Wednesday, May 21, 2003

Food briefs

Breakfast remains an important meal

Skipping breakfast is a bad way to lose weight, according to nutrition experts with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

"Breakfast gets the metabolism going for the day," said Lona Sandon, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the medical center. "Research shows that people who eat breakfast tend to maintain their weight and are able to meet nutritional needs."

Cereals, fruits, nuts and skim milk are among the foods Sandon recommends for breakfast.

Skim milk provides calcium for building bones, and new research indicates that three to four servings of low-fat calcium foods per day might help with weight loss, Sandon said.

Also, nuts, fiber, magnesium and healthy fatty acids help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

Herbal resource

The ever-expanding herb and spice selections at supermarkets, together with the onset of the growing season, give cooks ample reason to add "Herbs & Spices: The Cook's Reference," by Jill Norman (DK Publishing, $30), to their bookshelf. This comprehensive reference, with Norman's concise and approachable text, explores the origins and culinary uses of more than 120 fresh and dried herbs and spices. Visually, the book is just as useful, with gorgeous, close-up photos that can speed identification. Adding even more value are the dozens of recipes, lots of step-by-step tutorials (drying herbs, shredding fresh spices), a fine index and bibliography. The book is sold at some Barnes & Noble and Borders bookstores and online at amazon.com.

A little berry for your breath?

The Blitz Power Mint has launched four new flavors, including berry, chocolate, orange and lemon. The breath mints are sweetened with Splenda and contain no aspartame.

The lemon mint also is spiked with Vitamin C and echinacea.

Blitz Mints come in flip-top containers and are available at CVS pharmacies, Wal-Mart Supercenters, Eckerd Drugs, Publix Supermarkets, Food Lion, Kmart, JoAnn Fabrics and Winn-Dixie.

Web puts the word out on the benefits of milk

The cheerleaders of milk are doing a great job of getting their message across, especially to the young set, with the Web site whymilk.com.

On the site, hipsters can read up on celebs who wear the now-famous milk mustache. Some are real, like "Bachelorette" star Trista Rhen and the women of the WNBA; some are legendary, like Austin Powers.

Profiles include birth dates, hometowns and easy-print photos for scrapbook collections as well as messages about the copious health benefits of bone-building milk.

If that isn't enough, nutritional profiles are available by clicking on Milk 101, Nutrition 101 and Health and Diet 101. There is also a section on cooking with milk, focusing on blender drinks, soups and salads, entrees and desserts.

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