Superfoods That May Help Prevent Cancer

Cancer is a leading cause of death in both men and women in the U.S. as well as other countries. There are several factors that affect your risk of cancer, but one risk factor you can control is your diet. Eating a healthy diet with the right amount of calories is good for your health and may help to lower your risk of cancer (plus diabetes and heart disease). To boost your diet's cancer-fighting potential, add these seven superfoods to your diet. These superfoods all contain phytochemicals that work as antioxidants to protect your cells from damage and may help reduce your risk of cancer.

Apples

Apples come in a variety of flavors and textures, so even picky eaters can find apples to enjoy. And they're so good for you with lots of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants like quercetin that protect from free radical damage. Here's how apples may prevent cancer.

Blueberries

Blueberries are rich in vitamins and minerals your body needs for good health. Plus, blueberries are antioxidant powerhouses with a variety of phytochemicals that may prevent cancer. Blueberries are also low in calories and naturally sweet, so they're perfect for a low-calorie dessert. Read about blueerries for cancer prevention.
 

Broccoli Sprouts

Broccoli sprouts contain very large amounts of natural compounds called isothiocyanates that reduce inflammation and trigger detoxification of carcinogens. They may be a little difficult to find at some grocery stores, but you can still choose regular broccoli that also contains the same isothiocyanates, just not as concentrated. Find out how broccoli sprouts fight cancer

 Carrots

Carrots contain large amounts of beta-carotene and an antioxidant called falcarinol. Whether you eat them raw or cooked, carrots may help to reduce your risk of some forms of cancer. Learn more about how carrots may prevent cancer..

Green Tea


Sipping green tea gives you lots of antioxidants called catechins that have been shown to slow down the growth of cancer cells in the laboratory. And green tea contains no calories, so it's a great beverage to enjoy when you need to watch your weight. Learn how green tea may fight cancer.

Olive Oil

You may already know that olive oil is good for your heart, but the healthy fats and polyphenols found in extra virgin olive oil may also reduce your risk of cancer. Here are some tips for using olive oil.

Tomatoes

Red ripe tomatoes offer potassium, vitamin C, vitamin A and lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that has been associated with a lower risk of cancer. You can choose tiny bite-sized cherry tomatoes up to large beef-steak tomatoes -- all of them are good for you. Learn how tomatoes may lower cancer risk.

By Shereen Jegtvig,

Nutrient Density

What Is Nutrient Density

How do you decide which foods you want to eat? Flavor? Texture? Convenience? Comfort? Many people choose the foods they eat based on immediate gratification, without much thought about the long-term effects of their selections. That often results in choosing foods that taste good, but are not good for you.

What about the nutritional value of the foods you eat? When you choose your foods, be sure to consider the nutrient density of the foods. Nutrient density refers to the amount of nutrients for the given volume of food. Nutrient-dense foods have lots of nutrients, generally with fewer calories. All those superfoods you've heard about are nutrient dense foods. Energy-dense foods have more calories for the volume of food and generally fewer nutrients.

How Nutrient Density Works

You are hungry and it is a few hours until dinner so you decide you want a snack. You can choose either an apple or a glazed donut. They are roughly the same size and either food works as a quick snack so you can get back to work. Which one do you choose?

Hopefully you chose the apple. Why? The apple has around 80 calories and lots of vitamins, fiber and phytochemicals that will keep you healthy. The fiber and water in the apple will fill your stomach and keep you satisfied until dinner.

The donut has calories. Lots of calories. In fact, the donut has more than 200 calories but it doesn't have many nutrients. There is only about one gram of fiber so it won't keep you feeling full either, so eating that glazed donut will frequently lead to eating a second one. The donut also has lots of unhealthy saturated fat and plenty of sugar. Sure it tastes good, but your body might pay quite a price for the immediate gratification.

You can also compare nutrient density using the amount of calories in the food rather than volume or portion size. Let's compare a cup of carrot slices to four saltine crackers. Both snacks have about 50 calories, but the carrots have many more nutrients for the same number of calories. The carrots are nutrient dense; the crackers are energy dense. This is important for people on weight-loss diets. Foods that are low in calories, but high in fiber and other vitamins, will keep you satisfied and healthy while you lose weight.

 Nutrient-Dense Superfoods

You can probably already see from the examples that brightly colored fruits and vegetables are big winners in nutrient density. That's one reason why so many fruits and vegetables qualify as superfoods, or foods that are rich in nutrients and other compounds that have healthy benefits such as fiber, phytochemicals and essential fatty acids. The superfood fruits and vegetables include carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, kale, spinach, berries, apples, cherries, pomegranate and oranges.

Other nutrient-dense superfoods include salmon, tuna, trout, low-fat dairy products, oatmeal and whole grains, soy, dry beans sand even some fortified foods. On the other hand, energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods include things that are high in sugar and fat such as refined white breads, pasta, pastries, processed lunch meats and cheeses, ice cream, candy, soda, potato chips and corn chips. In other words, junk food.

Choosing nutrient-dense superfoods at the grocery store is pretty easy if you stay along the edges of the store, where the produce, fresh lean meats, low-fat dairy and fresh bakery goods are found. These fresh foods may be more expensive than the energy-dense packaged foods, but you buy more nutrition for that price. Of course, most shoppers choose some packaged foods for convenience, but you can still make smart choices with those products -- just read the labels.

You can easily find the Nutrition Facts labels on the backs or sides of the packages. Look at the serving sizes, note the number of calories per serving and look at the amount of fiber, vitamins, calcium and iron. The packaged food that has the better combination of lower calories, higher nutrients and less sodium is the winner.

Nutrient-Dense Meals

You can prepare nutrient-dense meals by choosing nutrient-dense superfoods and ingredients for your dishes. A nutrient-dense meal should have one serving of a healthy protein source such as legumes, fish, poultry or low-fat meat. One serving is typically about the size of a pack of playing cards. The rest of the meal should be made up of healthy side dishes. Vegetables are always good, even with a little bit of cheese or sauce. Whole-grain pastas, brown rice and wild rice are good choices as well. A green salad with lots of vegetables can make a nice nutrient-dense superfoods side dish or can be a great meal on its own. Clear soups with lots of vegetables are nutrient-dense compared to cream soups which have more calories and are more energy dense.

Would I Ever Choose Foods That Are Energy-Dense?

People who are underweight need some energy-dense foods to make sure they are getting enough calories to gain weight. Healthy energy dense foods include peanut butter, dried fruits, starchy vegetables and cheese.

Why Should I Think About Nutrient Density?

Eating nutrient-dense food will ensure you are getting all the nutrition you need. A nutrient-dense diet won't leave you feeling hungry so maintaining your weight is much easier. Choosing nutrient dense foods can become second nature. Once you understand which foods are more nutrient dense, the rest is easy. Just remember that the foods you eat can affect your health in a big way. To be healthy or unhealthy? The choice is yours.

By Shereen Jegtvig,

Superfoods

Definition: Foods that appear to offer additional health benefits beyond simple nutrition. There really isn't one standard definition for superfoods, but they usually are some combination of the following:

• Low in calories.
• Contain substantial amounts of omega-3 fatty acids or monounsaturated fatty acids.
• High in fiber.
• Contain phytochemicals that have been found to have the potential to prevent disease in laboratory or clinical research.
• Rich in vitamins and minerals.
• Low in unhealthy substances such as saturated fats, trans-fats or refined sugars. 

For example, salmon can be considered a superfood because it contains large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and is low in saturated fat and calories. Many fruits and vegetables are considered superfoods because they are high in fiber and phytochemicals and usually low in 

Also Known As: super foods

By Shereen Jegtvig,

Healthy Eating on the Road

Typical freeway fare includes fast food, microwave-ready service station options, bags of chips, and lots of sodas. These foods are almost always full of bad fats, lots of calories, and not much valuable nutrition. Plus, eating junk food for a couple of days can leave you feeling fatigued and crabby, and give you a stomach ache.

With a little bit of effort and willpower, you can navigate your way around the junk food and maintain your healthy diet while on a long road trip. You’ll feel healthier, more alert, and have more fun.

Breakfast

You may be eating breakfast at a restaurant, a hotel continental breakfast bar, or even the food aisle of a gas station. Avoid excess sugar. High carbohydrate meals may improve your mood for a short time, but lots of sugar can also make you sleepy. That's not good if you are the driver.

Healthy eating at a restaurant:

• Choose an omelet filled with vegetables and order a side of whole-wheat toast instead of a stack of pancakes and syrup.
• A bowl of oatmeal with fresh fruit is very filling and good for you.
• If you want something sweet, choose a bran muffin, which is a good source of fiber. Or opt for whole-grain toast with just a little jam or jelly. 

At the hotel continental breakfast bar:

• Choose a whole grain cereal with low-fat milk.
• Fresh fruit gives you vitamins and fiber.
• Yogurt or hard-boiled eggs are good sources of protein.
• Avoid sugary muffins, sweet-rolls, and pre-sweetened cereal. 

At the service station:

• Look for single-serving whole grain breakfast cereals and low-fat milk.
• Protein bars can make a good breakfast food substitute, but watch out for extra sugar and calories--read the labels.
• As a last resort, choose a hot breakfast sandwich or small breakfast burrito over donuts and sweet-rolls. 

Fast food restaurants:

• Most breakfast choices have lots of calories and saturated fats, but breakfast burritos may have less than other selections.
• Fruit and yogurt parfaits will give you some calcium and protein without too much saturated fat.
• Drink low-fat milk or 100 percent juice instead of sodas and orange-flavored soft drinks. 

If you are the driver, you probably should not be snacking since eating can be a big distraction. Snacks to keep your passengers happy should be low in saturated fats, low in sugar and nutritious. Take a cooler with ice packs to keep your snacks and beverages cold. 

When you stop for gas and restroom breaks, find a local grocery store which will have a better selection than the gas station.

Eat healthy snacks in the car:

• Load up on fresh-cut vegetables and fruit. Bring along a small cooler with ice packs to keep your snacks fresh.
• Bring plenty of water. It will keep you hydrated and, if you spill it, won’t stain the upholstery like sodas.
• Individually wrapped portions of string cheese or vegetarian cheese alternatives can be kept in the cooler with the fruit and vegetables. They are a great source of calcium and protein.
• Bring baked whole grain crackers along on your trip. This is good for added fiber and nutrients.
• Don’t overindulge in greasy chips. There are baked varieties that have a lot less unhealthy fats. You need to watch how much you eat of those too, however, since they don’t offer much in the way of nutrition.
• You can also pack sandwiches made with whole grain bread and peanut butter or lean meats. Keep these in the cooler, too.
• Nuts such as almonds, cashews, and walnuts contain polyunsaturated fats and are easy to take on a trip in either individual bags or larger containers. 

Lunch and Dinner

Lunch and dinner on the road usually means going to a restaurant. Don’t spend too much time at fast food restaurants; instead opt for full-service restaurants that offer more choices.

Healthy eating in restaurants:

• Order a soup or a salad to eat with your main course. Soups and salads are generally healthy and start to fill you up so that you eat less of the more calorie-dense main meal.
• Skip the entrée altogether. Soup and salad might be enough for a healthy meal.
• Split a meal with your dining partner. Most restaurants serve huge portions, so there is usually enough food to share. This saves calories and money. Besides, sharing eliminates the temptation to take leftovers back on the road, where they can't be properly stored.
• Select foods that are prepared with healthier, low-fat methods. Baked chicken is healthy, but fried chicken has too much fat.
• Eat the vegetables. Most entrées come with at least one vegetable. If not, be sure to order a vegetable side dish.
• Skip dessert, or choose some fruit. A full meal that ends with a sugary dessert may make you feel sleepy. That might be fine if you are passenger, but a bad idea if you are the driver. 

At fast food restaurants:

• Find sandwich shops like Subway or Quiznos that let you select your sandwich ingredients. Choose whole grain breads, lean meats, and lots of vegetables.
• Many fast food restaurants offer salads, but you need to be careful when you select one. Some of those salads are very high in fat, especially taco salads or those topped with fried chicken strips.
• Don’t super-size your meal. It sounds like a great deal, but you will eat way too much calories, fat, and sodium.
• Order sandwiches made with grilled chicken rather than fried chicken. 

At the Hotel

If your trip requires a hotel stay, you might get a bit hungry after a long day of travel. If going to a restaurant is not an option, you should still find healthy foods.

Eating at the hotel:

• Find a local grocery store and buy healthy snack items such as fruit, nuts, or healthy choices from a salad bar or deli section. If your hotel has a microwave, you can find healthier frozen dinners or soup.
• If your only choice for a snack is the hotel vending machine, skip the candy and chips and look for nuts or microwave popcorn.
• Some restaurants will deliver food to your hotel room and may have some healthy menu items available. If you go for a pizza delivery, don’t order extra cheese or meats high in saturated fat. Choose lots of vegetable and mushrooms. Order a side salad too. 

Follow these easy tips for better nutrition on the road, and have a safe and healthy road trip.

By Shereen Jegtvig,

How to Stock an Emergency Food Pantry

Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, major earthquakes and extreme blizzards could leave you trapped without electricity for a period of time. If the area in which you live is prone to any of these types of devastation, you should keep an emergency food pantry stocked with foods to keep you healthy until the disaster has passed.

Emergency Food Pantry List

We all need protein, carbohydrates and fats to keep up our energy, so be sure to store nonperishable foods that will meet these requirements:

• Dried meats. Beef jerky or beef sticks are good sources of long-storing protein.
• Canned fish and meat. Canned tuna is an excellent source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Canned ham and sandwich spreads can be eaten with crackers. Canned beans are an excellent source of vegetarian nutrition. 
•  
• Canned fruits. Peaches, pears, berries and applesauce are good sources of vitamin C and other nutrients. 
•  
• Canned vegetables. Vegetables, such as beans, peas, carrots and so on are important.
• Dried fruits. Dried fruits, such as raisins, are another way to get the nutrition of fruit in your emergency food pantry. 
•  
• Whole grain crackers. These are good replacements for bread.
• Nuts. Almonds, walnuts, cashews and pecans have protein, fiber and healthful fats.
• Granola bars. These are good for sweet treats. 
•  
• Dry cereals. They are fortified with extra vitamins and minerals and can be eaten dry.
• Juice boxes. Single-serving-sized juice that doesn't need to be refrigerated is helpful. Make sure to choose 100% fruit juices. 
•  
• Electrolyte drinks. Drinks, such as Gatorade or Powerade, are a good addition to your emergency food pantry. 
•  
• Water. In case your regular water supply becomes contaminated, store several bottles of water in your emergency pantry. 
•  
• Multivitamins. A bottle of multivitamins can help supply any missing nutrients.
• Can opener. You need to have a can opener or church key opener that stays in your emergency food pantry. 
•  
• Large containers. Keep bags, backpacks or other large containers close by. In the event you have to get out of your house in a hurry, you do not want to have to hunt for a bag to carry your food.
• Stove. A camping stove or small grill may be used in a safe area to heat foods.

More Emergency Food Pantry Tips

• Buy single-serving sizes whenever possible, because you can't depend on refrigeration after the containers have been opened. 
•  
• Make sure to periodically check the foods in your emergency food pantry, so that you don't keep foods that have passed their expiration dates. 
•  
• If you live in the northern latitudes, pack a separate emergency food container and keep it in your car. Choose nuts, crackers, dried beef, dried fruit and a container to melt snow for water. 
•  
• Keep flashlights, fresh batteries, candles, matches, blankets, first aid kits and any other emergency supplies you may need. 

By Shereen Jegtvig,

How Much do You Know about Food Safety?

Need an explanation? 


Your hands may have germs on them from using the toilet, changing a baby’s diaper, sneezing, shaking hands with someone else that is sick, or for many other reasons. These germs can be spread from your hands to the food, then from the food to the people who eat the food. Always wash your hands before handling or preparing food. 

Always wash your hands before handling and serving food. 

By Shereen Jegtvig,

Proper Egg Safety

According to the American Egg Board, eggs are found in most homes in the United States. Eggs are popular, especially for breakfast, and for use as an ingredient in many recipes and processed foods. Eggs can be a healthy part of a balanced diet; however you need to be careful -- especially with raw eggs -- to prevent foodborne illness due to bacterial growth.

Eggs and Salmonellosis

Some raw eggs carry bacteria that can cause a nasty digestive tract infection called salmonellosis. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps and can appear anywhere from 12 hours to three days after eating contaminated eggs. Most people recover without any problems, but infants, the elderly and those with impaired immune systems may become very sick because the infection can spread from the digestive tract to the blood stream and my even cause death.

You can't tell which eggs are contaminated with salmonella by looking at them or smelling them, so you need to treat all raw eggs like potential carriers and follow proper food safety practices. The US Food and Drug Administration requires cartons of raw eggs that aren't treated to kill the salmonella to carry the following statement:

Safe Handling Instructions: To prevent illness from bacteria: keep eggs refrigerated, cook eggs until yolks are firm, and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly.

Preventing foodborne illness from eggs begins at the grocery store and continues in your own kitchen - before, during and after meals.

Safe Handling of Eggs and Egg Products 

Choose raw eggs that are refrigerated, never buy eggs that are being sold at roadside stands or farmers markets unless they are being sold in refrigerated cases at a temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Open the carton to be sure the eggs are clean and the shells are not cracked. Egg products sold in liquefied, dried or frozen form must be pasteurized to kill the salmonella (look on the label), but remember that frozen and liquid egg products should be handled as raw food.

Raw eggs must be kept refrigerated until you cook them or use them in recipes. Keep them in their cartoons to reduce the chance of accidental breakage. Raw eggs can be stored safely in the refrigerator for up to three weeks and liquid egg products should be kept in the refrigerator (look for a Use By date). Dry egg products can be kept at room temperature in a sealed container until it's opened, then they should be refrigerated. Once dry egg products are mixed with liquid they should be used or refrigerated within one hour.

When it's time to cook your eggs, be sure all cooking surfaces, equipment, utensils and your hands are clean. Keep raw eggs away from cooked or ready-to-serve foods to prevent cross-contamination. And don't lick spoons or eat raw dough or batter made with raw eggs. Cook eggs until both whites and yolks are firm. Bake quiches, casseroles and other egg dishes to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. If your recipes call for raw or undercooked eggs as part of the final product, be sure to choose eggs that have been treated to kill salmonella or use pasteurized egg products.

Once your eggs are cooked, you need to follow typical food safety procedures and either keep them hot until served (above 140 degrees Fahrenheit) or stored in cold temperatures (below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. After your meal is finished, refrigerate cooked eggs and egg dish leftovers right away. They can be kept refrigerated safely for three or four days. If you're packing a lunch with an egg salad sandwich or hard boiled eggs, you'll need to pack them with freezer packs or keep refrigerated until lunch time. Frozen eggs and egg products can be kept at 0 degrees Fahrenheit for up to one year. Thaw frozen egg products safely in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.

By Shereen Jegtvig,

Wash Fruits and Vegetables

Do you know where your potatoes, oranges and tomatoes have been? Unless your fruits and vegetables are organic, they grew up in fields covered in pesticides and herbicides. Although the pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables are considered to be at safe levels for human consumption, do you really want those extra chemicals on your food?

Once your fruits and vegetables were ready for harvest, they were handled by several different pairs of hands in the fields and orchards, then in the warehouses, and finally again in your grocery store. Bacteria such as Listeria, Salmonella and E. Coli may all be lurking on your fruits and vegetables, whether they are organically grown or conventionally grown. These bacteria all cause food-borne illness and need to be washed away from your produce.

You need to get those fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet, but not the insects, chemicals and bacteria that come along with them so make sure you wash your fruits and vegetables before you eat them.

How to Wash Fruits and Vegetables

• Start by keeping your kitchen countertops, refrigerator, cookware and cutlery clean.
• Always wash your hands before preparing meals and handling fruits and vegetables.
• Keep fresh greens, fruits and vegetables away from uncooked meats to avoid cross-contamination.
• Choose healthy looking, ripe fruits and vegetables when you shop. Avoid bruised, moldy and mushy produce.
• Wait until just before you eat or prepare your fruits and vegetables to wash them. Fruits and vegetables have natural coatings that keep moisture inside, and washing them will make them spoil sooner.
• Wash all pre-packaged fruits and vegetables, even if the label claims they are pre-washed.
• Wash all parts of your fruits and vegetables, even if you don't plan on eating them. Bacteria can live on the rind of an orange or the skin of a cucumber, for example. Though you may peel them away and toss them in the trash, the bacteria can be transferred from the outside of the fruit or vegetable to the knife you use to cut them, and then onto the parts you will be eating.
• Gently rub fruits and vegetables under running water. Don't use any soaps, detergents, bleaches or other toxic cleaning chemicals. These chemicals will leave a residue of their own on your produce.
• Commercial sprays and washes sold for cleaning vegetables really aren't any better than cleaning thoroughly with plain water, so don't waste your money on them.
• Firmer fruits and vegetables, such as apples and potatoes, can be scrubbed with a vegetable brush (buy direct) while rinsing with clean water to remove dirt and residues.
• Remove and discard the outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage heads, and thoroughly rinse the rest of the leaves.
• Rinse berries and other small fruits thoroughly and allow them to drain in a colander.

Remember that the fruits and vegetables you buy may look clean when you pick them out at the grocery store, but you can't see bacteria or chemicals. Your fruits and vegetables still need to be washed before you eat them or serve them to guests or family members. This is especially important for produce and greens that are eaten raw.

By Shereen Jegtvig,

Does cutting fruits and vegetables cause nutrition loss?

 

Question: Does cutting fruits and vegetables cause nutrition loss?

 

Is it true that preparing salads and cutting fruits and vegetables in advance allows the nutrients and vitamins to leave the food more rapidly than if the veggies were left whole and uncut before eating? I have also heard this notion is simply a way of preserving the freshness of the food. 

 Should I wait to prepare my salads the moment before eating them? Please clarify the best (and most nutritious) way of eating raw fruits and veggies.

Answer: The best way to store fruits and vegetables like apples, oranges, grapefruit, potatoes and other produce is with the skin, rinds, and peelings intact. Once the protective peels or coverings of fruits and vegetables are cut, the fruits and vegetables begin to degrade and lose vitamin C. This nutrient loss doesn't really occur immediately, however, because it may take up to five or six days to show any major vitamin loss as long as cut fruits are stored in the refrigerator. After this time, fruits have been shown to lose 10 to 25 of vitamin C and carotenoids, but not other phytochemicals.

This five or six day period in the refrigerator is also about the same time it would take for the cut fruit to spoil and become unusable anyway. Once you see that your cut and stored fruit looks spoiled, it has also lost some of its nutritional content. According to the US FDA, cut or peeled vegetables will lose about half of their vitamin content in one to two weeks.

You don't have to wait until the last moment to cut fruits and vegetables for your salads, but be sure you keep them stored in air-tight containers in your refrigerator. Having fresh fruits and vegetables ready to eat in your refrigerator may make it easier for you to make healthy choices at snack time. Think of some carrot sticks and a little vegetable dip rather than a bag of greasy potato chips.

How long should you keep cut fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator? I would suggest that you use freshly cut fruits within two or three days, and freshly cut vegetables within four or five days to be sure you are getting the most flavor and best texture.

By Shereen Jegtvig,

Picnics, Barbecues and Food Safety

Who doesn't enjoy a picnic or barbecue on a beautiful summer day surrounded by friends, family, delicious food, cold beverages and lots of bacteria?

Well, yuck, maybe not that bacteria part. 

You may not have invited them to your party, but the bacteria may be there anyway. Every year, more than 76 million cases of foodborne illness occur just in the United States. The number of people suffering from "food poisoning" in the United States and other industrialized countries increases 30% every year.

Foodborne illness usually results in nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or fever caused by bacteria that are lurking on foods and dining surfaces. Symptoms can be fairly mild or quite severe, and they are more likely to affect babies, pregnant women and elderly people. 

When food safety is ignored at a picnic or barbecue by leaving perishable food out in warm weather, the bacteria flourish and threaten to make everyone sick. 

Keep unwanted microscopic bullies from crashing your outdoor party by following basic food safety practices. Make sure foods are kept cold or hot, and raw meats are separated from cooked or ready-to-serve foods. Everyone needs to wash their hands and use clean serving utensils.

You also need to pay attention to how long your dishes sit on the picnic table. Bacteria grow best between 40 and 140 degrees. Most of the food you serve at your picnic will only be safe on the table for two hours and, if the air temperature is over 90 degrees, food becomes unsafe after only one hour. Once leftovers have been on the table that long, don’t keep them -- throw them away.

Use the same basic steps of food safety and cleanliness with outdoor cooking and eating that you would follow in your kitchen to keep foodborne illnesses from spoiling a lovely summer day:

Keep cold foods cold until they are served. If you are at home, you can use the refrigerator. But for a picnic in the park, bring coolers with plenty of ice or freezer packs. Use one cooler for ready-to-serve foods and beverages and another for any uncooked meat for the grill.

Pasta salads and potato salads are picnic staples. Contrary to common thought, mayonnaise is not the culprit that causes spoilage. The bacteria prefer the eggs, potatoes or other ingredients. Make sure salad is kept cold until it is time to eat. Serve only the amount of salad that will be consumed within one hour, and keep the rest in the cooler. If you need more, make sure to use a clean serving dish and spoon; don’t reuse the ones that have been sitting on the table.

Fresh fruits with thick coverings, such as watermelons and apples, will keep for several days at room temperature. Once they are cut, treat them like other perishable foods. If they are not eaten within one to two hours, discard them.

Casseroles should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees and held at 140 degrees. Use insulated containers that will maintain that temperature, or keep foods warm in the oven or slow cooker. 

Hot fried chicken should be served and eaten within one or two hours after cooking or purchasing. Cold fried chicken needs to be kept below 40 degrees until it is served, just like other cold foods.

Rare beef can be cooked to 140 degrees, however hamburgers should always be cooked to 165 degrees. Ground meat has more surface area than steaks or chops and should always be cooked to a higher temperature. Poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Hot dogs and other pre-cooked meats should be grilled to 165 degrees. Bring a meat thermometer along to test as you cook.

All raw meat and poultry should be thawed and kept cold until you are ready to grill. Meat can be partially cooked beforehand to decrease grilling time. However, it needs to be treated just like raw meat because bacteria will still be present until it is fully cooked. Don’t grill frozen meat or poultry as it is difficult to cook evenly and safely.

Not all foods need special handling for a picnic or barbecue. Cookies, breads, rolls and crackers can safely be kept at any temperature -- just keep them covered for freshness. Condiments such as ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard are acidic, so they are really not a problem for a picnic. Keep jar covers on, or use squeeze bottles.

Pack clean platters and utensils for serving grilled meats. Bring a separate box or plastic bag to hold dishes that have held raw meats until you bring them back home for cleaning. Better yet, use disposable trays and plastic containers to transport your raw meats, and throw them away after the barbecue.

Bring spray cleaners, soap and water (or hand sanitizer), paper towels, cloths, and napkins. Wash tables or use fresh tablecloths. Clean the grill before cooking.

If you need to use insecticides to kill mosquitoes, flies and other unfriendly pests, spray the picnic area before you bring the food, plates and utensils. Spray downwind from yourself, and let the spray settle before you unpack.

Don’t let guests serve themselves with the forks and spoons that they have used for eating. Keep clean serving utensils for each dish. 

Have guests wash their hands or use hand sanitizers and wipes to reduce the spread of bacteria from person to person. This is very important if you are serving foods that are easy to grab by hand.

By Shereen Jegtvig,

 

Turn a Junk Food Kitchen Into a Healthy Kitchen

Junk Food

Sort your food supplies into different groups such as Junk Food, OK Food, and Healthy Food. Go through all the food and cooking ingredients in your kitchen, and identify everything as Junk, OK, or Healthy.
Junk Foods have very little nutritional value, a lot of calories, and include ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, sugar, processed meats, fats, or are cooked in fats. Some examples are:

• candy
• hot dogs
• ice cream treats
• sugar coated kids' cereals
• processed cheese in cans
• high fat lunch meats
• frozen corn dogs
• high fat potato chips
• high fat corn chips
• soft drinks
• frozen french fries
• packaged dessert items
• packaged cookies

Junk Foods can also include any packaged or canned foods that have passed their expiration dates.
Once you have identified all the junk food in your kitchen, get rid of it. If you don't have the heart to waste food, then please don't replace these items with more junk food after they are eaten.

 

OK Food

OK Food includes items that aren't super healthy, but maybe not so bad for you either. Keep in mind that health food stores often have healthy versions of many of these items. Here I would include foods like:

• most canned soups, stews, and pasta meals
• white bread
• breakfast cereals that are not sugar coated, but not whole grain
• sugar-sweetened yogurt
• most salad dressings
• condiments like ketchup and mayonnaise
• jellies and jams
• dry mixes like macaroni and cheese
• boxed dinner mixes
• pasta and noodles made from regular white flour
• red meats

These OK Foods are fine to eat occasionally, but they shouldn't make up the bulk of your daily menu.

 

Healthy Food

The third group of foods would be the Healthy Foods. These are foods that are good for you, such as:

• fresh vegetables
• fresh whole fruit
• fresh greens
• lean meats and poultry
• fish fillets, steaks, or chunks of tuna or salmon
• frozen vegetables
• whole grain bread
• whole grain pasta
• low fat marinara sauces
• olive oil
• low fat dairy or soy products
• whole grain cereals
• frozen fruits
• frozen juice bars with no sugar added
• a variety of nuts and nut butters
• fresh eggs
• 
  

These are the foods that should make up most of your meals. You can also include most convenience foods purchased from health food stores.

 

Clean Your Kitchen and Remove the Clutter

 Now that you have all your food sorted out, it is time to tidy up the kitchen:

• clean all the cabinets and shelves before returning the foods you are keeping
• clean your refrigerator, including any removable racks, trays, and drawers
• clean and sanitize your silverware and utensil holders
• clean and sterilize cutting boards

It is also a good time to remove the clutter from your counter tops which only serve to get in your way and decrease your working space.

 

Restock Your Kitchen With Healthy Foods

When you go grocery shopping, use a grocery list of healthy foods. Make sure that 80 percent of the foods you buy come from the Healthy Food category, and avoid the junk foods as much as possible. Buy a variety of the healthy foods to be sure that you have ample ingredients to make tasty healthy meals. Use recipes that feature healthy ingredients, and keep a supply of herbs, garlic and any of your other favorite seasonings. Buy your convenience foods from heath food stores so that the ingredients will be healthier than conventional frozen and packaged meals.

By Shereen Jegtvig,

 

 

 

Healthy Snacks

Snacking can be good for you, or not, depending on what you eat (and how much). You can keep hunger at bay between meals and get extra nutrition by choosing nutrient-dense foods, or you can nosh on energy-dense foods and pack on the pounds quickly if you're not careful.

Think of your snack as a mini-meal and keep it balanced. Watch your portions and choose a little protein with healthy fats and high fiber carbs. You'll feel satisfied without over eating. Choose more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and fewer sugary, high-fat treats. Here are some ideas for healthy snacking. 

• Spread peanut butter on six whole grain crackers and serve with one ounce of cheese (about the size of a pair of dice).
  
  
• Cut an apple into bite-size chunks and add them to 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese. Sprinkle one tablespoon chopped walnuts or pecans (and a little honey if you like sweetness).
  
  
• Slice a whole-grain pita into 6 wedges and serve with hummus and a handful of fresh berries on the side.

• Make a fruit and cheese plate to share. Slice on apple and one pear, and serve with fresh grapes, whole grain crackers and a few thin slices of your favorite cheeses.
  
  
• Combine one cup plain low fat yogurt with 1/2 cup blueberries or strawberry slices, and 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or almonds. Add just enough honey to suit your taste.
  
  
• Spread almond butter on a piece of whole-wheat toast and add a spoonful of 100% fruit spread. Serve with a glass of non-fat milk.
  
  
• Serve olives and marinated red peppers with one slice of warm whole-grain bread.
  
  
• Bake your own tortilla chips and serve them with a chunky mango-black bean salsa.
  
  
• Make a bowl of hot oatmeal and serve with a sliced banana, 1/2 cup berries and a splash of non-fat milk.
  
  
• Have a small salad with spinach leaves, broccoli florets, tomato slices and top with 1/4 cup shredded cheese and one tablespoon of your favorite dressing.

If you really want to splurge on a candy bar, potato chips or a cookie, remember that it's fine to do that once in awhile (even once a day if you keep within your calorie budget), but keep your portions small -- just one cookie or a small candy bar. Keep these not-so-healthy treats to 200 calories or less, which the USDA calls discretionary calories. 

By Shereen Jegtvig,

Healthy After-School Snacks for Teens

Since schooldays usually end earlier than workdays, your teens probably spend some time at home alone after school. The good news is that they're old enough to go to the kitchen and feed themselves. They don’t need you to make their snacks for them anymore.

The bad news is also that they are old enough to go to the kitchen and feed themselves. When teens come home from school with growling stomachs, they may not be too interested in making the healthiest of choices. A big bag of greasy potato chips, some dip and sugary soda will probably become the after-school snack of choice because it is easy and tastes good, not because it is good for them.

Good snacks like fresh fruits refuel your teen and give them important nutrients. Poor snacks add extra sugar, saturated fats, and sodium to your kids’ body. And if portions aren't controlled, these snacks may ruin their appetite for your healthy family dinner later.

You can help your teen by providing healthy, easy-to-prepare after school snacks:

Frozen Grapes

Buy a pound of seedless grapes and pluck them from the vine. Wash them and place a handful of grapes into several sandwich-sized freezer bags, and put the bags in the freezer. Once the grapes are frozen, they develop a popsicle-like texture and taste deliciously sweet without any added sugar.

Precut Vegetables and Dip

Teens love chips and dip, but they don’t need the extra fats and sodium. Replace the chips with fresh-cut raw vegetables. Try carrot sticks or slices, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, snap peas and celery. Even picky eaters will find one vegetable to eat.

Your kids can dip the raw vegetables into veggie dip, regular chip dip, nacho cheese dip lite or regular salad dressing. Obviously some dips are healthier than others are (cheap nacho cheese dip from the grocery store probably lacks real cheese), but I think the main goal with this snack is to get those extra vegetables into your teen.

Whole Grain Bread and Peanut Butter

Make the switch from white bread to 100% whole wheat bread, and any sandwich is instantly healthier. Peanut butter adds protein and healthy fats. If your teen has a sweet tooth, bring home a jar of 100% fruit spread that is naturally sweet rather than a jar of jelly that has extra sugar or high fructose corn syrup. You can also enjoy other types of butters such as soy nut butter, almond butter and cashew butter.

Lite Popcorn

What could be easier than tossing a bag of popcorn in the microwave? Popcorn is high in fiber, so it makes a good snack if you don’t drown it in butter or margarine. You can choose brands that are lower in fat and salt or buy a microwave popcorn popper. Let your teen experiment with different seasonings to add flavor and zest.

Whole Wheat Pretzels

Whole grains are important because they add fiber to your teen’s diet. Fiber is important for a healthy digestive system, and most teens don’t get enough. Regular pretzels are made from over-processed flour that has had all of the bran and much of the fiber removed. Whole wheat pretzels retain the goodness of fiber and still taste great slathered in mustard.

Make Your Own Trail Mix

Does your teen like to grab a granola bar for a quick treat? Granola bars sounds like they should be good for you, but many of them contain unwanted fats, sugar and extra calories. You can make a healthier alternative by making your own trail mix. Just blend one cup each of two different whole grain cereals, like whole grain Cheerios and Shredded Wheat. Add one cup of mixed nuts and one-half cup of raisins or other dried fruits. You can even add a half cup of chocolate chips. You can also add shelled sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or soy nuts.

Smoothies

Fruit smoothies are much better for your teen than milk shakes or malts and are fun to make too. Frozen bananas make a good base for smoothies. So when your bananas become a little too ripe for your taste, cut them into one-inch chunks and keep them in the freezer. To make a smoothie, just toss four or five chunks of frozen bananas into a high-quality blender with a cup of low-fat milk, a handful of strawberries or blueberries and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Blend until smooth and pour into a tall glass.

Hummus and Pita or Crackers

As an alternative to vegetables and dips, have some hummus on hand to serve with whole-wheat pita bread or with whole-grain crackers or breadsticks. Hummus is made with chickpeas (or garbanzo beans), which makes it a terrific source of protein and healthy fats.

Yogurt Parfait

Plain yogurt is good for your teens who probably aren’t getting enough calcium, but the taste may be kind of boring. Spruce up yogurt with berries, sliced peaches and crunchy cereal flakes, nuts or seeds. Plain yogurt can also be used for healthy, low-fat veggie dips.

Healthy Beverages

Teens often have a fondness for beverages with lots of sugar and caffeine like sodas, coffee drinks and energy drinks. Not a good idea, especially later in the day. The caffeine may make for some sleepless nights and the extra sugar is just extra calories. Make sure you keep healthier beverages that still taste great such as 100% fruit and vegetable juices, low-fat milk, sparkling water and plain chilled water. Keep sliced lemons and limes handy to add a bit of flavor to plain water.

Getting Rid of the Bad Stuff

It may not be enough to supply healthy snacks, you may need to get rid of the unhealthy foods as well, depending on your kids’ eating behavior. One teen can easily ignore a tub of ice cream in the freezer while another can’t resist the temptation to devour it. If you have a teen (or adult or child) in your home who has a difficult time resisting high-calorie foods, keep such foods out of the house.

This doesn't mean you have to deprive your family of fun foods (every kid needs a treat now and then) just regulate them. When you decide that an ice cream treat is in order, hit the ice cream shop. Don’t buy bags of candy bars at the grocery or discount store, but occasionally bring home one individual candy bar for each family member. The same idea applies to eating cakes, cookies, greasy chips and donuts: They should be considered treats, not daily dietary staples.

By Shereen Jegtvig,

Let's Dish!

 

The Bottom Line

 

Finding the time to prepare delicious and healthy meals at home is tough. Lots of time spent shopping for ingredients, having to buy more than you need (what do you do with the leftover miso paste?), making a big mess in the kitchen - just thinking of all of the clean-up makes me want to order out. Wouldn't it be great if creating delicious home-cooked healthy dinners could be fun and easy, and not such a chore?

Let's Dish! makes it possible for you to create restaurant-style dishes at one of their cheerful meal preparation stores. Saving time and serving beautiful meals is so easy when you start with Let's Dish!

 Pros

• Make several delicious and healthy meals for easy week-night dinners.
• No mess in your kitchen, they clean up after you.
• Home-cooked dinners without the grocery shopping.
• No need to let unused ingredients go to waste on your kitchen shelves.
• Friendly and helpful staff make meal preparing easy.

Cons

• Let's Dish! stores not located in every state yet.

 Description

• Customers prepare high-quality meals at workstations fully stocked with fresh ingredients.
• The meals can be cooked at home or stored in the freezer for easy-to-cook healthy meals on those busy weeknights.
• Don't want to dish your own? For a little higher price, the staff at Let's Dish! will do it for you. Just pick up and go.
• You can tweak the recipes to suit your tastes, or those of the picky eaters in your family.
• More than a dozen dishes are available and the menu changes each month. Side dishes and desserts are available too.
• Go to their website to set up a time for your two hour dishing session or to order dishes to be picked up.
• Their website lists the nutrition information for each dish. You know exactly how healthy your meal will be.
• Each dish is designed to serve six people, however the dishes can be split into convenient servings of three.
• The friendly staff staff will answer your questions, provide cooking tips, and clean up after you. How great is that?
• Let's Dish! is very community-oriented and has programs available for local schools and organizations.

By Shereen Jegtvig,

Cooking Healthy Foods in a Hurry

The task of cooking a big meal after a full day of work might seem kind of daunting. You might be tempted to make a side trip to the closest fast food restaurant or maybe order a pizza. While that might be OK once a month or so, don't make it a habit. Those fast foods are loaded with saturated fats, sodium, sugar and calories.

Does that mean you are doomed to spend an hour and a half in the kitchen every night if you want to feed your family healthy meals? Nope. Not at all. Some tasty and healthy shortcuts can make cooking easy and delicious. All that is required is the right kitchen equipment and a little smart shopping at your grocery store to make healthy choices.

Here are some tips for healthy, quick and tasty meals: 

Need dinner now because you are in a big hurry? Don't go the fast food route; stop at your grocery store instead. Most grocery stores have deli sections with lots of dishes that are ready to heat and serve. Be sure to choose foods that aren’t loaded with creamy sauces or gravies, and don't buy the fried chicken and greasy potato wedges. Instead, pick up a hot fresh rotisserie chicken. These chickens are low in fat, often nicely seasoned and all you have to do is carve the bird and serve it with vegetables and a salad.

The freezer section of your store has several varieties of healthy vegetables. There are blends of vegetables with their own sauces (watch for fat and sodium) as well as brands that steam right in your microwave. My favorite is Birds Eye Steamfresh vegetables.

Make your own salad at the grocery store's salad bar or grab some greens and pre-cut vegetables. Wash the greens and fresh vegetables, toss and serve. Serve with low-fat salad dressing on the side.

What if you have a little more time to prepare dinner? 

Choose fresh meats that are ready to cook in your oven. Go to the meat department of the grocery store and look for skinless seasoned chicken breasts or healthy salmon fillets. Place them in a baking dish and pop it in the oven. There is virtually no prep time and little clean up so you have plenty of time to make your side dishes.

Use a vegetable steamer/rice cooker (buy direct) that can prepare two healthy side dishes at once. The steamer does the work while you relax or get your other errands done. Get a steamer with a built-in timer so your vegetables will be ready when you get home. 

Buy a slow cooker (buy direct). Make your own hearty soup with some low-sodium broth, chunks of lean beef or chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and celery or try an easy slow cooker recipe. You can also buy dinner mixes meant for your crock pot. But read the labels; they usually are high in fat and sodium.

Do you have a bread maker (buy direct) hiding on the back shelf of your pantry? Bring it out and make your own fresh bread. Set a timer so that when you get home the bread will be warm and ready to serve with a meal or a simple bowl of soup. There are boxes of bread mixes all ready to go; just add a bit of water and some canola oil and press the start button. Have fun with your bread mixes by adding extra ingredients such as a quarter cup of chopped nuts or shredded cheese. You can also substitute a cup of room-temperature beer for the water and maybe some chopped chili peppers for a little kick. My favorite bread mixes are Hodgson Mill’s Nine Grain Bread mix, and Honey Whole Wheat. 

What about buying frozen meals? 

When you go to the freezer section of your grocery store, you will find lots of frozen meals. Some are small and low in calories, others are huge with lots of calories and fat and high in sodium. Lean Cuisine, Weight Watchers and Healthy Choice offer frozen foods that are healthier than most other brands. Make them even healthier by adding some extra vegetables or salad and a slice of whole grain bread.

The best frozen meals are ones you make yourself. If you can devote a whole weekend in your kitchen (and you have a big freezer), you can try once a month cooking. As always, choose healthy recipes that are low in calories and high in nutrition. Look for recipes that use lean meats, poultry or fish and lots of vegetables. 

If you don't have a whole weekend to prepare meals, but you do have a few hours, find a meal preparation store such as Let's Dish! These stores offer delicious recipes, high quality ingredients, helpful staff, and best of all, someone else cleans up. Look for a meal preparation store near you.

So you see, with a little preparation and a healthy grocery list, you can enjoy healthy, delicious and easy-to-make meals at home. 

By Shereen Jegtvig,