Guilt Free Summer Eating

Summer makes nutritious eating easier than ever. Sun-ripened, seasonal fruits are at their flavorful best. They're also at the lowest prices of the year.

If you need any additional incentives to enjoy this summer's bounty, consider this. While we may think of fruits as excellent sources of vitamins and minerals, they also supply energy-rich carbohydrates.

• Carbohydrates can be divided into two types, simple and complex.
• Sugars, or simple carbohydrates, are found naturally in fruit, milk and vegetables. These carbohydrates break down quickly and provide an immediate source of energy.
• Starches, or complex carbohydrates, are found in cereals, breads and rice as well as fruits and vegetables. Starches break down more slowly than simple carbohydrates.

Eating a combination of foods rich in simple and complex carbohydrates can help give you the energy you need to enjoy the long summer days ahead. Here are some classic combinations.

Eating a combination of foods rich in simple and complex carbohydrates can help give you the energy you need to enjoy the long summer days ahead. Here are some classic combinations.

• Sprinkle fresh berries on your cereal.
• Top waffles with fresh sliced peaches.
• Combine pasta with broccoli, cauliflower and red onions. Toss with low fat vinaigrette dressing to create a simple pasta primavera salad.
• Stir-fry fresh peapods, green onions, carrots, celery and peppers and serve over a bed of rice.

Understanding Nutrition Research

Almost every week there is at least one article in the newspaper or on the news about nutrition. How can you be sure what you read or hear is accurate?

Looking for the answers to these six questions will help you determine if the information is reliable and applies to you.

1. How big was the study group? The more people in the study the better.
2. What kinds of people were included or excluded? Were both men and women included in the study, were they from different geographical areas, what age where the people included? These can be clues to whether this information applies to you.
3. How long did the study last? The longer, the better. Ideally, research would span generations to study long-term effects, but that is not usually realistic.
4. What were they trying to find out? Is there a clear statement of the objective of the study and is this objective what they are reporting on? Sometimes mid-way hrough the study they change focus; this is more likely to turn up results that occur by chance.
5. Was there a control group? In the best studies, no one-not even the researchers know who is in the control group. This helps to eliminate bias in observing results.
6. Who conducted the research? Was it a reputable university or hospital? Most news reports have a grain of truth, but by thinking about these questions, you can better assess if the information is useful and applicable to you.

Adapted from: Top 5 Questions about Nutrition Research, Fast and Healthy Cooking, May/June, 1999.