A Healthier You, One Step at a Time

Category: Diets

  • Is The Beyond Meat Burger Actually Good For You?

    Is The Beyond Meat Burger Actually Good For You?: BeyondMeat2 Andy the RDhttps://andytherd.com/2019/07/22/is-the-beyond-meat-burger-actually-good-for-you/

    Another excellent article by Andy the RD

    I’ve copied his edited version of Chris Millers analysis

     

    The Beyond Meat Burger

    By Chris Miller

    Vegetarian friendly substitutes of traditionally meat-based dishes are nothing new; while many are original recipes, isolated from the meat-eating world, others are imitations of common meat dishes such as the (in)famous tofurkey.

    Attempts at vegetarian friendly imitation burgers are commonplace and the subject of today’s article: The Beyond Burger, has taken the spotlight.

    With constantly growing sales and acceptance into grocery store meat aisles Beyond Meat has gripped the market for plant-based eating by the buns with its imitation meats.

    The Beyond Burger is a plant-based meat substitute burger developed by Beyond Meat, but is it the savior of the vegan barbeque?

    Let’s take a look.

    So What’s In One Of These Things?

    Aside from water the primary ingredient and main source of protein in the burger is “pea protein isolate” which is a plant-based protein derived from peas.

    It’s gotten somewhat popular as a protein source in manufactured foods due to its high digestibility and satiating effect.

    Yellow peas are dried and ground then the fiber and starches are washed away with water in order to leave only the protein behind.

    Rice protein isolate is the second protein source intended to complete the amino acid profile of the burgers; as pea protein is high in the essential amino acid lysine but low in cysteine and methionine while rice protein is the opposite, high in cysteine and methionine but low in lysine.

    By combining these protein sources the Beyond Burger offers a complete essential amino acid profile similar to meat.

    The main sources of fat in the burger are expeller-pressed canola oil and refined coconut oil. Expeller-pressed canola oil is extracted non-chemically by good old-fashioned squeezing as opposed to the chemical processes involved in most canola extraction.

    Normally a hexane solvent is used to break down everything but the oil, which is then extracted and heat treated to remove the solvent.

    Miniscule amounts of the solvent may remain in the oil however (we’re talking parts per million miniscule) which does raise alarms for some. We’re not sure if this actually has any negative effects on human health but for some people it’s better safe than sorry.

    Canola oil has the lowest amount of saturated fat when compared to other common cooking oils, higher amounts of omega-3s, and no cholesterol.

    Coconut oil on the other hand is very high in saturated fat and low amounts of both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.

    The refining process of coconut oil involves roasting, pressing, then bleaching of the coconut flesh. This has some benefits including a higher smoke point (important for burgers) and a milder coconut flavor, however if you prefer whole, unprocessed foods then refined coconut oil may not be for you.

    The remaining ingredient list:

    • Natural flavors
    • Cocoa butter
    • Mung bean protein
    • Methylcellulose (plant fiber derived from bamboo)
    • Potato starch
    • Apple extract
    • Salt
    • Potassium Chloride
    • Vinegar
    • Lemon Juice concentrate
    • Sunflower lecithin
    • Pomegranate fruit powder
    • Beat juice extract

    All appear in much lower quantities, most making up less than 2% of the product, and are primarily intended to mimic the flavor, texture, and appearance of meat.

    Of note in regard to “natural flavors” it may be important to you to know that this does not necessarily mean unprocessed flavors. Natural flavors are flavor compounds derived from sources like spices, meat, or plants and may have been chemically treated.

    Nutrients comparison

    We’ll be comparing both a generic NoName brand frozen patty and a McDonalds patty to an equal serving of the Beyond Burger.

    113g serving Beyond Burger NoName McDonalds
    Calories 250 320 300
    Saturated Fat 6g 13g 10g
    Trans Fat 0g 1g 1g
    Cholesterol 0mg 80mg 94mg
    Sodium 390mg 430mg 75mg
    Fiber 2g 0g 0g
    Protein 20g 14g 26g

    As you can see the Beyond Burger holds its own pretty well.

    Lower calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol than the competition while also boasting a small bit of fiber and comparable protein. It is however notably high in sodium. It should be mentioned that these numbers are only for the patty.

    Once you add a bun, toppings, and condiments they’ll be quite a bit higher.

    But How Does It Taste?

    Is The Beyond Meat Burger Actually Good For You?: BEYONDMEAT1

    Out of obligation, curiosity, and because I really wanted a burger I decided to give A&W’s Beyond Burger a try.

    Pressing my poor student budget to the limit I ordered two Mama burgers, requesting one have its patty replaced with a Beyond Burger patty.

    Can you tell which is which?

    Once I bit into them I certainly could.

    While the Beyond Burger was surprisingly good and yes, very close to the flavor of real meat, it wasn’t quite there.

    The texture was a bit softer and had a pleasant but telltale aftertaste. It’s not going to fool any meat eaters, but it’s close and still very tasty.

    Is the Beyond Burger for You?

    Well that depends; there’s endless reasons people reduce their meat intake. If your reasoning is environmental or related to animal suffering then absolutely you should give the Beyond Burger a try.

    Beyond Meat claims each of their burgers requires 99% less water, 93% less land, 46% less energy and generates 90% less greenhouse gas than a traditional beef burger.

    This is certainly promising.

    From a nutritional perspective consumers may harbour concerns over the extensive ingredient list, but it remains hard to deny that the nutrient composition is favourable to other common beef burger varieties. The cost could also be a concern, with 2 frozen Beyond Burgers costing eight dollars in most grocery stores.

    All in all the Beyond Burger is very promising and could create options for a lot of vegetarians. It’s not perfect but no food is.

    I certainly didn’t regret feeding my curiosity and biting into one, I doubt you will either.

    Final Verdict: While beef lovers can’t easily replace a steak, they can now replace a beef burger. Give the Beyond Burger a try.

    Chris

     

     

  • My patients with diabetes, on insulin

    Notifying my physicians and  diabetes patients on insulin that our community support funding ends August 31st after which new patients will be charged $125.and follow up patients will be charged $75.  So it would be advantageous to book an initial visit with the dietitian before this time.

     

  • Baked Tofu with Ginger

    Are you looking for a tasty vegan tofu dish, I have a gem for you that I cooked tonight!  It has a very delicate Japanese flavour.

    Baked Tofu with Ginger: Baked TofuBaked Tofu with ginger  (2 servings)

    300g tofu 1/2 block  ( I used mediium)

    1.5 T soy sauce

    2 tsp olive oil

    2 tsp rice vinegar

     1 tsp sesame seed oil

     2 tsp parsley, chopped

     2 tsp gingeroot grated

    Cut the tofu into strips, combine the remaining ingredients into a marinate.  Marinate while bringing oven up to 400 degrees, pour out some of the marinate and bake 12-15 min, may need to drain marinate while cooking.

    Enjoy!

    This recipe is from SOS cuisine, excellent for reflux or irritable bowel disease, high in iron, protein, low in cholesterol.

     

  • Does tofu lower a man’s testosterone?

    Only a male dietitian can really address this question, I’ll refer you to ANDY the RD…Does tofu lower a man's testosterone?: manhttps://andytherd.com/2019/08/14/does-tofu-lower-a-mans-testosterone-levels/

  • How to cook your own chickpeas!

    How to cook your own chickpeas!: IMG 8776
    Soaking overnight

    Have been wanting to cook chickpeas instead of using canned for some time,  They taste fresher and it saves you $$  Finally I decided to soak overnight, started with 1 c chickpeas:3 c water, no salt

    This forced me to cook them in my instapot the next day, it was so easy.  I don’t know why I procrastinated.  I rinsed them, put them in the instapot with the same water ratio and pressure cooked for 20 minutes.

     

     

    How to cook your own chickpeas!: IMG 8781
    Cooke in Instapot for 20 minutes

    Don’t they look great!  And they smelled so yummy, I snacked on some right there!   I thought that I had cooked way too much but didn’t realize that I would use them up so quickly!

    Have wanted to make roasted chickpeas as a healthy snack for some time.  Found the perfect recipe:  2 cups chickpeas, 2 T vinegar, 1 T olive oil, 1 tsp dijon mustard, supposed to have 1 pinch salt, I made mine unsalted.  Placed in a pre-heated 400 F degree oven on a cookie sheet, no greasing.  The recipe suggests baking for 1 hr, tossing them every 10 min.  I was far too impatient for this and tossed them every 15 min but by 30 min, they looked roasted and I took them out.

     

    How to cook your own chickpeas!: IMG 8784
    Roasted Chickpeas

    They tasted great, but some of them were not crisp and slightly soft so I put them in the oven for longer, next time I would check them more often and take the browned chickpeas out as they cook unevenly in my oven.. Was very pleased with the flavour and  will do this again.

    I was on a roll  and proceeded to make a chicken chili  adding 2 cups chickpeas, fortunately that was exactly the amount I had left over..  So I was able to cook an entree with the remaining chickpeas depriving myself of the opportunity to refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze in 2 cup portions.

     

    How to cook your own chickpeas!: IMG 8787
    Chicken Chili with chickpeas

    I won’t tell you the recipe because it became a truly signature dish using my favourite allium vegetables.  Perhaps it was a bit spicy; for my partner but just perfect for me.  Here’s a photo of that meal!

    So don’t hesitate, save yourself some $$ and cook your own chickpeas!

     

  • Nutrition & protein intake for Parkinsons

    Nutrition & protein intake for Parkinsons: Parkinsons patient

    Registered Dietitians are fortunate to have a wealth of scientific data from which to draw reliable recommendations.  Recently the recommendation for protein has been updated, this has been a subject that I have debated with a variety of patients that I’ve seen with Parkinsons disease.

    I will quote:

    A 2010 review found that on average, protein redistribution diets resulted in improved motor function in people who responded to levodopa, although the acceptability of the diet decreased over the long term (i.e. >1 month). The most frequently reported complications of the diet included severe dyskinesias (due to reduced levodopa dose), weight loss and hunger before the evening meal. Occasional complications included psychiatric disorders and hallucinations (due to levodopa overdose).

    1.  Cereda E, Barichella M, Pedrolli C, Pezzoli G. Low-protein and protein-redistribution diets for Parkinson’s disease patients with motor fluctuations: A systematic review. Mov Disord. 2010 Jul 28. [Epub ahead of print]. Abstract available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20669318

    A 2017 narrative review noted two large observational studies. One study found that the prevalence of protein-levodopa interaction in those taking levodopa was about 12.4%. The other study suggested that a protein-restricted diet may improve motor function in some people taking levodopa, and that those eating more than 10 g protein/day above the RDA may need a higher levodopa dosage than those eating less protein

    2 .Xiong N, Huang J, Guo S, Liu L, Han C, et al. Protein-restricted diets for ameliorating motor fluctuations in Parkinson’s disease. Front Aging Neurosci. 2017 Jun 28;9:206. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00206. eCollection 2017. Abstract available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28701947

    In 2019, the 2012 Canadian guidelines for Parkinson disease were updated by an expert panel led by Parkinson Canada (9) and they adopted a NICE guidelines:

    People with PD should be advised to avoid a reduction in their total daily consumption of protein” and “discussion should take place about a diet in which most of the protein is eaten in the final main meal of the day (a protein redistribution diet) for people with PD on levodopa who experience motor fluctuations.

    3.  Parkinson’s disease in adults. NICE guideline [NG71}. 2017 Jul. Available from: nice.org.uk/guidance/ng71

    Its important for patients with Parkinson’s consume adequate protein.   Patients who are taking their levodopa medication 30 minutes before a meal and do not experience relief can trial a protein redistribution for 2 weeks and if they do not experience relief, discontinue the diet.   As well, when a patient experiences relief, they need to make sure their overall protein intake is adequate or they may need to increase the levodopa dosage to manage symptoms and maintain their protein status.

    Regardless, it is advised that patients seek the advice of a registered dietitian to advise on bloating, constipation, early satiety, swallowing problems and the overall balance of their nutritional intake.

  • Low FODMAP Vegan/Vegetarian Diet Choices

    https://desireerd.com/low-fodmap-foods-that-are-vegan/

    Low FODMAP Vegan/Vegetarian Diet Choices: monashWould like to recommend Desiree Nielson, RD as a reliable source of FODMAP information, she specialize in plant based diets that banish the bloat.

    The absolute best choice of low FODMAP foods is found with Monash University, they founded the research and update their app regularly, great source of information.

  • Is coconut healthy? A dietitian non-bias breakdown

    https://www.theloop.ca/is-coconut-really-the-best-oil-to-cook-with

    Is coconut healthy? A dietitian non-bias breakdown: coconut
    Coconut – a non-bias report by a dietitian

    As a dietitian, most of my clients are concerned about their cholesterol and heart disease, and are advised to avoid foods high in saturated fat, as per St. Paul’s healthy heart clinic.  Coconut is very high in saturated fat albeit short chain, the literature has yet to support the benefits of coconut for heart disease. Coconut is very flavourful and can be included in your diet, this video will help guide you as to the best sources.

     

    Nishta Saxena, RD has presented a non-bias view of the merits of coconut.  Click on the link above to watch her videa on the morning show with CTV.

  • Portion size for desserts

    This Christmas, it was my sister-in-law that reminded me about portion size, particularly with desserts!  Usually we serve our trifle, this year was sugar free, in china (250ml) but she brought out the crystal and custard cups ( 125ml) and it was a perfect portion.  My brother-in-laws blood glucose was under 6mmol/l 2 hrs after!!!

    Portion size for desserts: image 1

     

  • The Potato Diet!

    The Potato Diet!

    Now we have the “potato diet”.  You too can lose 117lb in a year by eating only potatoes!  Andrew Taylor from Australia https://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/a19536403/can-the-potato-diet-help-you-lose-weight-safely/entered the “Spud Fit Challenge” and is boasting about the virtues of the potato.  He said that you can meet most of your nutritional needs with the potato, especially if you are overweight and have some stored nutrition to The Potato Diet!: potatowaste.  He ate only potatoes, all day everyday for 1 year, with skim soymilk to mash, BBQ  and sweet chili sauce to flavour, no exercise for the first month and then 90 min/day subsequent months, supplemented with Vit B12.

    So I calculated that to encourage weight loss for myself, (-20 lb/yr) and meet most of my  nutritional needs, I could eat 3 red potatoes, 3 russet potatoes and 4 sweet potatoes per day with 2 c soymilk to mash and 4 T chili sauce, 6 T BBQ sauce which would give me about 1600kcal per day, 42 g protein, 11 g fat, 342 g carbohydrate and 35 g fibre, it would meet most of my needs except calcium – 866 mg vs 1200;  zinc 5.6 vs 8 and Vit D 5.8 vs 15 ug Vit D.  |My immune system would suffer with a daily 10 g protein deficit but altogether better than I thought,

    But I agree with Dr. Nadolsky’s (Taylor’s MD) assessment that the vegan diet is restrictive, the ketogenic very restrictive but the potato diet is one of the most restrictive diets available.  There are many other healthier ways of losing weight.

    Bring it on “Spud Fit Challenge”

    Jan