What’s in Your Favorite Coffee Drink?
Cappuccino, caramel macchiato, pumpkin spice latte, extra whipped cream mocha—we all have our favorite coffee drinks. They’re sweet, delicious, and give an extra boost of energy. Who wouldn’t love that, right?
While these drinks are a tasty treat, they typically have a lot of extra saturated fat (unhealthy fat) and added sugar. While fat and sugar can be a part of a healthy diet, getting too much can be bad for your health.
Don’t panic! You can still enjoy coffee drinks once in a while.
Let’s break down each part of the drink and see how we can make healthier choices:
Coffee: Regular coffee is really just water that has been flavored by brewing it with coffee beans. It doesn’t add sugar or fat to your drink!
Milk: Whole milk contains a lot of unhealthy fat. Ask for 1% or 2% milk in your drink instead of whole.
Flavored syrup: Pumps of flavored syrup bring the taste and the sugar to our favorite drinks. Ask for only 1 pump or a smaller amount of syrup in your drink to cut back on the sugar.
Whipped cream: Whipped cream is mostly made of sugar and unsaturated fat. Ask for no whipped cream to enjoy a healthier drink!
Caramel or chocolate: Drizzle on top of the drink makes it look pretty, but it also adds more sugar. Since most of the flavor in the drink comes from the flavored syrup, try asking for no drizzle. You might not be able to taste the difference!
Coffee drinks are a fun treat to be enjoyed every once in a while. How will you make your coffee healthier?
By Logan Joyner
Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
For good reason, this classic Irish holiday casserole has survived the test of time. In this adaptation, seasonal North Carolina sweet potatoes provide sweetness and depth, while the ground turkey — cooked with traditional peas and carrots — makes this a complete one pot meal, worthy of all the festivities!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
-2 tablespoons butter, divided
-1 lb ground turkey
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-½ cup onion, chopped
-¼ cup parsley, stems and leaves separated and chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried)
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon black pepper
-1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped (about 3 cups)
-1 can peas and carrot, low-sodium
-1 cup water (plus additional for boiling potatoes)
-1 tablespoon flour
-1 teaspoon brown sugar
-2 dashes Tabasco (optional)
-½ cup shredded cheese, low-fat
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.
- In a large pot over medium high heat, add the cubed sweet potatoes and cover with water.
- Boil for 17-20 minutes, until cooked and fork tender.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking, prep and cook the turkey. Start by adding 1 tablespoon of butter to a medium saute pan, over medium heat.
- Add the onions, garlic, and parsley stems until the aromatics are soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Add the ground turkey and break apart with a spoon.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes until the meat has reached an internal temperature of 165˚ F.
- While the turkey is cooking, in a small bowl whisk to combine 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of flour.
- Add this mixture to the turkey to thicken it, season with salt and black pepper and simmer for another two or three minutes.
- Rinse and drain the excess liquid from the can of peas and carrots and add them to the pan with the turkey.
- Turn off heat.
- Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, brown sugar, Tabasco (if desired) and season with salt and pepper.
- Mash to combine, using a fork.
- In a casserole dish, add the turkey mixture then cover with the sweet potatoes.
- Cover with cheese and bake for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted. Garnish with reserved parsley leaves.
Click here to learn more about the health benefits of sweet potatoes
Fruit Chewy Cookies
Ingredients:
-Nonstick cooking spray
-3 ripe bananas
-2 cups old fashioned oats
-1 cup raisins
-½ cup walnuts, chopped
-2 tablespoons apple butter
-1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350˚ F.
2. Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
3. Coarsely mash bananas in a mixing bowl. Combine remaining ingredients with bananas and stir to mix well. Let stand for 10 minutes.
4. Drop by teaspoonful onto baking sheet. Bake for 10-20 minutes until browned.
5. Remove and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Makes approximately 28 cookies.
Whole Wheat Pancakes
Ingredients:
¾ cup whole-wheat flour
¼ cup oat bran or wheat germ
¼ cup old fashioned oats
1 tablespoon cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 banana, mashed
1 cup 1% milk
1 tablespoon canola oil
Directions:
1. Heat griddle to 375˚ F.
2. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. In a medium bowl, beat the egg with the whisk. Add the banana, milk, and oil. Mix well.
4. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently, just until ingredients are combined. Do not over-mix. The batter may be lumpy, but that is OK. Let batter sit for 5 minutes.
5. Spray the griddle with nonstick cooking spray. Pour batter ½ cup at a time onto the hot griddle. Cook until edges become crisp and bubbles have formed on the top, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancake and continue cooking until the bottom is browned, about 1-2 minutes more.
6. Serve hot with a fruit puree or sugar-free syrup.
EFNEP’s Twenty Dollar Thanksgiving Guide
Makes 4 servings
We are watching our wallets more than ever this year. However, a leaner budget doesn’t mean that the holiday season should be any less festive. In these trimmed-down recipes, we’ve outlined simple ways to have a memorable meal that hits on all the right traditional notes, without breaking the bank.
Herbed Baked Turkey Breast
For good reason, the turkey is always the star of the show, and there’s typically an appropriate price-tag attached to its high status. By roasting an ample-sized, bone-in, turkey breast in a three ingredient herb-blend, this Thanksgiving staple is ready for the taking.
Ingredients
- 1 whole, bone-in turkey breast, about 2-3 lbs (around $4/lb)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 3-5 cloves garlic, minced (depending on your preference for garlic)
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325˚ F. Place the turkey breast on a sheet pan, pat dry with a paper towel and season the skin and under the skin of the turkey with butter, salt, pepper, herbs and the zest of the lemon.
- Loosely cover the breast with aluminum foil.
- Roast the turkey for an hour and a half to two hours (depending on the size) or until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 165˚.
- Allow the turkey to rest for 15 minutes and drizzle with lemon juice.
- Scrape and reserve the pan juices and drippings for gravy.
- Slice the turkey breast and serve.
Turkey Pan Gravy
Ingredients
- Pan drippings from roasting pan
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- On medium heat, add the pan drippings to a small pot or sauce pan.
- Make a roux by sprinkling the flour into the pan drippings then adding the butter.
- Whisk to combine and slowly pour in the water.
- Continue whisking on low heat to remove any lumps, adding more water if needed.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
No thanksgiving spread is complete without this ultimate comfort food. This recipe includes a hefty amount of garlic for satisfying depth and flavor. While almost any potatoes can be mashed, the naturally creamy texture and buttery nature of Yukon golds potatoes make for a decadent side without the significant addition of heavy fats or creams.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and cubed
- 2-4 cloves fresh garlic, minced (depending on your preference for garlic)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup milk, low-fat
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Add the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water and bring to boil over medium high heat.
- Cover and cook for twenty minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Using a colander, drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.
- Add the garlic, butter, milk, and salt and pepper
- Mash using a fork.
Steamed Lemony Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
- In a pot over medium high heat, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
- Add green beans and cook for 3 – 4 minutes.
- Drain using a colander and run under cold water for 30 seconds.
- Season with lemon juice, butter, salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately.
And finally, 1 Can of Cranberry sauce to serve!
We hope you enjoy this traditional meal for perhaps a not so traditional Thanksgiving this year!
Recipes By: Chef Brigid Washington.