Weight loss seems to be a topic of perpetual interest in our society. While we are bombarded daily with images of svelte models and fad diets, it can be easy to forget that the true goal is being healthy, not necessarily being thin. Unhealthy lifestyles lead to a variety of health issues, and unfortunately, this health crisis hits close to home. Baton Rouge is #1 in obesity in the country for cities of our size, and 1 in 3 children in Baton Rouge are obese.
What is Obesity?
Obesity it defined as having excess body fat. It is based on the Body Mass Index (BMI), which utilizes height and weight measurements. For adult men and women, a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is classified as overweight and a BMI larger than 30 is classified as obese. There is no absolute BMI that defines obesity in children; the CDC has standard reference charts (growth curves) depending on age. A BMI between the 85th and 95th percentiles is classified as overweight, and a BMI greater than the 95th percentile is classified as obese. Obesity affects all ages and increases risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and arthritis. There isn’t one single cause for obesity; there are many contributing factors. Those include: genetics, environment, types of food eaten, lack of physical activity, medical conditions and side effects, and lack of access to fresh foods.
Easy Tips for Cooking Light
While there are many factors contributing to obesity, eating better is a cornerstone to living a healthier lifestyle and reducing health risks. Contrary to popular belief, eating healthier doesn’t mean sacrificing on flavor. In fact, River Roads Recipes III is entirely devoted to “lightening” some of our favorite dishes while preserving the tastes we have grown to love. Additionally, River Roads Recipes III contains helpful tips throughout on how to reduce calories, fat, sodium, and cholesterol. A few of these tips are listed below and can be incorporated into any recipe to make it healthier:
- Cut the Fat
- Use leaner cuts of meat and trim all visible fat
- Limit dairy fat by using alternative skim or low fat products
- Remove the skin from poultry and game
- Reduce Sugar
- Use 1/4 less sugar than the recipe calls for
- Try substituting 1 cup of sugar for 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce
- Try substituting 1/2 cup of fruit juice concentrate in place of 1 cup of sugar
- Prepare Food Differently
- Bake, broil, roast, or grill rather than frying or pan searing
- Use non-stick skillets to cut back on the fat and oil called for in the recipe
- Use more spices and herbs to enhance flavor and reduce your use of oils and butter
- Toast nuts to achieve more flavor from smaller portions
Curried Chicken Salad with Mango Chutney, RRR III, p. 68
This is a great, quick and easy healthy recipe from our River Road Recipes III cookbook. Note how the recipe cuts down on the calories and fat found in traditional chicken salad recipes by removing the chicken skin, toasting the chopped walnuts, and using low calorie mayonnaise and nonfat dairy substitutes, yet maintains great flavor by adding the curry powder and mango chutney.
- 1 pound skinless chicken, cooked, and cubed
- 2 cups seedless grapes or golden raisins (I like to cut these in half)
- 2-3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup lightly toasted chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup low fat/low calorie mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- Lettuce leaves
- 4 tablespoons mango chutney
In a bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. Chill for 2-3 hours. Serve on lettuce leaves with mango chutney on the side. Serves 4.
*Nutrition Note: This recipe has 324 calories, 14.4 grams of fat, and 190 milligrams of sodium per serving. You can take the health benefits a step further by substituting the walnuts for 1/2 cup of chopped water chestnuts (this will reduce over 4 grams more fat per serving). You can also try using a fat free mayonnaise to trim an additional 4 grams of fat per serving.