Celebrate July fourth with red, white & blue desserts that keep you fit and healthyAmerican Institute for Cancer Research Holidays don't have to be sinful indulgences followed by crash diets. Festivities should include luscious desserts, but even holiday sweets can contribute to long-term health goals and still taste delicious. According to Melanie Polk, RD and Director of Nutrition Education at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), "AICR has developed three festive desserts. They take advantage of summer's harvest and emphasize health-protective ingredients that combat chronic disease like cancer. They are also low in fat and calories, and all are red, white and blue."  The three desserts - "Festive Flag Cake," "Patriot's Parfait" and "Elegant And Easy Crepes" - feature fresh berries at their peak of flavor in July. They also capitalize on natural substances found in berries - called phytochemicals - that help fight cancer. Blueberries contain certain types of phytochemicals, called anthocyanosides, that prevent the formation of carcinogens in the stomach, according to research studies. Strawberries are rich in ellagic acid, another excellent antioxidant that detoxifies carcinogens and slows the rate of cancer cell division. Festive Flag Cake Cake 1/2 cup soft margarine Spray a 13 x 9-inch square pan with nonstick coating and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, cream the margarine with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and bananas. Mix together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. To the egg mixture, add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk as follows: 1/3 flour mixture, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/3 flour mixture, the remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk and the remaining 1/3 flour mixture. Beat well after each addition. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake's center comes out clean. Let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely on a rack before frosting it. To make icing, combine sugar, yogurt and vanilla and mix until smooth. Spread over cake. Decorate the cake with a flag design. Arrange blueberries side by side in upper left corner of cake, creating a 4 x5 inch rectangle. For red stripes, arrange strawberries end to end in rows, with pointed ends facing the right side of the cake. Makes 20 servings, each containing 319 calories and 7 grams of fat. Patriot's Parfait 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries, plus extra whole berries for garnish In a saucepan, mash blueberries lightly with a fork. Mix in 1-2 tsp. sugar, as desired. Let sit 5 minutes, then bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Cook, simmering, 3 minutes. Transfer blueberry sauce to a bowl and cool completely before using. Use immediately or refrigerate up to 2 days, tightly covered. To assemble the parfaits, use narrow, fluted glasses. In each glass, first place 1 Tbsp. blueberry sauce, then 1/2 cup frozen yogurt per glass, topped with 1 Tbsp. sweetened strawberries. Garnish with mint leaves. Makes 4 servings, each containing 155 calories and 2 grams of fat. Elegant and Easy Crepes 2/3 cup all-purpose flour Spray an 8-inch non-stick skillet or crepe pan with butter-flavored cooking spray and heat over medium high heat. When pan is hot, add about 3 tablespoons of the batter and quickly tilt and turn the skillet until it is coated with the batter. (This must be done quickly or the batter will set before the bottom of the skillet is coated.) Cook crepes about 45 seconds, then turn and cook about 20 seconds on the other side. Crepes should be lightly browned. Stack the finished crepes on a plate, first-browned side down. To make yogurt sauce, use a whisk to mix the yogurt and juice until well combined and smooth. Cover a dessert plate with about 2 tablespoons of the yogurt sauce. Place a row of blueberries across the center of each crepe, then fold the half of the crepe above the row of berries over the fruit, like a taco. Using a spatula, carefully place the folded crepe on the center of the plate. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of yogurt sauce over the crepes and sprinkle with raspberries. Makes 6 servings (2 crepes each). Each serving contains about 149 calories and 4 gams of fat. Packed with phytochemicals, vegetables and fruits appear to be the most important part of a cancer-preventive diet. Researchers at AICR estimate that worldwide cancer rates could drop by as much as 20% if people simply ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. They also point out that cancer would see even larger declines - as much as 70% - if people paired the consumption of a predominantly plant-based diet with exercising, maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding tobacco.
For more information, or to contact American Institute for Cancer Research, see their website at: www.aicr.org |
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