Anti Fast-Food Ad:
Fast food gets the rap for ruining our health as demonstrated by the following PCRM’s (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) new “Consequences” ad, which “takes aim at McDonald’s high-fat menu of “unhappy meals”; racked up more than 1 million views on YouTube in just days last month.” Please click here to: Watch Ad >
Healthy Alternatives:
What would be healthy alternatives to fast food?
According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a low-fat vegan diet significantly reduces heart disease risk in people with type 2 diabetes in comparison to a diet based on the American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines.
So,“these findings should encourage anyone with diabetes to talk to their physician about adopting a vegan diet to manage their disease and reduce the risk of a heart attack,” said lead author Gabrielle M. Turner-McGrievy, M.S., R.D., a doctoral candidate in nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a nutrition scientist with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Another healthy alternative to fast food as recommended by PCRM is a vegetarian diet which is naturally low in saturated fat, high in fiber, and full of cancer-protective phytochemicals. The remarkable health benefits of vegetarian diets include preventing cancer, preventing heart disease, lowering blood pressure, preventing and reversing diabetes, and reducing one’s chances of forming kidney stones and gallstones.
Anti Fast-Food Recipe: Here is a great PCRM recipe for those who are on a vegetarian diet or vegan diet.
photo credit: Esteban Cavrico
Eggplant Parmesan
This PCRM recipe is an “interpretation of an old favorite appealing to modern tastes, with “béchamel” sauce and vegan parmesan substitute providing a creamy contrast.”
Directions
Makes 6 servings
3 pounds eggplant, cut into 1/4″ slices
3/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
3 cups fat-free tomato-based pasta sauce
2 cups Creamy Béchamel Sauce (Please see below for this PCRM recipe)
1/2 cup dairy-free (vegan) parmesan cheese substitute
Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lightly coated in nonstick cooking spray. Broil 3″ to 4″ from the heat on both sides until lightly browned and soft inside (or grill on a nonstick indoor grill.)
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Lay half of the eggplant in the bottom of a 10″ round baking pan lightly coated in nonstick cooking spray (or a baking pan lined with parchment paper) and top with half of the bread crumbs. Spread with half of the pasta sauce, béchamel sauce, and vegan parmesan substitute. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and browned on top.
Nutrition Information
Per serving (1/6 of recipe):
Calories: 215
Fat: 2.8 g
Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
Calories from Fat: 11.8%
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Protein: 9.7 g
Carbohydrates: 41 g
Sugar: 16.8 g
Fiber: 7.2 g
Sodium: 920 mg
Calcium: 81 mg
Iron: 2.4 mg
Vitamin C: 7.2 mg
Beta-Carotene: 236 mcg
Vitamin E: 1.4 mg
Recipe from Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes Without Drugs by Neal D. Barnard, M.D.; recipe by Bryanna Clark Grogan
Please feel free to tailor PCRM recipes to suit your
individual dietary needs.
Creamy Béchamel Sauce
Makes 2 cups
1/2 medium onion, cut into chunks
1 cup water
3/4 cup cooked or canned white beans, rinsed and drained
6 ounces reduced-fat firm silken tofu
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic granules
Simmer onion with water in a medium saucepan, covered, for about 10 minutes. Place in a blender or food processor with beans, tofu, yeast flakes, salt, and garlic and blend until very smooth. The sauce can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 1 week.
Per 1/4 cup
- Calories: 30
- Fat: 0.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Calories from Fat: 7.1%
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Protein: 2.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.4 g
- Sugar: 0.4 g
- Fiber: 1.1 g
- Sodium: 252 mg
- Calcium: 20 mg
- Iron: 0.7 mg
- Vitamin C: 0.3 mg
- Beta Carotene: 0 mcg
- Vitamin E: 0.1 mg
Source: Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes Without Drugs by Neal D. Barnard, M.D.; recipe by Bryanna Clark Grogan
Cheers to Good Health and Longevity!
Contact Info:
PCRM
5100 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Ste. 400
Washington, DC 20016-4131
T: 202-686-2210
F: 202-686-2216
info@pcrm.org