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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

 

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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” >

Will More Chewing Help you Lose Weight?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

 

Quick and Dirty Tips for Eating Well and Feeling Fabulous

Many magazine and internet articles recommend chewing each bite of food 30, 40, even up to 80 times as a weight loss strategy. And it’s true: Chewing your food more thoroughly can improve digestion, promote weight loss, and affect the nutritional value of foods—but there is a surprising twist to this story. Find out more in this week’s episode of the Nutrition Diva podcast.

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh Corn, Black Bean, and Avocado Salad

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Serves 4

This salad is delicious made with canned corn but in the summer, when corn is in season, it becomes an extra special favorite! If you’re making corn on the cob for dinner, be sure to make an extra ear or two so you can make this salad the next day.   Or, place an ear of corn (unshucked) in the microwave for 4 minutes on high. Wrap in a towel and let rest for five minutes before shucking.  Continue reading “Fresh Corn, Black Bean, and Avocado Salad” >

How to Eat Healthy When Traveling

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Lola writes with a question about eating healthy on the road.  “I travel at least two days a week,” she writes, “which leads to countless fast-food and airport meals. Do you have any advice for travelers?”

This article also available as a podcast. Click to listen.

 

How to Eat Healthy When Traveling

Eating healthy when you’re at home can be challenging enough. Sticking to your good habits when you’re traveling can be even tougher.  But there’s no need to arrive home from your trip with a junk food hangover.  Here are four tips to help you stick to your healthy eating habits when traveling.

Healthy Eating Tip #1:  Take Healthy Snacks with You

Whenever possible, arm yourself with healthy snacks for the car or plane so that you’re not stuck with the limited offerings available at gas stations and airports. If you’re traveling with a cooler, stock it with plain yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, string cheese, fruit, cut-up vegetables, and hummus. Dried fruit, nuts, sunflower seeds, or trail mix travel well without refrigeration—and you’ll usually find a good selection of that sort of thing at the airport newsstand if you don’t have time to shop before you leave.

Healthy Eating Tip #2: Hold Out for the Healthy Options

Healthier options such as salads, grilled sandwiches, veggie or black bean burgers, yogurt, and fresh fruit are also starting to show up at most of the fast food restaurants—and the quality is pretty consistent. Most fast food restaurants now have brochures readily available on the counter that detail the nutritional information of the various menu items. These materials make it much easier to zero in on the better choices.

When vetting the calorie counts on fast food items, be sure to pay attention to extras like cheese, sour cream, or guacamole.

Or, download the Stop & Go Guide to Fast Food, app, which lists menu items for 70 different fast food joints, color coded red, yellow, or green to help you quickly identify the lesser of two (or more) evils. Nutritional details are also included.  When vetting the calorie counts on fast food items, be sure to pay attention to extras like cheese, sour cream, or guacamole.

Believe it or not, it’s also gotten a little easier to find healthy options at rest stops and gas station convenience stores. Of course, you’ll still have to walk through the acres of Funyuns and Krispy Kreme donuts. But check the coolers at the back of the store and you’re also likely to find things like cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, raw carrots and hummus, and tomato juice.

Healthy Eating Tip #3: Technology is Your Friend

Although most big corporate chain restaurants now provide nutrition information, independently owned restaurants usually don’t.  And part of the fun of traveling is finding those one-of-a-kind places that you can’t find back home.

If you have some time before you leave home, check out Healthy Dining Finder. The website currently lists healthy menu options from tens of thousands of restaurants around the U.S.–including lots of independently owned and fine dining establishments.  Nutrition professionals review and analyze menus according to criteria posted on the Healthy Dining Finder website, where you can search the database by location as well as price.

The Best Healthy Eating Apps

If you have a smart phone, there are lots of apps that can help you locate healthy eating options. One of my favorites is an app called Good Food Near You. For my vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free listeners, check the app store for iVegetarian, Vegan Steven, and Gluten Freed, apps that will help you find restaurants and markets that cater to your needs and preferences.

Healthy Eating Tip #4: Stick to Your Usual Habits

Finally, once you’re at your destination, try to stick to your usual eating habits as much as possible. If your hotel room has a small fridge, for example, stop at a grocery store and pick up whatever you usually eat for breakfast. Starting the day with your usual yogurt or high-fiber cereal rather than the Grand-Slam pancake breakfast will help set the tone for the rest of the day.  Eating some yogurt every day when traveling can also help you avoid irregularity, which certainly takes a little of the fun out of traveling.

Originally published at QuickandDirtyTIps.com