Cold Pressed Juice

What it is:
Cold Pressing: Also called (HPP) High Pressure Processing, or Pascalization. Mechanical (hydraulic) pressing of seeds, nuts, plant tissue or animal tissue to express oil without heat, resulting in a pure, highly nutritious juice. This process eliminates any potentially harmful bacteria and maintains the integrity of essential vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. Using this method of High Pressure Processing as opposed to heat, preserves the fresh juice extending its shelf life so it dosent require preservatives.

For more information on the process, check out the video at Cold Pressured.org

Why it costs so much:
Cold pressed juices can cost anywhere from 4-10$ for 12oz. The process of cold pressing requires new technology that can be more expensive than traditional methods. As more products are made by these methods, consumer costs will continue to decrease. Another reason it costs so much, it takes many more fruits or seeds or vegetables to make a cold pressed juice than it does to make other types of juice. For example, 2 beets and 5 carrots are in each 12 oz beet apple carrot juice from blueprint.

Starbucks has their own line of cold pressed juices; Blueprint.

The Benefits:
Cold pressed juices can be a good way for people who don't like vegetables to still get the nutritional benefits they provide. They can be helpful in treating a variety of minor issues like a hangover or the start of a cold by providing a boost of certain nutrients. Cold pressing preserves the flavors and aromas of fresh squeezed juice. Many people use them for juice cleanses.

The Downside:
While cold pressed juices are high in many vitamins and minerals we need, they are low in fiber and can be really high in sugar if fruit based. Consuming whole fruits and vegetables is definitely healthier because you need the fiber to feel full. While heated pressing may damage or destroy some essential vitamins, minerals and enzymes, it's a more thorough method, extracting a higher portion of the oil than cold pressing.

I have found Suja cold pressed juice at target for $3 

Homemade Sushi

I am by no means an expert at making sushi. My first experience was in Experimental Food Science at Queens College. It turned out great in class so I decided to try it at home.

Ingredients: (make 4 rolls)

- 2 cups raw Short Grain White Rice*

- 4 sheets Roasted Nori (Seaweed)

-1/4 Avocado 

-1/2 Cucumber 

-1/2 Large Carrot 

-Roasted Sesame Seeds

*When making sushi, short grain rice is necessary because the short grains have a higher concentration of the starch amylopectin which allows for a sticky consistency. Long grain rices have higher concentration of the starch amylose which allows the grain to separate for a fluffier, drier consistency.

Tools:

-Sushi rolling mat

-Plastic wrap

-Wooden spoon (rice paddle)

Directions:

1. Cut your vegetables (carrots, avocado and cucumber) into long slices.

2. Lay out the mat and cover it with a piece of plastic wrap to keep rice out of the mat.

3. Lay a sheet of nori, shiny side down, on top of the plastic wrap

4. Spread a thin layer of rice over the sheet of nori. Use water to keep the rice from sticking to your fingers. 

5. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the rice and cover with another layer of plastic wrap.

6. Flip the sushi over, rice side down and remove the layer of plastic wrap on the nori.

7. Add 4-6 slices of the avocado, cucumber, and carrots.

 8. Carefully roll the sushi, pulling back on the plastic wrap to remove it. Press firmly to shape the roll.

To serve just slice the roll. Soy sauce or wasabi go well on the side.

Nutrient Facts: 

Sushi The portion size in this chart represents one roll (cuts up to 8-10 pieces)
Limits	Amount Per Portion
Total Calories	406 Calories
Nutrients	Amount Per Portion
Protein	10 g
Carbohydrate	81 g
Dietary Fiber	3 g
Total Sugars	1 g
Total Fat	4 g
Saturated Fat	1 g
Monounsaturated Fat	2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	1 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Minerals	Amount Per Portion
Calcium	54 mg
Potassium	259 mg
Sodium	32 mg
Copper	417 µg
Iron	5 mg
Magnesium	73 mg
Phosphorus	167 mg
Selenium	22 µg
Zinc	2 mg
Vitamins	Amount Per Portion
Vitamin A	66 µg RAE
Vitamin C	2 mg
Vitamin K	6 µg
Folate	289 µg DFE
www.SuperTracker.usda.gov

Peanut Butter Banana Bread: Making Healthier Recipes

This weekend I took a recipe I knew I liked and tweaked it to make it healthier.

My Great Grandmothers Banana Bread Recipe:

Ingredients:
3/4 cups Butter
3 cups Flour
1 1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2  teaspoon Baking Soda
1 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 cup Sugar
4 Eggs
4 over-ripe Bananas
3/4 cup Walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Mix butter, eggs and sugar
Mash bananas and add salt, baking soda and vanilla
Mix everything together
Bake for 1 hour
Makes 2 loaves

Nutrient Facts:

Grandma Helen's Banana Bread Portions: 20 (2 loaves)
Limits	Amount Per Portion
Total Calories	232 Calories
Empty Calories*	99 Calories
Added Sugars	57 Calories
*Calories from food components such as added sugars and solid fats that provide little nutritional value.
Empty Calories are part of Total Calories.
Nutrients	Amount Per Portion
Protein	4 g
Carbohydrate	35 g
Dietary Fiber	1 g
Total Sugars	18 g
Added Sugars	14 g
Total Fat	9 g
Saturated Fat	3 g
Monounsaturated Fat	2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	3 g
Cholesterol	55 mg
Minerals	Amount Per Portion
Calcium	15 mg
Potassium	140 mg
Sodium	288 mg
Copper	129 µg
Phosphorus	61 mg
Vitamins	Amount Per Portion
Vitamin A	53 µg RAE
Vitamin C	2 mg
Vitamin K	1 µg
Folate	67 µg DFE
Choline	27 mg

My Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Bread:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Unflavored Almond Milk
3 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
2  teaspoon Baking Soda
2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1  cup Brown Sugar (1/4 cup to sprinkle for crust)
6 Brown, over-ripe Bananas
1 cup Peanut Butter

Directions:
Mix everything together

Bake for 1 hour at 350
Makes 2 loaves

Nutrient Facts:

Vegan PB Banana Bread Portions: 20 (2 Loaves)
Limits	Amount Per Portion
Total Calories	213 Calories
Empty Calories*	39 Calories
Added Sugars	36 Calories
*Calories from food components such as added sugars and solid fats that provide little nutritional value.
Empty Calories are part of Total Calories.
Nutrients	Amount Per Portion
Protein	6 g
Carbohydrate	34 g
Dietary Fiber	2 g
Total Sugars	15 g
Added Sugars	9 g
Total Fat	7 g
Saturated Fat	1 g
Monounsaturated Fat	3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	2 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Minerals	Amount Per Portion
Calcium	28 mg
Potassium	260 mg
Sodium	296 mg
Copper	290 µg
Iron	3 mg
Magnesium	63 mg
Phosphorus	71 mg
Vitamins	Amount Per Portion
Vitamin A	156 µg RAE
Vitamin C	3 mg
Vitamin E	6 mg AT
Vitamin K	0 µg
Folate	122 µg DFE
Niacin	3 mg
Choline	14 mg
www.SuperTracker.usda.gov

Analysis: By switching the butter and eggs in the original recipe for almond milk and extra bananas, my vegan version is much healthier. With fewer calories, less saturated fat and no cholesterol, my version also contains more protein, calcium and vitamin A than my great grandmothers recipe.

Simple Guacamole Recipe

Avocados are a great ingredient to incorporate into your diet. They contain antioxidants, potassium, vitamin C, protein, dietary fiber and monounsaturated (healthy) fats. So many nutrients with no cholesterol or sodium make avocados a good replacement for fat in some recipes. (They actually make delicious brownies.) This simple guacamole recipe is an easy and delicious way to start adding avocado to any diet.

For more information specifically on Avocados, check out the California Avocado Commission's Website

Recipe for Simple Guacamole:

Ingredients:
2 Ripe Avocados
1 Tomato chopped
2 Tbs Chopped Onion
2 Tbs Fresh Green Chilies (or 4 Tbs canned)
1 Clove of Garlic minced
1 Tbs Fresh Lime or Lemon Juice
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Fresh Cilantro to taste

Directions:
1. Remove Avocodo peels and pits.
2. Mash Avocado pulp until smooth
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

A blender can be used to create a smoother texture if desired.

Nutrient Facts:

Guacamole Portions: 6
Nutrients	Amount Per Portion
Total Calories	80 Calories
Protein	1 g
Carbohydrate	6 g
Dietary Fiber	3 g
Total Sugars	1 g
Added Sugars	0 g
Total Fat	7 g
Saturated Fat	1 g
Monounsaturated Fat	4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	1 g
Minerals	Amount Per Portion
Calcium	13 mg
Potassium	281 mg
Sodium	240 mg
Copper	114 µg
Magnesium	16 mg
Phosphorus	31 mg
Vitamins	Amount Per Portion
Vitamin A	12 µg RAE
Vitamin B6	0.2 mg
Vitamin C	11 mg
Vitamin K	14 µg
Folate	46 µg DFE
Niacin	1 mg
Choline	9 mg
www.SuperTracker.usda.gov

Understanding Food Labels: The Five Components Required by the FDA

The FDA requires that all food labels include the following information:

1. Statement of Identity
The common name of a food product so consumers know what they're getting

2. Net Contents
The quantity of food in the entire package. Can be given as weight, volume, or numerical count.

3. Ingredient List
Common names of all ingredients listed in descending order by weight.

4. Identification of Food Manufacturer, Packer or Distributor
The name and address must be provided. Consumers can use this to find out more information on where their food comes from. Useful in case something is wrong with the product or it is suspected of causing illness.

5. Nutrition Information
The Nutrition Facts Panel includes five pieces:
     -Serving size and servings per container
     -Total Calories and Calories from Fat per serving
     -List of Nutrients (Fat, Cholesterol, Sodium, Carbohydrates, Sugars, Protein, Vitamins, etc)
     -Percent Daily Values for each Nutrient based on a 2,000 calorie diet
     -Footnote section explaining daily values to help consumers

For more information on nutrition facts panels and understanding food labels, check out the FDA's website.

Understanding Food Labels: Terms Defined by the FDA

Food packaging has become quite complicated in recent decades. Many terms used on food labels today can confuse and even mislead consumers. Understanding what words are regulated and what they mean facilitates informed decision making and healthier food choices.

The FDA regulates the use of the following words and phrases on food packaging:

Light or Lite 1/3 fewer calories or 1/2 the fat of original product
Reduced Fat At least 25% less total fat than the original product
Low-Fat (Less Fat) 3 grams or less of total fat per serving size
Fat Free (Zero Fat, No Fat, Without Fat) Less than 0.5 grams of total fat per serving size
% Fat-Free Products that are labeled as __% fat free must contain 3 grams or less of total fat per serving size.
       100% Fat-Free may be used only on foods that meet the criteria for “fat free” and also contain less than 0.5 grams of fat per 100 grams and contain no added fat.

       Reduced Saturated Fat At least 25% less saturated fat than the original  
       Low-Saturated Fat (Less Saturated Fat) 1 gram or less of saturated fat per serving size and not        more than 15% of calories from saturated fat
       Saturated Fat-Free (Zero or No Saturated Fat) less than 0.5 grams saturated fat per serving           size and no more than 0.5 grams of trans fats

Reduced Cholesterol At least 25% less cholesterol than original product
Low-Cholesterol (Less Cholesterol) 20 milligrams or less cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving size
Cholesterol-Free (Zero or No Cholesterol) Less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving size

Light or Lite 3 grams of fat or less and 40 calories or less per serving size
Reduced Calorie 25% less calories than original product
Low-Calorie 40 calories or less per serving size
Calorie-Free (Zero or No Calories) less than 5 calories per serving

       Lightly Salted 50% less sodium added during the processing than normally added to original                  product. These products may or may not be low sodium.
       No Salt, Unsalted No additional salt was added during processing, may or may not be sodium free.
       Very Low Sodium 35mg of sodium or less per serving
       Light or Lite in Sodium At least 50% less sodium than the original
       Reduced Sodium, Less Sodium At least 25% less sodium than the original
       Low in Sodium 140mg or less per serving size
       Sodium Free (Salt Free, Zero or No Sodium, Without Sodium) Less than 5mg per serving

       Sugar Free (Zero or No Sugar) Less than 0.5 g sugar per serving size

       Reduced Sugar (Less or Lower Sugar) At least 25% less sugar than original   

       No Sugar Added, Without Sugar No sugar or ingredients containing sugar were added during                    processing. These products must indicate that they are NOT low or reduced calorie.

           High in... products labeled high in a certain nutrients like vitamin c must contain 20% or more of Daily Value (based on a 2000 calorie diet)
           High Fiber products must contain 5g or more of fiber per serving

If products are high in a certain item that could have a negative health impact, packaging must include a label that says “See Nutrition Facts for (nutrient in high amounts) Content”....

        “See Nutrition Facts for Fat Content”

       High Fat products contain more than 13g of fat per serving

       “See Nutrition Facts for Saturated Fat Content”

       High Saturated Fat products contain more than 4g of saturated fat per serving

       “See Nutrition Facts for Cholesterol Content”

       High Cholesterol products contain more than 60mg of cholesterol per serving

       “See Nutrition Facts for Sodium Content”

       High Sodium products contain more than 480mg of sodium per serving

The FDA also regulates Health Claims, for example Cherrios claim they are "clinically proven to help reduce cholesterol". They are allowed to use this label as long as they include somewhere on the box that "Studies show that three grams of soluble fiber daily from whole grain oat foods, like Cheerios cereal, in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. Cherrios cereal provides 1 gram per serving." (in picture below: this quote printed under the heart shaped bowl, next to net wt)

For more information, visit the FDA's Food Labeling Guide

If you really want to be an informed consumer, you should always check the nutrition facts and read through the ingredients list. Remember to pay attention to serving sizes.