27 March 2020
FRIDAY, March 27, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- Thanks to research suggesting they are better for heart health than animal-based foods, many carnivores are on the hunt for the best plant-based meat replacements they can find.
That may explain the increase in popularity of plant-based burgers in fast-food restaurants and grocery stores. But nutritionists say legumes may be a better option.
Lentils, peas, chickpeas, beans and nuts are natural sources of protein and fiber that are a healthy alternative to highly processed meat substitutes.
"The protein in meat is of high biological value, but the protein in legumes is also good quality protein," said Penny Kris-Etherton, a nutrition professor at Pennsylvania State University.
"As a nutritionist, what really concerns me is the...
26 March 2020
THURSDAY, March 26, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- To snack or not to snack? That is not the question, because we're going to snack.
But it doesn't have to mean cookies, chips and cola. As eating habits evolve, snacking can mean anything from a mini-meal to workout fuel to a healthy interlude to tide us over to lunch or dinner.
"Each person has a different eating personality, and there's no right or wrong," said Dr. Anne Thorndike, a general internist and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "It's just really important to be conscious of what's in your snacks, and not to just eat mindlessly."
It's hard to measure just how much of the American diet consists of snacks. A 2011 U.S. Department of Agriculture report concluded 90% of adults snacked...
18 March 2020
WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A plant-based diet can benefit your heart, but only if you eat certain healthy types of food, researchers say.
They tracked the eating behavior and the development of heart disease among more than 2,000 adults in Greece over 10 years, starting in 2002.
Compared to those who ate more animal-based foods, men who ate more plant-based foods had a 25% lower risk of heart disease. Though the same trend was seen among women, it was less strong: Those who ate the fewest animal-based foods cut their heart disease risk by 11%.
On average, people whose diet was heavier on plant-based foods ate three animal-based foods a day. Others ate five animal-based foods a day, according to the study being presented Wednesday as part of an online meeting of...
11 March 2020
WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Understanding the updated Nutrition Facts Label can help you get the most from it, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the update in 2016. The new labels must appear on all food items by Jan. 1, 2021. Many companies already use the updated label, which is based on the latest information about links between nutrition and chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease.
"Nutrition Facts Labels help you find out which foods are good sources of particular nutrients such as vitamin D or dietary fiber," said registered dietitian nutritionist Lauri Wright, an academy spokeswoman.
"Nutrition Facts Labels can help you compare similar foods so you can select those lower in salt,...