Popcorn Attempt

                This past weekend, I had a few friends over, and I made some popcorn. It was bad popcorn. Think a tad charred and too salty. I had tried to make kettle corn. I have successfully made it in the past, but have not in the past many years. Standard kernels popped over the stove top in oil I can do. But adding sugar and caramelizing it to perfection without getting it burned—I can’t replicate my past results! This is where my popcorn ended up: in the garbage can.

popcorn that didn't work out

 How to pop popcorn kernels the simpler way:

1. You need a large pot. Cover the bottom with oil, and add 2 kernels of popcorn.
2. Heat on medium to high flame until both kernels pop.
3. Now add enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pot.
4. Once you hear the kernels start to pop, give the pot a shake every 10 seconds or so to prevent burning.
5. When the popping slows down, turn the stove off.
6. Pour the popcorn into a paper bag, sprinkle with salt, and shake well

                When you do that, you should get this:

                Onto the nutrition now. Popcorn itself is considered a whole grain. Three cups of air-popped popcorn contains 90 calories, 3 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fiber. Popcorn popped over the stove top in oil and microwave popcorn are another story. The added fats and/or sugar in those make the popcorn a high calorie food. The calorie content in those versions can be double or more the calories in air-popped popcorn. Be an educated eater!

                If anyone has advice on how to make kettle corn, let me know!

Is Soup Healthy?

                There is a health aura around soup. Often, when foods have a health aura, people are under the impression that there is no such thing as too much. Here are a few points to keep in mind to help you understand how soup can fit into your eating habits.

• Canned soups tend to be very high in sodium
• Homemade soups are often high in sodium—especially when powdered soup bases or soup bouillon cubes are used
• Flavoring your soup with herbs and spices and going light on the salt will yield a lower sodium soup
• Potato soup, butternut squash soup, bean/legume soup, and other soups with a starchy vegetable as the base will be higher in carbohydrates and have more calories than a soup made from only non-starchy vegetables
• A soup with beans, chickpeas, or other legumes will often be more filling, as it has a lot of fiber and some protein
• A soup that is only a broth will have close to zero calories, but it will not keep you satiated for long
• Cream soups can be high in calories because of the fat content of the butter and cream in them
• Adding croutons adds calories from carbohydrates and fat
• A soup that contains protein, vegetables, and a carbohydrate can be a full meal

                In the comments section, let me know what questions you have about nutrition for soups. 

Healthy Potatoes?

                Somehow, potatoes have gotten a bad rap. In the United States, potatoes are the most commonly consumed vegetables[1]. Yes, potatoes are technically a vegetable, although from a macronutrient standpoint, they are a carbohydrate food, with 15gm of carbohydrates in ½ cup. They are high in vitamin C and potassium, like many other vegetables. Sweet potatoes have an added bonus of vitamin A. 

Are potatoes healthy? They definitely can be part of a healthy diet for most people. We all need carbohydrates, and potatoes are definitely an option there. Just keep an eye out for the portion size…and how they are prepared.

Nutrient Content of Various Potato Dishes[2]

	Calories	Carbohydrate (g)	Fat (g)	Fiber (g)
Small white potato, with skin (138g)	134	37	0	4
Small sweet potato, no skin (138g)	105	24	0	3
½ cup mashed potatoes, made with oil (115g)	121	15	6	2
Medium size fast food serving  French fries (117g)	378	50	18	5

                Now you can ask, “which are better: white potatoes or sweet potatoes?” You will notice some nutrient differences. Overall, I would say to just have a variety of carbohydrate foods. Maybe today’s dinner will have sweet potatoes, tomorrow’s dinner will have white potatoes, the next night winter squash, and another night a whole grain pita. Yes there are some nutrient differences, but they are minute in the scheme of an entire diet. Choose a carbohydrate, and more often than not, choose the carbohydrate that has fiber and less added oil or fat.

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[1] State of the plate: 2015 study on America’s consumption of fruits & vegetables. Produce for Better Health Foundation. Accessed November 8, 2017. <https://www.pbhfoundation.org/pdfs/about/res/pbh_res/State_of_the_Plate_2015_WEB_Bookmarked.pdf>

[2] USDA Food Composition Databases. United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed November 8, 2017. < https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list>

Comparison of Different Fats

Nutrition Information for 1 Tablespoon of Various Fats[1]

	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated fat (g)	Mono- unsaturated fat (g)	Poly-unsaturated fat (g)	Trans fat (g)
Coconut oil	121	13.5	11.2	0.9	0.2	0
Butter	102	11.5	7.3	3.0	0.4	0.5
Palm oil	120	13.6	6.7	5.0	1.3
Chicken fat	115	12.8	3.8	5.8	2.7
Margarine	100	11.2	2.3	5.3	3.1	2.8
Peanut oil	119	13.5	2.3	6.2	4.3
Soybean oil	120	13.6	2.1	3.1	7.9	1.2
Vegetable oil	120	13.6	2.1	3.1	7.8	0.1
Olive oil	119	13.5	1.8	9.9	1.4
Avocado oil	124	14	1.6	9.9	1.9
Sunflower oil	120	13.6	1.3	6.2	5.5
Canola oil	124	14	1.0	8.9	3.9	0.1
Safflower oil	120	13.6	0.8	2.0	10

                Here we have it…the nutrition content of common fats. Fats and oils are all around 120 calories per tablespoon. You will notice that butter is lower. That is because butter is a water-in-oil emulsion, and the water content does not contribute calories.

The main nutritional difference between the other fats is the proportion of saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fats. Excessive intake of saturated fat and trans fat is associated with heart problems, while unsaturated fats are beneficial to our heart health.

One easy way to tell if a fat is high in saturated fat is if it is solid at room temperature. All fats that are solid at room temperature have higher content of saturated fat. The first five fats on the list are solid at room temperature, and their saturated fat content is the highest of the fats on the list.

One surprising fact is that there are two vegetable fats on this list that are high in saturated fat. Many times we think that if something is from a plant it is automatically better for us. Yet, based on the saturated fat content, there are other fats that are better for our heart health.

Another easy trap to fall into is the health aura that surrounds some plant foods. The fact that a food is a plant and has nutrients in it that are healthy for us is not a good enough reason to eat as much as we desire. A great example of this is the avocado. The avocado is a fruit that is high in many vitamins and minerals. Additionally, it is high in monounsaturated fats. Yet, because of that, it is definitely a high-fat food—75% of its calories are from fat. A whole avocado can have 220-370 calories! While definitely a healthy choice of a fat source, it is important to remember about portion sizes. As a reference point, a half cup of avocado cubes is about 120 calories. Next time you are making a salad, measure it out with a measuring cup…you may be in for a surprise!

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[1] USDA Food Composition Databases. United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed October 11, 2017. < https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list>