We've all heard the that beef is bad for you. It raises cholesterol and increases risk of heart attack. You'd think, knowing those facts, that the safest thing to do would be to try to remove beef from your diet. However, it appears that not all beef is created equal (and so you may not have to give up hamburgers altogether). Switching to grass-fed beef (from the conventional grain-fed beef which is what it typically available in your grocery store) may be the only step you need to make.
According to Eat Wild, grass-fed beef can be lower in fat than commercially raised chicken and has far more omega-3 fatty acids than conventional beef, which is a powerful cancer fighter and aids in brain development. It is also much higher in vitamin E, which is an immune booster.
So don't feel bad about eating that burger, just know what kind of beef you're eating and enjoy.
I tend to buy bananas in larger quantities than I am able to eat before they get horribly brown. You'd think I would have learned by now, but no matter how fast I eat them, there's always one or two that get too black to consume. I've taken to throwing them into the freezer, peel and all, when they reach that stage, to save them for some future baked good or as an addition to a smoothie.
My go-to banana bread recipe used to be the quick one from the 1971 edition of the Joy of Cooking (the one bound in turquoise fabric), but very recently that recipe was ousted from it's favored position by one that Molly of Orangette fame posted recently (which she got from Kickpleat at Everyone Likes Sandwiches). For me, the beauty of this recipe (in addition to the fact that it takes almost no time to throw it together) is the fact that it uses no oil or shortening. It relies on the eggs and bananas to keep things moist, and they do their job well.
I've made this bread twice now, once I did a single batch in a loaf pan and the next time I did a double batch in a large cake pan and both turned out perfectly. I took the end of the first batch over to a friend's house as a dessert offering after a weekend lunch and the room was silent save for the sounds of chewing and enjoying as we finished it off. The second batch went with me on a writing retreat a couple of weekends ago and I got no complaints as the bread quickly disappeared.
The picture is Molly's, from her original post about the recipe. I didn't get a chance to take a picture when I made mine, it disappeared too quickly.
Nutritionists and researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston set out to try and discover whether dairy foods in general had any effect of fertility on humans, as there was "pretty strong evidence" that an excess of lactose in animals could have a negative effect on the ability of females to conceive. Everyone was surprised to find that the same result was not found in humans. The records, taken from 1991-1999, of nearly 19,000 women from the ages of 24-42 were examined.
It turned out that they found that women who ate two or more servings of low-fat/non-fat dairy foods and no whole fat dairy had an 85% higher risk of becoming infertile. Eating one serving of whole fat dairy per day significantly reduced the odds of developing infertility. The type of infertility most commonly found in this study was anovulatory, a failure to produce eggs. One possible reason for this result is that low fat dairy foods tend to have more lactose in them than full fat products, but scientists say that more research is needed before anything can firmly be concluded. And they do "not recommend that women trying to conceive use this as an excuse to eat "buckets and buckets of ice cream."
Potato chips are, as a general rule, fried, greasy and unfortunately addictive, as illustrated by the longtime Lay's slogan "bet you can't eat just one. All these traits make them the bane of many health food activists' existences, but those same activists might go a little easier on the popular snack food if they knew you can easily make a non-fried, fat free version that is just as crispy as the "real" thing at home All you need is a microwave.
This Japanese potato chip maker allows you to make chips in the microwave. All you need to do is slice up a potato into fine rounds and place in the stand, then microwave until crisp.
It sounds implausible, but microwaving chips really does work. I've done it myself with great success thanks to the recipe for Uncle Bill's Microwave Potato Chips, which doesn't require a potato chip stand to work. The chips actually do crisp up well, especially if you take care to slice them thinly and evenly. In the photo above, the chips that I made are on the left, while the chips made with the chip-maker (not made by me) are on the right. I cut my potatoes freehand with a sharp knife, but using a mandoline will produce results even faster and guarantee consistency. Make sure to season your chips with salt and pepper or seasoning salt before microwaving them, as it is difficult to get the salt to adhere to already crisp chips.
A light panna cotta is a great way to end a romantic evening, like Valentine's Day. It is easy to prepare and can be set up in advance, which leaves you free to worry about other aspects of your night. When discussing panna cotta, "light" usually refers to the delicate texture and melt-in-your mouth appeal of the lightly gelled dessert, not necessarily to the fat or calorie content of the treat. There is nothing wrong with a little indulgence, but it's nice when a dessert that is light in texture is also light in the stomach, so I have made this panna cotta a little more figure-friendly by using yogurt and light cream (half and half) in place of the all-cream standard. I added some berries for color and a little bit of sugar for sweetness. The result is a dessert with the appealing texture of panna cotta, far less fat and the slight tang of yogurt.
When you stop into a Starbucks, do you stick with the standard whole milk in your drink or do you order low fat or skim milk instead? In some markets, Starbucks customers so overwhelmingly opt for lower fat options that the coffee chain has decided to test 2% low fat milk as the drink default in about 300 of their stores to see how consumers respond. The stores are located in four key markets: Orange County, California; Jacksonville, Florida; Oregon; and London, Ontario. Milk options other than low fat will still have to be added as a customization to your drink, including skim, whole and soy.
If the program is a success, the switch could be applied to all stores, which would alleviate some of the criticism about Starbucks' high-fat drinks, although it is unclear as to whether the regular Frappuccino drinks will change their recipes, as well.
Oats are a great source of soluble fiber, and as the specific fiber contained in whole oats, beta-glucan soluble fiber, has been shown to help control cholesterol, some oat products are allowed to claim that they reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. These products include oat bran, rolled oats or whole oat flour, and they also must meet the FDA's standard for "low fat" foods. The Quaker Oat company has requested - and temporarily received (pdf) - an exemption to the "low fat" standard for some of their other oat products, like instant oatmeal. The exemption allows qualifying products to make the claim that they coronary heart disease right on the packaging by allowing them to increase their oat content to acceptable levels, even if by doing so they surpass the federal maximum for low fat products. Not all oat products will be eligible, but Quaker's reduced sugar instant oatmeal products would qualify under the new plan.
Professional football players have heavily regulated diets, but regardless of what they're eating when they're off the field, they're clearly working off those pounds when they play. The same cannot be said for the rest of us. During the Super Bowl, it is estimated that 30 million pounds of food, of which 4 million is fat, will be consumed across the country. Chips are the most popular snack, with 11.2 million pounds of potato chips sold for the game. Other snacks put up impressive numbers, as well: 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips, 4.3 million pounds of pretzels, 3.8 million pounds of popcorn and 2.5 million pounds of nuts. And it doesn't look as though they counted calories from beer, sodas and other drinks in these numbers.
To avoid packing on the pounds during the game, there are a few simple things you can do:
Eat breakfast or lunch before the party, so you won't be as hungry and as likely to binge.
Try and go for a walk/run in the morning before the game and burn off a few extra calories.
Try drinking diet soda or water to avoid the hundreds of calories that come from drinks alone.
When it comes to snacks, make a low fat/low calorie dip to bring to the party, such as salsa, a bean-based dip or a yogurt dip made with nonfat yogurt.
Limit your chip consumption by sticking to veggies or lower fat crackers for dipping - especially if you're planning on chowing down on pizza or buffalo wings.
One last suggestion? Stand up and cheer for your team when they get a first down and do your own little touchdown dance when they score. Taking the opportunity to burn off a couple of extra calories never hurt.
We already know that probiotics are one of the hottest health buzzwords of the year, so it's no surprise to hear that Dannon, which was one of the first companies to actively promote probiotics in their products in the US with the launch of Activia, has some new products to add to their line. First up is Activia Light, a fat free version of the original yogurt. It has less sugar than the original and about 30% fewer calories per serving, but still comes in four fruity flavors: strawberry, raspberry, peach and vanilla.
There are also two other new items in Dannon's lineup. DanActive, a "probiotic dairy drink" which was released nationwide this month that is supposed to help strengthen the body's immune system. Danimals, a kids yogurt drink, is also being re-released with a new formulation that includes "he world's most researched probiotic culture for children, Lactobacillus GG (LGG)," which has been clinically shown to improve gastrointestinal and immune functions and contribute to good oral health.
Have you heard of Z Trim? It's a fat substitute made from plants (also known as "agricultural bi-products") that not only has no fat, but has zero calories. It is marketed as an all-natural weight loss product, but since it can be used in everything from baked goods to soups and dressings, it sounds as though it could just as easily fit into the general health food category.
It was developed a few years ago by the USDA and is primarily composed of the hulls from oats, soybeans, peas and rice, as well as bran from corn and/or wheat, all of which are "processed into microscopic fragments, purified, and dried and milled to an easy-flowing powder," which can then be reconstituted with water to create a very smooth paste that gives a mouthfeel similar to - you guessed it - fat. It has a lot of natural dietary fiber, so it also helps provide a feeling of fullness.
So what does it taste like? Apparently, it's pretty much like other fats and most people can't taste or feel the difference in what they're eating. In fact, a school district in Pittsburgh switched to using it several months ago, but just recently revealed that fact to students, who never noticed the difference and approved of all the food with and without Z Trim.
The original pound cake got its name from the fact that it contained a pound of each of its basic ingredients: butter, sugar, flour and eggs. The average pound cake these days tends to be a bit more refined, using some sort of leavening agent in addition to eggs and often incorporating additional ingredients, such as vanilla, sour cream, heavy cream or even chocolate.
Pound cake, needless to say, is not a low fat food. It is dense, tender, buttery and something that is best eaten in small portions if you are watching what you eat. Of course, pound cake tastes so good that it can be hard to stop with just one slice. This recipe produces a lightened pound cake that is almost entirely fat free, so you don't have to stop with a mere sliver.
I love making pudding cakes. I find them to be both easy and satisfying, especially on a cold evening where the dessert can really warm you up. A basic recipe for one will have egg whites folded into a flavored batter, much like a souffle. Unlike a souffle, however, pudding cakes are baked in a water bath that keeps the bottom portion from puffing up as it cooks, leaving a thick pudding at the base of your baking dish. The top portion of the cake, uninhibited by the insulation of the water bath, bakes into a light, moist sponge cake that provides a perfect contrast for the pudding below.
I baked this batch in individual ramekins, which makes them look a little more elegant than a pudding cake baked in one large dish and scooped out for serving. As an extra touch, I also used Meyer lemons in place of regular lemons. They add a lot of lemon flavor without any of the sharpness that is usually associated with lemons and lemon juice.
There are federal regulations in place that dictate how terms like "fat free," "low fat," "reduced fat" and "light," among others, can be used with regard to food. Fat free foods, for example, must contain less than .5 grams of fat per serving. It may seem like there is enough definition in this area of food labeling already, but a new label is catching on rapidly: the "lean" label.
For a long time, the "lean" label has been applied only to USDA certified meats that have less than 8 grams of total fat per serving, and no more than 3.5 mg of saturated fats. A recent ruling change means that the term can now be applied to packaged foods, putting it in direct competition with "fat free" and other existing labels for the consumer's attention at the grocery store.
Do consumers really need another way to describe the fat content of, say, frozen pizza? It would probably be too much to as that they just start printing the fat content right on the front of the box.
I love chicken soup, especially tasty, low fat versions full of tons of different vegetables. I make big batches and freeze it in one or two portion containers for easy use during the week. Originally I put it into Tupperware, but they were expensive and actually didn't last too long under my use. Or is it abuse? Then I switched to zip lock baggies, but you had to defrost them first, pour into a bowl or pot, then reheat the soup. Ever since the disposable, reusable plastic containers came out, I use them instead. They go to fridge, freezer, and back again. I can pop them in the microwave, and then into the dishwasher, and they go through multiple uses before wearing out.
Skinless, boneless, chicken thighs have become my poultry part of choice, and I keep several pounds in my freezer handy for quick dinners. I separate the individual thighs, remove excess fat (I freeze that separately for later use), and place them on a plastic covered baking tray in the freezer, so they freeze individually. Then I put them in large freezer zip lock baggies for storage. I slice them when they are fully or partially frozen, and if you are careful, they are actually easier to slice than when unfrozen, and you get uniform pieces which look good and cook more evenly.
Here's my relatively quick recipe for a very low fat, chicken vegetable soup. I use only dark meat for the most flavor (I loathe the flavorless chicken breast), and boneless for ease in preparation and consumption. I also use a combination of fresh and frozen produce, depending upon the season and what's available.
The Canyon Ranch spas are some of the most renowned wellness getaways in the country, not just because of the beautiful facilities and revitalizing treatments and activities that they offer, but also because of their food. The spas are known for serving food that is as good for your body food can get - and has a taste that "is beyond words." Canyon Ranch Cooking: Bringing the Spa Home is a collection of some of the spa's best recipes, which means that you can easily recreate their healthy, delicious meals even when you're mot visiting the spa.
The large volume is nearly 500 pages long and is well laid out, filled with beautiful pictures and well-written recipes. All of the recipes conform to the low calorie, low fat (20% cal from fat) guidelines followed at the spa. They rely heavily on fresh produce and meats, not on prepacked "diet" types of products, as well as cous cous, white and brown rice and other grains, and the dishes end up looking - and tasting - just as good as those from regular cookbooks. There are many options for breakfast, lunch, diner and dessert, as well as dips, sides, soups and salads. Some of the recipes include Banana Waffles with Maple Walnut Syrup, Indonesian Chicken with Grilled Bananas, Osso Bucco, Seafood Chowder, Cheese Enchiladas and Cherry Streusel Pie.
Nutritionists and researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston set out to try and discover whether dairy foods in general had any effect of fertility on humans, as there was "pretty strong evidence" that an excess of lactose in animals could have a negative effect on the ability of females to conceive. Everyone was surprised to find that the same result was not found in humans. The records, taken from 1991-1999, of nearly 19,000 women from the ages of 24-42 were examined.
Oats are a great source of soluble fiber, and as the specific fiber contained in whole oats, beta-glucan soluble fiber, has been shown to help control cholesterol, some oat products are allowed to claim that they reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. These products include oat bran, rolled oats or whole oat flour, and they also must meet the FDA's standard for "low fat" foods. The Quaker Oat company has 
Professional football players have 
We already know that probiotics are one of the 
Have you heard of 
There are federal regulations in place that dictate how terms like "fat free," "low fat," "reduced fat" and "light," among others, can be used with regard to food. Fat free foods, for example, must contain less than .5 grams of fat per serving. It may seem like there is enough definition in this area of food labeling already, but a new label is catching on rapidly: 
America's Most Hated Foods
Slashfood Ate (8): Ways to create the perfect cheese plate
A good trick for saving summer herbs for future use
