Appetite for Reduction (3 page)

Just because there is iron in a food doesn’t mean that it’s bioavailable, meaning your body is able to absorb it. Plant foods contain nonheme iron and, when eaten in combination with vitamin C—rich foods, its absorption can increase sixfold. Think iron-rich beans and rice with vitamin C—rich salsa. Or hummus (whose iron is from chickpeas) and lemon juice (for vitamin C). The tannins in coffee and tea can interfere with iron absorption, so separate your high-iron meals or iron supplement from these beverages by a few hours. And if you think you may be low in iron, get it checked! Low iron levels increase very quickly when higher amounts of iron are eaten.

 

Calcium.
Calcium is the key component in strong bones and teeth, but also has many functions in your blood. It maintains blood pressure, helps in blood clotting, and is essential for muscle contractions such as your heartbeat. When you don’t have enough in your blood, it is taken from your bones, which reduces bone density.

Whenever someone eats fewer dairy products, the question of calcium intake arises. Have no fear: Green leafy vegetables such as collards, kale, and bok choy, broccoli, black eyed peas, fortified nondairy milks, and calcium-settofu are all good sources. Orange juice with added calcium and other enriched foods are also available. Lastly, calcium supplements or multivitamins that contain calcium can be also used. When supplementing with calcium, make sure you’re using tablets with a high percentage of “elemental calcium,” which means the amount of bioavailable calcium. Check to see that it says “amino acid-chelated” calcium somewhere on the bottle; your bones will thank you.

 

Zinc.
Needed daily, but only in small amounts, zinc is required for growth, reproduction, a healthy immune system, metabolism, and a number of other functions. Zinc is widely available in whole grains, beans such as lentils and chickpeas, nuts, enriched cereals, and some fake meat products (be sure to check the label).

 

Vitamin B12.
Talking about a vegan diet is like that game where you say a word and the other person says the first thing that comes to mind. “Vegan”—“B12!” It’s as if the entire diet hinges on this one vitamin! Vitamin B12 is available in such vegan foods as fortified nondairy milks, cereals, and nutritional yeast, as well as energy bars such as Clif and Luna. B12 deficiency is extremely rare and most often occurs when there are genetic issues affecting absorption or diets restricted far beyond veganism. Not that B12 is unimportant; it is crucial for your brain, nervous system, and red blood cells. You need 2.4 micrograms every day. Please do pay attention and make sure you have a daily source from fortified foods or a sublingual or spray supplement. Just don’t let the name association game get you down! If you are unsure, get a lab test to know your B12 levels.

 

Sodium.
Salt is more than just a flavor enhancer! Sodium is a mineral required by your body for a number of functions; for example, sodium is required for water to get through
your cell walls. Everyone gets enough as it naturally occurs in plants; the issue is that some people get too much and that is a risk factor for hypertension (high blood pressure). Fortunately, sodium is easy to monitor because you can control how much salt you add while preparing foods. Lower-sodium options exist for soy sauce, vegetable broths, and other prepared foods. If you are watching your sodium, choose these options when working with these recipes.

Fiber.
Fiber is only found in plant foods such as beans, whole grains, vegetables and fruits. It adds bulk to your diet, which fills you up quicker and keeps you full longer—great when watching your weight. It’s recommended that you consume 25-35 grams of fiber per day. The dishes in this book will help you reach that goal. Fiber also regulates blood sugar, lowers cholesterol, and reduces your risk for heart disease—an added benefit of these recipes. And fiber helps with weight control even before you eat it. These meals give you a serving with more food and volume, but fewer calories. It’s said that we eat with our eyes, and a full plate of fiber-rich foods looks satisfying, not restricting.

The Skinny on Fat.
Yes, this book is low fat, but it’s not no fat. If you remember that diet craze of the ’80s, where people ate nothing but sugary cardboard cookies and didn’t even lose weight, you’ll know that zero-fat diets aren’t a good thing. In fact, the truth is your body needs fat. You need it to properly absorb vitamins, you need it to keep your brain functioning, and you need it to keep your body working as it should. Beyond health reasons, fat is a crucial component. Even minimal amounts of fat help you feel satiated. It brings out the flavor of foods and aids cooking by caramelizing and browning.

So you need fat, but not too much fat and not the wrong kinds of fat (such as saturated fat or trans fat). That sounds like a pain in the butt to negotiate, but it’s not really as confusing as it sounds. For one thing, most of the unhealthy fats come in the form of animal products. If you’re eating little to no animal products, you’re more than halfway there. Other kinds of unhealthy fats come from how you process the food—think deep-frying or using chemically processed hydrogenated oils. (Take fast-food French fries, which start with potatoes, then saturated and trans fats are added, ’til half the calories come from fat!) Limit those and you’re pretty much left with the good fats.

So why does even good fat sometimes get a bad rap? Because fat has more calories per gram than carbohydrate or protein does. Think about an avocado and an apple that are the same size—the avocado has twice as many calories! Keep this in mind when planning your meals and don’t be afraid to have these healthy fats with every meal. You need them!

The handy Big Fat Fat Glossary uses multisyllabic words that get everyone in a tizzy. Don’t be fatphobic! Use it to determine just what kind of fats you’re dealing with.

So these are the basics! Remember, nutrition info is always changing. Stay informed and never self-diagnose. As with any book, our advice is general! You should always check with a physician or dietitian before radically changing your diet.

About the Recipe Icons

These icons pertain to the individual recipes, not including the serving suggestions.

 

Gluten-free:
No wheat, or other gluten-containing flours such as rye and barley. We can’t vouch for ingredients that might contain gluten on a very small scale, such as oats that aren’t labeled gluten free, but the major offenders have been accounted for in these recipes. Several of the recipes marked “can be made gluten free” call for soy sauce, so make sure to use gluten-free tamari as we suggest. And always check your ingredient labels to make sure.

 

Soy-free:
Recipe doesn’t include tofu, tempeh, soy milk, soy sauce, edamame, or any other soy-derived product. Always check labels on items like vegetable broth to make sure.

 

minutes or under:
For when you need dinner on the table pronto. Of course not everyone cooks at the same pace, but if you know where all your spices are and aren’t distracted by crying babies or
Dancing with the Stars,
you should be able to complete these recipes in 30 minutes or less. If you’re a little bit slower than that, remember practice makes perfect!

 

Downtime:
These are some of my favorite weeknight recipes, even more so than the faster recipes; prep is generally easier. Downtime simply means that you have 20 minutes or more where you don’t have to do a thing, and dinner is either peacefully simmering away on the stove or baking away in the oven.

 

One more thing! About cooking spray:
I call for non-stick cooking spray in many of the recipes. Of course that “0” calorie info on the label is a big lie. In cases where the spray is absolutely required, I worked an extra teaspoon of oil into the nutritional info. According to one brand’s web-site, there is 1 gram of fat and 7 calories in a one second spray. So if you’re using a careful hand and not spraying like a graffiti artist, then don’t worry about it.