Are You TOO Sweet on “Added” Sugar?

Perhaps you have read about or heard the term “added” sugars.  What are “added” sugars and how much “added” sugar should we really be ingesting each day?

According to the USDA’s Choose My Plate website –“added” sugars are sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages when they are processed or prepared (by the manufacturer or at home). This does not include naturally occurring sugars such as those in milk and fruits.  Added sugars are commonly found in regular pop, fruit drinks, energy drinks, sport drinks and sweetened coffee drinks.  Candy, cakes, cookies, pastries, donuts, ice cream and sweetened yogurts are other common sources of added sugars.

Because “added” sugars contribute to the following conditions it is beneficial to limit these sugars in our diets:

Dental caries – “added” sugars allow bacteria to grow in the mouth.

Poor Nutrition – foods with “added” sugars often replace more nutritious foods in our diets.  Besides that, foods with “added” sugars often contain “added” solid fats which can contribute to increasing LDL (lousy) cholesterol and increasing our risk of heart disease.  Together “added” solid fats and sugars are termed SoFAS and are contributing to a staggering 35% of calories in the typical American diet.

Weight Gain – eating too much of any food can contribute to weight gain.  “Added” sugars get particular attention because of the rapid increase in sugar consumption over the last several decades.    According to the USDA’s Economic Research Service between 1950 t0 1959 about 110lbs per capita of caloric sweetener was being produced.  Fifty years later, year 2000 data show production of 152lbs of caloric sweetener per person.

High Triglycerides – eating excessive amounts of added sugars can contribute to high triglycerides, which can increase our risk of heart disease.

So we need to cut down on “added” sugars.  How much “added” sugar should we actually be getting in our diet?  The American Heart Association has come out with recommendations for “added” sugars based on discretionary calorie allowances.  For women the recommendation is about 100 calories per day or the equivalent of 6 tsps.  The recommendations for men are about 150 calories per day or 9 tsps.  This is well under the estimates of the USDA’s per capita consumption of about 22 tsps. per day.

If you read labels it is useful to know these numbers in grams.  One tablespoon of sugar (which = 3 tsps.) is about 12.55 grams.  This means that on average a female should only be getting about 25 grams of added sugar per day and the average male around 37 grams.   To put it all in perspective one 12-oz can of coca cola contains 39 grams of sugar or more than the average man should consume each day.  Note: Keep in mind, the sugars listed on the Nutrition Facts label include naturally occurring sugars (like those in fruit and milk) as well as those added to a food or drink. Check the ingredient list for specifics on added sugars.

If you would like to cut down on “added” sugar in your diet here are some recommendations:

-          Avoid drinking regular pop

-          Select breakfast cereals that have 6 grams or less of added sugars

-          Limit juice consumption to no more than 4oz per day (about 12 grams of sugar)

-          Limit snacks to 8-10 grams of sugar per day

-          Limit candy intake

-          Go easy on condiments such as ketchup and dressings

-          Choose fresh or dried fruit, vegetables, nuts, unsweetened yogurt, low fat cheese,  and whole grain crackers for snacks

References:

http://www.usda.gov/factbook/chapter2.pdf

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Sugars-and-Carbohydrates_UCM_303296_Article.jsp

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

Bike, Walk or Carpool to a Farmer’s Market Near You!

A Farmer’s Market near you may be opening soon.   A USDA report shows that Farmer’s Markets have continued to grow in numbers and popularity since the mid 1990’s.  The USDA reports a 17% growth in the number of Farmer’s Markets opened from 2010 to 2011 and this data was voluntarily reported by new markets and may be underreported.

So why is there such an interest and growth in Farmer’s Markets?  Well, part of the interest may be nostalgic – a return to the feel of the open air markets where neighbors gather to purchase produce and wares.  Some are interested in purchasing local products and reducing their carbon footprint.  Others may be interested in supporting their local economy.

Here in the Corridor there are several Farmer’s Market locations and times.  I am attaching links to a few of them.  Of note, the Hiawatha Farmer’s Market is one of the earliest opening markets and opens April 22^nd this year and runs through October 28^th.  Learn more at:  http://www.hiawatha-iowa.com/mod.php?mod=department&did=41.

The city of Cedar Rapids Park and Recreation Department sponsors three Farmer’s Markets – the 8^th Avenue Market, the Greene Square Park Market and the Noelridge Park Market.  The link below has not been updated with 2012 dates (at the time of this writing) but provides locations.  Of note, these markets are certified by the Iowa State Agricultural Department to accept Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program checks from the Women, Infant and Children’s (WIC) program.  http://www.cedar-rapids.org/resident-resources/parks-recreation/farmers-markets/pages/default.aspx

The Iowa City Farmer’s Market runs May 2^nd to October 31^st.  It is held across the street from City Hall at 410 E Washington Street at the Chauncey Swan Ramp and Chauncey Swan Park.  Check out this link for dates and times: http://icgov.org/default/?id=1108.

The downtown Cedar Rapids Farmer’s Market will resume June 2^nd and runs from 7:30am until noon on selected Saturdays.  Over 200 vendors sell fresh produce, baked goods and wares at this popular market.  Over 19,000 people attended one of these downtown events last July!  Follow this link for more information: http://www.downtowncr.org/Content/Farmers-Market/2012-Schedule.aspx.

You might consider walking, biking or carpooling to a Farmer’s Market near you.  Especially if you are trying to reduce your carbon footprint (the energy it takes to move food from farm to table).  If you think about it thousands of people driving to embark upon a single Farmer’s Market may be less energy efficient than a semi-trailer truck driving to a supermarket.  Just something to think about!

Quick Lemony Lentil Soup

Ever wonder what to do with that bag of dried lentils you picked up at the store?  Here is a quick and delicious lentil soup that is high in fiber and low in calories.  I modified this recipe from a recipe I found in a cookbook at home.  This makes a great, satisfying meal any time of year and because it is meatless can be added to the lenten meal rotation.

Lemony Lentil Soup

1 1/2 cups green lentils

1 1/2 cups chopped carrots

1 tsp minced garlic

Salt/pepper to taste

6 cups water

3 Tbsp lemon juice

Place lentils, chopped carrots, garlic, salt and pepper in medium saucepan.  Cover with water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered while stirring occasionally, just until carrots are tender (about 25 minutes).  Stir in lemon juice just before removing from stove.  Because lentils are an incomplete protein (not containing all the essential amino acids) pair them with a whole grain like a slice of whole wheat bread or brown rice to obtain the complementary amino acids.

Enjoy a wonderful variety of foods each day for optimal nutrition!

Get Your Plate in Shape

It’s National Nutrition Month.  Is Your Plate in Shape?  The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and RD’s like myself want to take this opportunity to remind you to build a healthy plate.

Choose most of the items for your plate from plant-based foods with half your plate being fruits and vegetables.  A little over a quarter of the plate should be grains (aim for 48 grams of whole grain per day).   The remainder of the plate should be your protein source which includes lean meats, fish, poultry, nuts, beans and legumes.  Lowfat and non-fat milk and dairy sources are also an essential part of your meal and featured on the side of the plate.

A tip for obtaining 48 grams of whole grains per day is to look for the Whole Grains Council seal on whole grains products.  It will tell you how many grams of whole grain are in one serving.   Big G Cereals will also list the grams of whole grain per serving.  Why the focus on whole grains?  Whole grains contain the bran, the germ, and the endosperm.  Together the whole grain provides vital vitamins, nutrients, fiber and phytochemicals that cannot be found in the refined grain.  For more information on getting your plate in shape check out the resources at www.choosemyplate.gov.

Muesli or Cholesterol Exfoliater?

Have you ever tried homemade Muesli?  It happens to be one of my favorite breakfast cereals and a great goto snack.  I adapted my recipe from one I found here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/muesli/detail.aspx.

Stir Mixed, Dried Fruit into Toasted Muesli

My basic mix starts with 4 cups of oatmeal then I add 1/2 cup each of oat bran, wheat bran, wheat germ and ground flax seed.  To this I add 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds.  I deviate from the recipe above by toasting these dried ingredients in a cake roll pan in the oven at 300 degrees for about 24-30 minutes stirring occasionally.  After toasting the mix I add about 1 1/4 cups of dried fruits (I like to mix about 4 different kinds in) raisins, craisins, apples, blueberries and dried apricots are a few of my favorites.  I omit the brown sugar.

Store the muesli mix in an airtight container in a dark cupboard.  Use it as you would oatmeal - as cereal, in breads or cookies.  My favorite is to add 1/4 cup of the dried mix to a container of Greek yogurt.  I then stir in 1/2 cup of a favorite fresh fruit such as bananas or grapes.  This is a nutritious and satisfying breakfast or goto snack.

Because Muesli contains both soluble fiber (oats and oat bran) and insoluble fiber (wheat bran and nuts) it can help in the removal of the “bad” LDL cholesterol from the body as well as aid in digestive regularity.  Enjoy ALL Foods in Moderation!

My 2012 Square Foot Garden Plan

A guest at the Winter Garden Fair (Kirkwood Feb. 18th) requested a copy of my square foot garden plan for 2012.  The scan is a little light but here it is.  I ordered my seeds this year from Territorial Seed Company and they arrived yesterday.  I am starting some salad greens on my kitchen table called “Alfresco Blend”.  This sunny, above average weather really gets me excited to get in the garden.  I am trying to practice patience.

There is plenty of time to draw out your own garden plot and get seeds ordered if you are interested in starting them indoors.  My own suburban garden consists of 54-square feet in raised beds with amended soil.  I am going to experiment this year with a larger variety of salad greens and once I harvest (besides eating them) I plan on dehydrating and freezing some of them.  So here’s to Spinach, Kale, Romaine, Alfresco Blend, Micro Greens Mix and Nasturtiums.  Definitely a colorful and healthy mix of greens.  Think Spring!

Sweet Potato Pancakes!

Sometimes it is a tricky endeavor to increase vegetable intake at the breakfast table.  Of course there are omelets with vegetables but how about trying this twist on the classic pancake.

Sunday mornings are typically my morning to cook breakfast so I decided to look for “pancakes” containing vegetables.  I found a couple recipes that passed my nutritious test (with a couple small modifications of course).  Here is the link to the recipe I used: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/louisiana-sweet-potato-pancakes/detail.aspx

I liked this recipe because it did not have any added sugar.  I added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1 tsp of vanilla per the other reviews.  Instead of butter I used 2 Tbsp of canola oil and 1 tsp of butter buds.  I also reduced the eggs to one and added 1/4 cup of egg beaters.  My husband and I both gave this recipe the thumbs up!

If you are trying to increase fruits and vegetables at breakfast or any time of day, here is a link to recipes on the Fruits and Veggies More Matters website:

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=1547

Increasing fruits and vegetable intake is key to weight management and reducing your risk of diseases such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, and certain types of cancers such as colon, breast, endometrium, kidney and esophageal.

Enjoy more fruits and vegetables in your diet!