Cooking to fight cancer in North Attleboro

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NORTH ATTLEBORO - Cooking up nutritious, plant-based meals as part of a healthy diet can help ward off cancer and could well affect its course after diagnosis, according to research.

Providing a recipe for a healthier life is one of the goals of The Cancer Project, a Washington-based non-profit organization of physicians, researchers, nutritionists and cancer specialists that offers education about nutrition and diet and also cooking classes nationally.

The classes, like the one recently offered at the Richards Memorial Library, are meant to help people learn new tastes and easy food preparation to hopefully prevent cancer as well as survive it.

Rose Lee, a nutritionist and cooking consultant for The Cancer Project, prepared some of the recipes in the group's "Survivor's Handbook" at the library, including a bean salad, hummus, a tofu stir-fry and chocolate mousse.

About 25 people, ranging from younger to older women and two men, turned out for the class, which was sponsored by the Friends of the Richards Memorial Library. Lee emphasized the role of plant-based ingredients, noting that research shows that more than one-third of all cancer deaths in this country are due to poor diet.

Diet is also linked to diabetes and heart disease, among others.

Lee focused on the need for low fat food and fiber.

In the video segment shown in the class, Dr. Neal Barnard, president and founder of The Cancer Project, said that research has shown that people who eat more fat tend to get more cancer because fat changes a person's biochemistry. It creates the production of more estrogen in women and more testosterone in men, which in turn drives up the risk of cancer.

Switching from beef to chicken doesn't alter fat content as much as people might think, Barnard said, and while fish has been shown to have dietary benefits, the degree varies from fish to fish.

Some studies have shown that people can open heart arteries and lower their risk of heart disease by replacing fat with vegetables, fruits and better forms of protein, like legumes.

Lee, fixing up a fast bean salad, said it is high in fiber and protein.

"It's delicious and beautiful, too," she said.

In creating a homemade hummus, Lee noted that, when served with vegetable sticks and whole wheat pita slices, barley oats or brown rice, it would satisfy several food groups: whole grains, vegetables and legumes.

Folks cleaned their plates. Hummus can also replace high-fat dressings on sandwiches, Lee said.

Use some in a pita containing brussel sprouts, leaf lettuce and carrots, she suggested.

It's currently recommended that people take in 30 to 40 grams of fiber each day.

Fiber helps to move things through the system, including toxins, estrogen and testosterone.

In addition, every 14 grams of fiber cuts calorie intake by 10 percent, according to Barnard.

The typical bowl of breakfast cereal - except for those that contain an isolated grain, like All Bran which contains 20 grams of fiber - on average, contains about 3 grams. A serving of Cheerios, for example, contains 3 grams of fiber; Fruit Loops, .6 grams.

Most whole grain breads contain an average of 2 grams of fiber per slice; a slice of white bread has less than 1 gram.

Fruits, on average, contain 3 grams and vegetables, about 4 grams per cup. Vegetables, like broccoli, can also be a good source of protein and calcium as well as fiber, Lee said.

Beans are also a good source of calcium. Black beans contain about 7.5 grams of fiber per half-cup.

Meanwhile, beef, chicken breast, halibut and egg whites contain no fiber.

But the key is to get all that healthy stuff into your diet, making it palatable while also having a tasty variety of dishes.

A woman in the group who proclaimed her dislike of chick peas, really liked the hummus.

Stirring up a stir fry, sans oil, Lee threw in tofu and broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, green beans, carrots and more. She used a vegetable paste bouillon and fresh ginger to season. It could be served over brown rice, cous cous or millet.

"What if you don't like tofu?" asked a participant.

Chick peas can be one variation, Lee responded.

She topped off the session with a chocolate mousse, made with silken tofu.

SUSAN LaHOUD can be reached at 508-236-0398 or at slahoud@thesunchronicle.com.

Here is a sampling of Cancer Project recipes prepared during a recent cooking class.

Easy Bean Salad

(Serves 10)

1/2 cup low-fat Italian dressing

1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 10 oz. frozen pkg. lima beans, thawed completely

1 c. frozen corn, thawed completely

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Toss all ingredients together. Serve cold or at room temperature. May be covered and stored in a refrigerator for several days.

Hummus

(Makes about 2 cups)

1 cup garbanzo beans

2 Tablespoons tahini (sesame butter)

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 scallions, chopped

1 Tablespoon chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon c. roasted red peppers (optional)

Drain garbanzo beans, reserving the liquid from the can, and rinse the beans. Place all ingredients except reserved bean liquid in food processor and process until smooth. Add reserved bean liquid as needed for a smoother consistency.

Serve with vegetable sticks or whole wheat pita bread.

Chocolate Mousse or Mousse Pie

(Serves 8)

1 cup semi-sweet, non-dairy chocolate chips

1/2 cup soy or other non-dairy milk

1 package Mori-Nu silken tofu (firm or extra firm)

1/3 cup sweetener of your choice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the chocolate and non-dairy milk in a microwave-safe bowl or double boiler and met, using gentle heat and stirring often. Remove from heat. Crumble tofu in a blender or food processor. Add melted chocolate and non-dairy milk, sweetener and vanilla extract. Process until completely smooth, pausing the blender or food processor to scrape down the sides and under the blade as necessary.

Chill the mixture in serving bowls or, if desired, a graham cracker or cookie crust, for at least one hour before serving. Garnish with fruit.

Variation: add a chopped banana to the food processor when you process the tofu and chocolate together.

 

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