Artificial Sweeteners

The artificial sweeteners most used are saccharin, aspartame and sucralose. They are sold under the brand names Sweet N’ Low, NutraSweet, and Splenda.  To some they are just the pink, blue, and yellow packets.

Artificial sweeteners seem to be in the news quite a bit.  They cause cancer.  Nope, nevermind, they don't.  They are toxins.  Nope, we take it back.  They are completely safe.  When so many new studies and information are coming out, it is hard to keep up with whether or not a product is recommended or even safe.

My take, along with the take of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, is that artificial sweeteners are safe... as long as you follow the FDA guidelines.

The FDA has recommended aspartame's safe level (ADI-acceptable daily intake) as 50 milligrams per kilogram of weight, or the equivalent of 18 to 19 cans of diet soda.  (However, I do not recommend drinking anywhere near 18 cans of soda daily.)

For saccharin, the safe level is 5 milligrams per kilogram, or the equivalent of 9 to 12 packets of the sweetener.

For sucralose, the safe level is 5 milligrams per kilogram, or the equivalent of 6 cans of diet pop.

Artificial sweeteners are called non-nutritives for a reason: they do not add nutrients to your diet.  They simply add sweetness without the calories of regular sugar.  While they may be beneficial in weight loss efforts, they should not be used to replace healthful foods with vitamins and minerals.  And like with anything, moderation is key.

Healthy Substitutions in Cooking & Baking

When baking or cooking from scratch, I notice what and how much of ingredients I put in my food.  Often I am surprised at how much oil/ butter/ eggs a recipe takes.  2 sticks of butter for cookies.. 3 eggs for cake..etc.  These ingredients significantly contribute to the overall fat and calorie content of a food.  They can not only hurt your waistline but also your heart health. 

I enjoy trying healthy substitutions when I am cooking or baking.  Some ingredients are easier to substitute than others.  There are many products on the supermarket shelf to aid in your efforts though.  Try the light or low fat versions of products next time you are at the store.

Original Ingredient	Healthy Alternative
1 large whole egg	2 large egg whites, ¼ cup egg whites
Heavy cream	Evaporated skim milk, light cream, Half & Half
Sour cream	Plain yogurt
1 cup oil or butter	½ cup apple sauce

In Season: Strawberries

Summer means fresh strawberries!  Sweet and juicy, strawberries provide many nutrients for our bodies: vitamin C, potassium, fiber and antioxidants which help protect the heart.

There are many ways to enjoy strawberries, but strawberry smoothies are one way I enjoy this fruit. 

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie Recipe

1 cup orange juice
2 cups frozen unsweetened strawberries
1 medium banana, sliced
3/4 cup strawberry-banana yogurt

Blend all ingredients well. Serve immediately. Yields 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts: serving size (1 cup): 122 calories, 1 g fat, 24 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein

Non-Dairy Calcium Foods

Do I have to drink 3 glasses of milk to get my recommended calcium each day?

This is a question I hear a lot. Fortunately, for those who have a lactose allergy or intolerance, who are Vegan, or for those who just do not like the taste of milk, the answer is no. There are many non-dairy foods that contain calcium, either naturally or through fortification. For your convenience, I've included some of these in the chart below, along with the amounts of calcium in dairy products for comparison.

Food Group	Calcium Foods	Amount per Serving
Dairy	Milk Cheese Yogurt	1 cup contains 300 mg 1 oz contains 138-337 mg 1 cup contains 300 mg
Fruit	Oranges Dried apricots Fortified orange juice	1 orange contains 55 mg ½ cup contains 35 mg 1 cup contains 300 mg
Vegetables	Broccoli Spinach Kale	1 cup contains 95 mg 1 cup contains 220 mg 1 cup contains 180 mg
Meat/Beans	Tofu Trout Sardines Sesame seeds Almonds Black beans Navy beans	½ cup contains 130 mg 3 oz contains 75 mg 4 contains 242 mg 1 Tbsp contains 88 mg ½ oz contains 37 mg ½ cup contains 23 mg ½ cup contains 62 mg

Calcium plays an important role in the body; it makes up your bones, tissues, and teeth. Calcium is involved in blood clotting and in transmitting nerve impulses. Calcium is important. It is recommended that adults get 800-1200 mg daily and children get 800 mg daily.

Note: Vitamin D helps absorb calcium. Foods with vitamin D are dairy products, such as fortified milk and cheese, fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna, and fortified breakfast cereals. We can also make our own Vitamin D by getting out in the sun!

Smart Snacking

Snacking is often seen as a bad thing, but it really isn't when you choose the right foods to munch on.  Snacks are needed if our meals are lacking in calories, if our stomachs are growling between meals, or if our bodies need energy to make it through our day. 

Generally, I try to stick to 2 rules when I choose a snack.  1. Eat a high fiber food. 2. Eat a high protein food.  Both fiber and protein are important in helping us feel full.  By choosing a snack with fiber or protein, you will be less likely to continue to snack on other foods and take in excess calories.  Chips and cookies usually have neither fiber nor protein so you can take in more calories than you intended, and they will leave you wanting more. 

Snack Fiber Foods:

• piece of fruit, with peel or seeds, such as apples, apricots, pear, raspberries, strawberries
• vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli, carrots
• whole grain products, such as cereals, breads

Snack Protein Foods:

• yogurt, light or fat-free
• milk, skim or 1%
• peanut or almond butter on whole wheat crackers or bread (has fiber too!)
• nuts, such as pistachios, almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts (fiber here too!)

Growing My Garden

Gardening is a great hobby for anyone, but especially if you are on a tight budget.  Seeds cost little to nothing compared to buying vegetables at the store.  It takes some patience but it is well worth the time when you have peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.  Vegetables are full of nutrients, like Vitamin A and C, which keep you healthy, and vegetables have few calories for serving size and no fat (unless you add oil or butter, of course) so they fit in everyone's diet! 

I suggest starting your plants inside during the March and April months to get them started, but it is still not too late to plant some seeds!  Some vegetables are grown year-round.  See the packages of seeds for details on when the best time to grow different types of plants because it varies.

Recycling 2-liter soda bottles to plant tomatoes is a great idea.  By cutting a plastic bottle in two and placing the top of the bottle in the bottom to create a funnel (shown in picture), you create a pot to plant your tomatoes.  Drill a small hole in the lid of the bottle to allow excess water to drain down and also allow the water to be reabsorbed later.  Less watering on your part! 

Tomatoes are a great source of antioxidants, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins, making them an excellent all-round food to eat.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

For my first blog post, I thought nothing was more fitting than a recipe for chocolate chip cookies, my favorite dessert.  I've always enjoyed baking and cooking but recently I've taken up trying to make recipes healthier.  Reduce a little fat here, a little sugar there.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the following recipe.  All-purpose flour was substituted with whole wheat flour; butter substituted with applesauce.  However, all-purpose flour and butter are still in the recipe in small amounts to keep the texture of a cookie.  Recipe substitutions are a fine art.  The whole wheat flour adds fiber to the cookies while applesauce cuts out a significant amount of fat.  Tell me what you think!

Ingredients
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk.
3. Spoon applesauce into a fine sieve over a bowl, let stand for 15 minutes. Discard liquid that runs into bowl. Scrape drained applesauce into a large bowl. Add sugar and butter; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and egg. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed until well blended. Fold in chips.
4. Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until set. Cool on pans 2 or 3 minutes or until firm. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.

Yield: 3 dozen
Serving Size: 1 cookie

Nutrition facts: 78 calories, 2.9 grams fat, 12.8 grams carbohydrates, 0.8 grams protein, 0.2 grams fiber, 10 mg cholesterol, 87 mg sodium


Recipe adapted from "All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies" recipe in Cooking Light Complete Cookbook.