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Nutrition

Sources:  Concord Hospital/Center for Health Promotion and USDA Nutrient Database (see Recipes for link to the Database) and extension services fact sheets.  See Greens Nutrients for more comparisons of greens.

Did you know that:

  • Fruits and vegetables with red, orange, and yellow pigments can boost immune response, because they are high in carotenoids.  That even includes watermelon.
  • A cup of spinach or kale contains almost double the daily requirements for Vitamin A than most vegetables?
  • Following the Mayo Clinic Step II diet can reduce cholesterol levels by up to 30%. 
  • People with low-cholesterol, low-fat diets and a healthy lifestyle (no smoking, not overweight, adequate exercise) have a lower incidence of cancer.  (American Institute for Cancer Research, World Cancer Research Fund)  Low fat diets are also linked to other diseases -- diabetes, intestinal disorders, and immunological deficiencies.
  • You would have to eat almost 2 3-oz. tenderloin steaks to get the equivalent protein value in 1/2 filet of salmon.  The salmon would have about 1/3 less the amount of fatty acids, and most of it is polyunsaturated, healthy omega-3 fats,   related to the low incidence of cholesterol and triglycerides in eskimos, whose diets comprise primarily fish and seafood.
    • One regular hamburger equals 8 hot dogs in fat content, but contains less cholesterol than a lean hamburger of the same weight.   Compare fast-food hamburgers with lean, pan-fried hamburgers, and you will find they have less cholesterol but more saturated fat.
    • Chicken breasts may have less fat than a lean cut of beef, but they contain close to twice the amount of cholesterol.   

    Unless otherwise indicated, most of the portions in this chart are 3 oz in weight, equal to about 85 grams.

    Item Calories Total Fat (grams) Sat. Fat (grams) Cholest.
    (mg)    		 >Fiber Vitamin A Calcium Folates
    Hamburger, extra lean** 255 16 7 65 0 0 6 7
    Hamburger, regular 286 20 8 77 0 0 9 7
    Hot dog, 97% fat free 55 2 1 15-28 -- -- -- --
    McDon.French fries, large 470 19 4 -- n.a. n.a. n.a n.a.
    French fries, frozen, prepared in oven 100 4 .6 -- 1.6 0 4 6
    chicken breast, 3 oz, roasted 231 4 1 119 0 29 21 6
    beef tenderloin, 3oz, roasted 230* 15 6 73 0 0 7 5
    beef, eye of round, 3oz.  roasted 205 11 5 61 0 0 5 5
    beef top sirloin, 3 oz, roasted 202 9 3 84 0 0 9 9
    pork tenderloin, 3 oz, roasted 139 4 1 67 0 6 5 5
    pork, boneless loin chops, 3 oz, braised 179 9 3 60 0 5 2 3
    tuna in water, 1 cp 334* 1.3 .4 72 0 324 11 6
    haddock, 1 filet, 150 g 168* 1.4 .3 111 0 95 63 20
    salmon, 1/2 filet, 155g 335 17 3 135 0 333 11 8
    soybeans,boiled,1 cp 297* 15 2 0 10 15 175 93
    kidney beans, cooked,1 cp 225* .9 .8 13 0 50 229
    salmon,Atlantic,cooked,dry heat, 3 oz 154* 11 2 60 0 43 13 29
    spinach,fresh,boiled 41* .4 4 14742 245 262
    kale,fresh,boiled 36 .5 3 9620 94 17
    collards,fresh,boiled 49 .7 5 5945 226 177

    ** Labeled in stores as "Not more than 10% Fat"

    * kilocalories:  The scientific definition of a kilocalorie is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water one degree Celsius from 15° to 16° at one atmosphere. The true calorie, sometimes referred to as a "small calorie," is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius from 15° to 16° at one atmosphere. A kilocalorie is equal to 1000 calories. (USDA Nutrient Database)