Let's Get Ready for Some Football!

Football season is upon us once and that means tailgating, concession stands, and football game get-togethers. Most often, these activities come with high calorie high fat foods and beverages that can sabotage healthy diets. Here are some tips on how to navigate the football season.

• If eating at a game, try and share a small popcorn or a pretzel with cheese
• Foods to stay away from: brats, sausages, fries, large nachos, nuts and high calorie alcoholic drinks
• If tailgating, you have some control over the food choices so try and pack chicken breasts or sirloin burgers with low calorie buns, and lower fat/calorie side items such as baked chips or Sun chips. Healthier side items could also include fruit or side salads.
• If going out to a bar or restaurant to watch a game, watch the fried appetizers. Try and order a grilled chicken wrap or turkey club sandwich (minus the mayo!) and limit your fry intake. If pizza is being served, try and order veg gie or cheese and blot the top of the pizza with a napkin to save some of the fat calories.
• Most of all try and limit the alcohol/soda pop intake as these beverages are high in calories and can add up. Try and limit yourself to 2 alcoholic drinks. Try and stay away from sodas and drink water or Crystal light lemonades instead.

Turkey and Bean Chili Recipe

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 cups diced yellow onion (about 2 medium)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 (15.8-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups chopped cooked turkey
• 1/2 cup diced seeded plum tomato (about 1)  1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice  1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 lime wedges (optional) 

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 10 minutes or until tender and golden. Add chili powder, garlic, and cumin; sauté for 2 minutes. Add oregano and beans; cook for 30 seconds. Add broth; bring to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes.
2. Place 2 cups of bean mixture in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Return pureed mixture to pan. Add turkey, and cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Add diced tomato, chopped cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper, stirring well. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

Jennifer Martinkus, Cooking Light , NOVEMBER 2006

Kelly Devine Rickert MS RD CSSD LDN

708-679-2717

The 100 calorie pack lie!

Have you become prey for the 100 calorie pack or low calorie portion craze?  A few years ago small calorie controlled packs, bars or even ice cream products hit the market with a vengeance.  A few examples are 100 calorie oreos, skinny cow bars or 90 calorie Special K Bars.  Companies did a great job marketing these products as a "healthy" part of our daily diet.  But what are the facts? 

The majority of food in the United States is not real food.  Grocery store shelves are full of food-like products.  Highly processed ingredients that do not resemble the food it was derived from put together and sold as “food.”  This is not the ideal diet that our body desires. However, these foods tend to be what the mind “craves.”  Take a moment to think about what you crave.  Is it pizza, pasta, ice cream, fast food, nachos, cookies?  Or is it broccoli, apples, chicken, tuna, eggs?  Probably not the latter.  Why don’t humans crave these foods?  In a nutshell they are not processed food like products.  They are real foods that do not overstimulate the brain and body. 

Despite advances in food innovation and development, as a country we are fatter, sicker and experience a lower quality of life, especially as we age.  Is the solution to this really calorie-controlled cookie packs and low calorie ice cream?  I doubt it. 

No matter how it is marketed, an Oreo is an Oreo no matter how they package it or portion it.  It is refined flour, sugar and fat.  Ice cream is still ice cream.  The top ingredients in many popular "fiber" bars are sugar, corn syrup, sugar, and high maltose corn syrup.  It is manufactured fibers covered by sugar.  And it is marketed as healthy?

Avoid Drinking Your Calories - Drink Smart

I have been in the weight loss field for 8 years, and time and time again, individuals are good at recalling food eaten, but often forget to report liquid calories or snack type items. If you are trying to lose weight, over time this oversight can lead to frustration, lack of weight loss and weight gain.

Every time you eat, your body and brain are monitoring the calories coming in and using the information to alter metabolism and control appetite and hunger. Unlike solid calories, liquid calories are not perceived or "read" by the body in the same manner. Liquid calories can slide under the metabolic radar, which is not a good thing. The body does not count them the same, and often the brain does not think of them as "food."

Think about this for a moment, most people can stop at a gas station, purchase a 500-700 calorie Soda and still go meet family and friends to eat dinner a half hour later. However, if that same person were to eat a 500-700 calorie meal, appetite would be suppressed and eating would end. It should be noted that this information pertains to beverages/liquids that are mostly sugar and provide a substantial amount of empty calories.

Below are some common summertime beverages and their healthier, lower calorie alternatives. Cheers to your health!

Cold Stone Creamery: "Love It" Cake Batter = 550 calories
"Like It" Watermelon Sorbet = 160 calories

McDonalds: Medium Chocolate Shake = 750 calories
Vanilla Ice Cream Cone = 150 calories

Dunkin Doughnuts: Large Coffee Coolatta = 800 calories
Large iced coffee with skim milk and splenda = 60 calories

Starbucks: Grande Iced Caramel Macchiato = 230 calories (no whipped cream)
Grande Ice Cafe Late with skim milk = 90 calories

Dairy Queen: Small Chocolate Xtreme Blizzard = 650 calories
Small Pineapple Sundae = 230 calories (DQ did not have anything under 200!)

McDonalds: Large Sweet Tea = 230 calories
Large iced tea with lemon = 0 calories

Alcoholic Beverages:
16 oz. margarita is about 368 calories
16 oz. pina colada is 700-900 calories
5 oz. Pino Grigio wine = 120 calories
1 oz. Rum, Diet coke and lime = 64 calories

Blog Series: The Pro's and Con's of Dietary Fat

2 of 6: Portion Size

One of the biggest mistakes when trying to lose or maintain weight is eating healthy foods but in large portions. Even healthy foods have calories. Through the years, one of the pitfalls I have observed is overconsumption of nuts, trail mixes, and seeds as meals or snacks. Reasons for choosing larger portions of these items are to increase protein intake and "they are healthy." But this is a misunderstanding.

¼ cup of trail mix = 170-230 calories. And who can eat just ¼ cup?
½ cup of shelled sunflower seeds = 375 calories

The only food category that can be consumed in unlimited quantities is non-starchy vegetables. The more vegetables, the better for you.

When consuming fat, it is important to choose the appropriate portion size to avoid excess calories that can lead to weight gain or a weight loss plateau. The following are each one serving of fat:

1 teaspoon: any oil, mayonnaise, butter, margarine

1 tablespoon: low fat margarine, low fat mayonnaise, regular sour cream, nut butters, regular salad dressing, cream cheese

2 tablespoons: Avocado, half & half/cream, reduced fat sour cream, reduced fat salad dressing, reduced fat cream cheese

6-10 nuts: Almond, cashew, walnut halves, peanuts, pecans
Tip: A serving of nuts will fit into a small mint tin. Try packing a portion of nuts to eat at work. Do not eat these items near an open bag where you can keep going back for more.

8 large olives

Be aware of foods that have hidden fats. Even if the fat is not visible, calories can add up quickly. These include pizza, ice cream, sweets, crackers, cake, cookies, chips, and microwave popcorn.

Tune in Monday 8/1 to learn about harmful saturated fats!

Your Food Choices May Be Costing You More Than a Grain of Salt

The average American gets about 3,400 mg of sodium a day, which is well above the recommended amount of 1,500 mg per day. Consuming this much sodium a day may be easier than you think if you consider that just one teaspoon of table salt has 2,325 milligrams (mg) of sodium, almost 1.5 days worth.

In fact, the vast majority of sodium in the typical American diet comes from foods that are processed and prepared. Examples include bread, packaged pasta/rice dishes, lunch meats, bacon, cheese, soups, snacks and fast foods. Sodium is naturally present in all vegetables, dairy products, meat and shellfish. For example, 1 cup of low-fat milk contains about 107 mg of sodium, contributing to your overall sodium intake.

Beyond the harm caused by high blood pressure, research has shown that excess sodium can be toxic to humans. For example, some studies conclude that a high salt diet might contribute to the following: stiffer arteries which are often the early sign of heart disease, increased calcium losses which could eventually lead to osteoporosis and the excretion of high levels of protein in the urine, worsening kidney damage initially caused by high blood pressure.

Whether you are sensitive to salt or not, most Americans can benefit from reducing sodium in their diet. Reconsider your typical food choices and try some of the following ways to cut back on sodium:

• Eat more fresh foods especially fruits and vegetables, which can balance some of the negative effects of sodium.
• If you purchase processed foods, opt for the low or reduced sodium options.
• Check food labels and limit products that contain MSG, baking soda or powder, disodium phosphate and sodium nitrate.
• Use fresh herbs and salt free seasonings to flavor your food.
• Decrease your use of sodium-laden condiments such as soy sauce, salad dressings, ketchup and sauces

Article published by: Ellen Muhammad, Dietetic Intern

Sugar- where is it and how can I avoid it?

Sugar is a popular additive that food manufactures can sneak into foods, oftentimes without our even knowing it. As well as those that are naturally occurring in fruit and dairy, sugar is commonly added to processed foods to prevent spoilage and improve flavor. The negative effects of sugar far outweigh the benefits. It is quickly metabolized by the body and does not contribute to a feeling of fullness, meaning we are hungry soon after eating. Sugar is a source of empty calories, providing no nutritional value, and promotes obesity and chronic disease.

Manufacturers are sneaky. You may be surprised to learn sugar may be lurking in ketchup, canned meats and fish, luncheon meats, and food seasoning. There are many different types of sugar, therefore it may be difficult to identify.

Here is a list of just a few popular names that “sugar” can assume:

• Ingredients ending in “-ose”
• Sucrose, Glucose, Fructose, Galactose, Dextrose, Lactose
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• All types of syrup: Rice syrup, Corn syrup, Carob syrup, Maple syrup
• Brown sugar
• Dextran
• Fruit juice
• Honey
• Invert Sugar
• Malt
• Molasses
• Turbinado sugar

To decrease your sugar intake, check nutrition labels for the above words, and try and limit these from your diet. Choose items that have fewer than 5 ingredients listed on the label. This means they are more natural, and less processed than others. Limiting sugar can aid in weight loss, but more importantly, choosing minimally processed foods promotes overall health and long-term satiety and fullness.


By: Jill Joseph, Dietetic Intern

Snack Menu Ideas

Snacking can contribute a significant amount of calroies and stall weight loss if poor choices are made. Try these snacks that are 150 calories and under

• 1 serving low fat yogurt and 8 almonds
• ½ cup 1 % cottage cheese with 1 piece of fresh fruit
• 4 tbsp. fresh hummus with chopped vegetables
• 1 small apple with 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 3 tbsp. low fat granola and 1 serving low fat yogurt
• 3 cubes low fat cheese and 1 small apple
• ½ cup edamame (soybeans in the pod)
• 1 hard boiled egg and 1 piece of fresh fruit
• 3 oz. of deli meat wrapped around string cheese
• 1 serving vegetables and 2 tbsp. low fat salad dressing