NutritionDoc

With star chefs scattering cilantro over everything in sight and singing the praises of exotic herbs such as shiso and winter savory, it is easy to overlook plain parsley.

There is a long tradition of seasoning foods with parsley, both to complement other herbs and spices and to perk up blander fare such as potatoes, grains, and pasta.

"Fresh' is the word most often used to describe parsley's taste, but it is also slightly peppery and almost anise like when used by itself to season dishes. More often than not, parsley is paired with other seasonings to round them out and deepen their flavors.

One reason parsley goes well with other herbs and spices is that it is the" parent "of a plant family that includes anise, caraway, cumin, celery, cilantro, chervil, dill and fennel. That means parsley's milder, sweeter flavor will not interfere with any of these herbs; rather, it enhances them.

Parsley comes in handy for lightening up cold weather dishes. It tames the bite of garlic and onions (and the bad breath - parsley's high chlorophyll content neutralizes odors) and mellows more pungent herbs such as sage, rosemary, thyme, and terragon. It really shines when used in everyday dishes that need a little oomph, such as steamed rice or carrots.

Parsley makes a tasty filler when you do not have quite enough basil for a recipe, and a quarter cup of chopped parsley stirred into prepared tomato sauce, salsa or soup instantly eliminates that "store bought" taste. Just be sure to add chopped parsley to hot foods right before serving - it loses its flavor and color when exposed to heat for long periods of time.

When buying simply choose the bunch that looks freshest. Get in the habit of having parsley on hand. A big bunch of parsley sells for about a dollar year round, so you can use it as lavishly as you like. As fresh herbs go, that is rare enough to make plain parsley pretty remarkable.

Choose wisely . . . live well.

 

 

In the world of bottled salad dressings, old habits die hard; traditional favorites like ranch, Italian and blue cheese still dominate shelves. But a dizzying array of alternatives is now available.

Dressings labeled "light" can be lower in either fat or calories or both. Fat free dressings are plentiful, but not nearly as tasty as "light" varieties. And they do not provide the fat that helps absorb fat soluble nutrients, like vitamins A & E and phytonutrients, like carotenoids, typically found in salad ingredients like dark leafy greens, carrots, nuts and the oil itself.

Keep in mind that sodium tends to be a bit higher in "light" dressings than in regular dressings. If that is a concern for you, explore beyond the usual salad dressing aisle to refrigerated varieties, which are often lower in sodium.

Check labels carefully to avoid full fat, high carlorie dressings. A 2 tablespoon serving of regular dressing can pour on as much as 20 grams of fat and nearly 200 calories. The saving grace is that these dressings are often low in sat and trans fats because the oils used are non hydrogenatedd vegetable oils. Exceptions include dressing with cheese or other dairy ingredients.

Keep a measuring spoon handy - and use it - until you are adept at eye-balling 2 tablespoons, of dressing.

Enjoy dressing on the side, dipping your fork into it first; you will use less dressing but still enjoy its flavor.

For family dinners, serve your salad family style, already dressed; you will use less dressing than if each person poured separately.

Thin out a thick dressing with a little skim milk or water to allow it to pour more easily and to dilute the calories.

Whip up your own healthful homemade dressing; try mostly Balsamic vinegar and a little high quality, fruity oilive oil. You may find that is all you need.

 

The crumbling of the Atkins empire may have signaled the end of the high protein diet craze, but that does not mean protein is passe. There still are plenty of reasons to choose chicken, fish, beans and lean beef. How much protein do you need - depends- experts say that older adults do not get enough.

As the major structural component of our cells, you need protein to maintain the constant growth and repair that goes on in your body all the time. And research suggests older adults may benefit from a little extra of this power packed nutrient.

With age, you experience a loss of protein in places like skeletal muscle and skin. Blood and the immune system also take a big hit. Some experts believe these changes call for slightly more protein than is recommended for younger adults simpley to keep the body in good working order.If people do not get enough protein they lose muscle mass and lose function. Along with staying strong, getting enough protein is important for fighting off infections and helping your body recuperate after illness.

Older adults often choose fewer protein rich foods in an overall shrinking diet. They may experience changes in the health of their teeth and gums, problems with digestion, difficulty getting around to shop and make meals and a declining social circle, which might leave them eating alone, with meals becoming less of a priority.

I would urge older adults to make the most of the calories they do eat by choosing foods rich in high quality protein. Making those protein choices low fat is smart.

Researchers have found that blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels improve with a high protein diet.

The promise of stronger muscles and bones, better blood pressure, robust immunity and possible weight loss makes eating more protein a priority as you age. BUT, because, you need fewer calories as you get older, it is important to look for lean and low fat sources of high quality protein.

Top Rated Protein Sources:

Fish, poulty, lean meat, cottage cheese (low fat) tofu, yogurt (low fat) lentils, milk, peanut butter, cheese, nuts and egg.

Choose wisely . . . live well.

For a fresh black bean salsa, dice 1/2 red onion, 1 tomato, 1 seeded jalapeno, 3 garlic cloves, and 1 Tbs. of cilantro. Mix with 1 can of drained, rinsed black beans and 1 tsp. of hot sauce. Spoon over chicken or fish or into a quesadilla or wrap. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM good.

Anyone who is, or cooks for, or wants to eat like a vegetarian has faced the chicken broth dilemma. How do you get that chicken something into dishes for no-chicken people?

Imagine Organic No-Chicken Broth manages to turn water, onions, celery, carrots, and a few other ingredients into chickeny broth. And the company does it without the MSG, autolyzed yeast extract, disodium inosinate, and oher flavor enhancers that some brands use.

Along with additives, Imagine leaves out much of the salt. A cup of Swanson Vegetable Broth packs 940 mg of sodium. Knorr has 880 mg, and Whole Foods 365 Organic delivers 710mg. That is at least a third of a day's worth (half a day's worth for anyone over 50).

Imagine Organic No-Chicken cuts the sodium to 460 mg. While still high, that is lower than all but a few brands. Health Valley Fat Free Vegetable Broth and Kitchen Basics Vegetable Stock have 330 mg of sodium per cup, but neither matches Imagine's taste.

If you are cooking for carnivores, Health Valley's delicious Fat Free Chicken Broth has 380 mg of sodium, and Herb-Ox Very Low Sodium Instant Chicken Bouillon powder has a mere 5 mg.

But if Chicken is out . . . try putting Imagine in.

Choose wisely . . . live well.

The folks at Entenmann's must be worried that adults can not get quick, compact sources of sugar, saturated fat and empty calories.

Sure, you can find plenty of fatty sweets at your local Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Mrs. Fields, or Cinnabon. Or you can stop by any grocery store for packages of cookies, muffins, cupcakes, or pastries.

But who wants to get caught sneaking Ring Dings out of the attache case at work? Or serving Honey Buns to the bridge club?

The Solution? Designer JUNK . . . also known as Enten-mini's. Now you can satisfy a sweet tooth, clog an artery, pad a belly, and feel sophisticated all at the same time.

Take the Chocolate Rounds. Each supplies 290 calories, 30 grams of sugar, and 8 grams of sat fat. Think 2 HoHo's.

Each Napoleon ( 5 grams of sat fat and 270 calories worth of sugar, white flour, beef tallow, lard, and other delicacies) is worse than a Little Debbie Fudge Brownie. And the sat fat in a diminutive (270 calorie) twin pack of of Caramel & Creme Squares pretty much matches what you would get in a Quarter Pounder.

So many calories, so little time. How nice of Entenmann's to help transfer the surplus from its storehouse to yours.

Eating alone does not mean you can not eat well. But it is often more challenging to buy and use produce and other fresh foods before they go bad. And it can be hard to muster up the motivation to cook every night for just one or even two.

Shopping Strategies:

Look for a market with a bulk foods section. Buying in bulk does not have to mean buying big. It can also mean buying just 3 oz of granola if you like, and not paying a premium for single serve packaging.

Choose fresh produce that will keep well for a week,such as apples, beets, cabbage, carrots, celery, grapefruit, kale, onions, oranges, potatoes and squash.

Shop with a friend in mind; divvy up bags of apples, oranges or potatoes.

Buy frozen veggies in bags, NOT boxes or microwavable pouches, so you can use as much or as little as you want and refreeze the rest.

Ask the butcher in the meat dept to package a smaller amount of meat or poultry if you don't want to do it yourself at home.

If you do buy frozen meals for 1 or 2, choose wisely. The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends selecting those that contain no more than 10 grams of fat per 300 calories and less than 800 mg of sodium per serving. (see previous blogspots for more detail).

Storage Savvy:

Freeze unused chopped or sliced veggies - peppers, onions, celery, mushrooms - in plastic freezer bags to use later in stir-fries, stews or omelets.

Divide larger packages of meat, fish and poultry into smaller, single serve packs and freeze.

Mealtime Tips:

Make your cooking count. Prepare large meals - casseroles, soups, stews- once or twice a week. Divide leftovers into single serving containers and freeze for quick meals at another time.

Hit the salad bar at your grocery store to pick and choose fresh fruits and veggies that are ready to eat. Add some protein at home by using up leftover beans, chicken, cheese, fish or tofu, or open a can of tuna (remember the "blue bag" from previous blogspots?).

Roll that salad and your protein pick into a whole wheat tortilla for lunch.

Make a meal out of a spud; top with canned chili or leftover broccoli, carrots or cauliflower. Add a dollop of fat free sour cream.

If you no longer mash your own potatoes, a package of Simply Potatoes refrigerated Mashed Potatoes might look more appealing than an economical box of dried potato flakes.

It is NOT that simple.

Each serving brings 170 calories and 520 mg of sodium to your plate. And it delivers 5 grams of sat fat and 1 gram of trans fat to each modest (2/3 cup) portion.

Simply Potatoes manages this feat by mixing its familiar spuds with half and half, butter, whole milk,and margarine, along with salt, xanthan gum, and a few other ingredients. Not exactly health food.

Not exactly necessary, either. Thanks to skim milk and just a touch of butter, the company's Country Style Mashed Potatoes keep the sat fat to 1.5 grams, the sodium to 110mg, the calories to 110 and the trans fat to zero.

Even better are Simply Potatoes Mashed Sweet Potatoes, which have similar numbers but more beta carotene and other phytochemicals than their pale counterparts.

Just steer clear of the company's Garlic or Sour Cream & Chive Mashed Potatoes, which are no bettter than the original flavor. Who needs around a quarter of a day's bad fat that will end up as Silly Putty in your arteries?

Dry eyes are not only uncomfortable, they also make it harder to read, use a computer, and drive at night. "Artificial tears" offer some relief, but it does not last.

Researchers at Brighman and Women's Hospital in Boston looked for links between dry eye syndrome and diet among more than 32,000 women aged 45 to 84. Their results: those who consumed more omega-3 fats were 17% less likely to report the syndrome. In particular, women who ate seafood 2 to 4 times a week had a 42% lower risk than women who ate seafood less than twice a week.

In contrast, those who ate higher levels of omega-6 fats and lower levels of omega-3s were 2 1/2 times more likely to have dry eyes. We get omega-6 fats from the soybean and other oils in mayannaise, salad dressing, fried foods, baked goods, and dozens of other foods.

Omega-3 fats may ward off dry eye syndrome by curbing inflammation in the tear gland and eye surface.

If you have dry eye syndrome, try eating more seafood. Try salmon or other fatty fish that are lower in mercury. You can also curb your omega-6 intake by switching from soybean or corn oil to canola or olive oil.

If there is a food that promises even a whiff of a health benefit, someone is going to make it into a pill or powder and sell it as a supplement. Here is how you will see companies hawking flaxseed's ALA and its lignans.

Flaxseed oil softgels: Most are capsules with 1 gram (1,000 mg) of flaxseed oil. Each contains 500 to 600 mg of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), so the manufacturers usually recommend 2 or 3 capsules a day, which equals the "adequate daily intake" recommended by the Institute of Medicine. Of course, the typical American gets that much from food alone, so a supplement is unnecessary for most people.

Flaxseed oil contains no fiber and little or no lignans.

 

Lignan-fortified flaxseed oil softgets: Manufacturers add ground up flaxseed hulls, called "particulate", to their flaxseed oil to boost its lignan content. But the companies can't (or won't) say how much lignans their oils contain.

 

Concentrated lignans in pills: Concentrated lignans from flax have helped prevent cancer in animals but there are no published studies in people. Guess that makes the folks who buy products like Brevail the guinea pigs."The first all natural breast health product to address the maintenance of orderly cellular division in the preservation of healthy breast tissue", says www.brevail.com.

That is a euphemism for "prevents breast cancer," and it is what the makers of Brevail want you to believe. They can not mention cancer because then they would have to substantiate their claim to the Food and Drug Administration. And they do not have the evidence for that.

Each Brevail capsule contains 50 mg of lignans from flaxseed. The manufacturer, Lignan Research of San Diego, recommends that women take 1 a day with juice or water. The company claims that Brevail boosts lignan concentrations in the blood to levels "found in women who collectively demonstrate an extraordinary history of breast health".

That would be women living in eastern Finland in the early 1990s.

Choose wisely . . . live well.

 

To keep a cutting board from slipping on the counter as you chop, or a bowl from sliding as you mix, dampen a paper towel and place it under the board or bowl. Whern you finish, use the towel to wipe off the counter.

When time is tight or energy is sapped, jazz up prepared foods for a quick meal:

 

Add leftover meat and veggies to pasta salad from your local market or deli.

Perk up a small takeout or frozen pizza with pineapple, chopped tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, broccoli, or onions.

Top frozen whole grain waffles with peanut butter or yogurt and sliced banana or frozen berries for a breakfast or lunch out of the ordinary.

Add dried cranberries or cherries, chopped pecans and crumbled blue cheese to prepackaged Romaine salad. Top with reduced fat dressing.

Add dried apricots, walnuts and sesame seeds to yogurt for a surprisingly satisfying lunch.

Create your own soup: add chopped veggies to canned tomato, lentil, bean or chicken noodle soup.