Eat Out Eat Well

food facts

How Many Carrots Are In A Portion?

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Good-bye pyramid, hello plate.  The word is that the government’s food pyramid is going to be ditched for a plate shaped system that uses wedges for the basic food groups and a half a plate for fruit and vegetables.

Despite all of the information about why we should eat more fruit and vegetables, according to the State of the Plate: 2010 Study. from the Produce for Better Health Foundation, 93.6% of Americans don’t hit our vegetable target and 92.4% of us don’t reach our fruit target.

 

How Many Fruit And Veggies Should You Eat?

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines makes a point of telling us to increase our consumption. But, here’s a question for you:  do you know how many carrots or grapes or broccoli florets are in a 1 or ½ cup serving?  Probably not. How much do you need, anyway?

The recommended amount is going to vary depending on your age, gender, and level of activity.  Go here for some general recommendations – or, trying filling up half of your plate.

 

Some Visual Portion Guidelines

But, it isn’t always so easy.  What if you pack your lunch, grab lunch at a deli, or snag a piece of fruit off of the platter in the conference room?  Or, maybe you eat out a lot and you want to guestimate the portion on your plate.  Here are some general visual guidelines from the CDC:

One cup servings:

  • 12 baby carrots or 2 medium carrots
  • 1 large ear of corn
  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 1 medium potato
  • 2 large celery stalks
  • 1 large bell pepper
  • 8 large strawberries
  • 1 small watermelon wedge
  • 1 large banana
  • 1 small apple
  • 1 large orange
  • 1 medium pear

One-half cup servings:

  • 16 grapes
  • 1 large plum
  • 1 small (1/4 cup) box of raisins
  • 1 medium slice of cantaloupe
  • ½ medium grapefruit
  • 5 broccoli florets

 

What Do Mojitos, Tea, And Gum Have In Common?

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Mint, or mentha, that wonderful aromatic herb that’s refreshing, cooling, and so much more than a garnish or flavor.

I did a lot of planting this past weekend – and have a couple of large pots brimming with different types of mint (there are many varieties) – a sure sign that summer days are somewhere in the near future.

Mint Has A Wonderful History

In Greek mythology, Pluto fell in love with a river nymph named Minthe (also known as Menthe). When his wife, Persephone, got wind of this she was so angry she turned Minthe into a plant so that people could trod all over her.  Pluto couldn’t undo the spell but gave Minthe a wonderful aroma that he could smell when people walked on her and crushed her leaves and stems.

Known as the herb of hospitality, the ancient Greeks rubbed mint on their tables to clean them and mint tea is served throughout the Middle East to welcome visitors. Early Europeans threw it on their hard packed soil floors for a nice scent as people stepped on it. Biblical references suggest it was so highly valued that it was used as tithes by the Pharisees (Matthew xxiii, 23). Medieval monks appreciated its culinary and medicinal properties.

A Prolific Grower

Mint grows like crazy, extending its reach through a network of runners.  It is so invasive that it is often grown in pots.  That’s what I do – and it comes back year after year even after being left out on the deck and behind a shed in the snow, blazing sun, and whatever weather arrives in Connecticut.

 

Mint Is So Much More Than A Garnish

Mint:

  • has vitamins A and C and trace minerals
  • soothes the stomach – spearmint and peppermint aid digestion — and eases breathing
  • is used in tea, beverages (alcoholic and nonalcoholic), jelly, syrups, and ice cream
  • menthol from mint essential oil (40 -90%) is used to flavor breath fresheners, drinks, mouthwash, toothpaste, gum, candy, and cigarettes (it masks the taste and soothes the throat); in cosmetics and perfume; and in some drugs
  • has antiseptic qualities and is used as a mouth freshener, gargle, mouth wash
  • is an antipruritic (anti-itch) especially for insect bites – often in combination with camphor
  • repels mosquitos; mint oil is a “green” insecticide for cockroaches, ants, wasps, and hornets; rats and mice don’t like it and neither do deer.

Cooking And Storing Mint

The culinary source of mint is its fresh or dried leaf. Fresh is preferred over dried if storage or availability isn’t a problem. The leaves have a warm, fresh, pleasant, aromatic, and sweet flavor with a cool aftertaste.

When you buy mint look for leaves that aren’t bruised. The leaves can be harvested at any time. Fresh mint leaves should preferably be used right away  but you can wrap them in a lightly damp paper towel and put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for a few days. It can also be frozen in ice cube trays. Dried mint leaves should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark, dry place.

Mint is full of cooling menthol and is a wonderful and refreshing herb to go along with simply grilled meat, vegetables, and fruit and is awesome to flavor beverages of all varieties.

Try some.  One of my favorite things to do is to grab a few sprigs and leave them in a pitcher of water in the fridge.  Really refreshing and usually prompts the response – “gee, this is really good.”

 

Don’t Let An “Organic” Label Pull The Wool Over Your Eyes

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Even though “organic” refers to a method of production rather than nutritional content, an “organic” label can make you believe that food is healthier and tastier. A Cornell University study was designed to test what’s called the “halo effect,” or the theory that people are influenced by how something is described.

 

The Study

The study looked at the “health halo effect” of whether food products labeled “organic” were perceived as more nutritious and  better tasting than conventionally produced products.

144 volunteers compared what they thought were conventionally and organically produced chocolate sandwich cookies, plain yogurt, and potato chips. Everything was actually organic, but the products were labeled as either “regular” or “organic.”

They participants ranked them on taste, estimated the caloric content, and indicated what they would pay for each product.

 

What They Found

The results showed that organic foods fall under a “health halo” and that having supposedly healthy food – in this case the food labeled organic — within a meal, can lead to misjudging the entire meal as being healthier and lower in calories.

The participants in the study:

  • preferred almost all the taste characteristics of foods labeled “organic” even though the “regular” food was exactly the same.
  • thought the food labeled “organic” was lower in fat, higher in fiber, significantly lower in calories, and worth more money.
  • thought the chips and cookies labeled “organic” were more nutritious than the ones they thought were not organic.

 

What Does Organic Really Mean?

“Organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones.”

According to the USDA:

  • “100% Organic” products are made with 100% organic ingredients
  • “Organic” products are made with at least 95% organic ingredients
  • Products labeled “Made With Organic Ingredients” have a minimum of 70% organic ingredients (with strict restrictions on the other 30%)
  • Products with less than 70% organic ingredients can list organic ingredients on their side panel but not on the front

 

Does Cinnamon Last Longer Than Oregano?

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Good question.  I love spices and herbs – especially fresh herbs –but those bottles of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and bay leaves?  They might have been keeping each other company in my spice drawer since Bill Clinton was in office.

Do Dried Spices And Herbs Go Bad?

Even though some cookbooks might suggest a “toss your spices after six months” rule, the major spice suppliers claim that they don’t go bad – but they do lose their strength. My Clinton era cinnamon wouldn’t make anyone sick – it just wouldn’t necessarily taste like full-fledged cinnamon.

Spice companies like McCormick and Penzeys say that if you keep dried herbs and spices in an airtight container in a cool, dry place you can keep and use them for as long as they seem to have flavor.  That’s a bit of good news because it can take awhile to use up what’s in those bottles!

Here’s a tip:  with a ground dry spice, shake the jar, let it settle, and give a sniff. If it doesn’t really have its spicy scent, toss it. If there’s a little fragrance left, try using more than usual amount to get the flavor you would expect from a fresh dried spice.

 

What About Herbs?

Herbs don’t have the longevity of spices and lose their flavor more quickly. If an herb that’s supposed to have the color of a St. Patrick’s Day shamrock looks more like the color of a pair of khakis — but it still smells wonderful when you crumble it in your hand — go ahead and use it.  If it’s that khaki pants color and also has little or no aromatic smell when crumbled, then it’s probably too old to be of much flavorful use.

Some Spicy Facts

  • Whole spices can last as long as 4 years
  • Ground spices can last 2 to 3 years
  • Leafy herbs can last 1 to 3 years, depending on the herb.
  • Whole peppercorns, nutmeg, and stick cinnamon can last quite a long time.
  • The same is true for the potent whole spices like cumin, cardamom, and cloves which also can live in your spice drawer for a really long time.

How To Store Them

To get the most flavor from dried herbs and spices, keep them tightly capped and away from heat, humidity, and bright, sunny places.

Putting dried herbs and spices in the freezer is not an ideal solution because condensation can be a problem. Penzeys does recommend keeping spices like whole and ground chili peppers, paprika, sesame seed, and poppy seed in a refrigerator or freezer to prolong longevity, especially in really warm weather.

Avoid shaking herbs or spices out of the bottle directly into something you’re cooking.  Exposure to steam is a quick way to spoil your spices.

To Toss Or Not Guidelines

McCormick gives some “to toss or not toss” longevity guidelines:

  • Ground spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric): 2 to 3 years
  • Herbs (basil, oregano, parsley): 1 to 3 years
  • Seasoning blends: 1 to 2 years
  • Whole spices (cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon sticks): 4 years
  • Seeds: 4 years (except for poppy and sesame seeds, which should be discarded after 2 years)
  • Extracts: 4 years (except for vanilla, which lasts forever)

Just remember to make a note of when the heck you bought and opened the spices in the first place. And check the bottle.  Some spice companies include “best by” dates on their bottles and some don’t.  In addition to a “best by” date, with McCormick’s  “Fresh Taster” online feature you can type in a code on the bottom of a McCormick spice bottle to verify its age and if the spice is past its prime.

 

Want To Save 100 Calories?

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Skip The Bacon

Want to save around 100 calories? That’s what’s in two medium slices of bacon.

Nix two slices of bacon on your bacon cheeseburger or two slices on your club sandwich or breakfast sandwich.

If you eat bacon five times a week that’s a pound lost in seven weeks and five pounds lost in 35 weeks just by subtracting those slices from what you normally eat.   Of course, that’s assuming you don’t add an extra slice of cheese or a heaping spoonful of mayo!