07 APR 2022

What’s Cooking? Tabbouleh!

Dietitian Laura O’Mary chops parsley, part of the Tabbouleh, during her cooking demonstration on Facebook.
Dietitian Laura O’Mary chops parsley, part of the Tabbouleh, during her cooking demonstration on Facebook.

Dietitian Offers Healthy Demo

Healthy eating doesn’t have to mean flavorless food, in fact quite the opposite. That was the message NorthBay Registered Dietitian Laura O’Mary brought March 31 during a half-hour live streaming event on the NorthBay Facebook page.

During the #HealthChatLive video discussion, Laura demonstrated how to make Tabbouleh, a bright, flavorful Mediterranean-style salad, originating in Lebanese cuisine.

“When you have the mindset that healthy foods are gross or have no good flavor, you are setting yourself up for something that may not taste good you. So you have to have a positive mindset,” Laura told viewers. “Sugar and salt don’t equal flavor. You can get flavor from herbs, spices, lemon juice, olive oil, infused olive oils, different types of vinegar. So there are many different ways to add flavor to your food without adding salt and sugar and it can be extremely healthy and tasty at the same time.”

Tabbouleh, she noted, is a good example of a delicious and healthy food. It also fit with her chat theme: “Celebrating a World of Flavors.”

“We’re wrapping up the month and March happens to be National Nutrition Month, so it’s a good time to reflect on our nutrition goals and reset our intentions for making nutrition a priority in our lives,” she noted.

Explaining that her patients will often ask about what type of diet to follow, Laura said she often talks about the Mediterranean style of eating. “It’s a great model to follow because there is really no category of good eliminated, so it’s sustainable long-term and not as restrictive as some diets out there.”

During the chat she answered questions about finding healthy recipes online and finding substitutes for salt — including herb blends. And she reminded viewers to think of portions when filling their plate. “A good rule of thumb is that the majority of your plate should be taken up by vegetables,” she said. “If you hold your hand out, anything bigger than your fist on the plate better be a vegetable.”

The full video chat can be viewed on the NorthBay Facebook page (Facebook.com/NorthBayHealthcare) and the recipe is posted in the comments section, as well.

The next #HealthChatLive event is scheduled for April 21 at 11 a.m. when Heather Troutt, director of Women and Children’s Services, will take viewers on a live tour of Labor and Delivery and Mother/Baby units and answer questions from viewers.

 

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