Tomatoes and String Quartets

“A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins.”
-Laurie Colwin, ‘Home Cooking’

My latest article in OKRA Magazine, celebrating one of the most delicious and popular Southern staples, can be found here. 

I wrote "Cut and Paste: A Tomato A Day Keeps the Doctor Away" for obvious reasons, such as elaborating upon the benefits of the Creole tomato and its brethren upon health. Being that I just returned from New Orleans a few hours ago, my reasons are also personal, and I am pleased to report that tomato season in NOLA is in full swing. The sampling of so many options on the local menus left my head spinning as much as my stomach full.  

 

It can be challenging to be a Registered Dietitian (tourist or resident) in a city like New Orleans, known for its decadent food and other excesses of lifestyle. However, it is rarely dull and I have no issue in appeasing such culinary temptations within moderation. 

It's summer in the Big Easy, and the heat and humidity were felt in full force during my visit this past week. Given the recent weather advisory about hurricanes, I'll happily accept the former. All the more reason to take a break at Cafe Beignet, Royal Blend, and Cafe du Monde for an iced cafe au lait. The hefty portions of beignets are easier to manage when you bring a friend to split them (or perhaps the resident cats outside certain French Quarter establishments will assist).

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

For a full archive of my nutrition articles for OKRA Magazine, click here.

The Perks of Coffee: Get Mugged

Who doesn't love coffee, or at least the caffeine buzz it offers? I decided to explore that concept further in my first article for OKRA Magazine. An excerpt follows, and the full article can be found by clicking:
The Perks of Coffee: Get Mugged

One of my first experiences in visiting New Orleans over 15 years ago was sampling café au lait and beignets at Café du Monde. Like many unknowing tourists, I wore black and paid the price, quickly getting covered in powdered sugar. Another surprise was the coffee's chicory taste, which was quite the jolt to this Yankee’s taste buds. My love of New Orleans is matched only by my love of coffee, and mixing the two together? Magical. 

New Orleans Coffee Talk (M. Blacke)

Recommendations from this Registered Dietitian (RD):
It is possible to make healthy choices at any coffee shop when you understand your options. Knowing that plain black coffee typically has only 4 calories per 6-ounce serving is helpful, but is that really why most of us journey to coffee shops? My 16-ounce mocha latte says no! However, it is possible to enjoy the more “interesting” beverages in a more healthful fashion. Some tips:

1. Lose the cream. This is a tough one for many of us. Frankly, I would be a hypocrite if I said I didn’t use cream in my coffee. I firmly believe that moderation is the key to making healthier food choices, and I would not advise any client I’m counseling to abstain entirely from a food they adore if doing so will result in craving and over-indulging elsewhere. Yes, cream is high in calories and fat: 2 tablespoons of Half & Half (one serving) contains 2 grams of saturated fat (the “bad” kind) and 40 calories. Keep in mind that a 2-tablespoon serving of cream is multiplied several times over in your cup from most coffee establishments. Using skim milk instead of cream can save up to 150 calories and 15 grams of fat. Let’s not forget whipped cream, which tops off many coffee shop creations, and can add 100 calories and over 10 grams of fat to your beverage. But as long as it doesn’t become a habit, indulging in the occasional “with whip” is okay with this RD.

2.  Watch those portion sizes when monitoring nutrient and caffeine intake. While a traditional serving size of black coffee varies between six to eight ounces, most of us are easily downing twice that in a single medium or grande size beverage from popular coffeehouse chains.

3.  When I visited Café du Monde for the first time, like countless others, my café au lait was partnered with its extremely appealing and diet-challenging accomplice: the beignet. Beignets are usually served in sets of three, so splitting a serving with a friend will allow you to enjoy the taste and experience, while cutting back on some unneeded calories and fat.

4.  It doesn’t apply to café au lait and some of the traditional Southern coffee concoctions, but more recent caffeine suppliers offer substantial menu options involving flavored syrups. What’s the damage? One pump of syrup can add 20 calories and 5 grams of sugar to that latte. Though not all establishments can accommodate such a request, it is worth it to ask for sugar-free syrup options, or to minimize your intake with one pump of the regular stuff.

5.  If you desire more sweetness from your coffee kick, consider sugar substitutes (such as Splenda/sucralose) or natural alternative sweeteners (such as Truvia/stevia) to minimize calories and lessen risk of dental caries. Avoid sweeteners with aspartame, which has been associated with unpleasant neurological and psychiatric side effects.

So by all means, enjoy that café au lait from Café du Monde or get your java fix from any of the other wonderful coffee shops around New Orleans. Give chicory coffee a try if you haven’t had the experience. Just benefit from my past mistakes if you partner your brew with beignets: wear white.

A little beignet with your powdered sugar... (M. Blacke)

For the full article on coffee in OKRA, click here.

For my full archive of OKRA articles, click here.