In The News, More Updates on Cranberries and Health, and Added Sugar Info

Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season!! Just wanted pass along some great updates on current issues and conversations impacting cranberries and health sent to me by the Cranberry Institute, enjoy! 

The Complexities of Added Sugar

As you know, beginning on July 26, 2018, the Nutrition Facts Panel will require a specific call out for "added sugars." With the announcement of the new label, experts encourage consumers to consider all of the information on a food label when making diet choices. In addition, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasize that nutrient dense foods that have added sugar to make them more palatable, such as cranberries, fit in a healthy diet. 

To better understand added sugars, the  Cranberry Institute is excited to share new resources for health experts and consumers.

·         How to Talk to Consumers About Added Sugars

The result of an expert dietetic panel hosted by Today's Dietitianand the Cranberry Institute, the "How to Talk to Consumers About Added Sugars" statement was developed by dietitians, for dietitians, offering guidance for RDs counseling and speaking to media about added sugar.

·         Added Sugars...with Added Benefits Handout

Help consumers understand the importance of looking at the complete nutritional value of a product by demonstrating that many foods with added sugars also offer important added benefits. 

·         The Added Sugars Fact Sheet

The International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation's new fact sheet, "Making Sense of Sugars; The Role of Sugars and Added Sugars in Food," sheds light on the limitations of focusing on "added sugar" and provides recommendations on choosing the right foods based on the new Nutrition Facts Panel.

Cranberries and UTIs

In addition, as you may have seen, the Journal of the American Medical Association recently published a study and editorial piece regarding the efficacy of cranberry products in urinary tract health. Despite the methodological limitations, the study and editorial received widespread national media coverage discounting decades of peer-reviewed, promising cranberry research.

·         The Cranberry Institute’s Response to JAMA Cranberry and UTI Research

The Cranberry Institute maintains its confidence in the decades of scientific studies from independent research demonstrating that regular consumption of cranberry products helps promote a healthy urinary tract; especially in individuals suffering from recurrent UTIs.
The investigation, "Effect of Cranberry Capsules on Bacteriuria Plus Pyuria Among Older Women in Nursing Homes," cannot make a conclusion about the efficacy of cranberries in the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) as they treated individuals that did NOT suffer from UTIs (only five of 185 participants had a history of UTIs). In addition, as an endpoint measure, asymptomatic bacteriuria and pyuria is unfortunately common in this population and treatment is not recommended by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.  The study was also confounded because uncontaminated, reliable urine samples in this population is a globally recognized challenge especially given that 78% of the subjects had dementia, 68% had urinary incontinence and 44% had bowel incontinence.
Identifying alternative remedies to help control worldwide antibiotic resistance from overuse remains a shared goal of the medical community, and the Cranberry Institute strongly supports staying the course. 
To read our full statement addressing this research, please clickhere.

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Recipe ReDux Post # 53 Cheerio Treats

The December Recipe ReDux challenge centers around bidding a fond farewell to 2016.  We were encouraged to pick a page in a cookbook that was any combo of the digits 2016 and put our own healthy spin on it. I grabbed a gluten-free cookbook I was recently given titled “Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking” by Kelly Bronski and Peter Bronski and flipped to page 216, which had a recipe for rice cereal treats. It seemed lie a perfect recipe for this time of year, when treats and desserts are high in demand.  The recipe was a pretty classic combo of rice cereal, marshmallows and butter.  I happened to have a box of Cheerios in my pantry so I decided to use those in place of the rice cereal, and try a combo of peanut butter and honey for the base instead of marshmallows. They were so delicious and had a great texture. Substituting PB for marshmallows creates a surprisingly tasty treat and makes them all natural with less sugar and a bit more protein too! Plus they are SUPER easy to make which is a big plus during this busy holiday season.  I hope you will give them a try and check out all the other awesome recipes from the amazing Recipe ReDux group!! Click HERE to check out the recipes from the group.

Ingredients:

1 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter (or any other nut butter)

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2.5 cups cheerios

pinch of salt (optional)

Directions:

In a medium bowl combine the peanut butter, honey and vanilla extract and mix well.  Stir in the cheerios and continue to mix until well incorporated. . Press mixture into an 8 by 8 inch pan. (Lining the pan with a large rectangular piece of parchment paper, placing the mixture on one side and then folding the paper over to press down works nicely since the dough is so sticky.)   Refrigerate for at least one hour until very firm and then cut into 16 squares.   Store in the fridge in an airtight container

Makes 16 squares, 16 servings

Serving size: 1 square Calories 140 Protein 4 g Carb 16 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 10 g Fat 7 g Saturated fat 1.5 g Sodium  88 mg

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Favorite Holiday Treats From 2016

Wow, it's been almost a month since my last post- the holidays are in full swing and things have been SO busy!  I promise there will be lots of fun (and yummy) things to come in the New Year...but for now, here are a few of my favorite holiday friendly recipes from 2016.....

Sweet  Treats:

Date Cream Cheese Walnut Bites

Double Chocolate Macaroons

Autumn Harvest Popcorn Bars

Apple Pie Parfaits

Savory Bites:

Chili Lime Shrimp

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

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In The News: Upcoming Presentation on Healthy Holiday Eating!

Now that the holidays are in full swing, I thought I'd mention to all my followers in Los Angeles that I will be doing a presentation this Saturday about healthy holiday eating! Check out the details below:

"Unstuffed- How to Eat Healthy During the Holidays" presented by Marie Feldman RD CDE CHC

This 1 hour discussion with a registered dietitian/certified diabetes educator will include tips on how to eat healthy during but also enjoy the holidays.  Come learn some great strategies to create a sensible holiday eating plan, survive parties and other gatherings with ease, get helpful cooking tips and recipe modifications for holiday favorites and even take home ideas for delicious and festive recipes!

Saturday December 3rd 10-11 am at Elements Pharmacy

12602 Ventura Blvd. Studio City, CA 91604

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Recipe ReDux Post # 52 Double Chocolate Macaroons

November's Recipe ReDux is "Trimming the Table" and the challenge was to create a healthy dessert that we would be sharing with family and friends this season.  I happened to have family visiting this weekend and A LOT of shredded coconut in my cupboard so that combo led to the development of this delicious macaroni recipe for everyone to enjoy.  I "doubled" the chocolate factor by adding cocoa powder AND mini chocolate chips to give them a nice chocolatey kick.  These macaroons are gluten free, dairy free and nut free, so they are a great dessert for people with allergies. They are also reasonably low in sugar, carbs and calories so you you can keep the holiday eating guilt factor on low.  I hope you will give them a try and trim your table with some of these other yummy recipes from the awesome Recipe ReDux crew.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour (or oat flour if you are on a gluten free diet)
1-2 teaspoons cocoa powder 
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup liquid egg whites 
 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips ( I used Enjoy Life, which are soy and dairy free)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, coconut and cocoa powder in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, beat together the honey and egg whites   Slowly add the flour/coconut/cocoa mixture to the larger bowl with the egg whites and honey until thoroughly mixed. Fold in the chocolate chips. Drop in small spoonfuls (using a scooper is helpful) onto greased cookie sheets and bake 15-17 minutes, until tops are firm and they are very lightly browned.

Makes about 15-16 cookies

Serving size: 1 cookie Calories 80 Protein 1 g Carb 8 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 6 g Fat 5 g Saturated fat 4.5 g Sodium 10 mg 

An InLinkz Link-up

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In The News: Magazine and Cookbook Appearances!

It's been an exciting November so far.  Gabby and I appeared in our local magazine to showcase some holiday recipes  AND  a terrific cookbook from a fellow nutrition colleague just came out and it features a few of my recipes as well!  Click HERE to check out the magazine and HERE to preview the cookbook!

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In The News: More Interesting Info From The Cranberry Institute and Great Holiday Tips!

Check out this awesome info just sent to me from the Cranberry Institute, including some exciting research and delicious holiday recipes!

The Latest in Cranberries and Health

New Research Demonstrates Cranberries’ Antimicrobial Properties, Assisting in Global Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance

From a public health standpoint, it is of the utmost importance to continue to expand strategies for combating pathogen resistance. It appears that cranberries hold promise in this effort. For centuries, cranberries have been reported as a remedy for urinary tract infections. Yet, while individuals praised the fruit for its natural cure, science did not fully understand the mechanics of the process. In recent years, scholarship confirmed their anti-microbial properties, demonstrating that a specific type of cranberry phytochemicals known as proanthocyanidins (cPACs) hinder bacterial activity by preventing their adhesion and motility. Now, in a new study published in Scientific Reports, researchers show that cPACs also abolish the production of virulence factors, or the molecules that create disease. The study reports that cPACs inhibit the bacteria’s ability to communicate with one another, and therefore prevent them from causing infection. This research has significant implications, since understanding the multimodal effects of cranberries is extremely useful in combating bacterial infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Inhibiting bacterial communication is a promising strategy to combat infections that antibiotics cannot cure. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that the bacteria did not develop resistance to the cPACs, as it might with antibiotics. As antibiotic resistance remains a global health concern, the potential of cranberries continues to encourage researchers. 

• Cranberry-derived proanthocyanidins impair virulence and inhibit quorum sensing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • Vimal B. Maisuria, Yossef Lopez-de Los Santos, Nathalie Tufenkji, Eric Déziel – Scientific Reports

RESOURCE REMINDER! 

Cranberry Health Research Library 

Browse the selections by year to find the most recent publications: http://cranberryinstitute.org/doclib/doclib_search.cgi

USDA-Reviewed Cranberry Health Research Review 

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the USDA-reviewed cranberry nutrition and health review published in the Cranberry Health Research Library on CranberryInstitute.org.  

Have a Fresh Cranberry Friendsgiving!

It’s that time of year again, when the trendiest fall holiday is kicking off and cranberry-filled celebrations are full swing – Friendsgiving 2016 is here! As you may remember from last year, Friendsgiving is the new holiday trend all about celebrating and giving thanks with your closest friends, either on Thanksgiving, or during the weeks before or after. And this year, the Cranberry Friendsgiving Photo Contest has returned as well, with even more categories and prizes!

This is your opportunity to show off your cranberry creativity – remember to post your party photos featuring your unique cranberry dishes or décor (yes, you heard us, cranberry décor!) on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or Twitter with #FriendsgivingCranberryContest and submit them at CranberryFriendsgiving.com. Please visit the contest website CranberryFriendsgiving.com and enter your own cranberry dish by December 19 for a chance to win!

• Last year, a few you inspired us with a few of your own unique Friendsgiving recipes perfect for impressing friends – check out some of the most creative recipes from Friendsgiving 2015 below. We are excited to see what you come up with this year! 
  • Sweet and Savory Alternative to Stuffing by Diane Boyd of Cape Fear Nutrition
  • Oat Cranberry Pilaf with Pistachios by Sharon Palmer, The Plant-Based Dietitian
  • Brown Rice with Cranberry Ginger Sauce by Tawnie Kroll of Kroll’s Korner
  • Mini Turkey Meatballs with Curried Cranberry Sauce by Anne Danahy of Craving Something Healthy

Fresh Cranberries Take Center Stage this Holiday Season

Don’t often cook with fresh cranberries? What exactly is cranberry décor? Have no fear – the all new Guide to Entertaining with Fresh Cranberriesis here to help! Check out this guide for awesome seasonal recipes using fresh cranberries and some fun ways to make cranberries a part of your tablescape and holiday décor this year. Take a sneak peek at one of our crowd-pleasing favorites below:

Cranberry Cilantro Salsa

With These Tips, You’ll Never Have Leftover Cranberries Again!

·         Most fresh cranberry recipes work just as well with frozen cranberries! Fresh cranberry season is almost over, so head to your local market to buy a few bags for now – and few for the freezer! 

·         Cranberry ice cubes make functional décor! Place 1-2 cranberries into each ice cube mold space on an ice cube tray, fill with water and freeze until solid. The berry-filled ice cubes make for visually-stunning drinks.

·         Get saucy! Fresh cranberries can be made into jam or sauce – then refrigerated or frozen so you’ll always have a quick cranberry spread on hand.

#LoveCranberries Every Day

As a dietitian, you know there are so many reasons to love cranberries. This harvest season, we encourage you to share your love of cranberries on your favorite social channels with our latest infographic – A Daily Reason to Love Cranberries!

We challenge you to share a cranberry a day this fall. Check out the full infographic, and share a post for each day of the week – which you can find here: Daily Reasons to #LoveCranberries. 

Cranberry Institute
P.O. Box 497
Carver, MA 02330

www.cranberryinstitute.org

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Recipe ReDux Post # 51 and Gabby's Eats: Fabulous Fall Veggie Bowl

“Plant Power Protein Bowls” is the October theme for the Recipe ReDux Challenge and us bloggers were encouraged to put together our own nutritious and delicious plant based, protein packed bowl.  I am fortunate to have a kid that loves veggies so I thought I’d bring Gabby in on this one to help me out. I was very intrigued to find out what kinds of ingredients that she would put in her ideal veggie and protein bowl. Her first step in the planning was to ask me what veggies and fruits were in season.  We took to the internet to research Fall produce and she decided she wanted to do a Fall themed bowl featuring some of the best produce of the season.  

She then literally “mapped” out her bowl recipe on a paper- including kale, sweet potatoes, turnips, Brussels sprouts, as the veggies.   

We thought it would be a fun idea to take a variety of our favorite recipes I have previously created using these veggies in the past, to fill the bowl with all kinds of flavor.  Once our ingredient shopping was done,  we had a busy afternoon of cooking the veggie recipes to put in her bowl. To make it complete, she chose steamed edamame as her plant protein source and then topped her bowl off with a sprinkle of dried cranberries for the finishing touch.  The result was rainbow of color, taste and nutrition and I was very proud of her creation.  We hope you will give it a try and also check out some of the other powerful plant based bowls developed by the awesome group of Recipe ReDux bloggers.

Ingredients:

½ cup Super Smoky Sweet Potato Chips:  Recipe HERE

½ cup Simply Sauteed Kale:  Recipe HERE

½ cup Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts:  Recipe HERE

½ cup Sea Salt Roasted Turnips:  Recipe HERE

¼ cup cooked edamame

1 tablespoon dried cranberries

Directions:

Prepare all the veggie recipes as listed per links above and arrange a ½ cup of each into a medium sized bowl.  Add the edamame and cranberries and serve!

Serving size: 1 bowl Calories 415  Protein 14 g Carb 54 g  Fiber 13 g Sugars 18 g Fat 15 g Saturated fat 1 g Sodium  600 mg

An InLinkz Link-up

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Gabby's Eats: Autumn Harvest Popcorn Bars

Being that October is National Popcorn Popping Month and Halloween is also right around the corner, I decided I had to celebrate both these occasions.  When I saw that SkinnyPop was gluten-free and kid friendly,  I was inspired to develop a recipe that puts a fun “Halloween spin” on popcorn. 

My daughter Gabby LOVES popcorn and I do too, so we were both very excited to work together to create a recipe for the challenge! We have done snack mixes using popcorn in the past, which were super yummy but this time around we wanted to do something different… Gabby and I decided to try our luck with using popcorn in a bar recipe with some Autumn inspired ingredients as "mix-ins" like apples and cranberries.  We used almond butter and a touch of honey as the base, added some sea salt and vanilla to go along with the popcorn, and the combo worked perfectly!  These bars are easy to make, have just the right amount of sweetness and a nice texture.   They are great for a snack, dessert or as a fun treat to bring to a party/gathering.  We hope you will give them a try!

Ingredients:

½ cup creamy or crunchy unsalted natural almond butter  (or sunflower butter for those with nut allergies)

3 tablespoons honey

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla 

¾ cup chopped dried apple rings

¼ cup dried cranberries
2 cups air popped or store bought light popcorn (plain or lightly salted)

Wax or parchment paper

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl, combine the almond butter, honey, sea salt and vanilla together  and mix well.  Stir in the chopped apple, cranberries and popcorn. Press mixture into an 8 by 8 inch pan. (Lining the pan with a large rectangular piece of parchment paper, placing the mixture on one side and then folding the paper over to press down works nicely since the dough is so sticky.) Chill in the freezer for one hour or the fridge for several hours until firm. Cut into 8 squares and serve. Store in the fridge.

Makes 8 bars

Serving size: 1/8th of recipe  Calories 170 Protein 4 g Carb 22 g Fiber 4 g Sugars 16 g Fat 9 g Saturated fat 1 g Sodium 40 mg

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Gabby's Eats: Sea Salt Roasted Turnips

Gabby and I were overdue for time in the kitchen together so this past weekend we got cooking!  She wanted to make something seasonal and after doing a little research online about Fall fruits and vegetables, she chose turnips. Gabby was intrigued because they are one of the only vegetables she has not tried and I was all about her choice since I have never cooked turnips at home and have only enjoyed them at restaurants. I asked her how she wanted to prepare them and she came up with something simple- olive oil and sea salt. I suggested the best way to cook them was to roast them with her two chosen ingredients.

I peeled and chopped up the turnips (since this was a bit of a challenging task requiring a sharp knife) and then Gabby added the olive oil and the salt and mixed them up. We spread cubed turnips on a greased pan and in just 15 minutes we had crispy delicious turnips fresh out of the oven. They were so delicious and the olive oil and salt were just the perfect way to season them.  Gabby ate them all up and was happy to have a new veggie choice in the rotation.  We hope you will give them a try too!

Ingredients:

2 average sized turnips, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes (about 4 cups raw cubes)

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼- ½ teaspoon sea salt

cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add the cubed turnips into a medium bowl, put in the olive oil and salt and toss to coat.  Spread the turnips out on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and roast for 10 minutes. Flip them over and cook another 5-10 minutes until tender with a fork and browned.

Makes 2 Cups, 4 servings

Serving Size: ½ cup Calories 95 Protein 1 g Carb 8 g Fiber 2.5 g Sugars 5 g Fat 7 g Saturated fat 1 g Sodium 400 mg

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Recipe ReDux Post # 50 Banana Walnut Protein Muffin

September's Recipe ReDux challenge is "First Cooking Recollections."   We were encouraged to share a healthy recipe that corresponds to early cooking memories.  My late grandmother was an awesome baker which she passed down to my mom and I am hoping I have received some of their good baking genes!  (I am practicing regularly, that's for sure!) Ever since I can remember I was often in the kitchen helping my grandmother and mother bake everything from cookies, to cakes, quick breads and muffins. It started out with me just helping mix (and taste!!) and then I slowly learned how to measure, crack eggs, follow recipes etc.  The smell of fresh baked goods is still one of my favorites and muffins are my all time # 1 most loved baked good.  So I though I would post a new muffin recipe that I just created.  Hope you enjoy and that you will check out all the other "memorable" culinary creations developed by the awesome Recipe ReDux team.

Ingredients:

2 cup rolled oats (old fashioned, not quick, use a gluten-free oats such as Bob's Red Mill if you are on a gluten-free diet)

3/4 cup oat flour (use a gluten free brand such as Bob's Red Mill if you are on a gluten-free diet)

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

6 Tablespoons protein powder *(preferably natural

unflavored, see notes on the one I use below)

3 large sized over ripe bananas, mashed

6 Tablespoons liquid egg white

¼ cup (packed) brown sugar

1/4 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup finely copped walnuts

cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the oats, oat flour, baking soda, baking powder and protein powder in a small bowl.  In a large bowl, mix together the mashed banana, brown sugar, egg whites, milk and vanilla. Add the oats/flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in the nuts. Spoon into 6 jumbo size muffin pan cups (or 6 small ramiken/small oven safe baking dishes) coated with cooking spray and bake on the bottom rack of the oven for about 30 minutes, until top is firm, lightly browned and a toothpick comes out mostly clean when inserted into the center.

* I have had great success with using Nature’s Best

Isopure Perfect Natural Protein Powder, unflavored- it is gluten-free, lactose free

Makes six servings

Serving size 1 very large muffin Calories 310 Protein 13 g Carb 48 g Fiber 6 g Sugars 17 g Fat 7 g Saturated fat 1 g Sodium 200 mg

IMPORTANT NOTE: these muffins are very moist so the ones you do not eat on the day you bake them must be stored in the fridge.  I just leave one out for an hour or two to get to room temp or pop one in the microwave for 40 seconds right out of the fridge.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Saying Goodbye to Summer Recipe Round Up

Being that Labor Day is the unofficial end of Summer and I thought I'd commemorate the occasion by posting a few of my recent favorite Summer recipes that I have created (some with the help of my daughter Gabby!).  Enjoy and have a wonderful holiday!!

Simple Summer Salad

Fruit Salad With Strawberry Yogurt Dressing

Chili Lime Shrimp

Double Banana Yogurt Pops

PB Cookie Dough Smoothie In A Bowl

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In The News: Eating Berries May Lower The Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes

New research has been released about the potential for berries and the anthocyanins they contain to actually help reduce the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes (DM) by 18 %. A new meta analysis conducted by researchers in China looked at 8 cohort studies, providing a total of almost 400,000 people combined. After analysis of data from these studies the authors concluded that consuming dietary anthocyanins was associated with a 15% decrease in risk of developing Type 2 DM and eating berries was associated with an 18% decrease in risk. This is a novel study in that it is supposedly one of the first to look into the impact of berry consumption and anthocyanin intake to reduce diabetes risk. The researchers speculate that risk reduction could be due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of anthyocyanins contained in the berries. Check out the research HERE.

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