Eats « Weekly Gravy

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 >

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 >

Yogurt is a healthy food, and it may also be a cancer fighter, a new study suggests. Men who had two or more servings of yogurt a week had a 26% lower risk of developing precancerous growths in their colon, a new study reports. Researchers didn’t find the same cancer-fighting benefit for women, however. “These data suggest that other characteristics of yogurt, such as its potential role in altering the natural bacteria in our guts, may have cancer-preventive properties,” said researcher Dr. Andrew Chan. He’s a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston. But researchers cautioned that the study doesn’t prove yogurt prevents colon cancer, only that there appears to be an association. Specifically, the findings suggest that Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, two bacteria usually found in yogurt, may reduce cancer-causing chemicals in the colon. Researchers said yogurt may also reduce acid in the gut, creating a more hospitable environment for these beneficial bacteria. In addition, yogurt may fight inflammation, helping to reduce cancer risk, they said. “These findings require further corroboration in other populations and additional work in understanding the mechanisms by which yogurt may affect gut health,” Chan said. Researchers said they did not receive any funding for the study from the yogurt industry. For the study, Chan and his team collected data on nearly 33,000 men and nearly 56,000… read on >

You don’t have to adopt a total vegetarian lifestyle to improve your health. You can get some of its advantages simply by replacing some of the animal proteins in your diet with plant-based ones. This can be an especially important switch for people who have even one risk factor for heart disease, like smoking, excessive drinking, being overweight or being inactive. Researchers looked at 30 years of data from 131,000 participants in the landmark Nurses’ Health Study and compared the outcomes of eating different types of protein for a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The investigators found that swapping just a small amount of animal-based protein — processed red meat in particular — with plant-based protein cut the risk of early death from all causes. And the greater the swap, the greater the benefits. On the other hand, the researchers found that eating a diet high in animal protein was associated with a higher risk of death from heart disease. Nuts, legumes including beans and lentils, and even whole grains all contain some protein and can be quite filling. But rather than a radical shift in eating, which could be hard to maintain long-term, make small swaps on a consistent basis so that the changes will stick. Some ideas: Use beans to replace some of the ground beef in recipes. Have oatmeal with chopped… read on >

Americans are eating as much processed meat as they did two decades ago, and have not increased the amount of fish they consume. That’s the bad news from new research on dietary data, which also found one-quarter of U.S. adults eat more than the recommended amount of unprocessed red meat, and less than 15% eat recommended amounts of fish/shellfish. The good news comes from another finding: Americans are eating a bit less beef and more chicken than they used to, and for the first time, consumption of poultry exceeded that of unprocessed red meat. “Despite strong evidence linking processed meat with cancer risk, consumption of processed meat among U.S. adults didn’t change over the study period [1999-2016],” noted lead investigator Dr. Fang Fang Zhang, from Tufts University’s School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Boston. “While factors other than health [e.g., social, cultural and economic] can influence Americans’ food choices, the lack of widespread awareness of health risks associated with processed meat may have contributed to the lack of consumption change,” she added in a news release from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The researchers analyzed data gathered between 1999 and 2016 on the eating habits of U.S. adults, 20 and older. Over those 18 years, consumption of processed meats stayed about the same, 182 grams/week in 1999 and 187 grams/week in 2016. The… read on >

(HealthDay News) — The keys to healthier snacking are moderation and choosing your munchies wisely, says the American Heart Association. The AHA recommends: Crunchy foods, such as apples, celery sticks, cucumbers, rice cakes, popcorn and nuts. Low-sugar drinks, such as sparkling water, fat-free milk and veggie juice. Filling foods, such as hummus, low-fat cheese and yogurt. Snacks to curb your sweet tooth, such as fruits, raisins and banana-nut bread. The AHA encourages people to mind nutrition labels when packing snacks. Always avoid added sugars and salt.

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 >