Evening Edge
What’s For Dinner?
DEL.ICIO.USPublished on: 01/02/08
Some foods make a yearly appearance between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. Is that a good thing or should we include some of these holiday foods throughout the year? Let's look at cranberries, eggnog and fruitcake and rate them as an every day food or holiday food, based on nutritional value.
Cranberries: Cranberries are harvested in the late fall, so it is understandable that they are considered a holiday food. Their beautiful red color and tart taste make them a natural pairing with turkey, but they are a great addition to salads, vegetables, grains and desserts. While fresh cranberries are in season in the fall, frozen and dried cranberries can be found year-round. Cranberries have some important health benefits: They are rich in anti-oxidant compounds called phenols and may boost urinary health. Cranberries and cranberry juice prevent bacteria from attaching to the walls of the urinary tract. Sweeteners are usually added when the berries are dried and made into juice to cut the tartness. Craisins are dried, sweetened cranberries and can be used just like raisins.
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The verdict: Make cranberries an everyday food. Try dried or fresh cranberries on hot or cold cereals, mixed in rice or grain dishes, baked into cookies or as a topping on frozen yogurt.
Eggnog: Eggnog is made with whole eggs, sugar, cream and spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon. Rum, whiskey or brandy is usually added to give this holiday drink its punch. It also comes with a punch of calories. One cup contains about 400 calories, 19 grams fat, 11 grams saturated fat and 150 milligrams cholesterol. There are lighter versions of eggnog available commercially (sold in the refrigerated section of the grocery store), and these generally cut calories by about a third and fat by half. If you look forward to the holiday glass of eggnog, keep your drink a small one and stick to a half-cup or 4-ounce serving. Because of its high calorie and protein content, historically eggnog was used as a "tonic" for elderly individuals.
The verdict: Keep eggnog as a holiday food because it is too high in artery-clogging fats to be used year-round.
Fruitcake: Fruitcake is the source of holiday jokes, but it must be popular because Claxton Bakery in Georgia has the capacity to make 86,000 pounds of fruitcake a day and ships it all over the world. A quarter of a one-pound loaf (considered one serving) has 420 calories; that puts it between pumpkin pie (383 calories a slice) and pecan pie (520 calories a slice). One serving of fruitcake has 72 grams carbohydrates (equal to about 5 carbohydrate servings for those who count carbs). It is loaded with dried fruit, but it is also high in sugar with about 7 teaspoons in each serving.
The verdict: Holiday food, not an everyday food.
Wild Rice With Dried Cranberries and Walnuts
Makes 8 (1/2 cup) servings
Hands on: 20 minutes Total time: 60 minutes
1 cup wild rice
1/2 onion, quartered
1 carrot, peeled and quartered
1 rib celery, quartered
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
4 teaspoons finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 apples, peeled and diced
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Wash the rice in a strainer under running water until the water is clear. Place the rice, onion, carrot and celery in a saucepan. Season with black pepper and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the rice is tender and fully fluffed, about 45 to 60 minutes. Drain the rice and remove the onion, carrot and celery pieces. Combine the rice in a bowl with oil, vinegar, shallots, cranberries, apples, walnuts and parsley. Serve warm, or chill and serve cold.
— From "Diabetes Fit Food" by Ellen Haas
(American Diabetes Association, $16.95)
Per serving: 120 calories (percent of calories from fat, 37), 2 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 5 grams fat (less than 1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 2 milligram sodium.
Nutritional bonus points: This side dish contains heart-healthy compounds vitamin C and alpha-linolenic acids and is very low in sodium.
Chris Rosenbloom, Ph.D., R.D., is a professor of nutrition in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Georgia State University. She'll answer nutrition questions of general interest. Send your questions to her c/o The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sixth Floor, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303. Or e-mail her at dietitian@ajc.com.