Category: Healthy Eating

Ingredients

2 cups macaroni*

½ cup onion, chopped

½ cup fat-free evaporated milk

1 medium egg, lightly beaten

¼ tsp ground black pepper

1¼ cups (4 oz) low-fat sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded

Cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

2. Cook macaroni according to package directions-but do not add salt to the cooking water. Drain and set aside.

3. Spray casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

4. Lightly spray saucepan with nonstick cooking spray. Add onion to saucepan and sauté for about 3 minutes over medium heat.

5. In a bowl, combine macaroni, onion, and the remaining ingredients, and mix thoroughly.

6. Transfer mixture into casserole dish.

7. Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 200 calories, 4 g total fat, 11 g protein, 29 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 120 mg sodium

*To increase fiber content, use whole wheat pasta.

Source: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Heart Healthy Recipes

Should you spend the extra cents to buy organic produce? Is organic a healthier choice? New findings from Stanford University cast some doubt on the benefits of buying organic.

“There isn’t much difference between organic and conventional foods, if you’re an adult and making a decision based solely on your health,” said Dr. Dena Bravata from Stanford’s Center for Health Policy. The study compares the nutrition of organic and non-organic foods and is published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

This is the broadest study to date comparing organic and conventional foods. The researchers did not find strong evidence that organic foods are more nutritious or carry fewer health risks than conventional options, though consumption of organic foods can reduce the risk of pesticide exposure.

The popularity of organic products, which are generally grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers or routine use of antibiotics or growth hormones, is skyrocketing in the United States. Organic foods are often twice as expensive as their conventionally grown counterparts.

Although there is a common perception-perhaps based on price alone-that organic foods are better for you than non-organic ones, it remains an open question as to the health benefits.

The researchers found no consistent differences in the vitamin content of organic products, and only one nutrient-phosphorus-was significantly higher in organic versus conventionally grown produce (and the researchers note that because few people have phosphorous deficiency, this has little clinical significance).

There was also no difference in protein or fat content between organic and conventional milk, though evidence from a limited number of studies suggested that organic milk may contain significantly higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

The review yielded scant evidence that conventional foods posed greater health risks than organic products. While researchers found that organic produce is 30 percent less likely to be contaminated with pesticides than conventional fruits and vegetables, organic foods are not necessarily 100 percent free of pesticides. What’s more, as the researchers noted, the pesticide levels of all foods fell within the allowable safety limits.

“If you look beyond health effects, there are plenty of other reasons to buy organic instead of conventional,” noted Dr. Bravata. She listed taste preferences and concerns about the effects of conventional farming practices on the environment and animal welfare as some of the reasons people choose organic products.

Ingredients

For the salsa:

1 large, ripe tomato

1/4 small red onion

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon low-sodium adobo seasoning

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

For the steak:

1 pound skirt steak

1/8 teaspoon low-sodium adobo seasoning

Directions

For the salsa:

1.  In a small bowl, mix together tomato, onion, parsley, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, low-sodium adobo seasoning and crushed red pepper.

2.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up until 48 hours.

For the steak:

1.  Heat grill to medium-high heat. Sprinkle steak on both sides with low-sodium adobo seasoning. Place steak on hot, greased grill grates.

2.  Cook until steak is well browned on both sides and cooked to 145 °F.

3.  Let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice steak and serve. Top with reserved Salsa Criolla

Nutrition information: Serves 4. Calories 220; Total Fat 11 g; Saturated Fat 4 g; Sodium 80 mg; Total Carbohydrate 5 g; Dietary Fiber 1 g; Protein 25 g

Source: What’s Cooking? USDA Mixing Bowl

Most U.S. food companies stamp lot codes and/or expiration dates on their products. But what do all these numbers really mean? The Institute of Food Technologists offers these answers. There are two types of codes:

1.Lot Code:When manufacturers produce a product, they do so in batches. Each batch is given a unique series of numbers that makes it possible for manufacturers to track exactly when a problem occurred and which products need to be recalled.

2.Expiration Dates:These are numbers represented in a date format that tells consumers when a food product is either no longer safe to eat or might not taste as good as it did when originally produced.

There is little government regulation when it comes to expiration dates stamped on packages. According to the Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, there are a few different types of dates you should look for:

*  Sell By is a guide for stores to know how long they can display a product before its quality begins to weaken. You can eat an item for some time after the “sell by” date.

*  Best if Used By/Best Before is a guide to the quality or flavor profile of the food and does not refer to safety. For example, sour cream may grow increasingly sour over time, but it remains safe to consume.

*  Use By is the closest to an expiration date. Using products after the date is not recommended. In some cases, food may lose nutrients, develop potentially harmful bacteria, and lessen in quality.