Lean Cuts of Beef

So you feel like have a steak or roast, but you're also trying to be conscious of your food choices. The Canadian Beef website has posted an article to let you know which Canadian beef cuts are the leanest.

According to the site, eight beef cuts qualify for the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Health Check™ program:

• Eye of round
• Inside round
• Sirloin tip
• Top sirloin
• Flank
• Strip loin
• Cross rib
• Outside round

Meat and alternatives are an important source of nutrients in Canada's Food Guide. Remember to include variety in your choices and you can also make your beef choices lower fat by:

• Choosing one of the 8 cuts recommended above
• Trimming away any visible fat
• Using low-fat cooking methods such as broiling, roasting, stir frying or grilling
• Limiting added fats like oils, dressings, mayonnaise, gravy and cream sauces
• Choosing serving sizes recommended in Canada's Food Guide. (One serving of meat is 75 grams - about the size of a deck of cards)
• Choosing lean or extra lean Canadian ground beef or rinse regular ground beef with water after cooking

The USDA recognizes 29 cuts of beef as meeting their regulations and qualifying as lean or extra lean. The Mayo Clinic article on lean cuts recommends asking your butcher, grocer, or waiter if you aren't sure of the lower fat option (especially since it might appear with a different name). The extra lean cuts are:

• Eye of round roast or steak
• Sirloin tip side steak
• Top round roast and steak
• Bottom round roast and steak
• Top sirloin steak

**Try to remember ROUND and SIRLOIN (see diagram).



Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com

Frappuccino Anyone?

It's hot out there today - I saw so many Starbucks Frappuccinos walking around downtown that it inspired me to share some nutritional information with you (I also included iced tea for the non-coffee drinkers). You can get the Nutrition by the Cup brochure at a Starbucks near you if you're interested in checking out more nutritional information.

I used the brochure to compile the chart below. The values represent grande, non-fat, no-whip beverages (although I included the information for the whipped cream). There are many ways to customize your drinks so keep that in mind.

Beverage	Calories	Fat (g)	Sat. Fat (g)	Carb (g)	Sugar (g)	Protein (g)	Caffeine (mg)
Shaken Iced Tea	80	0	0	16	15	0	Varies
Shaken Iced Tea Lemonade	130	0	0	33	25	0	Varies
Coffee Frappuccino	220	0	0	51	50	4	95
Mocha Frappuccino	260	1	0.5	61	58	4	110
Caramel Frappuccino	250	0	0	60	59	4	100
Java Chip Frappuccino	310	4	3	67	62	5	110
Vanilla Bean Frappuccino	240	0	0	56	55	5	0
Whipped Cream	110	11	7	3	2	1	0

You can choose to change your milk (this will affect calories and fat), ask for a "light" frappuccino to get 1/3 fewer calories, ask for no whip, and adjust the syrups. It is a lengthy ordering process, but you can make sure you're getting what you want.

If healthy eating (and drinking) is on your mind you can also choose a tall (small) for portion control, limit the amount of times you purchase a specialty drink, or even share with someone.

Also remember that water is a great calorie free way to quench your thirst!

Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com

Using the % Daily Value (DV)

Recently at the till of a local Saskatoon Sobeys grocery store I saw little % DV handouts. They are about the size of a typical coupon, and I know I noticed them and took one, but I'm not sure if other consumers were as aware.

Having a focus on label reading in the grocery store seems like a great place to start. I know this Health Canada campaign is fairly basic with the main message being 5% DV or less is a little and 15% DV or more is a lot. The idea is that you want less fat, saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium. You want more fibre, vitamin A, calcium, and iron. This gets you started to being a smart shopper and feeling a little more knowledgeable when comparing two similar products.

For more information visit the % DV portion of the Health Canada website (or see a Registered Dietitian!).

Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com

Kids Cooking Class

I had the first of four cooking classes today. It will be a new group each week, and they seemed to really enjoy preparing and eating the food, so I thought I should share the recipes. I went simple and basic because it is 6-9 year olds and 10-13 year olds and I wanted them to feel capable of creating their lunch.

Taco Salad Wraps

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 can (15 1/2 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 whole wheat flour tortillas (10 inches in diameter)

3 tomatoes seeded and cut into 1/4 inch pieces

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

6 large lettuce leaves

1 cup salsa

Directions:

1. With a fork, mash together beans, olive oil, cumin, chilli powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

2. Spread 2 tablespoons bean mixture on each tortilla halfway between the center and bottom edge. Top with 1-2 tablespoons each diced tomato, salsa, and cheese. Cover with lettuce leaf.

3. Fold/roll tortilla.

Banana Berry Smoothie

Serves: 2

1 serving = 1 1/3 c

Ingredients:

1/2 banana, peeled and sliced

1 c unsweetened frozen berries (blueberries)

1/2 cup 1% or skim milk

1/2 cup 100% orange juice

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender container. Put lid on tightly.

2. Blend until smooth. If mixture is too thick, add 1/2 cup cold water and blend again.

3. Pour into 2 glasses and serve.

This lunch allowed the kids to put what they wanted on their tortillas (some were skeptical of the beans, but others tried them and were impressed) and gave them foods from all four food groups!

Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com