Sunday, April 24, 2011

Butter or Margarine???

Butter or Margarine, what's the better choice?
Since this is a common nutrition question I’m hoping I can debunk it for everyone. First, let’s remember that whichever you choose, margarine or butter, they are both fats so we want to use them sparingly.

Now to the answer. Like all things nutrition there isn’t a simple black or white answer since fats aren’t all created equal. Some are better for you than others. If you want the most natural form of fat then butter is your choice but it's made from milk fat which means it's higher in saturated fat and not good for our hearts in large quantities. If you are a butter lover and looking for a healthier version try whipped butter which is lighter from the added air. Or, try a butter and olive oil blend, like Land o Lakes Butter with Olive Oil which has 3g less saturated fat than regular butter.

If you have high cholesterol or want a more heart healthy, low calorie spread then margarine may be your choice. Margarine's are made from vegetable oils and usually vegan. If you've ever walked through the margarine section of the grocery store you know there are lots of brands and all different phrases used to lure you in to buying a product. Even for me choosing which margarine to buy is a daunting task. The first thing to remember is to avoid the stick margarine's as they usually contain trans fats which aren’t good for our heart. Once you make it to the margarine's in a tub section pay attention to the nutrition facts labels. Choose one that is trans fat free such as Country Crock, Smart Balance or Promise. Next, think about what your health risks are. Are you overweight? If so, a “light” margarine may be your best choice since it cuts down the calories. Or maybe you have high LDL cholesterol. Benecol, Promise Activ and Smart Balance Heart Smart all contain plant sterols which are natural plant extracts that compete with the absorption of cholesterol and can result in a decrease of LDL cholesterol by up to 20%. My senior research paper was on plant sterols and after receiving a high LDL cholesterol read 3 years ago I tested this out by taking 2 grams of plant sterols each day for 3 months and my LDL went down by more than 10% and has stayed normal! Other margarine options on the market contain omega-3’s and flax seed oil which may be good to try if you don’t consume fish often.

So, the final answer. If you love butter use it sparingly or try a whipped or mixed blend to make it healthier. If you have heart health history in your family or are vegan go for a tub margarine. I keep them both on hand and use butter for baking, potatoes and a few other dishes, margarine for breads and olive oil for most things I saute.
Check out Twin Cities Live on channel 5 tomorrow, Monday April 25th @ 3pm. I'll be on discussing this topic with the hosts John and Elizabeth and having them do a taste test of margarine vs butter on toast and baked in cookies! Do you think you'd be able to tell the difference?
(For my new readers I post all my TV segment on the right side under TCL segments after they air)
Nutrition Break Down per serving

                                                            Calories          Total Fat         Saturated Fat
Stick Butter                                           100 kcal            11g Fat             7g Sat
Stick Margarine                                     100 kcal            11g Fat             2 g Sat + 2.5g trans fat
Land O Lakes Butter with Olive Oil          90kcal              10g Fat             4g Sat
Land O Lakes Whipped Butter                50kcal               6g Fat              3.5g Sat
Promise Regular Spread                         80kcal               8g Fat               1.5g Sat
Promise Light Spread                            45 kcal              5g Fat               1g Sat
Smart Balance Omega-3 Spread             80 kcal              8g Fat               2.5g Sat
            Contains EPA/DHA and ALA
Country Crock Original                        70 kcal              7g Fat               2 g Sat
Country Crock Light                            50 kcal              5g Fat               1.5g Sat
Smart Balance Heart Right                    80 kcal              8g Fat               2.5g Sat
Contains 1.7 grams Plant Sterols
Smart Balance Heart Right Light            45 kcal              5g Fat               1.5g Sat fat      
Contains 1.7 grams Plant Sterols
Promise Activ Spread                           70 kcal              8g Fat               1 g Sat Fat
            Contains 1 gram Plant Sterols
Promise Activ Spread Light                   45                     5g Fat               1g Sat Fat        
Contains 1 gram Plant Sterols        

Monday, April 18, 2011

Easter Candy Calories


Easter is the second highest time of year for candy sales, behind Halloween, and my personal favorite time of year for candy choices! In my eyes everything from the egg and bunny shapes to the pastel colors and flavor choices outshine the Halloween options. Most of the popular Easter candies come in mini egg shapes that are lower in calories than larger chocolate bunnies but they are also easier to over indulge in. Another popular choice (the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy to be exact) are the cute marshmallow shaped Peeps which come in the form of Chicks, Bunnies or Eggs.  


As I walked through the Easter candy aisle at Target a few weeks ago I was curious how the calories compared in some of these delicious treats so behold my Easter candy calorie list.

Chocolate Candy:
-1 Large  Solid Milk Chocolate Rabbit (based on my calculations using the calories in small bunnies) 12 ounce = ~2000 calories
-5 Nestle Butterfinger Nest Eggs Easter = 210 calories
-12 Cadbury Chocolate Mini Eggs = 190 calories (My favorite)
-1 Reese's Peanut Butter Egg= 190 calories
-12 Hershey's Whoopers Robin Eggs Mini Malted Milk Candy = 190 calories
-5 Nestle Crunch nest eggs = 180 calories
-1 Cadbury Cream Egg =150 calories (My brothers favorite)
-1 Brach's Chocolate covered marshmallow egg = 43 calories

Non-Chocolate Candy 
-One package of Peep's Marshmallow Chicks = 150 calories
-35 assorted Jelly Belly's = 140 calories
-4 Chicks, Ducks or Bunny sweet tarts = 60 calories

...by the way I went with the cream filled mini Cadbury Eggs but am still having regrets for not choosing the mini Cadbury eggs pictured above.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Whole Grain Salads

Barley, quinoa and bulgar salads are my absolute favorite sides for dinner when it's nice out. They are great sources of fiber and easy to prepare ahead of time. I like to make them on the weekends for dinner and use the leftovers for our lunches during the week. The nice thing about whole grain salads is you don't need a recipe to make a delicious combination and it's a great way to use up vegetables that have been sitting in the fridge for awhile. Start by preparing the grain of your choice per the box directions: barley, wheatberries, quinoa, bulgar, etc...(I usually cook mine in broth instead of water for added flavor). Next, dice up fresh vegetables and herbs (peppers, green onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, sun dried tomatoes, olives, zucchini, arugula, basil, parsley, thyme, etc...) and add them to your cooled off grains. You can also add beans, nuts, cheese (feta works great) or seeds. Lastly, top this off with dressing. You can use a store bought dressing if you are crunched for time but homemade dressings are healthier and tastier and very easy to make. Start by using a general ratio of about 2:1 for oil to vinegar or a citrus juice like lime, lemon or orange. Then add some fresh or dried herbs or just a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Here's the recipe I tried this weekend (minus the pistachios):  Mediterranean Barley with Chickpeas and Arugula.

It got a thumbs up from my husband and I and is on the menu again for this weekend!


Thursday, April 7, 2011

Mercury in Fish: How much fish is too much?

A coworker asked me a great question that prompted me to do some further research. Should I worry about the mercury in fish? First, the most serious threats are for pregnant women and children but still the answer isn't clear. Yes, you should worry, but no eating fish isn't dangerous. A lot of things factor into how much fish you should eat including what type of fish you're eating and how much.

After  researching I learned some great guidelines for getting omega-3 rich proteins from fish without going overboard on mercury. The biggest thing I learned was that canned chunk light tuna contains less mercury than canned albacore tuna. I also learned that at my weight I can have a can of chunk light every 3 days (if I wanted).

Here is a great list of mercury levels in fish from the Natural Resource Defense Council. Their website also has great guidelines for eating tuna safely based on your weight.
Note: These guidelines are not for pregnant women, if you are pregnant I recommend going to The American Pregnancy Association for guidelines on what fish are safe to eat during your pregnancy.

LEAST MERCURY
Enjoy these fish:
Anchovies
Butterfish
Catfish
Clam
Crab (Domestic)
Crawfish/Crayfish
Croaker (Atlantic)
Flounder*
Haddock (Atlantic)*
Hake
Herring
Mackerel (N. Atlantic, Chub)
Mullet
Oyster
Perch (Ocean)
Plaice
Pollock
Salmon (Canned)**
Salmon (Fresh)**
Sardine
Scallop*
Shad (American)
Shrimp*
Sole (Pacific)
Squid (Calamari)
Tilapia
Trout (Freshwater)
Whitefish
Whiting


MODERATE MERCURY
Eat six servings or less per month:
Bass (Striped, Black)
Carp
Cod (Alaskan)*
Croaker (White Pacific)
Halibut (Atlantic)*
Halibut (Pacific)
Jacksmelt
(Silverside)
Lobster
Mahi Mahi
Monkfish*
Perch (Freshwater)
Sablefish
Skate*
Snapper*
Tuna (Canned
chunk light)
Tuna (Skipjack)*
Weakfish (Sea Trout) 


HIGH MERCURY
Eat three servings or less per month:
Bluefish
Grouper*
Mackerel (Spanish, Gulf)
Sea Bass (Chilean)*
Tuna (Canned Albacore)
Tuna (Yellowfin)* 

HIGHEST MERCURY
Avoid eating:
Mackerel (King)
Marlin*
Orange Roughy*
Shark*
Swordfish*
Tilefish*
Tuna
(Bigeye, Ahi)* 


* Fish in Trouble! These fish are perilously low in numbers or are caught using environmentally destructive methods. To learn more, see the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Blue Ocean Institute, both of which provide guides to fish to enjoy or avoid on the basis of environmental factors.
** Farmed Salmon may contain PCB's, chemicals with serious long-term health effects.
Sources for NRDC's guide: The data for this guide to mercury in fish comes from two federal agencies: the Food and Drug Administration, which tests fish for mercury, and the Environmental Protection Agency, which determines mercury levels that it considers safe for women of childbearing age.
About the mercury-level categories: The categories on the list (least mercury to highest mercury) are determined according to the following mercury levels in the flesh of tested fish.
  • Least mercury: Less than 0.09 parts per million
  • Moderate mercury: From 0.09 to 0.29 parts per million
  • High mercury: From 0.3 to 0.49 parts per million
  • Highest mercury: More than .5 parts per million

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Spring Pasta: Garganelli with Apsaragus and Pecorino Cheese

This months Cooking Light featured a series of spring pastas. While I love pasta with homemade marinara or bolognese sauces I also love the taste of an olive oil, lemon or other herb sauce and fresh vegetables or pancetta. A perfect dish for spring! To start off the series of spring pastas I made the Garganelli with Asparagus and Pecorino Cheese for dinner tonight since it was quick and I didn't get home from yoga until late.

Ever since I studied abroad in Italy I am obsessed with pecorino romano cheese. For those of you who haven't tried it it's a hard Italian cheese made out of sheep's milk. It has a very sharp and slightly salty taste and is great for grating on dishes. Similar to a Parmigiano Reggiano but better!


Sina's Adjustments to this Recipe:
-My grocery store didn't have garganelli noodles so I used campanelle noodles. 
-I added two roasted red pepper chicken sausage (slice and sauté with asparagus)
-Two garlic cloves instead of one
-Crushed red pepper to top
Vegetarian version: Make original recipe but sub vegetable broth for chicken broth 

My husband enjoying his pasta with a glass of white wine. Buon Appetito


Saturday, April 2, 2011

Food of the Month

It's officially April which means fresh vegetables and fruit will begin to ramp up and carry on through fall. I figured what better time than now to feature one of my all time favorite vegetables, asparagus, since it is in season this time of year. Asparagus is a rich source of folate, potassium, Vitamins A, E and C. Not only is it loaded in nutrients it is also low in calories with six spears providing ~22 calories. Asparagus is a great vegetable by itself and a great color and flavor additive for risottos, pastas and salads. It's easy to prepare and delicious tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper and placed on the grill or roasted in the oven. The key is not to over cook it. The spears should still have a crunch when you eat them. Here is one of my favorite recipes. Perfect for serving at parties or as a starter for a date night.

Asparagus con Prosciutto (aka prosciutto wrapped asparagus)
There are many ways to make this recipe and most traditional recipes don't cook the prosciutto. I've realized over time that I actually prefer it when the prosciutto is slightly cooked and crispy. A trick I've learned from preparing this so often is to blanch the asparagus. Cooking the spears for a short amount of time will help them keep their bright green color. Here is how I make this delicious antipasto.


Ingredients: 
-1 bundle of asparagus, washed with bottom ends cut off
- ~6-8 thin slices of prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise
-olive oil 
-black pepper
-salt (optional, not always needed since prosciutto is salty)


Directions:
-Blanch asparagus in boiling water for two minutes
-Toss asparagus in ice water immediately after to stop the cooking
-Wrap each asparagus spear with a thin slice of prosciutto 
-Place each asparagus wrapped in prosciutto on a baking sheet
-Broil until asparagus is crispy (varies 3-10 minutes depending on how crispy you want them)
-Lightly drizzle with olive oil and black pepper 
-Serve warm or chilled

Food for thought (better yet for smell...)
Yes, it's true asparagus can make your urine smell after eating it but not everyone has the gene. If you have to think about if you've noticed this before you definitely don't have it. Being a carrier of this gene I can say there is no doubt you wouldn't notice the smell. Turns out asparagus contains a sulfur called murcaptan that makes the smell when it's broken down in our digestive systems.