"healthy eating" news and stories

Tired of "healthy" fast food that packs close to a day's worth of sodium (or more) per serving? At least a couple of the so-called fast casual restaurant chains -- Au Bon Pain and Panera Bread -- are making efforts to get some of the sodium out of their salt-packed sandwich, salad and soup offerings.

Yes, it's definitely on our screen," said Ed Frechette, senior vice president of marketing at Boston-based Au Bon Pain. Frechette said the chain has more than a dozen soups targeted for at least a 15-percent sodium reduction by August -- and that's on top of reductions they've already made. They're using chickens that aren't injected with saltwater and trying to figure out how to get some of the salt out of their breads.

The need for action was pretty clear. A listing by the food police folks at the Center for Science in the Public Interest in their November Nutrition Action Health letter, states that there is more than 2,500 mg of sodium in Panera's signature smokehouse turkey hot Panini, more than 2,200 mg in its French Onion soup and 1,670 in its Greek salad with dressing – which is still a heck of a lot considering the recommended daily maximum is 2,300 mg and only 1,500 for older people and those with high blood pressure and other health problems.

Legislators in Louisiana, where the statewide obesity rate stands at 29 percent, recently rejected two measures designed to improve residents' eating and drinking habits. But Rep. Patrick Williams, who authored one of the bills, is optimistic that the state will soon adopt a more proactive approach to citizen wellness.

"Everyone wants to be more healthy," Williams says. "And that's not just going to happen by itself."

Williams' original bill would have banned households enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program from using food stamps to purchase "unhealthy foods." Retailers including Wal-Mart loudly protested the plan, arguing they shouldn't have to police their customers' shopping carts. Williams says he anticipated the outcry.

With the economy on the fritz, many people are working twice as hard to make up for colleagues lost in layoffs. It can be hard to pick up the slack and still have energy at the end of the day -- or even working weekends.

In the food business, I'm used to long hours, but I have come up with some ways to fight fatigue when I just don't have time for exercise or R&R is nowhere in sight. Making simple changes to your eating habits can have a huge effect on your energy level throughout the day, which can help you work faster and more efficiently.

After the jump get Jennifer's tips for fighting fatigue while eating deliciously.

"Babycakes: Vegan, Gluten-Free, and (Mostly) Sugar-Free Recipes from New York's Most Talked-About Bakery"

By Erin McKenna
Photographs by Tara Donne
Clarkson Potter -- 2009
Buy It at Amazon

Note: While testing the vanilla frosting recipe, we accidentally used soy flour instead of the the soy milk powder the recipe called for. The two are easily confused but not interchangeable, as our results demonstrated.

When Erin McKenna opened BabyCakes NYC in 2005, her gluten-free, vegan baked goods became a huge success, giving hope to the gluten-intolerant and converting legions of dairy-worshipping skeptics. Her new cookbook is both a how-to guide and winning, chatty account of McKenna's journey from junk food junkie to gluten-free goddess (she changed her Twinkie-loving ways in 2004, when she was diagnosed with wheat and dairy allergies). Pretty much everything in the baked good pantheon is here -- cupcakes, blueberry corn muffins, scones, cake and cobbler -- ensuring that while the gluten and dairy may be missing, absolutely nothing else is.

Takeaway Tips: McKenna writes in a clear, humorous and reassuring voice that makes you feel like you're baking in the company of, if not an old friend, then an endlessly understanding and forgiving teacher. She provides ingenious advice on making simple, natural food coloring (who knew that a pinch of turmeric made gorgeous yellow icing?), and her incredibly helpful ingredients glossary at the beginning of the book (from agave nectar to xantham gum) removes a lot of the considerable intimidation factor inherent in gluten-free, vegan baking.

See what we tested and whether the book's worth buying after the jump.

Source

When people think of chefs and restaurant food, the work "skinny" usually doesn't pop into their minds. While the food is often delicious and satisfying, it can be high in calories and fat.

I dine out each week, but I know there's a downside to indulging every day. When I worked in New York City restaurant kitchens, I learned something really valuable -- cooking techniques that I could apply to make healthier versions of those meals, so I could enjoy them more often. I also learned how to fit restaurant food into a balanced lifestyle.

My mission as the Skinny Chef is to recreate those flavors and experiences by making food that can be enjoyed guilt free, more often, at home. While I discovered great ways to maintaining a healthy weight, I chose the name Skinny Chef to remind us that food can be fun, flavorful, beautiful, satisfying and healthy at the same time.

Sharing my knowledge and love of food with others has completely changed my life and put me in touch with so many wonderful people I might have never had the chance to meet. I want to hear more about you and your food experiences, so that we can start together our journey to easy, fun ways to cook tasty nourishing meals.

Responses to questions from last post's comments are after the jump.