This Is the Anti-Inflammatory Snack That Valerie Bertinelli Has Been Eating for 40 Years
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“It’s old-fashioned and it’s delicious.”
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Valerie Bertinelli has a career spanning decades, ranging from her acting roles in One Day at a Time and Hot in Cleveland to hosting Food Network shows Valerie's Home Cooking and Kids Baking Championship. And throughout the years, she has depended on the same snack for a midday pick-me-up.
"Today's treat is something I've been eating for, I don't know, on and off 40 years," Bertinelli said at the start of her latest Instagram post.
The best part? It just takes three simple ingredients and five minutes to re-create the cook's go-to snack. Bertinelli shows us how to replicate the easy and nutritious treat—read on to find out how.
First, the base of the snack is cottage cheese.
"It's so 'in' now, who knew!" Bertinelli exclaimed while holding up her cottage cheese container. She uses Good Culture's Low-Fat Classic Cottage Cheese, which EatingWell's editors and dietitians highly recommend if you're looking for a lower-fat option.
Then, she adds canned mandarin oranges, specifically Geisha Mandarin Oranges in light syrup. Her final ingredient is walnuts from Diamond Nuts.
"You put it all together, accidentally-on-purpose get some of that light syrup in there, and then enjoy," Bertinelli said with a spoonful of her snack in hand. "It's old-fashioned and it's delicious."
We're all about the addition of walnuts in this delicious bowl. Walnuts have anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce symptoms of inflammation like joint stiffness, digestive issues and high blood pressure.
Pack this snack in a to-go container for a quick grab out of the refrigerator, or prepare it on the spot. Either way, it's simple to make while being a healthy and tasty choice for in-between meals. We even love dressing up our cottage cheese in other ways, like with strawberries or raspberry honey. Just keep us away from that cottage cheese-mustard trend, please and thank you.
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