Antioxidants and your health

What are antioxidants?
They protect cells from harm caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules made when you digest food, or by exposure to things like tobacco smoke and radiation.

Antioxidants gained popularity because they may be able to help fight cancer, heart disease, and age-related health problems.

Antioxidants, benefits, and where to find them:

Antioxidants are rich in many fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Most antioxidants are "fat soluble" nutrients or nutrients that need to be eaten with a small amount of fat in order for the body to be able to use them.

Vitamin C is the exception. It is a "water soluble" nutrient or a nutrient that your body can use without having to eat any fat.

• Beta-carotene-  Aids in eye health.
• Found in orange foods
• Sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe, squash, apricots, pumpkin, and mango.

• Lutein- Aids in eye health
• Found in yellow foods and green leafy vegetables. 
• Collard greens, spinach, and kale.

• Lycopene-  Helps maintain vision and prevent eye damage caused by aging. It may also lower your risk of certain cancers.
• Found in red foods
• 80% or more Americans get lycopene from eating tomatoes and tomato products.
• Cooking tomatoes enhances the effect of lycopene.
• watermelon, guava, papaya, apricots, pink grapefruit, and blood oranges.

• Vitamin A- Plays a role in vision, skin, and immune system health. As an antioxidant, it may help slow down or prevent certain cancers.
• liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, milk, egg yolks, and mozzarella cheese.

• Vitamin C (also called ascorbic acid)- Plays a role in skin health and wound healing, promotes healthy teeth and bones, and boost the immune system.
• is found in many fruits and vegetables, cereals, beef and poultry.  

• Vitamin E- Plays a role in fighting inflammation and swelling, heart health, brain health, and immune system health.  Vitamin E may help prevent cancer.
• Americans get most of their Vitamin E from cooking oils like soybean, canola, corn, and other vegetable oils.  
• The richest sources are found in nuts, seeds and oils.

How much should I get?
Taking antioxidant supplements can be toxic to your body because it is easy for you to get more than you need. Supplements usually contain high doses of nutrients.

Like fat, your body will hold on to extra fat soluble nutrients if it doesn't need them right away. Over time, your body can store too much of these nutrients which can be harmful.

It is advised that people get antioxidants from foods. There are no known cases of healthy adults who have had nutrient toxicity from food intake.  (There are many cases of toxicity from supplements).

This does not mean that you can not take a multivitamin. It just means that you do not need to take extra supplement to get antioxidants.

In summary, eat your fruits, vegetables, and whole grains!  

The Truth About Tofu

What is Tofu? Simply, it is cheese made from soy milk.

• You like cheese, right? This "soy cheese" is safe for those with cow's milk or dairy allergies, known as lactose intolerance.

Why should I eat tofu and other soy foods?

• Heart disease- Soy plus a low fat diet may decrease your LDL (bad) cholesterol.
• Weight loss- The protein in soy helps curb appetite.
• Cancer- Soy contains cancer fighting agents (called phytochemicals and isoflavons).
• Diabetes- Soy has a little effect on blood sugar.

What does tofu taste like? Tofu tastes however you want it to taste!

• Tofu takes on the flavor of whatever it is cooked with, such as sauces, spices, and vegetables. Tofu is most well known for being used in stir-fry dishes.

How much soy or tofu should I eat?

• 1 serving, or 3 ounces, of tofu per day is recommended for healthy adults.
• The FDA recommends 25 grams per day of soy protein and a low fat diet to help reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and the risk for heart disease.

Where can I find tofu?

• Tofu is found in the refrigerated health- food section of the grocery store
• Morning star products in the freezer section (soy burgers, etc.)

How do I warm- up my family to tofu? My tofu-ranch dressing/ dip recipe has been loved by even the pickiest of eaters (Just let them think its regular ranch dressing first).

Tofu- ranch dressing/ dip:

• 1 packet of powdered ranch dressing mix
• 1 package/ box of tofu
• Optional- add 1 package of light cream cheese to thicken up the dip. You may need to do this by hand.

Use a blender to combine the above ingredients.

Enjoy your soy!

Fall recipe substitutions for flavorful and healthful fall foods

Recipes for Fall: Flavorful and Healthful

In the fall, nothing seems more comforting than sitting down to a nice, warm meal with your loved ones. But wait, you are trying to eat healthfully! Not to worry—you still can enjoy the enticing richness of autumn’s harvest, while meeting your health goals. These recipe tips will help.

Sweet potato casserole

• Use egg whites or Egg Beaters® in place of the whole eggs
• Reduce the amount of margarine or use lite margarine
• Add some applesauce to the sweet potato mixture
• Replace canned sweet potatoes with fresh sweet potatoes
• Choose pineapple packed in its own juice, instead of the kind in heavy syrup
• Add a cut up apple to the streusel topping and cut down on the amount of pecans
• Substitute orange juice for some of the melted margarine in the streusel topping

Stuffing

• Make with low-fat margarine
• Replace whole eggs with egg whites or Egg Beaters
• Substitute chicken or turkey sausage for pork sausage
• Use fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
• Choose whole-grain bread

Mashed potatoes

• Make with low-fat cream cheese or lite butter
• Replace some of the potato with steamed cauliflower (it sounds odd, but it works)
• Use 2% milk or low-fat buttermilk in place of the heavy cream

Chili

• Make with extra-lean ground beef, ground turkey, turkey sausage, or trimmed pork tenderloin
• Select low-sodium, well-drained beans
• Replace salt with a salt substitute
• Use lite beer, if beer is called for in your favorite recipe

Corn bread

• Use low-fat buttermilk
• Substitute egg whites or Egg Beaters for whole eggs
• Cut down on the oil, and add an extra splash of milk or some applesauce

Creamed spinach

• Make with lite margarine
• Replace sour cream with low-fat sour cream
• Substitute Neufchâtel cheese for cream cheese
• Add half the amount of Parmesan cheese called for in the recipe
• Use no-salt seasoning

Squash or pumpkin soup

• Make with lite margarine
• Use low-sodium, low-salt chicken broth or stock
• Choose lite whipping cream or low-fat half-and-half
• Substitute Neufchâtel for cream cheese, if your recipe calls for it

Macaroni and cheese

• Make with lite margarine
• Use low-fat cheese
• Choose low-fat half-and-half, evaporated milk, or skim milk
• Substitute Egg Beaters for whole eggs
• Replace sour cream with low-fat sour cream, if your recipe calls for it
• Select whole-grain, lite bread for the topping

Resource: RD411.com 

5 ways with Spaghetti squash

PUT DOWN THE HAMBURGER HELPER!

Why eat squash?

• Healthy and low calorie! Its a veggie that can be used to replace starches in many recipes. Different colored squashes are high in different vitamins and minerals. Many are great sources of vitamins A and C.
• 1 cup squash averages 40-50 calories (thats almost half the calories of a potato)
• Squash will store at room temp for up to 3 months prior to cooking it. 
• You can cook and store in fridge for up to 2 weeks. 
• Its CHEAP!!! Schnucks is offering squash for $0.50 per lb! How can you honestly tell me that hamburger helper was the better option at that price? You can't. 

If you have never cooked spaghetti squash its really easy, here is how you do it.

1. Cut the squash in half length wise; be careful not to cut yourself. All types of squash are hard to cut before they are cooked.  
•  Tip: If you are finding the squash hard to cut, you can pierce the skin with a fork a few times and cook it for about 3 minutes in the microwave.
2.  Scrape out the seeds
3.  Microwave method: Cook both halves of squash insides down, skin side up, on a plate for about 10 minutes. 

Other Spaghetti Suggestions:

1. Spaghetti traditional style
• 1 Spaghetti squash
• Newman's Own Garden Pepper pasta sauce 
• Lean (90%) ground turkey 
• Cook the squash, scrape the insides. You can heat and cook all ingredients separately.  
• I like to cook the squash, cook the turkey, then layer the 3 ingredients in a baking dish, like lasagna, and bake at 375 for about 15 minutes. Then remove the dish and top with Parmesan cheese and continue to cook for another 15 minutes. 
2.  Sloppy squash
• Sloppy Joe Sauce 
• Ground turkey (90% lean or more)
• Cook squash in microwave. Cook turkey and add sloppy joe sauce, simmer 5 minutes until sauce is warm. 
• Top spaghetti with sloppy Joe mixture. 
• Complement with a side of green veggies.
3. Replace noodles in soup with spaghetti squash
4. Stir fry and Pad Thai
5. Easy Cheesy Style
• 1 bag/ box Green Giant Broccoli with Cheese Sauce Steamer
• Cook squash. Cook steamer according to package directions. Combine the 2 ingredients. 

Fall fruits and veggies, whats in season?

Acorn Squash
Asian Pear
Barbados Cherries
Belgian Endive
Black SalsifyBroccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Butter Lettuce
Buttercup SquashButternut SquashCactus Pear
Cape GooseberriesCauliflowerChayote Squash
Chinese Long Beans
Crab ApplesCranberries
Delicata SquashDiakon Radish
Endive
Feijoa
Garlic
Ginger
GrapesGuavaHuckleberries
Jalapeno Peppers
Jerusalem Artichoke
Jujube
Key Limes
Kohlrabi
Kumquats
Muscadine Grapes
MushroomsPassion FruitPearPersimmonsPineapple
Pomegranate
PumpkinQuince
RadicchioSapote
Sharon Fruit
Sugar Apple
Sweet Dumpling Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Swiss Chard
Turnips
Winter Squash

List provided by FruitsandVeggiesmorematters.org

Healthified Pumpkin Pie Filling

You can use a regular pie crust or make a pie crust out of Fiber One Original bread crumbs. The nutrition facts for these crusts are not factored into the below recipe. I made this last night and it turned out beautifully, ENJOY!

Makes 8 servings...

1 can (2 cups) pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
3/4 Cup Unsweetened Almond milk
1/2 Cup egg beaters (or 4 egg whites)
3 TBSP Truvia natural sweetener (not splenda) 
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Optional: You can also add a small 6 ounce container of 0% Vanilla Greek Yogurt for extra protein, flavor, and texture. If doing this, add during step 3. Bake the same way. It adds 100 calories to the entire recipe (or about 12 calories per serving).

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2.) In a small bowl mix Stevia and spices (last 4 ingredients)
3.) In a large bowl beat eggs (hand whisk) then mix in pumpkin and milk until combined. (and Greek yogurt if using it)
4.) Add Stevia and spice mixture to pumkin mixture, just stir until combined.
5.) Pour in pie crust or cooking sprayed pie pan (if making crust-less version, like I did)
6.) Bake at 400 for 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of pie comes out clean.
7.) MUST DO THIS STEP before cutting and serving: Let pie sit and cool for 30 minutes then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. If you skip this you will have pumpkin mush!

Let me know how it goes!!!

Easy Creamy Chicken Masala

I made this up last night and it was REALLY GOOD! 



Serves 2 people and only 225 calories per serving.



Loaded with flavor and not with fat. This is a healthy dish that is simple enough to make any day. I was surprised how low calorie this dish was since it seamed to make a lot of food!

Suggest serving with a side of creamed spinach (to save time I buy the green giant steamers) and basmati rice. You can also choose to mix in peas. Calories from sides not included.



Prep Time: 5 minutes



Cooking Time: 20 minutes





Ingredients

•     1 (8 ounce can) 2 cups diced tomatoes in juice, No Salt Added (do not drain juice)


•     1/2 cup Tomatoes Sauce No Salt Added


•     1 1/2 tsp Garam Masala Spice (find in bulk food dispenser or ethnic foods isle)


•     1/4 tsp Cajun Seasoning


•     1/2 lb (8 oz) Chicken Breast Tenders, cubed


•     1/2 cup Fat-Free Plain Yogurt (optional)


•     1/2 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk or So Deliscuous unsweetened coconut milk

Directions



1.) Cube and cook the chicken in a large skillet/pan that can hold a lot of liquid and has a lid (you will need to cover)



2.) Add all ingredients except milk and yogurt



3.) Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Do not skimp on this step! Check halfway though to make sure nothing is burning, stir if necessary.



4.) Add milk and yogurt, continue to cook uncovered until sauce is thick. Stir so that sauce doesn't burn. You can be creative and add extra almond milk if you like. Also, SoDelicsious makes a low calorie (50 calories per cup) version of coconut milk that would work in this dish.

- serve with creamed spinach, rice, and/ or peas

 http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/leah-newmark-rds-creamy-tomato-chicken-masala/