Turkey Lasagna with Eggplant and Zucchini Noodles

I've been asked a lot recently about my thoughts on whether or not grains should be a part of our diet.

So I wanted to share with you my two cents on the matter since there is a lot of information out there written by God-knows-who. For starters,  I'm definitely not against all grain for myself or my family.   I think whole grains can be an excellent source of key nutrients, like protein, fiber, iron, and host of other vitamins and minerals. For many, they can even effectively reduce junk food cravings.  They are satisfying, comforting, and down right delicious.

Here is my issue with grains, though. Grains are flooding our American diet.

Breakfast: bran cereal and toast; Snack: granola bar; Lunch: sub sandwich; Snack: Pretzels; Dinner: Pasta; Dessert: cookies. 

Sound a little familiar? Maybe it's not your diet, but I'm sure you know somebody who eats like this. It's like Americans are in a trance or something - somebody tells us that something is good for us and suddenly we need to consume it at every meal and snack. Throw in the word ancient grains, and Americans practically faint with joy.  And then some other group of people tell us that whole grains are bad for us, even suggesting that the government promotes high consumption of grains because they subsidize the wheat/corn farmers.  To which many of us then remove it completely from our diets and swear to never let the stuff touch our lips. I fall somewhere in the middle, conveniently. I'm not convinced there is a government conspiracy, but I certainly don't think most of us need 6-9 servings of grains per day. I believe the issue with grains isn't really about grains themselves, it is the quantity of grains that we ingest, regardless of whether they are wheat-based or not.

I also believe the bigger, more troubling issue is our dependency on packaged, processed, and refined foods. I do not claim to eat a package-free diet by any means - there is a time and place for these foods - but they certainly shouldn't be the staples in our diet. It makes me a little ill to think of eating foods EVERY DAY that have a shelf life of 2-3 years. I remember somebody once told me that in the 1950s-60s, jarred baby food was considered the healthier (and smarter) choice for feeding our children rather than making food from scratch.  We can laugh at that practice now, but I feel like the same sort of thing is going on right now. Our reliance on processed foods has become so great, in part because many families have both parents working outside the home and because these food items are relatively inexpensive and convenient. I get it - there are millions of Americans who cannot afford WholeFoods or even Safeway prices, so my argument for consuming fresh, natural, whole foods is lovely but I haven't yet figured out the solution for people who simply cannot afford even the bare essentials. Many local farmers markets are beginning to reach out to these community members in need, but it has not come close to solving the problem on a national level. But I'm off topic a bit here. I feel like I had a glass of wine and just went off on a tangent. I really didn't (have wine, that is). Hope you are still with me.

Anyways, when will people start to understand that the idea of moderation isn't just directed at dessert and booze and french fries? It applies to the amount of packaged food you consume, the amount of grains you eat at each meal, the amount of cheese you eat, the amount of added sugar you consume, etc. Getting my point? I wholeheartedly recommend (only to those who ask for my advice, of course) that we reduce, but not completely eliminate our intake of grains. I recommend the same of sugar, red meat and alcohol, too, by the way. Each person should have their own grain "prescription" as some of us react differently. For me, I try to avoid, within reason, processed grain products - so that means I save bread (even the sprouted, nutritious stuff), brown rice tortillas, quinoa pasta, chips, for special occasions. I adore bread-y food, so I will never, ever give it up, but I am perfectly happy passing on it most of the time so long as I know it's there when I really want it. I stick to the grains themselves rather than the processed versions. Right now, I'm keeping my grains at 3 servings a day (and love the way I feel), but I always allow for wiggle room.  Again, each person is different, so this might not be a good call for everyone (and definitely if you are a larger frame, I'd increase your number of servings). It might sound a little boring, but I have to tell you, I've found ways to work around processed grains in my recipes, and I've never felt healthier, more energetic, and leaner in my life.

All this said, I feel it would be disrespectful of me to not address those of us who choose to be gluten-free or grain-free for medical-type reasons (beyond Celiacs), weight maintenance, or physical and mental stamina to name a few. While I don't completely eliminate gluten or grains from my diet, I know many people who do, and report feeling significantly better than they did when they ate grains. So for them, avoiding grains or gluten makes them happy and they report being very healthy. I'm not going to rain on that parade. Bottom line - just be happy and use moderation in life. But I would be a really bad dietitian if I didn't recommend to those grain-free-ers to make sure to eat an otherwise very balanced, colorful diet to ensure adequate intake of nutrients. Many grain products are fortified these days, so if you skip them, you'll need to make sure you eat the rainbow, daily.

OK, so if you are still reading this, I wanted to share a simple, yet so satisfying grain-free Italian dinner that I'm sure you'll love, even if you could care less about how much or which type of grains you eat. It's a lasagna - but the noodles are replaced with roasted eggplant and zucchini slices. It's brilliant - but I can't take credit for the idea - its all over Pinterest, however, the recipe is all my creation :) Enjoy this protein-rich, low-cal, high fiber, high flavor dinner anytime, but it's also a fantastic dinner option for weeks 3-6 of the ReBoot. This recipe can also be tinkered with quite a bit. Try it with sautéed spinach and mushrooms, or even dairy-free if that's your thing. I even think pureed, herby tofu could work as a vegan "ricotta". One thing you cannot do, though, is use bad tomato sauce. If you don't want to make your own, splurge a little and use a brand that has no added sugar and uses all recognizable, simple ingredients. The sauce should look fresh and vibrant in the jar (not a deep, dark red). I like Rao's sauces but there are literally dozens of great choices these days (just please skip the Ragu or Prego- it will RUIN this simple dish). Last thing - when you pull the lasagna from the oven, it may look a little soupy. Just let it rest at room temp for about 10 minutes before serving and that should do the trick! OK, I'm done. Let me know what you think of this one!

Mission Grain-Free Lasagna: Accomplished.

Turkey Lasagna with Eggplant and Zucchini Noodles
serves 5

Ingredients:

1 jar tomato basil sauce (I used Rao's)
1 lb ground turkey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp ground fennel
1 large eggplant
2 large zucchinis
salt/pepper
1/2 cup chopped, fresh basil
1/4 cup parmesan
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella
olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Clean and slice eggplant and zucchini into thin strips (it doesn't have to be perfect). Place veggies on two large baking sheets and drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast veggies for about 15 minutes, then flip them over. Roast for another 10-15 minutes, until soft and lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, over medium heat, add about 2 tsp olive oil to sauce pan. Saute garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add the turkey to the saucepan. Season meat lightly with salt, pepper, and fennel and cook thoroughly, about 7-10 minutes. Add marinara sauce. Combine and heat for another 2-3 minutes for flavors to combine.

Reduce oven temp to 375. In a 9x9 baking dish, add a small amount of meat sauce. Follow with a layer of eggplant. Sprinkle eggplant with 1/3 of the cheeses and 1/3 of the basil. Add a layer of sauce. Layer zucchini next. Top with 1/3 cheese and 1/3 basil. Add sauce. Top with layer of remaining veggies, followed by sauce and then the rest of the cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbling. Remove from oven and finish with remaining basil.