December 2009 Archives

You've been there too. Driving home with no plan for dinner and you know there's a Taco Bell (or other fast food) on your way home. It's so easy to just drive up in line and order a few things off the $1 menu.

It seems like a good deal, $5 for dinner. But when you factor in the lack of good, cancer fighting nutrients and the overabundance of unhealthy fat, salt and calories, it's not that great of a deal!

What should I eat when I don't have time to cook?

Today's post is inspired by my brother. He was on his way home last night when I called. He asked me, should he stop for dinner at Taco Bell?

THANK GOODNESS I called at the right time! DON'T DO IT, BRO!! We can talk through this!

Don't get me wrong - he's a smart guy. In fact, he's a nuclear engineer! It just goes to show that everyone struggles with the same "dinner problem".

While we were on the phone - (and I did manage to convince him to skip Taco Bell!) - we were able to find some things in the pantry that were just as fast. Here's what we came up with:

Chili in a Jiffy!

Ingredients:

• 1 can of chili (Amy's brand is healthy - lower in sodium and fat)
• Diced tomatoes (he already had them diced in the fridge)
• Diced onions (already diced)
• Frozen corn
• Frozen green chilis
• Cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients, except cheese, in a pan.
2. Heat until frozen veggies are cooked
3. Pour into a bowl, add cheese and EAT!

You can alter this recipe with whatever you happen to have in your house. I have some frozen jalapenos that I cut up from the summer. I might also add a can of another type of bean (black or kidney) to add to it, or pour it on top of rice. 

The toppings could also be varied - add some lettuce, fat free sour cream (or plain yogurt), some crunchy chips or torn up corn tortillas, a side of toast or whatever else you might have in the fridge.

While the chili is warming, cut up some fruit for dessert and munch on baby carrots. All of this would probably take a total of 20 minutes.

It might be slightly longer than going through the drive through - but waiting in line and taking a detour on your way home would probably add 15 to 20 minutes anyway. And if you've added some things to the chili, or cooked 2 cans you might even have leftovers you can eat for lunch the next day!

Tips for Last Minute Dinner in a Hurry

There are a few things that are key to make the last minute dinners work for you.

1. Keep healthy, easy to prepare foods at home. Canned, or bottled chili (or better yet - make a big batch of your own that you can or freeze) and frozen veggies are a must!
2. Have ready to eat veggies. Must haves are baby carrots, tomatoes, peppers and onions. When you have a few minutes, chop them up so they are ready to use in an instant. Also, if you don' t have time to chop - spend the extra money to purchase them already diced. I've been able to find pico de gallo in the grocery store which is great in eggs or chili!
3. Keep a list of Last Minute Dinners on the fridge so when you're stressed and can't think - you just read the list and make it. Zonya's cookbook has an entire section for 1 minute meals and 5 minute meals. A great place to start!!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with family and friends!
- Julie

Foods That Fight Cancer

As I've said before - no one food or food component will prevent or cure cancer by itself. Unfortunately, we do not have any miracle cures at this point. However, nutrition does play a role in cancer prevention, living with cancer and in promoting healthy survivorship.

How Do Plant Foods Prevent or Control Cancer?

Science suggests that the combination of nutrient dense foods in a mostly plant diet is beneficial in fighting cancer at various stages of growth. The vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals in plant foods interact with each other in ways that make them more powerful than if you had them on their own.

This idea is called synergy - where the interaction of different nutrients actually multiply their beneficial effects. So 1 + 1 = 3 in this case!

Also, since vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans are very high in these beneficial nutrients, but lower in calories, they actually protect against gaining weight. We call these foods nutrient dense because they're so high in nutrients without lots of extra calories.

The alternative to nutrient dense is nutrient poor, calorie dense foods. These are the foods that provide you a lot of calories with very few beneficial nutrients. Probably the best example of a calorie dense food is soda. (FYI - diet soda would not be considered calorie dense, but it also does not provide you any beneficial nutrients). 

Which Foods are the Best Cancer Fighters?

Science shows that eating mostly plant foods can help prevent weight gain and protect against cancers whose risk we know are linked to higher body fat, which include:

• Colorectal cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Endometrial cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Breast cancer (in postmenopausal women)

I am often cautious about this information - I don't want anyone blaming themselves or others for getting cancer. We don't know exactly what causes someone's cancer. Right now, all we know are "risk factors", "links" and "contributing factors".

There is no guarantee when it comes to cancer (we all know someone who has done everything right, and still gets cancer) - but you can put the odds in your favor!

Most Researched Cancer Fighting Foods
 
Here is a list of the foods with the most research regarding how they interact with cancer. In future posts, I'll highlight each one and give you recipes on how you can fit them into your eating so that you can have a Cancer Fighting, Plant Based Diet!

• Beans
• Berries
• Cruciferous Vegetables
• Dark Green Leafy Vegetables
• Flaxseed
• Garlic
• Grapes and Grape Juice
• Green Tea
• Soy
• Tomatoes
• Whole Grains

Thank You!

Thank you so much to those who responded to my request in the last post. I now have $3,190 which is 64% of my goal! If you haven't donated, it's not too late to help CancerDietitian.com be the #1 sponsor for the Polar Bear Ride for Courage in 2010!

I am riding on New Year's Day and have extended the deadline to support me until Dec. 31st. All donations are 100% tax deductible - to Cancer Services, Inc. who is the sole supporter of this website.

Feel free to donate via my fundraising site: http://www.active.com/donate/cancerservices2010/JulieandLinda, or mail a check to Cancer Services, Inc. 3175 Maplewood Ave, W-S, NC, 27103. 

Thank you so much for your support!
- Julie

A special holiday request from Your Cancer Dietitian:

I have a very special friend who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer for the 4th time. Her first diagnosis was over 20 years ago. Since then, she had been providing care for people diagnosed with cancer - over 50,000 survivors to date!

I really want to do something to honor her, and am riding Cancer Services' Polar Bear Ride for Courage on January 1st. YES, in the cold :). I need your support to reach my goal of being the #1 sponsor this years in honor of Linda! My goal is to raise $5,000 for Cancer Services.

In case you don't know, Cancer Services is what makes this website and information possible! I do not receive any revenue from ads or selling things. You have the benefit of great information and yummy recipes all at no charge.

If you would like to help make this website possible and provide HOPE to those living with cancer, like Linda, please consider donating to my ride: http://www.active.com/donate/cancerservices2010/JulieandLinda. ALL funds are used responsibly - 90% of Cancer Services' budget goes for direct client services - which far exceeds the government recommendation that at least 85% of funds be used for services.

I so appreciate your support, any amount will make a difference whether it's $5 or $500! For anyone who donates $100 or more, I will hand make a bracelet or earrings!

Merry Christmas!
- Julie

Cancer Fighting Holiday Meals!

Do you think that it costs more to eat healthy, cancer fighting foods during the Holidays? Not Necessarily! A really cool experiment was done by a food writer in Ohio comparing traditional holiday meals vs. a fresher version and what the cost is.

Guess what she found? It's not necessarily cheaper to eat the canned versions of your favorite holiday recipes! In fact, she found that the total cost for traditional cranberries, green bean casserole, candied yams and stuffing from can or box was $11.46.

The cost for similar recipes from fresh and/or frozen? Only $12.30. And the amazing part is that the fresh recipes fed twice as many people! So the cost per serving for canned was $2.38 (combined for all 4 sides) and the cost per serving from fresh/frozen was $1.20 per serving.

What's the catch? You do have to spend a little more time preparing the food. BUT, is it worth your extra 30 minutes to know that you are providing extra cancer fighting phytochemicals and not loading them up with cancer promoting nutrients this year?

You decide for yourself, but I think the answer is YES for me!

Simple Holiday Recipes

Citrus Ginger Cranberries

Down Home Green Beans:
Ingredients
•    10 oz. frozen green beans
•    Red wine vinegar
•    Cooking Oil
•    One onion, diced
•    Cajun or Creole seasoning

Instructions:
1.    Heat pan with oil in it
2.    Sauté onion for 5 minutes
3.    Add green beans to pot and mix with onions
4.    Add vinegar and a little olive oil to cover bottom of pan
5.    Let the green beans boil in the vinegar for at least 5- 8 minutes or until hot.
6.    Add Cajun or Creole seasoning to taste
7.    Serve and enjoy!

Candied Yams
Ingredients:
 
•    4 cups sliced sweet potatoes or yams - precooked in the microwave until soft
•    2 apples, sliced
•    1/3 c. pecans
•    1/4 C brown sugar, packed
•    1 tsp flour, sifted
•    1/4 tsp salt
•    1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
•    1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
•    1/4 tsp orange peel
•    1/2 C orange juice 

Directions:
1.    Preheat oven to 350
2.    Toss apples and nuts with combined sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and grated orange peel.
3.    Place half of sliced yams in medium-size casserole dish. Sprinkle with spiced apple mixture.
4.    Add second layer of yams, using the rest of the ingredients in the same order as above. Add orange juice.
5.    Bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes

Dad's Stuffing:
Ingredients:
 
•    Stuffing mix (whole wheat bread mix if possible)
•    egg (beaten in a cup)
•    chicken broth or bullion
•    celery
•    onion
•    sliced black olives (can use the juice with the broth if desired)
•    Cooking oil
 
Instructions:
1.    Preheat oven to 350
2.    Sauté the onion and celery in a pan with olive oil
3.    Add stuffing mix, egg, black olives and any other additions to the onion and celery
4.    Continuously add broth until desired consistency is achieved
5.    Place in a covered dish
6.    Cook stuffing for 30-45 minutes

Possible additions: cooked brown rice, fresh apples, dried cranberries or mushrooms - just mix in before baking!

Happy Holidays!
- Julie
 

Why is BPA in Canned Foods?

According to the Environmental Working Group, companies began using BPA in metal cans in the 1950s and 1960s. BPA is used in the resin lining of all food and beverage cans, including canned vegetables, soups and sodas.  Companies steadily increased their reliance on BPA until it reached an annual U.S. production exceeding one billion pounds around 1990.

Are There Safe Levels of BPA?

According to a government statement in 2008, a large body of available evidence indicates that currently-marketed food contact materials containing BPA are safe, and that exposure to BPA from food contact materials, including exposures for infants and children, are below the levels that may cause health effects. (Read the Statement).

Many suggest that the government had biased information by relying too much on industry research, as opposed to independent, third party research. A more recent report on BPA by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences can be found here.

However, the Consumer Reports: Concern Over Canned Foods determined that several animal studies show adverse effects, such as abnormal reproductive development, at exposures of 2.4 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight per day. Their food-safety scientists recommend limiting daily exposure to one-thousandth of that level, or 0.0024 micrograms per kilogram of body weight

How Much BPA is in Canned Foods?

The Consumer Reports study showed that those eating just one serving of the canned vegetable soup we tested would get about double what the FDA now considers typical average dietary daily exposure.

They also found that the average amounts of BPA in tested products varied widely; most items showed levels from trace amounts to about 32 parts per billion. Products in that range included canned corn, chili, tomato sauce, and corned beef.

For example, a 165-pound adult eating one serving of canned green beans from their sample, which averaged 123.5 ppb, could ingest about 0.2 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight per day, about 80 times higher than our experts' recommended daily upper limit.

More importantly, children eating multiple servings per day of canned foods with BPA levels comparable to the ones we found in some tested products could get a dose of BPA approaching levels that have caused adverse effects in several animal studies.  

What Should You Do?

• Choose fresh food whenever possible.
• Consider alternatives to canned food, beverages, juices, and infant formula, like frozen or packaged in glass, cardboard or BPA free plastic.
  
• Use glass containers when heating food in microwave ovens (see my post on plastics for more on using microwave safe, freezer safe and dishwasher safe containers).
  

I think the hardest thing for me with this recommendation is canned beans! I'm always telling you to eat more of them, but it's really not convenient unless it comes from a can. A couple of options that you have for those is to:

1. Buy dried beans, soak them or put them in the crockpot all day until they are cooked. You can then freeze some of them for later.
2. Buy frozen. I've used frozen lima beans and frozen black eyed peas, and they've worked out very well.
   

What is the US Government Doing?

According to their statement,

"we are actively reviewing the data on BPA and will continue to consider the relevance of new data and studies as they appear. FDA's work in assessing the safety of these products is never truly final, and if our continuing review of all available data leads us to a determination that the current levels of exposure to BPA are not safe, we will take appropriate action to protect the public health".

Since the FDA estimates that 17% of the U.S. diet comprises canned food, I hope they take appropriate action soon!

- Julie