A holistic approach to nutrition focuses on natural, unprocessed ingredients that work synergistically to promote overall health. A holistic diet plan with ancient grains for dogs is a great way to enhance their nutrition, ensuring they receive a balanced array of nutrients vital for well-being.
What Are Ancient Grains?
Ancient grains are cereals and seeds that have remained unchanged for centuries. Unlike modern grains, they are not genetically modified and are typically more nutrient-dense. Examples include quinoa, amaranth, millet, and spelt. These ancient grains offer a myriad of health benefits, providing essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Nutritional Benefits of Ancient Grains
Ancient grains are rich in fiber, which aids in digestion and promotes a healthy gut. They also contain higher levels of protein compared to modern grains, crucial for muscle maintenance and overall strength. Additionally, the essential fatty acids in ancient grains support a shiny coat and healthy skin.
Balancing Ancient Grains in a Holistic Diet
To create a holistic diet plan with ancient grains for dogs, it’s important to balance them with other key food groups. Combine these grains with high quality protein sources like chicken, fish, or lentils to ensure your dog gets a complete protein profile. Adding fresh vegetables and fruits can provide additional vitamins and antioxidants.
Incorporating Ancient Grains into Daily Meals
Incorporating ancient grains into a dog’s daily meals can be both simple and rewarding. Start by cooking a batch of grains like quinoa or millet and mixing them with your dog’s regular food. Gradually increase the proportion of ancient grains while monitoring for any digestive changes.
Recipes to Try with Ancient Grains
Experimenting with recipes can make meal preparation enjoyable. One easy recipe is a quinoa and chicken bowl: combine cooked quinoa with shredded chicken, steamed carrots, and a dash of olive oil. Another favorite is a millet and fish mix: blend cooked millet with flaked fish, peas, and a sprinkle of parsley.
Health Monitoring and Adjustments
As with any dietary change, it’s important to monitor your dog’s health and behavior. Look for signs of improved energy levels, a shinier coat, and better digestion. If any adverse reactions occur, adjust the diet accordingly and consult with a veterinarian experienced in holistic nutrition.
Conclusion: The Path to Wholesome Health
Embracing a diet rich in ancient grains offers dogs a range of nutritional benefits that support their overall health and vitality. By thoughtfully incorporating these grains into their meals, you provide a natural, balanced diet that can enhance their well-being. Through careful planning and regular monitoring, the journey towards holistic nutrition can lead to a happier, healthier life for your beloved canine companion.
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This “New American Heartland” fall chicken stew recipe is bulked up with quinoa and butternut squash. The dish is hearty and filling, and a perfect fall or winter dinner recipe.
When the cold weather sets in, I always want to make cozy, warm comfort food, but those are often not the most healthy recipes (i.e. beef stew, I love you forever, but you’re not healthy haha!). This seasonal dish is healthy, full of vegetables, protein and nutritious grains and it will warm you up from the inside out.
You’ve heard of kitchen sink cookies, and I seriously thought about naming this kitchen sink stew because you seriously add almost everything but the kitchen sink! Ha! But kitchen sink stew doesn’t sound appetizing at all. Here are the ingredients you will need:
Chicken Broth
Rotisserie Chicken: I like to use rotisserie chicken just to keep things quick and simple, but you can definitely cook your own chicken if you want. Grilled chicken breasts or left over roasted chicken would work great. I prefer to include for chicken breast and chicken thigh meat if I can for the most flavor.
Vegetables and Herbs: Butternut Squash, Yellow Onion, Diced Tomatoes, Kale, and Flat-Leaf Parsley
Flavor, Seasonings & Spices: Garlic, Kosher Salt, Dried Oregano, Ground Cumin, Nutmeg, Orange Zest and Black Pepper
The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card down below. Keep scrolling for all the details!
Substitutions and Variations
One of the things I love about stew recipes is how customizable they are! This recipe is perfect for adding to or swapping out. Here are a few ideas:
You can add cubed potatoes (red potatoes or yukon gold) or sweet potatoes or swap them for the butternut squash.
Use couscous or orzo instead of the quinoa.
If you aren’t a kale fan, try spinach instead!
Of course the veggies are totally up to you – peas, carrots, celery, etc.
If you want to make this stew vegetarian, omit the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.
How to Make This Chicken Stew Recipe
To get the depth of flavor you crave in a good stew, it takes a couple of steps starting with roasting the butternut squash. You also want to caramelize the onions a little bit and then let everything simmer so the flavors can come together. Here are the basic steps:
Roast: Toss the butternut squash with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 400 degrees F until it’s tender. Remove half of the squash and set it aside and then roast the remaining squash until super tender. Mash this squash with a fork.
Sauté: Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat and add olive oil. Sauté the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and all the seasonings and spices. Stir until bloomed.
Combine: Add the tomatoes, butternut squash pieces and mashed butternut until combined. Stir in the chicken broth, quinoa and kale.
Simmer: Bring everything to a light boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer until the quinoa turns translucent.
Stir: Add in the chicken, orange zest and pepper and simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve in large soup bowls.
Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for a complete look at the whole recipe.
How to Make Chicken Stew Thicker?
If your stew ends up more like soup and you want that thick, gravy-like stew consistency, there are a few options to thicken it up. For this particular recipe, the mashed butternut squash will be key to getting it thick. Have you tried our classic butternut squash soup? We use the same technique in that recipe too.
Another option for thickening it is to mix equal parts flour and fat (i.e. a roux), usually butter, and whisking it in.
You can also make a slurry by mixing equal parts cornstarch and cold water and whisking it in to a hot stew until the desired thickness.
I have recently become obsessed with Cornaby’s products, especially their EZ Gel, for thickening. You can follow the instructions on the bag, but basically you just sprinkle in the gel and let it do its thing. If I was going to choose between all these options (aside from just using the mashed butternut), I would go with EZ Gel.
Can I Make This Soup in a Slow Cooker? Instant Pot?
For the slow cooker, you would have to cook everything first (roast the butternut squash, sauté the onions, etc.) so it kind of defeats the purpose of using a slow cooker.
For the Instant Pot, you would want to cook the butternut in the oven first to get that rich roasted flavor. If you wanted to strictly use the pressure cooker, add a cup of water and then put the cubed butternut squash in a basket and cook for 4 min on high. Drain and remove. You’ll be missing that delicious roasted flavor though. Then sauté everything in batches. Then add everything back to the Instant Pot and cook for 5-7 minutes and then do a natural release.
What to Eat with Fall Chicken Stew
When I eat stew, there must be a delicious bread to dip in it! It’s an absolute must! Here are some ideas for breads:
Storage Tips
This chicken stew will store well in an airtight container in the fridge to up to 5 days.
This stew freezes extremely well. Place it in a freezer-safe container or ziploc bag and place it in the freezer. It will keep for up to 3 months. Let it thaw on the counter or in the refrigerator and reheat.
To reheat the stew, you can use the microwave of the stove top. If I’m just heating up a quick bowl for myself, I’ll zap it in the microwave. If I’m reheating multiple servings, I’ll warm it up in a large saucepan until heated through.
Need a warm, comforting meal to get you through the cold winter months? This hearty autumn chicken stew recipe is packed with flavor and nutritious ingredients that will leave you feeling satisfied and cozy.
More Chicken Soups and Stew Recipes:
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 25 minutesmins
Cook Time: 50 minutesmins
Total Time: 1 hourhr15 minutesmins
Description
This “New American Heartland” fall chicken stew recipe is bulked up with quinoa and butternut squash. The dish is hearty and filling, and a perfect fall or winter dinner recipe.
3CupsButternut Squash, peeled, seeded & chopped into ½-inch pieces, about 1.5 pounds
3 ½CupsChicken Broth, low sodium
1 ½PoundsRotisserie Chicken, chopped
1TablespoonOlive Oil
1Yellow Onion, medium, finely chopped
1teaspoonKosher Salt
4ClovesGarlic, minced
1 ½teaspoonsDried Oregano
1/2teaspoonGround Cumin
1/4teaspoonNutmeg
1CanDiced Tomatoes, 14oz, petite diced
2/3CupQuinoa, uncooked
1teaspoonOrange Zest
1CupKale, chopped, *optional
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
1/4CupFlat-Leaf Parsley, fresh, minced
Toss the butternut squash with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake at 400 until barely tender, about 15 minutes. Remove half of the squash pieces and set aside.
Kale quinoa salad is filled with goodness and is easy to make.
Hail to the kale – and quinoa! These two superfoods taste great mixed with other vegetables, nuts, and cheese and then tossed in a simple dressing.
This will convert anyone into a kale lover!
This salad has the perfect combination of sweet, tangy, nutty, and savory.
It can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the fridge for days.
Surprisingly enough, this salad can beFROZEN for future lunches.
It’s great as a hearty lunch salad or a side salad next to baked chicken thighs.
It’s chock full of goodness and flavor.
Kale Quinoa Salad Essentials
Kale: Choose bunches of kale that are deep green and remove any torn or wilted leaves, as well as the stalks. While I most often use curly kale, you can use other varieties like lacinato kale, baby kale, or Tuscan kale.
Quinoa: Cooking quinoa in broth (instead of water) adds extra flavor. Quinoa can be replaced with other grains like brown rice, farro, or barley.
Vegetables: Shredded carrots and sliced red onions offer color and crunch and are available year-round. Seasonal veggies like chunks of roasted squash, corn, or beets can be added as well!
Other Flavorful Additions: Dried cranberries add sweetness and so will fresh apples or grapes. Feta is a dry cheese that adds a salty flavor while pecans add a nutty crunch.
A Quick Homemade Dressing
This vinaigrette is so easy to make; just put everything into a jar and shake! You can double up because it’s good on salads of all kinds.
Lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and garlic add flavor, while vinegar adds a little extra tang. Honey balances the dressing for the perfect bite.
Massage chopped kale in oil and salt. Add the remaining ingredients and drizzle the dressing overtop.
Toss to combine and refrigerate before serving.
When making a kale salad of any kind, massaging the leaves may seem odd, but it makes a big difference! This step makes the leaves more tender and removes bitterness.
Simply add a drop or two of oil and rub the kale with your hands. It will turn a darker green and the leaves will soften.
Storing Kale Quinoa Salad
Keep kale quinoa salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Stir in fresh nuts, cheese, or dressing, if desired.
Believe it or not, you CAN freeze this kale quinoa salad recipe if it is made with the ingredients listed below. Once thawed, it tastes just as good as the day it was made.
More Hearty Grain Salads
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Kale Quinoa Salad
This kale quinoa salad offers a perfect blend of fresh flavors, making it a delicious choice for a side dish or lunch.
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Chill Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 1 hourhour40 minutesminutes
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Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and drain well.
Place the quinoa in a medium saucepan with vegetable broth or water.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Cool completely.
Once the quinoa has cooled completely, place it in a large bowl.
In a jar, combine all dressing ingredients and shake well.
Place the kale in the bottom of a medium bowl. Add olive oil and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt to the kale. Massage the chopped kale with your hands until the leaves become tender and dark green.
Add the cooled quinoa, pecans, carrots, feta cheese, red onion, and dried cranberries to the bowl.
Pour the dressing over the ingredients and toss well to combine.
Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour before serving.
This recipe will keep in the fridge for 4 days and it can be frozen. To substitute store bought dressing, I would suggest a light citrusy vinaigrette.
How do the nutrition and health effects of quinoa compare to other whole grains?
“Approximately 90% of the world’s calories are provided by less than one percent of the known 250,000 edible plant species.” The big three are wheat, corn, and rice, and our reliance on them may be unsustainable, given the ongoing climate crisis. This has spurred new interest in “underutilized crops,” like quinoa, which might do better with drought and heat.
Quinoa has only recently been introduced into the Northern Hemisphere, but humans have been eating quinoa for more than 7,000 years. Is there any truth to its “superfood” designation, or is it all just marketing hooey?
Quinoa is a “pseudograin,” since the plant it comes from isn’t a type of grass. “Botanically speaking quinoa is an achene, a seed-like fruit with a hard coat,” and it has a lot of vitamins and minerals, but so do all whole grains. It also has a lot of protein. As you can see below and in a series of graphs starting at 1:05 in my video Benefits of Quinoa for Lowering Triglycerides, quinoa has more protein than other grains, but since when do we need more protein? Fiber is what we’re sorely lacking, and its fiber content is relatively modest, compared to barley or rye. Quinoa is pretty strong on folate and vitamin E, though, and it leads the pack on magnesium, iron, and zinc. So, it is nutritious, but when I think superfood, I think of something with some sort of special clinical benefit. Broccoli is a superfood, strawberries are a superfood, and so is garlic, but quinoa? Consumer demand is up, thanks in part to “perceived health benefits,” and it has all sorts of purported benefits in lab animals, but there have been very few human studies.
The first trial was a before-and-after study of quinoa granola bars that showed drops in triglycerides and cholesterol, as you can see below and at 1:53 in my video, but it didn’t have a control group, so we don’t know how much of that would have happened without the quinoa. The kind of study I want to see is a randomized controlled trial. When researchers gave participants about a cup of cooked quinoa every day for 12 weeks, they experienced a 36 percent drop in their triglycerides. That’s comparable to what one gets with triglyceride-lowering drugs or high-dose fish oil supplements.
Which is better, regular quinoa or red quinoa? As you can see in the graph below and at 2:22 in my video, the red variety has about twice the antioxidant power, leading the investigators to conclude that red quinoa “might…contribute significantly to the management and/or prevention of degenerative diseases associated with free radical damage,” but it’s never been put to the test.
What about black quinoa? Both red and black quinoa appear to be equally antioxidant-rich, both beating out the more conventional white variety, as you can see in the graph below and at 2:46 in my video.
The only caveat I could find is to inform your doctor before your next colonoscopy or else they might mistake quinoa for parasites. As reported in a paper, a “colonoscopy revealed numerous egg-like tan-yellow ovoid objects, 2 to 3 mm in diameter, of unclear cause,” but they were just undigested quinoa.
For more on the superfoods I mentioned, check the related posts below.
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