Healthy Recipe Doctor

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

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

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: Weight Watchers Chocolate Chip Soft Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

My first thought after tasting the new Weight Watchers Chocolate Chip Soft Cookies (individually wrapped) was, "I like my chocolate chip cookies with a bit more chocolate than cookie." They are indeed "soft" cookies. Each cookie is worth 1 Weight Watcher point mainly because they have pumped up the fiber (which lowers the points in the Weight Watchers point system).

Without the fiber fortification, each cookie would be worth 2 points.

Is the fiber coming from the use of whole wheat flour? Well...no, the first ingredient is enriched wheat flour. The second ingredient is invert sugar, the third is chocolate chips, and the fourth is sugar. Just in case you wondered...there are 8 grams of sugar per cookie, which computes to 36% calories from sugar.

A little further down the ingredient list you'll come to inulin, which they describe as a "natural extract of chicory roots". Bingo! What do we know about inulin? It's considered to be a "low-digestible carbohydrate" which means it is incompletely or not absorbed in the small intestine but is partly fermented by bacteria in the large intestine. Manufacturers often use inulin, also considered to be a prebiotic, as a fat replacement.

How does it taste?
These cookies taste pretty good and they seemed to appeal somewhat to the other people that sampled them. I prefer homemade cookies from the oven made with part whole wheat flour, but admittedly that takes a bit more culinary cunning than opening up a box of these cookies.

Each cookie contains:
90 calories, 2.5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 18 g carbohydrate, 8 g sugar, 5 mg cholesterol, and 4 g fiber.

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The Recipe Doctor's Favorite Kitchen Tools

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:33:00 +0000

I do quite a bit of cooking in my family life and in my professional life and I definitely have a few of my favorite kitchen tools that make all that cooking easier. If you have a new kitchen or if you are giving your old kitchen a little makeover...check out some of the tools I use to make my healthy recipes.

Kitchen Aid Standing Mixer

Tracy Ducasse /
CC BY 2.0

At the top of the list would be my Kitchen Aid standing mixer. I use it so much I've had to replace the attachments over the years. I would get a new one, what with all the new cool colors you can get them in now, but my ten year old white one is still going strong. These mixers are built to last, that's for sure. I use the mixer for everything from cookie dough to muffins and mashed potatoes.

Mini Food Processor
Often you don't have enough food that you are "processing" to fire up the regular sized food processor, especially if you are cooking for just one or two. The mini food processor is the answer. I actually I use my mini food processor more than I do my regular sized one. Need to puree an avocado or a cup of raspberries? Need to chop some nuts quickly? Need to grind some toasted oats into oat flour? Time to pull out that mini food processor.

Indoor Grill
One of my favorite veggie side dishes is grilled asparagus spears. I can make a batch of these in 5 minutes using my indoor grill (like a George Foreman brand grill). One of my favorite sandwiches is grilled eggplant with fresh basil or pesto and mozzarella. The best way I've found to grill up thickly sliced eggplant is with my indoor grill.

Microwave Vegetable Steamer (Pampered Chef)
When I'm making dinner, I'm often tending to the entrée so I like being able to place my vegetables in a container designed for the microwave and just press a button. The lid of this container has holes in it (to let the steam escape) so I just set the cut fresh veggies in the container, add water into the container to rinse the veggies, place the lid on top, and then turn the container upside down to drain the water out. Whatever water droplets are left on the veggies are enough to help them steam and stay moist. You want to avoid over-cooking your vegetables, so set your microwave to a shorter rather than longer cooking time.

What is your favorite kitchen tool? Do you have something you really depend on? Tell us about it!

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Recipe Makeover: Nancy's Pumpkin Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Every year for the past 5 years, a friend of mine brings a much anticipated and appreciated loaf of pumpkin bread over as a holiday gift. And every year I think to myself that it just might be one of the best-tasting pumpkin breads I've had. Well, this year I asked her for the recipe.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I did warn her that I would be "messing with" her recipe by lowering the fat, saturated fat, and sugar and switching to half whole-wheat flour. If you are a sweet potato fan, then by all means use cooked, pureed sweet potatoes in place of the canned pumpkin.

Here's what happened nutritionally:
The calories decreased from 258 to 169 and the grams of fat and cholesterol were chopped in half, saturated fat was cut by 2/3rds, and fiber doubled.

Nancy's Light Pumpkin Bread

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup egg substitute
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup lite pancake syrup or maple syrup
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
6 tablespoons lowfat milk or fat-free half-and-half
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup unbleached white flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, nutmeg & ginger

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with foil or paper liners, or if making bread, coat a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with canola cooking spray (dust lightly with flour if desired); set aside.
In large mixing bowl, combine all the wet ingredients by beating on medium speed until well blended.
Pour the dry ingredients, all at once, into the mixing bowl and beat on medium-low until blended, scrape sides of the bowl and blend again.
Fill prepared muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter or pour all of the batter in the prepared loaf pan. Bake until top of muffins spring back nicely after gentle pressure (about 30 minutes). If making a loaf, bake for about 70 minutes.

Yield: makes 12 muffins or 1, 9 x 5-inch loaf. If you want to make 2 loaves or 24 muffins, just double the recipe.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 169 calories, 3 g protein, 29 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, .5 g saturated fat, 3 g monounsaturated fat, 1.5 g polyunsaturated fat, 18 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 185 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 27 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .4 gram, Omega-6 fatty acids = 1 gram.

Original recipe contains 258 calories, 10 grams of fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, and 36 mg cholesterol per muffin or slice.

NOTE: If you want to add the Cinnamon Vanilla Glaze - In a mixing bowl, combine 1/4-cup light cream cheese, 1/2-cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons fat free vanilla creamer or similar, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

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Taste Test Tuesday: New Morning Star Maple Flavored Sausage Patties

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:33:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:33:00 +0000

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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Taste Test Tuesday: Bumble Bee Pink Salmon in a Pouch

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Lightly Marinated with Lemon & Dill

Looking for a super convenient way to get your daily dose of fish omega-3s? Many health organizations recommend consuming two to three servings of fish a week, preferably from the higher fat fish (because this translates into a higher intake of fish omega-3s).

I have to really work on making this happen every week, and I actually like fish! And I know I'm not alone in this. I'm always on the lookout for quick fish options and the other day I tried a "pouch" of salmon with lemon dill flavoring.

The ingredients are pretty straightforward:

Pink salmon
Marinade (soybean oil, water, salt, sugar, lemon flavor, citric acid, sodium acid pyrophosphate)
Dill

How did it taste?
The lemon and dill flavor was pleasant and although the texture was firm compared to freshly cooked salmon (similar to the difference between fresh tuna and canned tuna), it wasn't unappealing. I would buy this product again mainly due to the sheer convenience of having salmon on hand in the pantry.

Possible uses?
Here are three ways that you could use the firmer "pouched" salmon, in case you were wondering:

Add to your omelet or frittata to make a salmon avocado omelet or a salmon & chive frittata.

Use the salmon like you would canned tuna to make a salmon salad sandwich.

Add bite-size pieces or salmon to pasta dishes such as salmon fettuccine Alfredo (made with a light Alfredo sauce and whole wheat pasta).

4-ounce pouch:

150 calories
25 g protein
2 g carbohydrate
4.5 g fat
1 g saturated fat
45 mg cholesterol
600 mg sodium

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How To Handle the Halloween Stash

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:32:00 +0000

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:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with canola or olive oil cooking spray.
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.
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.
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.
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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Is Balsamic Vinegar Leading to Lead Poisoning?

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

"Once in awhile I'll eat whole wheat bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I don't do this too often. But the other day at the grocers while looking at their collection of balsamic vinegars a sign was posted warning customers that the vinegars contain lead?! How long has this been going on and how is lead getting into the vinegars? Now I'm worried."

Jeremy Mates / CC BY 2.0

I've received a few questions about the lead content of balsamic vinegar on my Healthy Cooking message board, so I did a little research. In 2004, an environmental law group filed suit in the state of California claiming that lead levels in balsamic and wine vinegars violated California Prop. 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986.

I wouldn't throw your balsamic vinegar away, but I would stay tuned in in the coming years as they figure out whether the lead content in some types of balsamic vinegar might be higher than expected and if so, why.

Lead has been in the environment for ages as a toxic metal (it's in the air, water, factory pollution, some pipes, old paint, some imported pottery, and in soil). People have been manufacturing and consuming balsamic vinegar for hundreds of years.

I looked up some details on how this type of vinegar is produced in THE FOOD ENCYCLOPEDIA. It is made from the cooked and concentrated MUST of white grapes in the area around Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy. The juice of local Trebbiano grapes is aged in a succession of 12 kegs, each decreasing in size, made of different aromatic woods, such as juniper, mulberry, chestnut and red oak. Sounds simple enough, but this process can take from the required minimum of 12 years aged in wood to as long as 50 years! Perhaps the small amount of lead is transferred from the containers it is being stored in all those years? Or is it getting into the grapes through contaminated water in certain areas? Is it getting into the grapes from the soil? I'm just brainstorming here. Testing appears to be going on as we speak so perhaps we'll know more in the near future.

Meanwhile, I personally would worry more about the lead in my environment (water, air, old paint etc.) and less about the balsamic vinegar I use a few times a week. Just my opinion!

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10 Riskiest Foods Regulated by the FDA

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:16:00 +0000

Super Healthy Foods Are On the List!

We expect to see leafy greens, tomatoes and power fruits like berries on the list of "super healthy" foods we should be eating more of...but we are not expecting to see them on the list of the 10 riskiest foods regulated by the U.S. Food And Drug Administration (FDA).

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) authored this just-released report and identified which FDA regulated foods are responsible for the most food-borne outbreaks (using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and elsewhere). The FDA is responsible for regulating 80% of the food supply including produce, seafood, egg & dairy and typical packaged foods such as peanut butter and cookie dough.

Here's the list with the top three being the heaviest hitters:

Leafy greens, involved in 363 outbreaks and 13,568 reported cases of illness.
Eggs, involved in 352 outbreaks and 11,163 reported cases of illness.
Tuna, involved in 268 outbreaks and 2,341 reported cases of illness.
Oysters, involved in 132 outbreaks and 3,409 reported cases of illness.
Potatoes, involved in 108 outbreaks and 3,659 reported cases of illness.
Cheese, involved in 83 outbreaks and 2,761 reported cases of illness.
Ice cream, involved in 74 outbreaks and 2,594 reported cases of illness.
Tomatoes, involved in 31 outbreaks and 3,292 reported cases of illness.
Sprouts, involved in 31 outbreaks and 2,022 reported cases of illness.
Berries, involved in 25 outbreaks and 3,397 reported cases of illness.

Tell me more about the top 3

#1 Leafy greens
The majority of the outbreaks were linked to the norovirus, spread by unwashed hands of an ill food handler or consumer. The rest were mostly caused by E. coli and salmonella.

What can you do about it?
Well, since most of the outbreaks occurred in restaurants, we need to choose our restaurants carefully as always. Chlorine washes and other post-harvest treatments can reduce cross contamination but they don't completely eliminate risk. According to CSPI, most of the leafy greens sold have already been through washing and treatment tanks that are more high tech than we could achieve washing them in our own sink. Although this doesn't help you when eating a salad, cooking the greens will reduce the risk of contamination because the heat kills the bacteria.

Does organic increase or decrease the risk of food poisoning? The Center for Disease Control doesn't break out their data on outbreaks based on regular or organic produce, but CSPI is assuming that the risk is similar.

#2 Eggs
The majority of illnesses from eggs can be traced to the "S" word - salmonella. The 1970s saw a big reduction in risk of salmonella from eggs thanks to new regulations for cleaning and inspecting eggs (most types of salmonella live in the intestinal tracts of the birds and when the egg is contaminated with the feces, it can be passed to humans.) But unfortunately it isn't that simple. Today the most common type of salmonella (salmonella enteriditis) contaminates the eggs before the shells are even formed because this type of Salmonella infects the ovaries of the hens.

What can you do about it?
Luckily the future looks brighter for egg lovers. New regulations aimed at minimizing salmonella enteriditis in egg production become effective in 2010 or 2012, depending on the size of the egg producer). As always though, cooking eggs thoroughly destroys most pathogens and serving eggs raw or "runny" or leaving egg dishes near room temperature for too long can encourage bacteria to multiply.

#3 Tuna
Much of the risk here has to do with fresh tuna, not canned, and tuna eaten in restaurants, not at home. The main culprit is a toxin called scombrotoxin that is released when fresh fish is stored above 60 degrees Fahrenheit and begins to decay. Symptoms of scombroid poisoning can include skin flushing, headaches, abdominal cramps, nausea, diarrhea, palpitations and loss of vision. There have been some outbreaks from tuna salad consumption so canned tuna is not completely off the hook (so to speak).

What can you do about it?
Adequate refrigeration and handling can slow the process of fish spoiling, according to CSPI, but surprisingly the toxin cannot be destroyed (once released) by cooking, freezing or canning. Eating tuna raw or cooked in restaurants doesn't seem to make a difference in risk. If buying tuna is your aim (in restaurants or in grocery stores or fish markets) make every effort to choose seafood suppliers that are known for having high standards for their fish and handling practices.

For more information, read the entire report: The 10 Riskiest Foods Regulated By The U.S. Food And Drug Administration.

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Taste Test Tuesday: Green Giant Healthy Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

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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Fall Baking Part 2: Chocolate Chip Orange Scones

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:35:00 +0000

Do you like your daily dose of dark chocolate first thing in the morning? This scone will fix you right up! The original recipe called for all white flour (we used 1 cup of whole wheat and 3/4 cup of white flour), 5 tablespoons of stick butter (we used light margarine with plant sterols and froze it to make it easier to crumble into the flour). Instead of half and half we used fat free half and half and I added some orange zest to boost the flavor.

By making these changes we cut the calories (in these still delectable and satisfying scones) by about 50 per scone and we trimmed off 4 grams of total fat and 4 grams saturated fat per scone. Cholesterol plummeted from 19 milligrams to 2.

Chocolate Chip Orange or "Halloween" Scones

Photo: Elaine Magee

5 tablespoons light margarine with plant sterols added (whipped butter can be substituted if butter is preferred)
1 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup unbleached white flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup miniature semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (or pulse regular size chocolate chips briefly in food processor)
1 tablespoon orange zest, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons fat free half and half

Place each individual tablespoon of margarine on a piece of wax paper or foil and place in the freezer to chill for about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with canola cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the frozen butter, breaking each tablespoon into about 8 pieces each. Beat on medium-low speed until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips and orange zest. On low speed, beat in the orange juice and fat free half and half just until a dough is formed.
On a floured surface, pat scone dough into a 9 inch circle about 1/2 inch thick. Use a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter to cut out 8 scones and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown (about 12 minutes). Transfer scones to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!

Yield: Makes 8 scones

Nutrition information per scone: 183 calories, 4 g protein, 30 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 2 g monounsaturated fat, 1.2 g polyunsaturated fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 2.5 g fiber, 307 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 25 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .2 gram, Omega-6 fatty acids = 1 grams.

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The Power of Protein

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:02:00 +0000

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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Taste Test Tuesday: Smart Ones Vegetable Pizza Minis

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:56:00 +0000

They're new. They're cute and convenient (and a little high in sodium). They're Weight Watchers Smart Ones mini pizzas. There are a few different flavor options (cheese, vegetable, and pepperoni) but of course, I tried the vegetable option. I would prefer to make my own mini pizzas using mini whole-wheat bagels or whole-wheat pita bread as the crust, but this type of product can come in handy when hungry teens are afoot and you have literally only a few minutes to make a snack.

So How Do They Taste?
They look like mini deep-dish pizzas and there seemed to be enough cheese and toppings to make it appealing. I think they must have looked better than they actually tasted because my taste buds were a little disappointed. What I think was missing the most was a flavorful pizza sauce.

Hunger wise they were fairly satisfying; that might have been the 6 grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein kicking in. It makes a nice snack or lunch entrée at 270 calories. The 3.5 grams of saturated fat is mainly coming from the cheese.

1 tray (4 pieces) =

270 calories
11 g protein
41 g carbohydrate
7 g fat
3.5 g saturated fat
1.5 g polyunsaturated fat
1.5 g monounsaturated fat
10 mg cholesterol
6 g fiber
470 mg sodium

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Makeover Monday: Dutch Pancakes Go Under The Knife

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Sunday morning meant my dad would make Dutch pancakes for the family. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, they are a lot like much bigger and much thicker crepes. Powdered sugar would dust the pancakes (and my mouth) as I recall. He used a mix that relatives of ours would send him periodically from the Netherlands. But it was on my first trip to the Netherlands when I tasted Dutch pancakes in a country restaurant attached to an actual windmill that ground wheat... that I really developed an appreciation for this traditional Dutch food.

You can make a more savory Dutch Pancake and top it with bacon and sautéed apples or with cheese and herbs or you can make a sweet rendition with fruit and whipped cream or powdered sugar. When I say they are "big" I mean imagine the biggest cast iron skillet you've every seen. That's how big they are.

The following recipe is for a whole-wheat lower fat version of Dutch Pancakes made with a 10-inch nonstick skillet though (a little more practical portion size wise).

Whole-Wheat Dutch Pancakes

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients:

1 large egg, high omega-3 if available
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 1/4 cup milk of choice (light vanilla soy milk, fat free half and half, or 1% lowfat milk)
1/4 teaspoon salt (this can be reduced to 1/8 teaspoon for a total of 158 mg sodium per serving)
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
Flavorings (optional): a teaspoon of finely chopped lemon zest or fresh herbs could be blended into the pancake batter, depending on the desired pancake flavors.
Canola oil cooking spray

Directions:

In blender bowl, combine egg, egg substitute, milk and salt and pulse until smooth. Pour flour into blender bowl and pulse again until smooth, scraping sides of bowl to incorporate all of the flour. Stir in any flavorings if desired.
Begin heating a 10-inch frying pan over medium heat. Coat bottom of pan generously with canola cooking spray and immediately pour in 1/2-cup of batter. Tilt the pan to spread batter evenly over the bottom. When bottom is well browned (about 1 1/2 minutes), flip over the pancake with a spatula and brown the other side (1-2 minutes more). Remove pancake and keep warm or serve.
Repeat step #2 with remaining batter, stirring batter often until batter is used up. Serve them with cinnamon spiced apples or fresh fruit for a breakfast entrée or dessert or sprinkle shredded cheese of your choice over the pancake when you are browning the second side and it will melt nicely.

Yield: Makes 4 large pancakes (4 servings)
To make 8 pancakes, just double the recipe ingredients.

Nutrition information per pancake (plain): 134 calories, 9 g protein, 20 g carbohydrate, 2.3 g fat, .9 g saturated fat, .8 g monounsaturated fat, .6 g polyunsaturated fat, 56 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 233 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 15 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .1 gram, Omega-6 fatty acids = .5 gram.

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Taste Test Tuesday: Smart Balance Reduced Fat Sour Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:02:00 +0000

Would you want fish oils in your sour cream? You won't even notice them in this new product hitting the dairy aisle. The Smart Balance line of products has reached over to sour cream and this time, they brought reinforcements - fish Omega-3s.

They make a regular fat sour cream too but I was only interested in taste testing their reduced fat option which has only 30% less fat than regular sour cream (3.5 grams of fat and 2 grams saturated fat per 1/8 cup).

The third ingredient listed on the label is an omega-3 oil blend made with purified fish oil and sunflower oil). The result is 32 milligrams of long chain omega-3s (EPA/DHA) per 2 tablespoon serving. Keep in mind an average of about 500 milligrams per day of long chain omega-3s is the amount being talked about as being helpful for people with heart disease risk factors. Hey, but every little bit helps!

How does it taste?
I'm used to fat free sour cream so this product tasted extra thick and creamy to me. It had a pleasant taste and texture and I think this new reduced fat sour cream would particularly appeal to people who are still using the whole milk version...People who haven't been able to take that leap into lowfat dairy land.

Nutrition information per 2 tablespoons:
45 calories, 1 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 3.5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 40 mg sodium. 10% Daily Value for Calcium and 32 mg long chain omega-3s.

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Fall Baking: Overnight Brown Sugar Pecan Coffee Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:34:00 +0000

Okay, I live in one of the warmer states, but even I am beginning to feel the fall season approaching and you know what that means? Time to start your mixers...it's fall baking season!

Making some of the old favorites is a given, but I thought I would throw a new recipe your way to try on one of these cool fall nights - Overnight Brown Sugar Pecan Coffee Cake. You mix up the batter in the evening and it sits in your refrigerator overnight and then you pop it in the oven in the morning. All there is left to do is enjoy it piping hot from the oven with a cup of tea or coffee.

Overnight Brown Sugar Pecan Coffee Cake

Photo: Elaine Magee

If you want to mix up the topping quickly and you haven't chopped up your pecans yet, just place the brown sugar, pecan halves and cinnamon in a small food processor bowl and pulse briefly to blend the topping ingredients and chop the nuts.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons light margarine (with plant sterols added if possible)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, higher omega-3 if available
1/2 cup fat free or reduced fat sour cream
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (you can use 1/4 teaspoon if desired)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnut
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Coat an 8x 8-inch baking dish with canola cooking spray. In large mixing bowl, beat margarine and sugar together on medium speed until nice and creamy. Add in the egg and sour cream, beating well after each addition.
In another bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, nutmeg and salt with whisk or fork. Add flour mixture to the margarine mixture, beating on low just until blended. Pour into prepared baking dish.
In small bowl, combine brown sugar, chopped pecans and cinnamon and sprinkle mixture evenly over coffee cake batter. Cover baking dish and refrigerate overnight.
Remove dish from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake coffee cake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cut coffee cake into 9 squares and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee!

Yield: Makes 9 servings

Nutrition information per serving: 177 calories, 3 g protein, 26 g carbohydrate, 6.7 g fat, .8 g saturated fat, 3.2 g monounsaturated fat, 2.4 g polyunsaturated fat, 27 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 83 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 34 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .2 gram, Omega-6 fatty acids = 2 grams.

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Making Over Martha: Oatmeal Berry Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:32:00 +0000

Photo: Elaine Magee

They are called Oatmeal Bars on Martha Stewart's website and they call for white flour, 2 1/2 cubes of butter, heavy whipping cream, 48 caramels, and a cup of semisweet chocolate chips. We made them more whole grain, decreased the brown sugar by 25%, substituted a light plant sterol margarine in place of butter and used low sugar berry preserves instead of chocolate chips, heavy cream and caramels. Granted the berry bars aren't going to give you the chocolate fix the other version will...but you are better off getting your daily dose of chocolate with a couple bites of dark chocolate anyway...and this version can double as a breakfast bar!

Oatmeal Berry Bars

Use the margarine cold from the refrigerator, it will crumble more easily. Each bar contributes 1.4 grams of plant sterols as well.

Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup light margarine with plant sterols (i.e. Smart Balance Heart Right Light with 5 grams fat and 1.7 grams plant sterols per tablespoon)
1 1/2 cups low sugar berry preserves (i.e. Smucker's Low Sugar Strawberry Preserves)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with canola cooking spray.
In large mixing bowl, combine oats, whole wheat and white flours, brown sugar, baking soda and salt by beating on low speed. Add the margarine to the oat mixture, cold from the refrigerator, breaking it up into small pieces with your fingers or two knives or forks. Run mixer on low speed just until a crumbly mixture forms.
Press half of the oat mixture onto bottom of prepared baking dish. Bake until just set (about 15 minutes). Spread berry preserves evenly over warm bottom crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly over the top, breaking it up into smaller pieces with fingers if necessary. Bake 15 minutes more. Let cool in pan before cutting into 24 squares.

Yield: Makes 24 bars

Nutrition information per serving: 170 calories, 4 g protein, 28 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 1.4 g saturated fat, 1.6 g monounsaturated fat, 1.7 g polyunsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 180 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 25 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .22 g, Omega-6 fatty acids = 1.5 g

Original bars contain 335 calories, 16 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 33 mg cholesterol, 46 grams carbohydrate, and 2 grams fiber per bar if the recipe makes 24 bars.

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Taste Test Tuesday: Celestial Seasonings Two New Fun Green Tea Flavors!

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:37:00 +0000

I'm a green tea enthusiast...I admit it. I drink about two cups of green tea a day without fail and half the time it's iced and half the time it's hot. But it's almost never plain green tea. Although I enjoy traditional green tea when dining in Japanese or Chinese restaurants, in the comfort of my own home, I opt for the flavored green teas.

I'm always up for trying new flavored green teas and so I was happy to find two new flavors from Celestial Seasonings. Celestial Seasonings has developed a new line of all-natural green tea that they say "eliminates the bitterness." These teas are actually a blend of green and white tea (which is also brimming with antioxidant phytochemicals). The white tea comes from the tender buds and low-tannin young leaves of the plant.

The two flavors I tried and I must say THOROUGHLY ENJOYED are:

Decaf mandarin Orchard (a decaf blend of green and white tea)
Blueberry Breeze (a blend of green and white tea)

I REALLY liked the mandarin Orchard tea iced and I REALLY liked the Blueberry Breeze tea hot. That's kind of backwards in terms of caffeine though since I tend to drink the hot green tea at night and the Blueberry is the one that has caffeine in it, while I tend to drink the mandarin flavored tea (iced) in the day time and that happens to be the one that's decaffeinated.

To make either as iced tea, just put 4 bags in a pitcher or 6 cup measure and pour in about 6 cups of boiling water. Let the bags steep for about 10 minutes then remove the bags. Keep in refrigerator to chill or pour directly into a glasses filled with ice and enjoy immediately.

There are three really good reasons to drink green tea:

Green teas today taste so wonderful-there are so many flavor and brand options to choose from. Drinking green tea is an absolutely enjoyable taste experience!

Green tea is calorie free, a great substitute for calorie-containing beverages that you might be trying to cut down on.

Drinking green and white tea is a super healthy habit - gobs of studies have linked green tea and the phytochemicals in green tea to reducing the risk of the top diseases in America.

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

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:26:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:30:00 +0000

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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Best-Tasting High-Fiber Cereals

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:07:00 +0000

The Results Might Surprise You

Consumer Reports is at it again, thankfully, and this time they rated high-fiber cereals for their "sensory quality". I'm sharing the cereals below that had an "excellent" or "very good" sensory rating. Each of these seven top-rated cereals has at least 7 grams of fiber and the amount of sugar ranges from almost none (Shredded Wheat) to 18 grams per serving (Great Value Raisin Brain-the grams of sugar include the raisins).

I'm really excited to see these results because some studies have suggested health benefits to including a high fiber cereal and this is one of those health habits that is relatively do-able for most people.

Recent research suggests those who eat more whole grains are at lower risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Cereals made with refined grains have generally not been linked to health benefits, like a lower risk of death from heart disease, as whole-grain breakfast cereals have. Refined-grain cereals do not lower the risk of gaining weight or having a higher BMI (body mass index), but whole grain-rich cereals do.

I personally enjoy a high fiber cereal a few times a week either as a quick breakfast or as an afternoon snack. This is one of the few ways that I work in some nonfat milk too. Now I have a few new cereals to try. I have a neighbor who belongs to Costco and is forever asking me if I would like him to pick something up for me. Now I can send him on a hunt for their Spiced Pecan cereal.

I'm also a Raisin Bran girl so I'm especially looking forward to trying the Raisin Bran Extra Cereal by Kellogg's. Here are the top-rated 7 cereals as reported in Consumer Reports October issue:

	Fiber(g)	Sugars(g)	Calories	Sodium(mgs)
Excellent Sensory Rating
Kirkland Signature Spiced Pecan (Costco), 3/4 cup	7	11	190	100
Very Good Sensory Rating
Kashi GoLean Crunchy Fiber Twigs, Soy Protein Graham & Honey Puffs, 1 cup	10	6	140	85
Archer Farms High Fiber (Target), 1 cup	10	14	150	90
Kellogg's Raisin Bran Extra! 1 cup	7	13	190	350
Post Shredded Wheat Spoon Size Wheat 'n Bran, 1 1/4 cup	8	<1	200	0
Great Value Raisin Bran (Walmart), 1 cup	7	18	210	350
Barbara's Bakery Ultima Organic, 1 cup	12	9	170	280

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

noreply@blogger.com (Elaine Magee, RD) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:55:00 +0000

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!

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