What is the deal with Greek yogurt?

Basically, Greek yogurt is higher in protein than regular yogurts and made with fewer ingredients. Milk and active bacterial culture generally make up the only 2 ingredients in most Greek yogurts but making it requires about 3 times more milk as the process uses more traditional Greek methods. Once the milk is heated and cultured with bacteria, Greek yogurt is strained in a cheesecloth or filter that removes much of the whey (the liquid part of the milk), leaving you with a thicker, protein-rich product. One serving (175g) of plain, non-fat Greek yogurt has about 100 calories and 18g protein. The same serving of regular, plain, non-fat yogurt has about 90-100 calories and only 9g protein.

But beware! Not all Greek yogurts are created equally; here is what you need to know to make the best choice:

1. Aim for 0% M.F. or otherwise ‘non-fat’ varieties.  Some Greek yogurts have up to 11% M.F. which delivers a whopping 250 calories per 175g serving making it more like ice cream than yogurt… not to mention the additional saturated fat and cholesterol.   So stick to 0% M.F..: the extra protein makes it so thick and creamy you would never believe there’s no-fat!

2. Opt for plain versus flavoured non-fat Greek yogurt.  This will save you 40 calories and 10-15g added sugars per 175g serving!

3. Flavour plain non-fat Greek yogurt with fresh/frozen fruit, cinnamon or a splash of vanilla extract, and top with your favourite high fibre cereal.  If sweet is what you’re after, try mixing in some low-calorie sweetener like Splenda.

So…which brands do I recommend? Try anyone of these brands – all are dietitian approved and are staples in our diets here at Spectrum Nutrition:

• Liberte 0% M.F. Greek yogurt
• Danonne Oikos 0% M.F. Greek Yogurt
• President’s Choice 0% M.F. Greek yogurt
• Kirkland 0% M.F. Greek yogurt

At Spectrum Nutrition, we have one rule regarding food…. No Trans Fats! That stuff is terrible for your heart.

Trans fats are found naturally in some animal-based foods, but are also formed when liquid oils are made into semi-solid fats like shortening and hard margarine through a process called hydrogenation. Scientific evidence has shown that dietary saturated and trans fats can increase your risk of developing heart disease. It turns out that our bodies can handle a little saturated fat, but trans fat is 20 times worse for your heart than saturated fat. The reason: trans fat raises the bad LDL cholesterol AND lowers the good HDL cholesterol, whereas saturated fat only raises the bad cholesterol.

Trans fats are still abundant in our food supply despite efforts made by government to eliminate them in their products. Here is where they most commonly reside:

• Commercially baked goods made with shortening, hard margarine or oils containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils and fats (think donuts, cakes, pastries, muffins, and croissants)
• Some packaged goods like crackers, cookies, puddings, cake mixes, peanut butter (no-stir kind), and some breakfast cereals containing raisins. Anything that has an unusually long shelf life, likely has trans fat in it.
• Commercially prepared fried foods, like French fries or breaded foods prepared using shortening or hydrogenated oils.

So what can you do to keep trans fats out of your diet?

• Minimize the use of packaged foods, commercially baked goods and fast food and make it a habit to ask what kind of fat is used in their preparation.
• Check the nutrition facts table and opt for products with no trans fat.
• Always, always check the ingredients list: Some nutrition facts tables will state 0g trans fat on label, but will have vegetable oil shortening or partially hydrogenated oil on the ingredients list. These are both trans fats.

True, that might sound like an oxymoron, but the food innovators out there have come out with what I would consider a ‘healthy’ chip.

They’re called “Beanitos” – they are a ‘chip’ made with beans and a little rice instead of the usual corn (think tortilla chips) or potato.  Not that there’s anything wrong with corn or potatoes, but I think the nutrient profile of these chips are superior to your traditional snack chips; here’s why:

Beanito chips can tout all the good things regular old beans can:

• 8g fibre: keeps you feeling fuller longer
• 7g protein: also provides some lasting power
• 95mg sodium: which is less than a slice of bread  and considerable less than other chips
• High in iron and potassium

The calories in Beanito’s are roughly equivalent to the calories in other chips: 250 calories for 50g (about one loosely packed (and closed) sandwich baggie full), but you’re getting a lot more staying power out of these little gems.  Try them with a little light sour cream and salsa – enjoy!

Peanut butter without the fat?!?

Yes, it’s true thanks to a new product on the market called PB2.  PB2 is a powdered, defatted peanut butter that you add water to just before eating to make ‘real’ peanut butter.   Powdered peanut butter sounds a little weird I know, but the ‘defatting’ process removes about 85% of the oil in the peanuts by mechanically ‘pressing’ the peanuts through an expeller or press.  What’s left after this process are the peanuts, in a powdered form.  The result?  A peanut butter that, after you add a little water, looks, tastes and feels just like ‘real’ peanut butter, but with 85% less fat and ¼ of the calories!  Now that’s what I call healthy heaven!  And…the product is made with just roasted peanuts, a little sugar and salt – just like regular peanut butter.

To bizarre you say?  Not at all.  We consume defatted products all the time. Think chocolate. Defatting is the same process used to make cocoa powder from the cocoa bean (and hence chocolate), soy flour from a soy bean or, if looking at the process the other way, how olive oil is made from olives (the only difference is we don’t usually make use of the powdered olives left over from the oil making process…we just use the oil). The process of defatting is widely used and does not change the chemical or physical properties of the substance being defatted, it simply presses out the oil.

If you’ve ever had Adam’s natural peanut butter, PB2, once you’ve added a touch of water, tastes and has a texture just like it.  All you need to do is enjoy!

You can buy this product locally at a store called “Nature – Living Health” in Vancouver (between 10^th and 11^th on Arbutus Street) or online, just Google PB2 and have it shipped right to your door.  Enjoy in smoothies, baking, on toast, or on some celery or a banana as a snack!

I think most people would agree that cheese is one of life’s great pleasures. Unfortunately, it earns a bad reputation thanks to its (typically) high calorie, fat, saturated fat and sodium content. A 30g (1 oz) serving of hard cheese (equivalent to 2 dominos) has about 120 calories, so it can add up quite quickly!

The good news is you can fit cheese into your healthy eating plan without the guilt. With the help of some “light” cheeses on the market, and a couple of simple tips, you can easily have your cheese and eat it too! Here’s what we recommend:

• Invest in a food scale to keep portions in check. The only way to really know what 30g (1 oz) of cheese looks like is to weigh it!
• Grate your cheese…30g looks like a lot more grated then it does sliced
• Opt for cheeses with 20% M.F. or less on the food label.
• Look for the following cheeses on the market that have between 4-13% M.F. and ½ the calories than regular cheese:

1. Dama Light Brie – 12% M.F. (Safeway)

2. PC Blue Menu Light Brie – 12% M.F. (Superstore, No Frills)

3. Allegro – 4% M.F.  A firm, mild, cheddar-like cheese (Most grocery stores)

4. Elite Goats Cheese – 6% M.F. (Safeway, Whole Foods, Choices) 

5. Light Laughing Cow Cheese – Spreadable cheese (Most grocery stores)

6. Paradise Island Skim Milk Cheese – 7% M.F. Available in cheddar & parmesan (Thrifty’s Foods)

7. Light Baby Bell Cheese – 8% M.F. Individually wrapped ‘munching’ cheese (Found just about everywhere!)

You may be surprised to know that when it comes to making a lower calorie choice for the starch portion of your plate, potatoes and sweet potatoes beat out the healthy grains like quinoa, barley, whole grain pasta, and brown rice.

Cup for cup, this is how potatoes and sweet potatoes measure up against the grains:

1 cup cooked whole grain spaghetti, quinoa, barley, and brown rice =200 kcals
1 cup cooked mashed potato (~200g) , with skin = 160 kcals
1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato (~200g), with skin = 160 kcals

What’s more, sweet potatoes have about 6g fibre per 1 cup serving (potatoes have about 4g) which is three times the fibre content of a cup of brown rice and as much fibre as a cup of cooked barley (just remember to keep the skin on–much of the fibre is in the skin)! With all that fibre, you are sure to get the lasting power you are looking for out of your starch AND for less calories!

To get you in the mood for cooking with sweet potatoes, Spectrum Nutrition has posted a Curried Sweet Potato Salad recipe under our RECIPES posts. It is a curried twist on traditional potato salad and a perfect (and healthy) starch option for a late summer meal. Just add your veggies and protein and enjoy!

Most people don’t think of ‘yeast’ as appetizing… I know I certainly didn’t. Now it seems I’m putting it on everything and would encourage you to give it a try.

Why? First of all it’s delicious! Nutritional yeast has a cheese-like taste and can be sprinkled on foods like you would parmesan cheese. So why not just use parmesan? Per ¼ cup serving, nutritional yeast has less than half the calories of parmesan and 5g protein; 50 calories per ¼ cup to be exact – Not bad for yeast!

Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast grown on a sugar cane or beet medium.  As it grows, B vitamins are added to the medium which boost its vitamin and mineral content. Some brands even fortify the stuff with vitamin B12, making it a valuable supplement for those following a vegan diet. It’s also a complete source of protein and gluten-free!

Here are some of the delicious ways you can use flaked nutritional yeast:

• Sprinkle over salads or veggies that have been cooked, steamed, roasted, or sauteed.
• Toss with freshly popped popcorn for a tasty and nutritious snack and forgo the butter.
• Mix into cooked whole grains like barley, whole wheat pasta or quinoa and get that cheesy flavour for a lot less calories!

So what do I recommend? Try “Bob’s Red Mill Large Flake Nutritional Food Yeast” (sold at various health food stores, and grocery stores like Whole Foods Market) – Enjoy

Pre and probiotics can be found in just about every food product imaginable these days – but have you ever wondered what they actually are?

Your intestine is populated with literally trillions of bacteria, which we collectively call your flora.  The type of bacteria that make up your flora are determined in part by what you eat.  Both pre and probiotics are designed to help you change the type of bacteria that make up your flora but they do so by different actions.

Probiotics (think yogurt) are actually bacteria that when ingested are meant to ‘crowd’ out the existing bacteria thereby changing the makeup of your flora. Prebiotics (think oat fibre or inulin) on the other hand, are a type of starch that we can’t digest but that the bacteria in your intestine can ‘eat’. Those bacteria capable of ‘eating’ the particular prebiotic then proliferate and ‘crowd’ out many of the other strains of bacteria in your intestine.

So you’re either eating bacteria (probiotics) or feeding bacteria (prebiotics)…now you know 😉

In a perfect world, we would always take the time to prepare and enjoy a nutritious breakfast. But what do you do when you are forced to rush out the door on an empty stomach? Believe it or not, there are healthy options out there that meet the Spectrum guidelines for breakfast, which are to include a quality starch (a whole grain) AND adequate protein (at least 12g protein from protein foods like dairy, eggs, chicken, etc) and you can find them at your local coffee shop.

Find below our Spectrum-approved breakfast picks for 400 calories or less at your local Starbucks.  Note that all the items suggested can be purchased at Starbucks.

Perfect Oatmeal (no nuts, no dried fruit) + brown sugar topping or splenda + 1 banana OR 1 fresh fruit cup + 1 mini Liberte non-fat greek yogurt

Total: 380 kcal, 8g fibre, 16g protein

Spinach, Egg White & Feta Breakfast Wrap + 1 banana OR 1 fresh fruit cup

Total: 370 kcal, 10g fibre, 19g protein

Protein Bistro Box (Includes fruit, cheese, boiled egg, whole grain bread)

Total: 360 kcal, 5g fibre, 15g protein

Reduced-fat Turkey Bacon Breakfast Sandwich + 1 banana OR 1 fresh fruit cup

Total: 400 kcal, 7g fibre, 18g protein

Eating out for breakfast doesn’t have to be ‘bad’ for your diet.  Here are some breakfast ideas from Tim Hortons that all meet the Spectrum guidelines for a lasting and healthy breakfast. Warning, you’ll have to scrap the last minute Tim Bits, but we think you find these Spectrum-approved breakfasts below perfectly acceptable AND filling – Now, Tim Bits don’t do that (!) and at 90 calories a pop, certainly not for under 400 calories!

Low-fat vanilla yogurt with berries + 1 Breakfast Sandwich (English muffin with egg white and cheese) Total: 380 kcal, 3g fibre, 17g protein

Low-fat strawberry yogurt with berries + Breakfast Sandwich (English muffin with hickory smoked ham, egg white and cheese) Total: 390 kcal, 3g fibre, 21g protein

1 Small plain Oatmeal + 1 low fat vanilla yogurt with berries + 1 medium cappuccino Total: 400 kcal, 8g fibre, 18g protein

1 English muffin + 1 peanut butter + 1 low fat strawberry yogurt with berries Total: 390 kcal, 3g fibre, 13g protein