Lean Plate Club: Habit-Forming Healthy Foods

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Lean Plate Club

Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2005

Habit-Forming Healthy Foods

A red pepper, pumpkin seeds and a sweet potato.No, that's not a recipe for an exotic new fall dish; those are just a few of the healthy foods that will help you meet your daily essential nutrients. In today's Lean Plate Club, discover what the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture national food survey says about our eating habits and check out how yours stack up. So how are you doing with your eating habits? Are you on track? Slipping a little, or have you completely taken a slide? Tell us about your experiences in today's Lean Plate Club Web chat from 1 to 2 p.m. EDT. We'd love to hear how you stay the course or how you plan to get back on track if you have, well, you know, slipped a bit. Can't join the Web chat live? No problem. Simply leave your comments, tips or questions ahead of time. Or e-mail me anytime at leanplateclub@.... The First Pyramid The Department of Agriculture gave us a new pyramid in April. Last week, they unveiled a new pyramid for kids that includes an interactive game to help teach children 6 to 11 years old what they ought to be eating. What do you think about this new pyramid? Will it help you guide your children to healthier choices? Tell us your thoughts in today's Web chat from 1 to 2 p.m. EDT--if you can't join live, you can leave your comments ahead of time. What's for Dinner Tonight? Kung Pao Tofu With Broccoli and Peanuts from our Food Section is one option. The peanuts and the tofu are both sources of healthy fat and protein. Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, like cabbage and Brussels sprouts, which may offer some protection against cancer. Add some brown or white rice for a complete meal. The main tofu part of this meal clocks in at less than 400 calories per serving, and rice will add about another 100 calories, depending on portion size. And it's ready in about 45 minutes. Veggie Cassoulet is another option. This recipe is from Prevention magazine. The meal is not only packed with protein but also provides a lot of vegetables and is high in fiber. Plus it has just 270 calories per serving. For meat lovers, you could toss in some cooked sausage, skinless chicken or lean beef. Natural Health magazine offers Stir-Fried Collards With Buckwheat Noodles, Sesame Shiitake and Nori. The noodles are buckwheat, a flavorful whole grain that is often overlooked by most of us. This meal is also quick to make because it's stir-fried and is filled with essential vitamins, healthy fat and whole grains. Plus, it has less than 260 calories per serving.Beef Taco Wraps are another option for those who prefer their meals a little meatier. This dish is filled with iron and protein and has about 500 calories per serving. It's a bit higher in fat than the others, though much of it is healthy fat. You can curtail that by cutting back a little on the beef, adding some beans and making the cream cheese low-fat or nonfat. Or there's Spaghetti Alla Carbonara from Eating Well magazine, which also offers Spicy Beef With Shrimp and Bok Choy. Both are ready in about 30 minutes, and each clocks in at under 300 calories. What's on your dinner table tonight? Tell us in today's Web chat live from 1 to 2 p.m. EDT, or send in your suggestions ahead of time. You can also e-mail me anytime at mailto:leanplateclub@... as did the LPCer whose message is included below. With a Little Help From Your FriendsWashington, DC: Please help! I am in desperate need of a breakfast cereal that fits all of my criteria. I'm looking for something that is made with whole grains or oats, has decent amounts of fiber and protein, and is low in sugar. Seems like everything I try is either high in fiber and protein but has too much sugar and carbs, or low on sugar but with virtually no fiber or protein. I don't like to eat too many carbs in the morning (just makes me hungry again in 2 hours) and if I do eat carbs I want it to be in the form of whole fruit, not sugary cereal. Plus, I really don't like the taste of cereal that is too sweet. Please don't make me eat another bowl of Cheerios--I'm sick of it! Is there anything out there? Why I can't I find it? Sally Squires: Have you tried shredded wheat? Get the plain kind--it has no added sugar and plenty of fiber. In fact, you can find some shredded wheat with extra fiber. Top with chopped fruit, slivered nuts and skim milk. It's great. (Yes, I know that's a slogan for another breakfast cereal, but it fits for this one too.) And now that fall is getting into full swing, you might also try oatmeal. Other non-cereal options include whole grain English muffins and Moral Fiber muffins, which are not very sweet, have lots of fiber and are quite filling. You can find them at Trader Joe's. Or you might try the baked oatmeal recipe that an LCPer provided in last week's chat. And King Arthur Flour now offers a Praline Pumpkin-Seed Scone Mix, which admittedly may have more sugar than you want, but it's a whole grain made with whole wheat white flour. Other suggestions out there? Tell us in today's Web chat from 1 to 2 p.m. EDT. Or leave your comments ahead of time.

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Air Cleaner Dust-up: Upgraded Ionic Breeze Unit Still Fails Sniff Test at Consumer Reports (By January W. Payne) A Young Shingle Gal   : What Was a 35-Year-Old Doing With an Old Person's Disease? Itching and Burning and Feeling Lucky It Wasn't Worse (By Terri Sapienza) Falling Short on Nutrients (By Sally Squires) Turn On, Tune Out, Get Well?: Researchers Test Video Games' Potential to Speed Kids' Healing (By Ault) USDA Joins Fight Against Fat With Food Pyramid Just for Kids (By Sally Squires)

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