If it looks like an apple and it feels like an apple, than it must taste like an apple, right?

This weekend I was going about my usual routine, going up and down the ailes of the grocery store picking up my weekly stash of fresh fruits and vegetables.  As I was walking towards the grapefruits, I stumbled upon a display of apples.  If it were not for the unique packaging and colourful display, I would have just walked right past the apples.  As I picked up the set of 4 apples,  I read the label more carefully and could not believe my eyes.  It read, "Looks like an apple.  Tastes like a grape." 

My first reaction was, "Oh my gosh, Mommy come here and look at this right now!!"  As you probably could imagine, this brought a lot of attention to the apples!  People all around started flooding towards the display. 

During my ride home, all I could think of was those apples.   When I got home I ran upstairs and logged onto my computer and googled Grapple.  To my surprise the apples are in fact, not genetically modified.   Grapple fruits start off as ordinary Fuji apples and than are specially selected to be infused with Concord grape flavour.   Their nutritional content is not altered in any way, with no additional sugar or calories.  Check out this episode of Unwrapped to learn more.

What do you think of this new invention?  Do you think this intriguing food creation will encourage people to eat more fruits or do you think food innnovators have gone too far with these out of the world ideas? 

Better yet, if you are able to try out the Grapples before I do, let me know your reaction! However, I must warn you that they are quite pricey, selling at about $4.99 for a package of 4.

Where and who else?

For those of you who just can’t get enough tips on making healthy desserts, fear not for I have compiled some great resources for you!

Cookbooks

Deceptively Delicious: This cookbook is filled with kid-friendly recipe ideas to help parents make healthy meals, including desserts that are pack full of nutrients! I love the layout and cover of this book because the pictures are all so cute and the spiral binding makes it easy to lay flat and flip through the pages. Most of the recipes ended up producing tasty results but there were a few that didn’t go over too well such as the Chocolate Chip cookies with chickpeas in them. My only caution for anyone planning to use the recipes in this cookbook is that it will be labour-intensive and not to mention very MESSY!

The Best Light Recipe: This cookbook does a good job of giving tasty alternatives to traditionally high-fat recipes. I love how the author gives you advice on when to use low-fat ingredients and when not to use them. One of the highlights of the book was the makeover at-a-glance because it showed the reduction of calories and fat in the recipes. That said, the book needed more pictures, as there were only 16 photographs for 300 recipes! One of my other pet peeves was that some recipes start on one page and then finish on another, even if it was a short recipe!

The Cake Bible: This book can be quite over-whelming when you first open it up. It is truly an encyclopedia of everything you need to know about baking cakes from the how to’s, to the science of baking. All the recipes were well-written and there are tons of extra tidbits explaining why you’re doing certain steps and how to make sure that you are doing them correctly! The Cake Bible is a definite keeper for people who like baking cakes, both professionals and amateurs! One word of caution though, this book is not for everyday use. Always keep in mind the word “MODERATION!”

 Websites:

Cooks Illustrated aka. America’s Test Kitchen, provides a wealth of information cooking techniques and has reviewed and tested thousands of recipes, products and equipments.

Food Network Canada which has recipes from your favorite television hosts including Anna Olsen, Michael Smith and Laura Calder. You can get entertaining tips, catch up on your favorite shows and don’t forget to check out their Eating Well blog which features a section on “Ask a Dietitian” every Wednesday.

Bon Appetit has the latest reports on food trends, cooking tips and videos, and starting with the October 2009 issue, nutritional information for all their recipes will be available online!

Where do you go to find healthy dessert recipes?

Gourmet Food and Wine Expo

This weekend I attended the Gourmet Food and Wine Expo at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for the very first time.  Let's just say that I learned a big lesson of not buying admission tickets online!  My friend and I had to wait over 1 1/2 hours before we could even enter the expo.  Nonetheless, it was definately worth the wait! 

The highlights of the show for me, that were dessert related include:

1. Eating ice cream made with liquid nitrogen!  For a person who doesn't like eggnog, this ice cream was still amazing!  This level of richness and smoothness cannot be achieved using traditional methods, because the ice cream mixture solidifies instaneously upon the addition of liquid nitrogen.  Therefore, there is no time lag available for ice crystals to form. I wish I got to try more than just a mere spoonful!  I guess that's moderation at the extreme?! 
2. Trying hazelnut liqueur that was served in a little chocolate cup!  Absolutely adorable!  I can still taste and smell the irrestabily hazelnut flavour and distinct aroma.  At first you get the hint of sweetness and subtle notes of vanilla and chocolate followed by the unforgetable burning sensation in your throat.  I cannot believe that this flavour of liqueur has been missing from my repetoire of ingredients for so long!
3. Sampling chocolate that was tooted for its triple antioxidant properties, since it not only contained high amounts of cocoa by also is made with the exotic flavours of acai berry and blueberries.  

The company that were sampling the chocolates was:

I probably listened to the sale rep. talk for at least 10 minutes before I even got to have a taste of their supposedly "one-of-a-kind" super antioxidant chocolate product.   The 7 reasons that they gave me, as to why I should be eating their chocolate is as follows:

1. Supports cardiovascular health
2. Promotes healthy inflammatory response
3. Provides antioxidant protection
4. Helps protect cellular function
5. Is diabetec friendly
6. Supports memory/cognitive function
7. Can contribute to healthy weight control

As the sales rep. kept on emphasizing on these points, I kept thinking to myself, doesn't all products containing cocoa offer the exact same benefits?  What makes their chocolate so much better than other brands of authentic extra-dark chocolate? The one thing that he said that made it clear that this was all a marketing scheme, was the fact that he kept on harping on the fact that their chocolate was made with pure cane sugar, and not the "refined white granulated sugar." In addition, that was the reasoning behind why their chocolate was supposedly "diabetic friendly." 

I want to clear up this misconeption once and for all.  Sugar is sugar, no matter what the source.  Keep in mind that people with diabetes can still enjoy sweets, so long as it is in moderation.  Oh and one more thing, since granulated sugar is made from sugar beets, wouldn't that also be considered, natural and pure?

A multi-functional dessert

Ginger has been used to aid digestion and treat stomach upset, diarrhea and nausea for more than 2000 years in China. Numerous clinical studies have shown that ginger can be useful in combating post-operative vomiting and vomiting of pregnancy as well as its usage as an anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory agent. The FDA considers ginger to be a safe herbal medicine with only few and rare side effects when consumed in large amounts, which include heartburn and irritation of the mouth.

"Ginger Collides with Milk"
That is the direct translation for my favorite Chinese dessert and oddly enough that name describes exactly how to make this unusual sweet treat! I would say that this dessert bears resemblance to a crème caramel, panna cotta or even tofu! It has a silky and smooth texture and the ginger provides such a bold distinctive flavour. I would say that it provides the perfect ending to a traditional Chinese dinner consisting of a bowl of rice, green vegetables and steamed fish. It is nice and light, plus is a great source of calcium.  (Click on the table to enlarge.)

Is it magic?
If you are like me, you like to find out exactly why things happen. After making this dessert for the first time with my mom, I immediately started researching on the chemical reaction taking place. I must say that it was not an easy search, as the description “ginger collides with milk” turns out to generate many bizarre links. It turns out that ginger root is a rich source of proteolytic enzymes, which has the ability to breakdown the protein in milk. In this case, the specific enzyme causes the milk proteins to change from a water soluble form to a water insoluble form, and leads to the formation of milk curd. However, enzymes are very temperamental in that they only work at a certain temperature. Therefore, if you don’t heat the milk or you overheat the milk too much than the enzyme’s ability to breakdown protein will be lost. So don’t overheat the milk!

Bet you didn't know...
Desserts that are normally served warm tend to have less sugar than those that are served cold because our taste buds are more sensitive at higher temperatures. Thus, our perception of taste and flavours are heightened when foods are warm. That’s one of the reasons why ice cream is so high in sugar because it is eaten cold!

Is sweeter better?

The sugar-substitute business must be a pretty good place to be these days with expected sales to reach $1.3 billion by 2013. Thanks to the obesity epidemic, more and more people, including children are trying to cut calories. That means more “diet” this and “no-sugar-added” that and the low-carb craze has left food manufacturers scrambling to be the first on their block to take the sugar out of everything from chocolate to jello. What’s important to realize is that REAL sugar is hardly a toxic chemical. The actual problem is the large amounts that Canadians eat. The United Nations suggest a limit of 50 grams of added sugar per day for people who eat a 2000-calorie diet. That’s about 12 teaspoons, a little more than what you’d get from one 355mL soft drink. However, an average Canadian consumes about 22 teaspoons of sugar each day! So are alternative sweeteners going to be the quick fix to satisfy our sweet tooth? More importantly, are these products safe?

Stevia

One sugar substitute that has been in the spotlight for a while now is, stevia. A relative of the sunflower, this herb is 300 times sweeter than sugar, comparatively cheap and more importantly, calorie free because it contains no absorbable carbohydrates. This herb is native to South and Central America and Mexico. The plant contains stevioside and rebaudioside, chemical compounds that tells your brain it’s sweet.

Just last year, the Food and Drug Administration in the United States declared that the natural zero-calorie sweetener derived from the herb stevia was safe to be used in foods and beverages. This gave way to companies such as PespiCo Inc. to start incorporating stevia into new products such as zero-calorie Sobe LifeWater and reduced-calorie versions of an orange juice drink called Trop50, containing half the calories and sugar of orange juice. In Canada, Stevia can only be bought for personal use for uses such as sweetening a cup of tea or coffee, but Health Canada still has some concerns as toxicological data is limited. Most of the available studies to date have been performed in cell cultures, isolated tissues or experimental studies. Of the studies that have been conducted in healthy individuals, ingestion of stevia produced no adverse effects or abnormalities in liver and renal functions tests. A number of studies have actually suggested that beside sweetness, stevia may also offer therapeutic benefits including having anti-hyperglycemic, anit-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor actions.

Agave
Another increasingly popular sugar alternative is agave nectar, an ultra-sweet syrup that comes from the same plant as tequila. Agave nectar ranges in color from pale gold to amber, depending on the amount of filtration during processing. The lighter it is the more neutral the flavour, while darker nectar has a caramel-like taste. Its main advantage is that it doesn’t affect blood-sugar levels because it is primarily fructose and not glucose. Hence, your pancreas does not need to release any insulin but instead your liver has to do all the work. Agave contains 2.9 calories per gram compared to sugar’s 4 calories per gram and is also sweeter than sugar, so less of it is needed, further reducing caloric intake. Like other sweeteners, agave has its downfalls, as fructose level this high can cause health problems if consumed in large amounts.

Natural = Safe, right?

Unlike man-made artificial sweeteners like sucralose or aspartame, both stevia and agave are naturally taken from plants. Therefore, it should be perfectly safe to consume, right? In my opinion, like all other foods I would use both stevia and agave nectar in moderation. When in doubt, then just stick with plain old sugar. For those who plan to use stevia in baking, I would caution you that your baked good may turn out with a chalky texture and there may also be a mouth-puckering bitterness. So to save you the trouble, I would just stick with using stevia to sweeten your coffee or iced tea. As for agave nectar, I would assume that you can use it as you would in recipes that call for honey. Let me know if I am wrong, as I haven’t had the chance to experiment with this product yet. But don’t you worry, it is on my to-do list! Happy sweet talking!

Yo-yo what?!

Although I love ice cream, having it everyday would not be considered in “moderation”, so instead I often eat “frozen yogurt” to satisfy my sweet tooth. It literally is frozen yogurt because I just take little tubs of yogurt and freeze them!

The consumption of yogurt has been steadily increasing over the years in Canada. In 2008, the average Canadian ate 5.4 litres compared to 0.03 litres in 1960. Yogurt is a prime example of a healthy dessert option because it provides a good source of calcium and vitamin D which are both needed for the maintenance of healthy bones and health, but how do you choose the right type?

Well, according to the Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide, it recommends 2 servings of low fat milk and alternatives per day for people aged 19-50.

So you might be thinking that all low-fat yogurts are good choices then, right? Well, unfortunately I have to tell you that you must look beyond the “low-fat” label and glance carefully at the ingredients list. Low fat yogurts tend to contain fillers such as cornstarch, pectin and gelatin to mimic the texture and consistency of their full fat counterparts. So you are now probably wondering, what exactly are you suppose to look for?

Let’s start firstly by comparing 3 yogurts that contain varying levels of milk fat.

If you were like me, then you were probably quite surprised to find that the 1% yogurt actually contained fewer calories than the fat free yogurt. A closer examination would reveal that the fat free yogurt contains about 20% more carbohydrates than the 1% yogurt, thanks to the addition of pectin, which serves as a thickener. (Click on the image to enlarge)

So again we go back to the question, what is the best yogurt to eat? Well it really depends on what your nutritional goals are.

1. If you are trying to lose weight then the 1% yogurt would be your best bet since it contains the least number of calories.
2. If you are trying to lower the amount of fat in your diet, particularly saturated fat then the Fat Free yogurt would be the best option.
3. If you are trying to increase your calcium intake then the Fat Free yogurt would contain the most.
4. If you are trying to gain weight in a healthy manner, than the 2% would be the best choice.

My favourite yogurts include:

What do all these yogurts have in common? They all contain only milk ingredients and active bacteria cultures, no thickeners or sweeteners, just the good old natural plain yogurt. If you like your yogurt sweet, then drizzle on some honey or maple syrup and then top it with fruits such as blueberries. I love sprinkling my bowl of plain yogurt with some Omega Crunch Maple Shelled Flaxseed because it adds just the perfect touch of sweetness (check out my previous blog to learn more about the benefits of this product!).  However, there are times when it is just more convenient to buy pre-sweetened yogurts.  I would recommend buying varieties that are sweetened using only natural sugars like honey. 

THE DEADLY FAT

This past weekend my friend and I were chit chatting and we somehow started talking about trans fats. He told me that he and his family were trying to avoid purchasing foods containing trans fats, but he was so appalled when he saw that on a package of fresh ground beef - there were trans fats present. Would he have to eliminate beef and dairy products forever? I quickly clarified for him that there are two sources of trans fat and it is important to note that they do not have the same effects on the body.

1. Man-made trans fats are formed during partial hydrogenation, a process used by the food industry to harden and stabilize liquid vegetable oils such as canola oil.
2. Naturally occurring trans-fats are found at low levels (generally 2-5% of fat content) in ruminant-based foods such as dairy products, beef and lamb. These trans-fats are produced by the normal action of bacteria in the animal’s intestinal tract.

What harm can it do?

There is a growing body of evidence linking trans-fats to coronary heart disease and studies have suggested that trans fats may do even more harm than saturated fats. The notable difference between the effects of both of these fats is that trans-fats have been shown to decrease blood levels of HDL (aka. “good cholesterol”). HDL cholesterol is the type that actually carries back cholesterol that is floating around your tissues to the liver, thereby preventing buildup of plaque that can eventually become a roadblock in your blood stream.

Are Canadians doomed?

No, no of course not. In June 2007, Health Canada adopted the Trans Fat Task Force’s recommendation to limit the trans fat content of vegetable oils and soft margarines to 2% of total fat content, and to limit the trans fat content for all other foods to 5%, including ingredients sold to restaurants. British Columbia became the first province in Canada to restrict trans fat in ALL prepared foods on September 30th, 2009. This regulation affects restaurants, schools and most bakeries. Do you think Ontario should adopt this regulation?

Health Canada has also implemented a Trans Fat Monitoring Program which was established to analyze the trans fat content of foods that were indicated as containing significant sources of trans fats and more importantly, foods that were consumed by a large number of consumers. Below are a few examples of food companies and manufacturers who have opted to replace trans fats with healthier alternatives such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and not to replace trans fats with saturated fats (Click on chart to enlarge).

As you can see, many food manufacturers have made astonishing improvements in reducing the level of trans fats in their products. Now you can expect no trans in President’s Choice Blue Menu and Organics line, Peek Freans Lifestyle , and just about all of Dare’s Simple Pleasures cookies but the same company’s regular lines are still baking some cookies with trans. More and more, companies are coming out with cookies that are 100% whole grain and adding flax, inulin, oat or wheat bran, and even green tea extract. Some are even going so far as placing claims such as being able to boost immune system and providing a good source of omega-3! Will cookies soon be labeled as a functional food and will it soon be considered as a healthy snack? What are your thoughts? For me, I think I’ll stick with eating fruits, vegetables and unprocessed whole grains for my source of fibre, vitamins and minerals!

"YUM OH"

In my previous entry, I had written about my first attempt in baking a batch of egg-free & gluten-free cookies. As Rachel Ray would say, they were, “YUM-OH!” The cookies were not only delicious but I was able to incorporate one of my favourite seeds into them and I feel that I should share more about this wonder seed!

You’ve probably heard about the benefits of flaxseeds, but how do you incorporate it into your diet without ending up with just expensive stools? For me, ground flaxseed doesn’t have a very palatable texture or taste. If I had a choice I would much rather consume it whole, but unfortunately our bodies cannot absorb the omega-3 oil inside. So is there any happy medium? You bet there is! Omega Crunch™ offers an amazing roasted maple shelled flaxseeds. They have a special way to process the flaxseeds by which the shell is hulled opened, thereby exposing the oils present in the seed. Therefore, your body is able to receive the nutritional benefits of flax and you get to have that “crunch” in every bite! As if it couldn’t get any better, Omega Crunch™ uses 100% Canadian grown flaxseeds and Canadian Maple syrup! It is so easy to incorporate flaxseeds into your diet when they taste this great. I love adding them to my plain yogurt because it adds that perfect amount of sweetness and crunchy texture! It is also great to sprinkle on salads and you can even use it to crust your meats, poultry and fish! Check out their website for more info: http://omegacrunch.com/cms/

Did you know?

Just 2 tbsp of grounded flaxseeds, delivers 4 grams of fibre? Flaxseeds are not only a great source of the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid but it also contains high levels of lignans, a natural antioxidant. Recent studies have suggested that lignans can maintain breast and colon health by binding circulating estrogens that might promote uncontrolled cell growth.

Chia Pet

Ever wondered what those pets were covered with? Well, they are covered with sprouted chia seeds. Chia seeds are from the plant, Salvia hispanica L., and have been eaten as a staple by the Aztez for centuries and are grown wild throughout Mexico, Central and South America. It is now commonly sold under the name, Salba which is the trademarked name of the grain produced by Salba Corporation. It is cultivated by selective breeding from the Salvia hispanica L. plant, under strictly controlled conditions in Peru. I noticed that at health food stores, Salba is sold at almost double the price as Chia seeds. In my opinion, chia seeds are just as good as Salba, and perhaps it might even be better since it is grown wild. What do you think? Either way, these seeds are known to contain the highest food source of dietary fibre and the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid, in nature. It is also an exceptionally rich source of vegetable protein, calcium, magnesium, iron and antioxidants.

Dr. Vuksan from the University of Toronto demonstrated that a 12-week dietary supplementation of Salba in people with type II diabetes was associated with improved cardiovascular risk factors. This study also demonstrated the safety of adding 37g of Salba to a healthy diet that followed the Canadian Diabetes Association nutrition recommendations, without causing any adverse effects on clotting factors that are associated with high doses of omega-3 fatty acids.

Have I given you enough reasons to start incorporating flax or chia seeds into your diet?  Let me know how you liked or disliked them!

Gluten-Free Baking

Recently my sister was put onto an elimination diet which meant no gluten or eggs, both of which are key ingredients in baking. I made it a mission to find a way to bake cookies and breads that would still taste good and be egg and gluten-free. The first step towards this goal was to find out exactly what roles, gluten and egg play in baked products and to find substitute for them.

Gluten is a composite of the proteins gliadin and glutenin. It is formed during the manipulation of flour with liquid (ie. Kneading and mixing). More development leads to a chewier product and less development yields tender baked good. Since gluten holds ingredients together and provides structure, then a binding agent needs to be added to serve as a gluten replacement.

Xanthan what?

Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide – a chain of complex carbohydrates produced during the fermentation of corn syrup by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris. It has been long used as a thickener, emulsifier and stabilizer in the commercial production of foods ranging from ketchup to salad dressing and ice cream. This powdery substance has the ability to add lift and gluten-like elasticity to baked goods.

Eggy situation

Eggs serves as a binder, leavener and/or tenderizer in baked products. In the case of cookies, the main role of eggs is to serve as a binder. I remembered my vegetarian friend once telling me that she mixed grounded flaxseed with water as a substitute for egg. So I decided to try this out and guess what happened? I ended up with a goopy and slimy mixture, which was exactly what I needed! I then experimented with chia seeds and it turns out that these seeds are also highly hydrophilic (ie. water attracting) so they create the same slimy consistency when water is added to it. The gel that is formed by either of these seeds, makes it a perfect substitute for replacing egg in baked products.

Okay, now after all this research I had to roll up my sleeves and start baking! How bad could it be, right? I figured that for my first attempt, the safest option would be for me to take my good old trusted chocolate chip cookie recipe and replace the wheat flour with a Bob’s Gluten-Free all purpose mix. I then replaced the egg with the slimy goop of grounded flaxseed and water.

Verdict

The cookies turned out to be amazingly delicious and were comparable in every aspect to the original ones, with the exception of being slightly softer and more delicate in texture. My entire family loved it and my sister devoured almost ½ a dozen of them within 2 hours! It certainly felt good to be able to provide her a treat that she was actually able to eat.

Stay tuned for next weekend, when I try using my own homemade gluten-free flour mix blend using:

• 2 cups rice flour (ideally brown rice flour)
• 2/3 cup potato starch
• 1/3 cup tapioca flour

Has anyone else tried making their own gluten-free flour mix?