Nutrition News by Charlyn Fargo

Spring is just around the corner, which means flowers blooming, sunny weather and, of course, spring-cleaning. We clean our closet; we clean the basement; but we don't often think about spring-cleaning the kitchen.

"Spring-cleaning is a great opportunity to give the kitchen a good food safety check and cleaning, especially refrigerators and freezers where raw meat, poultry and seafood is stored," says registered dietitian and Academy Spokesperson Karen Ansel.

Here are some tips from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to get you started.

Kitchen Surfaces

—Keep countertops clean by washing with hot soapy water before and after preparing food. Clean surfaces and utensils with a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water.

—Keep kitchen surfaces such as appliances, countertops, cutting boards and utensils clean with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item. Keeping cutting boards and surfaces clean, and following proper sponge safety, helps prevent cross-contamination.

Refrigerator

—Check that the refrigerator temperature is set to below 40ø F. Download the Refrigerator Safety Checklist and Refrigerator Cleaning Guide for additional information.

—Keep the refrigerator clean at all times; this is a good time to look for unnoticed spills and remove lingering odors. Wipe up spills and clean surfaces with hot, soapy water and rinse them well.

—To keep the refrigerator smelling fresh and help eliminate odors, place an opened box of baking soda on a shelf. Avoid using solvent cleaning agents, abrasives and any cleansers that may impart a chemical taste to food or ice cubes or cause damage to the interior finish of your refrigerator. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Shelf life

—This is a good time of year to use or throw away foods that are losing their quality or have spoiled, for both refrigerated items and non-refrigerated items in the pantry. For a detailed listing of the shelf life of foods, as well as a kitchen safety quiz, download the free Is My Food Safe? app.

—Make spring the time to begin new food safety habits. Once a week, make it a habit to throw out perishable foods that should no longer be eaten.

Q and A

Q: Do vegetables help reduce risk of breast cancer?

A: Eating more vegetables (and fruits) may work in several ways as part of an overall healthy eating pattern and lifestyle to reduce breast cancer risk. Excess body fat does increase risk for post-menopausal breast cancer, so substituting low-calorie vegetables and fruits for foods high in calories can help; research strongly supports this as a key step in weight management. A recent analysis conducted as part of the American Institute for Cancer Research Continuous Update Project found that higher vegetable and fruit consumption is linked with a small reduction in breast cancer risk.

Another analysis showed a link between high blood levels of carotenoids and decreased breast cancer risk. High blood carotenoids are a marker of people consuming more vegetables and fruits, but could also reflect more use of nutrient-rich deep orange and dark green leafy vegetables. These carotenoids (including beta-carotene and several others) may offer both antioxidant protection and direct interference with cancer development. Some cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and kale, are rich in carotenoids as well as compounds called glucosinolates that may reduce cancer risk. In an analysis of 13 population studies, women who consumed the most cruciferous vegetables had a 15 percent lower risk of breast cancer compared to women who ate the least. However, the researchers emphasize that no firm conclusions can be drawn yet about cruciferous vegetables and breast cancer risk. As you look for steps you can take to reduce your risk of post-menopausal breast cancer, by far the strongest effects seem to come from reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, getting regular physical activity and minimizing alcohol consumption. For all these reasons, eating more vegetables does make sense as one part of an overall lifestyle to reduce breast cancer risk and promote overall health.

Information courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Recipe

This recipe for Chicken Cashew Stir Fry lowers the sodium and fat in a great Chinese dish. It's from Cooking Light magazine.

Chicken Cashew Stir Fry

1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons oyster sauce (such as Kame)

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons rice or white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons oil, divided

1 cup chopped green onions, divided

1 small onion, cut into 8 wedges

1 cup (3 x 1/4-inch) julienne-cut red bell pepper

1/2 cup diagonally sliced carrot

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup snow peas

1 pound skinned, boned chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

1/4 cup canned pineapple chunks in juice, drained

1/3 cup cashews

1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

6 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Combine first seven ingredients in a small bowl; set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a stir-fry pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup green onions and onion wedges; stir-fry 1 minute. Add bell pepper and carrot; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and peas; stir-fry 2 minutes. Remove vegetable mixture from pan. Keep warm. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; stir-fry 5 minutes. Add broth mixture, vegetable mixture, pineapple, cashews, and crushed red pepper; bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute or until thick. Stir in 1/2 cup green onions. Serve with rice. Serves six (serving size: 1 1/3 cups stir-fry and 1 cup rice).

Per serving: 474 calories, 22.5 g protein, 68.5 g carbohydrate, 11.8 g fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 3.8 g fiber, 553 mg sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian from Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com or follow her on Twitter @NutritionRD. 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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