Recipe of the Week: Apricot Couscous

This refreshing dish is so delish I have been waiting and waiting for the appropriate time of year to post it. I finally saw apricots in the grocery store last week, so all signs pointed to posting "Apricot Couscous". This recipe is another taste tantalizing creation from my dear friend Dona Richwine, RD, MS. With no further ado:

Apricot Couscous

Ingredients:
2 cups dry whole wheat couscous
2 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup diced apricots
1/2 cup dried currants, raisins, cranberries or cherries (my personal favorite)
3/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped, toasted pistachios
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Instructions:
1. In a medium sized pot combine water, salt and 1/2 Tbs. olive oil.
2. Bring to a boil on the stove top. As soon as water comes to a boil, turn off heat and add couscous.
3. Let stand for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.
4. Transfer couscous to a large mixing bowl
5. Add diced apricots, currants, green onions, pistachios, fresh mint, lemon juice, remaining olive oil, cinnamon and cumin to bowl.
6. Toss well to combine all ingredients evenly.

Serves approximately 8 - 1 cup servings

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 295
Fat 7 gm
Fiber 5 gm
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 302 mg

Dona actually cooks the couscous in the microwave in a bowl large enough to add the rest of the ingredients once the couscous is done. It saves an extra step. But I have a little less success microwaving couscous since all microwaves are different. But try it that way too.

Have a fruit and veggie filled day!

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Down and Out: Isn't Flu Season Over?

My apologies for being MIA this week. I have been laid up with a flu that knocked me for a loop. I am still home sick in bed but finally had enough energy today to get online and at least say hi, and let you I'll be back up and running soon. I will still try to post the Recipe of the Week by end of day today.

Having the flu really messes with healthy eating habits I have to say. First of all you, or I guess in this case, am way too lethargic to get out of bed and make anything to eat. And second nothing sounds good. All I wanted to have these last several days was Propel Fitness Water, fruit smoothies and cold mashed potatoes. They are all very soothing on the throat and don't require chewing (I caught a glimpse of what very old age might be like on a soft food diet..not so bad). Chewing caused more head pounding and pressure.

I really have had zero appetite for anything else, besides the fact that I was starving. I did try to eat some lentil soup but that just seemed to make my fever go higher (probably psychological I know.. but I was definitely perspiring more) and the heat made my stomach nauseous.

I wonder why when we are ill and it is most crucial for us to eat our healthful best, we have no appetite. At least I don't. This reminded of the line in the "The Devil Wears Prada" where the snotty assistant to Meryl Streep says "I'm just one flu away from my goal weight". I know what she is talking about. It's brutal.

But I know better. Yet I still haven't been able to bring myself to eat real food. Does anyone have any background knowledge they'd like to share as to why we experience such contradictory behavior? We need adequate nutrition to support our immune system. But when mine is down, that's the last thing I want do is eat well.. or eat much at all.

Thoughts?

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Junk Food Newsbites

Junk food marketing has gone way beyond TV advertising to target our kids, which probably doesn't surprise but many parents may not even realize where it's all coming from. So says a new report out this past week “Interactive Food & Beverage Marketing: Targeting Children and Youth in the Digital Age”. The report, from Berkeley Media Studies Group and the Center for Digital Democracy, says food marketers are infiltrating our kids' lives via cell phones, instant text messaging, Ipods, video games, user-generated video, and three-dimensional virtual worlds (do you even know what some of these things are? I bet your kids do!).


In this age of digital kids are truly getting bombarded. The report calls this new tactic "marketing ecosystem" and list some pretty telling examples of this craziness.

• McDonald's ran a recent campaign urging kids to send them a text for an instant electronic coupon. The campaign goes on to offer free ring tones and encourages users to tell their friends


• The Kellogg Company advertises web addresses on their cereal packages (Corn Pops to be specific) that collects all of the users personal information including cell phone number through a series of pop up messages. They then text them a trivia questions for which they get a free Corn Pops screensaver. I wonder how hard the questions are.....?


• Coca-Cola and Pepsi can track teen's online behavior to then target them with ring tones, sports and entertainment "experiences" and so on.


• Kraft's Lunchables and M&Ms use a variety of instant messaging techniques

And the list goes on. I would too but some of this digital stuff is way beyond me, I had to read through some of these techniques a few times before getting a grip on how they work. It's unbelievable. You've got to check it out... I found it very eye opening. Go to www.digitalads.org.

Senator Tom Harkin (Democrat from Iowa) wrote a letter of support for the report the same week he bashed the maker's of Shrek for allowing the star Ogre to push high sugar and high fat foods to kids like Pop-Tarts, candy etc. "If these industries continue on their present course, government has a responsibility to act," said Harkin. "We are not going to stand idly by in the face of a worsening epidemic of childhood obesity and diabetes." My hero!

What do you think? Should Shrek push Pop-Tarts?

Have a fruit and veggie filled day!

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Recipe of the Week: Power Play Salsa

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Fad Diets: This Week's Newsweek

Happy Monday Everyone!
Any of you get Newsweek? Well if you do take a look at the Health section in the May 28th issue that hit newsstands today. The story is The Dieter's Dilemma. I and fellow American Dietetic Association spokespersons Amy Jamieson-Petronic and Susan Moores are all quoted in it. How cool is that?

(If you don't get the magazine here's the link to the article http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18754289/site/newsweek/)

The piece is all about wacky fad diets and why oh why we want to keep trying them. Right now a diet based on your astrological sign is all the rage. I mean give me a break! But it believe it or not these things sell!

And I have to admit I used to be one of the people buying them. In the Newsweek article I admit to trying many of these fad diets myself before I became a dietitian. But it began well before I even thought of going into the nutrition field. The crazy yo-yo dieting for me got out of control when I was a teenager. And I am afraid to say that is when a lot of women get started on that cycle, very early on in their lives.

I encourage keeping those lines of communication open as much as possible with your kids and leaving all judgment out of it if you can. Talking about health and nutrition in a balanced way is so important, but talking about what our bodies look like or what poor behavior we're practicing is not. Try to refrain from any comments negative or positive. You never know how they will be interpreted.

All of my crazy dieting throughout my life as a teen, young adult and young career woman led me to the path I am on now, that of a registered dietitian. So I turned out ok. But reading the article reminded me of how gullible I used to be, trying every fad diet. I wanted to share that with you and how it can start well before adulthood.

What fad diets have you tried? And when? Do you still find yourself tempted by any new fangled ones that find their way to your local bookstore or small screen infomercial? (Somebody has got to have tried the diet by astrological sign). Please do share and let's have a laugh and perhaps learn a thing or two about what to avoid, because there are no miracles - except fruits and veggies of course :)

You know what kind of a day to have.....

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Recipe of the Week: Lime-Cilantro Corn

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Grand Rounds 3.34

Many Thanx to Daniel Goldberg at Medical Humanities Blog for inlcuding The Family Fork in this week's Grand Rounds 3.34. His issue is packed with good info.. check it out.

Have a fruit and veggie filled day!

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Cooking in the Classroom

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Newsbites: May 13

I have been neglectful of Newsbites in the last couple weeks because there has been so much other stuff going on. I am attempting to resurrect it this week. Let's see how I do.

Of course you know school food is one of my things. It looks like the issue is getting some celebrity backing behind it which may help us out. Chevy Chase, of Saturday Night Live and "Vacation" fame, spent some time speaking to Congress this week about the importance of establishing national nutrition standards for competitive foods sold in our public schools. If you remember, competitive foods are those foods sold outside of the school meal program, i.e. the cafeteria. It just floors me that this topic has gotten so big. It gives me a lot of hope.

(Incidentally, Chase was on the hill attending the Education and Labor Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities. The committee held a hearing to discuss the latest on the school wellness policies and childhood obesity. Keep your ears out for new legislation).

Of course celebs have been on and continuing to get on the band wagon to fight childhood obesity. The Food Network's Rachael Ray just teamed up with President Clinton to fight the good fight. Ray's new non-profit Yum-O Organization will work with Clinton's Alliance for Healthier Generation to create new segments for her TV show that will help families put healthy meals together. Now if we could just get them to get behind school food legislation..... imagine the possibilities.

And here's some news that really drives home how important it is that we continue to advocate for changes and provide our kids with more more more nutrition education:

Most of our teens are not practicing the following four crucial obesity prevention behaviors (according to a presentation this past week at the Pediatric Academic Societies' annual meeting in Toronto):

1. Eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day (which is actually less than the current recommendation)


2. Spending less than two hours in front of the TV and computer


3. Exercising at least an hour a day


4. Staying away from sugar sweetened beverages

Researchers looked at data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted from 1999-2002. Here's what they found:

• Only 9% of teens ate five servings of fruits and veggies


• 27% spent less than two hours in front of the TV and computer screen


• 32% exercised for an hour or more


• 14% drank no sugary beverages

Almost none of these teens engaged in all four behaviors, and an alarming 41% did not engage in any of them.

This is troubling but the data is from 2002 and I hope our efforts and messages have gotten across to some of our teens in the last five years. Yet it does bring to our attention again how crucial it is to get this information across to our kids in a meaningful way. Living a healthy lifestyle is just so uncool. How do we make it cool? Your ideas are most welcome.

That's all for now.. have a fruit and veggie filled week!

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Recipe of the Week: Carrot and Orange Salad

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The School Campus Black Market

Last week I told you about the illegal street vendor issue. Unfortunately they are not the only ones selling junk food to our kids. I visited a high school today and did a tour of the campus checking out the vending machines and student stores. They seemed to be in compliance for the most part and weren't selling snacks that didn't meet the nutrient guidelines spelled out in The Obesity Prevention Motion (TOPM).

I spent a few minutes talking with the student store managers about life now that TOPM is in place. They are not happy because their sales have gone way down. They told me prior to the implementation of TOPM they made about $1000 a day. Now they claim they barely crack $200. But if there's nothing else to buy you'd think they would get used to it. That would make sense eventually, but according to the managers a junk food black market has emerged on campus.

Let me preface this by letting you know, the TOPM nutrient guidelines only apply to foods sold on campus. Students can bring any food onto campus they get from home or elsewhere; so can teachers for that matter. According to the student store managers, both students and teachers are bringing in lots of Flaming Hot Cheetoes and the like. Then they turn around and sell them to each other in their classes. So the students are getting their 'junk food" snacks anyway, but the money is going to these entrepreneurs and not the schools, specifically the Associated Student Body.

I asked the managers what they would do to alleviate the problem, while still considering the health of the students. Of course they said stop the students and teachers from selling it in class. But they really do want the Flaming Hot Cheetoes etc back.

Furthermore, they don't think the approved 'healthy' snacks are necessarily any healthier than what they sold before. They compare the calorie counts, and claim these snacks are not that much different from the so called 'junk food' snacks. I explained that calories aren't the only nutrients we need to watch out for, but I do see their point. The student store sells things like Baked Lays, lower fat cookies, 'lite' muffins and brownies, Pretzel Poppers and the like (nuts and dried fruit are also available but not big sellers). I agree that the snacks could be better. We could only sell whole grain snacks, but would that help sales? I don't think so.

It's a conundrum. I go back to what I said in regards to the illegal vendor issue. The district needs to do a better job of communicating the intent of the policies; and that intent was to create a healthier school environment. And clearly it's not just the students who need some educating. We've got to get the teachers on board too to make this work.

I don't know the solutions, but I know they are out there. There has got to be a way to make a healthy school environment a reality. Workin' on it. Stay tuned.

Have a fruit and veggie filled day!

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And We Thought the Junk Food Would Just Go Away

Now that Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has been implementing their No Junk Food policies, a whole new industry has evolved. And it's not a healthy one.

Here's how it goes (or went). Kids cannot buy their chips, sodas, candy or ice cream anymore at school, but they still want them. So the demand is there but no supply, at least on campus anyway. That demand is being capitalized upon by illegal street vendors. These street vendors are essentially waiting right outside the school gate when the bell rings and selling their wares to the "junk food deprived" students spilling out of their classrooms. The vendors also lurk around the campus during the lunch hour and swap candy for money right through the holes in those school gates.

And guess who those street vendors are? Many of them are parents themselves! They sell out of cardboard boxes, wagons and all kinds of self-modified push-carts. Some Moms are getting out there and wheeling their baby strollers full of candy right in front of the school! It's unbelievable.

And did I mention the street vendors are illegal? None of them have permits because permits aren't allowed for this sort of thing. (I believe there is an exception for trucks; those vendors seem to have permits but the pushcarts, baby strollers etc. are illegal). Not only that, vendors, (legal or not), are prohibited from selling any food within 500 feet of a school in Los Angeles. So two mandates are being broken. But it continues. Why?

There are no resources to police it. We've got a lot of crime fighting going on in this county and seizing illegal baby strollers is just not a priority.

I think another issue is one of communication. Have the students, parents and school staff been educated about the policies? Why were they passed in the first place? If this was well communicated would the problem be as great?

I don't think it's a good use of anyone's time to play the blame game. We need solutions. And what a challenge that is coming up with them. There are many other concerns that accompany this problem that I haven't even mentioned here. I could go on.

So what do we do? Something we are looking into is somehow creating competition for the street vendors; either by providing healthier after school snacks free of charge or having the Associated Student Body sell healthier snacks after the bell rings, and physically place them between the school and the vendors.

And we need to do a better job of educating both our students, parents and school staff about healthy lifestyles, and why the District passed these policies in the first place. The District's goal was not to punish by taking these items away, but to create a healthier school environment where our kids can thrive. Who knew that an even unhealthier neighborhood environment would be created?

More to come.....

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Recipe of the Week: Open-Faced Tuna Delight

When I was a kid my sisters and I always looked forward to rainy days because that's when Mom made our favorite recipe "Open-Faced Tuna Delight". I think that's why tuna fish sandwiches are now a comfort food for me as an adult. (You may have a noticed a few recipes with the stuff in the Fork). So I asked mummy dearest to take a leisurely stroll down memory lane and send me the recipe. She was delighted to do so and I hope you love it as much as we all did.

Open-Faced Tuna Delight
2 cans (6.5 ounces) chunk light tuna in water, drained
2 Tbs reduced fat mayonnaise or plain nonfat yogurt (my Mom always used yogurt which gave the tuna a little extra zing)
3 whole wheat English muffins (so that's 6 halves)*
24 dill pickle slices (the small coin shape)
6 slices (sandwich size) cheddar cheese (Mom says it's got to be real, none of the plastic stuff they have nowadays)

serves 6

Instructions:
1. Mix tuna well with mayonnaise
2. Equally spread tuna mixture on top of each muffin half
3. Place 4 pickle slices on top of each tuna muffin
4. Place 1 slice of cheese on top of each
5. Bake for 8-10 at 350 degrees or until cheese starts to bubble
6. Enjoy!

My mom would mix a small spoonful of Dijon mustard in with the tuna for some tang sometimes. Apparently, we really liked that. She also suggests adding finely chopped green onion or chives for more gusto. And if you're really feeling ambitious chop up an egg and throw it in the tuna mixture. I think I liked mine eggless.. hard to remember. I just remember they were sooooooo delicious! Thanx Mom for such a happy childhood foodie memory. I think I know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow (or maybe even dinner!).

Nutrition Facts:
205 calories
19 grams protein
9 grams fat
14 grams carbohydrate
2 grams fiber
240 milligrams calcium
160 milligrams potassium
535 milligrams sodium

*note: Back then I don't think whole wheat muffins existed but you can certainly find them now. If not go ahead and use the white ones, just keep in mind they are less nutrient dense.

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Get Your Potassium

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