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