The Delicious Nutritious Egg

1. PROTEIN If you start your weekday with cereal or toast instead of eggs, here’s a wake-up call: Did you know eggs have 6 grams of high-quality protein? And did you know a protein-packed breakfast helps sustain mental and physical energy throughout the day? That’s good news, especially if you’re a body-building chess champion.

1. CHOLINE Eggs are rich in choline, which is a weird word but it’s a “good weird” because choline promotes normal cell activity, liver function and the transportation of nutrients throughout the body. Think of it as a commuter train for vitamins and minerals.

1. ZERO CARBS NO SUGAR Eggs contain zero carbs and no sugar. That means you can eat a well-rounded breakfast during the week without feeling round yourself.

1. AMINO ACIDS Eggs have all 9 essential amino acids. Seems like a lot but remember – they ARE essential.

1. MORE FOOD FOR THOUGHT Unlike most cereals and yogurt, eggs don’t come with a complicated, jam-packed ingredient list because they only contain one ingredient. It’s called “eggs.” And at 17¢ a serving, eggs are the least expensive source of high-quality protein.* That’s right, 17¢.

1. NO GLUTEN Let’s not forget that eggs are naturally gluten-free. Always have been, always will be. And that’s awesome because there isn’t exactly a glut of gluten-free breakfast options.

Most cereals and yogurts can’t say all this, mainly because they don’t have mouths, but also because they don’t have the nutrient content eggs do. So next time someone asks how you like your eggs, say you like ‘em a whole heck of a lot.

Nutrition Labeling

FDA Changes to Nutrition Labeling and How to Understand Them

 

In the past 20 years, both our diets and measurements of nutrition have significantly changed. As a result, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced some major modifications to the Nutrition Facts Panel label to reflect these changes.

The new labels have been designed to modernize the current nutritional facts panel, focusing on nutrition facts that are now more prominent than they were 20 years ago, including:

• Changes in Nutrients / Vitamin labeling – Potassium and Vitamin D will now be listed on the label, but Vitamin A and Vitamin C are no longer required to be listed. The Percent Daily Value will be updated to help consumers understand how this food will fit into their overall diet.

• Modification in Calories Listing – Calories on the label will now be displayed in a larger, bold font, while ‘Calories from Fat’ will no longer be listed.

• Dual Column Labeling – Some products will now have a second column on its label. If a package includes more than one serving, but is equal to or less than three servings and could still be consumed in one sitting, it is required to include nutrition information for “per serving” and “per package”.

• More Prominent Display of Serving Size – Similar to the dual column labeling, the serving size will now more accurately reflect what a person would typically consume in one sitting; it will no longer present a recommended amount of consumption, or serving size, as it currently does.

• Addition of Total Sugars and Added Sugars – The “Total Carbohydrate” section will now include “Total Sugars” as well as a breakout for added sugars. A Percent Daily Value will also be shown for Added Sugars.

You can expect to see these changes within the next year or two, as the FDA has required all labels to be changed by July 2018.

Gluten

Gluten is a protein found in wheat and related grains in the wheat family like barley, rye, spelt, faro and bulgur.  Foods made from wheat such as breads, cereals and pasta, contain gluten.  Most people enjoy products that contain gluten without any side effects.  A small group of people may have a gluten intolerance or allergy.  For those individuals who have been diagnosed by a doctor with a gluten sensitivity, there are numerous gluten-free pasta options which allow them to enjoy a wide variety of pasta dishes.

Individuals who do not have gluten sensitivities derive no nutritional benefit from eating gluten-free pasta and will find that traditional enriched pastas provide good nutrient value, such as iron, folic acid and vitamin B.

You can also visit www.gowiththegrain.org for more information on grains and gluten.

Pasta Leftovers

Reheat your Pasta Leftovers to Help Control Weight

Great news, pasta lovers – reheating your leftover pasta is not only an easy means to a delicious and healthy meal, but it can also help you control weight. As explained in a recent article on Time.com, resistant starches (found in leftover pasta) are a type of carb that bypass digestion in the small intestine and instead go straight to the large intestine to be metabolized. In doing so, these resistant starches are then changed to fatty acids, which the body burns as energy. These starches also provide food to colonies of gut bacteria to sustain them for weight control.

Resistant starches also have added benefits for people with type-2 diabetes. They improve measures of inflammation in the body and also improve lipid profiles in women suffering from diabetes.

Resistant starches can be found in leftover pasta. When starchy foods like pasta are cooked and then cooled in a refrigerator, the chemical bonds are redesigned, making them resistant to digestion in the small intestine. Best of all, this design remains even when you reheat your pasta. So go ahead and make more pasta than you need for just one meal – the more leftover pasta you eat, the better chance you have for controlling your weight!

The Health Benefits of Pasta

Pasta is a perfect foundation for healthy, nutritious and satisfying meals:  pasta is generally eaten with nutrient-dense food partners, such as fiber-filled vegetables and beans, heart healthy fish and monounsaturated oils, antioxidant-rich tomato sauce and protein-packed cheeses, poultry and lean meats.  Pasta offers:

• SUSTAINED ENERGY: Carbohydrates like pasta provide glucose, the crucial fuel for your brain and muscles.  Pasta is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, which provide a slow release of energy.  Unlike simple sugars that offer a quick, yet fleeting boost of energy, pasta helps sustain energy.
• LOW SODIUM & CHOLESTEROL-FREE:  Pasta is very low in sodium and cholesterol-free.  Per cup, enriched varieties provide a good source of several essential nutrients, including iron and several B-vitamins.  Whole wheat pasta can provide up to 25% of daily fiber requirements in every one cup portion.
• FOLIC ACID:  Enriched pasta is fortified with folic acid – essential for women of child-bearing age.  FDA regulations require enriched grain products to contain this important vitamin.  A serving of dry pasta supplies the equivalent of roughly 100 micrograms of folic acid, or 25% of the recommended daily intake.
• BALANCED DIET: Pasta is part of a well-balanced diet.  Current dietary guidance calls for up to 65% of daily calories to come from carbohydrates, such as pasta.
• LOW GI:  Pasta has a low Glycemic Index (GI) so it does not cause blood glucose levels to rise quickly.  Blood glucose is sometimes referred to as blood “sugar”.

Wild Mahi Mahi

Did you know that mahi-mahi or common dolphinfish is a surface-dwelling ray-finned fish found in off-shore temperate, tropical and subtropical waters worldwide? Come try our delicious Wild Mahi Mahi dish: Served on a bed of wild rice with fresh vegetables and a frangelico sauce.

Wild Rose Crab Melt

Come try our delicious Wild Rose Crab Melt. Our own surimi meat salad served on toasted English muffin slices, topped with tomato and melted Swiss cheese.