Tap into the power of CRANBERRIES!

Who needs expensive, over-hyped, goji and acai berries when you can get serious healing power from the season’s best kept superfood secret—and all for a fraction of the price, just fifty cents a cup! The North American Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is the most commonly used cranberry in the US. Cranberries rank among the highest antioxidant contents of any fruit, which means they top the anti-inflammatory food chart and are safe and effective medicine for helping reduce cancer and heart disease risk. What’s more, they are packed with a plant chemical called proanthocyanidins, a type of flavonoid polyphenol known to carry extraordinary salutary effects, especially for the heart. Cranberries also house a nice amount of the palliative vitamin antioxidant, vitamin C. Both antioxidant compounds work in tandem to prevent urinary tract and other pesky infections. (Cranberries have been shown to prevent the adhesion of harmful bacteria along the inner lining of the urinary tract.)

Holiday Makeover: Light Cranberry Sauce

Holiday quick tip: whipping up your own brand of cranberry sauce from fresh berries is almost as quick and simple as opening the canned stuff and smoothing out the ridges. Homemade cranberry sauce, if made with orange juice, fresh cranberries, and a small amount of sugar is delicious and packs in the healthy nutrients. 

Food weight: 0.5

Ingredients

Yield: 6 servings

• 12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries
• ¾ cup of orange juice
• ¼ cupof SPLENDA^®Sugar Blend
• Dash of cinnamon 

Directions

Wash and pick over cranberries. Add all ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Note: To add more flavor and nutrition, you can add small pieces of fresh oranges and apples into the saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until cranberries burst. Remove from heat and cool at room temperature. Chill in refrigerator, (cranberry sauce will thicken.)

Nutritional Information per Serving (~ 1/2 cup):
Food weight: 0.5, Calories: 60, Fat: 8 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 0 mg,
Carbohydrate: 15 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 9 g, Protein: 0 g

This Holiday Season: Try Goin Nuts for Nuts

It is important for all Americans to eat a heart-healthy diet to protect themselves against heart attacks and stroke (cardiovascular disease)—the leading cause of death and disability in American men and women—and nuts are a highly nutritious, heart-healthy food that should be a daily addition to one’s diet. Nuts contain a treasure chest full of nutrients such as protein, fiber, antioxidants (such as vitamin E and selenium), cholesterol-lowering plant sterols, and “good” fats such as the omega-3s and monounsaturated fats.

One caveat regarding nuts is that nuts are not created equally. The FDA has allowed a heart health claim for only seven types of nuts: almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios and some pine nuts. This is because these nuts all contain less than 4 grams of saturated fat per 50 grams of nuts. Notice that Brazil nuts did not make the cut. Brazil nuts are a nutritious food, exceptionally high in selenium and magnesium, but are also among the types of nuts that are high in saturated fat. Saturated fat is the most potent cholesterol-raising substance in our diet, so we need to cut way back on our intake. Thus, these nuts would not be your best bet.

Just remember not to go too nuts for nuts, as they are a very concentrated source of calories (due to their high fat—albeit good fat—content). Try and get about 1.5 ounces of nuts (about a handful) daily from one of the “magnificent 7” to help keep the cardiologist away!

Recipe- Holiday Series: Lighter Pecan Pie

Oh pecan pie…gloriously sweet and rich. But did you know that a small slice of pecan pie weighs in at a hefty 5.0? Lighten up this recipe and you can cut the calories down by 1.5 

Food weight: 3.5

Ingredients

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 slice with 1 Tbsp fat-free whipped topping)

• 1 cup Splenda® brown sugar blend
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 2/3 cup quick oats
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 Tbsp Promise light margarine, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup Egg Beaters®  egg substitute
• 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1 refrigerated pie dough crust (trans-fat free and preferably fat-reduced)
• Fat-free whipped topping, thawed

Directions
 

Preheat oven to 325 ºF. Combine all ingredients listed above pie crust, stirring well. Pour into prepared crust and bake for 60 minutes or until center is set. Cool and slice. Serve with a dollop of fat-free whipped topping.

 

Nutritional Information per Serving:

Food weight: 3.5, Calories: 330, Fat: 12 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 210 mg,

Carbohydrate: 55 g, Dietary Fiber: 1 g, Protein: 4 g

Eat and Drink Too Much and You Won’t Be Merry!

This holiday season remember that drinks count—they are virtually empty liquid calories that add up quickly. I’m really not the scrooge (meaning I’m not trying to take away from your holiday fun but want to remind you of what’s healthier) when I suggest you pay attention to mindless drinking and remember that alcohol calories do sneak up on you. Toast the season with sparkling water and a twist of lime and you’ll start the New Year leaner and healthier.