KTK-Nutrition

Who doesn’t love some sweets, some desserts?   Everyone knows candy, cookies, pies, cakes, and other desserts have sugar.    But you may not be aware of the amount of added sugar in everyday foods.   What are some food sources of hidden sugar that may surprise you?   What is the difference between the natural sugar in foods and added sugar?   It is the added sugar in foods that can lead to a number of health problems including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, dental disease and even liver disease.      What foods have natural sugar? When health professionals recommend cutting back on “sugar”, they usually aren’t talking about the natural sugar in foods.   Did you know cow’s milk has some natural sugar called “lactose”?   It is not very sweet so milk doesn’t taste very sweet unless it is chocolate milk and sugar has been added.   Fruit contains a natural sugar called “fructose”.   So why don’t you get a sugar high whe...

Who doesn’t enjoy some fresh watermelon?   So juicy and naturally sweet.   We have some sliced watermelon in our fridge as my husband went to the farmer’s market this week. Many people enjoy watermelon and don’t realize how healthy it is.   A dietitian, Julie Upton, provides some great news about watermelon in her article, One Major Side Effect of Eating Watermelon, Says Dietitian .   We do hear a lot about superfoods like blueberries but we don’t hear much about other fruits like watermelon.   Watermelon packs a big nutritious punch. One reason why watermelon is so good for your health is that it is loaded with many vitamins and minerals as well as fiber.   Vitamins : watermelon is a good source of vitamins A, C and many B vitamins.   One cup of watermelon balls provides 12.5 mg of vitamin C, almost 25% of daily needs.   One cup also provides 876 IU of vitamin A, almost 20% of daily needs.   Minerals :   think potassium.  ...

Do food manufacturers have secrets they don’t want you to know?   My sister recommended an MSN article on a number of things food manufacturers want to keep secret as outlined in   the article 50 Secrets Food Manufacturers Don’t Tell You That Could Change the Way You Eat.   Some of the changes food manufacturers are making are good for our health.   More manufacturers are cutting back on the added sugar in foods.    Also, manufacturers are reducing the artificial flavors and artificial colors in foods.   For example, Kraft has removed the artificial color in their macaroni and cheese.   Even fast food chains are focusing on healthier options by getting rid of the antibiotics in chicken.    What are some things you should be aware of?      1.  Crackers – are you being fooled by crackers?   Are crackers healthy?   Most crackers are made from refined flour (white flour) and sugar and salt.   Add so...