FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF FEB. 4, 2001:
I’ve been following a low-fat, low-calorie diet since New Year’s and am basically doing well with it, but mid-afternoons are my downfall. If I don’t have an afternoon snack, I overeat at dinner. Is there a snack you can recommend that satisfies mid-afternoon hunger pangs without sabotaging diets? Rice cakes don’t do it for me.
Ah, but how about rice cakes with a tablespoon of peanut butter? Martha Raidl, University of Idaho extension nutrition specialist, says studies have shown that peanuts and peanut butter dampen hunger better than high-carbohydrate snacks. In fact, a recent study in the International Journal of Obesity indicates that subjects who snacked on peanuts or peanut butter made up for the additional calories by eating fewer calories of something else. Their total daily calorie intake did not go up.
Peanuts are high in fat, but they contain healthy monounsaturated fat that medical researchers have found actually lowers blood cholesterol, Raidl says. If you prefer peanut butter, select a brand whose label indicates it has no "trans" fat.
"Just remember, moderation is the key if you’re trying to lose weight," she says. "Try to stick to one serving of peanuts. That’s one ounce."
If you don’t like peanuts, substitute almonds or walnuts, which also lower blood cholesterol levels.
We’re thinking of buying living room furniture the next time the stores offer zero-interest loans. Is delaying interest a good way to save money on major purchases–or is there a catch?
Zero-interest loans often accrue interest from the date of purchase, meaning that you wind up postponing–rather than avoiding–interest charges, says Beverly Healy, University of Idaho extension educator. In addition, their annual percentage rates of interest are commonly 20 percent or more, compared to the average bank card rate of about 16 percent.
"Be suspicious of tempting offers," advises Healy. "They can be deceptive and misleading. Get all the details before standing at the checkout register ready to sign up."
It’s also a good idea to compare prices carefully. "A lot of retailers will charge no interest, but that won’t save you money if their prices are out of line," says Healy.
My wife’s parents, who are Vietnamese, recently moved in with us. They speak Vietnamese to our 6-month-old son, while we speak English. Will this confuse our son? We’d like him to learn to speak both languages well.
The best way to teach two languages to your baby is the "one language-one person" method, says Diane Demarest, coordinator of the University of Idaho’s Parents as Teachers demonstration project. In other words, your parents-in-law should consistently speak Vietnamese to your son, while you and your wife should consistently speak English.
At birth, babies’ brains take in the sounds of all languages, but over time they pay attention only to the sounds of the languages they hear most often. Those fortunate children who grow up in bilingual homes can readily learn two languages–especially before they are 3 years old.
Don’t be disconcerted if you notice your son mixing English and Vietnamese words into one sentence when he begins to speak, Demarest says. He may also learn English a little more slowly than he otherwise would; that’s OK, too. According to Demarest, babies have the ability to sort it all out and will be stronger in both languages as a result. By the time your son is 2 1/2 years old, he will separate the words belonging to each language and know which language to speak with which person.
I have an older recipe for a homemade cream liqueur cordial that uses sweetened condensed milk and raw eggs. Because of the possible threat of Salmonella in raw eggs, I was wondering if an egg substitute would create the same frothy effect in a much safer manner? Leigh Ann Cole, Pullman, WA
You’re right to be concerned about those raw eggs, says Sandy McCurdy, University of Idaho extension food safety specialist. About one in every 20,000 raw eggs carries Salmonella enteritidis bacteria. Cooking eggs until they are firm destroys these disease-causing organisms.
Pasteurized eggs should be available to Pacific Northwest consumers sometime this year. Until then, McCurdy recommends using egg substitutes in recipes that call for raw eggs. Because they are based on egg whites, egg substitutes should give you the familiar frothiness produced by egg white protein. (To replace the yolk, egg substitutes also contain such other ingredients as non-dried milk, vegetable oils, emulsifiers, stabilizers, antioxidants, gums, artificial colors, vitamins and minerals.)
"You may have to experiment with different egg substitutes to determine which one works best," McCurdy says.
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