NUTRITION Q & A
Ask the Dietitian
BY Stephanie Karpinske, M.S., R.D.
Stephanie Karpinske,
M.S., R.D., writes
about weight loss,
nutrition, and health
issues. Her mission
is to help others lead
healthier lives.
A: You’ve most likely either made a
change in your workout habits or your
diet. If your weight gain occurs every
summer, keep a food journal for a few
days and see if the foods you eat could
be causing the weight gain. You say
you’re eating more salads, but are they
filled with high-calorie ingredients
(cheese, croutons, dried fruit)? And do
you use a lot of dressing? If so, you may
be eating more calories than in the fall
and winter months when you’re eating
more broth-based soups and
roasted meats.
Fruit is great but can be high
in calories and sugar, so you have
to be careful with portions. For
instance, a cup of grapes has
about 120 calories and 24 grams
of sugar. That’s a lot of sugar and if
you’re watching your weight, those
120 calories can cause weight
gain if you don’t adjust your diet
elsewhere. Remember that even
though fruit is healthy, eating
unlimited amounts may cause
weight gain.
Beets Q: My neighbor gave me some beets from her garden. Are beets good for heart health? How do you cook them?
Beat Stronger. Live Longer.
A: Beets tend to be one of those love-’em-or-hate-’em vegetables, but if you love them, your health will benefit. Beets are loaded with betacyanin, which is
believed to help fight cancer. They also have
been shown to help lower total cholesterol
and triglycerides and increase HDL (good)
cholesterol. And they’re low in calories
( 74 calories/cup).
Beets are high in sugar, so they are
naturally sweet, making them good on their
own or as an ingredient. When cooking beets,
boil them with their skin on or their color will
bleed. Then mash them like potatoes or cut
them into chunks. To roast, wrap clean beets
in foil and bake at 400°F until soft (about an
hour). Once cooled, peel off skins, then slice
and season to taste. Add sliced onions for
more flavor.
Raw beets are also good shredded in leafy
green salads or coleslaw. Sauté beet leaves
in a little olive oil, as you would Swiss chard.
Continued on page 23
PHOTO: SCOT T LI T TLE (top)
20
WEIGH T LOSS
Watch out for summer drinks. Each 1-ounce glass of lemonade has, on average,
100 calories and 25 grams of sugar. The same-size serving of McDonald’s sweet tea
has 115 calories and 19 grams of sugar.
