Yogurt

Dairy by any other name just isn't the same.
 

 

 — Name: Yogurt

Birthplace: Eastern Europe and Western Asia

Starring Roles: Frequently consumed plain or mixed with fruit, yogurt is extremely versatile; it can be used as an ingredient in soups, sauces, marinades and dressings, or as a healthy base for drinks

Claim to Fame: Low in fat, vitamin-rich, relieves some stomach ailments, fights infection, may be useful in preventing cancer

Just add a few strains of bacteria to milk, let them convert milk sugars to lactic acid and watch it curdle as the acid works the protein into knots. Viola! A star is born!

Yogurt has become the premier snack food for the health conscious because it's low in fat (one to three grams per serving). It's a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, potassium, riboflavin, magnesium and phosphate. One cup of fat-free yogurt contains 50 percent more calcium than the same size serving of milk, providing one-third of your recommended daily requirement.

Still, yogurt is more than a dieter's dream food. More and more, yogurt is being recognized for its healing qualities. Recently, yogurt landed on the American Dietary Association's (ADA) list of foods that prevent cancer, for its ability to help suppress cancer-producing cells. Yogurt provides a dairy alternative for those who are lactose intolerant, since it is virtually lactose-free. According to the ADA, the active cultures in yogurt have been shown to bolster the immune system and fight infection in the body.

Of all the active cultures in yogurt, Lactobacillus acidophilus is the most famous because it can restore a healthy bacterial balance in the digestive system. Unlike other cultures, which die in the stomach's acid, acidophilus passes through the stomach and settles in the small and large intestines. In the intestines, this "good" bacteria counters "bad" bacteria that can cause infection. The good bacteria can accumulate in the digestive tract and, over time, prevent disease.

Eating yogurt is recommended during and after a course of antibiotics, to restore the bacteria robbed from your intestines by the medication. Yogurt has been shown to soothe an upset stomach caused by antibiotic use, and scientists are researching yogurt's ability to prevent yeast infections, which can also be a side effect of antibiotic use.

Not every food that calls itself yogurt deserves "super" status. For instance, frozen yogurt and yogurt-covered candies contain added sugar, so you're consuming less of the "super" stuff with each serving. These foods usually don't contain live cultures, because the cultures die when frozen or heated. A quick check of the label will tell you how many active cultures the product contains. Remember, the more bacteria (cultures), the better. Look for the National Yogurt Association's LAC or live active culture seal.

This superfood can be found in any supermarket. It can be substituted for milk products such as cream, sour cream and buttermilk in recipes, to reduce fat and add a tangy zip.

THE FROZEN YOGURT MYTH

Frozen yogurt is a healthy alternative to ice cream.

THE YOGURT FACTS

While most frozen yogurt brands are lower in fat than traditional full-fat ice cream, be careful about confusing the health benefits of frozen yogurt with those of the regular yogurt that you find in your refrigerator section. If you're looking for a sweet treat that's delicious and nutritious, walk past the freezer case and into the dairy aisle.

Health-conscious individuals have hailed yogurt as a nutritional "superfood" because it's low in fat and calories, high in protein, and chock full of vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, potassium, riboflavin, magnesium and phosphate. In fact, one cup of fat-free yogurt contains more calcium than the same size serving of milk, providing one-third of your recommended daily requirement. Yogurt may also provide a dairy alternative for people who are lactose intolerant. Finally, the active cultures in yogurt have been shown to bolster the immune system and fight infection in the body.

Here are some tasty and easy ways to add the nutritional benefits of yogurt into your diet:

1) Raspberry Rendezvous

Top vanilla non-fat or low-fat yogurt with 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen raspberries and 1/4 cup of Grape Nuts cereal.

2) If you like Pina Colada...

Mix coconut-flavored non-fat or low-fat yogurt with 1 banana and 1/2 cup of canned crushed pineapple with juice.

3) Cool Cucumber Salad

Peel and dice 2 cucumbers, 1 small red onion and 1 small red pepper. Mix all vegetables in a bowl with 1 cup of plain non-fat yogurt, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tbsp white vinegar, and add salt and pepper to taste.

4) Creamy Salsa Dip

Mix 1 cup plain non-fat yogurt with one container of salsa. Serve with baked tortilla chips. Ole! Plain yogurt can be used as a healthy alternative to sour cream in dips, and as a topping for Mexican dishes and most recipes that require sour cream.

Baking Tips and Tricks

 

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Expert Advice From Low-Fat Chef Mark Mogensen

Replace shortening or oils in baking with an equal volume of pureed fruit and 1/3 of the oil called for. For example, if your recipe calls for 1/2 cup of oil, try replacing it with 1/2 cup of apple sauce and 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of oil. Apple sauce is usually a good choice and its easy to keep on hand.

You can also replace a portion of the oil with buttermilk. You may have to play around a bit depending on the recipe, but if a recipe calls for milk, try replacing 1/3 of the oil called for with buttermilk. You should increase the baking powder by about 1/4 teaspoon, to replace lost volume.

Use good teflon baking pans -- they will help reduce the amount of oil needed in cooking.

Coat your baking pans with flour or corn meal to prevent sticking -- you won't have the added fat and calories of shortening or oil.

Replace some of the whole eggs called for with 2 egg whites. Each egg replaced with two egg whites will save 5 grams of fat. It's usually a good idea to keep at least one or two whole eggs to maintain the correct taste and consistency. For example, replace 3 whole eggs with 1 whole egg and 4 egg whites --you'll save 10 grams of fat.

Fat Reduction - Top 10 Methods And Tips
To Reduce Fat Content In Your Diet

Fat reduction in our diet becomes more of an issue each day - as America gets... FATTER. Jeez, that didn't sound too good! But that's the truth. There are so much fat content in our diet that fat reduction can no longer be ignored. Cheese, margarine, and butter - all are loaded with fat. What's a better way to reduce fat than get rid of those ingredients?

Good question, simple solution, but it's easier said than done. Fat reduction isn't quite easy when majority of the population loves to eat fatty food.

Did you know: we are currently dinning out in restaurants 3 to 4 times a week! And each restaurant meal contains 1,000 to 2,000 calories - as much as our recommended daily intake! What's more, these meals contain at least 50 to 100 grams of fat!

But all is not lost, here are 10 great tips on fat reduction, and following a healthier diet (in no particular order):

1. Replace butter, margarine, and hard fats with low fat spreads, or polyunsaturated margarine. Tip: for toasts and sandwiches, replace the butter, margarine with reduced sugar jams and marmalades.
2. When cooking meat, always trim away visible fat and skin.
3. Cut down your intake of high fat red meats, and eat more lean white meats such as fish and chicken.
4. Use tofu and beans as an alternative source of protein.
5. Steaming is one of the most healthy ways to cook vegetables, chicken, and fish.
6. Use different types of spices and seasonings to spice up your low fat recipes and diet. Fat reduced foods don't have to taste bland.
7. Use skimmed milk instead of full fat milk.
8. When roasting or grilling meat, place on a rack to allow the fat to drain.
9. Eat out less often, and eat home cooked meals more. It's not only healthier, it saves you money.
10. Everyone should know this - exercising regularly and eating a healthy, low fat diet is the best methods to fat reduction. Not through some fat burning pill or fat reducing miracle. It's just good, common sense.

ARE THERE ANY GOOD BREADS?

Diana Mirkin

Diabetics and people who are trying to lose weight or control cholesterol should

avoid all forms of ground-up grains, and that includes bread. For everyone else,

bread is a perfectly satisfactory food.

Breads have been made for thousands of years, in virtually every culture, to wrap,

sandwich, or accompany other foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner. When

ground-up grains were used shortly after milling, there was no need to remove

anything or to add ingredients to keep them fresh. Only in our recent history have

we turned bread into junk food by removing the germ and fiber from the grains.

Even worse, some bread manufacturers add partially hydrogenated fats to their

breads to prolong their shelf life.

The best way to assure that you are getting a bread that is made from whole

grains, with nothing removed, is to bake your own bread made from flour you

grind yourself, or buy from local bakers who grind their flour fresh every few days

(these are hard to find.) Not many people are going to be able to do that. So here

are my rules for picking the best of the commercial breads:

1. Avoid any bread that is made with partially hydrogenated oils. Read the list of

ingredients and if it contains the words partially hydrogenated, put it back on the

shelf. Partially hydrogenated oils are totally unnecessary for making

good-tasting bread, and we should boycott the companies that use them in

their products until they get rid of them. The prime offenders are Pepperidge

Farm, Arnold and Brown berry brands.

2. Get as much whole grain flour as possible. This isn't easy to tell, because

regulations allow bread makers to use the words whole wheat even if portions