Think Your Drink SENIOR NUTRITION NEWSLETTER
SENIOR NUTRITION NEWSLETTER June 2015 Bruce Robertson Cornell Cooperative Extension Rensselaer County
unce a o 0 A 2 of sod le bott as 16 h of ons o p s tea ar in it sug
Rensselaer County Unified Family Services Department of Aging
On your way to health:
Think Your Drink
W
ould you knowingly eat 16 sugar cubes? Probably not. But, if you drink one 20 oz. bottle of soda, that’s just what you will consume: the equivalent of 16 sugar cubes. (See photo at right.)
20 oz.
1 liter (34 oz.)
12 oz.
That’s 65 grams of sugar, or, to put it another way, 16 teaspoons of sugar! At that pace you’d have “eaten” 32 lbs. of sugar for the year! (Picture the typical 5 lb. bag you buy at the grocery store. Imagine consuming at least 6 of those bags a year!)
Sugar by any other name is still a sweetener (with calories) Understanding and using the Nutrition Facts label on prepared/packaged foods is, hands down, the secret to making healthy choices both at the grocery store and in your kitchen. In this issue of the news letter we’re talking about “sugar” and “calories.” Check the “ingredients” section of the Nutrition Facts label to determine what kinds of sweeteners are in the product:
anhydrous dextrose brown sugar confectioner's powdered sugar corn syrup dextrose fructose high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) honey
lactose malt syrup maple syrup molasses nectars (e.g., peach nectar, pear nectar) sucrose white granulated sugar
All of these sweeteners contain what are called “empty” calories ~ of little or no nutritional value. Again, by checking the Nutrition Facts label you can see not only how many of those calories you would be consuming, but also something else surprising! Turn the page . . .
(“Sugars and sweeteners . . .” continued from Page 1) To the left is a Nutrition Facts label from that 20 oz. bottle of soda. Take a look at it carefully. Though the bottle is 20 oz. the “serving size” is just 8 oz. In other words, there is enough soda in that bottle to share with a friend. Even at that, you would be drinking 100 calories with 27 grams of sugar (look at the label.) And, that’s the problem. According to well-established federal guidelines, the average person should take in 2000 Sugarstacks.com calories a day. It is estimated that Americans drink about 400 of those calories a day ~ between the sodas and the fruit juices we consume. Even healthy drinks like milk contain “natural” sugars. Sugars, whether natural or added, are everywhere: pizza; bread; hot dogs; soup; crackers; spaghetti sauce; lunch meat; canned vegetables; fruit drinks; flavored yogurt; ketchup; salad dressing; mayonnaise, and some peanut butter. Maintaining your Your “weapon” of defense: the Nutrition Facts label. It can be your best friend. weight requires balancing calories consumed with You know the importance of eating a “balanced diet:” choosing your daily meals calories used. from all the food groups (e.g. fruits; vegetables; and grains.) However, it is We gain weight if all-too easy to eat an UNbalanced diet, especially if hundreds of your calories we take in more are coming from sweetened drinks; those “empty” calories. calories than we “burn off.” But, there are other reasons to limit “sugar calories:”
So, what’s the big deal?
When we consume high-calorie sweetened drinks we often omit healthier drinks such as milk, which contains necessary calcium for healthy bones Sugar (whether in drinks or sweetened foods like donuts) makes us feel full, so we don’t want more substantial food; but the sugar calories have little nutritional benefit and don’t stay with us very long Sugary drinks can lead also to tooth decay Too often we don’t deduct, but instead add the 400 “sugar” calories to the 2000 total calories recommended. Without proper exercise this can lead to weight gain
To “burn off” The 240 calories from the 20 Oz. bottle of soda (look at
the circle in the photo above) you’d need To walk moderately for an hour. ThaT’s 2.4 miles!
FRUIT YOGURT SMOOTHIE Serves 7
INGREDIENTS: 3 C (12 oz.) strawberries or other frozen fruit 2 C fat-free milk 1 large banana 3/4 C low-fat yogurt (vanilla or plain) DIRECTIONS: Slightly defrost frozen fruit, just enough so it will blend easily Pour milk into a blender Add frozen fruit pieces to blender Add banana and yogurt Blend until smooth – about 30-45 seconds Variations: Try frozen peaches, pineapple or other berries. Source: Adapted from Eating Smart, Being Active, California EFNEP and Colorado EFNEP, 2007. Nutrition Facts per serving: 80 calories; 0.5 g fat; 55 mg sodium; 2 g fiber; 19 g sugar
BROCCOLI BLACK BEAN QUESADILLA Serves 8 (half tortilla each)
INGREDIENTS: 1 C cooked black beans (1/2 can) ¼ C salsa 1 C grated low-fat cheese (4 ounces) 1 C cooked broccoli Cooking spray 4 8-inch whole wheat tortillas DIRECTIONS: Mash beans in a large mixing bowl Drain salsa and add to beans Grate cheese and add to beans Chop broccoli and add to beans Coat pan with cooking spray Lay tortilla flat on plate, fill half tortilla with ¼ of the bean mixture Fold other half over mixture Place folded tortilla in pan and cook 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned Flip and cook second half Remove from pan and cut in half Repeat with remaining tortillas Source: GET FRESH! Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University and Cornell Cooperative Extension, 2001. Nutrition Facts per serving: 130 calories; 4.5 g fat ; 230 mg sodium; 2 g fiber
WATER WITH A TWIST INGREDIENTS Your choice of the following fruits or vegetables: Oranges, Lemons, Limes, Strawberries, Pineapple, Cucumber Chilled Water Optional: Use seltzer water instead of plain water
Ame r drin icans k abo 400 ut c ever alories y day .
INSTRUCTIONS Cut fruit or vegetable into slices Add slices of your choice to a pitcher of water or to individual cups of water. Squeeze citrus to release more flavor into the water Serve and enjoy Feel free to mix and match different fruits! Eat the fruit as you drink or when you’re done! Source: “Choose Health” curriculum, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University
DIP FOR FRUIT INGREDIENTS: 2 TBS peanut butter 1 8-oz. carton of low-fat vanilla yogurt (optional) cinnamon Fruits to dip: apples, peaches, grapes, strawberries, pears, or others DIRECTIONS: Mix together peanut butter and yogurt Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired Cut up fruits to eat with dip Source: Sisters in Health: A Nutrition Program for Women. Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University and Cornell Cooperative Extension, 1999. Nutritional Facts per serving: 70 calories; 2 g fat; 20 mg sodium; 1 g fiber; 7 g sugar
Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities.
unce a o 0 A 2 of sod le bott as 16 h of ons o p s tea ar in it sug
Rensselaer County Unified Family Services Department of Aging
On your way to health:
Think Your Drink
W
ould you knowingly eat 16 sugar cubes? Probably not. But, if you drink one 20 oz. bottle of soda, that’s just what you will consume: the equivalent of 16 sugar cubes. (See photo at right.)
20 oz.
1 liter (34 oz.)
12 oz.
That’s 65 grams of sugar, or, to put it another way, 16 teaspoons of sugar! At that pace you’d have “eaten” 32 lbs. of sugar for the year! (Picture the typical 5 lb. bag you buy at the grocery store. Imagine consuming at least 6 of those bags a year!)
Sugar by any other name is still a sweetener (with calories) Understanding and using the Nutrition Facts label on prepared/packaged foods is, hands down, the secret to making healthy choices both at the grocery store and in your kitchen. In this issue of the news letter we’re talking about “sugar” and “calories.” Check the “ingredients” section of the Nutrition Facts label to determine what kinds of sweeteners are in the product:
anhydrous dextrose brown sugar confectioner's powdered sugar corn syrup dextrose fructose high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) honey
lactose malt syrup maple syrup molasses nectars (e.g., peach nectar, pear nectar) sucrose white granulated sugar
All of these sweeteners contain what are called “empty” calories ~ of little or no nutritional value. Again, by checking the Nutrition Facts label you can see not only how many of those calories you would be consuming, but also something else surprising! Turn the page . . .
(“Sugars and sweeteners . . .” continued from Page 1) To the left is a Nutrition Facts label from that 20 oz. bottle of soda. Take a look at it carefully. Though the bottle is 20 oz. the “serving size” is just 8 oz. In other words, there is enough soda in that bottle to share with a friend. Even at that, you would be drinking 100 calories with 27 grams of sugar (look at the label.) And, that’s the problem. According to well-established federal guidelines, the average person should take in 2000 Sugarstacks.com calories a day. It is estimated that Americans drink about 400 of those calories a day ~ between the sodas and the fruit juices we consume. Even healthy drinks like milk contain “natural” sugars. Sugars, whether natural or added, are everywhere: pizza; bread; hot dogs; soup; crackers; spaghetti sauce; lunch meat; canned vegetables; fruit drinks; flavored yogurt; ketchup; salad dressing; mayonnaise, and some peanut butter. Maintaining your Your “weapon” of defense: the Nutrition Facts label. It can be your best friend. weight requires balancing calories consumed with You know the importance of eating a “balanced diet:” choosing your daily meals calories used. from all the food groups (e.g. fruits; vegetables; and grains.) However, it is We gain weight if all-too easy to eat an UNbalanced diet, especially if hundreds of your calories we take in more are coming from sweetened drinks; those “empty” calories. calories than we “burn off.” But, there are other reasons to limit “sugar calories:”
So, what’s the big deal?
When we consume high-calorie sweetened drinks we often omit healthier drinks such as milk, which contains necessary calcium for healthy bones Sugar (whether in drinks or sweetened foods like donuts) makes us feel full, so we don’t want more substantial food; but the sugar calories have little nutritional benefit and don’t stay with us very long Sugary drinks can lead also to tooth decay Too often we don’t deduct, but instead add the 400 “sugar” calories to the 2000 total calories recommended. Without proper exercise this can lead to weight gain
To “burn off” The 240 calories from the 20 Oz. bottle of soda (look at
the circle in the photo above) you’d need To walk moderately for an hour. ThaT’s 2.4 miles!
FRUIT YOGURT SMOOTHIE Serves 7
INGREDIENTS: 3 C (12 oz.) strawberries or other frozen fruit 2 C fat-free milk 1 large banana 3/4 C low-fat yogurt (vanilla or plain) DIRECTIONS: Slightly defrost frozen fruit, just enough so it will blend easily Pour milk into a blender Add frozen fruit pieces to blender Add banana and yogurt Blend until smooth – about 30-45 seconds Variations: Try frozen peaches, pineapple or other berries. Source: Adapted from Eating Smart, Being Active, California EFNEP and Colorado EFNEP, 2007. Nutrition Facts per serving: 80 calories; 0.5 g fat; 55 mg sodium; 2 g fiber; 19 g sugar
BROCCOLI BLACK BEAN QUESADILLA Serves 8 (half tortilla each)
INGREDIENTS: 1 C cooked black beans (1/2 can) ¼ C salsa 1 C grated low-fat cheese (4 ounces) 1 C cooked broccoli Cooking spray 4 8-inch whole wheat tortillas DIRECTIONS: Mash beans in a large mixing bowl Drain salsa and add to beans Grate cheese and add to beans Chop broccoli and add to beans Coat pan with cooking spray Lay tortilla flat on plate, fill half tortilla with ¼ of the bean mixture Fold other half over mixture Place folded tortilla in pan and cook 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned Flip and cook second half Remove from pan and cut in half Repeat with remaining tortillas Source: GET FRESH! Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University and Cornell Cooperative Extension, 2001. Nutrition Facts per serving: 130 calories; 4.5 g fat ; 230 mg sodium; 2 g fiber
WATER WITH A TWIST INGREDIENTS Your choice of the following fruits or vegetables: Oranges, Lemons, Limes, Strawberries, Pineapple, Cucumber Chilled Water Optional: Use seltzer water instead of plain water
Ame r drin icans k abo 400 ut c ever alories y day .
INSTRUCTIONS Cut fruit or vegetable into slices Add slices of your choice to a pitcher of water or to individual cups of water. Squeeze citrus to release more flavor into the water Serve and enjoy Feel free to mix and match different fruits! Eat the fruit as you drink or when you’re done! Source: “Choose Health” curriculum, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University
DIP FOR FRUIT INGREDIENTS: 2 TBS peanut butter 1 8-oz. carton of low-fat vanilla yogurt (optional) cinnamon Fruits to dip: apples, peaches, grapes, strawberries, pears, or others DIRECTIONS: Mix together peanut butter and yogurt Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired Cut up fruits to eat with dip Source: Sisters in Health: A Nutrition Program for Women. Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University and Cornell Cooperative Extension, 1999. Nutritional Facts per serving: 70 calories; 2 g fat; 20 mg sodium; 1 g fiber; 7 g sugar
Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities.
