Food and Health

(Photo: Joseph A. Garcia)

Winter squash is actually grown from late summer through December and has a satisfying flavor, luscious texture and extensive shelf life. For locavores, who support sustainable agriculture by eating seasonal foods grown within a 100-mile radius, this versatile vegetable has a lot to offer.

Acorn squash is prized for its sweet golden flesh and unique ribbed shell, which makes attractive scalloped bowls when halved and a handy case for savory stuffing.

Acorn squash is a very good source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, as well as manganese, thiamin and potassium. One cup of cooked acorn squash has 115 calories 9 grams of fiber and 895 mg of potassium.

Potassium is an essential mineral that is integral to the functioning of all living cells. Important to maintaining electrolyte balance and the proper function of the muscles, brain and nervous system, adequate intake of potassium also helps to reduce the risk of hypertension and stroke. ¹

A medium banana or a cup of cubed melon contains about 500 mg of potassium and with almost 900 mg of this all-important mineral this nut-shaped squash is a veritable ‘rock star.’

Acorn squash is also an excellent source of vitamin A, in the form of beta-carotene, an antioxidant with many health benefits.  Studies have shown that the anti-inflammatory properties associated with beta-carotene may help reduce the severity of conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and asthma, all of which involve inflammation. ^{2 3}

Acorn squash is a good source of folate, a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in food, (folic acid is the synthetic form found in supplements.) Folate may help prevent certain birth defects⁴ and has been shown to help protect colon cells from the effects of cancer-causing chemicals. Diets high in folate are associated with a significantly reduced risk of colon cancer.^{5 6}

Acorn Squash is nutrient dense and certainly full of health benefits but its also really delicious.

Choose firm, smooth-skinned dark green acorn squash with some yellow-orange coloring that feels heavy for its size. Acorn squash is easy to prepare.  Simply cut in half, scoop out the seeds bake for an hour face down in a shallow baking pan in an inch of water.

Acorn squash with cranberry stuffing is a delightful dish with an elegant presentation. The moist and flavorful cranberry-studded filling comes together quickly while the squash bakes and offers complimentary texture and color to a dish lovely enough for a dinner party.

Marie Oser is a best-selling author, writer/producer and host of VegTV. Follow Marie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/vegtv.

Acorn squash with cranberry stuffing

From More Soy Cooking, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., © Marie Oser 2000

Makes 4 servings

• 2 medium acorn squash
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions
• 1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
• 1 8-ounce package soy ground beef alternative
• 1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup Mirin (Japanese rice wine or you can use sherry)
• Paprika for garnish

Preheat oven to 375°. Cut squash in half crosswise. Scoop out seeds and place cut-side down in 9" by 13" baking pan in one" of water. Bake for one hour. Discard water and place squash in pan, cut-side up, and set aside.

In a 10" frying pan, heat oil and crushed pepper over medium-high heat. Add garlic, scallions, and carrots. Cook for 3 minutes, add soy alternative, and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Drizzle diced apple with lime juice and add to the pan with cranberries and Mirin. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Divide the filing among the four squash halves. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes or until heated through.

Serve with whole-berry cranberry sauce.

Acorn squash with cranberry stuffing:
Nutrition analysis per serving - One half squash with stuffing
Calories 302, protein 15g, carbohyrates 57g, fiber 10g, fat 2g, cholesterol 0.0mg, calcium 102mg, sodium 32mg.

Sources:

1. A. Ascherio, E. B. Rimm, M. A. Hernán, E. L. Giovannucci, I. Kawachi, M. J. Stampfer, and W. C. Willett Intake of Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, and Fiber and Risk of Stroke Among US Men Circulation 98: 1198-1204
2. Knekt P, Heliövaara M, Aho K, Alfthan G, Marniemi J, Aromaa A. Serum selenium, serum alpha-tocopherol, and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Epidemiology. 2000 Jul;11(4):402-5.
3. Patel S, Murray CS, Woodcock A, Simpson A, Custovic A
   Dietary antioxidant intake, allergic sensitization and allergic diseases in young children. Journal of Asthma; Allergy 2009 Oct 1.
4. Bower C, Stanley FJ, Nicol DJ. Maternal folate status and the risk for neural tube defects. The role of dietary folate. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1993;678:146-55 1993.
5. Terry P, Jain M, Miller AB et al. Dietary intake of folic acid and colorectal cancer risk in a cohort of women. Int J Cancer 2002 Feb 20;97(6):864-7 2002.
6. Mason JB, Levesque T. Folate: effects on carcinogenesis and the potential for cancer chemoprevention. Oncology (Huntingt) 1996;10(11): 1727-1743 1996.

More from ecomii:

• Discover healthy soy snacks
• Five ways to spot green laundry products
• Learn more about the potential of nutritional supplements
• What is your carbon footprint?
• What is a cap and trade system and how will it affect you?

Fourteen years ago, I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).  Doctors told me that there was nothing they could do to help ease my discomfort and pain, except that I should watch my diet, reduce stress, and get lots of exercise.

I attempted numerous alternative therapies and cut out meats, fermented foods, hot and spicy foods, and dairy products.  However, it took three years ago before someone recommended that I eliminate wheat from my diet.  Until this time, it had never occurred to me that wheat, or gluten, could be the source of my ailments.

I have been wheat-free for over ten years now and gluten-free for about seven.  My “IBS” is all but gone, and I lead a very healthy and normal life.  My story isn’t uncommon; in fact, it has become increasingly common for people who suffer from a broad range of symptoms from lethargy to liver disease.

The over-consumption of wheat and gluten in our modern-day North American diet is seen to be a thread in many illnesses.  Fortunately for us, as Celiac disease and gluten intolerance become more common, so does the availability of gluten-free products.

I know how difficult it can be to commit to a gluten-free lifestyle change. Our relationship with food changes and so do our social interactions.  It can be more difficult to dine out or eat with friends and it takes more conscious menu planning.  However, the positive impacts of going gluten-free on our health and on the planet can be astounding.

By going gluten-free, you are inherently eliminating many processed foods from your diet and introducing a variety of whole foods.  By switching from wheat flour to flour made from almonds, quinoa, or buckwheat (among others) you enhance your intake of nutrients and minerals while reducing your carbon footprint. A win-win situation if I do say so myself!

So for those of you who are new to being gluten-free, fear not!  The following resources will help you get the information and support you need, as well as show you a few of my favourite products that I am sure you’ll be happy with.

Resources:
www.celiac.com
www.glutenfreemall.com
www.americanceliac.org
www.celiac.ca
http://glutenfreenetwork.com

Recipes:
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/
http://www.julesglutenfree.com/
http://www.elanaspantry.com/

Gluten-free products I love:
Kinnikinnick
Gluten-Free Pantry/Glutino
El Peto

More from ecomii:

• Discover healthy soy snacks
• Five ways to spot green laundry products
• Learn more about the potential of nutritional supplements
• What is your carbon footprint?
• What is a cap and trade system and how will it affect you?

We change our wardrobes with the seasons, we should be changing our salad ingredients as well. Eating seasonally not only tastes better, but it requires a lot less energy to create.

In wintertime, instead of basing your salad on something light like a butter lettuce, consider something that weathers the cold climate, like endive, escarole or a more common spinach.

Once you’ve chosen your base leaf, move on to the add-ons. New York City-based chef Carlin Greenstein recommends building the salad around the green and in fall and winter, she likes to add a cooked element for those cold days.

Here is her recipe for a winter spinach salad complete with seasonal fruits (pomegranate, persimmon, and pear).

Winter Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of red spinach
• 1 persimmon
• 1 pomegranate
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 Bosc pear
• Olive oil for sautéing
• A handful of thyme

Direction:

1. Spread walnuts on a tray and place them in the oven for a few minutes, until lightly browned.
2. Cut and de-seed pomegranate.
3. Slice persimmon.
4. Slice pear. She uses Bosc rather than Bartlett because it’s firmer and it stays firm when sauteed.
5. Heat saucepan with a coating of olive oil.
6. Once oil is hot, add thyme. The oils naturally occurring in the thyme come out in the hot oil.
7. After a couple minutes, add the pears to the pan. Turn the stove down to medium. You don’t want to darken these, you just want to get them a little bit caramelized which means the sugars in the fruit are coming out.

A pomegranate, molasses, lemon vinaigrette

Ingredients for vinaigrette:

• 1/2 squeezed lemon
• 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Pepper
• Sea salt

Directions for vinaigrette:

1. Squeeze half lemon into your hand to catch seeds.
2. Add pomegranate molasses, olive oil, pepper and sea salt.
3. Whisk together.
4. Taste using a piece of spinach.

Directions for putting it all together:

1. Add the greens to the bowl and toss with the vinaigrette.
2. Then add the persimmon, pomegranate seeds and the pear.
3. Sprinkle the roasted walnuts on top.

 

Despite its name, buckwheat is neither a wheat nor a gluten.  Although it is commonly treated like a grass or a cereal, buckwheat is actually the fruit seeds from a plant, or an agricultural weed known as Fagopyrum esculentum.

Buckwheat is a hearty whole food that can be grown in poor soil and weather conditions; it originated in Northern Europe and Asia.  In North America, we often find buckwheat ground into flour, which is an excellent alternative to wheat flour or other glutinous flours, such as spelt, rye, and kamut.

Buckwheat is high in calcium and protein and can be found as a substitute for wheat in gluten-free beer, and its kernels, also known as groats, are an excellent substitute for rice or quinoa.  To top it all off, the hulls of buckwheat are commonly used as fillings for pillows, and as a renewable natural resource, this product is much more environmentally friendly than a synthetic poly-filled pillow.

Most importantly though, buckwheat flour was the original flour used to make crepes.  So for a little gluten-free delight, give this recipe a try:

Gluten-Free Buckwheat Crepes

Ingredients (for 6 crepes):

• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• A pinch of sea salt
• 1 tbsp arrowroot or quinoa flour
• 1 lg egg
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

Whisk the water, butter, and egg together and then mix with dry ingredients.  Set aside for 15-20 minutes.  Heat a pan and melt some butter. Once heated, pour some batter into the pan and rotate the pan to get the batter nice and smooth… you don’t want it to be too thick.  Return the pan to heat for a couple of minutes until the top is hard.  Flip the crepe over and let the other side brown.

Serve this delicious treat up with your favourite fruit mixture, maple syrup, or chocolate sauce.  Enjoy!

 

More from ecomii:

• Discover healthy soy snacks
• Five ways to spot green laundry products
• Learn more about the potential of nutritional supplements
• What is your carbon footprint?
• What is a cap and trade system and how will it affect you?

(Photo: Masterfile / Photo
Illustration Gloria Dawson)

The Food and Drug Administration is getting serious about some egregious food label lies like those that The Daily Green recently blew the whistle on.

The FDA today notified 17 food manufacturers about 22 food products that violate law because of misleading labeling. Companies that received warning letters have 15 business days to inform the FDA of the steps they will take to correct their labeling.

"Today, ready access to reliable information about the calorie and nutrient content of food is even more important, given the prevalence of obesity and diet-related diseases in the United States," Commissioner of Food and Drugs Dr. Margaret Hamburg wrote in an open letter to the food industry.

Interestingly, several organic brands are also on the list, though the problems didn't lie with the "organic" part of the nutrition claims. Still, it's a useful reminder that "organic" means a food was produced without harsh chemical fertilizers or pesticides, but it doesn't mean it's nutritious. Processed foods are just that - processed, whether organic or not.

One good rule of thumb in the grocery store is to choose the least-packaged, least-labeled foods, like fruits, vegetables, and grains: These will be nutritious and will come free of misleading labels.

Below is a look at the food label lies the FDA is no longer tolerating:

 

 

More from The Daily Green

• Absurdly Wasteful Packaging for Food
• The Dirty Secrets of Six Scandalous Foods
• Six Surprising Facts About Organic Food
• The Dirty Dozen: 12 Foods to Buy Organic
• Simple Superfoods (and How to Cook Them)

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

(Photo: David Myers,
chef/owner, Sona)

The tomatoes, cantaloupes, and asparagus you see on grocery store shelves right now may look good, but chances are they don't taste all that great. That's because they're not in season right now and probably had to be shipped from far away or grown in a hothouse.  

Choosing fruits and vegetables that are at the peak of freshness instead brings many benefits. They taste better, are more nutritious, are better for the planet, and are often less expensive than produce that's travelled thousands of miles to reach your table.

We asked chefs across the country to pick one fruit or veggie they just won't eat right now and why. Here are their answers:

• Tomatoes. "Tomatoes should be picked off the vine where they have grown at the natural pace in the summer - outside in the sun. Those are the only ones worth eating. I'm convinced that people who think they don't like tomatoes have eaten them at the wrong time of year." Kevin Gillespie, executive chef, Woodfire Grill, Atlanta.

• Asparagus. "The peak of its season is in spring, but people are able to grow it during the winter further south in places like Mexico because of the weather. By the time this asparagus gets to us in Seattle during the winter, it's probably three weeks old and hardly at its best," Mark Fuller, chef/owner, Spring Hill, Seattle.

• Corn. "I grew up picking corn in the summer and know the flavor of perfectly ripe corn. You just can't beat it," David Myers, chef/owner, Sona, Los Angeles.

• Nightshades. "We stay away from about all fresh nightshades, meaning tomatoes, eggplant, peppers. They're not local, they're shipped across the globe, you can drop 'em out a third floor window and they remain intact, plus they taste lousy," Eric Tucker, executive chef, Millennium Restaurant, San Francisco

• Peaches. "Some people think of peaches the way that Gertrude Stein talked about a rose - but a peach is not a peach is not a peach, especially if you consider when and where you're eating it. In August, there's no more beautiful or more delicious expression of the season. But in March, it's a disaster." Dan Barber, executive chef and co-owner, Blue Hill, New York City.

• Melons. "Down here in the south, there's no way you're going to find a good quality melon right now. The taste, smell, and texture are all bad in the wintertime. There's also the mental association to summer. You think of 90-degree days when you think of melons," James Boyce, chef/owner, Cotton Row, Huntsville, Alabama.

• Berries. "They're really expensive. They taste like cardboard. Most of them are coming from South America, and I'm afraid of some of the chemicals used in the growing process," Rob Endelman, founder, Cook With Class, New York City.

What are chefs most excited to start cooking with in the spring? English peas, asparagus, artichokes, morels, and fava beans.

Depending upon where you live, you'll see these vegetables pop up at farmers' markets anytime from late March through April. And late spring is also when we'll start to see ripe strawberries and rhubarb. Anyone who's eaten local strawberries knows they are definitely worth the wait! 

Here's a guide to peak times for popular produce. Or find out what's in season where you live right now. Search for local farmers markets or visit LocalHarvest.

Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green's users. Send Lori a question or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book, Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon.com.

 

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

Banana bread is a great way to use up those bananas going soft on your counter. Bananas are also a great way alternative to refined sugar.

The ideal bananas for making banana bread are actually those that you may be less interested in eating. So the next time some of your bananas get overripe instead of tossing them, either consider making a loaf of banana bread or simply freeze them for when you are ready to bake.

By simply putting bananas in the freezer, you will stop the ripening process. The skins will turn black, but once you’re ready to use them simply defrost them with their peels on and once they’re thawed peel them and they’re ready to be cooked.

Getting our sugar from whole fruits

Bananas are a really healthy alternative to processed sugar. While fructose is a sugar, it’s nothing to be afraid of - in moderation - when found in whole fruits. Fruits are not only packed with vitamins and minerals, but they’re full of fiber.

Bananas - with about 2 to 4 grams of fiber per fruit - are one of the top five fruits rich in fiber (others are pears, apples, figs, and blackberries), which helps to cut the risk of diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

Sugar-free banana bread recipe

Many of these ingredients can be left out since bananas have such a distinctive flavor. So if you find yourself without baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, nuts, or even salt, you can leave them all out and still bake up a tasty loaf of bread.

Ingredients

• 3 mashed bananas
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted butter (you can substitute the oil or butter with applesauce)
• 2 eggs
• 2 cup flour (can be white, whole wheat, spelt, you can experiment here)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Mash bananas in a bowl.
2. Add oil (or butter) and eggs and mix until creamy.
3. Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Stir in the nuts.
5. Oil a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
6. Pour mixture into pan.
7. Bake at 325°F for 45 minutes to an hour. To check if it’s done, insert a knife or toothpick in center and if it comes out clean, it’s cooked.
8. Cool on a rack.
9. Remove from pan and slice.

 

(Photo: Getty Images)

Packaged salads are not nearly as clean as their "pre-washed" and "triple-washed" labels suggest.

Recent Consumer Reports' tests found bacteria that are "common indicators of poor sanitation and fecal contamination" in many of the packaged salad greens it tested.

The nonprofit group tested 208 containers of salad greens and found that 39 percent of the samples exceeded acceptable levels for coliforms and 23 percent had unsafe levels of enterococcus.

On a positive note, these tests didn't find disease-causing bacteria such as E.coli O157:H7, listeria, or salmonella in any of the samples.

"It's never a good idea to have fecal bacteria in your food or water because it means that untreated waste has gotten into them somehow," says food safety expert Marion Nestle. "But only toxic bacteria make you sick, and the good news in this otherwise queasy-making study is that they didn't find any."

No one is suggesting that you stop eating salad. Just take some of the precautions below to make sure you're eating the safest greens possible:

• Always wash salad greens, even if the bag says "prewashed" or "triple-washed." Rinsing won't remove all the bacteria, according to Consumer Reports, but it may remove residual soil. Washing with plain water works as well as anything else, says Nestle. There's no need to use detergent, vinegar, or special produce washes.


• Buy packaged greens as far from their expiration date as possible. In the tests, Consumer Reports found that many packages with higher bacteria levels were one to five days before their use-by date.
  
  Packages of salad that were six to eight days away from expiration date fared better, according to Consumer Reports. (It's also interesting to note that many of the packages with the highest amounts of bacteria contained spinach.)


• Choose fresh greens over packaged when you can. Bagging changes the environment in ways that might promote bacterial proliferation, says Nestle. A fresh, whole head of lettuce is usually less expensive than a bag of lettuce too.
  
  Buying local may offer extra protection since greens tend to be fresher so their bacteria haven't had as long an opportunity to multiply, Nestle notes, and this ought to reduce the risks of centralized contamination. However, in the Consumer Reports tests, it didn't make a difference if greens were organic or if the greens were packaged in plastic clamshells or bags.

 

Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green's users. Send Lori a question or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book, Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon.com.

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

If you’re always looking for a low-fat, high-protein, delicious, and versatile snack, then look no further.  Let us discuss hummus.

With its main ingredients being chickpeas, tahini (crushed sesame seeds), garlic, and lemon juice, hummus is an excellent source of dietary fibre, protein, zinc, iron, and foliates. Combine hummus with vegetables, whether as a dip or on a salad, or as a spread on sandwiches.

Hummus is a great, healthy alternative to other high-fat dips, dressings, and spreads like mayonnaise or sour cream.  As a plant-derived protein, it is also a sustainable source of protein to incorporate into your diet.

Incorporating rich vegetable-proteins, such as chickpeas, into your diet is also a delicious way to reduce your carbon footprint.  So the next time you’re trying to think of a nice, light afternoon snack, try whipping out some corn chips to enjoy with a bowl of hummus.

Buy or make?

With its origins in the Middle East, pre-made hummus is sometimes available in food stores throughout North America.  However, it is also very simple to make yourself. Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, can be bought pre-cooked and preserved in cans at most grocery stores.

If you have a little bit more time and would like to avoid preservatives, chickpeas can be found in their raw form at most bulk-food stores and health food stores.  Soak these beans in water for 24 hours, then cook them for a couple hours and they are ready to go!

For those of you with a green thumb, you can grow chickpeas yourself in your garden or in a sunny window.

If you’ve never given hummus a taste, give it a try! You may be surprised at just how delicious a chickpea spread can be…

Christie’s Lip-Smacking Hummus:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of chickpeas
• 1/3 cup water
• Juice of 2 lemons
• ½ cup tahini
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ tsp. salt
• Cayenne pepper
• Fresh cilantro or parsley (optional)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper, and cilantro or parsley.

 

More from ecomii:

• Discover the healthy benefits of soy
• Five tips for a healthy heart
• Learn more about the potential of nutritional supplements
• What is your carbon footprint?
• What is a cap and trade system and how will it affect you?