Month: August 2011

How Nutritious is 100% Fruit Juice? Not Very.

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Q. What should I look for when buying fruit juice? For example the “100% pure and natural orange juice” says it contains 0% Vitamin C. How is that possible? Another one provides 100% Vitamin C but from the list of ingredients we see that Vitamin C is actually added.

A. The USDA considers a half cup of fruit juice equivalent to a serving of fruit but I have my doubts. Processed fruit juice–even 100% juice–is a distant second to fresh whole fruit in terms of its nutritional value. For one thing, fruit juice is a very concentrated source of sugar and calories. All the fiber, which slows the absorption of the sugars in whole fruit, has been removed.

Secondly, many (most?) of the naturally-occurring nutrients are lost during processing, pasteurization, and storage. As you found, manufacturers may compensate for this by adding nutrients back to the juice after the fact. You could get the same benefit from taking a vitamin C capsule.

See also: Juicing for Health and Nutrition

Juice and Diabetes Risk

Nutritionally, I’d rank processed fruit juice only slightly higher than soda and other sweetened beverages. In fact, a large study conducted in China found that people who drink two or more servings of juice a week are 25% more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes compared to those who rarely drink juice. This is consistent with another large 2008 study, which also found that increased juice consumption led to an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes–but that eating more whole fruit decreased diabetes risk.

My Advice?

Eat Fruit; Drink Water.  (Same for your kids!)

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My newest book, Secrets for a Healthy Diet: What to Eat, What to Avoid, and What to Stop Worrying About is my essential guide to all the food choices you make every day.  Read a sample chapter here.

 

 

Potassium-enriched salt?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Q. You recently pointed out the importance of balancing potassium and sodium intake.   They already add iodine, fluoride and/or iron to table salt.   Why is there no potassium-enriched table salt?

A. Actually, there is (sort of).  Low-sodium salt substitutes are usually made with potassium chloride,  a mineral salt formed from potassium instead of sodium.  Potassium chloride tastes salty, but can have a bitter or metallic aftertaste. On the plus side, a quarter teaspoon contains 650 mg of potassium!

See also:  The Great Salt Debate

Why Can’t Experts Agree on Sodium?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Quick and Dirty Tips for Eating Well and Feeling FabulousThink the debate over the national debt was contentious? That’s nothing compared to the war being waged in scientific circles about how much sodium it’s safe to eat.  As researchers duke it out in the pages of medical journals, poor consumers are caught in a cross-fire of contradictory recommendations.   In this week’s podcast, I tell you what you need to know to stay out of trouble. Read or listen to it here.

Chilled Cucumber Soup

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

This is a great recipe for late summer, when the weather is hot and cucumbers are plentiful.

Serves 2

1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeds removed
1 1/2 cups low-fat yogurt, divided
1/2 clove fresh garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
10-12 fresh mint leaves
1 small shallot (optional)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or salt substitute
1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1. Chop the cucumber into chunks and add to jar or blender with 1 cup yogurt, garlic, olive oil, mint leaves and shallot. Blend mixture at medium-high speed, just until smooth.

2. Pour cucumber mixture into bowl and add salt, pepper, and the rest of the yogurt. Stir briefly, just to combine.

3. Serve in chilled bowls or mugs.

Note: Yogurt gets thinner when you stir or blend it. Adding the yogurt in two batches helps to keep the soup from getting too thin. Another trick is to strain 2 cups of yogurt for 3-4 hours in a thin-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth and set over a bowl, until you have collected about 1/2 cup of whey. Discard the whey (or use it to add protein to a meal replacement shake or smoothie), and use the strained yogurt in the recipe.

Nutritional Information (per serving): Calories 160, Fat 6g, Carbohydrate 15g, Protein 10g

How much is an International Unit?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Q. Most nutrients seem to be measured in mg but some are shown as mcg or I.U.  How do I convert these measurements into mg?

A.  To convert micrograms (mcg) to milligrams (mg),  divide by 1,000–or move the decimal point 3 positions to the left.   1000 mcg = 1.000  mg.   But generally, you won’t need to convert between these two.  We use micrograms for nutrients that occur in very small amounts (folate, vitamin B12,  vitamin D, and vitamin K, for example).   Instead of writing that a food contains 0.125 mg of vitamin K, it’s less confusing to write that it contains 125 mcg.  You generally wouldn’t find milligram amounts of vitamin K in foods or supplements.

Converting International Units (I.U.) isn’t so simple–because it’s a different conversion for each nutrient.  The I.U. is an arbitrary amount based on the amount of a given nutrient needed to produce a biological effect.  Here are the conversions for the most common nutrients.

Nutrient Amount in 1 I.U.
Vitamin A 0.3 mcg
Beta-carotene 3.6 mcg
Vitamin D 0.025 mcg
Vitamin E 0.67 mg

 

Want to learn more about food and nutrition? Subscribe to the Nutrition Diva podcast wherever you listen.

Shop Smart: Finding the Healthiest Options

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Q. We just moved to Texas from Ireland.  I am trying to find a bread in local markets that has no sugar and low salt.  I am also trying to find canned/jars of plain crushed tomatoes with no salt as I make my own sauce. I am shocked at the amounts of salt and sugar in everything here in the USA.   

A. When you eat foods that are high in salt and/or sugar, you get accustomed to a greater degree of saltiness and sweetness.  I guess the selection of processed foods you’re finding in American grocery stores shows what we’ve become accustomed to.  (The good news? It works both ways: You can retrain your tastebuds to prefer less salt and sugar by gradually decreasing the amounts.)

See also:  The Great Salt Debate

It should be possible to find some brands that are lower in salt and sugar, though, even in a mainstream grocery store.  Ezekiel, Pepperidge Farm, and Nature’s Own all make breads that are relatively low in salt and sugar, for example. Hunt’s and DelMonte both produce canned tomatoes with no salt.

To make the hunt for healthier options a little easier, check out the following tools: Continue reading “Shop Smart: Finding the Healthiest Options” >