Rethink Your Drink

Do you ever get tired of drinking water, but aren’t sure what another healthy option is? If so, you’re not alone! Water is wonderful for our bodies, but we understand needing other options too. Today we are going to highlight a variety of beverage ideas for next time you’re shopping with us!

What Makes a Drink Healthier?

Water is great for hydration, of course, but also helps with a number of additional bodily functions, which is important as we are made up of about 60% water. It is great for digestion, absorption, transportation of nutrients, and even maintenance of our body temperatures. It does a lot, so it’s important we stay hydrated!

One thing to think about when choosing a beverage is what is this beverage adding to our health? We often think of things we should avoid in our diets, but we prefer to look at what we can add. Many beverages have a water base, so they’re already doing all of the same great things that water is, and sometimes even more! Take probiotics for example. One of the products below is a probiotic powder that you add to water, so it has the same benefits as a glass of water, but with more flavor and of course, more probiotics!

Our favorite beverages to recommend are those that have additional health benefits such as a probiotic or protein boost, or contain additional vitamins and minerals. Hy-Vee’s aisles are full of healthy and tasty drinks, so next time you are grocery shopping, stop by and try one of these nutritious, delicious products!

Kombucha

As mentioned above, Kombucha is a great choice! It comes in many different flavors and varieties, both in the carbonated and powder form. There is a new line of these drinks called Mocu that comes in many flavors, such as Pear Ginger Zing, Acai Blueberry Pomegranate Pow (pictured right), and Maca Goji Mojo. This drink has a light flavor, and all you need to do enjoy it is mix the powder with water. Each Kombucha product contains a significant amount of probiotics, which are live microorganisms that live in our gut, aid digestion and support a healthy gastrointestinal tract.

Mamma Chia

This organic and non-GMO brand, along with other probiotics, offer great nutritional benefits. As you may guess from the name, each bottle of Mamma Chia contains chia seeds, a natural and significant source of fiber, protein (4 g per bottle) and Omega-3 fatty acids. These drinks come in a variety of flavors, including Blackberry Hibiscus, Cherry Lime, Coconut Mango, Blueberry Pomegranate, Guava Mama, Raspberry Passion, and Strawberry Lemonade.

True Citrus 

If you like water, but think it could use a little more flavor, this is the product for you! These True Citrus beverage mixes come in many different flavors. True Lemon, True Lime, and True Orange are the unsweetened varieties, and Black Cherry Limeade, Raspberry Lemonade, Original Lemonade, and Mango Orange are the sweetened varieties. There are trace amounts of sugar as most of the sweetness comes from stevia, and the flavors come from crystallized fruits.  These come in single-serving packets within the box, and all you have to do is add them to water and stir, or add to a water bottle and shake it up. They give water a delicious fruity flavor that makes drinking it more enjoyable!

La Croix

Sparkling water is all the rage right now, and La Croix is one of the more popular brands with over 15 different flavors to love. Pure, Lime, Lemon, Orange, Berry, Cran-raspberry, Pamplemousse (grapefruit) and many more make up the flavors of this brand. Each La Croix has only two ingredients on the labels: carbonated water and natural flavors. If you enjoy sodas because of the carbonation or flavor, try La Croix for a more nutritious alternative!

Unsweetened Tea (Green Tea)

Green tea is a great source of antioxidants and is quite refreshing as well. Choosing unsweetened tea most of the time is good for us as there is less added sugar, but if you feel you need a little more sweetness, try adding a natural sweetener like Stevia, and enjoy on a hot summer (or mild, yet quickly approaching spring) day.

If you’ve been struggling to find healthier beverage choices, we hope this blog was able to give you helpful options! If you’ve tried any of these, or have a favorite of your own that wasn’t on the list, let us know! We’d love to hear about it and are always open to learning about new products. J

-West Lakes Hy-Vee Dietitian Team

Sweet Potato Craze

While February can be known for sugary sweets when Valentine’s Day comes around, it can also be known for another kind of sweet, as in “Sweet Potato Month”. This kind of potato is a delicious and nutritious root vegetable that can be prepared savory, sweet or anywhere in-between. The versatility of the sweet potato is one of its many good characteristics! Continue reading more to find out the nutrition and what makes them different from their better known counterpart: the Russet Burbank.

Sweet Potatoes vs. Russet Potatoes

There are a variety of potatoes and while they bring their own unique flavors to the table, they do have some similarities. All potatoes are considered a starchy vegetable, are high in fiber and Vitamin C and contain a great amount of potassium. While most people are familiar with the Russet Burbank potatoes that make up most French fries and baked potatoes, the sweet potato is beginning to be offered at more restaurants baked or as a French fry side. With either of these types of potatoes as an option, which one do you choose?

The Sweet Potato: Nutrtion & Health Benefits

• High in Vitamin A and Vitamin C
• Good source of potassium
• Fat free and low sodium (heart healthy)
• Sweet potatoes have the highest amount of fiber of all the potato varieties
• Highest amount of Vitamin A

	Sweet Potato	Red Potato	Russet Burbank
Calories	112	153	168
Total Fat	0 .06 g	0.3 g	0.17 mg
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg	0 mg
Total Carbs	26 g	33.87 g	38.49 g
Dietary Fiber	3.9 g	3.6 g	2.8 g
Sodium	72 mg	13 mg	11 mg
Potassium	438 mg	969 mg	888 mg
Vitamin A	369%	0%	0%
Vitamin C	5%	70%	70%

*Calculate from fatsecret.com; 1 medium potato for each serving size. Each website varies slightly.

The unique orange color of a sweet potato is due to the carotenoid pigment in the root vegetable, which is converted to Vitamin A along with other antioxidants. As you can see from the chart, Vitamin A is only found in sweet potatoes and is a great nutrient for your body. Vitamin A is responsible for aiding in normal vision, the immune system, and reproduction, as well as helping the heart, lungs, kidneys and other organs.

In the end, all varieties of potatoes contain significant sources of potassium and vitamins that are essential to your body, so try switching up the type of potato in your dishes for a wide variety of nutrients! Although if you find yourself at a restaurant deciding between a baked russet or sweet potato, with the high amount of Vitamin A, fiber, lower carbohydrates, and potassium, a sweet potato would win in a nutrition contest!

Recipes

Sweet potatoes can be prepared in sweet or savory dishes and prepared the same way as a Russet potato—baked sweet potato, sweet potato fries, mashed sweet potatoes, etc. Try some of these recipes below for added nutrients from a sweet potato in your dishes!

Grilled Sweet Potato Salad

Serves 6.

All you need:

1 pounds sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch thick planks

2 tbsp Hy-Vee Select extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup Hy-Vee white wine vinegar

1 tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into strips

2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves

1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

All you do:

1. Place sweet potato planks on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high (100% power) three minutes or until nearly cooked through, turning once. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill with greased grill rack for direct grilling over medium heat. Grill sweet potatoes five minutes, turning once.

2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until lightly browned, about five minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Whisk together vinegar, mustard and pepper in a small bowl.

4. Combine potatoes, prosciutto, onion, parsley and chives in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss gently to combine. Serve warm.

Maple Sweet Mash

Serves 4.

All you need:

1 pounds sweet potatoes, about 4 medium

1 tbsp Hy-Vee Select 100% pure maple syrup

1 tbsp Hy-Vee coconut oil

¼ tsp Hy-Vee nutmeg, or Hy-Vee cinnamon

¼ Hy-Vee salt

Hy-Vee pecans, optional

All you do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Prick sweet potatoes all over with a fork; bake sweet potatoes for 30 to 40 minutes or until soft to the touch. For quicker preparation, microwave until tender. Cool five to ten minutes.

3. Remove and discard skins; place potato pulp in a large mixing bowl. Mash until desired consistency is reached.

4. Fold in maple syrup, coconut oil, nutmeg, salt, and, if desired, pecans.

-West Lakes Hy-Vee Dietitian Team

American Heart Month Events

Did you know February is American Heart Month? Heart disease is the number 1 killer of both men and women in the United States, so learning how to keep our hearts healthy is very important. Here at your West Lakes Hy-Vee, we are hosting events each week throughout the month in order to provide heart-healthy nutrition information. Keep reading below to learn more!

Week One – February 8 – 8:00-11:00 a.m.

HEART HEALTH BUS EVENT - FREE

Your West Lakes Hy-Vee will be offering FREE biometric screenings on Thursday, February 8, from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. The bus will be located just outside of the Wine and Spirits section of our store. Your West Lakes Hy-Vee dietitians, Amanda and Melissa, will be doing the screenings. Walk-ins are welcome, but pre-registration is suggested in order to guarantee your spot as we are limited to 20 free screenings. Join us for this event if you are interested in learning your cholesterol and blood glucose values, blood pressure, body fat percentage and additional measurements. It is important to be fasting for this event because any food or drink (other than water) will interfere with results.

Weeks Two and Three – February 13, 15 and 21

HEART-HEALTHY STORE TOURS - FREE

Are you interested in learning more about heart health? Join us for a Heart-Healthy Store Tour! Your West Lakes Hy-Vee dietitians will take you through the various aisles in the store, showing you a variety of heart-healthy products and meal ideas. These tours will be held Tuesday, February 13 at noon; Thursday, February 15 at 5:30 p.m.; and Wednesday, February 21 at 5:00 p.m. Pre-registration is required.

Week Four – February 28

SIMPLE FIX FREEZER MEAL WORKSHOP

Looking for an easy dinner solution? Join our Simple Fix Freezer Meal Workshop class on Wednesday, February 28, at 5:30 p.m. Meals will include Crockpot Tortilla Soup, Italian Beef Sandwiches, Apricot Glazed Pork, Thai Chicken with Whole-Grain Noodles, Stuffed Smart Chicken Burgers and more! Registration is required by February 14. Call, email or stop by the dietitian office for price inquiries.

If you are interested in any of these events, reach out to Amanda or Melissa today to get registered! Limited space is available for each event. You can stop by the store and chat with us at the dietitian office (by the pharmacy) or give us a call or email today!

1725 Jordan Creek Pkwy, West Des Moines, IA 50266

Office Phone: 515-223-7389

Amanda Devereaux – adevereaux@hy-vee.com

Melissa Orf – meorf@hy-vee.com

-West Lakes Hy-Vee Dietitian Team