Eats « Weekly Gravy

Looking to boost your fiber and vitamin C in one bite? Forget dietary supplements — emerald green broccoli is the answer. Cup for cup, broccoli has more vitamin C than oranges, and only half the calories. It’s also rich in folate and vitamin K, the minerals potassium and calcium, and many phytochemicals that may play a role in cancer prevention. To pick the freshest broccoli, look at the stem — it shouldn’t be dried out. Then look at the color of the florets. They should be dark green. Avoid heads that have yellowed in spots. While steaming broccoli is a snap, pan roasting adds great flavor without having to turn on your oven. The cheese sauce in the following recipe is bound to convert skeptics. Cheesy Pan-Roasted Broccoli For the broccoli: 1 head broccoli, cut into florets 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt For the sauce: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon flour 1 cup skim milk 1 cup grated part-skim mozzarella 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and broccoli. Sprinkle with salt. Toss and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook four to five minutes until cooked through. While the broccoli cooks, make the cheese sauce. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil and flour. Cook… read on >

Ever wonder how your diet habits — good or bad — compare to others? Annual surveys done by the International Food Information Council Foundation detail positive changes that people are making and where improvement is still needed. People are, in general, hungry for more food information and get it from sources as varied as dietitians and government websites, but most rely on friends and family. That could explain why nearly 80% of last year’s respondents said they were confused by information overload and, at times, contradictory advice. People want to eat healthier, but aren’t always sure what to do. Know-how seems to come with age, as those over age 50 were far more confident in their choices and get more of their information from reliable sources compared with younger people. Just over one-third of the respondents in the most recent survey follow a set eating pattern. Most popular is intermittent fasting. (This is usually done in one of two ways — either eating during an eight-hour span each day followed by 16 hours of fasting, or fasting on two days each week.) Sixteen percent of people adhere to a low-carb approach, such as the Keto and Paleo diets. These diets have their fans, but also their critics who cite the unhealthy side effects of eliminating entire food groups. Not surprisingly, as people cut down on… read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday gave its approval to Vyleesi, the second medication so far approved to help women with low sexual desire. In a news release, the FDA said that Vyleesi (bremelanotide) is a drug that would be administered by injection prior to having sex. It’s been specifically approved for premenopausal women with a condition known as acquired, generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). “There are women who, for no known reason, have reduced sexual desire that causes marked distress, and who can benefit from safe and effective pharmacologic treatment,” said Dr. Hylton Joffe, who directs the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research’s Division of Bone, Reproductive and Urologic Products. “Today’s approval provides women with another treatment option for this condition,” Hylton said in the news release. According to the agency, HSDD is not caused by any medical or psychiatric condition, relationship issues or drug side effects. Instead, women with HSDD have “previously experienced no problems with sexual desire,” the FDA said. “Generalized HSDD refers to HSDD that occurs regardless of the type of sexual activity, situation or partner.” The exact way in which Vyleesi helps stimulate sexual desire remains unclear, but it works on melanocortin receptors on cells, the FDA said. The drug is injected under the skin of the abdomen or thigh at least 45 minutes prior to… read on >

Green tea is a popular health trend, with many people sipping in hopes of deriving benefits from the brew. There’s nothing wrong with that, dietitians say — green tea is a healthy drink loaded with antioxidants. But the jury’s still out on many of its purported health benefits. “Clinical trials related to green tea are still in their early stages,” said Nancy Farrell Allen, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Fredericksburg, Va. “I say drink it, enjoy it. It’s not going to hurt, and it might have worthy benefits to it. But nutrition is a science, and it takes time for our understanding to evolve.” Green tea’s potential health benefits derive from catechins, which are powerful antioxidant compounds known as flavonoids, said Chelsey Schneider, clinical nutrition supervisor at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Cancer Center in New York City. One catechin in particular, known as EGCG, is found at higher levels in green tea than in either white or black tea, she said. “This compound can be even stronger than vitamin C and E, which are very, very strong antioxidants,” Schneider said. Antioxidants help prevent damage to cells. Green, black and white tea all come from the same plant, said Allen, who is a spokeswoman for the Academy of Dietetics and Nutrition. Green tea is made from the leaves of the mature plant, while white tea is… read on >

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in foods including fatty fish and flaxseed, may be best known for their link to heart health, but they’re also vital for pregnant women and their babies. These important nutrients have been linked to a reduced risk for depression for mom and a better birth weight for baby along with improved development and brain function, and possibly asthma prevention. What’s unclear is exactly how much you need every day. For a study in Spain, researchers followed nearly 2,000 moms and their babies from the first trimester of pregnancy through the child’s 5th birthday. The investigators found that eating large amounts of fatty fish during pregnancy may offer moderate benefits, including improvements in cognitive functioning and some protection from autism-spectrum traits. The benefits were seen when mom ate about three ounces of fish every day. This amount is just within the limits set by the European Food Safety Authority to avoid excess mercury, and there was no sign that mercury or other pollutants associated with fish had a negative effect that offset the apparent benefits. The amount of fish recommended in the Spanish study is more than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration weekly guidelines for pregnant women of a maximum of 8 to 12 ounces (about two to three servings) of a variety of seafood low in mercury. But many American… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Dried fruit is a healthier source of nutrition and calories. In some cases, it can be even healthier than fresh fruit, says Harvard Medical School. Dried fruit typically contains more fiber and antioxidants than fresh fruit. Fiber and antioxidants have been shown to fight heart disease, obesity and cancer, the school says. But it’s important to read nutrition labels on dried fruit, and avoid those with added sugar, says Harvard.

If you struggle to eat a healthy lunch during your workday, a new survey suggests you’re far from alone. “The good news is most people said they are interested in doing better” when it comes to healthy eating, said Dr. Anne Thorndike, vice chair of the nutrition committee at the American Heart Association (AHA). The survey included more than 900 U.S. adults who typically eat lunch during work hours. Of those, 56% said they struggled to have a healthy lunch at work, while 77% said they’re more likely to make healthier decisions at other times of the day if they have a healthy lunch. “The finding that healthier food choices at work may impact food choices throughout the rest of the day presents a unique opportunity for the workplace to have a positive influence on not only the employee’s health but also the health of the employee’s family,” Thorndike said in an AHA news release. She is an associate professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Overall, 91% of respondents said they were interested in having a more healthy workday lunch, with those younger than 40 more likely to be extremely/very interested than those aged 40 and older (65% vs. 55%). The survey also found that 82% of respondents said that having healthy food options at work is important to them, and 68% value help… read on >

Carrot sticks are fine for a snack, but that’s far from the only way to get these tasty veggies into your diet. Carrots are naturally high in beta carotene, and they’re great for liver and skin health. These sweet root vegetables come in a wide range of colors, all of which are nutritious. When buying carrots, choose those that are firm and without cracks. Store them in the fridge for up to two weeks. Note: Baby carrots are no different than regular carrots except that they’ve been cut down to a small size, at a cost to consumers. Because carrots add great crunch to dishes, you can use them raw in many types of vegetable-based salads. They’re also a great addition to salad dressings, like this one reminiscent of the kind served in Asian restaurants. Try it over a simple salad as suggested or over steamed green beans or almost any vegetable to give it more zing. Best of all, it requires zero cooking. Baby Greens With Carrot Ginger Dressing 1 pound mixed baby greens 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered 1 large cucumber, thinly sliced 1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and chopped 2 garlic cloves, peeled 1/4 cup water, more as needed Arrange the greens, tomatoes… read on >

Sweet summer fruits make a luscious ending to a meal, but there’s no reason to limit them to dessert. Here are three fruity no-cook dishes that will please every palate. For a sauce with a special flavor punch, add chopped fresh cherries to your favorite salsa recipe. Cherries are loaded with anthocyanins, an antioxidant with a deep red color, and their sweetness gives salsa an added layer of flavor. Try it with grilled chicken or shrimp for a sweet and spicy kick. Love cantaloupe? Pair it with thinly sliced prosciutto, fresh mozzarella and mint. The melon’s sweetness is a great way to balance the saltiness of prosciutto for a filling low-cal appetizer or lunch dish. Is juicy watermelon more to your liking? It’s high in vitamins A and C and the antioxidant lycopene. The deeper the melon’s red hue, the more nutrients it has. Its flavor really pops when paired with tangy feta cheese, a good source of calcium. Watermelon Salad 4 cups baby spinach 4 cups watermelon chunks 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, shredded 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt and black pepper to taste Arrange spinach on a platter and top with the watermelon. Sprinkle on feta, jalapeno and basil. Drizzle with the oil, and season with salt and pepper as desired. Yield:… read on >

Summer is the perfect time to give your stove a rest and kick back with some fast, no-cook meals made with veggies you can grab at your farmers’ market. For a tasty alternative to a ho-hum salad, thinly slice zucchini and toss with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Add a few dollops of ricotta and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Craving a Cobb salad? Make it with corn cut fresh from the cob. Add a superfood boost by tossing in baby spinach for plenty of additional vitamins A and C, iron and folate. Top it off with cherry tomatoes, a few cubes of avocado and diced hard-boiled eggs — add extra whites if you like. Sprinkle with some crumbled blue cheese and a drizzle of antioxidant-rich extra-virgin olive oil, and you’ll never miss the bacon. Want a no-fuss do-ahead meal that goes from fridge to table? Tomato gazpacho with sherry vinegar and fresh garden peppers is a cold soup that will be ready when you are, and it’s very fast to make. Easy Tomato Gazpacho 2 pounds tomatoes, quartered 1 cup chopped green bell peppers 1/2 cup chopped shallots 1/4 cup whole almonds 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Puree until you reach desired chunkiness and then chill for about an hour before… read on >