nutritionALL

Recipe: Thai Pizza with Peanut Sauce!

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:24:00 +0000

Keeping in the spirit of Asian inspired dishes, as well as finding a use for the leftover ingredients from my egg rolls, I created this delicous Thai Pizza with peanut sauce!

I used my breadmaker to make a whole wheat pizza crust. You could use a store bought crust too if you don't feel like making one! If you plan to make one using your breadmaker there should be a recipe for a pizza crust in the manual/recipe guide.

I placed the pizza dough on a hot pizza stone and then spread the peanut sauce on the dough.

Peanut Sauce Recipe
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 table spoon rice wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, finely chopped (I use a garlic press)
1 tablespoon ginger, shredded
1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
splash of water, enough to make the sauce smooth and spreadable
optional: red pepper flakes

The peanut sauce can be used for stir fry too!

Then I chopped up all the toppings. You can mix and match what type of toppings you want to include on your pizza. I used:

red cabbage

green onions

carrots

bean sprouts

herbs: cilantro, mint, basil

mozarella cheese

I spread the toppings on top of the sauce and baked in the oven at 415 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes, until the cheese was bubbly and the crust was browned. You can see that I used fresh mozarella. I had it left over from another dish but you can use shredded cheese too!

I hope you enjoy this pizza!

Cheers,

Brittney

Baked Veggie Egg Rolls!

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:33:00 +0000

Last night for dinner I made some delicious veggie egg rolls. I had actually originally intended to make spring rolls but could not find the wrappers anywhere! So I decided to make egg rolls instead, and ended up being very happy with them!

Baked Veggie Egg Roll Recipe

Ingredients:
olive oil
1/2 head of red cabbage, sliced
1/2 cup of carrots, julienne
1/2 cup of bean sprouts
4 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup of mint leaves, cilantro, and Thai basil, finely chopped
1 package egg rolls wrappers (usually found near the tofu in grocery stores)
dash of salt and pepper
dipping sauces (I used sweet and sour, soy sauce, and hot mustard)

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet. Saute cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, green onions, and herbs until just tender. Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste.

When the veggie mixture is done sauteing, let it cool. Then add a small amount of the mixture to the center of the egg roll wrapper and wrap according the directions on the back of the package (it's actually very easy!). Place the egg rolls on a cooking sheet. Once all the egg rolls are on the sheet, brush the tops lightly with olive oil.

Bake on the center rack for about 10 minutes, or until the egg rolls are beginning to turn golden brown. Enjoy with your selected dipping sauces!

You can add whatever ingredients you want for the filling of these. It can be a fun activity with kids to have them fill their own egg rolls. Enjoy!

Cheers,
Brittney

Appetizer Alert!

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:57:00 +0000

I don't know about you guys, but joining Pinterest ( http://pinterest.com/ ) has given me inspiration to try lots of new recipes! I made these little caprese bites for the Super Bowl party last weekend!

Super delicious and, unlike most Super Bowl snacks, super healthy too! A pretty basic recipe, but find the original here http://www.framedcooks.com/2011/09/mini-caprese-bites.html.

P.S. I loved that Super Bowl commercial for the Honda CR-V with Mathew Broderick! If you didn't see it (or want to see it again like me), watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhkDdayA4iA

Cheers, Brittney

Adventurous Eaters Club!

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:24:00 +0000

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of enjoying a sushi dinner with some of my co-workers! Here are some of the rolls we ordered:

My favorite was the green one on the left called the Mountain Dew Roll! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

Cheers,
Brittney

My Take on Coconut Water

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:28:00 +0000

Food trend alert: Coconut Water! This liquid extracted from inside young coconuts has been making headlines lately. Celebs are drinking it, and marketers are claiming that it's an "all natural" sports drink.

What's so great about the latest nutrition craze? One thing manufacturers are are pointing out is it's high level of potassium, around 650mg per box (coconut water usually comes in a 12-ish ounce juice box-like container). Compare that to a banana, which is a food that is usually noted for it's high level of potassium, at 422mg for a medium sized fruit. The average adult requires about 4700mg of potassium per day to maintain health.

The comparison to a sports drink comes from coconut water's high level of potassium, as well as its sodium sodium content. For sodium, it has around 20mg per box. A typically sports drink like Gatorade has about 45mg potassium, and 165mg sodium. These electrolytes (potassium and sodium) are lost in sweat during exercise. However, because the average person does not work out as strenuously as a professional athlete, which Gatorade was designed for, water is ideal for re-hydrating the body after a workout! And of course, American's get sodium from other foods, and it is unlikely for the average person to take in too little!

Of course, added sugars are something that have been gaining lot of attention lately. As for the sugar content of Coconut Water, this particular brand contained 11 grams per box. Not terrible compared to pop which has around 41 grams per 12 ounces or Gatorade with around 21 grams per 12 ounces. The particular brand of coconut water that I tried had about 60 calories per 12 ounces, which is less than Gatorade, at about 75 calories, but more than water at 0 calories!

As for taste, I am not a big fan. It is kind of stale tasting and not very sweet. I can't really compare it to anything in particular but I definitely prefer plain water!

All-in-all, I find that Coconut Water can be enjoyed occasionally, much like juice or pop. Water is best for re-hydrating after a workout, and doesn't contain added calories. You can meet your potassium requirement by eating fruits and vegetables such as potatoes and bananas. So, treat yourself to a Coconut Water on occasion if you so choose, but stick with your standard water for regular hydration and daily drinking!

Cheers,
Brittney

What's the Scoop with Iron?

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:56:00 +0000

Iron is the most common nutrient deficiency in the world. Most of the iron we have in our bodies is recycled, but some is lost through the stool. What is lost must be replaced from the foods we eat to prevent iron deficiency.

There are two types of iron found in our food supply. One is found in animal products such as meat, and the other is found mostly from plant sources. The type of iron found in animal sources is more easily absorbed by our bodies then the iron from plant sources. For this reason, iron deficiency may be a concern for those people who do not eat meat. If you are a vegetarian you may want to discuss with your doctor or Registered Dietitian about having your iron level checked regularly.

Our bodies' can detect how much iron is available in storage and will absorb more iron from the food we eat if our level is low. Our bodies can do a better job of absorbing the iron from plant food if we have vitamin C or animal protein in our digestive tract at the same time as the iron. Therefore, it is a good idea to consume a food with Vitamin C (see below) at the same time as a food with iron if you are trying to increase your iron level!

Foods that provide iron include:

liver
seafood
kidney and heart
lean meat
poultry
beans
spinach
potato skins
egg yolks
whole grain and enriched breads, cereals, and rice
dark molasses

Foods that provide Vitamin C include:

citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes)
tomatoes and tomato juice
potatoes
Brussels sprouts
cauliflower
strawberries
cabbage
spinach

Iron deficiency is most common in children and women of childbearing age. It can also occur when large amounts of blood are lost, such as with severe injury. Iron deficiency can lead to iron deficiency anemia. Symptoms include: decreased physical ability, impaired cognitive ability, delayed development in infants, and during pregnancy: increased risk of premature delivery, low birth weight babies, and infant mortality. If you believe that you or your child may be iron deficient, schedule and appointment with your doctor to have your iron level checked.

The Recommended Daily Allowances for Iron are as follows:

Birth to 13 years: 7-11mg/day

14 to 18 years: Males: 11mg/day; Females: 15mg/day

19 to 50 years: Males: 8/mg/day; Females: 18mg/day

50+: 8mg/day

Pregnancy: 27mg/day

Lactation: 9-10mg/day

Now you've got the scoop on iron!

Cheers,
Brittney

Grilled Cheese with Fig Spread and Sweet Potato Fries!

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:55:00 +0000

One of my favorite dinners when I don't have much time, or don't feel like making a big production! Grilled cheese on sourdough bread with fig spread (Obviously a favorite, as I've blogged about it before!). This is adapted from a seasonal promotion that Cosi (http://www.getcosi.com/) ran in 2010.

Fresh sweet potato fries are super easy. Chop a washed sweet potato into strips. I spritz the sticks with olive oil from and oil sprayer then sprinkle them with whatever spices I'm in the mood for. Usually a little bit of garlic salt or seasoning salt. Bake them in the oven at 425 degrees F for about 8 minutes on each side. Voila!

Have some fresh fruit for dessert and you're all set! Enjoy!

Cheers,
Brittney

What's the Scoop with Food Allergies?

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:29:00 +0000

The prevalence of food allergies is on the rise and the public is taking notice. Especially those members of the public with young children that are beginning to have exposure to foods that are common allergens. Food allergies are a major health concern and reactions can range from mild irritation to severe, life threatening responses.

Food allergies and food intolerances are commonly confused. By definition, a food allergy is an improper immune system response to a food protein that is usually harmless by means of ingestion, inhalation or touch. Food intolerance is an adverse reaction to a food or chemical substance in a food. True food allergies are more common in young children than older children and adults. Prevalence of true food allergy is estimated to be about 6-8% in children and 3-4% in adults.

Symptoms of food allergies or intolerance vary greatly from one person to the next. Some may include: skin rash, runny nose, wheezing, stomach pain, diarrhea, or anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis can be fatal. It is a severe immune response which can include symptoms such as: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, low blood pressure, shock, and death. Symptoms of a food allergy or food intolerance can develop immediately or may take several hours to appear.

Foods that are most typically associated with food allergies or intolerance include: peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, milk, wheat, soy, and egg.

Diagnosis of a food allergy is a complex process because technically food allergy is associated with an immunologic response. First, a problem food must be identified, then it must be documented as causing an adverse reaction, and finally verified that the reaction is an immune response. Diagnosis often includes a full medical evaluation, food history, elimination of the suspected food, and controlled and monitored reintroduction of the food.

Currently the only proven treatment of a food allergy is total avoidance of the offending food. This can be very challenging if a person has multiple food allergies, or when a person is allergic to a food that is found within many other food products. Your Registered Dietitian can help you plan a healthy, balanced diet while still avoiding foods that cause allergic responses.

If you believe that you or your child is experiencing an allergic reaction seek immediate medical attention by calling 911. If you suspect that you or your child has a food allergy consult your doctor. Your primary care physician will likely refer you to an allergy specialist for further evaluation. Keep in mind that eliminating a food group from your diet due to a suspected or confirmed food allergy may lead to nutritional deficiency, seek the guidance of a Registered Dietitian for help consuming a balanced diet despite required dietary restriction.

For further information on food allergies, contact your physician or Registered Dietitian.

Cheers,
Brittney

Recipe: Re-fried Bean Tostadas with Tomatillo Salsa!

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 01:08:00 +0000

A fairly simple little dish I concocted using some traditional Mexican ingredients. I am absolutely in love with Mexican food and am always trying out new recipes at home! This recipe is also meatless of course, and includes a variety of vegetables to provide lots of nutrients!

First of all, I made the tomatillo salsa, which I adapted from my all-time favorite cookbook: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison. Tomatillos can be found at many grocery stores near the fresh peppers. If you cannot find them there, Whole Foods or other specialty stores usually has them. This recipe is sooooo easy!

Tomatillo Salsa Recipe:
5 tomatillos
1 small red onion
1 jalapeno
1 clove garlic
cilantro, to taste
dash of salt

First, boil the tomatillos for about 10 minutes until they turn dull green.

I used this tip that I just learned to make sure the tomatillos were evenly cooked in the boiling water. Weigh them down with a plate so part of them is not sticking out of the water! Brilliant! (Make sure your plate is heat resistant, and be careful when you remove it because it will be hot! I used tongs to remove the plate.)

While they are boiling, roughly chop the onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and garlic.

Put it all in the food processor until smooth. And voila! The salsa will keep in the fridge for about a week!

I refrigerated the salsa for about an hour and then assembled the tostadas. You can add whatever you like to your tostadas. This can be a fun recipe to get kids involved in the kitchen. Letting the kids assemble their own tostadas is a good way to encourage them to try new veggies!

My Tostadas:
Crunchy tostada shell
Vegetarian re-fried beans
frozen corn kernels
chopped red onion
crumbly Mexican queso
cilantro
sliced avocados
tomatillo salsa

I added the beans, corn, onion, and cheese and then baked in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes to heat the beans and warm the cheese. Then I added the rest of the ingredients. Yum!

I hope you enjoy this recipe! It is very easy and can be adapted to include your favorite ingredients! Enjoy!

Cheers,
Brittney

Happy New Year: Tips for Making Your Resolution Stick!

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:16:00 +0000

Happy New Year to my lovely readers! I hope you had a fabulous holiday season and got to enjoy some delicious food without feeling [too] guilty! The holidays are a time to enjoy the company of family and friends. And our celebrations are hugely centered around food! Of course, as always, listening to what our bodies are telling us about hunger and satiety, and not overdoing it too much!

Maybe you have made some resolutions for yourself this year that involve your health, specifically your nutrition. If so, hopefully you will find some valuable tips on this post, as well as recipes and other tips from past blog posts that can help you make some healthy changes in the new year.

There are many people that are opposed to making new years resolutions because they believe setting goals for yourself should be something that is done all year long. However, I believe that as long as you follow some simple guidelines, making a new years resolution to improve your health and nutrition can be very worthwhile.

Here are my tips for making and maintaining healthy changes for the long term:

1. Make sure your goal(s) are specific and concrete. For example, 'to eat out less' is not a resolution that you are likely to achieve or maintain in for the long term. Instead, think more along the lines of 'I will only eat fast food once per week'. Maybe you are someone who eats fast food 3 times per week right now, and reducing it to 1 time per week would be an excellent improvement! Having a specific number to stick to makes your goal more concrete and easier to self-monitor. Then, as you begin to feel comfortable with this achievement, you can reduce how often you eat out even further!

2. Write down your goal(s) and keep them in a place you can see them daily! This will remind you of what you are working towards and keep you on track if you are tempted to slip!

3. Start small, and know that making small changes that you can maintain and make habits of is much more sustainable in the long run. Instead of making a list of 10 things to change in the new year, make a list of maybe two or three. Then after several months (a time frame that you should determine when you write your goals down), when you feel that your change(s) have become solid habits, attempt another healthy change!

4. Have consistency with your eating. Eat on a regular schedule and plan your meals ahead of time! For example, bring your lunch to work instead of eating out. This prevents you from running to a fast food restaurant or springing for an unhealthy entree because you are hungry and your stomach is deciding what to eat instead of your head!

5. Plan in snacks so you are not famished at meal time. If meal time rolls around and you have not eaten in 4 or 5 hours you are likely to be starving. This will lead to over eating and derail your efforts!

5. Keep a food journal! People who keep a journal are more successful at maintaining their nutrition goals. At the end of the day if you are craving an unhealthy snack look back at your journal to remind yourself of what else you have eaten that day. It is easy to forget small things that might really add up. Also, keeping a journal forces you to take notice of your portion sizes and prevents overeating without noticing! Include what food you ate, what time you ate it, and how much you ate. Be honest; no one has to see it but you!

6. Do not let one slip-up destroy your entire resolution! Just because you slipped up once (or twice, or three times!) does not mean your have fallen off track! Stay strong and remind yourself that once your healthy changes become habits they will stay with you, and the sense of accomplishment you feel will be worth it!

I hope these tips are helpful to you! Given the right planning and effort a new years resolution can be have a real impact on your health and nutrition. And don't be afraid to make a April (or any other month!) resolution too! Healthy changes all year long is never a bad idea!

Cheers,
Brittney

Tastey Breakfast Idea for the Whole Family!

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:07:00 +0000

Here is a great breakfast idea for a Saturday morning before setting off to take the kids to soccer or before hitting the mall for a day of Christmas shopping. Or maybe for a lazy Sunday morning before enjoying a cup of coffee and the crossword puzzle. Or even before work or school during the week if you are a little more ambitious!

French toast, sausage patties, and fruit!

I used cinnamon raisin bread to make french toast, using a couple eggs mixed with a splash of water and vanilla. I used my bread maker for the cinnamon raisin bread, but it would work just as well with store bought bread. I love having a bread maker! It is so easy to use (literally all you do is put the ingredients in and set the timer!), it saves money, and fresh bread is just so much better! Plus, it can be used for other things, such as pizza dough and cinnamon roll dough! I really enjoy the pizza dough, but haven't given the cinnamon rolls a shot yet!

Along with my french toast I made some meat-free breakfast sausage patties. I love the Morning Star maple flavored ones. The regular flavored ones are a bit to salty for my taste, so the maple ones are more toned down. Of course you could also use traditional sausage patties if that's what you prefer! I also had a side of grapes, to start off my fruit servings for the day!

The combination for protein, carbs, and fat in this meal gives your body lots of energy for whatever you have going on and keeps your feeling full! Give this meal a try sometime, its easy to adapt for one, two, or more people!

Cheers,

Brittney

Adventurous Eaters Club!

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:00:00 +0000

A group of co-workers and I have started an "adventurous eaters club". Every couple of weeks we pick a new restaurant with a unique menu to try. Over the weekend we ate at The Blue Nile in Ferndale, Michigan. The restaurant serves authentic Ethiopian food and it was delicious! We got an all you can eat feast with a variety of lentils, greens, and meats. We uses an authentic Ethiopian bread as our utensil and it was served family style on a tray. The food was a amazing!

Cheers,
Brittney

ADA's Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:27:00 +0000

This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the American Dietetic Association's Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in San Diego, California. The event featured 4 days of speakers on a variety of nutrition and dietetics topics, a HUGE expo with all kinds of vendors from the food and nutrition world, poster sessions, excursions, and other events. It was a great way to stay current with nutrition trends, learn about new topics, catch up with friends and colleagues and network with others in the field. This year was my first year attending and I had a great time! I learned a lot from the great speakers, got to sample a ton of products, and got to explore San Diego!

San Diego!

Shipment of Bananas arrives at the Port of San Diego!

All-in-all FNCE was a great time and I look forward to attending again in the future! Look for more posts in the upcoming days about all the great nutrition information I learned at the speaker sessions!

Cheers, Brittney

Community Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:28:00 +0000

Tomatoes!

This community garden is really great because it uses land along a fence that would otherwise not be used to grows fresh, healthy food for lots of people to enjoy! If you are interested in a community garden for next summer check on bulletin boards at your local town hall, in your local newspaper or on your city's website for information! It is a great way to improve the quality of your diet, get some exercise and meet your neighbors!

Cheers,
Brittney

More Homemade Pizza!

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 02:40:00 +0000

I absolutely love the bread dough function on my bread maker! When I am planning to make a pizza for dinner, I toss the ingredients in the bread maker as soon as I get home from work and by the time I'm ready to make dinner it's ready to go!

Pizza dough on the pizza stone!

This time I used homemade pesto for the sauce and added: eggplant, onions, tomatoes, black olives, and a jalapeno!

Fresh veggies for the toppings!

You don't need to pre-bake the dough, just add the sauce, toppings and cheese and bake for ~25 minutes!

Ready to go in the oven!

Fresh, homemade, healthy, and delish!

The finished product!

This is a great meal to make with kids! They love to help and its a great opportunity to teach them about a variety of fresh veggies and where their food comes from! Enjoy!

I am currently looking for a good thin crust dough recipe for the bread maker, if anybody has any goods ones, let me know!

Cheers,
Brittney

Food Trend: Heritage Meats and Poultry

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:27:00 +0000

     Heritage meats are from animal breeds that have been around for hundreds of years but are, until recently, rarely used in the food market. In current times, food companies and factory farms, which produce the vast majority of the meat and poultry consumed today, use breeds that have been specifically selected or designed to gain weight faster and be ready for slaughter sooner. This is of course more efficient for the food producers because less time is required before the meat can get to market, but having such a large majority of the meat and poultry come from a single breed is potentially dangerous for our health and our economy.

     Maintaining a variety of breeds in the food supply is beneficial because it prevents a single disease or condition from wiping out the main supply of a food source. Heritage breeds have survived over so many years because they are have shown adaptability to a variety of environmental conditions, diseases, and food sources. For example, the Irish potato famine occurred in the 1800's because only one breed of potatoes was predominantly being grown and it was wiped out by a fungus. Starvation and economic disaster ensued.

     Today there has been a resurgence in the popularity of heritage meats. Many chefs, restaurants, farmers markets, and CSAs are becoming interested in providing heritage meats to their customers. Heritage meats are often organic and pasture raised. Many claim that they have better flavor than traditional meats. Nutrient value compared to traditional meats has only begun to be looked at, thus far no nutritional benefits over traditional meats have been found, aside from the benefits of organic production, which does not contain dangerous pesticides and hormones.

Cheers,
Brittney

Avoid These (literally) Toxic Foods!

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:41:00 +0000

     This blog post isn't about any trendy diets that claim average foods are "toxic". Instead, it is about actual toxic foods. Foods that may be perfectly fine if they are prepared properly, but are dangerous when eaten raw. Or, spoiled foods that may be in the back of your pantry from who knows how many years ago, that need to be tossed, and definitely not eaten!

     Green potatoes are toxic due to a build up of solanine and should not be eaten!

     Uncooked red kidney beans have phytohemagglutinins which are toxic.

     Rhubarb leaves are toxic to humans.

     Any mushrooms that are you are not 100% sure are edible. Harvesting your own mushrooms should only be done with the help of a qualified expert.

     Canned foods that are dented or have bulges may be contaminated with foodborne illness. Always choose cans that are not damaged in any way.

Cheers,
Brittney

Does Raising the Cost of Junk Food Decrease Our Intake?

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:00:00 +0000

     I was browsing through an old issue of the ADA Times and found this interesting tidbit:

     "Taxing Unhealthy Foods May Encourage Healthier Eating Habits: Research in the [2010] March Psychological Science finds taxing unhealthy foods reduced overall calories purchased, while subsidizing the prices of healthy food increased calories because mothers used money saved on subsidized fruits and vegetables for less healthy treats for their family".

     I think this is a very interesting public healthy finding, and it may be considered in drafting legislation in the future. Programs such as WIC and SNAP (formerly Food Stamps) may be able to use data like this to increase the consumption of healthy foods in the participant population!

Cheers,
Brittney

How Much Protein Do You Really Need?

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 03:16:00 +0000

Protein is usually seen as more is better, especially among atheletes and people trying to increase their muscle mass. However our bodies can only use so much protein and do not store much for back-up. Our muscles and cells need protein to grow and replenish, and our livers store some protein. Extra protein is filtered out of the blood stream by our kidneys and passed in the urine. Extreme excessive protein intake can be damaging to the kidneys. Conumption of added protein through supplements and powders creates what can be referred to as "expensive urine". This is true because protein supplements are often pricey and for most people they are almost entirely passed through the body without being used to increase muscle mass. For serious athletes a small amount of protein beyond what is consumed in food can be used to increase muscle mass, but this requires a person to take part in regular cardiovascular and weight bearing exercise.

    For the average person, male and female, protein recommendations are 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight.

     To figure out what your protein requiement is: convert your weight in pounds to kilograms by dividing it by 2.2. Then multiply that number by 0.8. The number you come up with is the number of grams of protein you should be consuming per day from animal and plant sources.

     For example: if you weigh 150lbs, divide this by 2.2 to get 68.2 kilograms. Then multiply this by 0.8 to get about 55 grams of protein per day.

      Most Americans consume way more protein per day than their bodies can use. See the list below for protein content of common foods.

Approximate Protein Content of Common Foods:

8oz beef (ground round, chuck, rib, rump, or sirloin) 56 grams protein
8oz skim milk 8 grams protein
5 oz lean pork 35 grams protein
3 strips of bacon 15 grams protein
3 oz cheese (American, bleu, brie, cheddar, Swiss) 15 grams protein
5 oz Fish filet 35 grams protein
1 Hot dog 14 grams protein
4 oz processed sandwich meats 28 grams protein
5 oz baked chicken breast 35 grams protein
5 oz shellfish (clams, crab, lobster, scallops, shrimp) 35 grams protein
4oz canned tuna 28 grams protein
Yogurt Cup 8 grams protein
Veggie Burger 14 grams protein
1 tablespoon peanut butter 7 grams protein
1/2 cup refried beans 7 grams protein
1/2 cup tofu 7 grams protein

Here you can see that a 150lb person can easily meet their protein requirement by having peanut butter toast for breakfast and a chicken sandwich with cheese for lunch! Don't worry, going over your protein requirement a little bit in the normal course of eating isn't going to hurt you. Excessive supplement use however, may be damaging to the kidneys.

Don't forget to use the guidelines set by the USDA for recommended servings of each food group. The new My Plate guidelines are very helpful and easy to use. Find more information here: http://nutritionall-rd.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-my-plate-icon-and-guidelines.html

      Always discuss with your doctor before starting an exercise program or beginning or ending any supplement use! Consult your doctor of personal Registered Dietitian to discuss protein needs for your specific condition.

Cheers,
Brittney

Dietitian Approved!!

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:27:00 +0000

Have a good Labor Day Weekend!

Cheers,
Brittney

Recipe: Roasted Veggie Sandwich!

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 02:16:00 +0000

Tonight for dinner I tried a delicious recipe from the Meatless Monday website: Zucchini Eggplant Sandwich (find the recipe here: http://www.meatlessmonday.com/zucchini-eggplant-sandwich/) I created a slight variation using squash, as well as zucchini and eggplant. I did not add the tomatoes and bell peppers. Half the fun of cooking is being creative in the kitchen! I had squash from my CSA box this week but I didn't have any bell peppers, and I used all my tomatoes in a roasted tomato recipe (recipe here: http://inspiredrd.com/2011/08/slow-roasted-roma-tomatoes.html), so I doctored it up to fit with what I had available!

First I chopped up the veggies and heated some olive oil in a skillet. Then I sauteed the veggies until they were nice and tender.

I used some french bread that I made using my bread maker earlier in the week and drizzled it with balsamic vinegar and added some shredded Parmesan cheese. I added some basil to the top and the veggies and voila! Delish!

This is a great way to get your veggie servings for the day. Add a side of fruit and a dark chocolate square for dessert and you've got yourself a pretty nice little dinner!

Enjoy!

Cheers,
Brittney

Is Sea Salt Really Better than Table Salt?

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 20:39:00 +0000

     This is a great question, because sea salt is making major headlines lately. A lot of companies are boasting products made with sea salt as being healthier. Soups, chips, canned foods, and frozen dinners just to name a few. These company's claim that sea salt contains less sodium than traditional table salt and doesn't share the same blood pressure raising properties. All this marketing seems to be working: a recent survey done by the American Heart Association found that 61% of people surveyed believed that sea salt was healthier than table salt.

    However, the truth is that sea salt and table salt contain the same amount of sodium chloride by weight. This means that they are equal in sodium, the mineral which can contribute to high blood pressure. However, because of the processing techniques, sea salt contains more natural minerals, such as calcium and magnesium than table salt. Some cooks report that using sea salt gives food a better flavor because it is less processed than table salt.

     Americans are advised to limit their salt intake to 2,300 milligrams per day, which is equivalent to about 1 teaspoon of salt per day. This doesn't just come from the salt shaker, products that are high in sodium include: deli meats, canned soups and vegetables, boxed foods such as rice, frozen dinners, fast food, and chips. Groups that are more at risk for high blood pressure are: African Americans, people over 40 years old, and people diagnosed with hypertension or a strong family history. If you fall into one of these groups you should limit your sodium intake even more. Speak with your doctor or Registered Dietitian about a sodium level that is right for you!

For more information please see the article published in the New York Times: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/really-the-claim-sea-salt-is-lower-in-sodium-than-table-salt/?src=tp. Also visit the American Heart Association's website: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/.

Cheers,
Brittney

What's the Scoop on Foods without Nutrition Labels?

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 20:24:00 +0000

The vast majority of the foods Americans eat are required by law to have a nutrition label. Some foods however do not. Here are the details on the National Labeling and Education Act:

Foods that do not require a food label include:

Food that is served for immediate consumption, such as vending machines, food courts, and hospital cafeterias (although this is likely changing with menu labeling laws)
Ready-to-eat food that is not for immediate consumption, but is prepared on site, such as bakeries, delis, and candy stores.
Foods that do not contain a significant amount of nutrients, such as coffee, tea, and some spices.
Foods for patients with special nutrient needs.
Food produced by businesses that meet certain criteria may be exempt unless they make a health claim.

Currently many restaurants do not have nutrition information immediately available but do provide this information upon request, on their website, or elsewhere in the restaurant, such as on the back of the placement in fast food restaurants.

If you are curious about the calorie and/or nutrient content of some of the foods you are eating that do not have labels you can use a website such as Calorie King (http://www.calorieking.com/) or make comparisons to other similar foods. Beware, however, that just because two foods are similar does not mean their nutrition content is the same!

Cheers,
Brittney

How Accurate is Posted Calorie Information?

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:28:00 +0000

A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association revealed that calorie information on some food products may be inaccurate. Researchers measured calorie content of 29 restaurant foods and compared them to the calorie information provided by the vendors. Three criteria the selected food items had to meet were: less than 500 calories per serving as stated on the label, typical American foods, and be lower in calorie content than most of the other foods on the menu.

The food items averaged at 18% more calories than stated on the label! Some of the discrepancies were very wide, spanning up to twice their declared calorie content! The food items tested in the study were from chain restaurants, fast-food and sit-down, with nation-wide distribution. In 5 of the 29 restaurants, side dishes served with the item tested had higher calorie level than the item itself!

The researchers concluded that based on the study, a wide range of food labels from restaurants and supermarkets may be inaccurate, most frequently exceeding the calorie value posted. This is a problem when it comes to a person's effort to self monitor energy intake. It could reduce the benefit of requiring restaurants to post calorie information on menus.

Cheers,
Brittney

Homemade Pizza!

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney S, MPH, RD, LD) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 01:08:00 +0000

Homemade pizza! Made the crust using my bread maker, homemade pesto for the sauce, and topped with fresh pepperoncinis, mushrooms, tomatoes, black olives, onions and Italian cheese! Yum!

Cheers,
Brittney