[blindweightwatcher] A Healthy Kitchen Makeover
- From: "Jan Bailey" <jb021951@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <blindweightwatcher@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 6 Apr 2009 16:58:55 -0500
A Healthy Kitchen Makeover
Tackling spring cleaning tasks? Cleaning out the attic or
reorganizing your bedroom might top your list. But don't neglect your
kitchen - give it a makeover by stocking it with great-tasting,
healthy choices.
First, take a peek inside your refrigerator and pantry. Look at the
expiration or "best used by" dates on food packages. Foods kept past
their expiration dates can degrade in quality, and items such as
butter and oils can go bad.
What to Stock Up On
Diets rich in high-fiber whole grains, fruits and vegetables and low
in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol can lower your risk of
cardiovascular disease.
Whole Grains. Whole grains have essential vitamins and dietary fiber.
Whole-grain foods high in fiber include oat bran, oatmeal,
whole-wheat bread, rice and barley. How do you know if you're getting
what you need? Check the label. Whole grain should be the first
ingredient.
Fruits and Vegetables. Low in calories and full of vitamins, minerals
and dietary fiber, fruits and veggies are nutritious, filling foods.
Whether they're fresh, frozen, canned or dried, they're a delicious
must-have for your diet.
Leaner Is Better. Making lean choices will help you maintain a
heart-healthy diet. Consider skinless chicken and turkey, fish,
shellfish and lean cuts of beef such as round, sirloin, chuck and
loin. Beans and soy products such as tofu are good meat substitutes.
Healthier Fats. Fats play an important role in your diet, but it's
important to choose the right kinds. Choose oils high in
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as canola oil or olive
oil, and use soft margarines with no trans fats. Try to steer clear
of saturated and trans fats, which are often found in mayonnaise,
chips, cookies, packaged muffins, snack cakes and crackers.
Salt. Most of the sodium (salt) in our diet comes from prepared food.
Eating too much salt increases your risk of developing high blood
pressure (a risk factor for both heart disease and stroke) and raises
it in those who have it. When buying prepared and prepackaged foods,
be sure and read the labels first. Watch for the words "soda" and
"sodium" in the ingredient statement and look for the symbol "Na" on
labels. Choose lower sodium products. Aim for less than 2300 mg of
sodium a day - that's about one teaspoon of table salt.
To find heart-healthy foods in the grocery store, start by making
your grocery list online. Visit heartcheckmark.org to build your list
from approximately 800 products ranging from meat and dairy to
vegetables and snacks, all certified by the American Heart
Association to be low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Print your
list or access it from your Web-enabled mobile phone or PDA.
For more nutrition information, visit americanheart.org/nutrition.
Simple Substitutions
You can snack healthier just by making some simple changes.
Instead of - Regular potato or corn chips
Enjoy - Baked chips or soy crisps (reduced sodium)
Instead of - Devil's food cake
Enjoy - Angel food cake
Instead of - Ice cream bars
Enjoy - Frozen fruit bars
Instead of - Pudding made with whole milk
Enjoy - Pudding made with fat-free or low-fat milk
Instead of - Ice cream
Enjoy - Sherbet, ice milk or frozen, fat-free or (1%) low-fat yogurt
Shop smart! Live well! Look for the heart-check mark!
All products bearing the heart-check mark meet the American Heart
Association's nutrition criteria per standard serving size to be:
Low in fat (3 grams or less)
Low in saturated fat (1 gram or less)
Zero* trans fat (less than .5 grams)
Low in cholesterol (20 milligrams or less)
Moderate in sodium, with 480 milligrams or less for individual foods
In addition, they contain at least 10 percent of the Daily Value of
one or more of these naturally occurring nutrients: protein, vitamin
A, vitamin C, calcium, iron or dietary fiber.
Also, seafood, game meat, meat and poultry, as well as whole-grain
products, main dishes and meals must meet additional nutritional
requirements.
*Per U.S. Food and Drug Administration
SOURCE: American Heart Association
Modern Tuna-Pasta Casserole
4 ounces dried whole-wheat rotini (about 1 1/2 cups)
Cooking spray
1 16-ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables, such as a carrot,
broccoli and cauliflower blend, thawed
2 5.5-ounce cans low-sodium chunk light tuna, packed in water, flaked
1 10.75-ounce can low-fat condensed cream of chicken soup (lowest
sodium available)
1/2 cup chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers, rinsed before
chopping
1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half
1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning blend
3/4 cup lightly crushed (about 1/4-inch pieces) low-sodium
whole-grain crackers (about 34 squares)
1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
1. Prepare pasta using package directions, omitting salt and
oil. Drain well in a colander. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 2-quart
glass casserole dish with cooking spray.
3. Stir mixed vegetables, tuna, soup, roasted peppers,
half-and-half and seasoning blend into pasta until combined. Transfer
to casserole dish. Sprinkle with crackers and Parmesan.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until casserole
is warmed through and the topping is golden brown.
Serves 4; 1 1/2 cups per serving
Notes, Tips & Suggestions
Cook's Tip: With the variety of frozen mixed vegetable blends
available to choose from, you can easily incorporate new tastes into
this casserole. You can also change the flavor of the sauce by
substituting low-fat condensed cream of mushroom or celery soup for
the chicken soup, always choosing the lowest-sodium product available.
Nutrition Analysis (per serving):
Calories: 400g Total Fat: 7g
Cholesterol: 30mg Protein: 32g
Carbohydrates: 52g Sodium: 537mg
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