Nutrition News by Charlyn Fargo

Will knowing calorie counts help us lose weight? New calorie postings will certainly allow consumers to make educated choices about the foods they choose in a restaurant. Take TGI Friday's Honey Pecan Salmon versus its Shrimp Key West. Both sound healthy. The calorie count differs by 430. Which is higher? The Honey Pecan Salmon at 800 calories compared to the shrimp at 370 calories. A big difference, but without calories being posted, most consumers wouldn't know the calorie count.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires chain restaurants with 20 or more outlets to list calories on menus and menu boards, including drive-thrus, food display tags, salad bars, buffets and even fountain drinks. The labeling requirement also applies to most vending machines. Along with calorie postings, there will be a statement regarding the suggested daily caloric intake, helping consumers put the calorie information into perspective. (Details of the statement will be determined in the rulemaking process.)

The same restaurants will also need to provide additional nutritional information on-site in some written form — similar to what is required on packaged foods, such as fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sodium, protein and fiber.

A few studies conducted so far have yielded conflicting results regarding consumers' awareness of the information and how it affects their food choices. In a study published in Health Affairs magazine last October of low-income, minority communities in New York and New Jersey, researchers found that slightly less than one-third of consumers said the information influenced their decisions, but knowing that information did not change their food purchases. However, a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine found that menu labeling could lead to some reductions in the number of calories people purchase. This would happen when labeling is attached to information on how many calories are recommended in a day for the average person.

A spinoff has been that some companies have created lower calorie options or have reduced portion sizes to get calorie counts in check.

Look for the new calorie postings in the next year. — Today's Dietitian magazine, June 2010

Q & A

Q: Are green bananas as good for you as ripe bananas? Are they safe?

A: Contrary to popular belief, eating green bananas won't make you sick, though they may be more difficult to digest than the ripe fruit.

Fully ripened bananas may have developed slightly more antioxidants, but otherwise, the nutritional profiles of green and ripe bananas are quite similar. In fact, green bananas might have a few advantages. As bananas ripen, they convert starches into sugars, so greener fruit are less sweet and affect your blood sugar less.

Green bananas also contain more short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are indigestible to humans but nourishing to the cells that line your intestines. Various studies have shown improvements in intestinal function from consuming SCFAs in general, in particular green bananas. — Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, May 2010

RECIPE

From the American Institute for Cancer Research, this recipe for Herbed Veggie Focaccia Bread is a great way to bring home the scent of the corner bakery and to enjoy the produce from the garden.

Herbed Veggie Focaccia Bread

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 (1/4 ounce) package quick-rise yeast

1 cup warm water, 125 to 130 degrees

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. canola oil

Topping

7 medium fresh mushrooms, sliced

3 plum tomatoes, chopped

1 small green bell pepper, slivered

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. each dried oregano, thyme, and basil

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Nonstick cooking spray

2 tsp. cornmeal

Preheat oven to 475. Combine 1 cup whole-wheat flour and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, yeast and salt in mixing bowl. Add water and oil. Beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour to form soft dough. Place onto floured surface and knead by hand until consistent and elastic, about 4 minutes. Do not over-knead. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.

Combine mushrooms, tomatoes, pepper, olives, onion, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, herbs and garlic powder in a bowl. Coat 15 x 10 x 1 baking pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Gently press dough into pan. Generously prick dough with a fork.

Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cover with topping mixture. Bake 10 minutes longer or until edges are golden brown. Makes 12 servings.

Per serving: 110 calories, 3 g protein, 17 g carbohydrate, 4.5 g fat, 2 g dietary fiber, 340 mg sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian from Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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