Less sugar...more vegetables

There have been numerous reports and articles lately focusing on the sugar epidemic. There has also been a lot of information on eating more vegetables. Even though these are two different topics, they are both relevant for healthy eating and can make a huge impact on your health if you make some small changes.

Sugar
We find sugar in many different foods, ranging from fruit, yogurt, soda, snacks, candy, donuts, cookies, and condiments. Sugar is in foods where we would expect it (soda, candy, donuts, cookies, cake) as well as where we may not expect it (condiments, yogurt). Next time you are grocery shopping, look at the food labels to see how much sugar you are eating and drinking. Fructose, sucrose, dextrose, or glucose are sources of natural and added sugars in our eating and drinking.

If a food has milk or fruit, it will have natural sugars. But, these foods may also have added sugars. It's much more important to cut back on added sugars than to worry about natural sugars from fruit or milk.

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 100 calories (6 1/2 teaspoons) of added sugars daily for women and 150 calories (9 1/2 teaspoons) for men. One 12 ounce can of soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar, so stay away from regular soda. Limit fruit juice to no more than 1 cup a day, which is especially important for kids because they don't need extra sugar either.

Cookies, donuts, and other sweets have between 5 and 15 teaspoons of sugar. Nine Hershey's kisses have about 6 teaspoons of sugar and some granola bars can have 3 or more teaspoons of sugar. When reading labels, divide the grams of sugar by 4 to get the number of teaspoons. A large sweet tea (32 ounces) can have over 15 teaspoons of sugar!

Instead of soda, drink unsweetened tea, water, or limited amounts of diet soda. Try sparkling water or club soda with one of those packets of flavoring for water if you have a hard time eliminating soda.

Skip desserts or have fruit for dessert instead. Read food labels to see how much added sugar you are getting in ketchup, pasta sauce, salad dressings, canned salsa, yogurt, snacks, etc.

More veggies
Almost everyone could benefit from eating more vegetables. If you eat out regularly (like many Americans) the selections for vegetables is limited and French fries do not count. Vegetables are much more filling and nutrient-rich than other options, such as potato chips, French fries, etc.

Try a side salad or ask what vegetables options are available. At home, plan your meal around vegetables and make sure half of your plate is vegetables and fruit.

Snack on vegetables. Stock up at the grocery store and then prepare what you can so it's easy to grab a quick snack. Wash and cut celery into sticks, wash baby carrots, wash and slice green peppers, or keep edamame in the freezer to quickly defrost in the microwave.

Here is a simple recipe from Nutrition Action Healthletter (March 2012) for a pasta dish that anyone can enjoy:

Pasta Tricolore
Ingredients: (you can use any 3 vegetables you like instead of what's listed)
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 large red bell pepper (seeded and cut into strips)
8 oz whole wheat penne pasta
Juice and grated zest from one lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup olives, sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 ounce Parmesan cheese or 1/2 cup freshly grated cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
4 sprigs fresh basil (optional for garnish)

1. Wash hands. Wash vegetables in running water.
2. Cut zucchini and squash in half lengthwise. Scrap the seeds using a teaspoon. Cut crosswise into 1/2 thick crescents.
3. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Add the red pepper when 5 minutes remain to cook and then add zucchini and squash with 2 minutes remaining. Drain all and place in large bowl.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the lemon juice and zest with the olive oil.
5. Add the lemon juice-oil mixture, olives, basil, and cheese and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Garnish with basil if desired. Serves 4.

Nutrition info per serving (2 cups)
Calories 310
Carbs 51 g
Saturated fat 2 g
Protein 13 g
Fiber 7 g
Sodium 240 mg