Questions and Answers

QUESTION:

What is healthier: ground meat OR ground turkey? What about turkey bacon vs regular or center cut?

Answer:

This can often be a confusing question. The most important thing to remember is that no matter what you are purchasing, you have to read the nutrition facts label. Whether it’s ground beef or ground turkey, they will each contain different percentages of fat. Below are some examples of what I am referring to:

85% Lean Jennie O Ground Turkey

Calories: 220 total, 150 from fat, Grams of Fat: 17 grams total, 4 grams saturated fat, Cholesterol: 85 grams, Sodium: 85 mg, Carbohydrates: 0 grams, Protein: 20 grams

99% Lean Jennie-O Ground Turkey

Calories: 120 total, 15 from fat, Grams of Fat: 1.5 grams total, .5 grams saturated fat, Cholesterol: 55 mg, Sodium: 70 mg, Carbohydrates: 0 grams, Protein: 26 grams

80% Lean Ground Beef

Calories: 231 total, 131 from fat, Grams of Fat: 15 grams total, 6 grams saturated fat, 1 gram Trans-fat, Cholesterol: 76 mg, Sodium: 77 mg, Carbohydrates: 0 grams, Protein: 23 grams

95% Lean Cooked Ground Beef

Calories: 164 total, 58 from fat, Grams of Fat: 6 grams total, 3 grams saturated fat, Cholesterol: 76 mg, Sodium: 73 mg, Carbohydrates: 0 mg, Protein: 25 grams

As you can see, the 85% lean ground turkey and the 80% lean ground beef are very similar nutritionally. It’s also obvious that the 99% lean ground turkey is the healthiest. However, you might risk sacrificing a lot of flavor when you choose the 99% lean ground turkey. My best suggestion is to follow the labels, pay close attention to serving sizes, and pick what best suits your palate!

As for bacon, I have personally never tried turkey bacon and do not care for center cut bacon. Although it is about half the calories for turkey or center cut bacon, you are sacrificing ALOT of flavor and crunch. Since I RARELY eat bacon, I like to eat the regular stuff when I do. However, if you are a frequent bacon eater, it might be in your best interest to go with the turkey or center cut varieties.

Hope this helps! Thanks for stopping by!!

QUESTION:

Erin! Great site! Thanks for all the helpful information! My husband and I just love all the recipes! Our favorite so far are the carrot cake cookies! “Delicious!” Anyway, I just had a question about sodium intake. How much should we aim for each day and what is the difference between sodium and salt? Thanks! Stacey

ANSWER: Hi Stacey! Thanks for the excellent question! This is one that gets asked alot and I know how confusing it can be to understand the difference between “salt” and “sodium.”
Table Salt is actually made up of a compound called sodium chloride; 40% sodium and 60% chloride. We refer to sodium over salt because it is easier to break that down on a nutrition facts label as opposed to teaspoonfuls of salt (at least that’s my thought process…I could be making that up), but 1 tsp of SALT is equivalent to 2300 mg of SODIUM. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends  a limit of 2300mg because people were just consuming too much sodium! The processed foods we consume; cured meats, cheeses, frozen/boxed/canned entrees or vegetables, salad dressings, and sauces are the real culprits for this high intake!
Believe it or not, our bodies actually NEED sodium for everyday functions. We need about 250mg-500mg of sodium for basic physiological functions (1/8-1/4 tsp table salt). However, the average American consumes about 3000-4000mg of sodium each day (~1.5 tsp table salt). When sodium levels get too high, the kidneys excrete more water, which increases blood volume and hence blood pressure. If this pressure is sustained over longer periods of time, the heart has to work harder to pump blood, increasing risk of heart disease or stroke.
So what is the best way to keep your sodium intake in check? Stick to REAL, WHOLE foods as much as possible and READ NUTRITION LABELS!!

Low-sodium food: less than 140 milligrams per serving
Moderate-sodium food: less than 400 milligrams per serving
High-sodium food: more than 400 milligrams per serving

Also, try incorporating more potassium rich foods, which can help balance the effects of sodium. The recommended guidelines for potassium are 3500-4700 mg per day. So includes lots of fruits, leafy greens, and root vegetables for the sources highest in potassium!
Hope this helps! Take care!!

QUESTION:

Hi Erin! You’re site is awesome! I love some of the recipes you have in here. I’ve been looking for ways to get healthier and this has been great! I am pregnant, just finished my 12th week, and I’m having a hard time eating meat (or much of anything). Do you have any suggestions on ways to get protein without meat?

ANSWER: Thank you for the GREAT question! Working with pregnant women in my current position, I get this question frequently. While there are some Mom’s who have no trouble with nausea or vomiting, others suffer from severe taste, texture, and scent aversions! This can be problematic, especially when you are thinking of what’s healthiest for the baby! There are lots of excellent vegetarian protein sources out there that may not sit as heavily on your stomach! Sometimes it is just a matter of thinking outside the box!

Dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese) is a protein source that some people may not really attribute as being a protein source. However, adding yogurt or milk to your lunch or dinner is a great non-meat source of protein, especially Greek yogurts, which can offer almost 15 grams of protein per serving!

Eggs are not just a hearty breakfast food! There are endless possibilities with these little guys! Check out THIS site for recipe ideas!

Whole Grains, Legumes (dried beans), Nuts, and Seeds. We all know these foods are sources of carbohydrates and fiber, but did you know that they are also a source of protein? They are actually “incomplete” proteins and I just mean that they do not contain ALL the essential amino acids (building blocks of protein). So in order to make them complete, you can try pairing these foods with other protein sources to fill in the gaps. It’s really simple and you probably make these combinations without even being aware you are doing something so technical! Examples?

Brown rice and beans

Whole wheat bun with sesame seeds

Trail mixes with nuts AND seeds

Lentil soup and a whole grain roll

Rice cakes with peanut butter

Vegetarian chili with a whole grain roll.

*Incorporating a small amount of animal products (meat, cheese, etc), you can also form a complete protein. Examples:

Yogurt and granola

Green salad with beans and chopped egg

Bean and cheese burrito

Oatmeal with milk

Hope these suggestions are helpful!! Thanks again for checking out The Healthy Apron!!

QUESTION:

Erin, what do you think about frozen entrees like Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice? I usually have them at work for my lunch, but I have read that the sodium and preservatives in frozen dinners are not exactly healthy? What do you think?

~Meghan

ANSWER: Great question Meghan! When you need a quick grab and go meal, frozen foods can be the perfect convenience. When you roam the freezer section, you can now find frozen entrees that are being made with lower sodium, higher fiber, whole grains, and even more vegetables! That’s great news considering how popular these foods are becoming! However, it might be wise to do a little label reading before grabbing just any old frozen entree and try to limit your intake to 1-2 per week. I try to promote WHOLE foods as much as possible afterall!

Here are some basic guidelines though:

1. Check the portion size! Some tricky companies will squeeze 2 servings into an entree that could easily be eaten in one serving.

2. Limit calories and fat to no more than 250-350 calories, with less than 4 grams of saturated fat per serving (absolutely ZERO grams trans fat!!). *If you have cardiovascular disease, look for products with <1 g of saturated fat.

3. Make sure the fiber content is no less than 3-5 grams per serving.

4. Aim for a sodium level of <800 mg per serving.

5. As for preservatives, most entrees don’t contain preservatives, as freezing is a natural way to preserve foods. So don’t be fooled into thinking a product is “healthy” just because it says “no preservatives.”

6. Whenever possible, be sure to add a green leafy salad, fruit, and/or yogurt to your meal! This will add healthy, WHOLE foods, and provide a few additional calories, vitamins, and minerals!

7. Just because it is a “Lean” cuisine or “Healthy” Choice, doesn’t necessarily mean it will meet these guidelines, so read labels!! Happy Hunting!

Suggested Entrees:

Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake

Healthy Choice Cajun Style Chicken and Shrimp

Lean Cuisine Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Chicken

Healthy Choice Pumpkin Squash Ravioli

Kashi Black Bean Mango

Lean Cuisine Glazed Chicken

Smart Ones Cranberry Turkey Medallions

Healthy Choice Café Steamer 5 Spice Beef & Vegetable

Kashi Ranchero Beans

Healthy Choice Sweet Asian Pot Stickers

Smart Ones Thai Style Chicken Rice Noodles

Lean Cuisine Beef Chow Fun

QUESTION:

I only use natural peanut butter. My boyfriend went to use the peanut butter (which, he rarely does) and poured out what he described as the icky liquid on top. Now it’s too dry. Do you have any tips for fixing it? What can I add?

ANSWER: Thanks for the question! Typically natural peanut butter is made with crushed peanuts, peanut oil, and salt but you can also use canola oil. Since I am not sure the size of the jar, my suggestion would be to place the peanut butter in a blender or food processor and add about 1 tablespoon of oil per cup of peanut butter left in the jar. Since I have honestly never done this before, you might want to start with a little less and add to your taste preference. It could also be more so just play around with it!! Let me know how it turns out! I hope it does not ruin it!! This is just my best guess!! Thanks for checking out The Healthy Apron.

QUESTION:

I was wondering if you had any recipes for the crock pot that you liked? When me and my husband both work late neither of us feel like cooking when we get home. I love the site! I really like the variety and how easy all the recipes are!

ANSWER: Thanks for the question! I have only recently started using my slow cooker but I know how convenient they can be, especially after a long work day! I do have some great healthy recipes up my sleeve though, so I will try to include more! In the meantime, have you checked out my chicken chili recipe? This is great in the slow cooker, although I have only ever left it for 3 hours. Let me know how it turns out if you try it though! Thanks for visiting!!

QUESTION:

I too am a oatmeal lover! This recipe for Oatmeal Banana Nut Bread looks fantastic! Do you prefer very ripe bananas like the ones you actually cook into banana nut bread or barely ripe ones? Kudos.

-Sylvia

ANSWER: Thanks Sylvia! I really hope you get the chance to try it! It’s probably my favorite recipe for Banana bread thus far. As far as the ripeness of bananas. Typically, I use bananas that are more brown spotted than yellow because they are easiest to mash and usually have a more potent banana flavor. However, if I am impatient, I will use JUST ripened bananas and the end result still turns out great! The only difference is it is a bit harder to mash the bananas. If you are worried that the bananas won’t add enough flavor, you can always use a couple drops of banana oil. Hope this helps!! Thanks for visiting The Healthy Apron!

QUESTION:

Hi Erin,

I’m LOVING your website. It has great info and is really well written (that’s the language teacher in me)! Question, when I’m shopping and looking for whole wheat, I see a lot of whole grain. Is there a difference? Is one better than the other?

ANSWER: This is an excellent question and thank you so much for all the great feedback! I’m so glad you like the site! When it comes to 100% whole grain vs. 100% whole wheat, the nutritional profile CAN almost be identical. However, whole wheat (without 100%) MAY still be “refined” aka the grain is broken down to remove the outer layer and thus loses nutrients and fiber. So I would recommend carefully reading the nutrition label.

Whole grains contain the inside and outside layer of the grain and contain NO processed flours, maintaining a natural level of nutrients. The processing removes the outer layer giving that lighter texture and taste. While refined grains ARE enriched with certain nutrients, you will still miss out on other key elements you get from WHOLE grains; antioxidants, lignans, phenolic acids, phytoestrogens, and other phytochemicals, which can potentially decrease your risk for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

“Enriched wheat flour” is NOT a whole grain product, so look at ingredient lists that contain NO enriched flour and at least 2-3 grams of fiber per slice. Considering some 80% of people get less than 1 serving of whole grains per day, it’s wise to start paying closer attention to ingredient labels so you and your family are better able to meet the minimal guideline of about 3 servings of whole grains per day!

QUESTION:

Erin, just checked-out your blog! I love it and I am hooked! I was wondering if you had a good recipe for a low-fat , good-tasting salad dressing? I LOVE salads, but you’re right, half the time the dressing is more fat then if I just ordered a burger! Thanks!

ANSWER: Great question and I appreciate the feedback! I will be sure to add homemade salad dressings to future posts! In the meantime, here are a few tips for picking a prepared dressing at the store. I suggest paying close attention to the TYPE of fats on the nutrition label and the amount of sugar. Usually, the fat and sugar content have an inverse relationship. Less than 3 grams of sugar per 2 tablespoon serving is a good guideline and the fats should be mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats with <1 g saturated fat and O grams trans fat per serving. I really don’t suggest a fat-free dressing, simply because a little fat will help absorb the nutrients from the salad! I enjoy Newman’s Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette. Another great option if you can’t find anything at the store? E.V.O.O. and vinegar is a timeless classic!

QUESTION:

Do you ever have cravings? Recently, I have been craving Sloppy Joe Sandwiches! That “Manwich” stuff and every recipe I have found is loaded with sugar. I am married to a diabetic, so that won’t fly. Any ideas? JLT

ANSWER: Every one has had a craving at some point in their lives. Unfortunately for women it can become an every day occurrence! For myself, I am drawn to my sweet tooth and if I deprive myself,I just wind up eating too much of a good thing. Instead, I have a little bit of whatever I truly want and then I do not feel like I need to demolish the entire treat (whatever that may be). Some people have a really hard time with eating just one cookie or a handful of chips. In this case, either pre-portion your snacks (measure out 1 oz servings of chips, crackers, pretzels, etc) or try to avoid keeping temptations in the cupboards!

I will work on finding a diabetic friendly sloppy joe recipe! I like to try out the recipes before sticking it up on the site. But you could also try googling, “Diabetic-Friendly Sloppy Joes,” and something is bound to pop up!! Good luck and thank you for checking out The Healthy Apron!

QUESTION:

Erin, I love the site and the kids love the food. Your timing was perfect for us, we were getting tired of eating the same old recipes. I am wondering if it is possible to make the recipes printer friendly? I am lazy and print the page instead of writing it. Keep up the good work.

ANSWER: Thanks for the tip!! I am taking as much advice from my readers as I can get! I will be working on this, I promise! Since I only began this site about a month ago, it is still a work in progress. I need to upgrade my site and hopefully when I do the I can include printer-friendly recipes!! In the meantime, perhaps it would be easiest to copy/paste the recipes into a word document and print in that format? I will also be creating categories for easier access to topics of interest and creating a recipe page so it is easier to search for what you might be looking for!! Please keep your patience and thank you for visiting The Healthy Apron!

QUESTION:

hey! what kind of green tea do you use? do you like tazo/yogi or something else? i would assume green tea is green tea but maybe you know of something that works really well iced! thanks!

ANSWER: The most important thing to remember about green tea is not the brand specifically, but making sure you know how it is prepared. The more processed the tea, the lower the antioxidant powers it has. Flavonoids, the most abundant being EGCG, play a crucial role in green tea’s antioxidant effects. A 2007 USDA study compared nearly 400 different kinds of tea for their flavonoid content and found regular green tea to be the healthiest, containing 127 mg of catechins per 100 milliliters of tea.

Decaffeinated contains 56 mg, flavored green teas contain 43 mg, and instant or bottled green tea have as little as 12 mg of catechins. So look for brands that sell regular green tea (preferably organic if you can) and store in a dark/dry place. Most high quality green teas have similar health benefits but the main things to look for:

1. When was the tea packaged? Most green teas have a shelf life of ~6 months, so be sure to check the actual packaging date.

2. Look for tea harvested at the “first flush” or the manufacturers first harvest, typically in early March or April.

As far as being iced? I think you should just go with whatever variety works best for you! There are unique flavors in every different kind!

QUESTION:

Erin, I’m looking for a good workout DVD and saw here on your site you personally own a bunch of them! What DVD would you recommend for a quick 20-30 minute workout in the AM? Thanks !!

ANSWER: There are so many excellent workout DVDs on the market but I know how frustrating it can be to purchase a DVD, only to find the workout was not what you were looking for. Depending on how physically fit you are, my personal favorite 30 minute workout is Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. This workout really kicks you into gear. There are three levels and you progress as you feel your physical fitness increasing. The bonus? You will get the ultimate sweat-fest that combines toning and cardio in just 30 minutes (this includes warm-up and cool down). If you feel like you are a little more advanced, you could try to do more than one 30 minute workout, but I would only suggest this if you have been exercising for awhile.

I also love any DVD that Denise Austin comes out with. They always maximize toning in a short period of time. Her pilates and yoga DVDs are some of the best I have tried and the biggest seller is that she appeals to all fitness levels, demonstrating both beginner and advanced moves throughout the workouts. She is honestly one of my fitness heroes.

Lastly, I have to say that I am a big fan of The Firm workout series. They have endless DVDs to choose from and they incorporate toning and cardio for maximum benefits! Most of these workouts are between 45-50 minutes so you may need to allot some extra time or split the workout in half by doing part of the DVD in the morning and the other half in the evening.

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