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JANUARY
1999
Tips
for Your Sports Diet
What Else should I do Besides Exercise?
In your
quest for a healthy body, nutrition and exercise go
arm in arm. Without proper nutrition, bodies tire
easily and resist fitness activities. And all our
hard exercise can be wasted if we don't watch what
we eat. That's why Americans in increasing numbers
are turning to the Food Guide Pyramid to structure
their diets.
The Pyramid
is based upon a foundation of grains and pastas, but
no one food group out of the pyramid can be neglected-for
good health, you need them all. The Pyramid suggests
two to three servings of milk, yogurt and cheese a
day.
Dairy foods
have many advantages crucial to a healthy sports diet,
including protein, calcium and iron. Yet for many
people, especially those who diet, foods high in calcium
are often omitted because they are perceived to be
high in fat.
According
to sports nutritionists, athletes should be encouraged
to consume lowfat dairy products rich in calcium.
Two dairy foods in particular fit easily into a sports
diet: cottage cheese and yogurt. They offer many lowfat
health benefits and can be used in quick and easy
recipes.
How
Yogurt Powers the "Live and Active" You.
- Yogurt is a splendid
source of calcium, protein, potassium, phosphorous
and the vitamins B12 and riboflavin
- One cup of plain,
lowfat yogurt contains 415 milligrams of calcium
with only 144 calories (The Recommended Daily Allowance
of calcium for adult men and women is 800-1200 milligrams.)
- Calcium is a crucial
mineral for bone strength, an important consideration
for fitness-conscious people
- All yogurt is relatively
low in fat. (Nonfat yogurt contains less than
1.5 grams milk fat per eight ounce serving while
lowfat contains between 1.5 and 5.7 grams.)
The
Low-Down on Cottage Cheese
- Cottage cheese is
one of the lowest fat varieties of cheese containing
only 4% fat by weight (The lowfat form has only
2%.)
- A half cup portion
supplies about as much protein as 2 ounces of cooked
lean meat, poultry or fish (14g)
- A half cup of 2% lowfat
cottage cheese contains 77 milligrams of calcium
with only 102 calories.
- A half cup lowfat
cottage cheese contains a significant amount of
potassium (110 mg) crucial to a sports diet because
sweat can rapidly. Decrease potassium in the body
(One pound of sweat loss may contain 85 to 105 milligrams
of potassium.)
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Yogurt
Shakes
These yogurt shakes are
fast and easy to prepare and, made with plain yogurt
and fruit, make breakfast on-the-go possible.
Strawberry-Yogurt
Smoothie
½ cup low fat or nonfat
plain yogurt
½ cup frozen, unsweetened strawberries, unthawed
½ cup tangerine or orange juice
1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
In blender whirl all
ingredients together 30 seconds to 1 minute until
smooth and frothy.
Rise
& Shine Yogurt Shake
1/3 cup low fat or nonfat plain yogurt
½ cup low fat or nonfat milk
½ ripe banana, peeled
2 tablespoons pineapple (or pineapple-orange) juice
concentrate, undiluted
In blender, whirl all
ingredients together 30 seconds to 1 minute until
smooth and frothy.
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Quick
Mediterranean Salad
Pita bread, vegetables
and cottage cheese transform this salad into a complete
lunch.
3 pita bread pockets
Olive Oil
Spinach leaves or other salad greens
1 carton (16 ounces) cottage cheese
1 cup finely diced, seeded tomato
2/3 cup finely diced cucumber
¼ cup finely diced red onion or chopped green onion
1 to 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or apple cider
vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon
dried
Salt & pepper and pinch of sugar
¼ cup crumbled California Feta Cheese
Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Cut pita pockets into wedges; brush with oil.
Bake 7 to 10 minutes until crisp and set aside. Line
individual serving plates with spinach leaves. Scoop
½ cup cottage cheese into the center of each plate.
In a bowl, stir together remaining ingredients except
Feta cheese. Season to taste with salt, pepper and
a pinch of sugar. Spoon mixture over cottage cheese.
Top with Feta cheese. Surround salad with pita chips.
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Versatile
Yogurt Sauces
These yogurt-based sauces have an advantage in the
kitchen-nonfat yogurt is low in fat and calories and
can be easily combined with ingredients on hand for
a quick sauce or dip.
Pesto
Yogurt Sauce
½ cup lowfat plain yogurt
½ cup prepared pesto sauce
Salt and pepper and pinch of sugar
Few drops balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
In bowl, stir together yogurt and pesto sauce until
well blended. Season to taste with salt, pepper and
a pinch of sugar. Stir in a few drops of vinegar to
taste.
Roasted
Red Pepper Sauce
1 cup lowfat plain yogurt
1 cup roasted red bell pepper
strips (7 ounce jar, drained)
2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt, pepper and cayenne pepper
¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil or
1½ tablespoons dried basil leaves
In blender, process yogurt,
red pepper, oil and garlic until smooth and thoroughly
blended. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne.
Stir in
basil.
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Dynamite
Fruit and Yogurt Muffins
Because these muffins are made with grated orange
rind, orange juice and yogurt, they are very flavorful
without a lot of added fat. 
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup plain low or nonfat yogurt
½ cup sugar
¼ cup melted butter or oil
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
2 tablespoons orange juice
1½ cups fruit (frozen raspberries, blueberries, chopped
pears, peaches or
apples)
Combine flour, baking
powder, baking soda and salt. In large bowl, beat
together eggs, yogurt, sugar, melted butter, orange
rind and juice. Add combined dry ingredients and mix
just until blended; fold in fruit. Spoon batter into
buttered muffin tins. Bake at 375 degrees, 15-20 minutes
until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
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