Should breakfast be the new dinner?

Have you heard that eating late at night is bad for you? While the bigger impact usually comes from the type of foods we tend to eat late at night more than when we eat them, there may be some benefits to adjusting when we eat.

Does meal time matter?
Many of us eat in a way that has our meals getting larger as the day goes on – lunch is bigger than breakfast and dinner is bigger than lunch. New research suggests that this may not be the best way to eat to maximize health. Our bodies seem to react better to larger meals eaten earlier in the day than ones eaten later. A few benefits to the earlier meals include better blood sugar control and better weight management. We may even burn more calories after meals eaten earlier in the day.

How does our body know what time it is?
Our internal clocks, influenced by external cues like sunlight or darkness, make up our circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythms can influence when we sleep, our body temperature and other important bodily functions. Abnormal circadian rhythms have been connected to sleep problems and a variety of health issues including diabetes, obesity and depression. It also seems that circadian rhythms can help determine how we react to the food we eat.

Bottom Line
A larger breakfast and lunch, with a smaller dinner may be a better pattern for some people. Circadian rhythms have a genetic component, so we all likely react a little bit differently to meal times. If you find that you feel better, and are better able to achieve your health goals with swapping your larger meals to earlier in the day, it may be a good habit to adopt with almost no downside

REFERENCES:
1. Bo S, et al. Is the timing of caloric intake associated with variation in diet-induced thermogenesis and in the metabolic pattern? A randomized cross-over study. Int J Obes (Lond). 2015 Dec;39(12):1689-95
2. Circadian Rhythms Fact Sheet. National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Available at: https://www.nigms.nih.gov/Education/Pages/Factsheet_CircadianRhythms.aspx.

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RD.
March 2016

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Healthy Alternatives While Celebrating Culinary Diversity

with campus executive chef Tom Barton

Our latest Menus of Change principle is "Celebrating Cultural Diversity and Discovery" and over the next few weeks our residential dining halls will be featuring menu items that celebrate the cultural diversity of our associates. As I was reviewing recipes in preparation for these events at both International Village and Stetson, it occurred to me that some of the ingredients in the traditional recipes could be swapped out for healthier alternatives while also remaining faithful to tradition. Here are some examples of ways to make recipes even a little bit healthier (which means you can enjoy them even more often!):

• Instead of using butter why not use a fat free margarine? Canola, safflower or olive oils could also be substituted
• Rather than using whole milk try a skim, evaporated skim or even plain nonfat yogurt can be used
• Instead of using whole milk cheeses, look for ones that are made with part skim
• Low fat or fat free sour cream can be substituted for regular sour cream
• 2 egg whites can replace 1 whole egg
• Try simmering vegetables in a fat-free / low sodium chicken or vegetable stock instead of seasoning with many seasonings that have a high sodium content. Lightly tossing with freshly chopped herbs can also add plenty of flavor
• Remove skin and fat from meats before cooking – or if the flavor of the skin is important to the dish try removing the skin before serving it
• When using ground beef, look for a leaner grind such as a 90/10 blend
• Instead of frying foods look for ways to bake, broil, or roast them
• With stews and casseroles that are traditionally heavy on meat and light on vegetables, try changing up the recipe to incorporate more vegetables and less meat protein
• When making salads use lighter vinegar-based dressings instead of the heavy mayonnaise- and dairy-based dressings
• Using fruits that are packed in their own water or their own juice do not contain the added sugar that fruits packed in syrup do
• Try serving half portions of traditional foods and desserts instead of full portions
• Try using leaner cuts of meat such as turkey, chicken, and fish instead of red meats

Hopefully some of this will inspire you to go ahead and try some new ideas when approaching traditional foods!

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Meeting on the Move

Finding time in our busy days to stay active can be difficult. What if there was an easy way to fit in exercise and be more productive with your time? Walking meetings may be the solution.

Why a walking meeting?
Physical activity has long proven benefits including helping to control your weight, reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, reduce your risk of some cancers, strengthen your bones and muscles and increase your chances of living longer overall. So what does this have to do with walking meetings? Physical activity can also help to improve your mental health and mood and can help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp. Perfect for more productive meetings! Walking meetings are also less subject to distractions because it is hard to sneak in an email or text when you need to watch where you are going. Add in a little fresh air and change of scenery and walking meetings may even encourage more creative thought.

How to hold a walking meeting
Walking meetings will be new to a lot of people, so a little planning can go a long way. Give enough notice so that your participants can plan to have the right shoes. While walking is safe for most people, not everyone may be able to do a walking meeting. Giving notice allows people to express any concerns they may have. Consider walking the path you plan to take ahead of time to make sure there aren’t any unexpected surprises like missing or broken sidewalks or loud construction. Choose meetings where you don’t need to take or read a lot of notes and if you do, use the voice record function on your phone. Keep the group small or break into teams so people in the back or front aren’t left out. And of course, with weather being unpredictable, it is a good idea to have back up plan for bringing your walking meeting indoors.

Beyond work
The same benefits you get from taking your work meetings on the move can apply to almost any setting where you are chatting with someone. Want to catch up with a friend? Meet up and walk while you talk. Working on an event? Get the committee together and walk while you discuss ideas. Including people that you enjoy spending time with while you are being active can help to keep you on track, so give it a try in any setting.

REFERENCES:
1. Rizzo, Nico S. et al. Nutrient Profiles of Vegetarian and Nonvegetarian Dietary Patterns. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics , Volume 113 , Issue 12 , 1610 - 1619

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RD.
February 2016

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Cutting the Salt!

Salt is found in more food products than you may realize. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that American's should consume fewer than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day of salt (this is slightly less than 1 teaspoon of salt). Adults age 51 and older, African Americans of any age and people with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease should reduce their sodium intake to 1,500 mg a day. These new dietary guidelines emphasize the importance of making meals and snacks from scratch versus choosing processed foods too often.

The most common salts available are table salt, sea salt and kosher salt with the major differences among these being taste, texture, and processing. Kosher and sea salt have a larger course grain providing more air space, which in turn provides less sodium when used in place of table salt. The chefs in our kitchen across campus use kosher salt in their recipes to provide an overall reduced amount of sodium.

Using items like frozen vegetables, or pre-washed and packaged produce (minus any added sauces) can also be useful when trying to prepare healthy meals and snacks. The dining hall offers a number of scratch recipes to allow the opportunity for the chefs to use less salt in the cooking process and include more herbs and spices for flavor in their recipes. In order to really lower your salt intake, choose foods most often in their original form – fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh meats, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, milk, yogurt and grains such as pasta and rice – that are naturally low in sodium.

Choose processed and ready-to-eat foods less often as these foods contain more sodium – particularly in foods such as pizza; cured meats like bacon, sausage, hot dogs and deli or luncheon meats; as well as ready-to eat foods, like canned chili, ravioli and soups.

Avoid using the salt shaker and use salt-free seasonings – such as herbs, spices, garlic, vinegar, black pepper, or lemon juice – to add flavor to your food. This can be done while you eat in the dining hall as the salt shakers have been moved from the tables in the dining halls to a spice station that provides a wide variety of spices to allow you to further season your foods.

Don't forget to read the Nutrition Facts label and the ingredients list to find packaged and canned foods lower in sodium. Most often choose foods labeled low sodium, reduced sodium, or no salt added. The chefs preparing foods in the dining hall are also using this strategy when these items are available from the manufacturer (e.g. using reduced sodium beans and soup bases).

Be aware that many condiments, including soy sauce, ketchup, pickles, olives, and salad dressing, are high in sodium so try to use low-sodium soy sauce and ketchup when possible. Foods lower in sodium may taste different at first, but over time it is possible to get use to foods with less sodium!

References:

1. New U.S. Dietary Guidelines: Limit Sugar and Salt, Boost Fruit and Veggie Intake. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_156575.html Accessed January 14, 2016.
2. Eat Right: Food, Nutrition and Health Tips from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Eat Right with Less Salt, 2014. Accessed January 2016.
3. What's the difference between sea salt and table salt? http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/sea-salt/faq-20058512 Accessed January 15, 2016.

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Build Flavors with Seasoning

with Northeastern campus executive chef Tom Barton

Building flavors and making sure our foods are seasoned properly is a large part of what we as chefs and cooks do and part of that is using salt. Teaching someone how to season is not easy as all of our palates our different; what is enough salt for one might be too much for another. There is much in the news about our salt intake and how we must take steps to reduce it and if you are a label reader then you already know there is sodium in many of the foods that we eat, especially those that are processed or pre-prepared.

We definitely support the notion of using fresh herbs and spices to add flavor rather than increasing the amount of salt to most preparations; however, as a chef I have to say, when used properly, there is no substitute for salt. As a cook coming up through the ranks I learned that salt should be added throughout the cooking process, not all at the beginning or all at the end. Over-seasoning tends to occur when salt is added all at once then when tasting and re-tasting our palates become de-sensitized to salt and the flavor profile we are looking for becomes more difficult to judge. Seasoning throughout the process also encourages maximum flavor from the ingredients by helping to draw out their individual flavors. We also prefer to use salt that has a coarser grain such as kosher salt. The coarser grains make it easier to handle and see how much is being added. Learning how and when to season takes practice and is a learned skill.

Also worthy of mention is the difference between “seasoning” and “flavoring.” “Seasoning” is the addition of basic flavors, such as salt and pepper, to enhance the natural flavor of something while “flavoring” is adding flavors that will change the natural flavor. For example, I would add salt and pepper to enhance the natural flavor of a roasted chicken but if I added a barbecue rub to the chicken I have now changed the natural flavor of the chicken. Also, saltiness might come into a dish from other ingredients such as adding anchovies when making a Caesar dressing, capers to a piccata sauce, or olives into a salad.

Making the decision to use salt or not can be a personal one for sure. With the proper awareness of daily intake, salt can be useful asset to amateur and professional cooks alike.

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PLANT POWER!

If you follow food trends, you’ve surely noticed that plant-based foods, recipes and restaurants have been getting a larger share of the spotlight lately. Does this mean that more of us are becoming vegetarians? Should we be?

Why more plants?
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, peas, nuts and seeds are key features of some of the healthiest diets in the world. Plant based foods are a common theme in the Mediterranean Diet, the DASH Diet and most dietary guidelines. The balance of health promoting nutrients with moderate calories and less of the stuff we should be limiting make plant based foods an easy fit for most people. Looking beyond personal health, to the health of our planet, plant based foods tend to more sustainable and less taxing on the environment.

What is a flexitarian? Or a pescatarian?
With the expansion of plant foods on our plates has come an expansion of how we refer to the way we eat. Vegetarian still refers to people who don’t eat meat, fish or poultry, but there are many other variations as well. Vegans are vegetarians who don’t eat any animal products at all, so they skip dairy, eggs and honey too. Pescatarians are typically vegetarians who include fish and seafood occasionally. Flexitarian has become a term associated with people who skip meat meals in favor of vegetarian ones periodically.

Bottom Line
If plant foods are so good for us, does this mean we should all become vegan? Not necessarily. We could, however, all benefit from incorporating more plant foods into our daily menus. Try to avoid seeing “meat eater” and “vegetarian” as the only two options. Plant foods can and should be a big part of all of our diets, with or without meat. Vegetarian meals have moved far beyond just a plate of steamed vegetables. Grilled cauliflower steaks, chick pea stews, mushroom Bolognese and other plant based dishes appeal to both vegetarians and meat eaters alike.

REFERENCES:
1. Rizzo, Nico S. et al. Nutrient Profiles of Vegetarian and Nonvegetarian Dietary Patterns. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics , Volume 113 , Issue 12 , 1610 - 1619

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RD.
January 2016

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Party Planning!

As the holidays approach, so do all of the holiday food traditions. From cookie exchanges to holiday parties, many of the season’s festivities focus on food. Despite the fact that we usually follow up the holidays with New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, many of us hold on to the extra pounds we pick up. Research suggests that prevention may be the best strategy. It appears that in an attempt to keep things consistent, our bodies may actually resist changes in our weight even when we eat less and exercise more. Unfortunately though, our bodies seem to be less resistant to weight gain than to weight loss. With this in mind, you may be more successful if you take a few small steps to maintain your weight instead of focusing on losing weight after the parties are over.

Choose Strategically.
Start your plate with nutrient-dense choices such as fruits and vegetables that can help fill you up on fewer calories. Stick with small portions for foods with added sugars and fats, which can quickly add extra calories. Choosing unsweetened drinks, lower fat dairy products, and baked instead of fried items more often can save enough calories to keep things in check…and make room for the occasional cookie exchange.

Find time to move.
Success in health needs to include both eating well and being more active. If you find yourself too busy to stop at the gym, move more by making activity part of your day. Try parking further away, taking the stairs or walking to a coworker’s office instead of calling or emailing.

Do well…most of the time.
It is important to remember that what you eat on most days is more important to your overall health than what you do occasionally. So, if you find that you may have overdone it a bit at a holiday party, remember that it is only one day and get right back on track!

REFERENCES:
1. Britten P , Cleveland LE , Koegel KL , Kuczynski KJ , Nickols-Richardson SM. Impact of Typical Rather than Nutrient-Dense Food Choices in the US Department of Agriculture Food
Patterns. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012;112(10):1560-1569.
2. Hill JO, Wyatt HR, Peters JC. Energy balance and obesity. Circulation. 2012;126:126-132.)

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

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