Talk About Nutrition and Health
Sally Squires
Washington Post Health and Nutrition Writer
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
1:00 PM
Confused about nutrition? Wondering how to fit in more physical activity? Welcome to the Lean Plate Club. Ask Sally Squires, nationally syndicated Lean Plate Club columnist for the Washington Post, about eating smart and moving more every Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET. Sally draws upon her master's degree in nutrition from Columbia University to preside over the lively Lean Plate Club web chat. Whether you're trying to reach a healthier weight or simply maintain it, you'll find plenty of tips and strategies.
Share your own food finds, creative workouts and secrets for healthy, great tasting meals. We'll cheer your successes and help with your setbacks. (None of this, of course, is a substitute for medical advice.) E-mail Sally, author of the newly published Secrets of the Lean Plate Club (St. Martin's Press) at leanplateclub@washpost.com.
Or just sign up for the free Lean Plate Club e-mail newsletter. The Lean Plate Club column appears Tuesdays in the Washington Post Health section and is nationally syndicated by the Washington Post Writers Group. Find other Lean Plate Club members at www.frappr.com/leanplateclub.
The Archives:
A transcript follows.
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Sally Squires: Welcome to the Lean Plate Club! Hope that you all had a great holiday weekend.
You'll find a news packed Lean Plate Club e-mail newsletter today with updates on the latest food-borne outbreaks in peanut butter to a new warning about baby food. You'll also find new tips on physical activity, information about new heart guidelines for women from the American Heart Association and of course, links to plenty of new recipes to try.
To subscribe to this free, weekly, e-mail newsletter, just log onto our home-page, click on newsletter. Click on subscribe (at the top of the page) and you're good to go. Also, if you ever don't receive your newsletter, please let me know that too. (E-mail me anytime at leanplateclub@washpost.com)
I'd also like to welcome Kathleen Hom, who is working part-time as my assistant. She's a graduate of the University of Virginia, speaks fluent German and is very cheery, good-natured and fun. I'm delighted to have her on the LPC team and think that you will too.
Today's Web chat prizes today are:
"DanceX Everybody's Workout," by Total Body Cardio (DVD)
"Good Housekeeping's The Supermarket Diet," by Janis Jibrin, MS, RD (Hearst Books)
"The Cleveland Clinic's Healthy Heart Lifestyle Guide and Cookbook," by Bonnie Sanders Polin, PhD and Frances Towner Giedt (Broadway)
"The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth," by Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS (Fair Winds Press)
Here's the deal: Assist a Lean Plate Club member on this chat. Wow us with your latest healthy food find, healthy recipe (please give credit where credit is due!) or cool new way to work out. Or just tell us how you've reached a healthier weight. Winners are announced at the end of each chat. (And the lawyers make me say that in making this offering, we are not endorsing any diet or exercise regimen. It's simply provides additional resources for you as you seek to instill healthier habits for a healthier weight.)
Last, but not least, I have free Excel spreadsheets for counting Weight Watchers points and free Word documents for counting calories and activity. If you'd like either -- and both have been provided through the generosity of other LPCers -- please e-mail me at leanplateclub@washpost.com. Please put Excel in the subject line for the first; Word in the subject line for the second. (Thanks again to the five LPCers who have provided these for sharing.)
Now on to the chat!
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Royal Oak, Mich.: Measure for measure, do all nuts (walnuts, pecans, peanuts, etc.) have the same calorie count and fat grams?
Sally Squires: They're pretty close, but not identical. So macadamias and pecans have the most calories -- 200 per ounce. Almonds, cashews and pistachios have the least, with 160 calories per ounce. We'll post a couple of links in a minute that will give you more information. Stay tuned...
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Living alone: Hi Sally,
I love this chat! I was wondering whether you or the chatters could share some advice on eating when living alone. I find that I tend to eat more, because since no one's watching, it feels like it doesn't count (even though it obviously does!). I do fine when I'm around others; it's just when I'm home by myself, for example weekend mornings, when I start munching. It's also hard because a lot of food is sold in quantities appropriate to a family of three or four, not one, so I end up with too much food that stays around till I eat it. I try to distract myself but it doesn't always work. Any tips? Thanks!!
Sally Squires: You've come to the right place! A couple of thoughts and then I'll toss it to the larger membership:
1. Go ahead and buy those larger quantities at the store, but when you get home separate them into single portions. (And be sure to do this when you're NOT hungry!)
2. Have some crunchy snacks available in the front of the 'fridge for mindless eating. This could be small baggies of baby carrots, slices of sweet pepper, celery, cauliflower. No time? You can buy veggie trays already prepared.
3. Set the table with a nice placemat. Fix a meal -- if you cook more than what you can eat, you can save the rest for another meal. Turn on some good music, but not the television, which can distract you from eating. Then sit and enjoy your meal, savoring every bite. You're worth it!
Now other suggestions out there? Feel free to weigh in with your tips.
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Vienna, Austria: Sally: I finally finished reading Michael Pollan's article in the New York Times Magazine from Jan. 28 -- "Unhappy Meals." Really eye-opening, but he makes a statement that sounds strange to me -- I'll see if I can e-mail him but I thought I'd try you first. I thought frozen veggies/fruit were essentially the same as fresh -- maybe even better because they had not sat on the shelf for days before being eaten. But Pollan writes, "freezing food destroys the fiber that would slow sugar absorption." Does this mean frozen veggies and fruit contain no fiber???
Thanks!
Sally Squires: I also read that article and thought it was thought-provoking. But did have some quibbles with it, including that statement that you point out. Fresh, frozen and canned fruit and vegetables are quite similar in nutritional content. (Although, canned and frozen can sometimes have much more sodium depending on how they are prepared.) I've never seen any data to suggest that freezing destroys fiber in food. It would be interesting to find out his source for that bit of into. Hope that helps. And I'd love to know how you discovered the Lean Plate Club in Austria!
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Providence, R.I.: I've been doing pretty darn well with eating smarter over the past few months (more fruits, less processed foods), and have taken a liking to, rather, an addiction, to walnuts. If given the opportunity, I could eat almost a whole bag, but I try to restrain myself to 5-8 throughout the day. I know they're a great source of omega-3s, but I hear they're fattening. True? (FWIW: I don't eat any fish, or meat for that matter, so no omega-3s coming in anywhere else.) Please help -- I'm baffled!
Sally Squires: Those walnuts are a great source of healthy fat. But as you sharply note, they are also fattening. So yes, you want to go easy. One ounce of English walnuts -- that's about 14 halves -- has 185 calories, 4 grams of protein and 18 grams of fat. Since you don't eat fish, we'll post a link to other good sources of omega-3s. They include flaxseed. But fish and seafood remain the very best source of these healthy fats. One other option: fish oil capsules.
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Reston: Hi Sally,
I loved the column on pregnancy and seafood. I am a 27-year-old woman, and my husband and I do not want to have kids. Should I watch my seafood intake for mercury, or can I eat as much as I want? I love salmon and tuna and have about three to four servings a week.
Thanks!
washingtonpost.com: Today's Lean Plate Club column:
Sally Squires: The federal guidelines from the FDA/EPA remain in effect. They say that women of childbearing ages who want to get pregnant (as well as pregnant women, women nursing and kids) should have no more than 12 ounces per week of seafood and fish. But the latest findings point to benefits of getting more omega-3s. As Harvard's Eric Rimm noted, perhaps the fix should be in letting you and other women know that this amount is a goal, not a limit.
The salmon you love is very rich in omega-3s. So is the tuna. And if you're eating light (tonno) tuna, rather than Albacore, it's also pretty low in mercury. FYI, some women in the Lancet study were eating six pounds of seafood per week. Remember that the federal guidelines say to limit to 6 ounces of Albacore per week if you want to get pregnant. If in doubt, variety may also be the saving grace. Wish I could be more definitive, but I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the current guidelines.
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Washington, D.C.: Hi Sally,
I just read your column and it made me concerned -- I'm not pregnant but I hope to have kids in the next 5-10 years. However, I am a vegetarian and I don't eat fish, and really never have. For a long time, I thought this was good because I was avoiding the toxins that can be present in fish, and I try to eat plenty of flax-seeds to get Omega-3s. If I get pregnant should I take some kind of fish oil supplement or start eating fish? I would really prefer not to but the results of this study seem to suggest that it could be detrimental to my children if I don't! What is your advice?
Thanks!
Sally Squires: The flax seeds are good -- so are nuts -- but neither duplicates the longer chain omega-3 fatty acids that you get in seafood and fish. Fish oil supplements would be a possible option for you. It's a question to raise with your obstetrician when you are pregnant. Also, you can now get an increasing number of foods with DHA and EPA (the healthy omega 3s) added. Fortified foods include some healthy margarines, including Smart Balance, and eggs (which may not be part of your eating plan either.)
If you do decide to add fish to your diet, sardines, anchovies, shrimp, salmon, etc. are good options that are quite low in mercury. Hope that helps. Thanks.
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Philly: Sally, thanks so much for this chat and your columns. They have been so helpful for me in regaining control of my health (70 pounds off since 11/05). I appreciated seeing the new study on the value of seafood in pregnancy. Seafood has been a key part of my diet changes. I spent a month in Louisiana doing disaster relief after Katrina and developed a love for cat fish. I never see it mentioned in seafood articles. Is it okay with regards to contaminants, etc.?
Sally Squires: Congratulations on those 70 pounds, Philly! That's wonderful. And how great is it that you've also been part of the relief efforts on the Gulf Coast. That's wonderful too.
Catfish is mostly farmed these days. And there have been some concerns about fish farms have been located too close to agricultural run-offs. But for the most part, catfish seems to be a good choice in terms of omega-3s and low mercury. Of course, it's better if it's not deep-fat fried, too!
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Minneapolis: I was reading the Wendy's nutrition menu the other day and was surprised to see the focaccia sandwiches were often higher in fat than the burgers. In my mind non-fried equals healthier, but one sandwich had as much as 590 calories. Just a word to the wise if anyone else had the same assumption.
Sally Squires: Excellent catch, Minneapolis! You've just given us a prime example of why it is so very important to read labels. What we think may be low in calories, isn't always the case as you have just so ably demonstrated!
How about you? Have you discovered some fast food surprises? Weigh in here, or send me an e-mail after the chat.
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Alexandria, Va: Dietitians and nutritionists routinely say not to skip breakfast, that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I am 64 and retired and often don't get out of bed until 9 or 10. And I don't feel hungry until noon or later. At that time my favorite thing to eat has become two pieces of whole wheat toast with less than one tablespoon of peanut butter per piece. Could you please comment on the necessity of "breakfast" and when it should be eaten?
And also, does it matter if I eat the same thing every day?
Sally Squires: Variety is the spice of life. So on the one hand, it can be good for caloric reasons to eat the same thing repeatedly. But for nutritional purposes, variety is best. Bottom line: find a path that incorporates a bit of both. (Moderation in all things is one of the Lean Plate Club mottos.)
Many people say that their stomachs just don't wake up when they do. So if you're one of those, you may be fine. (And that breakfast you have chosen is okay. But you could make it better by eating whole grain bread, if you're not already doing that, and adding some fruit plus a glass of skim milk or another food that is calcium fortified.)
Here's my question for you: Do you find that you're ravenous later in the day when your stomach really wakes up? If you're over-eating later to compensate, then it would be wise to start stoking that stomach with food a little earlier in the day. After all, assuming that you have slept for eight hours, you've also fasted for that length of time, too. Your body needs food. Eating a little earlier in the day may also be one way to cut hunger off at the pass later in the day. You can go slowly: perhaps just have half a slide of toast. Or maybe just a piece of cheese with your morning coffee or tea.
Here's another question for you: a lot of older Americans don't eat enough and become frail. So if you fall into that category, you also want to be sure to guard your nutrition carefully with regular, well-balanced meals. And if eating alone makes it harder for you to eat enough, you might plan a few meals with others. Studies clearly show that most of us eat more when we eat with other people.
Bottom line: there's no set time for breakfast, but it's generally a good idea to eat within about an hour of rising, whatever time you get up!
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Washington, D.C.: Hi Sally!
I need help motivating. I can be so disciplined about my diet during the week when the structure of my working day only allows me certain times to eat and limited access to foods. I cook for myself, I bring lunch and healthy snacks to work, etc. But when the weekend rolls around, I totally lose focus and splurge. I eat way too much and I think this is the reason I am unable to lose the last few pounds. Any advice?
Sally Squires: Yes. Planning. You likely need to get some new structure for those weekend days when your best intentions fly by the wayside.
Okay, so how could you start?
1. Don't change a thing for this upcoming weekend, but do keep a log. Chart your activities, your hunger, your mood, what you eat and how you consume it (in front of the tube, standing in the kitchen, at a party. You get the idea.) That's a good way to pinpoint mindless eating. (And you might also like to pick up a book by the same title written by Brian Wainsink, PhD.)
2. Are you throwing caution to the winds on the weekend because you're too structured during the week? If so, you might loosen up a little during the week and tighten up a little on the weekends.
3. Plan alternate activities. When you're busy, as you likely are during the week, you're less likely to eat.
4. Get plenty of physical activity. Here's a great time for long walks, trying a new exercise DVD, taking a class in martial arts, wandering through a museum. Enlist a friend, a significant other or a relative.
5. Plan your meals for the weekend. Include a splurge or two. That way you have something to look forward to. But you also keep control. Cynthia Gordon, one of the Lean Plate Club Successful losers featured on our site, gives herself the freedom to eat on weekends, but everything goes into the 'freezer or the garbage on Sunday night.
Hope this helps. Let us know how it goes.
Other thoughts out there?
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Sally Squires: News alert: This week's LPC e-mail newsletter has been delayed by technical difficulties. It should be arriving soon.
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Mindless eating: I find it helps to make sure I have a meal with small portions of several different foods. For example -- instead of a huge heap of macaroni and cheese, I might have a little bit of macaroni and cheese with the leftover spinach from two days ago and and a tomato salad. Then a small amount of apple crumble as a treat. You can make more of each food and either eat it a couple of days later as a side dish or use in another dish. E.g., the leftover spinach could be mixed with ricotta for a tart filling. This way eating is psychologically more satisfying and we're less lightly to crave something more. You also get the bonus of a more balanced diet.
Sally Squires: Well said. The more variety the better.
And let me add to that fine list you have started, this idea for dessert: A scoop of sorbet with fresh berries on top is a wonderful treat.
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River City: I think that focaccia bread IS fried, or sauteed in butter like a grilled cheese sandwich.
Sally Squires: You're close, River City. It contains a fair amount of oil, usually olive oil, and a bit of Parmesan cheese. (We'll post a recipe in a minute.)
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For living alone: I actually was at my thinnest when I lived alone, although I'm still pretty slim. First off, I didn't buy any snack foods at all. If I wanted a snack, it was cereal or a veggies. Secondly, I could go to the gym and stay as long as I needed -- didn't need to rush home to cook supper for anyone else. Lastly, I could go to bed as early as I wanted! Being married has been a happy trade-off, but there was definitely something to be said about solitary living.
Sally Squires: I know what you're saying: it can be easier to control your schedule when you live alone. Of course, there are lots of wonderful benefits from living with others too!
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Alexandria, Va.: For the eater who lives alone. My advice: soup. There are many great recipes with few calories, but taste great. There are some really excellent vegetable stocks out there to use as soup starters. Make a bunch and freeze in containers. Just watch the sodium.
Sally Squires: Soup is a wonderful suggestion, Alexandria. And we know from research at Penn State and elsewhere that soups and stews really help fill you up with fewer calories, since they contain so much water. And yes, that sodium is absolutely important. We get between 70 to 80 percent of the sodium we eat from processed food and from restaurant fare -- not from the salt shaker as many people think. Thanks for weighing in.
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Yogurt cheese follow-up: Hi Sally,
I posted last week about my new Donvier yogurt cheese maker. I tested it out this weekend by making fat-free yogurt cheese and trying out the cheesecake recipe included with it. It was good, but some of the body comes from the eggs, making it slightly custardy. I think you could use other fruit in it as well with similar results.
Put into a springform pan with prepared crumb crust:
2 mashed bananas
4 large eggs
1/2 c sugar
1t vanilla
2 c yogurt cheese
Mix bananas, sugar, vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add yogurt cheese and mix until just combined. Bake 350 oven for 30 minutes (mine took much longer to set).
There is a plain yogurt-sugar-vanilla topping that can be put on top, but I thought it was fine without it.
The cheese maker itself is nice, but almost too wide for one-handed lifting. The strainer basket has a wave design for more drainage surface area, but the opening where you put your finger to lift it out is a bit small. It is, however, extremely easy to clean and the lid seals tightly.
Sally Squires: Sounds really good. And for those who need to watch their cholesterol intake, you could probably use egg substitutes in place of the four eggs. Thanks much!
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Madison, WI: Hi Sally,
Thanks for all of the great advice! I very much enjoy your columns and chats.
I could have written that post about the challenges of eating when living alone (witnesses are wonderful for inducing healthy eating). Here are some things that help me.
1. When I prepare recipes with multiple servings, I immediately portion them into small dishes and stick everything but that day's meal into the freezer. This helps, because I've already designated the leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.
2. Try cleaning up the kitchen immediately after dinner. I don't want to mess up the room again by preparing more food. Along the same lines, brushing teeth can help, too.
3. On weekend mornings, I try to have some tasks to complete between breakfast and lunch to keep from snacking all morning. This could be calling family or household chores (you can't snack when wearing rubber gloves to scrub the bathroom!). This is also a perfect time of day to run errands, since the stores are pretty quiet at 9am on Saturday.
4. Control what comes into the house. I quickly discovered what foods are "safe" to have around, and which ones lead to overeating. I try to avoid the latter, and either buy small portions at the grocery store or avoid them altogether. Then, if I want to indulge, I go out for the treat. This helps with portion control and is more fun, too.
5. While I know diet books often recommend that you do not watch TV or read while eating, this simply isn't realistic when living alone. So I make sure I have an engaging book or magazine to enjoy with my meal; oftentimes, the reading is the distraction I need to keep from raiding the fridge again. When I eat in front of the TV, crafts, puzzles, or a book of Sudoku for the commercials can be a good distraction from food.
I hope this helps. Good luck!
Sally Squires: I, too, confess that I have a hard time eating alone without at least a book or magazine to keep me company.
But when I get the chance, I find it interesting to practice focussed eating. I was inspired by a documentary that I saw on the nuns at the Community of St. Mary in Greenwich, N.Y. They eat together, but stay silent, which allows them to really focus on their food. I suspect that it's not for most of us. But it got me thinking. And it's worth trying once or twice just to see how much more mindful you can be of what you are eating -- far different than how most of us multi-task while eating these days, often at our desks! Not that I know anything about that personally or anything...
Thanks for weighing in.
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College Park, Md.: Last week I wrote about making oatmeal with vanilla soymilk for extra protein, calcium, fiber, etc. Well, I wanted to let you know about my latest breakfast find: Bob's Red Mill 10-Grain Hot Cereal. It's 10 whole grains, including flaxseed, that are stone ground into a rough meal. It has 5 g. of fiber and 140 calories per 1/4 c. (a serving) and when I make it up with the soymilk, it tastes almost exactly like Cream of Wheat, only a little heartier. It's almost like a grain pudding for breakfast. Yum.
Sally Squires: Thanks for the update, College Park. And that reminds me that I made two batches of oatmeal this weekend. One from steel cut oats. The other from the same brand of oatmeal, but from quick oats. I happen to prefer the slightly heartier taste of the steel cut oats, although they take 10 times longer to cook. (As LPCers have pointed out, you can make a big batch and freeze portions. Or use a slow cooker.) Nutritionally, however, these products are identical.
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Falls Church, Va.: Dear Sally,
I find Lent is a really motivating time for me to give up bad habits and replace them with good. For whatever reason, having someone else to be ultimately accountable to and not myself is helpful. Plus the mindfulness of the season helps me with my own mindfulness. For the most part, after 45 days, the changes are now habits. Do others use this time period the same way? The last few years I've begun exercise training programs, controlled my eating, set aside personal time, and destressed my life a bit. I hope this helps others.
Sally Squires: I, too, find Lent, which starts tomorrow, to be a very good time to reflect on all kinds of habits. As one priest I know likes to say, it's a good time to be just a little bit hungry. And it's worth noting that many religions have these periods of reflection and penitence. True food for thought. Thanks for weighing in.
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Washington, D.C.: Thank you for your recent articles about pregnancy and seafood. This issue is so important, but has also been a source of real confusion for consumers, especially when it comes to mercury. I'd like to note that while this recent study strongly suggests that eating fish is healthy for pregnant women, there are still four major kinds of fish that should be avoided by pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, and young children. Those fish are: shark, swordfish, tilefish and king mackerel. There are many other options that are less risky, like salmon and herring, for example, so these fish should be easy to avoid. Tuna can also be confusing for pregnant women. Certain kinds of tuna (light canned, for example) are usually lower in mercury, but albacore can contain excess levels. Please advise your readers to follow the government's advice to avoid the few high mercury containing species, even as they enjoy a diet high in seafood during their pregnancy.
Sarah A. Klein, J.D., M.A.
Staff Attorney, Food Safety Program
Center for Science in the Public Interest
1875 Connecticut Ave, NW
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009
Sally Squires: And it should be noted that the U.S. is not the only country to recommend that women of childbearing ages and children avoid seafood. That warning is mentioned in both articles, but it's always worth underscoring again. Thanks for weighing in.
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Hints for "Living alone": Sally,
Like the previous poster, I also live alone. The tips you gave were good ones & ones that I use, but I thought I'd share some other tricks I use to stick to healthier eating habits:
1. Plan a week's worth of meals & if possible, cook once, eat multiple times. For instance, I roasted a chicken one day last week & had that with some wild rice & broccoli that night. The next night, I made a stuffed baked potato using some of the chicken and the leftover broccoli. I then made a salad with mixed greens, some of the roasted chicken, blueberries and goat cheese the next night. Last night, I made chicken quesadillas, loading it up with red & green peppers to increase the veggie content and plating it with a side salad (using up my mixed greens). Once you stop looking at it as "not counting" and start seeing any overeating as meaning you won't be able to easily throw dinner together on another night, it becomes easier to do portion control.
2. If you have a toaster oven, try using that instead of your main oven to cook. It doesn't take as much energy, doesn't heat the whole kitchen up (a plus in our hot, humid summers!) and you are forced into portion control. In summer, I use my toaster oven and/or my hibachi grill for 90 percent of my cooking!
3. When cooking dinner, instead of timing everything to be done at the same time, time the veggies to be ready a few minutes before the other items. This can be done by prepping a salad while the main dish is cooking or by starting the cooked veggie a couple of minutes "too early." That way, if you have the tendency to nibble a bit while everything is coming together, you'll be nibbling on more veggies.
4. Always cook or prepare some extra veggies, rather than extra meat or main dish. Put this dish on the table, but leave anything else still on the stove or the counter or wherever. If you are still hungry after eating the plate you made for yourself, the veggies will be immediately available to you, but you'll have to get up to get anything else.
5. Try to incorporate fruit into your meals. I add berries or sliced apples or pears to salads. I put sliced melon or apple or fruit salad as a "side dish" on my plate. It helps me feel full while keeping the fat & calories down. It also helps me get the recommended fruit servings daily.
Hope these help.
Sally Squires: Great ideas! You may live alone, but it sounds like you live very well indeed! Thanks for weighing in.
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Washington, D.C.: Can you recommend a healthy diet for pregnant women? I find myself possibly pregnant for the first time at age 38, when I had given up on the possibility. I don't think I am as healthy as I would have been had I planned this...can you get healthy while pregnant, and if so, how?
Sally Squires: Congratulations on your expanding family! You sure can get healthy when you are pregnant. And what a great time to do it! Do discuss your wishes with your obstetrician. And if he/she doesn't have time to explore this further, you might ask for a referral to a registered dietitian who specializes in pregnancy.
Also, an excellent resource is "The Harvard Medical School Guide for Healthy Eating During Pregnancy," by W. Allan Walker, MD, with Courtney Humphies. (McGraw-Hill).
Good luck and I hope you'll update us from time to time. Thanks.
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Chantilly, Va.: I'm currently pregnant and found the recent study on fish interesting. I've been taking a mercury-free fish oil supplement throughout this pregnancy and I wonder if that would have the same effect as eating fish.
Do you know of any studies that include fish oil supplements?
Thanks!
Sally Squires: Experts told me that fish oil supplements are definitely an option for women who don't want to eat fish. Whether they will produce the exact benefits is not yet known because most of the studies have been done on fish/seafood rather than on supplements. Could there be some additional synergy or other factor in fish that is also helpful? That's still uncertain. For now. Thanks.
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Living Alone: I find that just because you live alone doesn't mean you have to eat alone. A neighbor of mine and I trade off houses once a week on a set night for dinner -- one night she'll cook, and the next week I will. Then we'll share dinner. We both end up with good leftovers, and the food is always healthy. We also get to try new recipes, and share good company!
Sally Squires: Great idea! Thanks very much.
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washingtonpost.com:
Sally Squires: Here's the recipe for Fococcia bread.
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washingtonpost.com: Some useful links:
From NutHealth.org, information on
Sally Squires: As promised, here's the link to the Omega Principle, which offers some other foods that have a good ratio of omega 3 fatty acids to omega-6 fatty acids. Also, you'll find the information comparing the calories and other nutritional information of various tree nuts in the other two links.
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washingtonpost.com: Nutrition Fact Sheet:
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washingtonpost.com:
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Vitamin advice: Hi, Sally. I recently suffered a stress fracture and realized that my calcium intake is not what it should be. In light of the recent study on calcium plus vitamin D and stress fractures, I'm now drinking two glasses of skim milk plus eating one cup of yogurt each day (about 1000 mg total), plus a Tums twice a day (another 400 mg or so). I am considering adding Vitamin D supplements, and am wondering if there are any restrictions or advice on how to take these with calcium. I have 400 IU vitamin D supplements.
Sally Squires: Very sorry to hear about your stress fracture. Hope that heals soon.
Most of us fall short on both calcium and vitamin D. But with those foods and supplement, you're now likely meeting the intake recommended daily. Vitamin D is important because it helps your body absorb that calcium better and use it in your bones.
We'll post some additional info on vitamin D in a minute. Just know that experts are looking closely at this vitamin. There's a growing drumbeat to raise daily intake because of the many benefits of vitamin D. So if you can take the vitamin D with the calcium, that's a good thing.
Be aware that too much vitamin D can be toxic. I wanted to check the tolerable upper limit, but the National Academy of Sciences Web site hiccuped when I just tried to do that. I think the current upper limit is 800 IU, but there's discussion about raising the daily recommended intake to about 1,000 IU. So for now, it sounds like you are well within a healthy range with what you're doing.
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Annapolis, Md.: My question or concern, rather, is where to start?
I'd like to get back in shape and lose 40-50 pounds. I know I would not follow a regimented diet, but if I eat smart, healthy, I could stick with it.
I am trying to make sure that I eat more salad, and more fruit.
The hardest part is that I have to prepare food for my husband. He would prefer to eat mostly meat. He managed to lose weight on a low-carb diet, but I need my grains.
We both want to walk more often, and have our little dog to walk as an excuse.
Now we just have to DO IT!
Sally Squires: Lean Plate Club members prove week after week that small changes really can add up to big rewards. So start with one meal. And add a short walk daily. Maybe just 10 extra minutes beyond what you are doing. Gradually build from both of those new habits. It's also really good if you can at least get into caloric balance. That means eating no more calories than you burn. Then slowly decrease calories while increasing activity. Together, they can add up very nicely to that healthier weight you are trying to achieve.
Good luck with your efforts. I hope you'll keep us apprised of your progress. Thanks for weighing in.
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Fla.: About the Wendy's sandwiches -- my theory on the high fat for the focaccia sandwiches is the fact that they're slathered in a mayonnaise-based sauce.
Sally Squires: Well, actually mayo is a source of mostly healthy fat. Although it's not low calorie!
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River City: I guess I didn't explain my point very well: the focciaca bread is made relatively healthily (sp? lol) as your recipe shows. But when the fast food places make sandwiches with it, they then fry/saute/grill the bread in butter. that's why it has so much more fat than a hamburger.
cheers!
Sally Squires: Got it! Thanks for clarifying.
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washingtonpost.com:
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Alexandria,VA: Long time reader, first time poster. I get the crazy 4 p.m. snack cravings, what do you recommend as a good 4 p.m. snack to tie me until dinner?
Sally Squires: Welcome and thanks for taking the plunge in posting. Some great 4 p.m. snacks include soup, a cup of oatmeal or other cereal, whole grain crackers with low fat cheese or peanut butter or hummus. You could have a cup of plain, nonfat yogurt with your own added fruit and some slivered nuts.
Other options: a glass of skim milk. A handful of nuts. Half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Some string cheese and an apple. The list goes on and on. Hope that helps.
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Washington, D.C.: What white America fails to realize that "we" -- people of color -- aren't trying to be trendsetters, rather we just are. Skinny malnourished looks were never considered ideal in our world. The Beyonce's and J-Huds of the world aren't novice, rather, mainstream white America for once is looking outside of their idea of beauty and recognizing other cultures standards of beauty. So I think you are doing a great disservice by calling it a "trend," because that's all relative. Aspiring to have a curvy womanly figure was instilled in me since childhood -- I could care less now that Fergie decided to sing about her so-called "humps"!
Sally Squires: Thanks very much for weighing in D.C. And for those who haven't yet received their e-mail newsletters this week, I linked to a story in our Style section about Beyonce and other women of color. It was interesting reading.
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Omaha, Neb.: I track my consumption on Nutridiary.com. I have lost 12 pounds in 6 weeks. The Web site tells you how many calories you need to lose the amount of pounds you want in a certain amount of time. It tracks your vitamin A, C, protein, carbs, etc.. to ensure that you are still getting your daily intake of vitamins while dieting.
Thanks,
Calliebrin
Sally Squires: That's a fine site, one that I've often mentioned in the Lean Plate Club column. (In fact, as recently as January.) Others include fitday.com, nutritiondata.com and sparkpeople.com. ) It really does help to see how the numbers add up, don't you think? Thanks for weighing in.
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Columbia, S.C.: I love the new Dove ads...they look like real people!
Sally Squires: I can tell that the LPC e-mail newsletter is hitting those in-boxes now. In today's issue, you'll also find a link to a new add about older women and how beautiful their bodies can be. I asked readers what they thought about them. Thanks.
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Silver Spring, Md.: Dove's commercial is great. I mean I don't get an urge to buy products when I see commercials from women who obviously don't use the product. I like to see real women, not models who are 15-22 years old, in commercials that are not about depends or Metamucil
Sally Squires: Thanks!
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Gaithersburg, Md.: It's been over twenty years since I've been pregnant, but I noticed this in today's column: "Also go easy on aspartame, sold as NutraSweet and Equal, since the FDA sets daily levels based on body weight." Since I drink diet soda (usually two cans daily), I'm wondering if you have information on the recommended daily levels. I couldn't find the information on the FDA website.
Sally Squires: We're just about out of time, but we'll try to get the full info and include it in next week's LPC newsletter. It looks like the FDA sets an acceptable daily intake of 50 mg of aspartame per kilogram of body weight (2.2 pounds.) So that could work out to 2,800 mg daily for a 125 pound person, if I've done the math correctly.
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Framingham, Mass.: Hi Sally; as always, wonderful chat. RE the importance of variety, I thought I'd share this recipe...excellent, fast and points value for WW-only 6. Now, that's good enough for company or treating yourself well.
Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Prep 29 minutes Cook 25 min Serves 4
3 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1/2 lb fresh shitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps finely chopped
3/4 tsp herb de Provence (or your favorite)
3/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 oz lite goat cheese, softened
4 oz skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 chopped shallot, 3/4 cup chicken broth
6 tbl dry sherry or orange juice
1 tsp cornstarch, 2tsp cold water
Filling: Heat 2 tsp oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add carlic for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms herbs, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/6 tsp pepper, cook stirring occasionally until mushrooms become golden, (5 minutes). Transfer to bowl, add cheese and stir until combined. COOL COMPLETELY. Make a pocket in the side of each breast with sharp knife, and stuff with 2 tbl each of mixture. Wipe out skillet with paper towel, add remaining tsp of oil, heat, add chicken and sprinkle remaining salt and pepper and cook 8 minutes on each side. Cut each breast into 4 slices and keep warm on a plate. Sauce:Add shallots to pan for 30 seconds, then add broth and sherry and bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in water in small bowl, stirring then add to skillet and stir until mixture bubbles. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.
You can add steamed asparagus for -0- points and some brown or wild rice for 2 points more. Excellent. Enjoy.
Sally Squires: Yum! Thanks much.
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Minneapolis: Dear Sally:
Love the column and really look forward to Tuesdays! For the reader who lives alone, as I do, I have found my local grocer carries individual (4 oz) servings of frozen salmon, haddock. It sounds weird but there is something about having it all right there that helps keeps me in control. The other filler food that helps me: no fat / low fat cottage cheese. Finally lost the 6 pounds I gained over Christmas -- the chats help.
Sally Squires: Thanks very much for the tip. And congratulations on those six pounds.
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Anonymous: I have what I hope is a common problem, but I am not really sure if it is. Maybe this is better for Hax than you! I have lost about 40 pounds over the past few years and kept it off for the most part (5 pounds come and go). The problem is that I eat normally, for the most part pretty healthy (very little processed food, fruits, veggies, and probably a few too many carbs) but I don't deprive myself. If I want french fries, I eat them. No matter what I eat though, I always feel guilty eating it, regardless if it is french fries or an apple. I am so fearful of gaining weight back that it is this constant nagging I shouldn't eat. I am not anorexic/bulimic in that I eat plenty (and keep it down!) but I just cannot shake this nagging feeling I get when I eat. Do others feel this way ever? How do I stop it??
Thanks!!
Sally Squires: I'm sorry that I'm seeing your message at the end of the chat. But I'll also include it in next week's LPC e-mail newsletter so that others can weigh in.
In the meantime, it can be easier to change your eating habits than your inner voice. But let's also note that weight maintenance is as difficult, if not harder, than weight loss. So your inner voice may be a little shrill, but if it's keeping you from eating too much, it's also a good thing. You might try setting aside a certain number of treats per week or month, whatever you prefer. Then make enjoy them in a "no guilt" zone.
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New York: For the single eater: small bowls. I usually make a large amount of food (I love leftovers) but serve myself into a small bowl. I promise myself I can go back for seconds if I'm still hungry when i'm done, but I'm never still hungry when I'm done.
Sally Squires: Thanks New York!
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Capitol Hill: Hi Sally,
I'm in the very early stages of a pregnancy (9 weeks) and have been trying to up my fish quota. I really hate cooking fish (it smells up the house and it's expensive!), so I purchased 6 6 oz cans of skinless, boneless salmon at Costco over the weekend ($8). I've been eating salmon salad sandwiches everyday, but I am still barely getting 2 oz at a time (it's delicious, by the way). How else can I get fish on the cheap and easy that tastes good?
Also, why can't we eat sushi, so long as the place is reputable? I find it hard to believe that the entire nation of Japan forbids its pregnant women to eat sushi!
Sally Squires: I'm not sure what the experts advise in Japan, but raw fish, meat, poultry and eggs are not wise. They can contain both bacteria and viruses that you just don't want to fool with while pregnant. Plus, some not only can make you sick, but can cause miscarriages. It's not worth it.
Anchovies, sardines, canned herring (not pickled, because it's raw) would be other options for you that are inexpensive and delicious. Also, you can get frozen seafood quite cheaply in many stores.
Thanks for weighing in.
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Decatur, Ga.: Single person who abhors cooking. My "secrets": frozen vegetables and Dole's parfaits. Frozen vegetables because due to easy preparation, I have vegetables with lunch and dinner everyday. (Even if all I do is zap them in the microwave and season). Dole Parfaits fruit cups (other make parfaits, but I like Dole's) because they are low fat, not too many calories, portion controlled and take care of my sweet tooth -- 120 calories, 2 g of fat. I've been able to loose 15 pounds by including vegetables and fruits in that manner in my diet.
Sally Squires: Congratulations on those 15 pounds Decatur! That's terrific.
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Re: Eating Single: Single or not, my husband and I have found that planning our meals really cuts down on the mindless snacking. If we don't know what we're eating, we're more likely to eat a lot of small things, but don't even notice we're doing it. And it leaves us feeling less satisfied. Also, when I was single, I also had a problem with serving sizes because it seemed everything was geared towards serving more than one person. I found that I could make the entire whatever, but freeze the leftovers in single-serve portions. Worked great for me!
Sally Squires: Couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks.
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Distracted eater: Can you enjoy maybe a standing weekly "home cooked meal" get together with a friend. This would end up twice weekly -- once at your's and once at your friend's place. I do think the Europeans have it right -- eating feeds a social/emotional need as well as a fuel need. On the "French" principle we tend to eat less when a group of us have a convivial meal at home. It's also more fun to think about food to prepare for someone else and nice to get complements on your cooking. Oh yes - probably a good idea if you like this friend's cooking.
Think of it not so much your gym buddy as your food buddy.
Sally Squires: Excellent advice. Thanks for weighing in.
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Sally Squires: We're out of time. WinnerS today are Mindless Eating (help), Minneapolis, Decatur, Hints for Living Alone and Living Alone (who eats with a neighbor). Please send me your name, address in an e-mail to leanplateclub@washpost.com and please include winner in the subject line for faster handling.
Thanks to all for a great and wide-ranging chat. Until next week, eat smart and move more with the Lean Plate Club!
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