Food Archives | Betsy's Best

Avoid Getting Bored of Healthy Foods That Taste Good

by Betsy Opyt | Aug 22, 2019 | Wellness Tips

As a registered Dietitian and foodie, I love healthy foods that taste good. I love eating, preparing, shopping and even looking at food. I often get questions about the best foods to eat and best diet plans to follow. The truth is there are some foods and diet plans that are better than others, but there is more to it than that. In order to make things simpler in my life and for all those who ask, I came up with 5 simple tips that I use in my life to keep my diet delicious and nutritious.

How To Make Sure Your Healthy Foods That Taste Good Don’t Get Boring

Eat a Variety – Though it may sound like a broken record, eating a variety of foods – especially fruits and vegetables – keeps your taste buds and your body happy. Just as we get tired of listening to the same music or watching the same television show, healthy foods that initially taste good can get boring. Eating a variety of foods allows our bodies to reap the benefits of several different vitamins and minerals found in food.
Practice Portion Control – Proper portions are something that many people struggle with, including myself. Sometimes the serving size found on nutrition labels is disregarded. A handy trick I like to do when in doubt is to pull out the measuring cups and spoons. After doing this frequently, you will be able to eyeball the proper portions, and the measuring cups and spoons can be returned to the drawer.
Shop Smart – For me, going to the grocery store is an adventure. It is always my goal to see how colorful I can make my cart with fresh produce while limiting the number of packaged products. When I pick up a packaged product, I flip to the nutrition label and give it a thorough read. I strive to find items with the smallest ingredient list, minimal amounts of added sugar, sodium, saturated fat and absolutely no trans-fat. If it passes my inspection, it earns the privilege of getting into my cart.
4. Serve Up Some Seafood – The body thinks seafood is so yummy that it wants it to be in the tummy at least two times each week. The healthy omega-3 fats seafood has to offer in addition to several other nutrients is why the body needs seafood at least twice a week. An easy way to incorporate seafood is by swapping pork, beef or processed meat for salmon, shrimp or crab in foods like tacos, salads or sandwiches.
5. Choose Healthy Fats – Unsaturated fats and more specifically monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are the body’s most beneficial fats. Keeping our heart healthy is their primary goal despite their delicious taste. Some of my favorite healthy fats are avocados, chia seeds, olive oil, nuts and dark chocolate. Nuts are my favorite because they are so NUTritious. Try topping salads with nuts, adding nuts to smoothies and desserts, eating nuts as a snack and of course eating nut butters, especially if they are gourmet..

So, as you can see, finding those healthy foods that taste good is only part of the solution. If you stay limited to just a few types of food your body and taste buds will get bored. You will start to crave less healthy foods. In today’s world there is a huge variety of healthy, tasty products on the market. From fruits and veggies, animal and plant-based proteins, to nut and seeds, with a little research at the grocery store your fridge and pantry can be well-stocked to keep you on a healthy and interesting meal plan.

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Food Integrity | A Message From Betsy

by Betsy Opyt | Mar 13, 2018 | Our Gourmet Nut Butters

Food Integrity is very important to Betsy, a registered Dietitian and the creator of Betsy’s Best Gourmet Nut and Seed Butters. Here is a message from Betsy:

Ever since I whipped out my Vitamix to blend together the perfect peanut butter with a sweet and salty perfection for my daughter, sourcing the highest quality ingredients has always been top priority. If it is good enough for my family, it is good enough for yours!

Why Food Integrity Is Important To Betsy

As a registered dietitian I have a different outlook on the food industry. I don’t look at profits and margins on how much my products can make. I look at functional food ingredients that will nourish the body, flavors that will fascinate the taste buds and foster a feeling of connection with food that is good for you. I take pride in sourcing the highest quality ingredients knowing that although they may be more expensive, they are also better for you. I may make the Rolls Royce of nut and seed butters but I try hard to make them affordable for everyone. It is hard competing in the food industry where every cent matters and food companies do all they can to increase profits, even if that means compromising on quality and sourcing lower integrity ingredients. That is why I saw an opportunity to grow a business on standards, quality and pride. I want my butters to be different from the rest. I want the taste to be outstanding, I want the experience to be one to remember and I want to go to bed at night knowing that what I am providing you is the BEST I can offer. After all, I am BETSY and this is my BEST!

I am highlighting some of our top quality super-star ingredients that make my butters stellar.

We source the third most expensive spice in the world, cardamom, to grace our Gourmet Cashew Butter with Cardamom. Not only is this spice rich in flavor but rich in nutrients that can reduce inflammation and help with stomach issues.
We source not just cinnamon, but Korintji cinnamon for our Gourmet Peanut Butter, Gourmet Almond Butter, and Gourmet Seed Butter because this type of cinnamon has a richer flavor and more robust nutrients.
We select the highest quality Brazilian nuts to blend our Gourmet Toasted Coconut Cashew Butter and our Gourmet Cashew Butter with Cardamom for the creamiest and most flavorful cashew butter you will ever taste.
Every single one of my butters is carefully crafted with chia seeds, the world’s most functional super seed and the star ingredient for our crazy crunchy texture.
We source an outstanding organic honey that comes from the buzzing bees from the US, not from countries like China where many of the honeys that are used commercially come from.
Our amazing almonds, that are hands down the best tasting, are sourced in beautiful California by our own US farmers. Our sunny sunflower seeds come from North Dakota, and our US peanuts from farms extending from Arizona to Virginia.
I choose to use a pink Himalayan salt for that savory flavor rather than traditional table salt, that is not only processed but lacking the minerals my pink salt contain.

I may be picky with the ingredients I use, but it is only because I want the highest quality for you. If I am not my BEST when crafting my delicious Gourmet Nut & Seed Butters, then I can’t call my company Betsy’s Best. I want all of my fans to know I have your back and I won’t disappoint when I promise to keep quality in mind and will never compromise taste or health. I may have to borrow that pizza slogan and put a slight twist on it, “Best taste with Best Ingredients!”

Yours in Health,

Betsy

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Next Stop: Atlanta! Betsy’s Best® Gourmet Nut & Seed Butters Founder and Dietitian Betsy Opyt Featured as a Speaker at the Atlanta Gluten Free & Allergen Friendly Expo, May 20-21

by BBt6y7u8 | Feb 15, 2018 | Press Releases

Registered Dietitian and former Miss Indiana Betsy Opyt will present on Nutrient Dense & Gluten Free Foods at the GFAF Expo in Atlanta, GA, May 20-21, 2017. Betsy is Founder and CEO of Naples, FL-based Betsy’s Best® Gourmet Nut & Seed Butters.

Naples, FL (May 4, 2017) — Registered Dietitian and former Miss Indiana Betsy Opyt is on a mission to engage the Atlanta community in just how delicious, versatile and nutritious nut and seed butters and gluten free foods can be. She’ll be showcasing her all-natural, Non-GMO Project Verified, Betsy’s Best® Gourmet Nut and Seed Butters at the Atlanta Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly (GFAF) Expo, held at the Cobb Galleria Centre, May 20-21, 2017.

Show attendees will have the opportunity to meet Betsy and taste her award-winning Gourmet Almond Butter and other delicious flavors including Gourmet Cashew Butter, Peanut Butter and Sunflower Seed Butter. GFAF participants also can learn about healthy, easy-to-prepare recipes that take nut and seed butters above-and-beyond your typical spreads, appealing to both kids and adults.

The Atlanta event opens to the public at 10:00 am each morning and features product sampling, educational classes and cooking exhibitions. Visit Betsy’s Best® Gourmet Nut and Seed Butters at Booth #112 at the GFAF Expo in Atlanta, GA, May 20-21, 2017.

Betsy’s Presentation, “Nutrient Dense & Gluten Free Foods,” will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2017, 3:00-4:00 pm at the Cobb Galleria Centre. The talk will provide tips on how to optimize a gluten free diet with functional foods.

“Our Gourmet Nut and Seed Butters were created with gluten free, health-conscious consumers in mind,” says Betsy Opyt. “I know how difficult it can be for people with food sensitivities to find delicious and nutritious products that also meet our everyday, on-the-go lifestyles,” she adds.

In addition to interacting with the Atlanta gluten free community at the GFAF Expo, Betsy will be visiting the Atlanta Community Food Bank to donate 20 cases of her Gourmet Peanut Butter – peanut butter is a much needed product – and to raise awareness of the food bank’s work in serving food pantries, community kitchens, childcare centers, night shelters and senior centers throughout 29 counties in metro Atlanta and north Georgia. “Food banks are critical resources for low income and food insecure families, and the Atlanta Community Food Bank distributes over 60 million meals each year to more than 750,000 people. We are humbled and honored to help,” said Opyt.

Gluten Free … and Gourmet

The “free-from” trend has been gaining steam in recent years as more and more Americans continue to be affected by food allergies, food intolerances and chronic diseases. The market is shifting toward greater food transparency as consumers are asking companies to explain what’s in their products, the rationale behind each ingredient and how products are made.

Rethinking classic seed and nut butters, Betsy’s Best® has added unique flavors and superfoods including cinnamon or cardamom, chia seeds, Himalayan pink salt and organic honey. All Betsy’s Best® Gourmet Nut and Seed Butter products are Non-GMO Project Verified and made without palm oil – a controversial ingredient that appears in a number of other nut butter brands.

Betsy’s Best® Gourmet Almond Butter was recognized in October 2016 as the first recipient of the ChefsBest Quality in Craft Award in a blind taste test by an expert panel of Certified Master Tasters.

To help customers and fans get the most out of their beloved spreads, Betsy Opyt herself has hand-crafted over 60 recipes that are available online at www.BetsysBest.com, on YouTube and featured on Carolina Kitchen on WLOS TV, an ABC TV affiliate.

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Good Mood Food

by BBt6y7u8 | Feb 15, 2018 | Superfood Nutrition

We all know the foods we eat impact our bodies, but we don’t always realize how our food choices can affect our moods. Nutrition plays an important role in brain chemistry and structure. As a result, what we put on our plates directly affects our behavior and mental state. Although there’s still a lot of research to be done in this area, scientific studies have provided us with important clues on the importance of good mood food!

Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA (primarily found in fatty fish like salmon and trout), as well as almonds, walnuts and chia seeds, have all been shown to reduce or “chill-out” nervous system activity, in turn producing a calming effect. Try a serving of Betsy’s Best Gourmet Almond Butter (which contains chia seeds) to relax your mind and give your day a healthy boost!

Getting enough Vitamin D in your diet can also help brighten your day. Low serum levels of this nutrient have been associated with mood disorders such as PMS, depression and seasonal affective disorder. Fatty fish such as salmon and tuna, along with whole eggs, are part of a select group of foods that naturally contain Vitamin D. Since this nutrient can be difficult to incorporate into your daily diet, it’s recommended to get Vitamin D from a variety of sources, including short periods of sun exposure, supplements and fortified foods such as grain products.

On the other side of the spectrum, some foods can also dampen your mood. For example, caffeine is notorious for disturbing sleep cycles, in turn causing irritability. If you’re a coffee drinker, try to limit your intake to one or two cups a day (that means less than 16 oz!) and resist drinking caffeine-containing beverages after lunch to help avoid sleep disturbances later. Foods high in saturated fat, such as baked goodies or greasy snacks, can also leave you feeling a bit disconnected. This happens because fatty foods are digested slowly, diverting blood from your brain to your stomach, consequently leaving you in a fog. Try switching out a breaded chicken and cheese sandwich for one made with grilled chicken and a healthy source of fat, like avocado.

Adding good mood foods and avoiding the bad can really impact your mood in a positive way. Give it a try. Your mind will feel clearer, your mood will be better and your heart will thank you later!

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A Modern Twist on an Old Classic: Betsy’s Best Transforms the ‘PB&J’ into a Healthy, Gourmet Treat at the MetroCooking DC Show, December 9-10

by BBt6y7u8 | Dec 8, 2017 | Press Releases

Registered Dietitian and food entrepreneur Betsy Opyt will present “The PB&J Gourmet Experience” at Betsy’s Best Gourmet Nut & Seed Butters Booth #1139 at the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show, Dec. 9-10, 2017, at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.

Naples, FL (Dec. 4, 2017) – The ultimate food lover’s weekend returns to the Washington, DC, Convention Center where Betsy’s Best Gourmet Nut & Seed Butters founder and CEO, Betsy Opyt, will be sampling her sweet and salty spreads including Almond Butter, Cashew Butter, Sunflower Seed Butter and Peanut Butter with jellies and jams from World of Chia and artisan sprouted grain Bread Crisps from Angelic Bakehouse.

Dubbed “The PB&J Gourmet Experience,” the creative tasting experience presented by Betsy’s Best at the upcoming MetroCooking DC Show is an excellent example of healthy-foods-meets-gourmet-ingenuity during the two-day culinary extravaganza. Alongside cooking demos and book signings with top Celebrity Chefs, including Guy Fieri, host of the hit TV show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Betsy will showcase the versatility of her healthy and delicious gourmet products.

Now in its 12th year, the MetroCooking DC Show has grown significantly in popularity over recent years and has emerged as a top national event for foodies. The event draws thousands of visitors and features hundreds of vendors.

As a Registered and Licensed Dietitian and former Miss Indiana, Betsy Opyt has been touring the country sharing her passion for healthy, great-tasting spreads that make eating well a lot easier. Made with whole food ingredients and superfoods such as chia seeds and cardamom, Betsy’s Best Nut & Seed Butters have become a national hit because of their unique taste and texture that appeal to adults and kids alike. As an added bonus, Betsy’s products are also Non-GMO Project Verified, gluten free, and palm oil free.

“We cannot wait to be amongst some of America’s top culinary minds at the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show,” says Betsy Opyt, founder and CEO of Betsy’s Best Gourmet Nut & Seed Butters. “To showcase our nut and seed butters in a truly innovative setting has motivated us to come up with some creative twists on a classic sandwich that everyone can enjoy – from the discerning foodie to the pickiest kid. Come explore healthy, gourmet food with us. You are going to love it!” she adds.