Recipe of the Week: Asparagus Guacamole

I came across this cool recipe that uses asparagus as the base for a dip. This just may go over well with the kids if you're trying to get a few more veggies in 'em. Probably be good for parties and potlucks too. Let me know if you try it.

Asparagus Guacamole
Ingredients:
* 10½ ounces fresh or frozen, cut asparagus
* ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
* 2 teaspoons lime or lemon juice
* 2 tablespoons canned green chili peppers, drained, chopped (optional)
* 1 tablespoon onion, chopped (optional)
* 2 teaspoons tomato paste
* 1 teaspoon salt
* ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon white pepper

Instructions:
1. Steam asparagus
2. Place asparagus and remaining ingredients
3. Blend until smooth
4. Dip will become less thick upon standing and will need to be stirred

Enjoy with chopped veggies and/or tortilla chips. You could dip raw asparagus spears in you Asparagus Guacamole!

I haven't made this yet myself, but I plan to in the very near future. It just seems so unique. You may want to play around a little bit with the ingredients to get it the way you like it. I wouldn't recommend trying this recipe with canned asparagus since that really has a very different taste than fresh or frozen.

This recipe comes from the California Department of Health Services Harvest of the Month program. And they modified it from a recipe they got from The Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board. Gotta give credit where credits due.

Have a fruit and veggie filled day!

(photo courtesy of Harvest of the Month, California Dept. of Health Services)

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X-Treme Eating: Tips to Avoid

Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is at it again. (If you remember I've referred to them a couple times in recent posts Soda Not So Lucrative for Schools and Weight Loss Claims Under Fire) The consumer watchdog group has coined the phrase "X-Treme Eating" in their most recent barrage on the food and restaurant industry.

In their latest expose, CSPI charges chain restaurants with promoting this so called X-Treme eating. What is X-Treme eating? Consuming huge amounts of calories in one sitting, which is oh so easy to do with the entrees at some of the restaurants CSPI reviewed. I think we know that certain entrees aren't exactly low calorie, but have you really thought about how much you're actually getting when you do order them? Just to name a few:

* Ruby Tuesday's Colossal Burger: 1940 calories, 141 fat grams
* Ruby Tuesday's Fresh Chicken and Broccoli Pasta: 2060 calories, 128 fat grams
* On the Border's Raunchiladas: 1870 calories, 41 saturated fat grams (didn't report total fat for this item)
* Romano's Macaroni Grill Twice Baked Lasagna with Meatballs: 1360 calories, 38 sat fat grams (again, total not fat reported)

And that's just the entrees! Appetizers and desserts can have just as many calories, yiks(that's a whole other post). And I didn't even get to sodium!
(To read CSPI's article on X-Treme Eating click here)

With this in mind I thought would share some dining out tips that come from the folks at Healthy Dining:

1. Ask how meals are prepared and what ingredients the chef uses. Is the fish or chicken broiled with butter or other fat? Is it served with a sauce? How large is the portion? Are vegetables buttered or creamed?

2. Fish or poultry that is broiled, grilled, baked, steamed or poached is a good choice. However, entrées are often basted with large amounts of fat. Request that your entrée be prepared with minimal fat or salt. Most chefs are willing to prepare entrees with lemon juice, wine or a small amount of oil when requested.

3. Choose dishes flavored with herbs and spices rather than rich sauces, gravies, or dressings, or ask for sauces and other toppings (like sour cream) to be served on the side. Then limit your use! (Try dipping your fork in the sauce before each bite)

4. Stir-fried entrées can be prepared with very little oil – or a lot. Request the chef to prepare your dish with very little oil.

5. Pizza can be a low-fat, nutritious choice if you ask for very light cheese (aim for half of a standard pie) and opt for vegetable toppings.

6. Sandwiches can be an excellent choice if you choose lean deli meats such as turkey or ham (but watch portion size!) instead of higher fat cold cuts, such as bologna or salami. Choose whole grain breads and limit or avoid oil, butter, and mayonnaise.

7. Beware large portions. Ask for a take-home bag and eat the remaining portion the next day. Or share an entrée with a friend and order up an extra side of vegetables, a fresh salad, or a small appetizer.

8. Restaurants tend to use very large plates and utensils (larger than most people have at home), so be careful about eating everything on your plate.

9. Eat slowly. Savor the entire experience – the atmosphere, the occasion, the company at the table, and by all means, the food! If you take your time, you’re less likely to find you’ve finished a large meal that contained too much food.

Healthy Dining will formally be launching their new website www.HealthyDiningFinder.com March 14th. Visit their site (after March 14) for restaurants in your area that serve a selection of healthier menu choices.

A BIG thank you to Healthy Dining for providing these great tips.
(Photo courtesy of mathwizxp)

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Newsbites: February 23rd

Not a lot of super relevant nutrition related research made big news this week. But here are a couple items I thought you might find interesting and/or useful.

Across the Pacific Ocean the obesity problem is also rearing its ugly head and Thailand officials are doing something about it. They've created a 'sugar reduction program'. Hmmm.. intriguing perhaps. According to a recent study, Thai children consume a whopping 20 teaspoons of sugar a day; that's 14 teaspoons over the recommended daily limit of 6 teaspoons. The Thai government is asking primary schools to voluntarily ban sugary drinks from their campuses and so far about 600 schools have agreed to do so. Apparently it's campus wide so none on the playground or in the classroom.

Interestingly, as their diet becomes more westernized and more fast food joints permeate their society, the Thai population has become more and more obese. Our influence reaches far and wide, good or bad. So while we're trying to reverse our own epidemic other countries are once again following our lead (which got to the problem to begin with) and taking steps to curb their own rising obesity rates.

Speaking of obesity, how easy is it to get the gravity of this problem across to our kids? And aren't all those video games making the problem worse? Enter "Obeez City", the fictional location of a new DVD game and movie called "Body Mechanics". This is so cool. Body Mechanics features superheroes who teach kids how to prevent weight gain by fighting villains with clever names like Col Esterol and Free Radz. The action happens inside the body of Jack DeCayd, where said body is at risk of falling prey to the evil Coalition of Harm and Disease. It's up to the Body Mechanics Heroes to save him! I love it. My only question is "Shouldn't they watch this or play it standing up?".

The DVD is in limited release right now in Target, Walgreen's, Border's and CVS Pharmacies. But you can go straight to their website at www.bodymechanics.tv to check it out and/or purchase it. If any one does I'd love to hear what you and your kid think of it. Does it have an impact? Lessons learned?

Have a fruit and veggie filled weekend!

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Recipe of the Week: Spinach and Meat Cakes

Here's one that mixes some spinach in, not that we're trying to hide it.

Spinach and Meat Cakes
Ingredients:
* 1 pound 7% ground beef or ground turkey
* 1 pound bag/box frozen chopped spinach - thawed and drained
* ½ onion, finely chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, pressed
* ½ teaspoon salt
* pepper to taste
* 3 cups cooked brown rice (use instant or frozen to save time)

Instructions:
(1. Preheat frying pan a couple of minutes before cooking the cakes (no oil))
2. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well
3. Form mixture into small balls
4. Place in frying pan and flatten like tortillas
5. Cook over medium heat until cooked on both sides
6. Serve over brown rice

These meat cakes are low fat and filled with folic acid and vitamin C. If you like things on the spicy side, add a little picante sauce.

Let me know if you make these and how they turn out.

Have a fruit and veggie filled day!

(photo courtesy of sfllaw)

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It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's Labelman!

Are you a label reader? Are your kids? Do you know what you're looking at when you do read the Nutrition Facts food label?

I'm a big Nutrition Facts label reader (kind of obsessed actually) and I assume everyone else is cause I just can't stop myself from reading them. But research shows most people are at least somewhat confused by the Nutrition Facts label (especially that %Daily Value business). The information isn't entirely clear.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seems to have finally gotten that message. They've come up with "Labelman", a cartoon character that guides the confused consumer through their new web-based user friendly program "Make Your Calories Count". Labelman takes on the ABCs of the Nutrition Facts label to help the reader control calories and determine serving size. He also has lessons focusing on key nutrients to either look for (fiber & calcium) or keep to a minimum (saturated fat and sodium). Oh yeah, and he explains what's behind %Daily Values.

"Make Your Calories" count is meant for the general consumer but it is a bit elementary. And exactly why I think it would be a great tool for teens to learn label reading. I can't tell you how many times when I teach label reading and ask students how many calories in a 20 ounce bottle of regular Coke, they say "100 calories". They just haven't been taught that there's more than one serving in that bottle (or that Big Grab Bag of Cheetoes they had for lunch), two and a half to be exact. They are always flabbergasted to know that their 20 ouncer has a whopping 250 calories.

If you've got teens or work with teens introduce them to the site. Tweens can use it too but it's too complex for the younger kids. And if you're a little confused by the Nutrition Facts label Labelman may be just the thing.

Click here to go the online program.

Have a fruit and veggie filled day!

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News Bites: February 15 Snacks and Lawns

I'm jumping ahead a little this week as I will be starting off the Presidents' Day weekend a tad early and taking off tomorrow. Love those long weekends!

There were two interesting studies released this week that I thought were worth sharing with you. How to trim calories and get more physical activity are constant areas of research. I am always fascinated with studies that look at behaviors and environments and how they impact what we eat and what we do.

The latest on eating behavior points towards a less is less philosophy. Turns out kids eat more when they are in large groups compared to small groups. (And we adults probably do too). At least that's what researchers found to be true when they observed the snacking behavior of preschoolers. Kids who ate snacks in groups of nine ate almost a third more calories then kids who ate in groups of three. Wow! They call this "social facilitation", we do as others do. When we're with lots of people who are eating, that seems to stimulate even more eating, beyond satiety. Yikes!

So what are the implications? For the kids who aren't eating enough, pile the family and or friends around the dinner table. For the kids that eat too much, avoid eating at fast food places and the like where there are a lot of people and the environment is chaotic. If you want to read the full study click here.

Speaking of environment, one with a lot of green space may promote normal weight in kids according to researchers from Indiana University. In neighborhoods with lots of parks and lawns, children are less likely to be overweight. It seems like a no brainer - more grass, more running around and playing on it. But, hey it isn't so until it's been studied, right? Anyhoo, if you don't have a lawn of your own try to make frequent trips to the local park. Make sure it's a safe one. If you want to read more about this study try going to the Newswise site here www.newswise.com. If you can wait it will be published in the March/April issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.

Ok, I'm going to go have dinner now with my husband only, and maybe play catch on my front lawn later.....

Have a great Presidents'Day weekend everyone, and make it fruit and veggie filled.

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Recipe of the Week: Kiwi Wraps

This yummy wrap makes a great breakfast on the go, a light lunch or even a dessert.

Kiwi Wraps
* 2 kiwifruit
* 3/4 cup low-fat or non-fat cottage cheese
* 2 whole wheat tortillas
* Peanut butter
* Your favorite fruits – strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, pears, apples, etc

Directions:
1. Cut kiwis in half and slice (peel it first if you prefer)
2. Mix with cottage cheese
3. Spread tortilla with peanut butter and place kiwi-cottage cheese mixture in the center.
4. Feel free to add other fruits like strawberries or peaches.
5. Roll up like a burrito and enjoy!

The wrap packs quite the nutrition punch. Obviously it counts toward your fruit allotment, but oh so much more. The cottage cheese provides a little calcium (not nearly as much as milk but still not a bad source) and protein. The peanut butter also lends protein and healthy fats. And if you really do make the wrap with whole wheat tortillas you're working toward your whole grain goal. Plus it's pretty tasty. Thanx to the California Nutrition Network for this delicious recipe.

Have a fruit and veggie filled day!

(photo courtesy of Leonid)

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Healthy Valentine's Day Classroom Party Ideas

Valentine's Day is just 2 days away and chances are your child's classroom is gonna go all out with the treats. Nothing wrong with treats, as long as they really are 'treats', meaning we don't overindulge and consume them too frequently. But if you're looking to spin a healthy twist on the classroom party here are a couple ideas that should help.

* Fruit smoothies made with bananas, frozen strawberries, nonfat milk and a little juice. Add ice and you get more smoothie for fewer calories
* Frozen grapes
* Frozen cherries
* Frozen fruit bars
* Cut up mangoes and mix in blueberries and raspberries
or dixie cups filled with raspberries or blueberries
* Applesauce cups
* 100% fruit fruit leathers
* Dark chocolate squares - the darker the better for more antioxidant power
* Corn nuts
* Small bags of trail mix with a few M&Ms mixed in (moderation's key)
* 94% Fat Free microwave Kettle Corn
* Frosted Mini-wheats and/or other whole grain breakfast cereal
* Caramel, cinnamon, chocolate or apple-cinnamon mini rice cakes
* Sweet potato fries (or baked of course)
* Pudding cups

For some fun red kid friendly beverages try:
* Minute Maid Light Raspberry Passion and Tropicana Light Fruit Punch have just 10 calories per can
* Crystal Light fruit punch or pink lemonade
* Diet Cranberry Juice

If it's a cold wintry day sugar free instant hot cocoa hits the spot.

And of course Valentine's Day stickers are always well-received with the little ones and sugar free :)

If you've got other healthy Valentine's Day ideas to share send them along. Happy Valentine's Day in advance!

(Photo courtesy of R@punseLL)

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Recipe of the Week: Chopped Hearts of Palm Insalata

I told you I was on this corn kick with all the canned corn I have in the house. Well here's another simple salad to try. I am a big fan of hearts of palm. I'm always trying to figure out different ways to eat it. So naturally corn and hearts of palm have to go together right. Turns out they are indeed great together. I hope you like this one.

Chopped Hearts of Palm Insalata
* 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
* 1 can hearts of palm, drained
* 1 can corn, rinsed
* Seasoned rice vinegar to taste

Instructions:
Finely chop garbanzo beans and hearts of palm. In a medium bowl combine corn with the chopped beans and hearts of palm. Mix well. Season with rice vinegar to taste.

The secret to this one is chopping the ingredients well so you get a good mix of all the ingredients in every bite. The hearts of palm fall apart pretty easily if they are soft. I use The Chopper for the garbanzo beans to keep them from rolling all over the place.

If you like red bell peppers chop one up and add it to the mix. A tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil will also add a little pizzazz if you want the salad to have a little more gusto.

Enjoy and have a fruit and veggie filled day!

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NBC Today Show: Weight Loss Claims Under Fire

Hi y'all. Did any of you catch the 'NBC Today Show' today? I was interviewed for a story that ran on the show this morning (2/7) highlighting the recent lawsuits filed against TrimSpa and Enviga. I was the dietitian in green (in my own kitchen mind you) talking about the fact that people just want the magic pill that doesn't require any effort to take the pounds off. I had just one fairly quick soundbite so don't blink if you watch it. But it was a pretty good story on the weight loss supplement debacle. I recommend you check it out.

(You can watch it online if you go to the Today Show's website (click here). Scroll down to "New diet claims under fire", click and it will take you to the video download. You'll see a video ad first before the story plays.)

You remember TrimSpa, right? Who could forget Anna Nicole Smith showing off her 'new body' claiming her dramatic weight loss was due to taking the diet supplement. Enviga you may not be as familiar with. Enviga is a drink put out by Nestle and Coca-Cola that claims to 'gently increase your metabolism to burn more calories'.

Both have been targeted recently for making those too-good-to-be-true claims. Last week TrimSpa and Anna Nicole Smith were named in a class-action lawsuit alleging false and misleading marketing of the weight-loss supplement. (What's scary about this case is, one of the plaintiffs is believed to be a minor. This could happen to your kid! Our kids are just as gullible to this kind of marketing as we are, if not more so.)

On Tuesday, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced that his office is investigating the claim that Enviga helps people burn calories. He has demanded the company turn over any and all scientific research they have to back up the claims of calorie burning. Consumer watchdog group Center for Science in the Public Interest has filed suit against Nestle and Coca-Cola alleging their claims are 'fraudulent'.

This has happened on the heels of the Federal Trade Commission fining several dietary supplement makers, including TrimSpa, millions of dollars for making weight loss claims sans reliable scientific evidence.

This is good consumer news in favor of our protection from false advertising. But alas we are a gullible species and will continue to reach for that magic weight loss bullet. So be an alert consumer and teach your kids to be as well. You know the drill: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Nuff said.

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Action for Healthy Kids

Cool resource I want to alert you to if you've been trying to, or are interested in, creating a healthier school environment for your children, but are having trouble getting buy-in from your superintendent, administrators, and principals. As you are probably aware, all school districts in the United States must have a current school wellness policy in place that addresses nutrition and physical activity on all campuses. This is a federal mandate but the actual implementation of the policies can be difficult if school leaders aren't on board.

A wonderful organization called Action for Healthy Kids*, has all kinds of tools and materials to help local districts take action to improve nutrition and increase physical activity on school campuses. To address school leadership buy-in, they have recently released the report From the Top Down: Engaging School Leaders in Creating a Healthier, More Physically Active School Environment which chronicles the efforts of 3 school districts that came up with innovative approaches to communicate with, and “recruit” school leaders to get on the healthy school bandwagon. The districts were in Rhode Island, West Virginia and Indiana. They all developed different strategies to convince school leaders about the importance of school wellness and to become actively involved.

Rhode Island set up "Lunch and Learn", onsite free lunches in district leaders' offices. West Virginia sent their principals “Recipe for Success” CDs designed with their busy schedules in mind. And Indiana created the “Healthy Hoosier School Award” enticing school leaders to get involved by offering up a prestigious honor.

Check it out and perhaps one of their techniques may very well work in your district. Go forth and conquer! (Click on the report title above to view it. The file takes a few minutes to download).

Have a fruit and veggie filled day!

*Action for Healthy Kids is a public-private partnership of more than 50 national organizations and government agencies representing education, health, fitness and nutrition. Action for Healthy Kids addresses the epidemic of overweight, sedentary, and undernourished youth by focusing on changes in schools to improve nutrition and increase physical activity.

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Nutrition News Roundup: Feb 2nd

So much to talk about this past week! The food news never stops.

Likewise, the trans fat free band wagon keeps wheeling along. The latest companies to get in on the act: Burger King and the hotel chain Marriott International. Marriott announced their hotel restaurants will be trans fat free as soon as mid-February while Burger King plans to lose the nasty fats by late next year. They are currently consumer testing various substitute oils to ensure product acceptability.

And it doesn't stop there; Crisco is now almost completely trans-fat free according to its maker Smucker's. The new formula, to be shipped to the grocery nearest you soon (how soon is soon?), has less than 1/2 a gram of trans-fat per tablespoon. It's predecessor contained 1.5 grams trans fat per tablespoon. Good news but it doesn't make Crisco healthy. It's still all fat and much of it saturated fat.

Same goes for Burger King and Marriott.. Their high fat items will still be high in fat and calories, and not exactly health food. But progress nonetheless.

Speaking of high calorie food, President Bush apparently met with industry leaders this week urging them to emphasize healthy eating and physical activity in their marketing campaigns. Bush told bigwigs from McDonald's, Kraft PepsiCo etc "Childhood obesity is a costly problem for the country...We believe it is necessary to come up with a coherent strategy to help folks all throughout our country cope with the issue."

Sound progressive doesn't it? But for now seems like it may be just words. Bush stated he doesn't believe the government should get involved and set policies, and it is the individual's responsibility to maintain a healthy diet, not the US governments. That's worked so far right?

On a more positive note, Dole foods will be pilot testing their own healthy vending machines in 15 schools in 4 states: Arizona, Colorado, Texas and Kansas. Among the items the lucky schools will be stocked with: Dole fresh fruit, fruit bowls, prepared salads, sandwich wraps and milk. So keep your fingers crossed that these school kids will actually purchase the items and the program will be expand expand expand. To learn more about Dole's healthy vending machine program click here to see the press release.

What have you seen this week in the news that caught your eye?

Have a fruit and veggie filled day!

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