Readers Write is a new feature here at the Fooducate Blog. Every once in a while, one of our readers who wishes to contribute to the blog, will get center stage and offer helpful food and nutrition information and advice. This guest post is by Lauren Canepari.

Stuck in the supermarket this winter looking for a healthy (cheap, quick, delicious) dinner?  Well look no further than the lowly sweet potato.  Not only is this tuber a nutritional powerhouse, it can be made into a delicious dinner in no time.

Combining something as simple as a sweet potato with other quick supermarket items can make a nutritious dish for any day of the week!

One medium sweet potato has approximately 100 calories, 4 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein and almost no fat or cholesterol.  If that wasn’t enough to get you excited, the sweet potato contains an amazing amount of Vitamin A (438% of your daily value), as well as being a great source of vitamin C, Potassium, Manganese, and vitamin B6.

Since sweet potatoes are available everywhere this time of year, here are five easy ways to get your fix:

1.    Baked.  Wrap your sweet potato in foil and bake for an hour, or until a fork pierces easily.  From here the possibilities are endless.  Top with a healthy vegetarian or turkey chili for a hearty meal, my favorite is the Mild Vegetarian Chili from Health Valley.  If you aren’t a chili fan, add some all-natural peanut butter for a protein boost!

2.    Mashed.  Old-fashioned mashed potatoes are boring.  Spice them up by using sweet potatoes instead.  If your kids want some extra sweetness, try adding a banana to the mix.  You won’t even miss the marshmallows!

3.    In a soup.  Bake a few extra, or even microwave them, for a chance to make a delicious soup!  Mix in the blender with some low-sodium broth, spices (curry works great here), and even a splash of cream to really make things exciting.

4.    In a salad.  Cut into cubes and roast on a baking sheet with olive oil.  Add some maple syrup for a delicious caramelized taste.  Throw some of those roasted cubes over a pile of mixed greens, with some pecans, dried cranberries and some crumbled goat cheese.

5.    For…breakfast? Pumpkin oatmeal is the new big thing, but what about sweet potatoes in your oats?  Blend some mashed sweet potatoes in with some oats as you cook them.  This will add a delicious sweetness without pouring on the brown sugar!  Top with raisins, almonds and cinnamon for a decadent breakfast treat.

Lauren Canepari, blogs at eater not a runner. She is a twenty-something on a mission to be healthy and eat well in the process.  The only thing she likes more than writing about food is eating it!  Contact her at eaternotarunner at gmail dot com.

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Help the FDA Improve

NUTRITION FACTS LABELS

The FDA is reconsidering the Nutrition Facts Panel. Almost 20 years after the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990, and with soaring rates of obesity, one could argue that the goals of a healthier, slimmer America have not been achieved.

The Food and Drug Administration, charged with most foods’ nutrition labeling realizes this. So it has decided to experiment with changes, additions, and omissions in order to improve consumer understanding of what they are about to eat.

But before building the experiment, the FDA is soliciting comments from the public, and that includes us – you, me, and whoever cares about nutrition. Unfortunately, the digital hallways of the federal government are not user friendly and it is not trivial to find the right webpage to comment. This means that in many cases, the only comments come from food manufacturers and trade groups. You can probably guess what their comments will look like.

So here’s some help from Fooducate. Not only did we dig up the single click that takes you straight to the comment page, we’ve also collated Seven Label Improvement Suggestions [see below] that you can suggest to the FDA.

The invitation to comment by the FDA can be downloaded [PDF] or viewed online.

You need to submit your comments by January 19, 2010. For reference, the docket number is FDA–2009–N–0532 and you can submit your comment here.

Seven Suggested Label Improvements:

If you are contemplating what improvements the FDA should undertake, let us help with a few examples. Feel free to “copy paste” when you file your comment with the FDA.

1. Show REAL serving size. Have you ever noticed the ridiculously small serving sizes on packages – 3 Oreos? 15 potato chips? Or a single serve 20 fl oz bottle of cola written up as containing 2.5 servings? Manufacturers like to minimize the servings to toddler size portions so that the nutrition facts per serving won’t seem too bad (calories, sugar, etc…). This is misleading and needs to change to reflect how people really consume food and drink.

2. How much ADDED sugar? The nutrition label states the amount of total sugar in a serving, but it does not indicate whether the sugar is added to the food, occurs naturally, or both. Caloric-ly, there is no difference between added sugar and sugar found naturally in fruits and vegetables. But the benefit of fruits containing naturally occurring sugars is in the additional vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidantss and phytochemicals they provide. Added sugars provide no health benefits. They are truly empty calories. People should choose products with as little added sugar as possible. Unfortunately, today consumers can only guess how much sugar has been added to a product.

3. Daily Values for Protein, Sugar. These numbers don’t appear on nutrition labels today and consumers can only guess if 5 grams of protein are a lot or a little. As most people consume plenty of protein daily, this will decrease the marketing hype around high protein bars and snacks. As for sugar, people don’t know what amount is an acceptable daily intake of total sugar, and of added sugar.

4. Zero should be zero. Did you know that if a product contains trans fat, but less than 0.5 grams per serving, it can legally be labeled as 0 gram of trans fat? This is ridiculous. Knowing this, manufacturers can “calibrate” serving sizes to be just under half a gram’s worth of trans-fat, thus earning the right to place the coveted zero number on the nutrition label. But when wolfing down a snack bag (real serving size much larger than labeled – see #1 above), you could be getting even 1.25 grams of trans-fat, all while thinking that the product contains none at all.

5. Caffeine content. Products that contain caffeine should clearly state the amount. People are often surprised to discover caffeine in soft drinks, cakes, and other snack items. Some energy drinks contain ridiculously high amounts. Physicians have asked the FDA to require caffeine labeling on energy drinks.

6. Allow rBGH-free labels. rBGH / rBST is a hormone injected into cows to increase their milk output. The hormone has been associated with various health risks for humans consuming the milk. People should know if their milk comes from cows treated with these hormones.

7. Label Booz. Alcoholic beverages should be labeled as well. At a bare minimum, provide serving size and calories.

Click HERE to submit your comments to the FDA.

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photo credit: avlxyz

A venerable foodstuff that has been relegated to the checkout counter in gas stations and convenience stores, beef jerky actually has a proud heritage. Here are somethings you might want to know.

1. Jerky is a means to preserve meat without refrigeration.

2. Traditionally meat was dried and/or smoked and/or salted. Marinading is another technique used to add additional flavoring.

3. Although beef is the most common type of jerky, one can also find jerky from wild game such as venison, elk, caribou, and moose. Even kangaroo meat.

4. The origin of the word Jerky is from Native American “Charqui” which means “to burn meat”.

5. Jerky quality varies greatly and depends on the choice of meat, the preservatives, and the preservation technique.

6. There are many jerky-like products that consist of highly processed, chopped and formed meat, rather than traditional sliced, whole-muscle meat. Try to stay away from them.

7. A good jerky is very lean; fat usually causes spoilage. In cheap products with high fat and water content, many chemicals are added as preservatives to prevent spoilage.

8. Here’s the ingredient list of a leading brand of jerky (Jack’s Links)
Beef, Water, Sugar, Less than 2% Salt, Corn Syrup Solids, Dried Soy Sauce (Soybeans, Salt, Wheat), Hydrolyzed Corn and Soy Protein, Monosodium Glutamate, Maltodextrin, Flavorings, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite.
Unfortunately the consumer can’t tell what the beef quality is from the ingredient list. The package does state that it 97% fat free though.

9. Nutritionally, jerky is low in fat and high in protein. The major issue is the exorbitant amount of sodium. A 1 oz serving contains up to 15 grams of protein (25% of the daily value), but 600mg of sodium (25% of the daily maximum). The protein is nice to have, but as most Americans are getting enough protein in their diet, it’s the excess sodium that should be of concern.

10. Many jerky products are sold in 3 oz packages, so people who finish off an entire bag end up consuming 3 servings at once (usually gulping down a sugary soft drink to combat the major salt deposits from the jerky).

11. Beef Jerky is astronaut food! NASA has been providing Space shuttle crews this lightweight high protein treat since the mid nineties.

12. Many people are very passionate about Jerky. Here is one – with a blog dedicated to reviewing all jerky products out there.

13. A tragic explosion in a ConAgra manufacturing facility last month has created a shortage of the wildly popular Slim Jim brand jerky nationwide.

What to do at the supermarket:

Look for the higher quality brands made from low fat beef strips, not processed beef. Also, watch the sodium.

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It was a rough start of the year for the peanut butter industry. A major recall, one of the largest in US history, sent sales of all products, even innocent ones, down. But now sales are on the rebound, according to the latest market studies. White breads and jellies across the nation are rejoicing…

In celebration, we decide to take a look at what looks like a nutritious choice – Skippy’s Natural Peanut Butter Spread.

If the label says it’s natural, it must be healthy, right?

Read more…

Energy bars are a popular and growing category of snack foods that are a natural evolution of breakfast cereals. Sixty years ago we had time to sit down for a hearty breakfast with the family. By the early seventies, families couldn’t bother with the hassle and settled for a bowl of cereal with milk. Nowadays, many people don’t have time for even this, so they grab a cereal bar / energy bar / snack bar and a spill proof cup of coffee and hop into the car for the morning commute.

With so many bars to choose from, you may find yourself confused. All these bars tout health benefits from here to the 2012 London Olympics. However, there are some companies that try to maintain a higher standard than others, and today we’ll take a look at products from 2 such bars:

Kashi Go Lean Caramel Peanut:

Larabar Peanut Butter Cookie:

Read more…

What do triathletes, professional football players, and weekend warriors fuel up on during an extra long workout?

Some of the answers, such as frozen pickle juice, sound a bit icky, but there is some logic here:

For some athletes, nothing says hot-weather workout savior like popsicles made from the briny, green liquid. The combination of water, salt, vinegar, and flavorings can replace essential electrolytes lost during exercise on hot, humid days. Freezing the juice takes away some of the ick-and-eww factor and adds some refreshing fun.

Read the entire Boston Globe article…

What you need to know:

To re-energize during and after a workout, one does not necessarily have to purchase expensive processed products. The body needs easy to absorb carbs, and athletes described in the article have even used simple solutions such as sugar cubes or salty potatoes.

Research shows that some natural food options can be more nutritionally effective than heavily-marketed sports drinks, energy bars, and gels. Many are more cost effective as well.

Most of us, who at best manage short workouts that don’t go over 90 minutes at a time, don’t even reach the physiological points that make pickle juice or costly gels a required replenishment.

What to do at the supermarket:

So don’t splurge on costly stuff. You need a combination of carbs and protein. A slice of whole wheat bread with peanut butter or a banana before a workout, plenty of water during and after, and a hard boiled egg or beans and salad are cheap simple options that will help you keep your machine running smoothly and economically.

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Creative Commons License photo credit: Michael Cornelius

Eating a sugary treat prior to a workout can improve your performance compared to just having a glass of water beforehand. However, eating a nutrient rich meal a few hours before the workout will help you even more.

Thanks, NYTimes

What you need to know:

Sugar is a simple carbohydrate and is broken down easily by the body. That’s why it’s referred to as a quick fuel. However, it’s better to mix in proteins, as well as nutrients from fruit and vegetables that help rebuild tissues after exercise.

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Sara Lee is the number one fresh bread manufacturer in the US, so there’s a good chance you’ll find some of their loaves in your local supermarket. We wanted to take a look at a product that caught our eye due to it’s somewhat oxymoronous name – how could a white bread be whole grain? Isn’t whole grain bread supposed to be, well, not white?

Ah the wonders of food science and marketing.

The company boasts, on the package, albeit in small print: Made with whole grain. 30% whole grain (This product provides 10 g of whole grain in a 2 slice serving. USDA recommends consuming 48 g of whole grain every day.).

What’s really inside?… Read more…

Cow’s milk is an amazing liquid with many compounds that can be processed into endless products such as butter, yogurt, and cheese. But how does milk become cheese? What is processed cheese? And what exactly do we get when we eat the very popular Kraft Singles?

Read our three part miniseries to learn more.

part 1 – Thirteen Cheese Facts [you are here]
part 2 – What is Processed Cheese?
part 3 – Inside the Label – Kraft Singles

Read more…

Happy Easter!

In case you were wondering about all those eggs:

1. They are a cheap and reliable source of protein, especially for vegetarians.

2. Eggs are one of few foods naturally containing vitamin D.

3. They are also a good source of vitamin A, riboflavin, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, choline, iron, calcium, phosphorus and potassium.

4. The yolk is about one third of the weight of the egg, but accounts for 80% of its 75 calories.

5. The currently popular omega-3 eggs are created by feeding hens with kelp meal (more seaweed, anyone?).

6. Eggs have seesawed in popularity over the years due to their high cholesterol count (over 65% of the recommended daily intake). Current studies are pointing favorably to the egg, claiming most of the cholesterol formed in the human body results from saturated and trans-fats, and not the cholesterol in the egg. Eggs have no trans-fat and only 8% of the daily value for saturated fat.

7. There are many foods created with raw eggs. Mayonnaise and chocolate mousse are two very popular examples.

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