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You can have your cake and eat it, too, even if you are on a restricted diet. The key is to make that decadent sweet work for - not against - you.
By JANET K. KEELER
© St. Petersburg Times, published November 15, 2000
As the overeating season looms, many people toss sensible eating habits aside and begin a sweet-filled journey to 10 extra pounds by New Year's Day.
It is fun, isn't it? Nibbling on calorie-laden snacks in the office. Saying yes to an extra piece of pumpkin pie after Thanksgiving dinner. Sampling Christmas cookies just out of the oven.
It is not fun, though, to pay for indulgence with your health. For people who can't be cavalier about what they eat, shunning the wild food ride is about more than gaining weight. It is about controlling diabetes, blood pressure, heart disease and other ailments exacerbated by overdoing on fat, sugar and salt. Others are watching their weight and don't want to spend the early part of 2001 trying to undo the damage of the wanton eating of the last two months of 2000.
At this time of year when sweets play an important role in celebrations, the have-nots can join the haves for dessert if they make concessions elsewhere in their diets. For instance, a diabetic who has her heart set on a piece of pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving might forgo the sausage stuffing and rolls of the main meal to keep her carbohydrate intake in check. A dieter keeping an eye on fat intake might avoid butter, dark meat and mashed potatoes in order to include the pie.
Beverly Paddock, registered dietitian at the Joslin Center for Diabetes at Clearwater's Morton Plant Hospital, says that even diabetics aren't clear on their choices. Some still believe sugar is their only enemy, but recent research shows that simple (such as refined sugar) and complex (such as starchy vegetables) carbohydrates affect blood sugar the same way.
"The end result is that the blood sugar goes up," Paddock says. Diabetics have limited ability to convert sugar to energy, so a buildup of sugar in the blood can be damaging to organs and other bodily functions.
Paddock says the center doesn't encourage sugar-free desserts because people often mistake them for carbohydrate-free and eat them in unlimited amounts. For instance, an apple pie made with a sugar substitute still contains carbohydrates because of the apples and the crust and would have to be limited by a diabetic.
The old dieter's trick of eating nothing all day to save up calories for the big meal won't work for diabetics who need to keep their blood sugar fluctuation to a minimum. They must eat regularly. This dieting technique doesn't really work well for anyone, Paddock says. Dieters who completely deny themselves food in preparation for a big meal are likely to overeat because they are ravenous. This, in turn, makes them feel bad about themselves.
"We teach people to work dessert into their meals occasionally," Paddock says.
Weight Watchers, whose program is considered one of the more sensible and healthful of the popular weight loss plans, is also a proponent of working "regular" foods into menus. In the program, points are awarded to different foods and so many points worth of food are eaten each day. One of the benefits of the program is that participants can eat whatever they want -- in limited amounts.
The key, and you've heard this before, is moderation. Also, Paddock says, have a game plan.
The Thanksgiving dinner menu is not a surprise, so it is possible to decide what you will eat before you sit down. For instance, tell yourself you are going to load up on vegetables (unless they are prepared with sauces or sweetened), eat white meat only, one serving each of stuffing and mashed potatoes, a dollop of cranberry sauce, no roll and a small portion of dessert. Have a light breakfast and a snack around lunchtime if you are eating the big meal in late afternoon. This sort of plan will work for most situations. If you think you've blown your diet when you bite into that luscious cake, think again. The natural response is to give yourself a mental drubbing and then scrub the diet altogether. Paddock says, however, if you assess what you've eaten you might find you're barely over your daily allowance of fat, sugar or sodium. Whew. You'll be glad you checked. It is easier to right yourself from a small transgression than from a monthlong slide into Junk Foodville.
Should you even bother making desserts skinnier by using sugar substitutes and no-fat ingredients? Will one Christmas cookie be enough for you? That's where those pesky choices come in.
"There are some people who would rather eat more of something because it's modified," Paddock says. "There are others who would rather eat the regular food in moderation."
In the name of choices, good ones at that, we've scared up some recipes that offer big flavor with smaller calorie price tags.
The Joslin Center for Diabetes offers a free program at 1 p.m. Friday called "Dining Out With Diabetes." Call (727) 462-7500 by Thursday to RSVP. The lecture will be at the Cheek-Powell Heart and Vascular Pavilion, 455 Pinellas St., Clearwater.
Non-stick cooking spray
1/4 cup fine gingersnap crumbs (about 6)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
11/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 large egg yolk
1 can (1 pound) solid-pack pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan with the cooking spray. Place the gingersnap crumbs into the coated pie pan. Tilt the pan from side to side until the sides and bottom are lightly but evenly dusted with the crumbs. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup of the sugar and 1/4 cup of the milk; sprinkle the gelatin and ginger evenly over the surface and let soften for 5 minutes.
Set the saucepan over moderately low heat and cook, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes or until the gelatin and sugar dissolve. Remove from the heat.
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk and remaining milk together, then slowly whisk in the hot gelatin mixture.
Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan, set over low heat, and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly thickened; be careful not to boil or the mixture will curdle.
Transfer the filling to a large bowl, blend in the pumpkin, cover and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar at moderate speed until foamy; slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat at moderately high speed until the whites hold soft peaks.
With a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the pumpkin mixture and spoon into the crust.
Refrigerate at least 8 hours before serving.
Serves 8.
Nutrition information per serving: 133 calories, 2 gm total fat (1 gm saturated), 30 mg cholesterol; 6 gm protein; 25 gm carbohydrates and 92 mg sodium.
Source: "Reader's Digest Recipes for Good Health"
2 large eggs
1/4 cup honey
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 cup cooked pumpkin
11/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons unsweetened orange juice concentrate
1 9-inch unbaked single crust oil pastry
With electric mixer, beat eggs until foamy, about one minute. Add honey, milk, pumpkin, spice, salt and juice concentrate. Beat until well blended.
Pour pumpkin filling into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees for 60 to 65 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Serves 8.
Nutrition information per serving: 257 calories; 33 gm carbohydrate; 7 gm protein; 11 gm fat, 271 mg sodium.
Source: "The Joy of Snacks," International Diabetes Center, 1991
1 egg
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces fresh cranberries (2 cups)
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Beat egg; add 1/2 cup sugar, milk, oil, orange juice and almond extract; mix thoroughly.
Combine 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt; add to egg mixture and mix. Pour into an 8- by 8- by 2-inch pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
Chop cranberries in a blender or food processor; spoon over batter.
Mix 1/2 cup flour with 3 tablespoons sugar and cut in 2 tablespoons margarine. Sprinkle over cranberries.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.
Makes 16 servings (2-inch squares).
Nutrition information per serving: 143 calories, 25 gm carbohydrate, 4 gm fat.
Source: Wheat Foods Council
Fruit mixture:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh orange juice (about 3 oranges)
1/4 cup water
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 (12-ounce) bag fresh or frozen cranberries
6 cups cubed peeled Rome apple (about 21/2 pounds)
1/4 cup dark rum
Cooking spray
Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chilled stick margarine or butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
2 teaspoons sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To prepare fruit mixture, combine the first 5 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes or until cranberries pop and mixture is slightly thick.
Cool slightly; stir in apple and rum. Spoon into a 3-quart casserole coated with cooking spray.
To prepare topping, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife. Combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in margarine with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine buttermilk and rind, and add to flour mixture. Stir just until moist.
Spoon topping into 8 equal portions over fruit mixture; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar.
Bake for 35 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown.
Serves 8.
Nutrition information per serving: 264 calories; 6.6 gm of fat; 2.9 gm of protein; 53.2 gm of carbohydrate; 239 mg sodium.
Source: http://www.cookinglight.com