Download - New food product workshop
GEM NO. 169
New Food Product Workshop Judith Eaton,· M.S. Arlene Spark , Ed. D., R.D Christine L. Williams, M D , M P.H. The Preventive Cardiology Center Neu' York Medical College Valhalla, New York 10595 (914 ) 993-4240
• Author for correspondence.
Nutrition educators in the Preventive Cardiology Cente r at New York Medical College penodlcally conduct new product workshops for hypercholesterolemic children (TC >200 mgldl ) and their families, The objective o f these two-hour hands-on sessions is to present information regarding new reduced-fat or fatfree products that can be used as substitlttions or replacements for traditional full-fat fare.
Fat Reduction Strategies. All recommendations and strategies to lower fat intake rely on four basic concepts: substitution , modification , replacement and elimination (1 ).
Substitution describes the practice of maintaining one 's usual food choices, but substituting e specially manufactured fat-redu ced products. Examples: low-fat cheeses (less than 6 grams of fat per ounce), commercially prepared. fat-free cakes and cookies (products containing less than 112 gram of fat per servmg may be labeledfat-free): reduced-fat mayonnaise and fat-free salad dressing; 96% lean deli cuts of ham instead of the traditional higher fat varieties; and skim milk and fatfree yogurt instead of whole milk and full-fat yogurt. A common concern of parents is that skim milk is "less nutritious" than whole milk. Actually, fat-free dairy products such as yogurt and skim milk are more nutnent-dense than their whole milk counterparts because non-fat milk solids containing protein and calcium are added to them, replacing the fat that is removed.
Replacement requires changes in food choices. Examples' using chicken or turkey in place of beef; preparing vegetarian - in place of meat - based chili, choosmg fat-free frozen yogurt Illstead of ice cream; using cocoa that is low in fat plus vegetable oil as ingredients , Illstead of chocolate; relying on raw vegetable crudltf3 as hors d'oeuvres instead of high-fat chips; and serving popc.'Orn and pretzels, not other crunchy snack foods such as nuts, which are high in fat
Modification refers to altering com mer-
Figure 1. Dr. Arlene Spark, Director of Nutrition, demonstrates to Nicole Meredith how to cook up pasta primavera as a lowfat lunch alternative.
clally aVailable foods to make them lower III
fat content. Examples' re rnO\1ng skin from chicken and turkey, and rerno\;ng visible fat from meat (preferably before cooklllg but definitely before eatmg). dnuning oil from canned tuna, freezing opened cans of soup before heating in order to be able to sklln off the congealE;cl saturated fat ; preparing packaged macaroni and cheese and flavored pudding mixes \vith skim Imlk rather than whole milk.
Elimination involves exdudlllg ce rtalll dasses of fatty foods. Examples: omitting entirelyas food choices coconut, egg yolk, liver, butter. or any deep-fat fried Item, This concept may also mvolve excluding all processed foods (\vith the exception of peanut butter, nuts and oils) that, according to the nutrition label, have more than 5 grams of fat per 100 calories (Le., more than half the calories from fat).
Workshops to Illustrate Substitution and Replacement. Four tables are statIOned around a large room for children and their parents to "visit" in any orde r they \vish and for any length of tllne they desire. One nutrition educator staffs each table. Working at the tables is an ideal assignment for nutrition students, because each site con tams products that are well-known to the nutritionist, making these ~imple presentations relatively nonthreatemng.
What follows is a list of the tables and the focus of each set-up:
1. The "Snappy Snacks" table proVides an attractive arrangement of vegetable crudites served \vith a non-fat yogurt dip. The basis of the dip is a "yogurt cheese" that is aSlIbstitllte for sour cream and cream cheese, Yogurt cheese is made using a Really Creamy ® Y 0-
gurt Cheese Funnel. Yogurt cheese recipes are pro\1ded for no-bake cheesecake, dips, and appetizers Order forms are available for the funnel and sample yogurt-cheese cookbooks. Also appropnate for thiS table are cocoa-based milk flavorings, popcorn, and lowfat and fat-free crackers.
2 The "Lunch Box" table boasts three lunch boxes displayed With sample lunches. The models provide attractive alternatives to the usual high-fat lunch box fare. There was a pasta primavera salad (1/2 cup cooked pasta to 1 cup parbOiled vegetables marinated in 1 tablespoon non-fat salad dressing). This highcomplex carbohydrate low-fat lunch provides an opportunity to replace the usual OIl-laden salads \vith a tasty low-fat version.
A second lunch box con tams a turkey sandwich with honey-cup mustard. The 'turkey substitutes for the higher fat meat, while the mustard replaces the fatty mayonnaise.
A third lunch box offers unhydrogenated peanut butter substituting for the hydrogenated kind. Cranberry sauce is introduced as a novel sand\vich sp~ead to enC'Ourage children to find new ways to use old stand-bys.
All lunches are balanced \vith fruit juices and non-fat yogurt as necessary. Tastings include a platter of low-fat cold cuts and cheese along with honey cup mustard , cranberry sauce, and jelly. The nutritiomst at the table encourages children to try unfamiliar foods and to read labels.
3. The "Yogurt Yes" table proVides an op-
portunity to have a blind tasting of four lands of fruit-flavored yogurt· full-fat , low-fat, fatfree, and aspartame-sweetened fat-free. An overwhelming majority of the tasters choose the aspartame-sweetened no-fat yogurt as the preferred versIOn. Low-fat yogurt drinks are also availahle for samplmg at this table. Lowfat cake ICe cream cones filled \vith yogurt,
Figure 2. Yogurt cheese is made using a Really Cream~ Yogurt Cheese Funnel.
sprinkled With high-fibe r cereal and topped With jams, pro\1de substitutions and replacements for dipped and spnnkled ice cream cones.
4. The "Surpnse Surprise" table is a departure from the other displays. Here are suggestions for the use of food products that have been around for years , such a, evaporated skim milk, malted milk powder, angel food cake miX, and cocoa powder. A store-bought. fat-free cake iced \\~th homemade seven-minute frostlIlg (the recipe for which was made available) gave the event a festive alT and provided a sweet treat to eat for those attemhng the workshop.
Product discount coupons to encourage the sampling of approved but unfamiliar food Items and to reinforce the use of recommended old favontes were stacked on each table. Sample copies of Cookillg Light Magazine and Nutrition Actioll, along with subscription forms for each , were also available.
This new product workshop can be adapted for hypercholesterolemic adults, for patients \vith diabetes, and for people at any stage of the life cycle who need gUidance in selecting reduced-calorie foods . Participants may be pro\1ded with a packet of material pertinent to the tOpIC. Additional materials that may be offered include order blanks, subscription forms, resource lists , and background reading material. The expe nse of the workshop may be underwritten by local supermarkets, which donate food displayed. Be sure to give them credit for their support.
NOTES AND REFERENCES
KristaL A.R.. A.L. Shattuck and H J. Henry. Patterns of dietarY behavior associated \vith selecting diets low III fat. Reliability and validity of a behavioral approach to dietary assessment JOllmai of the American Dietetic Association 90'214-220, 1990.
JOURNAL OF NUfRITION EDUCATION 24:5OC, 1992