Eat Out Eat Well

Food for Fun and Thought

Is Sea Salt Healthier Than Table Salt?

By 4 Comments

The short answer:  no – even though sea salt might be marketed as a health food.

Sodium chloride is the chemical name for salt. Even though the words “salt” and “sodium” aren’t exactly the same they are often used interchangeably. You might find the word “sodium” on the Nutrition Facts Panel on the back or side of a package but yet see a phrase like “low salt” used on the front of the package.

Chemically, table salt and sea salt are not much different although they might taste different or have different textures. Sea salt and table salt, by weight, have the same amount of sodium.  They both can have an effect on your blood pressure.

Sea water is evaporated to make sea salt.  There is little processing and the water source, along with the trace minerals and elements left behind after evaporation, add flavor and color.  Sea salt comes in different degrees of coarseness and types of grain or flake.

Table salt, mined from underground salt deposits, goes through processing to eliminate minerals. It usually has an additive to prevent clumping and may have added iodine, which sea salt doesn’t have.

When you read the labels on sea salt and table salt, they can lead to a bit of confusion.  Because sea salt crystals are larger than table salt crystals less sea salt will fit on a teaspoon so the sea salt may seem to have less sodium.  However, by weight it does not.  But, by teaspoon, table salt has 590 mg of sodium in a teaspoon which weighs in at 1.5 grams.  Sea salt has 400 mg in a teaspoon but that teaspoon of sea salt weighs in at 1 gram.

Should You Limit The Amount Of Salt You Eat?

The recommendation for daily sodium intake is a maximum of 2300 mg and not more than 1500 mg a day for people 51 or older, if you’re African American, or if you have diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or high blood pressure. Don’t be fooled by the salt shaker.  Adding salt to food is certainly a source of dietary sodium, but processed and prepared foods account for the greatest amount of sodium in American diets.

We Eat A Ton Of Food

By Leave a Comment

You’ll be amazed at how much food we eat!

According to the US Department of Agriculture, a typical American really does eat around a ton — actually 1,996 pounds of food every year.

How much – and of what?

Our food tonnage breaks down to about:

  • 630 pounds of milk, yogurt, cheese, and ice cream
  • 31 pounds of cheese
  • 185 pounds of chicken, turkey, pork, and beef per person
  • 197 pounds of wheat and other grains
  • 273 pounds per person of fruit (a lot of water weight)
  • 415 pounds of vegetables (the most popular choices are corn and potatoes)
  • 141 pounds of sweeteners
  • 85 pounds of fats and oil

Why We Choose And Eat Certain Foods

According to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, why we choose to by certain foods is influenced by:

  • your income
  • the cost of the food
  • your ethnicity and gender
  • environmental factors:  availability of fast food, food advertising, and food pricing
  • individual factors:  how the food tastes, how convenient it is to buy and prepare, and how healthy you think the food is.

Often equally as important in our food decision making process is what’s in front of our noses.  Food satisfies a physiological need – we need it for to fuel our bodies.  But – as most of us know — a lot of us eat when we’re not hungry – with little regard for nutrition – because if we see it we eat it.  Food is nurturing; it’s social; it’s emotional; it tastes good; and it’s often a great way to procrastinate or to keep those around you happy.

Two things are certain:  Food and eating involve (often complex, often subliminal) decision-making -– and even if you don’t overindulge, when you add it all up — we eat a whole lot of pounds of food in a year.

Peanut, Almond, Peanut Butter, Plain Or Even Pretzel M&M’s: Would They Be Your Choice?

By Leave a Comment

On a road trip?  Stuck in an airport?   Is a vending machine calling your name?

You’ve decided you need a snack.  Decision made:  it’s going to be candy – and it’s going to be M&M’s.  After all, M&M’s mean melt in your mouth, not in your hand – and who wants melted chocolate all over the steering wheel or suitcase or the mess of papers on your desk?

Some M&M History

M&M’s, around since 1941, were actually designed so people could enjoy their chocolate without it melting in their hands. They’re named after the inventors Forrest Mars and R. Bruce Murrie (haven’t you always wondered where M&M’s came from?).

They were introduced to GIs in World War II, flew into space in 1982, and have been part of space shuttle missions since then. The little “m” you see on each candy wasn’t printed on them until 1950.  The “m” was originally printed in black – today it’s white.

Choices, Choices

M&M’s now come in a whole bunch of varieties and seasonal colors.  But — when you’re staring at the array of colorful M&M packages, your hands itching to tear open the wrapper and pop some into your mouth, which would you choose:  plain, almond, or peanut, or peanut butter?

Of course the purists might say there is no choice other than plain.  But, since there are choices, are there some potentially redeeming nutritional benefits to adding nuts under the chocolate and candy coating?  Do some varieties have more protein or fewer calories or more fat?  Take a look at the nutritional information – maybe it’ll help you with your choice. (Note that the package weight of the different varieties is not identical).

  • Plain milk chocolate M&M’s (1.69oz package):  240 calories, 10g fat (6 saturated), 34g total carbs, 1g fiber, 2g protein
  • Dark chocolate M&M’s (1.5oz package):  210 calories, 10g fat (6g saturated), 29g total carbs, 2g fiber, 2g protein
  • Peanut M&M’s (1.74oz package):  250 calories, 13g fat (5g saturated), 30g total carbs, 2g fiber, 5g protein
  • Almond M&M’s (1.5oz package):  220 calories, 12g fat (4g saturated), 25g total carbs, 2g fiber, 3g protein
  • Peanut butter M&M’s 1.5oz package:  220 calories, 12g fat (4g saturated), 25g total carbs, 2g fiber, 3g protein
  • Pretzel M&M’s 1.14oz package:  150 calories, 5g fat(3g saturated), 24g total carbs, 1g fiber, 2g protein  (product is kosher)

Ingredients

Ingredients in regular M&M’s: Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate, Skim Milk, Cocoa Butter, Lactose, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Artificial Flavors), Sugar, Cornstarch, Less than 1% Corn Syrup, Dextrin, Coloring (Includes Blue 1 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1, Blue 2 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 2), Gum Acacia.

Ingredients in pretzel M&M’s: milk chocolate (sugar, chocolate, skim milk, cocoa butter, lactose, milkfat, soy lecithin, salt, artificial flavors), pretzel [enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), salt, food starch-modified, vegetable oil (soybean oil, canola oil and/or corn oil), malt, leavening (yeast, sodium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate)], sugar, less than 2% – cornstarch, corn syrup, dextrin, coloring (includes blue 1 lake, red 40 lake, yellow 6, red 40, yellow 5, blue 1, yellow 6 lake, yellow 5 lake, blue 2 lake, blue 2), gum acacia.

Allergy information: may contain peanuts.  Product is Kosher

These are the ingredient lists for regular and pretzel M&M’s. If you’re looking for something with good nutrition – this isn’t it.  It is candy, so the amounts of sugar, fat, and protein shouldn’t be a big surprise.  The thing to really make note of is what M&M’s are famous for (aside from melt in your mouth, not in your hands) – the colors.  Look at the list of artificial colors (“lake” means the dyes are used in liquid form, not powder), some of which have been associated with allergic reactions, cancer causing properties, and hyperactivity.  Just a heads-up about another thing to consider when choosing your snack.

 

Chocolate Eggs And Bunny Ears

By 6 Comments

Oh, those pretty chocolate eggs nesting in baskets on beds of paper straw.  Bunnies and ducks in all shades of chocolate.  Brightly wrapped candy stuffed in plastic eggs for Easter egg hunts.  Chocolate smeared over little kids’ faces and indestructible peeps molded into weird shapes before being popped in the mouth.

It’s Easter candy time.  Face it – admit it – Easter candy is seductive.  I dare you to eat one jelly bean or unwrap and savor just one brightly colored mini-chocolate Easter egg.

If you’re going to indulge — and sometimes it’s worth it — you might as well know a little about your chocolate Easter candy so you can factor their caloric punch into your eating plan.

Easter Eggs – the Confectionary Type

They’re everywhere and at every price point.  Some are piped with flowers and others are wrapped in foil.  You find them in chain stores, discount stores, and at high end chocolatiers. Easter is the second ranked holiday for candy purchases in the United States (just behind Halloween) and solid, hollow, and filled chocolate Easter eggs are one of the most popular choices.

John Cadbury make the first French Eating Chocolate in 1842 but the first Cadbury Easter Eggs didn’t arrive until 1875 and were a far cry from today’s Cadbury Crème egg (which now also comes with caramel, chocolate, and butterfinger filling). Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate appeared on the market in 1905 and helped boost the sale of chocolate Easter eggs. Today’s chocolate Easter eggs are predominantly milk chocolate and include solid, hollow, decorated, and filled eggs.

Calories in Popular Types of Chocolate Easter Eggs

Chocolate is a high calorie, high fat food.  Some of the most popular chocolate eggs:

Hershey’s Cadbury Chocolate Crème Easter Egg:  1 egg (39g), 180 calories, 8g Fat (5g saturated), 25g Carbs, 2g Protein

Hershey’s Cadbury Crème Egg, original milk chocolate with soft fondant crème center:  1 egg (39g), 170 calories, 6g fat (3.5g saturated), 28g Carbs,  2g Protein

Hershey’s Cadbury Mini Egg:  solid milk chocolate eggs with a crispy sugar shell: 12 eggs (40g), 200 calories, 9g fat(5g saturated), 28g carbs, 2g protein

Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Eggs:  7 pieces, 200 Calories, 12g Fat (7 saturated), 24g Carbs, 3g Protein

Dove Silky Smooth Milk Chocolate Eggs: 6 eggs, 240 Calories, 14g Fat (8g saturated), 26g Carbs, 3g Protein

Dove Rich Dark Chocolate Eggs:  6 eggs (43g), 220 calories, 14g Fat (8 saturated), 26g carbs, 2g Protein

Reese’s Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Eggs:  5 pieces (38g), 190 Calories, 12g Fat (6 saturated), 21g Carbs, 4g Protein

M & M’s Milk Chocolate Speck-Tacular Eggs: 1/4 Cup (12 pieces), Calories: 210 Calories, 10g Fat (6 saturated), 29g Carbs, 2g Protein

Solid Milk Chocolate Easter Bunny:  2.5 oz, Calories: average 370

But Isn’t Chocolate Good For Me?

The health benefits in chocolate come from cocoa. Dark chocolate has a greater concentration of cocoa than milk chocolate.  White chocolate, without any cocoa in it, is not really chocolate. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, can be heart healthy if it replaces an unhealthy, high calorie snack, but there’s still no recommendation for the amount to eat to get the health benefits.

The Bottom Chocolate Line

Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, contains flavonols which have antioxidant qualities and other positive influences on heart health. However, those delicious, pastel wrapped chocolate Easter eggs are caloric and moderately high in fat, one-third of it the type of saturated fat that isn’t heart healthy. Extra ingredients like crème and caramel fillings can add lots of extra fat and calories. There’s no recommended serving size of chocolate to help gain cardiovascular benefits. If you’re going to choose a sweet treat, chocolate, especially dark chocolate with a high cocoa concentration, might be a healthier choice than other types of sweets. With a lot of treats – particularly treats associated with a holiday or celebration — there’s often a perceived license to indulge.  If you’re going to enjoy your chocolate, plan on how much you are going to eat, try to eat it in moderation, attempt to balance out the extra calories in the days before and after the celebration, and enjoy every bit of it.

Want to know more about jelly beans and peeps?

 

Are You Gearing Up For A Holiday Food Fest?

By 4 Comments

Gotta have the jelly beans, the green bean casserole, the lamb and the ham, the brisket, two servings of matzoh ball soup, carrot cake for dessert, the entire chocolate bunny (ears first), three cadbury eggs, and whatever else your particular holiday, culture, and family traditions dictate.

Really???

Ask yourself why.  Is your groaning table and your habit of scarfing down handfuls of jelly beans and three chocolate eggs at a time really because of tradition – or are you using the holidays as an easy excuse to surround yourself with the food you love and want to eat in abundance?

There is nothing wrong with tradition and wanting to share your memories and love through food. But . . .

Are Holidays A Reason And An Excuse To (Over)Eat?

The big question to ask yourself is:  am I really sharing/holding to tradition and memories of the season – or am I using the holidays as an excuse to make and eat a whole lot of food that I really would prefer not to eat – or eat in such quantity?

Most people who know me also know that I’m a pretty good baker. I make really good Christmas cookies – for a lot of events, not just Christmas.  I baked them for a party for my son’s July wedding (not a Christmas tree in sight) and as I brought them out there was a chorus of “Christmas cookies” from his friends who have eaten them many times before.  Didn’t matter that it was July.  The recipe was the same, they tasted the same, and they came from my kitchen.

What’s my point?  I love baking these cookies, and I love sharing them.  There are a whole host of emotions wrapped around these cookies.

I also know that I love eating them.  Have I ever used an occasion as an excuse to bake them – even though things would have been fine without the cookies?  You bet I have.

Why?  I love the thought of those cookies.  I used to make them with my Mother when I was little and my sons made them with me.  I also love to eat them – especially the dough (I’m really not endorsing that – It’s a bad habit and the dough does have raw egg in it).

The bottom line is that I end up eating hundreds of calories – delicious calories, but not healthy or necessary ones.  And, even though I’m sharing what I consider to be “a little bit of love from my kitchen,” I still, very frequently, consciously use the holiday or the event as an excuse.

Try These Strategies For Dealing With Holiday Food

I’m certainly not advocating giving up baking cookies or hot cross buns or making matzah brei or roast lamb — whatever your specialty or tradition is.  What I am suggesting is that you ask yourself the reason for doing so.  Recognize and be mindful of your reasons.

Some strategies:

  • If you do make your specialty – plan for it.  When you eat it, enjoy it with everyone else – not in a constant stream of solo tasting and little snatches from the fridge or cupboard.
  • Even if you make it, keep your amazing food out of sight and, hopefully, out of mind.  Far away, too.  Usually if we have to work to get food it may take some of the desire out of it.  So store the food in the basement or someplace out of the kitchen.
  • Leftovers?  Send them home with your family and friends.  I’ve fed lots of college dorms and offices with my leftovers.  Freeze them and store them in the back of the freezer where you can’t see them (although I can attest that frozen butter cookies are great – my sons once ate a whole container of them out of my downstairs freezer without my knowing about it.  I had to bake another batch before Christmas dinner.)

Traditions are important and food is nurturing.  Traditions, family, and holidays can also be stressful.  Cook away if that’s your pleasure. Just ask yourself if you are using holidays, traditions, guests, and family as excuses or justifications to (over)eat.