Carb Solutions: Healthy Tri-Color Muscato™ Grape Salad
By Dennis Linden
Over half of the U.S. adult population, some 154 million, qualify as overweight or obese. Another 29 million of us have Diabetes, many as a direct result of being overweight. Then there are the 23.9 million overweight children dutifully following the example of their XXL adult role models. Diabetes and these extra pounds cost this country billions annually in both medical and economic resources, not to mention the effect these weight-related maladies have on a person’s overall mental well-being and happiness. However, both diabetes and being overweight are very manageable, even preventable, with a few lifestyle tweaks. By maintaining a sensible diet in conjunction with some consistent exercise, no matter how minimal, we can all be in total control of our own weight. One easy way to start taking that control is to make decisions about the foods we eat based on the glycemic index [GI] and glycemic load [GL].
Simply put, our bodies convert all foods into sugar calories that provide energy to the body via the bloodstream. The Glycemic Index assigns a score of 1 to 100 to all foods based on how quickly the body converts that food into sugar. Foods that break down slowly enable the body to assimilate these calories of energy more efficiently without overwhelming the body with more sugar than it can process. While this is especially important for people with diabetes who process sugars much slower than others, everyone can benefit from foods with low glycemic scores since they also reduce appetite and encourage the metabolism to burn body fat. Conversely, a diet of foods high on the glycemic charts has been proven to increase appetite and impede effective fat oxidation.
A QUICKIE GLYCEMIC PRIMER:
This harvest fact made it very surprising when I learned that EVERY recipe on the ‘net labeled “Fresh Grape Salad” shared three ingredients in common: grapes, of course, but also both white and brown granulated sugars! America is addicted to sweet and empty carb calories, evidenced by this obsessive compulsion to sprinkle or, as in a grape salad, measuring out cups of processed sugars even on fresh, sweet fruit. It’s nuts! (No pun intended). “It tastes like caramel apples!” was the repeated reason/excuse for the brown sugar in most of those online recipes. Putting aside the fact that caramel apples can be purchased retail and that there are two flavors of the real caramel apples offered on this site, the descriptive promise does explain the brown sugar ingredient. But what about that cup of processed white sugar—and over fresh grapes! O.K. fine, if your grapes must be sweeter than what all summer in the sun can do, here’s a low-carb way.
First, simply drop the white sugar off all grape salad ingredient lists completely. It is a quick makeover that needs no replacement, as the white sugar adds nothing to the flavor profile except candy sweetness in the form of totally high carbs and calories. Processed white sugar has been stripped of the few and tiny amounts of nutrients raw cane sugar contains, retaining just the sucrose with almost no nutritional value unless weight gain is the goal, and there are healthier foods for that! Leaving white sugar in the recipe makes it a Candied Grape Salad. The sugar that occurs naturally, like in grapes, is just fine on the metabolism. This kind of sugar comes along with fruit fiber, which slows down how quickly sugars are digested. Fruits are also packed with other beneficial vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants.
So that takes care of the cup of white sugar; just delete it. I still think grapes that taste like caramel sound great. Then, a few drops of maple exact in one cup of any number of artificial sweeteners found on the market today will do the same, less the negatives. These sweeteners are Erythritol-based. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol with a similar taste and texture to table sugars’ granulated form, though there are zero calories and no effect on blood glucose or insulin levels. In fact, the body cannot digest Erythritol, so it passes through the metabolism. Adding the maple extract instantly transforms it into a faux brown sugar look and taste alike instantly. And, yes, I will produce a caramel-tasting grape following the rest of this recipe, though a few strings are attached. “Through the metabolism” is a nice way of warning to expect lots of gas and stomach bloating from most all erythritol products; for the very sensitive, blood clotting problems have been reported if over-used. The risk and the price of the American sweet tooth that compels having to sweeten even fresh grapes artificially. Personally, I prefer to enjoy Melissa's October harvest of Tri-Color Muscatos™ grape pack, chilled, right out of the clamshell. No sugar added!
Healthy Tri-Color Muscato™ Grape Salad
Ingredients
1 clamshell Melissa’s Tri-Clor Muscatos™
1 8 oz. package fat free cream cheese, softened
1 8 oz package fat-free sour cream
4 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
1 cup Melissa’s Hatch Pecans, chopped
Faux Brown Sugar
1 cup erythritol (granulated), favorite brand
¾ teaspoon Maple extract
Preparation
Wash grapes, drain and pat dry on paper towels before using
Faux Brown Sugar: blend the 2 ingredients with a fork or a small rubber spatula, set aside.
Thoroughly blend the cream cheese, sour cream, and vanilla with mixer of choice on high for a minimum of 3 minutes.
Then carefully fold in the grapes.
Transfer into a 9 x 13-inch dish or cake pan
Sprinkle the faux sugar lightly over the entire mixture and then cover the chopped nuts.
Place in the refrigerator for about 1 hour before serving.
Simply put, our bodies convert all foods into sugar calories that provide energy to the body via the bloodstream. The Glycemic Index assigns a score of 1 to 100 to all foods based on how quickly the body converts that food into sugar. Foods that break down slowly enable the body to assimilate these calories of energy more efficiently without overwhelming the body with more sugar than it can process. While this is especially important for people with diabetes who process sugars much slower than others, everyone can benefit from foods with low glycemic scores since they also reduce appetite and encourage the metabolism to burn body fat. Conversely, a diet of foods high on the glycemic charts has been proven to increase appetite and impede effective fat oxidation.
A QUICKIE GLYCEMIC PRIMER:
- The glycemic index of a food compares its effect on blood sugar level to that of pure glucose, which has a score of 100. White breads, which are made of processed white flour, are at the top of this scale, scoring a “perfect” 100 on the glycemic index. For perspective, a score of 55 or below denotes a low glycemic index food; 70 or above is considered very high. Serving size is not a consideration in arriving at a food’s Glycemic Index number.
- The glycemic load, on the other hand, focuses on how much digestible carbohydrates (sugars) a food contains in a typical single serving, which is defined as approximately 3.5 ounces. For glycemic load, a score of 20 or more is high, while 10 or less is low.
This harvest fact made it very surprising when I learned that EVERY recipe on the ‘net labeled “Fresh Grape Salad” shared three ingredients in common: grapes, of course, but also both white and brown granulated sugars! America is addicted to sweet and empty carb calories, evidenced by this obsessive compulsion to sprinkle or, as in a grape salad, measuring out cups of processed sugars even on fresh, sweet fruit. It’s nuts! (No pun intended). “It tastes like caramel apples!” was the repeated reason/excuse for the brown sugar in most of those online recipes. Putting aside the fact that caramel apples can be purchased retail and that there are two flavors of the real caramel apples offered on this site, the descriptive promise does explain the brown sugar ingredient. But what about that cup of processed white sugar—and over fresh grapes! O.K. fine, if your grapes must be sweeter than what all summer in the sun can do, here’s a low-carb way.
First, simply drop the white sugar off all grape salad ingredient lists completely. It is a quick makeover that needs no replacement, as the white sugar adds nothing to the flavor profile except candy sweetness in the form of totally high carbs and calories. Processed white sugar has been stripped of the few and tiny amounts of nutrients raw cane sugar contains, retaining just the sucrose with almost no nutritional value unless weight gain is the goal, and there are healthier foods for that! Leaving white sugar in the recipe makes it a Candied Grape Salad. The sugar that occurs naturally, like in grapes, is just fine on the metabolism. This kind of sugar comes along with fruit fiber, which slows down how quickly sugars are digested. Fruits are also packed with other beneficial vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants.
So that takes care of the cup of white sugar; just delete it. I still think grapes that taste like caramel sound great. Then, a few drops of maple exact in one cup of any number of artificial sweeteners found on the market today will do the same, less the negatives. These sweeteners are Erythritol-based. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol with a similar taste and texture to table sugars’ granulated form, though there are zero calories and no effect on blood glucose or insulin levels. In fact, the body cannot digest Erythritol, so it passes through the metabolism. Adding the maple extract instantly transforms it into a faux brown sugar look and taste alike instantly. And, yes, I will produce a caramel-tasting grape following the rest of this recipe, though a few strings are attached. “Through the metabolism” is a nice way of warning to expect lots of gas and stomach bloating from most all erythritol products; for the very sensitive, blood clotting problems have been reported if over-used. The risk and the price of the American sweet tooth that compels having to sweeten even fresh grapes artificially. Personally, I prefer to enjoy Melissa's October harvest of Tri-Color Muscatos™ grape pack, chilled, right out of the clamshell. No sugar added!
Healthy Tri-Color Muscato™ Grape Salad
1 clamshell Melissa’s Tri-Clor Muscatos™
1 8 oz. package fat free cream cheese, softened
1 8 oz package fat-free sour cream
4 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
1 cup Melissa’s Hatch Pecans, chopped
Faux Brown Sugar
1 cup erythritol (granulated), favorite brand
¾ teaspoon Maple extract
Preparation
Transfer into a 9 x 13-inch dish or cake pan
