Eats « Weekly Gravy

Planning for your children’s return to school this fall should include thinking about how to pack healthy lunches that they’ll enjoy. Try to include children in the process of creating their lunches, including buying food and packing (or helping pack) their lunches. This lets them make their own choices and helps them learn about nutrition, according to Manisha Vaidya, a clinical dietitian at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Many grocery stores offer a variety of ready-to-pack cut fruits and veggies, as well as dried fruits and unsalted nuts, pre-portioned cheese and single-serve yogurts, hummus and cracker cups, and tuna and chicken pouches. Direct your children to these fruit, veggie, grain and protein products for their lunch shopping and menu planning. A good-quality lunch box, water bottle, thermal beverage container, some cool packs and some reusable containers will help lunches stay cool and fresh, increasing the chances that children will eat more of their lunches, according to a university news release. Ensure food safety. Put an ice pack in your child’s lunch box if they’re having yogurt/deli sandwich/fresh vegetables, or fruits. Teach children about hand sanitation and safe food handling and storage. Create a reward plan with your child for finishing school lunches and choosing healthy snacks. It can be something such as a trip to the bookstore, a play day at the park with… read on >

(HealthDay News) — To maintain a healthy weight, how much you eat is just as important as what you eat, says the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Your optimal portion size may or may not match the serving size listed on a product. It’s dependent on your age, weight and metabolism, among other factors. To manage food portions at home, the agency recommends: Do not eat out of the box or bag. Take out a serving and eat it off a plate. Avoid eating in front of the TV or while busy with other activities. Focus on what you are eating, chew well and enjoy your food. Eat fewer high-fat, high-calorie foods. Freeze food you won’t serve or eat right away. Eat meals at regular times. Buy low-calorie snacks.

Guacamole is one party dip that’s actually good for you, and it’s easy to make at home. Hass avocados — with green skins that turn brown-black when ripe — are rich and creamy. They’re filled with healthy fats, vitamins and fiber. The rest of the fresh ingredients in guacamole are filled with nutrients and few calories. To test if an avocado is ripe, give it a gentle squeeze. It should give slightly under the pressure. If hard, avocados will need two to three days to ripen on a countertop, so plan ahead if you don’t have access to ripe ones. The other key ingredient for a flavorful guacamole is jalapeno, a spicy pepper that many people leave out. These bright green chilies have loads of healthy nutrients, including high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants, plus they add a flavor punch. To make a mild guacamole, remove the seeds and the membrane (the white part that attaches the seeds to the flesh) before you mince the jalapeno. For a spicy version, leave the seeds in. Perfect Guacamole 3 ripe Hass avocados 1/4 cup red onion, minced 1/4 cup cilantro, minced Juice of 1 lime 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 jalapeno, minced Run your knife around each of the avocados, and then twist slightly to separate them into halves. Remove the pits and scoop out the flesh… read on >

Are you hungry after you exercise? That might not be a problem if you’re at a healthy weight, but if you’re trying to shed extra pounds, the calories you take in could replace the ones you just worked so hard to burn off. For decades, researchers have tried to find out whether the intensity and/or duration of exercise could play a role in limiting hunger immediately and in the hours afterwards. Some, but not all, studies found that very high-intensity interval training (or HIIT) can cut your appetite. HIIT typically involves alternating 30 or 60 seconds of all-out effort with one to two minutes of rest, a pattern that you repeat for the 20 to 30 minutes of a workout. Other research found that longer workouts, up to 90 minutes, are effective at dampening hunger. Another plus: A study review found that if you want to burn fat, the longer your exercise session, the more you’ll burn. Problem is, many people aren’t able to work such long workouts into most days. Adding another wrinkle is that men and women seem to have different responses to exercise, making it impossible to suggest any one-routine-fits-all generalization. The answer? Try out different exercise timing and duration options to see which one has the best hunger-cutting effect on you. You might even find that exercise on an empty stomach… read on >

Many Americans still don’t get enough fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods. If money and time are concerns, your favorite drive-through donut and coffee place in the morning and the closest fast-food chain for dinner might seem to better fit your schedule and budget, even if you know these foods aren’t nutritious. You may feel it’s just too hard to get the suggested five or more servings of fruits and veggies every day, and maybe you’ve even given up trying. In either case, results of a large global study should encourage you to reboot your efforts to eat healthier. The study examined eating patterns of people across 18 countries and how fruits, vegetables and legumes (beans, dried peas and lentils) affected mortality and heart health. Results confirmed that eating these healthy foods lowers the risk for heart disease, heart attacks and early death. They also showed you can get such benefits with just three or four daily servings. Now, this isn’t to say that you should cut back if you’re getting more, but people who are getting little to none can aim to meet this more modest goal. The studies offered other surprising findings. One is that eating more fruits, seeds and beans can be as good for you as eating more vegetables — that’s good news for those who just can’t wrap their taste… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Many alternative milk products are available on supermarket shelves, including milks made from soy, rice, almond, coconut and oats. These products may not have the same nutritional value as dairy milk, says the Dairy Council of California. Alternative milk products may be low in calcium and protein. For children, athletes and seniors looking to up their calcium and protein levels, soy ranks highest among alternative milks, the council says.

Although colonoscopy screens for cancer, it can also uncover a common condition called diverticulosis. This is when one or more pockets develop in the colon wall, often in the large bowel. These pockets occur over time, possibly from not getting enough fiber in your diet or eating too much red meat. They’re so common that about 50% of people have them by age 50, according to the American Gastroenterological Association. Problems can occur if a pocket gets infected, swollen and inflamed, which happens to about 5% of people with diverticulosis. This condition is called diverticulitis. “Attacks” of it can come with pain in the lower left abdomen, fever, chills and changes in stool. You may also experience nausea and vomiting. Treatment for diverticulitis often centers on a short-term low-fiber diet to quiet the digestive tract, and possibly antibiotics to get rid of the infection. Some people get repeated attacks. There’s also the possibility of developing a serious abscess in a pocket and needing surgery to remove the affected section of intestine if the damage is severe. But you can take steps to lower the risk for repeated attacks and complications. After — and only after — the infection clears, slowly reintroduce fiber to your diet by eating more whole grains; legumes including beans and lentils; vegetables; berries; fruits with edible skins; nuts and even popcorn.… read on >

Family meals are a recipe for healthy eating in kids, nutritionists say. “Research shows that families who regularly dine together are more likely to eat more fruits, vegetables and fiber and are less likely to eat fried foods,” said Kristen Gradney, a dietitian nutritionist and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Eating together promotes healthy weight in children, perhaps due to more nourishing food choices, and can encourage them to try new foods,” she explained in an academy news release. Plus, families who eat together tend to be closer, because mealtime encourages conversations. It helps kids feel more at ease sharing their feelings, which, in turn, can help lessen behavioral problems and may even improve their grades, Gradney said. As part of Kids Eat Right Month in August, the academy offers this advice to help parents make and enjoy family meals after a busy day: Choose meals without a lot of ingredients. Work with your children to create a collection of go-to recipes that can be ready in less than 30 minutes. Stock up on ingredients that can be used for more than one meal. For example, grill twice as many chicken breasts as needed for one dinner and use the extras to make fajitas the next night. Try to avoid take-out food. Though convenient, it’s not as healthy as a simple, homemade… read on >

Want to reduce your risk of dementia? Take care of your heart. That’s the takeaway from a new study that suggests good heart health in middle age could lower your odds for problems with thinking and memory later in life. The study included nearly 7,900 British adults who did not have heart disease or dementia at age 50. Over an average 25-year followup, 347 cases of dementia were diagnosed among participants. Average age at diagnosis: 75. After taking other factors into account, researchers linked a higher score at age 50 on seven healthy habits outlined in the American Heart Association’s “Life Simple 7” with a lower risk of dementia later in life. The Life Simple 7 assesses smoking, diet, physical activity, fasting blood sugar, blood cholesterol, blood pressure and body mass index (a measure of body fat based on height and weight). Dementia rates were 1.3 per 1,000 person years among participants who had high scores on heart healthy habits, compared to 3.2 per 1,000 for low-scorers, according to the study published Aug. 7 in the BMJ. A better score at age 50 was also associated with higher overall brain and gray matter volumes in MRI scans 20 years later. Though the study could not prove that heart-healthy living actually caused dementia risk to drop, the researchers said their findings support public policies to improve… read on >

(HealthDay News) — A registered dietician can partner with you to develop a safe and realistic eating plan, says the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Whether you want to lose or gain weight, or to simply maintain your health, there are many reasons to seek the help of an RDN. They include: You need help managing a chronic disease, such as diabetes. You have digestive problems. You have had gastric bypass surgery. You need to gain or lose weight. You are pregnant, trying to get pregnant or a new mom.