Greens, greens and more greens! If you are Irish, you might be eating a lot of green foods in March to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Even if you are not Irish, it is important to eat your green vegetables! March is also National Nutrition Month so to celebrate both occasions, Kirsten’s Fresh Foods Demos will include creative recipes to get more “greens” in your diet. Get these recipes and try a delicious sample of the dishes listed below from 3:00-6:00 p.m. at our demo kiosk:

February 27th – Cheesy Portabella and Vegetable Panini
Nothing compares to a warm, crispy, gooey sandwich. A traditional “grilled cheese” gets a ‘mature’ makeover with delicious fresh ingredients for us adults who will always be big kids at heart.

March 3rd – The “Big” Salad
Making dinner doesn’t get any easier than this. Just mix the salad dressing in the bowl, add your greens, meat and cheese then toss and serve.  Moms will LOVE this quick mealtime recipe!

March 6th – Korean Beef  with Pear Slaw
This dish provides you with those delicious flavors from your favorite take out restaurant from the comfort of your own home. All you have to do is pick up your favorite fortune cookies for dessert.

March 10th – Beet and Jicama Salad
This salad is chock full of fresh flavors and great health benefits. The collard greens and beets alone pack a powerful health punch and the tangerine vinaigrette brings all these flavors together.

March 13th-Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps
Making tacos can be quick, easy and healthy. Add your own seasonings including a mixture of cumin, chili powder, garlic, onion and salt and pepper, then add the meat and vegetables and wrap it in some romaine lettuce and enjoy!

March 17th – March Madness Stuffed Meatballs with a Radish Salad
With meatballs stuffed with cheese, game day doesn’t get any better than this. Add a fresh radish salad packed with fresh flavors and protein and you won’t feel guilty grabbing another meatball….or two!

March 20th – Red, White and Green Pasta Salad
Combine Orzo pasta with a colorful array of unique vegetables such as daikon, edamame, radicchio and shallots and toss with red wine vinegar for a tangy, chewy crunch in every bite.

Cooking from scratch with fresh foods is something we all aspire to do. But who has the time and where do you get the inspiration? Let our new Fresh Foods Educator, Kirsten inspire you to add original, fresh recipes to your family’s weekday meals! These recipes will save time and make dinner more exciting. Discover inspiration at Kirsten’s educational fresh food demonstrations every Wednesday and Sunday from 3:00-6:00 p.m. at Valley Natural Foods’ demo kiosk.  These demonstrations will start Wednesday, January 9th; see below for details.

Stop by anytime during this period to gather tips and recipes for making delicious, hearty dishes using fresh, unique products from our meat, produce and deli departments. Kirsten will share substitution ideas and different ways to add zest and variety to each dish too. Visit her every Wednesday and Sunday to get a taste of something new, to learn a trick or two and to grab a recipe that will inspire you week to week.

Theme for January: Comfort Foods

Wednesday, January 9, 2013    

Gluten-Free Peruvian Pork Stew

Sunday, January 13, 2013           

Hearty Sausage & Kale Soup

Wednesday, January 16, 2013  

Buffalo Roast with Root Veggies & Spicy Blue Cheese

Taking steps to get healthier is a great New Year’s resolution.  It is easy to make that resolution but sticking to it all year long can be difficult. This January we have some excellent class opportunities at Valley Natural Foods that will provide you with the tools, resources, motivation and inspiration needed to make those resolutions a staple of your everyday life.

What better way to ring in the New Year than to get the opportunity to be motivated to eat healthier by an actual  celebrity! Yes, Bonnie Matthews, who has appeared on The Dr. Oz Show talking about her amazing weight loss journey and who is now a blogger for Dr. Oz’s website, will be teaching at Valley Natural Foods this January. Take her Let’s Freekeh for Dinner: Discovering Health through Freekeh class on Tuesday, January 29th to learn how to cook a variety of healthy dishes using this ancient roasted grain, freekeh.  Come hungry as you will get  to sample many colorful vegetarian dishes along with getting the recipes! Also get inspired through Bonnie’s personal weight loss story. Bonnie is the owner of  the Minneapolis-based, Freekeh Foods.

Another wonderful stepping stone to healthier snacking is our “Leaning into Smarter Snacking and Optimum Weight” class on Tuesday, January 15th with Health Coach Loris Sofia Gregory. The class will teach you how to commit to a healthier, smarter you in 2013 by clearing your kitchen of the sweet and salty junk food.  Learn about the best organic snack foods, those with a 100 calories or less and how to incorporate more plant-based snacks in your diet.

Our healthy classes don’t end there! Join owner of the Minneapolis-based Seven Sundays Muesli, Hannah Barnstable, on Sunday, January 13th for her “It’s Time for Breakfast with Seven Sundays” class. She will teach you how starting your day in your kitchen making breakfast will help you lose weight, boost your energy and save money too!

If you are looking for a diet that will heal, detoxify and nourish your digestive tract, perhaps the GAPS diet is something you should look into. Learn the basics on Monday, January 14th with GAPS practitioner, Kris Gustafson. For those that are serious about the diet and ready to commit, Gustafson will be teaching a 4-week intensive GAPS course on Thursday evenings starting January 24th.

Look for many other healthy classes online. Class listings are also available in-store.  All classes must reach a “minimum” number of attendees to be held and all attendees must register at least 36 hours in advance.  Save $3.00 off any class registration by entering  discount code “5130″ online or by printing off our online class coupon for use in-store.

The holiday season can be very chaotic when it comes to entertaining and finding the right gifts. It’s also important to take some time for yourself this season, discovering new ways to re-vamp holiday traditions and find unique gifts for yourself and others!

If this sounds like you, do check out our holiday classes in November and December.  Discover, explore and taste fresh, local and global holiday food traditions with new healthy twists in our FRESH, Local and Global Holiday Flavors class on Tuesday, November 20th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Take home healthy recipes and be inspired to add a new dish to your tradition! Be prepared for lots of tasting and learn what holiday foods have “superfood”  properties, offering lots of extra nutrients.

Getting your kids in the kitchen during the holidays may seem like more work than it is worth. However, in our Kids in the Kitchen: Holiday Cooking Creations class on Sunday, December 9th from 1:00-3:00 p.m., instructor, Kelli Schulte will show specific ways to get your kids to help you without losing your sanity. She will also help your kids understand the negative health effects that sugar can have on our diet while introducing them to how to create a naturally-sweetened holiday cookie. The kids will actually get to make and taste their own naturally-sweetened cookie in this class.

READ MORE ABOUT OUR OTHER HOLIDAY CLASSES

By: Loris Sofia Gregory, Healthy Kitchen Coach, Apple Valley, MN

Most of us look forward to traditional comfort foods this special time of year, usually anticipating the pleasurable sights, smells and tastes of our family holidays. What dishes are on your “must serve” holiday list? Does everyone in your family agree or do you stress yourself out trying to satisfy everyone’s favorite food memories? What about potential rising numbers on the bathroom scale during the next few months?  Just thinking about holiday cooking and eating does not have to raise your blood pressure. Holiday feasts and treats can include superfoods, offering more nutrition per calorie without straining your waistline or wallet. Click to read more about the fresh, local and global rainbow of holiday superfoods and spices to consider. These fresh foods offer power-packed energy and strong immunity for happier healthier holidays.

READ MORE ABOUT SUPERFOODS

Are you ready for more inspiring coaching, tasty samples, recipes and support for super healthy happy holidays? I look forward to meeting you at my November class:

FRESH, LOCAL AND GLOBAL HOLIDAY FLAVORS, Tues, Nov 20, 6:30-8:30 pm. Register by Friday Noon, November 16 at customer service, by calling 952-891-1212 ext. 221 or online. Use coupon code #5130 for $3 off online registration.

Discover, explore and taste fresh, local and global holiday food traditions with new healthy twists. Health Coach Loris Sofia Gregory will demo and share ample samples, recipes and serving ideas for festive appetizers, snacks and meal ideas using fresh plant-based, gluten-free ingredients (and local when possible). Learn what traditional holiday foods and spices have “superfood” qualities, offering peak nutrients with minimal calories, expense and hours in the kitchen. Be inspired by special holiday products and local foods for standout entertaining and appreciative family meals. Take home fresh ideas and healthy recipes for eating well throughout the holidays and beyond. Bring your own favorite healthy holiday recipes to share!

As the weather cools off and you settle into the pace of the fall season,  add making sure you are healthy to your list of things to do!  Also, if you are gluten-free, bracing for the upcoming holiday season or all those Sunday football parties might not sound too fun. However, finding some tasty gluten-free recipes especially for those special get-togethers with family and friends will make them all the more enjoyable.

If you fall into any one of these categories, we have two classes coming up at Valley Natural Foods next week that you should take.  For both classes, save $3.00 by entering coupon code “5130″ online or print one for in-store registration at customer service. You can also call 952-891-1212 ext. 221 to register. Be sure to register 36 hours in advance of each class.

On Tuesday, September 25th from 6:30-8:00 p.m. join Eileen Johnson, RN, for her Achieving Wellness class. Eileen,  who is also an employee at Valley Natural Foods, is extremely passionate about helping others take a holistic approach to better health. The ultimate goal of the class is to reduce your lifetime risk for type 2 diabetes. She will help you understand key pre-diabetes health numbers along with how to change your diet to include more nutrient dense, toxin-free foods.  Other important components to health, including exercise, supplementation and stress-relief practices, will also be discussed.  Eileen’s calm demeanor, expertise and careful guidance will steer you on the path to lifetime wellness. If you attend this introductory class, be sure to sign up for her intermediate class held on either October 9th or November 7th. Cost for each Achieving Wellness class  is $17 for members and $20 for non-members.

Shawn Binkowski and Sandra Calcutt have been cooking gluten-free for a combined 20 years. They know the ins-and-outs of what works and what doesn’t and what really tastes good.  Let their expterise guide you to holding your first gluten-free party! Take their Gluten-Free Appetizers class on Thursday, September 27th from 6:30-8:00 p.m. to learn how to make delicious flour tortilla wraps, appetizer pizza and sausage cheese balls and several other great gluten-free recipes.  Besides all the tasting in the class (do come hungry), be ready to get your questions answered about following a gluten-free diet. Shawn and Sandra are bubbly and delightful and enjoy sharing what they have learned over the years. Cost is $27 for members and $32 for non-members.

By: Loris Sofia Gregory, Healthy Kitchen Coach, Apple Valley, MN

 Welcome to the first month of autumn, bringing to fruition the growth of spring and summer and the harvesting of nature’s gifts before a long winter’s rest. It’s also a time for us to reap the benefits of efforts and energy put into our health, our relationships and projects over the last few months. We can still savor our last bites of garden-fresh sweet corn, tomatoes and watermelon but we feel a change in the air and notice new FRESH & LOCAL at Valley Natural Foods. Be greeted at our door with a cornucopia of hearty winter squashes and pumpkins. Explore further for more healthy whole food this month, including an autumnal rainbow of apples, beets, parsnips, potatoes and onions, with more earthy bounty to come. Autumn is the time to prepare for more nesting at home, including drying, freezing and canning FRESH & LOCAL vegetables and fruits, stocking up wood and fuel for our hearths and bringing our warmer clothes out of hiding.  READ MORE

Register for our upcoming FRESH & LOCAL events! Register online, in-store or by call 952-891-1212 ext. 221.

FREE FRIDAY FILM: FORKS OVER KNIVES, September 14: 6-8 p.m. Led by the personal journeys of pioneering researchers Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, this film follows “reality patients” who have chronic conditions from heart disease to diabetes. Doctors teach their patients how to enjoy a whole foods plant-based diet as the primary approach to treat their ailments, as the film reveals their challenges and triumphs. Free but please register in advance.

FRESH & LOCAL FLAVORS OF AUTUMN, Tuesday, September 18, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., $27 members / $30 nonmembers. Be confident and inspired in choosing, preparing and seasoning the FRESH & LOCAL flavors of autumnal vegetables and fruits. Enjoy an interactive produce tour, hear about our local farm partners for September and October, and learn the benefits of earth-friendly seasonal eating. I will demo easy preparation and cooking techniques paired with Frontier herbs and spices. This class includes demos, tasting and recipes for Polenta Pizza with Roasted Root Vegetables and Baked Stuffed Apples, plus additional seasonal recipes. Please register by Friday Noon, September 14. Use coupon code #5130 for $3 off online registration.

Community Night at the Co-op’s 2012-2013 programming began last night, September 11th, at Valley Natural Foods from 5:00-7:00 p.m.  Nearly 90 people (parents and children) from participating elementary schools, Westview, Northview, Gideon Pond and Sioux Trail enjoyed the night’s activities around the theme Back to School Lunches and Snacks. These activities included traveling across the store tasting samples from yummy recipes. Grab the recipe for one of the items demonstrated last night,  colorful vegetable roll-ups, online.

Families also got the chance to purchase a healthy meal from the deli department. Last night’s meal, walking tacos, was a hit! Customers could choose from gluten-free, vegan beans or ground beef topped with Whole Grain Milling tortilla chips, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, salsa and sour cream.  The cost was $2.99 for kids and $3.99 for adults.

The classroom activity’s goal was to encourage children to eat more vegetables in their lunches. To get them excited about it, Kelli Schulte from Kingdom Kids Nutrition had them make their own skewers of colorful raw vegetables that they could top with a homemade dill dip.  Kids had the opportunity to chose from raw broccoli, cauliflower, a variety of peppers, carrots, cherry tomatoes and more! Needless to say, it actually worked as many kids went back for seconds!

All in all, it was a successful night!  However, it isn’t the end of Community Night at the Co-op! The programming is just starting for the school year during Tuesday evenings from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Valley Natural Foods.  Here are this year’s dates: October 2, November 13, December 4, January 8, February 5, March 5, April 2, and May 7. The program’s goal is to provide an interactive evening that will teach families how to eat healthier through recipes, a healthy meal, sampling and fun activities.  Valley Natural Foods promotes the program at the four participating elementary schools but any shopper can participate in the evening’s events!  Valley Natural Foods also donates funds to each of the participating schools throughout the school year.  Shoppers can help one of the schools win an additional $1,000 in May 2013 by placing their receipts in the collection boxes labeled with the school’s name.

Have you checked out the fall class line-up at Valley Natural Foods?  If not, it’s time to fall into the flavors of our September and October classes!

One of our premium offerings is the Achieving Wellness: An Introduction to Lowering Your Diabetes Risk Naturally class. In addition to eating right, it is essential to take a holistic approach to attaining overall wellness. Instructor Eileen Johnson, RN, will give you the important lifestyle tools needed for healthy eating, exercise, supplementation, stress relief, and understanding key pre-diabetes health numbers. The ultimate goal of this class is to reduce your lifetime risk for type 2 diabetes. It will be held twice, once on September 10 and again on September 25 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. The cost is $17.00 for members and $20 for non-members. Those that attend this introductory class are encouraged to take the intermediate Achieving Wellness class offered twice, once on October 9th and again on November 7th. Practice what you learned in the introductory class as you meet with guest practitioners to craft specific, individualized plans for exercise, diet and stress relief.

What other classes can you look for this fall? We have canning, FRESH & LOCAL Flavors of Autumn and gluten-free cooking classes, movie nights and several vendors teaching classes including Michael Larson from Cocokefir, Lynn Sunde from Alakef Roasters and Christine and Claire Jones from Pure Soap Flakes.  Look for many more offerings online.  Many of the offerings are free to both members and non-members.  Use discount code number “5130″ to receive $3.00 off any class with a registration fee. You can also print the $3.00 coupon here if you are registering in-store.

Register for all classes 36 hours in advance online, in-store or by calling 952-891-1212 ext. 221. View the September-October class flyer here.

It’s as simple as drinking water, an ancient nutrient that keeps the Earth alive.  Even with that common sense knowledge you’d think our kids would be flocking to it.  However, with all those flavored sugary beverages out there labeled with “ade”, “punch” or “drink”, water has a lot of competition. That leads us to the last week of our four-week healthy living program for children at Valley Natural Foods.  Week four’s healthy theme starting July 16,  is to drink water and low fat milk; limiting or eliminating sugary beverages.

To help encourage this age-old notion, Midwest Food Connection’s Kristi Pursell will do a free hands-on activity July 18th from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Through this activity on freshwater and how the water cycle is important to our overall food source, kids will attain a better appreciation and understanding of this concept. Register for this event online, in-store, or by calling 952-891-1212 ext 221.  Stop by the wellness department to get your free  fruit coupon too!

But what’s wrong with juice–that’s healthy, right? Well, not necessarily.  Most juice products with those labels of  “-ade”, “drink”, or “punch” often contain 5% juice or less. The only difference between these “juices” and soda is that they’re fortified with Vitamin C. The bad thing of course is that they are loaded with sugar!  So always try to choose whole fruits over juice. If you do serve juice, buy 100% juice products.  Try not to serve  soda as it has no nutritional value and many empty calories and caffeine of which kids do not need.

How do I get my kids to drink more water and milk? Make changes slowing by adding water to your child’s juice.  Or suggest a glass of water or low-fat milk instead of juice or soda. You could also add fresh lemon, lime, orange wedges or berries to water to give it some natural flavor. Be sure to always keep bottled water on hand. Fill a pitcher of water and keep it in the fridge.  For milk, make a milkshake using low-fat milk, ice and your favorite berries. Overall, just try to slowly cut back on sugary drinks and have your kids drink water or milk when they are thirsty.  Anything tastes good when you are thirsty!