Learning about smart and healthy snacking at the SOYJOY brunch

Last Sunday’s SOYJOY Brunch at the Estrela Penthouse Room at Le Parker Meridien was the perfect way to end a hectic, but wonderful BlogHer 2010 conference. Not only did I appreciate the beautiful and healthy food after overindulging all week, but the company of my fellow bloggers was a delight as well.

The group was also treated to some of the speaker’s recipes including the faux “chicken” salad (lower right) that was made from whole soybeans. It was delicious and will be appearing in Jackie Newgent’s upcoming cookbook.

After lunch, we listened to three terrific speakers:

• Cynthia Sass, registered dietitian, sports nutrition specialist and author of The Flat Belly Diet who spoke on healthy snacking. You can see her talk on the This Mama Cooks! YouTube channel – part 1 , part 2 , and part 3 .
• Harley Pasternak, celebrity fitness and nutrition expert and author of The Five-Factor World Diet. Harley joined us via Skype. What a cool guy! Not only was he smart and funny, but he gave some great tips like climbing at least five flights of stairs a day is a great way to keep the weight off. I was given a copy of his book at the brunch and can’t wait to read it.
• Jackie Newgent, chef, registered dietitian and author the Big Green Cookbook who gave us cuisine tips for naturally healthful snacking. I loved Jackie’s talk most of all because she cooks like I do. She uses healthy alternatives to high calorie and high fat foods and cooks using foods that pack a big nutritional punch, like whole soy.

I was able to video tape Jackie’s talk as well. All the videos are available on the This Mama Cooks! YouTube channel :

• TIP #3: Befriend herbs & spices – use more fresh herbs and spices in your cooking
• TIP #4: Pump up the “pleasurable pain” – add more spicy foods while reducing fat
• TIP #5: Drink & eat tea – tea is full of health promoting antioxidants
• TIP #6: Add a healthful dose of whimsy – have fun and play with your food
• TIP #7: Play favorites – make your favorite foods more healthful
• TIP #8: Do dips differently – find ways to make dips more healthy
• TIP #9: Go a little nutty – add nuts to your recipes
• TIP #10: Get real! - aim to keep snacks whole, fresh and minimally-processed whenever possible

Again, I want to thank my BlogHer sponsor, SOYJOY, to making my visit to New York possible. It’s wonderful to work with a company whose product I use, enjoy and believe in.

You can learn more about my sponsor, SOYJOY, and my sponsorship at:

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Disclosure: As a SOYJOY Brand Ambassador, I’ve been compensated for my time and efforts.