Sunday, February 25, 2007
Trans Fats Update
New York City became the first municipality to pass a regulation requiring restaurants to stop cooking with foods containing artificial trans fats. In addition, a major food manufacturer (Kraft) plus numerous restaurants and fast food outlets (Burger King, Denny's, Dunkin Donuts, IHOP, KFC, Pizza Huts, Starbucks, Taco Bell, Wendy's) have been falling all over themselves pleging to start using healthful fats instead of trans laden one. Even Girl Scout cookies are now trans fat free.
All the fuss is because research shows that ingesting even small amounts of trans fats increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Recent studies suggest that they promote inflammation and constrict arteries, impending blood flow. The altered fats are linked to an increased risk of diabetes as well.
The science has been known for some time; even McDonald's pledged to stop using oils with trans fats a few years ago, though it never followed through. So, what is different now? PEOPLE WANT IT! Last year's mandatory trans labeling on packaged foods raised public awareness and people are now demanding change in the supermarket and in their eating out options.
The real lesson here is that - YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.When the paying public demands change, manufacturers pay attention. They want to sell what you will buy. And they will not keep marketing products you leave on store shelves.
All the fuss is because research shows that ingesting even small amounts of trans fats increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Recent studies suggest that they promote inflammation and constrict arteries, impending blood flow. The altered fats are linked to an increased risk of diabetes as well.
The science has been known for some time; even McDonald's pledged to stop using oils with trans fats a few years ago, though it never followed through. So, what is different now? PEOPLE WANT IT! Last year's mandatory trans labeling on packaged foods raised public awareness and people are now demanding change in the supermarket and in their eating out options.
The real lesson here is that - YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.When the paying public demands change, manufacturers pay attention. They want to sell what you will buy. And they will not keep marketing products you leave on store shelves.
The Perks of Peanut Butter
The ancient Incas of Peru used peanuts as sacrificial offerings and left peanuts with the dead as food for the afterlife.But they did not have to deal with such modern day mental demons as arachibutyrophobia - the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.
Since its debut in 1904, peanut butter has become one of America's most popular sandwich spreads. Its image is often sullied by its high fat content, but half of that fat is monounsaturated, the kind that helps lower triglycerides, maintain good HDL, and regulate blood insulin levels.
As a plant product, peanut butter contains no cholesterol. Peanut butter is a good source of protein and it supplies niacin, vitamin E, magnesium and phosphorus, plus antioxidants and phytosterols. Morevover, it helps stave off hunger. But do not forget it is high in calories. Be sure you enjoy it in place of high protein foods, not in addition to them.
The peanut is not actually a nut, but like nuts, even traces of this legume can provoke dangerous anaphylactic reactions in people who are allergic.
By law, peanut butter must contain at least 90% peanuts by weight; optional ingredients include salt and sweeteners, as well as oils to prevent separation and improve smoothness. "All natural" peanut butter is 100% peanuts. Store peanut butter at room temperature in a cool place. It is best to keep opened jars of natural peanut butter in the frig to revent rancidity.
Since its debut in 1904, peanut butter has become one of America's most popular sandwich spreads. Its image is often sullied by its high fat content, but half of that fat is monounsaturated, the kind that helps lower triglycerides, maintain good HDL, and regulate blood insulin levels.
As a plant product, peanut butter contains no cholesterol. Peanut butter is a good source of protein and it supplies niacin, vitamin E, magnesium and phosphorus, plus antioxidants and phytosterols. Morevover, it helps stave off hunger. But do not forget it is high in calories. Be sure you enjoy it in place of high protein foods, not in addition to them.
The peanut is not actually a nut, but like nuts, even traces of this legume can provoke dangerous anaphylactic reactions in people who are allergic.
By law, peanut butter must contain at least 90% peanuts by weight; optional ingredients include salt and sweeteners, as well as oils to prevent separation and improve smoothness. "All natural" peanut butter is 100% peanuts. Store peanut butter at room temperature in a cool place. It is best to keep opened jars of natural peanut butter in the frig to revent rancidity.
Ingredient List Tips
Don't stop after eyeing the Nutrition Facts label: your nutrition investigation is not complete until you have scanned the ingredient list. It can reveal important info.
Order of Importance: Most important is that ingredients are listed in descending order from most to least, by weight. So, if you see water and high fructose corn syrup as the first two ingredients in a "fruit" drink, put it back on the shelf.
Sugar Secrets: The ingredient list can help you decipher if the sugars listed under carbohydrates are naturally occurring or added and can alert you to the presence of artificial sweeteners.
Allergens Revealed: Reading the ingredient label is a must if you suffer from a food allergy or intolerance. The possible presence of eggs, milk, wheat, shellfish, nuts or peanuts must be revealed in the ingredient list or in a statement nearby.
Order of Importance: Most important is that ingredients are listed in descending order from most to least, by weight. So, if you see water and high fructose corn syrup as the first two ingredients in a "fruit" drink, put it back on the shelf.
Sugar Secrets: The ingredient list can help you decipher if the sugars listed under carbohydrates are naturally occurring or added and can alert you to the presence of artificial sweeteners.
Allergens Revealed: Reading the ingredient label is a must if you suffer from a food allergy or intolerance. The possible presence of eggs, milk, wheat, shellfish, nuts or peanuts must be revealed in the ingredient list or in a statement nearby.
Enviga Tea Drink
"Be positive, Drink negative". "The calorie burner"."Invigorate your metabolism." These eyebrow raising slogans are for the new drink, Enviga, which promises to burn more calories than it provides.
Enviga, a carbonated green tea drink available in three flavors, is the brainchild of a union between Nestle and Coca Cola, both better known for contributing to weight gain, not weight loss. Each 12 oz can contains green tea extract, caffeine and unspecified "natural plant micronutrients" formulated to increase calorie burning. The company claims that drinking 3 cans of Enviga a day burns 60 to 100 calories. No scientific studies have been done on Enviga. At a cost of $1.29 to $1.49 per can (up to $134/mo) that is a pricey gamble.
Enviga, a carbonated green tea drink available in three flavors, is the brainchild of a union between Nestle and Coca Cola, both better known for contributing to weight gain, not weight loss. Each 12 oz can contains green tea extract, caffeine and unspecified "natural plant micronutrients" formulated to increase calorie burning. The company claims that drinking 3 cans of Enviga a day burns 60 to 100 calories. No scientific studies have been done on Enviga. At a cost of $1.29 to $1.49 per can (up to $134/mo) that is a pricey gamble.
Enviga Tea Drink
"Be positive, Drink negative". "The calorie burner"."Invigorate your metabolism." These eyebrow raising slogans are for the new drink, Enviga, which promises to burn more calories than it provides.Enviga, a carbonated green tea drink available in three flavors, is the brainchild of a union between Nestle and Coca Cola, both better known for contributing to weight gain, not weight loss. Each 12 oz can contains green tea extract, caffeine and unspecified "natural plant micronutrients" formulated to increase calorie burning. The company claims that drinking 3 cans of Enviga a day burns 60 to 100 calories. No scientific studies have been done on Enviga. At a cost of $1.29 to $1.49 per can (up to $134/mo) that is a pricey gamble.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Ricotta Cheese
Originally crafted from the whey by-product of Romano cheese making, ricotta cheese has garnered fame on its own as a white, cushiony filling for baked pasta dishes. As ricotta has gained global popularity, however, preservation methods used by many large scale manufacturers have turned these once fluffy, buttery, sweet curds into chalky, sour spreads.
The three commercially processed brands - Dragone, Sargento, and Sorrento - are packed with gums and other stabilizers to guarantee shelf stability for weeks. Calabro's curds, on the other hand, are fresh- drawn from nothing other than Vermont farm whole milk, skim milk, a starter, and a sprinkle of salt. Granted, the latter's shelf life spans only a matter of days, but one spoonful should be enough to guarantee its quick disappearance from your fridge.
If you can not find Calabro, read labels and look for another fresh ricotta without gums or stabilizers.
The three commercially processed brands - Dragone, Sargento, and Sorrento - are packed with gums and other stabilizers to guarantee shelf stability for weeks. Calabro's curds, on the other hand, are fresh- drawn from nothing other than Vermont farm whole milk, skim milk, a starter, and a sprinkle of salt. Granted, the latter's shelf life spans only a matter of days, but one spoonful should be enough to guarantee its quick disappearance from your fridge.
If you can not find Calabro, read labels and look for another fresh ricotta without gums or stabilizers.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Enhanced???
More than half of the fresh pork sold in supermarkets is now "enhanced." Enhanced pork is injected with a salt solution to make lean cuts, such as center cut roasts and chops, seem moister. But I think natural pork has a better flavor.
Manufacturers don't use the terms "enhanced" or "natural" on package labels, but if the pork has been enhanced it will have an ingredient list. Natural pork contains just pork and will NOT have an ingredient list.
Salt
For most recipes inexpensive table salt is just as good as fancy salts. The fine granules are more easily dispersed in batters and doughs. So it is a top choice for baking. Table salt is also good for soups, stews, sauces and more. Once salt dissolves, it all tastes pretty much the same, so why waste money on pricey sea salt to season a pot of pasta cooking water?
But when it comes to seasoning meat, chicken or fish you need the larger grained salts such as kosher salt. The larger grained salts are easier to control and cling nicely to the meat's surface. Kosher salt is inexpensive and readily available.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Exercise
Too many people confine their exercise to jumping to conclusions, runing up bills, stretching the truth, bending over backward, lying down on the job, sidestepping responsibility and pushing their luck.
Anonyous
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Belly up to the Bar
Back in the 1980s, a stroke of marketing genius led cereal companies to press healthy sounding granola into bar shapes that you could eat on the run.
Today, they have replaced much, if not all, of the granola's whole grain oats with "crisp" ( read: sugar coated) white rice, white flour, a smorgasbord of sugars, and candy fixings like chocolate, marshmallow, icing, and caramel.
The bar market now stretches from unabashed junk ( Hershey's Snack Barz, Kellogg's Go Tarts) to what appears to be good for you ( Kellogg's Nutri Grain Yogurt, Raisin Bran Crunch Bars).
Keep in mind that even the best bars do not hold a candle to fruits, vegetables, salads, yogurt, or healthy sandwiches. Bars are convenient because they are shelf stable, compact, and individually wrapped. But there is nothing special about the sweetened stuff inside.
Wholesome foods beat bars hands down.
When in Rome
Whole wheat flour, dried fruit, fruit puree, fruit juice concentrate, and whole grain oats, rye, and barley. Those are the main ingredients in Roman Meal 100% Whole Grain Snack Bars, which come in Cranberry Walnut, Oatmeal Raisin, and Apple Cinnamon.
Each bar has some 200 calories, but at least you will spend them on ingredients that belong in a kitchen. Other reasons to try them: the fiber (5 grams) and potassium (250-320mg, most of it from their fruit).
But the most compelling reason comes not from the label, but from what is inside it. Roman Meal makes one of the best tasting bars you can find. The only problem: you may have trouble finding them. So far, the only major supermarkets that carry them are Krogers and Ralphs.
Heart Talk
Nature Valley Healthy Heart Bars and Kellogg's Smart Start Healthy Heart Bars sure sound the same BUT they are not.
Nature Valley adds 0.4 grams of plant sterols to each bar. Eating 2 bars a day could lower your total cholesterol by about 5%., at a cost of some 300 calories. You would have to eat 3 Smart Start Bars every day ( each as 1 gram of fiber from oats) to get the same 5% drop, but now you are talkng 450 calories.
Smart Start is low in sodium, but so are Nature Valley and most other bars.
And Smart Start does have more blood pressure lowering potassium (350mg) than Nature Valley ( about 90mg). But the potassium chloride that Kellogg adds to Smart Start is not as good as the potassium citrate in fruits and veggies. Both lower blood pressure, but citrate also helps prevent kidney stones and bone loss.
If you are wondering what to snack on, that should be a clue.
Best Bar None
Kashi's new TLC's keep it simple. They have got Kashi's blend of 7 whole grains ( oats, wheat, rye, triticale, barley, brown rice, buckwheat) and sesame seeds, held together largely by evaporated cane juice syrup, canola oil, and honey.
M-m-m. No aroma of Rice Krispies Treats here.
Each pair of Crunchies - they come 2 to a wrapper - will cost you 180 calories. But those calories come with 4 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein ( rather than the usual 2 or 3 grams). What is more, Kashi keeps the sugars to a low-for-bars 7 grams.
If you like whole grains that taste whole, TLC Takes Le Cake.
Battle of the Brans
Whether or not people know that bran -the outer layer of the wheat, oat, or rice kernel -is rich in fiber and other nutrients, they know that it is healthy.
But all bran bars are not as healthy as Kellogg's All-Bran Bars. Each has about 130 calories, 5 grams of fiber, only half a gram of sat fat, and no refined grains. They are not low in sugar, but at least the sugar comes with a good chunk of your daily fiber requirement.
In contrast, Post Raisin Bran Cereal Bars have less fiber (3 grams) and some refind wheat flakes mixed in with their whole grains. Even so, they are head and shoulders above Kellogg's Raisin Bran Crunch Bars.
Like Raisin Bran Crunch cereal, the Crunch Bars have more white rice than any whole grain, leaving each bar with only one gram of fiber. That is pretty pathetic for a food with "Bran" in its name.
Cookie Confession
What is the difference between Quaker Oatmeal to Go Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Bars and Quarker Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies?
Not much.
The bars are slightly heavier, so they have slightly more calories, sugar, potassium, and vitamins. Everything else - including fiber, at an impressive-for-bars 5 grams- is about the same.
There is a message here. Many breakfast bars are essentially oatmeal cookies fortified with a handful of vitamins. Others are little more than vitamin fortified Rice Krispies Treats.
The marketers want you to believe that bars are somehow better than ordinary food. Don't buy it.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Bottled Water
Thanks to ads featuring bubbling mountain streams and pristine glaciers, more than half of all Americans now drink bottled water to the tune of 4 billion dollars a year. As a nation, we drink more bottled water than any other country in the world.
Finding out where your bottled water comes from is no easy task. Since bottling plants are not required by law to disclose their water source, the only way to know for sure is to contact the company. And they may or may not oblige, depending on whether they really want you to know.
Aquafina bottled water is drawn from municipal water in Detroit and Fresno, among other cities. And it is not the only one tapping city water supplies. According to a report by the D.C.-based Natural Resources Defense Council, as much as 40% of bottled water is nothing more than treated tap water.
Most bottled waters are safe, but some are not. It depends on where the water comes from and how it is treated . . . and whether it is tainted. Although the Food and Drug Admin regulates bottled water safety, states end up handling most safety issues. The FDA only regulates water sold for interstate distribution, which accounts for only 30% to 40% of the bottled water sold in the US.
Even bottled water that is sold nationally and falls under FDA jurisdiction is not neccessarily any safer than tap water which is monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency.Compared to EPA standardes for city tap water, FDA regulations are considerably weaker.
Another factor driving consumer's plunge into bottled water is taste. When ABC's 20/20 TV show conducted an informal blind taste test comparing bottled and tap water, they found more people preferred tap. Surprisingly, Evian, the most expensive bottled water, scored the lowest.
Big city water systems generally have better quality water than small towns. But, an NRDC report on tap water found 4 major cities - Atlanta, Albuquerque, San Francisco ande Fresno - to have fair-to-substandard drinking water.
What compromises quality is runoff from sewage systems, contaminated land sites, wastes and industrial pollution and are the biggest water polluting problems cities face, along with aging infrastructures.
If you want to know what is in your tap water, look at your local Water Quality Report, a document required by law to be sent to homeowners each year by July 1.
While there is no guarantee that either bottled or tap water is safe from contaminants, there are ways to lower your risk. Here are some suggestions:
Bottled Water:
1. Buy a major brand from a company that is a member of the International Bottled Water Assoc. Check online at www.bottledwater.org - click "What is IBWA", then "Brand List".
2. Buy bottled water from a store that sells a lot of water.
3. Store bottled water in a cool place.
Tap Water:
1. Run tap water for 20 seconds in the morning to clear out chemicals leached from pipes during the night.
2. Let water sit in an open container for several hours: much of the chlorine will evaporate, improving taste.
3. Use a filtering system.
4. Have your tap water tested to check from home plumbing problems.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Greens First
This is a reply to several emails re: Greens First.
Dehydrated, powdered, juiced and "spray-dried" fruit and veggie products can never deliver all the nutritional value of the original produce.Even if a product has the same amount of antioxidants and phytonutrients as a daily diet of fruits and veggies, you are missing the fiber and other benefits of eating whole foods. You are also not using fruits and veggies to replace other, higher calorie and high fat foods in your diet.
The scientific claims cited on the Greens First Web page all apply to studies of whole fruits and veggies, NOT to research on the actual product. Many of these promises of benefit are exaggerated or lack the cautions scientists would attach to such claims.
The outrageous product claims on the Greens First Web site actually exceed substantially those made by FDA, USDA and other authorities and nutrition scientists regarding the benefit of increasing fruit and vegetable intake.
A search of the National Library of Medicine/National Institute of Health Pub Med database reveals no published studies of Greens First.
Yes, you can get some antioxidant boost from dried supplements. But you are still better off eating the real things. ( ie. a wide variety of 5-8 servings per day of raw and lightly cooked fruits and veggies of every color).
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
The Bell Tolls for Trans Fat
Another fast-food giant is joining the growing movement to reduce or eliminate trans fat. Taco Bell, the nation's largest quick service Mexican food chain, said it would elimate trans fat from 15 menu items, and that by April all 5800 of its restaurants would switch to a trans-fat-free canola oil for frying. Some menu items, such as the Grilled Stuff Burrito, will still contain trans fats.
Taco Bell is owned by Yum Brands, Inc. also the parent company of Pizza Hut and KFC, the fried chicken chain that announced in October it was switching to trans-fat-free oil for frying.
Burger King announced in late November that it would begin testing of trans-fat-free menu items in selected restaurants by March 1 and Arby's said it would stop using trans fats for its french fries.
BUT McDonald's continues to struggle with switching to trans-fat-free oil.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Go Bananas!!!
Scholars doubt the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden was an apple; it is not native to the region. What is a more likely fruit? A pomegranate, say some; a banana, suggests the Koran. In fact, the popular banana, from banan, the Arabic word for finger, is among the oldest fruits, mentioned in ancient Hindu, Chinese, Greek and Roman texts. Alexander the Great is credited with bring the banana to the Western world from India.
Today, almost 1,000 varieties of bananas grow around the world on a plant that is not a tree, as it is often called but a very large herb. A relatively dense fruit, a medium banana provides about 100 calories. It is a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium and manganese and is particularly high in vitamin B6.
As a super source of vitamin B6, bananas aid your immune system, help form red blood cells, ensure a well functioning nervous system and assist protein metabolism.
The common yellow banana is available year round; many markets now also carry red bananas, "baby" bananas, plantains and other varieties. Unripe bananas take only a few days to ripen at home; you can hasten the process by placing them in a paper bag. Avoid buying bananas with a grayish tint; they will never ripen properly. They have likely been refrigerated, which interrupts the ripening process. Once ripe, you can refrigerate bananas for up to 2 weeks to prevent over ripening; the skin will turn black, but they will be fine to eat.
As with all dried fruit, the calories in dried bananas can add up fast. And watch out for banana chips; they can sport 10 grams of fat in just one ounce.
Increase Fiber!
1. Start your day with a whole grain cereal - hot or cold.
It is an easy way to jump start your day's fiber intake. Choose a high fiber cold cereal that delivers at least 8 grams of fiber per serving. There are several on the market that have 12 grams of fiber per serving (see previous blog articles). If you have a little time, cook up a bowl of oatmeal or multigrain cereal, BUT check labels - not all are equally fiber rich.
2. Commit to eating 100% whole grain breads.
Be sure the label says "100% whole grain". Check the ingredient list and be sure the first ingredient is a whole grain. Select only breads that have 2 or more grams of fiber per slice.
3. Incorporate more whole grains into your cooking.
Sure, cooking whole grains takes time, but it does not take advanced culinary skills. If you can cook white rice, you can cook brown rice and other grains like barley, millet, buckwheat and bulgur. Whether you use whole grains as a base for hearty main dish salads, stir into soups or as an alternative to noodles, they have a great way to boost fiber. Make it your mission to try one new whole grain each month - then try to serve it once a week.
4. Eat fruit at every meal.
Too many Americans get barely one serving of fruit a day. Developing a fruit habit can make a big fiber difference, while improving overall nutrient intake. Even canned fruit is fine; be sure to buy it packed in juice, not syrup.
5. Double your veggie portions.
Americans eat a couple of veggies each day, but the servings are often not big enough - double up on those portions!! You will get more nutrients, feel fuller on fewer calories, and your plate will have a better balance (think 1/3 fruit/veggies, 1/3 grain/starch, 1/3 protein).
6. Substitute beans or lentils for meat whenever possible.
Exchange beans for a least some of the ground meat in recipes like meat sauce for spaghetti, chili, casseroles, nachos and burritos. Toss beans into your soups and stews too. Using canned beans will save time, but drain and rinse them well to cut down on gassiness and to lose some of the sodium.
Choose wisely . . . live well.
Quote
The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.
Budda
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Airborne
Airborne is a mixture of 17 vitamins, minerals, and herbs, including megadoses of vit. A & C.
Americans will spend an estimated $300 million in 2007 on this cold remedy, which was created by a former California second grade teacher. Victoria Knight-McDowell has said that she invented Airborne 10 years ago because she was tired of constantly catching colds from her students.
Apparently, she has not gotten tired of having no credible evidence that Airborne works.
According to the company, a study it funded several years ago showed that Airborne relieved cold symptoms faster than a placebo. But Airborne will NOT make the study public. And a Feb. 2006 investigation by ABC-TV discovered that the company that carried out the study, GNG Pharmaceutical Services, is actually a 2 man operation started up just to do the Airborne study.
"There was no clinic, no scientists, and no doctors," ABC reported.
If Airborne has any impact on colds, its high dose of vitamin C - 1000 mg per tablet- might be the reason.
As for taking Airborne to repel germs in an airplane, restaurant, or other crowded environment "that is non-sense", says cold expert Jack Gwaltney of the U of Virginia in Charlottesville. "Nothing you can swallow can do that."
CAUTION: Each Airborne tablet contains 5000 International Units of the retinol form of vitamin A. Use 2 and you have hit the Tolerable Upper Intake Level- the largest amount of retinol that can be taken every day for months without risking liver damage, birth defects, and increased risk of hip fractures. Follow the package directions and you will be taking 10,000 IU every 6 hours.
Colds 101
The virus that causes the common cold can only hurt you if it gets into your noce, either directly or via the tear ducts in your eyes. So unless someone has sneezed near you, your own (contaminated) hands are probably to blame.
Once the virus hits the back of your nose, it begins multiplying. Symptoms appear within 10 to 12 hours, peak at 1 1/2 to 3 days, and are generally gone within a week.
Keeping your hands clean is one of the most important steps to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others.
At the very first hint that a cold is starting, take a first generation antihistamine and an NSAID every 12 hours and keep taking them even if you feel better. That will not stop the cold, but it will lessen the symptoms.
If your cold is NOT better after a week check with your doctor to make sure you have not developed a secondary bacterial infections.
Suggestions:
1. Begin treatment at the earliest sign of a cold.
2. Take a sustained-release, first generation antihistamine ( the kind that can make you drowsy) like diphenhydramine (benadryl), chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), brompheniramine (Dimetapp) or clemastine (Contac, Tavist). Newer, non sedating antihistamines like fexofenadine (Allegra) and loratadine (Claritin) do not appear to be as effective.
3. At the same time, take a nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drug (NSAID) like aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve).
4. Continue taking the antihistamine and NSAID every 12 hours until the cold symptoms clear (3-7 days).
5. If your stuffy nose or cough does not seem to be getting better, add an oral decongestant like pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) and a cough suppressant like dextromethorphan ( Robitussin Cough DM).
6. If you feel worse or no better after 7 days = GO TO YOUR DOCTOR!
Quote
Making the decision to have a child - it is wondrous.
It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.
Elizabeth Stone
Friday, February 02, 2007
Frozen Breakfasts
Peek into the supermarket freezer and you will find plenty of frozen breakfasts that deliver hot meals in a jiffy. But most of these pancakes, waffles, omelets and egg sandwiches come with nutritional baggage like excess sodium, sat fat and trans fats.
Frozen breakfasts come savory or sweet. Sweet options are typically lower in fat and calories, while savory eggs, meat and cheese choices tend to be higher in calories, fat and sodium.
They may be convenient, but these quick start breakfasts can easily pack in more than 20 grams of fat, half of it saturated. Frozen pancakes and waffles can be good a.m. choices, but may miss the mark on fiber and can be surprisingly high in sodium. Some even contain trans fat. Your best options for frozen pancakes or waffles are those that are low fat and are made with multigrain flour or whole wheat to boost fiber (Kellogg's Eggo and Aunt Jemima).
Helpful suggestions:
Make vegetarian options your first choice; they tend to be lower in sat fat and cholesterol, while higher in fiber than choices with meat.
Check the Nutrition Facts panel for sodium content and compare brands.
Look for whole grain ingredients in pancakes, French toast and waffles.
Pay attention to listed serving sizes. some products appear more healthful than others simply because their nutrition information is based on a small serving size.
Top pancakes or waffles with fresh fruit, fruit spread or nut butter, not butter and syrup.
Keep in mind that pouring a bowl of ready to eat, whole grain breakfast cereal is quicker and more healthful.
