February 2, 2012
 Super Bowl Sunday…football’s biggest day of the year. All over the world people will get together for football, outrageous ads and of course, fabulous food. I want my food to be bold and aggressive…full of flavor. How about you?
What do you have planned? Whether it’s a small party or a blockbuster, everyone looks forward to the food. But do you have to walk away feeling like a football? Absolutely not!
Bold, great tasting healthy food is not an oxymoron. I checked in with some of my colleagues for their Super Bowl recipes and tips. No need to punt when you can put out a spread the defensive line would be glad to plate up and at a cost that won’t be a budget buster.
Here’s our game day menu:
Classic Hummus
Tortilla Mexican Soup
Buffalo Chicken Bites
Dorine’s Super-fast Chili
Super Easy Super Cheesy Super Bowl Toast
Festive Fruit Bowl
Fruity Chocolate Clusters
Let’s get started. While you’re putting the finishing touches on your fabulous food spread, try dietitian Sharon Palmer’s recipe for Classic Hummus and serve it with whole wheat pita triangles, a big platter of veggies and a lighter version of chips. The hummus takes the hunger edge off. Remember you can make some of these items a day ahead.
Dr. Barb, known as the Nutrition Budgeteer, has a recipe for Tortilla Mexican Soup. It’s perfect to serve in a big coffee mug. If you’re in a hurry and don’t mind the additional expense, save time by purchasing a rotisserie chicken. Put this soup out along with the hummus and you have two filling appetizers your guests can start to enjoy.
Save about one pound of your rotisserie chicken to make these Buffalo Chicken Bites. Your guests can snack all thru the game on these easy-to-eat bites.
 Buffalo Chicken Bites
Source: These recipes were developed by the Unilever Chefs.
36 skewers
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 8 minutes
2 Tbsp. Promise® Buttery Spread
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, lightly pounded 1/4-inch thick (about 2 breasts)
2 Tbsp. cayenne pepper sauce
12 ribs celery, sliced into 2-inch pieces (36 pieces)
36 cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup Wish-Bone® Fat Free! Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing
In 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt 1/2 tablespoon Promise® Buttery Spread over medium heat and cook chicken, turning once, 8 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked; cut into 3/4-inch pieces and keep warm.
In medium microwave-safe bowl, microwave remaining Spread with cayenne pepper sauce at HIGH 15 seconds or until melted; stir until blended. Add chicken; toss to coat.
On 36 wooden skewers, alternately thread celery, tomatoes and chicken. On serving platter, arrange skewers and serve with Dressing.
See nutrition information for sodium content.
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories 90, Calories From Fat 20, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g, Total Fat 2g, Cholesterol 20mg, Sodium 240mg, Total Carbohydrate 7g, Sugars 2g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Protein 10g, Vitamin A 10%, Vitamin C 20%, Calcium 4%, Iron 4%
My go-to dish for Super Bowl Sunday is always a big pot of chili that stays on the stove at a lower simmer. My friend Dorine first made this chili. It was a hit and I begged for the recipe and found out that it’s super simple. I usually triple the recipe.
Dorine’s Chili
2 cans of reduced sodium tomato soup
2 cans of reduced sodium black beans
2 TBSP chili power
Optional: 1 pound ground turkey breast or beef or venison, chopped onions and bell peppers
First, sauté some chopped onions and green peppers in a Dutch oven or large pot (I use my pasta pot because I double or triple the recipe). Add a pound of ground turkey breast and brown (leave out if you’re vegetarian). Then add the soup, beans and chili powder. Stir and cook 10-15 minutes. Serve with grated cheese, green onions, reduced fat sour cream on top.
 Need a good gluten-free recipe? Dietitian EA Stewart shared a gluten-free recipe for Super Easy Super Cheesy Super Bowl Toast. With five simple ingredients including cheese, onions, olives, tomato paste and good bread, the result looks like a cheesy square of pizza…sure to be a big hit.
Be sure to offer a big bowl of cut up fruit or a fruit platter for snacking.
What are we missing? Of course…chocolate! Prepped in the microwave, have this recipe available for your friends will ask for it.
Fruity Chocolate Clusters
Makes: 40 clusters
Prep: 15 minutes
Microwave: 1 minute
Chill: 15 minutes
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups toasted slivered almonds
2 cups broken-up pretzel stick pieces
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.
2. In a medium-size bowl, stir together cranberries, almonds and pretzel pieces.
3.Place chocolate in a medium-size microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute, stirring halfway through; microwave another 15 seconds if necessary and stir until smooth.
4. Stir cranberry mixture into chocolate until completely coated. Place1 heaping tablespoonful of chocolate mixture onto prepared baking sheet, shaping into a mound. Repeat with remaining mixture. Chill for 15 minutes before serving.
Per cluster 74 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat.); 1 g protein; 9 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 40 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol
By Family Circle© 2007 Meredith Corporation. First published in Family Circle Magazine.
When your selecting your beverages, registered dietitian and endurance athlete Julie Upton on her website appforhealth.com says to ‘bench the high-cal beer and beverages’. Since beer is the fourth food group of Super Bowl Sunday, Julie suggests to choose super light options if you want to enjoy a few. You can find ultra-light beers as low as 55 calories and many light beers are around 100 calories a bottle. Save those calories for the chocolate!
For more helpful tips, I’m linking in my blog to this week’s blog by Dr. Joy Dubost, Director of Nutrition for the National Restaurant Association. I know your party is going to be great and I want to hear about it…ok?
Want more information? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
December 29, 2011
Happy New Year to you! Thank you for reading and sharing my blog. I appreciate you, your comments, and look forward to this year together. I like the beginning of a New Year. For me, it’s a time to review and renew. I’m one of those who likes to take an up close and personal look at my life, where I’m going and what needs to be tweaked…and believe me…there’s always a lot of tweaking to be done.
I’m sure your schedule is like mine…pretty jammed every day. Well, I’m trying to take a little better care of my health, particularly the way I eat. I know, I’m a registered dietitian but I’m human too with a long list of things that need to be done everyday and never enough time. Sound familiar? So I’m looking at real world, everyday ways that I can eat better and improve my health and I want to share them with you.
Joining me on the podcast to discuss test kitchen tips for a healthy new you is Regina Ragone, registered dietitian and Food Director at Family Circle magazine. She was part of a food trend survey for Hunter PR and their results found that in 2012, 67% of Americans will make food-related resolutions. Do you agree? Do you plan to make food-related changes/tweaks?
Regina shared ways that the Family Circle test kitchens are working to produce healthier recipes:
Lowering the sodium in their recipes. Family Circle uses ingredients like no-salt or low-salt tomatoes and adds back in a little sea salt for more punch. Regina suggests making sure your dried spices are not old! I’m definitely more aware of sodium and grow fresh herbs in small pots outside my door including rosemary, oregano, chives, and sage. Once you start using herbs and spices it’s easy to cut the salt and not go back. Plus your taste buds adapt.
Check out this month’s recipe for Chicken, Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Vindaloo that includes quinoa.
Incorporating more whole grain products like quinoa and wheat berries to bulk things up without adding fat. There are really good blends/mixes available now. Newly popular whole grain products can be a little pricey so watch for sales and coupons. Use them in place of meat for a meatless Monday dish. I like the products by truRoots…they carry a wide variety of organic whole grains and lentils such as quinoa, green lentils and brown rice.
Add great condiments like good balsamic vinegar (Regina loves Lucini’s fig), mustards and honey… all help perk up the flavor of food.
Want more information? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
December 17, 2011
Is your holiday to-do list over…whelming? Would you like to entertain family and friends but don’t know where you’d find the time to plan and prepare? Do you feel sleep deprived and more likely to say bah-humbug than Merry Christmas? Well, help is here.
My guest on the podcast this week is Heather McPherson who is the Food Editor, restaurant reviewer and a multimedia journalist for the Orlando Sentinel. She oversees the weekly Cooking & Eating section, writes four weekly columns and provides daily content for orlandosentinel.com. She is a past president of the Association of Food Journalists and currently serves on the Board of Directors.
You can follow Heather on Twitter at @OS_TheDish
I asked Heather to give us the 911 on holiday entertaining made easy and healthy. Some of her helpful tips include:
1. When you’re uncertain of the guest count, build your buffet around an item that works well to repurpose such as a ham or turkey that can be used for sandwiches, soups, casseroles, etc.
2. Begin your buffet like the pros do with salads and rolls first (the less expensive items). Your guests will fill their plates with these selections. Then place the more expensive items such as shrimp or meat at the end of the buffet line.
3. If you serve cocktails, be sure to offer nonalcoholic versions along with other non alcoholic beverages as well so people don’t have to ask.
Heather shared two of her go-to recipes that are full of flavor but can be put together in a jiffy.
White Bean Dip
Yield: 8 appetizer servings.
14-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stem
Coarse salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped chives
Bruschetta or sturdy corn chips
1. Pulse all ingredients except chives in food processor until a smooth paste forms and transfer to a bowl.
2. Fold in chives. Serve on bruschetta and garnish with chopped chives.
Feta Avocado Spread
Yield: 3 1/2 cups.
4-ounce package feta cheese (you can use reduced fat)
1 1/2-2 tablespoons olive oil
4 very ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1 teaspoon hot sauce or to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
1. Combine all ingredients with a fork until well-blended. Mixture should be slightly lumpy
2. Spoon into a serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve
Want more information on how to select fish in the grocery? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
December 8, 2011
One of my most popular blog and podcast topics is gluten-free. Do you have questions too? I’m thrilled to have as my podcast guest this week registered dietitian and a leading international expert on celiac disease and the gluten-free diet, Shelley Case. She’s a member of the Medical Advisory Boards of the Celiac Disease Foundation, Gluten Intolerance Group and Canadian Celiac Association.
Her best selling book is Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide. Shelley’s website offers a bevy of free helpful information and resources.
 Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that attacks your small intestine and persists for a lifetime. Autoimmune basically means that your body turns on itself. Specifically your intestine is damaged by the protein you eat found in wheat, rye and barley…collectively this protein is referred to as gluten.
Any food item that contains gluten is like poison to your small intestine particularly to the little fingerlike projections called villi and makes it difficult to absorb the nutrients from food such as vitamins and minerals.
Gluten is so ubiquitous that becoming a label sleuth is a top diet strategy. The dangerous grains and their protein include barley, rye, wheat, spelt and kamut while the safe grains include rice, corn, potato, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, chickpea flour and oats (have the oat discussion with your registered dietitian for your particular case).
Remember wheat free is NOT gluten free. Wheat free can contain barley, bulgur or other grains with gluten.
This is really important if you think you might have celiac disease. A gluten-free diet can interfere with obtaining an accurate diagnosis so never start on the diet until you’ve had the tests suggested by your doctor such as blood tests and a biopsy.
If you have celiac disease life is NOT over. Your diet, the gluten-free diet, can make you feel much better and it’s easier to follow than just a few years ago. Plus the really good news… when you live a gluten-free lifestyle, most of the complications associated with celiac disease can be prevented.
***Giveaway: Register to win a $20 variety pack of Lucy’s Cookies, which are gluten free and made without milk, eggs, peanuts or tree nuts making them worry-free snacks for anyone who suffers from any kind of food allergy.
Remember the bottom-line basics of the gluten-free diet for celiac disease and gluten sensitivity: The grain group is most affected and the specific grains we just mentioned.
- Dairy, fruits, vegetables and protein food groups have minimal changes especially in their most natural form
- Put your emphasis on whole foods versus processed foods or those modified in some way. Processed and modified foods are most likely to contain gluten.
- Remember there are many naturally gluten-free foods such as fruit and vegetables and many grains. Reach for whole grains such as brown rice over white rice.
Want more information on how to select fish in the grocery? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
November 10, 2011
Can you believe it? The holiday season is about to begin. What’s on your holiday menu? Have you started thinking about it? What about those party foods you’ll need to prepare? This year, try adding a variety of spices to your recipes. A sprinkle of cinnamon, a pinch of cloves and nutmeg or a touch of sage, rosemary and thyme can make all the difference in flavor.
Spices help develop the flavor profile of your food. And did you know that many spices may have a health benefit? The emerging science is fascinating especially when you consider that spices have antioxidant and protective properties.
A new study from researchers at Penn State, which was published in the Journal of Nutrition, found that seasoning a high-fat meal with two tablespoons of an antioxidant-rich spice blend could enhance antioxidant defenses and reduce the body’s negative responses.
To be specific, the antioxidant-rich spice blend increased one measure of antioxidant activity in the blood by more than 13% and decreased the insulin response by about 20%.
Post-meal triglycerides also decreased by about 30 percent, compared to the meal without spices. Typically blood triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood) rise after a high-fat meal is consumed and research suggests if high-fat meals are eaten frequently, your risk for heart disease increases.
These researchers suggest that the beneficial changes from the spices are likely due to the naturally-occurring plant compounds (polyphenols) that are equivalent to the amount found in a glass of red wine or blueberry juice.
Are you curious as to which spices made up the blend? I was. The spice blend included black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, garlic powder, ginger, oregano, paprika, rosemary and turmeric.
Did you know that one teaspoon of cinnamon contains as many antioxidants as a full cup of pomegranate juice? Cinnamon contains polyphenols, which are antioxidants that may help regulate blood sugar levels. I sprinkle it on oatmeal and also toss in dried cherries or blueberries along with a few walnuts or pecans. This past weekend, I made buttermilk-oatmeal pancakes and added a pinch of cinnamon.
What do you like on a hot dog or hamburger? Did you say mustard? Do you buy the traditional bright yellow mustard? Guess what spice is in mustard? Turmeric. The golden yellow color in turmeric comes from curcumin, which is the naturally occurring phytonutrient. By the way, if you’re a curry power fan, turmeric is one of the spices in it.
Last week I made Chicken Paella with Sausage and Olives out of Ellie Krieger’s So Easy cookbook. The turmeric adds flavor and gives that slightly yellow color to the dish. Health wise, studies suggest that the curcumin in turmeric may help slow or stop the development of harmful brain plaque or amyloid plaque tied to Alzheimer’s disease.
What are your favorite ways to use spices? If you want more information and a selection of recipes that contain these super spices, check out spicesforhealth.com
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
October 12, 2011
The other morning I wanted to stay in bed so I kept hitting the snooze button. Then I had to really hurry and make myself a quick breakfast. Without it, my energy level is that of a slug and my brain remains in neutral. Sound familiar?
But I get bored with the same cold cereal and fruit plus I want more protein to start my day.
Joining me on the podcast this week to talk about beating breakfast boredom when you’re in a hurry is my guest Regina Ragone, registered dietitian and Food Director at Family Circle magazine.
Regina has recently tasted new products from a company called Good Food Made Simple. They have frozen egg patties (think Egg McMuffin) that can be kept at work and quickly cooked in the microwave and served with a 100-calorie whole grain sandwich thin. Other products include microwavable oatmeal.
Or spread almond butter on your favorite whole grain bread, top with sliced apples and a swirl of honey. This is one of my favorite quick fixes in the fall when apples are in season.
Regina likes to perk up whole-grain cereal with almond milk or coconut milk. Although I like the flavor of both for a change, I prefer fat free milk for the eight grams of protein per cup as compared to the one gram found in either almond or coconut milk. Soymilk also has a similar protein content to milk.
What are some of your favorite healthy breakfast ideas?
Want to make pizza this weekend? We do most every weekend. It’s a fun way to get family and friends together. Try this Deep-dish veggie & pepperoni pizza for a different twist.
The holidays are quickly approaching. If you neeed a gift for someone who loves to cook, check out Family Circle’s new cookbook.
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
September 29, 2011
Do you live where the seasons change? I love Florida but miss the seasons in Tennessee where I grew up. Especially fall…the leaves as they display their vibrant orange, yellow and red colors, the bright orange of the pumpkins and all the apples.
Here’s a little trivia for you. Do you know how many varieties of apples are grown in the US? According to the website fruitsandveggiesmorematters, there are over 2500 varieties. I had no idea. Did you?
OrlandoSentinel.com recently posted a helpful article discussing many of the new apple varieties, their flavor profile and availability. The next time you grocery shop, look for some of the newer varieties with names like SweeTango, Zestar, Jazz and Pinata.
Apples work at any meal or snack. For breakfast try Baked French Toast Fritters with Apples and Bananas. Gala and Braeburn apples are both tasty choices but most any apple will work. This recipe is from Keep the Beat Recipes™: Deliciously Healthy Family Meals and comes out of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). You can download for free the PDF of this entire cookbook or choose individual recipes such as the fritters and print them.
 Do you want a good everyday baked apple recipe? Try Oven-Baked Harvest Apples. The recipe is easy enough for everyday as it can be quickly prepared in the microwave but pretty enough with the dried cranberries and pecans for the holidays when you have more time to bake the apples. Try Gala, Granny Smith, or Jonagold varieties.
If you love chocolate and apples together, check out this recipe for Apple Chocolate Dips. Four ingredients: Granny Smith apples, lemon juice, semi-sweet chocolate and chopped pistachios.
If you’re wondering why the lemon juice, it keeps the apple slices from turning brown since only part of the slice is dipped in chocolate.
The recipe calls for melting the chocolate over a double boiler. But I melt the chocolate in the microwave on medium power about 20-30 seconds at a time and stir until the chocolate is melted. These will be very fun treats for after school, fall festivals, Halloween, or to wrap in cellophane as a festive gift.
Let me know if you try any of these recipes or if you have one to share, send it to me
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
September 8, 2011
When I was in school, we referred to the unknown meat items on our lunch tray as mystery meat. Did you? What other names do you recall? Remember when ketchup was considered a vegetable? School lunches have been blasted routinely over the years…sometimes fairly and sometimes not.
No wonder many of you Moms and Dads doubt if your child can get a decent, nutritious lunch at school. But times, they are changing and for the better when it comes to our school cafeterias.
Joining me this week on my podcast is Regina Ragone, registered dietitian and Food Director at Family Circle magazine. Many of you may not know that Regina is a former school lunch manager. She recently attended the Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids Leadership Summit at the Culinary Institute of America in San Antonia and feels that we all need to be part of the solution when it comes to school lunches. Regina shared various specific ways that you can easily get involved:
1. Educate yourself about your school’s food-service program by checking the district’s or school’s website. For details about the federal National School Lunch Program, click on the Program Fact Sheet.
2. Visit healthykids.ciachef.edu/ for resources, interactive tools and doable advice for assisting your school in implementing positive changes in the lunchroom.
3. Emphasize activity along with food choices. Fuel Up to Play 60, fueluptoplay60.com, an in-school program sponsored by the National Dairy Council, encourages a one-two punch of good nutrition and at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Thanks to student ambassadors helping spread the word, this program reaches two-thirds of the schools in the U.S.
Each month Family Circle shares a recipe from their kitchen. Be sure and try this month’s recipe: Rainbow Chard and White Bean Casserole
*** Don’t forget: register to win a BBQ Roll-Up Tool Set ***
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
September 1, 2011
Have you gained any weight lately? How does it make you feel about yourself in terms of your overall self-esteem and sexuality? One of my girlfriends refers to this recently acquired weight on her back as ‘fack’ or back fat! If you’re involved with someone, does your partner support you and help you work to reach your desired weight and health goals?
Did you hear about the survey recently discussed on the Today show by psychotherapist and Today show contributor Dr. Robi Ludwig? The poll was a joint collaboration between Cosmopolitan magazine and AskMen.com and asked all types of relationship questions.
Of course the one I want to focus in on has to do with weight gain. Don’t miss this… according to this poll of 70,000 people, nearly 50% of the men said they would dump a partner who gained weight. This is in comparison to only 20% of the women who responded the same.
According to Dr. Ludwig, she has not found this response to be typical in her private practice. She says that women are much harder on themselves and their looks and weight than their partners. Do you agree?
Do you think this survey response has to do with women being more objectified than men where their bodies are constantly evaluated and sexualized…and at younger and younger ages? Think about celebrities. Gain weight and your tabloid fodder. By the way, seems to me, this is true more for women but not so much for men. Hmmm
According to the Journal of Obesity, weight discrimination is an issue for woman.
Why do you think weight gain in women is such an issue for men? Going back to the Today show segment, is it because a man’s partner is seen as an extension of him and reflects how he wants to be viewed by the world? Do you think an overweight partner sends the message that the guy is not successful or has poor self-esteem?
Ladies, when you gain weight, is your self-esteem or sexy feeling diminished? Do men pick up on this? I’m not sure there’s one answer but rather a tightly interwoven net of thoughts and feelings. Whatever happened to mutual support, understanding and working together?
I want to know what you think so post your comment on my blog at susanmitchell.org or Facebook page…both which you will find at susanmitchell.org
On a completely separate note, if you plan to grill out this weekend, try these grilling recipes from I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!
*** For sharing their recipes with you, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!Ò has provided BBQ Roll-Up Tool Sets as giveaways so register to win one of these grill sets today! ***
SHRIMP SCAMPI SKEWERS
4 servings Prep Time: 10 minutes Marinate Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes
1 lb. uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on
4 green onions, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 lemon, halved and sliced
20 sprays I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spray Original
Combine shrimp, onions, lemon juice and garlic in medium bowl. Cover and marinate 10 minutes.
Alternately thread shrimp, onions and lemon slices on skewers*. Grill or broil, turning once and spraying with 10 sprays I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spray Original, 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.
Just before serving, spray with remaining 10 Sprays.
*If using wooden skewers, soak in water at least 30 minutes prior to use.
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories 130, Calories From Fat 20, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g, Total Fat 2g, Cholesterol 170mg, Sodium 190mg, Total Carbohydrate 6g, Sugars 1g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Protein 24g, Vitamin A 8%, Vitamin C 50%, Calcium 8%, Iron 20%
Recipe Courtesy of Unilever Kitchens
SUMMERTIME GRILLED VEGETABLES
4 servings Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes
3 lbs. your favorite vegetables (red onions, zucchini, asparagus, bell peppers), sliced or cut into chunks
30 sprays I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spray Original
Alternately thread vegetables on skewers*. Grill or broil vegetables until tender. Arrange vegetables on serving platter. Spray with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spray Original.
*If using wooden skewers soak at least 30 minutes prior to use.
Cost per recipe**: $4.92
Cost per serving**: $1.23
**Based on average retail prices at national supermarkets.
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories 90, Calories From Fat 10, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g, Total Fat 1g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 40mg, Total Carbohydrate 17g, Sugars 9g, Dietary Fiber 6g, Protein 5g, Vitamin A 60%, Vitamin C 170%, Calcium 6%, Iron 20%
Recipe Courtesy of Unilever Kitchens
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
August 25, 2011
Did you hear that a study from the University of Texas published in the journal Pediatrics tested over 700 lunches belonging to preschoolers and found that 98% of the perishable products such as meats, vegetables and dairy products were in the unsafe temperature zone or rather the zone for growing bacteria? This danger zone is from 40-140 degrees so room temperature falls in this range.
What does this mean? If you’re packing lunches and they remain at room temperature for over two hours the food may become a breeding ground for bacteria. It’s a must-do to include a couple of cold packs and freeze items such as grapes, juice packs or bottles of water that will thaw as the day wears on. All of these tricks matter when it comes to keeping food safe.
Let’s scrub up on food safety:
1. If your children or you take a packed lunch, first find out if there is an option to put the lunch in a refrigerator. If not, the best lunch box choice is one that’s insulated plus will hold several cold packs. Cold packs tucked around the perishable items sounds like overkill but it’s the safe way to go. Freezing items such as grapes and juice boxes also helps keep perishable items cold. What items do you freeze?
2. What about preventing food poisoning at home with produce you purchase for lunches? Wash fruit and veggies when you bring them home BEFORE they go in the refrigerator or fruit bowl. Why? Salmonella and other bacteria can be on the outside of your cantaloupe or kiwi and will contaminate the fruit when you bite or cut into it.
3. When you walk in your kitchen to make lunch for the kids or yourself or when you eat lunch at work for that matter, the first thing to do is wash your hands. You would think washing hands is a no-brainer but you’d be surprised how many people use their computer keyboard, cell phone, TV remote or other items known to be covered with bacteria and then touch food. This is a very easy way to cross contaminate or spread germs from one item to something else. Use a hand sanitizer if a sink isn’t available. No need to become germ phobic just be smart about what you do and you lower the risk that anyone gets sick.
As we’re getting ready for fall schedules, last weekend I made a batch of Banana, Date & Walnut Muffins and put them in the freezer. Some of my college roommates are coming for a visit and I want to have some breakfast and snack muffins on hand. The muffins are naturally sweet from the dates and bananas and make a nice lunch box treat.
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
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Super Bowl Sunday…football’s biggest day of the year. All over the world people will get together for football, outrageous ads and of course, fabulous food. I want my food to be bold and aggressive…full of flavor. How about you?
Need a good gluten-free recipe? Dietitian EA Stewart shared a gluten-free recipe for Super Easy Super Cheesy Super Bowl Toast. With five simple ingredients including cheese, onions, olives, tomato paste and good bread, the result looks like a cheesy square of pizza…sure to be a big hit.
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