Category Archives: MilkAndBones

Quit Dairy, Get More Nutrition?

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Virginia Messina RD posted a blog entry describing a study funded by the National Dairy Council about what would happen if, sort of, if plant based sources of calcium were used to replace dairy based sources of calcium in a human diet:

  • vitamin A went up
  • potassium went up
  • magnesium went up
  • sodium decreased
  • saturated fat decreased

Messina wrote that The study didn’t analyze vitamin C, vitamin K, iron or fiber, none of which are found in dairy products and all of which would likely go up by replacing dairy foods with plant based calcium sources. Messinia mentions a good point to remember vitamins C, vitamin K, potassium and magnesium are also important for bone health.

So, if you give up cow’s milk and use plant based sources for calcium, you *can* get extra bone health nutrients and decrease problematic substances at the same time. Not a bad deal! :) .

Harvard: Milk Is NOT Part Of A Healthy Diet

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The Harvard School of Public Health sent a strong message to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and nutrition experts everywhere with the recent release of its “Healthy Eating Plate” food guide. The university was responding to the USDA’s new MyPlate guide for healthy eating, which replaced the outdated and misguided food pyramid.

Harvard’s nutrition experts did not pull punches, declaring that the university’s food guide was based on sound nutrition research and more importantly, not influenced by food industry lobbyists. The greatest evidence of its research focus is the absence of dairy products from the “Healthy Eating Plate” based on Harvard’s assessment that “…high intake can increase the risk of prostate cancer and possibly ovarian cancer.” The Harvard experts also referred to the high levels of saturated fat in most dairy products and suggested that collards, bok choy, fortified soy milk, and baked beans are safer choices than dairy for obtaining calcium, as are high quality supplements.

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High Calcium Snack: Puppodums

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I first discovered puppodums in college through an Indian housemate. I thought they were nice, but I assumed they would be hard to find and laden with oil and calories like many Indian snacks.

I rediscovered these wonderful snacks at an oil free, dairy free, Indian cooking class.

Puppodums are similar to hard tortillas being made out of lentil and rice flour. You toast them over a stove or pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds which causes them to puff up. The result is something like a cross between a potato chip and popcorn with a pleasantly spicy taste.

During the class the empty box was passed around and I was pleasantly surprised to find out what a good deal puppodums are nutritionally. A serving has only 80 calories, but gives 6 grams of protein, 8% of the DV for Iron and 70% of the DV for calcium. The high calcium content is the result of lime being one of the ingredients.

A four ounce box, which gives you a generous amount of puppodums cost less than $3 at a Whole Foods.

I am certainly going to be eating more puppodums.