Rita Smith, Registered Dietitian

09/04/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well and Be Well: Getting Cholesterol Down.

Whenever you are able to reduce your intake of saturated fats, there will be a benefit to blood lipids and artery walls. Here is an easy recipe from the American Heart Association that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol but includes healthy fat in the form of avocado and olive oil.

WHITE BEAN AND AVOCADO WRAP
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

3 T vinegar (white, apple cider, red wine)
1½ T olive oil
1 tsp. honey
⅛ tsp. black pepper

1 medium carrot, shredded
2 cups shredded green or purple cabbage and/or shredded romaine lettuce
½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 T chopped fresh cilantro (or flat-leaf parsley)
1 (15.5-ounce) can no-salt-added white beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, quartered
4 (8-inch) whole-wheat or corn tortillas (lowest sodium available)

Directions:

1. In medium bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients: vinegar, oil, honey, and pepper. Stir in carrots, cabbage/lettuce, tomatoes and 1 tablespoon cilantro, tossing gently. Let stand for 15 minutes for flavors to get happy.

2. In small bowl, gently stir together the beans and avocado. Using the back of a fork, mash the mixture until thoroughly blended and spreadable.
4. Place tortillas on cutting board or flat surface. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of the bean mixture down the center of each, stopping 2 inches from the edges.
5. Stir the cabbage mixture. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons on top of the bean mixture Sprinkle with remaining cilantro or parsley. Fold the side of the tortilla over the filling.

Notes:

* No white beans? Substitute with rinsed black, pinto, kidney or garbanzo beans.
* Check the sodium and fiber content of the tortillas. There is wide variation!

09/03/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well and Be Well: Getting Cholesterol Down

A study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine examined the mortality rates of 221,000 adults from the Nurses’ Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study II, and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Those with the highest intake of plant-based oil had a 16% lower risk of death. This included the use of soybean, canola and olive oils. This may be explained by the high content of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids in the oils, which have been shown to benefit the heart by lowering LDL-cholesterol levels, reducing inflammation in the arteries.

Those people who had the highest intake of butter, butter-margarine blend, and spreadable butter had the highest risk of death over the 30-years that were assessed. Butter products are high in saturated fat. One tablespoon of butter contains 7 grams of saturated fat. How much saturated fat is okay? To keep lipids under control, 15 g or less for men and 10 g or less for women is a good guideline.

Additional good-for-your-heart information is available at the American Heart Association:

Learn more about the American Heart Association's efforts to reduce death caused by heart disease and stroke. Also learn about cardiovascular conditions, ECC and CPR, donating, heart disease information for healthcare professionals, caregivers, and educators and healthy living.

09/02/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well and Be Well: Getting Cholesterol Down

A review of nutrition studies found that replacing red meats with plant-based “meats” for 8 weeks lowered total cholesterol by 6% and LDL-cholesterol by 12% in people with cardiovascular disease. WOW!! Could you do that? Could you reduce the amount of red meat in your diet? A reminder that red meat is from any animal with four legs: beef, veal, lamb, pork. Could you enjoy…

* Veggie sausage rather than pork sausage (yes, there will still be sodium)?
* Egg white/substitute omelet with veggies rather than an omelet made with whole eggs and whole milk cheese?
* Tuna salad sandwich rather than processed meat sandwich?
* Black bean burger rather than beef burger?

A thoughtful replacement here and there will make a difference in reducing LDL-cholesterol, as well as inflammation in the body.

Don’t forget building meals around fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and grains. These foods provide plentiful phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals for overall health, as well as essential fiber to bind up fat and cholesterol in the intestinal tract for elimination from the body. For example:

* Round out the veggie sausage-veggie-egg white omelet with a slice of whole-grain toast and seasonal fruit.
* Use whole-grain breads for sandwiches, and add a side veggie such as small salad or veggie soup.
* Enjoy the black bean burger with oven-roasted sweet potato fries and seasonal veggie.

Reminder: saturated fats will encourage greater production of harmful LDL-cholesterol in the liver. Healthful unsaturated fats will do the opposite. Fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, nuts and legumes will help with elimination of saturated fats from the intestines. Strive for 25-30 grams of fiber daily or about 10 grams per meal. Tip: the Dietary Fiber per serving can be found on all food product Nutrition Facts labels.

09/01/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well and Be Well: Getting Cholesterol Down

Lipoproteins carry cholesterol to and from our cells. Lipoprotein LDL-cholesterol carries cholesterol to artery walls where it may be deposited, narrowing the blood flow. The goal is to keep LDL-cholesterol lower.

Lipoprotein HDL-cholesterol does the opposite; it carries harmful LDL to the liver to be broken down and then excreted. Having higher blood levels of HDL-cholesterol is a good thing. The suggested levels from AHA are 50 mg/dL for women or higher and 40 mg/dL or higher for men.

Triglycerides are fat stores produced from excess energy or calories that we eat from our diet. Too much dietary sugar to burn off. It may be stored as triglycerides. Too much fat in the diet. It also may be stored in the body in the form of triglycerides. Elevated triglycerides over the long term may build up in the artery walls, increasing our risk for a cardiac event or stroke. The target for triglycerides is 150 mg/dL of less.

The newly released ACC/AHA Guidelines on the Management of Dyslipidemia encourage earlier screening, testing and treatment, with specific LDL-cholesterol targets.

The LDL goals are as follows, but remember, all of this is a discussion with your health care provider. If you are at:

* Borderline/Intermediate risk for cardiovascular disease (with meaningful risk factors), the LDL goal is less than 100 mg/dL.

* High Risk (diabetes, family history), the LDL-goal is less than 70 mg/dL

* Very High Risk (personally have cardiovascular disease), the LDL-goal is less than 55 mg/dL. This is a NEW goal.

Again, the frequency of when your lipids are checked and the interpretation of the results is important to have with your health care provider on a regular basis.

Reference: American Heart Association at

Learn more about the American Heart Association's efforts to reduce death caused by heart disease and stroke. Also learn about cardiovascular conditions, ECC and CPR, donating, heart disease information for healthcare professionals, caregivers, and educators and healthy living.

08/31/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well and Be Well: Getting Cholesterol Down

Each September, the month where we recognize Cholesterol Education Month nationally, I like to circle around those nutrition factors that impact the production of total cholesterol, LDL- cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol. Guidelines for LDL-cholesterol levels have recently changed for health care practitioners, and I will highlight those also.

This is an important review because heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the U.S. Over 900,000 people die from cardiovascular disease (CVD) each year - that is one in three deaths! In fact, one person dies every 34 seconds from CVD. And some of those deaths could have been prevented. The most common type of CVD is coronary heart disease; there is a heart attack every 40 seconds.

Let’s be reminded that cholesterol, a waxy substance produced by the liver, is needed by the body to build cells and make hormones. It is an important make-up of the body. The cool thing is that the liver will produce all the cholesterol that the body needs, day after day. There is another source of cholesterol, however, and it is from the animal fats in our diet. These are within our control. We can choose to eat/drink whole milk dairy products, red meats, egg yolks, organ meats or poultry skin - all sources of cholesterol as well as saturated fat, and therefore, they may raise lipid levels. Vegetable sources of saturated fat may also raise blood cholesterol levels. This will include palm oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil. The first two are frequently used by the food industry in baked, convenience and packaged foods.

08/28/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well and Be Well: Loving Freezer Vegetables

There are quite a variety of frozen vegetables in the supermarket, and having them on hand is a convenient way to add a vegetable to any meal. Here is a recipe that uses grated zucchini in pancake batter.

ZUCCHINI PANCAKES
Makes 6-8 pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup white wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 ¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. salt (optional)

1 egg or ¼ cup egg substitute
1 cup shredded or grated zucchini - squeeze out all moisture
2 T honey
1 T vegetable oil
½ cup skim milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add the zucchini, honey, oil, milk and vanilla. Stir to combine.

3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. If the batter seems a bit thick, add a bit more milk.

4. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto hot skillet, spreading out to an even thickness. Cook until bubbles form on the surface. Flip pancakes and cook for another 2 minutes or until bottom is golden brown. Remove pancakes, and continue to cook more pancakes, using remaining batter.

5. Serve warm and topped maple syrup, mashed berries or warm applesauce.

08/27/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well and Be Well: Loving Freezer Vegetables

Can zucchini be frozen when there is an over abundance during the summer? YES! Blanching in boiling water helps to deactivate the enzymes that cause ripening and decay, and it actually helps brighten the color of zucchini. Blanching will increase the amount of time the frozen zucchini can stay in your freezer and maintain its good qualities without becoming too mushy or without flavor.

USDA provides guidance on freezing a variety of foods. Here are the tips for freezing zucchini. It will be similar for many other vegetables.

1. Select young, medium-sized zucchini. NO peeling necessary. Wash thoroughly to remove any dirt.
2. Prep the zucchini by slicing in evenly-sized slices or grate.
3. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan or pot. When at a full boil, add zucchini slices directly into the water or add grated zucchini via a steamer. Bring water back to a full boil and start time for 3 minutes. When 3 minutes is up, remove zucchini with a slotted spoon or strainer and plunge it into a boil full of ice cubes (ice bath). Keep in the ice water for 3 minutes (use your timer). The timing for the blanching and icing is important for a good quality produce.
4. Remove cold zucchini to drain thoroughly in a colander. Pack into rigid freezer containers or freezer bags. The zucchini will expand some when frozen, so be sure to allow headspace for that expansion.
5. Label with the date. It should last 10-12 months.

If you grate the zucchini, and don’t want to blanch, pack into freezer containers or bags, label with date, and use within 3-4 months. Frozen grated zucchini will be best used in bakery items such as muffins, bread or pancakes.

Additional information on food preservation can be found at www.usda.gov.

08/26/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well and Be Well: Loving Freezer Vegetables

Skipping vegetables in the diet is really unfortunate health-wise. They supply us with fiber, a variety of vitamins, minerals such as potassium, and numerous phytonutrients such as beta-carotene and polyphenols. These nutrients benefit our immune system, provide food for our healthy gut bacteria, lower our blood pressure and lipid levels, and have been shown to reduce our risk for developing certain cancers, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Just a reminder on the recommendations for produce intake. We should strive to eat (and enjoy!) 1½ servings of fruits, and 2-3 cups of vegetables each and every day!

Thinking of produce, what is plentiful in summer gardens right now? Zucchini is one example of a healthy and versatile vegetable that seems to be prolific at the local farmer’s markets.

One cup of zucchini is 20 calories, 0 g fat/saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, and 5 mg sodium. It supplies 325 mg potassium, a mineral that keeps our blood pressure in good control. If you purchase or make spiralized zucchini “noodles” to replace regular pasta, you will have only 4 g carbohydrate compared to 38 g in the regular grain-based pasta.

Zucchini is so versatile, too, isn’t it? After thoroughly washing, there is no need to peel. You can dice, slice and grate. Zucchini is good for stir fries, salads, bakery goods, soups and casseroles, or just on its own.

08/25/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well and Be Well: Loving Freezer Vegetables

Let’s talk about the nutrition in frozen vegetables. For one thing, they are picked at peak ripeness and flash-frozen almost immediately. This retains the vitamins and minerals, and if no peeling is involved, they maintain their original level of fiber. A study by the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry found that the nutrient content, including vitamin C and riboflavin, of frozen vegetables was no different from freshly-picked fresh vegetables.

There is a low intake of produce in this country. Produce consumption surveys indicate that only one in 10 adults meet the serving recommendations for fruits and vegetables, and 50% of children between the ages of one and five do not eat any vegetables daily. Frozen fruits and vegetables may offer a simple solution to eating more produce.

08/24/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well and Be Well: Loving Freezer Vegetables

A super easy way to have vegetables readily on-hand for meals is to have a nice variety of frozen vegetables in your freezer. According to the American Frozen Food Institute, 40% of consumers will select a frozen vegetable from their freezer for a meal several times a week. Over 75% of consumers will buy frozen items on a regular basis, not just vegetables. And 99% of American consumers have access to a freezer.

Why do frozen foods, and specifically vegetables for this discussion, fit so well in menu planning? Certainly they help simplify the preparation of a meal - take out of the freezer and microwave or heat on the stovetop by steaming or sauteing. Usually frozen foods, including vegetables, are a pretty good price, and the flavor of fruits and vegetables is well maintained when they are processed by flash-freezing. This processing method lets us enjoy vegetables even when they are out-of-season locally.