The Junk Food Nutritionist

I believe in everything in moderation. But, sometimes people make carbs out to be bad and recommend low-carb diets. So, let's address this misconception that carbs are unhealthy.... First off, everyone needs all three of the macronutrients--carbohydrates, proteins, & fats. There is no single amount of carbs that is right for everyone, but there is a recommended range... Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) AMDR is a fancy phrase for the percent of calories that should come from carbs, fat, and protein, as recommended by the  Institute of Medicine : 45-65% Calories from Carbohydrates 20-35% Calories from Fat 10-35% Calories from Protein Because these nutrient recommendations are a range, everyone can get them differently. Some people do very well on a high carb diet with 65% calories from carbohydrates. Some people do well with only 45% calories from carbs. What do these percentages even mean? These percentages probably mean nothing to you. So, let's look at wh...

 In theory, the Glycemic Index sounds good. Lower glycemic index foods are supposed to cause a smaller rise in blood sugar whereas higher glycemic index foods cause a larger blood sugar spike. Eating lower glycemic index foods could be a good way to prevent or control diabetes. However, there's more to choosing what to eat than just picking low glycemic index foods.   The first time you see a list, it might surprise you. I saw this list from a doctor:  Apple juice 41 Orange juice 52 Brown rice 55 Banana 55 Potato chips 56 Ice cream 61 Pineapple 66 Watermelon 72 Baked potato 85 To an uneducated patient, this list makes fruit juice seem like a health food. It scored lower than other healthy foods like brown rice.  Ice cream seems healthier than pineapples, watermelon, & baked potatoes.  Glycemic Index Looks at One Thing These foods look "healthier" because glycemic index looks at one thing only--the rise in blood sugar.  It is true that ice cream cau...

Every day it seems that there are new diet products on the market. Are the chemicals used in them safe? Artificial and natural no and low calorie sweeteners which are often added to these products are considered safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).   Similar agencies have also approved these sweeteners for use in other countries.  That said, there are still possible side effects, just like medications recognized as safe may result in side effects. Let’s explore these sweeteners and their potential health risks, starting with the oldest first.

I haven’t shared an entrée recipe in a while. Sometimes I think about sharing one but worry that it detracts from the “junk food” aspect of the blog. Well, today’s dinner was deli cious junk food. Carbs or starches often get labelled as "junk." The star of tonight's meal was two carb-heavy ingredients: mashed potatoes and white flour.   Seriously. These two carbs come together to make a dish called gnocchi. Often, chefs will add egg, but I don't cook with eggs and my gnocchi turned out just fine. Here's what I did... I combined 1 cup of leftover mashed potatoes with ½ cup of white flour. I kneaded them together on a cutting board. (Any flat surface will do.) Then, I rolled the dough into a rope and cut it into segments. I was raised eating gnocchi without any fancy lines. If you want to make lines on it, like many stores sell it, you can roll the dough against the tines of a fork.   I brough...

A reader asked me to compare the nutrition of junk food options out there and advise readers on best to eat. So, today we’ll look at gummy candies... Gummy candies are usually mostly sugar. They're low in protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Healthier choices might be foods that contain more nutrients (like protein, vitamins, and minerals) or healthier choices might be lower in added sugar or other artificial ingredients. I've included some of each. Gum Drops Take gum drops, for example. They're corn syrup, sugar, corn starch and/or modified food starch, coloring, and flavoring. 4 large gumdrops are 150 calories, all of which come from the 37 grams of carbs. There's no protein, fat, vitamins, or minerals.

It's almost New Year's. You might be thinking about your New Year's Resolution. Maybe you want to eat healthier and cut back or avoid added sugar. I think that  is a great idea any time of year and is a healthy New Year’s Resolution. That said, even dietitians, like myself, can find it difficult to avoid added sugar entirely. In this post, I'll discuss things to consider before tackling this resolution. But, first, let's review forms of added sugar. Words For Added Sugar Honey and maple syrup are added sugars, too. You probably know corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup are added sugars, but don’t forget dextrose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, mannose, trehalose, and galactose. Added sugar also includes natural products like evaporated cane juice, molasses, honey, maple syrup, and agave nectar because they are forms of sugar that have been added to the product.

           After giving a presentation on diabetes, I was asked what the “healthiest” food to eat. Answer: There is no single healthiest food. What’s the healthy diet depends on your definition of healthy. This is different for everyone. That said, here are some recommendations for everyone… Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) AMDR is a fancy phrase for how much carbs, fat, and protein are recommended by the Institute of Medicine : 45-65% Calories from Carbohydrates 20-35% Calories from Fat 10-35% Calories from Protein (10-25% recommended by Australian Ministry of Health ) Because these nutrient recommendations are a range, everyone can get them differently. Some people do very well on a high carb diet with 65% calories from carbohydrates. Diabetics are often told to eat closer to 50% calories from carbs, and some people do well with only 45% calories from carbs. Why so many carbohydrates? What...