By:  BU’s Joan Salge Blake (@joansalgeblake, salgeblake@comcast.net)

While the Food Pyramid had close to a 20 year run, it’s time has come. As a registered dietitian and nutrition professor, I can honestly say that the Pyramid left me scratching my head as it did little to help the public translate healthy eating onto their plate.

Enter the latest graphic symbol of nutrition advice, MyPlate, released today by the USDA to visually help Americans translate the science-based, 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans into their everyday life.

The new MyPlate is a dinner plate split into multiple sections, each representing not only a different type of food but also the relative proportion that these foods should dominate your diet. At a blink of an eye, you will now see that half of your plate should be devoted to waist- and heart-friendly vegetables and fruit with a smaller portion for whole grains and lean protein foods such as fish, skinless poultry, and lean meats. The circle shape next to the plate is a visual reminder to make sure that non fat and low fat dairy foods such as milk are not forgotten at mealtime.

With over 65 percent of Americans overweight, this visual shift of foods on your plate can make a dramatic effect on your calorie intake. Devoting more than half of the surface of the plate to low calorie vegetables will crowd out higher calorie grains and protein foods, potentially cutting over 100 calories from your dinner.

There at also 7 important nutrition messages that accompany the new MyPlate:

Balancing Calories
● Enjoy your food, but eat less.
● Avoid oversized portions.

Foods to Increase
● Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
● Make at least half your grains whole grains.
● Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

Foods to Reduce
● Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals ― and choose the foods
with lower numbers.
● Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

Goodbye, Food Pyramid. Mangia to the new MyPlate.

For more information, visit: www.choosemyplate.gov

“The trend is to upgrade to more choices and more fresh foods that are better for you.  If you splurge on a pricey suite or other premium seating area you can not only enjoy the best view of the game, but can order from an extensive restaurant-style menu featuring the most upscale and trendy foods.

She also recommends avoiding the pitfalls of “all-you-can-eat” seats currently being offered a stadiums across America costing between $35-50.00 in addition to ticket price:

“An extra $30 for hot dogs? Those are expensive hot dogs! They are also high in sodium and fat.”

Also:

“Eat before heading out to the ballpark so you don’t make a meal of these foods, and will be satisfied with snack-sized portions. “Decide what you would really like to eat, factor that into your food intake for the day, and enjoy it while you’re at the ballpark,”

Here are a few other tips:

• Whenever possible, ask questions about portion size, caloric content and how much fat, salt and cholesterol a food item or dish contains.
• Look for plant-based foods, which are lower in saturated fat and higher in fiber. Most ballparks now serve some combination of whole-grain bread, fresh fruit and salad. Skip the butter on the bread, and choose an oil-based — not creamy — salad dressing.
• Go for grilled, not fried. A grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato is much lower in saturated fat and calories than a fried hamburger (either way, skip the fries).
• Instead of hot dogs and hamburgers, try new cuisines — but ask the server to modify as needed to reduce fat and calorie content. For example, a Tex-Mex burrito filled with beans and shredded lettuce can be quite filling (but ask the server to skip the cheese and give you extra salsa instead, so you can sneak in more veggies). Sushi, grilled salmon, steamed edamame and other Japanese foods are also good high-protein, low-fat choices.
• If you feel like having a full meal, watch the action from one of the stadium restaurants. Choose steamed or poached entrées, instead of those deep fried or sautéed in butter. And keep your intake of saturated fat low by avoiding cream-based soups, sauces and salad dressings, and dishes that are made from or garnished with cheese.
• Limit your intake of sugar by chugging bottled water or diet soft drinks, instead of regular soda, “energy drinks” or sugar-added fruit juice — and keep in mind that the typical 20-ounce size soft drink is actually 2½ servings.
• If you’re one of those who insists on “traditional” ballpark fare, choose wisely. Snack on peanuts in the shell (low in saturated fat, high in fiber, B vitamins and protein); scrape the salt off the soft pretzel; guzzle low-carb or alcohol-free beer (fewer calories and carbohydrates than regular beer); and substitute sorbet or fruit ice for ice cream in a tiny plastic baseball hat (frozen fruit-based desserts have very little saturated fat, as compared with ice cream).
• If you don’t want to strike out nutritionally, avoid ballpark franks (too much salt and saturated fat), as well as Cracker Jacks and cotton candy (both are high in sugar).

“If you went to bed weighing 130 pounds and woke up registering 180 pounds on the bathroom scale, then you need to seek out extreme measures from a health care provider. Quickly…

Since it is highly unlikely that this amount of weight gain occurred overnight, then it is equally unlikely that it can safely be shed from your body in a day, a week, or even month.

Following an extremely restrictive, unbalanced very low calorie diet coupled with unrealistic amounts of daily exercise is not your weight loss solution and may cause unhealthy symptoms and side effects such as nausea, dehydration, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, and loss of lean muscle mass, to name a few ill effects.

Before you consider the latest advertised and promoted fad diet program for drastic weight loss that is Twittering through your Smartphone , click here for a review and critique of a variety of Hollywood Celebrity’s Dramatic Weight Loss attempts over the years.

For the best advice, guidance, and support for losing weight, consult with a registered dietitian in your area. To find one, visit the American Dietetic Association website at: www.eatright.org.”

Joan can be reached at: @joansalgeblake, salgeblake@comcast.net

The (Food) Dating Game

We all have played the dating game. That is, the Food Label Dating Game. It’s when you find that a package of raw chicken breasts in the back of the refrigerator and the date has expired, and thus, the game begins. Should I cook it and eat it? Should I toss it? Will I get sick if I eat it?

Keep in mind that the date on the food package does not refer to food safety, but to the quality of the food. In other words, this is the date in which you should consume the product in order to enjoy it at its best quality. Whenever you see a date on the label, there must be a phrase next to the date that tells you how to interpret it.

If there is “Sell By” next to the date, you should purchase the product on or before that date. If there is “Best if Used By” or “Use By” next to it, this refers to the date by which you should consume the product in order to enjoy it at its best quality. If you don’t plan to consume a product by its Use By date, you can freeze it. However, once frozen, the Use By date doesn’t apply.

To help you to decide if you should eat it or toss it, the FDA has created a handy list to help you make a decision. If you are still unsure, error on the cautious side.

When it doubt, toss it out.

Joan can be reached at salgeblake@bu.edu or @joansalgeblake.

Joan can be reached at salgeblake@bu.edu or @joansalgeblake.

“If I could say one thing, it would be to encourage him to continue establishing the proposed preventative health services, which would include nutrition services, because of the cost-saving nature of the services. Preventative services are cost effective and would save the nation money while improving the nations’ health. Both are a good thing.”

According the just released Dietary Guidelines for Americans for 2010, most Americans are falling short of their daily potassium needs, which could be wrecking havoc with their blood pressure.

According to the report, over 55% of Americans have high blood pressure or are on their way to getting high blood pressure in the very near future. Individuals with chronic high blood pressure increase their risk of developing heart disease and stroke, two of the top three killers of Americans. While losing excess weight, reducing sodium in the diet, and being physically active all can reduce blood pressure, so can consuming adequate amounts of potassium-rich foods.

Research suggests that a diet plentiful in potassium lowers blood pressure, especially in salt-sensitive individuals who respond more intensely to sodium’s blood pressure –raising capabilities. Potassium helps negate some of the blood pressure-raising effects of excessive dietary sodium as it causes the kidneys to excrete excess sodium from the body. Reducing sodium levels in the body helps lower blood pressure.

While the current recommendation is for healthy Americans to consume 4,700 milligrams of potassium daily, males are consuming only 3,200 milligrams daily, whereas females fall even shorter, consuming only 2,400 milligrams a day, on average. The good news is that potassium is found in a variety of foods, with vegetables, fruits, low fat dairy foods, and beans being potassium powerhouses:

Potato, baked including skin, small, 738 mg
White beans, ½ cup, 595 mg
Yogurt, nonfat, plain, 579 mg
Sweet Potato, baked with skin, medium, 542 mg
Orange juice, 1 cup, 496 mg
Halibut, cooked, 3 ounces, 490 mg
Soybeans, cooked, ½ cup, 485 mg
Cod, cooked, 3 ounces, 439 mg
Banana, 1 medium, 422 mg
Spinach, cooked, ½ cup, 370-419 mg
Tomato sauce, ½ cup, 405 mg
Milk, skim, 1 cup, 382 mg
Apricots, dried, ¼ cup, 378 mg
Soy milk, 1 cup, 372 mg
Kidney beans, cooked, ½ cup, 358 mg

Here’s some easy ways to pump up your daily potassium:
• Pour an 8-ounce glass of orange juice at breakfast to begin your day with a potassium boost.
• Add leafy greens to all your sandwiches. Spinach in particular is a potassium dynamo!
• Add dried apricots to your mid-morning yogurt for a one, two (apricots and dairy)
potassium punch.
• Have bean soup with your lunchtime sandwich for a warm way to enjoy your potassium.
• Baked regular or sweet potatoes are potassium powerhouses on your dinner plate (see
recipe below).

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, washed
2 ounces orange or apple juice
3 teaspoons margarine, melted
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. With a fork, prick holes in sweet potatoes and bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and cool slightly for better handling. Once cooled, slice each potato in half diagonally. Scoop out most of the potato, leaving approximately 1/4 inch around skin. Put potatoes in mixing bowl along with apple juice, sugar, 2 teaspoons margarine, and nutmeg and whip until smooth. Place potato skins into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan and fill with potato mixture. Set aside. In nonstick fry pan, add remaining margarine and sauté walnuts until toasted. Sprinkle potatoes evenly with walnuts. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until thoroughly heated. Makes 8 stuffed potatoes.
Note: Leftovers can be reheated the next day for a potassium-packed lunchtime meal.