In addition to pushing for nutrition labeling on the front of packaged foods, the FDA is also hoping to tackle misleading portion-size information, the New York Times reports today. “The problem is important because the standard serving size shown on a package determines all the other nutritional values on the label, including calorie counts. If the serving size is smaller than what people really eat, unless they study the label carefully they may think they are getting fewer calories or other nutrients than they are.”

Accurately and prominently displaying serving size on foods could go a long way toward helping people avoid excess calories by understanding and practicing portion control … for example, seeing up front that a muffin you’re about to eat is actually “supposed” to serve 2, or knowing how much is considered a single serving of chips or ice cream.

Have you heard of the Guiding Stars nutrition rating system? Look for the Guiding Stars logo (below) on all kinds of foods (fresh and packaged), which are evaluated using an algorithm that assigns credits based on the presence of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and whole grains … and debits for the presence of the trans fat, saturated fats, cholesterol, added sugars and added sodium. Rated foods are awarded zero, one, two or three stars; zero means no nutritional value (e.g., fishy crackers); one star means good nutritional value (e.g., oat-bran pretzels); two stars, better nutritional value (e.g., raisins); and three stars, the best nutritional value (e.g., oranges). It’s simple to understand, and the scientific experts they use are reputable (I checked). Guiding Stars recently ran a “Big Game” recipe challenge for readers to come up with a three-star entry for Super Bowl Sunday, and Mindee Curtis of Omaha, NE, submitted the winning entry of Baja Barley Salad, bursting with great ingredients like bell peppers, spinach, tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno, and lime zest. I’m going to try it this Sunday while cheering the Saints! And try our Super Bowl party spread for even more delicious, healthy, and unusual finger foods to cheer.

more

Certain healthy foods are traditionally considered aphrodisiacs, and what better time than Valentine’s Day to try them out? Add these aphrodisiac foods to your grocery cart, suggests the fortuitously named Melody Hart, ND, PhD, of ChicagoHealers.com.

1. Nuts and sesame seeds. These, says Hart, contain the amino acid L-arginine that enhances blood flow throughout the body. Try our nut-and-seed-laden Coconut Almond Crunch Granola for your Valentine’s Day breakfast in bed.

2. Dark chocolate (70% or more cocoa). Chocolate “releases pleasure-enhancing endorphins in the brain, plus contains the feel-good chemicals phenylethylamine and serotonin, released by the brain when you are happy or feeling loving or passionate,” says Hart. These Chocolate Lava Cakes ought to do the trick.

3. Oysters. The richest food source of zinc, which does good things for sperm, oysters also boost blood health with iron. Try one of my favorite Valentine’s Day recipes, Warm Oysters on the Half Shell with Spicy Ponzu — it’s easy, and a showstopper.

4. Licorice improves circulation, acts as a stress reliever, and has a stimulating smell, especially for women. Anise, an herb often mistaken for licorice because of the similar smell, adds a wonderful scent to these Anise-Orange Rye Rolls, perfect to serve with dinner. And look for Panda all-natural Licorice Chews at your natural foods store.

5. Chile peppers. Capsaicin, the compound that makes peppers hot, increases circulation and releases feel-good endorphins. For a spicy and superhealthy vegetable dish, try Kale with Ginger and Chiles.

Check out even more libido-loving foods … and get cooking!

From our sister publication Natural Foods Merchandiser comes this blog on the recent passage of bills in Washington and Wisconsin, banning bisphenol-A (BPA) from baby bottles and other food-contact applications. They’re the third and fourth states, after Connecticut and Minnesota, to enact a BPA ban, in a flurry of legislation mere days after the FDA issued its new turnaround position on BPA on January 15 that admits “some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children.” Illinois, California, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Oregon are also considering bans on BPA (which is already banned in Canada). Here’s hoping we’ll start seeing cans labeled “BPA free” nationwide in the near future.

Tried a sample of Bard’s gluten-free sorghum beer the other night; took a couple bottles to dinner with friends who actually like beer (I’m still acquiring the taste). The consensus: Good! Light but flavorful and very satisfying. My friends were so excited; they haven’t had a beer since going gluten-free a couple of years ago. Bart’s is the original sorghum beer, created by two beer-loving guys with celiac disease who made it their mission to put beer back in the hands of gluten-free drinkers. Kudos to them! Try some at your Super Bowl party. And let me know if you know of any other good gluten-free beers out there.

While skiing at Vail recently, I was delighted to find that they now offer labeled gluten-free menu items at all on-mountain dining spots! Making gluten free easy to identify fits in well with Vail’s healthy-food Appetite for Life program, which not only includes gluten-free items but also sustainably produced and organic offerings … AND a budget “Lunch for Less,” which includes an entree, side, and drink, for $9.95 (how often do you find THAT on a ski mountain?). Vail Resorts encompasses Vail Mountain, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Keystone, and Heavenly, all of which reportedly now identify gluten-free options on their menus.

Other Vail restaurants that serve gluten-free diners include:

>> Terra Bistro at Vail Mountain Lodge and Spa, with menu notations identifying not just gluten, but also nuts, garlic, sustainable seafood, and vegetarian. Chef Kevin Nelson provided these wonderful “Thousand-Year Breakfast” recipes in our Sept09 issue.

>> Larkspur, a local-fave dining spot at the base of Vail Mountain, with menu notations for gluten and nuts. They also have a kids menu (including lunch, during ski season), and a Market next door where you can buy food to go.

>> Restaurant Avondale, a seasonally driven spot in Beaver Creek. Again, notations for gluten and nuts, and a kids’ menu with fun (but nutritious) “TV dinners,” served in a retro sectioned tray.

High bisphenol A (BPA) exposure may be linked to heart disease, according to recently release data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The survey evaluated 1,493 people ages 18 to 74 from 2005-2006 and found that higher BPA concentrations in urine were associated with an increased number of coronary heart disease cases, supporting findings from a study conducted by Peninsula Medical School and the University of Exeter last year. However, there is no substantial evidence as to why this correlation exists, and opponents say the information doesn’t establish a cause-and-effect relationship between BPA exposure and heart disease. Still, the chemical has previously been linked to infertility, weight gain, behavioral changes, early onset puberty, prostate and breast cancers, and diabetes. Check out BPA in most food cans for more about the dangers of the chemical, where it is, and how to avoid it.

The four salad dressings below, which chef Jamie Oliver (left) calls “jam-jar” dressings, are so easy to make, you’ll wonder why you never tried it before — and I guarantee you’ll be inspired to eat more salads and veggies. They’re from his book, Jamie’s Food Revolution (Hyperion, 2009), included in my blog of favorite 2009 cookbooks. It’s Jamie’s worthy mission to get people to eat healthier, simply by teaching them a few basics; he’s “consistently observed the most radical, inspiring and completely emotional changes, simply through showing people how to cook a handful of meals.” This March, ABC will air a new series that follows Jamie to Huntington, West Virginia — called the unhealthiest city in America — to shake things up and get people to cook and eat healthy, for themselves and their kids. Watch the trailer for the show; it’s eye-opening! And sign his petition promoting healthy food for children, which Jamie plans to present to the White House.

Jamie Oliver’s Jam-Jar Dressings

1. French dressing

Peel and finely chop 1/2 of a clove of garlic • Put the garlic, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of white or red wine vinegar, and 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • Put the lid on the jar and shake well.

2. Yogurt dressing

Put 1/3 cup of plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons of white or red wine vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • Put the lid on the jar and shake well.

3. Lemon dressing

Put 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • Squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon • Put the lid on the jar and shake well.

4. Balsamic dressing

Put 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • Put the lid on the jar and shake well.

MediaPost features this interesting take on top food trends for the year ahead, based on a survey of retailers, restauranteurs, journalists, food producers, and farmers and presented at this week’s Fancy Food Show in San Francisco.

1. Good-for-you foods. Hooray! And I hope that includes the concept that good-for-you foods can and should TASTE good. Obviously, that has always been Delicious Living’s guiding principle for food.

2. Coconut. I’m getting the sense that people are finally understanding that coconut, with its medium-chain fatty acids (as opposed to long-chain, as in animal fat), is a wonderful part of a healthy, satisfying diet. Hey, centuries of healthy, tropical-food-eating peoples can’t be all wrong.

3. Gluten-free. No surprise here. I know it’s called a trend, but I prefer to think of it as a long-overdue awakening for the many, many people that have felt vaguely (or seriously) ill for a long time and are just now realizing it could be gluten. Watch for kids’ gluten-free issues to be the bridge for adults to go off gluten and feel better, too.

4. Exotic citrus. Interesting! I wonder what classifies as “exotic.”

5. Nostalgic foods. Again, how defined? Is this the same as comfort food? And are there international-flavor takes on this, as America’s melting pot looks to the foods and flavors of their ancestors? I could go for some arroz con pollo right now…

In a disturbing new study published by the International Journal of Biological Sciences, three types of GMO corn from agricultural giant Monsanto — all approved for human consumption in the U.S. — were found to cause organ damage in rats. more