Health & Nutrition
If you want to keep your body purring like a souped-up Corvette, why not tank up with some quality lightness and health! We have a wide range of Light products that have all the taste but none of the unwanted calories. Enjoy the lighter side of life with our Light Mayonnaise, Light MWPC, Light thousand Island/Italian dressings and wonderfully filling yet low calorie vegetables and beans.

Did you know?
…About Mayonnaise?  

• How to recognize a good-quality mayonnaise.. Most of the commercial mayonnaise include as a main ingredient refine vegetable oil: Corn oil, olive Peanut or canola, If the Mayonnaise is made with unrefined oils which contain monoglycerides will result in a mayonnaise that separates quickly.
• Other factor that define quality in a Mayonnaise is the oil content which accordingly to US FDS (Food and Drug Administration) should not less than 65%
• To lower fat and calories, mix one tablespoon commercial mayonnaise with one or two tablespoons yogurt cheese.
• Need a facial moisturizer? Smear some mayo on your face, leave it on for 15 minutes and rinse with warm water.
• To treat a dry or flaky scalp, apply mayo to dry areas, let sit for 35 minutes and then shampoo out.
• You can brighten up the flavor of store-bought mayonnaise by adding good wine vinegar, lemon or lime juice.
• Freezing of mayonnaise is not recommended as it will separate. However, some cooks have successfully re-emulsified frozen mayo with a whirl of the blender
• Unopened commercial mayonnaise can be stored on the shelf up to the expiration date at room temperature. Once opened, it must be refrigerated but will still last up to a year or six months from the date on the jar.

…About Salad Dressings?

•  In 1997 over 60 million gallons of salad dressing was sold. Ranch is now the most popular dressing.
•  According to a recent survey, 95 percent of Americans consume salads at least three times per week. And not only do most Americans eat salads regularly, but they perceive others who eat salads as healthier, happier and sexier!
•  Some salad dressings, including mayonnaise, contain Vitamin E and recent research shows that Vitamin E is good for the heart health of women.
•  Salad dressings have reduced carbohydrates and combined with naturally carb-conscious salad ingredients, are a great solution for those on a reduced-carb diet or plan.
•  Salad dressings and mayonnaise products contain an essential fatty acid called alpha linolenic acid that may protect against fatal heart attacks.

…About Peanut Butter?

• Peanuts are a naturally cholesterol-free food?
• Peanut butter makes a superior mouse trap bait compared to meat or cheese. Not only do mice prefer it to cheese, but its sticky texture reduces the mouse's ability to steal the bait and not get caught. For people who like animals, peanut butter is also a good food for squirrels.
• The Dutch peanut butter is very different from its Canadian and American counterpart. It is sharp instead of sweet and most people say it tastes kind of like Satay.
• On May 15, 1963, U.S. astronaut Gordon Cooper ate some bite-sized peanut butter sandwiches in the last and longest Mercury mission.
• In 2002, an intentionally irreverent pseudo-scientific paper was published establishing that "Peanut Butter has no effect on the rotation of the Earth".
• Elvis Presley's favorite midnight snack was deep fried peanut butter sandwich.

…About Popcorn?

There's no doubt popcorn is a perfectly sensible snack to fit into any meal/fitness plan.

• Popcorn contains fiber, providing roughage the body needs in the daily diet.
• Popcorn is low in calories -- only 31-55 calories in one cup of unbuttered, and when lightly buttered, one cup still only has 133 calories.
• Popcorn has no artificial additives or preservatives, and is sugar-free.
• Popcorn contains energy-producing carbohydrates.
• Popcorn is ideal for between meals snacking since it satisfies and doesn't spoil an appetite.
• Popcorn inspires creativity. While there's no doubt hot buttered popcorn is pleasing to any palate, popcorn also can be enjoyed when combined with seasonings, spices and other foods like raisins, fruit and cheese providing a nutritious, delicious snack..

 …About Canned Vegetables?

• Thanks to technological advances made in the last 20 years, canned vegetables are more delicious and nutritious than ever before, while containing less sodium and sugar.
• According to the Institute of Food Technologists , Chicago , cooked, canned, fresh and frozen vegetables are all about equally nutritious when prepared for the table.
• When fresh vegetables are vacuum sealed inside steel or aluminum cans and cooked, the can serves as a miniature pressure cooker, capturing the fresh flavor, vitamins and minerals.
• Because vegetables in cans are cooked after sealing, potentially dangerous bacteria are destroyed, making the vegetables safe to eat for at least two years. In fact, you can even eat the vegetables straight from the can without heating them, because they are sterilized in the canning process. Canning companies have made it easier to keep track of how old the products are by stamping the date of processing on the can.
• That spring sweet peas are legumes? They are also an excellent source of folate, vitamin A and vitamin C. * Pinto beans, another member of the legume family are an excellent source of iron, potassium, selenium and folate and work great in the place of animal proteins..

…About Pickles?

•  Pickles are used most often as a sandwich accompaniment.
•  They also are popular eaten as a snack right from the jar.
•  Pickles and pickled peppers also are a convenient and versatile recipe ingredient. They add fast flavor to salsas and sauces, sandwiches, soups, appetizers, main dishes and more.
•  Pickles are fat free and low in calories. An average-size dill contains only 15 calories and an ounce of pickled peppers provides only 7 calories.

…About Mustard?

• Like most foods with ancient roots, mustard has been heralded as a curative. It stimulates appetite and digestion, and clears the sinuses in much the same way as chiles, which are said to be as effective as commercial decongestants.
• Mustard increases blood circulation, hence its use as mustard plaster, a dressing used to bring increased blood flow to inflamed areas of the body.
• Mustard flour sprinkled in your socks is said to save your toes from frostbite, a claim which is also made about cayenne pepper and other spices containing volatile oils.
• One of mustard's greatest health benefits is that it provides tremendous flavor for few calories and little fat. A gram of mustard flour contains just 4.3 calories and simple mustard preparations can be eaten with impunity by nearly everyone.
• Mustard itself contains no cholesterol, only trace amounts of vegetable fat, and is between 25-32% protein, depending on the variety of plant.
• Leaf mustard contains calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and Vitamin B.

Some Tips for Making Healthier Meals
Who says family meals aren't any fun when you're trying to get healthier? Dinner-time doesn't have to prove a dieting-dilemma. Keep these healthier-meal-making tips in mind. You'll find your weight loss efforts don't have to fall by the wayside when you pull up a chair to the dinner table.

1. Times are Lean
   These days, meat is much leaner than it has been due to trimming efforts on the part of meatpackers. Beef labeled as "loin", "round" and "extra lean" are your best choices.
   
   Roasting, baking, grilling, braising and broiling are healthy meat-cooking methods. Use non-stick pans and choose cooking sprays over oil or butter during preparation. Another way to reduce fat is to strain cooked ground beef and rinse it with hot water. (Drain it well before you continue the recipe.) Be sure to keep portion sizes in check.
   
2. Be Choosy About Chicken
   Sure, chicken is a great dinner mainstay, but many of us turn a potentially diet-friendly staple into something considerably less than healthful. Try to limit amount of fried patties, chicken fingers, nuggets and franks. Switch to broiling, roasting, baking or steaming. Use a non-stick pan with cooking spray, broth or wine.
   
   Keep in mind that dark meat contains about twice as much fat as white meat. Also, chicken skin is fattening. You can remove the skin yourself before cooking, choose skinless varieties, or take off the skin before you eat it. Basically, however you choose to avoid it ... just make sure you do.
   
3. Trim Up that Turkey
   If you're preparing a turkey, why not cook the stuffing separately? You will reduce its fat content by preventing the turkey fat from soaking into the dressing. Try to use less butter or margarine when preparing the stuffing. Don't forget to skim the fat off of the gravy with a gravy separator or by refrigerating it. Leave the drumsticks for the kids; as with chicken, choose light meat over dark and you'll save quite a few calories.
   
4. It's Getting Steamy in Here ...
   Serve steamed vegetables instead of heavy casseroles or cheese-based dishes. Steaming or microwaving veggies means you don't have to add any fat during preparation; choose lemon juice, herbs, or vinegar over margarine. Use herbs and spices or imitation butter sprinkles as seasoning instead of butter, oil or cheese.
   
   If steamed vegetables don't suit your taste buds, reduce the amount of oil you use if you sauté them. Broth or flavored vinegar makes a great substitute for oil.
   
5. Go for Grains
   whenever you have the chance, choose whole grains as your bread choice. For example, you could choose whole grain breading for stuffing preparation; whole grain dinner rolls; whole wheat bread for sandwiches; and wild rice instead of white.
   
   All types of white bread are high in refined sugar and pack in more calories than grains. These refined sugars are some of the "bad carbs" we hear so much about these days. If you still crave white bread occasionally, choose a "lite" or diet version, which will save you a few calories.
   
6. Virtually "Veggie"
   Even if you are not, pretend you've gone vegetarian for a while. If you're still hungry after the main course, choose vegetables as seconds, rather than meat- or bread-based dishes. Try to choose healthier options like steamed or boiled veggies instead of casseroles or those topped off with butter or cheese.
   
   By selecting healthier fare when you go for another helping instead of the entrée, you'll take in fewer extra calories and fat while adding more fiber. A second round of small portions of a variety of dishes will be much more satisfying than a little more of the main dish.
   
   An even better alternative to second helpings is to get up and get your mind off eating. Taking a walk or playing with the family pet are great diversions. By moving on, you may find you're not still hungry after all, and forgo seconds entirely.
   
7. Powder Your ... Dessert?
   Got milk? Trade it in for the powdered variety when baking and you'll save yourself a lot of fats and calories. A visitor wrote in to suggest that using evaporated skim milk in her favorite recipes instead of cream or milk has been one of the changes that led her to an 80 pound weight loss! Add equal parts water to replace milk or use it straight from the can as a substitute in recipes calling for heavy cream.
   
8. Fruit as a Finisher
   Instead of pie or cake for dessert, offer fruit-based fare like fondue, fruit cocktail, yogurt parfait, or, simply a fresh piece fruit. Not only will this reduce the fat and calorie content of your meal's finale, most folks find fruit more refreshing than sweets. After all, by dessert we're usually eating out of sheer habit anyway, not from hunger, so why "waist" the calories? You'll be surprised at how easy it really is to satisfy your sweet tooth!
   
9. Say Yes to Salads
   Eating a salad before lunch or dinner is a sure-fire way to keep from overeating. It will help curb your appetite and give you a sense of satiety sooner. Of course, we're not talking a little bit of iceberg lettuce here. To reap full portion control benefits from rabbit food, load up your salad with veggies or even lean meat like turkey cubes. The fiber in the veggies will help you feel fuller and lean meat's protein will give you an instant energy boost.
   
10. Master Mini Meals You can make sure your blood sugar stays at an even keel and keep hunger at bay by eating healthful small meals throughout the day.

Secrets ways to hide nutrition

• Most children will eat vegetables if they are a part of homemade soup.
• Pass cooked vegetables in a food processor and add to hamburger patties, meatballs or meatloaf.
• Finely grate zucchini or carrots and add to pancake batter.
• Add finely chopped cooked or canned vegetables to canned or packaged soup.
• Add freshly juiced carrot juice to canned vegetable or tomato juice.
• Add grated zucchini to square or muffin mixes.
• Puree vegetables and add to chili or pasta sauce.
• Add grated carrots to tuna or chicken salad.
• Hide veggies in casseroles and main dishes.
• Mix fat-free sour cream into your favorite salad dressing.
• Serve raw vegetables with Light Mayonnaise as a dip
• Mix Creamy peanut butter with freshly ground peanuts and almonds.
• Use whole grain bread for grilled cheese sandwiches
• Most children will eat a meal that they helped to prepare. Let them make cookies with you.. Use whole wheat and carob chips and they won't know the difference!
• Use cookie cutters to make fun sandwiches with whole-grain bread.
• Mix whole-grain noodles into regular spaghetti or macaroni and cheese dishes.