IN THIS CHAPTER
Making nutritious food choices
Cooking your way to health
Fitting in reasonable desserts
Diabetes or not, we all need a well-balanced intake of healthy foods in appropriate portions. Chapters 5 and 6 can help you assess your daily carbohydrate needs and how best to distribute carbs between meals and possibly snacks. You can use the plate model in Chapter 8 to plan balanced meals using foods from all food groups. This chapter explores individual food groups and their nutritional benefits, and provides tips on how to choose wisely within each group. I also address strategies for taming your sweet tooth with reasonable treats. Consult a registered dietitian if you need more tips or to have your current dietary habits assessed.
Eating a Rainbow of Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables have a lot in common. They provide similar vitamins, minerals, and fiber. What differs is the amount of carbohydrate they contain. Fruits and starchy vegetables have higher carb counts than nonstarchy vegetables and leafy greens. In other words, most vegetables are low in calories and carbs, but starchy vegetables (potatoes, peas, corn) and legumes (dried beans and split peas) are exceptions. Because they are higher in carbs, they are in the starch group along with bread and rice (see Appendix A for details), but they still contribute the nutritional benefits of the vegetable group.
All varieties should be included; no fruits or vegetables are off limits. Just eat appropriate portions that meet your carb-intake goals. See Chapters 5 and 6 if you aren’t sure how much carb you should be aiming for at meals and snacks.
Fruits and vegetables are naturally low in calories and full of nutrition, so eat up. Key vitamins in the fruits and vegetables group include the following:
· Vitamin C: A necessity for the development and repair of all bodily tissues and a powerful antioxidant that aids in the absorption of iron from plant foods
· Vitamin A: Critical for the health of the eyes, skin, and immune system
· Potassium: Helps with muscle, nerve, and heart function and aids in blood-pressure control
· Folate (also called folic acid): A key nutrient in the synthesis of red blood cells and tissues
· Fiber (soluble and insoluble): Beneficial for your heart and keeps your intestinal tract healthy
The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage women to eat roughly 2–2½ cups of vegetables per day and men to consume about 2½–3 cups per day. The target daily intake for fruit is about 1½–2 cups for women and 2 cups for men. Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season to enjoy them at their peak flavor.
It pays to mix it up and eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to reap the spectrum of nutrients they contain. Be sure to include dark green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, and Swiss chard. Also choose items that are dark orange in color, including mangos, apricots, cantaloupe, carrots, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash. Here are handy tips for increasing your intake of all fruits and veggies:
· Include crunchy raw carrots, celery, cucumbers, and bell pepper strips in your lunch menu. Scoop up hummus, guacamole, or low-fat ranch dressing.
· Keep frozen vegetables or canned items (processed without added salt) on hand.
· Start your meal with a leafy salad, and serve steamed, baked, grilled, or roasted vegetables with the meal. In fact, fill half of your dinner plate with vegetables, as doing so may make it easier to control your intake of foods that are higher in calories, carbs, and fats.
· Enjoy fruit with your meal or between meals as a healthy snack. The key for blood-glucose control is to limit yourself to one serving of fruit at a time and skip the juice. An appropriate serving is a small piece of fruit or about a cup of melon, berries, or mixed fruits. To count the carbs more precisely, see Appendix A .
· Keep fresh seasonal fruits on hand. For convenience, cut melons and pineapple and then refrigerate them in a sealed container.
· If you buy canned fruits, choose those that are packed in natural juices, not syrup, and buy unsweetened applesauce.
Loading Up on Whole Grains
Grains are rich in carbohydrates, and they also contain some protein. The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage women to eat 5–6 grain portions per day and men to consume 6–8 portions per day, half of which should be whole-grain selections. The portions they refer to are the sizes in the starch list in Appendix A . Each exchange portion provides 15 grams of carb and 3 grams of protein. Whole grains offer important vitamins and minerals needed for optimal health. They’re rich in fiber, iron, magnesium, selenium, and several B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate).
The following sections explain what to look for when you shop for whole grains and give you some ideas on different grains to try.
Identifying best-bet grains
Grains are subdivided into whole grains and refined grains. What’s the difference?
· Whole grains contain the kernel, bran, germ, and endosperm.
· Refined grains have been milled to remove the bran and the germ. Valuable nutrients and fiber are stripped by the refining process. Refined grains are often “enriched” to add back iron and vitamins, but the fiber is gone for good.
Whole grains digest slower than refined grains, which is good news in terms of blood-glucose control. Your blood-glucose levels may be slightly lower when you choose wholesome whole grains simply because the glucose from the food doesn’t speed into your system all at once. Because whole grains take longer to digest, you may feel fuller for longer. Feeling satisfied can curb the urge to snack, which in turn supports weight-control efforts.
Try to choose whole grains for at least half of your grain servings. Look for the Whole Grain Stamp on packaged foods. Read ingredient lists and choose items that list “whole grain” first. Check the Nutrition Facts food label for the fiber count. A food is a good source of fiber if it offers at least 2.5 grams of fiber per serving; an excellent source of fiber has 5 or more grams of fiber per serving. You can also review the Nutrition Facts label for the Percent Daily Value. A food that provides 20 percent or more of the Percent Daily Value is considered high in fiber; 5 percent or less is low. Aim high when it comes to fiber. See Chapter 7 for more details on label reading and to see an image of the Whole Grain Stamp.
Increasing your options and trying new grains
Start your day with slow-cooked oats or whole-grain toast for breakfast. For lunches and dinners, choose whole-wheat or whole-grain breads, rolls, tortillas, crackers, and pastas. Limit white rice; instead, choose brown, red, black, or wild rice.
Branch out and try new grains to accompany your meal. Here are some ideas:
· Blend brown rice, wild rice, and farro and simmer in a seasoned broth to make a hearty pilaf.
· Add barley to homemade soups.
· Toss cooked quinoa into a mixed green or kale salad.
· Make fresh tabbouleh with bulgur, parsley, and minced green onion tossed with olive oil and lemon juice.
Other whole grains to try include millet, amaranth, spelt, rye, buckwheat, teff, and kamut.
One complaint about whole grains is that they take a little longer to cook than white rice. One solution is to make a bigger batch and freeze the extras for future use. Whole grains freeze well.
Leaning Toward Leaner Proteins
Protein foods provide amino-acid building blocks, which in turn become the building materials we use to synthesize and repair our cells and tissues. Meats have high-quality protein and are rich in easily absorbed iron. The key to keeping it heart-healthy is to choose lean meats. Meat fats are saturated and if eaten in excess can contribute to high blood-cholesterol levels, clogged arteries, and heart disease. Fish is the exception to the rule. The fat in fish and seafood is considered heart-healthy. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids called DHA and EPA. There are also plenty of high-quality vegetarian protein foods. Consider cutting back on meat consumption by adopting a “meatless Monday” menu.
Individual protein needs vary, but most Americans easily meet their requirements. Overconsumption can lead to excess calories, though. A simple guideline to avoid excess intake is to choose lean proteins and keep the portion size similar to the size of the palm of your own hand. If you have questions, seek the advice of your healthcare team.
The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage women to eat 5–5½ ounces of protein per day and men to consume 5½–6½ ounces per day. To see what counts as an ounce of protein, flip to Appendix A . By varying your protein choices, as I explain in the following sections, you’ll benefit from a broader variety of vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc, magnesium, omega-3 fats, and several important B vitamins.
Choosing the healthiest options
Choosing lean protein is good for your heart, and it also helps with weight control. Table 13-1 compares the calorie counts between lean, medium-fat, and high-fat meats. For reference, 4 ounces of meat is about the size of a deck of playing cards.
TABLE 13-1 Calorie Counts Correlated to Fat Content of Meat
|
Serving Size |
Lean |
Medium Fat |
High Fat |
|
4 ounces |
180 calories |
300 calories |
400 calories |
|
8 ounces |
360 calories |
600 calories |
800 calories |
|
12 ounces |
540 calories |
900 calories |
1,200 calories |
Take note: High-fat meat has more than twice the number of calories than lean meat. The extra calories come from fat, saturated at that. Day after day, week after week, month after month … those are the sorts of differences that really add up.
The Exchange Lists in Appendix A separate specific meats into the three categories. Use the lean meats and proteins list to make your grocery shopping list. Keep your protein portion at mealtime to roughly the size of the palm of your own hand and limit your intake to two portions a day.
Fish, shellfish, and skinless poultry are all lean. Certain cuts of beef and pork also fall into the lean category — for example, sirloin, tenderloin, top round, bottom round, and flank. When choosing ground beef, aim for at least 92 percent lean. Regular ground beef is 75–80 percent lean — and that isn’t lean at all. Canadian bacon and ham are considered lean pork, which makes them a better choice to nestle next to your eggs than regular bacon and breakfast sausages. Canadian bacon and ham have added sodium, however, so monitor your intake if you have high blood pressure.
Most processed meats hit you with a double whammy: salt and fat. Limit the following: sausages, bacon, bologna, hot dogs, salami, and most deli meats.
Fishing for reasons to eat more seafood
Omega-3 fats, known as EPA and DHA, are found in seafood. These fats are healthy for your brain and your heart. They reduce the risk of arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats), lower blood-triglyceride levels, and have a beneficial effect on blood pressure. Some of the richest sources of omega-3 fats include salmon, herring, anchovies, sardines, Pacific oysters, lake trout, and Atlantic and Pacific mackerel. Adults are encouraged to eat at least 8 ounces and as much as 12 ounces of fish or seafood per week. Eating seafood on a regular basis may reduce your risk of heart disease. All fish and seafood are considered lean (provided you don’t accidentally dredge them in batter and deep-fry them).
Mercury is a heavy metal that can damage the nervous system and brain. Pregnant women and children should be especially cautious to avoid exposure. Some of the larger fish with longer life spans can accumulate high levels of mercury, making them unsafe for human consumption. The FDA recommends avoiding four specific types of fish due to mercury risk: swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and tile fish (specifically from the Gulf of Mexico). Orange roughy and marlin are also high in mercury. When it comes to tuna, chunk light has less mercury than white albacore. Adults should limit albacore tuna to 6 ounces per week.
You can enjoy many types of fish and shellfish without concern of mercury contamination. Low-risk fish should be enjoyed, as they offer excellent health benefits. Examples of fish and shellfish to consume weekly include salmon, shrimp, scallops, oysters, squid, crab, haddock, flounder, sole, pollock, tilapia, catfish, and cod.
The Natural Resource Defense Council has a chart distinguishing the risk of mercury in different fish. Check out www.nrdc.org/stories/smart-seafood-buying-guide .
Vegging out with meatless proteins
Legumes are unique because they count as carbs and protein. Half of a cup of cooked beans (black, garbanzo, kidney, navy, pinto, or lentils) has about 7 grams of protein and 15 grams of carb. That’s the same amount of protein as one egg. The carbs need to be considered when carb counting. Legumes are naturally low in fat, high in fiber, cholesterol free, and loaded with vitamins and minerals, making them an excellent, wholesome choice.
Nuts and nut butters offer protein but are quite high in calories, so be mindful to keep the portions controlled. One-fourth cup of nuts runs you about 200 calories.
Tofu, which is made from soybeans, comes in several levels of firmness, from silken to extra firm. It’s mild in taste and versatile. Vegetarian and Asian cookbooks provide recipe ideas, but these days you can also search for recipes online. Tempeh is another soy product worthy of mention.
Seitan, sometimes called “wheat meat,” is made from wheat gluten. Gluten is the protein part of the grain. Chewy in texture, it is often pre-seasoned or marinated. Despite coming from wheat, it is low in carbs.
Most grocery chains offer a wide variety of vegetarian meat substitutes. You are no longer limited to veggie burgers (although they are great). Replace fatty, processed meats with vegetarian alternatives: Try veggie hot dogs, sausages, bologna, and bacon. Ground veggie meatless products replace ground beef and pick up the flavorings used in the cooking (they make a wonderful chili). Peruse the refrigerated sections (near the tofu) or look in the frozen food aisles where you just might find vegetarian versions of chicken strips, nuggets, crab cakes, cutlets, beef tips, buffalo wings, sliders, meatballs, and chicken. These packaged items all have Nutrition Facts food labels and easy cooking instructions. Popular brands include (but are not limited to) Gardein, Morningstar Farms, Field Roast, Boca, Quorn, Yves, Tofurky, and Litelife. Give them a try; you can keep them conveniently frozen until needed, and you may be pleasantly surprised by the taste.
Daring to Do Dairy
Milk naturally contains all three macronutrients: carbohydrate, protein, and fat. It’s also rich in calcium and vitamin D. The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage adults to get three portions of calcium-rich dairy foods per day. See Appendix A for examples. The following sections go into more detail on milk’s nutrition and provide nondairy options that give you similar benefits.
Watching the fat content
The fat from milk can be removed and made into butter, cream cheese, and sour cream. Dairy fats are not particularly heart-healthy, though. Like the fat in meat, milk fat is a saturated fat, so full-fat versions should be limited. Choose nonfat, low-fat (1 percent), and reduced-fat (2 percent) dairy products to take advantage of the nutrients offered in this food group.
Milk and yogurt both have carbs because they contain lactose, the natural sugar in milk. Cheese is very low lactose, usually containing just a trace. Cheese is made from the fat and the protein, so it doesn’t raise blood-glucose levels. However, cheese is generally high in fat. Regular cheese is made from whole milk and has 8 or more grams of fat per ounce. Reduced-fat cheeses are made from 2 percent milk, which cuts the amount of fat down to 4–7 grams of fat per ounce. Low-fat cheeses are marked as such and have between 0 and 3 grams of fat per ounce.
Packing in more protein
Meats and protein foods are discussed earlier in this chapter. Milk, yogurt, and cheese are also rich in protein. One cup of milk provides 8–10 grams of high-quality protein, and cheese provides about 7 grams of protein per ounce. Yogurt varies in carbs, calories, fats, and protein; check the Nutrition Facts food labels for details.
Boning up on calcium
It’s well known that calcium is needed for bone and dental health. Calcium is also critical for normal functioning of muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. Small amounts of calcium dissolve from our bones to provide the calcium needed elsewhere in the body. Calcium can also be added to bone, provided your dietary intake is adequate. Post-menopausal women don’t build bone as effectively, which is why osteoporosis becomes a risk with aging. Some plant foods offer calcium, but it isn’t absorbed as readily as the calcium in dairy products. That’s because the calcium in plant foods gets bound to the plant fibers and other chemical compounds, which reduces absorption. You absorb some, but not necessarily all, of the calcium in the food.
See Table 13-2 to find out how much calcium you need; it shows the Dietary Reference Intakes for calcium based on age and gender. Amounts are displayed in milligrams. To assess your calcium intake, consider that one cup of milk or yogurt provides approximately 300 milligrams of calcium. It takes about 1.5 ounces of cheese to get 300 milligrams of calcium. An ounce of cheese is about the size of a string-cheese stick. If you don’t do dairy, consider a calcium-fortified nondairy alternative (see the next section).
TABLE 13-2 Recommended Calcium Intakes
|
Age |
Male |
Female |
|
1–3 years |
700 |
700 |
|
4–8 years |
1,000 |
1,000 |
|
9–18 years |
1,300 |
1,300 |
|
19–50 years |
1,000 |
1,000 |
|
51–70 years |
1,000 |
1,200 |
|
71+ years |
1,200 |
1,200 |
If your diet is low in calcium, it pays to take a supplement. Calcium comes in tablet form or in chewables. Our bodies can absorb only so much calcium at a time. To improve absorption, take up to 500 milligrams at once. Taking calcium supplements with meals is fine.
Vitamin D is essential in helping the body absorb and use calcium. Vitamin D status is easily assessed with a blood test. The recommended intake of Vitamin D for ages 1–70 is 600 international units (IU) per day. For ages 71 and above, the target is 800 IU per day. If your levels are low, you can take a vitamin D supplement with higher dosages, and your doctor or registered dietitian can suggest the amount. Dietary sources of vitamin D include eggs, liver, fatty fish, and fortified foods. Vitamin D is also synthesized in the skin with exposure to the sun.
Checking out nondairy substitutes
If you don’t drink milk, there are many nondairy beverages to choose from, including soy milk, almond milk, other nut milks (like cashew), hemp milk, coconut milk, and rice milk. Protein content varies among selections. Some milk substitutes have just 1 gram of protein, while others are comparable to milk with 8–9 grams of protein per cup. There are also nondairy substitutes for cheese and yogurt.
Look for calcium-fortified milk substitutes. The front of the package may say “enriched” or “fortified.” The Nutrition Facts label provides information on the calcium content, but currently food labels only note the calcium content as a percentage of daily need. It’s based on the adult target of 1,000 milligrams per day. For reference, one cup of milk provides 30 percent of the daily calcium requirement. Thirty percent of 1,000 equals 300. Therefore, one cup of milk has 300 milligrams of calcium. Fortified nondairy beverages are usually fortified to match the calcium content of milk, and they sometimes contain even more. Some beverages are boosted to provide 45 percent of the recommended calcium requirements. If your milk substitute provides a paltry 4 percent of your calcium needs, for example, that is just 40 milligrams, and the product hasn’t been fortified.
Labels will be less cumbersome by July of 2018, when the revised food labels will be out in full force. The new version of the food label will list the calcium in terms of both Percent Daily Value and in milligrams. See Chapter 7 to take a look at the new food label format.
Focusing on Healthy Fats
Liquid oils and solid fats are similar in calorie counts but worlds apart when it comes to their effect on health. The fats from meats and dairy products are saturated and should be limited. Saturated fats, trans fats, and hydrogenated fats raise blood-cholesterol levels. Cut back on these artery-clogging culprits. Improve your odds by choosing unsaturated fats. They are easy to identify because they are usually liquid at room temperature. Fats add flavor and moisture to food. Fats also assist with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins: vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Monounsaturated oils (olive, canola, and peanut) and the omega-3 fats found in fish are the heart-healthy heroes of the fat family. Polyunsaturated oils (most of the other vegetable and nut oils) are also fine; none of the unsaturated (liquid) oils damage or block blood vessels. Nuts, seeds, avocados, and olives are foods that contain concentrated amounts of fat. They contain a good type of fat, but nevertheless they are high in calories so controlled portioning is recommended. Mayonnaise and margarine are polyunsaturated and may be used in moderation. Just make sure the label says 0 grams of trans fat. Chapter 16 is devoted to heart health, so look there for more in-depth information on how to keep your heart happy with healthy food choices.
Fats and oils rack up about 120 calories per tablespoon. This is one of those times when more isn’t better. While oils do provide essential fatty acids that are required for health, it doesn’t take much to fulfill those needs. The oils and fats occurring naturally in foods cover the bases in terms of what we actually need for health. To cut down on calories from fat, look for reduced-fat versions of cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and salad dressings. Fats added during cooking and at the table should be used sparingly.
The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage women to limit intake to 5–6 teaspoons of oil (or fat equivalents) per day and for men to limit intake to 6–7 teaspoons. See Appendix A for examples and portion sizes that are equivalent to a teaspoon of oil. Chapter 16 provides guidance on choosing heart-healthy fats.
Having Diabetes and Dessert, Too
For decades, people with diabetes were told not to eat sugar. It didn’t actually cure anybody. Avoiding sugar won’t automatically keep blood-glucose levels in range if there are no controls on the overall carb intake. Skipping the cookie doesn’t erase the carbs in the rest of the meal. Managing carbs for diabetes means all carbs in the meal need to be accounted for, not just the dessert.
Certainly, having diabetes makes it very important to limit sweets, treats, and desserts. Sugar is concentrated in carbs, and desserts can easily blow the carb budget. For example, I recently reviewed a popular restaurant’s menu and noticed that the flan had over 120 grams of carb per serving. Another dessert on the menu had nearly 200 grams of carb! To put that in perspective, a cup of white granulated sugar has 200 grams of carb. Nobody with diabetes is going to tolerate a dessert like that. That particular dessert had over 1,200 calories, making it an unhealthy choice for anyone, with or without diabetes!
Estimating carbs in desserts can be tricky. Some can be deceptively high in carbs, while others may not have as much as you’d think. If you underestimate the carbs in the dessert, your blood glucose goes sailing. On the other hand, if you overestimate the carb counts and end up taking too much insulin, you can end up with hypoglycemia.
The following sections provide pointers on how to treat yourself to dessert without going overboard on carbs.
Making your own treats
One option for having dessert when you have diabetes is to make your own goodies. When baking treats at home, you can closely estimate carb counts in your recipes. For ingredients that contain carbs, use the Nutrition Facts food labels on the package (see Chapter 7 for help). If you don’t have access to the package or you buy in bulk, simply look up the item online. Check www.calorieking.com (see Chapter 9 for details) or use your search engine to look up individual ingredients.
You can then calculate the amount of carb per serving in your homemade desserts (or any recipes for that matter). Tally up the amount of carb in each ingredient in the recipe. Consider these ingredients in a cookie recipe: One cup of white flour has 92 grams of carb, and one cup of white granulated sugar has 200 grams of carb. The butter, eggs, baking soda, vanilla, and salt don’t have any carbs. Figure out how many carbs are in one cookie by dividing the total carbohydrate count by the number of cookies baked. When baking at home, you can make the recipe healthier by cutting down on the sugar and fat in the recipe. You can also find recipes that incorporate sugar substitutes by looking online.
Dressing up healthy fruits
Fruits are naturally sweet and satisfying, and they are a healthy alternative to dessert. Here are some tips for making outstanding fruits stand out:
· Make fruit kabobs by skewering cubes of cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, strawberries, pineapple, and grapes.
· Impress your guests with a fruit salad melon boat. Cut a watermelon in half and use a melon ball tool to scoop out the flesh, leaving the hollowed empty shell. Refill the empty shell with a colorful mixed fresh-fruit salad. The melon shell is the serving bowl.
· Bake apples instead of an apple pie. Core the apples, leaving enough of the core at the base of the apple to hold the filling. Fill each apple with 1 teaspoon of butter or margarine, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar or agave nectar, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of minced pecans or walnuts. Place the apples upright in a baking dish with about ½ inch of water in the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching. Bake at 375 degrees for one hour or until desired tenderness.
· Freeze grapes for a refreshing treat.
· Melt dark chocolate in the microwave. Dip fresh strawberries into the melted chocolate and then refrigerate until the chocolate is firm. You can do the same with banana chunks, sprinkling them with minced nuts.
· Use a glass parfait dish or a wine glass to layer fresh berries and nonfat yogurt. Sprinkle the top with a tablespoon of granola.
· Make sugar-free gelatin and mix in sliced fresh fruit. Refrigerate until firm. Serve with whipped topping (optional).
Enjoying dessert while controlling the carbs
Desserts can be high in calories, fats, and carbs. Choices matter, and portion control is important. Here are a few tips for enjoying dessert and controlling the impact it has on your health:
· Sharing: When in restaurants, consider ordering one dessert for the table and sharing it. If the restaurant is a chain, ask your server or the manager for the nutrition information so you can look up the carb and calorie counts. Another option for chain restaurants is to check their website for the nutrition facts. The website is usually easy to locate by the restaurant’s name.
· Stocking the best bets at home: Fudgsicles are low-fat frozen delights. They contain about 40 calories, 10 grams of carb, and 1 gram of fat. Pudding cups are also appropriately portioned. Buy yogurt in tubes and freeze them. Cut the end of the yogurt tube and squeeze from below for a yogurt push-up. Sugar-free gelatin is virtually free of calories and carbs, so you can have it anytime. If you do buy ice cream, consider frozen yogurt or the lower-calorie ice creams. Read the Nutrition Facts labels to compare calories, carbs, and fats (see Chapter 7 for guidance). Limit your serving to one scoop.
Don’t stock up on treats at home if they are too tempting and you can’t control portions.
· Maintaining carb control at mealtime to make room for dessert: Maintaining control of blood-glucose levels is easier if dessert is consumed after a lower-carb meal. For example, if your meal is a salad with greens, vegetables, and protein, you have more room in the carb budget to enjoy a dessert.
· Having your cake and eating it too: A thin slice of angel food cake with a couple of sliced strawberries and a spritz of light whipped cream is far lower in carbs than your typical frosted cake. If you’re celebrating a special occasion that calls for cake to be served, you can opt to go mini. Boutique cupcake stores and even big-box supermarkets offer mini cupcakes, or you can buy mini muffin tins and make your own. The trick is eating just one. You can also use mini muffin tins to make mini banana bread or zucchini bread muffins that don’t require any frosting. Cake pops are another alternative to a full-sized cake. Cake pops are cake balls on a stick, similar to lollipops.
· Walking it off: Adding some extra exercise after consuming dessert helps burn off some of the glucose in your blood. Exercising regularly improves overall health and assists in weight management. See Chapter 14 to explore the benefits of exercise.
Trying Cooking and Serving Tips that Support Health and Weight Goals
It’s best to limit the amount of fat that is added in the cooking process. When foods are deep-fried, for example, they absorb cooking oil and the calorie counts jump. Compare a large baked potato to a large order of French fries: The potato has 290 calories, and the French fries have 515 calories. The baked potato has less than ½ gram of fat, whereas the fries have nearly 25 grams of fat. The fries have absorbed 5 teaspoons of oil. The bottom-line calorie count on the baked potato depends on what you add to it. Adding 3 tablespoons of “light” sour cream just bumps the calories up by 60 with less than 4 grams of fat.
Limit frequency and portion sizes of fried foods for weight control. Restaurants don’t always fry in the heart-healthiest oils, so that’s another reason to skip the fried foods when you’re dining out.
Whether at home or in a restaurant, choose lower-fat cooking and serving methods as discussed in this section.
Opting for lower-fat cooking methods
Boiling, poaching, braising, and steaming are all cooking methods that use moist heat, which helps prevent foods from drying out:
· Boiling typically uses enough water to cover the food, while steaming has about an inch of water in the bottom of the pan with the food cradled in a steaming basket. Steaming retains many of the nutrients in the food.
· Poaching is simmering food in small amounts of broth or seasoned liquid. Poaching is a flavorful way to cook boneless chicken breast or fish, and the meat remains tender and moist. Wine can be added to the poaching liquid if desired; the alcohol cooks out.
· Braising is a method often used for tougher cuts of beef. To braise meat, sear and brown it in a skillet on the stovetop, and then place the meat in a tightly covered baking dish with water or other liquid in the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the oven. Alternately, you can braise in an electric skillet. Carrots, onions, and quartered potatoes can be cooked at the same time in the pan with the meat.
High-heat dry cooking methods include baking, broiling, roasting, and grilling:
· Baking: The oven is a versatile cooking method because you can adjust the temperature and cooking time according to the item or recipe.
· Broiling: The oven can do more than just bake your food. It can also be used for broiling. You need a broiler pan, which has a slotted upper tray and a pan that holds the tray. Meat fats drip away into the broiler pan. The intense heat cooks foods quickly. Brushing with a marinade is optional.
· Roasting: Roasting winter vegetables in a hot oven brings out the natural sweetness in butternut squash, carrots, and parsnips. Roasted Brussels sprouts are also delicious. Cube or slice vegetables to a thickness of about ½ inch. Toss with a small amount of olive oil. Spread vegetables on a cooking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 20–30 minutes. Make kale chips by coating chopped kale leaves lightly in oil; arrange on a cooking sheet and bake until crisp.
· Grilling: Grilling can be done on an outside barbeque or an indoor electric grill. The fat drips away from the meat. Grilled vegetables are excellent too, so when you fire up the BBQ, be sure to skewer some zucchini, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. Grilled pineapple is a tasty accompaniment.
Cooking methods that use a small amount of oil include sautéing and stir-frying:
· A sauté pan with a small amount of fat works well for vegetables, shrimp, scrambled eggs, or any food that cooks quickly.
· Stir-frying can be done in a large skillet, but a wok works best. Make sure the oil is hot before adding the food to the wok. Stir and toss while cooking over high heat.
Controlling portion sizes
You can watch your portion sizes with the help of the following tips:
· Serve from the stove instead of placing all the cooked foods on the table. It’s too easy to take second helpings when foods are served family style in serving dishes at arm’s reach.
· Use a measuring cup to scoop your potatoes, rice, and pasta from the pan. That way you are measuring at the same time that you serve yourself. (See Chapter 8 for more details on this concept.)
· Use smaller bowls and plates. Many people like to see their plates full. If your dinner is on a salad plate, it will look full even though you are eating less. For desserts and fruits, use a small decorative parfait dish to control portions.
· Put leftovers away promptly. Divvy up the leftovers into small containers and refrigerate or freeze for a quick reheated meal at a future date. Microwave ovens work well for reheating leftovers.
Controlling portions when eating at restaurants can be as easy as sharing an entrée. Or create your own meal with a combination of appetizers and a salad. Ask your server for a to-go box as soon as your meal arrives. Before diving in, package up part of the meal to take home. When the option exists, order the smaller portion.
A quick way to assess appropriate serving sizes when you’re away from home is to look at your hand. Your starch serving (rice, pasta, potato) should be the size of your tightly clenched fist, and your protein (fish, chicken, meat) should be about the size of the palm of your own hand.
Watch out for restaurant desserts. Decadent desserts pack in the sugar, fat, and calories. Sharing one dessert amongst the table may be the safest bet.