One of these options is the Attune brand nutritional bars.  The promotional materials say “probiotic wellness bar[s]…promote digestive health, immunity” and have five times the active cultures of yogurt.  I will say from the outset that I never been especially susceptible to yeast infections or intestinal issues, so I’m just going on faith in the packaging materials that the contents of the bars can be helpful for those conditions.  It may also be coincidence, but I came down with the worst cold I’ve had in recent memory while I was eating one bar per day, so I’m not sold on the immunity-boosting claims.

That said, the bars aren’t half bad.  There are two basic types:  the chocolate-type bar and the granola-type bar.  The chocolate-type bars 100 calories each, thin like a Nestle Crunch (though smaller), and filled with some sort of crispies.  Among this type, three flavors are available:  Chocolate Crisp, Cool Mint Chocolate and Blueberry Vanilla (in a white chocolate-type base).

The granola bar type comes in fruit flavors:  Lemon Creme, Wild Berry, and Strawberry Bliss.  These have a standard granola base with visible grains and seeds, and they have a yogurt-dipped bottom.

In the eating experience, the most noticeable aspect of these bars is that they need to be refrigerated to preserve their probiotic strength.  Though the informational materials indicate that they will retain their priobiotic properties if stored at room temperature for a limited amount of time, I didn’t find it very convenient to set them out an hour ahead of time.  When I’m in the mood for a granola bar, I don’t want to wait an hour to eat it.  I’m sure it would have have had a better texture at room temperature, so if you can fit that into your routine, I recommend letting it warm up first.  Straight out of the refrigerator, they were a bit tooth-breaking.

Taste-wise, all the bars of both types had a noticeable tang, which I assume is due to the probiotic elements that also give yogurt its characteristic slightly sour flavor. Because of this, the fruit flavors seemed to work better than the chocolate flavors. Lemon and berries are good with some tang to them, but it just makes chocolate taste a little off.

The chocolate bar-types retail for about $1.29, and information is not yet available on the price of the granola-type bars.  Overall, these bars are decent; I would eat them if they were free, but they’re not good enough that I would seek them out or pay extra for them.  Of course, their main draw is their probiotic properties, so if you are a person to whom that is very valuable, this could be an excellent, convenient alternative to consuming gallons of yogurt.

Photo courtesy of theage.com.au

It’s New Year’s Day, so welcome to 2007. Once Chinese New Year comes around, it will be the Year of the Pig, but that’s no reason to call the year a wash already. Many of us make New Year’s resolutions only to break them by Valentine’s day, but that needn’t be the case. The secret specificity and planning. Rather than saying, “I resolve to lose weight this year,” as so many of us do, you’re much more likely to succeed if you make a plan and follow through (it is, after all, what Brian Boitano would do, and he’s in great shape). Not all these suggested resolutions will work for everyone, but the point is that they’re doable, not ambitious to the degree that failure is near-certain.
1. Resolve to lose a small amount of weight. Even if you’ve got a long way to go, modest weight loss can make a big difference in your overall health. According to an Italian study, losing just 5% of your body weight can lead to improvements in body fat distribution and a reduced likelihood of diabetes. It’s a lot less daunting to lose ten pounds over the course of a year than it is fifty pounds, and small successes can build your momentum and help you learn healthy habits.

2. Resolve to reduce your intake of artificial sweetners. This can be hard to follow, especially since diet soft drinks and calorie-free coffee sweetners are often touted as good weight loss tools. They can be if you’re drinking them in place of higher-calorie beverages, but too often we replace better hydration sources with coffee and diet soda. Rather than cutting them out entirely, this year you might resolve to reduce your intake to one diet soda per day, or one per week, or whatever is a reasonable amount for you. You might also try matching your diet soda or coffee intake with water; ideally, drink a glass of water before you even open the can of Diet Coke.

3. Resolve to make your high-fat, high-calorie food really great. Few of us would want to live in a world with no decadent treats, so it’s unrealistic to expect to give it up entirely. However, there’s a lot of really unhealthy food out there that’s only a mediocre dining experience. A super-sized fast food meal has thousands of calories, but would you really classify it as great? Don’t waste your indulgences on things that aren’t worth it. Instead of lunch at McDonald’s, go to a nice restaurant for dinner and have a wonderful piece of duck or filet mignon or pasta. If indulgent dining becomes an event rather than a convenience, you’ll appreciate it more (and do it less, because it’s expensive). You’re also more likely to enjoy it with a glass of heart-healthy red wine.

4. Resolve to eat out less. Not only is it more economical to cook for yourself, it’s also much easier to control what goes into your food. Know why restaurant food tastes so good? It’s because they use amounts of butter and oil that would shock most of us if we saw it happening in our own homes. Portion sizes are another huge problem with restaurant foods. You don’t have to give up dining out entirely, just do it less often and make it count when you do (see resolution #3).

5. Resolve to socialize without food. So many of our social traditions center around food, from dinner with friends to holiday meals to popcorn and candy at the movies. Seek out social activities that are food-free, like joining a stitch-and-bitch group (busy hands can’t snack), or try out a new sport like ice skating or a softball league. And, for those of you with partners, physical intimacy is free and can burn a lot of calories if you put good effort in. I know my husband would be thrilled if I cuddled up to him more often as an alternative to diving into the sour cream and onion chips.

Best wishes to everyone in 2007. May your Year of the Pig be extra lean.

The holidays can seem like a series of land-mines for people who strive to make healthy food choices.  So many of us associate food with positive memories:  dear Aunt Tillie’s decadent cheese ball, Cousin Ed’s Mile-High custard pie, that antique gravy boat that’s too pretty not to dip into.  Still, believe it or not, you can get through the holidays without feeling completely logey.

The most important thing is to have a strategy.  If you go into a holiday party without any idea of how you’ll handle the temptations, or worse yet, having starved yourself all day in an effort to “save room,” you’re doomed.  Here are some tips on how to get enjoy the endless parade celebrations and still keep your healthy wits about you.

1. Go in with some protein and fiber in your system.  An empty stomach is a sure way for your cravings to make your choices for you, instead of your brain.  Have a salad that includes some beans, chicken, or cheese before you leave for the gathering; you’ll be less likely to eat impulsively and snack before the main meal.

2. Don’t drink your calories.  Yes, the sherbet punch is lovely, but it’s brimming with sugar.  And let’s not even talk about eggnog.  Alcohol also reduces many people’s willpower, so if you get a little tipsy, you might eat first and think later.  If alcohol is something you really enjoy, find lighter substitutes:  a five-ounce glass of wine has about 120 calories; half a cup of eggnog has nearly twice that.

3. Avoid mindless eating.  There are always so many snack trays sitting around at holiday parties that it’s easy to lose track of what you’ve put in your mouth.  Rather than picking up handfuls directly from bowls, get a small plate and put a small portion of the treats you most want to try on it.  Don’t refill your plate; get a little bit of the best stuff and enjoy it.   Think about what’s a real opportunity and what just looks tempting because it’s there.  If you can buy it in a bag at the grocery store, you’re not losing anything by skipping it at the party.  On the other hand, the painstakingly-crafted crab sunbursts on brioche took time and effort.  Enjoy one!

4. Load up on low-calorie items first.  Raid the veggie tray, have some shrimp cocktail, or enjoy some fruit salad.  That will help fill you up so you don’t overdo it on other items.

In the end, don’t beat yourself up too much if you don’t stick to your plans completely. After all, New Year’s is coming up, with its resolutions and discounts on gym memberships.  It’s never too late to start making smart decisions.

My husband is an Iowa farm boy, and as such, he is a big fan of pork.  I like pork, but I find often find it challenging to find a place for it in a healthy diet.  Normally I go with substitutes whenever I can; he’ll have pork bratwursts and I’ll have turkey; he’ll have pizza loaded with sausage and pepperoni, and I’ll get veggies on my half.  One of his favorite pork dishes, however, is barbecued pulled pork.  It’s great stuff, and I’ve never found a good substitute for it. Turkey or chicken might work, but the flavor and texture of pork are what shine here.

True pulled pork is slow-cooked for hours in a traditional smokehouse, but I’ve come up with a reduced-fat crock pot version that’s great for a weeknight and pleases us both.  One important thing is to find a really flavorful barbecue sauce.  If you make it yourself, you have more control over the ingredients, but I’m not usually that motivated on weekends.  Find a sauce you like, but err on the side of thicker and spicier.  Since we’re reducing the fat and adding a little water, it will dilute the sauce a bit, and you want to make sure it has a strong enough flavor to compensate.  Barbecue sauces can be high in sugar (another reason to make your own if that’s an ingredient you’re watching), but they’re almost always low in fat, so they can be a smart condiment choice.

Reduced Fat Pulled Pork

To a crock pot, add:

1 large onion, halved (NOT chopped up) and skin removed
1 inexpensive pork roast (about 2 pounds)
1/4 cup vinegar of your choice (regular distilled works fine; cider vinegar adds nice flavor)

Set crockpot on low and cook all day (8-10 hours).  When you get home from work, you will be greeted by wonderful aromas.

Remove the onion halves and set aside.   Remove pork and drain fat from crock pot.  Break the pork into chunks and pick out any visible fat.  Place the pork chunks in a large colander and spray with hot water.  This step reduces the fat considerably and also breaks down the size of the chunks.

Return the pork to the crock pot.  Finely chop the reserved onion and add it to the pork.

Warm barbecue sauce of your choice (this is important because the crock pot is not hot enough to bring cold barbecue sauce up to temperature) and add it to the crock pot.  Stir to coat the pork and onions.

***Optionally, you can skip the step of mixing in the sauce and just add some to your sandwich.  This will reduce the overall amount of sauce you use.

Serve on whole wheat buns with baked sweet potato “fries” on the side.

It wasn’t long ago that reality TV seemed like it couldn’t get any lower. It seemed like every season, a new batch of mind-rotting shows would crop up, with titles not all that far off from Adultery Cruise Ship, How to Eat Dead Puppies, and Women: Pretty but Dumb/Men: Smart but Ugly. There was very little in the genre of reality TV that a typical viewer could admire. However, NBC took a risk on the show The Biggest Loser. It stopped relying on the gross-out and voyeurism that had typified reality television and instead took a long-term look at people working hard to improve themselves.

On the surface, you wouldn’t think that type of show would appeal, given the current market. However, many Americans saw themselves in the faces of the Biggest Loser participants. They had tried and failed time after time to lose weight, and see others do it without surgeries, diet pills, or anything but exercise and healthy eating was inspiring. Though the show is nominally a competition, really all the contestants win: even if they don’t get the big prize at the end, they get to learn healthy lifestyle habits and stave off the serious health risks associated with obesity.

The viewers of the show aren’t candidates for the big prize either, but the “everyman” and “everywoman” approach to casting and filming made the successes of the contestants inspiring and attainable. Naturally, this success led to merchandizing. One product that came out of the success of the show is a cookbook entitled The Biggest Loser Cookbook: More Than 125 Healthy, Delicious Recipes Adapted from NBC’s Hit Show. Now, healthy cookbooks are nothing new. Every library and bookstore with a cookbook section has shelf after shelf of cookbooks geared toward people looking to eat more healthfully. What’s different about this book is its tie to the emotional connection viewers feel with the show’s contestants. Any reader would logically know that eating a diet low in fat and refined sugars and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is a smart choice. But the appeal lies in having seen specific people eat specific foods and find success.

The cookbook exploits this by including a section with bios about the show’s participants. This is of dubious value for a cookbook, but for a companion item for fans of the show. It’s smart marketing. People interested in learning more about their favorite competitors will find it fun, but others might find it superfluous.

The book is based on solid nutritional theory. Later chapters include information about the Food Pyramid and tips about how to portion out servings from the different food groups. The recipes are grouped by meal type, and the emphasis is on simplicity of preparation–the recipes are almost all made with readily-available, affordable ingredients. This too is smart marketing. The target audience is not looking for exotic delights for a fancy dinner party (because, seriously–who wants to go to a dinner party and be served diet food anyway?). It’s much more important for people who are looking to make sustainable lifestyle changes to find recipes that work on a daily basis. The book includes recipes for all meals of the day, as well as smart snacks. Complete calorie, fat, and other nutrition facts are published with each recipe.

My main criticism of the book is that it would not be appealing to people who aren’t fans of the show; there’s too much show-related fluff. Also, the recipes are solid and simple, but they’re not as attractive to a more advanced cook who craves more variety. Still, the tips and skills incorporated into the book (e.g., using a spritz of olive oil from a mister rather than glugging it into a pan) are valuable and can be incorporated into other recipes and cuisines. Photos are included of some finished products, but not all.

This book would be a good choice for someone who is not very experienced in healthy cooking and is looking for lightened-up versions of comfort food and old favorites, or for someone who found the show to be a kick-start for a new lifestyle and wants some supporting materials. Others would do just as well with one of the many other health-conscious cookbooks available.

Eating healthfully is challenging enough in this world where we’re surround by super sized this and high fructose that.  It’s even harder when you are cooking for more people than just yourself, people who are more committed to foods tasting good than being healthy.  Therefore, those of us who cook for others develop an arsenal of tricks and substitutions that are nonthreatening and a good compromise:  healthy enough for us and comfortable enough for them.

One of my favorite such subtitutions is whole wheat pasta.  Though it can be more expensive than traditional pasta, it can also be found in the bulk foods sections of many supermarkets, which can make it an economical choice.  It is also a much more sound nutritional choice than traditional pasta.  It contains whole grains and the fiber and nutrients that come with them, but the taste is very similar to the original.  In fact, if its color is disguised by a highly pigmented sauce, many eaters might never notice the difference.

If you’re lucky enough to have a family of not-too-picky eaters, whole wheat pasta can be a great base for using up scraps of things around the house, too.  What follows is a basic recipe that can very easily be altered to use up what you have in the house.  It does require some staples that I always have around:  pasta (of course), onions, garlic, and non-stick cooking spray.  Beyond that, the pantry’s the limit.

Whole Wheat Pasta a la Whatever’s Around 

This recipe serves 4.  It may be halved, doubled, eighthed, or whatever fraction you please. 

1 (13-16 oz) package whole wheat pasta (fusili or penne work well)
1 large onion, diced
Several cloves of garlic, minced
Nonstick cooking spray
Suggested additions (quantities will vary based on how many items you add; just use your best judgmnet.  It’s hard to screw up):
Sun-dried tomatoes
Toasted nuts (pine nuts, almonds, pecans, walnuts)
Fresh or frozen vegetables, precooked (peas, corn, broccoli, peppers, spinach, mushrooms)
Cubed leftover meat (chicken, turkey, light sausage, light bacon)
Herbs (rosemary, oregano, thyme, parsley, basil)
Spices (cumin, curry powder, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes)

Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly-grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.  While waiting for that, saute the onion and garlic over medium heat in a pan coated with nonstick cooking spray.  When the onions are translucent, add whatever additions appeal to you or you have in the house, and warm through.

Thoroughly drain the pasta and put in the pan with the other ingredients, adding a little more nonstick cooking spray if necessary.  Stir to coat the pasta with the other ingredients.

Serve in bowls with freshly-grated parmesan on top.

Those of us who live in the United States are probably feeling a tad bloated right now.  Thanksgiving has a way of making even the healthiest of foods not work out so well.  Take turkey, for example.  Turkey breast is low-fat, high-protein, and low-calorie, so it sounds like a great choice, right?  Sure, until you toss a slab of skin on your plate, or drown it in gravy, or plop down a pile of potatoes dripping with cream and butter, or a scoop of green bean casserole that’s more creamy than beany.  And what’s Thanksgiving without pie?  And then, around eight at night, you’re ready for round two.
But let’s not dwell.  People who make smart food choices all the time are dull.  Let’s move on and think about the future.

The best way to come off an overindulgent day (weekend?  week?) is to find healthy alternatives that are still satisfying.  If you swing the pendulum to the complete opposite side and try to subsist on celery and broth, you’re doomed to failure.  The December holidays are rapidly approaching, and homes and offices everywhere are going to be overflowing with cookies and fudge.  A growling stomach will not put you in the right state of mind to practice moderation.

Protein and fiber are two of the keys to keeping your energy levels consistent and staying full.  Beans are a great source of both.  Due to having high amounts of absorption-slowing protein and high soluble fiber content, beans have a low glycemic index.  This means they help keep blood sugar levels stable, rather than causing the peaks and valleys that can cause hunger and moodiness.  The high fiber content of beans also has a cholesterol-lowering effect on the body.  Beans also provide multiple other health benefits.  They are a good source of magnesium, which can promote cardiovascular health, and some beans are rich in cancer-fighting antioxidants.

Some leftover turkey, beans, and a handful of carrots and celery from that crudité tray nobody eats can make a nice soup that will fill you up and keep you going.

Fruit is also a great fiber source, and it’s a nice, light dessert choice that can be very appealing after all that pie and ice cream.  Apples and kiwifruit have about three grams of fiber per fruit, and pears have more than four.  To make it a little more special without getting too rich, you can poach pears in wine or sprinkle apples with cinnamon or a little bit of peanut butter.  Raisins and raspberries also offer about three grams of fiber per serving (1/4 cup of raisins or 1/2 cup of raspberries).  These can be an easy way to boost the fiber and nutrition of a bowl of cereal or other snack.

Finally, don’t discount that turkey too fast.  Chances are, your fridge is full of it, and it can be a very healthy choice if you stick to low-fat condiments like chutneys, mustard, or light mayo.  Protein is also satisfying, so if you feel hungry but it’s still far from mealtime, a slice of turkey breast will keep the rumblings at bay for a lot longer than a handful of popcorn.

Most of all, enjoy the season, and remember that it’s about spending time with friends and family; food should be secondary.  Enjoy your food, don’t get hung up on guilt, and move forward.

Photo courtesy of Cucina Bella

As the fall and winter holidays approach, cranberries make frequent appearances on dinner menus. Cranberries themselves have a lot of nutritional benefits to offer: they are low in calories and can add potassium, some calcium, and vitamins A, B, and C to your diet. However, much like the humble turkey breast that goes from a smart choice to an indulgent one when covered with gravy, our typical experience with cranberries minimizes their benefits.

Most mass-marketed cranberry juices are really juice blends or cocktails, typically with enough sugar added that they would better qualify as party drinks than nutritional supplements. Canned cranberry sauces are just as bad; if they’re a favorite of yours, check out some recipes for homemade cranberry sauces, so you can reduce the sugar and additives for a healthier and fresher dish: Spicy Cranberry Chutney, Cranberry Ketchup, Apple Cranberry Relish.

Wisconsin is the largest producer of cranberries in the United States, and North America is the largest producer worldwide. Smaller amounts are cultivated in Chile, the Baltic States, and eastern Europe.

Cranberries may be harvested at two stages: first, when ripeness has been achieved but the fruit has not yet fully reddened, and second, after the fruit has reached its characteristic deep red color. White cranberry juice is made from the lighter-colored fruits, and other juices and cranberry products are made from the darker fruits. 95% of cranberry crop yields are used for products such as juice, jellies, and sauces; the remainder are sold fresh.

Medically speaking, cranberries are a bit controversial. Cranberry juice has been used for years as a natural remedy for urinary tract infections, often by people who have chronic medical conditions that require catheterization. Medical professionals do not all agree on whether this is effective or not, though proponents tout the fact that cranberry juice produces hippuric acid in the urine, which prevents bacteria from sticking to the walls of the bladder and may stave off infections. Note that cranberry juice cocktails are not recommended for this application; seek out 100% cranberry juice in health food stores, or use concentrated cranberry capsules with a generous amount of water.

When I was a teenager, my family took a trip to Australia.  As the family cook, my father decided to acquaint himself with Australian cuisine before we left.  Since lamb is more popular in Australia than in the United States, he cooked that a few times, but the most exotic new addition to our cupboards was Vegemite.  This pasty, brown-black yeast extract is a Down Under staple, more out of tradition than deliciousness; its flavor is extremely salty and a little bitter, vaguely reminiscent of beef bullion.  Wanting to be a good sport, I tried a little on toast, and I have never tried any again.  Australians, however (and British people, who enjoy Vegemite’s cousin Marmite), grow up on the stuff, and many can’t imagine a breakfast without it. 

Vegemite has gotten recent media attention due to an article that appeared in late October, 2006, in the Melbourne Herald Sun (now removed) stating that the import of Vegemite into the United States had been banned by the FDA.  The article quoted Australian travelers who claimed to have been questioned about Vegemite and had their supplies confiscated upon entering the United States. Later, other news outlets stated that the ban was a hoax, but it did draw up some interesting information about the subject. Australian officials have since launced an investigation into the purported hoax.

The Low Down

Though the story may be false, the pretenses are worth considering. The crux of the alleged controversy is folate, also known as folic acid.  This additive is commonly found in bread and cereal products in the United States and is known for many health benefits, including the prevention of neural tube defects in fetuses when sufficient folate is consumed by pregnant women.   Vegemite contains 100 µg of folate per five gram serving, approximately one teaspoon, or the amount spread on one piece of bread.  This is 50% of the U.S. recommended daily allowance (RDA) for adults; pregnant women should consume more.  However, U.S. law indicates that folate may only be added to breads and cereals.

FDA Denies 

Joanna Scott, an Australia-based spokesperson for Kraft, the maker of Vegemite, reportedly has said, “The Food and Drug Administration doesn’t allow the import of Vegemite simply because the recipe does have the addition of folic acid.”  Still, no ban on Vegemite has been confirmed by the U.S. government.  Mike Herndon, an FDA spokesman, indicated that no such ban exists and that the FDA was surprised by the reports.  Some retailers and importers may be choosing to keep Vegemite off their shelves until fully convinced that they will not be prosecuted for it, but it looks like they may not have to worry about.

Is Vegemite dangerous or unhealthy? 

Not from folate.  The amount of folate in Vegemite is not excessive (and, given the nature of the product, you’re more likely to go over the RDA by gorging on breakfast cereal than from giant spoonfuls of Vegemite).  Regardless, no adverse effects have been associated with excess folate consumption from foods.  Vegemite is relatively high in sodium, with 160 mg per serving, but this is not such a high amount that it must be avoided by people without special dietary concerns.

In the end, go ahead and try Vegemite if you want to; it’s safe, legal, and might help you handle your grief over losing the Crocodile Hunter.  Still, you might want to keep some jam around, just in case it doesn’t suit your palate.

Photo courtesy of the World Community Cookbook

So what did people use instead? Why, the gentle parsnip, of course. It looks like a pale, somewhat irregular carrot, and a parsnip would make perfect snowman’s nose if the snowman were more of a snow witch. If you buy the parsnip commercially, it is important to remove the waxy coating with a vegetable peeler before preparing and eating. The wax is added post-harvest to protect against spoilage. Parsnips grow well in climates with a short growing season, and they are particularly well-suited to cooler climates, since the starch in parsnips does not develop into sugar until after the first frost.

Parsnips are similar to carrots in flavor, but with a stronger, richer flavor that mellows and sweetens beautifully with roasting. Parsnips and potatoes are approximately equivalent nutritional choices, with potatoes having the edge in potassium and Vitamin C, but parsnips coming ahead in folate. Parsnips are much more nutritionally dense than carrots, with less sodium, more fiber, more potassium, and twice the folate.

Next time you’re in the mood to try a new tuber in your stew, or for a nice accompaniment to roast meats and vegetables, don’t pass by the parsnips.

Suggested recipes: Gingered Carrot and Parsnip Soup, Parsnip and Rosemary Risotto, Honey Roast Parsnip and Pear Salad with Bleu Cheese Dressing