"What Does the Dietitian Order?" @ Brixx Wood Fired Pizza

Reviewed on March 23, 2011

Received 4 of 5 Forks

Brixx Wood Fired Pizza is a neighborhood restaurant with 2 Knoxville locations (Kingston Pike and Turkey Creek). The dining atmosphere provides an excellent ambience for catching up with friends, celebrations, or grabbing a quick bite to eat. Making full use of their wood-fired oven, Brixx bakes fresh focaccia bread daily for their sandwiches and bakes their handcrafted pizzas to perfection. Additionally, the menu offers a variety of pastas and fresh salads using locally grown produce wherever and whenever possible. The menu is flexible and easy to follow, especially if you’re looking for healthy options such as:

• Non-fried appetizers
• Healthy sides: pasta salad, bean salad, chips, or fresh fruit
• Wood fired pizzas with whole-milk mozzarella unless otherwise noted
• Traditional or whole wheat crust available, or gluten-free crust for $2 extra
• Wood-fired pizzas are brushed with either olive oil or more traditional marinara sauce
• Add extra pizza toppings at no additional charge

Be creative when ordering your pizza! I recommend ordering the Wood-roasted Vegetable Pizza with whole wheat crust, extra basil, pineapples, and artichoke hearts. Meat lovers can’t go wrong with the spicy, Jamaican-style Jerk Chicken Pizza.  This is a great place to dine if you are budgeting your food dollars. Invite some friends and order a few pizzas along with some wine or beer and split the cost!  If you find your appetite lacking, take advantage of the drink specials, and grab the bruschetta appetizer to wind down.

Brixx received 4 out of 5 forks rating because they provide non-fried appetizers, provide nutrition information on-line, and will modify menu options for no additional charge.   To note, Brixx recycles discarded materials whenever possible, which warrants extra bonus points!

References:
http://www.brixxpizza.com/

Reviewed by:
UT Dietetic Intern

What's the deal with Organic Foods?

Before the 1900s, all farming practices were considered organic. It wasn’t until the 1960s and 1970s that the term “organic” started being used as a separate entity to the “normal” foods we were buying. Soon after this labeling hit the stores, the interest in and popularity of organic foods blossomed. Although multitudes of meats, fruits and vegetables started being labeled organic, they were not being held to any standards verifying their authenticity. In 1990, the USDA took control and the Organic Foods Protection Act (OFPA) was passed. OFPA, passed as a part of the 1990 Farm Bill, developed national standards for organically produced agricultural products to assure consumers that products marketed as organic met consistent, uniform standards. The USDA is the agency responsible for regulating these standards. If meat, poultry, eggs or dairy products are labeled organic, they must come from animals given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic produce must be raised without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Although almost every fruit, vegetable, or fresh meat cut can be found organic, some are more important to buy organic than others. The Environmental Working Group, an organization consisting of scientists, researchers and policymakers, develops two lists each year; The Dirty Dozen and The Clean 15 (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/health/the-dirty-dozen-and-clean-15-of-produce/616/). The Dirty Dozen lists the fruits and vegetables you should always try to buy organic. Celery, peaches, strawberries, and apples top this list almost every year. The Clean 15 list outlines the produce that is acceptable to buy non-organic. These items usually have a thick peel or covering which prevents pesticides and chemicals from penetrating the fruit or vegetable inside. You can find onions, pineapples, avocados, and papayas on this list. Organic foods help in the preservation and conservation of the natural environment. They support biodiversity of plant and crop species, and can be more nutritious. Visit your local farmer’s market for the freshest selection of organically raised produce. Or, plant your own garden filled with all your favorite fruits and vegetables for an even closer to home organic collection!  Submitted by: Alice Jablonski, BS Nutrition 3997 Midland Ave Knoxville, TN 37919 alicejablonski@gmail.com

Preventing Childhood Obesity

 It has been noted that obesity runs in families.  It is true that genetic factors play a huge role in childhood obesity, but the interaction between environmental factors and genetics is what changes the degree of adiposity.  The build and stature of a child more often than not resembles that of their parent.  Therefore, many of the children who are obese have parents who are also obese.  All of this leads to a cycle of obese parents raising obese children.  “Genes don’t make us obese.  They allow us to be obese,” said Hill, who is the director of the Center of Human Nutrition at Colorado Health Sciences University (Ferguson).  Hill blames the American environment for the alarming rates of obesity in our society.    

Parents are the ones that can most influence the child’s eating habits by modeling a healthy diet.  This also goes for exercise; if children see their parents exercising, then they are also going to want to exercise.  Feelings about food and eating are created within the home.  If it is within the home that children are developing these poor eating habits, than it is within the home that we need to try to make the changes.  Parenting habits can be challenging and difficult to change directly.  However, adaptations can be made slowly if enough emphasis is provided by family and others.  

Parents need to promote healthy eating behaviors for children at an early age and allow them to learn to control their own eating patterns while they are young and have boundaries.  There is such a thing as being over controlling and this can cause undesired effects in a child.  This can cause children to become self-conscious about their weight, which can lead to eating disorders.  By enforcing good eating habits and reflecting those daily, parents can easily raise health conscious children who will grow to be healthy adults.    

Submitted by: 

Kristen Jackson Slusher, MS,RD, LDN
Clinical Nutrition Specialist
East Tennessee Children's Hospital
P.O.Box 15010 / 2018 Clinch Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37916
Phone:865-541-8395 / Fax:865-541-8681
E-mail:  kjslusher@etch.com

"What Does the Dietitian Order?" @ O'Charley's

Reviewed on March 29, 2011

4 out of 5 Forks

My husband and I were looking for a quick lunch without doing fast food and decided on O'Charley's since we hadn't been there in awhile. We were seated quickly and service was good, but keep in mind we were also early birds, eating around 11:30am. In fact, no one else was there except one other party and two people at the bar. Despite that, my husbands soup and main entree came to the table within seconds of one another (not that he minded, he said it made a great combo!) My husband ordered the Prime Rib Pasta and asked for several deletions and one addition to the dish--the server was happy to accomodate him and it was served just right! They were able to substitute broccoli for the asparagus and delete the bacon and alredo sauce to make it a more healthy dish. I ordered the California Shrimp Salad with dressing on the side so that I can control the amount. The salad was fresh and delicious....except....to a low-salt fanatic! The shrimp was grilled nicely, just very salty. If I were to order again, I would ask for no seasoning on the grilled shrimp. Overall, we enjoyed our experience and would recommend O'Charley's, they have a nice entree salad and non-fried fish variety. 

O'Charley's received 4 out 5 Forks because non-fried appetizers are not available. O'Charley's has multiple locations throughout Knoxville and provides both dine-in and carry out meal options to patrons.

Italian Bean & Tomato Salad

This is a great summer recipe for a bean salad, and it is super easy to make! It is always a crowd favorite, and usually the entire dish is eaten. I also like to add a chopped green or red pepper to add extra flavor!

What you will need:
2 cans (15oz each) white beans, rinsed
2 cups cut fresh green beans
6 plum tomatoes (1lb), chopped
½ cup light Italian dressing
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Combine beans, tomatoes & dressing. Refrigerate one hour. Top with basil & cheese before serving.

Servings: 6, 1 cup servings.

200 calories, 31g Carbohydrate, 12g Protein, 8g Fiber per 1 cup serving. 

Submitted by: 

Hailey Jones, SUNY Dietetic Intern