"light" news and stories

We already know that probiotics are one of the hottest health buzzwords of the year, so it's no surprise to hear that Dannon, which was one of the first companies to actively promote probiotics in their products in the US with the launch of Activia, has some new products to add to their line. First up is Activia Light, a fat free version of the original yogurt. It has less sugar than the original and about 30% fewer calories per serving, but still comes in four fruity flavors: strawberry, raspberry, peach and vanilla.

There are also two other new items in Dannon's lineup. DanActive, a "probiotic dairy drink" which was released nationwide this month that is supposed to help strengthen the body's immune system. Danimals, a kids yogurt drink, is also being re-released with a new formulation that includes "he world's most researched probiotic culture for children, Lactobacillus GG (LGG)," which has been clinically shown to improve gastrointestinal and immune functions and contribute to good oral health.

I love making pudding cakes. I find them to be both easy and satisfying, especially on a cold evening where the dessert can really warm you up. A basic recipe for one will have egg whites folded into a flavored batter, much like a souffle. Unlike a souffle, however, pudding cakes are baked in a water bath that keeps the bottom portion from puffing up as it cooks, leaving a thick pudding at the base of your baking dish. The top portion of the cake, uninhibited by the insulation of the water bath, bakes into a light, moist sponge cake that provides a perfect contrast for the pudding below.

I baked this batch in individual ramekins, which makes them look a little more elegant than a pudding cake baked in one large dish and scooped out for serving. As an extra touch, I also used Meyer lemons in place of regular lemons. They add a lot of lemon flavor without any of the sharpness that is usually associated with lemons and lemon juice.

The Cinnamon Dolce Latte is back on Starbucks menu boards as of a few days ago, although a friendly store or two may have started making the popular drinks just before the New Year if you were lucky. Cinnamon Dolce is typically an indulgent drink, made with espresso, steamed milk and a sweet syrup flavored with cinnamon, butter and brown sugar. The standard comes topped with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkles, as well. But due to the drink's popularity and the increasingly health-conscious customer base, Starbucks has introduced a sugar-free Cinnamon Dolce syrup this year as an alternative to the standard. It has the same flavors, but zero calories. Made with nonfat milk (and no whipped cream), a tall sugar-free Cinnamon Dolce Latte has only 90 calories, an impressive reduction from a tall-sized regular CDL made with whipped cream and whole milk, which has 340 calories (260 without the whipped cream).

As you might expect, I have a lot of cookbooks, old and new, sweet and savory, healthy and decadent. The division between those last two types of cookbook always seems more important around the beginning of the New Year, since many hope to add new and improved eating habits to their list of things to accomplish during the year. The difficulty with cookbooks is that all to often "healthy" books are unfairly labeled as not being worth it, with bland or boring recipes that can't compare to the ones found in the more "decadent" cookbooks.

While it is true that the more fattening, higher calorie recipes usually taste good (assuming that you're using a good cookbook in the first place), so can the healthier ones. And this year, there were plenty of health-conscious cookbooks released to add to your collection, whether you are looking for something healthy or just for some that that tastes good.

Comfort Food Makeovers and Fast Food Fix both remake recipes into lighter versions without sacrificing flavor. The Biggest Loser Cookbook is based on recipes that worked for contestants on the hit show, and The South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays has a good selection for entertaining. Perfect Light Desserts has lots of lightened sweets recipes

Other health-conscious books include What to Eat to help you shop more effectively and choose nutritious foods, The Healthy Lunchbox has a selection of kid-friendly, easy to make lunches that are better than most school-provided alternatives. California Squisine is another fun, kid-friendly book to encourage kids to eat right (without knowing they're doing it). Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy is a great resource for those who really need to manage their food intake to deal with diabetes.

Who is making a resolution to eat healthier this year? If you are, Comfort Food Makeovers: Healthy Alternatives to Your Favorite Homestyle Dishes is a good place to find some better-for-you food ideas. Elaine Magee is the "recipe doctor" for WebMD. In other words, she is the one who makes over all the high fat, unhealthy favorites that users ask about into healthier, lighter versions that are just as flavorful.

The primary techniques that the book uses are using lower fat ingredients (low fat milk, light sour cream, etc) and simply eliminating some of the fat. The serving sizes are also slightly reduced, but the recipes usually have more fiber than the originals, which will help you feel fuller. The recipes sound pretty much like those you would find in a full-fat cookbook, but you'll probably enjoy Pecan Sticky Buns, Oven-Fried Buttermilk Chicken, Chicken Pot Pie Soup, Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes and Fudge Truffle Cheesecake just a little bit more knowing that they're better for you. Complete nutritional information, as well as information for a non-lightened recipe, is given for each dish.