The Dash Diet Weight Loss Solution: 2 Weeks to Drop Pounds, Boost Metabolism, and Get Healthy (A DASH Diet Book) (16 page)

converted to lactic acid in yogurts, although the label does not reflect this.) Choose yogurts with less than 120 calories for a 6- to 8-ounce serving. As an added benefit, most people with lactose intolerance can handle yogurt very well. If you are sensitive to lactose or milk proteins, you can choose dairy substitutes. Take care to choose products with calcium and vitamin D that are equal to their real dairy counterparts.

If you are lactose-intolerant, you can find lactose-free milk, or take lactose digesting enzymes to reduce the lactose. And cheeses and yogurt tend to be very low in lactose.

See Appendix A for more information.

Which is better, butter or margarine? A soft margarine that doesn’t contain trans fats is your best choice. Another good selection criteria is to look for margarines with plant stanols or sterols, such as Smart Balance. The stanols help to reduce cholesterol levels, which can be an added benefit. For special baking or cooking, you can occasionally use butter, as long as you use it rarely and in small quantities. I choose butter for special meals for its flavor, but I rarely use either margarine or butter as part of my routine diet.

Lean Meats, Fish, and Poultry

For the nonvegetarians, lean meats, fish, and poultry can be great protein sources, as long as we do not choose the ones high in saturated fats or added sodium.

When the relationship between heart disease and cholesterol was first uncovered,

everyone told us to lower our intake of red meat and high-fat dairy foods. People

replaced the dairy with soda, which was a very poor idea for any reason, but especially for bone health. And people cut back on red meat, but then became tired of having the

“same old chicken again.” The great news is that today we don’t have to cut back,

because there are healthier options. We can include red meat and dairy foods that are low in fat, along with poultry, fish, and vegetable protein sources.

When choosing beef or pork, look for cuts that include the terms “loin” or “round” in their names. Sirloin, tenderloin, and loin chops (including New York strip steaks) are all lean cuts. Pork tenderloin is even lower in fat and calories than a boneless, skinless chicken breast. Choose meats that are graded “select” and only occasionally have

“choice” or “prime,” which are much higher in fat. And of course, the fat in meats is high in saturated fat. Since restaurants tend to serve choice or prime cuts, seafood can be a better choice when eating out (assuming the seafood isn’t swimming in butter). And of course, skinless chicken and turkey are low in saturated fat.

For ground beef, 95% lean ground sirloin is a perfect choice and is just slightly higher in fat and calories than a chicken breast. There will be little or no fat to pour off, which is a very good sign. Watch out if you are buying ground chicken or turkey. Often skin and fat are added, which will make these choices much higher in saturated fat than lean beef.

Dark poultry meat is becoming popular again, because it is more flavorful and tender

than white meat. And it is much higher in monounsaturated fats than in saturated fat, so chicken thighs and legs can be a high-flavor addition to your poultry choices.

Seafood is mostly very low in fat, and most of it that is high-fat has extremely healthy fats, the omega-3s. Good examples include salmon, tuna, sardines, and swordfish. The

low-fat seafood, including shrimp and other crustaceans, is very low in calories and is a great way to add variety to your meals. Surprisingly, even shellfish that may be high in cholesterol can be a heart-healthy choice, since it is so very low in total fat and virtually free of saturated fat. Even fatty fish are still in the lean range when compared to meat and poultry.

In addition to proteins and fat, lean animal foods are great sources of many additional nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals. For example, beef is very rich in zinc, vitamins B12 and B6, and iron.

Heart-Healthy Fats

The fats that we would like to have in our diets include the monounsaturated fats and the special long-chain polyunsaturated fats known as the omega-3 fatty acids (found in some nuts and fish). The fats that we want to go easy on include the saturated and trans fats and, surprisingly, most of the polyunsaturated fats.

We know that saturated fat is associated with increased production of cholesterol, but it is less well known that excess carbs tend to exacerbate this. So the DASH Diet Weight Loss Solution will help keep cholesterol under control by impacting both factors. When the recommendation to reduce saturated fat first came out, it was accompanied by a

recommendation to replace it with polyunsaturated fats, such as those from corn oil or soybean oil. Now these oils, which are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, are considered to be less healthy in high amounts. The omega-6 fats are associated with increased risk of heart disease, depression, autoimmune diseases, and inflammation. The beneficial

monounsaturated fats, found in olive oil and canola oil, are associated with lower rates of heart disease and some types of cancer, as are the omega-3 fats found in seafood and

some kinds of nuts, such as walnuts.

Heart-healthy choices include olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and to a lesser extent, corn, soy, and safflower oil. Peanut oil is a great choice for cooking at high temperatures, such as stir frying, since it is rich in monounsaturated fats but has a higher smoke point than olive oil. That is, it will tolerate higher cooking temperatures without giving off the toxic smoke of oils with lower smoke points.

Coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil are vegetable sources of saturated fat.

Coconut oil may be found in popcorn, especially commercially prepared fresh popcorn.

And all these fats are now often found in cookies, crackers, and other pastries and baked goods, where they have replaced much of the trans fats. Even though many

manufacturers have removed them, you still need to watch out for and avoid

hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats, which are the sources of trans fats.

Foods for Your Grocery List

The following are some suggestions to help you stock your kitchen with DASH-friendly

foods:

Canned, Bottled, and Dry Foods

• Diced tomatoes, no added salt

• Tomato sauce, no added salt

• Tomato paste, no added salt

• Kidney beans, no added salt

• Black beans, no added salt

• Lentils

• Canned tuna, in water, low-salt

• Canned salmon, low-salt

• Canned chicken, low-salt

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Peanut oil

• Canola oil

• Salad dressings

• Mustard

• Oatmeal, unsweetened

• High-fiber cereals without added sugar

• Whole wheat bread, including “light” or “lite” kinds

• Nuts, preferably unsalted

Spices and Herbs

• Bag of onions

• Bulbs of garlic

• Shallots

• Fresh herbs

• Dry spices including basil, oregano, parsley flakes, thyme, marjoram, paprika,

rosemary, ginger, poultry seasoning, sage, onion powder, garlic powder, chili

powder, etc.

• Salt substitutes, including lemon-pepper

Frozen

• Individual and mixed vegetables, without sauces

• Sliced pepper and onion mix

• Diced onions

• Diced green peppers

• Frozen skinless boneless chicken breasts

• Frozen 95% lean ground sirloin (and patties)

• Frozen yogurt, with no added sugar

• Frozen fruit

Refrigerated

• Lemon juice

• Lime juice

• Sliced deli meats, low-sodium

• Cheese, low-sodium and reduced-fat

Fresh from the Market (Don’t forget farmers’ markets!)

• Lettuces and other greens

• Carrots, baby, sliced or grated

• Grape or cherry tomatoes or other high-flavor tomatoes

• Coleslaw mix

• Broccoli slaw

• Radishes

• Peppers

• Broccoli

• Cauliflower

• Red cabbage

• Cucumber

• Beets

• Fresh fruit

Meat Counter

• Fresh fish (See table
here
.)

• Lean meat and poultry (See tables on pages
here.
)

Dairy

• Low-fat or nonfat, low-sodium cheeses: cheddar, Swiss, Colby-Jack, mozzarella;

sliced and grated

• Light individually packaged cheeses such as Mini Babybel Light, The Laughing

Cow Light Wedges, string cheese, Kraft 2% Singles, and 2% or 1% cottage cheese

• Nonfat yogurt, artificially sweetened

• Skim milk

• Egg substitutes

• Eggs or omega-3-rich eggs

Equipment

Having the right equipment will make your life easier, whether you like to cook or

don’t want to spend your time cooking.

• Countertop grill. This allows the quick preparation of lean meats, fish, and poultry.

The newer versions have removable grill surfaces for easy cleanup.

• Toaster oven. Great for making small meals or reheating certain leftovers.

• Microwave. Always great for reheating or making quick scrambled eggs.

• Blender. Can help with pureeing vegetables to sneak into sauces or soups, in

addition to making great smoothies.

• Digital kitchen scale. Helps make it easy to avoid “portion distortion.”

• Food processor. Makes it a breeze to cut up vegetables.

• Mandoline or V-slicer. For quickly cut up veggies. Even faster than a food

processor, with less cleanup.

• Instant-read digital thermometer. Tells you when your meat is cooked correctly,

and when your leftovers are heated enough (165°).

• Great super-sharp knives, not serrated. Make cutting up vegetables easier. Thinner

blades are easier to push through larger vegetables.

Making Great Choices for Meat, Poultry, and Fish

Calories and Fat in 3 Ounces of Cooked Lean Beef

Fat

Saturated fat

Cholesterol

Calories

(g)

(g)

(mg)

Top round roast, broiled

153

4.2

1.4

71

Eye-round, roasted

143

4.2

1.5

59

Shoulder pot roast, roasted

136

4.7

1.6

54

Round tip roast, roasted

147

5.7

1.8

60

Shoulder steak, braised

161

6.0

1.9

80

Top sirloin steak, broiled

166

6.1

2.4

76

Bottom round, roasted

161

6.3

2.1

66

Top loin steak, broiled

176

8.0

3.1

65

Tenderloin steak, broiled

175

8.1

3.0

71

T-bone steak, broiled

172

8.2

3.0

48

Tri-tip roast, roasted

177

8.2

3.0

70

NY strip steak, broiled

161

6.0

2.3

56

Ground beef, 95% lean, pan-

139

5.0

2.2

65

broiled

Ground beef, 90% lean, pan-

173

9.1

3.7

70

broiled

Ground beef, 85% lean, pan-

197

11.9

4.7

73

broiled

Calories and Fat in 3 Ounces of Cooked Lean Pork

Calories Fat (g) Saturated fat (g) Cholesterol (mg)

Pork tenderloin, roasted

140

4

1

65

Pork top loin roast, roasted

170

6

2

65

Pork top loin chop, broiled

170

7

2

70

Pork loin center chop, broiled

170

7

3

70

Pork sirloin roast, roasted

180

9

3

75

Ham, lean, roasted

145

5.5

1.8

53

Calories and Fat in 3 Ounces of Cooked Lean Poultry

Calories

Fat

Saturated fat

Cholesterol

(g)

(g)

(mg)

Chicken breast, with skin,

167

6.6

1.9

71

roasted

Chicken breast, skinless,

140

3.0

0.9

72

roasted

Chicken thigh, with skin, roasted

210

13.2

3.7

79

Chicken thigh, skinless, roasted

178

9.2

2.6

81

Turkey breast, skinless, roasted

115

0.6

0.2

71

Turkey whole, with skin, roasted

146

4.9

1.4

89

Ground turkey, cooked

200

11.2

2.9

87

Ground turkey breast, cooked

98

3.8

1.0

44

Calories and Fat in 3 Ounces of Cooked Fish and Seafood

Calories Fat (g) Saturated fat (g) Cholesterol (mg)

Blue crab

100

1

0

90

Catfish

140

9

2

50

Clams (about 12 small)

100

1.5

0

55

Cod

90

0.5

0

45

Flounder/sole

100

1.5

0.5

60

Haddock

100

1

0

80

Halibut

110

2

0

35

Lobster

80

0

0

60