NutritionDoc

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.

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.

Life is a reat big convas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.  Danny Kaye

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.

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.

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??

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.

"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.

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.