FALL 2010
Healthful HELPINGS
by karen weisbergBehind the scenes and online, commodity boards drive efforts to upgrade nutrition on the nation’s menus
(Along with its pristine sourcing, wild Alaska seafood brings heart-healthy omega-3s to the menu. )
The message is now loud and clear: We Americans need to counter our growing girth by eating more healthfully, or we will pay the price in escalating healthcare costs and diminished well being.
In response, commodity boards, commissions, institutes, et al., are providing chefs and consumers with more tools than ever before for putting better-for-you meals on more plates.
shaping up
One of the most innovative “tools” introduced this year comes from the National Turkey Federation (NTF) in conjunction with Shape Up America!, a non-profit organization devoted to educating the public about the importance of achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight. Together, these organizations launched Simple Steps to Upgrade Your Diet, a public-education campaign highlighting the effectiveness of making small changes in meal preparation and selection.
At the heart of the campaign is an online tool, the Meal Upgrade Calculator (available at www.shapeup.org and www.eatturkey.com), showing how changing the type of meat and poultry, side dishes and even condiments can impact the amount of fat and calories in breakfast, lunch and dinner menus.
“More than 1,000 recipes are available in our foodservice-recipe database,” says NTF spokesperson Adrienne Richards. “Chefs can search by ‘low fat,’ ‘low calorie,’ ‘low sodium,’ ‘low carb’ and ‘low cholesterol’ in the foodservice section on the Website.”
In 2011, a focus will be on child nutrition, with chefs featuring turkey on kids’ menu. As well, NTF will teach chefs the difference between “nutrient rich” and “nutrient dense.”
“It’s all about the protein,” Richards explains, noting that a 3-ounce skinless turkey breast has 8 percent more protein than an equivalent portion of chicken or beef and zero saturated fat.
Lean Loins
Pork has come a long way in the past 20 years, thanks to new feeding and management practices in response to consumers’ desire for lean pork products. Today, seven of the most common cuts of pork (a.k.a., “Pork’s Slim 7”) have, on average, 16 percent less fat and 27 percent less saturated fat than in 1990, notes National Pork Board National Foodservice Marketing Manager Stephen Gerike.
“Because pork is an authentic protein in just about any cuisine, it can deliver bold flavor and great taste in a healthy portion size,” he notes, adding that just a few ounces of ham, sausage or bacon can impart great flavor when added to menu items.
“A typical serving of sausage, even on a dinner entrée, would be 4 ounces or less,” he points out, underscoring the importance of portion control in healthful dining.Gerike finds that touting the nutritional profile of boneless loin chops and tenderloin can help keep pork in the menu-item development mix.
“We have also been working for many years on featuring some value cuts from the fresh leg and shoulder,” he says. “These cuts deliver both a profitable and healthy menu option. We have isolated a few individual muscles from the fresh ham that would normally go into making cured and smoked ham or to trim.”
Gerike notes that sirloin tip roast and leg tenderloin are high-protein, low-fat options for tender and juicy menu offerings.
The National Pork Board has a long history of working directly with research-and-development chefs at most of the top 100 chains in the country, presenting the case for both fresh and processed pork customized to each account. The board often presents menu concepts on paper as well as on the plate.
“We also offer a Pork Culinary Innovation Workshop to top industry chefs to provide a real immersion for better understanding of pork production, processing and menu trends from around the world,” Gerike says.