This Week’s Nutrition News Feed

In this week’s news: Organic milk may not be all that; a paltry few of us follow proper poultry protocol; working out may benefit your brain as well as your abs.

Don’t cry over spilled organic milk

Should you splash out the extra cash for organic milk, or stick with the conventional stuff and save? The answer to that question may have just gotten murkier. A new detailed research review published in the Journal of Dairy Science has concluded that the difference between organic and conventionally produced milk is difficult to determine and “largely ambiguous.” “The vast majority of differences reported between organic and conventional milk come from what cows are fed and their breed, and is not anything unique to being organic or conventional in itself,” the researchers said. Compositionally and nutritionally, the researchers determined, organic milk was not clearly distinct from conventionally produced milk after various factors – animal genetics, health, breed, diet, etc. – were factored in.

Something to cluck about

If you own a food thermometer but often leave it sitting neglected in a kitchen drawer when you cook poultry, you’re hardly alone. Fewer than two-thirds of U.S. consumers own a food thermometer, according to a new study, and of those who do, less than 10 percent actually use it to check for doneness whenever they cook all kinds of poultry – not just whole chickens and turkeys. “Using a food thermometer is the only reliable way to ensure food is cooked to a safe internal temperature to destroy any harmful bacteria that may present,” said the lead author of the study, which was published in the Journal of Food Protection. “USDA recommends that consumers cook all poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F.” In other words, it may be time to dig through that drawer.

Time for a total tone-up

Many of us are motivated to exercise because of the effects on our bodies, but a new study has found that working out regularly may tone up our minds, too. A new, albeit small, study found that women between the ages of 18 and 30 who exercised most days of the week had more oxygen circulating in the frontal lobe of their brains while they took a series of mental tests – and did better on some of the most-challenging tests – than did their less active peers. Although the study did not measure cause and effect, its lead author, Liana Machado, of the University of Otago in New Zealand, said that “it seems reasonable to deduce that a causal relationship likely exists – where regular physical activity increases oxygen availability in the brain, which in turn supports better cognitive performance, particularly for more challenging tasks.” Who’s up for a jog?

Amy Reiter also contributes to FN Dish.

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The School Food Truck Movement is on a Roll

School food may not be widely considered cool (sorry, cafeteria workers), but food trucks are. So, to entice trend-aware students to eat a healthy breakfast or lunch, a number of public school districts around the country have thrown open the cafeteria doors and taken lunchtime to the streets, revving things up with a new kind of meals on wheels.

Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville, Texas, recently rolled in a taco truck — dubbed Talon Taco Company, in honor of the school mascot, the hawk — that offers students a fresh, healthy alternative to standard cafeteria food (whole-grain tortillas, brown rice) and still meets federal guidelines. Students can customize their meal, choosing their fillings, Chipotle-style, and watch it prepared on the spot. The meals are as affordable as a regular school lunch, and not surprisingly, the kids are lining up for them.

“Since the food truck came here people have been more excited for lunch and … more enthusiastic about it,” one student told local ABC affiliate KVUE.

Hendrickson’s Central Texas school district may roll out the program to other schools, joining what appears to be a growing school food truck movement.

A Whole Foods-funded food truck is currently making the rounds at the five high schools in Colorado’s Boulder Valley School District, serving a rotating menu of chef-prepared meals, like hamburgers that are “all-natural and hormone- and antibiotic-free” and served on whole-wheat buns, chicken pesto sandwiches topped with provolone cheese and roasted peppers, black bean and corn burgers, and BBQ pork sliders, all of which come with milk, fruit and salad on the side, Denver’s CBS4 reports.

Public school students in Orange County, Florida, have been enjoying meals like warm Asian chicken salad, green bean chicken “casser-bowl” and Asian beef teriyaki, served straight from the truck. (In a fun high-tech twist on the concept, kids get to rate the meals on an iPad and the favorites may make it into the regular school-lunch rotation.)

You’ll find school district food trucks serving fresh-made free and reduced-price lunches during the summer break in locales like Minneapolis, New Haven, Connecticut, and Fayette County, Indiana, as well.

If this keeps up, food trucks may drive the humble school lunch to a whole new level of health and creativity.

Amy Reiter also contributes to FN Dish.

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Chatting with Dr. Frank Lipman, Co-Author of The New Health Rules

You may have read about Dr. Frank Lipman if you’ve ever Googled “Gwyneth Paltrow diet.” Or Arianna Huffington. Or Donna Karan. Or Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon. They are all patients of Lipman and fans of his wellness center, Eleven Eleven, which he established in 1992, well before alternative medicine became mainstream. Born in South Africa, Lipman first explored alternative medicine while working at Lincoln Hospital in Bronx, N.Y., eventually becoming the hospital’s chief medical resident. He’s the author of two previous nutrition books, and his latest book, The New Health Rules, which he co-authored with Danielle Claro, offers intelligent tidbits on how to eat, how to sleep, how to breathe and even how to think. It’s what Lipman describes as a wellness guide for the modern age.

You’re an integrative doctor. Can you explain the difference between that and a regular physician?

Frank Lipman: All “integrative medicine” means is we use the best of Western, modern medicine and the best of what is sometimes called “alternative” and incorporate acupuncture, nutrition, diet, supplements, yoga, meditation — anything that works to help patients get better. Western medicine is great for crisis care, i.e., if you’re having a heart attack, or break a bone, or have an appendicitis — it’s wonderful. But for chronic diseases that are so common today, Western medicine doesn’t do a good job.

What’s your overall philosophy on wellness?

FL: We don’t have any methods or systems in Western medicine to get people healthy. It’s a disease-care system; it’s not really a health care system. What I do is really wellness medicine. I try to get people healthy. You start often by trying to get them to change their diet. Most people eat too much sugar, and gluten is a problem for some people. You take out the food that is the problem and get them to eat healthy foods, and that’s a little bit different for everyone. You get them to start exercising, which doesn’t mean you have to get them to the gym, and you get them to deal with their stress, even just breathing exercises.

What’s your day like? What do you eat?

FL: I try to eat as little sugar and tend to stick to a low-carb diet. I don’t tolerate carbohydrates all that well. For breakfast I’ll have a shake or an omelet. When I have the shake I have protein and add a lot of good fats — coconut oil and some chia seeds — and maybe I’ll add some blueberries. That’s the usual breakfast of mine. For lunch I’ll have a salad and maybe a piece of grass-fed meat or organic chicken, and dinner would be the same. I try to stick to as few carbohydrates. I get my carbohydrates from vegetables. I don’t usually eat grains much. I have beans and lentils, now and then, and some fruit — not that much either, but that’s because I’m insular resistant. That’s what happens as you get older: Many people become more carbohydrate intolerant. That’s my food. I try to meditate in the morning. I ride my bicycle in the warmer months. I’m not a big-big gym person, but I try to do some yoga and some gym work now and then. I like hiking and getting outside. In the colder months I have to change my exercise patterns and do more in the gym.

How would a person be able to diagnose his or her issues?

FL: If you’re having energy ups and downs during the day, if you’re craving carbohydrates or you need a sugar and [you’re] crashing in the afternoon and you need to have some candy or something to pep up, if you think you’re eating healthfully and still can’t lose weight, if you’re tired a lot, if your moods fluctuate during the day — those would be the big ones. You feel puffy a lot and bloated, you wake up and you’re not ready to go — those would be symptoms.

Something needs to change.

FL: The first thing is to change your breakfast. If you have a typical American breakfast, cereal, a croissant, a carb-laden breakfast, what tends to happen is a few hours later your blood sugar goes up and then you crash. So you need to start snacking and you tend to go for the carbs. Start the day with a breakfast full of good fats and protein, then that doesn’t happen. I encourage people to change their breakfast as a starting point. That’s often very helpful.

What was the impetus for the book?

FL: I get this question all the time from my patients. They say, “I don’t want to read a big fat health book; I just want to get the basics.” It was my co-writer’s idea … to take these nuggets from my blog and other writings and pair them with these beautiful pictures. It’s basically storytelling in an inspirational way.

The book is small in size. Was there a reason behind that?

FL: It’s a book for the coffee table, it’s a book for the bathroom, your nightstand — it’s a book for anywhere. You can pick up any page and you’ll get a little nugget. You can make changes slowly. Or a lot of people read the book in one sitting. Then they keep it next to them and open it up to any page and you get that little pearl of wisdom. It’s purposely made for that reason.

What are three takeaways you’d want people to learn?

FL: The first would be: Sugar is the devil. You’ve got to stop, or cut back radically. It’s the most-prevalent problem that I’ve seen in my practice. Sugar and the consequences of too much sugar from diabetes to heart disease to Alzheimer’s — all sorts of things. Next would be to do something you love for 10 minutes every day. I think that’s very healing. And finally, don’t fear fats. Fats are not bad for you. If a fat is made by God, it’s generally good for you; if it’s made by man, it’s generally bad. It’s the source of the fat that is the problem. Coconut oil, even grass-fed meat, those are all good healthy fats and not necessarily bad for you. We have a myth in our culture that fat is bad. Sugar is bad. But there are many, many good fats.

Kiri Tannenbaum is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Paris and holds an M.A. in food studies from New York University where she is currently an adjunct professor. When her schedule allows, she leads culinary walking tours in New York City and is currently at work on her first book.

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Healthy Dips, Nachos, Wings and Chili for Game Day

If you’re as excited as I am about the Super Bowl, you’ve already started planning the menu. My game-day spread includes better-for-you versions from the four football food groups – dips, chili, wings and nachos!

Dips

Warm and cold dips provide a great opportunity to invite some fresh veggies to the party. Serve carrots, celery, cucumber slices and bell pepper strips for dunking, and incorporate vegetables like spinach, artichokes and roasted peppers into the dips. For even more goodness, serve along with whole-grain crackers and pita chips.

Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip

Kale and Artichoke Dip

Chili

Make a big batch of hearty and high-fiber chili ahead of time. Keep warm in a slow cooker and serve fresh toppings on the side.

Weeknight Two-Bean Chili

Game-Time Chili

Wings (and a vegetarian alternative)

These deep-fried and blue cheese-smothered delights can pack in more than 200 calories per piece! Instead, try these recipes (and get more fresh ideas for lightening up chicken wings).

Baked Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Yogurt Dip

Honey-Glazed Chicken Wings

Buffalo Cauliflower Blue Cheese Sauce

Nachos and Salsa

With tortilla chips, cheese and fresh vegetables, there’s essentially nothing unhealthy about nachos – IF you can keep the portions in check! Using whole-grain chips and some reduced-fat cheese and sour cream can also help shave off a few extra calories.

Restaurant-Style Salsa

Spicy Nachos with Fresh Pico de Gallo

Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, is a registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer and owner of Dana White Nutrition, Inc., which specializes in culinary and sports nutrition.

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Recipe Revamp: Make Any Recipe Vegan or Vegetarian

You’ve been perusing recipes and finally found THE ONE you’ve been searching for. (Sometimes it can be as hard as finding THE ONE.) Problem is, the recipe needs to be vegan. Have no fear! We’ve put together our recipe-revamp cheat sheet that offers five easy substitutions to turn any recipe into a vegan or vegetarian one.

Instead of: Chicken or beef broth

Use: Vegetable or mushroom broth

Vegetable broth has a lighter flavor and works well in recipes that call for chicken broth. If you want the kind of heartier flavor you’d find in beef, turn to mushroom broth. As with any packaged broth, look for low-sodium varieties.

Recommended:

Pacific Foods Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Broth

Pacific Foods Organic Mushroom Broth

Instead of: Butter

Use: Coconut butter or soy margarine

Both of these alternatives are free of cholesterol. Coconut butter is rich in flavor, while soy margarine is milder. Use soy margarine in recipes where you don’t want the butter competing with other strong flavors.

Recommended:

Artisana Foods Coconut Butter

Earth Balance Soy Garden Buttery Spread

Instead of: Honey

Use: Agave or maple syrup

To make a recipe vegan, there can’t be honey in sight. Agave is sweeter than honey and has a thinner consistency. It blends nicely in hot bevvies like tea and coffee. If you opt for maple syrup, make sure you get the real deal. Look for “100% pure maple syrup” on the ingredient list.

Recommended:

Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Blue Agave

Coombs Family Farms Organic Maple Syrup

Instead of: Eggs

Use: Bananas, flax seeds or silken tofu

Mashed banana acts as a nice binding agent in baking recipes like muffins and brownies – plus, it will give your recipes a potassium boost! Substitute 1/4 cup mashed banana for 1 egg. Omega-3-filled flax seeds are also a great substitute in baked goods. Grind 1 tablespoon flax seeds in a coffee grinder and mix with 3 tablespoons water until a gelatinous mixture forms. A third option to substitute is 1/4 cup blended silken tofu in lieu of 1 egg. You can use it for baked goods or just make a good old tofu scramble loaded with your favorite veggies.

Recommended:

Ener-G Egg Replacer has been used as an egg substitute for years. It tends to get the best reviews when used in cookie recipes.

Instead of: Cow’s milk

Use: A variety of milk substitutes

There are so many alternatives to use these days. Almond, soy, hemp, rice, coconut and oat milk can now be found in many markets around the country. When substituting for milk in a recipe, soy and rice tend to have milder flavors that mesh well with a variety of other ingredients.

Recommended:

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Original Almond Milk

Soy Dream, Original

Rice Dream, Original

Silk Pure Coconut, Original

Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian and consultant who specializes in food safety and culinary nutrition. She is the author of The Greek Yogurt Kitchen: More Than 130 Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Day.

Photo: iStock.com.

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Go Bananas! 10 Healthy Ways to Use Ripe Ones Now

Look over on your kitchen counter — are they sitting there? Those super-ripe bananas must be used ASAP or else they’ll get tossed. Let these 10 healthy recipes — smoothies, muffins, pancakes and more — come to the rescue!

Frozen

The chilly temp of the freezer will prevent peeled bananas from turning brown. The extra-sweet flavor and creamy texture makes for dreamy dairy-free frozen treats.

Recipes:

Chocolate-Covered Banana Pops

1-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream

Baked

Mashing and baking is a solid standby option for overripe bananas. The fruit also helps keep breads and muffins extra moist and delicious.

Recipes:

Healthy Marbled Banana Bread

Healthy Breakfast Muffins

Blended

Freeze bananas ahead for an extra-creamy and icy sipper.

Recipes:

Orange-Banana Smoothie

Mixed Berries and Banana Smoothie

Stirred

For some less traditional creations, combine mashed banana with a warm bowl of oatmeal or an ice-cold glass of milk.

Recipes:

“Hot Chocolate” Banana-Nut Oatmeal

Banana Milk

Grilled

Whether it’s in a skillet or on an outdoor grill, heat up those bananas to create a figure-friendly dessert or gluten-free breakfast.

Recipes:

Grilled Bananas with Maple Creme Fraiche

3-Ingredient Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes

Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, is a registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer and owner of Dana White Nutrition, Inc., which specializes in culinary and sports nutrition.

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This Week’s Nutrition News Feed

In this week’s news: Diet may be key to diabetes prevention for women; pizza constitutes a staggering percentage of kids’ caloric intake; the guidance on salt for older adults gets a bit grainier.

One way to help prevent type 2 diabetes

Eating a healthy diet – one that is low in saturated and trans fats, sugary drinks, high-glycemic-index foods, and red and processed meats and high in cereal fiber, polyunsaturated fats, coffee and nuts – is linked to a lower risk for type 2 diabetes among all women, a recent study conducted at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital confirmed. However, the study found, the beneficial effects of a healthy diet were most pronounced for Asian, Hispanic and black women, who were initially at a higher risk of the disease. Lead author Jinnie Rhee predicted that, due to the “alarming” increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes 2 around the world, the study’s findings about the preventive effects of diet may have “global importance.”

Pizza should be a sometimes food

Most of us love a good slice of pizza now and then, but a new study looking at the effect of pizza consumption on kids and adolescents, published in the journal Pediatrics, puts our national pizza predilection in perspective – and it’s not pretty. The study found that, on days when kids eat pizza, it makes up about 20 percent of their daily calories. And although pizza consumption has remained relatively steady overall, as of 2009 to 2010, it was kids’ and adolescents’ second-highest source of solid fat from school food and fast food, second only to grain-based desserts like cookies, pies, doughnuts and cakes. As a result, researchers suggest pediatricians address pizza consumption with kids and parents during regular checkups.

Time for a salt-guideline shakeup?

Should older adults take current sodium intake recommendations with a grain of salt? A study from Emory University found that salt consumption was not linked to a higher risk for mortality, cardiovascular disease or heart failure. What’s more, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends that people over 50 consume less than 1,500 mg (less than one teaspoon) of salt per day, the study indicated that there was no harm in consuming as much as 2,300 mg of salt per day, the amount the CDC currently recommends for the general population. Study author Andreas P. Kalogeropoulos warned that the results do not hold for those with pre-existing cardiovascular or heart issues and that people “should not interpret our findings as a ‘license’ to consume more salt.” Sorry, salt lovers of a certain age.

Amy Reiter also contributes to FN Dish.

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Put Some Love in Your Kid’s Lunchbox with These Healthy Snacks

The brown-bag lunch of yore, complete with turkey on whole wheat and an obligatory apple, has thankfully gotten a more sophisticated facelift. Today’s kids are no longer rewarded for eating soggy sandwiches (those are fast becoming obsolete in a world of lunchboxes stuffed with free-range chicken salads and tabbouleh) with a sugar-high-inducing chocolate chip cookie. Instead, they can be fueled by wholesome, good-for-you snacks. Here are five tasty alternatives.

Bolthouse Farms’ famed baby carrots get a boost of flavor not in the conventional form of fattening ranch dip, but from vibrant spice in Carrot Meets Chili Lime Bolthouse Farms Kids Veggie Snackers. For a dose of interactive fun, little ones shake the zippy seasoning directly over their veggies.

Pamela’s (addictive) Figgies & Jammies give the classic Fig Newton a contemporary update. Purists will relish the Mission Fig version, but the gluten-free lineup — the soft, chewy cookie is made with rice flour — also includes strawberry, raspberry and blueberry mash-ups.

Shun those regular, greasy potato chips for Kashi’s Sea Salt & Olive Oil Hummus Crisps . Also available in savory flavors of Caramelized Onion and Sundried Tomato Basil & Feta, the ethereal, air-popped chickpea crisps star ingredients like real sea salt and extra virgin olive oil.

Crunchy popcorn is a sure hit with young eaters, but it need not be drenched in butter to appeal. Lesser Evil’s Himalayan Pink Buddha Bowl mingles organic kernels with coconut oil and pink Himalayan salt, while the Classic Cheddah iteration flaunts organic cheese. Sate dessert cravings with Himalayan Sweetness, which weaves in unrefined sugar cane.

All-organic Fruit Bliss, sold in resealable pouches — as well as miniature versions ideal for midday meltdowns — is a European-inspired celebration of ripe, quality, rehydrated fruit. Prized apricots and figs from Turkey, Deglet Noor dates from Tunisia and Agen plums from France are all dried in the sun and then infused with water and steamed until juicy.

Alia Akkam is a New York-based writer who covers the intersection of food, drink, travel and design. She launched her career by opening boxes of Jamie Oliver books as a Food Network intern.

Top Photo: iStock.com.

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Forget Foam! NYC Bans Environmentally Unfriendly Food Container

Call it a takeout-container takedown, a boon for the environment or, if you prefer, a headache for New York City restaurants. The Big Apple is banning those plastic foam containers often currently used for everything from cold drinks to hot meals, with tepid “doggie bag” contents somewhere in between. The citywide prohibition, which was announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio last week, will go into effect in July.

The decision, while dramatic, is hardly sudden. NYC’s longtime previous mayor, Michael Bloomberg, set the ban ball rolling in 2013, when in his final State of the City address he called for plastic (aka expanded polystyrene) foam to be punted. In December 2013, the City Council passed an official ban but gave the NY Department of Sanitation a deadline of January 1, 2015, to research possible methods of recycling the polystyrene foam, in which case the material would be given a reprieve. But the department came up empty. As the deadline hit, NYC Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia sent a letter alerting Mayor de Blasio and other city officials that she’d concluded there was neither a market for recycled “dirty foam” nor feasible evidence that it could be done economically on a large scale.

And so this summer New York will become the largest city in the nation to prohibit foam containers, which are already banned in San Francisco, Seattle and Portland, Ore., among other locales, and soon will be in the District of Columbia as well.

To give a sense of the potential environmental impact of the ban, which applies to restaurants, delis, cafes, and food trucks and carts, though there is some wiggle room for small businesses and nonprofits, the Washington Post points out that New York City collected 28,500 tons of expanded polystyrene foam in 2014 alone, the vast majority of it from cups, containers and the like. New York’s ban extends to foam packing peanuts as well. And since it cannot be recycled, well, that’s a lot of landfill space.

The measure will also open the market to new, more eco-friendly alternatives.

“These products cause real environmental harm and have no place in New York City,” Mayor de Blasio told the press last week. “We have better options, better alternatives, and if more cities across the country follow our lead and institute similar bans, those alternatives will soon become more plentiful and will cost less.”

A solid message we can all take “to go.”

Amy Reiter also contributes to FN Dish.

Photo: iStock.com

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7 Healthy Slow-Cooker Recipes Perfect for Winter

It’s the best time of year for warm and cozy slow-cooker recipes. Keep things healthy for snacks, mains, sides and even dessert with these make-ahead creations.

Slow-Cooker Spiced Nuts

Make a batch of these irresistible nuts for a holiday get-together or simply to have on hand for snacks and salads during a busy workweek.

Slow-Cooker Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Have a large pot of homemade soup waiting when you walk in the door on a cold winter night. Make sure to have a few chunks of crusty bread on hand for dunking.

Slow-Cooker Pot Roast

Pot roast must be one of the most comforting foods there is. Make this no-fuss recipe your go-to for wintertime Sunday dinners.

Slow-Cooker Mushroom Barley Risotto

This vegetarian main course is extra flavorful and hearty thanks to mushrooms and whole-grain barley.

Slow-Cooker Red Beans and Rice

Flavorful, savory and low-maintenance – my kinda meal. Packed with protein and fiber, a small salad is all you need to finish it off.

Slow-Cooker Chinese Beef and Bok Choy

Toss out the takeout menu and count on this combo of lean beef, veggies and rice for dinner any night of the week.

Slow-Cooker Chocolate Fondue

Save the calories for the decadent, gooey chocolate! Serve this crowd-pleasing dessert with light and healthy dippers like berries, banana, orange segments, dried apricots and cubes of angel food cake.

Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, is a registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer and owner of Dana White Nutrition, Inc., which specializes in culinary and sports nutrition.

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Tea for You? From Green to Fennel, Everything You Need to Know

Tea is well-established as a healthy drink for many reasons – it’s low in calories and filled with antioxidants, just to name a couple. But are you in tune with the vast array of options and flavors? Get better acquainted with this ancient brewed beverage.

Health Benefits

One cup of unsweetened brewed tea has less than 5 calories but plenty of flavonoids – plant compounds that help protect cells from damage. This protection may benefit heart health, reduce the risk of certain types of cancer and even (slightly) increase metabolism. One particular compound found in tea is known as EGCG. This potent antioxidant has been linked to various health benefits, including weight loss and anti-inflammation.

Flavor profiles of tea vary dramatically, and ultimately it comes down to personal preference. Ever wonder if it’s best to put milk or cream in your tea? According to many tea connoisseurs, whole milk complements it best. But there’s a small amount of research that suggests adding milk to tea blunts some of the antioxidant content.

Traditional Leaf Tea

These teas stem from the Camellia sinensis plant. Leaves are processed in a variety of fashions; these different methods will affect the flavor and color of the tea once steeped in water.

Black


These tea leaves are fermented, then heated and dried. They tend to be highest in caffeine and have a bold, rich flavor. Many studies link black tea to health benefits including a reduction in cholesterol. Research continues to find favorable outcomes. (A study published in October 2014) found that moderate black tea consumption could reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by as much as 31 percent.

White

This is typically the least processed tea, because the leaves are picked when the plant is still young. The flavor is mild, and this type of tea tends to retain a high amount of antioxidants.

Green

These leaves are steamed and dried, but not fermented. Green tea boasts a high content of EGCG and one of the lowest amounts of caffeine; it accounts for about 20 percent of tea consumed. Studies have linked consumption to reduction in illnesses including cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. There is, however, a lack of research to substantiate claims that drinking green tea aids in weight loss.

Oolong

To make this less common type of tea, the leaves are partially fermented, leaving the flavor somewhat mild, in the middle of the road between green and black teas.

Herbal and …

“Teas” can also be created by steeping plants, flowers and seeds. These are formally referred to as “tisanes” and come in many forms. There are countless varieties and, overall, less scientific evidence to support many of the health claims. Here are a few of the most-popular types.

Chamomile

This flower-based tea is known for its pleasant aroma and soothing properties. It may also help calm an upset stomach. Like other herbal teas, it’s caffeine-free.

Hibiscus

Known for its sweet, floral flavor and brilliant hot-pink hue, hibiscus tea contains numerous antioxidants, including vitamin C. There’s a small amount of research to support the theory that (hibiscus) has a blood pressure-lowering effect.

Tulsi

Also known as “holy basil,” this Indian herb has been linked to treating everything from anxiety to diabetes to the common cold. While there’s currently insufficient evidence to support these claims, it does contain a hefty dose of antioxidants. Supplements of holy basil have been associated with slowed blood clotting.

Fennel

Steeping fennel seeds in hot water will yield a warm cup of aromatic tea. This type of brew is often recommended as a digestive aid and is considered safe when consumed in the amounts typically found in food and beverages. There is evidence of potential side effects when it is taken in large medicinal dosages.

Photo: iStock.com.

Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian and consultant who specializes in food safety and culinary nutrition. She is the author of The Greek Yogurt Kitchen: More Than 130 Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Day.

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Dessert of the Month: Mocha Hazelnut Chia Pudding

Chia pudding in all variations is one of my most-popular recipes with friends and clients. It’s sweet and light, is irresistibly creamy and lends itself well to a variety of flavors. Making a batch is a virtually mess-free endeavor, with only a blender and a bowl to clean, and this is also the perfect dessert to serve when you have no desire to stand over a stove. The only caveat is to allow enough time for the mixture to chill completely; overnight is best.

The creamy texture of the pudding comes from “blooming” chia seeds. When chia seeds are added to liquid, they absorb up to 10 times their weight and grow a gel around each tiny seed; this is what gives the pudding its tapioca-like consistency. Chia seeds need to “bloom” in order for our bodies to absorb their incredible nutritious properties. Packed with omega-3s, antioxidants, protein and fiber, and revered by Aztecs, Mayans and Incans, the nutrient-dense tiny seeds were a staple food that was cultivated throughout Central America for centuries.

Mocha Hazelnut Chia Pudding

Here you can use real coffee or an instant grain coffee such as Inka dissolved in boiling water. Instant espresso powder would also work. Freshly toasted nuts lend this pudding its rich caramel-y flavor.

1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, plus more to garnish (see recipe below)

2 cups water

6 Medjool dates, pitted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil

2 teaspoons cocoa powder, plus more to serve

2 teaspoons espresso or grain coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or coconut nectar

Pinch sea salt

1/4 cup chia seeds

Add all ingredients except chia seeds to an upright blender and puree until completely smooth. Pour into a medium mixing bowl, add chia seeds and whisk to combine. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until completely chilled; mixture will thicken further after a night in the refrigerator. Spoon into small bowls, dust with cocoa and top with a few toasted hazelnuts. Store any remaining pudding in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Toasted hazelnuts:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place raw hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 12 to 14 minutes or until fragrant. Set aside to cool. Toss nuts on the tray to remove their papery skins. Pick nuts off tray and discard the skins. Store in a jar for up to 3 weeks.

Photo: Stephen Johnson

Amy Chaplin is a chef and recipe developer in New York City. Her cookbook At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen came out this fall. She blogs at amychaplin.com.

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A New Take on Tarts: Savory Low-Sodium Beet-Carrot Tarts

When plagued by the question, “What to cook?” the answer lies in a savory tart. Whether you’re preparing breakfast or dinner, appetizers or the main meal, a tart makes a quick solution — one that can easily be adapted to any dietary needs (hello, gluten-free chickpea crust), time constraints (hello, ready-to-bake pizza dough) or number of guests (hello, unexpected holiday visitors). And with the right ingredients, it can even be low in sodium too.

Most sodium in traditional tarts comes from flaky pastry dough or prepared pie crusts, as well as from cheese and any cured or seasoned meats. But in replacing these items with lower-sodium ingredients, you’ll not only lose some of that sodium, but add color and flavor as well.

First, in place of buttery and higher-sodium prepared crusts, use whole-wheat pizza dough — a yeast-based solution that provides equal convenience as well as an interesting, nutty flavor for the crust. Then, make the most of the natural sodium (and beauty!) found in carrots and beets, and combine them with ricotta to create a creamy, sweet and savory filling to the tart. Top with Parmesan and fresh dill. And breakfast (or lunch or dinner) is on the table in minutes. Problem solved.

Note: For a lower-sodium pizza dough, make the dough from scratch, replacing salt with other savory spices, like caraway seeds, black pepper, dried dill weed and even salt-free garlic powder.

Savory Beet-Carrot Tart

Makes: 1 large 10-inch tart or 16 mini tarts

Active Time: 30 minutes

2 carrots, stems trimmed

1 small beet, root and stem trimmed

1/2 cup low-fat ricotta, drained

10 ounces whole-wheat pizza dough, uncooked

1/2 teaspoon salt-free garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 to 2 tablespoons Parmesan

Fresh dill

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Peel the carrots and the beets, then roughly cut into chunks. Using a food processor with a grater attachment (or a hand-held grater), shred the beets and carrots. This should make about 3/4 to 1 cup of grated vegetables. Then in a medium bowl, mix the ricotta with 1/2 cup of the grated vegetables, and the garlic powder, dill weed and black pepper. Stir with a spoon until combined.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough, making a large circle about 12 inches in diameter and about 1/4 inch thick. Using the spoon or your hands, spread the ricotta mixture on top of the dough, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edge. Then fold the dough over itself, making pleats.

Pour the olive oil into a small bowl and use a pastry brush to paint the edge of the crust with oil. Then sprinkle the top with extra shredded vegetables and 1 to 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Place in the oven to bake until the dough is crispy and golden, about 15 minutes. Top the tart with fresh dill. Slice and serve.

Optional: Instead of one big tart, use a pastry scraper to cut the dough ball into quarters. Then cut those quarters into quarters, making 16 small balls of dough. Roll them out to make mini tarts, folding them as you would the big tart. Bake until crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Sodium Content: Beets: 64 mg per beet; Carrot: 42 mg per medium carrot; Low-Fat Ricotta: 24 mg per 1/4 cup, depending on brand.

All sodium counts based on the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference release 26 and common marketplace products.

Jessica Goldman Foung began the blog SodiumGirl.com to capture her adventures in a low-sodium life. She regularly writes about salt-free flavor tips and ingredient swaps. Her first cookbook was Sodium Girl’s Limitless Low-Sodium Cookbook, and she is currently working on her second, to be released in 2016.

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This Week’s Nutrition News Feed

In this week’s news: Researchers suss out the skinny on tomato juice; allergen labeling may get less nutty; and tempeh’s time may have come.

Don’t call the whole thing off.

You say tomato? Researchers in Taiwan say tomato juice — just one glass a day — may reduce waist circumference, cholesterol and inflammation markers in healthy young women. For the study, the results of which were published in the journal Nutrition, researchers gave 30 healthy women, ages 20 to 30, a 280-mililiter serving of tomato juice, containing 32.5 milligrams of lycopene, a carotene and phytochemical known to protect against metabolic diseases, every day for eight weeks. The women did not change their regular diets or exercise regimes in any other way. The researchers compared the women’s metabolic indices at the beginning and end of the two-month timespan and concluded that the daily dose of tomato juice had reduced participants’ waist size “as well as serum cholesterol and inflammatory adipokine levels … and that these effects are unrelated to body fat changes.” It’s worth noting, before you run out and stock up on tomato juice, that the study was small (only 25 women completed it) and did not include a control or placebo group.

Clear labels are a tough nut to crack.

We’ve all seen food labels indicating that something may contain trace ingredients of an allergen, like nuts, or have been processed in a factory that also handles nuts. But because all food sensitivities are not the same — some people can tolerate more of an allergen than others without a reaction — it’s often not clear which products those with allergies really need to avoid, and which only those with the highest level of sensitivity need to steer clear of. In hopes of paving the way for clearer labeling, researchers at the University of Manchester conducted a study to pinpoint the levels of the five most-common food allergens that prompt reactions from 10 percent of those sensitive to them. “This sort of data can then be used to apply a consistent level of warning to food products,” Clare Mills, the professor who led the study, said. “What we’d like to see are warnings which tell people with allergies to avoid certain products completely or just apply to those who are most sensitive.”

Tempeh your enthusiasm.

Will 2015 be the year of Tempeh? Washington Post Food and Dining Editor Joe Yonan has written a love letter to tofu’s overlooked Indonesian cousin. Yonan’s ardent New Year’s wish, he writes, is for tempeh, that protein-rich cake of cultured soybeans, to break through to the mainstream. “Fermentation makes tempeh quite possibly the most nutritious, digestible form of soy around,” Yonan contends. “It’s also one of the least-processed, using the whole bean (as opposed to tofu, made from soy milk).” But eating it — or more of it — should be on our list of resolutions not only because of its impressive nutritional profile, but also because of its “earthy, slightly bitter, even somewhat sweet flavor,” “firm, nutty texture” and versatility, Yonan argues. He added that, with fermented products like kombucha and sauerkraut getting their time in the spotlight, it may well be time for a “tempeh takeover.”

Amy Reiter also contributes to FN Dish.

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Salad of the Month: Lemony Chickpea with Herbs

Cooking a large pot of chickpeas (or other beans) at the beginning of the week is a great way to ensure you have a healthy protein on hand that can become the basis of quick weeknight meals. I often give this advice to friends and clients when they want to eat more homemade meals but have time restrictions. Not only is it convenient and cost-effective, but home-cooked beans also taste much better than anything you’ll find in a can. High in protein, chickpeas also contain more iron and vitamin C than any other legume. Their creamy texture and pleasing mild flavor make them the perfect pantry staple.

It’s dishes like this chickpea salad and the many variations of it that save me when I’m busy and craving something refreshing yet satisfying. Super easy and fast to toss together, this salad can be made at a moment’s notice and can be adapted to whatever herbs you have on hand. You can also add toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds for some crunch, and a little diced avocado or a crumble of goat cheese to dress it up. Enjoy the light, lemony flavor alongside a bowl of vegetable soup or as a topping for whole grains. Since I do realize that it’s not always possible to cook beans from scratch, I recommend having canned chickpeas in the pantry as well. Just be sure to drain and rinse them well before using to remove their tinny taste.

Lemony Chickpea Salad with Herbs

Serves 2

2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained well (recipe below)

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salad greens to serve

Place chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar and salt in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add dill, parsley and scallions and stir again. Season to taste with black pepper. Place a few salad greens into two serving bowls, divide chickpea mixture between bowls and serve.

Home-Cooked Chickpeas

Adding kombu seaweed to beans as they cook helps make the carbohydrates and fats more digestible. Kombu is a natural flavor enhancer and also infuses the dish with minerals.

Makes about 4 cups cooked chickpeas

1 1/2 cups raw chickpeas

2-inch piece kombu seaweed

3 bay leaves, optional

Place chickpeas in a medium to large pot and cover with 5 cups of cold water. Set aside to soak overnight or for at least 12 hours.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, add kombu and bay leaves (if using). Pour in enough fresh water to cover the beans by 3 inches and bring to a boil over high heat. Scoop off any foam that rises to the surface with a small strainer, cover pot, lower heat and simmer for 50 to 60 minutes or until soft and creamy inside. Discard kombu and bay leaves. Drain beans, allow to cool, and store in a jar in the fridge for up to 4 days.

If you have a pressure cooker, prepare the beans as above. Once beans have boiled, lock lid in place and cook at high pressure for 25 minutes. Allow pressure to release completely before removing lid and draining beans as above.

Photo: Stephen Johnson

Amy Chaplin is a chef and recipe developer in New York City. Her cookbook At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen came out this fall. She blogs at amychaplin.com.

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Got Coconut Water? Our Guide to the Latest and Greatest

Coconut water used to be that fun drink you had on vacation — down at the beach, the hot sun on your back, a big bowling ball-sized coconut between your hands, a straw in your mouth. Nowadays, it’s in stock at virtually every deli, grocery and specialty food market. And it only continues to gain popularity. Here’s the skinny on its nutritional value, and our favorite brands to drink right now.

Nutrition Facts

An average 1-cup serving of plain coconut water contains about 45 calories, 11 grams of carbs and 450 milligrams of potassium. It’s free of fat, cholesterol and protein. Check labels on your favorite brand of coco concoctions; added flavorings and sweeteners can turn up the calorie count.

Worth the Hype?

Some might describe plain coconut water as pleasant and refreshing, while others might say it’s an acquired taste. It has a mild coconut essence but lacks the robust coconut flavor of higher-fat coconut milk (which is made from a combination of coconut water and coconut meat). Flavored varieties of coconut water are also available, but check ingredient lists for added sugars and artificial sweeteners. If you’re feeling creative, coconut water can be used for more than just sipping – check out these 10 fun ways to use it.

On the Market

There are an increasing number of coconut waters filling up store shelves. Here are some of our favorites.

Harmless Harvest

If you’re looking for a fresh, unprocessed jug of coconut water, but you’re not ready to fly to a jungle in Thailand, climb a tree, wrestle down a coconut and hack it open yourself, you’re in luck. The guys at Harmless Harvest, pioneers of the first line of raw coconut water, are doing it for you. This organic, Fair Trade certified and “raw” (never heat-treated) coconut water uses high-pressure processing to keep it safe to drink. A 1-cup serving contains 56 calories, 1 gram of fiber and 514 milligrams of potassium. Harmless Harvest takes tremendous care in the sourcing and manufacturing of their products and also offers two newly launched flavored coconut waters, Cinnamon Clove (sourced from a plantation in Indonesia) and Cacao (sourced from the Dominican Republic).

Zico

Zico products are made from coconuts purveyed from local farms and coconut plantations in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. This brand offers convenient resealable packaging for use on the go, plus three varieties of chilled juices. Some are sweetened using fruit juice concentrates and monk fruit extract. You can find this brand at many large chain retailers across the country, as well as online.

Vitacoco

Vitacoco brand is also widely available and comes in a variety of flavors, including lemonade, orange, and peach & mango. Instead of added sweeteners, most flavors of Vitacoco contain naturally sweet fruit purees, making a 1-cup serving come in around 60 calories. Brand offerings also include a line of sports drinks, lattes and kids’ drinks. Parents are cautioned to read labels, as the kids’ drinks are sweetened with sugar.

CoCo Libre

You can find this brand at Whole Foods, smaller grocers and some large chain retail stores. It’s organic, Fair Trade certified and free of added sugars. It has a clean and fresh coconut flavor. In addition to plain coconut water, there’s a flavor sweetened with pineapple juice, plus vanilla and chocolate protein shakes fortified with a milk-based protein

Blue Monkey

Blue Monkey is a lesser-known brand, which features 80/20 blends of coconut water and fruit juice. Some flavors are sweetened with agave nectar, and each 1-cup serving contains about 80 calories. They even make a unique dried coconut “instant” powder that can be mixed with water.

Photo: ©iStockphoto.com.

Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, is a registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer and owner of Dana White Nutrition, Inc., which specializes in culinary and sports nutrition.

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How to Get Your Kids to Try New Foods (No Bribes Needed!)

Neophobia. It’s the fear of trying something new, and I see it in the clients I work with all the time. I’ve known a friend of mine for 20 years, and for 20 years she’s let neophobia rule her food culture. She eats only white food: pasta, bread, chicken, yogurt, potatoes and rice. Eating anywhere with her is pretty much a miserable experience. She’s anxious about eating away from home in the first place and constantly worries, “Will there be something I can eat?” When she’s ordering from the waiter, she’s got a rush of nervous questions: “Is it spicy? Is there anything green in it? Is the dish all mixed together?” Sadly, her rotten relationship with food and penchant for making dining a painful experience (for everyone) can probably be traced in a direct line back to her childhood.

All of us have some memory of enjoying a food, only to have our friend (or child) say, “Ew! You like _______ (fill in the blank)?!” My client’s son used to eat avocado with a spoon pretty much every day. One day he came back from preschool and declared he no longer liked avocados and not to send them in his lunch anymore. It turns out that a kid next to him at lunchtime told him his food was yucky. His mom had a choice: She could take avocados out of his repertoire, banish them from his lips and honor his wishes, or she could take this as an opportunity to take all the behavioral nutrition I’ve helped to cram into her head and apply it with her son.

Eating is strongly influenced by social relationships, culture and environment. While it is perfectly normal for kids to go through food jags where they like certain foods and kick former faves to the curb, how you parent your kids as they form their eating relationships is uber-important in turning out healthy eaters. It turns out that this child’s buddy had never tried an avocado and was reacting to his own fear of unusual foods. I don’t want any kid to let neophobia run his life, so here are my top tips to help your kids try and accept new foods:

Model, model, model. Until your kids are teens, you are their role model (then you get to turn that honor over to Taylor Swift and Derek Jeter). Kids watch their parents and mimic their behaviors, so you need to show them that you eat a variety of foods, that you try new things and what it looks like to taste something you don’t care for. In short, show them with your actions how you would like them to behave and they will copy your lead. Sometimes it is helpful to think about food as analogous to life: We want our kids to be open-minded and nonjudgmental. Make sure you are showing this attitude toward food, just as you to do toward other, seemingly more important topics.

Try-it Tuesday. Add to your food culture a day of the week when you try something you have never tried before. Talk this up at the dinner table before you kick it into action. Prepare your family by telling them that you want to teach them to experience new foods because it will help you all eat a diet with more variety. When it is possible, just like you ask your daughter if she wants the blue shoes or the red ones, ask her if she’d like to try dragon fruit or kiwi. Giving a choice between two foods empowers your kid in the decision making and may help her like a new food more.

Make some rules. Each family should come up with the rules that suit their household best. You may go with the one-bite rule, where everyone has to take one bite of everything on his or her plate. You may choose to assign a special plate as the tasting plate, so that if a food freaks your kids out, they don’t have it staring at them next to the chicken and broccoli they already enjoy. One of my favorites is a “no, thank you” bite, whereby the eater can ask for just a taste instead of a serving. A “cook’s bite” is a bite you take to honor the cook who worked hard to make your food, even if looks like green slime to you. Regardless of the rules you make, let everyone know how you expect them to react to the food. There should be no “Ew!” or “Gross!” or “Yuck!” because that could make the little sister who may have loved the hummus not love it anymore.

Make it familiar. When you want your kids to taste it, eat it, try it, put it in the context they already know. This means you should keep most of the meal familiar to them. When they’re trying something new, there should be at least one thing on their plate that you know they love. The new food doesn’t need to be hidden in the sauce; it can be presented with the rest of a meal that your family usually enjoys. For example, if your kids love pizza, make it in a new way to up the nutrition. It’s the same old pizza, but with a twist.

Keep trying. Keep in mind that it is human nature to have a little neophobia. Being skeptical of new things kept us from feasting on poisonous berries when we were hunting and gathering. Your children may not like the foods you want them to eat the first time. Or the second time. Or the third. Just keep trying! Eventually (it may take 20 tries!) the new foods will be accepted, if not adored.

Chickpea-Crust Pizza

Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4

Crust

2/3 cup chickpea flour

2/3 cup water

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons olive oil

Tomato Sauce

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 (8 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

Pizza Topping

3 ounces (1 link) chicken sausage

1 cup provolone cheese, grated

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Make the Crust:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a bowl, whisk together chickpea flour, water, garlic powder and salt. In a round pizza pan, heat olive oil over a burner on medium heat, then pour “the dough” into the pan and spread it to about an 1/8-inch-thick layer. Cook the ‘dough” for approximately 3 minutes, until the edges start to brown. Flip the crust over like a pancake and cook on the other side for approximately 3 minutes.

Tomato Sauce:

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and carrots, and saute until the vegetables are soft, approximately 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and simmer on low heat with cover on for 20 minutes or until thick. Put the sauce into a food processor and process until smooth.

Assemble the Pizza:

Brush 1/2 teaspoon olive oil over chickpea crust.

Cut chicken sausage into ¼-inch slices.

Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border.

Sprinkle grated provolone cheese, covering tomato sauce.

Place chicken sausage slices on top.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

Photo: iStock.com, Rich Vintage.

Keri Glassman is the founder and president of Keri Glassman, Nutritious Life and The Nutrition School. She is a contributing editor and advisory board member for Women’s Health Magazine, the Health and Wellness partner for JW Marriott, was Lead Nutritionist for Turner’s health and wellness entertainment brand, upwave and the Nutritionist and Judge on the healthy cooking competition show, “Cook Your Ass Off”. She has authored four books and is regularly featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and Access Hollywood Live.

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This Week’s Nutrition News Feed

In this week’s news: A study wholeheartedly endorses whole grains; eating healthy may be better for your budget; and scientists create a pill that tricks the body into losing weight.

Carbe Diem!

Carbs: One day they’re in, the next they’re out. Today is an “in” day, but only for one specific type of carbs: whole grains. Researchers who analyzed data from two large studies examining the eating habits of 118,000 healthy men and women found that higher consumption of whole grains was associated with lower cardiovascular mortality and lower mortality overall. According to the researchers, every 28-gram daily serving of whole grains resulted in an estimated 9 percent lower cardiovascular-related death rate and 5 percent lower rate of death regardless of cause. The authors concluded that the study results “are in line with recommendations that promote increased whole grain consumption to facilitate disease prevention.” Toast, anyone?

Is a Healthy Diet Financially Fit?

You may no longer be able to blame your budget for bad food choices. Although a 2013 study determined that the healthiest diets (high in fruits and veggies, fish, and nuts) cost about $1.50 more per day to maintain than super-unhealthy diets (lots of processed foods and refined grains), The Healthy Skeptic author Robert Davis, Ph.D., is refuting the common wisdom that healthy diets are more expensive. “In fact, a healthy diet can be quite affordable, depending on which foods it includes,” Davis says in a video posted on several news sites. As evidence, Davis cites studies that found that fruit juices without added sugar are no more expensive than those with it and that whole-grain cereals are often actually cheaper than the sugary options. Plus, healthy foods can leave you more satisfied, he says, meaning you eat less — and save.

Pill Dupes Body Into Burning Fat

Losing weight is never easy, but researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have developed a compound they say tricks the body into reacting as if it has consumed calories, causing it to burn fat and effectively halting weight gain. The new diet pill, fexaramine, has shown promise with obese and diabetic mice and may soon be tested on humans. Because it stays in the gut and doesn’t get passed into the bloodstream, the researchers say, fexaramine may have fewer side effects than appetite suppression or other diet drugs — and may be an effective alternative to gastric bypass surgery for obese and diabetic patients. “This pill is like an imaginary meal,” said Ronald Evans, director of Salk’s Gene Expression Laboratory, who spearheaded the research. “It sends out the same signals that normally happen when you eat a lot of food, so the body starts clearing out space to store it. But there are no calories and no change in appetite.” Whoa.

Photo: iStock.com, PeopleImages.

Amy Reiter also contributes to FN Dish.

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Winter Mornings Call for Hot Breakfast!

Breakfast is the one meal you don’t want to skip. It’s the first opportunity you have to take in good-for-you nutrients. A cold bowl of cereal, or some berries and yogurt may be fine in summer, but once winter’s chill is in the air, you may want something hot to shake off the cold. Cozy up to these healthy, bone-warming breakfasts, each with fewer than 400 calories.

“Hot Chocolate” Banana-Nut Oatmeal

Wake up with a warm bowl of oatmeal mixed with bananas and chocolate. Sound unhealthy? It’s all about portions. With only two tablespoons each of chocolate chips and unsweetened cocoa powder, it’s calorie-controlled deliciousness at its best!

Spinach and Feta Frittata

Add greens with a boatload of folate to your morning with this Food Network Kitchen frittata.

Gluten-Free Honey-Nuts-‘n’-Oats Pancakes

Rice, tapioca, almond and millet flours make up the gluten-free blend in this breakfast favorite. Rolled oats and almonds add fiber for a breakfast that satisfies (pictured at top).

English Muffin Breakfast Pizza

You can enjoy pizza with Canadian bacon for breakfast – what a way to start your morning and take in four food groups!

Healthy Breakfast Muffins

These whole-grain delights made with almond meal, flax seed, oat bran and spelt flour contain 6 whopping grams of fiber each. Make a double batch and store some in the freezer for later.

Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian and consultant who specializes in food safety and culinary nutrition. She is the author of The Greek Yogurt Kitchen: More Than 130 Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Day.

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6 Reasons We Love White House Chef Sam Kass

At the end of this month, Sam Kass — White House chef, Executive Director of Let’s Move! and Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition Policy — will step down. Thirty-four and recently married, Kass, who has played a pivotal role in first lady Michelle Obama’s efforts to encourage healthy eating and reduce childhood obesity, said that, while he loves the first family (they attended his wedding in August) and remains a staunch supporter of their work and mission, he is ready to join his wife, TV journalist Alex Wagner, in New York. “I have to put our future first,” Kass, who started as the Obamas’ personal chef in 2005, when the president was but a lowly freshman senator, told the Wall Street Journal.

A Chicago native and college athlete, Kass played baseball for the University of Chicago and graduated with a degree in U.S. History. He worked at 312 and Avec in Chicago and was trained as a chef by one of Austria’s greatest chefs, Chef Christian Domschitz in Vienna. If his past is any indication, Kass’ future will be filled with impressive accomplishments. Here are six things, in addition to cooking for the first family five nights a week, that Kass accomplished during his six years in the White House:

1. As a guiding force behind the first lady’s “Let’s Move” fitness initiative, he helped to shape and work toward its goals: giving kids a healthy start and parents the information to help them make healthy choices, improving food in schools and access to healthy, affordable foods, and encouraging kids to be active.

2. He was, according to the White House, the first to hold the post of senior policy adviser on nutrition.

3. He helped the first lady plant a Kitchen Garden on the White House’s South Lawn, growing organic seasonal fruits, vegetables and herbs — including some that were grown in Thomas Jefferson’s garden at Monticello. The garden, which was planted in 2009, can be toured by community organizations and school groups interested in gardening and healthy eating, and has inspired many schools and organizations to plant healthy gardens of their own. To date, the garden has yielded thousands of pounds of produce that has been used to feed event guests, staff and the First Family at the White House, with further harvests donated to local food shelters.

4. He supervised the installation of a beehive — a White House first — on the South Lawn, to pollinate the Kitchen Garden, as well as other plants and flowers around D.C. The colony’s estimated 70,000 (or more) bees also provide honey used in the White House kitchen.

5. He worked with President Obama to homebrew White House Honey Brown Ale and Honey Porter, using, yes, honey from the South Lawn’s hive. “As far as we know the White House Honey Brown Ale is the first alcohol brewed or distilled on the White House grounds,” Kass wrote in a blog post on the official White House website in 2012. “George Washington brewed beer and distilled whiskey at Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson made wine but there’s no evidence that any beer has been brewed in the White House. (Although we do know there was some drinking during prohibition…)”

6. He has helped to promote a widespread embrace of healthier food options — in stores and in schools — and to address the way food is marketed to kids. The New York Times has credited Kass with helping “popularize a way of eating embraced by moneyed urban foodies. Just as the first lady’s fashion choices and toned biceps permeate the consciousness of the country, Mrs. Obama and Mr. Kass have taken organic gardening and the whole-wheat-ification of grilled cheese sandwiches mainstream.”

Kass, who will continue to work on healthy-eating issues as he moves into the private sector, “has left an indelible mark on the White House,” President Obama told the Washington Post. “And with the work he has done to inspire families and children across this country to lead healthier lives, Sam has made a real difference for our next generation.”

Amy Reiter also contributes to FN Dish.

Photo: ©iStockphoto.com/Kent Weakley

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Smoothie of the Month: Kale, Avocado and Flax

If you’ve been following my smoothie posts over the last year, you may have realized that I’m not a fan of the typical green smoothie. Don’t get me wrong — I adore dark leafy greens but prefer them enjoyed in savory ways, not blended with sweet fruits and ice.

Since January is a good time to get people enthused about eating more greens, I thought I’d share my version of the much-loved green smoothie. Instead of adding banana to create a smooth texture, I used avocado, and added a dash of lime and salt to place it firmly in the savory camp. With the addition of omega-rich flax oil and the healthy fats from avocado, this is a smoothie you can feel really good about drinking as a meal replacement or healthy snack.

Wishing you all a green and healthy 2015!

Green Smoothie with Flax and Avocado

If you’re not using a powerful upright blender, stick to spinach, as kale is quite hardy and won’t blend up as smooth. If Persian cucumbers are not available, substitute English cucumbers for them. For a frosty drink, add a large handful of ice.

Serves 2

1/2 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled

2 small Persian cucumbers, diced (3/4 cup)

1 cup spinach leaves or kale, torn into bite-size pieces

2 tablespoons cold-pressed flax oil

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup plain unsweetened almond milk

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Pinch sea salt, plus more to taste

Add all ingredients to an upright blender and blend until smooth. Season to taste with sea salt and serve immediately.

Photo: Stephen Johnson

Amy Chaplin is a chef and recipe developer in New York City. Her cookbook At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen is available this fall. She blogs at amychaplin.com.

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Get Happy! Instantly Perk Up Your Attitude with These 5 Foods

January can be a cruel month. There’s the post-holiday lull, the pressure of those resolutions and the long cold winter ahead. Need a mood boost? These five foods will take you from down to downright happy even before they hit your palate. Reclaim your feel-good chemistry by feeding your brain some mood-enhancing minerals, energy-balancing nutrients and essential healthy fats. You’ll reap the rewards in no time.

1. WATER

Eat your good ol’ H2O — an easily overlooked mood shifter that’ll keep your body functioning at its optimum level. Even slight dehydration can alter your energy level and attitude. Water helps convert food into energy, which releases happy hormones. And the more energy you have, the better your mood. Plus, it’s easy to get your fill: Load up on water-packed veggies and fruits like cucumbers, tomatoes or strawberries — or just drink water straight up.

2. DARK CHOCOLATE

Even before rich, dark chocolate hits your palate, the anticipation of eating it sends a message to your brain — enough to trigger the release of serotonin, which balances your mood. Chocolate can also give you mental clarity, thanks to energy-efficient magnesium, a mineral that delivers an immediately improved state of mind, by helping to convert protein, carbs and fat into energy. Want the biggest positive effect? Let chocolate melt in your mouth.

3. WALNUTS

Protein-rich walnuts are packed with omega-3s — essential fatty acids that contribute to brain health by delivering serotonin and dopamine, both happy hormones for mind and mood. Plus, the protein helps stabilize your blood sugar levels, which can fluctuate from high to low throughout the day, wreaking havoc on your overall temperament.

4. AVOCADO

Texturally, this creamy fruit delivers a sumptuous feeling on your palate. Nutritionally, avocados contain B12 and folic acid, two powerhouse nutrients that are known mood lifters. Potassium-rich avocados also help lower blood pressure, and their high monounsaturated-fat content helps carry nutrients to build your body’s cells.

5. GREEK YOGURT

Have you had your daily dose of probiotics? These good bacteria that naturally thrive in your gut enhance not only your digestion and immune systems, but your happiness level, too. Beyond building strong bones, calcium contributes by regulating your hormone levels, enhancing your mood.

Silvana Nardone is the author of the Silvana’s Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Kitchen: Timeless Favorites Transformed.

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This Week’s Nutrition News Feed

In this week’s news: Fast food may make grades sink fast; there’s new evidence that resveratrol in red wine may carry ancient benefits; kids diet for the darnedest reasons (i.e., the best!).

Fast food flunks out

Could feeding your kids fast food put them on the fast track to lower grades? A nationwide study published in the journal Clinical Pediatrics found that fifth graders who frequently consumed fast food had lower test-score gains in reading, math and science by eighth grade. The link held true even after the researchers controlled for other factors, including how much the kids exercised and watched TV, what other foods were in their diets, the socioeconomic status of their family, and what their school and neighborhood were like. Although the study did not determine causality, the authors suggest the link may have to do with a lack of nutrients, like iron, that boost cognitive development and with high amounts of fat and sugar, which may affect memory and learning, noting that the results “suggest [children’s] fast-food consumption should be limited as much as possible.”

Red, red wine, feel so fine?

Now that you’ve toasted the new year with champagne, it may be time to break out the red wine. Resveratrol, an antioxidant in the skins of dark grapes and in wine made from those grapes, has been found to activate an ancient stress-response mechanism in human cells that offers protection against DNA damage, according to researchers at the Scripps Research Institute. What’s more, the researchers note, the level of resveratrol needed to activate the stress response may be much lower than was previously believed. The new research may help explain the “French Paradox” (i.e., the low rate of cardiovascular disease in France, where diets high in saturated fats are common). “Based on these results, it is conceivable that moderate consumption of a couple glasses of red wine (rich in resveratrol) would give a person enough resveratrol to evoke a protective effect via this pathway,” study author Mathew Sajish said. Who’s up for a refill?

Take a cue from the kids

Teens today — it looks like we can actually learn a thing or two from them, even when it comes to diet and weight loss. An in-depth study of teens who had been obese or overweight and then lost weight and kept it off found that they’d been motivated to shape up for their own good — to be healthier and to feel better — rather than to please their parents or peers. “Our findings suggest that teens have motivations that are more intrinsic,” study author Chad Jensen, a psychologist at Brigham Young University, said. “One implication is that parents should help to focus their teen on healthy behaviors for the sake of being healthy more than for social acceptance.” Support during major life transitions, an emphasis on healthy food options and a commitment to making slow, steady progress during long-term goals are also key, Jensen said.

Amy Reiter also contributes to FN Dish.

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