Try exploring meat-free fare at ethnic restaurants!

A key to keeping your meat-free menu exciting is to expand your food options to include flavors and spices that are new to your taste buds. Exploring ethnic cuisine can provide you with many interesting and delectable vegetarian dishes that you may not have otherwise considered. Try the vegetarian fare at various ethnic restaurants, such as Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Ethiopian, Mexican, Afghan, and many more. You'll be surprised by all of the options you'll have! Use this Meatout Tip to introduce yourself, as well as your friends and family, to new food alternatives that will become a part of your regular menu.

For more information about theGreat American Meatout, visit www.MEATOUT.org or call 1-800-MEATOUT.

Try this deliciously filling Italian entrée which offers the wonderful flavor of whole grain pasta mixed with a tasty variety of fresh vegetables and spices. Whole grain pasta is not only more flavorful than refined pasta, but it is also significantly more nutritious. Research has revealed that incorporating whole grains into your diet can reduce your propensity for heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Combined with fresh vegetables and olive oil, this whole grain pasta is both healthy and delectable. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 lb. Pasta, whole grain penne
3 lbs Asparagus, fresh
1/2 lb Carrots, fresh
1 Onion, large
2 tbsp Garlic, cloves (estimate)
1 cup Lemon Juice
1 cup Water
1-1/2 tbsp Oregano, dried
Hot Red Pepper, ground or sauce (to taste)
3-4 tbsp Corn Starch
1 (6 oz) can Olives, ripe pitted
2 tbsp Olive Oil, extra virgin

Directions:

1. Wash and remove the bottom 1/2 inch of the asparagus stalks. Cut into 1" pieces and place in large covered pot for steaming on the stove top.
2. Wash and peel the carrots. Cut into slices and add to pot. Peel and cut the onion into small pieces and add to pot.
3. Add a little water and steam on medium heat (mixing every 5 minutes) until the onions start to become translucent (add a little water as needed to prevent sticking and burning).
4. While the vegetables are cooking, cook the pasta in a separate pot of water on the stove top until the penne is tender but still a little chewy.
5. Prepare sauce in a blender. Add the water, lemon juice, garlic, hot red pepper, oregano, and 3 tbsp corn starch. Blend at high speed until smooth.
6. Slice the olives and set aside.
7. When the asparagus, carrots and onions are cooked, add the lemon sauce and olives and cook again until the sauce thickens. If the sauce is too "watery", add another tbsp of corn starch dispersed in a little water and mix in. If necessary heat again.
8. Add drained pasta and olive oil and mix thoroughly.

Visit the All-Creatures website for this and other recipes!

In the first book of its kind, Dr. Michael Greger draws together decades of research to decisively debunk the purported “science” behind the low-carb claims. Carbophobia documents just how ineffective the Atkins Diet and other low-carb plans have been in producing sustainable weight loss, and lists the known hazards inherent in the diet. This is not a case of academic “he said/she said.” It is a case of major food industry players choosing to ignore all the current evidence-based dietary recommendations to protect their financial interests no matter what the human cost.

Michael Greger, M.D., is a general practitioner, a founding member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and an internationally recognized lecturer on nutrition and food safety.

To read the full review or purchase the book, click here!

Exercise, Not Milk Best for Children's Bones

The link between an increased calcium intake from dairy products and building a stronger bone density in young adults is a weak one, said Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Head researcher Amy Joy Lanou said the study, published in the March issue of Pediatrics, found increased bone development in children was the result of boosting physical activity, not calcium intake.

The new study examined 37 clinical trials. In 27, it found no relationship between calcium intake and bone health, said Lanou, who also questioned whether milk was the best source of calcium.

The authors recommended more vegetable sources for calcium, including tofu, sweet potatoes, and beans.

For more details read the full article!