Do You Know What You You Are Getting When The Label Says Natural?

Food labels have the power to persuade you to buy things with the promise of being healthy and clean.  But do you really know what natural means on a food label?  The FDA considers natural to mean “that nothing artificial or synthetic (including all color additives regardless of source) has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in that food”. This definition does not include how the food may have been manufactured or processed, including pesticides, antibiotics, GMO’s, irradiation and growth hormones. Although the FDA has given this definition of natural, they do not regulate it at this point in time. An example of a food product the FDA would consider natural is high fructose corn syrup (not the healthiest ingredient). Being a food detective and reading labels becomes important. If you don’t recognize an ingredient, even if the label says its “all natural”, look it up.  You might be unpleasantly surprised. The more ingredients in a food label, the more you should be aware. If you are concerned about avoiding GMO foods, look for certified organic on the label. Unless a label specifically states it is antibiotic free, even if the label says natural, you will still need to contact the manufacturer if you want to confirm the product does not contain antibiotics. Do not assume foods labeled natural have not been sprayed with pesticide or irradiated. Energy bars tend to be glorified candy bars, even if they have natural in the label.  On average, most bars have a minimum of three different forms of sugar, including high fructose corn syrup.  They also tend to contain cellulose (a non toxic wood pulp). Natural prepared salad dressing tend to be loaded with sugar and other fillers.  It is very easy to make your own dressing with your favorite vinegar, olive oil, herbs and mustard (if you want emulsification).  Cereal, chips and many other boxed goods have ingredients that can tout they are natural but may contain ingredients that you may not want to consume.

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Just because the label says natural, do not assume it is good for you.  The best way to ensure you are eating the healthiest you can, it is best to avoid packaged and processed foods as frequently as possible.  Eating a whole food diet is always the best way to go. It is easy to be wooed by labels promising health and wellness using the word natural, but buyer beware! It is not always as good as it seems. Tilapia & Summer Vegetable Packets From EatingWell:  July/August 2007, EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook (2008)

Makes: 4 servings Active Time: 35 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes

• 1 cup quartered cherry, or grape tomatoes
• 1 cup diced summer squash
• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 12 green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup pitted and coarsely chopped black olives
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon capers, rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into 4 equal portions

  PREPARATION

1. Preheat grill to medium. (No grill?

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   See Oven Variation, below.)

2. Combine tomatoes, squash, onion, green beans, olives, lemon juice, oregano, oil, capers, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.
3. To make a packet, lay two 20-inch sheets of foil on top of each other (the double layers will help protect the contents from burning); generously coat the top piece with cooking spray.

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   Place one portion of tilapia in the center of the foil. Sprinkle with some of the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper, then top with about 3/4 cup of the vegetable mixture.

4. Bring the short ends of the foil together, leaving enough room in the packet for steam to gather and cook the food. Fold the foil over and pinch to seal. Pinch seams together along the sides. Make sure all the seams are tightly sealed to keep steam from escaping. Repeat with more foil, cooking spray and the remaining fish, salt, pepper and vegetables.
5. Grill the packets until the fish is cooked through and the vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes. To serve, carefully open both ends of the packets and allow the steam to escape. Use a spatula to slide the contents onto plates. Oven Variation: Preheat oven to 425°F. Place green beans in a microwavable bowl with 1 tablespoon water. Cover and microwave on High until the beans are just beginning to cook, about 30 seconds. Drain and add to the other vegetables (Step 2). Assemble packets (Steps 3-4). Bake the packets directly on an oven rack until the tilapia is cooked through and the vegetables are just tender, about 20 minutes.

Per serving: 181 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 57 mg cholesterol; 8 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 24 g protein; 2 g fiber; 435 mg sodium; 591 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (68% daily value), Vitamin C (30% dv), Potassium (17% dv).  

Should We Consume Full Fat Dairy?

A number of studies have been published recently, in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Circulation that have created controversy over whether or not we should switch back to full fat dairy. The first study was a prospective study that observed that middle aged women who consumed full fat dairy had an 8% less risk of  developing obesity than those who did not consume full fat dairy.  One of the reasons for this could be that fat has a higher level of satiety (feeling full), so those women felt more satisfied, and therefore ate less.  The other study was also a prospective study that observed that people who consumed full fat dairy had a 46% lower risk of developing diabetes over a fifteen year period as opposed to those who chose to consume low fat dairy.  This was found by studying that higher plasma dairy fatty acid concentrations were associated with a lower incident of diabetes. The mechanism of why this occurred is still unknown, but it might also be due to that feeling of satiety, so people consumed less, and where therefor were a healthier weight (which reduced the risk of diabetes). It is very important to note that both of these studies were prospective studies.  Prospective research  watches for outcomes, such as the development of a disease, during the study period and relates this to other factors such as suspected risk or protection factor(s). The study usually involves taking a cohort (a group of subjects who have shared a particular event together during a particular time span ) of subjects and watching them over a long period. This type of research is observational, and we will probably be seeing more conflicting evidence in regard to full fat dairy over the next few years. Optimally, the research to be trusted is RTC (randomized control trials) of which neither of these are. This is all preliminary research and more data is yet to come. The U.S. Dietary guidelines currently recommend that we keep saturated fat to no more than 10% of our total calories. To understand how this translates, a cup of whole milk has 4.6 grams of saturated fat, which is approximately 1/4 of your daily total of saturated fat. For those with cholesterol issues, the American Heart Association recommends reducing saturated fat to no more than 5 to 6% of total daily calories. It is important to consume healthy fats from fatty fish (fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines, and albacore tuna), nuts, avocado, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds and vegetable oil.  The U.S Dietary guidelines recommend we consume 25 to 35% of our calories from fat. Although these new studies show interesting promise for weight maintenance and diabetes control, at this point, for heart health and weight control, the best choice is still to consume low fat/non fat dairy and to pay attention to saturated fat consumption.   Vanilla-Pomegranate Parfaits From EatingWell:  November/December 2010

Makes: 6 servings Active Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 3 3/4 hours (including 3 hours chilling time)

POMEGRANATE COMPOTE

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds (see Tip)
• 2/3 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds for garnish
• 6 mint sprigs for garnish

PREPARATION

1. To prepare compote: Mix 2 tablespoons sugar with 2 teaspoons cornstarch in a small saucepan. Add pomegranate seeds, pomegranate juice and lemon juice; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until syrupy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Refrigerate while you prepare the pudding.
2. To prepare pudding: Combine milk and half-and-half in a medium heavy saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean (or add vanilla extract). Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat, cover and let steep for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk egg, egg yolk, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch in a medium bowl. Reheat the milk mixture just until steaming. Carefully whisk one-third of the steaming milk into the egg mixture. Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the pan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until very thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in butter.
4. To prepare parfaits: Divide the pomegranate compote among six 6-ounce (3/4 cup) parfait glasses, ramekins or other small dessert cups. Spoon the pudding mixture over the compote. Cover and refrigerate until the pudding is well chilled and firm, at least 3 hours. To serve, garnish each parfait with pomegranate seeds and a mint sprig, if desired.

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the compote (Step 1), cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Cover and refrigerate parfaits for up to 8 hours.
• Tip: To seed a pomegranate, fill a large bowl with water. Lightly score the fruit into quarters from crown to stem end, cutting through the skin but not into the interior of the fruit. Hold the fruit under water, break it apart and use your hands to gently separate the plump seeds (arils) from the outer skin and white pith. The seeds will drop to the bottom of the bowl and the pith will float to the surface. Discard the pith. Pour the seeds into a colander. Rinse and pat dry. Seeds can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Per serving: 209 calories; 8 g fat (4 g sat, 2 g mono); 88 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 15 g added sugars; 4 g protein; 1 g fiber; 48 mg sodium; 189 mg potassium.