Shopping made Simple
You want it all — good nutrition and more time with your family. You can have both when you use two simple tools from the American Heart Association.
First, while grocery shopping, look for the association's distinctive red heart with a white check mark. This familiar tool makes it easy to quickly and reliably find healthy foods that can be part of a sensible eating plan.
"With all the messages in grocery stores — from sales fliers to promotions on food packages — consumers are bombarded with information," says Penny Kris-Etherton, R.D., Ph.D., and Distinguished Professor of Nutrition at Pennsylvania State University. "The heart-check mark from the American Heart Association makes it easy to cut through the clutter and reliably find the nutritious foods consumers are looking for. And, because it's backed by science, it's trustworthy."
Developed more than 10 years ago by the American Heart Association's Food Certification Program, the heart-check mark on food packaging is your assurance the product meets association criteria for being low in saturated fat and cholesterol for healthy people over age 2. It takes the guesswork out of heart-healthy shopping.
To be certified, a single serving of the food must:
• Be low in fat (less than or equal to 3 grams),
• Be low in saturated fat (less than or equal to 1 gram),
• Be low in cholesterol (less than or equal to 20 milligrams),
• Have a sodium value of less than or equal to 480 milligrams for individual foods and
• Contain at least 10 percent of the Daily Value of one or more of these naturally occurring nutrients: protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron or dietary fiber.
Additionally:
• Seafood, game meat, meat and poultry, as well as whole grain products, main dishes and meals, must meet additional nutritional requirements.
Vegetable oil spray1 small onion, chopped1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or turkey breast tenderloins, all visible fat removed1 (12-ounce) bottle low-fat chicken or turkey gravy1 (10-ounce) package frozen no-salt-added peas and carrots2 cups reduced-fat buttermilk baking and pancake mix2/3 cup skim milkBlack pepper (optional)Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a large saucepan with vegetable oil. Place over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic in hot saucepan about 5 minutes or until tender.Meanwhile, rinse chicken, pat dry and cut into bite-size pieces. Add to skillet with onion mixture. Cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until chicken is just tender. Stir in gravy and vegetables. Heat through, about 5 minutes.Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together baking and pancake mix and milk until soft dough forms. Set aside.Transfer hot chicken or turkey filling to three 15-ounce casseroles or one 2-quart casserole. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto hot filling.Bake 15-ounce casseroles, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes. Bake 2-quart casserole, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes. Topping should be golden brown and filling should be hot. Let stand 5 minutes and season with pepper if desired.Makes 6 servings.This recipe is reprinted with permission from the American Heart Association Quick & Easy Cookbook. Copyright &Copy; 2001 by the American Heart Association. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc.
