Archive: Around Town

	A few years ago, my heart stopped functioning properly. A cardiac artery was blocked, and I felt some strange and scary symptoms. The blockage was relieved with a stent, and the hospital that installed it included a detailed lecture to all such patients. They don’t want to see us again. Heeding that information has kept me healthy, and I want to share what I’ve learned.

Today, we’ll think about protein, fat, and dessert. Yum. Or so we hope. This takes getting used to.

Know what I miss even more than bacon? Cheese! I love pizza. Mac and cheese. Apples and cheese. Wine and cheese. Grilled cheese sandwiches. All are memories now. I drool over the cheese displays in Wegman’s. The low fat cheeses are mostly terrible, and the no-fat ones melt about as well as vinyl floor tiles.

But for cheese flavor, you can get away with a little low fat feta or just a sprinkle of Parmagiano Reggiano, the best parmesan. And low fat cottage cheese can be a real treat. Besides, it works like ricotta in Italian recipes.

If you need a cheese-ish product that melts really well, try Borden or Kraft fat-free slices, Veggie Slices and other vegan cheeses. They also work in a sandwich. They’re expensive but somewhat cheesy tasting (vegan less so), and the texture is right. They come in several flavors, such as American, mozzarella, and Swiss. And yes, you can make a pizza with it. If you ask, Ciao! will custom make you an acceptable pizza with vegan cheese. As always, tip servers 20%.

For milk, you have to go for skim, known redundantly as fat free skim milk. Organic Valley actually tastes like milk, not white water.

To replace butter, Smart Balance with its plant stanols is best for you, but for flavor, I prefer Olivio. Don’t melt either one to pour over popcorn, though. Their water content makes the popcorn soggy.

Just because you’re going to be so virtuous about victuals, don’t think you can’t have fried food. Just stick to canola oil and extra-virgin olive oil. The other oils read a bit high in saturated fats. My go-to cooking oil is a 50-50 mix of canola and extra-virgin olive. Olive oil goodness and flavor but lighter and cheaper. If you deep fry, use canola oil and a fry thermometer, because it will smoke sooner than peanut oil, the late lamented favorite.

Beware of desserts! They’re usually made with cream and/or butter. Dessert menus in most restaurants usually have not a singe item suitable for a heart patient. And very few entrees for the same reason. Read menus with a very sharp eye. Sometime, I’ll do a whole column on restaurant strategies.

Fresh fruit makes excellent dessert, and ReddiWip® has very low saturated fat. Lansing Market has excellent fat-free frozen yogurt. My favorite is peach.

Surprise, plain chocolate’s OK, but only if it’s the good stuff. That is, dark chocolate, marked 70% cocoa or higher, up to two ounces a day. Aldi has by far the best quality for the price, and they offer 70% and 85%.

Every other week: Lots more on food, drugs, medical ID, how and why to keep moving, and recipes. Disclaimer: This stuff comes only from my own research and experience. I may seem to know what I’m talking about, but your doctor is the final authority. Read all of these columns by typing “Hale and Hearty” in the “Search the Star” box on the right, under the first bunch of navigation buttons.

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