Bring back the carbs

Story by Pam Brandt
Photography by Bluefish

Local companies are helping Albertans rediscover the goodness of bread, pasta and potatoes.

Remember those days when bread, pasta and potatoes were considered the staff of life? Flash back a couple of years to when the low-carb craze emerged again, over 30 years after Dr. Atkins’ now-famous diet first hit the scene. Once again these so-called “bad boys” of the carbohydrate world started getting a bad rap. Happily, the tide seems to be turning and carbohydrates are once again resuming their rightful place on the daily dinner plate.

While diet fads come and go, smart eating never goes out of style. According to Krista Rondeau, a registered dietitian at Calgary’s Talisman Centre for Sport and Wellness, smart eating includes a healthy dose of carbohydrates. “Carbohydrate foods, including sugars, starches and fibre, are important to overall health because they are the body’s major and most efficient source of energy, and they contain an array of vitamins, minerals, fibre, antioxidants and phytochemicals that play an important role in promoting health and preventing disease. They also help the body use fats and provide glucose, which is the only form of energy the brain can use.”

Carbohydrates come from a variety of sources such as breads, cereals, pasta, rice, barley and other grains, as well as potatoes, dried peas, lentils, fruits, vegetables and milk. But not all carbs are created equal. Rondeau says while we traditionally think of foods like bread, pasta and potatoes as culprits in weight gain, it is not simply a matter of good carb versus bad. “There is nothing inherently bad about carbohydrates. Instead, we need to ask ourselves what carbohydrates we eat, how much we eat, and what we eat with them. Sour cream, butter and rich sauces add flavour to carbohydrates, but in excess they can add a heavy dollop of extra fat and calories.”

And excess calories, whether from fat, protein or carbohydrate, will result in weight gain. Couple this with the fact that traditionally many carbohydrate-containing foods have been highly refined and stripped of their natural fibre and nutrients, and Rondeau says we’re left with products that give us quick bursts of energy that don’t last, especially if they aren’t eaten as part of a balanced meal.

Health Canada recommends Canadians get 45% to 65% of their energy as carbohydrates from a variety of food sources. So what’s a smart carbohydrate choice? Rondeau has a simple rule: “The closer the carbohydrate is to its natural state, the better it is for you.” This means substituting whole grain bread for white, choosing whole wheat pasta instead of regular and skipping the cookie aisle in favour of fruit and vegetables.

Bread Winners

Fortunately for Albertans, there are many local companies embracing the notion that carbohydrates are an important part of a balanced diet. Hilton and Michelle Dinner are the owners of Edmonton’s Bon Ton Bakery. Since purchasing the business six years ago, the couple has seen their customer base double to over 2,500 per week despite the recent low-carb craze. Their secret: combine old-fashioned customer service with a modern approach to developing healthy, high-quality carbohydrate products.

Two years ago, with the North American low-carb craze in full swing, Hilton Dinner noticed a trend in European industry publications toward breads and baked goods that retained the micronutrients of whole grains and didn’t rely on over-processed and artificial ingredients. Shortly after, a local diabetes specialist challenged him to make bread using a true whole wheat flour rather than refined flour with the bran added back in, as is the case with most whole wheat flours.

The Dinners accepted the challenge and enlisted the aid of the University of Alberta’s Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science to analyse some of their healthiest breads and baked goods and offer suggestions on how to make them even better. After extensive taste tests with customers, the innovative partnership resulted in Healthy Choices – 10 trans-fat-free, whole grain products. With tantalizing names like Omega Bread, Cranberry Raisin Nut Bread and Barley Fruit Muffins, the products use primarily whole grain cereals – wheat, barley oats, flax or rye – and almost nothing is lost to processing. Minimal amounts of sugar and oil are used and all the original nutritional and fibre content in the grains, seeds, nuts and fruit remains in the finished products. Each baked good comes with a nutritional breakdown so people know exactly what they’re eating.

“Working with the university has been a great education for us,” says Dinner. “Being informed allows us to better inform our customers. People are definitely more interested in what they put in their mouths. We’re fascinated by how many people have thanked us for the healthy product line.”

Hot Potatoes

Darcy Peters is also committed to providing his customers with healthy carbohydrate choices. Peters is the manager of sales and marketing for the Little Potato Company, an Edmonton-based business that specializes in golf-ball sized spuds. The company started in 1997 when founder Jacob van der Schaaf decided to find out if the baby potatoes he enjoyed as a boy in Holland could be grown in northern Alberta. His one-acre experimental plot of little potatoes proved such a hit at local farmers’ markets that the company quickly expanded and now has over 1,200 acres in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Washington and California.

Today the potatoes are on the menu at fine restaurants throughout western Canada and Ontario and can be found in local grocery stores from Vancouver Island to Thunder Bay. Peters attributes the success of the bite-sized potato to a couple of key things – flavour and convenience. “They taste great, cook quickly and are perfect for people concerned about portion control,” says Peters. The tiny potatoes are available year-round in yellow and red varieties. A more exotic blue variety is sold only to restaurants.

Like Hilton and Michelle Dinner, Peters says his customers are becoming more nutritionally savvy. In response, the company includes nutritional labels on every bag of potatoes, even though not required by law. “Most people are surprised to learn that potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium,” Peters says. Dietitian Krista Rondeau concurs. “Most of us think of potatoes as a starchy food and not necessarily as a vegetable, which is usually low in calories and high in nutrients, phytochemicals and water. The higher starch content of potatoes means more calories than, say, broccoli. But in addition to vitamin C and potassium, potatoes also provide fibre, especially with the skin on.”

Potatoes contain zero fat and cholesterol but different varieties have different calorie and carbohydrate contents. Yellow potatoes, for example, contain fewer calories and carbohydrates than red and blue varieties. Three yellow potatoes from the Little Potato Company contain only 45 calories and nine grams of carbohydrates.

Rondeau adds that potatoes can and should be enjoyed as part of healthy eating patterns. The key is to enjoy meals and snacks that contain a grain/starch, vegetable/fruit and sources of protein and calcium.

Pasta Power

Carlo Facchin is another innovative Albertan focused on giving consumers healthier carb options. As chief executive officer of Prairie Harvest Canada Ltd., Facchin combines a passion for pasta with sharp business acumen. It’s a drive that has allowed the Edmonton-based company to thrive in the highly competitive pasta market since 1996.

Prairie Harvest Canada is the smallest of five dry pasta plants in Canada and the only producer west of Toronto. The plant has the capacity to produce 12 million pounds of pasta annually, turning out everything from lasagna to alphabet noodles. Today the company is Canada’s only full-scale organic producer and both its conventional and organic pastas can be found in food stores from Vancouver to Prince Edward Island. Regular, whole wheat and certified organic durum semolina pasta are sold under the Prairie Harvest brand while certified organic whole wheat kamut pasta sells under the name Artesian Acres.

Dietitian Rondeau says that although any kind of pasta provides a sustained release of energy over time, it’s good to see more whole grain and whole wheat options like those produced by Prairie Harvest appearing on the market. “People can bump up the nutritional value by choosing whole grain or whole wheat pasta, which contains more fibre and more of some B vitamins than white pasta.” She recommends scanning the ingredient list and looking for the word “whole grain” or “whole wheat” as the first ingredient.

And while many pasta producers felt the bite of the recent low-carb craze, Facchin says the upside is that it got people thinking about what they eat. “People are definitely paying more attention to what they put in their mouths. They’re much more health-conscious.” For many, that means buying whole wheat or organic products. For Facchin, it means his company has found its niche: creating high-quality, nutritious pasta for people to enjoy.

So you can have your bread, potatoes and pasta and eat them too. The secret is making smart choices and watching portion sizes. “Fad diets have been coming and going for decades because people are always looking for a quick fix,” says Rondeau with a sigh. “Healthy eating should be easy.” And thanks to the innovative efforts of these Alberta companies, it is.

Chicken and Asparagus Pasta

Asparagus and leeks add a nice spring flavour. Use whole wheat pasta to bump up the nutritional value.

2-1⁄2 cups (625 mL)     Ditali (small or medium pasta)
2-1⁄2 qts (2.5 L)             boiling water
2-1⁄2 tsp (12 mL)          salt
3⁄4 cup (175 mL)           water
1⁄4 cup (60 mL)             white (or alcohol-free white) wine
2 tsp (10 mL)                 chicken bouillon powder
1                                       medium leek, thinly sliced
1 lb (454 g)                    fresh asparagus, sliced into 1 inch (2.5 cm) lengths, eight 4 inch (10 cm) tips reserved
2                                      garlic cloves, minced
3⁄4 cup (175 mL)          skim evaporated milk
2 tbsp (30 mL)              all-purpose flour
2 cups (500 mL)          diced cooked chicken
2 tbsp (30 mL)              grated light Parmesan cheese product

Cook pasta in boiling water and salt in Dutch oven for 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but firm. Drain.

Heat water, wine and bouillon powder in medium saucepan until boiling. Add leek, asparagus (without reserved tips) and garlic. Stir. Cover. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cover. Lay reserved asparagus tips over top. Cover. Cook for 5 minutes until asparagus tips are bright green. Remove tips carefully with slotted spoon and reserve.

Stir evaporated milk and flour together until smooth. Stir into asparagus mixture. Stir until boiling and thickened. Stir in chicken. Add pasta. Mix. Turn into greased 3 quart (3 L) casserole dish. Arrange cooked asparagus tips over top in a pinwheel design. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover. Bake in 350°F (175°C) oven for 25 to 30 minutes until hot and bubbling. Serves 6.

One serving contains: 341 calories; 3.3 g total fat (0.9 g sat.), 44.7 mg cholesterol; 340 mg sodium; 28 g protein; 48 g carbohydrate; 3 g fibre

Variation: Substitute 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) grated light cheddar cheese for Parmesan cheese.

Reprinted from Low-Fat Pasta © Company’s Coming Publishing Limited

Warm Potato Salad

A creamy salad with a mild tang. This is a great dish to take to a potluck as it is easy to prepare and suitable for any time of year.

20   Red baby potatoes with peel (about 2 lbs, 900 g), halved
1 tbsp (15 mL)      canola oil
1/2 tsp (2 mL)       salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL)       pepper
10                            bacon slices, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup (125 mL)  thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup (125 mL)  mayonnaise (or salad dressing)
1/3 cup (75 mL)    sour cream
3 tbsp (50 mL)      grainy mustard
3 tbsp (50 mL)      chopped fresh chives, cut into 1/2 inch (12 mm) pieces

Put first 4 ingredients into large bowl. Toss until coated. Arrange in single layer on ungreased baking sheet. Bake in 375°F (190°C) oven for about 50 minutes until potatoes are tender and browned. Cool slightly. Return to clean large bowl. Add bacon and onion.

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream and mustard in small bowl. Add to potato mixture. Toss until coated. Add chives. Toss. Makes about 6 cups (1.5 L).

1 cup (250 mL) contains: 379 calories; 23.6 g total fat (12.5 g mono, 6.2 g poly, 4.1 g sat); 39 mg cholesterol; 28 g carbohydrate; 3 g fibre; 14 g protein; 986 mg sodium

Reprinted from The Pork Book © Company’s Coming Publishing Limited

Krista’s Breakfast Muesli

Registered dietitian Krista Rondeau says this is her favourite way to start the day.

2/3 cup (150 mL)   whole grain flakes (oats, rye, spelt, kamut, etc.)
2/3 cup (150 mL)   plain yogurt
2 tbsp (30 mL)       sunflower seeds or sliced almonds
1 tbsp (15 mL)       ground flaxseed
1/4 cup (50 mL)     dried fruit

Combine and refrigerate overnight.

What’s in Carb-Rich Foods?

Nutrient	Key Functions	Key Carb-Rich Sources
Energy	Provides fuel for body functions	Grains, cereals, pasta, fruits, starchy vegetables
B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate/folic acid, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6)	Helps with energy metabolism Aids in normal growth and development, including red blood cell formation	Whole grains such as wheat, rice, oats and rye; enriched breads, cereals and pastas, beans, lentils, potatoes, green leafy vegetables
Antioxidants (such as vitamin E, selenium, and beta-carotene)  Phytochemicals (such as lignans and isoflavones)	Enhances the body’s natural line of defences against chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes  Counteracts oxidation reactions in the body that produce damaging free radicals  Helps boost the immune system, leading to fewer illnesses and less stress	Whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes, especially high in strong flavoured and dark or brightly coloured fruits and vegetables
Iron	Part of red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body	Raisins, whole grain and enriched breads, cereals and pastas
Fibre	Aids in regularity  Reduces the risk of colon cancer  Lowers blood cholesterol  Regulates the blood sugar  Increases feeling of satiety	Whole grain breads, cereals and pastas, legumes, vegetables and fruit
Vitamin C	Builds and maintains connective tissues  Heals wounds  Fights infection  Acts as an antioxidant	Citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit and their juices, apple juice, kiwi, strawberries, peppers, broccoli, potatoes, brussels sprouts, tomatoes

Krista Rondeau’s 7 Tips for Smart Carb Choices

Check ingredient lists on baked goods and pastas. Look for the word whole grain (e.g., whole grain wheat flour, whole grain barley flour, whole grain rye flour).

Not all breads are created equal. Many breads with “enriched white flour” throw in some seeds and colouring to make it look like a whole grain and call it “multigrain.” Check the ingredients carefully.

Check out the grams of fibre in the carb. Try for four grams or more per serving.

For crackers, look for the term whole grain but also look at the fat content. A cracker may be whole grain, but if it uses shortening, it will also be high in trans fat (also comes in the form of hydrogenated oil). Good choices include Wasa, Ryvita and lower fat Triscuits.

For cereals, look for whole grain with minimal added sugars. Check ingredients for words that indicate sugar, like dextrose, glucose-fructose, and glucose. Cheerios and MultiGrain Cheerios are common, popular cereals that are whole grain.

Watch what you eat with your carbs. Sour cream, butter and rich sauces add flavour but also add extra fat and calories.

Avoid eating oversized portions. Instead, make room on your plate for a balanced meal. Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating recommends five to 12 servings of grain products, five to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables, two to four servings of milk and milk products (for adults) and two to three servings of meats and alternatives per day. For grains, one serving is equivalent to one slice of bread or half a cup of rice or pasta.