Eat, Save, and Be Healthy

What is raw milk? Milk from cows, goats, sheep, or other animals that has not been pasteurized. Pasteurization is considered to be one of the most important food safety practices and is used to treat about 99% of milk sold across the US. The most frequent food illness outbreaks from raw milk are from Campylobacter. These outbreaks are rare and happen in small numbers (1600 infections, 2 deaths in a 10 year span), yet they can be prevented through pasteurization.

Why choose raw milk? Some prefer the creamier taste and others believe its more nutritious because enzymes found in the milk are not destroyed from the high heat of pasteurization. Yet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pasteurization does not change the nutritional benefits of milk.

Raw milk sales are illegal in Ohio and its illegal to sell raw milk across state lines (unless it’s destined for pasteurization or aged at least 60 days). It is possible, however, to buy a share of a cow from a farmer, similiar to how Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) operate. Also, raw cheese (unpasteurized) is available because it’s been aged 60 days first. High-risk populations, like pregnant women, women who are nursing, and children are discouraged from consuming raw milk or raw milk products like cheese and yogurt as a precaution against food borne illness.

Read more about the pros and cons on the CDC  and Farm to Consumer websites.

My family’s heritage is farming. Although only a handful of my extended family still farms for a living, we all look forward to the annual apple cider pressing. Everyone has their duties…the youngest cousins wash the apples in a large, metal tub (a fun but wet job!). Clean apples are cut and spot-checked by older cousins and aunts and then piled in a wooden press that has latest many generations. Whoever is feeling strong will hand crank the press, and the sweet cider runs out the bottom and into a large bucket. The liquid is strained through cheesecloth to remove any large chunks of pulp, and container after container is filled using a very sticky funnel and some steady hands. (We don’t sell any cider, as it’s not pasteurized.) It’s a great family tradition and way to enjoy the taste of fresh, fall apples. Here are some other suggestions for using apples this fall:

• gently cook apples and pair with pork loin (or roast them together in a crock pot)
• mix chopped apples in chicken or tuna salad with low-fat mayo
• place sliced apples in your favorite sandwich
• bake apple oatmeal bread
• apple compote (ready in time for Thanksgiving)
• bake whole apples stuffed with cinnamon, dried fruits and/or nuts, and a touch of brown sugar
• chop and simmer to make homemade, no-sugar added applesauce
• slice and pair with feta on top of spinach salads

The All-Recipes website has a listing of the type of apple that is best suited for each type of recipe.

Cheers, Julie

“What’s there to eat?” is a common question from kids at the end of a full day of school. By this time, lunch may be four or more hours in the past, stomachs are growling and energy is low. There’s often after-school activities and evening practices to attend, so time to power thru! Snacks are an important contribution to children’s diets. They snack an average of three times a day. In total, snacks account for ~586 calories/day, over 25% of the average child’s total calories for the day.  So snacks that are nutrient-dense will boost health and performance, while sugary beverages, cookies, cake, candy, salty snacks and other high-calorie junk food provide calories and little else. Here are some great links to healthy after-school snacks that are tasty treats:

22 Healthy Kids Snacks

50 Snack Ideas from the Food Network

Healthy Snacks from Rachael Ray

Top 10 Nutritious Snacks and Beverages

Do you have a favorite after-school snack to share? Post your favorite here.

Cheers, Julie

New research has narrowed down some of the most influential high-fiber foods that prevent colon polyps, pouches in the intestines that can lead to colon cancer. What are these cancer-fighting foods? Legumes, brown rice, cooked green vegetables, and dried fruit.   The risk of polyps was:

* 40% lower among those who ate brown rice at least once a week

* 33 % lower among those who eat legumes (a class of vegetables that includes beans, peas and lentils) at least three times a week

* 26% lower among those who eat dried fruit 3 times or more a week

* 24% lower among those who eat cooked green vegetables once/day or more

The findings come from California researchers who analyzed data from 2,818 people who were followed for 26 years. The full report is published online in the journal Nutrition and Cancer. Researchers said, “Legumes, dried fruits and brown rice all have a high content of fiber, known to dilute potential carcinogens. Additionally, cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, contain detoxifying compounds, which would improve their protective function.”

The Nutrition Facts Label on the back of food packages is getting a makeover! A much needed makeover. As someone who teaches students about how to read nutrition labels correctly, it’s not intuitive or user friendly. There are some important pieces missing, such as the amount of added sugars (that Americans overconsume) and additional essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin D and potassium (that Americans underconsume). The The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would like to see the nutrition label on the FRONT of the package. All these efforts will require input and compliance from the food industry with the goal of improving nutrition label literacy and use.

Recently UC Berkeley had a compettition to see who could design a better nutrition label for food. The winner’s (Rachel Walker) examples are shown in the image to the right.  Very interesting and eye-opening to see how labels could change to help us all make informed choices at the grocery store! Walker’s labels use a color-coding system to indicate food groups. The label provides a mathematically proportionate representation of ingredients by order of listing, and emphasizes important nutrition facts using color of ingredient to which it references. What do you think?  Check out the bottom right label for macaroni and cheese – click on the photo to enlarge. The food has 20 ingredients, 12 of which are depicted as “additives” and 5 that are “preservatives”. New information that is not clear on the current food label!

Whether or not the FDA uses some of Walker’s suggestions is yet to be seen. Industry, on the other hand, is already moving forward with an initiative to move the food label to package fronts. They are calling the labels, “Nutrition Keys”. They will not replace the food label (that is required by the FDA) but offer a quick way to assess the food.  Under the Nutrition Keys program, manufacturers will place an icon on the front
of their products showing calories, saturated fat, sodium and sugar per serving. They also plan to include an icon for one or two of eight nutrients that the industry says should be encouraged: potassium; fiber; vitamins A, C and D; calcium; iron; and protein.

The criticism of this new industry initiative is that it is prempting the FDA revisions.The FDA had been negotiating with the food industry in 2010, but
talks have become strained. FDA officials were unhappy with the industry’s plan to include the “positive” nutrients, noting that could confuse consumers and be used to make junk food seem nutritious. For example, under the industry’s program, foodmakers can promote protein on the front of packaging, even though protein consumption is not a problem in the American diet – most people eat about twice as much as they need each day. Industry spokespeople say they are moving forward to address consumers who want this information now.

Cheers, Julie

Most people think the culprit of their salt intake is the salt shaker in their kitchen.  Not even close!  But what food contributes the most to our sodium intake?  Tell us your answer in our poll.  Next week, we’ll see how you did. 

The Centers for Disease Control recently released, “Salt Matters: Preserving Choice, Protecting Health,” which hopes to get this message out to consumers.  The new video tells viewers the staggering facts about the sodium in our food: where it comes from, how it affects our health, and what we can do about it.  The video is available in three versions of varying length: public service announcement (PSA) version (~2 minutes), a short version (~4 minutes) and the extended version (~15 minutes).  For more information, please visit www.cdc.gov/salt.

Cheers, Julie

The Louisville-based Yum! Brands is lobbying the KY government to consider allowing the elderly, homeless, and persons with disabilities to be able to use their supplemental nutrition assistance funds to purchase fast food. They argue that some people have difficulty preparing foods and the nutrition provided by their restaurants stacks up well against the foods that are purchased at the grocery store with food assistance dollars like candy and soda. Yet, this decision has many possible negative outcomes, such as:
* eating fast food has been linked with higher rates of obesity and poor health outcomes
* funding for programs like Meals on Wheels that deliver meals to the same groups of people is being cut; Meals on Wheels has to meet certain nutritional standards, the fast food industry does not.
* compromising the resources provided to people participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance programs because prepared food is more expensive and the food dollar will not stretch as far.

What do you think?
More information available by the Courier-Journal.com at http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20110402/NEWS01/304030028/Yum-Brands-lobbies-Kentucky-OK-food-stamps-restaurant-use.

Cheers, Julie

The Environmental Protection Agency is actively testing milk samples in California and Spokane, Washington. Tests from last week indicate radioactive iodine from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan are present, but at levels far below those at which action would have to be taken. The main concern is Iodine 131 emitted from the nuclear facility. Iodine 131 is chemically identical to normal, nonradioactive iodine; it may be absorbed into the body just as normal iodine is. The Iodine 131 can concentrate in the thyroid gland and cause cancer.

Luckily, production of iodine 131 stopped when the Fukushima reactors shut down on March 11th. Iodine 131 has a half-life of 8 days, which means it loses it’s strength by half every 8 days and is thought to be on the decline in the air and milk produced by cows in America.

At the levels detected there is no cause for concern.  For more information, check out the EPA website and scroll down to “Milk”: http://www.epa.gov/radiation/japan-faqs.html.

Cheers, Julie

Food prices are expected to rise this year, and there are few foods that will not be effected.  Turns out this past year was a tough growing year in many parts of the globe. Russia experienced a drought. There are floods in Australia. Florida has had some freezing weather. Even the Midwest experienced flooding earlier this year.  Staple crops like corn, soy, and wheat have lower yields, causing a rise in a large portion of the foods we consume, including beef (corn-fed cows) and bread.

This may be a good opportunity to focus on the foods that keep you healthy and strong without busting your budget at the grocery. Cooking at home will also save you money, as restaurants will pass on the cost to the consumer.  Try adding these foods to your grocery list (and while you’re at it, stick to the list you create prior to stepping foot in the store!):

1. Whole wheat pasta. Serving: 2 ounces of dried pasta.  Servings per box: 7-8.  Price per serving: About 30 cents.  You can get a 1 pound box for $.99 or $1.99 on sale.  Nutrition per serving: 190 calories, 9 g protein, 4 g fiber.

2. Eggs. Eggs are not expected to rise in cost as much as other foods.  Serving: 1 large egg.  Serving per carton: 12. Price per serving: About 20 cents. Expect to pay more if you choose specialty eggs. Nutrition per serving: 70 calories, 6 g protein, ~10% Vitamin A needed daily.

3. Oats (quick or old fashioned). Use as hot or cold cereal, granola,  muffins, etc.  Serving: 1/2 cup dry oats. Price per serving: 20 cents. Nutrition per serving: 140 calories, 5 g protein, 4 g fiber.

4. Frozen vegetables.   Buy fresh when they are in season.  When they are not, buy frozen; they don’t spoil as quickly, you can choose large or small portion, and they contain almost as many or more nutrients as the fresh version.  Serving: 1 cup. Price per serving: 25 cents. Frozen vegetables comin 12 to 24 ounce bags priced at $.99 to $2.49 and contain 6-8 cups depending on the vegetable.  Buy on sale. Nutrition per serving: varies; frozen mixed vegetables have 80 calories, 4 g protein, 6 g fiber, and significant amounts of vitamins A and C and potassium.

For additional ideas, visit “Cheap and Healthy” on WedMD.com

Cheers, Julie

  Sounds like an episode from Bones, but in actuality the “mother” is a food safety issue.  The “mother” refers to a buildup that can form at the top of the maple syrup during storage.  But what is it really?  Can you skim the “mother” off the top, reboil the syrup, and continue to use it?  Researchers in Extension at the University of Maine say that’s not such a good idea.  They have identified that the “mother” has several microorganisms growing in the syrup, mainly Penicillium, Wallemia, Aspergillus, Trichoderma and Zygomycetes.  Some of these microorganisms can produce toxins, and from a food safety standpoint, it is recommended that syrup with this growth be discarded.  When in doubt, throw it out…always good advice. For additional food safety information, visit the Food Safety site sponsored by OSU Extension.

Cheers, Julie