Should you eat plant-based protein? You betcha!

Plant-based foods contain important antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that benefit overall health.

Last month, I posted a recipe on my site that showed two ways to prepare tofu as a delicious alternative for those looking to eat less animal-sourced foods. You may wonder if there is anything else you can eat to reduce your consumption of animal-sourced foods, and in turn, leave less of a carbon footprint. Here are my top 6 go-to's. I eat these at least three times a week for lunch and once a week for dinner.

Veggie burgers – perfect for a quick weekend lunch, or to crumble on a salad for you to have at the office. My favorite? Dr. Praeger’s California burger which is minimally processed and you can actually see the veggies in it. Other favorites include: Dr. Praeger’s All-American burger, Blue Mango veggie burgers (locally made), Trader Joe’s Quinoa Cowboy burger, or a Morning Star’s Chicken veggie burger. In addition, be sure to check out my website for a homemade black bean burger recipe.  https://lisaprincenutritionspecialist.com/healthy-recipe.

 My other go-to's are:

Lentils – My favorite way to enjoy lentils is to make lentil soup. You'll find an easy-to-make recipe for lentil soup on my website. Click the link above.

Black beans – Buy a can of no sodium added black beans, rinse, and serve on a salad or make black bean quesadillas. I posted a delicious recipe on my website (click the link above).  Black bean quesadillas are a quick and easy mid-week dinner. Serve with a green salad and ½ an avocado if you like.

Chickpeas – fabulous on a salad or in a veggie soup. I even eat them dried as a snack.

 Nuts – pour ¼ cup of lightly salted pistachios, walnuts, almonds, or pecans on your next salad. I recommend pistachios because they contain all 9 essential amino acids. They are also the highest protein snack nut. The serving size is 1 ounce about 49 pistachios.

Hemp seeds – great on a salad. Each 3 TB serving has 10 grams of filling protein for just 170 calories.

These are just a few of the plant-based proteins that you might consider. If you want more suggestions, or have questions, please email me at, Lisa@MaineWeightlossCoach.com. Let's chat!

Can you Eat Healthy and Still Save Money? You betcha!

We all know that to maintain a healthy body you need to eat healthy – fruits, vegetables, and proteins. Eating healthy, however, is not always the least expensive way to eat, and it’s easy to be tempted into purchasing the less expensive, and not as healthy prepared foods. So, how can you eat healthfully without breaking the bank? Below are a few easy strategies that you can try.

1.       PLAN AHEAD– plan your meals ahead of time and use recipes with common ingredients, like chicken fajitas, chicken soup, and chicken Caesar salad all in the same week. 

2.       Shop with a grocery list and stick to it. 

a.       Buy beans, grains, and nuts in bulk to save money.

b.       Buy frozen veggies and fruit; they are just as healthy as fresh.

c.       Use coupons!

d.       Buy store brands especially for milk, canned tomatoes, and olive oil.

3.       Cook at home.

4.       Cook larger portions and use the leftovers.

5.       Don’t shop on an empty stomach or you may buy items not on your list.

6.       Buy whole foods, i.e., a block of cheese is cheaper than shredded cheese, and avoid expensive processed foods like cookies, protein bars, and prepackaged meals.

7.       Stock up on staples when they are on sale.

8.       Buy less expensive cuts of meat like chuck steak, whole chicken or ground meat or poultry.

9.       Replace meat with less expensive proteins such as beans, lentils, and tuna-fish.

10.   Buy produce that is in season, i.e., apples in the fall.

11.   Grow your own produce.

I hope these tips will help you save money at the grocery store. Don’t forget to eat plenty of fruits and veggies. Yours in health, Lisa

Which Nut Butter is Spreadable, Eatable, and Forgettable?

Ever wonder which nut butter spread is best for your next sandwich, cracker, or veggie? Is it peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower butter, or cashew butter?

These days you have so many choices. Let me help you decide.

Aim for the following:

* No more than 3 grams of saturated fat per 2 TB serving.

* No added sugar. Don’t be fooled by Nutella, or other healthy sounding spreads that contain 17-19 grams of added sugar. This includes granola butter which has 4-5 grams of added sugar from maple syrup.

* Less than 100 mg. of salt is fine, but I prefer unsalted

* 6-8 grams of protein

* No partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Hydrogenated vegetable oil is okay.

My top choice is Teddie’s unsalted natural peanut butter, followed by natural sun butter. Almond and cashew butter don’t have as many polyunsaturated heart-healthy fats, so they are my third and fourth choices respectively.

There are also new nut butters with more protein like Skippy Protein. These are peanut butters blended with pea protein, and have 10 grams of protein per 2 TB serving. However, most of these cost about $1.50 more for only 3 more grams of protein. You decide if it is worth the extra $.

No matter how you spread it, there are some good choices out there, so savor your nut butter; just don’t overdo the 2 TB serving size. Enjoy! _Lisa

RED MEAT, CHICKEN, OR FISH, WHICH IS HEALTHIER?

It is time to pick your protein for dinner and you have already had beans, lentils, and veggie burgers this week, so what is the next best choice? You know that 12 ounces of seafood per week is recommended but what about a lean hamburger? Or steak? Or a chicken breast? Choices, choices. Don't you wish you could compare calories and saturated fat among these? Well wish no more. I have compiled the calories and saturated fat in a typical serving of lean hamburger, sirloin steak, chicken breast, and haddock fillet, so you have the facts. Now you decide what's for dinner. Still have questions? Send me an email: Lisa@MaineWeightlossCoach.com

93 % lean hamburger (4 oz.)

Calories:  170

Saturated fat: 3 grams

Sodium:  75 grams

Protein:  23 grams

Sirloin steak (4 oz.)

Calories:  307

Saturated fat:  9 grams

Sodium:  66 grams

Protein:  24 grams

Chicken breast (4 oz.)

Calories:  110

Saturated fat:  0 grams

Sodium:  55 grams

Protein:  26 grams

Haddock filet (4 oz.)

Calories:  167

Saturated fat:  .1 gram

Sodium:  64 grams

Protein:  17.9 grams

Still not sure what to have? Check out the healthy recipes on my website: https://lisaprincenutritionspecialist.com/ 

Eating Fish is Usually Good for You. But Some Fish, Healthwise, Just Stink

We are encouraged to eat 12 ounces of seafood a week for the healthy Omega-3s fish contain. However, not all fish are safe to eat. Some are harmful due to the dangerous neurotoxin, mercury. Mercury can disrupt brain function and harm the nervous system. It is especially dangerous for pregnant women and young children. Here's a brief guide for which seafood to eat and which to avoid.

As a rule, smaller fish like scallops, shrimp, and sardines contain less mercury than larger fish. It is best to buy fish from the United States because many foreign countries like China and Vietnam lack rigorous management laws. Buy from local fisherman whenever possible. Small-scale sustainable fishermen often employ lower-impact catch methods that are better for our oceans. Purchase your seafood from trusted retailers and restaurants. Check out https://fishchoice.com/ to see which businesses have pledged to create long-term sustainable seafood plans.

Least Mercury fish

Clams, haddock, herring, oysters, wild salmon, canned salmon, sardines, scallops and shrimp, tilapia and freshwater trout. There are others that are low in mercury, but these are the ones we are likely to eat here in New England. This month’s recipe is for grilled or baked haddock that is a family favorite! You can read more about low-mercury fish at https://www.nrdc.org/stories/smart-seafood-buying-guide?gclid=CjwKCAjw0N6hBhAUEiwAXab-TRcn4gOaaTTj3QE7ILMe2sFnTV0NWWb8wTiahN1a9gOfcwt7FsRpgBoC9qwQAvD_BwE

Moderate Mercury fish – eat up to 6 svgs./month

Alaskan cod, lobster, mahi mahi, freshwater perch, snapper, and canned light tuna. (I recommend no more than 9 oz a week of canned, light, low-in-sodium tuna.)

High Mercury fish – eat 3 or less svgs./month

Halibut, ocean perch, Chilean sea bass, albacore tuna.

Highest Mercury fish – avoid eating

Grouper, king mackerel, bigeye or ahi tuna, and swordfish.

Choosing seafood that is healthy and sustainable can be a challenge, so be sure to check out Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch at https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/act-for-the-ocean/our-programs/seafood-watch?gclid=CjwKCAjwyqWkBhBMEiwAp2yUFiJUf_BgFfJ-QZXBBwwR7ce-X2oxuHI8GrGOQGGWfmQSCuDUcQ3dTBoC5jAQAvD_BwE

Well, there you have it. Stay safe with happy and healthy eating, Lisa!

LOW CALORIE SWEETENERS - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

There are a variety of sweeteners that manufacturers put into their low-calorie products. Some of these sweeteners may be harmful, and therefore should be avoided. There are also low-calorie sweeteners that are considered safe. Here is a list of the most common low-calorie sweeteners, starting with those you should avoid.

                                                            AVOID

·       Erythritol – often added to Stevia in products like Truvia, can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke, and is now considered unsafe.

·       Sucralose – found in Splenda, caused cancer in mice and may boost blood sugar.

·       Aspartame – is found in some low-calorie yogurts, soft drinks, and other products. Current evidence indicates that it is a carcinogen.

·       Acesulfame potassium – found in some low-calorie ice-cream products and low-calorie flavored waters, may increase cancer risk. You should skip this product especially if you are breast feeding.

 

Considered SAFE

·       Stevia – look for Stevia leaf extract, or Stevia in the raw

·       Monk fruit extract – appears to be safe, but more research is needed

·       Allulose – is safe but may cause GI problems in sensitive people

 

A few important points:

·       Don’t give low-calorie sweeteners to children because they haven’t been tested in kids.

·       Adults who switched from sugary to diet drinks lost more weight.

·       There is no good evidence that artificial sweeteners lead to more cravings for sugary foods.

·       We don’t know yet how artificial sweeteners may affect our gut microbiome.

I eat foods that have been sweetened with monk fruit extract and Stevia. If my oatmeal seems like it needs a little more sweetness, a packet of Stevia in the Raw will do the trick. You should always read product labels and skip anything with sucralose, aspartame, erythritol, or acesulfame potassium.

Here’s to your sweet health! _Lisa

HOW TO REDUCE YOUR RISK OF CANCER

Experts say, roughly 40 percent of cancers are preventable. Here are what Heather Eliassen, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and other researchers suggest are ways to lower your risk.

1.     Stay away from tobacco.

2.     Limit alcohol to 2 servings a day for men, or 1 for women. The less you drink, the better. “Alcohol may increase susceptibility to DNA damage, contribute to oxidative stress, and increase levels of estrogen,” explains Eliassen. Carotenoid-rich green, orange, or red vegetables and fruit, on the other hand may protect against specifically breast cancer, even women at high risk. “Carotenoids are potent antioxidants,” says Eliassen, “but other bioactive compounds in those fruits and vegetables may also lower risk.”

3.     Lose or don’t gain excess weight.

4.     Limit red and processed meats. Amanda Cross’s research (professor of cancer epidemiology at Imperial College London) showed that feeding people red meat can create carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds in the gut. This was just one piece of evidence that led the International Agency for Research on Cancer to conclude that processed meat like bacon, ham, sausage, and lunch meats are a human carcinogen while unprocessed red meat is a “probable” human carcinogen. 

5.     Fill half your plate with vegetables or fruit.

6.     Shoot for 20-40 minutes a day of exercise that speeds up your heart rate. Even a brisk walk will do.

7.     Apply broad spectrum sunscreen (SPF 30+) every 2 hours that you are in the sun. Avoid tanning beds.

8.     Anyone aged 9-26 should get HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccines to prevent cancers of the cervix, throat, vagina, penis, and more.

For more information, go to cancer.gov (the National Cancer Institute), or AICR.org (the American Institute for Cancer Research). (Some information found in this article is available on https://www.cspinet.org, Center For Science in the Public Interest.)

Food Packaging is Putting You, Your Family, and Our Planet at Risk

Cassie Huang, a consumer health project manager at the Environmental Defense Fund, stated, “The sad truth is that food packaging whether it is a soda bottle, pizza box, or a take-out container is made with toxic chemicals that are putting the planet and our health at risk.”

Another startling fact is that over 90% of plastic is not recycled. It ends up in landfills, as litter on land, or in the ocean. Plastic breaks down into microplastics which contaminate our oceans, water, soil, and food.

It’s up to each one of us to do what we can to help the environment. Here are a few examples of ways you can play a part in keeping your family and our planet healthy.

·        Avoid Styrofoam. Get your meat and seafood at the counter and not in the prepackaged Styrofoam trays. When you eat out, bring your own glass container for leftovers. (Having leftovers and not consuming everything on your plate will help save your waistline as well!)

·        Minimize plastic. Buy a fresh head of lettuce instead of greens that come in plastic.

·        Reuse glass. Glass likely contains the fewest chemicals and is recyclable forever!

·        Use only glass or ceramic in the microwave. Do not heat food in so-called “microwave safe” plastic containers.

·        Go package-free whenever possible. Bring your own “to-go” mug to the coffee shop instead of getting a disposable cup.

·        Buy milk and orange juice in cartons that are less expensive than plastic and require less fuel to transport. They may also be recyclable.

These are just a few of the ways you can help the environment. I am certain you can think of many more. Let’s all do our part for a safer, healthier, cleaner America. Lisa

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