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Q: I’ve read that
grilled fruits are a healthy option, but how do you grill them?
A: Grilled fruits provide a delicious way to eat more
fiber, nutrients and cancer-protective compounds, and you don’t
have to worry about the potentially cancer-causing compounds
that form when meat is grilled. You might start by experimenting
with firmer fruits like apples, pears and pineapple. Softer fruits
like peaches, plums and mangoes need to be watched more carefully
so they don’t get mushy. Try to grill fruit about a day
before it is completely ripe, which is when it holds its texture
best. Cut the fruit up just before you put it on the grill: split
bananas lengthwise; cut apples, pears and peaches in half, removing
the core or pit; slice pineapple about a half-inch thick. Leave
fruit skin on to help hold the fruit together. Brush the fruit
or grill with a bit of oil so it won’t stick and grill over
medium or medium-low heat. Some recipes call for soaking the
fruit in water before grilling to keep the fruit juicy but that
means losing water-soluble vitamins and minerals. Instead, try
to simply watch the cooking and don’t let the fruit get
overdone. You can brush on a glaze of brown sugar and water,
but the fruit is also delicious with just a sprinkle of cinnamon
or simply enjoy on its own. Most fruit will be ready in 8 to
10 minutes, sometimes 15 is needed. |
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Q: Why would a cancer
survivor be told to follow a heart-healthy diet?
A: There are several reasons why cancer survivors
can be at increased risk for heart disease: certain types of
chemotherapy, hormonal therapies, medications and radiation therapy
sometimes include damage to the heart as side effects. Some of
the same metabolic and lifestyle risk factors that may promote
cancer development can also promote heart disease, such as excess
body fat, insulin resistance, smoking, a sedentary lifestyle,
and a diet high in alcohol and red meat. Fortunately, recommendations
to reduce risk of cancer and cancer recurrence fit well with
a strategy to promote heart health. Choose a plant-based diet
that focuses on vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans; limit
meat; reach and maintain a healthy weight through portion control,
limiting calorie-dense foods low in nutrients (like French fries
and sweets) and controlling portions of healthy fats (like olive
oil and nuts); and be physically active in some way every day
(unless your physician has told you not to).
Q: How can I adapt muffin
mixes to make them more nutritious?
A: Some muffin mixes only need you to add water. For
these, the only adjustment you can make is to add extra fruit
(raisins, frozen berries or peaches, fresh chopped pear or apple),
grated carrots, chopped nuts or other nutrient-rich food. This
is easy, since many of these don’t require any prep work.
Other muffin mixes may call for you to add milk and oil. Here,
you can minimize saturated fat and avoid further trans fat by
using fat-free milk and a healthy oil like canola oil. You could
also replace some or all of the oil with unsweetened applesauce.
However, by using a mix, you miss the opportunity for other steps
that can make a muffin more nutritious, like making some or all
of the flour whole wheat, keeping added sugar moderate and limiting
salt. In some recipe test comparisons it took five minutes more
to make muffins from scratch instead of a mix. Of course, no
matter how you start the muffins, you also make them healthier
by cooking them in traditional size muffin pans instead of the
giant muffin tins that produce muffins the size of small cakes,
which makes even nutrient-rich muffins high-calorie. |
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