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Photo: Melanie Acevedo/Foodpix |
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Healthy Stuff
Fall 2004 With the delicious aromas of Thanksgiving wafting just around the corner, the prospect of rethinking your diet might seem like a good idea with bad timing. Isn’t Thanksgiving a time to spend with family and friends filling your plate with pavochón? But this year, the holiday could provide the perfect opportunity to begin revamping your diet. No matter what your age, you need to be conscious of your eating habits and how they affect your overall health. Many people think eating more nutritiously means a complete revolution in their eating habits, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Your diet can be significantly improved by tweaking key elements. “The key to good nutrition for people over 50 is a balanced diet,” says registered dietitian Marianella Villacorta, M.S., R.D., L.D. “Eating a variety of foods with plenty of grain products, vegetables, and fruits will help you to stay healthy.” The oils you choose to cook with can have a significant effect on dietary well-being. All oils contain fat, but some contain more “good fats,” while others contain substantial “bad fats.” Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are “good,” while saturated and trans fats are “bad.” The most commonly used oils having the least amount of bad fats (saturated and trans) are olive, canola, and corn. Checking labels for fat content when grocery shopping also can let you know whether you are being good or bad to your body. Consider refrigerating oils to avoid exposure to heat, light, and oxygen, which can diminish the nutrients present. Remove the oil from the refrigerator shortly before cooking so that it will lose its thickness. The way you cook food also contributes to its nutritional value. Consider putting away the frying pan and baking or broiling more often. One dish where healthful alterations can be made is mofongo, a traditional turkey stuffing. A uniquely Puerto Rican Thanksgiving staple, mofongo is as delicious as it is fatty. Incorporating bacon with plantains leaves the dish high in sodium and cholesterol, two things dietitians advise you to avoid. “Mofongo has a large amount of calories, sodium, and cholesterol—so keeping portions small and eating it only once a year is probably a wise choice,” Villacorta says. To make your Thanksgiving just a bit healthier, Villacorta has come up with a less fatty, but equally mouthwatering, version of mofongo. ¡Buen provecho! Mofongo Turkey Stuffing Ingredients:
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