The 200 SuperFoods That Will Save Your Life (45 page)

Livit Recipe

4 trout fillets (about 6 ounces each)

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1½ tablespoons fresh herbs (parsley, chives, dill)

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Canola oil spray

• Slash the skin of the trout. Sprinkle the fillets with ½ teaspoon of the salt and the ¼ teaspoon pepper.

• In a medium bowl, combine the herbs, oil, lemon juice, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.

• Lightly spray a large skillet with canola oil. Heat skillet over medium heat. Lay the fish in the skillet, skin side down. Cook until the skin is crisp, about 4 minutes. Gently turn the fish over and cook for 1 additional minute. Transfer the fillets to individual plates.

• Garnish each fillet with herbs. Serve.

YIELD
4 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
219 calories, 1.9 g carbohydrate, 33.5 g protein, 8.8 g fat, 0.6 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Tuna is a large and oily fish, providing high amounts of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as selenium, niacin, and vitamins B
₁
and B
₆
. It is an excellent source of protein and is relatively low in calories.

Because tuna is a large fish, some types are high in mercury. Canned “light” tuna is regarded as a low-mercury fish. Albacore or “white” tuna is regarded as some what higher in mercury content, such that pregnant women and young children should eat it no more than once a week. Both types of tuna are frequently cited as offering health benefits that far outweigh the risks of the small amounts of mercury they contain.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One-fourth cup of solid white tuna, drained, provides 80 calories, 0 g carbohydrate, 16 g protein, 1 g fat, 0 g dietary fiber, and 310 mg sodium.

Bringing It Home

Among types of canned tuna, light tuna packed in water is probably the best choice. If possible, choose a tuna whose ingredient list includes only tuna, water, and salt—or just tuna and water, if you are watching your sodium intake. Tuna is now also available in shelf-stable pouches. Either canned or pouch tuna provides a portable, high-protein food that is easy to keep on hand.

Tuna makes a simple snack served on crackers, and it is a classic addition to comfort foods like macaroni and cheese. A tuna melt on whole wheat bread or rolled in a whole wheat tortilla, served with lettuce and tomato, can provide a quick balanced meal.

Livit Recipe

You can make this meal in a plastic zipper bag!

1 can albacore tuna
OR
light tuna, packed in water, rinsed and well drained

1 bag (12 ounces) broccoli slaw, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon organic Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon agave nectar

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 lemon, juice only

2 tablespoons raisins

Dash of lemon pepper
OR
salt-free herbal seasoning

• In a medium bowl, combine the tuna with the slaw, stirring until well mixed.

• In a small bowl, combine the mustard, vinegar, agave nectar, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Stir to combine.

• Add the mustard mixture to the tuna mixture, stirring to combine. Add raisins and lemon pepper. Stir all the ingredients well with a large spoon. Serve.

•
NOTES
The ingredients can be combined in a 2-quart plastic zipper bag: Put the tuna and the slaw into the bag and shake to combine. Add the mustard, vinegar, agave nectar, mayonnaise, and lemon juice and shake to combine. Add the raisins and lemon pepper, shaking until all ingredients are evenly distributed. For a balanced quick and easy meal, add a piece of whole wheat pita bread or some whole wheat crackers.

YIELD
2 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
162 calories, 15 g carbohydrate, 15.2 g protein, 5.4 g fat, 6.4 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Turkey is a relatively low-fat source of high-quality animal protein. It is a very good source of selenium and vitamin B
₆
, two nutrients that are essential to healthy metabolism. Some studies have linked selenium deficiency to an increased risk of cancer, but it appears that in people with adequate selenium in their diets, increasing selenium had no further protective effect. More research is needed to pin down this mineral's anti-cancer potential. It does act as an antioxidant, and it is involved in proper thyroid function.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION (TURKEY BREAST)
One ounce of turkey breast provides 23 calories, 0 g carbohydrate, 4.7 g protein, 0.3 g fat, 0 g dietary fiber, 1.7 mg niacin, 1 mcg folic acid, 58 mg potassium, 301 mg sodium, 48 mg phosphorus, and 4 mg magnesium.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION (TURKEY PATTY)
One 4-ounce cooked ground turkey patty provides 193 calories, 0 g carbohydrate, 22.4 g protein, 10.8 g fat, 0 g dietary fiber, 4 mg niacin, 6 mcg folic acid, 221 mg potassium, 88 mg sodium, 161 mg phosphorus, and 20 mg magnesium.

Bringing It Home

Prepared, precooked turkey breast is a convenient source of good nutrition, but it does contain more salt than fresh turkey breast cooked at home. When buying cooked turkey breast, try to find turkey breast with the fewest additives and preservatives. Avoid nitrites, which are often used to preserve the color of cold cuts.

When buying ground turkey breast, note that packages marked “ground turkey” may include skin and dark meat—both of which contribute fat. “Ground turkey breast” contains only ground white meat, with a lower caloric load.

Fresh turkey should look plump and rounded and it should feel pliable. It should not have any hint of a bad smell. Don't push the “sell by” date—in the refrigerator, raw turkey will keep for only a day or two. Cooked, it will keep for about four days.

Frozen turkey should be free of ice crystals or frozen liquid in the package, both of which may indicate that the bird has been thawed and refrozen.

Organically raised turkeys have been fed an organic diet and are not given additional hormones or unnecessary antibiotics. Organic turkey has somewhat more flavor than conventionally raised birds, and heritage breeds are even tastier.

As with chicken, it's important to follow the rules for safe poultry handling. Don't partially cook a turkey and then hold it for further cooking—cook it thoroughly. If you stuff a turkey for cooking, remove all the stuffing and store any leftover meat and stuffing in separate containers.

Livit Recipe

Canola oil spray

2 large cloves garlic, minced

2 large stalks of celery, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and diced

8 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and diced

1¼ pounds ground turkey breast

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Dash of nutmeg

½ cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs

½ cup minced fresh parsley

• Preheat oven to 375°F.

• Spray a large nonstick skillet with canola oil. Heat the pan briefly, and add the garlic, celery, onion, and peppers. Sauté, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until slightly softened. Stir the mushrooms into the onion mixture and cover the pan to sweat the mushrooms. After about 3 minutes, remove the cover and resume sautéing the vegetables, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside.

• In a large bowl, combine the turkey, egg whites, pepper, nutmeg, bread crumbs, and parsley. Add the sautéed vegetables, and stir to combine all the ingredients well.

• Spray an 8” × 4” loaf pan with canola oil. Transfer the turkey mixture to the pan.

Center the loaf pan in a larger, shallow baking dish. Set the baking dish with the turkey loaf in it into the oven. Fill the outer baking dish with hot water to a depth of about 1 inch.

• Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

• Let the loaf stand for about 15 minutes. Serve.

YIELD
6 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
193 calories, 8 g carbohydrate, 32 g protein, 4 g fat, 2.7 g dietary fiber

Benefits

While many forms of white-fleshed fish with mild flavor are called “white fish,” such as cod, haddock, hake, and pollock, “whitefish” also refers to a group of freshwater fish including the lake and round whitefish. Related to both salmon and trout, lake whitefish had been depleted by overfishing in the 1960s but have since recovered. They are fished commercially in the Great Lakes in both the United States and Canada.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
Three ounces of whitefish cooked by dry heat provides 146 calories, 0 g carbohydrate, 20.8 g protein, 6.4 g fat, 0 g dietary fiber, 65 mg cholesterol, 111 IU vitamin A, 3.3 mg niacin, 14 mcg folic acid, 345 mg potassium, 55 mg sodium, 294 mg phosphorus, 28 mg calcium, 36 mg magnesium, and 1.08 mg zinc.

Bringing It Home

Lake whitefish may be sold under several different names, including Sault white-fish, whitefish, gizzard fish, and grande coregone. Round whitefish include Menominee whitefish, pilot fish, frost fish, and round fish.

Look for fish with eyes that are bright and clear, gills that are red and free from slime, and skin that is shiny and colorful. The best way to store fish is to take it out of the packaging, rinse it under cold water, and set it on a cake rack above a shallow pan full of crushed ice, covered, in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Whitefish will keep for up to two days.

Whitefish is also available frozen. Some recipes allow you to start cooking with frozen fish, or it can be safely thawed in the refrigerator.

Some Great Lakes fish have been found to be high in PCBs. For this reason, you may wish to remove the skin from whitefish before cooking, as contaminants are thought to accumulate in the fat and skin.

Livit Recipe

3 tablespoons olive oil plus enough to oil the parchment paper

½ pound fingerling potatoes, cut into

½-inch slices

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup minced fresh chives

Salt and pepper

¾ cup dry white wine

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon dried tarragon

2 lake whitefish fillets (6 ounces each), with skin removed

1 lemon, cut into thin slices, as garnish

Sprinkle of paprika, as garnish

• Preheat oven to 400°F.

• Cover the bottom of an 11” × 7” baking pan with parchment paper. Rub the paper lightly with olive oil. Place the potatoes on top of the oiled parchment in a single layer.

• In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the oil, two thirds of the minced garlic, and the chives. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the mixture evenly over the potatoes.

• Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven and, using a wooden spoon, turn the potato slices over. Return them to the oven to bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

• Meanwhile, in a shallow pan, combine the wine, the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, lemon juice, dried tarragon, and the remaining one third of the minced garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the fish fillets, cover, and put the fillets in the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes.

• Remove the potatoes from the oven, and use a wooden spoon to push the potato slices to the sides of the pan, making room for the fish to lie flat. Gently add the marinated fish fillets to the baking pan with the potatoes, and return the pan to the oven. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the fish are opaque but still moist. Transfer to a serving dish.

• Garnish with lemon slices and sprinkle with paprika for color. Serve.

YIELD
2 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
520 calories, 25 g carbohydrate, 37 g protein, 23 g fat, 2.3 g dietary fiber

7
Fats

What role do fats from food sources play in good health? Our understanding of this has changed significantly since the days when cutting out fat took center stage as the dietary cure-all. It's still true that too much fat—like too much of anything else—will put on the pounds. It's also still true that fat is the most calorie-dense of the basic macronutrients, weighing in at 9 calories per gram vs. 4 calories per gram for both carbohydrate and protein.