FitSugar

Try Turkey Bacon

FitSugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 07:30:00 -0800

Winter is the time of cooking hearty meals that often contain hidden sources of fat, like bacon. I love the flavor of bacon. It is great to add into many dishes like Eggy Pasta with Spinach and Bacon. There is no reason, though, to use "real" bacon, when you can substitute turkey bacon. I have been doing this for years and must admit that Willie Bird brand turkey bacon is my favorite – it tastes like real bacon and crisps up well (just check that photo). I wanted to know the caloric difference between pork bacon and turkey bacon to see if I really was reaping the health benefits with the substitution.

To see how these two types of bacon compare, just read more.

Bacon Type	serving size	Calories	Calories from fat	Fat (g)	Saturated fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Protein (g)
Willie Bird Turkey Bacon	1 slice (30g)	60	25	3	1	14	200	7
Oscar Mayer Bacon (Low Sodium)	2 slices (14g)	70	50	6	2.5	10	170	4

I will admit I was surprised to see that the turkey bacon contains more cholesterol than regular bacon, although it contains half the fat calories. The portion is seriously bigger too, for turkey bacon! I think I will keep using turkey bacon and might just go make myself a BLT right now.

Fast foods

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:56:54 -0700

Illustrations

Fast food

HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

Definition

Fast foods are quick, reasonably priced, and readily available alternatives to home cooking. While convenient and inexpensive for a busy lifestyle, fast foods are typically high in calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar, and salt.

Fast food chains and restaurants have responded to the public's increasing awareness about nutrition and have attempted to help people concerned about health. For example, they now make ingredient and nutrition information available on their menus. Despite these changes, however, in order to maintain a healthy diet, it is necessary to choose fast foods carefully.

Function

Most people today have less time to select, prepare and eat food than their grandparents did. Fast foods are very appealing because they are widely available and inexpensive.

Food Sources

Fast food items have been modified to reflect consumers' concern about the fat content of their food. Many fast food restaurant have switched from beef tallow or lard to hydrogenated vegetable oils for frying.

Some restaurants offer low calorie choices like salad bars and assorted take-out salads with low calorie dressing, low-fat milkshakes, whole grain buns, lean meats, and grilled chicken items.

Side Effects

Maintaining nutritional balance is not easy with fast food, because there is no control over how they are cooked. For example, some are cooked with a lot of oil and butter, and there may be no option if you want your selection with reduced fat.

The large portions also encourage overeating. Fast food also tend to lack fresh fruits and vegetables.

In general, people with high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease must be much more careful about choosing fast food, due to the high content of fat, sodium, and sugar.

Recommendations

Knowing the number of calories and the amount of fat and salt in the fast food can help you decide which items are better choices. Many fast food restaurants have published the nutrient content of their foods. These are often available on request. You can plan a convenient yet healthful diet with this information.

Make better choices when eating at fast food restaurants. In general eat at places that offer a variety of salads, soups, and vegetables.

Choose smaller-sized servings. Consider splitting some fast food items to reduce the amount of calories and fat. Ask for a "doggy bag." or simply leave the excess on your plate.

To help supplement and balance the fast food meal, make nutritious options such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and yogurt available as snacks.

When chosen carefully and not used in excess, fast foods can offer reasonably good quality nutrition. By being aware of what and how much you eat, and paying attention to how it affects your health, you can set a good example for your children. As always, variety and moderation are the key principles in providing a healthy diet for children as well as adults.

Consider these general tips:

PIZZA

Ask for less cheese, and choose low-fat toppings such as onions, mushrooms, green peppers, tomatoes, and other vegetables.

SANDWHICHES

Healthier choices include regular or junior-size lean roast beef, turkey, or chicken breast, or lean ham. Extras, such as, bacon, cheese, or mayo will increase the fat and calories of the item. Select whole-grain breads over high-fat croissants or biscuits.

HAMBURGERS

A single, plain meat patty without the cheese and sauces is the best choice. Ask for extra lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. Limit your intake of french fries.

MEAT, CHICKEN, AND FISH

Look for items that are roasted, grilled, baked, or broiled. Avoid meats that are breaded or fried. Ask for heavy sauces, such as gravy, on the side. Better still, avoid heavy sauces and dressings altogether.

SALADS

High-fat food items such as dressing, bacon bits, and shredded cheese add fat and calories. Choose lettuce and assorted vegetables to make up the majority of your salad. Select low-fat or fat-free salad dressings, vinegar, or lemon juice when available. Ask for the salad dressing on the side.

DESSERTS

Choose low-fat frozen yogurt, fruit ices, sorbets, and sherbets. Occasional indulgent desserts add fun to a carefully selected, well-balanced diet.

Review Date: 8/6/2007

Reviewed By: Cynthia Dennison Haines, MD, family physician specializing in nutrition, fitness, and preventive health, St. John's Mercy Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, and Assistant Clinical Professor, St. Louis University's School of Medicine, Department of Community and Family Medicine.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

A.D.A.M. Copyright

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997-2009 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

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Scary Recipe Ingredients to Look Out for

FitSugar — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 03:00:00 -0700

Butter has a bad reputation in the cooking world but the truth is that there are many other cooking ingredients that are just as unhealthy for us as butter. It's scary that many of us don't even bat an eye at when tossing them into our recipes.

To see the scariest recipe ingredients to watch for, just read more

WebMD has compiled a list of the scariest ingredients, healthwise, for your recipes that you should keep an eye out for when you're cooking this holiday season (and beyond):

Ingredient	Common Serving	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)
Mayonnaise	1/4 cup	396	44	6.5
Bacon grease	2 T	250	28	13
Heavy whipping cream (liquid)	1/4 cup	205	22	14
Puff pastry	2 ounces	312	22	3
Cheese (like cheddar)	2 ounces	228	19	12
Light whipping cream (liquid)	1/4 cup	174	18.5	11.5
Sausage, cooked	2 ounces	209	18	6.1
Bacon	4 strips	150	13	4
Butter	1 T	102	12	7.2
Sour cream	1/4 cup	123	12	7.5
Cheddar cheese, 1 oz	1/4 cup	115	9.4	6
Pie crust, 9-inch deep dish	1/8 slice	115	8	2
Half-and-half	1/4 cup	79	7	4.3

Me, I always scan a recipe for any of these ingredients and if it has 'em, I typically skip it. If I am feeling creative, I'll work with the recipe figuring out ways to cut out the unhealthy stuff. For example, I'll use turkey bacon instead of regular bacon. What do you do? Share the ways you cut out the unhealthy stuff in the comments section below.

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Salty Series: Smaller Dishes

FitSugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Some people are in love with salt. They can't eat their food without adding a little sprinkle here and there. It's fine to indulge in a little of the white stuff, but what many of us forget is that there's already tons of sodium in the foods we eat already. I told you about the sodium content of some entrées at popular restaurants, and now you may want to put down that salt shaker before reading about these smaller dishes.

Saltiest Side Dish: Denny's Honey Smoked Ham, grilled slice - 1,700 mg. It's steeped in salty brine before it's smoked.

Saltiest Breakfast: Arby's Sausage Gravy Biscuit - 3,754 mg. What can you expect from cured meat and lard? Well surprising enough, the gravy is the real culprit here with 2,600 mg of sodium on its own.

Saltiest Appetizer: Papa John's Cheesesticks with Buffalo Sauce - 6,700 mg. Even if you split this with two friends, you're still getting your daily supply of sodium and you haven't even gotten to the meal yet. In case you were wondering, one stick has the same amount of sodium as one slice of cheese pizza.

Is your mouth feeling dry yet? Want to see how much sodium is in a kid-sized pizza? Then read more.

Saltiest Kids' Meal: Cosi Kid's Pepperoni Pizza - 6,405 mg. WTF? Kids should be getting about 2,000 mg of sodium and this pizza contains three days worth. Fifty turkey sandwiches at Cosi have the same amount of sodium.

Saltiest Bread: Dunkin' Donuts Salt Bagel - 4,520 mg. This can't be right, oh but it is. It's so right, it's wrong.

Saltiest Sandwich: Quiznos Turkey Bacon Guacamole Large Sub with Cheese and Reduced-Fat Ranch Dressing - 4,670. This is two days worth of sodium. Two days! Eww.

Saltiest Pizza: Pizza Hut Meat Lover's Stuffed Crust Pizza (3 slices of the 14-in large) - 5,070 mg. The more meat, the more sodium. Six meats to be exact.

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You Asked: Is There Anything Wrong With a Fat-Free Diet?

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:00:00 -0700

You're asking and I'm answering . . .

Hey Fit,
I've been trying to lose these 15 pounds I seemed to have put on in the past year. I'm exercising regularly and have ditched all fat from my diet. So no meat, fried foods, nuts, peanut butter, oil, butter, baked goods, hydrogenated oils, and I only eat fat-free dairy products. I seem to be losing weight, which is great, but is there anything wrong with this kind of diet?

-Fat Free Fiona

I'm sure many people have gone on fat-free diets in an effort to lose weight, so you're not alone. I'm glad you're asking about whether it's a healthy way to slim down and the answer is yes and no. The reason is because there are both healthy fats our bodies need and unhealthy fats our bodies can stand to go without. So you don't want to ditch every amount of fat imaginable. To find out which ones to eat and which ones to avoid read more.

As you can see from the chart below, unsaturated fats and omega-3s are important to include in our diets since they have cholesterol-lowering properties. They also promote healthy skin and some, like nuts, are great sources of fiber and protein. Only 20 to 35 percent of your diet should include fat, so shoot for 44 to 77 grams of fat a day (for a 2,000 calorie diet). You're doing your body right by getting rid of hydrogenated oils and fried foods, but don't skip out on healthy fats such as nuts, lean meats, low-fat dairy products, and olive oil.

Avoid - Trans fat such as hydrogenated oils (found in processed foods such as crackers, dips, frozen foods, baking mixes, and baked goods), some margarine, shortening (Crisco), candy (caramels and some chocolate), and some fast foods such as french fries and biscuits because they can increase your risk of heart disease.

Enjoy in moderation - Saturated fat such as high-fat dairy products such as butter, cream, whole milk, cheese, and sour cream. Also watch out for high-fat meats such as ground beef, bologna, hot dogs, sausage, bacon, ribs, and chicken and turkey skin. Unfortunately coconut and coconut oil and some chocolate contains saturated fat too, so limit these foods because they're hard to digest and full of artery-clogging cholesterol.

Include these - Unsaturated fat since they are essential to your overall health. There are two kinds. The first, monounsaturated fats, can actually lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and maintain HDL (good) cholesterol), so enjoy foods such as avocado, olives, and olive oil, canola and peanut oil, sesame seeds, almonds, cashews, peanuts, and nut butters made from them. The other kind, polyunsaturated fats, can reduce levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, but too much can also lower your HDL (good) cholesterol, so don't go overboard with walnuts, corn and sunflower oil, certain brands of margarine (Earth Balance), and pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

A necessity - Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish such as albacore tuna, herring, mackerel, rainbow trout, sardines, and salmon, soy products such as tofu, walnuts, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, and canola oil. These have anti-inflammatory properties, can lower cholesterol, and have been found to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

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Heart disease and diet

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:56:26 -0700

Overview

Definition
Alternative Names
Function
Food Sources
Recommendations

Illustrations

Healthy diet

Fish in diet

Fruits and vegetables

HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

Definition

A healthy diet is a major factor in reducing your risk of heart disease.

Alternative Names

Diet - heart disease

Function

A healthy diet and lifestyle can reduce your risk of:

Heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke
Conditions that lead to heart disease, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and obesity
Other chronic health problems, including type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and some forms of cancer

Food Sources

Most fruits and vegetables are appropriate for a heart-healthy diet. They are good sources of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Most are low in fat, calories, sodium, and cholesterol.

Dairy products and milk are good sources of protein, calcium, the B vitamins niacin and riboflavin, and the vitamins A and D. Use skim, 1/2%, or 1% milk. Cheese, yogurt, and buttermilk should be low-fat or nonfat.

Eat low-fat breads, cereals, crackers, rice, pasta, and starchy vegetables (like peas, potatoes, corn, winter squash, and lima beans). These foods are high in the B vitamins, iron, and fiber. At the same time, they are low in fat and cholesterol.

Avoid baked goods such as butter rolls, cheese crackers, and croissants, cream sauces for pasta and vegetables, and cream soups.

Meat, poultry, seafood, dried peas, lentils, nuts, and eggs are good sources of protein, the B vitamins, iron, and other vitamins and minerals.

Eat skinless poultry, very lean beef, lamb, veal, and pork, lentils, legumes, dried beans and peas, egg whites, and wild game.
Avoid duck, goose, marbled meats (such as a ribeye steak), prime cuts of high-fat meats, organ meats such as kidneys and liver, and prepared meats such as sausage, frankfurters, and high-fat lunch meats.

Limit oils and fats. They are high in fat and calories, and people should eat less of all types of fat. Some fats are better choices than others but should still be used in moderate amounts.

Use liquid vegetable oils such as safflower, soybean, corn, sesame, olive, canola, avocado, and cottonseed. Use margarines made from any of these oils in their tub or squeeze form, not their stick form. Salad dressings and mayonnaise should be made with the recommended oils.
Seeds, nuts, olives, avocados, and peanut butter are also acceptable in moderate amounts.
Avoid butter, lard, bacon, shortening, sour cream, whipping cream, and coconut, palm, or palm kernel oil. These contain saturated fats and are not recommended.

Diet recommendations for children over the age of 2 years are similar to those of adults. Children and teenagers must have enough calories to support growth and activity level while they achieve and maintain a desirable body weight.

Children following low-fat diets may have difficulty maintaining desired levels of growth. Consult a physician or dietitian for assistance in planning adequate low-fat meals for children and adolescents.

A consultation with a registered dietitian is helpful. The American Heart Association has local chapters in every state. They are an excellent resource for information on heart disease.

Recommendations

Maintain your ideal body weight and balance the number of calories you eat with the number you use each day. You can ask a dietician or a health care professional to help you determine these numbers.
Limit your intake of foods high in calories or low in nutrition, including foods like soft drinks and candy that have lots of sugars.
Eat five or more servings per day of fruits and vegetables.
Eat six or more servings per day of grain products, including whole grains. Grain products provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, and complex carbohydrates. The daily calories should be appropriate for the maintenance of desirable body weight and should support growth in children and adolescents.
Reduce total fat intake. Limit foods high in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and partially hydrogenated oils. Reduce or avoid saturated fat when possible. Saturate fat raises your cholesterol level. Choose liquid or tub margarine, canola oil, or olive oil. These have 2g or less of saturated fat per serving.
Eat less than 300 mg of dietary cholesterol daily. (For example, one egg yolk contains an average of 213 mg.)
Limit the amount of salt (sodium chloride) you eat. You should eat less than 2,400 mg of salt per day. Check food labels, since many foods contain salt.
Exercise regularly. For example, walk for at least 30 minutes a day.
Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. Women should have no more than one alcoholic drink (such as red wine) per day. Men should not drink more than two. While major studies have linked some alcohol consumption to health benefits, excessive drinking can do more harm than good.

EATING TIPS

To reduce fat and cholesterol, eat no more than 6 cooked ounces of meat, poultry, and fish daily. One serving of meat should be about the size of a deck of cards on your plate.
Use skinless turkey, chicken, fish, or lean red meat to reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet. Lean, 3 ounce cuts of red meat may be used occasionally.
Trim all the visible fat prior to cooking the meat. Eat two servings of fish per week. Cook by baking, broiling, roasting, steaming, boiling, or microwaving rather than deep fat frying. For the main entree, use less meat or have meatless meals a few times a week. Use smaller amounts of meat to reduce the total fat content of the meal. Use no more than 5-8 teaspoons of fats or oils per day for salads, cooking, and baking.
To reduce high cholesterol, do not use more than 3-4 egg yolks per week, including eggs used in cooking. Eat less organ meat (such as liver) and shellfish (such as shrimp and lobster).
To reduce salt, reduce the amount of table salt used, and limit the use of prepared foods that have salt added to them, such as canned soups and vegetables, cured meats, and some frozen meals. Always check the nutrition label for the sodium content per serving.

Review Date: 1/23/2008

Reviewed By: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M. Copyright

adam.com

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Lighten Up: Turkey Chili for the Super Bowl

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 11:53:17 -0800

There are so many foods associated with watching the Super Bowl. My friend Yum recently posted a Chili recipe that sounds both super tasty and heart attack inducing (12 pieces of bacon!). So if you are looking for a healthier alternative try this recipe for Turkey Black Bean Chili.

Here's what you need:
1 large onion chopped
2 medium sized red bell peppers, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 pounds ground turkey
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried coriander
3 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed well and drained
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 can tomato paste
3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
1 ounce dark chocolate, chopped
4 chipotle chilies rinsed, seeded and chopped

Spray the bottom of a large pot with canola oil. Add onion, bell peppers and garlic and sauté over medium/high heat until vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add turkey and sauté until no longer pink, breaking up large pieces with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Mix in dried spices and stir for 1 minute. Add beans, tomatoes with juices, tomato paste, broth, chocolate and chipotles. Bring chili to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until chili thickens, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with low fat sour cream, sliced avocado and grated low fat cheddar cheese.

FYI: Chipotle is smoke-dried jalapeño chilies and they are sold in cans packed with adobo sauce. The peppers get their heat from the seeds so be sure to scrape them off before chopping the pepper. Wash your hands with cold water when you have finished with the chilies.

Salty Series: Entrées

FitSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:30:00 -0700

When it comes to restaurant fare and processed food it seems sodium lurks in unexpected places and unexpected quantities. The theory is that salt makes everything taste better, so more salt means tastier food, right? Not really, but you wouldn’t know that after seeing the amounts of sodium used in some of the entrées at some popular food chains. Take a look and see what meals you should avoid, especially if high blood pressure is a health concern of yours. Just to remind you that the upper limit of daily sodium is 2,300 mg a day, which is equal to about one teaspoon. Here's a list of the top saltiest dinners you can order.

Saltiest Burger: Hardee's 2/3 pound Monster Thickburger - 2,770 mg. Most of the sodium comes from the bun and the three slices of processed cheese which make up for 780 mg.
Saltiest Pasta: Fazoli's Rigatoni Romano - 3,180 mg. This dish is made with Italian sausage, meat sauce, and cheese, all of which have high amounts of sodium. Put them together and bada-boom, baba-bing, you've got one salty dish.
Saltiest Beef Entrée: Bob Evans Steak Tips and Noodles - 4,131 mg. Think beef stroganoff soaked in gravy. The steak on its own has 638 mg of sodium. That's some salty gravy.
Saltiest Frozen Dinner: Swanson Hungry-Man XXL Roasted Carved Turkey - 4,480 mg. The label on the box says that the meal is actually two servings, but what kind of hungry man is going to share?

To see the rest of this atrocious list read more.

Saltiest Comfort Food: Denny's Meat Loaf Dinner (with Mashed Potatoes and Corn) - 5,080 mg. It's best to make your own.
Saltiest Mexican Entrée: Chili's Buffalo Chicken Fajitas - 5,690 mg. Where does it all come from? Fried chicken, Buffalo sauce, blue cheese, smoked bacon, ranch dressing, and sour cream.
Saltiest Dish in America: Romano's Macaroni Grill Chicken Portobello - 7,300 mg. This is well beyond your three day limit of salt. That's so bad.

Source

Fat Confusion: Which Ones Are Healthy Again?

FitSugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 03:00:00 -0700

We all know that trans fat and saturated fat are major things to avoid, but what's the difference between the two? And what about unsaturated fats, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Are they bad too? What foods contain them? Are you confused about all these fats too? Let's get these fats straight once and for all.

Trans Fatty Acids: Commonly called trans fat, these are "The chemically-altered fats." Most trans fat is a side effect of partial hydrogenation of plant oils (companies use them to increase the shelf life of their products). Trans fat are neither required nor are beneficial to our bodies, and eating trans fat can increase your risk of heart disease, among other health related problems.

Some trans fats can occur naturally (in small quantities) in meat and dairy products that come from ruminants (hooved animals that digest their food in two steps such as cows, goats, and buffalo). These aren't considered as bad for you as the chemically-altered kind.

Look out for:

Processed foods like crackers, snacks, breads, chips, and baked goods
margarine
shortening like Crisco
candy like caramels and chocolates (Ghirardelli)
dips
Some fast foods such as French fries and biscuits
frozen foods

If you want to check out the others, then read more

Saturated fat: "The bad fats." These are often solid at room temperature, like butter. Saturated fats are not essential to your health. Most come from animals and are found in meat, eggs, and cheese. Some are found in vegetable oils such as palm, palm kernel and coconut oils. Saturated fats are harder to digest and full of cholesterol, which clogs your arteries.

Foods that contain saturated fat are:

lard
butter
high fat dairy products such as cream, whole milk, cheese, and sour cream
high-fat meats like ground beef, bologna, hot dogs, sausage, bacon, and spareribs
coconut oil
skin from chicken and turkey
chocolate

Unsaturated fat: "The good guys." These are often liquid at room temperature, like olive and sunflower oil, and are essential to our overall health. They are thought to reduce our risk of heart disease, enhance memory, and other mental functions. They are derived from vegetables and plants.

Monounsaturated fats are one type of unsaturated fat. These are liquid at room temperature, but solidify at cold temps. Some studies have shown that these kinds of fats can actually lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and maintain HDL (good) cholesterol.

Foods that contain Monounsaturated fat are:

avocado
olives and olive oil
canola oil
almonds and almond butter
cashews and cashew butter
peanuts, peanut butter and peanut oil
sesame seeds

Polyunsaturated Fats are also healthy fats. This type of fat has also been shown to reduce levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, but too much can also lower your HDL (good) cholesterol.

Foods that contain Polyunsaturated fat are:

walnuts
corn oil
some tubs of margarine like Earth Balance
sunflower oil
pumpkin and sunflower seeds
some salad dressings

Fit's Tip: Even if you are only eating the good fats, remember that 30 percent or less of your diet should come from fat. That equals to about 44 to 77 grams of fat a day if you are consuming 2,000 calories a day

Source

Time to Clean out that Old Food

FitSugar — Sun, 06 May 2007 02:00:00 -0700

I'm really bad with throwing things away, it is definitely a direct result of my parents branding my brain with the idea that wasting is bad. Now older, I agree, but there comes a point where health is involved. I was thrilled to come across these guidelines from MSNBC.com on when it's time to chuck the ground chuck that's been in your freezer for years:

FRIDGE:
- Milk should always be put on a shelf and never on the door.
- Eggs should be stored in the container they came in. Never use the plastic egg container that comes with some refrigerators. Eggs need to breathe and the plastic container keeps them from doing so and will cause them to spoil faster. Fresh eggs will last up to three weeks if stored properly.
- Condiments kept in the fridge will last up to a year, except mayonnaise and that should be kept only for two months. The most dangerous part of condiments is cross contamination. Be sure to always use a clean utensil that has not touched other foods before putting the knife or fork into the jar.
FREEZER:
- Frozen entrees and dinners: three to four months
- Ground beef or turkey: three months
- Lunchmeats (unopened): one month
- Bacon (unopened): one month
- Whole chicken or turkey: one year
What about the pantry? Want to find out? Then read more
PANTRY:
- Cooking oils should always be stored in a cool dry place. Unopened oil lasts about six months, once opened up to three months.
- Salad dressings will last unopened up to a year and after opening should be kept in the fridge up to three months.
- Pastas will last about a year unopened or stored in an airtight container.
- Egg Noodles will only last about one to two months after they're opened.
- Rice will last about a year, but be sure to keep moisture out.
- Herbs and spices can be breeding grounds for bugs, so handle and store these properly. Whole spices last about two years, ground spices between six to 12 months. Always store in glass jars. Spices in plastic jars or plastic bags don’t last as long as the plastic itself allows air to get in. Never buy spices in wooden bins. They are a haven for insects.
- Canned foods will last up to two years from date of manufacture - not the date you purchased them. Many cans still carry a manufacturing code (instead of a "use by" date). There is no standard, but most canned goods follow this syste: If the code reads as E719W1...
  - E = Month manufactured, the manufacturing year typically starts in June with A for June. In this case E = "October."
  - 7 = Last number of the year which it was manufactured. In this example - 2007.
  - 19 = The day of the month manufactured.
  - W = Plant name or location.
  - 1 = Shift that the product was manufactured. In this case, the first shift of the day.
  - If you don’t want to take the trouble to decipher, just call the 800# on the package and the customer service representative will be happy to tell you when it was made.

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