Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Volcanos and climate change
An interesting tid-bit to throw at the climate-change doubters in your life. The volcano in iceland (okay, let me do a little cut-and-paste here -- Eyjafjallajoekull) is pumping huge amounts of CO2 into the atmoshpere, as volcanos are wont to do. However, it's actually putting out LESS CO2 than the normal European air traffic would. So with the planes grounded, there's an improvement!
(Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's a lot of assumptions, and lots of the travel was diverted to ground vehicles which has it's own CO2 output, and lots of travel was simply postponed, so the impact will just come later, and so on and so forth, but the article is pretty transparent about their data. And the real point is that air traffic alone puts out more CO2 than volcanos!)
Anyone still have doubts about the potential for man-made changes in global climate?
Full article here:
Friday, January 25, 2008
retired blog
I am going to retire my blog. It has been great fun for me but time to move on to other things outside the computer.
I would highly recommend you read Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink and YOU The Owners Manual by M. Roizen MD and M. OZ MD. There is good stuff on those pages. Knowledge is power . . . and you need to be powerful in keeping yourself and your family healthy.
If you know my blog . . . then you know that what goes into your food goes into YOU! And you know you should reduce your salt intake. If you do not like the #lb on your scale then decrease calories and move more. It is all so very simple.
I have some closing thoughts to share with you.
Bad things happen to people who eat bad things.
Eat food not food products.
Today there are thousands of edible fooklike substances in the supermarket. These novel products of food science often come in packages elaborately festooned with health claims. If you are concerned about your health, you should avoid products that make health claims. Health clamis on a food product is a strong indication it is NOT really food, and food is what you want to eat.
EAT FOOD . . . not food like substances. Don't eat anything your gradmother would not recognize as food. (ie. would your grandmother recognize GoGurt Portable Yogurt tubes from the dairy case?)
Avoid food products containing ingredients that are:
1. unfamiliar
2. unpronounceable
3. more than 5 in number
4. or include high fructose corn syrup.
Shop the peripheries of the market and stay out of the middle.
Shop at your local farmers market. You won't find any high fructose corn syrup at the farmers' market. You also won't find any elaborately processed food products, any packages with long lists of unpronounceable ingredients or dubious health claims, nothing microwavable, and perhaps best of all, no old food from far away. What you will find are fresh whole foods picked at the peak of their taste and nutritional quality.
Take supplements.
Stop snacking.
Eat meals. Eat at a table. Do not eat at your desk, in the car, in front of the tv. etc. It is at the dinner table that we socialize and civilize our chidren, teaching them manners and the art of conversation. At the dinner table parents can determine portion sizes, model eating and drinking behavior, and enforce social norms.
Shared meals are about much more than fueling bodies; they are uniquely human institutions where our species developed language and this thing we call culture.
I would highly recommend you read Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink and YOU The Owners Manual by M. Roizen MD and M. OZ MD. There is good stuff on those pages. Knowledge is power . . . and you need to be powerful in keeping yourself and your family healthy.
If you know my blog . . . then you know that what goes into your food goes into YOU! And you know you should reduce your salt intake. If you do not like the #lb on your scale then decrease calories and move more. It is all so very simple.
I have some closing thoughts to share with you.
Bad things happen to people who eat bad things.
Eat food not food products.
Today there are thousands of edible fooklike substances in the supermarket. These novel products of food science often come in packages elaborately festooned with health claims. If you are concerned about your health, you should avoid products that make health claims. Health clamis on a food product is a strong indication it is NOT really food, and food is what you want to eat.
EAT FOOD . . . not food like substances. Don't eat anything your gradmother would not recognize as food. (ie. would your grandmother recognize GoGurt Portable Yogurt tubes from the dairy case?)
Avoid food products containing ingredients that are:
1. unfamiliar
2. unpronounceable
3. more than 5 in number
4. or include high fructose corn syrup.
Shop the peripheries of the market and stay out of the middle.
Shop at your local farmers market. You won't find any high fructose corn syrup at the farmers' market. You also won't find any elaborately processed food products, any packages with long lists of unpronounceable ingredients or dubious health claims, nothing microwavable, and perhaps best of all, no old food from far away. What you will find are fresh whole foods picked at the peak of their taste and nutritional quality.
Take supplements.
Stop snacking.
Eat meals. Eat at a table. Do not eat at your desk, in the car, in front of the tv. etc. It is at the dinner table that we socialize and civilize our chidren, teaching them manners and the art of conversation. At the dinner table parents can determine portion sizes, model eating and drinking behavior, and enforce social norms.
Shared meals are about much more than fueling bodies; they are uniquely human institutions where our species developed language and this thing we call culture.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Flat Line
Frito Lay's Flat Earth Garlic & Herb Field Baked Veggie Crisps contain "1/2 serving of real vegetables in every ounce", boasts the bag.
Turns out the crisps are mostly rice flour and potato flakes, which are about as good for you as white rice and mashed potatoes. As for the vegetables; the Garlic & Herb Field crisps have more corn oil, modified corn starch, and oat flour than pumpkin, more sugar and maltodextrin than dehydrated onion, and more salt than tomato paste.
That explains why the 24 crisps that it would take to supply a full serving of vegetables have 260 calories, far more than a serving of real vegetables ( 20 to 60). That many crisps also deliver 380 mg of sodium, versus essentially zero sodium in most fresh veggies.
"With a tasty blend of potato, rice and vegetables, these Impossibly Good veggie crisps make it possible to have great taste and nutrition", says the bag.
Impossibly good? Unless Frito Lay is talking about real vegetables, impossible is more like it.
Turns out the crisps are mostly rice flour and potato flakes, which are about as good for you as white rice and mashed potatoes. As for the vegetables; the Garlic & Herb Field crisps have more corn oil, modified corn starch, and oat flour than pumpkin, more sugar and maltodextrin than dehydrated onion, and more salt than tomato paste.
That explains why the 24 crisps that it would take to supply a full serving of vegetables have 260 calories, far more than a serving of real vegetables ( 20 to 60). That many crisps also deliver 380 mg of sodium, versus essentially zero sodium in most fresh veggies.
"With a tasty blend of potato, rice and vegetables, these Impossibly Good veggie crisps make it possible to have great taste and nutrition", says the bag.
Impossibly good? Unless Frito Lay is talking about real vegetables, impossible is more like it.
Wise Up
"Get your daily servings of fruit" from Tropicana FruitWise strips and bars, says the Web site. The strips deliver one serving of fruit, the bars two according to Tropicana. Both are mostly apple puree concentrate and apple juice concentrate, with other purees and concentrates, depending on the flavor - cherry, raspberry, strawberry, etc.
Since puree is less processed than juice, FruitWise probably delivers more of what is in real fruit than fruit juice does. But fruit it ain't!
The beauty of fruits and veggies is that they fill you up without loading you down. Calorie dense foods like FruitWise squeeze their calories ( 70 in each 2/3 oz strip and 140 in each 1 1/2 oz bar) into very little food.
FruitWise but Calorie Foolish.
Since puree is less processed than juice, FruitWise probably delivers more of what is in real fruit than fruit juice does. But fruit it ain't!
The beauty of fruits and veggies is that they fill you up without loading you down. Calorie dense foods like FruitWise squeeze their calories ( 70 in each 2/3 oz strip and 140 in each 1 1/2 oz bar) into very little food.
FruitWise but Calorie Foolish.
Plate Makeover
Being smart about portions is not just a matter of calories. Changing the proportion of meat to vegetables on your plate also reduces your intake of sat fat and ups your consumption of healthy nutrients.We need to change from the traditional American plate (big hunk of meat, glob of potato and tiny dollop of vegetables ) to healthier portions.
Start by making more interesting and flavorful vegetable dishes ( not just microwaving some frozen peas) and heaping those on your plate first. You will have less room left for meat. Next, step up to preparing 2 vegetable dishes for every meal, varing in appearance and taste; whole grains can also help occupy this healthy two thirds of your reproportioned plate.
Another strategy is to rely more on one pot meals in which ingredients other than meat dominate. Over time, your "new American plate" will become the norm and you will start to wonder how you ever ate any other way.
Start by making more interesting and flavorful vegetable dishes ( not just microwaving some frozen peas) and heaping those on your plate first. You will have less room left for meat. Next, step up to preparing 2 vegetable dishes for every meal, varing in appearance and taste; whole grains can also help occupy this healthy two thirds of your reproportioned plate.
Another strategy is to rely more on one pot meals in which ingredients other than meat dominate. Over time, your "new American plate" will become the norm and you will start to wonder how you ever ate any other way.
Pasta for Every Palate
Pasta may have been knocked down during the recent low carb craze, but this Italian staple was never out. Now, it is making a full fledged comeback, packing more healthful attributes than ever.
Traditional pasta is typically made from refined semolina and durum wheat that is enrfiched with iron and B vitamins. It also provides carbohydrates but it is not brimming with nutrients.
The primo pasta to choose is one made from 100% whole grain - usually whole wheat - because it typically provides at leastg double the fiber and nearly triple the protein of regular pasta. Moreover, it provides whatever phytonutrients are present in the whole grain.
If you have never eaten whole wheat pasta before, it takes getting used to but it is worth it. It is more substantial and is more flavorful. Start by mixing it half and half with semolina pasta.
Next on the pasta preference list are those made from a blend of whole grain and refined flours. They deliver more of the traditional texture and taste of pasta, while still bumping up fiber and nutrients.
Pasta options are expanding. Avoiding gluten? Choose from rice, corn and soybean pastas. Want an omega 3 boost? Look for added flax.
Some Pasta Pointers:
1. Choose whole grain pasta when possible.
2. Keep portions reasonable. The usual 2 oz dry pasta portion listed on the Nutrition Facts label equals about 1 cup of cooked pasta.
3. Make your own blend by combining regular and whole grain pasta.
4. Add some cooked veggies or canned beans to your favorite sauce to make your pasta dish extra nutritious.
5. Watch out for higher sodium if you opt for refrigerated pasta.
Choose wisely . . . lived well.
Traditional pasta is typically made from refined semolina and durum wheat that is enrfiched with iron and B vitamins. It also provides carbohydrates but it is not brimming with nutrients.
The primo pasta to choose is one made from 100% whole grain - usually whole wheat - because it typically provides at leastg double the fiber and nearly triple the protein of regular pasta. Moreover, it provides whatever phytonutrients are present in the whole grain.
If you have never eaten whole wheat pasta before, it takes getting used to but it is worth it. It is more substantial and is more flavorful. Start by mixing it half and half with semolina pasta.
Next on the pasta preference list are those made from a blend of whole grain and refined flours. They deliver more of the traditional texture and taste of pasta, while still bumping up fiber and nutrients.
Pasta options are expanding. Avoiding gluten? Choose from rice, corn and soybean pastas. Want an omega 3 boost? Look for added flax.
Some Pasta Pointers:
1. Choose whole grain pasta when possible.
2. Keep portions reasonable. The usual 2 oz dry pasta portion listed on the Nutrition Facts label equals about 1 cup of cooked pasta.
3. Make your own blend by combining regular and whole grain pasta.
4. Add some cooked veggies or canned beans to your favorite sauce to make your pasta dish extra nutritious.
5. Watch out for higher sodium if you opt for refrigerated pasta.
Choose wisely . . . lived well.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Thai Down
"Real Thai, Real Easy," promise the containers of A Taste of Thai heat and eat noodles.
Real easy to block an artery or levitate your blood pressure or tack on a pound, perhaps.
Whether you choose the Red Curry Noodles, Peanut Noodles, Coconut Ginger Noodles, or Pad Thai Noodles, you walk away with enough refined carbohydrates and sat fat to supply some 400 to 600 calories. And judging by the sodium ( around 1600 mg) A Taste of Thai relies heavily on the taste of salt.
Those numbers are roughly double what you see on the Nutrition Facts panels, which claim that a container makes "about 2 servings". Barely 1 is more like it. After microwaving, each bucket has just over 1 cup of food. Who wants half a tennis ball sized portion of noodles? Many Thai dishes are flavorful mixtures of sauteed veggies like broccoli, eggplant, peppers, bamboo shoots, and onions served with shrimp, chicken, or tofu.
A Taste of Thai is mostly rice noodles plus seasoning packets. The Pad Thai has more soy sauce than dried shallots or pickled radishes, the only vegetables it bothers to add.
Looking for "Real Thai, Real Easy"? Head for your favorite Thai restaurant.
Real easy to block an artery or levitate your blood pressure or tack on a pound, perhaps.
Whether you choose the Red Curry Noodles, Peanut Noodles, Coconut Ginger Noodles, or Pad Thai Noodles, you walk away with enough refined carbohydrates and sat fat to supply some 400 to 600 calories. And judging by the sodium ( around 1600 mg) A Taste of Thai relies heavily on the taste of salt.
Those numbers are roughly double what you see on the Nutrition Facts panels, which claim that a container makes "about 2 servings". Barely 1 is more like it. After microwaving, each bucket has just over 1 cup of food. Who wants half a tennis ball sized portion of noodles? Many Thai dishes are flavorful mixtures of sauteed veggies like broccoli, eggplant, peppers, bamboo shoots, and onions served with shrimp, chicken, or tofu.
A Taste of Thai is mostly rice noodles plus seasoning packets. The Pad Thai has more soy sauce than dried shallots or pickled radishes, the only vegetables it bothers to add.
Looking for "Real Thai, Real Easy"? Head for your favorite Thai restaurant.
Good Way to Start the Day
When it is cold outside, there is no better way to start the day than with a bowl of hot cereal. Today, alongside old favorites like Quaker Oats, Cream of Wheat, Wheatena and Maypo, there are dozens of new varieties in supermarkets and natural foods markets. The latest offerings include fancy new flavor twists, as well as sugar free and low sugar versions, multigrain varieties and cereals enhanced with nuts, seeds and fiber.
As is often the case, there is more - and sometimes less - than meets the eye, so label reading is a MUST! Most importantly, make sure your cereal is whole grain, preferably 100% but at the least with a whole grain as the first ingredient.
Next, choose a cereal with the highest fiber content you can find. Fiber varies widely, from a low of one to two grams per serving to a high of seven to nine grams. In general, the higher the fiber content, the more healthful whole grains you get.
Do not forget that serving sizes vary substantially, so when comparing Nutrition Facts, make note of how much cereal you are getting for the calories.
Some hot tips for a hearty winter brfeakfast:
1. Choose a cereal that is mostly whole grains ( listed first in the ingredients) for fiber and phytonutrients.
2. Reach for unflavored cereals; add your own spices and fruit to save on sodium and sugar. Flavored and instant varieties typically contain the most sodium and sugar, so you are better off adding your own cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, raisins, dried apricots, dried cranberries or sliced bananas.
3. Be aware of sweeteners. Cereals labeled " low sugar" or sugar free are still sweet because they contain artificial sweeteners. If you are looking for a less sweet taste, opt for plain varieties and add your own . . . or not.
4. Prepare it with skim milk or fortified soy milk instead of water; it will boost calcium and other nutrients and make for a creamier texture.
5. Add heart healthy toppings, like wheat germ, flaxmeal or walnuts for vitamin E and omega 3 fats.
As is often the case, there is more - and sometimes less - than meets the eye, so label reading is a MUST! Most importantly, make sure your cereal is whole grain, preferably 100% but at the least with a whole grain as the first ingredient.
Next, choose a cereal with the highest fiber content you can find. Fiber varies widely, from a low of one to two grams per serving to a high of seven to nine grams. In general, the higher the fiber content, the more healthful whole grains you get.
Do not forget that serving sizes vary substantially, so when comparing Nutrition Facts, make note of how much cereal you are getting for the calories.
Some hot tips for a hearty winter brfeakfast:
1. Choose a cereal that is mostly whole grains ( listed first in the ingredients) for fiber and phytonutrients.
2. Reach for unflavored cereals; add your own spices and fruit to save on sodium and sugar. Flavored and instant varieties typically contain the most sodium and sugar, so you are better off adding your own cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, raisins, dried apricots, dried cranberries or sliced bananas.
3. Be aware of sweeteners. Cereals labeled " low sugar" or sugar free are still sweet because they contain artificial sweeteners. If you are looking for a less sweet taste, opt for plain varieties and add your own . . . or not.
4. Prepare it with skim milk or fortified soy milk instead of water; it will boost calcium and other nutrients and make for a creamier texture.
5. Add heart healthy toppings, like wheat germ, flaxmeal or walnuts for vitamin E and omega 3 fats.
More Matters
Make this year the one you add more fruits and veggies to your daily diet. Here are some ideas to help you:
1. Keep on hand fruits and veggies that stay fresh for a week or more - apples, grapefruit, oranges, beets, cabbage, carots, celery, opions, potatoes, squash and sweet potatoes. Buy others only as you knows you will eat them.
2. Shop with a friend - share a melon or a bunch of celery; split a bag of oranges or apples. You get variety without waste and you save money.
3. Buy frozen produce in bags, not boxes. Use as much or as little as you want, then tie up the bag and save what is left for anotherf meal.
4. Freeze unused portions of fresh veggies you have sliced or diced in plastic bags or small containers. Use later in sauces, stir fries or omelets.
5. Use last night's leftover pasta to mix with chopped veggies and low fat sald dressing for a tasty salad.
6. Make extra salad to save for lunch the next day. Add beans, chicken or shredded cheese and roll it into a whole wheat tortilla for lunch.
7. Make a meal out of a spud - top a baked potato with canned chili, add steamed broccoli, carrots or cauliflower. Serve with fat free sour cream or low fat shredded cheese.
8. Add lightly sauteed veggies to jarred pasta sauce. Try broccoli, onions, mushrooms, peppers, carrots or eggplant. Serve over whole wheat pasta.
10. Dress up quick cooking brown rice or couscous with diced tomatoes, shredded carrots, raisins and pine nuts. Season with a splash of balsamic vinegar.
11. Top frozen whole grain waffles with fresh or frozen fruit.
12. Add dried fruit to instant cereals like oatmeal and Cream of Wheat.
13. Heat canned fat free refried beans in the microwave. Add low fat cheese, vedggies and salsa and roll in a whole wheat tortilla.
Wishing you a very healthy new year!!
1. Keep on hand fruits and veggies that stay fresh for a week or more - apples, grapefruit, oranges, beets, cabbage, carots, celery, opions, potatoes, squash and sweet potatoes. Buy others only as you knows you will eat them.
2. Shop with a friend - share a melon or a bunch of celery; split a bag of oranges or apples. You get variety without waste and you save money.
3. Buy frozen produce in bags, not boxes. Use as much or as little as you want, then tie up the bag and save what is left for anotherf meal.
4. Freeze unused portions of fresh veggies you have sliced or diced in plastic bags or small containers. Use later in sauces, stir fries or omelets.
5. Use last night's leftover pasta to mix with chopped veggies and low fat sald dressing for a tasty salad.
6. Make extra salad to save for lunch the next day. Add beans, chicken or shredded cheese and roll it into a whole wheat tortilla for lunch.
7. Make a meal out of a spud - top a baked potato with canned chili, add steamed broccoli, carrots or cauliflower. Serve with fat free sour cream or low fat shredded cheese.
8. Add lightly sauteed veggies to jarred pasta sauce. Try broccoli, onions, mushrooms, peppers, carrots or eggplant. Serve over whole wheat pasta.
10. Dress up quick cooking brown rice or couscous with diced tomatoes, shredded carrots, raisins and pine nuts. Season with a splash of balsamic vinegar.
11. Top frozen whole grain waffles with fresh or frozen fruit.
12. Add dried fruit to instant cereals like oatmeal and Cream of Wheat.
13. Heat canned fat free refried beans in the microwave. Add low fat cheese, vedggies and salsa and roll in a whole wheat tortilla.
Wishing you a very healthy new year!!
Friday, December 28, 2007
party dip
With the "new year" weekend upon us I have a quick tip for your party.
Puree in a food processor: a 15 oz can ( drained and rinsed) Great Northern, navy, or other white beans, 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, 1 clove garlic, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Mmmmmm,
Puree in a food processor: a 15 oz can ( drained and rinsed) Great Northern, navy, or other white beans, 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, 1 clove garlic, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Mmmmmm,
Healthy Harvest
If you can boil wsater and have 60 seconds to spare, you have got a healty new breakfast waiting for you in the cereal aisle.
Quaker Simple Harvest Instant Multigrain Hot Cereal makes whole grains, well, simple. Each 1 1/2 oz packet of flavored oats, wheat, barley, and rye has 150 to 160 calories and 4 grams of fiber, but little or no bad fat and not much sodium (75 mg). And the nutty taste of the four grains is more interesting than plain oatmeal.
Go with the Vanilla, Almond and Honey or Maple Brown Sugar with Pecans and you get a modest 2 teaspoons of added sugar. The Apples with Cinnomon reaches 3 teaspoons but some of the sugar comes from dried apples that are sweetened with apple juice concentrate.
All three have more sugar than unflavored oatmeal or Wheatena does, but less than many cold cereals.
And, unlike unflavored hot cereals that need some raisins or other jazz-em - ups, you can take Simple Harvest anywhere there is a bowl and hot water. Throw on some fresh fruit and breakfast is served.
Good food that leads to good health: it is one of life's simple pleasures.
Choose wisely . . .live well.
Quaker Simple Harvest Instant Multigrain Hot Cereal makes whole grains, well, simple. Each 1 1/2 oz packet of flavored oats, wheat, barley, and rye has 150 to 160 calories and 4 grams of fiber, but little or no bad fat and not much sodium (75 mg). And the nutty taste of the four grains is more interesting than plain oatmeal.
Go with the Vanilla, Almond and Honey or Maple Brown Sugar with Pecans and you get a modest 2 teaspoons of added sugar. The Apples with Cinnomon reaches 3 teaspoons but some of the sugar comes from dried apples that are sweetened with apple juice concentrate.
All three have more sugar than unflavored oatmeal or Wheatena does, but less than many cold cereals.
And, unlike unflavored hot cereals that need some raisins or other jazz-em - ups, you can take Simple Harvest anywhere there is a bowl and hot water. Throw on some fresh fruit and breakfast is served.
Good food that leads to good health: it is one of life's simple pleasures.
Choose wisely . . .live well.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
20 states overweight
Mississippians have set a record, but it is not one residents of other states should envey. More than 30% of adults in Mississippi are obese. But Mississippians are hardly alone in going up a few pants sizes. At least a quarter of the adults in 19 other states are obese. Southern states weighed in as the six heaviest - after Mississippi, West Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana. South Carolina and Tennessee. Leading the leanest list was Colorado, with 17% obesity, followed by Massachusettts, Vermont, Connecticut, Hawaii and Rhode Island.
Obesity rates have increased significantly in 31 states over the past two years. One reason for the ever growing pressure on Americans' bathroom scales is that so many of us are couch potatoes. 22% of US adults say they do not engage in any physical activity.
Mississippi again had ther least active population with 31% never exercising; Minnesotans were the most likely to get off their duffs, with only 15% not exercising.
Our nation is in the middle of a public health crisis that is still deteriorating rapidly. Unfortunately, we are treating it like a mere inconvenience instead of the emergency that it is.
Adding more whole grains
1. Buy some whole wheat flour and put it into your freezer. You can't bake with it if you don't have it.
2. Make your own granola and use it for breakfast or as a trail mix.
3. Commit to eating and using more oats. Grind them up like a flour.
4. Cook a cup of hulled barley, refrigerate it and use a tablespoon or two in your bread recipes and in your soups, stews, chili, pot pies and so on.
5. Start today by substituting 1/3 cup of whole wheat flour for 1/3 cup of all purpose flour in all your recipes.
6. Mix up your morning breakfast cereal routine with whole grain muffins.
7. Give up store bought white bread. If you can't do that, make sandwiches with one slice of white bread and one slice of whole wheat.
8. Bake from scratch. You have absolutely no way of knowing how much whole grain nutrition you are getting in store bought baked goods. You will love the results of your own baking, and think how much more wholesome you can make even decadent treats.
9. Don't fret about it. Change your diet gradually. If something does not taste good, forget about it. Life's too short to eat food that does not taste great.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Life
Life is a reat big convas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can. Danny Kaye
Monday, November 05, 2007
Frozen Entrees
Looking for frozen entrees to help you cut down on calories and sat fat and eat more healthfully? You won't have to look far. Lower calorie frozen entrees now occupy about half the supermarket freezer space devoted to frozen entrees and dinners. While the 3 industry leaders in light fare remain Con Agra Healtghy Choice, Stouffer's Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers Smart Ones, the number of choices from all brands has grown exponentially.
Not all light entrees are created equal. Some are c onsiderably lighter in calories than others, some are lighter in sodium and several are surprisingly good sources of fiber, especially vegetarian entrees.To your benefit, manufacturers are offering more seafood choices, whole wheat pasta and brown rice in their products. Some even brag a "full serving of veggies". You will also now find more sophisticatged offerings like Roasted Chicken Chardonnay, Steak Tips Portobello and Salmon with Basil.
But while lots of frozen entrees are now low in fat, sat fat and calories, many are still plagued by excessive sodium. And while single servings are certainly convenient when eating alone, the typical plastic tray covered in plastic wrap is not environmentally friendly.
Light Entree Advice:
1. Pay attention to serving sizes; they range from less than 8 oz. to more than 12 oz. Smaller entrees may leave you hungry.
2. Read package contents carefully. Some products contain an entree with a sprinkling of veggies, rice or potatoes, while others offer one or two full servings of side dishes.
3. Scrutinize sodium. Though fat and calories may have been trimmed, some light entrees are still high in sodium. READ LABELS.
4. Skip products that include dessert. Add your own fresh fruit instead.
5. Make your meal complete if its just an entree by including a whole grain roll, green salad and vegetable.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Belly-ssimo!
There is nothing more American than Italian food. Dishes like spaghetti, pizza and lasagna are fixtures in our kitchens and our restaurants.
But what is the cost - to our waistlines, our arteries, and our blood pressure - when we go out for Italian? The menus at Olive Garden (the leading sit down Italian restaurant chain) and Romano's Macaroni Grill ( the #2 chain) explain why many of us have taken on the shape of a meatball, with arteries that resemble stuffed manicotti. A traditional Mediterranean diet - low in sat fat and rich in fruits and veggies - may be a lifesaver. But most US Italian restaurant food is more like a lead weight.
Olive Garden's Web site discloses calories, total fat and fiber but not sat fat or sodium on only 6 lower fat items from its lighter menu. I like Macaroni Grill Web site for:
1. posting nutrition numbers for most menu items.
2. frying only in trans free soybean oil
3. offering a "create Your Own Pasta" that allows diners to mix and match sauce, pasta, veggies and chicken or shrimp.
4. and you have to admire a chain that is honest enough to post numbers that range from excessive to they have gotta-be-kidding.
Tips for surviving a visit to your favorite Italian restaurant with minimal damage to your waistline, arteries, and blood pressure.
1. Split an entree, take home half, or order a lunch size portion.
2. Pick a pasta with tomato sauce or olive oil sauce. Stay away from creamy sauces like Alfredo and vodka.
3. Order dishes built around veggies, seafood, or grilled chicken that do not come with cheese or cream sauce.
4. Fill up on salad, but hold the cheese and get the dressing on the side.
5. If you want some cheese, sprinkle a little Parmesan on top of your entree, soup or salad. A tablespoon has just 1 gram of sat fat, 20 calories, and 80 mg of sodium.
6. Make your side dish veggies rather than pasta or potatoes.
7. Limit the unlimited supply of bread.
Hot & Heavy
As the weather gets chilly, Starbucks is doing its part to keep you toasty. Its hot beverages do not only warm your insides they can put an extra layer of insulation around your middle . . . and inside your artery walls.
Take the White Hot Chocolate. The mix of steamed milk with a twist of white chocolate and vanilla syrup and topped with whipped cream sounds elegant. A 490 calorie grande (16 oz) with 13 grams of sat fat sounds anything but.
Would you stop at McDonald's for a quick Quarter Pounder with Cheese on a cold day?? Even with non fat milk and no whipped cream, the drink has 360 calories and 4 grams of sat fat. To its credit, Starbucks says that it will have eliminated all artificial trans fat from its foods by the end of the year. You can pick up fruit, vegetable rich (but salty) salads, and even nutrition pamphlets at some outlets. And the Web site features a tall Nonfat Caramel Macchiato =140 calories; a grande Nonfat Latte = 130 calories and a tall Nonfat Caramel Latte with sugar free syrup = 90 calories.
So instead of adding one more layer of personal wrap around cushioning with a White Hot Chocolate, why not warm up with a slimmed down drink and an extra scarf??
New Idea
Liven up yur salads with sliced or chopped fresh apples or pears. Try apple, avocado and celery on red leaf lettuce with buttermilk dressing. Or pear and walnuts on baby spinach with your favorite vinaigrett.
Forbidden Fruits
"Signature Selections Pies are made with the highest quality fruit picked at the peak of ripeness . . ." says the label on Sara Lee Fruits of the Forest Deep Dish Pie.
Pie is no health food, but Sara Lee's looks like an exception. With photos of luscious apples, rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, Fruits of the Forest Deep Dish pie seems like a virtual cocktail of phytochemical-rich, vitamin packed fruits. "simmered in their own juices" to cut down on the added sugar. And it has a "flaky crust made with real butter", so you might expect to dodge the harmful trans fats in the partially hydrogenated oil that is used in most pies.
Just kidding.
Fruits of the Forest has more partially hydrogenated oil and sugar then any fruit except apples. And it is less than 2 % butter. Each serving (1/9 of a pie) has 340 calories, 4 grams of sat fat and 4 grams of trans fat. That is half a day's bad fat.
It is essentially an ordinary apple pie all dressed up with nowhere ( but your arteries and waist) to go.
Soy Wonder
Seapoint Farms is not shy about its Dry Roasted Edamame.
According to the label, these roasted, lightly salted green soybeans are "The Wonder Veggie." They are also "rich in isoflavones." "high protein," and "heart healthy." with "70% less fat and 40% more protein than peanuts."
And they have "only 2 net carbs" and "all 8 essential amino acids," with "no cholesterol or trans fats."
Each serving has 14 grams of soy protein. It is still unusual to find a plant food that offers so much protein and fiber without loading you down with sodium or calories.
In addition to its Lightly Salted flavor, Seapoint Farms sells Wasabi ( fi you like spicy foods) and Gogi Blend ( fi you l,ike Gogi Berries)
Bottom line: Dry Roasted Edamame may not be a wonder food, but it makes a wonderful snack.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Look Ma . . . No Calories!
While experts debate the role of diet sodas in health, beverage makers are moving full steam ahead with the introduction of a whole new genre of diet soft drinks fortified with vitamins and minerals, but dubbing them "sparkling" beverages for more cachet.
The latest entry is Diet Coke Plus, a "sparkling calorie free beverage," which is essentially Diet Coke with vit. B6, B12 and niacin and the minerals zinc and magnesium thrown in. The only other difference is a mix of aspartame and acesultame-K as sweeteners versus just aspartame in Diet Coke.
CocaCola's archrival, Pepsi, is not far behind. The company is expected to introduce a new zero calorie beverage called Tava sometime soon. A "sparling fruit drink" Tava is not a cola, but comes in Caribbean style fruit flavors. Their web site says it is calorie free and caffeine free, fortified with vit. B, C and E plus chromium.
So, if you drink diet sodas, should you opt for Coke or Pepsi's nutrient fortified versions? While there is nothing inherently harmful about the amounts of the nutrients added to these sodas, there is nothing redeeming about them either. Adding nutrients to a beverage of zero nutritional merit will not make up for a poor diet. Nutrients work best in foods, where they are needed to help process protein, carbohydrates and fats as well as provide needed vitamins and minerals plus the bonus of phytonutrients.
Multivitammins have a place because they provide a balanced array of nutrients. In contrast, these beverages hawk a handful of trendy nutrients with little logic to the overall picture.
To me this smacks of opportunism. The number of overweight Americans is at an all time high. Yet intakes of several nutrients are suboptimal. Soft drink makers, suffering from decling sales, have come up with the "perfect" solution - fortified diet drinks for nutrient-depleted, overweight Americans.
In my view, this new genre of drinks is yet another unfortunate way to replace nutritious natural whole foods with a poor artificial substitute.
Whole Grain First
A lot has changed in the cracker aisle of the supermarket. Just 3 years ago, only a few brands of crackers had taken the healthful step of removing trans fats. Now manufacturers have pretty much all jumped on the bandwagon and you would be hard pressed to find a cracker that still contains trans fats.
The latest improvemewnt in cracker formulations, focuses on whole grains and multigrains as well as on fiber from wheat or oat brans. But do not judge a cracker by its package or its color. It is tough to tell the difference between refined wheat and whole wheat crackers. Dark or speckled crackers are not always high in fiber. And many products that brag of being multigrain or made with stoneground wheat actually contain few or no while grains.
The only way to be sure: READ THE INGREDIENT LIST!!!You are best off choosing a cracker that lists a whole grain as the first ingredient or the only grain. Next best is a whole grain as the second ingredient. Be sure to check out the sodium in your cracker. Some otherwise healthful whole grain crackers do not make the grade because of their sodium content.
Remember:
1. Be skeptical of buzz words. The words"multigrain and Stoneground" are not synonomous with "Whole Grain." And be aware a product may say it "contains whole grain" or is "made with whole grain" and yet not be 100% whole grain.
2. Read labels for the first ingredient. Look for whole weat or other whole grain as the first ingredient, ideally, or at least as the second ingredient.
3. Compare equivalent serving sizes. Some serving sizes are 1/2 oz and some are 1 oz. Do the math to make fair comparisons.
4. Watch out for sodium. Even healthful crackers can be high in sodium.
5. Skip freeloading fat traps like cheese or sour cream dips. Try a bean dip or salsa instead.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Stacked Against You
Quesadillas are bad enough. At your typical Mexican restaurant, the two plate sized (white) flour tortillas stuffed with melted cheese and with sour cream and guacamole on the side can run you 900 calories and 25 grams of sat fat.
Some places add steak or chicken bringing the damge to roughly 1400 calories and 40 plus grams of sat fat. It is like eating three grilled cheese sandwiches.
On the Border does not stop there.Its Double Stacked Club Quesadillas pile on the makings of a club sandwich. They are stacked with fajita chicken, cheese, crumbled bacon, and avacado and come with sour cream and ranch dressing.
Drum roll please: 1860 calories, 52 grams of sat fat, and 3440 mg of sodium. That is worse than two orders of Cheese Nachos.
Order the Double Stacked Club Quesadillas often enough and someday, Doluble Stacked may describe the state of your midsection.
The Tea Bag
Over the last 10 years, sales of ready to drink bottled teas like Arizona, Nestea, Snapple, Lipton, and Sobe have grown almost tenfold. While that is good news for the companies, it may not be so good for people who think they are getting real tea.
Oregon state University researchers have found that freshly brewed green or black teas contain 10 to 100 times more antioxidants than bottled teas.
The US Dept. of Agriculture found much the same. According to its analyses, an 8 oz. cup of freshly brewed green tea contains 196 mg of the antioxidant EGCG, while a cup of bottled green tea contains just 9 mg.
And a cup of freshly brewed black tea contains 27 mg of EGCG, says the USDA while a cup of bottled black tea has 1 mg." Many of the currently available cold bottled teas sold in the US are more like diluted sugar water than something that may help protect your health" says Oregon State researcher Rod Dashwood.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Whole, Not Multi
Multigrain Tostitos have " Four Wholesome Grains!" Sun Chips have "Great Multigrain Taste!" and Nabisco Wheat Thins Multi Grain Toasted Chips are "made with Whole Grain - 5 g per serving."
Multigrain claims are multiplying, but they do not mean much. A 1 oz serving of Multigrain Tostitos (8 chips) has more sugar than any of its "Four Wholesome Grains" - whole oat flour, whole buckwheat flour, toasted corn germ, and whole wheat flour. So what if Sun Chips have other grains, added? Wheat Thins Toasted Chips are mostly white flour. Their 5 grams of whole grain are only about a quarter of the grain in a 1 oz serving. (12 chips). And while Athenos Whole Wheat Pita Chips have more whole wheat than white flour, 100 % whole wheat they ain't.
411: Most Doritos, Tostitos, and other tortilla chips are made of whole grain corn. Tostitos Natural Organic Blue or Yellow Corn Chips - with some vit E and just 80 mg of sodium - are two of your best bets. But whole grain or not, calorie dense chips are no health food.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Pick Up Panko
Which bread crumbs would you buy? Brand A consists of wheat (white) flour, high fructose corn syrup (sugar) corn syrup (sugar) partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, water, salt and a few dozen other ingredients.
Brand B is nothing but whole wheat flour, malt extract (sugar) yeast and sea salt.
Stuck? Here is a clue: Brand A has 220 mg of sodium and 1 gram of fiber in every quarter cup serving, while Brand B has 25 mg of sodium and 2 grams of fiber.
Brand A is Progresso Plain Bread Crumbs and Brand B is Ian's Whole Wheat Panko Breadcrumbs, which are available in health food stores nationwide. Think of Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs with 470 mg of sodium as a bottom of the barrel Brand C.
Panko, or Japanese style, bread crumbs are coarser than regular crumbs. that keeps them light and crunchy, Ian's is one of the few whole wheat Toss some in your salad. Crown your casserole with a sprinkling. Or type " panko chicken recipe" or "panko salmon recipe" into Google, then weed out anything that is heavy on ingredients like salt or butter.
You will be left with dishes like the mouth watering Panko-Crusted Salmon at elise.com or the Cajan Oven Fried Chicken at cookinglight.com
Sometimes a simple ingredient list means a simply delicious dinner.
Stone Gold
This is for Nurse Bernie in pre op: Remember when it was a big deal to walk out of your local ice cream shoppe with a scoop of butter pecan or fudge ripple in your sugar cone with sprinles on top? With half a day's sat fat, it was a splurge. But a least you could get away with 300 calories.
Then came waffle cones ( 160 calories) and chocolate dipped waffle cones ( 320 calories) that looked silly without a least two scoops of ice cream ( 600 calories). But 1000 calories and a day's sat fat soon seemed run of the mill to some folks.
Enter Cold Stone Creamery, where you choose which combination of more than 30 candies, cookie pieces, and other morsels gets mixed into your ice cream and scooped into a choco dipped waffle bowl.
Take a Gotta Have It Founder's Favorite. Into your waffle bowl goes not just a 14 oz softball sized mound of ice cream, but pecans, brownie pieces, fudge and caramel. What ? No Oreos, Reese's Pieces, or Gummi Bears?
The tab: a startling 1740 calories, 48 grams of sat fat and 4 grams of trans fat. That is roughly what you would get if you polished off 5 single scoop ice cream cones.
Gottta Have It now . . . Gotta Lose It next week.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Maltodextrin
This is for the Recovery Room Nurse Becky:
The term "maltodextrin" refers to a food additive that falls somewhere between a starch and a sugar. Starches are long chains of sugar molecules that don't taste sweet; sugars, made up of just one or two molecules are swseet. Created by breaking down corn starch maltodextrin is added in small amounts to a wide variety of foods, such as reduced fat salad dressings and ice creams, to improved texture and sometimes to add sweetness. We digest maltodextrin like any other starch. In fact, when the body breaks starches dowsn into sugars - a process that starts with enzymes in the mouth - a small amount of maltodextrin is formed naturally.
Great thought
Kashi Company has a great advertising slogan:
Everything that goes into food goes into YOU.
I think I will put that on my card.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Factory Reject
Back in the day, choosing a dessert from the menu was tough. Did you want cake or pie or ice c ream or cheesecake? Today, you do not have to bother picking one dessert over another. Restaurants simply pile one on top of the other for you.
Take The Cheesecake Factory Chris's Outrageous Chocolate Caked. The "Cheesecake Factory Original" has "layers of moist chocolate cake, chewy brownie, toasted c oconut pecan filling, and creamy chocolate chip coconut cheesecake". And they are not thin layers, either. Each 5 inch high slice weighs 3/4 of a pound.
Speaking of pounds, that slice has 1380 calories and 32 teaspoons of sugar - quite reasonable for 4 desserts. And by the time you hit the exit, your arteries are the proud possessors of 33 grams of sat fat and 5 grams of trans fat they did not have when you walked in.
It is as though you had ordered 2 Quarter Pounders plus a large fries for dessert.
Lasagna Overload
Lasagna was never what you would call a lean entree. With ground beef, ricotta and mozzarella cheese, pasta, and tomato sauce, a typical restaurant portion delivers roughly 100 calories, 20 grams of sat fat and 2000 mg of sodium.
But some restaurants have beefed up the already heavy dish. At Romano's Macaroni Grill, the result is Twice Baked Lasagna with Meatballs - " six layers of tender pasta stuffed with seasoned meatballs, three cheeses and Bolognese sauce."
Stuffed with 1360 calories,38 grams of sat fat, and 3900 mg of sodium, that is. Never mind that the dish is worse than 5 pork chops. Or that the numbers do not include the bread that comes on the side.
Why stop there? Maybe next year, some enterprising Italian restaurant will offer up a LaFredo Pie - lasagna with meatballs on a bed of fetuccine alfredo, all sitting atop a sausage & pepperoni pizza.
A Colossal Mistake
Two huge hamburger patties, a three section bun, and melted American and Monterey Jack cheese, all piled so high that it comes to the tabled with a steak knife plunged thru the middle.
Meet the Ruby Tuesday Colossal Burger. Its 1940 calories vacuum up your 2000 calorie daily target. And that does not include the sauce or the fries that come on the side.
The burger delivers 141 grams of fat. How much of it is the bad kind the company won't say. And it is also mum about sodium. But since most of the Colossal's fat comes from its beef and cheese, odds are that between 50 and 75 of its fat grams would make your heart shudder.
Working thru a Colossal Burger is like eating 4 or 5 McDonald's Quarter Pounders. Ruby's other burgers are bad enough, with roughly 1000 to 1300 calories each. Even the Veggie Burger tops 900. But the Colossal seems like a dare: can you finish one without needing a paramedic?
Soy What's New?
Soy is gaining traction in the snack aisle. And even though the evidence that soy prevents heart disease or cancer is shrinking, soy still adds protein to salty snacks, which are otherwise a nutritional wasteland.
That makes snacks like Quaker Soy Crispes worth a look. A 1 oz 120 calorie serving ( 18 crispes) has 6 to 7 grams of protein. But like most soy snacks, they are high in sodium (270 mg for the White cheddar; 400 mg for the Barbeque).
Genisoy Soy Crisps are in the same ballpark, while Michael Season's Original Soy Protein Chips dedliver 12 grams of protein and 220 mg of sodium.
Fat Free for All
Ruffles Light chips have "1/2 the calories of regular potato chips". But saving 70 or 80 calories per serving is not reason enough to buy them.
All of Frito Lay's Lights (Ruffles, Lays, Doritos, and Tostitos) are made with Olean (olestra), a fake fat that passes right thru your digestive system, taking fat soluble vitamins with it. Worse, olestra laden chips can cause severe cramps, bloating and a kind of "leakage" that I am not about to explain in greater detail.
Why run the risk , like you do with the lights. Instead of the usual 160 calories per ounce, reduced fats and bakeds clock in at around 120 to 140. But at least you will not need to make sure you are within sprintging distance of a bathroom.
If you want baked chips, try Kettle Bakes ( actual slices of potato) or Baked Lay's or Ruffles. Just don't assume that baked chips are the equivalent of baby carrots and clementines. White potatoes are not the healthiest vegetable, no matter how you slice them.
Salt Surprises
There is no shortage of Lightly Salted and Unsalted chips in the snack aisle. Andy any drop in salt is welcome, what with our national high blood pressure epidemic .
But the not so dirty little secret about potato chips is that they taste saltier than they are. If you stick with regular chips, you can get away with about 200 mg of sodium. Just be careful if you are a fan of flavors like Salt n Vinegar, Sea Salt, or Barbecue, which can hit 300 plus mg.
Of course, I am talking 1 oz. - just 15 regular size chips or so. As the number of handfuls rises, so does the mercury in the blood pressure meter.
If you can not seem to stop at an ounce, there is no harm in switching to lighly salted chips, which hover around 100 mg of sodium. You probably will not taste the difference.
In contrast, most taste buds will be a bit disappointed with unsalted chips. But if you are counting every mg of sodium, try Terra Unsalted Lemon Pepper orf Michael Season's Unsalted Reduced Fat. If not, look for the lowest sodium regular or lightly salted chips you can find and save your serious salt cutting efforts for pretzels.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Factory Flaw
No one expects cheesecake to be good for their waistline, hips or arteries. It is a splurge no matter how (thin) you slice it. But at some restaurants, it is a colossal splurge.
The Cheesecake Factory Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake, ( apparently ordinary cheesecake or Godiva chocolate is not enough for dessert these days). Few foods are more calorie dense than the cream cheese, chocolate, cream, and butter in this doozy of a dessert. That is why each slice packs 980 calories - half of what most people should eat in a day.
Is there anyone left in the US who can affored to eat a slice of c ake with close to 1,000 calories and with 41 grams of bad fat? It is like ordering a Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizza - topped with 10 pats of butter - after dinner.
But, then, heavy is what cheesecake is all about. Odds are, you won't exactly float out of the restaurant after a slice even if you ordered nothing but a tossed green salad or a bowl of edameme for dinner. Fortunately, most people do not end up in a Cheesecake Factory that often. Good thing . . . or they would need a chain of Liposuction Factories next door.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
White or Yellow?
Hunter-gatherers of Central America began farming maize (corn) about 10,000 years ago. The Mayan civilization developed a deep reverence for the grain; in Mayan mythology, the gods created man out of maize after attempts with wood and clay failed.
Field corn, the predominant corn crop grown in the US is fed to livestock and used to make high fructose corn syrup (boo), corn oil, cornstarch and ethanol for fuel. Sweet corn, in contrast, is grown for human consumption. It is typically available as yellow, white or bicolor. Despite a passionate taste preference for either yellow or white among farmers market clientele, there is no relationship between color and sweetness; that depends more on growing conditions and how soon you eat it after it has been picked.
But there is a reason to reach for yellow corn instead of white; only yellow kernels are a gold mine of lutein and zeaxanthin - plant derived yellow pigments. The absence of color in white corn is evidence that it contains little of either pigment.
All corn is a good source of fiber, furnishing two grams in just one half cup. That same serving also provides 10 % of two nutrients corn is not as well known for - vit. C and folate.
Choose corn on the cob with green husks that do not look dry. Avoid ears with husks that have been peeled back, as this causes the kernels to dry out. Make sure the tassels are blond. The fresher the corn the blonder the tassels. Refrigerate fresh corn, warm temperatures convert the sugar in corn to starch. To cook corn on the cob, husk ears just before adding them to already boiling unsalted water. Cook for just 3 to 4 minutes. Cooking with salt toughens kernels, as does overcooking.
Whole ears may be grilled with the silk and husks attached for 15 to 20 min. After grilling remove husks; the silk will slip off. For a flavorful treat, tuck pieces of your favorite fresh herb - cilantro, dill, parsley, sage or basil - under the husks before grilling and eschew the typical slathering of butter.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Slim Sandwich
What have they done to ice cream sandwiches?
While an old fashioned Good Humor Vanilla Sandwich has 160 calories and 3 grams of bad fat, down at the convenience store, Good Humor sells a Giant Ice Cream Sandwich with 250 calories and 6 grams of bad fat, Mrs. Fields offers up a Cookie Sandwich at 460 calories and 11 grams of bad fat, and Nestle has the nerve to sell a Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich with 500 calories and 13 grams of bad fat. Larger sandwiches, larger Americans.
Back at the supermarket, an Eskimo Pie Chipwich or Klondike Cookie Sandwich is also a major calorie investment. Luckily, The Skinny Cow, Breyers, Weight Watchers, Healthy Choice, and other companies now offer lighter versions that keep the calories between 100 and 150 and cut the bad fat to no more than 1 grams.
My favorite: Klondike Slim a Bear 100 Calorie ice cream sandwiches. The wafers are so chocolatey and the filling is so creamy, it is hard to believe you are spending so few calories and just 1 gram of bad fat. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Bar None
Yearning for some rich vanilla ice cream encased in a thin, crisp coating of chocolate? Forget it.
A Dove or HaagenDazs Bar might satisfy the urge, but with some 250 to 300 calories and 10 to 14 grams of heart damaging fat, each ought to come with a Make One Cardiologist Appointment, Get One Appointment Free coupon.
You can do some damage control with a Klondike Slim a Bear No Sugar Added (40% less fat and 25% less calories than regular Klondike Ice Cream Bars. But each bar still delivers around 170 calories and 8 grams of bad fat.
Breyers Double Churn Light Bars may have 1/2 the fat and 30% less calories than regular ice cream bars but they still pack 5 grams of bad fat and 170 calories onto your not so light frame.
The bottom line: "Light" or "Reduced Fat" chocolate coated ice cream bars will save you some calories and damaging fat. And "No Sugar Added" bars will also save you sugar. But watch out. Some brands - like Blue Bunny and Dreyer's - replace their sugar not only with the safe artificial sweetener Spllenda but also with the possibly unsafe acesulfame potassium.
Another solution: individually wrapped Dove Miniatures. Each bite sized bit of chocolate coated ice cream has 60 calories and 2 grams of bad fat. The numbers are that low only because the Miniatures are thumb size. If you can't stick to just one, do NOT touch them.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Greater than the Sum
Add chocolate coating to ice cream and you boost the bad fat. Add fruit and you crowd the bad fat out. Take the prototype Creamsicle - a core of low fat vanilla ice cream surrounded by orange or raspberry sherbet. It has got just 1 gram of bad fat and only 70 to 100 calories depending on the size.
No Sugar Added or Sugar Free Creamsicles cut the calories to around 20, but they use poorly tested acesulfame potassium to get there. Instead, look for Tropicana Lights or No Sugar Added Swirls, which throw in some orange juice or strawberries and use Splenda and sugar alcohols to cut the calories to 50 or 60. Mmmmmmm.
Concoctions that swirl fruit throughout the cream may be too sweet for many palates. If that is you, try Fruitfull Strawberry Cream, which strikes the perfect balance between fruity and creamy.
Fabulous Fudge
It may be impossible to find good tasting chocolate coated ice cream bars that are low in bad fat, but fudge bar fans have a freezer full of options.
The Original Fudgsicle has 2 grams of bad fat. But nearly every other fudge bar - including the Fat Free Fudgsicle and fudge bars made by Healthy Choice, Slim a Bear, The Skinny Cow, So Delicious and Weight Watchers - has 0 - 1 grams of bad fat and 90 to 120 calories.
Coffee lovers should head straight for Starbucks Frappuccino Bars. You can taste the brewed coffee that Starbucks uses in the delicious and not too sweet Mocha Frappuccino. Ditto for the Java Fudge Frappuccino, which has an inner core of gooey fudge. They will cost you just 120 or 130 calories and 1 gram of bad fat.
Capped at One Cup
The good thing about Ben & Jerry's cute single serve containers of ice cream is that you are unlikely to eat more than one. The bad thing is that the half cup of ice cream in every container of the Vanilla, Cherry Garcia, or Chocolate Fudge Brownie delivers around 200 calories and 8 grams of bad fat. Artery alert: Incoming!
If you want your ice cream portion controlled, try Breyers Double Churned Cookies & Cream or Vanilla Fudge Swirl, which comes in 100 calorie cups (with just 1 gram of bad fat).
When it comes to ice cream, smaller is better . . . unless it's too small. Take bite size, chocolate coated Breyers Ice Cream Poppers or Dreyer's Dibs. They are not individually wrapped, so there is nothing to make you stop at one, or two . . . or even the 26 piece serving listed on the label, with its 400 or so calories and full day's worth of bad fat.
Foraging for Fruit
What is the difference between Breyers Pure Fruit Bars, Tropicana Real Fruit Bars, and Dreyer's Fruit Bars?
You would never know from the names.
It turns out that most Breyers have more sugar than fruit, while most Tropicanas have more fruit or juice than sugar. As for Dreyer's it depends on the flavor: Cherry, Grape, and Strawberry have more fruit than sugar, while Wildberry, Lime, Tangerine and Lemonade have more sugar than fruit or juice.
You can save 30 to 50 calories with a non sugar added bar. Tropicana Real Fruit No Sugar Added is the only line that has no acesulfame potassium, the poorly tested artificial swetener. Each bar has 20 calories.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Quick Rice
There used to be only 2 choices when cooking rice - white rice in 20 minutes or brown rice in 40. However, today's climate of "get it on the table in a hurry" has led to an explosion in the number of quick cooking rice options and flavors available.
The supermarket shelves have several whole grain brown rice products and mixes containing brown rice and other healthful whole grains like barley or wild rice. But, rice mixes contain mostly white rice.
The biggest selling point for heat and serve mixes is speedy preparation, which ranges from a mere 60 seconds to microwave rice in a pouch that is already fully cooked to 10 minutes on the stove or parboiled dry mixes that require you to simply add water and simmer.
Most rice mixes - even otherwise healthful brown rice mixeds - contain far too much sodium - as much as half the daily limit in just a single one cup serving.
When time is not tight I suggest cooking brown rice from scratch ( or cook converted brown rice that takes 30 minutes) perhaps adding herbs, chopped sauteed veggies and seasonings. You will reap the fiber and phytonutrients of a whole grain. You might also consider the no fuss convenience of a rice cooker.
Rice at the Ready:
Minimize sodium damage by using only half the seasoning packet provided, if it comes separately, as with Rice A Roni and Near East products.
Omit any oil or butter called for; use an equal amount of water instead.
Read ingredient lists if you have an intolerance to wheat or gluten; most rice mixes and pilafs contain wheat.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Keep mushrooms fresh
Choose mushrooms that are smooth, dry and free from major blemishes and they will last longer. The freshest one have "closed veils" - the membrane that extends from the bottom of the cap to the stem. If you can see brown gills under the cap, it means the veil has opened, a sign of older mushrooms with stronger flavor.
Refrigerate mushrooms -in a paper bag is best, not in the plastic wrapped container they come in - it collects toooo much moisture. Do not clean mushrooms till you are ready to use them. Then rinse with cold water and pat dry with a towel or simply wipe with a damp cloth. The dirt that clings to them is actually sterile compost, which won't harm you.
It takes a bit of time to choose, store and clean mushrooms carefully, but for your trouble you will be rewarded with good nutrition; mushrooms are rich in niacin, riboflavin, copper and selenium, and also provide some vit. D and potassium.
Summer Bounty
Basil's name is said to derive from the basilisk, a dragon like creature. In ancient Eypgt basil was used in embalming; later it became a symbol of mouring in Greece. For Romans, it signified love. In its native India, basil is used in sacred Hindu ceremonies.
Basil is an aromatic herb related to mint and used widely in Mediterranean and Asian cuisines. Mixed with olive oil, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese, basil plays a starring role in pesto. Best fresh, less traditional basils inclue lemon basil, Aprican blue basil and several purple basils. Dried basil is a spice shelf staple.
Basil is especially rich in vit. K, important for proper blood coagulation and bone health. It also provides vit A and beta carotene, thought to help protect the body from free radical damage. Also present are flavonaids and small amounts of other nutrients like magnesium, calcium, folate, potassium and iron. Because herbs are not typically consumed in large quantities, do not expect major health effects from that pretty basil garnish.
Fresh basil will keep up to 4 days in the frig if you wrap it in slightly damp paper towesl and seal it in a plastic bag. Tear basil leaves by hand or use a plastic knife to cut them; it prevents discolored edges. It is easy enough to grow your own basil. Put your pot on a deck or in a suny window.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Summer Ice Cream
Most people do not stop by a Baskin Robbins for health food. But they might not know which choices are a minor indulgence and which may leave a lasting impression on their poolside appearance.
Large shakes range from 1120 calories for a Strawberry to 2160 for a Heath Bar Crunch or Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. The Health Bar comes with 62 grams of sat fat plus 2 grams of trans fat for good luck.
You could eat 6 scoops of Baskin Robbins Rocky Road, Choco Chip Cookie Dough, or most other full fat ice creams and stilll stay under 2000 calories. Naturally, a 16 oz smalll shake cuts the numbers in half. But when the calories start out with 4 digits, half is still way tooooo much.
And beware of coffee drinks. The Cappuccino Blast is essentially a coffee flavored shake made with ice cream. A large Caramel or Oreo N Cookies Cappuccino Blast with whipped cream goes for 1000 calories and a day's bad fat.
Suggestions:
Get a single scoop of low fat ice cream. All but one flavor have no sugar added and are made with the safe artificial sweetener Splenda, which cuts the calories in half. My favorite = Pinapple Coconut. Yummmmmmmm.
If you want soft serve, get a regular nonfat. The no sugar added soft serve is made with poorly tested artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium.
Instead of a shake, try a small Low Fat or Nonfat Cappuccino Blast, which is made with non fat soft serve vanilla yogurt instead of ice cream.
More thinking
Panera is a chain of "fast casual" restaurants, like Au Bon Pain and Cosi. Many patrons choose the popular You Pick Two, which offers two out of three options - soup, half a sandwich and half a salad.
But nowhere does the menu board say that most soups have 600 to 1000 mg of sodium, or that a 230 calorie cup of Broccoli Cheddar soup has half a day's bad fat - 9 grams.
And how many customers would know that a cup of Baked Potato Soup has more calories (230) and far more bad fat (7 grams) than a 1 oz bag of potato chips.
Want one of Panera's grilled paninis? You might lose interest if you knew that they have more calories (680 - 890) than a Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizza (640) And some paninis make the pizza's bad fat (12 grams) and sodium (1530 mg) look good.
Likewise, Panera's Signature Sandwiches make much of McDonald's menu look good. A Chicken Caesar on Asiago Focaccia, has 920 calories and 15 grams of bad fat - about as much as 2 Quarter Pounders.
If a sandwich comes with poultry and cheese, ask the server to leave out the cheese.
Opt for eighter an apple or a whole grain baguette (140 calories) to go with your soup or salad.
If you ordcer a You Pick Two, make one of them half a cheeseless salad like the Classic Cafe, Grilled Salmon, or Fresh Fruit Cup.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Think about this
"Fresh Mex" chains like Chipotle, Baja Fresh, and Rubio's are inexpensive and filling. But few people realize just how well some of their items can fill your fat cells and artery walls.
At Chipotle, customers might be wary of the meat burritos. A Barbacoa or Carnitas packs roughly 1200 calories and about 20 grams of bad fat - as much as 2 Big Macs ( with 3 Big Macs' worth of sodium) But few people would expect nearly the same from a chicken or veggi burrito. The trouble starts with that 330 calorie tortilla which adds 710 mg of sodium and 3 grams of bad fat to refined white flour. Then come 240 calories and 610 mg of sodium from the white rice. And cheese and sour cream bump up the bad fat.
To cut bad fat, hold the cheese and sour cream.
To cut sodium, choose green tomatillo over tomato salsa.
To save calories and sodium, try a tortilla free burrito bol or leave the rice out of your burrito.
If you just have to have a burrito, stick with chicken, black beans, and green tomatillo salsa ( 700 calories, 5 grams of bad fat, and 1690 mg of sodium).
Snack or a Splurge?
How much harm could a slice of pizza do? It depends on which one you choose. At Sbarro's, your best bet is a 460 calorie slice of thin crust cheese pizza. That is about a Quarter Pounder's worth. Sbarro's does not disclose bad fat, but I can estimate that the cheese pizza has some 7 grams - a third of a day's worth.
The numbers go up from there. Get a slice of thin crust pepperoni or sausage, deep dish pan or stuffed pizza and expect about 650 to 800 calories and 10 to 15 grams of bad fat. The ever popular Baked Ziti and lasagna are in the same range of bad fat. Think of each 890 calorie Pepperoni Stromboli as 2 Quarter Pounders, one with cheese and one without.
If it has gotta be pizza, stick with thin crust Cheese or Mushroom.
If you want a side dish, try a salad or the sauteed mixed veggies.
Where do you live?
The top 10 cities in frequency of fast food consumption are all in the South, led by McAllen Texas, where customers eat fast food 25 times a month.
Tea and Sunshine
Heading to the Beach? Along with the sunscreen and swimsuit, you might want to pack a thermos of iced tea.
A new study from Dartmouth Med School finds that folks who consumed at least one cup of tea daily were significantly less likely than their non tea drinking counterparts to develop basal celll and squamous cell carcinomas, the two most common form of skin cancer.
It has been suggested in other studies that the antioxidants in tea, called polyphenols,may limit the damage that moderate UV radiation inflicts on the skin.
But do not forgo the sunscreen thinking a cup of tea will protect you. Sunscreen and using common sense in limiting sun exposure are still your best first lines of defense in preventing skin cancers. Still, in addition to slathering on the sunscreen, slugging down an iced tea may be more than refreshing - the boost of healthy antioxidants may provide protective benefits that go, well, skin-deep.
411
A British study - commissioned by UK candy maker Cadbury - found that 52% of the women surveyed said they would choose chocolate over sex
Starbucks Slims Down
Your morning latte just got a bit lighter - if you get your java fix at Starbucks, the nation's largest coffeehouse chain. The company announced that by the end of the year it will replace whole milk with 2% milk in espresso concoctions at all its North American outlets. Customers can still request whole milk, but the reduced fat option will now be the default for all Starbucks drinks. Think twice, though, before bucking the low fat trend: a 16oz grande latte beverage made with whole milk packs 260 calories, compared to 190 calories in the new 2% milk version.
Of course, if you really want to cut calories and fat, you could opt for an "Americano" coffee instead - no milk and no sugar means ZERO calories and ZERO fat.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Packaged Potatoes
Potatoes fresh from the farm once accounted for roughly 80% of the potatoes prepared in American kitchens. Now, processed potatoes - from flakes and frozen fries to extruded puffs and Tater Tots- hold the top spots. You can now find fully cooked, refrigerated, heat and eat potato dishes sold in microwavable tubs next to the meat case so you can plan your evening meal on the spot.
Frozen, dehydrated, extruded and refrigerated potatoes are quick and easy, but all that processing either destroys or removes much needed nutrients like vit C, potassium and fiber, while at the same time adding unwanted fat and sodium.
Most processed potato products contain only one to two grams of fiber per serving, a far cry from the almost four grams of fiber found in a medium baked potato with the skin or seven grams in a large potato. And some processed potatoes are off the chart for fat, quite in contrast to fresh potatoes, which are virtually fat free.
Potato Pointers:
1. Comparison shop. Products vary widely in calories, fat and sodium.
2. Avoid products labeled "extra crispy" as it usually means extra fat and calories.
3. Make healthful modificatikons to package directions. For prodducts you mix, such as scalloped or au gratin potatoes, use only half the oil or margarine and substitute skim milk for whole to reduce fat and calories.
4. Go retro and make your own. Scrub and pierce whole potatoes and bake at 350 degrees for about 60 min. Or microwave 2 potatoes on a paper towel for 10 min. Bake enough for 2 meals and refrigerat the leftovers for later in the week. For tasty home fries simply slice and saute in a little olive oil with garlic and onions.
Chickpeas/Garbanzos
The ancient Mesopotamians may have cultivated chickpeas 11,000 years ago because they believed these legumes boosted performance under stress and enhanced ovulation. Spanish and Portuguese explorers eventually introduced chickpeas to other lands.
Chickpeas, also known by their Spanish name garbazos.Chickpeas are grown in India, Pakistan, Turkey, Ethiopia and Mexico, as well as the northwestern US. They are widely used as a source of protein in Mediterranean, Indian and some African cuisines, and are the main ingredient in hummus, a Middle Eastern dish popular in the US now.
Chickpeas are high in soluble and insoluble fibers. They are also rich in manganese. Chickpeas have a firm texture and a distinct nut like flavor. Dried and canned chickpeas sold in the US are typically beige in color, although black, green, brown and red chickpeas are also cultivated.
Canned legumes are convenient and just as nutritious as fresh. But be careful of the high sodium content. When buying them dried, shop at a store with a high turnover to ensure they are fresh.
Chai
Chai (rhymes with pie), a traditional drink from Asia and the Middle East, has many variations, but always contains tea, milk and spices such as cardamon, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Whether it is a good for you depends on how it is prepared.
Though made with tea, which is noncaloric, the calories in chai run the gamut from 120 for 8 oz of Lipton Instant Chai to a whopping 640 for 24 oz of Tazo Chai Frappucino Blended Creme at Starbucks, loaded with fat (15 grams) and sugar (22 teaspoons).
New research suggests that if you add milk to your tea, proteins in the milk may block the action of tea's catechins. So it is unclear whether you are really getting any of tea's health benefits when you drink chai.
To avoid a calorie calamity, steer clear of fancy chai at coffedehouse chains. At the least, order it "skinny". AND CHECK THE NUTRITION FACTS PANEL ON PACKAGED DRINKS.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Veg-Ease
If you have not bought frozen vegetables since people used pay phones check out the freezer case. It practically screams convenience.
They mix and match veggies into Asian stir fries, Italian medleys, or Southwest blends. They often supply the sauce or seasoning.
Quick and easy veggies are a good thing. But if you do not watch out,. you could end up on a quick and easy road to high blood pressure. Read the Nutrition Facts label before you put these products in your shopping cart.
Salt By Any Other Name
"Specially Seasoned", says the label on Birds Eye Steamfresh Garlic Cauliflower. All that talk of "fresh" and "seasoned" may lead shoppers to expect a bag of cauliflower with garlic and a few spices. In fact, the "special" seasoning has enough salt to supply 330 mg of sodium per cup.
Green Giant Simply Steam No Sauce Baby Sweet Peas also sounds like it is got nothing added. Try 190 mg of sodium. and Simply Steam Broccoli and Carrfots has 260 mg of sodium in every 3/4 cup serving.
Birds Eye Herb Garden Collection Petite Peas & Mushrooms with Chives are seasoned with "lemon & a touch of real butter". Since when does 430 mg of sodium per 2/3 cup serving come from an herb garden?
Take home message: Herbed, shmerbed. Seasoned, shmeasoned. Check the Nutrition Facts panel on the back of the package to keep sodium low.
Getting Sauced
What a way to ruin a vegetable. Birds Eye Broccoli & Cheese Sauce manages to cram 3 grams of sat fat and 490 mg of sodium into a 1/2 cup serving. Green Giant Broccoli & Three Cheese Sauce cuts the bad fat to 1 gram but not the sodium - 510mg.
Does not matter if you are looking at cheese, crfeam, sesame giner, , or teriyaki. If it comes with sauce, it comes with roughly 400 to 600 mg of sodium in roughly every half cup.
Solution: make your own.
Just for One what?
It is hard not to laugh the first time you see the individual trays in Green Giant Just for One Broccoli & Cheese Sauce. Each tray is so puny that you have to wonder if the giant was thinking of one toddler, not one adult.
The half cup of broccoli in each tray - about half a tennis ball's worth - is what nearly all food labels call a serving of veggies or fruit. How on earth could 75% of Americans eat fewer than five of those petite servings of fruits and veggies each day?
How does "Just for None" sound?
High Fiber Cereals: Smart Choice
Fiber has an image problem. It is not trendy like omega 3 fats or phytonutrients. Chances are, unless you are irregular, you don't even think about it. You should. Most Americans get only about 15 grams of dietary fiber a day - not even close to 25 to 30.
To get that much fiber, a daily bowl of high fiber cereal is almost a must.
High Fiber Highlights:
1. Be aware of serving sizes, when selecting a cereal. some, like granola, are concentrated, so it takes less to get the amount of fiber (and calories) listed on the label.
2. If you are watching your sugar consumption, stick to the basics. The more clusters, yogurt bites and dried fruit added to a cereal, the higher the sugar content - and calories.
3. Boost your nutrition with skim milk and a handful of berries, or sliced fruit to perk up the flavor. Berries also add lots more fiber.For snacks, top a low fat yogurt with a handful of high fiber cereal.
4. If you are new to the high fiber life, take it slow. Your taste buds may take some time to adjust, as will your gastrointestinal tract. Try mixing a high fiber cereal with your favorit lower fiber brand, gradually upping the high fiber proporftions. And do not foreget to drink plent of fluids, so all that fiber will move through you and not just plug you up.
A Poor Quiche
"Mrs. smith'sPour A Quiche and Mrs. Smith's Deep Dish Pie Crust is all you need to serve up an appetizing, all in one entree", says the Web site.
Yup. That is all you need to serve up 8 grams of sat fat in the filling plus 5 grams in the pie shell - close to three quarters of a day's bad fat in a sixth of a pie.
Who needs milk, eggs, cream, and cheese poured into a shell of white flour and palm plus soybean oil?
Instead, saute 1 sliced large onion and 3 chopped garlic cloves in 1 tbs. olive oil until soft. Stir in 3 cups thawed frozen broccoli and cook 2 - 3 minutes or until the liquid evaporates. Pour into a 9 inch pie plate or casserole coated with butter flavored cooking spray.
Then beat 6 egg whites and 2 whole eggs with 1 tbs. Dijon mustard in a bowl. Stir in 3/4 cup fat free milk, 1 tbs. chopped fresh basil, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper and pour over the veggies.
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup shredded parmesan. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes in a pre heated 375 oven and serve with 6 slices of whole wheat toast.
With just 2 grams of bad fat and a respectable 5 grams of fiber and 17 grams of protein in every serving (a sixth of a quiche plus 1 slice of toast), that is a real "all in one " entree.
It beats Mrs. Smith's "all bad fat in one" entree any day.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Not Your Mom's Apple Pie
"Our story begins over 50 years ago, in 1948, when Marie Callender first baked pies for local restaurants" says the box.
"Baking from scratch, Marie used only the finest ingredients and put such love and care into each and every pie that people took notice".
Finest ingredients? Partially hydrogenated oils give each 350 calolrie slice of her Apple Pie 5 grams of trans fat plus 4 grams of sat fat.
In contrast, a similar size slice of Sara Lee Apple Pie has no trans and 7 grams of sat fat from a mixture of palm, soy, and c ottonseed oils. Mrs. Smith's apple Pie - with 7 grams of sat fatg and less than 1/2 gram of trans - is a close second.
That does not turn either one into health food. But pie crusts need some semi solid fat to stay flaky, and Sara's and the Missus's oils beat Marie's "love and care" hands down.
Toss Some Cookies
It is not just Famous Amos. You can still find trans fat in Archway, Keebler, and many store brands of cookies. In contrast, Nabisco and Pepperidge Farm have little or no trans.
An ounce of Famous Amos Oatmeal Raisins ( 4 cookies) has 2 grams of trans fat plus 2 grams of sat fat.
You are better off with Nabisco Honeyumaid Oatmeal Raisins. An ounce (3 cookies) has less than 1/2 gram of trans and just 1 gram of sat fat.
Nabisco uses mostly soybean oil, but adds some partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, which may give the cookies a touch of trans.
Your best bet = Kashi's new line of TLC cookies, which are made with no hydrogenated oils, little sat fat and whole grains. Yeah.
Keep No Secrets
Think popcorn is a healthy food? If it is popped in partially hydrogenated oil, it is the worst salty snack you can buy.
A third of a bag of Pop Secret Homestyle Popcorn delivers 5 grams of trans fat plus 3 grams of sat fat. If you polish off the entire bag, you have downed more than a day's heart gunk by the time the credits roll.
Jiffy Pop and Jolly Time are no better. And companies like Orville Redenbacher and Newman's Own use (trans free) palm oil in their regular popcorn, but that gives each serving 5 grams of sat fat.
Instead, reach for Newman's Own 94% Fat Free (no sat fat) or Orville's 94% Fat Free SmartPop (1/2 gram of sat fat). Both are trans free.
Pop Secret also makes a 94% fat Free with "0 grams trans" but it has partially hydrogenated oil, so it could supply more than 1 gram of trans fat if you eat more than a third of a bag.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Wake Up and Smell the Calories
Whatever happened to the humble cup of joe? Yesterday's simple serving of black coffee, virtually calorie free, has morphed into today's melange of espresso shots, foamed milk, whipped cream and caramel. Some coffee bars even offer mix- ins like crumbled Oreo cookies and Snickers candy bars, uping the level of decadence.
If you add those irresistible toppings, you push up the calorie, fat, sat fat and sugar tallies of your favorite coffee drink. Order up a Starbucks venti White Chocolate Mocha made with whole milk and whipped cream and you have taken on 630 calories, 29 grams of fat, 19 grams of sat fat and 69 grams of sugar. You might be better off with a chocolate shake!!
If coffee bars are not tempting enough, retail shops now stock a variety of bottled coffee beverages. But beware; many of them list nutrition info for only half the bottle. You will need to double those numbers if you drink it all. Down an entire Starbucks Frappuccino and you will get up to 340 calories - more than double the calories in a 12oz cola.
Opt for "skinny" drinks like a small Caribou Coffee Northern Lite Latte for only 80 calories and 0 fat and you will still get all the flavor rewards of a rich brew with 30% of the daily value for calcium as a bonus. Now that is worth waking up for.
Suggestions to lighten up your coffee break :
1. Order small when you belly up to the coffee bar. But learn the lingo. A small coffee is not always called "small". At Starbucks it is "tall".
2. Ask for non fat or skim milk in your coffee drink to slim it down.
3. Request sugar free syrups in flavored lattes to trim sugar calories.
4. Ask for "no whip" and save up to 130 calories, 12 grams of fat (8 sat fat).
5. Check out nutrition numbers, ahead of time to spare you spur of the moment decisions that cost you caloreis.
Tilapia
Packed with protein and eco-friendly, farm raised tilapia should be on your dinner table.
Once virtually unknown to the American table, tilapia, a freshwater fish that orininated in North Africa, can now be found at fish counters and on restaurant menus across the US. Its mild taste and light white meat have made it increasingly popular. Fish farmers in America quickly caught on to the fact that tilapia can be easily raised in closed system pens, which have minimal impact on the environment. Tilapia is also a sustainable fish, providing more protein (22 grams in a 3oz serving) than its consumes, according to the Seafood Watch experts at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Melon Time
Sweetest and juiciest now, the vitamin C-rich, orange fleshed fruits we call "cantaloupe" in North America are technically "muskmelons". True cantaloupe melons, including Galia, are similarly sweet but do not sport netted skins; their surfaces often are segmented or striped. Gauge ripeness by pressing on the end opposite the stem; if it yields, it is ready. Leave hard ones behind. Most melons will not ripen more after they are picked.
Super sweet and soft, honeydew are closely related to the melons of Cavaillon that French writer Alexandre Dumas reportedly enjoyed so much that he traded a complete set of his books for a lifetime suppy. Picking tip: Honeydews are one of a few melons that continue to ripen after they are harvested, so firm is fine.
Watermelon - 92% water, hence the name-is a good source of vitamin C and the antioxidant lycopene, when it is red. Kids of all ages know its shiny black seeds are made for spittin- though recently, seedless cultivars have become popular.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Did you know?
In 1976 only 25,000 Americans could boast that they had finished running a marathon.
That number has now jumped to more than 430,000 marathoners.
Eating Your Antioxidants
Start by making sure you are getting enough antioxidants in your diet. Among the best sources.
Beta-carotene: carrots, pumplin, cantaloupe, squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, kale, peaches, apricots.
Vitamin C: oranges and other citrus fruits, bell peppers, strawberries, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, tomatoes.
Vitamin E: fortified cereals, sunflower seeds, almonds, sunflower and safflower oil, hazelnuts, tomoto sauce, peanut butter, wheat germ, avocado
Selenium: seafood, lean meat and poultry, while grains, garlic, eggs, low fat dairy.
Corn Oil Claim
Products containing corn oil can now claim to be good for your heart - but that does not mean it's OK to slather your supper with Mazola. The US Food and Drug Admin approved a petition for a "qualified health claim" for corn oil by ACH Food Companies, makers of Mazola corn oil, Karo corn syrup and Argo corn starch. To qualify for heart health labeling, products must be low in cholesterol and sat fat. And the FDA approved lanquage is not exactly a ringing endorsement: " Very limited and preliminary scientific evidence suggests that eating about 1 tablespoon of corn oil daily may reduce the risk of heart disease due to the unsaturated fat content in corn oil. FDA concludes that there is little scientific evidence supporting this claim. To achieve the possible benefit, corn oil is to replace a similar amount of sat fat and not increase the total number of calorie you eat in a day." Since all fats and oils contain about 90 calories per tablespoon, simply adding corn oil to your diet will add to your waistline instead of helping your heart.
The FDA introduced its four-tiered system for dietary health claims in 2003. Only health benefits on which there is "significant scientific agreement" do not require a qualifying statement. The corn oil claim is based on the lowest level of supporting scientific evidence.
Choose wisely . . . live well.
Friday, June 22, 2007
The big get bigger
The fastest growing segment of America's over weight population is also the fattest. A new study reports that the biggest growth area-in more ways than one- among people who are over weight is the group that is extremely obese, 100 or more pounds toooooo heavy. The report, to be published in the journal Public Health, says the population of Americans with a body mass index of 50 or more increased by 75% between 2000 and 2005.
The study shows that the proportion of people at the high end of the weight scale continues to increase at a brisk rate despite increased public attention on the risks of obesity and the increased use of drastic weight loss strategies such as surgery. The number of surgerys including stomach stapling and stomach bypass rose from 13,000 in 1998 to 200,000 last year.
Did you know . . .
University of California-Davis scientists have found that organic kiwis are richer in nutrients, including vitamin C, than non organically grown kiwis.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Leftover Pie
Because of their high dairy content, leftover custard and cream filled pies must be wrapped tighly in plastic wrap and stored in the frig.Whipped cream topped pies do not store well, becasue the whipped cream breaks down and begins to weep within hours. If you are planning on serving only a few slices from a whipped cream topped pie, top each slice individually with whipped cream and save the rest of the pie for later.
Double crust fruit pies such as apple, peach, cherry can be stored at room temperature because of their high sugar content and acidity, which retard the growth of bacteria. The frig turns the crisp crusts of the fruit pies gummy. This is a result of retrogradation, or the process by which the structure of the starch changes and becomes stale. So when it comes to fruit pies, storing at room temperature is the way to go. But then, who ever had leftover pie??????
Chop Tips
When it comes to eating out, Americans love Chinese. And Chinese restaurants deserve credit for keeping a lid on sat and trans fat, thanks to vegetable oil, no cheese, and a host of seafood, poultry, and veggies.
But Chinese restaurant food is loaded with salt and - if you are not careful - delivers a load of calories, thanks to its oil, noodles, and deep fried batter or breading.
Here are some suggestions:
Veg out. Look for dishes that feature vegetables, not meat or noodles. Ask for extra broccoli, snow peas, or other veggies.
Don't go deep. Order your chicken, tofu, or seafood lightly stir fried or braised, not breaded, battered, and deep fired.
Hold the sauce. Use a fork or chopsticks, not a spoon, to get the food from the serving platter to your plate. That keeps the salty or sugary or fatty sauce on the platter, not soaked up by your rice and eventually your waist.
Don't add in-salt to injury. The food is salty enough without adding more. Each tablespoon of duck sauce or hot mustard has 100 mg of sodium; hoisin sauce has 250 mg; soy sauce has 1000 mg.
Share. Many entrees have 1000 to 1500 calories. Share or ask for a doggie bag.
