Nutrition News by Charlyn Fargo

OK, it's never to late to turn some bad nutritional habits around and start the path to better eating. The UCLA Division of Geriatrics newsletter "Healthy Years" offers a few tips for turning around wrong-way diet habits. Try to avoid these habits:

— Eating the same way you did 20 years ago. Calorie requirements drop as we get older, so there is less room for extras like sweets and high-fat foods. Choose nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein to get the most nutritional bang for your calories.

— Not keeping healthy snacks on hand. If your freezer is full of ice cream instead of vegetables, it's not conducive to healthy eating.

— Underestimating the nutritional value of frozen food. Frozen veggies without sauces and frozen fruits without sweeteners are just as healthy as fresh and may be more convenient. Frozen meals can be healthy if they are balanced and not too high in sodium.

— Fasting or skipping meals. If you do skip meals to lose weight, it can backfire because you'll be so hungry by the next mealtime you'll consume more calories than you would have if you'd eaten normally.

— Following fad diets or believing nutrition myths. There's no good scientific evidence backing nutrition regimens based on combining foods, omitting certain food groups or eating only at certain times of day.

Try to:

— Rebalance the contents of your freezer so it contains 3/4 vegetables and unsweetened fruits and 1/4 dessert items.

— Switch to frozen yogurt or ice cream sweetened with Splenda.

— Eat on schedule with small, healthy snacks, such as a few almonds or carrots, in between.

— Avoid eating late at night.

— Spend mealtimes with others to avoid binges and "lone wolf" eating habits. — UCLA Division of Geriatrics Healthy Years newsletter.

Q & A:

Q: Where can I find a list of the fruits and vegetables highest in phytonutrients?

A: Because foods contains thousands of phytonutrients — such as flavonoids and carotenoids — and many are measured in different units, it is difficult to combine them into a list of the top phytonutrient suppliers.

It is much easier to find lists of one type of phytonutrient, such as the top carotenoids, which you can find online on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient database. You may see reports of individual studies listing the foods highest in antioxidants, but at this point researchers have several systems for measuring antioxidant content, which leads to differences in the foods ranked as the top 10 or 20. However, note that a 2006 study in the Journal of Nutrition suggests it is the diversity of vegetables and fruits that is most important for good health rather than focusing on the foods ranked highest in antioxidants. And remember that whole grains, legumes (dried beans and peas), nuts and seeds all supply protective phytochemicals, too. - American Institute for Cancer Research.

WEB GRILLING

You can find tips and techniques for healthier grilling of everything from vegetables to pizzas to roasts at Eating Well magazine's web site. It's at www.eatingwell.com/grilling.

RECIPE

Pork is a bargain in most grocery stores, and it's a powerhouse of nutrients. It is an excellent source of protein, vitamin B6, zinc, thiamin and potassium. The tenderloin is also low in fat. Try this recipe for Honey Pork Tenderloin Kabobs from the National Pork Board.

Honey Pork Tenderloin Kabobs

1/2 cup bourbon or 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup mustard

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

3-4 sweet potatoes cut into 24 one-inch cubes

1-1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 24 one-inch cubes

4 medium ripe unpeeled peaches, pitted and quartered

4 green peppers, each cut into 8 two-inch pieces

8 yellow onions, each cut into 4 two-inch pieces

Olive oil for grilling

Mix first four ingredients in a bowl; stir well, and set glaze aside. Steam or boil sweet potatoes until crisp-tender. Thread 3 sweet potato cubes, 3 pork cubes, 2 peach quarters, 4 green pepper pieces and 4 onion pieces alternately onto each of eight 10-inch skewers. Brush kabobs with honey glaze mixture. Lightly oil grill. Grill over medium-hot coals 5 minutes on each side, basting occasionally with glaze. Serves 4.

Per serving: 640 calories, 42 g protein, 77 g carbohydrates, 42 g protein, 12 g fat, 110 mg cholesterol, 290 mg sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian in Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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