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March 30, 2010
Eating More: Yogurt
Yogurt is a nutrient dense food...as long as you look carefully at the label. Nutrient highlights include calcium, vitamin D, potassium, and protein. It's also been linked with helping lowering blood pressure and weight loss.
What to look for:
Per 6 ounce serving:
Calories: 100-150
Fat: 3.5 grams or less
Saturated fat: 2 grams or less
Protein: at least 8-10 grams
Sugar: 20 grams or less
Calcium: at least 20% of the daily value
Vitamin D: at least 20% of the daily value
Posted by Lisa at 08:12 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
March 24, 2010
Spring into Summer!
* Take advantage of the warm weather to increase your exercise regimen. Play a game of Frisbee, volleyball or tennis; take long walks; or swim.
* Make seasonal vegetables the focus of your meal. Indulge in salads and steamed vegetables.
Season vegetables with spices, lemon and balsamic vinegar, a little Parmesan cheese and low-fat dressings. Make these the largest items on your plate and add small portions of protein and/or starch.
* Grilling your food is a great way to add flavor while reducing fat and calories. Grilling meats allows some fat to drip off, which lowers fat and calorie content. Try wrapping fish or chicken in foil and add vegetables and seasonings to the grill.
* Satisfy your sweet tooth with fresh fruits. Bypass cakes, cookies and ice cream and opt for fresh berries, melons and even some of the more exotic fruits that are available instead. Fruit is fat-free, high in nutrients and fiber, and a natural energizer.
* Stay away from empty calories. It is important to drink plenty of fluids during these warm summer months, but juice, whole milk, regular soda and alcoholic beverages are high-calorie drinks that you want to avoid. Alcoholic beverages contain empty calories and may stimulate your appetite. Instead, fill up on water, seltzer, juice diluted with seltzer, low-fat milk or iced tea.
Posted by Lisa at 08:38 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 22, 2010
Homemade Rice Cereal
Babies digest rice easily and are less likely to be allergic to it than to any other grain. That's why it's a perfect first food. Brown rice, which is called for in this recipe, is extra nutritious since the vitamin-packed outer husk is still intact.
Ingredients
3 cups brown rice, cooked according to package directions
12 oz. breast milk (or substitute water or infant formula)
Directions
Place the cooked brown rice in a blender with the breast milk/water/formula. Puree until it’s as smooth as possible. Pour the cereal into ice trays, cover and freeze overnight. Once frozen, pop the cubes out of the trays, place them in a freezer bag or container that's labeled with the date, and return it to the freezer. Lasts up to two months.
To serve
Defrost the cubes, and add more breast milk or formula to develop a smooth consistency. For babies just starting solids, thin the cereal to a semi-liquid consistency. Warm the cereal slightly, if desired. You can change the flavor of the cereal by adding strained fruit or veggie once your baby has started to eat those foods.
Posted by Lisa at 12:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 18, 2010
Confusing Popcorn Labels
Compared to other foods, microwave popcorn bags have some of the most confusing labels. There is no standard serving size, and there are a variety of bag sizes and weights.
All food labels base the calories, fat, carbohydrate, etc. on what they have called one serving. For a popcorn example, a serving size is three tablespoons or five cups popped, or one-third of the bag. 110 calories is for any of these measures; the whole bag contains 330 calories. The other nutrients on the label, if you wanted to know those numbers, would need to be multiplied by three as well if you eat the whole bag’s contents.
Posted by Lisa at 08:11 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
March 15, 2010
Tips for Cutting Sodium in Diet
Heart Month may be over, but continue to be good to your heart by cutting back on sodium! Sodium in the diet has been linked to hypertension, heart disease and stroke.
Doctors have known about the relationship between sodium and high blood pressure for more than 100 years, which is why salt was one of the first major targets in campaigns to prevent heart disease. But more recent research has shown that other factors - especially obesity - play a larger role in causing high blood pressure and, in turn, heart disease and stroke.
Losing 20 pounds, for example, can lower systolic blood pressure by 15 to 20 points, research has shown. Americans consume an average of about 3,400 milligrams - or roughly a teaspoon and a half - of salt a day, but cutting sodium to the recommended maximum of 2,300 milligrams can shave two to eight points off the systolic blood pressure.
Taste first: Limit the amount of salt you use at home. Taste foods before adding salt at the table.
Cook from scratch: Prepare more of what you eat in your own kitchen. Processed and premade foods, such as restaurant meals, are usually much higher in salt than what people make themselves.
Watch the snacking: Avoid salty snacks and fast food meals, which are especially high in sodium.
Read labels: Often, products that look exactly the same - cereals or tomato sauces, for example - will have very different sodium levels. A "low-salt" option doesn't always have the least sodium.
Start with a salad: When eating in a restaurant, order a salad first to fill up on low-sodium vegetables. Avoid soups, which are often heavy in salt.
Posted by Lisa at 03:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 11, 2010
Lose It or You Really Will Lose It!
A new online weight loss program gives you an incentive to lose weight: if you don't, you'll lose money! Loseitorloseit.com lets you choose your own 10 week weight loss goal and how much you're willing to "lose" if you don't meet your goal. It also lets you track your progress online.
If you miss a weigh in or don't meet your goal, you get a monetary penalty. Stay tuned here for diet and exercise advice as this is not the purpose of the loseitorloseit.com website.
Posted by Lisa at 12:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 08, 2010
Support Your Local RDs!
Registered Dietitian Day is Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The American Dietetic Association proudly announces the third annual Registered Dietitian Day. As the nation's food and nutrition experts, registered dietitians are committed to improving the health of their patients and community. Registered Dietitian Day commemorates the dedication of RDs as advocates for advancing the nutritional status of Americans and people around the world.
Posted by Lisa at 12:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 04, 2010
Nutrition From the Ground Up
March is National Nutrition Month and this year's theme is Nutrition From the Ground Up. What does this mean? First, focus on foods that come from the ground - fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans. These foods are the most nutrient dense. It also means healthy eating requires a healthy base. Think of it as your often, sometimes and rarely foods. The often category includes foods like whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat pasta and bread, oatmeal), fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein like chicken, sirloin, nuts, and beans, low fat dairy foods like yogurt and 1% or fat free milk and healthy fats such as olive or canola oil, and avocado.
These foods should make up your healthy base and should be eaten almost daily. The sometimes foods include foods like white rice, pasta, white bread, pancakes, canned fruit in light syrup, potato salad, french fries, 2% milk, light ice cream, regular cottage cheese, chicken leg, eggs, sunflower seeds, low fat salad dressing, and light cream cheese. These foods you should not have every day, but a few times a week is ok. The rarely foods include foods such as biscuits, doughnuts, sugared cereals, fruits canned in heavy syrup, hashbrowns, creamed vegetable soups, whole milk, ice cream, cheese, bologna, spareribs, fried chicken, sausage, butter, stick margarine, and cream cheese. These foods should only be eaten once in a while. If you eat a lot of these types of foods, you can try replacing them with a food in the often category. For instance, replace your daily cinnamon roll with a cinnamon raisin wheat english muffin. Or order a side of fruit instead of the hashbrowns when you eat out at a restaurant. Take a look at what you eat in a whole day by recording it in a journal. Try it for a couple days and this will give you a good place to start. You'll be able to see what you need to add in and what you should think about cutting back on. It's National Nutrition Month - do something good for yourself! Good Luck!
Posted by Lisa at 08:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 03, 2010
Milk-Free Diet
My daughter has a milk protein intolerance and I've been following a milk-free diet for about 4 months now. Was on a milk, soy, wheat, nut, citrus and egg free diet for a month - so just milk-free hasn't been too bad! Here are a few ideas on how to enjoy more foods if you're eating milk free:
1. Milk based salad dressings like Ranch are out, so try using olive oil and vinegar or salsa on your salads. You could use an Italian or a vinaigrette if you can eat soy - just make sure you read the labels for possible milk products. Most commercial salad dressings use soybean oil, but some do use olive oil.
2. I have oatmeal almost everyday for breakfast. I use to always make it with milk to get extra protein and calcium. Now I just use the old fashioned oatmeal made with water. But I also add wheat germ, cinnamon, walnuts and blueberries to make it a little more interesting.
3. Most waffle and pancakes have milk as an ingredient. Find a complete pancake mix that you add water only to (I found Raley's store-brand works). You can also make them a little healthier by replacing part of the mix with oatmeal, adding wheat germ, walnuts and blueberries. No butter on the pancakes and check the syrup to make sure it does not contain milk products. You could also top with peanut butter and/or strawberries.
4. Soymilk can be used in coffee drinks or if you're making french toast. I like Silk chocolate soymilk in my decaf coffee to make a mocha and even made the french toast batter with chocolate soymilk - yum!
5. Dip raw veggies like carrots, celery, cucumber and bell pepper in salsa. Very healthy and very tasty!
6. Pasta with a red sauce like marinara is milk free, but white sauces are not. White sauces often contain butter and sometimes cream or milk. Choosing the red sauce is also a lower fat and lower calorie choice.
7. Some restaurants put a dab of butter on their steaks to make them taste "better". You can request they not add the butter and enjoy your filet mignon and plain baked sweet potato (one of my favorite restaurant meals!).
8. If you're not eating dairy foods, be sure to take a calcium supplement. Women ages 19-50 need 1000mg of calcium each day.
Posted by Lisa at 01:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 01, 2010
Multivitamin Myths and Facts
Confused about multivitamin use? You're not alone. There are a few misconceptions when it comes to taking multivitamins.
* Food gives me the vitamins and minerals I need.
Despite best efforts, it can be difficult to meet your daily nutrition requirements.
In fact, a recent international women's study revealed that although 80 per cent of women recognize eating well as being important to their overall health, they sometimes find it challenging to incorporate fruits and vegetables into their daily routines. To ensure adequate intakes (AI) of all nutrients are met on a daily basis, a multivitamin can be a good and convenient option.
* I can take as many vitamins as I want.
There are recommended daily intakes for vitamins and minerals, as it is possible to overdose. A daily multivitamin is best to complement a healthy diet as it delivers nutrients in the right balance.
* All multivitamins are created equal.
Traditional multivitamins typically contain a combination of the basic vitamins and minerals we need daily, such as Iron, Calcium and vitamins C, B and D. However, newer innovations with additional benefits are starting to enter the market. In most cases, a general multivitamin is all you need.
* It doesn't matter when I take my multivitamin.
Always read the instructions on the multivitamin label carefully. Typically, the recommendation is to take with food or a meal. If taken on an empty stomach, your body won't absorb it fully and this can result in an upset stomach. To help you remember to take your multivitamin, choose the same mealtime every day so that it becomes a habit.
Posted by Lisa at 09:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack