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.
