Cereal, Yogurt, and Sugar...Oh My!

Do you like cereal? What about yogurt? Sure, these can be great breakfast choices - they can be eaten on the go and taste delicious. But have you ever looked at the nutrition facts label on any of your favorite breakfast treats - specifically, looking at the amount of sugar listed? And even if you do read your nutrition facts labels, what the heck do the number of grams of sugar actually mean?

Enter math. There is an easy way to visualize the amount of sugar in food and all it requires is a simple calculation. First, you need to know that 4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon = 1 sugar packet. So, look at any nutrition facts label and take the number of grams of sugar (per serving), then divide by 4...the resulting number is equal to the number of sugar packets in that food. Let's do an example: 


A Dunkin' Donuts Blueberry Muffin has 44 grams of sugar per muffin. So, 44 grams ÷ 4 = 11 sugar packets... in one muffin.



Remember: always look at the serving size before you start calculating. If a cereal's serving size is only 3/4 cup and you know you're going to eat twice that amount, then you need to double the number of grams of sugar before you start calculating the number of sugar packets you'll be eating.


The math is not hard. The visual of sugar packets is quite easy. And with this newfound skill, you're going to be shocked by the amount of sugar that secretly exists in many foods. But why should we even care about calculating the amount of sugar we eat? Well, not only can consuming too much sugar eventually lead to awful health problems (such as Type II diabetes), but on a daily basis the consumption of too much sugar can leave you with little energy and an inability to focus (not to mention the damage it will do to your teeth...). As we all know, from year's of experience on Halloween night, when you eat a lot of sugar you get a sugar high. You bounce off the walls and can't seem to focus on anything because you are too "energized". But just as quickly as your energy shoots up, you suddenly get a sugar crash. Your energy is wiped. You may even get a headache. So what do you do - eat more sugar and start the cycle all over again? A little sugar in moderation is fine, but given how much sugar is hidden in the foods we eat, we want to be careful about the amount of sugar going into our bodies.


Let's go back to cereals and yogurt. Yes, there are some choices that are obviously abundant in sugar. If you think that Frosted Flakes, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, or Lucky Charms are low-sugar, healthy breakfast options then you are kidding yourself. But there are quite a number of surprisingly sugar-filled foods that you probably thought were "healthy" options (see list below). So what are the healthy cereal and yogurt choices? Cereals with fewer than 5 grams of sugar per serving and yogurts (6oz. containers) with fewer than 8 grams of sugar - milk naturally has sugar in it (lactose is sugar), so even plain yogurt will have some sugar in it. As you may have guessed, most cereals and all flavored yogurt do not fit that criteria. So how can we reduce sugar intake without completely eliminating favorite breakfast items? Here are my suggestions:


CEREAL: mix sugary cereals (cereals with >5g sugar) with low-sugar cereals (Cheerios, Shredded Wheat, Kix, Special K, Grape Nuts, Crispix, Rice and Corn Chex). 
Example: combine 1/2 cup of regular Cheerios with 1/2 cup of Honey Nut Cheerios.


YOGURT: Ideally, the best option is to add your own fruit to plain yogurt...if that is not sweet enough for you, then add a teaspoon of honey (guaranteed, you won't add nearly as much sugar to plain yogurt as yogurt companies add). 
Example: combine 1 cup of blueberries with 1 container (6oz) of Chobani Plain Yogurt. However, if you're hooked on sweets, you may want to start your sugar reduction process by mixing flavored yogurt with plain yogurt. Example: mix half of a 6oz container of strawberry flavored yogurt with 1/2 cup of plain yogurt. Once your taste buds are used to a less sweet flavor, try eating plain yogurt with fruit. 


Remember to look at serving size first, then calculate: # grams of sugar ÷ 4 = # sugar packets. You can use this equation with all foods, not just cereal and yogurt. Go take a look at your food supply and see how much sugar is hidden in your pantry...oh my!  

SURPRISINGLY SUGARY CEREALS AND YOGURT:

--Honey Nut Cheerios - 3/4 cups - 9g sugar = 2 sugar packets

Compare to Original Cheerios - 1 cup - 1g sugar = less than 1 sugar packet

--Raisin Bran Cereal - 1 cup - 18g sugar = 4.5 sugar packets

Compare to regular Bran Flakes - 3/4 cup - 5g sugar = 1 sugar packet

--Mini Wheats - 24 biscuits - 12g sugar = 3 sugar packets

Compare to Post Shredded Wheat - 1 cup - 0g sugar = 0 sugar packets

--Yoplait Original Strawberry 99% Fat Free Yogurt- 6oz (1 container) - 27g sugar = 6.5 sugar packets

Compare to Stonyfield Plain Fat Free Yogurt - 1 cup - 15g sugar = 4 sugar packets

--Chobani Strawberry Yogurt - 6 oz. (1 container) - 19g sugar = 5 sugar packets

Compare to Chobani Plain Yogurt - 6 oz. (1 container) - 7g sugar = 2 sugar packets

12 Baby Carrots, Please!

Some of you may be fruit and vegetable fanatics, like me. Others may be less enthused by dark leafy greens, bright yellow squash, and ruby red raspberries. Regardless of your interest in consuming fruits and veggies, it is useful to know how much you are consuming - and whether or not you're consuming enough. 


As I've expressed in previous posts, my attitude on eating styles is to pick a culture that has been in existence for a long time and eat according to the way they eat. Whether it is the Mediterranean Diet, the Asian Diet, the Latin American Diet, or even the African Diet, the common factor among these food cultures remains the same: eat lots of fruits and veggies! I'm talkin' like cups worth of fruits and vegetables every day. Not just two or three cups...like a good five or six of 'em. And that means both fruits and vegetables, not just one or the other.


So how much is a "cup" of vegetables exactly? Although the USDA dietary guidelines have not done much in the way of improving the food culture in the United States, they have developed some wonderful charts that tells us "what counts as a cup of ____". Obviously a measured cup of anything means you are eating one cup of that fruit, vegetable, grain, etc. (duh!); but some of these more obscure recommendations are useful to know. Take a look: 


What counts as a cup of vegetables: 
--12 baby carrots
--2 stalks of celery
--1 large baked sweet potato
--3 large spears of broccoli (that includes the tree part and the stalk!)
--1 large bell pepper
--1 cup raw or cooked _____(take your pick!)
What counts as a cup of fruit: 
--32 seedless grapes 
--8 large strawberries
--1 large orange
--1 large banana
--1 small apple
--1 medium peach
--1/2 cup dried fruit
--1 cup measured ____(whatever fruit you like!)
**FYI the following fruits are really high in sugar, so don't go overboard eating them: grapes, bananas, cherries, mango, figs, and any type of dried fruit

Surprised by the one cup equivalents? Do you think you're eating more or less fruits/veggies than you thought? I know it can be tough to get in a good amount of fruits and veggies throughout the day, especially when you're not a fan of them. But there are endless health benefits from eating fruits and veggies, so consuming them is really something you should get your body and taste buds used to doing. Next time you are wondering what to eat for a snack or side dish, just say "pass me 12 baby carrots please" - at least you've got one cup down!

Don't Be Fooled

In case you haven't read this incredibly interesting article on organics from the New York Times, you should read it now and then return to reading this blog post. 


So what did you think? I was shocked to find out that more than 250 nonorganic items are allowed to be in foods officially certified as organic. I was disappointed to read that when you trace back all the supposed "health foods" (like Kashi and Naked Juice), they're all owned by the same big businesses that also supply us with crap foods. I was upset by the thought of all the money people waste on "organic" foods purported to be healthier. But mostly I just felt fooled. 


All this time I actually thought an organic label meant something. Silly me. I thought that organic meant organic. Apparently not. Organic actually means naturally organic and nonorganic items that are approved to be labeled as organic by the National Organic Standards Board. As with every other label in a grocery store, the organic stamp is simply an advertisement on the front of a box meant to catch your eye and make you think you're making a healthy choice.


I feel bamboozled, but also empowered. I now know "organic" is really a loose term applied to products that may or may not be made with actual organic ingredients. So the next time I'm shopping, I will think twice and read the ingredient list before I decide to spend extra cash on an "organic" item. Just another reason why it's so important to read your nutrition labels before you buy anything!


And in addition to reading your labels, this article is further justification for eating whole foods - foods that don't require an ingredient list. Yes, there are a separate organics questions related to produce and meats. However, if you're eating an apple - be it organic or not - it is still just an apple and therefore a better choice than some organic-apple-flavored-power-bar that contains mild traces of apple and a bunch of ingredients you cannot read. Stick to your fruits, veggies, grains, meats, fish, beans, nuts, eggs, cheese, plain yogurts, and milk, and there will be no need to look at an ingredient list. 


The moral of this story: read your labels. Stick to whole foods. Don't be fooled.   

Good Grain Salads

Bon Appetit's June 2012 issue devoted an entire section to one of my favorite topics: grain salads. I already posted the recipe for one of the salads I made from this issue (Crunchy Brown Rice Salad), but there are a couple others I want to acknowledge. In a much earlier post I raved about grain salads - how they are a great go-to lunch that will keep you satiated and energized throughout your work day. And to boot, grain salads are an incredibly easy dinner and overall delectable meal...a one-bowl wonder. Unfortunately I did not have a lot of the ingredients called for in Bon Appetit's recipes, so I did what I do best...improvised with what I had. The result - two gorgeous grain salads that I will be sure to make again and again and again. What can I say? I love a good grain salad!

Curried Barley Salad (adapted from Curried Spelt Salad)

*please note that the only similarity between my recipe and Bon Appetit's is the spice mixture. I literally had NONE of the other ingredients...oh well, it still turned out fantastic!


Ingredients:
-1 cup uncooked barley
-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
-2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
-2 teaspoons mustard seeds
-3/4 teaspoons ground cardamom
-3/4 teaspoons ground coriander
-1 sweet potato, diced 
-1/4 cup rice vinegar
-2 large shallots, sliced
-1/2 lemon, chopped with the peel
-1/2 block of tofu, cubed
-2 cups arugula
-salt and pepper to taste
**spices are only expensive if you buy them in a large grocery store in the baking aisle (total scam); go to your local dollar store, ethnic food groceries, or ethnic food aisles - spices in these places will usually cost you $1 


Directions:
1. Cook barley according to package
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; add curry powder, mustard seeds, cardamom, and coriander. Cook until you start to smell the spices and the mustard seeds have popped (about 3-4 minutes)
3. Add sweet potato to skillet and stir well to coat with spices; cook until sweet potatoes are tender and a fork can easily pierce through (10-15 minutes)
4. Add tofu cubes and stir until well coated; cook for 5 or so more minutes, until tofu starts to brown a little.
5. Add vinegar to skillet and cook until it evaporates; add shallots and lemon. Remove skillet from pan and keep stirring until shallots are wilted.
6. Combine barley and veggie-tofu mixture in a bowl; add arugula. Mix well. 


Great Grains Tabbouleh (adapted from Quinoa Tabbouleh)
*try this recipe with any kind of grain - the Bon Appetit recipe calls for quinoa, I used wheat berries, and traditionally tabbouleh is made with bulgur. Clearly there is room for creativity. 


Ingredients:
-1/2 cup wheat berries
-1 lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
-1 garlic clove, minced
-1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
-1 English cucumber, diced (do not peel or take out the seeds)
-2 tomatoes, chopped
-1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
-1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
-2 scallions, thinly sliced
-salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Cook wheat berries (or any other grain) according to package
2. Whisk lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl; slowly add the olive oil
3. Combine cucumber, tomatoes, scallions, herbs, and wheat berries in a bowl
4. Add vinaigrette to bowl and mix well, making sure to coat all ingredients
-Optional: add some crumbled feta cheese or chopped kalamata olives for an added kick!


Have you made any good grain salads lately?

Mid-Year Review

We are more than halfway through the year, which means it's time for a mid-year review. How are your "new year's resolutions" coming along? Haven't thought about those in a while, huh? Here's the good news: it's not December 31st. There is still time. It is not too late to revisit your new year's resolutions and see if maybe now is a better time to try out a few of them. After all, when you made those resolutions we were heading into dark and dreary winter. Now it is summertime, the weather is beautiful, food is abundant - especially fresh seasonal produce at your local farmer's market - and the sun is shining on your kitchen. 


In January I suggested you make a simple new year's resolution - every week try to make at least one new recipe from a cookbook. Perhaps you read that post and thoroughly ignored what I wrote; or maybe you actually tried to heed my advice, but for whatever reason, you were not able to keep up a cooking regimen. Regardless of whether you have increased your culinary repertoire or not, the important thing is not to give up. You still have six more months to try and cook new recipes. There is ample time left to implement your new year's resolutions. Sometimes we just need a reminder, a nudge, or a gentle kick in the bum to reignite the motivation we once had at the beginning of the year. Don't give up - you've still got half a year to go and I still have lots of recipes to share.