Don’t Assume Lack Of Meat Means
American Institute for Cancer Research
By Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN

Nutrition Q & A

Q: Are meatless meals a good way to cut calories?

A: They can be, but don’t assume that absence of meat automatically means lower calorie content. A meatless meal that contains a lot of fat from foods that are deep-fried or cooked in a lot of butter or oil will not be low-calorie. Likewise, large amounts of high-fat cheese or concentrated sweets like syrup or sugar add significant calories regardless of whether a meal contains meat. To reduce calorie content, make low-calorie foods such as vegetables major focus of the meal. The effect of meat and poultry on calories varies dramatically from high-fat choices like sausage, regular ground beef and chicken wings to low-fat choices like pork loin, beef sirloin, and skinless turkey or chicken breast meat. Finally, one of the strongest influences of all on a meal’s calorie content is how much you eat. Overeating can turn any meal into a source of too many calories. The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) has an educational program called the New American Plate, which shows how the combination of what and how much we eat determine the impact of our eating on health and weight control.

Q: Does cranberry juice really help prevent bladder infections?

A: Cranberries contain two compounds that seem to prevent bacteria from sticking to cells in the kidney, bladder and other parts of the urinary tract. Effects on urinary acidity may also reduce the rate of infections. Studies to test the effectiveness of cranberry products in preventing urinary tract infections are hard to compare because they’ve used different products (cranberry juice concentrate, cocktail, or capsules) and different doses. We need more studies to provide clear answers, but most experts say that one or more forms of cranberry juice may help prevent recurrent urinary tract infections in women who are prone to them. Women who rarely get these infections may not derive any special benefit. Research does not currently support a role for cranberries in the treatment of urinary tract infections that already exist.

Q: What is “process cheese” and how does it compare nutritionally to other cheese?

A: Process cheese is natural cheese that has emulsifiers added to enhance smoothness and melting qualities. Process cheese food and process cheese spread are similar to process cheese, but have additional ingredients such as salt, coloring, stabilizers, and flavorings, as well as added water, cream, or milk to create a higher moisture content. All process cheese products provide protein and calcium, but in less concentrated amounts than natural cheese. That’s why the amount that equals a standard dairy group serving size is one-and a-half ounces of natural cheese, but two ounces of process cheese. Another important difference is that many of the emulsifiers added to make process cheese are sodium-based, so sodium content is often more than double that of natural cheese.