Limit Your Sugar Intake!

Choosing beverages that contain lots of added sugar are not the best choice! Sugar-sweetened beverages contain a lot of extra calories and almost no nutrients.  If you are consuming high-sugar drinks (i.e., soda or juice) regularly, over time it can lead to weight gain, which in turn will increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease as well as other medical issues.

As of now, there are no federal guidelines regarding the amount of sugar you should consume. However, the American Heart Association recommends that we consume less sugar – no more than 6 teaspoons (tsp.) or 100 calories a day of sugar for most women and no more than 9 teaspoons or 150 calories a day for most men.

There is no nutritional need or benefit that comes from sugar that is added to beverages. Here is something to consider: a can of regular soda contains about 9-10 tsp. of sugar and a 12 oz. bottle of apple or cranberry juice contains about 10-11 tsp. of sugar, which provides about 150 calories (~40 gm. of sugar).

• Try to limit your intake of flavored coffee. The calories from sugar added to these beverages will add up quickly.
• Read food labels. Sometimes a bottled beverage will contain more than one serving.
• Choose a diet or low-calorie beverage, but take in to consideration that these beverages contain artificial sweeteners.

Choose water for hydration

• Water does not contain nutrients or calories
• If you don’t like plain water try adding a very small amount of juice for flavor or add fruit to infuse the water with flavor

Choose milk as a nutrient dense option

• Low-fat milk (skim milk, 1% low-fat milk)
• Milk provides important nutrients: protein, calcium and vitamin D
• Choose a low-fat version to supply fewer calories and less fat
• Flavored milk will provide about 5-6 tsp. of added sugar (per 8 oz. serving)

Choose beverages (and foods) that contain natural sugars

• Low-fat milk (skim or 1%)
• Fresh and/or frozen fruits
• Fresh and/or frozen vegetables

These items supply important nutrients. You do not need to count the naturally occurring sugars toward your daily intake of added sugar.

References:

1. Harvard T.H. Chan, School of Public Health Newsletter, Healthy Drinks http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/ Accessed October 12, 2015
2. Water: How much should you drink every day?  http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256 Accessed October 12, 2015

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What We're Cooking This Semester

with Northeastern campus executive chef Tom Barton

I would like to welcome everyone back to campus. Hope everyone had a great summer and hope everyone is settling in. We have received a few questions about some of our local products that we serve so I thought I would take this opportunity to talk a little more about the products that we do purchase locally.

Right now is a GREAT time to buying local. What we buy changes from week to week based on our menus and what items the farmers feel is in peak condition to send to us. The past few weeks have been filled with potatoes, carrots, onions, beets, kale, chard, lettuces, squashes of all sorts, tomatoes, corn, and, of course, apples. Keep an eye out at Stetson for Chef Sam's fresh corn station – if you like Mexican street corn you'll love this!

Many of the items listed above fit perfectly into our "root to tip" vegetable program. In short, we use as much of the vegetable as possible – including the peel and the tops. Many of the vegetables we leave the peel on for added flavor and nutrition. Carrot and beet tops could be braised with other vegetables or made into a "pesto" and be incorporated back into the preparation.

We are also using some IDP – Imperfectly Delicious Produce. These are items that would have been left in the field because they don't look 100% perfect but they still taste great! IDP items that we have been using include small cut broccoli, baby kale, romaine lettuce, and cauliflower.

We will be buying and using many local products well into November and December. Our choices are certainly limited at that time but we are still able to get many local hard squashes and potatoes.

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Off To A Healthy Start?

No matter how many times we’ve heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, many of us still don’t give breakfast much thought. Whether we choose fast over healthy while on the run or skip breakfast all together, much of the time we are not providing our bodies with the proper fuel to start the day.

Is breakfast really that important?
Recent research says yes. People who eat a healthy breakfast tend to get more of the important nutrients we need. Traditional breakfast foods tend to be good sources of key nutrients like fiber, calcium, vitamin D and others that we may not otherwise be getting enough of. Healthy breakfast eaters may also be better at managing their weight.

What’s for breakfast?
While simply eating breakfast is a good thing, it is what we eat that is most important. Try these suggestions for a healthy breakfast:

• Whole grain cereal with low fat milk and fresh fruit
• Low fat yogurt with granola and dried fruit
• Whole wheat pancakes or muffin with fresh berries and a glass of skim milk
• Peanut butter and banana on a whole grain bagel
• Vegetable egg white frittata with whole wheat toast
• Not usually hungry in the morning? Start off small to get in the breakfast habit.
• Venture off the traditional breakfast menu. If you like salads, try them at breakfast. It might seem funny at first, but the key is to get the energy you need to start your day off right. Whichever food you choose to gain that energy is up to you!

Make it a family affair.
Children with parents who eat breakfast are more likely to eat breakfast themselves. Make breakfast a daily habit for your family. Everyone will reap the benefits and you may help to instill a lifelong healthy habit in your children.

REFERENCES:
1. O’Neil, Carol E. et al. Nutrient Intake, Diet Quality, and Weight/Adiposity Parameters in Breakfast Patterns Compared with No Breakfast in Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2008 J Acad Nutr Diet. 2014; 114: S27-S43.
2. Pearson N, Biddle SJ, Gorely T. Family correlates of breakfast consumption among children and adolescents. A systematic review. Appetite. 2009 Feb;52(1):1-7. Epub 2008 Aug 22. Review.

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RD.
October 2015

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