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| Memo
No. 2028 October 22nd, 2007 |
WHICH IS BEST?
When it comes to losing weight, cutting calories count more than cutting back on fat. Reducing fat intake can contribute to that effort, since 1 gram of fat packs 9 calories compared with 4 calories in a gram of carbohydrates or protein. But fatty foods usually contain protein, and that combination makes you feel fuller longer, so very low fat diets can be hard to maintain.
Most research suggests that people who eat moderate amounts of fat are at least as successful at losing weight as those who restrict fat intake sharply. For example, the National Weight Control Registry, which tracks 6,000 successful dieters nationwide, reports that members today usually consume more fat than previous members did. They typically consume 30 percent of calories from fat compared with 24 percent about a decade ago. Yet registry members are still successfully keeping the weight off. So, provided you keep your total calorie count down, eating a moderate amount of the right type of fat is okay for dieters.
To determine if you're overweight and to get guidance on how many calories and how much saturated fat you should consume based on your age, height, weight, gender and activity level, visit the American Heart Association's dietary Web site at www.myfatstranslator.com.
LYCOPENE IN COOKED TOMATOES
There is more lycopene in cooked tomatoes than raw ones though it's a bit of a trade-off, since cooking tomatoes destroys some other nutrients, notably vitamin C. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant found in tomatoes and other red produce. Heating tomatoes has been shown to increase the amount of lycopene that the body can absorb by breaking down plant cells that trap the substance (pureeing has that effect as well). A study at Cornell University found that increasing the cooking time of tomatoes further increased the amount of lycopene they released, though the effect plateaued after about 15 minutes of heating.
Source of both articles: Consumer Reports on Health, October 2007.
KUDOS TO COMMUNITY ADVOCATES FOR HEALTHY FAMILIES!
This group chose October 1 as Ready, Set, Relax Night in Bryan. Perhaps some of you who live close to Bryan saw the banners on light posts around the court house square. Families were encouraged to eat together and spend quality time with each other minus TV and any other distractions that tend to separate families today.
Most of my generation was accustomed to eating meals together so it seemed natural to me as a young mother to continue the tradition. Our children were as involved in school activities as kids are today but I was determined that we eat our main meal together as a family and most of the time we managed to do it. So it should come as no surprise that when we're together now talking is as important as eating. Observing a lively conversation, a visitor (not related to us) said we were the only family he knew who might benefit from taking a number to talk.
For those of you who took time to smell the roses October 1, do it more often. You'll be glad you did. Then when you're my age, you too will have wonderful memories to sustain you.
SOUP'S ON!
As much as I like soup, you didn't think I'd wait until the snow flies to share a new soup recipe. This one comes from my niece, Beth Trentadue Klein. When my sister, Ann, told me about Buffalo Chicken Chili, I told her to send the recipe ASAP! Anyone who likes Buffalo wings will make this soup as fast as I did. I skipped the blue cheese nachos because I wasn't serving all the soup at one time. As good as Blue Cheese nachos might be, they won't make good leftovers. Beth sprinkled the soup with blue cheese and so did I. Before serving I added chopped flat parsley to the soup.
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BUFFALO CHICKEN CHILI
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin oil (I use light olive oil)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 pounds ground chicken breast (I ground chicken, also carrot, onion and celery in the food processor)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 ribs celery
- 5 cloves garlic, minced (I used 2)
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika (it's available from McCormick)
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and ground pepper to taste
- 1 16-ounce carton chicken broth (2 cups)
- 1/4 cup Frank's hot sauce
- 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
In a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, melt olive oil and butter until hot. Once the pot is hot add the ground chicken. Brown it using the back of a wooden spoon to break it up into small pieces, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add carrot, onion, celery, garlic, paprika, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the hot sauce, crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce and bring up to a bubble. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes to blend flavors. Add chopped parsley. Sprinkle each serving with crumbled blue cheese.
If you wish, serve with the following:
- 1 7-ounce bag yellow corn chips
- 1 7-ounce bag blue corn chips
- 3/4 pound blue cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
Preheat oven to 375F. Spread corn chips on a cookie sheet. Top with crumbled blue cheese and transfer to oven to melt cheese, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the parsley. You can add some of the Blue Cheese Nachos to the soup.
Source: Beth Trentadue Klein.
AN APPLE A DAY THE MICROWAVE WAY
Several years ago there was shortage of red-hots. I don't even remember why but when they reappeared I apparently bought them like they were going go out of style! To make a long story short I have about 2 pounds in the cupboard. When I was doing microwave classes for the Bryan Parks and Recreation Department in the 70as and 80s, my friend, Milli Simerl, told me about baking apples slices with red-hots in the microwave. I hadn't made them for a long time but with an abundance of red-hots and the apple season in full swing it seemed like the right thing to do. Taste-testers-extraordinaire at the Bryan Chief liked them a lot, not only because they taste good but only took 2 ingredients to make! Use Gala or Golden Delicious because they're both all-purpose apples and hold their shape when cooked.
RED HOT APPLE SLICES
- 3 Gala or Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 8ths
- 1/4 cup red-hots
Arrange apple slices in 8x8x2-inch glass dish. Sprinkle red-hots over top. Microwave on high for about 4 minutes, until apples are tender, stirring once or twice. Remove from dish. Pour juice over apples. Discard any red-hots that haven't melted |
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