Eats « Weekly Gravy

Want to be part of the movement to limit food waste of all kinds? One tasty way is to get the most from all your citrus fruits by using the zest, the brightly colored top layer of peel. Tangy citrus zest is a natural antioxidant. It’s also a “free” food, because it has practically zero calories, yet is full of flavor thanks to the natural oils that give grapefruit, oranges, lemons and others their strong scents. Unlike the underlying white pith, the zest is not bitter. The best way to zest? Pick up an inexpensive super-slim microplane. The tiny grater holes create a fine zest when you run the fruit along its length. They stay sharp, plus the tool is dishwasher safe (though a quick rinse might be all it needs after use). Choose organic citrus to avoid ingesting any pesticides that can linger on the peel. Wash the whole fruit under cold running water, then carefully shave off the fragrant skin, stopping short of the pith. Mix zest with olive oil and minced garlic for a savory, fresh-tasting marinade for chicken. Make flavored cooking oil by stirring citrus zest into a beaker of extra-virgin olive oil. Use zest to enhance baked goods — cut the sugar in traditional recipes by half, then add a teaspoon of zest to add unique flavor. Zest is also… read on >

From cappuccinos to cold brew, coffee is a morning must for many Americans, but is it healthy and how much is too much? A University of South Australia study suggests a couple of cups to start your day probably won’t hurt — and may even be good for you. But drinking six or more cups of coffee a day can increase your risk of heart disease by up to 22%, the researchers found. About one in four deaths in the United States is due to heart disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. That’s why Elina Hypponen and Ang Zhou of the Australian Center for Precision Health in Adelaide set out to discover the point when too much caffeine causes high blood pressure, a key heart disease risk factor. The tipping point: Six 8-ounce cups — each containing 75 milligrams (mg) of caffeine. “Knowing the limits of what’s good for you and what’s not is imperative,” Hypponen said in a university news release. “Overindulge and your health will pay for it,” she added. For the study, the researchers used a U.K. database of more than 300,000 adults, aged 37 to 73, to explore how the caffeine-metabolizing gene (CYP1A2) affected people’s ability to process caffeine and their risk for heart disease. The investigators… read on >

A common type of skin bacteria may put young children with severe eczema at increased risk for food allergies, British researchers report. This type of bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, is found in the nose and skin of healthy people, but it’s more common in people with the skin condition eczema, especially those with severe cases. This study found that young children with severe eczema who are infected with staph make more of an antibody called IgE against peanut, egg and milk. That indicates they are allergic to each of those foods. These children were also more likely to have an egg allergy at 5 or 6 years of age than children without staph, according to the team from King’s College London. The finding is “significant as most children with egg allergy usually outgrow this at an earlier age,” said lead author Dr. Olympia Tsilochristou, a clinical research fellow and allergy specialist. “We do not know yet the exact mechanisms that lead from eczema to food allergy; however, our results suggest that the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus could be an important factor contributing to this outcome,” Tsilochristou added in a college news release. The study did not prove cause and effect and only found an association. The findings add to those from a previous study, of infants at high risk for peanut allergy. In that study, children fed… read on >

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer vacation — a season of potato salad, ice cream and, if you’re not careful, unwanted weight gain. But it is possible to avoid packing on the pounds. Just hop on the scale every day, researchers suggest. The new study included 111 U.S. adults, who weighed themselves every day from mid-November 2017 to early January 2018 and received feedback on their weight changes. The participants either maintained or lost weight during that end-of-year holiday season. A “control group” of adults who did not do daily self-weighing gained weight, according to the study published in the June issue of the journal Obesity. Other than being told to try to maintain their weight, the self-weighers received no instructions on how to achieve that goal. That meant they had to decide for themselves how to manage their weight. “Maybe they exercise a little bit more the next day (after seeing a weight increase) or they watch what they are eating more carefully,” study author Jamie Cooper said in a journal news release. “The subjects self-select how they are going to modify their behavior, which can be effective because we know that interventions are not one-size-fits-all.” Cooper is an associate professor of foods and nutrition at the University of Georgia, in Athens. The study findings support something known as discrepancy theories of… read on >

Red or green, sweet or hot, peppers are a great source of vitamins A, C, E and many of the B vitamins, plus minerals like calcium, iron and potassium. These and other nutrients are jammed into a low-calorie “package” that’s perfect for stuffing with other healthful foods. Chili peppers, such as jalapenos and serranos, also add zesty spice to dishes. They get their heat from a special compound called capsaicin that may also have health properties, including pain relief. (All peppers except bell peppers contain some capsaicin.) When shopping for peppers, look for firm, unblemished skins with no soft spots. Store them in produce bags in the fridge for up to three days. One of the tastiest Mexican chili peppers is the poblano. It looks similar to a green bell pepper, but has a slightly darker skin, longer shape and spicier, deeper flavor. Like bell peppers, poblanos can be heartily stuffed to make a complete meal. Here’s a meatless recipe that delivers on flavor as well as satisfaction. Stuffed Poblanos 4 poblano chili peppers 4 cups baby spinach or 10-ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed 1/4 cup raisins, red or golden 2 tablespoons pine nuts or chopped walnuts 4 tablespoons mild or medium salsa 1 cup grated Colby or Jack cheese Roast poblanos under the broiler on an ungreased baking tray for three to four… read on >

If you love quick breads but crave a healthier treat, this lighter take on Grandma’s traditional recipe serves up a lemony lift. And because it calls for whole grains, dried fruit and nuts, it’s packed with goodness. Quick breads are great because they’re fast to put together, no kneading necessary. The lemon in this recipe not only flavors the bread, but also tenderizes the whole-grain flours. Using a mix of whole-grain flours — whole wheat and oat — gives a broader range of nutrients. Lemony Quick Bread Non-stick cooking spray 3/4 cup oat flour 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup coconut oil 1/2 cup honey 2 eggs 1 lemon, zested and juiced 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or pecans 1/2 cup raisins or dried cherries Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 1-pound loaf pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir the flours, baking soda and salt. In another large bowl, combine the oil and the honey, then stir in the egg, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla. Add in the flour mixture in two batches, mixing just until incorporated. Don’t overmix — there will be some dry spots. Add the nuts and dried fruit. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and transfer the batter to the loaf pan. Smooth the top… read on >

What and when you eat certain foods can boost how you feel at different times during the day. When it comes to meal planning, timing is everything. Important for anyone trying to lose weight, research shows that having a high-protein breakfast — that means 35 grams’ worth — can keep your appetite in check for the entire day. It may even help you avoid evening snacking. Options with that amount of protein include a very generous cup-and-a-half of Greek yogurt; an omelet prepared with one egg and three egg whites and filled with ricotta or cottage cheese; or a less conventional breakfast of four ounces of chicken breast or six ounces of canned salmon. A lot has been written about what to eat before and after workouts. Choosing the right foods at the appropriate times can boost your stamina and quicken recovery time. Current thinking is to have a small meal with carbs and protein one to three hours before you exercise, and then a snack 15 to 20 minutes afterward to replenish energy stores and help muscles grow. Pre-Exercise Fuel Choices Peanut butter and banana or PBJ sandwich Fruit slices with nut butter Greek yogurt or oatmeal and berries Handful of raisins and nuts Post-Exercise Fuel Choices Whole-grain wrap with turkey Low-fat chocolate milk Low-fat milk and fruit smoothie One study found that having… read on >

Your unhealthy eating habits could increase your risk of cancer as much as drinking alcohol can, new research reports. The Tufts University study found that poor diets cause about the same number of cancer cases as alcohol consumption does in the United States. The researchers said their modeling study estimated that dietary factors may have accounted for over 80,000 of the new invasive cancer cases reported in 2015, or about 5% of that year’s total among U.S. adults. Alcohol was associated with 4% to 6% of cases, overweight and obesity with 7% to 8% of cases, and physical inactivity with 2% to 3%, the study authors noted. The study also found that poor diet was linked with 38% of colorectal cancer cases, and with nearly 26% of mouth, pharynx and larynx cancers reported in 2015 in the United States. In actual numbers, in 2015, poor diet was associated with over 52,200 colorectal cancer cases; over 14,400 mouth, pharynx and larynx cancers; nearly 3,200 uterine cancers; just over 3,000 cases of breast cancer in postmenopausal women; 2,000 kidney cancers; nearly 1,600 stomach cancers; and 1,000 liver cancers. The investigators also looked at specific eating habits linked with cancer risk. Low intake of whole grains was associated with the largest number and proportion of diet-related cancer cases, followed by low levels of dairy products, eating lots of… read on >

Many people — including those who are overweight themselves — view people with obesity as less human or less evolved, new research reveals. In four online studies questioning more than 1,500 participants from the United States, the United Kingdom and India, researchers also found that dehumanization of those with obesity predicted support for policies that discriminate against this group. “We’ve obviously heard the way that people speak about people with obesity,” said study author Inge Kersbergen. She’s a research fellow at the University of Sheffield in England. “In that sense, we’d be surprised if we didn’t find anything,” Kersbergen said. “But I don’t think we were prepared for the magnitude of our findings.” In the first report believed to indicate that people with obesity are blatantly dehumanized, Kersbergen and her colleagues pooled data examining whether dehumanization depended on participants’ body weight and if those with obesity were dehumanized more than other social groups different from the norm. These other social groups included those based on appearance, such as underweight Americans, or illness, such as Americans with cancer. Different measures of attitudes toward people with obesity were used in the four separate studies. For example, participants indicated how evolved they considered various groups of people to be, including Americans, obese Americans, Americans addicted to heroin, Arabs, homeless Americans, and employed Americans. The research also included measures… read on >

The guidelines to eat more vegetables are clear, and eating a rainbow of colors gets you the widest variety of nutrients and phyto-nutrients, those hard-to-duplicate compounds that go beyond vitamins and minerals. But whether you’re at the farmers’ market or choosing a side dish at a restaurant, are some vegetables better than others? A research study set out to rank the best “powerhouse” vegetables (and fruits) — those most strongly associated with reducing the risk for chronic diseases. Forty-seven vegetables were ranked based on percentages of 17 known nutrients in a 100-calorie serving. Nutrients included vitamins A, C, D, E, K and many of the B vitamins, along with the minerals calcium, potassium, iron and zinc, plus fiber and even protein. The Top 5 Vegetables Watercress Chinese cabbage Chard Beet greens Spinach You might be surprised to read that watercress, often used as a mere garnish, ranked No. 1. Think of this pleasantly peppery green as the perfect base for your salads or a great “bed” on which to serve a protein, like a broiled chicken breast. The cruciferous veggie Chinese cabbage (you might know it as Napa cabbage) took the second spot. It makes a great coleslaw or health salad and can also be made into fermented, probiotic-rich kimchi. The leafy greens chard, beet greens and spinach round out the top five, but there’s… read on >