The 200 SuperFoods That Will Save Your Life (42 page)

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
Two tablespoons of unsalted all-natural peanut butter provides 210 calories, 6 g carbohydrate, 8 g protein, 16 g fat, 2 g dietary fiber, and 0.36 mg iron.

Bringing It Home

Avoid buying raw peanuts with any trace of mold, and keep them refrigerated once you have them home.

For a peanut butter with a nutritional profile closest to that of the peanut itself, buy an all-natural peanut butter or, better yet, the type that's ground in the store. To cut down on fat, let your peanut butter stand until the oil rises to the surface, then pour off half to three quarters of the liquid oil. You'll need to leave some of the oil so that the peanut butter can be stirred and spread. Keep any natural peanut butter in the refrigerator.

Peanut butter is a key ingredient for high-protein, easy snacks. Spread it on celery, apple slices, or whole wheat crackers. Enjoy a classic PB&J, slightly updated for better nutrition—a peanut butter and jelly sandwich made with whole grain bread and 100% fruit spread.

Livit Recipe

Vegetable oil spray

½ cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking soda

teaspoon salt

½ cup natural-style smooth peanut butter

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

cup honey

1 large egg

2 large egg whites

2 tablespoons safflower oil
OR
soybean oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup dried cranberries
OR
raisins

½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
OR
almonds

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350°F.

• Spray a 9” × 13” baking dish with oil.

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

• In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the peanut butter, sugar, and honey until well blended.

• In a small bowl, stir the egg and egg whites together with a fork.

• Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla to the peanut butter mixture, and beat until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the peanut butter mixture.

• Add the oats, cranberries, walnuts, and chocolate chips, and combine thoroughly. Scrape the batter into the baking dish and spread it into an even layer.

• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned and firm to the touch. Cool the bars completely in the pan on a rack. Cut into 24 bars. Serve.

•
NOTE
For those who are allergic to peanut butter, this recipe can be made with soy nut butter or sunflower seed butter instead.

YIELD
24 bars

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
175 calories, 24 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein, 8 g fat, 2 g dietary fiber

Benefits

There are two types of fish commonly called pollock available in United States markets: Atlantic pollock and Alaska—or walleye—pollock. Although related, the two fish are not of the same genus, and they have different spawning and fishing grounds.

Pollock is a gray- or white-fleshed fish, with a somewhat more distinctive taste than cod and haddock. Alaska pollock is milder and whiter than the Atlantic variety. Pollock has grown in popularity as other white fish have been subject to over-fishing. The Alaska pollock fishery is strictly managed, although Greenpeace has now put Alaska pollock on its list of endangered fish.

Pollock is one of the lowest-mercury fish, so it is safe to eat frequently. Like many similar fish, pollock is very low in saturated fat and a very good source of protein, vitamin B
₁₂
, phosphorus, and selenium. It provides substantial riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B
₆
, magnesium, and potassium.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION (ATLANTIC POLLOCK)
Three ounces of Atlantic pollock cooked by dry heat provides 100 calories, 0 g carbohydrate, 21.2 g protein, 1.1 g fat, 0 g dietary fiber, 77 mg cholesterol, 34 IU vitamin A, 3.4 mg niacin, 3.1 mcg vitamin B
₁₂
, 3 mcg folic acid, 388 mg potassium, 94 mg sodium, 241 mg phosphorus, 65 mg calcium, and 73 mg magnesium.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION (ALASKA POLLOCK)
Three ounces of Alaska (walleye) pollock cooked by dry heat provides 96 calories, 0 g carbohydrate, 20 g protein, 0.95 g fat, 0 g dietary fiber, 82 mg cholesterol, 71 IU vitamin A, 1.4 mg niacin, 3.6 mcg vitamin B
₁₂
, 3 mcg folic acid, 329 mg potassium, 99 mg sodium, 410 mg phosphorus, 5 mg calcium, and 62 mg magnesium.

Bringing It Home

Pollock is available fresh and frozen. The frozen meat is good when poached and used in chowders. Be careful not to get fish that is freezer-burned, or the texture will not be as good. Fresh pollock should be translucent, though the Atlantic variety is grayish rather than white. The skin and eyes should be shiny and metallic, and the fish should have no smell other than that of the ocean.

Livit Recipe

Canola oil

cup coarse, fresh whole wheat bread crumbs

½ tablespoon grated skim-milk Parmesan cheese

teaspoon dried dill weed

teaspoon lemon pepper

3 tablespoons egg whites
OR
egg substitute

½ pound pollock

2 teaspoons margarine, melted

2 thin slices fresh lemon, as garnish

2 small sprigs fresh parsley, as garnish

• Preheat oven to 400°F.

• Lightly oil the inside of a small, shallow baking dish with oil, using a paper towel to spread the oil and absorb any excess.

• In a shallow dish or pie plate, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, dill, and lemon pepper.

• In a separate shallow dish or pie plate, lightly beat the egg. Dip the fish first in the egg, then in the seasoned bread crumbs, repeating until all the crumbs are used.

• Lay the fish gently in the baking pan. Pour the melted margarine over the top.

• Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes when tested with a fork. Garnish with fresh lemon slices and parsley. Serve.

YIELD
2 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
268 calories, 13 g carbohydrate, 29 g protein, 9 g fat, 1.6 g dietary fiber

If you are not eating fish at least twice a week, you can begin improving your health by adding fish to your meal planning. Some fish can be grilled like steaks. Other types work well in sandwiches. You can keep tuna, canned or in pouches, on hand for a high-protein snack. Sardines are another easy snack food to keep on hand, and they can be eaten on crackers or in sandwiches. Start slowly by substituting fish or shellfish for another type of meal each week. Once that is an established part of your eating plan, increase to two seafood meals per week.

Benefits

Salmon is a low-mercury, fatty fish that contains a very high level of omega-3 fatty acids, which are vital to healthy brain and circulatory function. It is also a good source of vitamin D and protein.

Salmon live in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as in the Great Lakes. Although there are some concerns about overfishing some types of salmon—for example, commercial salmon fishing is very limited in California—wild Alaska salmon come from well-managed fisheries that still have adequate stocks of fish.

Salmon are also farmed. In fact, the vast majority of the Atlantic salmon available are farmed fish. Because these fish are fed a controlled diet, the balance of the omega-3 fatty acids may not be as good as it is in wild-caught fish. Farmed salmon may contain a somewhat lower level of omega-3 fatty acids overall. There is also a risk of higher levels of some contaminants, notably dioxins and PCBs, in the farmed fish. Salmon farming has been implicated in the introduction of harmful parasites to nearby wild salmon populations, leading to the decline and possible extinction of wild salmon in some areas.

The red color of salmon is the result of antioxidant carotenoids, including canthaxanthin and astaxanthin. (Atlantic salmon, however, do not contain canthaxan-thin.) Astaxanthin appears to be a particularly powerful antioxidant, with positive effects throughout the body and special benefit to the brain and nervous system. Some farmed salmon are fed astaxanthin to improve their color.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
Three ounces of wild salmon cooked by dry heat provides 155 calories, 0 g carbohydrate, 21.6 g protein, 6.9 g fat, 0 g dietary fiber, 60 mg cholesterol, 37 IU vitamin A, 8.6 mg niacin, 2.6 mcg vitamin B
₁₂
, 25 mcg folic acid, 1.6 mg pantothenic acid, 534 mg potassium, 48 mg sodium, 218 mg phosphorus, 13 mg calcium, and 31 mg magnesium.

Bringing It Home

For many reasons, wild-caught Alaska salmon may be the best choice, but it can also be expensive or hard to find. A 2006 review of studies on the presence and dangers of contaminants in fish, however, found that the overall benefits of eating salmon outweighed the potential risks encountered in the farmed version.