How’s my diet? Free nutrient analysis websites June 30, 2008

So you have just started a marathon training program and you’re hungry all the time – are you getting enough calories?  Or you are on a diet but feeling sluggish – is there some nutrient that is deficient in your diet?  While I am usually a fan of checking www.eatright.org and finding a good registered dietitian to help solve such dietary dilemmas, there are a few websites that can help out if you are short on cash and time.  My alltime favorite is www.fitday.com for its thorough nutrition reports, especially if you have changed your exercise program recently.  However, it can take some time getting used to, and the food database isn’t the most complete.  Another website, www.sparkpeople.com, is user-friendly and includes regular motivational and educational emails…which may be fun or annoying, depending on your personality.  However, it does not have as in-depth of nutrient analysis.  Sparkpeople’s sister site, www.babyfit.com, is great for new moms and moms-to-be, and the forums are full of great comments from other health-conscious moms.

So let’s say our hypothetical marathon runner finds out he is low in magnesium – but what foods are high in that nutrient?  Once again, you can make an appointment with your neighborhood dietitian (shameless plug for the career field) or if you are strapped for time and cash (or just like to do it yourself) you can look it up on one of the best overall sites I have found yet – www.nutritiondata.com.  Another good freebie, this website is also good for analyzing grandma’s famous family recipes as well as comparing two foods side by side.

If you are just curious to know exactly what is in a mushroom, www.grubiq.com is easy to understand and relatively complete.  Instead of comparing DRIs, AIs, and mcgs versus IUs, it gives you a relative score for each food.  http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ will tell you what is in each food, but can be a little complicated to understand all the information. 

Like to eat out?  http://www.calorieking.com/foods/ can give you the lowdown on how high the calories are in that mocha frappuchino or fried onion rings.  But beware, sometimes ignorance is bliss in the world of restaurant dining! 

Nutrition is both a science and an art.   You can learn a lot about just about every food out there on these sites, but don’t forget to sit back, relax, and savor the flavor of some of your favorites…even if you almost fall out of your chair when you read how many calories are in that bowl of ice cream! 

 

 

New Guidelines for Feeding Baby June 26, 2008

In January 2008, the  Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics reported newer, conflicting findings on feeding infants and introducing solid foods.  In their latest study on introduction of various allergenic foods and atopic disease, http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/121/1/183#SEC6, researchers  are rethinking the former recommendations for mothers to avoid common allergens such as milk and peanuts during lactation and pregnancy to prevent allergies, and even found evidence that delayed introduction to eggs and grains can increase, rather than decrease, the risk of future allergy.  This comes on the heels of another report   (http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/541952) by the American College of Asthma, Allergy, and Immunology that recommended delaying the introduction of eggs until 2 years and fish and nuts until 3 years in kids predisposed towards allergies. 

Two organizations reviewing similar research and coming to very different conclusions – what’s a parents to do?  When you look at the fine print on these studies there’s actually quite a few similarities:

1)  both studies admit that there is conflicting evidence and we need more research. 

2) both studies support exclusive breastfeeding for most infants for the first 4 months. 

3) both studies indicate that food introduction is not an exact science, and that every parent has to take into account their own family history of allergies and the child’s health history as well as the general guidelines. 

Looks like we don’t have all the answers yet, but isn’t it amazing how God created each baby to grow and develop into a unique human being?  Even when we don’t know it all, it is good to know He is in control.

Healthy Recipes June 7, 2008

Tasty and healthy are not mutually exclusive…really!  Here are some of my favorite websites for finding healthy recipes and nutrition ideas.  If the recipe works, I’ll just slide the printout in my 3-ring recipe binder to make another time.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/lf_health/  Great source for good, tasty recipes.  I’m all about Ellie Krieger’s show!  These recipes often have a touch of class that may be more appealing to adventuresome adults than kids.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Healthy-Living/Main.aspx  More recipes than I could every test, and the reviews are pretty helpful too.  If I have a random food that I’m not sure what to do with, www.allrecipes.com  usually has an answer.

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/HealthyLiving/  Quick and convenient recipes that please most palates…and are kid-friendly too.  Because almost all the recipes use packaged foods, they may contain more preservatives and/or other artificial substances that I, like many others, are trying to keep to a minimum.

Make your own yogurt June 7, 2008

Yesterday morning I was making my weekly batch of yogurt when I started thinking about why I go through all that hassle instead of just buying it.  The reasons I came up with keep me going, and maybe they’ll motivate you to give it a try as well! 

1) Cost:  A gallon of milk is $3.35 here, and quart of good-quality yogurt is over $3 too.  It costs about 25% as much to make it myself. 

2) Flavor:  Once you try the rich, sweet, freshness of homemade, the storebought doesn’t quite cut it anymore. 

3)  Health:  No additives – period.  I can make it as sweet as I like with fruit preserves or maple syrup or even honey and vanilla.  Plus I get more of the probiotic benefits because I eat more yogurt when I make my own.

While I have heard that people have success with yogurt makers, I have too many kitchen appliances already and am just as content using glass jars, a $5 thermometer, and an insulated lunch cooler.  Here is my recipe:

Heat 3 quarts milk (I often use 1-2% for a creamier result) in a large pot on medium low, partially covered.  Stir in 1/2 cup powdered skim milk, and then stir every couple minutes to keep the bottom from burning.  Check the temperature frequently.  Once it gets to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, turn off the heat, stir, and uncover.  Allow it to cool down to 120 degrees.

Prepare 3 sterilized quart jars and lids.  Pour 120-degree yogurt into jars, and then put 2 Tbsps of starter – yogurt (I like stonyfield farms yogurt because of the probiotics) into the jar.  Yogurt is really finicky, and once the milk and yogurt have been combined, it doesn’t like to be moved much and will not set nicely if upset.  I carefully cap each quart, place in the insulated lunch cooler, and put out in the sun here in Houston for about 8-10 hours.  A Houston summer day easily keeps it at 90-110 degrees, but in the winter I put it in my oven, and then turn on the oven for 60 seconds every 2 hours just to keep it warm in there.  After the incubation period place it in the refrigerator to cool, then enjoy!  You can use your own yogurt for starter the next time as long as you use it within one week. 

Once it’s done, you will see a thick curd and also some yellowish whey.  I use the whey for smoothies and eat the curd with granola.  Yummo!

Common problems:  If yogurt is thin or slimy and doesn’t set well it’s often for one of these reasons:  1) too hot or cool during 8-10 hour incubation, 2) old starter (older than a week?)  or 3) it was moved too much during the incubation.  You may be able to salvage slimy yogurt by adding a package of unflavored gelatin…or just use it in smoothies.