Posted on: Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Primer on putting plants on your plate
By Linda Giuca
Hartford (Conn.) Courant
Almost four years ago, the American Institute for Cancer Research devised its vision of "the new American plate." Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans — not the typical hefty portions of animal protein and mashed potatoes with a spoonful of veggies — should dominate dinner.
At the time, the agency published a brochure with recipes, and developed recipes for its Web site, www.aicr.org, and subsequent booklets. So a cookbook was a logical next step. "The New American Plate" cookbook by the American Institute for Cancer Research staff (University of California Press, $24.95) plays up use of fresh ingredients, spices and herbs.
The book veers from the usual chapter format of appetizers, entrŽes, salads and the like. The first section tackles the separate elements of the "new American plate," while the second combines vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans and protein sources into one-pot meals such as casseroles, stews, salads and frittatas. Part Three dishes up the extras — appetizers, soups, breads, muffins and dessert. (The baked goods tend to be fruit-based and use white sugar sparingly.)
A primer of cooking techniques in the back of the book is followed by a list of fruits and vegetables, their health benefits and how to prepare them. The final section explains how the institute has interpreted studies of the cancer-preventing makeup of fruits and veggies.
The group, which funds diet- and cancer-related research, points out that studies suggest that a diet rich in plant foods helps guard against cancer.
