Fish is Brain Food!

Last week, the 13-year-old winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee stated with confidence that he almost always eats fish before a competition because, “it’s good for the brain.” Evan O’Dorney, who often orders a tuna salad sandwich from Subway, is clearly one smart cookie!

Recent studies confirm a link between seafood and brain development. One study from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago found that a diet rich in seafood reduces the rate of cognitive deterioration in the elderly. For those of us (especially overworked cookbook authors) who experience signs of cognitive deterioration on a daily basis, this is great news!

To get more seafood into your diet, try this super-easy recipe.

Scoop-It-Up Tuna Salad
Makes 2 Servings

One 6-ounce can solid white or light tuna in water, drained and flaked
1 small carrot, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons light canola mayonnaise
Salt and pepper

Scoopers: Baked tortilla chips, cucumber wheels, mini whole wheat pitas, whole grain crackers

Combine the tuna, carrot, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl and mix well.
To pack for a school lunch, place the tuna salad in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Pack “scoopers” in separate containers.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 200 calories, 9g fat (0.5g saturated, 1.5g omega-3), 530g sodium, 6g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 20g protein, 90% vitamin A

Watch a video clip of this recipe on MealMakeoverTV.com:
http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com/flash/tvTunaSalad.html

Meal Makeover Mom Cooking Party

Last night, Betsy, a mom from Milton, MA, hosted a Meal Makeover Mom Cooking Party. She and friends Ashley and Ruth from the SoBo (South of Boston) Moms Group got together to share a glass of wine and cook a few recipes from our book. Since Betsy let us know about the party ahead of time, we made a plan to call her house via speakerphone to join in on the fun! The moms had plenty of questions ranging from how to choose the best cooking oils to fresh ideas for preparing last-minute meal for the whole family. We hope more of you will follow their lead by hosting your own cooking party. Click the following link for our party planning page: http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com/party/index.html

Eat Lean!

A couple of weeks ago, Janice was in Naples, Florida speaking at a food conference (while Liz was back in the test kitchen slaving over a hot stove). On the panel with Janice was Sally Squires, longtime Health & Nutrition Columnist for the Washington Post. Sally just released her new weight loss book, Secrets of the Lean Plate Club. Her “non-diet” approach is refreshing, and the book is filled with strategies, recipes and physical activity ideas to help people reach their weight loss goals. If you’d like to receive Sally’s weekly Lean Plate Club newsletter, click here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/12/AR2006101200647.html

Ready, Set, Grill

With Memorial Day just around the corner, it’s time to fire up your backyard grill. Instead of the same old burgers and dogs, try pork tenderloin instead. We like it because it’s versatile, easy to cook, and very lean. In fact, it has the same amount of fat as skinless chicken breast and is also a great source of B vitamins.

If you need some incentive to expand your grilling repertoire, the National Pork Board is sponsoring a recipe contest: Grilling Grates from 50 States. They’re looking for regionally-inspired, quick and easy tenderloin recipe creations with five ingredients or less. You can check it out at TheOtherWhiteMeat.com. In the meantime, to get you started, try our pork tenderloin recipe … with just 5 simple ingredients.

Rosemary-Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Makes 4 Servings

One 1 ¼ pound pork tenderloin
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch black pepper

Place the pork in a large resealable plastic bag; set aside. Whisk together the salad dressing, rosemary, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Pour the marinade over the pork. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours for the most flavorful results.

Nutrition Information per Serving:
170 calories, 6g fat (2g saturated fat), 160mg sodium, 0g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, 28g protein

100% Fruit Juice: AOK for Kids

Contrary to what many moms and even pediatricians may think, drinking 100% fruit juice doesn't make kids overweight or obese. In fact, new research shows that juice drinkers eat a pretty healthy diet -- consuming less fat, saturated fat, and added sugars and more nutrients like vitamin C, folate, and potassium. The study, which analyzed the diets of 3,618 children between the ages of 2 to 11, found that drinking 100% juice can actually reduce the risk of weight gain among kids.

A few tips for Moms:
* Choose 100% fruit juice or 100% fruit & veggie juice (check out new Juicy Juice Harvest Surprise -- Orange Mango, Tropical, & Grape -- made with a kid-friendly blend of fruits and vegetables including apples, pears, carrots and sweet potatoes).
* Stick to the American Academy of Pediatrics 100% juice guideline of no more than 4 - 6 ounces for 1 to 6 year olds and 8 - 12 ounces for older kids.
* Blend 100% juice into thirst-quenching smoothies for extra nutrition.

Tropical Strawberry Smoothie
Makes 3 Servings


2 cups Tropical Juicy Juice Harvest Surpise
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 ripe banana
3 straws

Place the juice, strawberries, frozen yogurt, and banana in a blender. Process until smooth.
Pour evenly into three individual glasses and serve with a straw.

Burgers Anyone?

Have you ever wondered how much saturated fat and cholesterol you get when you bite into a burger made with 80 or 90% lean ground beef? We sure have. Believe it or not, companies are not required to list the nutrition facts on ground beef. But now there's a tool, the Ground Beef Calculator, that crunches the numbers for you. By inputting a few key facts into the online calculator, you can view the full nutrient breakdown of different ground beef choices, including calories, fat, saturated fat, vitamins, and minerals. Check out the calculator at http://www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata/GroundBeefCalculator And while we're on the subject of ground beef, try our recipe for Cheesy Black Bean Burgers, perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends.

Cheesy Black Bean Burgers
Makes 8 Servings

One 15 ½-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pound lean ground beef (90% or higher)
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup preshredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
8 hamburger buns

Preheat the grill to medium. Place the black beans in a large bowl and mash with the back of a large spoon until smooth but still a bit chunky. Add the beef, egg, cheese, bread crumbs and garlic powder and mix until well combined. Divide the beef mixture and shape into 8 patties. Place the patties on the grill and cook until no longer pink inside and an instant-read thermometer registers at least 160°F, about 4 minutes per side. Serve on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings and condiments.

Nutritional Information per Serving: 310 calories, 8g fat (3g saturated), 510mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate, 7g fiber, 28g protein

Canned Pumpkin: More than Pie

The other night, after speaking to one of our local Mothers of Twins groups, we left with a new and deliciously sneaky baking idea: add canned pumpkin to replace some of the butter or oil. People often use applesauce but canned pumpkin makes even better sense -- it's loaded with immune-boosting vitamin A, fiber, and hey, it's a vegetable! With idea in hand, Liz cruised by her neighborhood Trader Joe's and grabbed a box of chocolate brownie mix. Though it called for two eggs and a stick of butter – equivalent to 1/2 cup -- we tweaked things a bit. Here's our makeover:
- Switch from regular eggs to omega-3 eggs
- Replace the stick of butter with 1/4 cup heart-healthy canola oil AND 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
- Add two tablespoons ground flaxseed (for even more omega-3)

Initially, we planned to use 1/4 cup pumpkin but couldn't resist the temptation to add more (after all, we're dietitians ... so cut us some slack). To compensate for the extra 1/4 cup of liquid, we baked the brownies for a few additional minutes. Bear in mind that brownie and cake mixes vary, so you may need to experiment a bit. Our sense is that anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 cup pumpkin puree will do the “trick.”

Now for the great part: The results were terrific. The brownies were rich and chocolaty and no one detected the pumpkin or the flaxseed. Who knew you could get 20% of your daily vitamin A in one small brownie by adding a little pumpkin.

TIP: Place half-cup portions of leftover pumpkin in small plastic resealable bags and freeze.