Healthy Recipe Doctor

Romantic Dessert Makeover: Lighter Dark Chocolate Mousse

2010-02-08T07:56:00.007-05:00

Call me a chocolate fiend but when I think about "the most romantic" dessert...I can't help but think about (or should I say salivate over) chocolate mousse. Love the rich taste; love the light texture; love basically everything about it.

This lust for chocolate mousse must be genetic because my oldest daughter shares my passion. While she was visiting from college, I was inspired to create a light but luscious version of dark chocolate mousse. It was as if creating a light mousse and pleasing her discerning young palate was the holy grail of recipe doctoring.

I used high cacao bittersweet chocolate chips along with a nice dose of cocoa powder. I used a shot of strong coffee and a tablespoon of brandy to compliment the dark chocolate flavor nicely. Instead of 2 large eggs I used 4 egg whites and 4 tablespoons of egg substitute (this is a pasteurized product), which drastically cut the cholesterol and eliminated the need to use raw egg yolks. The extra egg whites allowed me to use a lot less whipping cream to give the chocolate mousse it's light texture.

The Savings
Original chocolate mousse (same serving size) contains:
286 calories, 22 grams total fat, 13 grams saturated fat, 99 mg cholesterol

Light chocolate mousse contains:
215 calories. 13 grams total fat, 8 grams saturated fat, 22 mg cholesterol
A savings of 71 calories, 9 grams of fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 77 mg cholesterol

This lighter mousse still tastes like a decadent dessert and with 13 grams of fat and 8 grams of saturated fat per serving, it still is nutritionally decadent! But this very satisfying remake contains 25% fewer calories, around 40% less fat and saturated fat, and 78% less cholesterol.

Let the romance begin!

Now here's the recipe.

Lighter Dark Chocolate Mousse

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (8 ounces)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
5 tablespoons strong coffee (if you would rather not use coffee, just substitute 5 tablespoons water)
1 tablespoon brandy
1/4 cup egg substitute (2 egg yolks can be substituted)
3 tablespoons powdered sugar, divided use
1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)
4 egg whites
2/3 cup light whipping cream

Preparation

In microwave-safe medium bowl, combine chocolate chips, cocoa powder, coffee, and brandy. Microwave on DEFROST until chocolate is almost completely melted (about a minute). Stir to finish melting the chocolate.
In small bowl, whisk egg substitute with 1 tablespoon of the powdered sugar and salt if desired for about 20 seconds. Stir egg substitute mixture into the chocolate mixture.
In large mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until frothy (about 1 minute) using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and then add 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. Beat egg whites on HIGH speed until soft peaks form (about 1 minute more). Stir about 1/2 cup of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten up the chocolate mixture. Softly fold the remaining egg whites into the chocolate mixture using a rubber spatula.
In same mixing bowl that held the egg whites, whip whipping cream on medium speed until thickened slightly then increase speed to high and beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture using the rubber spatula.
Spoon mousse into 8 individual cups. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Enjoy within 2 to 3 days.

Yeild: Makes 8 servings

Nutritional Analysis per serving: 215 calories, 4 g protein, 21.5 grams carbohydrate, 13 g fat, 8 grams saturated fat, 4.5 g monounsaturated fat, .5 g polyunsaturated fat, 22 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 53 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 54 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .1 gram, Omega-6 fatty acids = .4 gram.

Happy Valentine's Day.

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Breakfast for Dinner: Omelet Night!

2010-02-04T19:56:00.003-05:00

cursedthing / CC BY-ND 2.0

Are you out of ideas for dinner? Time to have breakfast for dinner. This is one of my favorite weeknight dinner strategies when I don't want to drive to the store and I just want to make do with what I have on hand.

Got eggs and cheese? Got frozen hash browns in the freezer? Got some veggies you need to use in the crisper? Sounds like Omelet Night at the Magee house!

Tonight I started the hash browns going in a nonstick frying pan with about 1 teaspoon canola oil per serving of hash browns. Next I sautéed some onions and sliced mushrooms with some canola cooking spray until they began to brown. Then I threw in some fresh spinach (I always have some on hand for salads) and a splash of water and sautéed that with the mushrooms and onions to cook down the spinach slightly. Put aside the veggies while you beat some high omega-3 eggs with egg substitute (I use 1 egg and 1/4 cup egg substitute per omelet).

You are ready to start making your omelets using 1/2 cup of your egg mixture per omelet. Once you flip over each omelet, top with an ounce of reduced fat shredded cheese and some of your veggie filling (at least 1/2 cup cooked veggies).

I estimate that this dinner (4 ounces fat free shredded hash brown browned with 1 teaspoon canola oil, an omelet, a few slices of fresh tomato) added up to:

Calories: 365 calories
Protein: 26 grams
Carbohydrate: 35 grams
Fat: 14 grams fat (34% calories from fat)
Saturated fat: 5 grams
Monounsaturated fat: 6 grams
Polyunsaturated fat: 2 grams
Cholesterol: 240 mg
Fiber: 5 grams
Sodium: 447 mg
Omega-3 fatty acids = 1 gram

Serve each omelet dinner with 2 strips of turkey bacon and the total is:

Calories: 435
Protein: 30 grams
Carbohydrate: 35 grams
Fat: 19 grams (39% calories from fat)
Saturated fat: 7 grams
Monounsaturated fat: 8 grams
Polyunsaturated fat: 4 grams
Cholesterol: 270 mg
Fiber: 5 grams
Sodium: 807 mg
Omega-3 fatty acids = 1 gram

Tell me about some of your breakfast for dinner adventures!

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Bagged Salad and Bacteria: What YOU Can Do

2010-02-03T06:57:00.006-05:00

catsper / CC BY 2.0

Pretty much the last thing you want on your salad greens is bacteria that tends to reside in human feces. Many people, including me, buy the pre-washed spinach and romaine lettuce in bags expecting them to be clean and bacteria-free.

Well, Consumer Reports pretty much blew this belief out of the water. According to their recent tests, 39 percent of packaged salad green samples exceeded the level for total coliforms considered acceptable and 23 percent exceeded this level for enterococcus bacteria...bacteria that Consumer Reports describes as "better indicators of fecal contamination." Shocked and concerned? I know I am. The first question that pops into my mind is what type of feces are we talking about - animal or human (not that any type of fecal bacteria is more desirable than another)?

What did researchers look for?

Total coliforms: Water is commonly tested for total coliforms to indicate the general quality of the water and the likelihood the water is fecally contaminated. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "Coliforms are a group of bacteria, most of which are harmless. At first glance, it might seem strange that a harmless group of bacteria such as coliforms could cause such commotion. But like police tape and chalk outlines, coliform bacteria are often found at the scene of a crime even though they are not themselves criminals."

Enterococcus: One of the bacteria they tested for is enterococcus. If this refers to enterococcus faecalis then we are talking about an extremely durable bacterium that normally lives in the gastro-intestinal tracts of humans. How durable are we talking about? It can survive 77 days on dirt. Food technologists from the Agricultural Research Service Produce Quality and Safety Laboratory discovered recently that bacteria can actually become hardier and more likely to survive exposure to stomach acid when the bacteria are sitting in air-starved containers/bags while in the presence of nutrients, which are coming from the cut leaves of lettuce.

What are the symptoms?
What types of symptoms can someone expect from bacteria contamination in their salad greens? It all depends on the bacteria. If it's enterococcus faecalis, someone might experience fever, confusion, urinary tract infection with painful urination and blood in urine. The bacteria responsible for the food poisoning outbreak with raw spinach in previous years, E. coli, can cause severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

What can we do to decrease our risk of consuming high amounts of bacteria on salad greens (bagged or otherwise)?

Buy bags of salads greens from the back of the shelf and as far from their use-by date as you can get your hands on. Consumer Reports found in their tests that the packages one to five days from their use-by date were more likely to have higher bacteria levels.

In light of this new information about washed and packaged lettuce, particularly spinach, is it better to buy a head of lettuce? It seems like it might be better to buy it as a head since the bags, due to the low oxygen environment in the bag (which encourages the lettuce to stay fresh) seems to encourage bacteria growth if they are improperly stored (unrefrigerated for an extended period).

Try to buy ready-to-eat salads and salad green from stores where they appear to be properly stored at cold temperatures and keep them at cold temperatures when you are storing them at home.

Wash your greens yourself when you bring them home from the store, even the prewashed or triple-washed ones. Rinse them well in clean, running water and pat them dry or use a salad spinner to remove excess water. If you aren't using them immediately, you can put the salad greens in a clean bag, not the same bag you bought them in. The longer the greens sit in the bags and the closer to their use-by date, the more chance the bacteria has to multiply.

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Taste Test Tuesday: Oroweat Whole Grain & Flax Bread

2010-02-02T09:56:00.003-05:00

My family of four blew through this loaf of bread in 48 hours, which must mean everyone liked it a lot. The note, "Contains Omega-3" on the package caught my eye when I was looking to grab a loaf the other day. I checked the ingredient label and indeed whole wheat flour was the first ingredient and flaxseed was the 5th ingredient.

I also checked the nutrition facts before I dropped the bread in my cart. Each slice contributes 3 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein. Later when I was home and had my magnifying glass handy, I was looking to see how much omega-3s each slice of bread contains. The package states that each serving provides 14 milligrams of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids. Wait a minute...those are the fish omega-3s, not the omega-3s that you get from plants (ALA). So I checked the ingredient label more thoroughly and sure enough further down in the list there was Menhaden oil (a type of fish oil). Don't worry though; this bread has a nice pleasant flavor. Unless I missed it, the label doesn't tell us how many milligrams of plant omega-3s are in each slice.

So if you use this bread to make a sandwich, using 2 slices of bread, you would be adding .28 milligrams of fish omega-3s to your diet plus some plant omega-3s from the flaxseed and soybean oil. I'm guessing this bread tastes particularly pleasant in part because it contains a fair amount of sugar and sodium. Sugar is listed as the third ingredient and each slice contains 3 grams of sugar (17 grams of total carbohydrate), which computes to 12% calories from sugar. Each slice also contains 160 milligrams, which means a sandwich would contribute 320 milligrams not including the sandwich filler.

The first 5 ingredients:
Whole wheat flour, water, sugar, cracked wheat, flaxseed.

1 slice = 100 calories, 4 g protein, 17 g carbohydrate (3 g sugar), 1.5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 160 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 13.5% calories from fat.

Bottom line: While I would love for this bread to have a little less sugar and sodium, this might be a good bread to try if you are looking for a whole wheat bread that your family will like and that also contributes some omega-3s from fish and flax.

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Recipe: Honey Curry Butternut Squash

2010-01-26T15:56:00.002-05:00

Here's one of my favorite recipes for frozen butternut squash!

I love using frozen butternut squash cubes because you can cut a couple of the first food prep steps from most recipes calling for butternut squash. You know...cutting the butternut squash into large pieces, scooping out the seeds and rind, roasting the large pieces until tender and then removing the hard outer shell from the tender flesh.

Making the following recipe is a lot easier with the frozen squash cubes. Cut the bag and dump the cubes out onto the prepared baking dish. That's it! Then just whip up the honey curry glaze while the butternut squash is baking-you drizzle it over the roasted cubes at the very end of baking.

This side dish tastes great with grilled or roasted lean meat but I also really like it as a side dish for pasta. Each serving adds a nice dose of fiber and vitamins A and C.

Honey Curry Butternut Squash

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients:

20 ounces frozen butternut squash cubes (about 4 cups), lightly defrosted
Canola oil cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon whipped butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon red curry powder
1/8 teaspoon chili powder (increase to 1/4 teaspoon if you like a little more bite)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450-degrees and line a jelly roll pan with foil. Coat the foil with canola cooking spray.
Spread butternut squash cubes in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in small nonstick saucepan, combine olive oil, whipped butter, honey, vinegar, curry powder, and chili powder and cook over medium heat for about a minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
After 15 minutes of baking the squash, gently toss the cubes and bake another 10 minutes. Drizzle the curry glaze over the top and toss to coat the cubes well. Bake another 5 minutes. Spoon into a serving bowl and enjoy!

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Nutritional Analysis per serving: 127 calories, 1 g protein, 21 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 2.5 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 25 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 35 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .2 gram, Omega-6 fatty acids = .8 gram. Each serving also contributes 200% of the Daily Value for vitamin A and 30% for vitamin C.

Frozen Fruits and Vegetables Might Surprise You!

2010-01-25T15:56:00.006-05:00

Are you sick of seeing the same old, same old winter fruits and vegetables in the produce section? Take a short walk over to the frozen food aisle the next time. You might be surprised what you will find.

epSos .de / CC BY 2.0

This is the perfect time of year to give the frozen food section a second look when it comes to fruits and vegetables. You won't find just corn and peas any more folks! Now, depending on the store, you can find everything from frozen mangoes to butternut squash cubes... from blueberries to broccoli florets...from edamame to okra.

Here are the most interesting frozen fruits I found at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or my neighborhood supermarket:

mango chunks
blueberries
whole cherries
peaches
mixed berries or berry medley
pineapple tidbits
pomegranate seeds
rhubarb
goji & blueberries
tropical trio (mango, papaya, pineapple)
papaya chunks
mangolicious (mangos, raspberries, blueberries)

Here are the most interesting frozen vegetables I found at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or my neighborhood supermarket:

edamame
butternut squash cubes*
lima beans
okra
grilled eggplant & zucchini
fire roasted bell peppers & onions
Brittany blend (haricot vert green beans, wax beans, baby carrots)
roasted corn
Thai stir fry (green beans, broccoli, carrots, onions, bean sprouts)
Chinese style stir fry (green beans, broccoli, carrots, red bell peppers, onions, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots

phototram / CC BY 2.0

Worried about there being less nutritional good guys in frozen produce compared to fresh? Don't give that another thought. If anything frozen produce, which is picked ripe and flash frozen, has a higher nutrient content than fresh produce. This is because fresh produce is sometimes picked before it is truly ripe and then it often sits for days (in transport and in the produce bin) before you are even able to buy it. Nutrient-wise, the flash frozen process seals in the nutrients and dramatically slows down how quickly the vitamins and phytochemicals breakdown over time. Enzymes are able to slowly begin breaking down nutrients in the fresh produce sitting in warehouses and produce bins.

It's always best to eat locally grown produce that has just been picked and minimally transported (which saves on energy use too), but this IS the end of winter, after all. And they may not grow certain fruits and vegetables in your particular part of the country. So give those frozen fruit and vegetables a second look. The price is right for many of the frozen produce options too compared to fresh!

*Check out my next blog post - I'll share my recipe for Honey Curry Butternut Squash using frozen butternut squash cubes.

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When Pears are Like Fine Chocolate

2010-01-21T15:55:00.005-05:00

Photo: Elaine Magee

A few days before Christmas, the Magee family received a gift box from Harry and David. We had received this type of wonderful food gift before - a box filled with a combination of fruit, chocolate and cookies. We tore it open only to find the box was filled with 8 pears. Pears? You could hear the disappointment in the silence.

But as soon as we sampled the first pear we knew this surprise shipment was better than any Harry and David gift box we had ever received. My husband said it best when he declared, "these are the best pears I have ever eaten!" Given that he has been eating pears for more than 50 years, that's saying a lot. This family of four devoured the box within 48 hours.

These amazing pears, named Royal Riviera Pears, are gourmet Comice pears grown in Oregon's Rogue Valley. This gourmet pear experience quickly became bittersweet because although we adored these pears - their perfect texture and fragrance, their fresh and intense flavor, the juice dripping down our chins - this box of heavenly pears had ruined pear eating for us forever. Other pears just couldn't compare.

A couple of weeks later I found myself at a shopping mall with a Harry and David store. I checked the refrigerated section and sure enough, I found those same amazing pears being sold in individual plastic containers. I bought four of them, one for each of us, and proudly brought them home. The rest of my family was so thrilled, just as if I had brought home fine Belgian chocolates or something. I then realized these pears were a perfect example of when fruit is a fine dessert, where nature can compete with a European chocolatier!

There are many fresh, wonderful fruits out there, just waiting for you and your family to enjoy. Take a good look around the produce section of your local grocer or visit a fruit market. Is there a fruit that you haven't tried before? Is there a variety of apple or orange that is new to you? Ask the produce manager about it; you may be able to get a sample taste. Now imagine serving slices of that special apple with a small piece of cheese for dessert... a delicious treat that's healthy too. Visit a farmers market in season. Or plan now to grow your own this summer. Nothing tastes quite like your own fresh picked strawberries - a true gourmet treat. And when you can afford it, treat your family to some gourmet fruit ordered from the growers, like these pears, or fresh citrus fruit shipped from Florida, or those pomegranates in the gourmet shop. There are many ways to get exceptional fruit. And when it is truly exceptional, your family will love it.

Do you have a similar gourmet fruit experience to share? Tell us about it.

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Taking Canned Soup to a New Level

2010-01-20T15:55:00.005-05:00

Got soup in your pantry? I usually do. Tonight I had to make dinner quickly, so I grabbed a couple cans of chicken & vegetable soup (low sodium of course). But somehow just opening the can and heating up the soup didn't seem appealing on this cold and rainy night. So I decided to embellish the soup a bit with items I had in my kitchen.

I'm a big fan of matzo balls and I usually have a packet or two of matzo ball mix in my pantry. So I whipped up a batch of matzo balls for tonight's soup. I used Manischewitz Matzo Ball Mix, but of course I didn't follow the directions. I added egg substitute instead of 2 eggs and used canola oil for the "vegetable oil" called for. After letting the dough chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, I formed it into about 12 balls. I started to bring 2 cans of chicken & vegetable soup plus 3 cups of low sodium chicken broth to a boil in a large saucepan. I then added a cup and a half of chopped vegetables that I had on hand. You can also use beans, carrots, celery and/or frozen edamame.

Once the chicken soup mixture came to a boil, I dropped all the matzo balls in. I covered the saucepan tightly, reduced the heat, and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Now I had about three to four bowls worth of new and improved chicken soup!

If you want to jazz up canned chicken soup with something other than matzo balls, along with the extra vegetables or beans you can add in some fresh pasta or frozen tortellini. Just watch the sodium content of any additions.

While it isn't the same as homemade, it is quick and easy. And on a cold rainy night, canned soup never tasted so good.

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Recipe Makeover: Potato Bacon & Cheese Bites

2010-01-08T15:53:00.002-05:00

This is the recipe for the light potato appetizer I took to the cookie exchange party. It works great as a make-ahead appetizer (just broil before you want to serve them) or as a side dish for brunch or dinner. I love that you can make these the night before you need them!

The original recipe called for pork bacon, a tablespoon of bacon grease, and regular cream cheese and cheddar cheese. I used turkey bacon, 2 teaspoons of olive oil instead of bacon grease, light cream cheese and reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese. These were really yummy. I am definitely not going to wait until another party invitation to make these again!

The Savings per serving:

Calories decreased by 23% from 110 to 85 per serving
Fat grams were cut in half from 6 grams to 3 grams per serving
Saturated fat grams were also cut in half from 3 grams to 1.2 grams per serving

Potato Bacon & Cheese Bites

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients

10 small new potatoes or red potatoes (about 2 pounds)
6 strips turkey bacon
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/3 cup light cream cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground salt (optional)

Directions

Pierce potatoes two times each with a fork and place on microwave-safe plate. Microwave on HIGH until potatoes are tender. Let potatoes cool slightly.
Meanwhile, begin heating a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, coat with canola cooking spray then fry turkey bacon until crisp. Remove turkey bacon from skillet and crumble into small pieces and set aside.
In same skillet (with turkey bacon residue) sauté onion in a teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat, stirring often, until golden (about 3 minutes). Add minced garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat.
Cut potatoes in half widthwise and scoop out most of the potato flesh with a small spoon and place in mixing bowl. Add bacon bits, onion mixture, cream cheese, and chives to potato flesh in mixing bowl and beat on low until just combined (about 10 seconds). Add freshly ground pepper to taste.
Spoon the mixture into the potato shells (there should be about 20 potato halves) and arrange them into a 9-inch metal pie pan. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil over the top of the potatoes and sprinkle a pinch of freshly ground salt evenly over the top of the potatoes if desired. You can cover the potatoes and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them at this point.
When ready to serve them, preheat your broiler and make sure the oven rack is 6 inches from the heat. Broil the potatoes, watching carefully, until the tops are golden. Transfer the potato halves to a serving plate and serve!

Yeild: Makes 20 potato bite appetizers

Nutrition per serving: 85 calories, 3.5 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 3 g fat, 1.2 g saturated fat, 1 g monounsaturated fat, .8 g polyunsaturated fat, 11 mg cholesterol, 1.3 g fiber, 148 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 31 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .1 gram, Omega-6 fatty acids = .6 gram.

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Taste Test Tuesday: Kashi's New Line of Frozen Pizza

2010-01-05T14:30:00.001-05:00

I really wanted to like this new line of pizza by the Kashi company. Most of the Kashi pizzas feature vegetable toppings and offer the lacto-vegetarian numerous options, such as Mediterranean, Mushroom Trio & Spinach, or Roasted Vegetable. The pizzas are surprisingly high in fiber and each serving contains some plant omega-3s (around 300 milligrams per serving) from the ground flaxseed added to the crust.

I tasted one of their most popular thin crust pizzas - Mushroom Trio & Spinach, and one of their newest pizzas - Caribbean Carnival.

The Mushroom Trio & Spinach was definitely a "thin" crust pizza, too thin for my liking (not unlike a thicker flour tortilla). The flavor was pretty good, especially if you like exotic mushrooms, but I found myself wanting to add some more shredded cheese and some fresh minced garlic.

1/3 of a pizza (however you will probably end up eating half of the pizza if you are reasonably hungry - remember the crust is thin) contains:

250 calories
14 g protein
28 g carbohydrate
9 g fat
4.5 g saturated fat
0 g trans fat
25 mg cholesterol
4 g fiber
660 mg sodium

The Caribbean Carnival pizza had a thicker crust, which might appeal to more people, and it lives up to its name by featuring toppings like plantains, kale, fire roasted red onions, and mangoes. It has a sweet, jerk-seasoned pizza sauce which is probably either going to pull it altogether for you nicely or turn you off. This pizza tasted pretty good to me but I wanted to add some more cheese to this pizza too.

1/3 of a pizza contains:

280 calories
14 g protein
39 g carbohydrate
8 g fat
2.5 g saturated fat
0 g trans
10 mg cholesterol
5 g fiber
590 mg sodium

I sent out samples of both of these pizzas to an assortment of friends and neighbors and I got mixed reviews. Some preferred the Caribbean pizza with the thicker crust and others liked the mushroom & spinach pizza best. A couple weren't crazy about either. But if you end up liking even one of these whole grain pizza options, it will definitely be a big improvement from standard frozen pizza fare.

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January is the Big "Dieting" Month...

2010-01-04T07:36:00.004-05:00

Go into it with your eyes open this year!

I know, I know...it happens this time every single year. Everyone, including the media, jumps on the "dieting" bandwagon. This is the time of year when well-intentioned resolutions are made and then broken sometime in February or March.

I embrace the desire to "get healthy" and make the extra effort to make healthful lifestyle changes like exercising regularly, eating more fruits and vegetables, cooking healthy meals at home more often, limiting soda and other sweet drinks, etc. But you see, these are lifestyle changes - not temporary fixes. They are quite different from going on a fad diet or joining some type of intense weight loss program that may ultimately make you feel depressed and deprived, embarrassed and irritable, and will inevitably make you feel like a failure. Go into the New Year with your eyes open!

I want to leave you with two thoughts about dieting and being underweight:

Dieting Can Lead To Disorder
Don't fall into the diet traps of over exercising (this can become a disorder too) or avoiding family meals or eliminating entire food groups. Very quickly a "diet" can become a "disorder" or personal obsession. Believe me, you want to avoid going down the eating disorder road. It is categorized as a mental illness and it may very well take over your life and rob you of your health and happiness. Being thin or seeing the numbers on the scale fall doesn't make you happy and it doesn't bring you lasting love or joy.

Underweight People Have the Highest Risk of Dying
Being underweight is NOT the healthy ideal. I know some media makes it seem like it is, but it isn't. If you think the risk of death is higher for people who are obese than people who are underweight, guess again. Researchers recently compared body mass index and death among 11,000+ adults in Canada over a 12-year period and they found that it was underweight people who had the highest risk of dying and the extremely obese had the second highest risk. People in the "obese" category came next then normal weight people. People in the overweight category actually had the lowest risk of death. The researchers suspect these few extra pounds might be protecting older people as their health declines.
[Obesity, published online June 23, 2009, Feeny D. et al.]

The take away message here? Make and keep a commitment to a healthy lifestyle, not a diet. You'll be better for it!

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Cookie Party Makeover Part 2: White Chocolate Cranberry Oat Cookies

2010-01-01T07:36:00.002-05:00

As promised in my last post, here is one of the recipes I made over for a holiday cookie exchange party. I'm not big on eating white chocolate because it's not a "real" cocoa-based chocolate and it tends to be high in saturated fat due to the fact that partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil is often used to make it. That said, one of my favorite flavor combinations is cranberry and white chocolate. Another great-tasting combo is dried cranberry and oats. How about all three flavors wrapped up in one cookie? One cup of white chocolate chips is used to make 26 large (bakery size) cookies or 52 small cookies. And each cookie ends up having 1.5 grams of fiber too, so just one cookie will satisfy the senses and the stomach.

I lightened the original cookie recipe up by replacing 1 cup of butter with 3/4 cup less fat margarine and 1/4 cup of light pancake syrup. I reduced the sugar by 25% and used half whole wheat flour. I also dialed down the white chocolate chips slightly.

THE SAVINGS per large cookie:

Calories decrease from 200 to 135
Fat grams decrease from 10 to 4.5
Saturated fat grams decrease from 6 to 1.3
Cholesterol milligrams decrease from 29 to 9

White Chocolate Cranberry Oat Nuggets

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup less fat margarine with no trans fat and low saturated fat (8 grams fat per tablespoon)
1/4 cup reduced calorie pancake syrup
1/2 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg (higher omega-3 if available)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups oats (quick or old fashioned rolled oats)
1 cup dried cranberries (about 6 ounces)
1 cup white chocolate chips (about 4 ounces)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly coat a nonstick baking sheet with canola cooking spray.
Add whole wheat, white flour, and baking soda to a medium sized bowl and whisk to blend well. In large mixing bowl, beat the margarine, pancake syrup and both sugars on medium speed until fluffy (about 2 minutes), scraping down the sides of the bowl after a minute. Add egg and vanilla and beat on high speed to combine. Scrape sides of bowl again.
Add the flour mixture to the cookie dough and beat on low until combined. Gently beat in the oats, cranberries and white chocolate chips. Use a cookie scoop to form about 26 large sized cookies on prepared baking sheets or a tablespoon of dough to make 52 nugget-sized cookies.
Bake until lightly brown, about 10 minutes for large cookies or 6 minutes for nugget size. Transfer cookies to wire cooling rack. Store cookies in a sealable bag or airtight container for several days.

Yield: Makes about 26 large cookies or 52 small.

Nutrition per large cookie (or 2 small cookies): 135 calories, 2 g protein, 22 g carbohydrate, 4.5 g fat, 1.3 g saturated fat, 1.6 g monounsaturated fat, 1.3 g polyunsaturated, 9 mg cholesterol, 1.5 g fiber, 87 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 30 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .2 gram, Omega-6 fatty acids = 1 gram.

Compare that to the original recipe which contains 200 calories, 10 grams fat, 6 grams saturated fat, and 29 milligrams cholesterol per bakery sized cookie.

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What Happens When You Invite The WebMD Recipe Doctor To Your Cookie Party?

2009-12-31T07:22:00.000-05:00

I went to one of my first holiday cookie exchange parties the other day, thrown by a dear friend of mine. I was really looking forward to it but I wondered beforehand…what happens when you invite a dietitian who is passionate about making over recipes to your cookie party? I rarely make a recipe; even for holiday cookies, the full fat, full sugar and white flour way.

The truth is I’m an annoying overachiever who never misses the opportunity to test my recipe makeovers on a fresh crop of unsuspecting guinea pigs… so I brought 3 different cookies and offered to bring an appetizer as well.

I did a Recipe Doctor makeover on:

Magic Bars
Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
Cranberry White Chocolate Oat Nuggets
Potato Bacon Bites (this was the appetizer)

The cookies received mostly rave reviews especially the Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies. One friend tasted the Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies though and asked, "Are these healthy?" And before I could answer she went on to say, "Because they taste healthy." I wanted to ask if this was considered good thing – that it tasted healthy – but I’m assuming that it wasn’t exactly a compliment. I have to say though, I loved these cookies and so did quite a few other tasters. They had a nice balance between the sweet and tart dried cranberries and white chocolate and I loved the oat cookie texture.

I also brought an appetizer to try on this fine group of discerning women and everyone seemed to really enjoy the Potato Bacon Bites including the husband and son who were hanging out in the kitchen. The plate seemed to empty by evenings' end and that's always a good sign.

In my next blog post…I’ll share one of the recipes with you!

Soy Eggnog…That Can’t Be Good, Right?

2009-12-29T16:13:00.003-05:00

I invested the $3.99 for the skinny, one-quart container of Silk’s soy-based “Nog.” I had high hopes but my eggnog-loving-husband was skeptical to say the least. If you have been looking for a lactose-free or dairy-free version of eggnog, this is it!

It’s made from soymilk, natural evaporated cane juice, natural flavors, sea salt, carrageenan (for thickening), and turmeric and annatto (for color). The flavor is right on the money but this nog is a bit thinner in consistency than the light eggnog I’ve sampled over the years. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for some people I suspect, but you need to know this going in. It’s distributed by WhiteWave Foods, the makers of the Silk line of soy milks and products. They have always made the best tasting soy milk, in my opinion, so it was worth giving their "nog" a try.

My husband and I tried this soy nog plain, with a splash of rum, and added to our coffee (to make a poor man’s eggnog latte) and it was very enjoyable in all of the above.

Each 1/2-cup serving contains:

90 calories
2 grams fat
0 grams saturated fat
15 grams carbohydrate
12 grams sugar
3 grams protein
0 mg cholesterol
0 grams fiber
75 mg sodium

Did you try this product this holiday season? If so, please tell us what you thought about it.

Taste Test Tuesday: Lean Cuisine Chicken Philly Flatbread Melts

2009-12-29T07:00:00.002-05:00

The frozen entrée companies must constantly be developing new products because every time I stroll down the frozen entrée aisle there appear to be new items popping up everywhere. My teenage daughter picked up a new one from Lean Cuisine - something must have grabbed her attention on the package.

It's a flatbread melt sandwich featuring white meat chicken, some green peppers and onions, a cheddar cheese sauce using reduced fat mozzarella and processed cheddar cheese. There are all sorts of ingredients listed on the label though but these were the main ingredients.

Each sandwich contains 330 calories, 8 grams fat, 3.5 grams saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, and 650 mg sodium. This calculates to 22 percent calories from fat and 10 percent calories from saturated fat, which sure sounds pretty good for a convenience product. The sandwich does contribute some important nutrients such as 21 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, 40 percent Daily Value for Calcium, 15 percent for vitamin C and 10% for Iron.

How did it taste?
My daughter thought it tasted "pretty good." It seemed to make for a pretty satisfying lunch along with a bowl of fruit. However, when I asked her if she would buy it again, she said unenthusiastically, "maybe."

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Is Cheap, Fattening Food Causing The Obesity Epidemic?

2009-12-28T06:00:00.002-05:00

Have you ever noticed that the more healthful choices in the supermarket and fast food restaurants seem to cost more and the worst, junkiest choices cost less? A recent post on my Healthy Cooking message board by CatWoman1971 expressed her frustration about this and proposed that the epidemic of obesity is partially because of this. "People want cheap food that tastes good and they don't care about what they are putting in their bodies."

Here's what I think.

High fructose corn syrup is used in truckloads of products because it is cheaper and certain higher saturated fat oils are used because they are cheaper and more shelf stable. This is a particular problem with lower income neighborhoods where it's a challenge to even find a supermarket selling an assortment of foods. You can often find those corner type markets that mainly sell snack foods and soda and where, if you could find an apple or orange, it would probably cost a dollar or more.

For Americans that do have access to ample supermarket chains...

If you look at the cost of whole foods versus processed foods though, the cost of more healthful foods/meals gets a little better. For example making your own chicken dish at home with fresh vegetables and brown rice can be cheaper compared to buying 4 frozen entrees in one of the "healthier" product lines. I keep my eye out for those great buys with certain products I use over and over like the whole grain pastas or bottled marinara sauce or light salad dressings, canned fat free refried beans, canned kidney beans...(for example) and then I stock up. This seems to help our family quite a bit.

I also go to a produce market in my neighborhood, which has great prices on produce. And I am able to pick up some healthier items at great prices at Trader Joe's like frozen fruit, frozen edamame, ground flaxseed, lower sugar instant oatmeal, etc.

I think obesity is such an epidemic in lower income areas because it is really difficult for people without access to transportation in general or access to some of these alternative stores to find and purchase healthier foods. The other part of it is that high sugar and high fat foods metabolically set you up for obesity. They turn down your satisfaction response and turn up your hunger so you eat more and more than your body needs at the same time that it makes you sluggish and less apt to exercise. Can you say, "the perfect storm?"

What's the solution? That's a trillion dollar question. My best guess is it is going to take some major changes in all levels of our society and food manufacturing practices. There is some individual accountability (kind of like people smoking cigarettes in this day and age when we know how bad they are for you and those around you) but a big chunk of it is, in my opinion, a "set up" where our society and the foods and lifestyle that it promotes through advertising and the environment, inherently promotes obesity (in part through the metabolic addiction and obesagenic nature of high sugar and high fat food and drink). In my opinion eliminating and/or limiting soda and other sweetened drinks is Step #1 to getting our country off the obesity track. Of course after that would be several other steps, all of which will be complex and difficult because they go against the way we have been conducting business and living for many years.

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The opinions expressed in the WebMD Blogs are of the author and the author alone. They do not reflect the opinions of WebMD and they have not been reviewed by a WebMD physician or any member of the WebMD editorial staff for accuracy, balance or objectivity. WebMD Blogs are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your physician or other qualified health provider because of something you have read on WebMD. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service or treatment. If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or dial 911 immediately.

3 Tips on How NOT to Over-Indulge at Holiday Parties

2009-12-21T14:15:00.005-05:00

stillwill / CC BY 2.0

Around this time of year, I usually am asked what people can do to resist all the tempting food over the holidays. How do they attend holiday parties and not sample the food? My answer is to truly "sample" the food. There's a huge difference between sampling (or taking a few bites) of the various dishes or appetizers being served and loading up your plate!

A great goal would be to enjoy the holiday season, which includes enjoying many of the foods that we look forward to tasting around this time of year. The key is not to over-indulge. Most of us are more able to do this if we have been eating nice balanced meals. Restricting food - not eating when we are truly hungry and depriving ourselves of foods we are interested in - could bring on an episode of rebound overeating.

So, with that said, here are my favorite 3 tips for how NOT to over-indulge at holiday parties.

Don't drink your calories during the holidays. Choose calorie-free drinks as often as possible at parties like coffee, tea, water, bubbly water, diet soft drinks. Obviously if you are really looking forward to a cup of eggnog or another festive drink, you should go ahead and enjoy it once or twice.

Don't deprive yourself. If there is something you really want to taste, then taste it! Be a sampler and enjoy the first few bites (the first few bites of a food/dish have the highest enjoyment value anyway); then enjoy something else for another few bites. This way you don't feel deprived - you've tasted a few items and yet you haven't stuffed yourself either.

Salil S
/ CC BY-ND 2.0

Don't eat food items that you really aren't that interested in. Pass up anything that isn't desirable to you. Don't just eat the roll because it's on your plate or on the table. Save room for something else that you can't wait to taste.

Here's to happy and healthy holidays!

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Taste Test Tuesday: Ore-Ida Steam n' Mash Cut Russet Potatoes

2009-12-15T07:00:00.005-05:00

Somewhat "homemade" mashed potatoes have never been this easy. I've noticed that some of the other convenient mashed potato products have quite a bit of fat and saturated fat added already. I like this product because you add the milk (or fat free half and half) and the butter (or not) yourself.

You literally toss the bag of the Steam n' Mash Potatoes into the microwave and heat on HIGH for 10 minutes. After a few minutes of "resting" you proceed to make your mashed potatoes with your mixer by adding the hot potatoes from the bag + 2/3 cup milk or fat free half and half + 2 tablespoons whipped butter or less fat margarine of your choice. Don't worry about adding any salt because unfortunately Ore-Ida has already done that for you. The nutrition facts label says each bag makes 7 servings.

The same product line has a couple of other flavor options (sweet potatoes, red potatoes) that also don't have any fat added to the product and one option that does contain 4 grams of fat and 2.5 grams saturated fat per serving (Garlic Seasoned Potatoes).

When I used this product to make mashed potatoes last night I added fat free half and half and 2 tablespoons of less fat margarine or whipped butter, all of which I usually have on hand. When you add these ingredients, each serving of the mashed potatoes now contains:

113 calories
2.6 g protein
19 g carbohydrate
2.5 g fat
1.5 g saturated fat (if you use whipped butter)
7 mg cholesterol (if you use whipped butter)
2 g fiber
315 mg sodium (if you use whipped butter)

How did it taste?
It really did taste like homemade mashed potatoes and that's no surprise considering the product is really just getting the potatoes ready for you to cook in the microwave.

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Holiday Cookie Makeover: Chocolate Mocha Mint Cookies

2009-12-14T07:00:00.004-05:00

December is the month when suddenly you can find mint M & M's or mint chocolate chips in almost every store you go into. Here's a cookie recipe made with whole wheat flour and canola oil that will give you a great reason to pick up a bag of those festive chocolates. Here's how we improved on the original recipe:

Instead of 2 sticks of butter, we are using 6 tablespoons canola oil and 1/2 cup of fat free sour cream and 1/4 cup Kahlua (or coffee liqueur)
Instead of 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar, we are using 1 cup.
Instead of 2 large eggs, we are using 1 higher omega-3 egg and 1/4 cup egg substitute (if you want to taste the dough raw, use 1/2 cup of egg substitute and no real eggs)
Instead of 2 1/2 cups of white flour, we are using 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of unbleached white flour

Original Recipe Per Serving = 150 calories, 7 grams fat, 4.2 grams saturated fat, 20mg cholesterol and .6 gram fiber

Light Recipe Per Serving = 125 calories, 5 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 7 mg cholesterol and 1.2 grams fiber

Saving Per Serving = 25 calories, 2 grams fat, 2.2 grams saturated fat, 13 mg cholesterol and double the fiber!

Chocolate Mocha Mint Cookies

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup Kahlua
2 tablespoons water
1 cup brown sugar, unpacked
2 cups high cocao semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup fat free sour cream, room temperature works best
1 large egg, higher omega-3 if available
1/4 cup egg substitute
8 ounces mint chocolate M&Ms or mint chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. In medium bowl, combine whole wheat flour, white flour, baking soda, and salt with whisk; set aside. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or coat nonstick cookie sheets with canola cooking spray.
In medium saucepan over low heat, cook canola oil, Kahlua, water, and brown sugar together until blended and sugar has dissolved. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir to finish melting the chocolate completely. Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl and let cool 10 minutes.
On medium speed, beat in fat free sour cream, egg and then egg substitute, one at a time, into chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low and add the dry ingredients, beating only until blended.
With a wooden spoon, stir in the mint chocolate chips or M & Ms. Using a cookie scoop, add balls of dough (about 1/8 cup each) on prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Press the balls down slightly with the back of a wooden spoon (or your fingers) coated with canola cooking spray. Bake about 8 minutes or until desired doneness.

Yield: Makes 44 cookies

Nutrition per cookie: 125 calories, 2 g protein, 18 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 2 g monounsaturated fat, .7 g polyunsaturated fat, 7 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 75 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 36 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .2 gram, Omega-6 fatty acids = .5 gram.

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Light Apple Fritters Just in Time For Chanukah!

2009-12-09T06:00:00.002-05:00

Photo: Elaine Magee

Chanukah foods are traditionally fried to commemorate the "miracle of the oil" lasting eight days. Here's the key to frying light...YOU control the amount of oil (and the type of oil) by putting just as much oil in the nonstick frying pan as you want absorbed by the food in question. Whatever fat or oil is there - the food will absorb. So generally I've found if you submerge your food in hot oil, it will absorb about twice as much oil or grease compared to when you put a sensible amount of oil in the pan.

The food looks and tastes very similar to the deep fried rendition of the food but it has a lot less calories and grams of fat. Case in point - my Light Apple Fritters.

In the recipe below, I am using half whole wheat flour to make the batter and then I'm controlling the amount of oil in the pan and I'm using an oil that has more of the smart fats (omega-3s and monounsaturated fat) than other cooking oils.

A serving of regular apple fritters contain about 260 calories, 11 grams of fat, and 3 grams of fiber compared to a serving of Light Apple Fritters with 208 calories, 5.5 grams of fat, and 4.5 grams of fiber.

THE SAVINGS: we have cut 52 calories, and 5.5 grams of fat from each serving and added about 1.5 grams of fiber.

Happy Chanukah - Chag Sameach!

Light Apple Fritters

Ingredients

2 large granny smith apples (Fuji or other apples types can be substituted), sliced into 1/4 to 1/3-inch thick rings and then cut the inside core area out of each slice
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice (1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice can be substituted)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unfiltered apple juice or apple cider
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions

In mixing bowl, combine the flours, apple pie spice, baking soda, and salt with electric mixer on low speed. Pour in the apple juice and vanilla extract and beat on low until a smooth batter forms.
Place an extra large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the canola oil; tilt the pan to coat the bottom evenly with the oil. If you are using a medium size pan, fry the fritters in two batches and coat the pan with half the amount of oil for each batch. When the oil is hot, quickly dip the apple rings one at a time into the batter and immediately transfer to the pan. Let the fritters brown on the bottom (about 2 minutes) and coat the tops with canola cooking spray. Flip the apple slices to lightly brown the other side (1-2 minutes more).
With fork, remove fritters to serving plate and dust the tops with powdered sugar and serve!

Yield: Makes about 12 fritters or 4 servings (3 per serving)

Nutrition per serving: 208 calories, 3 g protein, 38 g carbohydrate, 5.5 g fat, .5 g saturated fat, 3.3 g monounsaturated fat, 1.7 g polyunsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4.5 g fiber, 230 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 24 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .5 gram, Omega-6 fatty acid = 1.2 gram.

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Taste Test Tuesday: Pacific Foods Organic Chicken Pot Pie

2009-12-08T06:00:00.005-05:00

Looking for a healthier chicken potpie that you can make conveniently at home or work? With a quick glance at this product, you might think you've found it. This product tastes great too.

The problem is, it's still high in total fat (43% calories from fat) and most of those grams of fat are unfortunately coming from saturated fat (16.5 grams per pot pie). My guess is this is mainly coming from the organic butter used to make the crust (no wonder it tastes so good). For someone eating about 2,000 calories a day, this is almost the total amount of saturated fat suggested for the entire day. The sodium is darn high too with 1350 milligrams per pie!

What I like about this product is that it contains a good stiff dose of fiber (10.5 grams), protein (22.5 grams), vitamin A and iron.

Here's the nutrition information on a 12 oz pie:

600 calories, 22.5 grams protein, 69 grams carbohydrate, 28.5 grams fat, 16.5 grams saturated fat, .7 gram trans fat, 112 mg cholesterol, 10.5 grams fiber, 1350 mg sodium.
Calories from fat: 43 percent.
30% Daily Value vitamin A, 23% Daily Value Iron, 6% Daily Value calcium and vitamin C

The first five ingredients in the filling are:

filtered water
organic cooked chicken meat
organic milk
organic potatoes
organic carrots

And the first three ingredients in the crust are:

unbleached organic pastry flour
organic butter
water

Meatball Sandwich Monday

2009-12-07T11:48:00.002-05:00

Like many moms and wives in America, those same three words haunt me almost every day: What's for dinner?

Well, this Monday I tried something new and easy. Here's what I did:

I threw some fully cooked turkey meatballs that I got in the frozen food section of Trader Joe's (4 large meatballs contain 200 calories, 24 grams of protein and 8 grams of fat and 4 grams saturated fat) into my trusty slow cooker and cranked it up to HIGH.

I poured in some bottled marinara I had leftover in the fridge. I then poured about 1/4 cup of nonalcoholic beer (you could use wine) into the almost empty marinara jar, sloshed it all around and then poured that into the slow cooker (this rinses out any remaining sauce).

I watched an episode of a favorite show I had recorded while I rode my stationary bike for about an hour.

I turned on my indoor grill to medium-high (i.e. George Foreman grill) and proceeded to cut an eggplant into thick slices (1/2-inch thick) and brush them lightly with some olive oil. I grilled the eggplant slices for about 8 minutes.

While the eggplant was cooking I cut some whole wheat sandwich rolls open.

To assemble the sandwiches I laid eggplant slices generously on the bottom half of the sandwich then topped with the meatballs (you may want to cut them in half if they are larger meatballs) and drizzle the meatballs with plenty of the marinara sauce. Sprinkle some shredded mozzarella over the top if desired then cover with the top of the sandwich roll.

If you serve the sandwich with some fresh fruit you'll get a pretty complete meal since the vegetables are in the sandwich (eggplant and marinara sauce).

Delicious, easy, and I got my workout in!

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Taste Test Tuesday: Alexia Sweet Potato Julienne Fries

2009-12-01T06:00:00.003-05:00

Sweet potato fries are all the rage in restaurants across the country and now there is a frozen product people can buy to make them easily at home. Like with most frozen French fry products, you bake them for about 20 minutes in a 400-degree oven after arranging them in a single layer on a baking sheet.

I usually look for frozen fries with no more than 4 grams of fat per 3 ounce serving and these have a little bit more than that (6 grams of fat per serving), but the saturated fat is low (.5 grams) and no partially hydrogenated oil is used in the making of this product so the trans fat is nil. I was happy to see canola oil was used, but then they had to go and list "sunflower and/or safflower oil" as possible oil options in the product. If they use either of these two it changes the omega fatty acid profile toward omega-6s instead of the more desirable omega-3s that canola oil contributes.

Because sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamins, each 3-ounce serving contributes 100% Daily value for vitamin A and 10% for vitamin C. And each serving pumps a few grams of fiber into your meal as well. How does this compare to the same amount of regular potato fries? Regular potato fries tend to have a little less fiber (2 grams per serving) and antioxidant vitamins (0% Daily Value for vitamin A and 6% for vitamin C) and a little more sodium (350 mg per serving).

How did they taste?
These have a really nice texture and flavor. A little bit of salt is already added (to the tune of 140 milligrams sodium per serving) so you shouldn't need to add any additional salt. Bottom line, they were a hit with the entire family.

Each 3-ounce serving contains:

150 calories
2 g protein
24 g carbohydrate
6 g fat (.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans)
0 mg cholesterol
3 g fiber

Taste Test Tuesday: Yoplait Delights Parfait 1% Low Fat Yogurt

2009-11-24T09:46:00.004-05:00

You'll find it in the yogurt section but these new yogurt parfaits taste more like a dessert than a dairy snack. Yoplait Delight Parfaits come in four flavors - Lemon Torte, Chocolate Raspberry, Crème Caramel, and Triple Berry Crème. Sugar is the second ingredient, but two alternative sweeteners (sucrolose and acesulfame potassium) are also added, and the parfaits are fortified with vitamins A and D.

Each 4 ounce container contains: 100 calories, 5 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 1.5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 80 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 13.5 percent.

This is a bit higher in calories and carbs than a 4-ounce serving of regular light lemon yogurt, which contains (per 4-ounce serving) 60 calories and 11 grams carbohydrate. But when you compare it to a slice of lemon cream pie or a lemon bar, the 100 calories investment for the Lemon Torte Parfait suddenly seems worthwhile.

First 5 ingredients in the Lemon Torte parfait: cultured pasteurized lowfat milk, sugar, modified cornstarch, nonfat milk, and lemon pulp.

How did they taste?
I tried all the flavors except crème caramel and my favorite was the Lemon Torte. It was full of flavor and creamy and totally satisfying. If you love desserts like lemon cream pie or lemon bars...you'll love this new yogurt treat. According to a company spokesperson, the two most popular flavors are the Lemon Torte and the Chocolate Raspberry, but the Berry Crème flavor was also very enjoyable.

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Thanksgiving Recipe Makeover: Bread & Sausage Stuffing (Vegetarian Rendition)

2009-11-22T16:00:00.007-05:00

I love bread stuffing! There, I said it! I look forward to enjoying the stuffing every year. I have my tried and true light stuffing that I developed years ago but I also like to try a new stuffing recipe each year too. In honor of Thanksgiving week, I've done a bread & sausage stuffing "makeover," not only to make it lighter in fat, saturated fat and calories but to make it vegetarian. Don't worry; I have non-vegetarian options listed in the recipe as well.

Here's what I did:

I used canola oil to sauté the vegetables instead of butter.
I used some veggie sausage links instead of pork sausage and used half as much as the original recipe called for.
Instead of adding more butter to moisten the bread cubes, I added a little more broth.
I used cracked wheat sourdough or whole wheat bread for the bread cubes.

HERE ARE THE SAVINGS!
By making these changes, each serving went from:

430 calories to 221 calories per serving
28 grams of total fat to 6 grams per serving
11 grams of saturated fat to .7 grams per serving
55 mg of cholesterol to 0 mg cholesterol per serving

Vegetarian Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients

5 1/2 cups cubed cracked wheat sourdough bread (or whole wheat bread)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
8 ounces veggie sausage links, defrosted and coarsely chopped (i.e. Morning Star Sausage Links), light turkey sausage or light breakfast sausage can be substituted
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 crisp apple, cored and chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon parsley flakes)
1 cup vegetable broth (chicken or turkey stock can be substitute)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Coat a 2 quart covered baking dish with canola cooking spray. Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a large nonstick jellyroll pan. Bake for 7 minutes or until evenly toasted, set aside.
In a large, nonstick saucepan, add the canola oil and begin cooking the onions and celery, stirring often, until evenly browned. Stir in the chopped sausage links, sage, rosemary, and thyme and cook, stirring often, for another 2 minutes to blend flavors.
Add the bread cubes to the saucepan and combine with the onion mixture. Mix in the chopped apple, dried cranberries and parsley. Drizzle the broth or stock over the stuffing mixture and gently toss. Spoon mixture into the prepared baking dish, cover, and bake for 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Nutrition per serving: 221 calories, 9.5 g protein, 33 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat, .5 g saturated fat, 3.5 g monounsaturated fat, 2 g polyunsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5.5 g fiber, 376 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 24 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .3 grams, Omega-6 fatty acids = 1.3 grams

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