Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN American Institute for Cancer Research
Weekly column for the week of September 05, 2005
Q: Are iced coffee drinks okay for someone trying to lose weight?
A: A plain iced coffee isn't a problem, and an iced latte made with skim milk, without flavorings or whipped cream, can be okay if you choose the smallest size. A 12-ounce iced latte or cappuccino usually contains about 130 calories. If it's made with two percent milk, it might contain 150 or 160 calories. But if you add flavored syrups, whipped cream, or other ingredients, the calorie content grows sharply. Unfortunately, the names given to beverage sizes may keep us from realizing how large a ?large? really is. The biggest size at most of today's popular coffee bars is usually 24 ounces. Sometimes, it is more. If advertisements for iced coffee drinks with assorted flavors tempt you to order the largest size with a flavored syrup and whipped cream, your drink may have 600 to 700 calories. These calories come from a lot of fat and almost a half-cup of sugar. If you skip the whipped cream, your drink will still have about 450 calories. As you probably can guess, these kinds of drinks are not light snacks. Their calorie load is equal to one or two portions of dessert. To enjoy iced coffee drinks without wreaking havoc with your weight loss plan, order the smallest nonfat versions, skip the whipped cream and syrups, and slowly savor them. If you're really thirsty, quench your thirst with a cool glass of water first. Then you'll be able to sip your small coffee beverage slowly.
Q: Are 15 grams of fat a day a reasonable total for a person on a lowfat diet?
A: No. On a lowfat diet, people usually get from 15 to 30 percent of their overall calorie intake from different kinds of fat. Depending on your size, age, activity level, and other personal factors affecting your calorie needs, you could eat from 27 to 90 grams of fat on a lowfat diet according to these percentages. If you ate only 15 grams of fat a day, you may not develop a fat-related deficiency ? this usually occurs at lower intake levels, depending on the source of fat in your diet ? but this restricted amount of fat is probably unhealthfully low. Some fat is necessary in our diet because certain vitamins and phytochemicals in vegetables and fruits need fat at the same time to be absorbed properly. Research also suggests that people who are not overly restrictive with fat and use modest amounts of healthy fats like olive and canola oils for cooking and flavoring, often have more nutritious diets because they eat more vegetables. People who severely control fat also tend to skip nuts, which are now considered a healthful addition to a balanced diet.
Q: Do vegetable pizzas supply a serving of vegetables?
A: A serving of most commercially-made pizzas don't supply a lot of vegetables. If you order a combination pizza with several kinds of vegetables, the entire pizza usually contains a cup or so of vegetables altogether. If you have a pizza delivered, or take one home, it's easy to add more vegetables to get a serving (a half-cup) on one or two slices of pizza. Simply microwave, steam, or saut? some vegetables like mushrooms, bell peppers, broccoli, or artichoke hearts. Some commercial versions of fresh, prewashed spinach can be microwaved. Sprinkle any of these with a dash of Parmesan for extra flavor after you add them to the pizza. A better option is to make a pizza at home. Start with a pre-made crust or dough ? whole-grain ones are best. Then top it with lots of vegetables to make a healthier, tastier and more satisfying pizza.
Reprinted with permission from the American Institute for Cancer Research
Diets 
