Potatoes and sweet potatoes

February is Potato Lover’s month and Sweet Potato month. Here is more information about these similar, yet different, vegetables.

A baked potato with skin has more potassium than a banana. Nutritionally speaking, a potato has 45% of the %Daily Value for vitamin C, 18% of the %Daily Value for potassium, as well as some vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, and fiber.  The %Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet but are a good estimate for most individuals. What a nutrition bargain - all of those nutrients and less than 150 calories in a medium potato.

The healthiest bets for serving potatoes are baked with skin served with salsa or veggies and limited amounts of butter, sour cream, or cheese. Making your own potato wedges or fries and baking in the oven is much healthier than restaurant fries or deep frying your own. Mashed potatoes can be made healthier with less butter, skim milk, or mixed with cauliflower instead of higher fat versions with whole milk, lots of butter, or cream.

Potatoes are typically available year-round and store well in a cool, dark place for a few weeks and up to a month.  Green spots on potatoes are not poisonous, but should be cut off before eaten because they are bitter. Potatoes do not freeze well.

The orange color from a sweet potato is due to its high beta carotene content. Beta carotene is a form of vitamin A that can be converted in the body. Vitamin A and beta carotene are needed for healthy vision, especially preventing night blindness, and as an antioxidant to keep cells healthy and from free radical damage.  Sweet potatoes have over 400% of the %Daily Value of vitamin A. Vitamin A is fat-soluble so eating your sweet potato with a small amount of fat (butter or oil) is a good way to help absorb that vitamin best.

Sweet potatoes also have 35% of the %Daily Value of vitamin C and 15% of the %Daily Value of fiber (4 grams). They are another nutritional bargain – all those nutrients and around 100 calories for a medium sweet potato.

 Sweet potatoes can be eaten similarly to white potatoes. Baked with skin is a healthy option, but just limit the brown sugar, marshmallows, or other sugary toppings. Try spices such as nutmeg or cinnamon with a small amount of oil or butter. Sweet potatoes can also be mashed or made into wedges or fries and baked in the oven instead of deep frying.

Sweet potatoes storage is similar to white potatoes. They are typically available year-round and should be stored in a cool, dark place for a few weeks and up to a month.

If you are diabetic, potatoes actually count as a starch, not a vegetable. One small baked potato would be about two carbohydrate servings or 30 grams of carbohydrates. One medium sweet potato would be a little less than two carbohydrate servings or 25 grams of carbohydrates.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes fit into our vegetables intake each week, but don’t forget to choose other colorful and nutritious vegetables as well.

February Cook it Quick

I hope everyone enjoys the Cook It Quick newsletter as much as I do. February's issue is hot off the press.

Even though Valentine's Day was yesterday, the newsletter features a Valentine's Day snack mix and Valentine's Day made-from-scratch brownies that you can try anytime.

Also in this issue:

• Slow cooker beef stew
• Winter black bean soup
• Chicken pita sandwiches
• Busy day tilapia
• Fruit crumble
• Three bean bake
• And others!

A checklist on cooking for one or two, information about rinsing canned beans, and how to tell if your freezer was off when you were away are also some articles in the February newsletter.

If you use Pinterest, you can follow healthy recipes and physical activy information that I've pinned at http://pinterest.com/melissabess/. For lots more easy, healthy recipes, you can follow http://pinterest.com/alicehenneman/easy-healthy-everyday-recipes/.

The Cook It Quick newsletter comes to us from Alice Henneman from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln Extension.

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Where's the sodium?

The daily recommendation for sodium is 2,300 mg, or about one teaspoon. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommends even less than that for some individuals, 1500 mg for those over age 51, African Americans, or those who have high blood pressure, kidney disease, or diabetes because they may be more susceptible to heart-related conditions.

A recent research article came out by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that showed that average sodium consumption was just over 3,200 mg daily. This is almost 1,000 mg more than recommended and for some it would be twice as much sodium as they need daily.

Maybe even more surprising than that are the highest sources of sodium in the diet. Here are the categories with the percentage of sodium they contribute:

• bread and rolls (7.4%)
• cold cuts/cured meats (5.1%)
• pizza (4.9%)
• fresh and processed poultry (4.5%)
• soups (4.3%)
• sandwiches like cheeseburgers (4.0%)
• cheese (3.8%)
• pasta mixed dishes (e.g., spaghetti with meat sauce) (3.3%)
• meat mixed dishes (e.g., meat loaf with tomato sauce) (3.2%)
• savory snacks (e.g., chips and pretzels) (3.1%)

Most sodium consumed (65.2%) came from foods obtained from a store and restaurants were the source of 24.8% of the sodium consumed.

Bread may not sound like a food that we associate with sodium and a small amount of bread won't add much, but most people eat bread at three meals a day. This can make the sodium levels creep up quickly.

Think about what you normally eat over the day and how the sodium in your foods can add up. Did you eat bacon and toast for breakfast? Those are top two on the list. For lunch, did you have a cheeseburger, pizza, or cold cut sandwich with potato chips? More sodium there. For dinner, did you eat pasta with bread? Even more sodium.

For those of you who are trying to lose weight, too much sodium can interfere with those attempts.  Women who are pregnant and those who already have heart conditions also need to watch their sodium intake.

You may be wondering, what can I eat that doesn't have sodium? Or, how can I eat less sodium?

• Eat more fruits and vegetables. They are both low in calories, fat, and sodium (plus high in potassium to counteract the bad effects of sodium). Find more ways to incorporate fruits and veggies into your eating and make half your plate full of them.
• Cut back on bread. Only about 1/4 of your plate should be a starch and half of those starches should be whole grains. Try switching out bread for brown rice or another whole grain. Or just eat less of it.
• Switch out your daily cold cut sandwich and potato chips for a salad with lots of veggies and some protein. Meat and beans are good sources of protein. Even though cheese and poultry made the list above, the potassium in your veggies will help counteract some of the sodium. Make sure you load up on veggies though.
• Read labels. The sodium for all packaged foods is listed. If the %Daily Value listed next to sodium is 20% or more, that food is high in sodium so find a better choice.
• Buy less processed foods. If you look at the list above, most of those foods are processed. Buy foods that are more like their natural form. Learn to make your own versions of your favorite processed foods.
• Don't keep foods like chips and pretzels around for daily snacks. Reach for fruits and vegetables instead.

You don't have to avoid all of those foods above, but just limit them. Overindulgence of too many high-sodium foods is the problem. You are allowed to eat occasional treats, but the key word is occasional!

The CDC research article is available online as well as a summary of the article.

Source: Vital Signs: Food Categories Contributing the Most to Sodium Consumption — United States, 2007–2008. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Centers for Disease Control. February 7, 2012.

January Cook It Quick and Healthy Superbowl

The January edition of  the Cook it Quick newsletter from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension is available. Some of the recipes are:

• amazing oven fried chicken
• simple skillet pizzas
• crispy salmon patties
• mama's chicken and rice
• slow cooker beef stew
• and others!

There is also a link on the Cook It Quick newletter called "Your Super Bowl Game Plan for Healthy Eating." According to Wikipedia, Super Bowl is the 2nd largest day for food consumption in the U.S. (after Thanksgiving). There are eight strategies listed for healthy eating in a Super Bowl theme. They are:

1. Have a game plan
2. Size up the opponent
3. Get in condition
4. Watch what you eat before the game
5. Avoid penalties
6. Keep yourself in the game
7. Keep advancing toward the goal line
8. Touchdown!

There are also two healthy recipes in the game plan. Read the Super Bowl Game Plan for more information.

For those of you who are on Pinterest, I am beginning to pin healthy recipes and fitness information. You can follow me at http://pinterest.com/melissabess/. Email me healthy recipes or fitness information that you would like to see pinned.