May 2009
Eat the Right Foods to Renew Your Energy
by Mary Gerlach, R.D.
Registered Dietician
Renewable energy is not a term that only applies to external energy sources we use to power our world. It also applies to the food we eat to renew our own personal energy.
Everyone has heard the term, “You are what you eat,” often credited to Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of life. We spend mini fortunes indulging ourselves in buying packaged “health foods,” eating enormous numbers of calories in fast food meals and, in general, consuming fairly poor daily diets lacking in fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as many of the essential nutrients our bodies need to renew our energy each day.
When it comes to eating, one size does not fit all. Bad eating habits and lack of exercise are a perfect recipe for lowered energy levels and increasing risk of nutrition-related disease. The USDA’s new Health Pyramid is an easy way to help you remember to make food choices that are good for your health. Each person has a total calorie “budget” that can be divided into “essentials” and “extras.”
With a financial budget, the essentials are items like rent and food. The extras are things like movies and vacations. In a calorie budget, the “essentials” are the minimum calories required to meet your nutrient needs. By selecting the lowest fat and no-sugar-added forms of foods in each food group you’ll make the best nutrient “buys.”
Depending on the foods you choose, you may be able to spend more “discretionary calories” than the amount required to meet your nutrient needs, that can be used on luxuries like solid fats, added sugars and alcohol, or on more food from any food group.
Healthy Morning Muffins
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup grated carrots
1 small apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1 egg
1 egg white
1/4 cup apple butter
2 Tb. canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla extr
act
1 Tb. chopped walnuts
1 Tb. toasted wheat germ
Preheat oven to 375° F. Coat 9 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, egg white, apple butter, oil and vanilla. In a large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in carrots, apples and raisins. Stir in apple butter mixture until moistened; do not over-mix or tops of muffins will be pointed.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4-full. In a small bowl, combine walnuts and wheat germ; sprinkle over the muffin tops. Bake at 375° F. oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed. Makes 9 muffins.
Nutritional analysis per muffin: Calories 194; Carbohydrates 37 gm; Protein 3 gm; Fat 4 gm; Cholesterol 12 mg; Sodium 175 mg.
Grilled Stuffed Red Snapper
1 Tb. margarine or butter, divided
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 Tb. chopped green onions
2 Tb. diced celery
4 large mushrooms, chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 ounces cooked shrimp
2 ounces cooked crabmeat
1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
2 (4-ounce) red snapper fillets
Preheat grill to high heat. To prepare the stuffing, melt 2 teaspoons margarine in a skillet. Add bread crumbs, sauté over medium-high heat until the bread crumbs are browned, stirring frequently; remove to a mixing bowl.
In the same skillet, melt 1 teaspoon margarine and sauté onions, celery, mushrooms and garlic until tender, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add to bread crumbs in mixing bowl; add shrimp, crab, parsley, salt and pepper; toss gently.
Cut foil to form two double-thickness 12x12-inch rectangles. Lay each fish fillet on the double thickness of each foil rectangle. Mound half the stuffing on top of each fillet. Curl up the edges of the foil to form a tray. Place the fish in foil in the center of the grill rack. Cover and grill for 20 to 25 minutes or just until the fish flakes easily. Serves 2.
Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 258; Carbohydrates 11 gm; Protein 33 gm; Fat 8 gm; Cholesterol 107 mg; Sodium 391 mg.
Raspberry Sorbet
2 (6-ounce) containers fresh red raspberries
1/4 cup honey
2 cups water, divided
5 Tb. granulated sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
In a food processor or blender, process raspberries until smooth. If an extra smooth sorbet is desired, press pureed raspberries through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Place pureed fruit in mixing bowl, add honey and whisk.
In saucepan, combine 1 cup of water, sugar and corn syrup; stir to combine. Heat until sugar is dissolved, about 4 minutes; do not stir. Stir the sugar water and remaining 1 cup of water into the raspberry puree.
Make an ice bath by filling a large bowl with water and ice. Set the bowl of raspberry puree in the ice bath, and whisk until cool. Pour cooled puree into a 8x8 baking dish and cover; freeze until solid, six to eight hours.
To make a coarsely textured granita, use a fork to scrape frozen puree into small crumbs. For a deliciously silky sorbet, transfer frozen puree to a food processor and process quickly until smooth. Serve at once. Makes 5 servings.
Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 189; Carbohydrates 49 gm; Protein 1 gm; Fat 0 gm; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 14 mg.
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