MyNetDiary Blog

Veggies for the Great Recession. Part 1: Cabbage & Carrots

While I was checking out at the grocery store last night, I couldn’t help but marvel at how inexpensive my veggies were –they were by far the least expensive items in my basket. Fresh fruits and vegetables can be very expensive depending upon what, where, and when you buy them, but they can also be one of the best buys in the market. There are a number of extremely nutritious inexpensive choices that are typically available all year round in most grocery stores. Let’s explore two of my favorites – cabbage and carrots.

Cabbage

Cabbage is a great source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals.  One cup of shredded cabbage contains about 20 calories and if you eat green, you’ll get 47% Daily Value (DV) for Vitamin C and 66% DV for Vitamin K.  If you go for red, then the same amount of cabbage will give you 67% DV for Vitamin C and 34% DV for Vitamin K. Savoy cabbage is very similar in nutrients to green cabbage.

Green and red cabbage purchased whole is the least expensive way to go, even when you lose up to 20% of the weight by coring and trimming off the outer leaves. Green cabbage is often less expensive than red, and where I live, it goes for about $0.59/lb (3.7 cents/oz) whereas the edible trimmed cost is $0.74/lb (4.6 cents/oz).  Red cabbage costs about 6 cents/oz trimmed. So that cup of shredded cabbage (2.5 oz) will cost somewhere between 12.5 cents – 15 cents.

Want to try a recipe that got user reviews? Try Cooking Light’s Sweet & Sour Baked Cabbage.  

Carrots

I can’t give carrots enough kudos. This common root vegetable is a Vitamin A superstar! One small peeled carrot contains a whopping 142% DV for Vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), 17 calories, and only 4 grams of carbs. Despite their sweet flavor, carrots are not high in sugar and they have a low glycemic load. And that beautiful orange color is also a mighty source of antioxidant power.

The least expensive way to purchase raw carrots at the grocery store is to buy a bulk bag of raw, unwashed carrots. A 5 lb bag at my market costs $2.99/5 lb. An average weight loss with peeling is 15%, so the edible cost is $0.70/lb or 4.4 cents/oz. So that small carrot only cost me 7 cents since I washed and peeled it myself.

The most expensive form of carrot will typically be brand name organic washed/trimmed styles (e.g. Bunny Luv organic shredded carrot) – my store charges $1.69/10 oz bag (or about 17 cents/edible oz). Small bags of washed and trimmed organic baby carrots are also a bit pricey at 12 cents/oz - nearly triple the price per edible ounce compared to unwashed, unpeeled bulk carrots. Still, you have to decide what your time is worth.  

For tasty recipes using carrots, check out Eating Well’s “Easy Carrot Recipes.” If you live in an area where parsnips are available and affordable, then try Cooking Light’s “Carrot-Parsnip Soup with Parsnip Chips.”    

In addition to cabbage and carrots, there are other nutritious, low cost veggies to include your recession-proof budget. Stay tuned for more ideas using dark greens, herbs, and other root vegetables!

Have questions or comments about this post? Please feel free to comment on MyNetDiary’s Forum or Facebook page. I would love to hear from you!

Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RD
Consulting Dietitian for MyNetDiary

More Resources

Agriculture Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Food Yields: Summarized by Different Stages of Preparation. Agriculture Handbook No. 102. 1975.   

Local Harvest. Community Supported Agriculture. Support your local farmers and get super local fresh produce! Many CSAs will deliver directly to your doorstep.  

Disclaimer: Please note that we cannot provide personalized advice and that the information provided does not constitute medical advice. If you are seeking medical advice, please visit a medical professional.

White Fruits & Veggies – Don’t Knock ‘Em!

If I had a nickel for every time a patient told me that they were told not to eat “white vegetables” I’d be rich. And to boot, I do not agree with that overly simplistic approach to picking fruits and vegetables. Excluding white fruits and vegetables is not wise – it means excluding nutrient-rich foods that have important health benefits.

Anthoxanthins

White fruits and veggies are not just those with white skins, they also include those with white interior fleshy parts. The “white” color comes from naturally-occurring plant pigments called anthoxanthins. This umbrella term includes a wide variety of bioactive chemicals loosely termed “flavonoids” – which include flavones (e.g. rutinol), flavonols (e.g. quercetin), flavonones (e.g. naringin) and flavanols (e.g. catechins and leucoanthocyanins). They are all antioxidants that are also reputed to have anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic activity. That is, eating plenty of anthoxanthins from fruits and vegetables might help reduce our risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Color Changes

Cook or soak cauliflower in an acid (e.g. lemon juice) and the white becomes very bright. Cook or soak it in a base (e.g. pH above 7 – baking soda) and the vegetable turns yellow. Cooking it in an aluminum or cast iron pan will cause it to turn an off yellow color since anthoxanthins have a tendency to glob onto (or “complex with”) minerals.

White Fruits & Veggies

Some examples of white fruits and veggies include apples, pears, apple juice, bananas, cauliflower, chicory, cucumber, mushrooms, white potatoes and soybeans.

If you need encouragement to increase your intake of white fruits and vegetables, then consider reading the article from USA Today (published 9/16/11), “White Fruits & Vegetables Might Lower Stroke Risk.” The authors of the original study estimate that the risk of stroke was reduced by 9% for every 25 gram increase in white fruit consumed (pears and apples). That is less than an ounce of fruit!

White Potatoes

While I agree that folks would do well to ditch potato chips and French fries, I absolutely do not agree that plain unprocessed white potatoes have to be eliminated from a healthy eating plan. Please do not throw the baby out with the bathwater. A medium baked potato with its skin on (about 6 oz) is an excellent source of potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B6 and a good source of iron and fiber. The carbs are reasonable (36 total carbohydrate grams or about 2.5 carb choices for diabetes meal planning) as are the 160 calories. Eat the skin and flesh and watch what you put on the potato. Nonfat plain Greek yogurt is a delicious substitute for sour cream – far lower in calories and zero saturated fat!

Have questions or comments about this post? Please feel free to comment on MyNetDiary’s Forum or Facebook page. I would love to hear from you!

Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RD
Consulting Dietitian for MyNetDiary

More Resources

Linda Oude Griep et al. Colors of Fruits and Vegetables and Incidence of Stroke. Accessed online at the American Heart Association 9/26/11.

Disclaimer: Please note that we cannot provide personalized advice and that the information provided does not constitute medical advice. If you are seeking medical advice, please visit a medical professional.

From Labor Day to Tailgating, Keep It Healthy All Season Long

Potassium – Yet Another Reason to Eat Your Fruits & Veggies!
 
Potassium should get more press since it is a mineral that is indispensible to normal cell functioning. Potassium levels affect how our nerves transmit signals, how our muscles contract, and how well our blood vessels maintain tone.

Potassium is found in a wide variety of foods, but especially good sources are: milk, yogurt, soy milk, legumes (e.g. dried beans and peas), potatoes, winter squashes, dried fruit, fresh fruit, and dark green veggies. The Dietary Reference Intake for adults is an “Adequate intake” of 4700 mg (5100 mg for women who are breastfeeding), which “should maintain lower blood pressure levels, reduce the adverse effects of sodium chloride intake on blood pressure, reduce the risk of recurrent kidney stones, and possibly decrease bone loss.”

If you have high blood pressure and you struggle to control your sodium intake, then be sure to check out the DASH Diet – insuring a good intake of potassium, calcium, and magnesium in your diet can help control blood pressure at varying levels of sodium.

Currently, the recommended potassium intake (4700 mg) to sodium intake (2300 mg) is about 2:1. That is, try to consume twice as much potassium as sodium. That can be tricky to do if you eat a lot of processed or fast foods since they are so high in salt. One tactic is to start adding MORE food to your plate – specifically unprocessed veggies and fruit. Most people do not get nearly enough veggies even though in their unprocessed form, they are great sources of potassium and low in sodium.

Sample Foods High in Potassium but (Relatively) Low in Sodium

Veggies: baked white potato with skin (940 mg/medium), baked acorn squash (893 mg/cup cubed), low sodium V8 Juice (820 mg/cup), baked sweet potato with skin (564 mg/medium), spinach (423 mg/ ½ cup cooked), and legumes (averages 363 mg/ ½ cup cooked).

Fruits: avocado (488 mg/half avocado), banana (423 mg/7 inch or medium), cantaloupe (423 mg/1 cup diced), dried apricots (420 mg/6 dried), prune juice (376 mg/6 fl oz), papaya (376 mg/cup diced), and raisins (309 mg/ ¼ cup raisins), and orange juice (329 mg/6 fl oz).

Dairy: Regular style yogurt (not Greek) (470 mg/cup), milk (376 mg/cup), soy milk (300 mg/cup)

Grains: Raisin Bran cereal (376 mg/cup), All Bran cereal (329 mg/half cup), and quinoa (329 mg/3/4 cup cooked)

Other: lean ground beef (376 mg/3 oz cooked), sardines (338 mg/3 oz), salmon (329 mg/3 oz cooked), and molasses (329 mg/tbsp).

Increasing foods high in potassium and lower in sodium (such as those above) will also encourage intake of healthful foods promoted by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010.  

For the Potato Lovers

If you are willing to exercise portion control and choose healthier toppings, then keep baked potatoes in your meal plan.  As you can see above, baked potatoes are extraordinarily high in potassium, even for the medium size (which most of us would consider small at 2 ¼ inches x 3 ¼ inches). The caloric cost is reasonable (160 calories), and you will also be getting about 30% of your DRI for Vitamins C and B6 along with 4 grams of dietary fiber.   

Tracking Potassium

Wondering why your potassium intake looks low on your MyNetDiary reports? Check your food items on your detailed food report – many brand name items do not include potassium. For unprocessed basic foods, try to use generic items since they typically have more complete nutrient information than brand items. Be sure to include potassium as a nutrient to track – you can do that in your Plan tab on the web (if you have a Maximum membership).

Have questions about this topic? Please post them on MyNetDiary’s Forum. I would love to hear from you!

Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RD
Consulting Dietitian for MyNetDiary

More Resources

Harvard Health Publications. “Potassium and sodium: the dynamic duo.”

J. Anderson, L. Young, and E. Long. Potassium and Health. Colorado State University Extension.

Disclaimer: Please note that we cannot provide personalized advice and that the information provided does not constitute medical advice. If you are seeking medical advice, please visit a medical professional.

Nutrition Boosters

A colleague at MyNetDiary asked me about the things we could be adding to our foods to make them more nutritious. We add spices to improve the flavor of a dish, so what can we add to improve the nutritional content? This is a great question! There are actually many ingredients that we can add to improve the nutritional content of our meals. Here are just a few:

• Berries add antioxidants, fiber and Vitamin C. Example: add ½ cup berries to plain yogurt.
• Colorful fruits and veggies add antioxidants via their plant pigments, along with whatever nutrients they happen to be high in. Example: add chopped red cabbage to salad.
• Legumes add folate, fiber, iron, potassium and protein. Example: add chickpeas to your favorite pasta dish.
• Nuts and seeds add calories, healthy fats, and minerals such as iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc and selenium. Example: add 1 oz (about ¼ cup) of toasted pumpkin seeds to salad.
• Spices, dried herbs and fresh herbs add antioxidants along with flavor. Example: add fresh cilantro to low fat chicken salad.

Eat More Food!

If you track calories, then you know that to lose 1-2 lbs of weight per week, you need to create a calories deficit of 500 – 1000 calories per day. As the days pass into weeks, achieving this deficit starts to get hard. Over time, most of us get very hungry and our cravings get magnified. We dream about food. The calories restriction feels punishing. What can we do to curb hunger while we lose weight or while we try to maintain our weight?

Eat more veggies and fruits. You have heard it a million times. Why would eating more of these foods help you lose weight? Simply put, these foods are higher in water content so their energy density is much lower than other foods. When you consume these foods, they help you feel full. You get more volume of food for fewer calories. This helps curb your appetite and stay on track for both weight loss and weight maintenance.

Energy Density

Energy density is simply the number of calories per weight of food. Fat provides 9 calories per gram weight; whereas protein or carbohydrates provide only 4 calories per gram weight. Lower fat foods will have lower energy densities than higher fat foods. However, what we often don’t think about is how “wet” or “dry” our foods are and how that might affect our satiety or feeling of fullness during or after a meal.

Foods with high water content are typically lower in energy density than other foods. High energy-dense foods will have smaller portion sizes and more calories for a given weight of food compared to lower energy-dense foods. Let’s look at what you get for one ounce (about 28 grams) of various foods and how that relates to their energy density (all data obtained from MyNetDiary):

8.8 calories/gram:  2 tbsp of olive oil, 248 calories (0% water)

5.8 calories/gram:  3 tbsp of almonds, 164 calories

3.3 calories/gram:  ½ small order of McDonald’s French fries, 92 calories

3 calories/gram:  3 tbsp dried apples, 85 calories

2.8 calories/gram:  4 tbsp (1/4 cup) shredded 2% low fat cheddar cheese, 80 calories

1.6 calories/gram:  1/8 whole avocado, 45 calories

1.2 calories/gram:  9 small canned olives, 33 calories

1.1 calories/gram:  ¼ small size baked potato, 32 calories

0.96 calories/gram:  2 tbsp chickpeas, 27 calories

0.89 calories/gram:  ¼ small 6” long banana, 25 calories

0.5 calories/gram:  2 tbsp 2% low fat milk, 14 calories

0.36 calories/gram:  2 tbsp skim milk, 10 calories

0.36 calories/gram:  3 medium baby carrots, 10 calories

0.25 calories/gram:  1 cup of raw baby Spinach, 7 calories

0.18 calories/gram:  2 thin slices of raw tomato, 5 calories

0.13 calories/gram:  ¼ cup of apple slices, 15 calories

0.11 calories/gram:  4 slices of raw cucumber, 3 calories (96% water)

As you can see, non-starchy veggies and fresh fruit have the lowest energy densities. Notice that dried fruit is higher than fresh fruit since water has been removed (e.g. dried apple has 23 times more calories per gram than fresh apple). Also note that milk is lower in energy density than cheese made from that milk.

Although there are outliers like avocado and nuts, generally, you can eat larger portion sizes of plant foods and still consume fewer calories. Include a variety of high and low density foods in your eating plan, but eat less of the high and more of the low energy-dense foods.  You can start by eating MORE fruits and vegetables to help you feel satisfied while keeping your calories in check.

I recommend Barbara Rolls, Ph.D.’s “The Volumetrics Eating Plan” for the original resource on lower energy density eating. When combined with calories tracking, this is a very powerful strategy to reduce hunger while lowering calories, and all the while, increasing nutrient quality.   

For another method that focuses on meal composition (using lower energy-dense foods), explore the “Plate Method.” This method will also help you control your carbohydrate intake at meals. Your plate should be composed of non-starchy veggies (1/2 plate), whole grains/starchy veggies (1/4 plate), lean protein (1/4 plate), one cup of skim or low fat milk (or dairy substitute), and 1 piece of fresh fruit.

Have questions about this topic? Let’s hear from you! Post your questions on MyNetDiary’s Forum.   

Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RD
Consulting Dietitian for MyNetDiary

More Resources:
CDC. Can Eating Fruits and Vegetables Help People to Manage their Weight?

CDC. Low-Energy-Dense Foods and Weight Management: Cutting Calories While Controlling Hunger.