Ask the Dietitian
added 02/21/08
by Mary Saucier Choate, M.S., R.D., L.D., Food and Nutrition Educator
Q: Can you tell me whether Kellogg’s Special K20 Protein Water is something I should be drinking?—D.P., Hanover, NH
A: A bottle of Special K20 Protein Water contains one 50-calories serving and provides 5 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber (from polydextrose, a synthetic fiber made by combining glucose and sorbitol) and 40 mg of sodium, making it a low sodium choice. (If it contained 35 mg of sodium, it would qualify as “very low sodium.”) It provides a little calcium and some B vitamins.
Some interesting information about polydextrose: According to the latest Dietary Reference Intakes, fibers isolated from plants or manufactured synthetically (such as polydextrose) have demonstrated more powerful beneficial physiological effects than a food source of the fiber polysaccharide, in some instances. Polydextrose has shown no reproductive toxicity, teratology, mutagenicity, genotoxicity, or carcinogenesis in experimental animals. We’ll have to keep our eye on this one.
Of course, I believe it’s better and more effective to get your nutrients from whole foods, in most cases. Drinks don’t seem to have the same satiating power as solids. A more satisfying source of protein and fiber might be an apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter, a couple of tablespoons of nuts, or a small bowl of high-fiber cereal and low-fat milk. These choices would offer fewer than 200 calories while satisfying for a longer period of time.
Q: How much calcium is in homemade yogurt cheese?—G.W. via internet
A: The National Dairy Council gave this response: About 38 percent of the calcium in milk is in the whey portion, most—but not all—of which is drained off when making yogurt cheese. This means there is less calcium in yogurt cheese than in the original unstrained yogurt. There will also be a loss of iron, potassium, sodium, and selenium and a bit of a few other nutrients.
Yogurt cheese remains a good source of calcium, even though it contains less than regular yogurt, and it is a great substitute for cream cheese, which has negligible calcium content.
Q: I’m on the hunt for non-fat non-sweetened plain soymilk. Right now I use the Silk non-sweetened, but would like to get to non-fat as well.—F.P., WRJ, VT
Unfortunately our suppliers do not carry a soymilk that is both unsweetened and nonfat. The closest product we carry is the Westsoy nonfat soy beverage, lightly sweetened with 5 grams (about 1 tsp.) of organic dehydrated cane juice per cup for a total of 10 g of carbs. Westsoy unsweetened low fat soy beverage has 5 g of carbs. For comparison, nonfat cow’s milk has 12 grams of naturally occurring lactose (milk sugar/carbs) per cup.
Q: I bought a couple of small heart-shaped bowls for our light ice cream treat, and my husband, who is at a fine weight, is using one too! In that vein, is low-fat frozen yogurt much better health-wise than light ice cream (i.e. Edy’s)?—T.O., Hanover, NH
A: Good for you for buying the smaller bowls! Small dishes make it easier to serve up the right portion size of fun foods like frozen desserts.
As for which ice cream/frozen yogurt to choose, find a lower fat one of either that you enjoy or a high fat one that you eat in small amounts. A frozen yogurt with active cultures or any ice cream with extra calcium might have a slight edge, but food should taste good. So, pick the one you like best and watch the portion size.
