Nutrition Unplugged

Food Trends Spotted at 2013 National Restaurant Association Show

by Janet on May 21, 2013

We’re lucky here in Chicago. Our city is the host each year to the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, which features 2,000+ exhibitors from around the world showcasing new products. It’s an amazing place for food trend spotting. I was able to attend the NRA Show for just a few hours, which isn’t really enough time to adequately absorb everything in the international foodservice marketplace. But here are a few highlights that I observed during my brisk walk through the exhibit floor.

Caffeinated Ice Cream

A brand called Bang!! is a caffeinated ice cream from a company in Madison, Wisconsin. I didn’t stop to try it, just snapped these photos. One scoop of the ice cream contains the same amount of caffeine as an energy drink (125 mg caffeine). Sarah Moore, a managing partner of Bang, told the Chicago Tribune that the targeted demographic is college students, who might consider ice cream over coffee to power through a study session. The varieties include Peanut Butta, Heaps of Gold, Cooky Mint and Iced Latte-Da.

This comes at an interesting time when Wrigley just haulted the roll-out of a caffeinated gum called Alert in response to FDA concerns about the safety of added caffeine in foods and beverages. Food manufacturers have been adding caffeine to candy, nuts and other snack foods in recent years, which has medical groups concerned — especially if children get their hands on these new, easy and tasty sources of caffeine. FDA’s Michael Taylor told the Associated Press that the current proliferation of caffeine-added foods is “beyond anything FDA envisioned” and the agency may look closer at the way these ingredients are regulated.

Microgreens

I saw several exhibits promoting microgreens, which have come on strong as a culinary trend over the last few years. Microgreens are seedlings of vegetables and herbs (including spinach, arugula, peas, cabbage, broccoli, radishes, and cilantro) that are harvested for a week or two, just when the first shoots sprout. Chefs are increasingly using microgreens as an edible garnish, a new ingredient in salads, or as a flavorful side dish. Even though these greens are miniature in size, they can provide surprisingly intense flavors, vivid colors and crisp textures. Microgreens also pack a rather intense nutrient punch, as revealed in this study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. This assessment of 25 different microgreens found that some varieties contain even more nutrients, carotenoids and other phytonutrients compared to their mature counterparts.

Edible Flowers

Similarly, edible flowers are a new favorite of chefs, used as both a garnish and ingredient (from drinks and desserts to salads and soups). Take a look at the possibilities from Grub Street San Francisco Eat Your Flowers: Edible Blossoms are Trending All Over, which includes a fun slideshow featuring edible flowers. They’re not just showing up in restaurants, increasingly you can find edible flowers in the produce sections of supersmarkets, near the fresh herbs.

Tea was huge, with 33 different exhibits showcasing customized tea menus, tea sommelier programs, hot tea service items and unique iced tea varieties. The health benefits of tea was also a focus, including this booth from the Art of Tea.

One tea that you’ll be hearing more about is Matcha, which is hot on the heels of chai and bubble tea as the next big tea trend. Grown from specially shaded bushes, this green tea has been part of the famous Japanese tea ceremony for more than 800 years. Now it’s being sold as a finely ground, jade-green powder to be mixed with water, or combined with milk for smoothies and lattes. It’s true that this concentrated form of green tea contains high levels of antioxidants, but I think the claims are starting to go a little overboard. Even so, many people enjoy the refreshing, grassy flavor and you’ll start to see Matcha show up in other categories beyond drinks.

Umami

There was an entire Japanese pavilion dedicated to umami, the “fifth taste” discovered by Japanese scientists a century ago. It was a huge celebration of this savory, meaty, full-bodied taste, with lots of sauces, condiments and other items on display. One part of the exhibit offered a taste test of two french fries — one seasoned with salt and the other with Ajinomoto, the MSG seasoning.

American Indian Foods

I loved the exhibit that promoted a variety of American Indian Foods, including wild rices, jams, jellies, and jerky. I learned about a certification program from the Intertribal Agriculture Center that promotes the “made by American Indians” mark to indicate a product from a federally recognized Tribe. Just a few other quick trends, I spotted lots of waffles — including fancy waffle irons for restaurant kitchens, waffle cones and waffle desserts. Here’s a waffle on a stick from Waffsticks.

I also liked these bean-based chips, including falafel and zatar chips from a company called Flamous. I enjoyed chatting with the Lebanese owner of the company who was proud of his Middle Eastern-style creations.

I also spotted a lot of interesting specialty produce…

And several vendors were promoting food trucks and other alternative service options for restaurateurs.

Here’s what a few other trend trackers spotted at the NRA Show:

Nation’s Restaurant News identified 10 culinary trends at the 2013 NRA Show.

Healthy kids’ food — to meet new school nutrition guidelines or to qualify for NRA’s Kids LiveWell program
Tropical flavors — passion fruit, guava and especially mango
Water — zero-calorie “enhanced” waters fortified with vitamins, seltzer with splashes of fruit juice, origin-specific waters and aloe water

Iced tea – 33 different exhibits showcasing tea, often with tropical flavors or regional designations, such as “Pacific Raspberry” or “Georgia Peach”

Greek yogurt 2.0 — ingredient in Greek yogurt cheesecake, spinach-artichoke dip, mac and cheese, and virtually anything that would otherwise contain mayonnaise or sour cream
Gluten-free — exibitors said it remained important concern for visitors shopping for sauces, snacks and desserts

High-tech convenience — new technologies in the kitchen
Salted caramel — ice creams, cheesecake, candies
Peruvian — Country of Peru exhibited for first time, with Peruvian chef Ricardo Zarate of L.A.’s Mo-Chica and Picca restaurants serving of Peruvian specialities
Superfoods — spices (cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne pepper), teas flavored with blueberry, pomegranate and acai, and seafood purveyors said there was renewed interest in omega3-rich herring

SmartBlog on Food and Beverages cited top 3 trends from the show floor at NRA 2013:

Special formulations – gluten-free, allergy-friendly
Healthy kids’ meals
Beverages bubble up

Did you go to the NRA Show? What trends did you spot?

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Tagged as: food trends, National Restaurant Association

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Why Must We Label How We Eat?

by Janet on May 14, 2013

I love Terry Walters‘ books Clean Food and Clean Start. They’re both fabulous cookbooks (designed by my friends at Mackenzie Brown Design in Chicago), full of amazing recipes and beautiful photographs. Perhaps you remember me writing about Terry earlier The Art of Eating Clean. Here’s her Deep Dish Greens with Millet Amaranth Crust, reprinted with permission from Clean Start © by Terry Walters, Sterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Photography by Gentl & Hyers, design by MacKenzie Brown Design. This gives you an idea of her creative cooking.

They’re great cookbooks and Terry is a talented chef. But actually, I didn’t even realize these were vegan cookbooks until I heard Terry speak on a panel at BlogHer Food 2012 with Bryant Terry, who is quite an amazing chef himself. Click here to find the live blogging recap of the session. Terry and Bryant are both vegan chefs (as I learned), yet they told their publishers that they didn’t want their cookbooks marketed as vegan. They fought with their publishers so they wouldn’t be pigeon-holed — wouldn’t be put in one category and stuck with a specific label to define their food. I loved what Terry said on the panel:

I think vegan, paleo and gluten-free are trends. I think these diets are like trying on a dress. The danger is saying this is the only dress that will fit me and that’s not true. I try not to put anything out there that says this food is a diet. Everyone needs more help bringing in the foods we all need more of. There was a fight with my publisher because the growing market is vegan and that’s where they want to put me, but I won the fight. I told them you can sell my book however you want but you can’t put a label on me. Labels don’t help us. There’s no way a label can listen to your body more than we can listen to our bodies. We have different needs and abilities.

Good points. But that took me my surprise. I knew I liked Terry’s cookbooks, full of innovative recipes featuring vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains. I just didn’t think of them as vegan. I’m not sure why it didn’t occur to me. I just knew that I appreciated her approach and she created the types of recipes that I like to make.

I had a similar experience more recently when I read The Kitchn‘s article: Eating Vegetarian? 7 Cooking Blogs to Check Out Right Now. Among the seven blogs featured were four of my all-time favorite blogs. Once again, I didn’t even realize these were vegetarian blogs. I didn’t categorize them in my mind. I just knew that I loved them. I mean, I really love them. When I want ideas for new salads, different pasta dishes or innovative ways to use farro, quinoa, bulgur or other whole grains — these are the blogs I turn to. When I’m looking for vegetable-studded stews or stir-fries, egg-based dishes for brunch, or simply inspiration for new vegetable sides, I click on these links. These are truly some of the most incredible food blogs in the blogosphere. Trust me. Check them out.

Naturally Ella
My New Roots
Happyolks
Cookie + Kate

French Lentils with Roasted Roots, Caramelized Onions and Thyme, courtesy of Terry Walters, Clean Start

Maybe it’s good thing that I don’t categorize these books and blogs. And maybe it’s good that Terry and Bryant won their battle so their books weren’t labeled as vegan. Too many people would simply dismiss these recipes — saying, “That’s not for me, I’m not a vegan.” Not everyone is going to follow a vegetarian diet. In my opinion, they don’t need to feel like they have to. But more people should find ways to cook vegetable-centric meals. If we could only get people excited about celebrating the plant portion of the meal — and that doesn’t mean giving up meat.

We’re seeing this trend of plant-based cuisine being pushed forward and winning over die-hard carnivores. It’s a “push & pull” situation, says The Hartman Group, in its report Ideas in Food 2013.

A vegetable-inflected future. To be clear, there has not been a mass conversation of carnivores to vegetarians as of late, nor do we anticipate such behavior Instead, we are hearing of consumers “pulling” more plant-based foods to the center of the plate and “pushing” animal products to its edges. It’s not about eliminating meat, but letting plant-based products take center stage.

I like that approach. You can eat more vegetarian meals without being a vegetarian. You can enjoy vegan dishes without converting to veganism. Bryant Terry said at BlogHer Food 2012 that he’s a vegan, but he’s not advocating a vegan diet for everyone.

There’s a growing market of vegan consumers. I think it’s exciting that more people are looking to eat plant-based food. I don’t personally believe a vegan diet is best for everyone. I don’t think any one diet is the best. We need to have a complex approach to diet. Given the health crisis that we are dealing with, I do think plant-based diets are a powerful tool for healing us. In general people need more vegetables. A big hunk of meat shouldn’t be the center of your plate. A lot of my work is about normalizing and destigmatizing plant-based foods.

Cauliflower steaks, couscous and puree by Vegetarian Cookery School on flickr

There’s a lot to love about vegetables. But maybe the best ways to coax people into pulling vegetables to the center of the plate is to entice them with mouthwatering, craveable options — rather than touting a recipe as “vegetarian” or “vegan.” [Cauliflower appears to be the latest vegetable to win center-of-the-plate stardom.] Let’s don’t make people feel guilty for eating meat, but help show them ways they can push it to the side of the plate — and not eliminate it entirely. Maybe Mark Bittman is on to something with his new book that promotes being Vegan Before 6 to encourage people to eat more plant-based foods during the day and limit meat to their evening meal. It shows how you don’t have to give up meat. You can be a part-time vegan. Or maybe the day-time shouldn’t be labeled as “vegan” at all, and just give people more enticing ideas to focus on fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and other plant-based foods.

Must we use these labels? Let’s have healthy foods speak for themselves. Let’s focus on all the wondrous foods to enjoy, instead of a rigid list of what you can’t eat. If we want a “vegan” recipe to appeal to more than vegans, then maybe we take off the labels.

I’m a carnivore for sure, but I love vegetable-centric meals too. I think we need to help people realize that you can enjoy both. All too often people go to extremes. You can enjoy meat, and not go Paleo. You can enjoy vegetables, and not be vegan. The magic is in the middle.

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So Many Good Reasons to Go Nuts

by Janet on May 10, 2013

Are you a fan of nuts? Almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, pine nuts, hazelnuts…so many wondrous options, so many good reasons to eat them.

hazelnuts by cairistine on flickr

That’s the topic of my latest post for WebMD. Hope you’ll go over there to check it out.

Nuts are one of those foods that have enjoyed a complete turnaround. Once shunned during the low-fat era, nuts have gained new-found respect for the “good” fats they contain. Now there’s growing evidence that adding nuts to your daily routine can be beneficial in so many ways.

For starters, nuts are a core component of the Mediterranean Diet, which made headlines recently after one of the largest studies of its kind examined the heart health benefits of this style of eating. The participants in Spain eating the Mediterranean Diet – supplemented with an ounce a day of nuts (walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts) — experienced a 30 percent reduction in stroke, heart attacks and deaths from heart disease.

The latest evidence, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is a meta-analysis of 31 different studies that were conducted around the world. These findings should help reassure you that nuts can be safely added to your diet without gaining weight. The researchers found that a nut-enriched diet did not increase body weight, body mass index or waist circumference compared with the control diets (without nuts).

Three new studies were just presented in April at the Experimental Biology meeting in Boston. This research found that eating nuts was associated with a better quality diet (richer in nutrients), lower body weight, lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome and reduced cardiovascular disease risk. The nuts examined in the study included almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts.

So there are so many reasons you can feel good about going nuts. Besides the healthy fats in these prized packages, nuts are rich in fiber, plant protein and a bundle of different phytonutrients. They’re a highly satiating food, which means they can tame your appetite and keep you feeling fuller longer. Each nut has a slightly different claim to fame – such as walnuts can boast about omega-3 and almonds are rich in vitamin E – but all nuts are worthy of your attention.

Seven nuts qualify for a FDA health claim related to heart disease prevention: almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts. Even though Brazil nuts, cashews, and macadamias do not meet the criteria because of their higher saturated fat levels, they’re still a healthy choice.

The best approach is to swap nuts for something else you typically eat, rather than just adding nuts to your usual routine. You still need to keep sight of portions, but nuts should be celebrated, not feared.

Dietary guidelines recommend 4 ounces of nuts per week. Here are some ways you can easily add them to your day:

Add chopped walnuts, pecans or sliced almonds to your bowl of oatmeal or yogurt parfait in the morning.
Top your whole-grain toast, English muffin, bagel, pancakes or waffles with peanut or almond butter.
Snack on nuts instead of pretzels, crackers or chips. You can find an array of 100-calorie packs of nuts so you’ll have built-in portion control.
Sprinkle your salad with nuts instead of croutons or bacon bits.
Throw some nuts into the batter when you’re making muffins or quick breads.
Add pine nuts or slivered almonds into your whole-grain dishes, such as quinoa, bulgur or farro.
Try nut-based sauces like pesto to use as a dip for vegetables or to top grilled meats. I’m especially fond of Muhammara, which is made with ground walnuts, and Spanish Romesco, which is made with ground almonds.

You can find more ideas on how to enjoy more nuts, along with recipes for nutty sauces and nut mixes, in my chapter on healthy fats in the Food Lover’s Healthy Habits Cookbook. What are your favorite ways to enjoy nuts?

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Tagged as: heart health, Mediterranean Diet, nuts

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Is Chocho the New Quinoa? This Ancient South American Legume is Being Heralded as the Next Big Superfood

by Janet on May 6, 2013

Quinoa isn’t the only superfood to emerge from the Andes Mountains. This grain-like seed, a staple of the Incan diet, rose to fame in the U.S. for its impressive protein content, whole-grain/gluten-free goodness, and “ancient” pedigree.

Now there’s another ancient food from the Andean region that’s about to emerge as the newest superfood.

Chocho (Andean Lupin) is a legume that’s been a core component of Ecuadorian and Peruvian cuisine for ages.

This dense, white bean is rich in protein (even more than quinoa and soy beans), contains healthy fats (omega-3s) and is high in fiber and minerals.

Chocho beans, technically Lupinus mutabilis, were a major part of the ancient Andean diet and they’re eaten today in Ecuador, Peru (known as tarwi) and Bolivia as a snack or an ingredient in soups, stews, ceviches and other dishes.

The beans are also ground into a protein-rich flour and used in bread, desserts and drinks.

Laylita’s Recipes has a tasty-looking recipe for Vegetarian Ceviche de Chochos, which this Ecuadorian food blogger says is a popular street food in her country.

Chochos are not readily available in the U.S., although the closest thing would be lupini beans, which you can find in Italian and Latin markets (often brined in jars).

If you’re looking for chochos, just don’t confuse this South American bean with chayote, which is a type of squash that is sometimes referred to as chocho (along with vegetable pear, mirliton and other names).

Chayote is native to Mexico and Central America, or you’ll sometimes hear it called Jamaican chocho. But remember, this is a squash, and Andean chochos are beans.

Even though you can’t really find chochos in this country, that hasn’t stopped the buzz that’s beginning to build for this ancient bean. Here’s a BBC feature: This ancient Ecuadorean legume being hailed as a new superfood. Or take a look at this segment below.

This is all fine, but all beans are good beans. There’s a lot to love about all legumes. It would be great if more people sought out the array of canned or dry beans that are readily available on supermarket shelves. They’re all pretty super to me. One downside to chochos is the sharp, bitter alkaloids they contain. The fresh beans need to be soaked for several days, rinsed and cooked for a significant amount of time to remove the bitterness. That may be one barrier to having this crop gain greater acceptance in America, along with the lack of research and promotion, according to a report from Purdue University on Andean Grains and Legumes.

I do find it interesting that there are varieties of plants that we don’t regularly grow here in this country that might be good additions to the American diet — and just like quinoa, some of these plants are native of South America. That was the focus of a report from the National Academy of Sciences, Lost Crops of the Incas: Little-Known Plants of the Andes with Promise for Worldwide Cultivation. That’s why I think registered dietitian Manuel Villacorta may be on to something with his new book that will be released in October: Peruvian Power Foods: 18 Superfoods, 101 Recipes and Anti-Aging Secrets from the Amazon to the Andes. Manuel calls Peru “the new superfood capital of the world.” Plus, Peruvian cuisine is one the hottest culinary trends right now.

Lots of good stuff comes out of Peru. Besides quinoa, we have Peru to thank for potatoes. I just hope that if there’s momentum for chocho, or other South American superfoods, that people actually eat the foods — and not run out and buy pills, potions or processed foods that are fortified with tiny amounts of these superfood ingredients. I just hope we don’t start seeing belly-fat blasting chocho products being promoted on Dr. Oz, or internet ads selling chocho supplements and drinks.

Let this bean be a bean — nutritious yes, magical no. And let’s hope more people start embracing more beans of all kinds.

Images courtesy of minimallyinvasivenj eveemshwiller and bronniewin on flickr.com

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Tagged as: Angean Lupin, beans, chocho, legumes, Peruvian cuisine, superfood

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Chicken Gets New Respect

by Janet on May 3, 2013

I’ve always loved chicken. Granted, it can get a little boring (“Mom, chicken again!). But I find it to be a fabulous canvass for adding flavor, and it’s incredibly versatile. Now it appears that this humble bird is experiencing new-found love. A report on 2013 food trends from The Hartman Group says chicken is evolving from a weeknight afterthought to destination eatery. Several trend trackers included chicken on their 2013 food trend lists, including:

Bon Appetit - Watch Your Back Steakhouses
Food & Wine – The Bird is the Word
QSR Magazine
Baum & Whiteman

Much of this has to do with chefs who are celebrating chicken — highlighting globally-inspired flavors and techniques, focusing on heritage breeds and elevating ethical, humanely-raised birds. With the casualization of cuisine today,many chefs are moving on from burgers and focusing on chicken as their new favorite protein.

Here are a few chicken trends and the creative ways chefs are putting poultry on the map.

The famed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten got into casual dining with the opening of Simply Chicken in New York City. The eatery features organic chicken, and you know if Jean-Georges is involved, it will be amazing.

image from Simply Chicken

One of the biggest trends is heirloom chicken — just like heirloom turkeys and heritage pigs that paved the way. Now it appears that chicken is getting the same type of attention. Expect to see more breed designations on packaging and restaurant menus. Thomas Keller has helped make Jidori chicken famous, and now this heritage breed, which is Japanese for “chicken of the earth,” is featured on the menu at Farmshop, from Keller’s former right-hand man Jeffrey Cerciello.

Shawn Doty’s restaurant Bantam + Biddy in Atlanta serves local and pastured rotisserie chicken with a choice of sauces, including Piri Piri, Dominican-style wasakaka (warm garlic and parsley), Beer Mustard and Sweet Blue Ridge BBQ. Chicken Scratch in Dallas serves fried and rotissierie chicken.

Wing Wings in San Francisco serves free-range chicken wings with unique, full-flavor housemade sauces like Angry Korean and Orange Miso.

Angry Korean Wings at Wing Wings in San Francisco by MichaelEatsSF on flickr

Korean barbecue is hot, hot, hot, and Korean fried chicken, often wings, is a shining star. At BonChon , a chain in New York and other markets, you’ll find made-to-order wings served with hot sauce or soy garlic sauce.

chicken bonchon

BonChon Korean Fried Chicken courtesy of Jalapeno on flickr

Zankou Chicken is a Southern California chain with a Middle Eastern flare. You’ll find garlicky kebabs, the way I love to prepare chicken at home.

Zankou chicken by citymama on flickr

Beyond heirloom chicken, another trend in the category of better-raised birds is the concept of traceable chicken. That’s the selling point of Just Bare Chicken which is “certifed humane” and includes a code on each package that allows you to trace your chicken back to the family farm where it was raised.

Chefs are also helping to share techniques and recipes so home cooks can aspire to better-tasting birds in their own kitchens. One of those trends is spatchcock. Have your ever spatchcocked a chicken before roasting or grilling?

How do you like to prepare chicken? Here’s some inspiration from some of my favorite bloggers and websites:

The Kitchn 15 Fresh & Tasty Chicken Recipes
Cooking Light 25 Best Chicken Recipes
Food 52 Top Rated Chicken Recipes
Saveur Korean Fried Chicken
Spoon Fork Bacon Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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Holy Guacamole: Avocados Are Red Hot

by Janet on April 17, 2013

image: hannah honey & jam on flickr

Avocados have emerged as breakout produce stars and are enjoying their day in the sun. That’s the topic of my latest post for WebMD, Avocado: Going Beyond Guacamole.

It used to be that we only thought about avocados when we wanted to make guacamole – which was typically just for occasional events like Super Bowl parties or Cinco de Mayo celebrations. But those days are over, and I couldn’t be happier about it. Now these fruits have broken out of the guacamole bowl and have become big stars in the produce aisle.

Avocados are following in the same footsteps as nuts, which were once dismissed as fatty foods and shunned by the health conscious. Now we know that both of these foods contain heart-healthy fats and their nutrition reputations have been redeemed. I’m thrilled to see the growing popularity of avocados – which are showing up on restaurants menus from appetizers to desserts.

Avocado-Chocolate Tofu Mousse from MielPastry on flickr

You know the trend has reached mainstream status when avocados begin appearing on fast-food menus. Chain restaurants like Wendy’s, Subway, Panera Bread and Au Bon Pain have all introduced items with avocado.

Smoothies are increasingly popular, and now avocados are being added to the blender. I did a quick search on Pinterest and found tons of enticing recipes for smoothies made with avocados, including versions mixed with other green ingredients like cucumber and kiwi, or fruits such as blueberries, strawberries or pineapple.

image: bite delite on flickr

Long a part of the Mediterranean Diet, avocados can be incorporated into your meals and snacks in so many delicious, satisfying ways. Here are 12 great ways to use avocados from Oldways and the Mediterranean Foods Alliance.

Mash half an avocado with a fork and spread it on whole-grain bread or toast for a quick, nourishing breakfast.
Add diced avocado to eggs or omelets before cooking.

Poached Egg on Toast with Chipotle Mayonnaise, Bacon and Avocado
by CookinCanuck on flickr

Top baked potatoes with avocado butter, made by mashing a ripe avocado with one tablespoon of lemon or lime juice, salt, and pepper.
Garnish vegetable, fruit and whole-grain salads with diced avocado, and then toss gently to mix.
Stuff avocado halves with brown rice and olives and garnish with a sprinkling of bleu cheese.
Top whole grain crackers with thin slices of avocado and smoked salmon to create a delicious party appetizer.
Combine avocados with berries, apples, and mango chunks for a tasty fruit salad.
Make a creamy potato salad with chopped avocados, boiled new potatoes, and diced celery, and moisten with a sprinkling of lemon juice, wine, and olive oil.
Create a deliciously different salsa by combining diced avocado, chopped tomatoes, corn kernels, chopped cilantro, pepper, and cayenne.
Add diced avocado, diced bell pepper, and sliced scallions to cooked pasta, and dress with a mixture of extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, and mustard for a tasty pasta salad.
Substitute avocado for another fruit in any sorbet recipe and include lemon or lime juice to bring out its flavor.
Put sliced avocado in wraps and sandwiches.

image: rebeccamissing on flickr

Don’t get me wrong. Guacamole is still amazing, there are just so many other wonderful ways to enjoy these wondrous fruits. But Cinco de Mayo is coming up, so here are some tasty-looking guacamole recipes from bloggers:

Perfect Guacamole from Simply Recipes
Sweet Smokin’ Hot Mango-Chipotle Guacamole from Eat, Live, Run
Roberto Santibanez Classic Guacamole from Food 52
Guacamole from David Lebovitz
Guacamole with Corn, Pasilla Chiles and Tomatillos from The Kitchn
Guacamole Hummus from Shutterbean

Guacamole Hummus by Shutterbean on flickr

For more on the health benefits of avocados, visit the Food & Nutrition Magazine.

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Making the Mediterranean Diet Work For You

by Janet on March 24, 2013

I’m sure you heard all about the new research on the Mediterranean Diet that made headlines worldwide. This large-scale study from Spain, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, got tons of attention because it was the first time we’ve had such strong evidence supporting the benefits of this style of eating. Participants following the eating patterns common in Spain, and other coastal countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, had a significant reduction (about 30%) in the risk of stroke and other cardiovascular events.

No doubt the results were solid — and the researchers even suspended the study early (after five years) because it was so clear that those eating the Mediterranean Diet were benefiting in such significant ways that the control group wasn’t — there were still critics of the study.

Some experts claim the design was flawed because the control group did not follow a low-fat diet – and others thought the media over-hyped the results. Despite the media brouhaha, and the study’s potential shortcomings, there are worse things than drawing attention to a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, seafood and healthy fats like extra-virgin olive oil and nuts. Plus, did I mention the wine? Those following the Mediterranean Diet enjoyed a glass of red wine with meals. Maybe we can’t conclude that the Mediterranean Diet is more beneficial than a low-fat diet, it’s certainly a better approach than the way many people eat in this country. It’s also a style of eating that celebrates food, encouraging the pleasures of the table without a long list of restrictions. I say that’s all good.

Maybe the Mediterranean Diet got a lot of praise in the press. Perhaps the study’s results were over-hyped. I’m OK with that. I would much rather have people eat like a Spaniard, Italian, Greek or Lebanese than eat like a Caveman. It’s great that this style of eating got the type of attention that’s usually reserved for the latest fad diet. All too often — the science-based, sensible approach doesn’t make news, or doesn’t sell books. I hope this will help change that. Two fantastic dietitian colleagues Meri Raffetto and Wendy Jo Peterson just wrote a book, the Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Dummies, which can show you how easy and delicious it can be to eat like you’re from the Mediterranean.

We certainly enjoy Mediterranean-style meals at home. Here are some ways you can bring a bit of the Mediterranean to you every day.

Do not fear the fat. It’s still hard for some people to get over the idea that not all fats are bad. The Mediterranean diet is rich in healthy fats, such as extra-virgin olive oil, nuts and avocados. Make your own vinaigrettes with olive oil instead of using bottled dressings. It will be fresher and tastier – and you’ll even help enhance the absorption of some nutrients from the salad compared to using a low-fat dressing. Another recent study found that the aroma of olive oil helped to enhance satiety, or feelings of fullness. Saute your vegetables in olive oil, snack on nuts instead of chips or pretzels, and find new ways to enjoy avocados beyond guacamole.

Make vegetables a center-of-plate star. Forget the notion of starting your meal planning with a big slab of meat. Find ways to have vegetables play a bigger role. As Americans, we often start our meal with a single salad drenched in a creamy dressing. It’s much different in Lebanon, where we visit my in-laws every summer. The Lebanese enjoy an array of vegetables during a meal, including salads made with some of the most nutritious greens you can eat – tabbouleh with parsley, fattoush with chopped vegetables, sauteed chickory with caramelized onions, and fresh rocca salad with beets. Meats are often served as kebabs, so you can enjoy a small portion after eating the vegetable-packed mezze. Find ways you can shrink your meat portions — enjoy pastas that are studded with vegetables and just a little meat, make a hearty stew with beans and small chunks of meat, and experiment with whole-grain entree salads topped with sliced roasted chicken.

Love your lemons. I always keep a big bag of fresh lemons in my fridge that I use to squeeze on vegetables or make salad dressings during the week. There’s nothing quite like a squirt of citrus to brighten up a dish. On the weekends, I will often squeeze a bunch of lemons and make a batch of dressing with olive oil, grated fresh garlic and kosher salt. I keep this elixir in a bottle in the refrigerator and use it on everything – roasted cauliflower, arugula salad, sautéed broccoli and pasta dishes.

Face your fish-cooking fears. Dietary guidelines recommend 8 ounces of fish a week, but most Americans fall short of this goal. For many people, it comes down to not knowing how to prepare fish and seafood at home. It’s not a difficult task. You’ll find lots of ways to gain seafood-cooking confidence in my new book, The Food Lover’s Healthy Habits Cookbook. Eating seafood twice a week is one of the 12 healthy habits featured in the book. You’ll find fool-proof cooking techniques and tons of family-friendly fish recipes.

Embrace beans. We simply don’t eat enough beans in this country. I love legumes, and try to find lots of ways to incorporate them into meals – adding to whole-grain pilafs, salads, pastas and casseroles. And of course, beans are a great base for better-for-you dips, including my favorite hummus. If you need to get to know beans a little better, check out Bean by Bean by Crescent Dragonwagon. It’s a tremendous cookbook and bean guide.

What are your favorite Mediterranean-style meals?

Image courtesy of Yanoosh on flickr

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Tagged as: Mediterranean Diet, New England Journal of Medicine

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Focus On What You Eat, Not Delete

by Janet on March 2, 2013

What’s going on? When did “food intolerances” become the next big diet craze? Why are so many people blaming hidden food sensitivities for America’s obesity problem. There are several new books — including some best-sellers — who are championing this idea. Even actress Gwyneth Paltrow has written a book that’s based on this premise. That’s the topic of my latest blog post for WebMD: You Are What You Eat, Not What You Delete, which I hope you’ll check out.

I received a pitch to review a new diet book that boldly declared “you are what you delete.” The author blames hidden food sensitivities for America’s obesity problem and claims you can lose 7 pounds in 7 days if you just drop 7 foods. The diet deletes everything from eggs and dairy to corn, soy and peanuts – claiming that these foods are sabotaging your weight loss.

Another best-selling diet book takes a similar approach. It claims that surprising “healthy” foods are what’s making you fat. “Foods that are revered by traditional weight loss programs, such as turkey, eggs, cauliflower, beans, and tomatoes, may be healthy in a vacuum, but when combined with each person’s unique chemistry, they can cause a toxic reaction that triggers weight gain, premature aging, inflammation, and a host of health problems….”

Even the actress Gwyneth Paltrow has jumped on the food intolerance bandwagon. She’s written a new cookbook that’s based on a similar premise. It’s an “elimination diet” that allows no eggs, no dairy, no shellfish, no deep-water fish, no wheat, no meat, no sugar, and no soy. That’s a lot of deleting.

When did food intolerances become the next big villain in our battle of the bulge? If you suspect you have a food intolerance or allergy, absolutely go check it out by your physician. Don’t self-diagnose, and don’t be so quick to blame food intolerances for those extra pounds you want to lose.

I would much rather have folks focus on what they should be adding to their diet, instead of avoiding. That’s what my new book with the editors of Cooking Light is all about. The Food Lover’s Healthy Habits Cookbook helps you establish 12 healthy habits. These are all positive changes, or foods to eat rather than delete. You’ll find strategies for eating more vegetables, whole grains, seafood, and healthy fats. One habit is all about starting each day with a healthy breakfast (and yes, you’ll find eggs and dairy), and others are about cooking more at home, portion control and eating mindfully. The book is about enjoying and savoring food, not fearing it.

It’s also based on science. I’ve not seen any convincing evidence that food intolerances have a major impact on weight loss. Sure, if you’re getting rid of the “junk,” you’ll lose weight. But it’s not “magical” like some of these authors claim, and it’s certainly not going to be enjoyable in the long haul if you have a big list of foods you must avoid.

No single food is to blame. Just like no single food is a savior. Unless you are truly allergic or intolerant, there’s no need for you to avoid certain foods – especially whole categories of foods. You’ll be eliminating a lot of essential nutrients when you do that. Instead, focus on what you can add. Studies show that people who eat lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and those who regularly fit in a healthy breakfast, tend to be leaner. Lowfat or fat free dairy and lean meats can absolutely fit into a healthy diet. When you focus on adding these wondrous, nutrient-packed foods – you’ll have less room for those not-so-great choices.

So my hope is that you’ll enjoy the foods you eat, rather than focus on what you must delete.

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Tagged as: food intolerances

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Weight Loss Reality TV Shows: Good, Bad or Ugly?

by Janet on January 31, 2013

The pros and cons of weight loss reality shows, such as NBC’s The Biggest Loser, was the topic of my most recent post for WebMD’s blog Real Life Nutrition. Hope you’ll check it out.

Are you a fan of the show? It certainly has its fans and distractors. No doubt, The Biggest Loser pulls in the ratings, yet each episode sparks a flurry of online discussions — from tweets to blog posts — with each side passionately making their case on why the show is good or bad, inspiring or insulting. One vocal critic as been physician Yoni Freedhoff, who has sounded off against The Biggest Loser’s approach on his blog Weighty Matters and on U.S. News, including this post When Science Met The Biggest Loser.

The critics , including Dr. Freedhoff, have come out swinging even harder against the episodes featuring children. Even though there’s a pediatrician working with the show, other pediatricians have expressed concerns about the humiliation and potential long-term harm inflicted on the young participants.

So what do you think, are these shows good or bad? I looked at what some recent studies have found and talked to a few experts to get their perspective of weight loss reality shows.

First, I think it’s an extremely good thing that a registered dietitian consults with The Biggest Loser. Cheryl Forberg has worked with the show from the beginning — providing behind-the-scenes nutrition consultation with each of the contestants. She evaluates their food journals, monitors the nutritional adequacy of their diets, and is an on-going nutrition coach via weekly conference calls. Forberg thinks the biggest benefit of the show is inspiration. She hears from a lot from people who say: “If they can do, then so can I.” There’s always a lot of emotion expressed on the show, and the stories can be inspiring to others. It also promotes the concept of accountability. If you have a workout buddy, for instance, you’ll be more likely to stick with a new exercise routine. A friendly competition, or some type of incentive, has been shown to help people follow through on a commitment and reach a goal. Plus, there’s growing evidence that healthy habits are contagious. So if you’re in a social network – whether online, at work, or in your own neighborhood – you may be more likely to adopt positive behaviors if others around you are doing the same.

The Biggest Loser has its own fan club, with lots of supporters, and there’s been a slew of best-selling books, DVDs and other products based on the show. But there are also vocal critics of weight loss reality shows like The Biggest Loser, including nutrition researcher and advocate Linda Bacon, who thinks they humiliate the participants.

“I can’t find anything ‘pro’ or positive about shows built on shaming and self-hate,” said Bacon, who is the author of Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight. “The damage to the participants seems pretty obvious. For viewers, rather than inspiring people to care for themselves, weight-loss shows are more likely to inspire discomfort and fear: Even thin people can fear being judged by the harsh standards of reality TV.”

Boston-based registered dietitian Nancy Clark agrees.

“The messages in The Biggest Loser are all about deprivation, denial, starvation and punishment. Eating is viewed as cheating and food is the fattening enemy,” said Clark, who is the author of Nancy’s Clarks Sports Nutrition Guidebook. Clark is especially troubled by how the show depicts exercise, which is akin to “torture,” she said

One recent study in the American Journal of Health Behavior suggests this type of intimidating, punishing approach to exercise could backfire. After viewing episodes ofThe Biggest Loser, participants in the study were less motivated to exercise because they anticipated it would be an unpleasant experience.

Clark told me

“The E in exercise should also stand for enjoyment. When exercise feels like punishment for having undesirable body fat, the day will come when that dieter no longer feels like whipping his or her body into shape and instead reverts to lazing on the couch. The Biggest Losers lose-out in the long run, because extreme diets (either on TV or in your life) teach nothing about sustainable eating and exercise practices that can be enjoyably maintained for the rest of one’s life.”

That brings me to another common complaint about The Biggest Loser, which is the lack of relevance to real-world situations. The contestants move out of their homes and onto a “ranch” where their only focus is on losing weight. Even Forberg admits that this set-up is unique because this is their full-time job. It would be a mistake to expect the same results at home, she said.
Sports nutritionist Nancy Clark thinks the lack of reality in the weight loss reality shows is a major downfall.

“What happens in the long run, when the Biggest Losers return to the real world with no personal trainer to snap the whip, with no pre-made, pre-portioned food, and no ‘fat camp’ dedicated to full time weight loss? Inevitably, without rigid vigilance, the weight will return with a vengeance. The physiological response to starvation is to overcompensate, commonly known as “binge eating” or “blowing the diet.” This desire to over-eat has little to do with willpower and lots to do with physiology. Just as a person gasps for air if oxygen has been withheld, the same person will grab for carbs if food has been withheld.”

Withholding food may also slow down your metabolism, which will make it even harder to maintain the weight loss. That’s what Darcy Johannsen and colleagues found after studying 16 participants of The Biggest Loser. Published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the study found that some of individuals who lost weight had their metabolisms slowed by more than 500 calories – which is basically a meal’s worth of calories that they no longer burn as a result of severely restricting calories on the show.

So what is your opinion of weight loss reality shows? Do the benefits outweigh any potential harm? Maybe these shows are far from reality, but do they inspire and motivate? Are they getting people off the couch? Maybe the participants can’t maintain this extreme routine once they get home, but my hope is that they’re learning new habits. That’s the only way to sustain a healthier lifestyle.

image courtesy of DivaonaDiet on flickr

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Tagged as: The Biggest Loser, WebMD, Weight loss reality shows

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Easing into Exercise

by Janet on January 21, 2013

No judgment.

Those were the words I heard this weekend during a hot yoga class. I liked that. Everyone was encouraged to do their best with a pose. If you can’t do it, or if you can’t hold it, that’s OK. The instructor was simply reminding us that he’s not judging, and we shouldn’t be judging ourselves either. That’s such a positive message — both for exercise and for eating!

I think a positive approach is much more motivating, especially if you haven’t been active for a while. That really hit home for me when I read about a new study in the American Journal of Health Behavior that suggests the often intimidating, “yelling” approach used on The Biggest Loser can backfire. Yoni Freedhoff, a physician and blogger at Weighty Matters, does a great job in his blog post reviewing this new study and commenting on the implications. The researchers suggest that watching Jillian Michaels work with contestants on The Biggest Loser”

“…may result in lower motivation to participate because of the anticipation of an unpleasant experience.”

I’ll say. I haven’t been a big fan of The Biggest Loser, especially the new episodes featuring children. Yoni Freedhoff also wrote a compelling blog post about that. I’ve also been troubled by Jillian Michaels’ decisions to promote extremely questionable “fat-burning” diet pills, which I’ve written about in the past.

The new study reinforced the concept that people will be more likely to exercise if they think it’s fun and not work. I agree, there does need to be some factor of fun, and you also need to feel good about yourself doing it. Having a goal and starting small will help. That’s the approach I took when I first started to run two years ago. I wrote about my journey training for the Chicago marathon in my new book with the editors of Cooking Light: The Food Lover’s Healthy Habits Cookbook.

In chapter 4, the healthy habit Get Moving: Small Doses Deliver Big Payoffs, I write about the benefits of starting slow. I couldn’t even run 3 blocks before I signed up for a group training course with Chicago Endurance Sports, a fantastic local group that offers a run-walk training program for novices like me.

I had such positive encouragement from my coaches — never felt bad that I was slow or found it difficult. I got better, week by week. Finishing the marathon was a huge accomplishment for me.

I didn’t care about my time, I cared that I finished. I previously wrote about my experience in this blog post: Journey is Over, Now On to Next Challenge. Here are a few things I learned along that way:

Run your own race. Don’t compare yourself to others. I was often the slowest in our training group, but I was OK with that. Focus on your own improvements.

Make a commitment. Signing up for a group training program helped me be more accountable. Explore local races in your area, then share your intentions with your family, announce it at work, or post it on Facebook — whatever helps you stick with your goal.

Cherish the time. The minutes you’ve carved out to run or walk are all about you. Enjoy this time alone to focus on yourself, make plans in your head, and think positive thoughts without any distractions.

Exercise should be a positive experience. You should feel good about yourself doing it, no matter how small. Ease into it, if you’re just getting started. Often starting is the hardest part of all. Don’t beat yourself up, and don’t let anyone else bring you down either.

image courtesy of Begatell on flickr

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← Previous Entries

Serving up food news and views

Food Trends Spotted at 2013 National Restaurant Association Show

Why Must We Label How We Eat?

So Many Good Reasons to Go Nuts

Is Chocho the New Quinoa? This Ancient South American Legume is Being Heralded as the Next Big Superfood

Chicken Gets New Respect

Holy Guacamole: Avocados Are Red Hot

Making the Mediterranean Diet Work For You

Focus On What You Eat, Not Delete

Weight Loss Reality TV Shows: Good, Bad or Ugly?

Easing into Exercise

image courtesy of Begatell on flickr

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