KTK-Nutrition

Eggs, who doesn’t like eggs?   Hard-boiled, egg salad sandwiches, scrambled, so many ways to enjoy eggs for breakfast and lunch.    But for years, eggs have gotten a bad wrap.   Many people avoid eggs or eat them sparingly because of the cholesterol scare.   And for years, the American Heart Association recommended limiting our egg consumption. But newer research says we can enjoy eggs once again. What about eggs and cholesterol? New research has not found a link between egg consumption and heart disease, even among men at genetic risk for heart disease.   It seems high blood cholesterol levels are more linked to the saturated fat in meats rather than the cholesterol in eggs.   In one Finnish study, over 1,000 men were followed for 21 years.   They found egg consumption and dietary cholesterol did not significantly increase risk of heart disease.   But they didn’t over consume eggs either, about one egg a day.      ...

What new food trends might we see in 2017?   Many food websites are making predictions for trends you will see in 2017.   Here are some of them. Eat This, Not That is predicting these 2017 Food Trends : Sour Dough bread – if you like it, great as you will be seeing more sour dough bread in 2017.   Eat This, Not That believes it is because sour dough bread is fine to eat for those who are sensitive to gluten.   (But still not fine for those who are gluten intolerant.)   And some experts say the bacteria in sour dough bread is great for your digestive system, so enjoy every bite. Spices – what’s so new about spices?   McCormick notes that in 2017 we will be enjoying even more spicy foods like more peppercorn will be spicing up restaurant menus.   Move over regular pasta and make way for alternative pasta – many of us have already enjoyed zucchini noodles, quinoa-based noodles but more varieties are forthcoming in 2017. Environmental Nutrit...

Traveling this holiday season?   Who isn’t up for a fast food breakfast?   My favorite is a McDonald’s Egg McMuffin, orange juice and black coffee.   Are there healthier breakfast choices at fast food establishments?   What are the not so healthy choices? The ones loaded with fat, sugar and calories? WebMD has a great slide show, Better Best for Fast-Food Breakfast . McDonald’s Healthier Breakfast Options Egg McMuffin – only 300 calories, 12 grams of fat and 6 grams of saturated fat.   Yes, there is bacon but it’s lean Canadian bacon so more protein and less fat.   Egg White Delight McMuffin – if you want less cholesterol – 250 calories, 8 grams fat and 4.5 grams saturated fat Breakfasts to pass on Big Breakfast with Hotcakes – a whopping 1050 calories with lots of fat (56 grams) and lots of saturated fat (19 grams) and loaded with sodium, 1960 mg. Burger King Healthier Breakfast Options Egg & Cheese Croissan’wich - like the ...

Chocolate was in the news this week.   Nestle is planning to reformulate chocolate to make it lower in calories.   Who doesn’t love chocolate?   And more recently they have discovered chocolate actually has many health benefits.    But the downside has been that chocolate is often loaded with sugar and fat which somewhat negates its health benefits.   So, what does Nestle plan to do to make chocolate lower in calories? Nestle will lower the sugar content in chocolate. Lowering the sugar content sounds good from a calorie and health perspective but not from a taste perspective.   How can Nestle lower the sugar content but keep the taste? Restructure the Sugar Molecule: Nestle has found a way to basically reform the sugar crystal, making it hollow on the inside.   But one still gets the sweet taste from the hollowed-out sugar crystal so they say the reduced sugar chocolate will still taste sweet.   The Nestle technology officer ex...

Who hasn’t used the 5 second rule?   You drop some food on the floor and if it is less than 5 seconds, is it safe to eat?   If it is on the floor longer than 5 seconds, is it really more contaminated?   Does the type of floor matter?   The type of food?   Is the 5 Second Rule another food myth?    Believe it or not, researchers have actually studied the 5 second rule.   What foods did they drop and what did they find? A number of researchers have studied the 5 Second Rule the most recent study about Myth Debunked , was published in September in the journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology.   Previously, a high school student studied gummy bears and fudge-striped cookies dropped on a floor contaminated with E. coli.   He found that food was contaminated in less than 5 seconds.    So, what did the 2016 researchers find? What is the 5 Second Rule – the belief is if you drop any food on the ground/floor and pick ...

Now that the weather has turned colder, it is time to think about how you can protect yourself and family members from getting colds or flu this winter.    There are many things people can do in terms of diet, exercise and habits that can greatly reduce your chances of getting sick.    What diet and other changes can you focus on to boost your immune system and keep you healthy?      1.   Fruits and Vegetables – 5 A Day is the suggested amount but eating even more than 5 A Day during the cold and flu season is a wise choice. a.        Antioxidants for your immune system: Fruits and vegetables are not only full of vitamins and minerals but also antioxidants that can help you fight off those infections and build your immune system.   But each color of fruit and vegetable has different antioxidants.   To ensure you are getting a wide range of colors, vary your colors.   Include many differ...

Watching your carbs?   Who hasn’t heard people who say, “I am watching my carbs.”?   Well, you should “watch your carbs” to make sure you are getting whole grains in your diet every day.   Most Americans are getting enough grains in their diet, but not enough whole grains. The Whole Grains Council lists many benefits of eating whole grains. Reduce your risk for many diseases.   Eating whole grains can reduce your risk of: o    Stroke by 30-36% o    Type 2 diabetes by 21-30% o    Heart disease by 25-28%                 And, contrary to public opinion, whole grains can make maintaining your weight easier. The American Heart Association in articles in Circulation , noted replacing refined grains like white bread with whole grains like whole wheat bread and whole grain cereals lowered one’s risk of heart disease ( Replace refined grains with whole gr...

Everyone knows fruits and vegetables are good for your health.   But many parents don’t know about half of what a kid eats should be fruits and vegetables.   MyPlate shows a plate with half the plate being fruits and veggies.   Many parents aren’t serving kids even one fruit or vegetable at a meal, let alone 2 at each meal.   In fact, statistics show only 22% of kids ages 2-5 are getting the recommended servings of vegetables. For older kids, it’s even worse with only 16% of kids ages 6-11 and only 11% of kids ages 12 to 18 are getting the recommended vegetable servings.   Even then the vegetable is often French fries or chips.        Many nutritionists and health care professionals offer tips to parents on how to get kids to eat their veggies (and their fruit).   One bite rule – child care centers often invoke this rule.   A child has to take at least one bite before they get to veto the food.   The child may find th...