Dr. Tereza's Blog

Now that your kids are back to school, it is a good time to check on their nutrition. This is a continuous challenge, especially if you are struggling with your picky eaters, but there is help!

Here are some tips to help avoid bad eating habits and encourage a lifetime of good nutrition and healthy habits:

• Buy what you want them to eat.  It is easier to avoid bad habits if it’s not in the house.
• While you are shopping in the produce section, involve your child by talking about the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables.
• Be creative by incorporating healthy foods into their favorite foods.
• Redefine the idea of dessert by offering fruits or yogurt instead of the sugary options.
• If your child rejects the meal you’ve prepared, don’t prepare anything else as this can encourage picky eating and power struggles over food.
• During mealtimes, enforce “No TV Policy”.  Not only are you removing distractions, you’re removing the possibility of ads for sugary snacks and fast foods. 
• And most importantly… set a good example by eating a variety of healthy foods yourself.

It’s that time of year again. Hot weather sets picnic fever – and the nation’s barbeque grills – ablaze. In fact, according to the Hearth, Patio and Barbeque Association, 4 out of 5 American households will fire up backyard grills this summer.

Experts at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) recently issued their yearly advice for healthy grilling. This year, that advice is bolstered by new evidence in a just-published report on the prevention of colorectal cancer.

“Two aspects of the traditional American cookout, what you grill and how you grill it, can have a role in raising risk for cancer,” said AICR spokesperson Alice Bender, MS RD. “Big portions of red and processed meat are a well-known concern with respect to colorectal cancer. And although the evidence on the link between grilling itself and cancer risk is less strong, it only makes sense to take some easy cancer-protective precautions.”

Bender noted that when any kind of meat, poultry or fish is cooked at high temperatures, especially when well-done or charred, cancer-causing compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) form. These substances can theoretically damage DNA in ways that make cancer more likely.

“The good news is that there are four simple strategies you can use to make allowances, manage risks, and grill more safely,” Bender said.

1. Get the red (meat) out, add other colors

Focus first on grilling colorful vegetables and fruits, and cut back on the amount of red and processed meat on your cookout menu. Plant foods contain a variety of naturally occurring compounds called phytochemicals, many of which provide their own anti-cancer protection.

Vegetables like asparagus, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant and corn on the cob are favorites, because grilling brings out flavors that even the pickiest eaters enjoy. Cut into chunks for kabobs, cook in a grill basket or toss with a small amount of olive oil and grill whole.

Cut fruit before putting it on the grill: apples, peaches and pears can be halved and bananas split lengthwise. Use fruit that is about a day or two away from being completely ripe so it retains its texture. If you brush fruit or the grill with a bit of oil, it won’t stick, and remember to watch closely so it doesn’t get overdone. Serve as is, with a sprinkle of cinnamon or a dollop of plain frozen yogurt.

2. Marinate the meat

If you choose to grill meat, mix it up: Try chicken or fish instead of sticking with burgers and hot dogs. Whatever meat you choose, start by mixing up a marinade with some of your favorite herbs along with vinegar or lemon juice. Keep the meat marinating in the fridge while you prepare the sides. Marinating meat has been shown to reduce the formation of HCAs. Precisely why marinades are protective is still under investigation; some evidence points to the acids (vinegar and citrus) or the antioxidant content. Even just 30 minutes in the marinade can help.

3. Partially pre-cook

You can do this in the microwave, oven or stove to help reduce the amount of time the meat sits on the grill exposed to high heat. To ensure safe food handling, just be sure to put the partially cooked meat on the preheated grill immediately to complete cooking.

4. Go slow and low

To reduce the amount of HCAs and PAHs that end up in, and on, the meat, slow down the cooking time with a low flame and keep burning and charring to a minimum. More tips: cut off any visible fat (to reduce flare-ups), cook food in the center of the grill and move coals to the side (to prevent fat and juices from dripping on them) and cut off any charred portions of the meat.

Reprinted on July 22, 2011, courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research. For more information, please visit www.aicr.org.

1/2 cup dried tart cherries
3/4 cup pomegranate juice, divided
1 lb. pork tenderloin
4 tsp. canola oil
1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. coarse seed mustard
2 tsp. unsalted butter, optional
Salt and ground black pepper

Place cherries in small bowl. Add 1/2 cup pomegranate juice and let sit until cherries are plump, about 20 minutes. Drain, setting fruit aside and reserving liquid.

Cut tenderloin crosswise into 8 pieces.  Using your palm, gently flatten each piece to an even thickness.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until it is browned on both sides, turning meat once, about 6 minutes in all. When instant read thermometer reads 150 degrees or meat resists slightly when pressed with your finger, remove it to plate,cover loosely with foil and set aside.

Pour broth into the pan. As it boils, use wooden spatula to scrape up all browned bits. When broth is reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes, add cherries, shallots, pomegranate juice and reserved juice from soaking, thyme and mustard. Simmer vigorously until liquid is reduced by one-third, 4 to 5 minutes. Return meat and any juices that have collected to pan and cook until meat is barely pink in the center or instant read thermometer registers 160 degrees. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place two pieces of tenderloin on each of four dinner plates. If using, swirl butter into sauce until it melts. Spoon sauce over meat. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Note: If the tenderloin has a silverskin membrane, remove it or at the meat counter, ask the butcher to do it for you.

Nutritional values per serving:
  Calories: 238
  Total fat: 5 g
  Saturated fat: 4 g
  Carbohydrate: 43 g
  Protein: 7 g
  Dietary fiber: 6 g
  Sodium: 155 mg

Reprinted on April 5, 2011, courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research. For more information, please visit www.aicr.org.