You Ask, I Answer: Breast Milk

My doctor recommended I consume more fatty foods in order to thicken my breast milk.

What foods do you recommend I eat?

-- (Name withheld)
New York, NY

Oh, dear.

If I were a betting man, I would bet your doctor never took a single pediatric nutrition class.

That's the only way I can rationalize such inaccurate -- and untrue! -- advice.

Eating fatty foods will not result in thicker breast milk.

Depending on what sorts of fats you eat, the the fatty acid composition of your milk (ie: more monounsaturated and less polyunsaturated) may vary, but not its total fat content or texture.

Fat content of breast milk usually relates to the amount of breast milk containted in the breast.

A full breast contains a lower percentage of fat than one running empty (which is why babies should be fed from one breast until it it is fully empty, as this guarantees they are taking in the thicker, fattier hindmilk, which is released at the end of a feeding.)

In any case, the only reason I can even conceive of your doctor recommending thicker breast milk is because your baby may have reflux.

Assuming that is an official diagnosis from a pediatric gastroenterologist, you have two options: express breastmilk and mix it with a thickener or purchase pre-thickened formula.

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You Ask, I Answer: Pre-rinsed Quinoa

What do you think about pre-washed quinoa?

Okay or not okay to eat?

I read something about the rinsing process taking away some of the health benefits.

-- Dennise O'Grady
Bay Head, NJ

Before I get to the answer, let's explain why quinoa needs to be rinsed prior to cooking.

Turns out this delicious supergrain's external layers are naturally coated with a chemical compound known as saponin.

Saponin serves as a protective barrier against birds, reptiles, and even UV light. It also, however, imparts a very bitter taste.

Rinsing quinoa prior to cooking it guarantees the removal of this bitter flavor.

Since each quinoa grain is so tiny, though, rinsing can be very cumbersome if not done in an appropriately-sized strainer.

Alas, some companies -- like Ancient Harvest -- take care of that by selling pre-rinsed quinoa.

Fortunately, this process does not leach out any vitamins, minerals, or phytonutrients.

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You Ask, I Answer: Velveeta

What in the world IS Velveeta exactly? Cheese?

If so, why is it less expensive and "more melty" than cheddar, like all their commercials say?

-- Corey Clark
(location withheld)

Velveeta, which has been "pleasing families since 1928" (at least that's what Kraft says), is processed cheese.

This is different than pure cheese, as it contains added milkfat, water, and some emulsifying agent (in order to mix the fat and water evenly.)

A look at the ingredient list reveals:

Milk, water, milkfat, whey, whey protein concentrate, sodium phosphate, milk protein concentrate, alginate, sodium citrate, apocarotenal (color), enzymes, cheese culture.

In case you're wondering, alginate is a thickener and emulsifier derived from a brown algae (similar to carrageenan.)

Velveeta is very far from achieving "100% cheese" status. It's not even 51% cheese (if that were the case, it could be sold as a "pasteurized prepared cheese food").

Since it is approximately 40% cheese, though, it has to be legally advertised as a "pasteurized prepared cheese product."

Its low cost comes down to the fact that Velveeta is, in essence, "washed down" cheese.

This is also the reason for its unique melting properties. Its chemical makeup is different from traditional cheese, which is why it does not react to heat in quite the same way as, say, a slice of Swiss cheese.

While we're comparing the two, let's take a look at their respective nutrition facts.

One ounce of Swiss cheese contains:

106 calories
8 grams of fat
5 grams of saturated fat (25% of a day's worth)
54 milligrams of sodium (a mere 2% of a day's worth)
8 grams protein
22% of the Daily Value of calcium

One ounce of original Velveeta, meanwhile, adds up to:

80 calories
6 grams of fat
4 grams of saturated fat (20% of a day's worth)
410 milligrams of sodium (17% of a day's worth)
5 grams of protein
15% of the Daily Value of calcium

Velveeta's sodium value is even higher than that of higher-in-sodium cheeses like cheddar (174 mg per ounce) and provolone (245 mg per ounce.)

For what it's worth, Velveeta sales experienced quite a spike in 2008.

Kraft executives also explain that Velveeta sales increase approximately 50 percent on Super Bowl Sunday!

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Quick & Healthy Recipes: Sweet Quinoa Breakfast

Here's a delicious -- and healthy! -- alternative to oatmeal for these wintry days.

YIELDS: 1 cup (2 servings)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup prepared quinoa (follow instructions on box; as with rice, you can make one large batch and keep it in the fridge for later use)
1/2 cup milk of choice (dairy, soy, almond, rice, etc.)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (if using unflavored milk)
2 teaspoons honey or agave nectar
1 tablespoon raisins
1 tablespoon raw walnuts or pecans
2 tablespoons oat bran

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place all ingredients in saucepan.

Turn stovetop burner to high and place uncovered saucepan on top. Bring mixture to a boil.

Once boiling is reached, lower heat to simmer and cover saucepan.

Turn heat off after 5 minutes. Let saucepan sit on stove for a minute.

Uncover saucepan, stir, and transfer contents to bowl.

Top with 2 tablespoons oat bran.

NUTRITION INFORMATION (per serving; assuming recipe is made with unsweetened soymilk):

330 calories
1.2 grams saturated fat
100 milligrams sodium
6.5 grams fiber (2.5 grams soluble)
11.5 grams protein

Excellent Source of: fiber, manganese, monounsaturated fat, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, thiamin

Good Source of: iron, niacin, riboflavin, protein

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You Ask, I Answer: ClifBars

Are Clif Bars the same as Clif Nectar bars?

-- (Name Withheld)
(City withheld), New Jersey

Not at all.

Let's take a look at the ingredients in a standard Clif Bar and highlight anything that stands out:

Organic Brown Rice Syrup, ClifPro® (Soy Rice Crisp [Soy Protein Isolate, Rice Flour, Malt Extract, Calcium Carbonate], Organic Roasted Soybeans, Organic Soy Flour), Organic Rolled Oats, Dried Apricots (Apricots, Evaporated Cane Juice, Rice Flour, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid), Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, ClifCrunch® (Organic Oat Fiber, Inulin [Chicory Extract], Organic Milled Flaxseed, Organic Oat Bran, Psyllium), Organic Dried Apples, Organic Date Paste, Organic Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, Salt, Colored With Annatto.

While far from being junk food (the list includes oats, apricots, apples, and flaxseed), ClifBars contain a generous amount of added sugar.

ClifNectar bars, meanwhile, consist of no more than four or five ingredients.

Here is an example:

Organic Dates, Organic Walnuts, Organic Unsweetened Chocolate, Organic Cocoa, Organic Vanilla.

This ingredient list results in less sodium, more potassium, and no added sugar.

Added bonus? Clif Nectar Bars have as much fiber as Clif Bars, but are smaller in size (1.6 ounces, as opposed to 2.4) and contain 80 fewer calories.

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Numbers Game: Raw Numbers

One ounce of dry roasted almonds contains _________ more calories than one ounce of raw almonds.

a) 5
b) 29
c) 61
d) 87

Leave your guess in the "comments" section and come back on Friday for the answer!

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You Ask, I Answer: Slivered Almonds

Are slivered almonds as nutritious as whole almonds with the brown skin on them?

-- Gary Wington
(Location withheld)

Slivered almonds offer as much protein, manganese, selenium, fiber, and heart-healthy fat as their skinned counterparts.

However, keep in mind that nutrition goes beyond the basic macro (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).

Almond skins contain a high amount of flavonoids. Apart from having health benefits of their own, they help maximize the health benefits of the vitamin E present in actual almonds.

This study from the June 2005 issue of the Journal of Nutrition, for instance, found that the flavonoids in almond skins work synergistically with vitamin E in almond "meat" to reduce LDL oxidation (one of the main factors behind the development of atherosclerosis).

Another example of how a whole food is nutritionally superior to a slightly more processed counterpart.

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