Spend Smart. Eat Smart.

As a dietetic intern, I get frequent questions about gluten free diets. Most of these questions have been prompted by articles on Facebook, websites and celebrity’s books. I can’t believe all the claims being made for gluten free diets such as, gluten free diets help with weight loss, increase energy and concentration, improve autism and rheumatoid arthritis, and in general are supposed to be healthier.

What is gluten? Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and some oats. Food we consume everyday like cookies, cakes, pizza, pasta, cereals and breads have gluten in them.

Approximately 1% of the population has a medical condition called celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that damages the small intestine lining and  prevents absorption of nutrients from foods that are consumed. The damage is due to a reaction of eating gluten.

Most of us will not benefit from a gluten free diet. There is no current evidence that eating a gluten free diet will help with weight loss or is a healthier diet in general. In addition, not consuming these food products means you may be lacking essential nutrients like iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate and  fiber in your diet.

Interestingly, research has shown that gluten free products are higher in fat. Looking at the nutrition of a regular vs. a gluten free food product; 1 slice of regular multigrain bread has 120 calories, 1 gram of total fat and has 12% of your daily fiber intake and 15% of your daily intake of iron (based on 2,000 calorie diet). Gluten free multigrain bread has 80 calories, 3.5 grams of total fat, 4 % of your daily fiber intake and 2 % of your daily iron intake.

The cost of eating gluten free products is significantly higher. Gluten free products cost 242% more than regular products and lack variety. The graph below shows the food cost comparison of regular items vs. gluten free items.

So before you consider switching to a gluten free diet, consider saving money and eating non- gluten free foods that provide you with excellent nutrition and health benefits. Also, if you have symptoms of celiac disease (gas, bloating, diarrhea, weight loss/gain, fatigue) contact your healthcare provider to set up an appointment for appropriate screening.

The Mythbusters poster was created by an ISU nutrition class. Let’s bust the myths!

True or False? 

Gluten free diet is a healthier diet for everyone.

Gluten free products have fewer calories.

Gluten containing grains contribute to more than 75% of typical daily grain consumption.

Celiac disease is a food allergy.

Celiac disease is easy to diagnosis.

Gluten free diet can compromise gut immunity.

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When you’re planning your meals and writing your grocery list, do you ever wonder how many fruits and vegetables to buy or how to get the best deals on them? If so, check out our new series of 2-3 minute ‘how to’ videos. Some of the topics for the videos include:

• How to Shop for Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables
• How to Get the Best Deal on Fruits and Vegetables
• How to Decide How Many Fruits and Vegetables to Buy
• How to Shop for Fruits and Vegetables

A few of the tips shared in the videos that I find helpful include:

-Check your cupboards, refrigerator, and freezers to see what you already have.

-Check the grocery ads for what is on sale.

-Buy a variety of fruits and vegetables including fresh, canned, frozen, and dried.

-Use unit pricing to help you decide what is the best deal for you.

Before heading to the grocery store or Farmer’s Market, take a few minutes to watch these videos to learn some new tips to help you when buying fruits and vegetables.

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I can’t remember ever having salmon when I was a kid. The only canned fish we ate was tuna. As an adult I love to order grilled salmon, but I was not familiar with canned salmon until a couple of years ago. I started actively trying to get fish into my diet a couple of times a week, as advised by the 2010  Dietary Guidelines for Americans to increase my intake of omega-3 fatty acids, and discovered canned salmon in the process.

Here are a few things about salmon I have learned:

• Generally, the redder the salmon the more expensive it is and the more fat it contains.

• Pink and chum salmon are your best buy.

• Canned salmon comes in a variety of sizes: the tall, 15½-ounce can contains about 2 cups; the 7¾-ounce can contains 1 cup; the 3¾-ounce can contains about ½ cup.

• Canned salmon contains high-quality protein. It has a higher fat content than  white fish, but 3½ ounces of canned salmon contains less fat than 3½ ounces of broiled, lean ground beef.

• The canning process makes salmon bones soft and digestible. When you mash the bones with a fork and mix into the flaked salmon no one will notice and you will get about 290 mg of calcium in a half cup of salmon (that’s the same amount as you get in a glass of milk).

• Salt is added to canned salmon during processing. Draining and rinsing salmon reduces the sodium by about half.

These Salmon Wraps are a great for hot summer days. No cooking to heat up the kitchen and you can make them ahead. I have served them as both an entrée and as an appetizer. The most important thing to remember is to make sure all the ingredients are not too juicy. Pat the lettuce leaves dry, scoop the center out of the cucumber etc.  You can use tuna in the recipe, but you will get fewer omega-3 fatty acids.

Salmon Wraps

Serves: 6 | Serving Size: 1 wrap | Per Serving: $1.27

Ingredients:

4 ounces low fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)

1 can (14.75 ounces) salmon

3 tablespoons light Italian dressing

¼ teaspoon black pepper

6 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas

Rinsed lettuce or spinach leaves

1 cucumber

1 tomato

Directions:

1. Soften cream cheese in medium bowl or microwave for 10 seconds.

2. Wipe top of salmon can before opening. Drain salmon in a colander and rinse with water.

3. Add salmon, dressing, and pepper to cream cheese in medium bowl. Stir to blend.

4. Spread ⅓ cup filling on each tortilla. Spread to the edges.

5. Slice tomato thinly and cut slices in half.

6. Peel cucumbers. Cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds with a spoon. Cut in half crosswise. Lay on flat side and cut into narrow strips (⅓ inch in diameter).

7. Lay lettuce or spinach leaves in the center of the tortilla. Top with tomato and cucumber down the center of the tortilla.

8. Roll up tightly. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

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I have had good luck growing culinary herbs in pots on my sunny deck. I have also grown them in the garden in well-drained soil. I enjoy being able to experiment with fresh herbs in my cooking. Plus, you can buy herb plants for about the same price as you buy one bunch at the store.

Below are some brief tips on growing and using herbs. If you want more information, check out From Garden to Table: Harvesting Herbs for Healthy Eating by North Dakota State University

Herbs should be purchased or picked close to the time you plan to use them. If you grow herbs in your own garden, the best time to harvest herbs is in the morning after the dew is off but the sprigs are fresh. This helps ensure the best flavor and storage quality.

Fresh herbs can be stored in an open or perforated plastic bag in your refrigerator crisper drawer for a few days. If you have more herbs than you can eat, put them in bouquets either alone or as part of a flower bouquet. Fresh herbs can also be dried and frozen.

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This weekend is Memorial Day. Are you entertaining friends or family? If so, a little advance planning will save dollars and make your weekend less stressful.

Here are some tips:

• Grocery stores will feature picnic foods this week. If your family grills or picnics frequently, you may be able to stock up and save.
• If you are barbequing, consider having everyone bring their own main dish and a side dish to share. Assign appetizers, fruit sides, vegetable sides, and desserts. Then you can supply the beverages, grill, tableware, etc.
• If you aren’t grilling, consider using the more inexpensive beef or pork roasts to make a batch of shredded meat to put on buns or serve with rice. Another idea would be Any Day Chicken Salad.
• If you are making the sides for the party, don’t go overboard with choices. The greater the variety, the greater the expense, more time spent in preparing, and usually more leftovers. I plan one starchy side like potato salad/baked beans/macaroni salad, a fruit or vegetable salad/tray, plus a simple dessert like bars or cookies. If you are having shredded meat as I mentioned before, think about a big bowl of rice (very cheap and super easy to make, especially if you cook it in the oven or a rice steamer). Here are some ideas from our recipe collection. These are all very simple to make so your kids can help you (kids tend to enjoy eating food they help make).

Creamy Cauliflower Salad

Pasta Salad

Fruit Salad

Fruit Kabobs with Yogurt Dip

Crunchy Cabbage Salad

Waldorf Summer Salad

As for the beverages make ice tea, lemonade or a drink mix and have water and lemon slices on hand.

Keep it simple and enjoy your guests.

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Spring signals gardening, baseball, bike rides, sandals, and BERRIES.

Blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries not only are delicious, but they are also top in antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins. (Antioxidants may help increase our immune function and protect against cancer and heart disease.)

Purchasing Berries

Berries (except for cranberries)  are “in season” in late spring and summer which means they will be less expensive now than other times of the year.

When buying, look for firm, plump, full-colored berries. Avoid buying bruised or oozing berries. Turn the container over to check berries at the bottom. Berries don’t continue to ripen after harvest, so when choosing strawberries stay away from green or yellow ones.

When I see a good deal on berries, I buy extra and freeze them. To freeze, put a single layer on a cookie sheet and put in the freezer. When frozen, put them in a freezer bag. This way they don’t freeze together and you can take out just what you need.

Storing Berries

When you get berries home, cover and refrigerate them but wait to wash them until you are ready to use them. This way they will hold for several days. To wash, put the berries in a colander and spray with clean running water and then spread on a paper towel to dry.

How to Serve Berries

Try to serve berries au natural so you don’t add a bunch of calories to them. Here are a few ideas:

• Put some in a plastic container to eat as a snack or lunch on the go
• Add to a bowl of whole grain cereal
• Make a yogurt parfait
• Sprinkle on salads
• Make fruit kabobs along  with other fruits such as pineapple chunks, bananas, and grapes.
• Add to frozen ice cream or yogurt
• Make smoothies

For more information about berries, here are a couple of resources:

Selecting, Storing, and Serving Ohio Blueberries, Blackberries, and Raspberries

It’s the Berries

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Even though I enjoy cooking meals for my family, it’s always nice to have someone else, like my husband, doing the cooking once in a while. When my husband cooks I request that he makes quiche and butternut squash soup, since those are his specialties. My 3-year-old son also likes to ‘cook’ but his plastic play food or imaginary food just is not very filling!

Mother’s Day, which is on May 12, is a good time to cook for mom. There’s always the option of going out to eat but we have a lot of tasty recipes that are easy to make and easy on the pocketbook on our Spend Smart. Eat Smart website to try. Here are a few ideas:

And for a sweet treat for mom, make Fruit Pizza!

Tip: If you’re a mom, make a copy of this blog and strategically place it for your family to see to give them a hint! Read more…

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One of these days the weather is going to turn warm and sunny and we are all going to be busting out of the house to enjoy gardening, walking, biking, soccer, picnics, and much more. When that time comes, I won’t want to spend time in the kitchen. I’m prepared with plans for some 15 minute meals plus meals in the freezer I can just thaw and serve.

A fruit salad, like our Frozen Fruit Cups, is great this time of year because berries are in season. I usually double or triple the Frozen Fruit Cup recipe, serve it for a meal, and freeze what is left in muffin cups. It tastes very fresh plus it’s low in calories.

The only thing tricky about this recipe is remembering when to get it out of the freezer. You want it to be slightly frozen when you serve it.

Frozen Fruit Cups

Serving Size:  ½ cup | Servings:  6

Ingredients

2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

1 medium to large banana, sliced (about 6 ounces)

2 kiwi, sliced

2 teaspoons sugar

Directions

1. Mix strawberries with sugar in a bowl. Let sit 20-30 minutes while strawberries make juice.

2. Peel and slice banana and kiwi, add to strawberries.

3. Scoop ½ cup of the mixture into each of six muffin cups lined with paper.

4. Freeze. Remove from freezer about 20-30 minutes before serving.

Tips:

• 2 cups sliced frozen strawberries can be used and may be less expensive in the winter.
• Freeze ahead. Store fruit cups in a plastic freezer container.  They will keep several weeks in the freezer.
• Use other fruits your family enjoys such as mango or melon.
• Fruit cups can be made in small cups, custard cups, or small bowls.

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Magazines and cooking shows are full of articles and recipes about whole grains, some of which I have never tasted. If you are like me, and wanting to know more about using different whole grains, you will be interested in a publication by Iowa State University Extension. The free, downloadable publication provides the basic cooking directions, yield when cooked, nutrition notes and facts, and serving suggestions for 20 different whole grains. It also explains the difference between whole and refined grains.

Here’s some information from the publication:

1. Is cornmeal a whole grain?

The stone-ground variety is a whole grain.  Regular cornmeal is degermed (has the germ of the grain removed) so it is not a whole grain.

2. What’s the difference between steel-cut oats and old-fashioned rolled oats?

Steel–cut oats are cut into small pieces with a steel blade.  Rolled oats are steamed, than rolled into flakes. Quick-cooking oats are rolled thinner and cut into smaller pieces to cook faster.

3. Is wild rice a grain?

No, but it offers similar nutritional benefits as whole grains and it is gluten-free.

4. Is whole wheat couscous a grain?

No, it is tiny pasta made from semolina.

If you have questions about amaranth, quinoa, faro, or wheat berries, check out the publication.

eat, resources grains, whole grains

It is almost time to plant the garden. You do not need a big space, container gardens and small plots (like 4’x4’ plot) will produce enough for you to enjoy that fresh garden taste. A couple of years ago, I blogged about “My Top Ten Reasons to Garden”. I skimmed them this morning and they are still on target.

The Iowa State University Horticulture department recently updated several publications with all the new cultivars, for the home gardener. They are available to download or you can purchase them from our store.

If you have a question, check out the Yard and Garden FAQs Home Page.  The database has answers to over 750 commonly asked questions on a wide range of gardening topics.

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