Bowyn Baird RD, LD, CYT-200

Health

Processing Beef Heart and Beef Heart Meatballs Recipes

Beef Heart Facts and Benefits

I feel it is one of my duties to educate more people on the benefits of organ means. Above all, not just educate, but show you how to do it and make it as simple and realistic as possible.

Traditional cultures prized organ meats for their high concentration of nutrients. Organ meats are a great source of fat soluble and readily avaliable vitamins A and D. In addition, they also contain a variety of b vitamins and other beneficial minerals like selenium and zinc.

Another really important nutrient that organ meats provide is choline. Choline is a rather “new” nutrient, it is possible you may have never heard of it. It was officially recognized as an essential nutrient in 1998. Choline plays a role in neurotransmitter synthesis and provides a source of methyl group for metabolism. That is a large order to fill!! Especially since almost every process in our body is driven by metabolism. Sadly, average intakes of choline are far below what is recommended. I personally, think that low intake of this nutrient may relate to the diet culture jargon that slanders organ meats and other nourishing animal foods. Hint: animal sources are all really rich sources of choline.

how to process beef heart for grinding into recipes

The organ we are talking about today is beef heart. Beef heart is rich in all the aforementioned vitamins/minerals, but it is unique because it has a high concentration of collagen and the compound, CoQ10. Including beef heart or other organ meats can be a beneficial addition to your diet. It’s like taking a potent multivitamin!

How to Process beef heart

Beef heart is my favorite organ meat to consume. The heart is a muscle, therefore, it is very similar in taste and texture to muscle cuts of meat. In other words, it resembles a very lean steak. If you read my post about liver, you know that we try to consume liver on the regular in our home. Heart has a less of a strong taste and is very easily hidden into ground meat.

Down below I provide the steps you can take to get the beef heart ready for a recipe calling for ground beef heart. There are some ground meat blends that already have organs ground into them- this can be an excellent option if you are short on time. Beef heart is very inexpensive and I prefer to save the money and do it myself.

Time needed: 15 minutes

How to Process Beef Heart for Grinding

  1. Using a sharp knife trim the hard fat, silvery skin, and connective tissue off of the heart muscle.

    Most butchers will clean out some of the tendons on the inside of the heart. Any remaining connective tissues should be remove to avoid including chewy and tough parts into the recipe.

  2. Rinse any remaining blood off of the heart.

  3. Cube the heart into large chunks

  4. Grind heart in a meat grinder.

    Heart will not grind up like steak or meat. The texture is a bit different. Once ground, the heart is ready to use in recipes calling for ground beef heart. If you do not have a way of grinding the meat, finely dicing is another option.

Why Grind up the beef heart

Those who enjoy a well cooked beef heart may cringe at this recipe. However, there is a large audience of people who are unsure of where to begin when they enter the world of organ meats. In my years of practice, I have found that adding them to “normal” recipes tends to be more accepted at first.

Grinding the beef heart also makes it easy to add into foods and is a cost effective way of “stretching” ground meat.

Adding ground beef heart to recipes

Down below I provide an easy to follow recipe that makes serving your family organ meats easy. This recipe makes a large batch. These meatballs freeze very well. We usually eat them for dinner once or twice and then the rest I freezer for nights when I want a quick meal. They pair well with spaghetti squash or pasta, marinara sauce, and of course asiago cheese! There are many ways you could serve them- this is just our current favorite way!

Beef Heart Meatballs

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Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 1 beef heart, trimmed and ground
  • 1 tbsp cocoaminos
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire can substitute cocoaminos if desired
  • 1 onion, caramelized in 2tbsp butter
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 cups pork rinds, crushed
  • 2 eggs

Instructions
 

  • Start by caramelizing onion in 2tbs butter. Start with medium heat. Then turn to low when onions turn translucent. Cook on low until onions are golden brown and very tender.
  • Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients, including caramelized onions.
  • Form into meatballs and place on a rimmed cookie sheet.
  • Bake meatballs in oven at 375°F for 15 minutes. Internal temperature should read 165°F when fully cooked.

Notes

Caramelized onions provide a unique depth of flavor in this recipe. Caramelized onions do take awhile to cook. I get them started and let them cook slowly and low while I am getting the rest of the ingredients for the recipe ready. Trimming and slicing the beef heart can take some time to complete. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you give it a try, let me know!

From my kitchen to yours I wish you the best of health for years to come!

-Bowyn

Citations

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional/#h3

Other Credits

Photos by Jessica Isaacs Photography

5 Healthy Winter Pantry Items to Stock Up On

Winter is just around the corner here in Texas! In this article I will discuss how to prepare your pantry to support your body a little extra during cold and flu season. The foundation to a healthy immune system start with basic principals of a healthy lifestyle. This can include balanced meals, eating enough, and getting healthy movement.

In order to eat the good for you foods, first, you must stock your panty. Here’s how to do it.

Intentionally Stocked Winter Pantry

  1. Bone broth

    See this article for more information on bone broth! Be sure to stock up on the ingredients needed to make it or keep some store bought broth on hand.

  2. Vitamin C Rich Foods

    Vitamin C is a heat sensitive vitamin, so most of the time raw produce is the best place to get a healthy dose of vitamin C! Some seasonal produce that includes vitamin c includes: oranges, pears, or apples. Growing some lettuce in containers is another option to keep a steady source of vitamin c all winter long. Camu Camu is a shelf stable and potent source of vitamin c.

  3. Zinc Rich Foods

    Canned oysters, red meat, and lentils are rich source of this mineral known for supporting the immune system. Lentil pasta is a quick and easy way to include zinc.

  4. Manuka Honey

    Manuka Honey is known in research for its antibacterial properties. (1)

  5. Spices for making tea

    Warming spices can be a comforting way to stay warm when its cold. There are several shelf stable options that make a delicious tea such as ginger, star anise, and clove. These can be seeped with red rooibos, any tea you enjoy, or on their own.

Citations

(1) Mandal MD, Mandal S. Honey: its medicinal property and antibacterial activity. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2011;1(2):154-160. doi:10.1016/S2221-1691(11)60016-6

Other Credits

Blog Photo is by: Jessica Isaacs Photography

How to Make Chicken bone broth with chicken feet

In this post I will explain in detail how I make chicken bone broth with both chicken carcass and chicken feet (also known as chicken”paws”). Firstly, chicken broth is simple and inexpensive to make. For instance, I make it a to habit to cook one whole chicken one per week. I save the carcass in my freezer if I do not have time to make the broth a few days after cooking the chicken. However, if you feel uncomfortable with cooking a whole chicken, purchasing a rotisserie chicken could be an alternative.

If you feel intimidated to make bone broth; I’m here to tell you- don’t be! Above all, aways take steps to at least try! You can do this. Just begin somewhere. You will be amazed at how delicious bone broth tastes with just a few ingredients.

I used to slow cook mine on the stove top for 12-24 hours on a low simmer on the stove. It always felt like a huge chore. If you don’t have an instant pot, this may be a method you try. I absolutely love making my bone broth in the instant pot and I never plan to go back to the stove top version! In conclusion, this is quicker, easier, and I make it more often because it is so simple. I asked for an instant pot for Christmas, solely because I wanted to use it to make bone broth!

A Very brief overview of the Benefits

Firstly, the benefits of bone broth revolve around its unique amino acid make up which comes from the gelatin structure. This gelatin structure and the amino acids that make it up are beneficial to digestion, gut, skin/hair health, and even sleep.

GELATIN STRUCTURE

The gelatin structure of bone broth is what makes it congeal. Simply the structural make up of bone broth is what attracts liquids, thus aiding in digestion. In conclusion, this science suggests that when drinking bone broth, it will bind to liquid in the digestive track- helping to pass things through more easily.

GLYCINE

Bone broth is an especially high source of glycine. Glycine is an amino acid which is not found in high concentration elsewhere. It is non-essential, meaning your body is able to make it itself if you do not consume it. Glycine is a neurotransmitter that works in the central nervous system (1). Supporting your body with additional glycine itself may have benefits such as helping you sleep! (2) This may be why I have started to enjoy a warm cup of broth at the end of my day!

Glutamine

Bone broth contains high amounts of glutamine. This is another non-essential amino acid that plays an important role in gut health. Research suggests that this amino acid helps maintain the intestinal walls, keeping your immune system (and your entire body) healthy! (3)

But, What about lead?

The concern for heavy metals in bone broth comes from this research article.

the study

The study looked at how much lead was in bone broth and they found 9.5 and 7.01 μgL−1 (skin and cartilage and bone broth, respectively). (4) Without zooming out at the big picture the numbers look frightening. Especially as they compare it to control group of tap water with a concentration of 0.89 μg L−1.(4). However, the upper safety limit for lead in drinking water, as set by the Environmental Protection Agency, is 15μgL. (5) These are well below this upper limit.

other factors to consider

Other factors to consider: where were the chickens sourced and what was the broth cooked in? It is always best to cook bone broth in stainless steal. In addition, it is important to source your chicken from small, local farms that allow chickens access to outdoors as much as possible.

While lead can be a serious contaminant to our bodies, it is important to remember that lead is a naturally occurring element. “Naturally occurring” does not imply that it is 100% safe or not harmful in high quantities, but it is something that surrounds us. (6)

Consuming a nutrient rich, whole food based diet will also provide your body with antioxidants and vitamins that can help fight lead exposure with nutrition. (7)

How to Make Chicken Bone Broth with Chicken Feet

Chicken bone broth made in the instant pot is a quick and affordable way to provide yourself and family with nourishing bone broth on a consistent basis.

  1. Place Chicken Bones and feet into the instant pot

    Add at least one chicken carcass and 3-4 chicken feet. Claws must be cut off and removed before cooking. You can use 2-3 carcass or additional bones from drumsticks if you have the space in the instant pot.

  2. Cover Chicken bones with filtered water

  3. Add 1-2 Tbs apple cider vinegar and allow to soak 30 minutes

    This is a traditional method to help with the release of minerals from the bones.

  4. Put instant pot lid on according to manufacturers instructions. Make sure vent is closed.

  5. Set instant pot to high pressure for 2 hours. Keep “warm” function off.

  6. After the 2 hours, allow the pressure to naturally release. Do not vent the pressure. This can take about 30 minutes.

  7. Add aromatics and herbs: 2 bay leaves, 4 cloves of peeled and smashed garlic, 7 peppercorns, 1 onion (quartered), 2 carrots (cut in thirds) and 2 celery stalks (cut in thirds) to the cooked mixture.

  8. With aromatics and herbs added, set instant pot to soup/broth mode and set to 20 minutes.

    This step helps give the broth flavor and a bit of color from the carrots. Doing this step separate from the two hour pressure cooking period keeps the vegetables from becoming completely mushy into the broth.

  9. After the 20 minutes, allow the pressure to naturally release. Do not vent the pressure. This can take about 30 minutes.

  10. Strain broth through a thin wire strainer into jars.

  11. Allow broth to cool slightly before moving the fridge.

    After the broth has chilled, skim off the fat and move to freezer for long term storage if desired. Broth will keep 5 days in the fridge.

CITATIONS

(1) López-Corcuera B, Geerlings A, Aragón C. Glycine neurotransmitter transporters: an update. Mol Membr Biol. 2001;18(1):13-20.

(2) Kawai N, Sakai N, Okuro M, et al. The sleep-promoting and hypothermic effects of glycine are mediated by NMDA receptors in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2015;40(6):1405-1416. doi:10.1038/npp.2014.326

(3) Wang, B., Wu, G., Zhou, Z. et al. Glutamine and intestinal barrier function. Amino Acids47, 2143–2154 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-014-1773-4

(4) Monro JA, Leon R, Puri BK. The risk of lead contamination in bone broth diets. Med Hypotheses. 2013;80(4):389-390. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2012.12.026

(5) https://extension.psu.edu/lead-in-drinking-water

(6) Almansour KS, Arisco NJ, Woo MK, Young AS, Adamkiewicz G, Hart JE. Playground lead levels in rubber, soil, sand, and mulch surfaces in Boston. PLoS One. 2019;14(4):e0216156. Published 2019 Apr 25. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0216156

(7) https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/preventing-illness/how-to-fight-lead-exposure-with-nutrition

Pumpkin Chia Pudding

Pumpkin chia pudding is back!

This pumpkin chia pudding is perfectly festive for fall. Having quick snacks on hand is a must– for anyone really. But especially for moms with hungry toddlers. It’s not a joke, they literally snack. all. day. long. If I’m not cleaning up a mess from a snack, I’m cooking a new snack! Exhausting work!

We enjoy this pumpkin chia pudding as an addition to breakfast or a dessert at lunch. I add collagen so that it works well as a balanced, stand alone snack. If you use a nut milk, then this will be low in fat and I suggest adding some sort of fat to round out the snack. Topping it with sprouted pumpkin seeds can be a great way to add some extra fat.

Pumpkin Chia Pudding with Collagen

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Chill Time 30 minutes
Course Snack

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup milk of choice
  • 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, ginger
  • 1 scoop collagen protein powder
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds

Instructions
 

  • Mix milk of choice, pumpkin, spices, and maple syrup together.
  • Slowly stir in collagen protein powder until disolved.
  • Slow mix in chia seeds. Stir well to combine.
  • Set the mixture in fridge at least 30 minutes or until thickened.
Keyword chia pudding, pumpkin

My path to becoming a Dietitian + why I chose this field

I could sum this post up with- nutrition was and still is my calling.

The Early Days of my nutrition journey

Around 2008, my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It made me question a lot about what I put into my body. It made me want to eat better– for my future and my children’s future. It made me question what impact does our food have on chronic disease? At the time, not much research in the realm of nutrigenomics was emerging. But today, this is cutting edge research in the nutrition world.

This is when I tried to started eating really, really healthy at the young age of 14 years old. No more nitrates, no more canola oil, and absolutely no hydrogenated oil– on and on. It became really hard to navigate a healthy life at this age– as “being healthy” was not cool or supported by many people I knew. I did not want to eat fast food or drink soda anymore. I was made fun of for what I packed for lunch and as a result, became very isolated. I lost weight as I was figuring out how to be healthy and my journey to become healthy, suddenly became unhealthy.

I knew that I wanted to help people get to that same free feeling of knowing how to eat right; while being happy, content, and enjoying life.

-bowyn

I’ve been on my own health journey ever since. I have learned a lot over the years. I have read countless research papers, perspectives, and helped hundreds of patients. I have taken a total of 7 chemistry classes, 3 of which were biochemistry based. My understand of how the body processes food and becomes “nourished” has substantially increased. But, it’s the initial stage I went through of figuring out what wasn’t healthy to get to what was healthy. This is an ongoing process as my body and life changes. I knew that I wanted to help people get to that same free feeling of knowing how to eat right; while being happy, content, and enjoying life. At the time, I wanted to and still work to help people simplify all the nutrition jargon out there so that they know how to nourish themselves in a modern world.

From my kitchen to yours, I wish you the best of health for years to come! -Bowyn

Why my family eats liver

Liver is a superfood. It is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet.

Why aren’t we eating more liver? Somewhere along the line, the sacredness of liver was lost. Diet culture has slandered traditional animal foods as unhealthy and “too rich” in calories. There’s also misinformation that animal liver “stores” toxins. The liver processes toxins, it does not store them. But what it does store are high concentrations of B vitamins, iron, and other minerals.

In the spirit of good stewardship, why would we toss out part of the animal when they can all be used? Often historically, when a cow or other animal was harvested for food, the liver amoung other organs were saved for the pregnant or nursing mothers. It also seems logical that the organs are where some of the highest concentration of nutrients are stored.

It has taken me about two years to grow to appreciate and enjoy the taste of liver. Did you know it takes nearly 15 tries to come to enjoy a food? I continue to encourage parents of littles to continue offering a food, even if the child does not prefer it. I guess this method works for adults to! Developing the palate for certain foods takes time. In our instantly gratifying world of webpages and content that loads in milaseconds, it can be hard to be patient with these things. I persisted with liver even though I could not get used to the metallic like taste at first but after, literally, years of preparing it, I have learned a few tricks in the preparation process. And I genuinely look forward to a liver pate snack.

It takes about 15 attempts at trying a food before one starts to “enjoy” it.

There is reason to be motivated to include liver in the diet, along with other organ meats. Liver is a good place to start. Liver is a superfood. It is full of bioavailable vitamins in forms that we do not easily get in such bioavailable high concentrations.

Liver the Superfood

Some of the nutrients found in liver

Preformed Vitamin A

Preformed vitamin A is ready for the body to use. Beta carotene is a more commonly known form of “vitamin a” but it has to be converted to retinol vitamin a before it can be utilized by the body. There is research that suggests that there are genetic variabilities in how efficiently betacarotene is converted to retinol vitamin a.

Heme Iron

Liver is an excellent source of iron. Iron is a vital nutrient that supports the creation of red blood cells. It is very important in supporting pregnancy and for growing children. Liver containers heme iron, which is easily absorbed by the body.

Omega-3 DHA/EPA

Liver (especially from grass fed cows) contains EPA and DHA fatty acids which are beneficial many functions in the body including inflammation, heart disease, and mood. While it is not a high source, like salmon, it’s worth noting that this organ has EPA/DHA.

Folate (B9)

Essential for cell growth and forming DNA, liver is an excellent source, if not the best source on earth! Folate is an especially important nutrient during conception and pregnancy. Folate is not interchangeable with folic acid, which is a synthetic form of B9 that is not easily converted to the active form of folate.

Riboflavin (B2) and Cyanocobalamin (B12)

These B vitamins are essential to red blood cell and cellular health.

Zinc and Selenium

These are two minerals that play important roles in immunity.

BITE FOR BITE LIVER PROVIDES MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK AT A LOW COST

Of course there are other foods with these nutrients out there. So why eat the liver? Because, bite for bite liver is dense in bioavailable nutrients.

3.5oz Liver

Values taken from USDA Food Data Central compared to FDA RDI’s for adults and children greater than 4 years of age. Pregnant and lactating women have increased needs.

Vitamin A

3,146% RDI

Iron

47% RDI

Omega-3 EPA/DHA

0.88g PUFA per 3.5oz

EPA 0.112g

DHA 0.039

Folate (B9)

65% RDI

Riboflavin (B2) and Cyanocobalamin (B12)

B2 – 180% RDI

B12 – 3,520% RDI

Zinc and Selenium

Zinc – 27% RDI

Selenium – 30% RDI

HOW TO ADD LIVER TO YOUR DIET

Pate. I recommend starting with pate as it is blending with other delicious foods. Pate is a blend of liver with herbs, cream, and butter. You can also add onions and apples for more flavor. It is incredibly delicious, even my 16 month old loves it! If you prefer not to cook it, you can find it pre-made at the grocery store in a variety of flavors. If you are still a bit skittish but want to try it, mixing the pate itself into meatballs may suit you.