Page 12 Healthy Cells Magazine Peoria June 2014

nutritional
Studies have shown that whole grains may help reduce the
risk of developing many major diseases including heart disease,
cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers. Whole grains
are low glycemic carbohydrates, which means lower blood sugar
and less insulin production. During the no- or low-carb diet craze,
many consumers blindly threw all carbohydrates both good
and bad out of their diet regime. Whole grains are good
carbs and fill an important dietary need.
Whole grains are a source of fiber, which grabs onto toxins as
it makes its way through the digestive system. And fiber slows
digestion making you feel fuller longer. But why is a whole grain
more nutritionally valuable than its counterpart, the refined grain?
The word refined certainly makes it sound desirable. A whole
grain is made up of three parts: the bran, the germ, and the
endosperm. A refined grain has had its bran and germ removed,
which removes most of the nutrients in the process. Unlike refined
grains which have had their germ and bran layers removed in
B
lockbuster movies, carnivals, fairs, and baseball games are
some of Americans favorite summertime activities, and
they all have one thing in common... popcorn. A popu-
lar snack food since the late 19th century, popcorn seems to
pop up anywhere people congregate. Despite a bad reputation
for being slathered in butter, oil, caramel, or sugar, popcorn is
essentially a health food: a whole grain, low-calorie snack thats
been associated with a bad crowd. It doesnt have to be like that.
Nutrition experts tell us again and again to eat whole grains.
Whole grains are delicious and versatile and they do the body
a world of good, so who needs encouragement? With blueberry
buckwheat pancakes for breakfast; tomato, corn and quinoa salad
for lunch; mushroom barley risotto for dinner; and glazed lemon
and poppy seed popcorn for an anytime snack, whole grains have
never tasted so good. On the nutrition side, whole grains provide
many nutrients vital for the health and maintenance of our bodies
and may even reduce the risk of some chronic diseases.
Popcorn
A Whole-Grain, "Good-For-You" Food
June 2014 Peoria Healthy Cells Magazine Page 13
nutritional
processing, whole grains retain their dietary fiber and play a key
role in keeping bodies healthy.
Todays new health guidelines recommend that at least half
your daily intake of grains should come from whole grains; that
is, try to eat at least three servings of whole-grain products each
day. If hunger strikes and mealtime is hours away, grab a whole
grain snack, like popcorn, to stop those pangs while supplying
your body with needed nutrients.
Popcorn is a whole grain food, which makes it a high-quality
carbohydrate source that is not only low in calories, but a good
source of fiber. This means it takes longer to chew and makes
you feel full longer. Compared to many snack foods, popcorn is
low in calories. Air-popped popcorn provides only 30 calories per
cup. When oil-popped, it contains only 55 calories. Even drizzled
lightly with butter, it's only 90 to 120 calories per cup.
Popcorn is an extremely versatile health food than can be
enjoyed many ways beyond being bathed in butter or made syr-
upy sweet. The next time you make popcorn, try testing out some
of your favorite flavors. Instead of salt, maybe try chili powder,
cayenne, or curry. Do you like Italian? Oregano, basil, Parme-
san, and/or garlic are healthier alternatives to butter and salt.
The sky is the limit when it comes to flavoring one of Americas
favorite snacks.
For mor e i nf or mat i on about t he j oys of popcor n, vi si t
www. popcorn. org.
Photo courtesy of The Popcorn Board
Note: the use of egg white helps the flavors adhere to the pop-
corn, without adding fat through the more traditional use of oils.
Makes: 4 quarts
Ingredients:
4 quarts unbuttered and unsalted popcorn (air popped)
1 egg white
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed bak-
ing sheet with parchment paper (or foil sprayed with cooking
spray). Spread popcorn onto prepared baking sheet. In a small
bowl, whisk together egg white, sugar, salt and lemon extract
until foamy. Pour over popcorn and toss to coat evenly. Bake
20 minutes, stirring once midway through baking time. Cool
completely before storing in an airtight container.
Glazed Lemon and
Poppy Seed Popcorn
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