Maryland's Health Matters - St. Joseph - Winter 2015 - (Page 14)

HEALTHY AT HOME How to Read a Nutrition Label If you've ever stood in the grocery store aisle comparing two products, you know that nutrition labels provide lots of information. But are you reading them correctly? "As a registered dietitian, I would encourage people to use labels," says Judy Caplan, MS, RDN, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "It really is a tool to help you make better choices." MINESTRONE SOUP Hearty enough for a meal, this soup is thick with beans, When reading a label, here are a few things to look for: vegetables, pasta and ﬂavor-even without the traditional Number of ingredients. Generally, the more pro- topping of Parmesan cheese. To make it even healthier, try cessed a food is, the less healthy it is and the more using whole-wheat pasta. ingredients it contains. Healthy whole foods like fruit, INGREDIENTS: vegetables, beans, nuts and lean meats don't even have ingredient lists! Serving size. The calorie count might sound reasonable-until you realize the package has four servings. "And be sure to know what a serving means," Caplan says. "For example, if you're watching carbohydrates, you need to know that 15 grams of them is considered a serving," she explains. "That's half a cup of cereal, a slice of bread or a third of a cup of pasta." "Sugar-free" and "fat-free." These designations don't always mean the food is low-calorie or healthy. Sodium (salt). "Most people don't need more than 1,500 milligrams a day," Caplan says. Ingredients to avoid. She recommends trying 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 large onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 1 large carrot, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 8 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth 1 28-oz. can no-salt-added diced tomatoes 1 15-oz. can no-salt-added garbanzo beans, drained 15-oz. can no-salt-added kidney beans, drained 1 c. (dry) elbow macaroni 1 c. peas (fresh or frozen) 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano Salt and pepper to taste DIRECTIONS: * Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. to stay away from foods * Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. that have bleached ﬂour, * Add celery, carrot and garlic and cook, stirring occasion- white ﬂour, bromated ﬂour, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, high-fructose corn syrup or caned sugar. ally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. * Add broth, tomatoes, garbanzo beans and kidney beans, and bring to a boil. * Add macaroni and peas and cook until vegetables and pasta are tender, about 10 minutes. * Stir in oregano and salt and pepper to taste. WHO SAYS HEALTHY FOOD HAS TO BE BORING? Download a free recipe book at stjosephtowson.com/marylands-health-matters.aspx. 14 Makes 8 (about 2-cup) servings. Nutritional information per serving: 264 calories; 4.6 g total fat; 14.7 g protein; 42.6 g carbohydrates; 0 mg cholesterol; 736 mg sodium; 8.6 g dietary ﬁber. MARYLAND'S HEALTH MATTERS  Check out our health classes at stjosephtowson.com/programs-services/community-health.aspx. http://www.stjosephtowson.com/marylands-health-matters.aspx http://www.stjosephtowson.com/programs-services/community-health.aspx

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maryland's Health Matters - St. Joseph - Winter 2015

Maryland's Health Matters - St. Joseph - Winter 2015
In This Issue
A Healthy Start
And the Beat Goes On
A Healing Journey
Back (and Neck) in Action
A Life Back in Bloom
At A Glance
Healthy At Home
New and Events

Maryland's Health Matters - St. Joseph - Winter 2015