NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
January 27, 2000
February is the month of the groundhog's awakening (if only briefly some years) and the month of presidents' birthdays and a month that offers hope with its lengthening days and purple-orange sunsets. Of course, it's also the month of sweethearts and Valentine's Day gifts, most of which are typically flowers or a sugary confection or a combination thereof.
I'm proposing that those of us with sweethearts--namely, all of us--do something different this year by giving a gift that encourages, or at least hints at, a lifestyle change. Because I am always encouraged by food, I'm suggesting a basket of baked goods instead of a bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolates. But not just any baked goods. I'm suggesting baked goods that not only taste good but are actually good for your sweetheart. In a word: healthful.
I would argue there is an emotional boost that comes from having what we perceive to be our cake and being able to eat it too. A key, I think, to maintaining emotional well-being is eating food we enjoy. For me, apple dumplings, pumpkin pie, banana cream pie and date bars are all examples of baked goods that I eat with a guilt-free conscience. Now, I'm not making any health claims here. I'm simply saying that a enjoying a warm cinnamon-laced apple dumpling or the complexity of pumpkin pie or the silky smoothness of banana cream pie or the rich flavor and contrasting texture of date bars soothes my soul.
Some may question my logic, but if a baked good contains significant amounts of fruit, I can easily rationalize a reason for eating it. Case closed. I think the recipe that follows proves my point.
Heart-Healthy Apricot Muffins
(This recipe comes from the United Soybean Board.)
Yield: 12 servings (1 dozen muffins)Ingredients:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup soy flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ cup soy milk
½ cup water
1 tablespoon soybean oil
½ cup crushed pineapple
½ cup dried apricots, snipped into quarter-inch piecesProcedure:
Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, spices and salt. Mix well. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and add the egg, soy milk, water, oil, pineapple and apricots. Mix only until moistened. Spoon mixture into oiled muffin tins and bake at 400 F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted near center of the muffins comes out clean.
What's Your Take on This, Julie?
Receiving flowers from your Valentine might make your heart beat a little faster, but enjoying healthful treats might help your heart beat a little longer. February, not coincidentally, is also American Heart Month--a time for us to make some lifestyle changes that could reduce our risk of becoming a statistic: the No. 1 cause of death in the United States is cardiovascular disease.
At 161 calories and 3.7 grams of fat per serving, soy-containing Heart-Healthy Apricot Muffins are a good place to start. Soy-based foods and soy protein in particular have been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels, which can reduce our risk of heart disease. Members of the legume family, soybeans have been a staple in the Asian diet for more than 5,000 years but weren't introduced into Western culture until the 20th century.
Today numerous products such as soy flour, soy protein powders, soy milk, tofu, tempeh and soy nuts are readily available in supermarkets. The Food and Drug Administration recently authorized the use of health claims on soy products containing at least 6.25 grams of soy protein per serving, as long as these products are also low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.
More than 40 studies have shown that soy protein can decrease LDL ("bad")
cholesterol and triglycerides without affecting HDL ("good") cholesterol levels.
Reaping the cholesterol-lowering benefits of soy requires eating only about 25 grams of
soy protein a day
--that's the amount in one cup of cooked soybeans. A half-cup of roasted soy nuts contains
34 grams of soy protein, one cup of soy milk contains 7 grams of protein and a half-cup of
tofu contains 10 grams of protein.
What's more, soy products may also reduce the risk of cancer. The soy component "genistein" may help prevent breast cancer because of its estrogen-like activity, which competes with other chemicals that may promote tumor growth. Soy foods may even help mediate symptoms of menopause and kidney disease.
But adding soy to your diet is only one way to improve your odds against heart disease. Aim for a diet moderate in fat intake (30 percent or less of total calories) and go easy on saturated fats. Include at least two servings of fruits and three servings of vegetables--that's 5-A-Day--because of the fiber, folic acid and other plant chemicals these foods contain. Also include plenty of whole-grain foods such as oatmeal and whole-grain bread in your diet.
And don't forget another way to keep your heart healthy: enjoy regular physical activity. On five or more days each week, take a stroll--with or without your honey--to get the recommended 30 minutes of moderate physical activity for that day.
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Sources: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136
Julie Garden-Robinson (701) 231-7187
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