Heat-Free and Healthy

Whitney asks: "What are some healthy things to eat during the summer? My apartment is super hot all day long, and I don't want to cook anything and make it hotter..."

Photo credit: Linda at AllRecipes.com

Ick, sounds frustrating! Sorry for not getting to this question until after the hiatus, i.e., after the bulk of the summer passed. Although this is Texas...

Here are 7 healthy summer meal ideas that don't require any heat (except for the microwave on the last three, if you wanted hot food without a hot kitchen). 

Salads

What makes it healthy: It depends what you like in your salads, but it’s extremely difficult to go wrong, and very easy to get a boost of almost all the macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals in one sitting. For example, leafy spinach is rich in Vitamin K, red/orange/yellow bell peppers and carrots in Vitamin A, nuts and seeds in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, berries in Vitamin C and various antioxidants, and beans in an array of trace minerals (not to mention fiber and protein). And to top it all off, salad dressings—even the ones seemingly high in fat—are actually good for you, too. The fats in various dressings actually help your body absorb all those vitamins and minerals much more effectively than you would otherwise. However, if you’re purposely trying to watch calories, try vinaigrettes over creamy dressings—they’re lower in both calories and saturated fat, while still providing some oils to help with absorption.

• Recipes: Blueberry Spinach Salad, Super Seven Spinach Salad, Good For You Greek Salad

Sandwiches

What makes it healthy: While not usually as nutritionally diverse as salads can be, sandwiches can still be quite healthy and cover many of the same nutrients. Since we’ve already talked about many of those ingredients already, I’ll just make a quick note about breads: the words “whole grain” and “whole wheat” don’t actually mean anything legally. Since those terms don’t yet have corresponding industry standards, the “whole wheat” bread you pick off the shelf may have a Nutrition Facts label that looks almost identical to the white bread’s label. And what’s the big deal with “whole grain?” Research is still ongoing, but some studies have suggested that consumption of whole grains may help to lower the risk of conditions such as heart disease, type II diabetes, and high cholesterol. But without any legal meaning—except for “100% whole wheat,” which actually does mean what it says—your best bet is to go straight with the nutrition facts. How much fiber does it have? Is it fortified with iron and other minerals? Do you recognize the ingredients listed? Find the loaf that packs the biggest nutritional punch.

• Good bread choices: Sara Lee Hearty & Delicious, Nature’s Own Premium Specialty varieties, Oroweat Whole Wheat varieties

Wraps

What makes it healthy: I’ll admit, even if all I have to do to have a filling, colorful, tasty meal is rinse some vegetables and drizzle on some dressing, I can still be insanely lazy. That’s why wraps are one of my favorite meals for any time of the day when I just don’t feel like trying. Rinsing a little lettuce is still generally required, but then it’s just a matter of finding things in the refrigerator that look like they would be good together. If you feel like getting fancy, you can try variations like the Thai Peanut Butter Chicken Wrap listed below, or if you have more time beforehand to prepare it, fill your tortilla with chicken salad.

• Recipes: Turkey Wraps (for a healthier version, omit bacon and cream cheese), Hummus and Prosciutto Wrap (prosciutto can be substituted for any deli meat), Thai Peanut Butter Chicken Wraps

Dips

What makes it healthy: While very different from each other, salsa, guacamole, hummus, and yogurt fruit dips all have their special health qualities. Salsa, of course, is mostly tomatoes, meaning it’s full of lycopene, Vitamin C, and antioxidants. Guacamole’s main ingredient of avocado (as previously mentioned) is high in fat, but many of those fats are omega-3s and worth the calories every once and a while to make sure you’re getting all your essential oils. The chickpeas in hummus are packed with protein, and if it’s made with olive oil, more omega-3s and Vitamin E are on the way. Finally, the total nutritional content of your yogurt dip depends partly on what your favorite fruits are (I prefer to blend fruits for a boost of vitamins and antioxidants instead of adding plain sugar), but if you use plain, low-fat Greek yogurt rather than normal yogurt, sometimes you can cut the sugar content in half while doubling the protein. Greek yogurt is thicker and easier to dip with, too.

• Recipes (for the guacamole and yogurt fruit dip, since salsa and hummus are generally just as healthy store-bought, and more convenient): Easy Guacamole, Fresh Fruit Minty Dip

Nachos and all that entails

What makes it healthy: Okay, so nachos aren’t generally associated with the lists of foods that will keep your arteries clear and provide you with tons of vitamins and minerals. Ever. But there are definitely ways to enjoy this easy dish without supposedly shortening your life span. The typical nacho ingredients—beef, cheese, refried beans, lettuce, tomato/salsa, guacamole, tortilla chips, etc.—can all be tailored individually to result in a healthier meal overall. Aside from lettuce and tomato or salsa (since they’re healthy anyway), all the other items can be found in low-fat and/or low-sodium versions. Additionally, since you’re making your own and not going with a fast food variety, you can easily avoid one of the biggest predators of heart health: trans fats. So while this meal has more calories, fat, and sodium than anything else on the list, it’s still not a bad option—just make a few changes and don’t go crazy eating it every day.

• Ingredient ideas for various combinations: low-fat versions of refried beans/cheese/sour cream/meat/chips/etc., BBQ sauce, avocado, cilantro, diced bell pepper or pimentos, corn, olives, green onion, pineapple, mango

Stuffed Potato

What makes it healthy: Potassium, fiber, carbs, choices. And it’s all in the microwave. Wash, stab multiple times with fork, wrap in damp paper towel, nuke for a few minutes, voila! I’ve professed my love for potatoes already, but what about the toppings? Once again, it’s up to you which nutrients you want to boost or which traditional toppings you want to switch to low-fat.

• Ingredient ideas for various combinations: low-fat cheese/butter/sour cream, green onion, broccoli, cauliflower, rosemary, thyme, taco seasoning, cayenne pepper, avocado, shredded deli meat, tomato sauce, mushrooms, oil & vinegar

Pasta & Rice

What makes it healthy: Sure, pasta and rice can be good sources of carbs and serve as bases for any number of sauces, veggies, and other toppings, but how is this heat-friendly? Once again, microwaves! Maybe I’m the only one who didn’t realize this until fairly recently since it hadn't crossed my mind, but pasta and rice can be cooked in the microwave without steaming up the stove/kitchen. It takes a little practice if your microwave is finnicky (ours is), but just use a microwave-safe bowl with the same proportions of water you would use normally, and keep an eye out to make sure nothing boils over.* This can generally be avoided if you only cook 1 to 1-1/2 cups of pasta or rice at a time. For pasta, boil the water on its own before adding the noodles, then put back in the microwave for about three minutes, testing the consistency and returning to the microwave for another few minutes until fully cooked. For rice, here’s a simple tutorial. (Of course, you could also use a rice maker if you have one.) 

• Microwave-only mix-in ideas: canned or frozen veggies, canned chicken or other meat, canned stew or chilli, tomato sauce, low-fat alfredo sauce, curry sauce

I hope that even if all these dishes are familiar to you already, that maybe you find some new variations to spice up the challenging category of healthy, no-cook meals for the 100-degree heat we’ve been in. Good luck!

*Quick warning to anyone boiling plain water in the microwave who may not have experienced this before: if your water is too purified, the surface of it may remain still within your dish even though you’ve microwaved it past the time it should have boiled. Be extremely careful—the energy is trapped and ready to explode at the slightest disturbance. Poke the dish gently with a long-handled wooden spoon or utensil, being sure to keep your skin far away from any potential burning splashes that may suddenly erupt.

Diet Soda, Sugar Substitutes, and Brain Trickery

Lindsey asks: "Are diet drinks really all that bad for you? I've heard stuff about the 'sugar' in them being addicting."

Great question! The arguments about this have been all over the place over the past 20 years, ever since sugar substitutes really began taking off, so this is a hefty topic. The most common charges against diet soda (or other beverages sweetened with sugar substitutes) are:

• Diet soda can cause an increased risk of type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome (high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, and other health issues), heart attack, and stroke.

• Diet soda contains aspartame and other artificial sweeteners which cause: cancer, headaches, depression, nausea, mood swings, kidney problems, liver problems, respiratory problems, skin irritation, gastrointestinal distress... and pretty much anything else you can think of.

• The sweeteners in diet soda are more addicting than normal sugar, and actually cause people to gain weight rather than lose weight.

Some of these claims are (partly) true, others false, some misleading, and most simply unknown. Here's what I found after researching each claim individually.


Claim #1: Diet soda can cause an increased risk of type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart attack, and stroke.

First off, diet soda has never been found to cause any of these conditions. Correlations have been found, but as we know, that doesn't necessarily imply causation.

That said, a study published by the American Diabetes Association in 2009 showed that daily consumers of diet soda had a 67% increased incidence of type II diabetes compared to non-consumers. Although the study focused on diet beverages, it also accounted for consumers of sugar-containing beverages, but did not find the same correlation in those consumers.

That same study also looked at metabolic syndrome; here the researchers found the daily consumers of diet soda had a 36% increased incidence of metabolic syndrome compared to the other groups, but after adjusting the data for other factors, the correlation turned out to be statistically insignificant. On the flip side, a later study led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill showed that consumers of the typical "Western" diet (fast food, lots of carbs, fat, salt, and sugar), in addition to diet beverages, were at a much higher risk for metabolic syndrome than their healthy-eating, non-diet-soda-consuming counterparts. So what do the conflicting conclusions mean? Probably not very much for diet soda. Both studies strongly suggest that overall diet--not a single type of beverage--is what truly impacts one's risk for metabolic syndrome.

So what about heart attack and stroke? A study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine in 2012 found increased incidence of heart attack and stroke in daily consumers of diet soda (compared to those who drank none). No increased risk was found for consumers of regular soft drinks or those who drank diet beverages less than daily. However, researchers noted that drinkers of diet soda tended to be heavier, suggesting that those who consume diet soda are trying to lose weight--rather than diet soda causing them to be overweight and thus increasing their risks of heart attack and stroke. More studies are needed, but once again, overall diet is the main factor here.


Claim #2: Diet soda contains aspartame and other artificial sweeteners which cause [insert health problem here]

This claim is much more difficult to support or refute because the data is almost eerily lacking or insufficient. I could write a whole separate post about the controversy surrounding artificial sweeteners, but for the purposes of this one, I'll just mention a few general concerns about aspartame, the most commonly used sweetener in diet beverages. (This information comes from an article at MedicineNet, which gives a great, balanced overview of aspartame and other sweeteners while providing an accurate list of sources.)

A survey of  166 studies regarding human safety and aspartame revealed some unsettling information: 100% of the research conducted or funded by Nutrasweet industry (prime producer of aspartame) confirmed the product's safety... while 92% of the independently funded studies reported various health problems associated with it. One study conducted on 40 patients with depression was actually cut short because of how severe the reactions were in the first 13 patients tested. Another study reported that migraine sufferers experienced increased frequency and intensity of their headaches due to aspartame. Other suggested symptoms of the sweetener include nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, and seizures. Cancer, of course, has been the most common concern, but although many more studies are still needed, the information currently available more strongly supports that aspartame consumption does not contribute to cancer.

While food safety organizations around the world stand by aspartame as a safe product, once again, more studies are needed.


Claim #3: The sweeteners in diet soda are more addicting than normal sugar, and actually cause people to gain weight rather than lose weight.

Vaguely implied by many studies and specifically explored in this 2008 study is the idea that diet soda is more "addicting" than regular soda because our brains aren't as satisfied with artificial sweeteners as with regular sugar. Functional MRI (fMRI) brain scans showed that while both artificially sweetened and sugar-containing beverages lit up the brain's reward system, the normal sugar did so more completely. This may be one reason why some diet soda drinkers don't lose weight--even if their tastebuds can't tell the difference in sweetness, their brains can, thus making them crave more sweet foods or beverages and consume more calories. (Of course, there's the other suggestion that some diet soda drinkers may just be making poorer dietary choices in general because they think diet beverages will help negate some of those choices.)



So to answer your question...

Your choice of beverage is obviously a personal decision, but hopefully it can be an informed one, too. Before researching this I was wary about aspartame because of the general concerns I had heard over the years. I also don't like the taste, and since I rarely drink soda, I've mostly just avoided the diet versions all together. But until more data is available on potential health risks, the old standby in nutrition advice is probably best: "Enjoy in moderation!"




Duffey, Kiyah J, Lyn M Steffen, Linda Van Horn, David R Jacobs, and Barry M Popkin. "Dietary patterns matter: diet beverages and cardiometabolic risks in the longitudinal Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 95.4 (2012): 909-915. Print.

Frank, Guido K W, Tyson A Oberndorfer, Alan N Simmons, Martin P Paulus, Julie L Fudge, Tony T Yang, and Walter H Kaye. "Sucrose activates human taste pathways differently from artificial sweetener." NeuroImage 39.4 (2008): 1559-1569. ScienceDirect.com. Web. 3 July 2012.

Friedrich, Cathe. "Diet Soda." Photo. Cathe.com 1 July 2012. 3 July 2012 <http://cathe.com/the-diet-soda-dilemma>.

Gardener, Hannah, Tatjana Rundek, Matthew Markert, Clinton B Wright, Mitchell S V Elkind, and Ralph L Sacco. "Diet Soft Drink Consumption is Associated with an Increased Risk of Vascular Events in the Northern Manhattan Study.." Journal of General Internal Medicine Online before Print (2012): 1-7. PubMed. Web. 3 July 2012.

Kovacs, Betty, and William C Shiel. "Artificial Sweeteners: Side Effects, Cancer Risk, Weight Gain and Pros and Cons of Sugar Substitutes." MedicineNet. MedicineNet, 13 Dec. 2010. Web. 3 July 2012. <www.medicinenet.com/artificial_sweeteners/article.htm>.

Nettleton, Jennifer A, Pamela L Lutsey, Youfa Wang, João A Lima, Erin D Michos, and David R Jacobs. "Diet Soda Intake and Risk of Incident Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)." Diabetes Care 32.4 (2009): 688-694. Diabetes Care. Web. 3 July 2012.

10 Tips for Hungry College Students

William asks: “How can college students (like us) eat healthier on a college student budget and without a lot of time to prepare food?”

This challenge of finding healthy, easy (and fast), affordable ways to eat as a college student always used to look like this in my brain:

Thankfully, that big question mark in the middle isn’t as mysterious as I once thought. Here are some tips for having the best of all three worlds—and as you might notice, none of them are particularly “big.” As with anything related to everyday lifestyle, the biggest differences usually happen by trying little changes and sticking to the ones that work for you. 

1. Canned is not banned from a healthy diet

While it’s true that canning vegetables results in a loss of nutrients, it’s often overlooked that normal cooking of the fresh varieties can result in the same amount of nutrient loss (or greater, depending on the cooking method). Commercially canned produce is usually processed within hours of picking, just like frozen produce, optimizing their nutrient content before they experience any losses from canning or cooking. While fresh produce is always ideal, the fact is that after the amount of time it spends between harvesting and reaching your grocery store, the nutrient content has already been a bit compromised anyway. The other usual concern about canned veggies is an increase in sodium, but this can be alleviated if needed by choosing a low-sodium version or by thoroughly rinsing your canned veggies before consuming.

2. Rice goes with everything

Rice is cheap, nutritious, and I can’t think of any dish I’ve combined it with that I didn’t personally like. It’s easy to prepare, too, but if waiting for water to boil drives you crazy (it happens), try making a big batch on a weekend and storing it in your refrigerator for easy re-heating. Both white and brown rice are great sources of vitamins and minerals (primarily B vitamins, magnesium, selenium, and iron), as well as carbohydrates for energy. Brown rice is also a particularly good source of fiber.

3. Meat is tough (hopefully not literally)

Depending on your personal preference for meat dishes and how often to have them, fitting them into a college student budget could be difficult or not a big deal. I’m not a red meat lover, so I usually buy frozen bags of tilapia or chicken, which tend to be less expensive per serving than fresh beef or pork. If you prefer the latter, here’s a tip: if you have time to cook the meat within a day or two (whether to eat right away or put cooked portions in the freezer), look for packages with an early “sell by” date—many stores mark down meats that are closest to this date just to get them off the shelves. Also, ground meats are incredibly easy to freeze in portions, either cooked or raw.

4. Take some responsibility off your peanut butter

As I just mentioned, meat doesn’t have to be eliminated from your diet because of price, so the stereotype of the college student who has peanut butter at least twice a day for protein doesn’t have to be true. But aside from meat, beans are a fantastic source of protein—especially when combined with rice. The amino acids in beans and the amino acids in rice (the building blocks of protein) are incomplete; however, they complement each other, meaning a meal with both items will give you a perfect protein boost. And fortunately for us, canned or dried beans are about the cheapest items to put in the pantry. (Canned chicken and fish are also handy protein sources.)

5. Crockpots are your friends

If you can’t find a used crockpot or afford a new one right now, try asking for one for Christmas. Seriously. Delicious, satisfying, comforting, home-cooked food is literally as easy as throwing ingredients into a pot and letting it simmer all day while you’re in class.

6. Apps are also your friends

It turns out buying fresh produce can be pretty complicated. First there’s choosing the “best” item (and what looks best on the outside may not be tastiest on the inside), storing it properly for max freshness, then eating it in time before it spoils. One iOS app I use often is Produce Guide. Can’t remember if kiwis are supposed to be firm or a little squishy? The kiwi entry in the guide will tell you, along with helpful information on when it’s in season (i.e. when it will be cheapest), how to store it, how long it will last, and some basic nutrition information.

7. Try something new / looks can be deceiving

This tip primarily comes from an experience I had with lettuce. (So exciting!!! Right?) I used to buy heads of iceberg lettuce because it was cheap, and I could tear it and wash it for easy salad from the fridge. I mostly ignored the pre-washed, pre-cut, pre-boxed/bagged selections of lettuce on the other end of the aisle because they were more expensive, and the “easy” factor just wasn’t enough to make up for price in my mind. But then I noticed this variety, a box of a few smaller, different heads of lettuce that not only looked more flavorful and healthy, but really wasn’t that much more expensive. So I gave it a try—as it turned out, this type of lettuce actually lasted almost twice as long in my refrigerator, provided more edible portions than the iceberg heads, and again, was more nutritious.

8. Roommates can help

Buying staple items in bulk can help cut costs, especially if those items are used by your whole household. I have some friends who all split the cost of a Sam’s Club membership so they could all save money on items like frozen chicken, pasta, rice, cereal, milk, coffee, and household supplies like toilet paper, paper towels, and laundry detergent. A basic membership is $40 a year, so if you live in a house of 4, that’s only $10 a year each—a cost easily made up for in one or two shopping trips.

9. Buy local

I’m not sure how far “local” extends for our area in Abilene, but I’ve noticed two or three offerings of local produce at our Walmart most times I visit. (United and Albertson’s probably offer some as well, maybe more, but I don’t know.) I usually buy the local oranges—they’re fresher (and thus more nutritious), tastier, and cheaper. And it’s always great to help support local growers.

10. Potato power

Potatoes sometimes get such a bad rap for being the primary ingredient in junk food items like chips and fries that people forget how healthy they are on their own. One large baked potato (without toppings) has just under 300 calories, about 26% of your daily recommended value for fiber, high vitamin C, high potassium, and high vitamin B6—in addition to containing other vitamins and minerals, protein, and plenty of carbs. Add some low-fat cheese for a boost of calcium and flavor, any veggie of your choice, and you’ve got a filling meal in no more than 10 minutes.

I hope some of these tips provided new ideas to try in your quest for achieving the College Student Nutrition Trifecta. Please feel free to comment if anyone has any other tips to share!

Welcome to There's Science in my Soup!

My name is Lauren Mesaros, and I'm a senior nutrition major from Abilene Christian University. I have one year left until I graduate, but I've completed all the nutrition courses in my degree--I'm just finishing some commuication courses and a minor in Digital Entertainment Technology. Since I won't be studying nutrition every day in class like I'm used to, I tried to think of a way to help keep that knowledge fresh in my mind... and so, a blog is born!

Think of it like Mythbusters for nutrition. I'll take any questions you have about food or health, do legitimate research, and write about the best of what I find and know. (For example, I've already received a few questions such as: "Does dairy cause acne?" "Which foods are good to eat after an injury?" and "Does ginkgo really help with memory?") Whatever you have ever wondered about nutrition, just leave a comment or send me a message, and I'll respond as quickly as a college student can. I'm going to be gone most of the month of July, but I thought I would start this up and open the door for questions ahead of time.

Thanks for reading!