KTK-Nutrition

As the weather turns colder, who doesn’t like a hot bowl of soup?   Is soup healthy?   What nutritional value does soup have?   Actually, soup can be a healthy addition to your diet.   What are some health benefits of enjoying that bowl of soup on a cold day? Vegetables – many soups are either loaded with vegetables or the base of the soup is made from vegetables.   Many Americans are low on veggies and soup is an easy way to add some veggies to your day.   If you have a toddler who is fussy about eating vegetables, that toddler may eat the smaller pieces of the soft vegetables in vegetable soup. Even kids who won’t eat tomatoes might enjoy a bowl of tomato soup.   And as I have noted before, cooking some vegetables actually makes them healthier.   The lycopene in tomato soup is better absorbed than the lycopene in a raw tomato.   Enjoy some split pea soup and you added veggies and beta carotene (vitamin A) to your day.   As noted in last week’s blog ( Foods for Healthy Skin ), fo

Many of my students and blog followers ask, “What foods can I eat for healthier skin”?   There are many topical beauty products one can buy for healthier skin but eating healthy foods should be a first step.   Eat This, Not That ! has a great article, 25 Healthy Foods That Give You Glowing Skin .   Besides eating healthy, keeping the sun off your face by wearing a hat and using sunscreen are also wise ideas.   The article makes the point that having healthy, “hydrated skin starts from within” by eating healthy foods.   Healthy foods can help build up collagen in your skin, and help strengthen your skin. Collagen is important as one New York dermatologist says, “It’s the glue that holds the body together.   “Collagen makes up about 75% of the dry weight of your skin, providing volume that keeps skin looking plump and keeps lines at bay.”   What are some foods that promote healthy skin and what is in these foods that works that magic? Tomatoes – plants have chemicals in them that

Many people opt for a quick meal and choose a ready to eat frozen meal.   The good news is many of these frozen meals are a healthier choice than they used to be.   Consumer Reports has a great review of frozen meals .   They reviewed 30 different frozen meals and rated them for price, packaging, nutrition, and flavor.   In their article, they noted the sales of frozen meals have soared, up a whopping 48% compared to last year.   Choices – so many healthier options are now available.   Frozen meals used to be focused on meat and potatoes or low-calorie dinners for the dieting crowd.   Now there are many options to choose from. Processed Foods – frozen meals are processed but the good news is, manufacturers are now offering options less processed ingredients which usually means a healthier choice.   And, manufacturers haven’t given up on taste in their less-processed frozen meal offerings. What are some healthy ingredients to look for? Whole grains – look for brown rice, quinoa

Now that Thanksgiving is over, you may be enjoying some leftovers like pumpkin pie or some sweet potato casserole.   Fall is a great time to enjoy some fall foods and many of these foods, like pumpkin, are loaded with good nutrition.    Pumpkin – a very healthy, nutritious food.   So, enjoy that pumpkin pie or pumpkin pudding.   Pumpkin is loaded with beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A.   The beta-carotene gives pumpkin its orange coloring. Beta-carotene is super healthy as it helps prevent cancer, protects against asthma and for older folks helps reduce the risk of getting macular degeneration.   Additionally, pumpkin adds fiber to your day and many Americans aren’t getting enough fiber.   Besides pie, there are many other ways to enjoy pumpkin: pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, and some even make pumpkin pancakes.   WebMD has a great article, 6 Surprising Health Benefits of Pumpkin .   These include: Weight loss – because pumpkin provides fiber, it helps slow digestion and ke

Who doesn’t love Thanksgiving?   All those delicious foods to eat.   What are some tips to enjoy the Thanksgiving feast and leftovers without adding those extra pounds?   Not easy since food is so plentiful and so tasty.   Not a day to be on a diet but a day we can enjoy every bite but not gain a lot as a result.   A couple of years ago I blogged about enjoying a guilt-free Thanksgiving.   How can you make some slight modifications in your Thanksgiving feast and still enjoy a tasty meal? What are some suggestions for enjoying all the food but not tip the scales days later? Consumer Reports wrote an article :   “Good to the Last Gobble” in which they outlined how many calories Americans eat at the Thanksgiving feast.   They cite the Calorie Control Council (who knew there was such a Council?) that says we consume 4,500 calories or more at our Thanksgiving feast.   That is a lot of calories for one meal, especially since our daily calorie intake should be between 1600 – 2000 for adult w

Everyone has a salt shaker in their home.   For years this shaker was filled with Morton’s salt.   Everyone used Morton’s salt.   Then sea salt seemed to be popular.   Now the rage seems to be “pink salt”.   It has been around for a while. Apparently Trader Joe’s started selling pink salt in 2009.   If you read the label, most pink salt seems to branded as coming from the Himalayas in Pakistan.   However, one source said it comes from just south of the actual Himalayas in Pakistan.   There are lots of health claims for using sea salt and pink salt in place of Morton’s salt.   What salt should people use?   What is the benefit of using Morton’s Salt? One reason to use Morton’s salt is to get enough iodine. If you look at a package of Morton’s salt you will see the words: “Iodized salt.   This salt supplies iodide, a necessary nutrient.”     Why is iodine added to Morton’s salt?   Someone asked the Mayo Clinic , “I rarely use salt anymore when cooking.   Instead, I like to use sea s