Demystified: Added Sugar on the Food Label

A participant that attended my recent senior center webinar emailed me with this great question:

Question: Is the added sugar that is listed included in the total sugar amount or do I need to add it to the sugar amount to determine how much sugar is in the item?? I would appreciate it if you could clear this up for me.

Answer: Great question! It certainly can be confusing, especially since there are currently two labels being used. Large companies are using FDA’s new food label on the right in the picture below, and smaller companies have until January 2021 to implement the new label. On the new food label, there is an area for total sugar and added sugar. The added sugar is what companies added to the product, not what is inherent in the food source. On the old label (below, left), which some companies are still using, the added sugar row is not on the label, only total sugar. In this case, looking through the ingredient list is the way to see if any sugars have been added. Also, in the new food label, the total sugar includes the added sugar, so you DO NOT need to add it to the total. Hope this is helpful.

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Shopping Tip and Free Menu Planner

In these uncertain times, it is important to limit your shopping trips, and to make the food last from each shopping trip as long as possible, at least into the next week. Using a menu planner can help you to think ahead and plan for what you are going to eat. You can write into the menu items you already have on hand so you use them up, plus foods that you plan to eat in the week ahead. Earlier in the week it’s good to plan on high-antioxidant colorful fruits and vegetables that might not last the week such as berries and broccoli. For the end of the week, plan items such as apples, oranges, carrots, parsnips, cabbage and winter squash that will last a longer time. At the bottom of my blog page, in the Resources section, please find a link to my weekly menu planner handout for you to use and/or share with clients. After you write in your menu, then you can develop your shopping list from this. Also, one of the colorful, antioxidant rich berries that I love are goji berries. I add them to trail mixes and on top of salads. They are high in vitamin A, and have an unusual amount of protein for a dried fruit. Here is a link to find them on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2HgVAEl

Homesharing, a longevity booster for sure!

As a dietitian fascinated by people who live long healthy flourishing lives, I find that many people don’t realize that isolation can work against your longevity goals. Silvernest is a company that helps older adults find suitable roomates. This is fascinating to me, since it serves multiple purposes. People can decrease their living costs while gaining social connection. Check out Silvernest’s article on maintaining an active lifestyle. This is one of the keys to longevity for sure! https://blog.silvernest.com/how-empty-nesters-can-benefit-from-an-active-lifestyle

Smart Hunger-Taming Smoothies!

Creamsicle Smoothie

1 small orange or 2 clementines
1 container of fat free vanilla yogurt (5-6 oz) (I like Stonyfield or Siggi’s)
4 ice cubes

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend well.
Yield: 1 Serving

Siggi’s 5.3 oz vanilla 0% fat yogurt cup is tasty and only has 9 grams of sugar compared to national brands that have 18-33 grams of sugar per serving. Some brands may have low sugar but use artificial sweeteners. Try to avoid these. Siggi’s has a short ingredient list and can be found at most supermarkets.

Vegan Delight Smoothie

1/2 cup soy milk
1/4 package of firm tofu  (about 3.3 oz)
1 T almond butter
1-2 tsp ground flax seed or 1 tsp hemp seeds (if you are new to flax, start with one tsp and eventually work up to two)
4 strawberries
1/3 or 1/2 frozen banana (I often cut a fresh banana in half or thirds, then use one fresh piece in my breakfast, or snack, and freeze the other  pieces) 
½ tsp Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup frozen unsweetened naturally sweet cherries
3/4 cup baby spinach

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend well.
Yield: 1 Serving
This smoothie as listed has 340 calories. I often eat it as a meal...a breakfast or a lunch. If you want to enjoy it as a snack with less calories, then you can cut the portions of many of the ingredients, or omit some of the fruit.

Eat beans to lower your risk for Type 2 Diabetes!

A new study has found that eating beans can lower your risk for diabetes. Lentils, chickpeas, and peas may be particularly helpful, especially when substituting them foreggs, bread, rice, and baked potato. http://www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com/article/S0261-5614(17)30106-1/fulltext Check out this awesome recipe for curried lentils: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=111

Moving after a meal does a body good!

Researchers recently found that aiming to walk 10 minutes after each meal lowered blood sugar more than exercising all at once…results were particularly promising after the dinner meal where people tend to eat more carbohydrates and are usually more sedentary. Aiming to walk 10 minutes after each meal led to an increase in overall activity.

Takeaway: Aim to move your body for 10 minutes after each meal.

Stress Eating! Pop-Culture Insights

Stress Eating on Bravo’s Shah’s of Sunset

On a recent episode of Bravo’s Shah’s of Sunset, Reza Farahan, a real estate professional, was giving it a go at comedy. He invited his friends to his first show at the Improv. He stress eats plates of fried food as he is waiting to go on and his friends join in. First off, I love the show and the cast, so I am not criticizing them. I commend them for being so open and honest in showing viewers a glimpse of their lives.

“Stress eating can become a habit for some that can lead to obesity. I know – it happened to me.”

I was at a stressful job and I would come home from work, turn the television on and eat healthy whole grain cereal. Lots of it. I was distracted by TV and phone calls, so I never really knew how much I was eating. I would follow this up with a full meal.

Within five months I had gained over 25 pounds. Imagine my surprise when a kitchen worker congratulated me by giving the thumbs up, pointing to his belly, then pointing to me and saying “ Embarazada, embarazada!” That’s pregnant in Spanish! I wasn’t embarazada, but was quite embarrassed. The stress eating had impregnated me with a full-term food baby.

Watch out for Enablers.

I have found that there are enablers to stress eating. TV is a best friend to stress eating. Friends can also be an enabler. In the Bravo episode, some of Reza’s friends are joining right in with his stress eating. Junk food that doesn’t have to be chewed much is another enabler (i.e. ice cream, cake, cookies). Enablers can be different for different people. My enablers are tv, dried fruit, crackers, and not portioning cereal.

What can you do instead?

Identifying your enablers can be quite powerful. Let friends know you are changing your habits and are hoping they can support you in this. Here are some first steps to start curbing stress eating:

• Turn off the TV.

• Try not to keep food around that is tempting.

• Do some deep breathing exercises, yoga, or meditation.

• Work on not letting the stress build too much.

• Develop a support system.

When I began turning off the TV while eating, working on my stress levels by leaving the job that wasn’t the right fit for me, and putting an end to the stress eating, the weight came off. I still eat healthy whole grain cereal, I just make sure I measure a portion first.

Fresh City: My favorite place for quick healthy salmon stir-fry!

I think it’s really important to know a few places to go to get healthy take-out within a few miles of your home. One of my faves is Fresh City Restaurant in Newton. I go there to eat or pick up quick meals, to meet with business associates, and to enjoy a nice healthy meal with my family.

My go-to meal is the salmon stir-fry. They have a bunch of vegetables to select from, you scoop them into a bowl, and they stir fry them up for you with your choice of sauce. To save on calories, I ask for ½ the portion of brown rice and ½ the portion of sauce. It comes out perfect every time. This was my salmon stir-fry today.

They have a huge fresh salad bar. Look here:

When I go with my family, my kids love to get the chicken teriyaki bowl with brown rice and carrots, broccoli, and zucchini. It’s a winner every time!

My husband’s favorite is the Laredo Burrito and the salad bar.

On today’s salad bar they had this awesome quinoa salad.

Check out Fresh City's website here: http://freshcity.com/

What are some of your favorite places to go for quick healthy takeout?