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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best food items to carry with me when out shopping and running errands?
It is important that your daily calorie intake be based on your usual activity level. If you are considerably more active on any given day or are away from home, plan ahead to eat appropriately to manage your food intake. It's best to prepare your own foods so you can control what goes into a meal and avoid hidden calories. On a busy day, carry along one medium apple and a bottle of great-tasting Ensure®.
What is folic acid?
This B vitamin is essential for keeping the body healthy. It benefits everything from the brain and nervous system to bone marrow and the intestinal tract. There’s also evidence that folic acid lowers an amino acid in the blood (homocysteine) that has been linked with increased risk for heart disease and Alzheimer’s. If you’re healthy, you need about 400 micrograms a day. Think foliage: Leafy greens are among the richest sources of folic acid. It’s also found in liver, legumes, oranges, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and whole grains.
Can vegetable juice be considered a vegetable serving?
Studies have shown that people who eat a large variety of vegetables may reduce their risk of cancer, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Eating the whole vegetable is better, because the fiber is usually lost when the juice is extracted. What's more, the whole vegetable is more likely to fill you up. By comparison, processed juices are more calorie-dense and have more sodium. However, fresh and even canned or bottled 100 percent vegetable juices contain much of their vegetables' original vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, and so can occasionally be a good alternative.
Are fish sticks as healthy as fresh fish?
Most fish sticks are made from pollock, a firm white fish with far less of the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids than are found in fattier fishes like tuna, salmon, and mackerel. Also, fish sticks often contain both saturated and trans fatty acids, both considered bad for your heart. When choosing frozen fish, look for fillets that aren't breaded. The freezer section offers a variety of choices that are healthier than fish sticks.
What is a hydroponically grown tomato?
Growing plants hydroponically is an alternative to growing them in soil. In this method, plants are suspended so that their roots can be submerged in a solution supplying all their nutrients. With the nutrients highly available to the plant, it grows very well and produces a lot of fruit or vegetables.
I've heard fish oil has many positive health benefits. Should I buy canned tuna in oil for a bigger dose of omega-3 fatty acids?
No. The oil that most canned tuna is packaged in is vegetable oil, which would give you more calories but not more "omega-3s." To get the most omega-3 fatty acids from canned tuna, look for albacore tuna, which contains 1.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per serving compared to unspecified tuna, which contains an average of 0.5 grams per serving.
Is soy sauce a good source for soy protein?
Although soy sauce is a product of the soybean (fermented soy) and tends to liven up many of our favorite dishes, it contains only 1 to 2 grams of soy protein per tablespoon and is high in sodium. If it's soy protein you're looking for, good sources include soy burgers, soymilk, and isolated soy protein powders.
What is a tree nut allergy?
A person who has a tree nut allergy is allergic to nuts grown on trees, like pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, and cashews. Tree nut allergies are more common in adults than children. Typical allergic reactions are hives, wheezing, throat tightness, vomiting, or diarrhea. There is no cure for this allergy; avoidance of the food is necessary. Quick administration of epinephrine, the medication of choice for managing a severe reaction, is critical. Check the ingredient statement on the labels of foods that may contain nuts.
I have diabetes. Do antioxidants play a different role for me than for those who do not have diabetes?
Yes. People with diabetes need as much, if not more, antioxidant nutrients in their diet than people who do not have diabetes. Studies suggest that hyperglycemia (elevated blood sugar levels) may increase the oxidant stress on the body. Oxidant stress may lead to diabetes-related heart, eye, nerve, and kidney diseases. A higher intake of antioxidant nutrients, as found in many fruits and vegetables, helps to reduce the harmful effects of oxidants formed in the body.
Does refrigerating white potatoes turn the starch into sugar?
A refrigerator’s cool temperatures do encourage the starch in potatoes to become sugar. While this process makes potatoes darken and brown more easily during cooking, it doesn’t have a big impact on the vegetable’s nutritional value. It’s a good idea to store fresh potatoes away from sunlight in a cool (about 45 to 50 F) and dry spot.
Is the saturated fat in chocolate bad for you?
The saturated fats in chocolate are stearic and palmitic acids and come from cocoa butter. While eating too much saturated fat is often linked to cardiovascular disease, stearic acid may have a neutral effect on LDL cholesterol (“bad cholesterol”) levels. In one study of subjects with normal cholesterol levels who followed a balanced, healthy diet, eating one chocolate bar a day had no effect on LDL cholesterol levels. As with most foods, consuming chocolate in moderate amounts can be part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Which is healthier for cooking: butter or margarine?
Surprise — neither. Yes, it may be a trick question, but because nearly 100 percent of their calories are derived from fat, neither butter nor margarine is the best choice for cooking. Butter contains saturated fats and cholesterol, while most margarines contain both saturated fats and trans fats. If you do decide to use margarine, choose tub or liquid styles over stick forms, and choose margarines with liquid vegetable oil as their first ingredient. Your best bet: Use olive, soybean, or canola oil in their place, and make sure to limit your portion sizes.
Where do I find food allergy information on a food label?
Beginning January 1, 2006, food labels must include major food allergens immediately after or adjacent to the list of ingredients on the label. Because there is no cure for food allergies, you must avoid the food if you are allergic. Fortunately, the new labeling may help. Eight major foods or food groups account for 90 percent of food allergies. The major food allergens are:
- Milk
- Egg
- Fish (e.g., bass, flounder, and cod)
- Crustacean shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, and shrimp)
- Tree nuts (e.g., almonds, pecans, and walnuts)
- Wheat
- Peanuts
- Soybeans
