December 11, 2003

Prairie Fare: Stay On the "Carb" Train

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

Life can be interesting being a food and nutrition specialist. People hide their candy when you stop by unexpectedly to visit them. Some even have been known to pull apples out of their desks when I approach.

Worse yet, they check out what’s on my plate or in my grocery cart.

One day as I was absentmindedly transferring my groceries to the checkout counter, the cashier said, "You made all healthy choices!" I had been assigned to bring all the salads to a dinner party, and I hadn’t strayed from my list. I looked up at the grinning cashier and recognized her as a student I had taught.

A person could get a little paranoid.

Actually, we nutritionists are not badge-wearing members of the food police. In fact, we’re pretty rational about food. All foods – meats, dairy, fruits, vegetables, grains and even a little candy -- can fit into a healthy diet.

But mind your portion sizes and aim for a variety of foods from all the food groups.

Recent headlines about carbohydrate-containing foods may make people think they should be skipping "carbs." Carbohydrate-rich foods provide calories, but so do fat- and protein-containing foods. In fact, weight for weight, pure carbohydrate and protein would have about the same number of calories, while pure fat would have over two times as many calories. Most foods, however, are mixtures of these three nutrients.

Weight gain is about eating too many calories or not getting enough physical activity to burn the excess calories we consume. Sometimes people think they need to "skip" certain foods to lose weight. Others hop on the latest "fad diet train", which might prompt short-term weight loss but probably won’t last long-term.

How do you recognize "bad nutrition advice"? The American Dietetic Association has devised a "red flag" list to help consumers decide. If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, save your money.

• Do the recommendations promise a quick fix? Quick weight loss is often a big selling point, but don’t believe everything you read.
• Do the claims sound too good to be true?
• Do they draw simple conclusions from complex research studies?
• Do they list "good" and "bad" foods? Skipping foods often means skipping nutrients.
• Are the claims being made just so you buy the product, or are there long-term research studies that back their claims?
• If studies are cited, were they published in scientific journals? Nutrition science is complex and often controversial. It takes many studies to form a recommendation.

Here’s a tasty, colorful soup recipe from the Midwest Dairy Council to warm a cold, wintry day. Eat all you want.

Soup-er Creamy Veggie Soup*

2 tsp. butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 can (14.5 oz) fat-free chicken broth
1 large potato, cubed
1 1/2 c. sliced carrots
2 c. broccoli florets, green beans or asparagus
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 1/2 c. reduced fat milk

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth, potato and carrots; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Add broccoli (or beans), salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes. Place flour in a medium bowl. Gradually stir in milk, mixing well. Add milk mixture to soup; bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender and soup has thickened.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving contains 230 calories, 5 grams fat, 34 grams carbohydrates and 20 percent of the daily value for calcium.

Optional: Add 2 c. cooked, cubed chicken or turkey to milk-flour mixture.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu

[Editors: We’ve updated the illustrated column identifier for Julie Garden-Robinson’s Prairie Fare column. If you’re using an older version or if you would like to use the identifier, please download this printable EPS file. Prairie Fare (142 Kb eps file)]