Eat Seasonally for Flavor and Nutrition

 

Enjoying produce when it is at its peak makes your dining experience better and it can also boost the nutrition in the foods you choose. When fruits and vegetables are consumed in season they tend to have more nutrients due to the better growing environment and often they are more recently picked thus preserving some of the more sensitive vitamins and minerals.

In addition to providing more flavor, and potentially more nutrition, eating seasonally often means you are purchasing foods that were grown closer to your home – a benefit to your community. Locally grown produce also helps the environment since transportation time is shorter, meaning less fuel usage.

If you’re working to include more produce in your meals but have run out of good ideas a great resource for tips on how to prepare fruits and vegetables, find recipe ideas and even lists of what items are in season, visit http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/

Connie Diekman, M.Ed, RD, CSSD, LD

Director of University Nutrition

Plant Foods Pack Power

 

Plant foods offer a wide variety of vitamins and minerals but they also offer a diverse package of phytonutrients which are associated with a variety of health benefits. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that we consume at least one half of our plate from fruits and vegetables and slightly more than a fourth of the plate from grains. This push to boost plant foods is based on research that shows that the phytonutrients seem to help prevent heart disease, some forms of cancers, diabetes and that they may aid in memory retention.

What this means to your eating plan is that you need to focus on adding vegetables, fruits and grains to your meals and snacks so that your daily intake of fruits is about two cups, your vegetable intake about 3 cups and your grains makeup a smaller amount of your meal. Maximize the health benefits of produce by choosing darkly colored or strongly flavored fruits and vegetables like the following;

* Eggplant, blackberries, blueberries, purple potatoes

* Carrots, cantaloupe, apricots, mango, yellow peppers, sweet potatoes

* Brussels Sprouts, green peppers, leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli

* Cherries, cranberries, strawberries, red peppers, tomatoes

* Dates, cauliflower, onions, parsnips, white corn, garlic

 

Connie Diekman, M.Ed., RD, CSSD, LD

Memorial Day Picnic Safety Tips

 

The unofficial start of summer is this weekend and with that comes the usual plans for picnics and barbecues. If outdoor cooking is on your agenda make sure you take some time to put food safety into your plans.

Pack your picnic of barbecue items carefully so that  raw foods are separate from cooked foods and make sure all meat, fish, poultry and dairy foods – whether cooked or raw – are stored below 40 degree Fahrenheit. Make sure you wash your hands and any surfaces before and after handling food.

When grilling outside remember, before placing any food on the grill to clean it well with warm, soapy water. Keep raw meat, fish and poultry chilled below 40 degrees Fahrenheit until the grill is hot and ready for the meat.

Another important food safety tip for outside dining is to pack all leftovers within one hour after removing from the refrigerator. For more food safety tips visit – www.homefoodsafety.org

Nutritional Facts about Cheese

Cheese is a favorite food for many and given its versatility this really isn’t a surprise. Cheese can be enjoyed alone, added to casseroles, as a part of a sandwich, on salads, with fruit, salty snacks or in a sauce for vegetables. While cheese is a nutritional powerhouse recently it has come under question for its salt content.

Cheese contributes 21% of our dietary calcium, 11% of the phosphorous, 9% of the protein and vitamin A and 8% of the zinc but it also contributes almost 8% of our sodium intake. Given that cheese has so many nutrients it’s important to recognize that 8% of our sodium is a small amount of the daily intake for so many positive nutrients but why does cheese provide sodium? Salt, and therefore sodium, is essential to cheese making with it helping with flavor and texture, preservation of the cheese and in the prevention of foodborne bacteria. Natural cheeses like Swiss, cheddar, brick, Muenster and many others are made from four ingredients milk, which contains sodium naturally, a starter culture, rennet for thickening and salt. Even though the ingredients in cheese are few in number two of the four ingredients are a source of salt. Processed cheeses like American and others contain more sodium due to the use of stabilizers, emulsifiers and/or flavor enhancers.

If you are concerned about the sodium content of the cheeses you purchase make sure you follow these tips.

*Choose natural cheeses most often

* Check Nutrition Facts panels to compare brands

* Limit usage of processed cheeses to sauces or other uses that require better melting

Cheese can fit into a healthful eating plan if you think about how you are using it and check labels before buying.

How Is Your Salt Intake?

 

This summer the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee released their recommendations for revisions to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The report included several areas of change from the 2005 Guidelines but probably the biggest area of change is the recommendation for sodium intake.

Currently the recommended daily intake is 2,300 milligrams per day and the 2010 report calls for 1,500 milligrams per day. The report is currently being reviewed by the departments in the federal government and a final report is expected by the end of the year.

The new recommendation is a result of a review of the science which indicates that Americans continue to consume more sodium than needed. In addition, many subgroups could reduce their risk for stroke by consuming the new recommended intake.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 77% of our sodium intake comes from processed foods and foods we consume away from home. Estimates indicate that the current intake of sodium is 3,466 milligrams per day.

CDC goes on to report that five food categories contribute most of the sodium in our diets, these include.

* Grain mixtures, frozen meals, soups

* Ham, bacon, sausage and lunch meats

* Breads

* Meat, poultry and fish mixtures

* Cakes, cookies and crackers

These five groups make up a large part of many peoples eating plan so shifting sodium intake down will require several changes. One simple first step is to include more whole grains,vegetables and fruits in place of many of these processed foods.

Make changes gradually and the process will be easier and likely a change you can maintain.

Learn more about the Dietary Guidelines Committee report by visiting – http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/dietaryguidelines.htm

How Is Your Salt Intake?

 

This summer the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee released their recommendations for revisions to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The report included several areas of change from the 2005 Guidelines but probably the biggest area of change is the recommendation for sodium intake.

Currently the recommended daily intake is 2,300 milligrams per day and the 2010 report calls for 1,500 milligrams per day. The report is currently being reviewed by the departments in the federal government and a final report is expected by the end of the year.

The new recommendation is a result of a review of the science which indicates that Americans continue to consume more sodium than needed. In addition, many subgroups could reduce their risk for stroke by consuming the new recommended intake.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 77% of our sodium intake comes from processed foods and foods we consume away from home. Estimates indicate that the current intake of sodium is 3,466 milligrams per day.

CDC goes on to report that five food categories contribute most of the sodium in our diets, these include.

* Grain mixtures, frozen meals, soups

* Ham, bacon, sausage and lunch meats

* Breads

* Meat, poultry and fish mixtures

* Cakes, cookies and crackers

These five groups make up a large part of many peoples eating plan so shifting sodium intake down will require several changes. One simple first step is to include more whole grains,vegetables and fruits in place of many of these processed foods.

Make changes gradually and the process will be easier and likely a change you can maintain.

Learn more about the Dietary Guidelines Committee report by visiting – http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/dietaryguidelines.htm

Slurping Down a Smoothie

 

Smoothies continue to be popular choices for fast snacks, tasty treats and sources of hydration but what is their nutritional value?

The nutritional value of smoothies depends on how they are made. If they are made with fruit juice, fruit puree, yogurt and or milk they can be good sources of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. One downside of many smoothies is their large size, with some as large as 40 ounces.

Smoothies on our campus are 16 ounces in size and average about 330 calories, unless you add more fruit or soy protein powder. Smoothies can provide a good pick-me-up between meals but since they generally contain very little protein they won’t keep you feeling full for long.

If you enjoy smoothies remember to count them as a part of your daily fruit intake so you don’t double up on calories. Learn more about the nutrition in our campus smoothies by visiting -  http://www.menus.wustl.edu/label.asp?locationNum=20&locationName=%3CBR%3ECampus+Menu+Favorites&dtdate=9%2F15%2F2010&RecNumAndPort=233018%2A16