Healthy Eating | Nutrition by M.E.

Duel of 2010: Baby carrots vs. Cheetos

September 1st, 2010

Proposed packaging for vending machine baby carrots.

Last night I had a dream. I dreamt that kids’ favourite orange snack was carrots instead of cheetos. Oh dare to dream I say! That being said 50+ carrot growers have unveiled a marketing plan with the hopes of doing just that. The goal is to take a piece of the $18 billion generated by the salty snack industry. Feasible? Hard to say but I support the campaign 100%. Imagine a world with refrigerated fruit & veggie vending machines in schools. It’s a feasible concept. Freshvending.com has such machines as well as packaged fruit like apple slices. Schools may be unable to afford such machines but I can think of a few global food and beverage companies that could!

Carrot sticks, apples slices, baby tomatoes…the list is endless and all dietitian approved. I’m just a little unsure of the slogans for the carrot campaign:

- “The original orange doodles” and just in time for Halloween…here comes “Scarrots”!

Posted in Children's Health, Fruit & Vegetables, Healthy Eating, Maddy's favourite stuff, Media, Snacking | No Comments »

My Latest Rave!

August 16th, 2010

How do I keep up with new products? I have many sources including grocery store shelves, clients, friends, newsletters, direct mail through my professional associations, conferences as well as the traditional media sources.

I’m not exactly sure when my latest favourite product was launched and it really doesn’t matter as I’ve found it now.

Almond Breeze Unsweetened beverages

Almond Breeze

These beverages are low in calories, fat and contain 0g sugar. How often do you see 0g sugar on a label?! The sweetened siblings contain evaporated cane juice and it’s the 2nd ingredient in the list. Removing this 1 ingredient lowered the calories by 50% from about 90 calories to 40 in 240mL. The ingredient list is also quite clean with 11-12 ingredients of which 4 are vitamins and minerals. The main components of these products are purified water and almonds. Sounds pretty healthy and it is. Almonds contain about 80mg of calcium per 1/4 cup or 60mL, which doesn’t make them an amazing source of calcium but the company fortifies these beverages to ensure they supply a little extra. There’s 200mg of calcium per 240mL, providing 20% of your daily intake. In case you were wondering, milk contains 300mg or 30% of your daily intake.

How do they taste? They definitely aren’t sweet (duh) but I think they have a really pleasant overall flavour. Vanilla tastes like vanilla and chocolate like chocolate. This is achieved by using natural options like cocoa and natural vanilla flavours. I really dislike some of the artificial flavours that companies use especially banana as it reminds me of that liquid antibiotic I was given as a kid. I have great respect for companies that keep it natural. It’s harder than you think! For instance, an artificial chocolate flavour could be a lot cheaper than using cocoa since such flavours are often sold in very concentrated forms that require very small amounts in a product formula.

What do I suggest you do with these products? Drink them straight, mix with cereal, bake muffins or cake, add to tea or coffee (I’m currently drinking Earl Grey with a little shot of the vanilla variety). Basically you can use them anywhere you use milk or soy. The only downside is that the nutritional content doesn’t make them a complete nutritional substitute for milk or soy. It’s low in protein and doesn’t supply the same variety of vitamins and minerals. However, it does make a nice alternative if you have allergies or intolerances to milk/soy , if you are looking to switch it up a or cut back on some calories.

I noticed yesterday that Loblaws in Toronto has these products on sale and hopefully it’s in other provinces – they’re selling 2 for $4. Give ‘em a try!

Posted in Allergies & Intolerances, Calories, Fats, Healthy Eating, Maddy's favourite stuff, Maddy's food obsessions, Media, Milk, Nutrition, Products, Sugars | No Comments »

Laughter is the best medicine

August 10th, 2010

Oh my, I’ve been neglecting Nutrition By M.E.! I needed something fun to break my blog fast so here are some entertaining quotes related to dieting, food and stuff…Enjoy!

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon. ~Doug Larson

I bought a talking refrigerator that said “Oink” every time I opened the door. It made me hungry for pork chops. ~Marie Mott

I refuse to spend my life worrying about what I eat. There is no pleasure worth forgoing just for an extra three years in the geriatric ward. ~John Mortimer

I have a great diet. You’re allowed to eat anything you want, but you must eat it with naked fat people. ~Ed Bluestone

So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health. ~A.J. Reb Materi,

Food is like sex: when you abstain, even the worst stuff begins to look good. ~Beth McCollister

I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol. ~Author Unknown

Inside some of us is a thin person struggling to get out, but they can usually be sedated with a few pieces of chocolate cake. ~Author Unknown

I’ve decided that perhaps I’m bulimic and just keep forgetting to purge. ~Paula Poundstone

You have to exercise for a week to work off the thigh fat from a single Snickers. ~Einstein?

I keep trying to lose weight… but it keeps finding me! ~Author Unknown

I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond. ~Mae West

I’m on a seafood diet. I see food and I eat it. ~Author Unknown

I’m allergic to food. Every time I eat it breaks out into fat. ~Jennifer Greene Duncan

If you really want to be depressed, weigh yourself in grams. ~Jason Love

When I buy cookies I eat just four and throw the rest away. But first I spray them with Raid so I won’t dig them out of the garbage later. Be careful, though, because that Raid really doesn’t taste that bad. ~Janette Barber

I’ve been on a diet for two weeks and all I’ve lost is fourteen days. ~Totie Fields

A diet is the penalty we pay for exceeding the feed limit. ~Author Unknown

Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not! ~Author Unknown

Posted in Diets, Food, Health, Healthy Eating | No Comments »

How well can you eat with only $1 per day?

June 30th, 2010

I thought it would be impossible to eat well on just $1 per day but California blogger Jeffrey Strain did it! Check out his journey here. He did it by taking budget shopping to a whole new level. The most impressive accomplishment was that he didn’t live on cereal for a month. He managed to eat a varied diet and he didn’t supplement with food banks supplies.

Do you think you could do it?

Posted in Budgeting, Diets, Healthy Eating, News | No Comments »

Summer Bean Salsa

June 9th, 2010

I designed this recipe to serve at a family fair that I attended today. It was such a big hit I thought I’d pass it along. Serve with whole grain crackers or stuff 3/4 cup into a pita or roll in a wrap for a healthy style sandwich. Enjoy!

Black Bean Salsa

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well

1/2 red onion, diced small

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and stalks chopped well

1 can corn, drained

1 small jar salsa or 3 large tomatoes, diced small

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 2 limes

Mix all ingredients together.

Posted in Healthy Eating, Side Dishes | No Comments »

What’s in a name?

May 7th, 2010

One of my biggest pet peeves is when people make comments to me like “you should eat more, you’re too thin”. Of course, I quickly tell them that I watch what I eat and try to exercise regularly and besides I have a small body frame…I may be thin but don’t ever call me skinny fat!

Skinny fat. You may not be familiar with the term but it’s one that I take into consideration in my practice. Skinny fat refers to a skinny person that doesn’t take care of their body by exercising or eating healthily. They appear healthy on the outside but if their insides could talk it wouldn’t be all fruits, veggies and lean meats. Body size can be deceiving in a sense. Science tells us that people with an apple or pear shaped body have increased risk of developing diet related health issues such as high cholesterol or hypertension. However, skinny people can be just at risk if they don’t make healthy lifestyle choices. I’ve had more than one client who have appeared to be lean (aka looked healthy) but suffered from heart disease that I could link to poor food choices over many years.

If you are hoping to lose some weight don’t get discouraged by thinner people around you. They may not be as healthy as they appear, in fact you may be healthier. Focus on your own goal of eating well balanced meals and exercising regularly or come see me and I’ll get you to your ideal shape.

Posted in Diets, Health, Healthy Eating, Heart Health | No Comments »

Maddy’s Monthly Food Obsession: Sweet Potatoes

April 18th, 2010

I’m totally obsessed with sweet potatoes this month and have been eating them 3-4x a week. I usually bake them whole and sprinkle the flesh with cinnamon OR I make sweet potato fries (baked of course). Get my sweet potato fry recipe here. Yesterday was one of those cold, rainy days that makes you want to stay in bed or at least curl up on the couch and watch a movie. These are what I call my “soup days”. What’s better than a steaming bowl of soup when you are chilled. My soups tend to be very simple. If you use quality food ingredients they are so flavourful that you don’t need to add much. Here’s my sweet potato soup recipe…so easy, so delicious and OH SO nutritious! Always keep the skin on regardless of how you prepare sweet potatoes, the skin is where lots of the nutrients are hiding. Sweet potatoes are fat free, low in calories, a source of fibre and packed full of Vitamin A (beta carotene), which is good for our eyes, skin, teeth, hair and reproductive health.

Velvety Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

3 medium sized sweet potatoes, cut into chunks, skin on

1 medium onion, cut into chunks

3-4 cloves of garlic

2 cups of broth (any low sodium variety)

2 cups water

2 stalks of celery

Preparation:

Heat 1 Tbsp of oil into a medium sized pot. Add onions and cook on medium heat until soft and slightly browned. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add remaining ingredients. Turn up heat and bring soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until potatoes are very soft. Puree soup in a blend until smooth. Garnish withe cilantro if you like. Enjoy!

Check out my other soup recipes here.

Posted in Cooking, Techniques & Terms, Fruit & Vegetables, Healthy Eating, Maddy's food obsessions, Recipes, Soups | No Comments »

A Dieter’s Dilemma: Part 1

April 9th, 2010

You’ve decided you want to lose weight. Instead of improving your eating habits you choose a fad diet. I’m told over and over again that eating healthily is too expensive yet people somehow find the funds to contribute to the multibillion dollar diet industry. This doesn’t make sense, at least not to me!

I’m not going to tell you that diets don’t work. People have success over and over again by following diets such as Atkins or the Zone. But what works for your friend won’t necessarily work for you. Our body compositions are all different so no one can say that X diet is the ONLY way to lose weight. These types of diets are often difficult to follow for a long period of time and once you return to your old eating habits you will likely put on all the weight you lost plus some.

Fad diets may work for you in the short term but there is often a chance that they will damage your health in the future. We know that smoking is detrimental to one’s health. We also know that an inadequate intake of calcium & vitamin D intake can be damaging. You likely won’t see the effects when you are young but as you age those crazy diet rituals or cigarettes may haunt you. It could turn into lung cancer, osteoporosis or perhaps even both.

My question for all the dieters out there is this; If I said you could lose 20lbs right now but you’d develop osteoporosis in 20 years would you still go for it?!

If you answered no then come see me, I’ll help you lose weight without risking your health.

Posted in Diets, Health, Healthy Eating, Obesity | No Comments »

A Proud Daughter & A Bowl of Soup

March 7th, 2010

Growing up I saw my father evolve from a meat and potatoes guy to a sushi guy. Now he’s making his own soup!? Yes, it’s true. When I walked into my parents’ house today, I was hit by delicious smells wafting from the kitchen. No one was home but the slow cooker was bubbling away with veggie soup. The chef was not my mom as she’s currently away so by process of elimination there was only 1 person that it could be. Today my Dad deserves some credit…Way to go DAD!!! What more could a dietitian daughter want?!

Photographer: Simon Howden, Source: freedigitalphotos.net

Posted in Fruit & Vegetables, Healthy Eating, Maddy's favourite stuff | No Comments »

What’s March good for? It’s Nutrition Month!

March 5th, 2010

Somehow I managed to miss February all together, well technically I did live through it but it seems as though yesterday was January and today is March. As a result I didn’t post anything about Heart Awareness Month (Feb) but I promise to get up to date right this minute. SO did you know that March is Nutrition Month?! Well it is and this year the slogan is “Celebrate Food from Field to Table”. If you want to learn more and you are in the Toronto area then come see me on Tues March 16th 7pm @ Whole Foods Yorkville. Call the store directly to register. If you don’t live in the area then you can check out Dietitians of Canada site for some interesting timbits oops I mean tidbits!