Personal Nutrition, Ink

Processed foods, those which have been modified from their natural form, are rearing their ugly head again. Scrutiny of processed foods usually focuses on their health effects, namely obesity and chronic disease; but there are other risks associated with these food-like products. Salmonella has recently been found in flavor enhancers manufactured by the Las Vegas company, Basic Flavors, Inc. Foods can be contaminated with harmful bacteria if handled improperly, and it seems that contamination issues in manufacturing facilities have been increasing.

The FDA’s official statement reads:

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is actively investigating findings of SalmonellaTennessee in hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) manufactured by Basic Food Flavors, Inc., in Las Vegas, NV. HVP is a flavor enhancer used in a wide variety of processed food products, such as soups, sauces, chilis, stews, hot dogs, gravies, seasoned snack foods, dips, and dressings. It is often blended with other spices to make seasonings that are used in or on foods.”

For a list of recalled products, click here.

The ’whole foods’ buzz continues to make noise across the country, and consumers are practically begging for more natural and organic choices. The Austin-based organic food giant, Whole Foods, grossed over 7 million dollars in 2008, and other grocers are following suit. New specialty markets are cropping up in neighborhoods across the country. Increasing public concerns about the health of our nation’s food supply continue to drive profits for these companies. There’s no doubt that Americans are hungry for healthy sounding foods, but what is a whole food?

The idea of ’whole foods’ has almost become a movement in itself, yet no official definition exists. Sure, it implies a picture of healthy goodness; but for most people, it probably represents food that has been minimally processed-if at all. While our image of processed foods is typically associated with fast foods and convenience foods, not all processed foods are bad. Technically, canned foods-even canned fruits and vegetables-are considered processed. The FDA defines processed food as “any food other than a raw agricultural commodity and includes any raw agricultural commodity that has been subject to processing, such as canning, cooking, freezing, dehydration, or milling.” Almonds are not processed – until they become slivered almonds. Whole foods represent a return to real, traditional food. And it’s hard to argue with that.

Come to the launch of the AccessibleVegetables, a growing movement to make fresh fruits and vegetables available to everyone.

What: Launch of AccessibleVegetables

When: Sun. March 14 from 1 – 4 pm. Ready to enlist pods, plants, seeds & pickers to help grow this movement.

Cost: $5 + bottle o’ spirits or…$5 + yummer dish made with stuff from yer garden

Fundraising Details: Profits will help create AccessibleVegetable garden spaces for elderly and special needs residents of east Austin.

to access full story: http://www.ireport.com/ir-topic-stories.jspa?topicId=411985&hpt=C2

Cnn is calling for videos. If you’re interested in sharing your personal grocery shopping experiences – where you buy your food and why – submit your video to their website by March 19th.

I think it will be interesting to see where people shop and to hear the reasons behind those decisions. For some, I’m sure the choices are limited by what the community has to offer. But there are certainly others who drive great distances to shop at specialty markets. I also wonder how much of a role CSA’s are playing in today’s market purchases.

February is known for its annual heart disease awareness campaign; but this year, it’s also marking some not-so-healthy events on its calendar. Avandia, a medication that has been used for some time to treat diabetes, is now linked to heart attacks. And yesterday, Dick Cheney suffered from his fifth heart attack. It’s clear that our food choices have a significant impact on the health of our heart and cardiovascular system, but what exactly is heart healthy eating?

Plants
Eating a plant-based diet doesn’t mean you have to live a strict vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, but it should mean that you eat more plants than animals. Plants such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, are packed with a wide variety of beneficial nutrients. They contain fiber, complex carbohydrates, mono and polyunsaturated fats, protein, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals; and because they don’t have a cholesterol-producing liver like animals, plants are also naturally cholesterol-free. Aim for 25 to 35 grams of fiber, 6 to 11 servings of whole grains, and 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegeteables each day.

Legumes
Beans are a great source of fiber and protein – without the added fat. Lima beans, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, green peas, butter beans, black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, and hummus are just a few examples of the many varieties of legumes. Aim for 2 to 7 servings of legumes each week.

Monounsaturated & Polyunsaturated Fats
Research shows a strong link between heart disease and saturated fats – the biggest dietary source of which is animals. Meat, whole-fat milk and cheeses, butter, and gravies and sauces made from these high fat animal sources are all high in cholesterol and saturated fat. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats move more easily through the bloodstream, and are less likely to cause plaque buildup. Oils with the highest amount of monounsaturated fats are olive, canola and safflower; the best sources of polyunsaturated oils are flaxseed and sunflower. While some fats are certainly more healthful than others, it’s important to exercise moderation with all fat sources. Limit cholesterol to 300 milligrams daily and fat to 30% or less of daily calories.

Omega-3’s
Certain fatty fish, such as anchovies, salmon, halibut, mackerel and herring, are high in omega-3’s because they feed on phytoplankton, an omega-3 rich plant. Omega 3’s are polyunsaturated fats that have shown a positive correlation with heart heath. While Fish oils are a rich source of the long chain omega-3’s eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA); plant foods, such as walnuts, flaxseeds and canola oils are high in the short chain alpha-linolenic acids (ALA). While fish and fish oils are probably the most popular sources of omega-3 fatty acids, some plant are good sources as well. Choose fish twice weekly.

Be kind to your heart, and make sure  to include a wide variety of these foods on your menu each week.

Thursday night was one of those nights. I had exactly one hour to prepare and eat dinner before I had to walk right back out the door for an evening meeting. I scanned the leftovers in my refrigerator and quickly determined Thursday’s menu: Steak Fajitas and grapes.

Extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tablespoon
Leftover steak, cut into strips
Sweet onion, sliced into rings
Fajita seasoning mix, 1 Tbsp
Water, 1/8 cup

Whole wheat tortillas
Lettuce
Cheddar Cheese

Grapes

Add olive oil, steak and sweet onion in a medium skillet and saute for 10 minutes. Add seasoning mix and water and cook until water evaporates. Add steak mixture to a whole wheat tortilla and garnish with toppings above. Rinse grapes well.

Wednesday’s Menu

Steak Salad
Sliced Pears
Garlic Pita Wedges

Chicken is probably the most popular salad topping, but steak works well too. One reason, I like the concept of a main entree salad is that it saves dishes – protein-rich meat, multiple servings of vegetables and fruit can all share one plate.

On the top of each pita, lightly sprinkle extra-virgin olive oil and garlic salt. Wrap pita in foil and set aside. Season steaks, place them on the grill, and cook to desired wellness.

While steak is grilling, prepare bed of mixed salad greens. Include as many veggies as possible: carrots, celery, broccoli, tomatoes, onion, peas, mushrooms, etc.

Place foiled pita packets on grill for the last few minutes to warm.

Slice steak into strips or cubes and place on salad greens.

Tuesday’s Menu

Heavy on the Veggie Pizzas
Mixed Salad Greens

Pizza crust, 1
Marinara Sauce, approx 1/4 cup
Oregano, 1 Tablespoon, fresh
Red Onion, 1/4 cup, chopped
Olives, 1/8 cup, chopped
Tomatoes, 1/4 cup, sliced
Broccoli, 1/8 cup florets, chopped
Mozzarella Cheese, 1/2 cup

The important thing is to load your pizza with lots of veggies. Just use what you have on hand. This menu is also great for the end of the week when you have lots of produce to use up.

Mixed Salad Greens
Lettuce
Tomato
Red Onion

Add desired veggies to a bed of washed lettuce greens.

Honey Mustard Dressing
Honey, 1 Tablespoon
Mustard, spicy brown, 1 Tablespoon
Mayonnaise, real, 1 Tablespoon

Mix the above ingredients well.
(makes about three 1-Tablespoon servings; 60 calories each)

Monday’s Menu

Hearty Meatless Chili
Cornbread Muffins
Strawberry-Blueberry Medley

I can already hear the men shrieking, “What, no meat?” Believe me, I know how hard it must be for you to imagine; but I can promise you that this meal won’t leave you feeling hungry, and you certainly won’t waste away into nothingness by going meatless for one meal.

Hearty Meatless Chili
Kidney Beans, dried, 2 cups
Black Beans, dried, 2 cups
Corn, frozen, 1 cup
Tomato Sauce, 1 15-oz can
Stewed Tomatoes, 1 15-oz can
Jalapeno Peppers (optional)
Chili Powder, 1 Tablespoon
Water, add enough to cover beans
Avocado (optional)

Overnight:
Place beans in a crock pot, add enough water to cover beans, and let soak overnight. (To save time, you might want to combine all of the other ingredients in a separate bowl and just dump them into the crock pot in the morning). 

In the Morning:
Drain water from the beans and add the remaining ingredients. Add enough water to cover beans completely. Cook on high for at least 5 hours or until the beans are tender. Serve with avocado (optional) slices as garnish.

Corn Muffins
Um. Yeah. So let’s just say the muffins didn’t quite ‘turn out’ very well. Leaving out an ingredient is generally not a good idea, especially when it’s a main ingredient like flour. I’m going to have to tweak the recipe a little and re-post this one at a later date!

Strawberry-Blueberry Medley
Strawberries, 3/4 cup, sliced (per person)
Blueberries, 3/4 cup (per person)

Sunday’s Menu

Mediterranean Grouper
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Walnut Cous-Cous

This is the first of my sample menus from this week’s ‘What does a dietitian eat?‘ series. In my previous post, I listed the ingredients I have on hand. Now, on to the fun part – to be creative and put together some great tasting, nutritious dinners!

Mediterranean Grouper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 Tablespoon
Garlic, 2 cloves, chopped
Olives, 1/2 cup, chopped
Grouper, 8 ounces
Lemon, 1 small
Dill, 1 Tablespoon, chopped
Capers, 1/8 cup

To a medium skillet, add extra virgin olive oil, garlic and olives and saute for about 5 minutes. Add grouper to skillet. Using a citrus zester, first zest the lemon’s skin over the fish and then squeeze the remaining juice of the lemon onto it. Add dill and capers and cook mixture until fish is cooked thoroughly (when it can be flaked with a fork and is not pink inside).

Walnut Cous-Cous
Water, 1/2 cup
Cous-Cous, 3/4 cup
Walnuts, 1/8 cup, finely chopped

Heat water to boiling, add cous-cous, stir, cover and remove from heat. Add walnuts to a mini-chopper or chop finely with a knife (to desired texture) and add to cous-cous.

Broccoli Cheese Soup
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 Tablespoon
Sweet Onion, 1/2 cup chopped
Garlic, 2 cloves, minced
Chicken Broth, 1 cup, low sodium or homemade
Broccoli Florets, 2 cups raw (or 1 16-oz package frozen), chopped
Milk, 2 cups, fat-free
All-purpose flour, 1/3 cup
Black Pepper, 1/4 teaspoon, optional
Colby Jack Cheese, 1 cup, shredded

To a large saucepan, add extra virgin olive oil, onion and garlic and saute until tender (slightly golden). Add broth and broccoli and boil mixture over medium heat for about 10 minutes (or until broccoli is tender). Use a potato masher or fork to break broccoli into desired texture. Add milk and flour and use a whisk to blend thoroughly. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes (or until mixture thickens slightly). Add pepper (optional). Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted.