Multisport: Healthy Alternative to America’s Tasty Treats

Written by:

Kathy Zawadzki, CTS Certified Coach

It’s a love hate relationship. We LOVE to eat the tasty treats, but we HATE all the extra calories and fat that comes with some of our favorites. Fortunately, as an active individual, you should be able to indulge in some of the tastiest treats without too much guilt. Still, let’s look at a few of America’s favorite foods and consider ways to eliminate or lessen the impact of the unwanted calories and fat.

French Fries

Did you know that Americans eat more than 16 pounds of French fries per person annually? It’s definitely one of America’s favorite foods. According to Eric Schlessenger, author of “Fast Food Nation”, Americans consumed an average of about eighty-one pounds of fresh potatoes and four pounds of frozen french fries back in 1960. In 2000 they consumed an average of approximately fifty pounds of fresh potatoes and thirty pounds of frozen fries. With a small order of fast food fries weighing in at 210 calories and 10 grams of fat, and medium fries at 450 calories and 22 grams of fat, it’s no wonder we need a healthy alternative. Since more than 20% of the total calories comes from the oil they are cooked in, baking instead of frying is an easy way to reduce the impact of a serving of fries. To further boost the nutritional value of fries, using Sweet Potatoes instead of regular spuds will increase your intake of fiber, vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), vitamin C and manganese. For a great oven baked “fry”, cut up one large sweet potato, toss it with ½ tbsp of olive oil, a pinch of cumin and pepper (and any other tasty spice), and bake at 425 degrees for about 25-30 minutes (until golden brown).

For those that don’t want to bother with washing and cutting their own spuds, check out some of the ready made fries available in the frozen food section. Be sure to look for BAKED and not fried potatoes, and be sure to check that they contain no trans fats (partially-hydrogenated oils).

Macaroni and Cheese

One of America’s favorite comfort foods, nothing beats a big warm casserole of homemade macaroni and cheese. We are not talking about the stuff that comes out of a box, but the warm, gooey, cheesy variety with crisp bread crumbs baked right on top. I was surprised to learn there are even entire cookbooks dedicated to this American favorite. Homemade macaroni and cheese can be a simple layering of cooked macaroni, shredded (or sliced) cheese and salt and pepper, or it can be made with a white sauce-cheese base, topped with more cheese and buttered crumbs before baking. However, since this traditional dish is loaded with saturated fats from cheese, butter and whole milk, along with the lower nutritional value of white-flour noodles, it typically does not show up on an athlete’s dinner table. It is possible to make a few simple changes to put this great staple back on the table with out loading your coronary arteries in the process. The easiest change is to use low fat or skim milk instead of whole milk, and to replace butter with extra virgin olive oil. In addition you can reduce the amount of cheese, and replace some of the higher fat cheddar and fontina cheese with Parmesan, which is naturally lower in fat. A combination of nonfat and reduced-fat cheese will give the dish a better flavor and consistency than if all fat-free cheeses are used.

The trademark of all macaroni and cheese is the Elbow macaroni noodles. Most are of the white flour variety, but it is now easy to find whole-wheat versions on the store shelves. If you are not quite ready to go ALL whole-wheat noodles, consider mixing half regular noodles with the whole-wheat macaroni.

One final way to boost the nutritional value of mac’-and-cheese is to add frozen spinach or frozen peas to the casserole right before baking. This way you are even getting in a serving of veggies too.

However, if you are still in the blue box stage, you can look for healthier alternatives by purchasing alternative mixes that include whole-wheat macaroni noodles and REAL cheese options. What is that orange powder any way?

Pizza

It’s always an option – delivery, take-out, bake-at-home and even make-at-home. With the multitude of pizza varieties, toppings and cheeses to choose from, you could have a different pizza every day. But, if you are not careful, pizza can be a minefield of saturated fat from cheese, sausage and pepperoni. If you think you are going to save yourself by ordering a cheese pizza, think again. Most cheese-only pizzas are made with extra cheese to make up for the lack of other ingredients. By adding the right toppings, you can cut down on the fat and add some quality nutrients.

For the most nutrient-dense options, always go for more vegetables. In addition to the common options like green pepper and mushrooms, many pizzerias offer more exotic choices such as artichokes, spinach, garlic and broccoli. Lean meats such as chicken are also good choices. Try to stay away from high fat sausage and pepperoni. According to a report in Nutrition Action Newsletter, a three-slice serving of Pizza Hut’s Pan Pepperoni Pizza, contains almost 700 calories, 1620 mg sodium and 33 grams of fat (13 saturated). This is equivalent to a Quarter Pounder with Cheese! Another easy way to cut back on the undesirables is to order your pizza with half the cheese. Most pizzerias are happy to oblige, since it costs them less. Much of the time you will really get more than half and you probably won’t even notice what’s missing. The one thing to stay away from -- those cheese stuffed crusts -- the last thing you need on a pizza is hidden cheese and thus, hidden fat

So, learn to LOVE those American favorites once again, with the satisfaction of knowing that with just a little tweaking, you don’t have to feel quite so guilty in the end!

Kathy Zawadzki is a licensed Sports Nutritionist and Pro coach for Carmichael Training Systems (CTS). She lives and trains in Littleton, CO. To find out what CTS can do for you, visit www.trainright.com.

© 2005, Carmichael Training Systems, Inc.