Top tasty food trends that can benefit your family's health

(ARA) – A visit to your local grocer provides thousands of food options, and it’s likely you’ve recently noticed an increase in the number of healthier choices, including organic offerings and expanded produce selections. But what are the next big things when it comes to healthy food?

Here are some healthy food trends to look for the next time you’re at your local grocery store:

Trend 1: Sprouted grains
You’ve heard plenty about whole grain, but the next level of whole grains is called “sprouted grains.” Because the process of germination changes the composition of grain and seeds in numerous ways, sprouting can increase vitamin content and aid in digestion of the entire grain so your body better absorbs all the nutrients. Food for Life is at the forefront of this trend and offers different products using grains sprouted under an exclusive process. For example, new Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Waffles are made from sprouted grains to maximize nutrition while retaining important natural fiber and bran. These waffles come in several varieties including original, golden flax, blueberry and apple nut. For more information about sprouted grain products, visit www.foodforlife.com.

Trend 2: Omega-3 additives
For years, lots of the food found on grocers’ shelves has been enriched with a variety of vitamins and minerals. Bread might contain iron, orange juice might have added calcium – these additions are often advertised on the product’s label. The newest nutrient being added to some of our favorite foods is omega-3. This essential fatty acid has been shown to have numerous benefits when consumed, from reducing risks of illnesses such as heart disease, to aiding in brain growth for children. You’re likely to see more omega-3 additives in your favorite foods, such as cereal, juice, eggs and even your pet’s food.

Trend 3: Fruits and veggies galore
The benefits of fruits and vegetables cannot be overstated. This was apparent when in 2011 the USDA replaced the old food pyramid with the new circular icon called MyPlate that recommends filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables. More people are making an effort to eat a rainbow of colorful produce each day and they want the freshest items possible. Continued demand for locally produced foods is inspiring droves of people to visit their local farmers markets for seasonal fruits and vegetables. These items are usually picked at the peak of freshness, providing you with an optimum amount of vitamins and minerals. Plus your squash or potatoes won’t have to travel thousands of miles before they get to your pantry.

Trend 4: Plant-based “dairy” products
Interest in plant-based foods is building steam, even among those who don’t have a lactose sensitivity. This interest has inspired a variety of dairy alternatives to appear on grocery shelves. Plant-based foods are known to contain higher levels of nutrients and often have little or no bad fats/oils. As an alternative to 2-percent cow’s milk, now you can easily find almond or coconut milk at your local store. Soy ice creams of today are also far better than in years past. Butter can be made from fruit and sour cream is now made from tofu.

From sprouted grains to healthy new additives, these food trends are growing in popularity because they are delicious ways to benefit your health. Visit your local grocery store or co-op to try something new today.

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School lunch fuels success for spring sports

(ARA) – Springtime packs a punch for students. Between tests, papers, school trips, extracurricular performances and jobs, finding the energy for spring’s after-school sports is often a challenge. Time and energy are at a premium. Eating well can help ease the crush.

While breakfast is often tapped as the most important meal of the day, lunch is arguably just as critical for all-day performance, says Sue Moores, a registered dietitian in St. Paul, Minn. “What kids eat during lunch at school should help them stay focused and concentrate for afternoon classes, plus help to carry them through their after-school activities.”

According to Moores, the best school lunch contains foods rich in protein and wholesome carbohydrates, plus foods filled with vitamins and minerals, and some good old-fashioned fiber. This mix of foods provides energy for the brain and muscles that can last for several hours.

Missing out on lunch means missing out in class and on the field. Skipping lunch, or choosing a lunch of chips, cookies and a sugary drink – two options school food service directors say they see far too often at the middle and high school age – is detrimental to school performance and athletic endeavors.

“We know that eating poorly affects a student’s physical and concentration capabilities, so we work hard in our program to make sure we provide good options – foods students like to eat, such as teriyaki chicken stir-fry and whole-grain, reduced-fat pizza, that are created to be more healthful and wholesome,” says Amy Herrold, child nutrition supervisor, Edmond, Okla.

What makes a good lunch? Herrold suggests these options from the lunch line:

* Salad bar that includes romaine lettuce, shredded or diced vegetables, cottage cheese or hard-boiled eggs, a drizzle of dressing, plus whole-grain breadsticks, fruit and a low-fat milk.

* Roast beef or ham sandwich on whole-wheat bread, accompanied by an orange, carrot sticks with dip and a low-fat milk.

* Tony’s(R) LiveSmart Schools(TM) whole-grain crust pizza, with carrot and celery sticks, grapes and water.

* Quesadillas or a flatbread sandwich with a mixed lettuce salad, melon and a low-fat milk.

* Turkey/veggie wrap with pineapple and mandarin oranges, pretzel sticks and a low-fat chocolate milk.

* Baked potato with broccoli and low-fat cheese sauce, orange wedges, whole-wheat roll and a low-fat milk.

A good lunch equals better results after school

“On any given day, I can tell you within minutes which kids have eaten a healthy lunch and will be productive during practice or in a tournament, and which ones haven’t,” says Jeff Doherty, golf coach at Edmond North High School, Edmond, Okla., who was recently named one of just 20 National Coaches of the Year for 2011 by the National Federation of State High School Associations. “Food is so closely tied to sports performance. More kids today are realizing just how important what they eat is to how they’ll practice or play in the game that afternoon.”

“Athletes who want to get the most out of themselves and rise to the top pay attention to food,” says Moores. “There’s an undeniable connection between food and performance whether it’s on the golf course, the soccer field, the stage or as first chair in the trombone section.”

Lunch provides the energy and endurance for afternoon activities. A nutrient-rich lunch leaves the stomach within four hours and is in the muscles ready for release come afternoon, when the student really needs it, says Moores. No lunch means no energy. The chips-cookie-and-sugary-drink-meal may offer a surge of “liveliness” but, as Moores explains, is quickly followed by a significant dip in it.

Doherty appreciates the work being done by Edmond Public Schools to provide the best options for students. “The increased attention being paid to nutrition throughout our district and at schools across the country is a benefit to all student athletes,” says Doherty. “We want to help kids understand they’re putting fuel in to run a machine – their body,” continues Doherty. “When you eat good food, it allows you to have better results, and I can tell you, the results are noticeable, immediate and lasting.”

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How food safety knowledge can affect your health

(ARA) – Whether you’re feeding yourself or feeding your family, it’s important to know that the food you’re eating is safe and nutritious. But perceptions about finding a balance between those two essential factors have become muddled in recent years. While there is an increased effort to promote the consumption of healthy foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, there are also conflicting messages about their safety.

Concerns about food safety range widely, from the use of pesticides to medications given to livestock to outbreaks of diseases. Unfortunately, those concerns can affect the amount of healthful foods in Americans’ diets. “Feedback from consumers and practicing nutritionists is beginning to show that concern about pesticide residues is having a negative impact on consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables,” says registered dietitian Dave Grotto. “What we need to do is encourage – not discourage – greater consumption of healthful produce.”

It might seem that the most logical solution would be to research whether foods are safe. A lot of information about this subject is available on the Internet, but that’s not always a practical option. Busy families that have schedules filled from morning to night don’t often have time to add an extensive research project into the mix. Luckily, there are some new resources available – often on mobile platforms – to help you make sense of the food safety headlines.

One resource, the website www.safefruitsandveggies.com, developed and operated by the nonprofit Alliance for Food and Farming provides consumers with scientific data that’s been translated to a user-friendly format. For instance, scientific research available to consumers about the amount of pesticide residue on foods can be filled with confusing numbers and terminology. But this site’s pesticide residue calculator gives you information about how much of a particular food item you could eat without any effects at all from any small amounts of pesticide residues that may be present. This can be based on either gender (for adults) or age (teens and children). For example, according to the calculator, a child could consume 154 servings of apples – even with the highest pesticide residue recorded by the USDA – in a day without any effect, or an adult woman could eat 2,332 servings of kale. The calculator is also available for download as a smartphone app.

“Of course we know a child couldn’t consume 154 servings of apples in a day, but by providing more science and perspective on the safety of produce, we are hoping to give consumers more information to help them when making purchasing decisions in the produce aisle,” says Marilyn Dolan, executive director of the Alliance for Food and Farming. “And, we are also hoping to halt the trend toward continuing decline in consumption of fruits and vegetables in America by reassuring consumers about the safety of both organic and conventionally grown fresh produce.”

If consumers are still concerned, they can simply wash their produce before eating.

The benefits of nutritious foods like vegetables and fruits are so far reaching that excluding them from your diet can adversely affect your health. With new resources that aim to help consumers understand the facts about food safety, it’s easier than ever to ensure that the meals you serve your family are full of healthy, delicious ingredients.

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Ease the stress of grocery shopping during the holidays

(ARA) – Hectic schedules often make meal-related decisions a chore. And planning for a bigger family meal over the holidays just adds to the stress. Affordable and simpler shopping routines could help you start savoring family meal time again.

Regardless of whether you’re planning a holiday feast, a birthday celebration, or just day-to-day meals throughout the year, it’s easier and more cost effective if you go into grocery shopping prepared.

Consider these tips from national grocery retailer Save-A-Lot before your next shopping trip:

Create a weekly meal planner
Many grocery shoppers make the mistake of only planning for a big special meal when they can cut time and cost by planning for several. Think about what you and your family members typically consume each day. If there is a particular food item or meal idea that your whole family enjoys, make sure to stock up when it is on sale. Ask each family member to pick a meal for dinner.

Decide ahead of time how your family might want to use leftover meat or veggies from the meal, and buy extra ingredients to create new meals. For example, be sure to stock up on bread, mayonnaise, mustard and lettuce in advance if you plan to cook a turkey or ham for a holiday meal or Sunday dinner.

Keep track of ingredients to replenish
You’ve got everything laid out to make chocolate chip cookies, but you forgot to buy the baking soda – nothing is more frustrating than having to make a return trip to a store.

Keep track of ingredients you frequently use in your cooking. Then, as soon as you use up an item, immediately add it to your ongoing grocery list. By the end of the week, not only will your shopping list be complete, but also you won’t be stuck in the store trying to remember what is or is not in your cupboard. You also won’t be tempted to buy something you don’t need.

When cooking, be sure to use measuring utensils so you don’t use more ingredients than necessary – which can be costly to your family’s waistline and budget.

Visit grocery store websites for tools and deals
Grocery retailers frequently offer tips and tools for meal planning, as well as exclusive online bargains. Check to see if your store is offering discounts in exchange for signing up for their shopping clubs year round. For example, Save-A-Lot offers a $5 coupon for signing up for its Smart Shopper Club.

Take advantage of store brands
Many grocery stores offer their own exclusive brands of foods and everyday items, and frequently these items are of equivalent quality as more expensive national brand names. By using store brands, you can save a little money on your grocery bill and splurge on something special, such as a celebratory dessert. Store brands are great for helping to keep your weekly grocery costs down.

Simplify shopping trip
A popular strategy for many shoppers is to shop at several retailers throughout the week for bargains. While this approach may add up to a couple of cents saved on a receipt, it is quickly gobbled up in fuel costs as well as time. Instead, save both time and money by limiting shopping trips to one day a week or add a stop to the grocery store on the commute to or from work.

With these few simple tips, you’ll not only save money at the grocery store, but you’ll have more time to enjoy cooking and celebrating with those you love.

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Seafood is the new 'fast food'

(NC)—Did you know a serving of Pad Thai from a Canadian food court restaurant chain can have as many as 1,400 calories in a single serving? That’s70 per cent of your recommended calorie intake according to the 2,000 calorie/day diet as outlined by Canada’s Food Guide.

Compare that to a tuna Pad Thai dish at 310 calories. By making a few variations to the ingredient list, like incorporating flavoured tuna into the mix, you can have a tasty, easy-to-make, low-calorie and high protein meal.

Challenging Canadians to take a good, hard look at their fast food habits, Clover Leaf Seafoods is launching a new campaign that pits every day, high-calorie take-out against its own “fast food” recipes for old-time favourites like pizza, tacos, Pad Thai, shawarma, burritos and even the classic burger with bacon and cheese.

“You can lose up to 7.5 pounds in the course of a year if you eliminate just 500 calories from your weekly diet,” said celebrity chef Michael P. Clive, who partnered with Clover Leaf to develop the new recipes. “And this is easily done by swapping a single, high-calorie fast food meal with a low-calorie and high protein version.”

As delicious as they are nutritious, the recipes also include healthy side dish and beverage alternatives like fruits and vegetables instead of French fries and onion rings, and citrus-flavoured water instead of sugar-heavy pop.

“Much of the fast food out there is short on nutrition and usually high in fat, calories, and sodium—and it’s often served in very large portions,” said Clive, who also worked with Clover Leaf to develop the popular Take 5 recipes. “Beyond basic calorie counting, our fast food recipes offer a healthy balance of protein, essential nutrients and vitamins that let you leave the dinner table feeling satisfied and more likely to keep pounds off.”

A recent survey by Technomic, a leading consulting and research firm serving the food industry, discovered that the fast food industry accounts for $25 billion, or about 60 per cent, of all restaurant sales in Canada. The survey also found that North American burger consumption has grown considerably since 2009, with nearly half of consumers reporting indulging in a burger at least once a week compared with 38 per cent two years ago.

At www.cloverleaf.ca, some of the tantalizing“fast food” recipes include: Spicy Tuna Pad Thai, Personal Naan Pizza, Chili Thai Tacos, Original Shawarma, Hooked on Tuna Burrito, and the Captain Burger with Bacon and Cheese. You can find them all at www.cloverleaf.ca.

www.newscanada.com

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How to turn your house into the finest steakhouse

(ARA) – With autumn approaching, appetites will soon be craving those big, hearty flavors that warm the soul. Imagine a fireside table topped with a succulent steak and a robust red wine. Think you need to make a reservation at the swankiest steakhouse in town? Think again. With a little effort, it’s easy to recreate a savory steakhouse experience at home.

A number of cattle ranchers are selling premium cuts of meat directly to consumers. Of course, sourcing the meat is only half the battle; the other half is selecting a wine that can hold its own up against a rich, flavorful meal. For the perfect pairing, look to the American West.

“The success of a steak dinner starts with the cut and quality of the beef, but ultimately rests with the preparation,” says Kristin Thornton of The Double R Ranch Co. “We take great pains to hand select and age our cuts of beef, so we also provide our customers with detailed cooking instructions to ensure a great dining experience.”

While there are many ways to prepare a steak, Thornton suggests using The Double R Ranch’s “steakhouse style” for a mouthwatering result. An ideal method for thicker cuts, the steakhouse style involves a quick sear in a cast iron skillet to trap the juices, followed by an oven finish to achieve the desired doneness. Not only does this method give home cooks the perfect steak, but it provides some additional time and space to finish up any side dishes.

The steakhouse method also provides ample time to open a bottle of red wine and let it breathe, and Thornton thinks you can’t go wrong with a big red from California. “Cabernet Sauvignon is a natural complement to a decadent ribeye or tenderloin,” says Michael Martini, Master winemaker at the longstanding Louis M. Martini(R) Winery in California’s Napa Valley. “Its full body stands up to the richness of the cut, and the simplicity of a quality steak provides a remarkable canvas for illustrating the wine’s complexities.”

California Cabernet Sauvignon is relatively easy to find in stores, and many wineries also ship direct to consumers. “The steakhouse experience doesn’t need to have a luxury price tag,” notes Martini, “and just the right Cabernet Sauvignon can cost less than $20 per bottle.”

The Louis M. Martini 2009 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon retails for around $18 and blends fruit from several prestigious vineyards. The result is a well-balanced, multilayered wine with aromas and tastes of red cherry, black cherry, blackberry and fresh sage. An underlying Dry Creek dustiness and subtle herbal notes are complemented by additional layers of chocolate and vanilla, which make for a decidedly complex and food-friendly wine. It can also be used as a terrific sauce for your steak. Here’s how:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1 cup Louis M. Martini Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together barbecue sauce, wine, salt and pepper and pour into a saucepot. On the stovetop, bring the mixture to a boil until it thickens. Serve on the side as a dipping sauce.

With the main attractions selected, it’s time to prepare some simple sides like baked potatoes and steamed veggies to accompany the meal. Then, break out the fine linens and china, light the fire or a few candles, and your steakhouse transformation is complete.

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California’s Prop 2, also known as the Standards for Confining Farm Animals Act, recently passed with over 60 percent of the vote.

The Act, which mandates an increase of confinement space for veal calves, breeding pigs and egg-laying hens, goes into effect Jan. 1, 2015. Only then will these farm animals have the right to turn around, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs.

While this Act may raise the cost of eggs, pork and veal, at least those who partake will be able to do so in good conscience, knowing that unnecessary suffering was not on the menu.

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A while ago, in an effort to eat locally, my husband and I joined Farm Fresh To You, and we have since looked forward to each delivery with excited anticipation. Not only does it cut down on what we have to buy at the Co-Op, but also it supports local farmers and environmentally-friendly farming practices, both of which I am happy to help.

Eating local is a trend that is slowly sweeping the nation, and it’s a good one to jump in and join, if you haven’t already. Things like the recent tomato/jalapeno contamination could have been avoided (or at least contained more quickly) by eating locally.

Whether local to you means within your state, within 100 miles, or within your city, by reducing the distance between where produce grows and your plate, you’ll be helping support sustainable food systems.

If you don’t shop at a Co-Op, try it. We joined our local Co-Op after I was diagnosed with cancer so we could find pesticide-free produce. Sure, sometimes it’s a bummer not to find apples in the aisles year round, but there are plenty of in-season goodies I’ve discovered, too. Plus, there are stickers on bin stating where the produce “grew up”, so I know which farms I’m supporting and where my foods got their start.

Even if you only shop for produce at your local Co-Op every once in a while, every little bit helps. Plus, the produce is tasty and vibrant, which makes it all the better to eat!

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Late summer is the perfect time to enjoy the bevvy of blueberries in stores.

Wild blueberries are typically found back east from Maine to North Carolina and into Florida, and the blueberry cousin, huckleberries, are taking center stage on the West Coast.

Whether you bake with them, cook them down into jams, or simply pop them in your mouth straight from the bush, blueberries are a delicious, nutritious treat a la Mother Nature. (I like mine straight from the bush, sprinkled over this.)

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It’s that time of year again where I live. Time for the California State Fair. And as if the heat and the crowds aren’t enough to turn a stomach, there’s also the ability to get pretty much anything deep fried. Including frog legs.

At Chicken Charlie’s food stands, fair-goers have their choice of deep-fried items for sale, including White Castle hamburgers, Twinkies, Oreos, Pop Tarts, Spam, frog legs, cheese ravioli, avocado, onion strings, zucchini, artichokes and mushrooms.

Just what the world needs–more fried food.

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