Healthy cooking tips, recipes, food facts and more from a Registered Dietitian!
Archive for August, 2008
Check Out My TV Interview!
Aug 29th
I was interviewed last week for a segment on WCBI-TV regarding energy drinks. You can watch the segment on the WCBI website. I enjoyed learning more about sports and energy drinks while getting ready for the interview. Here are a few key points I picked up:
- Many cans of energy drink (examples: Monster, Red Bull, Full Throttle, Rockstar, etc) contain as much caffeine as 1-2 or more cups of coffee.
- Many young athletes today have begun downing 3-5 cans of energy drinks before hard workouts, trying to get a “boost.”
- Excess caffeine consumption can raise your blood pressure and heart rate to dangerous levels when combined with high intensity exercise and heat.
- Caffeine also acts as a diuretic, thereby increasing your hydration needs.
- Most energy drinks and supplements are not regulated by the FDA (the government agency that oversees our food supply). Many “quick fix” supplements included in these cans have not had much testing performed on them (an example of this is the Ephedra drug that was found to cause serious heart problems).
- Most cans of energy drinks cost anywhere from three to five dollars, which is a pretty high price to pay for some souped up caffeine.
- One of the best rehab drinks you can find: Chocolate Milk! With 8 grams of protein per cup of milk, simple carbohydrates, and a delicious taste, chocolate milk will help you get all the protein and refreshment you need after a tough workout.
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Loading ...Yogurt – Great for Breakfast, Lunch, or Snacks
Aug 28th
I’ve been a big fan of yogurt for a while now, and research published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association this past March makes me enjoy it even more!
Yogurt can provide a low calorie and low fat food choice (especially when you choose fat free or low fat versions) that normally contains about 60-120 calories per serving. Yogurt is a good source of calcium and daily intake of high calcium foods has been associated with positive health benefits such as weight loss and decreased blood pressure and cholesterol. But, there’s even more…
Yogurt with active cultures contains prebiotics and probiotics that help your digestive tract continue working at its best. The healthy bacteria can provide many beneficial effects, including:
* Enhanced immune function
* Improved colonic integrity
* Decreased incidence and duration of intestinal infections
* Down-regulated allergic response
* Improved digestion and elimination
Yogurt also provides both protein and carbohydrates, making it a wonderful grab-n-go snack when life keeps you busy.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Fresh Tomato and Basil Pasta Salad
Aug 27th
Last week’s pasta salad seemed to be a hit, so I decided to continue the pasta idea with a fresh tomato and basil pasta salad recipe I found. I made it this past weekend with some fresh basil (remember my windowsill herb garden from this past spring?) and it was absolutely delicious. I really enjoyed eating it hot on Saturday and again cold on Sunday with lunch. I made it with macaroni, but the recipe calls for penne pasta.
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 pound penne pasta
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, halved, seeded, and chopped
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup basil leaves, slivered
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt and the penne pasta; cook pasta until just tender to the bite. While pasta is cooking, combine tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic, and basil in a large bowl. Add olive oil and remaining salt to tomato mixture. Drain pasta, add to tomato mixture, and toss. Add salt to taste. Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold (as a pasta salad).
Yield: 6 servings
Recipe from: MyRecipes
Note: This is delicious served up as a main dish. To decrease the calories and fat a little, use only one cup of shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese. The olive oil provides lots of heart healthy fats!
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Cool Food Spotlight – Chocolate Pasta -
Aug 23rd
This past week I was shopping for some cooking supplies when I ran across one of the most unique foods I’ve ever seen, Chocolate Pasta. Of course, the word “chocolate” included in any dish catches my eye! So, I bought a package and took it home to play with.
After sifting through several interesting recipes on the internet for chocolate pasta, I realized that it is a rather popular gourmet dish, and appears to be served up more in the Northern USA than the Southern regions, where I’m from. The most common uses for chocolate pasta include fruits (such as fruit and chocolate pasta salad), sauces (such as a raspberry or chocolate sauce mixed in), or in some other rather unique creations (just search “chocolate pasta” on YouTube to see what I mean!).
So, for Sunday lunch I created a simple gourmet dessert treat that I thought was pretty good: I placed a few chocolate chips with a small dip of plum or strawberry preserves in the bottom of a dessert dish, topped it with some hot, cooked, chocolate pasta spirals, mixed it together (melting the chocolate and jam together to form a sauce), and topped it with light whipped topping.
The dessert was pretty good, I thought. Please note: the chocolate pasta is really not very sweet at all. It tastes alot like regular pasta. So, if you want a really sweet dish you will have to use a sweet sauce.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Olympic Appetites
Aug 22nd
The news is currently packed with information on how much food our favorite USA athletes are consuming. I was delighted to read this interesting article, highlighting the dietitians who are behind the scenes making sure that these athletes are getting the fuel that they need, when they need it. When thousands of athletes come to the Olympic Athletes’ Village each day, they are met with more than a hundred different options for each meal, all created to please individual competition needs and ethnic preferences.
You can read more about this dietitian’s interesting job at this website.
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