November 2003

Phew, Halloween is behind us! Now we need to start preparing for Thanksgiving and the long (and often indulgent) holiday season. November is the perfect month to get ahead of the game when it comes to healthy eating and exercise. If you can spend the next few weeks eating well, and exercising, you will have some wiggle room when the holiday season hits. It is also a good time to look ahead and start thinking about your resolutions for next year.

In this newsletter, we will analyze a traditional Thanksgiving plate and provide some healthy alternatives to the higher fat and calorie-dense foods. We will also uncover the hidden flaws in the new sugar-free products that have been taking over more real estate on your grocer's shelves. Finally, you will find recipes that offer a new twist on some vegetables to help spruce up your Thanksgiving table.

November Nutrition Tips: Giving Thanks for Your Health

Serving up a Healthy Thanksgiving Plate: Thanksgiving tends to be a favorite holiday among many. There are no religious barriers, and it is a day to spend with family, friends, and good food. Aside from the potential traffic nightmare, it is really the perfect day! The typical dinner meal is built around a large turkey, which is most often the healthiest food on the table! Turkey itself is very lean (only 150 calories and 1 gram of fat per 4 oz serving, without skin), but it's everything else that we pile on top of, next to, and instead of that makes our waistlines expand by the day's end. Below weÕll serve you two different Thanksgiving Day plates. Check out the numbers yourself and decide which one is best to pass up and which one you could say "thanks" for your health!

"Say No Thanks!"
4 oz dark meat turkey, with skin ? 255 calories, 13 grams fat
1 cup gravy ? 62 calories, 4 grams fat
1 cup stuffing ? 206 calories, 9 grams fat
1 cup cranberry sauce ? 100 calories, 0 grams fat
Small biscuit ? 212 calories, 10 grams fat
2 tsp butter ? 72 calories, 8 grams fat
1 (6 oz) candied yam ? 335 calories, 9 grams fat
6 oz green bean casserole ? 165 calories, 10 grams fat
1 slice of apple pie (about 5 ounce piece) ? 440 calories, 14 grams fat
1 cup vanilla ice cream ? 161 calories, 11 grams fat
Total Plate = 2008 calories, 88 grams fat!!

"Say Yes Please!"
4 oz white meat turkey, no skin ? 153 calories, 1 grams fat
1 cup gravy ? 62 calories, 4 grams fat
1 cup mashed potatoes (made without heavy cream), 90 calories, 3 grams fat
1 cup green beans (or veggie puree, see recipe section), 19 calories, 0 grams fat
1 cup vanilla frozen yogurt ? 100 calories, 3 grams fat
small piece of pumpkin pie ? 220 calories, 13 grams fat
Total Plate = 644 calories, 24 grams fat

The plates above can serve as guides to help you choose a healthier plate. Here are a few additional tips to help you conserve fat and calories this Thanksgiving holiday!

• Use skim milk when preparing the mashed potatoes, and avoid excess butter or gravy.
• If you love sweet potatoes, make them baked, or mashed with minimal butter - 1 medium sweet potato, plain is only 117 calories and 0 grams of fat, compared to the candied yam at a whopping 335 calories, plus 9 grams of fat!
• If youÕre in charge of dessert, use Splenda instead of sugar, and egg whites or egg substitutes instead of the whole yolk, and choose trans-fat free butters/margarines. And, when you do eat a traditional dessert, keep the following numbers in mind.  One slice of pumpkin pie = 230 calories, 10 gm fat. One slice of apple pie = 440 calories, 14 grams fat. One slice of pecan pie = 452 calories, 21 gm fat.
• Finally, avoid the leftovers! It's OK to over-indulge a bit on the holiday, but avoid picking at leftovers in the days that follow. A 1-day indulgence will not cause you to gain weight, but a 4-day food fest will!

Ok sounds promising, 19% less kcal, but take a closer look at both the package, as well as the website: HERSHEY'S Sugar Free and REESE'S Sugar Free products are not low-calorie foods. Five pieces of HERSHEY'S Sugar Free Chocolate Candy contains 170 calories, 13 grams fat, and 24 grams of carbohydrate. HERSHEY'S Regular Chocolate Candy is not all that different from that. The same portion size has only 40 more calories the same amount of fat, and 1 less gram of carbohydrate! So what does it all mean?

As consumers, we need to be aware of whatÕs out there ? both what is in our products (too many calories!) and what is not (low carbohydrate!). Unfortunately, many sugar free foods are misleading consumers. Sure, they are sugar-free, but the calories are just as high as in 'real' food. This is similar to the fat-free craze of the 80's and 90's, where Americans over-indulged on fat-free foods and snacks, only to watch their waistlines expand from all those excess calories. Many think they are doing the right thing, satisfying their sweet tooth with a sugar-free or fat-free product. And while these products are extremely important for diabetics and those looking to monitor their blood sugar, they are not the perfect weight loss or weight maintenance food! Keep your eyes open the next time you grab some sugar-free cookie or ice cream you may be better off eating "the real thing", and watching your portion sizes.

Fresh at the Market:

Kiwi
This sweet fruit is a great deal older than you might think ? the kiwifruit is more than 700 years old! However, it wasn't until 1962, when New Zealand's "Chinese Gooseberry" variety of the kiwifruit was first shipped to the United States where it was re-named "Kiwifruit" after New Zealand's national bird, the "kiwi." Then in the 1970s, the kiwi got its American roots in California and then appeared in supermarkets throughout the country.

These sweet treats are ripe when plump and slightly soft to the touch with a fragrant smell. You can ripen kiwifruit at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. If necessary, ripe kiwifruit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. If they need to be stored longer, put kiwis in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The plastic bag helps reduce moisture loss so kiwifruit stays fresh longer. Also, putting kiwifruit near fruits that produce ethylene gas, such as apples, bananas or pears, will speed up the ripening process.

If you'd like, you can eat the fuzzy skin on the outside of the kiwifruit. The skin is very thin and just needs to be rinsed and rubbed lightly to dry. ItÕs also easy to peel the thin skin off with a vegetable peeler or knife. Then, slice and enjoy with the skin or without! Kiwis are a great addition to cereals, salads, salsas, or a quick snack on the go. Each kiwi will deliver 2g of fiber, and a whopping 120% of your daily value of vitamin C. All that for only 50 calories, how could you refuse?

Squash
During the chilly months ahead, a common type of winter squash is the sweet butternut squash. Butternut squash has a yellowish-tan skin and a beautiful, bright orange flesh. When cooked, its flavor is sweet and rich, and tastes somewhat similar to sweet potatoes. Butternut squash makes for excellent cooking not only because of its fabulous flavor, but also because its skin tends to be a little easier to cut through than other winter squashes. It is high in antioxidants, vitamins A and C, and very high in fiber. And despite itÕs rich taste, butternut squash delivers only 63 calories per cup!

Choose squash that are firm and fairly heavy for their size, otherwise they may be dry and cottony inside. Look for squash that have bright, glossy exteriors. Avoid buying squash that have nicks or bruises on their skins or ones that have soft spots. Also, thanks to its thick skin, butternut squash keeps for a long time (up to a month) when kept in a cool, dark place. DonÕt store squash in the refrigerator, as the cold temperatures will actually cause the squash to go bad much more quickly.

November Recipes: Healthy Holiday Hits

Trio of Pureed Vegetables
You can choose to make any of these pureed veggies alone, but if you have the time, try making all three. The beautiful colors will add a fabulous dimension to your Thanksgiving table! The pureed carrots can be served in place of traditional mashed sweet potatoes and the cauliflower can be served in place of traditional mashed potatoes. By making one of these substitutions, you will save hundreds of calories!

Cauliflower Puree
Makes 6 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients
1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
4 cups of low sodium chicken broth
1-teaspoon of nutmeg
1-teaspoon cinnamon
salt
pepper

Bring chicken broth to a boil and add cauliflower florets. Reduce to a simmer, and allow to cook for about 5-8 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften, but are still firm (al dente). Remove cauliflower from the broth and allow to cool for a few minutes. Then place cauliflower into a food processor or blender and add the nutmeg and cinnamon. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste. If too thick, you may add some of the chicken broth.

Nutrition info per serving:
27 calories
2 grams protein
5 grams carbohydrate
3 grams fiber
0.5 grams fat

Sweet Brown Sugar Carrot Puree
Makes 8 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients
2 pounds of carrots (can use 2-16 ounce bags of baby carrots)
4 cups of low sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp of brown sugar
1 tbsp of butter
salt
pepper

Bring chicken broth to a boil and add baby carrots (or slice whole carrots into 2 inch pieces). Reduce to a simmer, and allow to cook for about 8-10 minutes, until carrots begin to soften, but are still firm. Remove carrots from the broth and allow to cool for a few minutes. Then place carrots into a food processor or blender and add the brown sugar and butter. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste. If too thick, you may add some of the chicken broth.

Nutrition info per serving:
46 calories
0.5 grams protein
8 grams carbohydrate
2 grams fiber
1.5 grams fat

Broccoli and Garlic Puree
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
2 large bunches of broccoli, cut into florets and lightly steamed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
kosher salt
pepper
1/4 cup of fat free low sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp of butter

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and garlic. Sautee the garlic until it just starts to turn golden brown, then add the steamed broccoli florets and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and cook until the soft and warm, about 5-8 minutes. Allow broccoli to cool, and then add the broccoli and the butter to a food processor or blender. Process broccoli adding the chicken broth slowly ? making sure that it does not become too watery (should be slightly thinner than mashed potatoes). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutrition info per serving:
65 calories
4 grams of protein
6 grams of carbohydrate
4 grams of fiber
3 grams of fat

I hope you have a healthy and happy Thanksgiving holiday. Enjoy this wonderful season ahead with your friends and family, and, as always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns!

All the best,

Sara
Sara Ryba Nutrition

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