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

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 onlyto make it lighter in fat, saturated fat and calories but to make it vegetarian. Don't worry; I'll 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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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Less IS More: Less Alcohol Means More Protection

We are about to enter into the holiday season - a time when even people who don't normally drink alcohol suddenly are. So I thought this was the perfect time to think about the upside and the downside of alcohol, from the health perspective of course.

Alcohol is one of those things that can help or hurt the heart. It all has to do with how much you drink per day. Especially for women, a small amount of alcohol helps protect against heart disease, while larger amounts are damaging to the heart. Women who are heavy drinkers, according to a recent study, are four times more likely to die from heart disease and two times as likely to die from stroke compared to nondrinkers. This sends a pretty powerful message that more is not better when it comes to alcohol and heart disease.

The upside of alcohol:

• People who drank small amounts of alcohol (2 1/2 drinks a week) were 16% to 23% less likely to have a stroke than those who didn't drink at all, according to a group of Harvard researchers.


• Moderate amounts of alcohol raise HDL - "good" serum cholesterol.


• Wine contains flavonoid phytochemicals that have powerful antioxidant activity in the body.


• Grape skins contain components (like polyphenols) that help expand or dilate arteries.


• Alcohol discourages platelets from combining together, acting much like a blood thinner.

The downside of alcohol:

• People who drink every day or multiple times a day are at risk, according to a 2009 French Canadian study. The study linked heavy consumption of beer and spirits to seven different cancers (esophageal, stomach, colon, liver, pancreatic, lung, and prostate cancer), with the strongest risk being to esophageal and liver cancer. The good news is that light drinking and wine consumption did not show the same increase in cancer risk in this study. [Journal Cancer Detection and Prevention, Aug-3-09, Benedetti A. et al.]


• Harvard researchers found that people who had at least two drinks a day had 39% to 41% greater risk of stroke compared to light drinkers.


• Alcohol can increase serum triglyceride levels. This is especially pronounced if the drinker already has high triglyceride levels.


• Alcohol addiction is a serious problem for many people. People with any semblance of an addition to alcohol should refrain from alcohol completely.


• Alcohol in any quantity adds extra calories, which is a concern if your health would improve with some weight loss.

So take it easy on the alcohol and enjoy a heart healthy holiday season.

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Don't Run Out for Fast Food - Look In Your Freezer!

Looking for something quick that you can pop in the microwave or toaster oven? Save time, gas and money by looking in your freezer. Of course you actually need to stock your freezer with some tasty but light options. Luckily I've got some suggestions for you.

Mexican Cuisine Quick Meals

• Chicken Taquitos (Whole Kitchen brand available at Whole Foods)5 Taquitos = 180 calories, 9 g protein, 28 g carbohydrate, 3.5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 230 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 17.5 percent.



• Black Bean & Cheese Taquitos (Trader Jose's brand)
  4 Taquitos = 310 calories, 12 g protein, 42 g carbohydrate, 11 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 7 g fiber, 180 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 32 percent.



• Black Bean & Corn Enchilada (Trader Jose's brand)
  2 enchiladas = 260 calories, 8 g protein, 40 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 460 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 28 percent.

Asian Cuisine Quick Meals

• Vegan Pad Thai with Tofu (Trader Joe's brand)
  1 bowl (312 grams) = 600 calories, 18 g protein, 114 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 840 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 10.5 percent.

Pizza Pocket Quick Meals

• Amy's Cheese Pizza Pocket Sandwich
  1 pocket = 310 calories, 14 g protein, 42 g carbohydrate, 10 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 450 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 29 percent.


• Lean Pockets come in several flavors but here's the most popular:
  1 Pepperoni Pizza Lean Pocket = 280 calories, 13 g protein, 40 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 630 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 26 percent. (And 25% Daily Value for calcium.)

Quick Snacks

• People love those convenient frozen bite-size pizza rolls but they can be high in fat, saturated fat and trans fat. Bagel Bites are a better quick snack choice.


• Weight Watchers Smart Ones Vegetable Pizza Minis
  4 pieces (141 grams) = 270 calories, 11 g protein, 41 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 6 g fiber, 470 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 23 percent. (And 20% Daily Value for calcium.)

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Taste Test Tuesday: New Morning Star Maple Flavored Sausage Patties

Yes, there's another veggie product on the market trying to be a savory sausage. This one is by Morning Star Farms and it is working the "maple flavored" angle. Textured vegetable protein is the first ingredient with water, sugar, corn oil, and egg whites being the next four ingredients.

A 2-patty serving contributes 20 grams of protein and 6 grams of fat and barely any saturated fat (and no cholesterol since it doesn't include animal meat or egg yolks). It does, however, boost your daily sodium total by 500 milligrams! So make sure if you are using this product that you don't add even more sodium to the dish or recipe you are making.

How do they taste?
They don't taste too bad considering the list of ingredients, and although I definitely prefer some of the turkey sausages I've tried, this is one of the better tasting veggie-based sausage products. They would work particularly well in dishes where other ingredients are eaten along with them like a homemade Sausage Egg McMuffin (sausage patty topped with cooked egg or egg substitute, some reduced fat cheddar cheese, all served on a toasted whole wheat English muffin).

2 patties are probably a realistic serving, which contains:
160 calories, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 3 g polyunsaturated fat, 1 g monounsaturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 20 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 500 mg sodium.

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Home for the Holidays: Emotional Eating Edition

What are some ways to avoid emotional eating when you're home for the holidays?

Over the years I've been asked this question by people visiting my WebMD message board and by magazine reporters writing holiday stories.

I think there are three specific things you can do to avoid emotional eating around the holidays:

• Stay on track in terms of your exercise program (helps reduce stress too)


• Don't skip meals (so you don't physically go to that vulnerable super hungry place)


• Eat meals with mostly whole foods that are balanced and satisfying most of the time

Then when you ARE around those "dreaded" childhood favorite foods your mom and other family members have made special...you will be more likely to enjoy them without overeating them.

The people who have asked me the question, "What do I do when family and friends put my favorite childhood foods in front of me over the holidays?" are usually looking for tips on how to avoid eating these foods altogether.

I personally would not suggest depriving anyone of a favorite childhood food over the holidays. Enjoying them and including them (in sensible amounts) in an overall healthy daily diet is the healthiest way to go physically and emotionally. When you know you can have these favorite foods if you want to and you are feeding yourself nice, balanced meals on a regular basis (so you aren't stressed or anxious or hungry from dieting), most of us tend to be satisfied with smaller sensible amounts.

What are your favorite holiday foods? Let me know and I'll post a series of holiday recipe makeovers (with color photos) in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

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How To Handle the Halloween Stash

Many have a "love-hate" relationship with Halloween. They love that there is opportunity to enjoy bite-size chocolates and candies and they hate it for the same reason. I always embrace Halloween and all that comes with it. I buy a bag of the itty-bitty candy bars (the ones that are a perfect mini square) for Milky Way, Snickers, Twix, 3 Musketeers...and keep it in the refrigerator. Each family member might grab a few of these on certain days and that seems to help us all enjoy the season in a relaxed way (without feelings of obsession or deprivation).

Now that "bag" that you put in the refrigerator is different for everyone. What is it that you most desire during the Halloween season?

And what about the two bags or so that you need to have on hand to give out to trick-or-treaters?

Photo Credit: Elaine Magee

How to Handle the Halloween Stash Pre-Halloween

I always look for an alternative to giving out the candy bars like Snickers and Kit Kats because plenty of my neighbors usually have that covered. I try to find the coolest "healthful" alternatives, although that's always up for discussion. In years past it's been individual packages of nuts or trail mix, gum, mini granola bars, mini boxes of breakfast cereal, etc. If all else fails, quarters are always popular. Remember to have some age appropriate treats or prizes for the littler ones who might swallow quarters and who can't chew gum or eat nuts yet.

How to Handle the Halloween Stash Post-Halloween

Here are some tips to use up that excess Halloween candy:

• Make a batch of whole wheat buttermilk pancakes and decorate the top of the pancakes while in the pan with M&Ms or chocolate chunks from chocolate bars
• Make a batch of whole-wheat cookies or brownies and stir in bits and pieces of various candy bars.
• Send non-chocolate candy to soldiers with the US military in the middle east through www.soldiersangels.org.
• Use some of the candy bits in a homemade batch of trail mix (blend nuts and dried fruit with M & Ms and other types of candy.) Fill snack size bags with some of the "Halloween" trail mix for convenient snacks for school or after school.

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Taste Test Tuesday: Kashi Cocoa Beach Granola

Imagine a little taste of cocoa, coconut and almonds all wrapped up in a high fiber, higher omega-3 granola. I had to go to a couple of grocery stores to find this new cereal, but it was worth it. This morning I enjoyed a serving of this new granola (only 1/2 cup) with 1/2 cup of light vanilla soy milk.

I literally measured this out so I could get an idea of whether this suggested serving size was truly "enough" to satisfy my morning hunger. I probably would be more likely, left to my own devises, to pour 3/4 cup of the cereal instead of 1/2 cup.

How did it taste?
This granola has a very pleasant flavor with subtle tastes of almonds, coconut and cocoa all coming through. Lowfat or skim milk or soy milk compliments this granola nicely.

What's in it?
The first seven ingredients include:

• Kashi Seven Whole Grains & Sesame Blend (rolled oats, barley, hard red winter wheat, rye, triticale, long brain brown rice, buckwheat, sesame seeds)
• Evaporated cane juice syrup
• Expeller pressed canola oil
• Almonds
• Gum Arabic
• Coconut
• Cocoa

All of this translates into a cereal that contributes an assortment of helpful nutrients such as fiber (7 grams with 3 grams soluble fiber), omega-3s (.4 grams), monounsaturated fat (4.5 grams), and protein (6 grams). Here's the breakdown:

1/2 cup cereal = 230 calories, 9 g protein, 36 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 2.5 g polyunsaturated fat, 4.5 g monounsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 7 g fiber, 140 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 35 percent.

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Recipe Makeover: Homemade Tuna Noodle Casserole

Sharing a meal with your family has many benefits and is so important - especially these days. Here's new take on an old favorite for a homemade family supper. Typical tuna casserole recipes contain around 450 calories, 23 g fat, 12 g saturated fat, and 70 mg cholesterol per serving. This version is 100 calories less per serving and cuts the fat by more than 50%!

Elaine's Homemade Tuna Noodle Casserole

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients:

6 ounces whole wheat blend extra wide noodles (about 4 cups cooked)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup chopped red or green bell pepper
2 cups sliced mushrooms (baby portabellas, crimini, or regular)
2 teaspoon minced or chopped garlic
3 tablespoons unbleached flour
3 tablespoons fat-free half-and-half (low-fat milk can be used)
1 cup fat-free half-and-half (low-fat milk can be used)
3/4 cup condensed or double strength low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano flakes
Black pepper to taste (1/2 teaspoon or more)
2 cups lightly cooked green vegetables of choice (sugar snap peas or broccoli florets) or 1 cup of green peas
10 ounces solid white albacore tuna, drained
1 cup reduced fat sharp cheese
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup crouton crumbs (Put some croutons in a sandwich bag and use a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat mallet to transform your croutons into crumbs)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with canola or olive oil cooking spray.
2. Start boiling the water for the pasta in a large saucepan. When the water is boiling, cook the noodles following the directions on the pasta box or bag. When cooked al dente, drain the noodles in a colander and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, start heating a large nonstick skillet or large saucepan with the olive oil over HIGH heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic into the skillet and sauté for 5 minutes or until mushroom are lightly brown in some places.
4. In small bowl, combine the flour with 3 tablespoons of half-and-half. Slowly stir in the cup of half-and-half and the chicken broth. Pour the flour mixture into the skillet with vegetables and cook on low until the sauce is nicely thickened (about 3 minutes). While it's cooking, stir in the oregano and black pepper.
5. In the skillet, combine the green vegetable, tuna chunks, cooked and drained noodles, and cheeses with the sauce. Spoon the mixture into prepared baking dish and sprinkle the crouton crumbs evenly over the top. Bake the casserole, uncovered, in the oven until the edges and crumbs on top are golden brown (about 25 minutes). Enjoy!

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Nutrition Analysis per serving: 350 calories, 27 g protein, 39 g carbohydrate, 10 g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 3.3 g monounsaturated fat, 1.2 g polyunsaturated fat, 39 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 391 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 26 percent calories from fat. Omega-3 fatty acids = .5 g, Omega-6 fatty acids = .5

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Taste Test Tuesday: Green Giant Healthy Heart

We all need to eat more whole grains and vegetables. Almost everyone who has been paying attention even a little to science news over the past 5 years knows that. Green Giant brand (the king of frozen vegetables) has come up with a few new single serving frozen side dishes. I picked up the one labeled "healthy heart" and it contains:

• Pearled barley
• Sugar snap peas
• Julienne carrots
• Herb infused extra virgin olive oil sauce

Aha! I thought..."herb infused extra virgin olive oil sauce,"sounds suspicious! The ingredient label reveals that the sauce is innocent enough, made from water, extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, garlic powder, salt, modified corn starch, spice, and monoglycerides).

Each individual serving - a 7-ounce box - adds up to 140 calories, 3 grams protein, 28 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 grams fiber, 2 grams soluble fiber, 420 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 19 percent.

If I could have a one on one with the Green Giant 's people, I would recommend adding half as much salt so the sodium per serving would be in the 200 milligram ballpark instead. Because if someone at risk of heart disease is trying to follow the newer sodium suggestion of 1500 milligrams of sodium per day, one serving of this side dish would put a major dent in that total.

How did it taste?
It was a little "saucy" for my liking but the flavor and combination of textures was definitely pleasant.

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The Power of Protein

Do you know roughly the amount of calories you tend to eat in a typical day? If we looked at desirable amounts of protein from this vantage point, it would compute to something like this...

If you take in around 2,000 calories a day and are aiming for 20% of those calories coming from protein, you would need approximately 100 grams of protein a day. If you were trying to get 15% of your calories from protein, the daily total would be 75 grams of protein. These are high amounts compared to the Dietary Reference Intakes for protein, but higher amounts of protein are being discussed as possibly beneficial for certain medical conditions (especially when the protein sources come from plants and lean and lowfat animal foods.)

[Keep in mind that the Dietary Reference Intake for protein is calculated using the guideline for adults of .8 grams of protein per kilogram body weight. For the average woman this translates to 46 grams per day and 56 grams per day for an adult man.]

Just so you can wrap your head around what this looks like, here are some numbers:

• 4 ounces roasted chicken breast without skin = 35 grams protein


• 4 ounces ground sirloin, broiled = 30 grams protein


• 4 ounces pork tenderloin, roasted = 25 grams protein


• 4 ounces salmon, broiled = 29 grams protein


• 1 cup nonfat milk = 8 grams protein


• 1 cup light vanilla soy milk = 6 grams protein


• 1 ounces reduced fat cheese = 7 grams protein


• 1 ounce soy cheese (mozzarella) = 6 grams protein


• 1/2 cup of beans = about 7 grams protein


• 1/2 cup fresh green soybeans = 16 grams protein


• 3 ounces extra firm tofu = 8 grams protein


• 2 egg whites (1/4 cup egg substitute) = 7 grams protein


• 6 ounces yogurt = 5 grams protein


• 1 cup of broccoli = 4 grams protein


• 3/4 cup whole grain cereal = approx. 6 grams protein

Let's do a little math here.

STEP #1 - If you have a couple servings of lowfat dairy products a day (say a cup of nonfat milk and a serving of yogurt), you will get a total of 13 grams of protein.

STEP #2 - Then let’s say you have 3 servings of whole grains (a recommendation from various sources) by eating 2 slices of whole wheat bread and 1/2 cup of oats; that adds a total of 15 grams of protein.

STEP #3 - Add a cup of dark green leafy vegetables like broccoli and you've got 4 more grams of protein.

TOTAL: 32 grams protein

You now have 32 grams of protein just by choosing some of the foods that you should be including for other nutritional reasons (like getting fiber and antioxidants and calcium in your diet)!

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If You Have Been Gaining Weight Should You Blame Your Best Friend?

What company are you keeping and are they encouraging weight loss or weight gain? A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that a person's chance of becoming obese may increase by 57% if he or she has a friend who became obese in a given period.

I think it makes sense that whom we spend our social time with does have some influence on what we eat and drink to some extent. For example if you run in a social circle where social drinking is a big part of what you do when you get together, you are likely going to be taking in a lot of alcohol calories.

Cocktail hour friends
For this social situation, would it help to make a plan ahead of time so that you are prepared to order or bring alternative drinks that are low calorie but still "festive" and social? Would it be a big deal if you were drinking something like light cranberry juice blended with club soda or a coffee or seltzer water with a slice of lemon or lime? Maybe you could join your friends for one glass of wine and then switch to something with few calories after that.

Friends that workout together stay healthy together
Another way to discourage weight gain over time is to stick to an exercise plan so if your social group is at all interested in a particular sport or activity I would put this into motion right about now. Plan some of your social occasions or visits around physical activity like meeting in the gym at a certain time, taking a weekly yoga or Pilates class together, planning a "talk and walk" so you are catching up while you walk instead of in a coffee shop or on the couch. You can even plan this so you are both talking on the phone together and walking in separate cities!

[New England Journal of Medicine Vol. 357: 370-379]

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Make The Switch to 1% or Nonfat Milk and SAVE!

striatic / CC BY 2.0

Some people are big milk drinkers and some people aren't. I'm a lifetime member of the latter group. Nothing against milk, I just don't enjoy drinking it all by itself. I'm big on iced nonfat lattes though. But just in case you ARE a milk drinker, the lower fat milks are the way to go, particularly if you have heart disease.

The fastest way to decrease calories, cholesterol, and saturated fat grams is to decrease the fat in the milk. Nonfat milk and 1% milk fat are your best health options.

Think of the savings per week or month just by switching from whole milk or 2% milk to 1% milk or nonfat. It does add up. Check out the charts below and you'll see what I mean.

If you drink 2 glasses of milk a day (16 ounces total),
this is what you will save PER WEEK:

	Saturated Fat (g)	Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Calories
Switch from whole milk to 1% milk	43	78	170	615
Switch from 2% milk to nonfat milk	38	59	205	440

If you drink 2 glasses of milk a day (16 ounces),
this is what you will save PER MONTH:

	Saturated Fat (g)	Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Calories
Switch from whole milk to 1% milk	172	312	680	2460
Switch from 2% milk to nonfat milk	152	236	820	1760

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Taste Test Tuesday: Eating Right Light Poppy Seed & Caramelized Onion Dressing

Looking for a salad dressing off the beaten path? I saw this Safeway brand light salad dressing on the shelf and thought I would give it whirl. You have to really like those two flavors (poppy seed and caramelized onion) to even think about tasting this dressing. I never thought of poppy seed as being particularly pungent until I tasted this dressing. I guess the other times I've had poppy seeds they have been in foods that had other strong flavors going on - like lemon poppy seed or almond poppy seed muffins. I think the combo of poppy seed and caramelized onion works in this dressing, but then I've been known to sauté some caramelized onion just in case someone wants to add it to his or her sandwich or turkey burger.

How does it taste?
This pretty salad dressing has a pleasant flavor with the flavors of poppy seed and sweet caramelized onion coming through. This light option will work well in any salad recipe that calls for poppy seed dressing along with serving as a dip, spread on sandwiches, or as a sweet sauce for grilling.

The main ingredients are pretty straightforward in this dressing with the first five being water, sugar, vinegar, soybean oil, and salt.

2 tablespoons = 50 calories, 1.5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 310 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrates.

If you like whipping up dishes or recipes that call for a poppy seed-like sauce or dressing, you may want to give this product a second look.

Would you rather make your own low-fat salad dressing? The try one of these!

• Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing Recipe
• Japanese Restaurant Salad Dressing Recipe
• Cilantro Lime Dressing Recipe

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• 4 Healthy Reasons to Eat a Salad Today
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NYC Takes Trans Fat Down

Here's the story...of a city named New York...that was working hard to eliminate trans fats (the type created when you partially hydrogenate oils) from restaurants. All of them were first asked to voluntarily remove them. That didn't work (big surprise). So the NYC Board of Health "required" the removal of trans fat. By November 2008, according to estimates, restaurant use of artificial trans fats for frying, baking, or cooking or in spreads had decreased from 50% to less than 2%! And so far it appears that this replacement of trans fat taking place in NYC restaurants has resulted in foods with more healthful fatty acid profiles (which presumably will lead to a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease in particular but also improve insulin sensitivity and decrease inflammation in the body).

And that, my friends, is how it is done.

Experts estimate that a 2% increase in calorie intake from trans fat may increase the risk for a coronary event by up to 23%.

There are many ways to get food companies and restaurants to move in a healthful direction. They want to please the customer usually, so if the customers are asking for a certain change or reacting to a certain change with their pocket books, it's one way to get their attention. This is what I suspect is partly what has happened in the supermarket with trans fat. As companies started labeling their products with the amount of trans fat (sometimes shocking amounts too), some customers took notice. That's around the time that "trans fat free" banners started appearing on packages of certain products. But sometimes, when you want the change to be seemingly quick and painless, it's possible to bypass the consumer and just make the change to the food at the source.

Baked goods are the largest dietary source of trans fat.

Partial hydrogenation was patented in 1903 and its use in manufacturing food products increased in the 1950s extending to margarine in the 1970s. It wasn't until the 1990s that studies started to identify trans fat as a health catastrophe.

Trans are way worse than saturated fat.

Even at relatively low levels of food intake, trans fats raise LDL "bad" cholesterol while simultaneously lowering HDL "good" cholesterol - increasing the risk for coronary heart disease. But they also promote an inflammatory response in the body and have other adverse effects on the cells lining the blood vessels.

But as we move forward to phase out trans fats and the use of partially hydrogenated oil, we need to make sure that food suppliers aren't replacing them with saturated fats - like the tropical oils (palm, palm kernel, coconut) or animal fats because that's what's available and affordable. There have to be enough alternative fats and oils available for food companies to use. Do we have the supply to meet the demand? For example, the supply of corn oil is perhaps limited in the current climate of biofuel development. We need to be diligent in our effort to eliminate trans fat, but we also need to be smart about it.

[Ann Intern Med 2009, 151: 129-134]
[Ann Intern Med 2009, 151: 137-138]

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The Downward Spiral

I saw it with my dad and I've seen it happen to friends' loved ones... I call it the downward spiral. This is when people get so obese or medically challenged that they can't be active. It becomes a downward spiral because the heavier or more medically challenged they get, the harder it is to exercise and be physically active and yet one of the only ways they can improve their situation medically is to be physically active.

Perhaps, like in my dad's case, the window of opportunity to "get with the program" while he still had legs that worked pretty well and the ability to exercise somewhat...came and went. Once there was neurological damage (he had type 2 diabetes) and even small amounts of physical activity were difficult, then it becomes even MORE challenging to lose weight and be active. Enter.... the downward spiral.

Various different reports have been coming out basically telling us that Americans are more (not less) obese than we were 10 years ago. What that tells me is that everything we have been doing as a nation and society to fix this problem over the past 10 years hasn't been working. All those billions of dollars spent (each year) on weight loss products, books and programs...have been a sickening waste of money. Looks like we need a plan B pretty darn quick.

There is no quick fix and America has to face that. Turning this obesity train around is going to take everything we've got...changing the environment we live in (to make healthy eating and regular exercise more possible), it's going to take helping people make permanent lifestyle changes, helping people deal with the personal issues that are contributing to binge-eating and overeating (if this is a factor for them personally), and it's going to take a whole lot of compassion. And we are going to have to do all of this while people still have a chance of turning their health around.

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• Getting to a Healthy Weight: Lifestyle Changes
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Can A Sweet Tooth Hurt Your Heart?

The sugar story just got a little more serious. Most of us know that sugar in the diet can lead to dental caries (particularly if the sugary food is sticky) and if the calories from sugar are in excess of our body's needs, it can lead to extra body fat stores. No surprise there.

Then some research uncovered that liquid calories don't seem to register in our stomach like food calories do-they don't fill up and satisfy our hunger as well as solid food calories. Some of you might have figured this out already based on your own experiences.

I've seen various and sundry research over the last few years suggesting that sweetened drinks may be linked to a higher risk of:

• Weight gain
• Metabolic syndrome
• Type 2 diabetes

This is a scary thought considering soft drink sales have been soaring in the United States and worldwide.

Today, the American Heart Association released Dietary Sugars Intake and Cardiovascular Health: A Scientific Statement due to heightened concerns about the adverse effects of "excessive consumption of sugars." Notice the word, "excessive?" That's the part that gets us into trouble. It isn't so much that we have some sugar... it's that we have too much sugar. The daily intake of added sugars for Americans was around 22 teaspoons between 2001 and 2004, according to the American Heart Association. Back in college I remember doing a presentation demonstrating that one 12-ounce soda had the equivalent of 9 teaspoons of sugar in it. That was before Big Gulps and supersized sodas.

Even though the American Heart Association Statement takes issue with the amount of added sugars in the American diet, it can't help but point a big finger toward soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages because these are the main source of added sugars in Americans' diets.

Regular consumption of sugar sweetened beverages was associated with a higher risk of coronary artery disease in women even after the researchers accounted for other unhealthful lifestyle or dietary factors, according to results from the Nurses' Health Study, which followed over 88,000 women for 24 years.

Trading in your regular sodas for non-calorie liquids is a great place to start and one of those drinks might even be a diet soda - artificially sweetened beverages, at least in Nurses' Health Study, were not associated with coronary heart disease. (Not that I recommend drinking large amounts of diet soda.)

The bottom line to the American Heart Association statement is that they recommend we reduce our intake of added sugars. They go on to explain that a prudent upper limit of intake for most American women is no more than 100 calories per day and no more than 150 calories per day from added sugars for most American men. I don't know about you but I opt to spend those added sugar calories on a few bites of chocolate or a scoop of light ice cream instead of sweet drinks.

[Circulation 2009; August 24]

Related Topics:

• How to Beat Your Craving for Soda
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Recipe Makeover: Asiago Bagel Breakfast Bake

Don't you just love the Panera bakery/sandwich chain? Apparently their asiago bagels are totally yummy. I make it a habit to only order whole-wheat bagels, so I can only speak for their whole wheat/whole grain selection. Anyway, they have a wonderful recipe for "Asiago Bagel Breakfast Bake" on their website and I thought I would give it a Recipe Doctor makeover.

It calls for their asiago bagels but we can use whole-wheat bagels and the whole "asiago" taste will still come through because the recipe also calls for 6 ounces of asiago cheese (although I dialed this down to 4 ounces)! We are also using half higher omega-3 eggs and half egg substitute and we are using reduced fat versions of the Jack or cheddar cheese and the milk.

Here are the savings!

Per serving:

	Original Recipe	Light Recipe
Calories	420	330
Total Fat (g)	22	12
Saturated Fat (g)	11	6.5
Cholesterol (mg)	273	143
Fiber (g)	1.8	5

LIGHTER WHOLE WHEAT ASIAGO BAGEL BREAKFAST BAKE

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients

4 large eggs, higher omega-3 if available
1 cup egg substitute (you can use the southwest flavor option if desired)
2 cups fat free half and half or 1% lowfat milk
1 teaspoon fresh chopped tarragon or ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Freshly ground black pepper to taste (start with 1/4 teaspoon)
6 ounces reduced fat Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup grated or shredded asiago cheese (add more if desired)
4 large whole wheat or whole grain bagels, cut into bite-size pieces

Directions

1. In large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, egg substitute, fat free half and half, tarragon, paprika and pepper (add more to taste).
2. In medium bowl, toss the cheeses together (whichever ones you are using). Coat a 2-quart casserole dish or 9 x 13-inch baking dish with canola cooking spray or coat lightly with canola oil.
3. Layer half of the bagel pieces in prepared dish then half of the cheese then repeat the layers with the remaining bagel pieces and cheese. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread mixture then cover the dish and keep in the refrigerator overnight.
4. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Bake casserole, uncovered, until the top is golden brown (about 1 hour).

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Nutrition Information per serving: 330 calories, 22 g protein, 34 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat, 6.5 g saturated fat, 3 g monounsaturated fat, 2.5 g polyunsaturated fat, 143 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 735 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 33 percent.

Related Topics:

• Healthy Breakfast Ideas and Recipes
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Taste Test Tuesday: The Cooking Spray Quandary

Smart Balance Omega Nonstick Cooking Spray

First of all, let me just say that for the past year I have made it a point to stop using those cans of nonstick cooking sprays. They are so very convenient, but I feel terrible when it comes time to dump them in the recycling bin because I don't know for sure if they are actually recycled; and even still, recycling uses energy and the idea is to not generate any waste. I've been meaning to buy one of those re-usable oil sprayers that are man/woman powered (you pump it with your hands and then spray) rather than propellant powered since the one I had for years seems to have reached the end it its lifecycle, but I just haven't had the chance.

Meanwhile I've been using a silicon pastry brush to coat the pots and pans with canola or olive oil as needed. This has worked well most of the time but there are two problems with the non-cooking-spray technique:

• This doesn't work well when coating the hot, outdoor grill before barbequing your food (my husband, our chief BBQ-er has been complaining about there not being a can of cooking spray around)
• This doesn't work well when trying to add a thin layer of oil to food that is coated with flour or crumbs (the pastry brush takes off the flour or crumb mixture when it touches it)

I promised my husband I would purchase another can of cooking spray to tide us over until I locate a good re-usable oil sprayer (it's summer and BBQ season after all), and I found this new Smart Balance Omega nonstick cooking spray. A quick glance at the ingredient label told me that they use a combination of canola, soy and olive oils and a non-chlorofluorocarbon as the propellant.

The confusing part to a consumer might be the conflicting advertising banners on the label:

• Zero fat and calories
• Ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3

If there is an ideal ratio of omeg-6 to omega-3 fats (which means you are getting some amount of fat) than how can it be zero fat and calories? The answer is that it's a 1/3 second spray that is worth zero calories and fat. I don't even know how to measure anything less than 1 second! I'm guessing my sprays are about 1 to 2 seconds.

According to the nutrition information label, each second your finger is on the trigger of the cooking spray can, you are getting about 10 calories and 1.5 grams of total fat - .5 grams of which are polyunsaturated and .5 grams of which are monounsaturated. Okay, I know it's been a while since I was in a math class but I'm getting a total of 1 gram of fat (.5 + .5) when the total grams is 1.5. Where is the other .5 gram coming from? The label says 0 for saturated and trans fat. According to the company, this missing amount of fat is due to the rounding of numbers on the nutrition label.

As far as taste-testing purposes, this product performed very well!

My family is trying to generate less waste in general, so we are using the silicon brush more and the cooking spray can less. (I put it on the highest shelf in my kitchen cabinet so I really have to think about it before I grab it.) The other option is to buy a re-usable oil sprayer (Pampered Chef makes a pretty good one last I checked), buy a desirable oil (it could even be Smart Balance), and use it to to fill your sprayer!

Related Topics:

• The Recipe Doctor's Top 12 Healthy Cooking Gadgets
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Taste Test Tuesday: Weight Watchers Giant Mint Fudge Ice Cream Sundae Cone

These are one of the better low fat ice cream treats in the frozen dessert aisle for sure. The chocolate cone is definitely unique and so is the mint ice cream that fills it. But Weight Watchers had me with the "2 Points Per Cone" written on the box. Each cone is very tasty and satisfying with one serving being a perfectly sized portion.

The low fat mint ice cream is made with milk fat and nonfat milk, sugar, polydextrose, maltodextrin, cellulose gel, and a few other ingredients, while the chocolate cone is made with mostly bleached white flour, sugar, cocoa processed with alkali, natural and artificial flavors, oat fiber, and canola oil. This tells us that 4 grams of fiber per cone is coming from a couple different directions and that sugar is the second or third ingredient for the ice cream and the cone. A quick glance at the grams of sugar per cone plus a bit of math and now 43% of the calories for this yummy dessert comes from sugar. Here are the rest of the nutritional numbers.

Each cone contains:

140 calories
3 g protein
27 g carbohydrate
15 g sugar
4 g fat
1 g saturated fat (0 g trans)
Less than 5 mg cholesterol
4 g fiber
70 mg sodium

I would buy these again, perhaps occasionally, because they are enjoyable to eat and one serving doesn't get me too far up in calories. Although the % of calories from sugar is a bit higher than I would like, the grams of fiber is surprisingly high as well.

Related Topics:

• Study: Ice Cream = Happy
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

What's with Rye?

Photo: Austin King

A common bread MYTH is that rye bread is 100% whole grain and is high in fiber. Dark rye bread especially looks super healthy and full of fiber - it couldn't be more dark brown than it is!

Rye bread and I go way back...Twenty-five years ago when I was living in Washington D.C. for a summer internship, I think I lived on turkey and provolone sandwiches on dark rye (with just a smidgen of mustard) from the deli next to where I was working. There are certain sandwiches that just beg for rye bread. Some people like tuna salad on rye, for example. But is it a whole grain?

What's the real story on rye?

The first ingredient listed on the label of most types and brands of rye bread, from Russian Rye or Jewish Rye to Dark Rye or Extra Sour Rye, is none other than...unbleached enriched flour. The second ingredient is usually water with the third ingredient being rye flour. That explains why most rye breads contribute only 1 gram of fiber per slice (one dark rye in my supermarket even contributes less than 1 gram per slice). So, the truth is that most rye breads aren't usually 100% whole grain (although there might be some enlightened brands out there I haven't seen yet) and I wouldn't call them high in fiber either with only 1 gram a slice.

My guess is rye breads aren't as high in fiber as 100% whole wheat breads because in commercial rye bread sold in America, white flour is typically combined with rye flour to make the bread. Bread companies probably do this due to rye flour not having great gluten qualities; it would make a very heavy bread unless blended with a higher gluten grain like wheat flour. Rye flour on its own though IS high in fiber (3.6 grams fiber per 50 calories or 2 tablespoons of flour).

Related Topics:

• The Best Bread: Tips for Buying Breads
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Taste Test Tuesday: Skinny Cow French Vanilla Truffle Bars

They look like big fudgesicles but without the fudge, although they have a chocolate drizzle on the outside. These are the new low-fat ice cream bars by Skinny Cow and they are probably going to go over really big with the vanilla-loving crowd.

The first ingredient is skim milk, followed by two types of sweetener - sugar and corn syrup. Each 100-calorie bar contains 12 grams of sugar (48% Calories from sugar), and 1.5 grams of saturated fat mainly from the coconut oil and palm oil used to make the chocolate drizzle (13.5% calories from saturated fat). That's the bad nutritional news. The good news is, each bar only contains 2.5 grams of total fat along and contributes 3 grams of fiber and 0 grams of trans fat and sugar alcohols. People who are sensitive to the intestinal side effects of sugar alcohols (gas & cramping) will appreciate this.

If you are in the mood for something chocolaty and cold, this probably won't do the trick. But if you love the taste of vanilla (and tend to order vanilla lattes or vanilla shakes), this could be an ideal 100 calorie treat or snack for you.

Related Topics:

• Study: Ice Cream = Happy
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

The original recipe for these cookies is a top rated recipe on the Food Network website and it was contributed by Wendy Gaynor, the owner of the Ruby et Violette cookie bakery in New York City. The original recipe calls for a stick of butter; I switched to a less fat margarine with a low amount of saturated fat and no trans fat. I decreased the sugar by 1/3 and used a majority of whole-wheat flour to make the dough, which adds nutrients and fiber. The original cookie recipe calls for 3 types of chips (peanut butter chips, toffee chips and semisweet chocolate chips). I kept the two types of chocolate and took out the toffee chips.

WHAT YOU SAVE
Making these changes cut from each cookie:

• 63 calories
• 5 grams total fat
• 4 grams saturated fat
• 17 mg cholesterol

And fiber increases by about 1 gram per serving!

Lightened NYC Bakery Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients:

1/2 cup less fat margarine (8 grams fat per tablespoon and no trans fat)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed
1 large egg, higher omega-3 if available
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup peanut butter or butterscotch chips
1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (60% cocoa if possible)

Preparation:

1. In large mixing bowl, combine margarine with dark brown sugar until thoroughly blended, scarping sides and bottom of bowl frequently. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and beat on low speed, scraping sides and bottom of bowl, until blended.
2. In separate bowl, combine flours, salt and baking soda. Add flour mixture to margarine/sugar mixture while beating on low speed until combined. Stir in both types of chocolate chips and marshmallows with a scraper or spoon. Cover bowl and refrigerate until cold (at least two hours).
3. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and use a cookie scoop to drop balls of dough (about 2 tablespoons each), 2 inches apart, on prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes (bake longer if you like your cookies crisp and not chewy). Let them rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes then remove cookies to a wire rack and let them cool.

Yield: Makes 18 bakery size cookies

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 168 calories, 2 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate, 7.5 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 11 mg cholesterol, 1.2 g fiber, 112 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 40 percent.

Journal as: 1 portion medium dessert

The Series:

• Comfort Food Makeovers
• The Mashed Potato Makeover
• Macaroni and Cheese, Please!
• The Fried Chicken Makeover
• Top-Rated Gourmet Meatloaf
• Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Related Topics:

• 100-Calorie Chocolate Treats
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Top-Rated Gourmet Meatloaf

But lighter!

One of the top-rated meatloaf recipes on the Food Network website comes from the Joe Allen restaurant. We are making this meatloaf lower in saturated fat and higher in fiber by making a few switches. Instead of using 1 cup of white bread breadcrumbs, I used 100% whole-wheat bread. Instead of sauteing the vegetables in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, I used 1 tablespoon of canola oil. Ground sirloin (around 7% fat) is the base for our light meatloaf instead of regular fat ground beef and I used 1 higher omega-3 egg plus 2 tablespoons egg substitute (or 1 egg white) instead of 2 regular eggs.

WHAT YOU SAVE
Making these changes cut from each serving:

• 110 calories
• 14 grams total fat
• 5 grams saturated fat
• 25 mg cholesterol

And fiber increases by about .5 gram per serving!

Light Restaurant Meatloaf

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (1/2 teaspoon dried thyme can be used)
3 pounds ground sirloin or extra lean ground beef (around 7% fat)
1 cup whole wheat fresh bread crumbs (put 2 to 3 slices of firm whole wheat bread into a small food processor and pulse until breadcrumbs form)
1 large egg, higher omega-3 if available
2 tablespoons egg substitute (or 1 egg white)
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon prepared mustard (add another tablespoon if desired)
2 tablespoons steak sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (add more if desired)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Coat a 9 x 9-inch round or square nonstick baking dish lightly with canola oil.
2. Heat tablespoon of canola oil in medium nonstick frying pan. Stir in onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and thyme and saute until soft. Let cool slightly.
3. In large mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients, along with the cooled vegetables, and mix with your clean hands or a strong mixing spoon. Shape meat mixture into a loaf in the prepared baking dish.
4. Bake for about 1 hour or until meat is cooked throughout and nicely brown on the edges. Serve with mashed potatoes or any other favorite side dish!

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 280 calories, 35 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 10.5 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 120 mg cholesterol, 1.5 g fiber, 314 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 34 percent.

Journal as: 1 serving "lean meat with sauce"

The Series:

• Comfort Food Makeovers
• The Mashed Potato Makeover
• Macaroni and Cheese, Please!
• The Fried Chicken Makeover
• Top-Rated Gourmet Meatloaf
• Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Related Topics:

• Cheap and Easy Recipes and Dinner Ideas
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

The Fried Chicken Makeover

To lighten up the traditionally deep fried chicken, we marinated skinless chicken pieces in buttermilk and coated them with a seasoned flour mixture, then sprayed with canola cooking spray, and baked them in the oven. This chicken is great cold, too!

WHAT YOU SAVE
Making these changes cut from each serving (compared to a deep fried chicken breast):

• 147 calories
• 22 grams total fat
• 7 grams saturated fat
• 86 mg cholesterol

Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne red pepper- increase to 1 teaspoon if extra "heat" is desired)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Canola cooking spray

Preparation:

1. Combine chicken breasts and buttermilk in a gallon-sized zip-top bag. Refrigerate sealed bag in a medium-size bowl for several hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Use a pastry brush to coat the bottom of a 9 x 9-inch baking dish with canola oil.
3. In a new gallon-sized zip-top bag or medium-sized shallow bowl, stir together the flour, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, and white pepper to blend well.
4. Remove a chicken breast from buttermilk and gently shake off any excess. Immediately dip chicken into flour mixture; coat well. Holding chicken piece over a plate, spray both sides well with canola cooking spray. Dip chicken piece into flour mixture a second time and spray again with canola cooking spray. Place into prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining chicken.
5. Bake until chicken is cooked throughout and coating is golden brown (about 25-30 minutes). If needed, switch the oven to broil, and broil the chicken 6 inches from the heat for a minute or two (until outside of chicken is nicely browned), watching very carefully so as not to burn.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Information:
PER SERVING: 194 calories, 28 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 5.5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 74 mg cholesterol, 0.5 g fiber, 225 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 26%

Journal as: 1 serving "lean meat with 1 tsp fat maximum"

The Series:

• Comfort Food Makeovers
• The Mashed Potato Makeover
• Macaroni and Cheese, Please!
• The Fried Chicken Makeover
• Top-Rated Gourmet Meatloaf
• Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Related Topics:

• 'No-Fry' Fried Foods
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Macaroni and Cheese, Please!

That's healthful and delicious!

The two keys to a more healthful mac & cheese are to use a whole wheat or whole grain blend pasta (there are lots of products to choose from) and to make a lighter cheese sauce that's lower in fat and saturated fat. Traditional recipes call for several tablespoons of butter, whole milk or half and half and whole milk cheese, but in this recipe we cut the butter to one tablespoon and switched to whipped butter or less fat margarine, used fat free half and half and lowfat milk and reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese.

WHAT YOU SAVE
Making these changes cut from each serving:

• 318 calories
• 36 grams total fat
• 23 grams saturated fat
• 129 mg cholesterol

And fiber increases by about 6 grams per serving!

Light Mac & Cheese

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients:

3 cups dry macaroni noodles, whole wheat or whole grain blend
1 tablespoon whipped butter or less fat margarine
1/4 cup fat free sour cream
5 tablespoons Wondra quick-mixing flour (white flour can also be used)
1 1/2 cups low fat milk
1 1/2 cups fat free half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch or two of cayenne pepper
3 1/2 cups shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
2/3 cup croutons of your choice, crumbled (optional)
Paprika to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Coat two loaf pans (9 x 5-inch) with cooking spray. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni noodles and boil until al dente (about 8 minutes depending on the noodle), then drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saucepan melt the butter, remove it from heat, and blend in the sour cream and flour to make a paste. Whisk in the milk and half and half and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to simmer, stir in the salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, and stir frequently until the sauce thickens (about 5 minutes). Whisk in an additional tablespoon of flour if needed for desired thickness.
3. Remove the sauce from the heat, add the cheese and stir well. Pour the cheese sauce into a large saucepan, add the drained macaroni, and stir to combine. Serve immediately or pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle crumbled croutons and paprika (if desired). Bake for 30 minutes, or until the mixture bubbles and is lightly browned around the edges.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Nutrition Information:
Per serving: 408 calories, 27 g protein, 43.5 g carbohydrate, 13 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 41 mg cholesterol, 7 g fiber, 420 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 29 percent.

Journal as: 1 cup "starchy foods with 1 tsp fat" + 2 ounces low fat cheese OR 1 frozen dinner light, pasta dish with light sauce + 2 ounces lowfat cheese OR 1 1/2 hearty stews

The Series:

• Comfort Food Makeovers
• The Mashed Potato Makeover
• Macaroni and Cheese, Please!
• The Fried Chicken Makeover
• Top-Rated Gourmet Meatloaf
• Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Related Topics:

• Healthy Eating: Cutting Unhealthy Fats from your Diet
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

The Mashed Potato Makeover

Comfort Food Makeover #1

The original recipe for this dish comes from MarthaStewart.com and it calls for a stick of butter (which we completely deleted) and 1 1/2-cups heavy cream (which we substituted with fat free half and half).

WHAT YOU SAVE
Making these changes cuts from each serving:

• 180 calories
• 20 grams total fat
• 12.5 grams saturated fat
• 65 mg cholesterol

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients:

2 large heads garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half
4 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered
freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste (optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice about 1/4-inch off the top of the garlic heads, throw the tops away, and place heads on a piece of foil. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the garlic heads and wrap them well in the foil. Bake until tender and golden, (about 35-45 minutes). Remove from oven and let stand until cool enough to handle. Peel the skin away from the garlic cloves.
2. Add the garlic cloves to a small nonstick saucepan along with the fat-free half-and-half. Simmer the mixture over medium heat until cream is hot. Reduce heat, cover the pan and continue to simmer for a couple of more minutes. Turn the heat off and lift out the garlic cloves with a slotted spoon, place in custard cup, and set aside. Leave the saucepan with half-and-half on the stove until needed.
3. Place quartered potatoes in a large stockpot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook until very tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potato pieces in a colander.
4. Add hot, steaming, and drained potato pieces directly to a large mixing bowl and beat on low while you slowly pour in the fat-free half-and-half. Season with salt and pepper if desired and gently stir in the roasted garlic cloves. Serve!

Yield: 10 servings

Nutritional Information:
Per serving: 200 Calories, 7 g protein, 45 g carbohydrate, 0.7 g fat (0.1 g saturated fat), 1 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 55 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 3 percent.

Journal as: 3/4 cup starchy foods without added fat.


The Series:

• Comfort Food Makeovers
• The Mashed Potato Makeover
• Macaroni and Cheese, Please!
• The Fried Chicken Makeover
• Top-Rated Gourmet Meatloaf
• Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Related Topics:

• Healthy Eating: Cutting Unhealthy Fats from your Diet
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Comfort Food Makeovers

Lightening Up Your Favorite Comfort Foods!

There's something about favorite comfort foods that just speaks to our hearts as well as our stomachs.

Piping-hot macaroni and cheese with a crunchy golden-brown crust, chewy and gooey chocolate chip cookies warm from the oven, or a big mound of fluffy white mashed potatoes with a pool of melted butter dripping down the side: Who doesn't like comfort food? We all need a little extra comfort every now and then but in the current economic climate we want and need our comfort foods more often than every before.

"When we are anxious or fearful, we fall back to foods we associate with times of lowest stress-that is, with childhood," says Dr. John Foreyt of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Comfort foods are "feel-good" foods, soothing and nurturing us, but they usually come with a rather steep nutritional price tag: they are usually high in fat, saturated fat and calories and sometimes sugar. So what are some of these all-time favorite comfort foods? While men seem to prefer warm, hearty meat-related comfort foods, such as steak, casseroles, and soup, women prefer more snack-related foods like chocolate or ice cream. A few years ago more than 6400 people took my comfort food survey on www.allrecipes.com and these were the top 3 comfort foods:

• Mashed potatoes and gravy
• Macaroni and cheese
• Chocolate chip cookies

Wondering where some of your favorite comfort foods are on the list? Pot roast was the 7th ranked comfort food with fried chicken as the 8th, pasta as the 9th, and meatloaf as the 11th.

For the next few days, I'll be lightening up some of these all-time favorite comfort foods... proving to you along the way that you can have your favorite comfort foods and eat light too!

Sources: John P. Foreyt, Ph.D., Director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston Texas.ESHA Research, Food Processor nutrition analysis software.

The Series:

• The Mashed Potato Makeover
• Macaroni and Cheese, Please!
• The Fried Chicken Makeover
• Top-Rated Gourmet Meatloaf
• Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Related Topics:

• Emotional Eating and Weight Loss
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Lighten Up, Chicken!

Food Network Chicken Recipe Gets a Visit From The WebMD Recipe Doctor

I get a lot of requests on my Recipe Doctor website to lighten up various dishes from The Food Network. People usually write that they want to try the particular recipe, but are put off by all of the rich and fatty ingredients. I actually got three requests for this same chicken dish, so I decided to lighten it up and share the simple and savory recipe with all of you!

Basically I dramatically reduced the cooking fat and switched to a smart oil, plus I doubled the vegetables and used a reduced fat cheese.

The original recipe calls for half a stick of butter; I used 4 teaspoons of canola or olive oil. I used 2 cups of mushrooms and 1/3 cup of shallots compared to 1 cup of mushrooms and 2 tablespoons of shallots in the original recipe. I eliminated the salt and used 1 cup of part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese instead of whole milk mozzarella. I also eliminated a preparation step to keep it all in one pot. Less to do and less to wash!

Here are the SAVINGS:

Calories decreased from 386 to 330
Fat grams decreased from 22.5 grams to 14 grams
Saturated fat decreased from 13 grams to 5 grams
Cholesterol decreased from 152 to 111 mg
Sodium decreased from 429 to 236 mg (mushrooms have a lot of natural flavor)
Fiber went up from .3 gram to almost 1 gram
Omega-3s went up from .2 gram to .6 gram (using canola oil)

Light & Easy Georgia Chicken

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons canola or olive oil, divided use
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (available pre-washed and pre-cut)
1/3 cup minced shallots (chopped onion can be substituted)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese (or cheese of choice)

Preparation:

1. In large, nonstick skillet begin heating 2 teaspoons of canola or olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the sliced mushrooms and shallots and saute until lightly brown (about 5 minutes). Spoon out mushroom mixture to medium bowl and set aside.
2. In same large, nonstick skillet, begin heating the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over medium-high heat. Coat both sides of chicken breasts with hot oil in pan and continue to brown both sides until cooked throughout (about 8 minutes on each side). Sprinkle pepper over the top.
3. Sprinkle cheese even over the top of chicken then top evenly with the mushroom mixture. Turn off heat, cover skillet, and let the chicken dish rest for 5 minutes to melt cheese and blend flavors.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic Members journal as: 1 serving lean meat with sauce + 2 ounces lowfat cheese OR 1 frozen dinner light + 2 ounces lowfat cheese OR 1 1/2 cups hearty stews

Nutrition Information per serving: 330 calories, 44 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 111 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 236 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 38 percent.

Related Topics:

• Tips for New Cooks - Chicken
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

New Tips For People With IBS

The American College of Gastroenterology updated their recommendations for IBS, thanks to an international group of experts who reviewed current available treatment for IBS patients. Here are some of the key points from their Position Statement on the Management of IBS (Am J Gastroenterol 104: S1-S35; doi:10.1038/ajg.2008.122):

• Patients with diarrhea should be screened with blood tests for celiac disease.


• When IBS patients have alarm features or are over 50 they should have further tests like a colonoscopy.


• Some anti-spasm treatments may offer short-term help with abdominal pain from IBS (hyoscine, peppermint oil, cimetropium)


• The probiotic, Bifidobacteria, may help some people with IBS.

I asked for comments on this new position statement from Dr. Christine Frissora, MD, national IBS expert and medical contributor to the new edition of my book, Tell Me What To Eat If I Have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. She wanted to let people know the following:

* New medication - Rifaximin
One recent advance is the use of Rifaximin to break the viscous IBS cycling of bloating, gas and diarrhea. Rifaxmin is FDA approved for traveler's diarrhea in the dose of 200 mg for 3 days (1 tablet, 3 x a day for 3 days). The advantage of Rifaximin over other treatments is that it rebalances the GI tract flora (harmless bacteria inhabiting a part of the body) in a beneficial way; it does not cause C diff; nor has it been reported to cause Achilles tendon rupture. Rifaximin has been studied and proven to be a great help for common IBS symptoms of bloating and gas. More trials are underway.

After a 10 day course of Rifaximin some experts use Bifida bacteria [a probiotic with the trade name Align] one a day before lunch to help maintain a healthy balance of the flora. In some patients the rifaximin needs to be repeated every 3 to 12 months. Overall rifaximin has been a huge help to patients - breaking the cycle of IBS symptoms in a safe, well tolerated way.

* A warning given by Dr. Frissora on anti-depressants.
"In general, anti-depressants make people F-A-T - Fat, Asexual (no sexual appetite) and Tired," notes Dr. Frissora. They can also be very hard to taper and may lead to suicidal thoughts when they are tapered. According to Dr. Frissora, the tricyclics can cause cardiac arrhythmias and death. If a patient is truly depressed then by all means they need to be treated, adds Frissora, but for IBS patients in general she tries to avoid antidepressants.

Related Topics:

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Health Center
• IBS Support Group
• The GI Disorders newsletter - get the latest news on treatments & management of IBS from WebMD!

There's Weight Loss Magic In The Food Diary/Journal

There's some magic in keeping a food diary - one study found it can double a person's weight loss! The researchers discovered that the more food records people kept, the more weight they lost. Published in the August 2008 issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the study adds more evidence to the notion that the simple act of writing down what you eat encourages people to consume fewer calories. This is an added bonus to people with diabetes who are also trying to trim off a few extra pounds.

I've included journal type forms in a few of my books (Tell Me What To Eat If I Have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Tell Me What To Eat If I Have Acid Reflux, Tell Me What To Eat If I Have Diabetes, etc.) for the purpose of taking note what type of foods, food amounts, and times of day might be contributing to the condition in question.

I admit the idea of writing down what you eat, how much, and other items (like your level of hunger) might feel like a punishment and might put you in a "dieting & deprivation" frame of mind. But if you approach it more positively, like a tool to help raise your awareness about some of your food behaviors and a way to increase your weight loss success, it's definitely worth giving it a try!

Related Topics:

• 8 Tips for Making a Food Diary Work for You
• WebMD Tools: The Portion Size Plate
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen & shopping advice in your inbox!

A Favorite Appetizer Turns Into a Light Dinner

One of my family's favorite appetizers is the 7-Layer Mexican Dip. You know the one - seasoned refried beans topped with guacamole, then sour cream, and then shredded cheese, green onions and chopped tomatoes (sliced olives if desired).

Well, this "appetizer" has fast become a favorite light dinner at the Magee headquarters. I just assemble the dip sometime during the day (it takes about 10 minutes) and then when the troops are ready, you just take it out of the refrigerator, open a bag of multi-grain tortilla chips (or homemade oven baked crispy tortilla wedges) and dinner is served! I usually serve some fresh fruit with it too.

Think about it, it has the makings of a light & healthy dinner entrée - protein and fiber from the bean base, some smart fats from the avocado, some protein and calcium coming from the reduced fat shredded cheese, and some phytochemicals and antioxidants courtesy of chopped tomato and green onions.

Here is the recipe for light 7-layer dip. Pair it with my recipe for Light Baked Tortilla Triangles. They go great together!

Light 7-Layer Dip

Everyone loves this fun party dip, even kids! Keep it light by serving it with multigrain tortilla chips (homemade or store-bought) Include 1/2 cup store-bought guacamole or make homemade by blending the following together in a small food processor:

Ingredients:

Guacamole:

1 avocado peeled, pitted, and diced
2 teaspoons lime juice, fresh or bottled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons salsa
Garlic powder or garlic
Salt to taste (optional)
black pepper to taste

Dip:

8 ounces fat-free sour cream
1-ounce packet taco seasoning mix
15-ounce can fat-free or vegetarian refried beans
1 cup diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
2 cups shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese blend (i.e. Jack and cheddar)
2 1/4-ounce can sliced black olives (optional)

Preparation:

1. Make guacamole if you haven't already and set aside.


2. In small bowl, blend sour cream with taco seasoning.


3. Spread the refried beans in the bottom of a deep-dish pie plate (you can warm the beans up in the microwave briefly to make them more spreadable.)


4. Top the beans with the sour cream mixture, then top that with the guacamole.


5. Spread the tomatoes on top, then sprinkle the green onions over the top, followed by the shredded cheese and black olives if desired.


6. Serve with reduced-fat and/or multigrain tortilla chips.

Yield: 6 dinner servings

Nutritional Information:
Per serving (dip only): 226 calories, 14 g protein, 17 g carbohydrate, 11.5 g fat (5 g saturated fat, 5 g monounsaturated, 1.5 g polyunsaturated fat), 19 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 688 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 46%.

Related Topics:

• Oven Baked Tortilla Triangles
• Mexican Diet May Cut Breast Cancer Risk

Oven Baked Tortilla Triangles

Have you ever wanted to make your own tortilla chips? There are benefits to doing this...

1. You get to choose the type of oil that is used like canola oil, which is higher in plant omega-3s and monounsaturated fat than most other vegetable oils.


2. You get to reduce the amount of oil used (by baking instead of deep frying) so that your chips are still crisp and tasty but lower in calories and fat grams compared to chips at the supermarket.


3. You get to enjoy FRESHLY made tortilla chips instead of chips that have been sitting in a bag for weeks and maybe months.

Oven Baked Tortilla Triangles

Ingredients:

3 corn tortillas
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
Canola cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning (sold in packets)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
2. Stack corn tortillas on top of each other and cut the stack into 8 wedges (so you will have 24 triangles altogether). Coat a nonstick cookie sheet with canola oil (you can use a silicon brush or spatula to spread it out). Lay the tortilla triangles on the cookie sheet firmly so that they are coated lightly with the oil.
3. Spray the tops of the triangles with canola cooking spray and with your fingers, sprinkle the taco seasoning over the top.
4. Bake for about 8 minutes, watching carefully because they burn easily, until crisp and golden brown. Serve with bean dip or salsa or use them as garnish for soups, chili, taco salads, or other Mexican entrees.

Yield: Makes 2 servings

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic members Journal as 1/2 cup starchy foods without added fat, OR 1 slice whole grain bread + 1 teaspoon margarine light

Nutrition Information per serving: 118 calories, 2 g protein, 18 g carbohydrate, 4.2 g fat, .4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.5 g fiber, 75 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 32 percent.

Related Topics:

• Award-Winning Garlic Fries Recipe!
• Hot Tamales

Fall Favorites: Ginger Pumpkin Bread

Week #4: GINGER PUMPKIN BREAD

Photo Credit: Elaine Magee

What's November without some pumpkin bread? This is a moist and mildly flavored pumpkin bread recipe that you can embellish with any other favorite fall ingredients like pecans or walnuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit of any kind.

The original recipe called for a stick of melted butter; I've trimmed this down to 3 tablespoons and used canola oil instead. Some lowfat buttermilk was added in place of the lost butter. Mostly whole-wheat flour was used instead of 100% white flour and the sugar was decreased by 25% and the 2 eggs were replaced by a higher omega-3 egg and an egg white.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons lowfat buttermilk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 large egg, omega-3 if available
1 large egg white
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Coat the inside of a loaf pan (8 1/2" x 4 1/2") with canola cooking spray or light margarine and dust lightly with some white flour; set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl on low speed, combine canola oil, buttermilk, sugars, pumpkin, egg and egg white and beat until completely blended, scraping bowl after about 20 seconds. In medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, ginger and salt.
3. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, beating on low speed only until just combined, scraping bowl toward the end.
4. Spoon batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 50 minutes). Let it cook for 10 minutes then invert pan and transfer the pumpkin bread to a wire rack to cool completely, if desired. Serve warm or cold.

Yield: Makes 10 slices

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic members journal as: 1 small muffin OR 2 slices whole grain bread

Nutrition Information per slice: 169 calories, 3.5 g protein, 29 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, .5 g saturated fat, 21 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 178 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 26%

Week #1: Topless Chicken Pot Pie
Week #2: Super Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Week #3: Spiced Apple Cake
Week #4: Ginger Pumpkin Bread

Related Topics:

• Winter Squash: Recipes and Tips
• Pumpkin Recipes Packed with Nutrition

Mad Cow Musings

Worried about mad cow disease? This past year's largest meat recall in U.S. history, involving a massive 143,383,823 pounds of raw and frozen beef probably only contributed to your concern. The recall was due to one meat packing company in Chino, California, which appeared to be processing so-called "downer" cows, livestock that cannot walk, which is against USDA regulations for good reason.

One of the reasons that livestock cannot walk is infection with "mad cow disease" or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). If passed on to people by infected beef, it can cause a deadly brain disease known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. According to the USDA, out of about 800,000 cows tested since 2004, two have tested positive for BSE and none have shown up in the food supply.

Just in case you want to know what you can do in your supermarket and your kitchen to reduce your risk of BSE...

• Eat less beef in general. Simply put, the less beef you eat, the lower your risk of eating contaminated beef.


• Avoid ground beef; or buy it from a store or butcher you trust, or grind it yourself. (Ground beef is a little more likely to contain the proteins that cause BSE in cows than steaks, because ground meat can come from several cuts of meat and include bone marrow or other questionable parts - depending on the company.)


• Buy cuts of lean beef that are boneless to avoid contact with bone marrow.

Related Topics:

• Greener Pastures
• WebMD Video: Keeping Meat Safe

Fall Favorites: Spiced Apple Cake

Week #3: SPICED APPLE CAKE

Photo Credit: Elaine Magee

This is a double fall favorite because it has spice cake and apples all wrapped up in the same dessert. I made all sorts of changes from the original recipe. I replace a majority of the white flour with whole-wheat flour and I cut the amount of granulated sugar in half. The 2 sticks of butter in the original recipe were replaced, in part, with 5 tablespoons canola oil and some applesauce. And instead of throwing away the rum (after soaking the dried fruit in it), I added it to the batter to replace the rest of the butter that was originally called for. Lastly, only 1 egg and some egg substitute helped blend the batter instead of the 3 eggs originally called for.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries or dried berries
1/4 cup dark or golden rum, apple cider or juice, or amaretto liqueur
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 large egg, higher omega-3 if available
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups diced, unpeeled, apples* (cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped (optional)

Preparation:

1. Position rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 350-degrees. Coat the inside of a bundt pan with canola oil or canola oil cooking spray. Dust the inside with flour and shake out any excess.
2. In small, microwave-safe bowl, combine dried fruit and rum. Microwave for about 30 seconds on HIGH and set aside.
3. In large mixing bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt by beating on low for a minute. With mixer off, pour in the brown and granulated sugars, canola oil, applesauce, egg, egg substitute, vanilla, and the rum from the dried fruit mixture (reserve the dried fruit for the next step) and beat on HIGH speed, until batter is smooth (about 1 minute), scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Stir in the apples, pecans and/or (if desired), and the rum-soaked dried fruit.
4. Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth top with spatula. Bake in center of oven until a fork inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean (about 1 hour).
5. Cool the cake in pan on rack for 10 minutes, then invert cake pan onto a serving plate and cool completely. The cake can be stored at room temperature wrapped tightly in foil or plastic wrap for up to 3 days.

* Sweet apples, like Red Delicious, work well in this recipe. To test the recipe though, I used a combination of Red Delicious and Granny Smith (because that's what I had in the fruit crisper) and it worked out wonderfully.

Yield: Makes 12 servings

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic members journal as as 1 piece small muffin + 1 piece fruit OR 1 medium dessert + 1 piece fruit OR 2 pieces pancakes, waffles, french toast + 1 piece fruit

Nutrition Information Per serving: 281 calories, 4.5 g protein, 51 g carbohydrate, 6.5 g fat, .6 g saturated fat, 18 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 229 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 21 percent.

Week #1: Topless Chicken Pot Pie
Week #2: Super Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Week #3: Spiced Apple Cake
Week #4: Ginger Pumpkin Bread

Related Topics:

• Healthy Fruit Dessert Recipes
• Common Spices May Help Diabetes

Fall Favorites: Super Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Week #2 SUPER SLOW COOKER POT ROAST

Photo Credit: Elaine Magee

The slow, moist simmering of a slow cooker can turn an extra lean cut of beef into a tender, flavorful entrée. So, armed with the mighty magic of a slow cooker, we can take the leanest roasts around (a lean chuck arm pot roast with no visible fat and a beef bottom round roast with no visible fat) and turn them into a tender and savory pot roast. What makes this pot roast "super" special is the high antioxidant and phytochemical-packed veggies cooked with the roast.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unbleached white flour
4 tablespoons merlot (or other red wine), non-alcoholic beer, or water
2 medium onions, outer skin peeled and top trimmed off then each cut into 8 wedges
About 16 whole garlic cloves, peeled (about 1 bulb)
4 cups baby carrots (16 ounce bag) or 4 medium carrots, cut into three or four pieces each
1 chuck arm pot roast, beef chuck cross rib roast or beef bottom round roast, lean with no visible fat (about 2.5 pounds)
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

1. In measuring cup, combine flour and red wine. Add to crock of slow cooler and stir in onions, garlic cloves, and carrots.
2. Sprinkle the outside of roast with salt and pepper and set on top of carrot/onion mixture. Pour Worcestershire sauce over the top of the roast, Cover slow cooker, and cook on HIGH for 5 1/2 hours or on LOW for 9 hours.
3. Spoon the juices from the bottom of the slow cooker over the vegetables and roast then sprinkle fresh parsley over the top and continue to cook 30 minutes on HIGH or 1 hour on LOW.
4. Place roast on a serving plate and let sit 10 minutes. Place vegetables in a serving dish and pan juices in a gravy boat. Cut the roast against the grain into slices with your desired thickness and serve!

Yield: Makes 8 servings

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic members journal as: Per serving: 279 calories, 35 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 77 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 148 mg sodium (365 mg sodium with added salt). Calories from fat: 26 percent.

Week #1: Topless Chicken Pot Pie
Week #2: Super Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Week #3: Spiced Apple Cake
Week #4: Ginger Pumpkin Bread

Related Topics:

• Slow but Sure Recipes
• Greener Pastures

Talking About Food Synergy

You may have read about my new book, FOOD SYNERGY, but now you can actually hear me talk about it! A podcast of a short interview just went live on HealthCastle.com (an online nutrition community run by Registered Dietitian) as well as iTunes. It will be featured for 2 weeks.

If you listen to the interview you will hear me get very excited about "Chapter 7." I call Chapter 7 the "Aha" chapter... the chapter where it all comes together in a way that I hope blows your mind (just a little). I tell people who buy the book that if they only have a couple of hours, read the introduction and go straight to Chapter 7.

Anyway, enough about chapter 7! Here is the link to the podcast: http://www.healthcastle.com/podcast-020.shtml. Have a listen.

Related Topics:

• Top 10 Food Synergy Super Foods
• 5 Food Synergy Secrets for Weight Loss

Are You Really Hypoglycemic?

I sometimes say that I'm "hypoglycemic" and for me that's just code for "I'm getting kind of light headed and I need to eat something PDQ." It usually happens to me when I've had a caffeinated beverage without eating something at the same time. I call it "hypoglycemic" because it feels a little like I think having low blood sugar would feel. But maybe, at least for me, "caffeine sensitive" might be the more accurate term. It isn't just me that seems to throw the term around loosely though.

So what is hypoglycemia and does it really exist in people who don't have diabetes?

The true definition of hypoglycemia is low blood sugar-below 50 and it isn't very common in people without diabetes. It is possible that some of us are more sensitive to quick changes in our blood sugar (so we may still have normal blood sugar levels but the quick change is causing us to have symptoms). With reactive hypoglycemia the body may overreact to fast absorbed carbohydrates (like from sugars), but in my experience caffeine and PMS-type hormones can bring about a feeling of hypoglycemia more so than sugar intake in some people. And eating balanced meals (with protein and fiber) seems to help minimize lower blood sugars for some.

If you think you have reactive hypoglycemia, it's best to get a proper diagnosis from your doctor.

And here are a few diet tips that might help reduce the symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia:

• Eat five small meals a day that are nicely balanced with a mixture of complex carbohydrate (whole grains, vegetable and beans), protein and some smart fat (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat).


• If you are sensitive to the body's reaction to sugars, eat them in sensible servings WITH other foods and not by themselves.


• Avoid caffeine, especially during the time of day when you seem the most sensitive to it.

Related Topics:

• WebMD Video: Non-Diabetics Can Have Hypoglycemia?
• Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar) in People Without Diabetes

Fall Favorites: Topless Chicken Pot Pie

THE FALL FAVORITES RECIPE SERIES!

Is Fall your favorite season? I must admit, I really love this time of year. In my neck of the woods, the days have noticeably become shorter and the temperature cooler. Each year when this happens I automatically start cooking some of our favorite fall foods. This includes several savory dinner entrées, yummy fall breads, and basically anything with pumpkin.

So, for the next 4 weeks, I am going to do a Recipe Doctor "makeover" on 4 Fall Food Favorites, starting with two favorite savory entrées (healthful variations on Chicken Pot Pie and Slow-Cooker Pot Roast) and working our way to a a favorite fall bread and dessert!

Week #1: TOPLESS CHICKEN POT PIE

Photo Credit: Elaine Magee

Break your addiction to frozen pot pies with this recipe for Topless Chicken Pot Pie.

Your typical chicken pot pie has fat, saturated fat and calories coming at you from three directions; the top crust, the creamy filling, and the bottom crust. We are making a lower fat, higher fiber crumb topping to replace the top pie crust and we are making a lighter filling using only a couple teaspoons of olive or canola oil to sauté lots of vegetables; plus a cream sauce made with 2 tablespoons of whipped butter or less fat margarine, fat free half and half and skinless chicken breast. If you want to keep the bottom crust, choose a whole-wheat pie crust if possible. Or, if you are really feeling like trimming calories and fat grams, the pot pie can be bottomless as well.

Time Saving Note: If you want to trim some prep time, substitute 1 2/3 cups Bertolli Mushroom Alfredo (bottled) for the homemade white sauce. You can also make this dish with or without the bottom crust.

Ingredients:

1 whole-wheat pie crust, uncooked (optional)

Filling:
2 teaspoons olive oil or canola oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped or sliced celery
3/4 cup chopped carrot (baby carrots can be used)
1 teaspoon minced or chopped garlic
3 cups diced roasted or grilled skinless and boneless chicken breast

Homemade White Sauce Option:
1/2 cup light cream cheese
1 cup fat free half and half
1 tablespoon unbleached white flour
1/4 teaspoon ground white or black pepper

Topping:
1/3 cup Panko crumbs
1/3 cup quick or old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons parsley flakes
Olive oil or canola cooking spray

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Set pie crust, if desired, in a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan if not already in one or divide crust into 5 equal circles if using individual pot pie dishes. If making individual pot pies, place each of the crust circles into an individual dish or ramekin about 4- to 4.5-inches wide, set aide.
2. Pour 2 teaspoons oil into a medium nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, stir in the onion, celery and carrot and sauté for a few minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute. Scoop this mixture into a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Combine light cream cheese, half and half and flour in a small food processor (or electric mixer) pulsing until smooth. In same medium saucepan over medium-high heat, pour in the cream cheese mixture and continue to stir and gently boil until it thickens (about 2 minutes). Turn off the heat and stir in the pepper, sautéed vegetables and diced chicken. Spoon mixture into the crust lined pie plate or if making individual pot pies, divide the filling between the 5 individual dishes (about 1 1/4 cups).
4. For the topping, in medium sized bowl, combine the Panko, oats, and Parmesan cheese and parsley flakes. Spread topping over the top of the large pot pie or 5 small pot pies. Coat the top generously with canola or olive oil cooking spray. Place pot pie(s) on a cookie sheet and bake in oven for about 30 minutes (for one large pie) or 20 minutes (for individual pies) or until crust is nicely browned.

Yield: Makes 5 servings

With Bottom Crust
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic Members journal as: 2 cups "hearty stew" OR 1 portion frozen dinner regular + 1/2 cup vegetables with 1 tsp fat OR 1 serving of "lean meat with sauce" + 1 cup vegetables without added fat + 1 slice bread (1 serving of regular crackers can be substituted)

Per serving (with bottom crust): 440 calories, 36 g protein, 33 g carbohydrate, 18 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 93 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 564 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 36 percent.

Without Bottom Crust
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic Members journal as: 1 1/2 cups "hearty stews" OR 1 portion light frozen dinner + 1/2 cup vegetables with 1 tsp fat OR 1 serving of "lean meat with sauce" + 1 cup vegetables without added fat.

Per serving (without bottom crust): 320 calories, 35 g protein, 18 g carbohydrate, 11 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 93 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 401 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 31 percent.


Week #1: Topless Chicken Pot Pie
Week #2: Super Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Week #3: Spiced Apple Cake
Week #4: Ginger Pumpkin Bread

Related Topics:

• Fall Foods to Be Thankful for
• Frighteningly Fattening Fall Foods Slideshow

Taste Test Tuesday: Two New Green Teas

Green Teas from Celestial Seasonings

Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Every time I see those pink ribbons on pretty much anything, it grabs my attention. Well, there are two new flavors on Celestial Seasonings green tea boxes proudly displaying the pink ribbon as a sponsor of the National Breast Cancer Foundation...just in time for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

The colorful and eye-catching art on the two boxes were designed by two artists who are breast cancer survivors. These boxes are so beautiful; you will want to keep them out on your kitchen counter! The bonus to this is you are much more likely to think about having your high antioxidant cup of green tea if it's sitting right there in front of you.

How did they taste?
What I loved about both of the flavors was that they still looked and tasted like green tea. Sometimes when you have a berry-flavored tea, the tea is literally red and overwhelmingly tart or sweet. Not the case here.

The Topical Grapefruit was nice and subtle and you might still enjoy this tea even if you aren't crazy about grapefruit.

The Cranberry Pomegranate Green Tea was also delightful. The berry and pomegranate flavors were noticeable and pleasant without being overwhelming.

I will be enjoying both of these new green tea flavors throughout Breast Cancer Awareness Month and beyond!

NOTE: Green tea is one of the 10 "synergy superfoods" I named in my most recent book, FOOD SYNERGY. The half life of some of the healthful phytochemicals in green tea is a few hours so have a cup in the morning and one later in the day or early evening!

Related Topics:

• Green Tea Ingredient Slows Breast Cancer
• WebMD Video: Green Tea for the Skin

Healthy Lifestyle of a Breast Cancer Survivor

I am often inspired by WebMD members who post on my healthy cooking community board! I read a post from a Stage 1A breast cancer survivor who described her usual day:

• She eats at least 10 servings of vegetables per day and at least 5 of fruit.
• She eats yogurt, nuts, lentils, raisins, brown rice, whole grain cereal, and edamame.
• She exercises 7 days a week, is 5'7" tall and weighs 125 pounds
• She doesn't smoke, drink alcohol or soda, doesn't eat junk food or fast food
• She doesn't eat meat
• She meditates once a day

Can you believe how awesome her lifestyle is? She wanted to know if I saw anything that she should change. Wow!

I told her that there are a lot of vegetables there so if she came down a bit in servings, she shouldn't worry too much - her produce base is definitely covered. I told her she could take a day or two off of exercising each week, as the joints do tend to need a day a week to rest and recover.

I won't question her reason for not eating meat, but studies show various health benefits to eating high omega-3 fish (and fish in general) and in some ways meat like poultry doesn't have the same health risks as other meat (it's more health neutral if that makes sense).

After reading her post though, I was left with the nagging question of whether she ever enjoys some dark chocolate or maybe a cup of frozen yogurt or something?

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. What are you doing to make your lifestyle more healthy?

Related Topics:

• Fight Breast Cancer at Every Meal
• Exercise and Nutrition After Breast Cancer Surgery
• Yoga May Help After Breast Cancer

Eating Healthy in a Polluted World: The Beijing "Shutdown"

How Researchers Are Taking Advantage of The Beijing "Shutdown"

It's no surprise that Beijing, where the Olympics were held, is known to be a highly polluted city. You may have heard during the Olympic coverage that there was something of an industrial "shutdown" that took place before and during the Olympics. Out of concern for the athletes, Chinese officials agreed to reduce industrial activity by as much as 30% and mandated cuts in automobile use by half to curb industrial emissions for the Olympics.

In my mind this brought the point home that big pollution producers exist in the world and we all share the air. But I didn't bring this up to depress everyone. I was thrilled to read that American researchers were actually able to take advantage of this unique opportunity. A National Science Foundation funded project is using specially equipped unmanned aircraft to measure and track dust, soot and other pollution aerosols that travel from Beijing and other parts of China in atmospheric brown clouds. They will be able to observe how the atmosphere responds when a heavily populated area substantially curbs everyday industrial emissions.

Black carbon in soot is considered to be a major contributor to global warming. According to the chief scientist on the project, V. Ramanathan, "By determining the effects of soot reduction during the Olympics on atmospheric heating, we can gain much needed insights into the magnitude of future global warming."

Satellite and ground observations began on August 1 while pre-inspection test flights by the unmanned aircraft began August 9. Testing will continue through September 30. You can read more about this fascinating study on the National Science Foundation web site..

Again, as I said in my previous blog entry, "What does all of this have to do with eating healthy? Because what goes up must come down...The airborne pollutants eventually return to the land where they can contaminate the soil and water and that is where we grow the food we eat."

Related Topics:

• Eating Healthy in a Polluted World
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