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December 2008 - Times-Standard Articles

December 3, 2008 - Tips for Healthier Holiday Food Faves Apple Glazed Sweet Potatoes

December 10, 2008 - Food Gifts Allow for Delicious Creativity Spiced Pumpkin Cookies

December 17, 2008 - Here’s to a Healthy Hanukkah Low-fat Sweet Potato Latkes

December 24, 2008 - Tips For a Healthy Crab Feast Crab and Avocado Soft Tacos

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December 3, 2008 - Tips for Healthier Holiday Food Faves

For many people, the holidays signal a time for celebrations with family and friends. This week, Colleen Ogle, a registered dietitian with Humboldt County Public Health, will share some great ideas for making special foods both tasty and guilt-free! Holiday occasions are usually surrounded with the very best of home cooking! Alas, these delightful foods are frequently high in fat, sugar and calories, as well as short on nutrition. Take heart, and consider the following minor changes:

• Use low fat (1%) or nonfat dairy products. There are numerous varieties of reduced fat and nonfat cheeses, sour cream, yogurts and spreads in the dairy refrigerator at your local grocery store. Sometimes, combining a nonfat product with a low fat similar product, adds a richness to the flavor, but keeps the fat and calories low.
• For main dishes, think lean (low fat). Turkey is one of the leanest meats, and white meat is leaner than the dark meat. Trim off visible fat and remove the skin from poultry. Choose tuna and salmon more often for holiday meals, as they contain ‘heart healthy’ fats.
• Prepare meats in ways that will decrease the fat content, such as broiling, stewing or baking. Drain off excess fat, or cook meat on a rack so that the fat can drip away. Cool gravies and stews and skim off the firm fat that gathers at the top of the pan. Use vegetable cooking sprays to keep food from sticking to pans and baste meats with a fat-free, low sodium broth rather than using the fat drippings from the pan.
• Include a variety of vegetables with your holiday meals. Preserve their flavor and nutrition by steaming them in a pan with a steaming rack (small collapsible rack found in the kitchen section of many stores), or cook them in a microwave until crisp tender. If you boil vegetables, use a small amount of water and save the cooking liquid to make gravy, or save it in the freezer for future soups.
• Most vegetables contain little or no fat. It is what we put on the vegetables that can increase their fat. Potatoes, for example, contain no fat. For a delightful flavor, whip them with a combination of fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth and nonfat or low fat (1%) milk, buttermilk, sour cream or plain yogurt. Add crushed garlic for added flavor.
• If a stuffing recipe calls for some type of meat, replace half of the meat with dried fruits, such as raisins (golden raisins are delicious!), cranberries or chopped apricots. They boost flavors, as well as add color and festivity.
• What would a holiday dinner be without dessert? When making the traditional pumpkin pie, use evaporated skim milk and top with reduced fat ice cream or frozen yogurt. Try mixing applesauce with mincemeat to decrease the amount of fat and serve with low fat or fat free frozen yogurt. Angel food cake has very little fat and is a wonderful light dessert when served with frozen berries and frozen yogurt.

If your family is accustomed to “holiday dinners with all of the (high-fat) trimmings,” consider making only a few changes this year. Save the rest for another time, and congratulate yourself on cooking to keep your family healthy! The following recipe gives an easy twist to holiday sweet potatoes.


Apple Glazed Sweet Potatoes
(adapted from Everyday Healthy Meals)

2 ½ cups unsweetened 100% apple juice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 pounds sweet potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced

1. Combine apple juice, cinnamon, and salt in a large skillet. Add sliced sweet potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Reduce heat slightly and simmer potatoes, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender and juice has been reduced to a glaze. Serve while hot.

Makes 4 servings (1/2 cup per serving), with 195 calories per serving, 0.37 g. fat, 0 mg. chol., 208 mg. sodium, 5 g. fiber, 46 g. carb., 3 g. protein.

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December 10, 2008 - Food Gifts Allow for Delicious Creativity

During the holidays, the kitchen is frequently the center of operations for creating delightful meals and treats to share with neighbors and friends. We were taught that gifts made with our own hands are gifts from the heart. Food gifts can be delicious, inexpensive, and a way to introduce family and friends to new tastes or new foods, as well as allow everyone to be creative in their giving.

Consider some of the following gift ideas: Flavored vinegars, fruit butters, dried fruits, homemade jams and jellies, fruit baskets, homemade biscotti or other lower fat cookies, flavored cocoa mixes, or homemade specialty mustards, chutneys, soup mixes, colorful combinations of locally grown dried beans. Or, maybe you’ll consider locally made food products. Now is the time to be on the look out for ideas and simple recipes.

Many of the traditional foods associated with the holidays have an overabundant supply of fat, salt and/or calories. Here are some ideas for making healthier choices:

• A unique gift from your kitchen might be: In a basket, combine some tasty ingredients that will make a delicious dinner. For example, whole grain pasta, pasta sauce, a small amount of fresh parmesan cheese, and a bunch of fresh broccoli. Or, include ingredients for a favorite Asian meal or favorites from other ethnic cuisine.
• Do you have a favorite pancake, muffin, cookie or quick bread recipe that your family enjoys? Layer the dry ingredients in a quart canning jar, put a piece of decorative fabric between the seal and ring, and tie the recipe to the top with a ribbon.
• If eggnog is your favorite holiday drink, serve a "lite" version. This choice can reduce the fat for each 8-ounce cup serving from 20 grams of fat to 2 grams.
• It is virtually impossible to avoid the fudge, toffee, cookies, pies and cakes that surround you during the holidays. So the next time you are tempted, plan carefully. Try sampling small amounts of some things rather than taking an entire piece of each item…or share with a friend. That way you’ll feel less obliged to eat the whole thing!
• Typical appetizers such as nuts, chips, dips, cheese balls and crackers are very high in fat and can easily sabotage efforts at healthy eating. There are options. Reach for the fresh veggies or pretzels. Or, as your contribution to the party, take a dip made with nonfat or light sour cream, along with fresh vegetables, bread sticks, bagel chips, pita chips, crostini or pretzels.
• If you’re a “cookie craver” reduce the amount of fat in your favorite cookie recipes. Even reducing the fat a small amount can make a big difference in total calories. If you’re trying to reduce the fat a lot, it may require some “playing around” with spices, flavorings, and fruit puree substitutes.

Here’s a delicious recipe that would be easy to package and nice to receive. Layer the completed cookies in a festive box or on a Christmas plate, cover with plastic wrap and finish with a bow. Enjoy!


Spiced Pumpkin Cookies
(adapted from The Eating Well Diabetes Cookbook)

2/3 c. whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground allspice
¾ c. canned plain pumpkin puree
¾ c. packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
¼ c. canola oil
¼ c. dark molasses
1 c. raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 3 baking sheets with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together whole wheat and all-purpose flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg in a large bowl.
3. Whisk together pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, oil and molasses in a second bowl until well combined. Stir the wet ingredients and raisins into the dry ingredients until no traces of fry ingredients remain. Drop the batter by level tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies 1 ½ inches apart.
4. Bake the cookies until firm to the touch and lightly golden on top, 10 to 12 minutes, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies, with 68 calories per cookie, 2 g. fat, 12 mg. chol., 67 mg. sodium, 1 g. fiber, 12 g. carb., 1 g. protein.

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December 17, 2008 - Here’s to a Healthy Hanukkah

Have you ever thought about creating a healthy Hanukkah menu? It’s pretty challenging because oil is associated with the holiday in a major way. When people think of Jewish cooking they don’t usually think of low-fat. Most Jewish people would be disappointed not to have the traditional fried potato pancakes (latkes) during those eight special nights, so this week Jonna Kitchen, who works with us as a Public Health Nutritionist, is sharing some adventurous ideas for a healthy Hanukkah.

The Jewish people celebrate the legend that when they drove the pagan army out of Jerusalem and rekindled the candelabra in the Holy Temple, there was just enough oil to keep it lit for one day. A miracle occurred! The oil lasted eight nights. As a result, special candelabras with eight branches, called menorahs, are lit in memory of this miracle. Because oil is related to the miracle, fried foods are typically included in the celebration.

The most commonly eaten food during Hanukkah is potato latkes. They require frying grated potatoes in ample amounts of oil. Another favored holiday treat is doughnuts, which are also fried. Feeling full and greasy yet? After a holiday meal, families frequently play dreidel (a spinning top) game and earn chocolate coins known as Hanukkah geld (money) as a prize and dessert.

The best approach for redesigning a Hanukkah menu is reducing, but not eliminating the fat. Bake latkes in a small amount of oil after an initial “quick-fry”. It eliminates a lot of extra fat, without reducing flavors. Latkes are served with applesauce and sour cream during Hanukah, and using low-fat sour cream or low-fat, plain yogurt will reduce fat without changing the taste.

Choose healthier oils for cooking, like olive or canola oil. Since olive oil was probably used to light those ancient candelabra it seems fitting to use it as cooking oil during Hanukkah. Another good reason for using olive oil is that it is rich in monounsaturated fats, the type of fat that is good for your heart. Use it at low to moderate temperatures and avoid letting it get so hot that it smokes (that’s called its smoking point). Each type of oil has a different smoking point or temperature at which it starts to burn. A smoking oil is unhealthy because it creates substances known as “free radicals” which are linked to causing cancer. If needed, sunflower, safflower and canola oils are better for high heat frying because of their higher smoking points.

Use sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes as another way to modernize latkes and boost vitamins and minerals during Hanukkah.. Latkes are very filling, so this is a great holiday to eat vegetarian style. Fill the rest of your plate with fresh vegetable salads, hummus and whole wheat pita bread (a chickpea spread preferred by Israelis) or even a broth-based vegetable soup. When playing dreidel, try dipping fresh or dried fruit in melted dark chocolate instead of chocolate using geld. What kid wouldn’t delight in a chocolate dipped strawberry or dried apricot?!

Here’s a tasty recipe for sweet potato latkes, check it out!


Low-fat Sweet Potato Latkes
(adapted from The Low-Fat Jewish Cookbook)

1 ¾ pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, scrubbed well (or peeled, if desired)
1 medium onion
5 large egg whites
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
1/3 cup all purpose flour
About ¼ cup olive oil
1 1/3 cups applesauce
½ cup nonfat sour cream or nonfat plain yogurt

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grate the sweet potatoes and onion, using hand-held grater or food processor. Transfer them to a large bowl.
2. Beat the egg whites lightly with the salt and pepper and add to the potato mixture. Mix well. Add the flour and mix well.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy nonstick 10 -12 inch skillet. Fill a ½ cup measure with mixture, pressing to compact it, and turn it out in a mound into the skillet. Quickly form 3 more mounds. Flatten each with the back of a spoon to form a cake 2 ½ - 3 inches in diameter, pressing to compact it. Fry, using medium heat for 1 ½ minutes per side. Remove to a nonstick cookie sheet with a slotted spatula (or drain off any excess fat.)
4. Stir the potato mixture before forming and frying each new batch, and add a little more oil to the pan.
5. Bake about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Turn over and bake 5 more minutes. Serve hot, accompanied by applesauce and sour cream or yogurt, if desired.

Makes about 4 servings, with 348 calories per serving, 13.7 g. fat, 0 mg. chol., 706 mg. sodium, 6 g. fiber, 47 carb., 9 g. protein.

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December 24, 2008 - Tips For a Healthy Crab Feast

Merry Christmas from all of us in the Nutrition and Physical Activity Programs at Humboldt County Public Health! Not only is this the time for holiday parties and festivities....it is also time for crab, one of our north coast treasures! In the past, there has been some confusion about the healthfulness of crab and other shellfish. So here’s the “straight scoop,” concerning nutritional aspects of crab, as we know it today.

If obtained in clean waters, crab is considered a very healthful seafood! In 5 ounces of cooked crab meat, there are 139 calories and only 3 grams of fat. Less than one gram of that fat is saturated (the “bad guy” fat), and there are only 76 mgs of cholesterol.

Most of the Dungeness crab available on the north coast will weigh between 1-1/2 and 3 pounds. You can buy them live or cooked. When determining how much crab to purchase for your family, allow 1 to 1-1/2 pounds per person, if purchased in the shell (live or cooked). Allow approximately 5 ounces per person when purchasing it cooked and out of the shell.

Things to look for when shopping for crab:

If live, they should:

• Be active! They won’t be very active if they’ve been refrigerated, but they should move at least a little bit. If there is no leg activity, throw it away. Don’t cook or eat any shellfish that died during storage.
• Have a hard shell.

If cooked, they should have:

• A bright orange to red, hard shell.
• White meat with red or brown tints (depending on species).

If frozen, watch for:

• Solidly frozen flesh with no discoloration or freezer burn.
• No odor or a mild “sea breeze” odor;
• No signs indicating the contents had melted and refrozen, such as visible ice.

Once the crab is home, be sure to store it properly. Live shellfish should be stored in well-ventilated refrigeration, not in air-tight plastic bags or containers. If they are kept in the refrigerator, store with damp paper towels over them. Properly stored crab will stay alive for 1 to 2 days.

If you purchase cooked whole crab or cooked crab meat, remove viscera and gills, and wrap each crab tightly and store for no more than 2 to 3 days. Crab can also be frozen for up to 2 months, in or out of the shell, and should be defrosted in the refrigerator.

Here’s a simple, tasty way to enjoy your crab this holiday season.


Crab and Avocado Soft Tacos
(adapted from 1000 Low Fat, Salt, Sugar, Cholesterol Healthy Recipes)

8 corn tortillas
1 avocado
Lime or lemon juice for tossing
4-6 Tbsp. low fat sour cream or plain yogurt
9-10 oz. cooked crab meat
½ lime
½ fresh green chili (or more if desired)- jalapeño or Serrano, deseeded, and finely chopped or thinly sliced
1 medium-sized, ripe tomato
½ small onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. (or more) chopped fresh cilantro
Salsa of your choice

1. Heat tortillas by packaging in aluminum foil and heating in the oven for 15 minutes, or wrap in waxed paper and heat for 45 seconds at high heat in the microwave.
2. Cut avoacado in half around the seed. Carefully remove skin, thinly slice and toss with lime or lemon juice in a small bowl.
3. Spread each tortilla with sour cream. Top with 1/8 of the crab meat, a squeeze of lime juice, and a sprinkling of chile, tomato, onion, cilantro, and avocado. Add a small amount of salsa. Repeat with all eight tortillas and serve.

Serves 4, with 315 calories per serving, 12 g. fat, 58 mg. chol., 541 mg. sodium, 7 g. fiber, 34 g. carb. 22 g. protein.