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July 28, 2009
How the Food Industry is Not Helping
In the 21st century the food industry is creating and marketing unhealthy food in much the same way that tobacco companies manufactured and sold cigarettes in the 20th century.
But overeating doesn’t only affect people who are overweight. In fact, more than 70 million Americans have become conditioned to overeat, and it affects people of all different weights.
Dr. David A. Kessler, the dynamic and controversial former head of the Food and Drug Administration who took on big tobacco in the 1990s, now takes on the food industry in “The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite” (Rodale, 2009). In his book, Kessler pulls back the curtain to reveal how the food industry and its scientists really operate.
1. Most of the foods served at restaurants combine tempting amounts of sugar, fat, and salt.
They are either loaded onto a core ingredient (such as meat, vegetable, potato, or bread), layered on top of it, or both. For instance:
Potato skins: The potato is hollowed out and the skin is fried, which provides a substantial surface area for “fat pickup.” Then some combination of bacon bits, sour cream, and cheese is added. The result: fat on fat on fat on fat, loaded with salt.
Buffalo wings: The fatty parts of a chicken get deep-fried. Then they are served with creamy or sweet dipping sauce that’s heavily salted. Usually they’re par-fried at a production plant, then fried again at the restaurant, which doubles the fat. The result: sugar on salt on fat on fat on fat.
Spinach dip: The spinach provides little more than color—a high-fat, high-salt dairy product is the main ingredient. The result: a tasty dish of salt on fat.
2. When in doubt, throw cheese and bacon on it.
It's a standard joke in the world of chain restaurants. But it works. Along with enhancing melt and making food easy to eat, these layers are cheaper to produce than the central ingredient (such as meat or fish) they flavor. They’re also visually appealing, straightforward, and familiar.
Example: T.G.I. Friday’s Parmesan-Crusted Sicilian Quesadilla, is described on the menu as follows: “Packed with sautéed chicken, sausage, bruschettta marinara, [and] bacon and oozing with Monterey Jack cheese. We coat it with Parmesan and pan-fry it to a crispy, golden brown, then drizzle it with balsamic glaze.”
3. Healthy grilled chicken myth.
Think you're eating healthy when you order grilled, marinated chicken? Think again.
A common way to get marinade into meat is through needle injection. Hundreds of needles are used to pierce the meat, tearing up the connective tissue, to add solutions of salt, sugar, and fat. These injections not only increase flavor, but they also make the meat fall apart in our mouths.
4. Sneaky sugar.
If a food contains more sugar than any other ingredient, federal regulations dictate that sugar be listed first on the label. So, to trick health-conscious mothers who scan food labels for the word "sugar," manufacturers hide the amount of sugar by listing its different sources separately, pushing each down the list. Breakfast cereal, for example, often includes some combination of sugar, brown sugar, fructose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, and molasses — each listed separately.
Posted by Lisa at 09:12 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 22, 2009
In Season: Tomatoes
Nutrition Perks: This fruit, which acts like a vegetable, can brag about its long list of nutrients. One cup raw (chopped or sliced) contains 32 calories and 2.2 grams fiber. One cup cooked has 43 calories and 1.7 grams of fiber. Tomatoes are packed with almost a day’s worth of vitamin C, as well as vitamin A, beta-carotene, potassium, vitamin K, manganese, chromium and other minerals.
Cooking tomatoes unleashes lycopene, a potent phytochemical that acts as an antioxidant to ward off some cancers (including prostate cancer). Recent research suggests that lycopene may also benefit bones by reducing fracture risk.
Quick fixes: Pureeing tomatoes alongside cucumbers, bell peppers, and favorite spices to make a fat-free antioxidant-rich chilled summer soup.
Peak: July through September
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July 19, 2009
Frozen Treats
How to have your cone and eat it too:
Popsicle
A Super Twin Popsicle (81 grams) contains just 60 calories. Sure it isn't creamy, but it'll remind you of childhood pleasures and it's hard to beat the calorie count.
Frozen yogurt
Frozen yogurt generally contains less fat than ice cream and weighs in with 100 to 120 calories for a half cup serving compared to 150 to 220 for ice cream. Some are better than others. Ben and Jerry's frozen yogurt is notorious for its higher calorie count, and comes in at about 170 calories per half cup.
Soft ice cream
With more air and more liquid, soft ice cream's calorie count is similar to that of most light ice cream at 100 to 120 calories per half cup. Add a basic cone (about 35 calories) and dip it in chocolate, however, and the calorie count climbs quickly. A Dairy Queen medium chocolate-dipped soft vanilla ice cream cone (220 grams) contains 470 calories.
Gelato
Gelato is traditionally made with milk rather than cream. A half-cup scoop of gelato, if made with milk, usually has just 120 to 150 calories compared to 150 to 220 for regular ice cream.
Sorbet
A half-cup of sorbet contains about 130 calories and, because sorbet does not contain milk or cream, is almost always fat-free to boot. Add a sugar cone, which is usually smaller than a waffle cone, and you add about 50 calories. A waffle cone or bowl usually tops out at 110 to 160 calories.
Ice cream
Regular ice cream contains 160 to 200 calories for a half cup serving. Forty grams (a typical 1/6 cup serving) of hot fudge syrup adds 150 calories plus trans fat. Strawberry sundae syrup is not better for you than chocolate syrup and the calorie count is about the same. An eighth of a cup of blueberries adds just 13 calories, but the same volume in M&Ms adds 170. A typical dollop or swirl of whipped cream adds about 45 calories.
Ice cream bars
A Fudgsicle bar (70 grams) has 100 calories. A Nestle vanilla drumstick (140 millilitres) has 310 calories, as does a Haagen Dazs vanilla and almond bar. Nestle ice cream sandwich Minis (60 millilitres) contain only 90 calories, but the serving size is tiny and the treat is high in saturated and trans fat (2.1 grams).
Frappuccinos and Slurpees
A grande (16 fluid ounce) Starbucks Coffee Frappuccino contains 240 calories, but a grande Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino (16 fluid ounces) with whipped cream contains 570 calories with 15 grams of fat.
A large (40 fluid ounce) 7-Eleven Slurpee 20 teaspoons of sugar and 320 calories.
Other Frozen Treats
A large (378 gram) Wendy's chocolate Frosty contains 530 calories and is mostly milk, cream and sugar. A small (227 gram) Frosty has 320 calories. Meanwhile, a large Dairy Queen Reese Peanut Butter Cups Blizzard (514 grams) contains 1,170 calories.
Milkshakes
Milkshakes, usually made of ice cream, full-cream milk and masses of sugar, are the emperors of calorie excess. Ice cream parlour milkshakes generally contain 1,100 to 1,500 calories.
A small (338 millilitres) McDonald's chocolate milkshake contains 560 calories. A large (888 millilitres) McDonald's chocolate milkshake contains 1,160 calories.
Posted by Lisa at 08:13 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 13, 2009
Inflammatory Eating
Those with heart disease have high levels of inflammation in their bodies, the immune system's attempt to defend against disease or infection. Some foods have been shown to produce pro and anti-inflammatory responses in our bodies. Here's a summary:
Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Beans and legumes: dry beans, tofu
Beverages: green tea, red wine (in moderation)
Fish: cod, halibut, herring, oysters, salmon, tuna
Fruits: apples, berries, cherries, citrus fruits, pineapple, tomatoes
Herbs and spices: basil, cinnamon, ginger, mint, oregano, thyme
Nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts
Oils: canola, extra virgin olive
Savory snacks: dark chocolate (in moderation)
Vegetables: bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, garlic, greens, onions, sweet potatoes
Pro-Inflammatory Foods
Excessive consumption of refined sugars: candies, pastries, sugar-sweetened beverages
Highly processed carbohydrates: doughnuts, potato chips
Oils: hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils (trans fat)
Processed meats: hot dogs, luncheon meats, sausage
Saturated fats
Trans fatty acids: margarine
Posted by Lisa at 07:11 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 10, 2009
In Season: Blueberries
Nutritional punch: One cup of raw blueberries is 84 calories and boasts 3.6 grams of fiber, specifically pectin, a soluble fiber that helps lower cholesterol and possibly protect against cancer. Blueberries are also rich in vitamin K (important for bones), manganese and the antioxidant vitamin E.
Blueberries contain anthocyanins, antioxidant pigments that give blueberries their blue hue and have been shown to promote a healthy vascular system and fight inflammation.
Wild blueberries won top honors among 25 commonly consumed fruits in the U.S. for their antioxidant activity, a recent study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found. Other berries, including cultivated blueberries, also ranked high on the list. Most supermarket blueberries are cultivated.
Quick fixes: Blueberries can be poured over whole grain cereal, low-fat yogurt, used to make smoothies, or added to whole grain batter to put a nutritious spin on pancakes, muffins or waffles.
Peak: Mid-June through Mid-August. July is National Blueberry Month.
Posted by Lisa at 06:08 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 06, 2009
Artichokes
Hailed as a cure-all by the ancient Greeks, this scaly vegetable is actually a flower bud in the thistle family. Artichokes are high in fiber and should be a deep green color with tightly packed leaves and clean stems showing no signs of blackening or bruising.
Nearly all artichokes in North America come from Castroville, Calif., where in 1947, Marilyn Monroe was crowned the first ever Artichoke Queen. Store yours unwashed, in a reusable plastic bag in the crisper of your fridge for up to a week.
Braised Baby Artichokes with Olives
To lower the fat and sodium, you could cut the oil and salt in half.
SERVINGS
8 servings
INGREDIENTS
16 baby artichokes (about 2 pounds)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/3 cup oil-cured or Kalamata olives, pits removed and olives coarsely chopped
Lemon wedges for garnish
PREPARATION
1. To trim baby artichokes, bend back the outer green leaves and snap them off at the base until leaves are half green (at the top) and half yellow (at the bottom). Cut off stems and across top of each artichoke at point where yellow meets green. Cut each artichoke lengthwise in half. In 12-inch skillet, heat 1 inch water to boiling over high heat. Add artichokes and cook 5 minutes; drain. Dry skillet. In same skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add artichokes; brown 2 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, and 1 cup water; cook, covered, until artichokes are tender, about 5 minutes longer or until knife inserted in bottom of artichoke goes through easily. Stir in olives; heat through. To serve, spoon into bowl; garnish with lemon wedges.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
(based on individual servings)
Calories: 110
Total Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 370 mg
Carbohydrates: 7 g
Fiber: g
Protein: 2 g
Source: Good Housekeeping.
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