48 THE QUEENS COURIER • WELLNESS • FEBRUARY 15, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
wellness
3 formerly misunderstood foods
now a part of a well-balanced diet
Throughout history, misconceptions,
misinformation and popular culture
have infl uenced Americans’ eating
habits. Many foods that were previously
eaten daily are now considered unhealthy.
Conversely, some foods that were thought
to be “bad for you,” are now considered
nutritious.
“Nutrition is exciting. Just about every
day there is new research about how
certain foods work in our body,” says
Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist
Dawn Jackson Blatner. “Over time as
research is done, foods that were once
considered unhealthy can be found to
actually play a key role in healthy diets.”
What historically “unhealthy” foods are
now considered wholesome? Blatner provides
some examples:
Eggs
Shunned for many years, eggs were
believed to be bad for heart health due to
high cholesterol levels. However, numerous
studies have shown that intake of
dietary cholesterol has little infl uence
on blood cholesterol levels. In fact, the
Harvard School of Public Health states
that the biggest infl uence on blood cholesterol
level is the mix of fats and carbohydrates
in your diet - not the amount of
cholesterol you take in from food.
Today, eggs are part of a healthy diet
- so much so that recently the country’s
leading weight loss service announced
that eggs are now included on its zero
points list. Keep in mind, though, that not
all eggs are created equal. When shopping
for eggs, look for Eggland’s Best eggs,
which have signifi cantly more nutrition
than ordinary eggs.
“Many health and nutrition organizations
are fi nally recognizing eggs for
the nutrient powerhouse they are,” says
Blatner. “Eggland’s Best eggs have six
times more vitamin D, more than double
the omega-3s and more than double
the vitamin B12 of ordinary eggs, making
them the best egg option to maximize
your nutritional intake.”
Nuts
Snacking on nuts today is typically considered
a healthy way to keep hunger
pangs at bay, but it wasn’t always that
way. Nuts used to have a bad reputation
for being high in fat and calories, and
were oft en avoided, especially for people
who wanted to lose weight.
Today, many nuts are considered the
ideal nutritious snack as they contain
heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. For
example, the versatile almond is relatively
low in calories when compared to other
nuts and has more calcium than other
varieties, according to Health.com. Plus,
almonds are rich in fi ber and vitamin E,
an important antioxidant.
“Nuts can make a great snack or wonderful
addition to recipes,” says Blatner.
“Th e one thing to be mindful of is sodium
intake. Opt for raw nuts or dry-roasted
varieties. Th ese are minimally processed
and typically won’t contain the salt and
oils you’ll fi nd in other varieties.”
Carbohydrates
Due to empty calories and low nutritional
value, cutting carbs has been at the
heart of diet fads for decades. Th e problem
with this is that it assumes all carbs
are equal, which is false.
“Th e important thing to realize is there
are high-quality and low-quality carbs,”
says Blatner. “Instead of shaming all
carbs, focus on high-quality sources of
carbohydrates that fuel the body and give
you energy - skip the refi ned grains like
white bread and focus on whole grains.”
Want to try a recipe that uses some
of these formerly misunderstood foods?
Blatner shares one of her favorites.
Eggland’s Best Spinach
& Avocado Egg Sushi
Makes two servings.
Ingredients:
2 Eggland’s Best Eggs (Large), 1 tablespoon
milk, 1 dash of salt, 1 dash of
ground black pepper, 1 large whole wheat
tortilla (12 inch), 1/2 avocado (mashed), 1
cup fresh baby spinach
For the spicy sauce:
Mix 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt,
1 tablespoon Sriracha (or other hot sauce)
and 1 teaspoon milk in a small bowl.
Directions:
Coat a 10-inch nonstick pan with cooking
spray and heat on medium-low heat.
In a bowl, whisk together eggs and milk
and season with salt and pepper.
Pour egg mixture into pan and cover
with a lid. Do not scramble! Cook until
set (about 3-4 minutes), fl ip and fi nish
cooking (about 1-2 minutes).
Lay tortilla fl at and spread with avocado,
leaving a 2-inch border around the
edges.
When eggs are fi nished cooking, place
in the center of the tortilla and top with
spinach.
Start at one end and roll tightly, but
gently.
Coat the same skillet with nonstick
spray and warm on medium-high heat.
Place roll seam-side down on skillet and
brown slightly on both sides. Remove and
allow to rest for 1-2 minutes.
Using a serrated knife, slice 1-inch pieces,
drizzle with spicy sauce and serve with
chopsticks.
Courtesy BPT