European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 15, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Up of b i a j 1 a -1a a i a. A i a a a a up "1 <3 or h 4v my s Fly a lilt Al a it it. Til food replacing Home cooked meals a by Luke Britt staff writer a u s. Troops won the War in the Gulf but. Their spouses Back Home May be losing the Battle of Good nutrition. I that s the fear of military dietitians in Europe who warn that a steady intake of fast food could cause harm that will be Felt Long after desert storm becomes a chapter in military textbooks. Quot people Are running the Home for two people and think they done to have time to make Good meals. So they feed their children and themselves stuff they can pick up or can make in a hurry Quot said capt. Nancy Pekar a dietitian with the ,97th Genera Hospital in Frankfurt Germany. Quot but a lot of this stuff is not . Nutrition experts began noticing the trend a few weeks after Large numbers of Europe based soldiers deployed to the Middle East. Dietitians were told of families purchasing Large amounts of Quot to dinner Type Quot foods while Hospital physicians began hearing patients talk of. Not having enough time to. Make Quot Normal Quot meals for their families. A a a a Quot a a a Quot a a Quot and i heard my own friends talk about How their eating habits changed when their husbands deployed Quot said sue Walker a civilian dietitian at the Frankfurt Hospital. Research found that Many people believed they did not have Lime to Cook after taking on the responsibilities. Normally carried by two parents. Others the dietitians said lost the motivation to Cook after  deployed a a a. Quot we All want to please our husbands and wives Quot said capt. Theresa Parsons another nutritionist at the 97th.Quot without that goal some people just stopped putting. Effort into their cooking.�?�. A. The fast food that has replaced those Home cooked. Meals is usually lacking in the nutrients necessary for a balanced diet and is High in fat cholesterol and sodium the dietitians said. Such a diet can Lead to lethargy weight gain and a lower tolerance to  Quot the Lack of proper nutrients or too much of the wrong ones will cause a person to be More tired than usual particularly in children who use so much Energy anyway Quot said dietitian 2nd it. Matthew Hegna. This shortage of Energy has a direct link to a person s ability to combat stress added Patti Kuniak a health specialist in Hanau Germany. Prolonged poor eating habits create a vicious diet stress Cycle in the body. Kuniak said. A -. A a a a a a a Quot when a body senses an increase in stress it gears up just As it would for strenuous physical activity Quot Kuniak said. Quot As it draws on Energy reserves a person Quot appetite . Quot. If people Are not eating properly they cannot fight the stress she said. Their body continues to operate in this geared up state and their appetite will remain minimal Quot All at great Cost to their emotional and physical health a Kuniak said. Quot the stress of being a single Parent or being alone is enough without weakening one s ability to . A a a a. A. A the Way to break the Cycle the experts said is to avoid the fast food temptation and find healthy meals that do not take a Long time to prepare. A there Are meals healthy meals that  made in a Short time Quot Parsons said. A casseroles pastas and salads done to take much time and Are very  a Soho prepare Spaghetti for example contains half the calories and  to dinners and Only a. Fraction of. The sodium the nutritionists said and the. A pasta alone contains no cholesterol. By contrast Many to dinners and Frozen microwave meals on commissary and Exchange shelves contain 800 calories or More 20 Grams of fat and More than 1.000 milligrams of sodium. Another Way to avoid Short changing the family on. Nutrition even when serving fast food is to choose those with fewer than 400 calories 15 Grams of fat and 8.00 milligrams of sodium. A a. Quot there Are several brands of to dinners that Are really pretty Good Quot Pekar said. Quot you just have to look for. Them Quot. A. Parsons also suggested that people prepare More than  eaten at one meal. Quot freeze what s left Oyer. And serve it at another time Quot she advised. The dietitians Are also concerned that children who  a lot of fast food in the past few months will have a hard time reverting to a Quot pre Gulf War  a Quot what happens when mom puts a. Full course meal on the table for dad and the child won t eat because it in t hot dogs and potato chips Quot Parsons asked. Children a reactions to dramatic changes in their diet could include refusal to eat crying or anger directed at either Parent the dietitians said. A. Quot. Parents who realize they have Given in to the. Temptations of fast food should begin to slowly return the. Family to a Normal diet the dietitians said. Parents should also talk to their children to make sure they understand. The importance of a healthy diet. A eating is a very important part of life especially in a family Quot Pekar said. Quot it  a time to talk and work things out. It should not add to the . S4s gut Schuttler March is National nutrition month but nutrition experts from left sue Walker Nancy Pekar and Theresa Parsons stress the a importance of healthy eating Alt the time. A. A a a a a is amps gut Schu Tafler staff  Wells who is in the Gulf Region  worry about his family s eating habits while he a away. His wife Patricia gets help from their children from left Amanda Darold and Latoya in preparing nutritious tacos made from lean ground beef with crispy lettuce and fresh tomatoes easy recipes for healthy eating a using modern equipment such As microwaves and. , can Cut Ovyn on Kitchen time. Too Many Cooks use the microwave Only for warming leftovers or preparing Frozen vegetables. An entire meal  made in the microwave in Only minutes. Another real advantage to microwave cookery is that it preserves More vitamins  the Vitamin c in Broccoli. The following recipe. Can be made in Only minutes in the microwave and tastes. Great. Spiced pork casserole 2 Tablespoons Oil 1 Pound pork fillet a Teaspoon numeric 1 onion finely sliced 1a Teaspoon coriander 1a Teaspoon allspice 2 Tablespoons flour 1 cup Chicken Stock juice and grated Rind of 1 Orange Salt and Pepper. 8 dried apricots 4 Tablespoons raisins. Heat a Browning dish according to manufacturer s directions when hot add half the Oil and quickly Brown the pork on All sides. Place the onion in a Large bowl or casserole with the remaining Oil cover loosely and Cook  Power in the microwave for three minutes. Stir in the spices and. The flour and then add the Stock. A Orange juice and Rind and cover the bowl Cook on full Power for a further three minutes. Stir Well and add the a contents of the Browning dish Salt Pepper and the dried fruit / a a. Cook uncovered on full Power for 10-15 minutes. Stirring several times during cooking adjust the seasoning and allow to Cool completely this . -. Made ahead and Frozen Tor up to two months. Pasta dishes  another time Saver. They . Made ahead then reheated at serving time and they done to have to be fattening. It s the heavy Rich Cream a Quot sauces and cheese that pile on the calories. A cup of cooked Macaroni Spaghetti or noodles contains Only a Trace of fat or cholesterol and Only about 210 calories. There seven a Way to Cut calories in sauces substitute Low fat sour Cream or Yogurt for regular sour Cream and skim milk for whole milk. Here Are recipes for two nutritious easy to prepare pasta dishes. Tuna Linguine Parmesan vegetable cooking Spray 1 cup pre sliced fresh mushrooms u cup Low fat sour Cream 2 Tablespoons water 14 Teaspoon Salt vib Teaspoon garlic powder 1 e Teaspoon Pepper 4 cups hot cooked Linguine cooked without Salt or fat 1 6vi of can chunk White tuna in. Water drained 2 Tablespoons diced Pimento 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 1 Teaspoon chopped fresh Parsley coat a nonstick Skillon with cooking Spray place Over medium High heat until hot add mushrooms Saulo two minutes remove from heat and Cool stir in sour Cream and next four ingredients add pasta. Tuna and Pimento loss Sprinkle with cheese and Parsley a a yield Lour Servings about 278 calories per 1 cup serving from fit a healthy lunch into your Rojy. Cooking Light a pasta Primavera 8 ounces dry pasta twists. About 4 cups cooked 4 cups Broccoli part sliced stems and part florets 2 cups sliced carrots 1 cup sliced Green Pepper 4 cups mushroom halves 4 Teaspoons Margarine 2 Tablespoons flour 2 cups skim milk 2 Teaspoons minced garlic 1/2 Teaspoon Salt. 1/t Teaspoon Black Pepper Viz cup grated Parmesan cheese boil pasta in 3 quarts water until at Dent louder but. Still firm Drain and keep covered in  vegetables in stages Broccoli a oms and. Carrots for four minutes next Broccoli la diets and Green Poppers for three minutes then mushrooms for two a  in a Small Saucepan Over medium heat Combine Margarine and flour gradually add milk stirring a constantly to avoid lumps stir in garlic Salt and Pepper heat gently and keep stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Add cheese stirring until smooth Combine vege Pablos. And cheese sauce with pasta and serve yield four Servings about 444 calories per 1 cup. Serving from a predilection for pasta the Tufts University diet and nutrition letter 60 minute gourmet by Pierre Franey new York times h Omey is the buzzword in american. Cooking today. Everywhere i go in the United states restaurant menus Are Replete with the. Kind  i have always considered simple Home fare , , mashed potatoes tripe calf s liver and More. Certain dishes from the american cooking vernacular. Have child Appeal too. What child does t love Spaghetti and meatballs hot dogs hamburgers quivery puddings or cakes made from a mix. Another dish that most children go for in a big Way is Macaroni casserole sometimes made with just cheese sometimes with meat. A casserole of this kind does net. Have to taste As if it rolled out of a Hospital Kitchen it s All in the seasonings. \ this casserole begins with sauteed onions celery a Green peppers and garlic. The ground meat is added then the oregano Basil fresh if possible and tomatoes Cheddar cheese try to find a Good Sharp one is added along with Cayenne and Nutmeg. A Little sprinkling of Parmesan at the last minute before the casserole is under the broiler adds a Nice final touch. This High starch main course Calls for a Crunchy salad like Green bean and red peppers with cumin Vinaigrette the red Pepper is charred under the broiler or Over a Gas flame to give it a delightful Smoky flavor. Macaroni and beef casserole 2 quarts water Salt to taste 1 i cups Elbow Macaroni 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil 1 cup chopped onions Vuk cup chopped celery % cup chopped Green Pepper 2 Teaspoons finely chopped garlic 1 Pound lean ground beef Chuck or round Steak freshly ground Pepper to taste 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 Teaspoon dried 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Basil or italian Parsley i cup canned crushed tomatoes 2 Tablespoons butter 2 Tablespoons flour 2 cups milk 2 cups cubed or shredded Cheddar cheese Cayenne Pepper to taste a Teaspoon freshly grated Nutmeg 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese. Bring the water with Salt to a boil. Add the Macaroni stir and simmer until tender about five minutes. Do not overcook Drain and rinse under cold water in a Skillet heat the Oil and add the onions celery Green Pepper and garlic. Cook stirring until wilted. Add the meat Salt to taste and Pepper Cook stirring until the meat loses its fed color. Add the oregano Basil or Parsley and tomatoes Cook stirring for five minutes add the cooked Macaroni. Blend Well and set aside. Keep warm. Preheat the broiler to High. 1 meanwhile melt the butter in a Saucepan and stir in the Quot flour with a wire whisk until Well blended. Add the milk stirring rapidly and bring to a simmer Cook stirring for about five minutes. Quot a a a remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese Cayenne Nutmeg and More Salt and Pepper to taste. Stir until the cheese melts preheat broiler. A Quot. Spoon the Macaroni mixture into a baking dish measuring 7 by 10 by 2inches. Pour the cheese sauce evenly Over the Macaroni mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and place under the broiler until it is hot bubbling and lightly browned. Yield four Servings. Green bean and red Pepper salad 1 Pound Green Beans 1 medium size Sweet red Bell Pepper i cup finely chopped red onion 2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar 1/4 Teaspoon ground cumin Salt and freshly ground Pepper to taste a cup Olive or vegetable Oil. Trim the ends off the Beans. Remove the strings if any bring to a boil enough water to cover the Beans. Add the bean amp and when the water returns to a boil Cook until tender about eight minutes do not overcook Drain Well and put in a salad bowl. Preheat broiler. Place the Pepper under the broiler and Cook it. On All sides until the entire skin is Well charred. When Cool enough to handle split it in halt remove and discard the seeds and veins put Oft the charred skin and Cut the Pepper into strips about a Inch wide add them to the Beans add the omon. Place the Mustard vinegar cumin sail and Pepper in a Small mixing bowl Start stirring with a wire whisk and gradually add the Oil. Blend Well. Add the dressing to the bean mixture stir and blend Well. Yield four Servings. Page 14 the stars and stripes Friday. March 15, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 15