that of any other living thing, putting what we classify as fungus in a category by themselves. There are thousands of varieties, though only a small portion are edible, and they grow all year round in many regions of the world.
Most commercial mushrooms are cultivated in indoor farms under controlled conditions, so it doesn’t really matter if it’s hot or cold, wet or dry outside. Most varieties thrive all year round. But increased demand and weather-related transportation issues in the winter months do affect availability, which is why we sometimes need to substitute white mushrooms for creminis, or the other way around.
Vegetarians crave their meaty texture, carnivores like the meaty flavor, and cooks from Asia, to the Mediterranean, and across the Americas claim them as their culinary birthright. Here in the Sun Basket kitchen, mushrooms are a favorite of our dietitians (Fat-free! Low-calorie! Vitamins! Antioxidants!), while our cooks love their flavor and versatility (Stir fries! Soups! Pastas! Salads!).
You can experience mushroom’s magic this week with our Korean Tteokbokki Rice Cake Stir-Fry with Pork and Shiitake Mushrooms, Walnut-Mushroom Flatbreads with Apricots and Lemon-Tahini Dressing, and Mushroom Muffulettas with Olive Tapenade and Kale Chips.
Illustration by @boccaccinimeadows
January Market Watch: Eat Your Greens
At Sun Basket, our commitment to seasonal cooking requires us to adapt to the unpredictability of the marketplace. That means that sometimes you’ll find fresh produce in your box that’s different than what’s shown in the photograph of the recipe. On this page, we’ll be exploring those potential substitutions and sharing some more information about the seasonal vegetables in your box each week.
During the winter months, leafy greens and chicory lettuces taste their best because the cold weather causes carbohydrates in the vegetables to convert to sugar, making their sometimes bitter flavor a bit sweeter. But chilly nighttime temperatures also mean that fields are cold and wet by the morning when the frost has melted. With fewer hours of daylight and wet fields that make it difficult to get farming machinery running, there’s less time to harvest, and supplies are often limited. Chicories, in particular, are susceptible to frost damage which is why you might find radicchio in your box one week and escarole the next.
Sweet with a slightly bitter edge, these greens are essentially chewable multivitamins, only they taste good. Chicories actually contain small amounts of nearly every essential vitamin, including A, C, E, and K. They also contain high levels of fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, folate, and calcium. This combination of vitamins and minerals make these greens ideal for heart health, protecting bones from osteoporosis, and helping to prevent inflammatory diseases.
Fun Fact: High winter winds can cause the lettuce to twist in the breeze as it grows creating a slightly lopsided but perfectly edible head of greens.
Get your greens this week with Chicken Marbella with Dates and Chicories, Pan-Seared Steak with Ajvar Red Pepper Relish and Watercress, or Sole in Parchment with Warm Date and Apricot Salad over spinach.
Illustration by @boccaccinimeadows
Habits to Cultivate for a Healthier, Happier New Year
There’s something special about the start of a new year. We’re rejuvenated with a fresh rush of motivation and a squeaky clean blank slate, providing ideal circumstances for a lifestyle change. In fact, research has shown that the most successful behavior change occurs during times of novelty, but are those resolutions sustainable? If you find that you’re making the same resolutions (does “eat healthier, lose weight” sound familiar?) year after year, maybe it’s time for a primer on how to turn resolutions into habits that stick.
Here are some suggestions on how to cultivate healthy habits that last a lifetime:
Rethink Resolutions and Get Back to Basics
The trouble with resolutions is that they’re tied to a deadline. If our real pursuit is lifelong well-being, it doesn’t make sense to think that a one-year commitment will provide a lifetime of good health. It’s better to use the momentum of the New Year to cultivate habits that you can repeat on a daily basis and maintain for the rest of your life. After all, what we do every day matters more than what we do once in awhile.
Too often we overlook the fundamentals of healthy living, and place our faith in “sophisticated” and complex fads, jumping from one program to the next. This year, skip the trends and pay attention to these five basics:
1. Eat
Real food is energizing, disease-protecting, anti-aging, and mood-boosting—everything we need to live a long, happy life. Colorful fruits and vegetables, fiber-rich whole grains, high-quality proteins, and healthy fats are perfectly packaged with all the vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and energy needed to thrive. Yet, studies show an estimated 50 percent of our diet is ultra-processed foods that are devoid of beneficial nutrients, and contain toxic, artificial additives.
2. Drink
The human body is 65 to 70 percent water, an unmistakable indicator of how important it is to our health. Water plays a critical role in supporting the function of every bodily organ, yet research estimates a striking 75 percent of the U.S population functions in a chronic state of dehydration.
3. Rest
Sleep is our body’s primary opportunity to repair, rebuild, and recharge yet most of us pay more attention to charging our phones. Studies show over one-third of the U.S population is sleep deprived.
4. Move
Our bodies are built to move but each year we become more sedentary. Studies estimate that American adults spend an average of 13 hours sitting each day. Regular exercise promotes sleep, strengthens cognitive function, improves metabolism, relieves stress, enhances physical performance, and supports healthier food choices.
5. Relax
Unplugging on a regular basis has been shown to improve productivity, creativity, energy, performance, health, and happiness. Whether it’s yoga, meditation, reading a book, taking a warm bath, sipping tea, or doing a puzzle, taking time to relax and reset is critical to our health and happiness.
Artwork by Ekström Design
How to Prep Garlic: A Masher Class
Before you start, trim both ends of each garlic clove and remove the papery skin.
Finely chop with a knife:
- Using the side of your knife, smash the garlic clove.
- Finely chop the smashed clove.
Smash it with a garlic press:
- Add peeled cloves to a garlic press and squeeze.
- Using the back side of the knife, scrape the mashed garlic from the press.
Grate it with a fine-toothed grater:
- After peeling, grate the clove on a fine-tooth grater.
- Once grated, tap the grater on the cutting board and then run your finger along the inside of the grater to remove any remaining mashed garlic.
From chopping onions to frying eggs, check out all of our tips and technique videos here.
Going Vegan: What You Need to Know
An entirely plant-based diet, when done right, can be higher in fiber and many nutrients, while lower in saturated fats and calories, than ones that include meat, eggs, and dairy. Once-in-awhile vegans and “chegans” (that’s a cheating vegan, the kind who makes exceptions for ice cream and bacon, we’re cool with it) all benefit from plant-only meals. The “reducetarian” and “flexitarian” movements include people wanting to decrease their consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs, but aren’t quite ready for an ‘all-or-nothing’ diet. Choosing to be vegan even occasionally can make a difference. Just swap smart: giving up chicken for garlic-fries may not have the desired effect.
Sun Basket’s registered dietitian Kaley Todd breaks down the benefits of eating a plant-based diet.
When you commit to eating only plants, even for just a few meals each week, you’ll enjoy:
- Decreased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
- Weight loss. Research shows that vegans tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than non-vegans.
- A reduced impact on the environment.
You also need to know that when you give up animal products you may miss out on important micronutrients including calcium, vitamin D, iron, vitamin B12, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. Load your plate with protein-powered vegetables like broccoli and spinach to make sure you get a complete range of nutrients.
Sun Basket Cooks Vegan
This week on Facebook LIVE, Sun Basket’s R&D chef, Paul Conte teams up with vegan guest chef, Stephanie McGuire, of Sweet Farm, a non-profit animal sanctuary and vegetable farm in Half Moon Bay, California, to make a recipe from our new vegan meal plan: Salt-and-Pepper Tofu Stir Fry with Glass Noodles.
Watch as the two cook a quick weeknight vegan meal, talk about the benefits of a plant-based diet, and listen to chef Stephanie share her experiences as a professional chef and mother of three mini vegans.
Tune in on Tuesday, January 9th, at 11 am for the second installment of our new series, “Jan Teaches George,” and watch Jan Newberry, Sun Basket’s Editorial Director of Content, show Cofounder George Nachtrieb how to fight cold season with some homemade remedies.
Cashew Almond Fat Bombs Recipe
These small but mighty bites are loaded with plant-based fats and protein and packed with energy to fuel you through your day. Bonus, their compact nature makes them extra portable, perfect nutrition for on-the-go.
Cashew Almond Fat Bombs Recipe
Makes about 54 balls
Shopping List
½ cup roasted cashews
2 tablespoons cacao nibs
1¾ cups roasted almonds
⅓ cup coconut oil
¼ cup dried apricots
¼ cup marine collagen powder
3 tablespoons buckwheat honey or maple syrup
2 tablespoons cashew butter
1 tablespoon cold water
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
Tools
Food processor, sheet pan
1. Prep the coating
In a food processor, pulse the cashews and cacao nibs until just finely chopped. Spread them in an even layer on a sheet pan. Wipe out the food processor.
2. Prep the dough
In the food processor, add the remaining ingredients and process until everything is finely chopped and comes together to form a coarse dough. The mixture will be slightly sticky; be careful not to over-process.
3. Shape and coat the balls
Using wet hands and a 1-teaspoon measure, form the mixture into about 54 half-inch balls. Working in batches if needed, transfer the balls to the sheet pan with the cashew mixture and roll or toss to coat.
Serve
Transfer the balls to a serving platter and serve at once, or refrigerate in an airtight container or resealable plastic bags for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving (serving size 1 fat bomb): Calories 60, Protein: 1g (2% DV), Fiber: 1g (4% DV), Total Fat: 4.5g (7% DV), Monounsaturated Fat: 1.5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Saturated Fat: 1.5g (8% DV), Cholesterol: 0mg (0% DV), Sodium: 10mg (0% DV), Carbohydrates: 3g (1% DV), Total Sugars: 1g, Added Sugars: 1g (2% DV). Not a significant source of trans fat.
Bonus recipe—ingredients not included in box.
The Sun Basket Team Offers Their Resolutions for 2020
From reviving old hobbies to learning new ones and paying attention to both mental and physical health to simply staying hydrated, we’re sharing our goals for the new year.
“My goal is to talk less, listen more, and try to gain empathy and perspective to facilitate more meaningful connections.” Amy Endemann, Head of Marketing
“I’m not going to be so hard on myself, particularly in regards to parenting this year. I’m doing a great job!” Amy Offen-Reeves, Test Kitchen Coordinator
“To find a new hobby. I think ceramics would be a good place to start. If that doesn’t work, I’ll stick to finger painting and coloring books.” Ashley Goldsmith, Food Content Writer
“For my mind: Meditate one to two additional times per week, my body: Double my water intake, and my spirit: Hike in a different East Bay Regional park each month.” Christina Stork, Content Project Manager & Strategist
“A buddy and I joked that we should build a raft, so now I’m going to attempt to build a small fishing skiff.” Elton Fong, Business Analyst
“To drink more water and read more fiction and non-fiction.” George Nachtrieb, Cofounder and Head of Content
“I’m want to bring my lunch to work at least 3 days a week. This should be easy, but for some reason, it’s not.” Jan Newberry, Editorial Director, Content
“I want to take singing and dance lessons this year. Music and dance was such a huge part of my life when I was younger and it’s time for me to pick them up again!” Nicole Farray, Marketing Partnerships Coordinator
“I’m committing to being conscious of my mental health. 2020 will be the year I recognize my need for boundaries and maintain them without shame.” Samantha Corso, Office Manager
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