Frugal Friday: Don't Throw That Rice Away!

The Magee family does do the Chinese take-out thing from time to time and we always end up with a couple of small cartons of leftover rice. I usually ask for a carton each of white and brown rice since part of the clan refuses to go brown (I figure this is okay since they eat whole grain in every other situation). So guess which carton is sitting in the refrigerator almost completely full? The brown rice carton of course!

Rather than waste this wonderful source of whole grain, I have mastered a few teen-friendly ways to use it up the next day or so.

Ways To Use Leftover Rice From Chinese Take Out

• Add to soups and stews during the last 15 minutes of cooking or warming up.


• Turn a carton of rice into a bowl of fried rice by heating it in a nonstick wok or frying pan with a drizzle of canola oil, green onions, assorted vegetables and spices like chopped garlic and ginger, diced tofu or leftover meat like lean beef, skinless chicken or shrimp, strips of egg made with egg substitute, and some soy sauce.


• Add 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice to your light frozen entrée that is in dire need of some additional calories, carbs, and fiber.


• Use it as filler in mixed up dishes like casseroles


• Add it to the filling of your favorite Mexican dish like burritos, tacos, enchiladas, or quesadillas.

How do you use up leftover rice?

Related Topics:

• 10 Ways to Save Money on Food Shopping
• How to Cook Whole Grains

Technorati Tags: Frugal Friday, rice, leftovers, healthy diet

A Setback For Stevia?

Remember how I said, "stay tuned" at the end of a recent blog I wrote on stevia (Stevia: The Next Chapter?), I wasn't kidding. Here it is the beginning of the school year and already fur is flying.

CSPI (the non-profit Center For Science In The Public Interest) just sent out a press release urging the FDA to conduct more testing before stevia extract is used in food and drinks. This appeal is based on a new report by toxicologists at UCLA, which claims that several laboratory tests show that the sweetener causes mutations and DNA damage, raising the possibility that it increase the risk of cancer.

According to Michael Jacobson, executive director for CSPI, it would be tragic if rebiana (an extract of stevia leaves that is 200 times sweeter than sugar) turned out to cause cancer or other problems. "The FDA needs to be as sure as possible that rebiana is safe before allowing it into foods that would be consumed by tens of millions of people," urges Jacobson.

What is needed next?
FDA's own guidelines advise testing prospective major new food additives on two rodent species (usually rats and mice) but rebiana/stevia has only been tested on one rodent species - rats. A lifelong study designed to evaluate the risk of carcinogenicity and other health problems in mice would prove helpful. UCLA toxicologists emphasized the need to perform independently conducted tests that look specifically at damage to genetic material, preferably research not sponsored by the company that will be benefiting from it's approval.

"I am not saying that rebiana is harmful," explains Jacobson, "but it should not be marketed until new studies establish that it is safe." It's hard to argue with that logic, given that once it is approved the flood gates will open with all sorts of rebiana-sweetened sodas and drinks.

Related Topics:

• New No-Calorie Sweetener Truvia Debuts
• Do Sweeteners in Diet Soda Increase Weight?

Technorati Tags: stevia, rebiana, sweeteners, CSPI, healthy diet

Taste Test Tuesday: Amy's Bowls - Mexican Casserole

Amy's Bowls (in the frozen food section) have a new flavor - Mexican Casserole.

This entrée got my attention because I was looking for vegetarian entrées to sample for an article I was writing. Yes, it contains cheese, but it would fit an ovo-lacto vegetarian meal plan just fine.

My biggest disappointment when I opened up the box was that the bowl didn't seem to have half as much contents as the photo on the box suggests. It does have the nice cheesy topping pictured on the box, however, which is where quite a bit of the grams of fat and saturated fat appear to be coming from.

This bowl is made with corn masa, which contains safflower oil, organic corn, organic black beans, Monterey jack cheese, black olives, organic tomatoes, and organic onions (and a few other ingredients).

How Does It Taste? This tastes pretty good, although I'm not sure the amount of food justifies the amount of calories. Maybe if you stirred in some more corn or other vegetables, it would seem to have a bit more volume for the caloric cost.

1 bowl = 370 calories, 12 g protein, 48 g carbohydrate, 16 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 7 g fiber, 390 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 39%.

Related Topics:

• The Part-Time Vegetarian
• WebMD Video: Finding Healthy Vegetarian Choices on Vacation

Technorati Tags: Taste Test Tuesday, Amy's, vegetarian, healthy diet

Food Safety Bill

So the two major political parties CAN work together... and a safer food supply could be the result!

I'm not going to get into politics here, but I do find it fascinating that the two major political parties that can't seem to work out many of the country's pressing issues, have managed to come together long enough to write a bi-partisan bill, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which has been introduced in the Senate and is waiting for the committee to work on it. The bill would help refocus the Food and Drug Administration on prevention of (rather than reaction to) food-borne disease outbreaks... hello E. coli on raw spinach... and salmonella-laced jalapeño peppers.

What would this bill do?

• It would require domestic and foreign food companies to assess potential hazards, develop food safety plans, and take steps to prevent contaminated foods from being marketed.
• It would require the FDA to issue regulations for ensuring safer fresh produce.

What the bill ought to do? According to the experts at The Center For Science In The Public Interest (CSPI) who reviewed the bill, there are several things the bill ought to be doing:

• The bill could be strengthened by modernizing the FDA's outdated 1938 enforcement tools with stronger civil penalties, better traceability and oversight, and broader recall authority.
• The bill needs to provide for new resources to implement these programs and hire more inspectors at the FDA.
  

Point well taken CSPI! Hopefully some of these enhancements will take shape as the bill moves along in the Senate.

Related Topics:

• WebMD Video: Protecting Your Family From E. coli
• Food Poisoning and Safe Food Handling

Technorati Tags: food safety, FDA, E. coli, salmonella, healthy diet

Taste Test Tuesday: Pepperidge Farm Baked Natural Wheat Crisps

Pepperidge Farm Baked Natural Wheat Crisps - Toasted Wheat

These crackers have zero trans fats and only 1 gram of saturated fat per serving because partially hydrogenated oils and saturated fats aren't used to make them. Vegetable oils are the 6th ingredients listed, including sunflower, canola and/or soybean oil). But that's not the best part about these new crackers. Whole-wheat flour is actually the first ingredient and there are 2 grams of fiber per ounce of the crackers! (The second ingredient is unbleached enriched wheat flour.)

These crackers tasted great and had just the right amount of crispness. There is a fair amount of fat grams per serving, however, and this computes to 32 percent calories from fat. Each serving also contributes 5 grams of sugar because sugar is the third ingredient added, followed by nonfat milk and cornstarch.

1 ounce (17 crackers) of Pepperidge Baked Naturals Wheat Crisps - Toasted Wheat contain:

140 calories
2 g protein
21 g carbohydrate (5 g sugars)
5 g fat
1 g saturated fat
0 mg cholesterol
2 g fiber,
240mg sodium

Related Topics:

• Whole Grains Fight Belly Fat
• Whole Health

Technorati Tags: Taste Test Tuesday, Pepperidge Farm, whole wheat, crackers, healthy diet

Frugal Friday: 2 Final Healthy Foods for $2 or Less

Week 5
Here are the last two healthy foods for 2 dollars or less in this Frugal Friday series!

#9 Canned Refried Beans

• Great for: burritos, nachos, dips, enchiladas, or a quick side dish!
• What's a serving? Each can contains about 3.5 (1/2-cup) servings.
• Price per serving? About 36 cents. You can buy a 15-ounce can for about $1.25 on sale.Flavor options range from No fat Zesty Salsa to Vegetarian Refried Beans. Nutrition info per serving worth noting: About 120 calories (for the vegetarian type), 7 grams protein, 7 grams fiber, 4% Daily Value for calcium and 15% Daily Value for Iron.

#10 Canned Tuna (Solid White Albacore or Chunk Light in Water)

• Great for: sandwiches, casseroles, to serve with crackers, and several types of salads like Nicoise and green salads.
• What's a serving? One 6-ounce can contains around 2.5 (1/4-cup) servings
• Price per serving? About 50 cents. You can buy a 6-ounce can for about $1.25 or a 12-ounce can for about $2.57.
• Nutrition info per serving worth noting: About 500 mg omega-3 fatty acids (.5 gram), 70 calories, and 13 grams of protein.

This Series:
Week 1: 2 Healthy Foods for $2 or Less!
Week 2: The Next 2 Healthy Foods for $2 or Less!
Week 3: 2 More Healthy Foods for $2 or Less
Week 4: 2 Additional Healthy Foods for $2 or Less
Week 5: 2 Final Healthy Foods for $2 or Less

Related Topics:

• Beans, Beans, Good for Your Heart?
• Cheap and Easy Recipes and Dinner Ideas

Technorati Tags: Frugal Friday, tuna, beans, healthy diet

Olympics "Hangover"

Anyone else have an Olympics "hangover"?

As I woke up today, tired and with a headache, it occurred to me that I've got an Olympics "hangover." The staying up late watching the Olympics (into the wee hours of the morning) and then waking up to work has caught up with me.

I feel like I need to power through this with some extra hydration (making some green tea as we speak) and maybe a power nap in a few hours. These Olympics do seem to be testing my endurance. Is it me or do they seem to air the events we most want to watch after midnight? Those of us without TIVO, or a way to record and watch later, are totally at a (spectator) training disadvantage.

If you have an Olympics "hangover" like me, remember to stay hydrated (especially if you are trying to correct your morning hangover with caffeine), fuel the body wisely through the day, and take a power nap if you can. Then get ready to watch some more Olympics tonight!

Related Topics:

• The Olympic Diet of Michael Phelps
• 10 Tips for an Olympic Body
• Slideshow: How to Get an Olympic Body

Technorati Tags: Olympics, healthy diet

Taste Test Tuesday: Fat Free Half and Half

I've caught some grief over the last couple of years for using fat free half and half in some of my recipes. I use it in some of my lightened recipes because it has more of a rich look and texture than lowfat milk and that difference comes in handy in certain recipes (like light Alfredo sauce and cream soups). So what are the naysayers unhappy about?

Yes, while corn syrup solids are added, it is the third ingredient added (after nonfat milk and whole milk). And yes, sugar is added...but it's the fifth ingredient, after artificial color - which means there is less sugar added than artificial color.

That's why when you taste fat free half and half, it doesn't taste sweet (in my opinion). If there were that much sugar being added, it would have a sweetness. Don't be misled either by the grams of sugar listed on the nutrition information label on fat free half and half. The natural milk sugars, also known as lactose, are also included in the "sugar" grams on the label. Check your carton of lowfat milk out. They have grams of sugar listed there too (because of the lactose). According to the nutrition information label, my 1% milk in the refrigerator contains 15 grams of sugar per cup, which computes to 1.9 grams of sugar per 2 tablespoon serving. This isn't far at all from the amount of sugar listed on 2 tablespoons of fat free half and half.

First 5 ingredients:
Nonfat milk, milk, corn syrup solids, artificial color, sugar

Nutrition Information
2 Tablespoons = 20 calories, 1 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate (2 g sugar), 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 g fiber, 25 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 0 percent. 4% Daily Value for vitamin A and calcium!

Related Topics:

• Tips to Help You Get More Milk
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Technorati Tags: Taste Test Tuesday, fat free half and half, dairy, healthy diet

Frugal Friday: 2 Additional Healthy Foods for $2 or Less

Week 4

#7 Potato (Russet)

• Great for: baked potatoes, breakfast potatoes, salads, casseroles, and stews.


• What's a serving? 1 medium or large baked potato.


• Price per serving? About 23 cents per potato. You can buy a 5-pound bag of Russet potatoes for around $2.39 (on sale) and a bag contains around 11 to 13 potatoes.


• Nutrition info per serving worth noting (per medium size potato): 168 calories, 3 grams fiber, 5 grams protein, 20% Daily Value for vitamin C, 10% Daily Value for Iron, and 25% Daily value for potassium.

#8 Spinach (fresh spinach in ready-to-serve bags)

• Great for: quick salads, egg dishes, casseroles, soups and stews!


• What's a serving? If the spinach is being used for a big main dish salad, about 4 cups of fresh spinach is a serving. If the spinach is being sautéed and added to an omelet or used for a side salad, then about 2 cups of fresh spinach is a serving.


• Price per serving? 66 cents for a 4-cup serving and 33 cents for a 2-cup serving.
  A bag (9 ounces) of washed and ready spinach leaves sells for about $2 (on sale).


• Nutrition info per serving worth noting: a 4-cup serving contains 20 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 160% Daily Value for vitamin A, 40% Daily Value for vitamin C, 8% Daily Value for calcium, and 40% Daily Value for folic acid.

This Series:
Week 1: 2 Healthy Foods for $2 or Less!
Week 2: The Next 2 Healthy Foods for $2 or Less!
Week 3: 2 More Healthy Foods for $2 or Less
Week 4: 2 Additional Healthy Foods for $2 or Less
Week 5: 2 Final Healthy Foods for $2 or Less

Related Topics:

• On the Lighter SIde... Baked Potatoes
• Pump Up Your Diet With Spinach

Technorati Tags: Frugal Friday, potatoes, spinach, healthy diet

Are You Afraid To Eat Out In Restaurants?

Be afraid. Be very afraid. According to The Center for Science in the Public Interest's new review of restaurant inspection reports, twenty-six percent of restaurants surveyed had contaminated food contact surfaces; 22 percent had improper food holding temperatures, and 16% had inadequate hand washing by employees. Thirteen percent of the restaurants had rodent or insect activity.

Admittedly I'm a bit on the "careful" side when eating out. If I'm not sure about a restaurant (food safety-wise), I have been known to order a vegetarian dish just in case their meat sits out too long. No one knows better than I though that this doesn't "eliminate" the possibility of food poisoning, it just lessens it. I will also lose my appetite if I go to the bathroom in a restaurant and it is fairly filthy or has an unpleasant smell. I don't think I'm alone on that one! Okay so we've established that I'm a bit germ phobic.

CSPI, The Center for Science in the Public Interest, just added fuel to my (fear-of-food-poisoning) fire. They conducted an analysis of 539 restaurant inspection reports from 20 cities. In their report, they noted some hair raising examples like inadequate hand washing in a Boston restaurant, mouse droppings in a Minneapolis ice machine, mayo-drenched chicken salad sitting out too long or a roach running across a restaurant cutting board in Pittsburgh.

Here are a few of the ways we are at risk when eating out:

• Improper hand washing can spread Hepatitis A, Shigella, or the norovirus to diners.


• Foods not held at the proper temperature can support the growth of dangerous bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens or Staphylococcus aureus.


• Undercooked meat or poultry or placing raw foods on unclean food surfaces can sicken diners with Salmonella or E. Coli.

CSPI is calling on state and local governments to require restaurants to display food safety letter grades in their front windows. We all quickly became accustomed to looking for the "A" letter grades in all food and dining establishments while vacationing in San Diego with my sister's family this summer. Turns out Los Angeles County restaurants have been using this system for the past 10 years. Las Vegas and St. Louis have recently adopted similar programs in their restaurants.

For more on restaurant grading read the report: Dirty Dining: Have Reservations? You Will Now

Related Topics:

• Dirty Places, Part 5: Restaurants
• WebMD Video: Guard Against E. Coli

Technorati Tags: food poisoning, dirty restaurants, Center for Science in the Public Interest, healthy diet

Taste Test Tuesday: Boca Italian MEATLESS Sausage

Do you have recipes that call for greasy Italian sausage either whole or sliced? Well, there's a low fat alternative that might cut the mustard: Boca Italian Meatless Sausage.

You have to have an open mind with this new product. If you are comparing it to the greasy fat-laden pork Italian sausage you usually eat, you probably won't make it past the first bite. The first five ingredients are, after all, water, soy protein isolate, expeller pressed canola oil, textured soy protein concentrate, and egg whites. So let's just be honest and fair here...the texture is bound to be different from fatty pork sausage.

If you are an ovo-vegetarian (this means you include eggs in your diet) this product might come in handy for recipes that call for whole or sliced Italian sausage.

How Does It Taste? The texture is far from a real Italian sausage but it isn't altogether unappetizing either. The flavor is pretty good and I had no problem finishing the whole sausage (so that's a good sign). I think they would work quite well in dishes calling for whole or sliced Italian sausage (like a marinara sauce and pasta served with lightly browned whole sausage).

The sausages are large and there are 4 individually wrapped sausages to a box.

1 sausage (2.5 ounces) = 130 calories, 13 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 650 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 41%.

Related Topics:

• WebMD Video: Vegetarian Kids
• The Part-Time Vegetarian

Technorati Tags: Taste Test Tuesday, Boca, meatless sausage, vegetarian, healthy diet

Frugal Friday: 2 More Healthy Foods for $2 or Less

Week 3

#5 Oats (Old Fashioned or Quick)

• Great for: hot or cold cereal, granola, crumb topping for desserts, and muffins.


• What's a serving? 1/2 cup dry oats.


• Price per serving? 19 cents per serving. An 18-ounce container of oats costs around $2.29 (on sale) and each container contains about 13 servings (if 1/2-cup of dry oats is a serving).


• Nutrition info per serving worth noting: 140 calories, 4 grams fiber, and 5 grams protein.

#6 Frozen Vegetables

• Great for: side dishes, casseroles, and stews.


• What's a serving? 1 cup


• Price per serving: around 25 cents. Frozen vegetables come in 12-ounce to 24-ounce bags that cost anywhere from $1.75 to $2.25 and contain around 6 to 8 cups depending on the vegetable and the size of the bag.


• Nutrition info per serving worth noting: .

This Series:
Week 1: 2 Healthy Foods for $2 or Less!
Week 2: The Next 2 Healthy Foods for $2 or Less!
Week 3: 2 More Healthy Foods for $2 or Less
Week 4: 2 Additional Healthy Foods for $2 or Less
Week 5: 2 Final Healthy Foods for $2 or Less

Related Topics:

• Heartier Benefits Seen From Oatmeal
• Beyond Oatmeal: Oat Recipes and Tips

Technorati Tags: Frugal Friday, oatmeal, frozen vegetables, healthy diet