Download Culinary Nutrition News - American Culinary Federation

July 09
C u l i n a r y N u t r i t i o n N ew s :
F i b e r- R i c h
Presented by ACF Chef & Child Foundation and Clemson University
F
or many, the term “fiber” conjures
up unappealing images of eating twigs and
pebbles dosed with milk. These sorts of
negative depictions may be why more than
90 percent of Americans fail to consume the
recommended daily amount of fiber. The fact
is, that while the suggested daily intake of
fiber is between 20 to 35 grams depending on
your age and gender, the average American
consumes only 14 grams per day.
Roughing it
vibrant array of whole fruits and vegetables,
whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes.
Another type of fiber, known as functional
fiber, (nondigestible carbohydrate and
connective tissue), can be manufactured
and added to foods and fiber supplements.
Examples of functional fiber sources you
might see on a nutrition label include:
cellulose, guar gum, pectin and psyllium.
Total fiber is the sum of dietary fiber and
functional fiber in a particular food. However,
on the Nutrition Facts panel, the term Dietary
Fiber actually refers to the total amount of
fiber found naturally in the food and any
functional fiber that may have been added.
Fiber, also known as roughage or bulk, is the
Failure to get enough fiber from your diet
part of plant foods that cannot be digested by
may result in constipation, the development
the body. This means it does not get absorbed
of hemorrhoids or inflammation of the
into the bloodstream; thus, does not give us
digestive tract, known as diverticulosis.
calories. Fiber that occurs naturally in foods is
Eating a healthy diet rich in fiber not only
called dietary fiber. Since it is only found in plant
prevents diverticulosis and constipation,
foods, dietary fiber can be consumed by eating a
it also lowers your risk of heart disease
and diabetes. A diet high in fiber can
lower cholesterol and help maintain an
appropriate weight, both important in
combating heart disease. Fiber-rich foods
contain phytochemicals, known to reduce
cancer risks by detoxifying cancer-causing
substances. So getting more roughage on a
daily basis will keep you healthy.
Fiber-full
As a chef, you may want to know how fiber
can help you enrich your customers’ dining
experience. Fiber binds to water, which
tends to provide a greater sense of satiety or
fullness in the stomach, which, in turn, gives
the feeling of satisfaction after eating. Highfiber foods usually require a person to chew
more, which slows down the rate of eating.
When you eat slower, biological signals from
High-Fiber Foods
Fruits
• Apple, raw with skin (1 medium): 3.3 g
• Banana, raw (1 medium): 3.9 g
• Blackberries, raw (1 cup): 7.6 g
• Blueberries, raw (1 cup): 3.5 g
• Dates, dried (¼ cup): 3.2 g
• Figs, dried (¼ cup): 5.2 g
• Mango, raw (1 medium): 3.7 g
• Orange, raw (1 medium): 3.1 g
• Papaya, raw (1 medium): 5.5 g
• Pear, raw (1 medium): 5.1 g
• Prunes, uncooked (5 prunes): 3 g
• Raisins, seedless (1 cup): 5.4 g
• Raspberries, raw (1 cup): 8 g
• Strawberries, raw (1 cup): 3.3 g
Grains
• All-Bran, Kellogg’s cereal (½ cup): 8.8 g
• Barley, pearled and cooked (1 cup): 6 g
• Brown rice, cooked (1 cup): 3.5 g
• Bulgur, cooked (1 cup): 8.2 g
• Oatmeal, cooked (1 cup): 4 g
• Whole wheat bread (1 slice): 2.8 g
• Whole-wheat spaghetti pasta, cooked (1 cup): 6.3 g
• Wild rice, cooked (1 cup): 3 g
Legumes
• Baked beans, canned (1 cup): 10.4 g
• Black beans, cooked (1 cup): 15 g
• Chickpeas, canned (1 cup): 10.6 g
• Green beans, cooked (1 cup): 4 g
• Green peas, frozen and cooked (1 cup): 8.8 g
• Lima beans, canned (½ cup): 5.8 g
• Lima beans, fresh and cooked (½ cup): 6.8 g
• Lentils, cooked (1 cup):15.6 g
• Pinto beans, cooked (1 cup): 15.4 g
• Soybeans, cooked (1 cup): 10.3 g
Nuts
• Almonds, raw (1 ounce): 3.5 g
• Brazil nuts, raw (1 ounce): 2.1 g
• Coconut, sweetened and shredded (½ cup): 2.1 g
• Hazelnuts, raw (1 ounce): 2.7 g
• Peanuts, dry-roasted (1 ounce): 2.6 g
• Pecans, raw (1 ounce): 2.7 g
• Pistachios, dry-roasted (1 ounce): 2.9 g
Vegetables
• Artichokes, cooked (1 medium): 10.3 g
• Broccoli, cooked (1 cup): 5.1 g
• Brussels sprouts, cooked (1 cup): 4.1 g
• Carrots, cooked (1 cup): 4.7 g
• Carrots, raw (1 cup): 3.1 g
• Sweet yellow corn, canned and cooked (1 cup): 4.2 g
• Sweet yellow corn, cooked (1 ear): 2.2 g
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the stomach have a chance to tell your brain
• Couscous
that you are full. By loading up plates with
• Cucumbers
fiber-rich foods, your customers will leave
• Seeds
feeling energized and satisfied rather than
• Tomatoes
bloated and fatigued from excessive amounts
• Wheat bran
of fats and carbohydrates.
• Whole grain breakfast cereals
The bottom line is that fiber can be easily
incorporated into any diet or dish. Eating
five servings of fruits and vegetables a day,
plus a serving or two of whole grains or
beans is enough to provide you with the
recommended 25 grams of fiber per day. A
serving of most fruits, vegetables and whole
grains contains anywhere from three to six
grams of fiber. While a good source of fiber
contains at least three grams of fiber per
serving, a high-fiber source has at least five
grams per serving.
Insoluble versus soluble
Fiber is present in all plant foods, including
fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes.
Foods from animals, such as meat, milk,
eggs and cheese do not contain fiber.
However, not all fiber is the same, and there
are a number of ways to categorize it. One
is by its source or origin. For example, fiber
from grains is referred to as cereal fiber.
Another way of classifying fiber is by how
easily it dissolves in water. Soluble fiber
partially dissolves in water, while insoluble
fiber does not dissolve in water. These
differences are important when it comes
to fiber's effects on your risk of developing
certain diseases.
Hidden Sources
Insoluble fiber
This type of fiber promotes regular bowel
movements and helps with constipation by
speeding up the movement of food in your
digestive tract and increasing stool bulk.
These fibers can help prevent hemorrhoids
and diverticulosis, as well as possibly help
prevent colon cancer. Whole-grain products,
wheat and corn bran, and many vegetables
are good sources of insoluble fiber.
• Barley
• Brown rice
• Bulgur
• Carrots
• Whole wheat bread
• Zucchini
Soluble fiber
This type of fiber dissolves in water to
form a gel-like material in the stomach.
Since it tends to slow down the movement
of food throughout the digestive tract,
soluble fiber is not necessarily related to
regularity. Instead, it has been shown to help
reduce the risks for cardiovascular disease
by lowering blood cholesterol and can help
to control blood sugar levels related to type
2 diabetes. You can find generous quantities
of soluble fiber in oat products, beans, fruits
and vegetables.
• Apples
• Baked beans
• Black beans
• Blueberries
• Chickpeas
• Kidney beans
• Nuts and seeds
• Oatmeal (oat bran)
• Pears
• Strawberries
Drink more water
Water is the most critical nutrient for
sustaining life. It comprises about 60
On average, an individual should drink
eight glasses of water daily and more
if participating in sports or exercising.
While values can vary based on level of
activity, body composition and side effects
of drugs, there are ways to decipher the
general amount water you may need. Some
factors to consider are that the average
urine output for adults is about 1.5 liters
a day with an additional liter of water
per day used for breathing, sweating and
bowel movements. Also, food accounts for
approximately 20 percent of your total fluid
intake. Therefore, a consumption of two
liters (a little over eight cups) of water or
other beverages daily will most likely
replace the fluid lost. This idea is consistent
with the popular “8x8 rule,” which
recommends eight 8-ounces of water a day.
percent of the human body, and performs
many vital functions. Water acts as a
diluter, and without it, fiber does no
good. Fiber absorbs water, thus, allowing
waste products to move freely through
the digestive tract. In other words, fiber
prevents toxic waste from accumulating
in the body. Other major roles of water
include carrying nutrients, maintaining
the structure of large molecules, acting
as a lubricant for joints, assisting in body
temperature regulation, and serving as a
solvent for the production and maintenance
of body cells.
Sow your oats
Do you know which of the following are
whole grains?
a. Oatmeal
b. Bran cereal
c. Brown rice
d. 100% wheat bread
e. Corn
Answer: A, C, and E
Grains are made up of three parts: the
bran, germ and endosperm. The bran is
the high-fiber outer coating. The germ is
the protein- and nutrient-dense portion.
The endosperm is a source of carbohydrate
• Celery
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along with some protein. A grain is “whole”
Dr. Margaret D. Condrasky, R.D., C.C.E.,
nutrition. ‘Culinary nutrition’ is the
if these three parts have been left intact.
is an associate professor of Food Science
application of nutrition principles combined
If it is processed (e.g., cracked, rolled or
and Human Nutrition at Clemson
with food science knowledge displayed
cooked), it is only considered a whole grain
University. She leads the CU CHEFS®
through a mastery of culinary skills.
as long as it retains its original balance of
program for improving culinary
The results are healthy eating behaviors
nutrients. When grains are refined, the
nutrition skills.
grounded in culinary confidence and
bran and germ along with their nutrients
are removed, leaving just the endosperm.
Examples of refined whole grain are white
flour and white rice.
Marie Hegler is a graduate of the
Food Science and Human Nutrition
department with a culinary science
emphasis at Clemson University, which
Because so many of the foods eaten in the
operates the CU CHEFS® program for
United States are processed and refined,
improving culinary nutrition skills.
much of the fiber-rich parts are removed.
MyPyramid recognizes this and suggests
that one half of choices from the grains
About the American Culinary Federation
and the Chef & Child Foundation
and bulgur have their bran intact and thus
have more fiber, B vitamins, magnesium,
zinc and other nutrients.
Increase the Bulk of Dishes
No chef wants a customer walking away from
their restaurant feeling hungry. Increasing
fiber-rich foods into dishes is as easy as follows:
Use high-fiber vegetables like carrots and
broccoli as side dishes or additions to
salads and soups.
Replace white rice, bread and pasta with brown
rice, whole grain products, whole-wheat pasta
and exotic grains, like bulgur or amaranth.
Add legumes (beans, lentils and peas),
such as chickpeas or kidney beans, to
salads and soups. They are great tasting,
and a cheap source of fiber, protein and
other important nutrients.
Go nuts by substituting almonds or other
nuts for croutons in salads.
Experiment with international dishes that
use whole grains, like tabouli or lentils, or
Indian dahls.
proficient culinary skills to produce flavorful,
health-inspired menus for schools, churches,
restaurants. Clemson University, located
in Clemson, S.C., is ranked 22 among the
nation's top public institutions. Since 2001,
Clemson has doubled external research
graduation rates, launched high-profile
Studies show that whole grains reduce
refined ones. Whole grains like brown rice
and nutrition through the demonstration of
the student body, increased retention and
get about half of our calories from grains.
diabetes and obesity. Pick whole grains over
an awareness of the latest trends in foods
funding, raised the academic profile of
group be whole grains. On average, we
the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease,
nutrition alertness. CU CHEFS® promotes
economic development and has earned
The American Culinary Federation,
national accolades, including being named
Inc., established in 1929, is the premier
TIME magazine's Public College of the Year.
professional organization for culinarians
in North America. With more than
22,000 members spanning 230 chapters
nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in
offering educational resources, training,
apprenticeship and accreditation
For More Information
Learn more about how you can increase
fiber in your menu, or in your personal diet
with these resources.
DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop
Hypertension) diet has been proven to lower
In addition, ACF operates the most
blood pressure in studies sponsored by the
comprehensive certification program
National Institutes of Health and is based on
for chefs in the United States. ACF is
home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the
an eating plan that increases fruit, vegetable
and fiber consumption while decreasing fat
and sodium intake.
official representative for the United
Visit: www.dashdiet.org
States in major international culinary
Dietary Fiber Guide has the best and tastiest
competitions, and to the Chef & Child
options for increasing your dietary fiber intake.
Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote
proper nutrition in children and to combat
childhood obesity. For more information,
visit www.acfchefs.org.
About Clemson University
Visit: www.dietaryfiberguide.com
The Whole Grains Council helps consumers
find whole grain foods and understand their
health benefits; helps manufacturers create
delicious whole grain products; and helps
the media write accurate, compelling stories
about whole grains.
Visit: www.wholegrainscouncil.org
Use whole fruits.
USDA National Nutrient Database for
Cook vegetables briefly because the
longer they cook, the more fiber they lose.
Try steaming them until they are crisp, yet
tender to retain most of the fiber content.
Standard Reference, Release 21 is a
Eat the skin. Whether it is apples, pears or
potatoes, most of the fiber is in the skin or peel.
Read the Nutrition Facts labels for cereals.
Choose breads and crackers that have at
least three grams of fiber per serving.
Use oatmeal, whole-wheat flour, brown rice
or wheat germ in baked goods.
Use whole grains in mixed dishes, such as
barley in vegetable soup or stews and
bulgur in casseroles or stir-fries.
CU CHEFS® (Clemson University’s Cooking
and Healthy Eating Food Specialists)
directory containing reports of selected
food items and nutrients, like fiber, sorted
alphabetically as well as by nutrient content.
instructional program, led by Dr. Marge
Visit: www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.
Condrasky, Associate Professor in Food
htm?docid=17477
Science and Human Nutrition, is a registered
trademark of Clemson University designed
to promote changes in menu planning,
food purchasing, food preparation and
food consumption behaviors with a goal
of fostering good health through healthy
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