This article was brought to my attention this week from the American Chronicle website.

Some notable points from the article:


"Smithfield Foods, the world´s largest pork producer, says its hog-raising costs have increased more than 20 percent in the past year, largely because of the high cost of feed. Meat-eaters can expect to foot the bill by paying higher pork prices."


"Some of the most versatile vegan foods—including beans, rice, vegetables, soy products and pasta—cost relatively little compared to animal products."


"According to a 2007 MSN MoneyCentral article, the cheapest cuts of beef, such as ground round, average $3 per pound; boneless chicken breasts cost $3.40 a pound; and canned tuna costs around $2 per pound. In comparison, dried beans and lentils cost less than $1 a pound, and rice is cheaper than $1 a pound. Tofu usually costs less than $2 per pound."


Sometimes eating vegan can be more expensive, if you are used to shelling out a buck for a McDonald's double cheeseburger and calling that a "meal".  But a home-cooked, vegetarian meal made from fresh, organic produce is healthier by far, and will save on your medical bills in the long-run! 



One of our favorite meals that is extremely inexpensive is sloppy joes.  We buy the Fantastic Foods brand box mix ($1.99), add oil, water, and tomato paste, and VOILA, you have dinner!  Place on a bun ($.60 at the bread outlet) with a slice of onion or tomato (free from your organic garden, a buck from the store), and you've got dinner for about three or four bucks!  If you're feeling spendy, add a can of baked beans on the side. 

Making homemade seitan always seemed daunting to me, so I always forked over $8.00/lb for the stuff frozen from the local co-op.  But I heard so many rave reviews of the Seitan O Greatness recipe that is posted on The PPK that I figured I might as well give it a shot.

The results were fabulous, and the process was so quick and easy (my two favorite words in the kitchen!).  You mix a few ingredients together, form it into a log, wrap in aluminum foil, and BAKE! 

If your sweet tooth is acting up and you need a dose of something creamy and really dessert like, here's a great, tasty and yet high fiber dessert option.  Each serving has (1/8 of the pie): 180 calories, 10g fat, 180mg sodium, 24g carbs, 7g fiber, 7g sugars, 5g protein.  That's four Weight Watchers points!  Cheers!

Ingredients:

Crust:
2 cups Fiber One® original bran cereal
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:
2 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
4 oz (half 8-oz package) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
3 containers (6 oz each) Yoplait® Light Thick & Creamy Key Lime Pie yogurt
1/2 cup thawed reduced-fat whipped topping
2 teaspoons grated lime peel

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place cereal in resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag and finely crush with rolling pin or meat mallet until cereal looks like graham cracker crumbs (or finely crush in food processor).

2. In medium bowl, mix crust ingredients until blended. Press crust mixture evenly and firmly in bottom and up sides of 9-inch glass pie plate. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until firm. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

3. In 1-quart saucepan, mix water and lime juice. Sprinkle gelatin on lime juice mixture; let stand 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved. Cool slightly, about 2 minutes.

4. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add yogurt and lime juice mixture; beat on low speed until well blended. Fold in whipped topping and lime peel. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Weekends are a great chance to relax and catch up on errands and household chores.  Sometimes that means grabbing a bite to eat at a local restaurant.  Although I live in a large city, there are no vegetarian or vegan restaurants currently, so we do not eat out much. 

Fortunately, when we do get the urge for someone else to cook our meal for us, a trip to Flat Top Grill is perfect.  You choose exactly which ingredients go into your stir fry, and they offer several mock-meat options, as well as tofu upon request. 

If you have never been, I encourage you to find one near you and go tonight!  You start off with rice or noodles.  Then you pile on the veggies of your choice.  I like spinach, broccoli, bean sprouts, carrots, edamame, and mushrooms.   This is also where you will find the mock-meats (seitan, veat, tempeh, etc.). 

Add a few spoonfuls of a sauce (Vegan options are clearly labeled).  Lastly, add garlic, cilantro, chopped peanuts, or other extras to your bowl.  Add a special stick for tofu, or roti prata bread, and a white (vegetarian/allergy) stick as well to have your dish cooked on a separate grill surface (to avoid cross-contamination from other people's stir fries). 

A few minutes later, your stir fry is brought to your table, piping hot and exactly as you wanted it!  (With no hidden ingredients.)

* As you can see, I didn't do much cooking this weekend (veggie burgers on Friday, and bean burritos on Sunday...).  We are planning to try a new dish or two this week, if life allows me the time to get to the grocery store!

Speaking of dairy...

And school lunches...


The last time I let my son buy a hot lunch at school I had to send him with his own drink.  His school only offers milk (white, chocolate, or strawberry) as a beverage option.  In fact, this is not unique, as the USDA mandates that milk be apart of each child's lunch.  According to Jean Daniel, USDA's public affairs director for food and nutrition, "Milk must be served with school lunch, according to USDA regulations.  If not, it's not considered a reimbursable meal."

Kim Tarhan, registered dietitian for a D.C. area school district, said, "We serve four kinds of cow milk, and if a student brings a doctor's note, they get calcium-fortified orange juice."

It takes a note from your family doctor to allow your child to NOT drink cow's milk at school!  Your or your child's personal preference holds no weight, regardless of your reasoning, be it ethical, for your child's health, or even simply a dislike of milk.

My son's teacher told him that kids need milk to build strong bones. That is a common misconception that the dairy industry has pushed on our children for years.  What our children need is CALCIUM to build strong bones, which is abundant in plant-based foods.  (Refer to my previous post for some examples.)

According to a recent article on Yahoo News, "Calcium from non-dairy food was tied to a reduced risk of non-advanced prostate cancer."

And as for dairy sources of calcium (i.e. milk), Amy Lanou, Ph.D., nutrition director for the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine said, "Besides prostate cancer, milk has been linked to asthma, anemia, juvenile-onset diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and ovarian and breast cancer."

But in the school systems, our children's health is being dictated by federal funding which is dictated by USDA policies.  If we expect our children to be healthy, we have to be proactive, either by packing them healthy lunches or by becoming activists on their behalf.  Check back to my blog regularly for healthy cold lunch suggestions.  Check out Healthy School Lunches and Two Angry Moms for suggestions on how to become activists for school hot lunches.

A few months ago I realized that my husband hadn't complained about his arthritis in quite a while.  I asked him if he had any pain recently, and he said no.  The pain stopped not long after my husband switched to a vegan diet.  I cannot say definitively if removing meat and/or dairy led to this or not, but there is compelling scientific evidence to back that possibility up.

A study was performed in Sweden on a group of people who had rheumatoid arthritis.  They went dairy-free for a period of three months.  This short time period was long enough for the arthritis patients to "obtain better physical function and increase their vitality".  

Other, older studies, have had similar results, with patients going on vegan diets and having their pain go away in a very short period of time.  And then, of course, there is my husband.  Five years of arthritis doesn't just disappear!

People often cite dairy as being good for your health.  A 2005 article on TIME Magazine's Online Edition states that, "Previous studies have shown that low-fat dairy products, as part of a diet that's rich in fruits and vegetables, also helps to reduce high blood pressure."  

Well, I'm sure that a plate of brownies every day, AS PART OF A DIET THAT'S RICH IN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, would do just as good a job at reducing high blood pressure.  Bad foods in moderation aren't going to do an enormous amount of harm if you are eating well the majority of the time.    

Sadly, the only real "health benefit" you can get from dairy products is the large amounts of calcium they contain.  And the damage that dairy can do to you (arthritis, for example) definitely overpower the calcium factor.

In fact, calcium can be found in many plant-based foods, making dairy worthless on the "health" scale.

Calcium Requirements

Teens and Adults need roughly 800 - 1,000 mg per day.  Infants and Children need 350 - 550 mg per day (depending on their exact age).

A vegan diet provides for this easily!  Most orange juice and non-dairy milk is fortified with calcium - read labels to get exact amounts (though these tend to be around 200 - 300 mg per 8 oz glass).   Blackstrap molasses has 400 mg for every 2 tablespoons you consume.  A cup of cooked broccoli has 94 mg.  A handful of almonds contains 89 mg.  

According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, calcium can be most readily obtained from "greens and beans".  "Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collards, kale, mustard greens, Swiss chard, and other greens are loaded with highly absorbable calcium...  Beans are humble foods, and you might not know that they are loaded with calcium.  There is more than 100 milligrams of calcium in a plate of baked beans."

And once you get a good dose of calcium - keep it!  Excess salt, as well as animal proteins (read: meat) tend to leach the calcium right out of your bones.  (Another good reason to eat vegan!)

As I said last time, I used to enjoy drinking strawberry milk.  I still haven't quite acquired a taste for soy milk (other than for cooking with), but I recently stumbled upon VitaSoy's flavored soy milk in Strawberry Banana flavor.  It is delicious!  No funny beany flavor to it at all.  A good non-dairy substitute!  Let me know if you've tried it, or their other variety (Chocolate Banana).  And know that you are doing your body a favor by eliminating dairy from your diet!!!

* More on the importance of eating healthy next time!

Happy New Year everyone! As I was preparing dinner for my family last night, I noticed how low fat this recipe was, so I decided to share this with you. I love to make these. It is a bit costly for the crab, $25 a pound, but it was a special occasion. It is also a bit high in cholesterol too, but this is something I only make a few times a year.



Stuffed Mushrooms with Crab. It is so simple to make.

• 1 16 oz can of Phillips Jumbo Lump Crab Meat
• 1 tbs margarine
• 1/2 cup red peppers, chopped small
• 1/2 cup green peppers, chopped small
• 1/2 cup scallions, chopped small
• 2 packages of fresh white mushrooms, large.
• 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

Saute scallions and peppers in margarine, until soft. Toss in Crab meat. Do not over mix. You don't want to break up the crab to much. Let it simmer for a few minutes so the flavors blend. I then take away from heat and elevate one side of the pan so the excess margarine runs out. Next, scoop about a tablespoon into each mushroom caps. Pour the excess margarine in the bottom of a baking dish. Place the mushrooms in the baking dish, sprinkle with cheddar cheese. If you have a favorite cheese use that. You don't have to be fussy. Bake in oven, uncovered, 350F, for about 30 minutes. If you don't like mushrooms place the mixture in single serving baking dishes and sprinkle with cheese. Tastes delicious!

According to the Nutrition Facts, on the can of crab, a serving is 2 oz or 1/3 cup. Calories per serving is 45, zero from fat. Total fat 0, Cholesterol 65mg, Sodium 220mg, Total Carbs 0, Protein 11 grams. Depending on what you add, this will change. I like to use a low fat no cholesterol margarine.  You can use a low fat cheese also. I like Cracker Barrel Cheddar Cheese made with 2% milk.

Todays menu, in my house, consists of left over Shrimp Bisque (not good for you) and our traditional Pork and Sauerkraut (better for you, more so than the bisque). Pork and Sauerkraut on New Years Day is suppose to bring you luck for the new year. This is also easy to throw together. I use sauerkraut from a bag, so much better than canned, and country style spareribs. I saute a medium sized onion in about 2 tbs of margarine, then I add a bag of kraut then the ribs, then another bag of kraut over that. I season with some pepper and let it simmer on my stove top for about 3 hours. You can cook up potatoes with this also. I leave them out. I just don't like them. I hope everyone has a healthy and wonderful 2008. Enjoy!

I wanted to tackle a problem that my own family suffers from. I have two children with a weight problem, and one close to it. Their ages range from 8 years old to 16 years old. I have one child in the middle someplace that is skinny as a rail, go figure. I myself am included in the weight problem category. I seem to be growing in ways only a balloon should. So with this blog, I intend to learn as I go and share different recipes and tips I find working for my own family. My husband asked me what did I know about this subject and I answered "NOTHING! That's the problem". Maybe we can work together, and you all can share your tips and tricks with comments. We can learn as we go, a work in progress.

I know my children will not respond to the word diet, or noticeable limitations and restrictions. So I intend to make healthy changes that might not be so noticeable. I am going to start by removing all the junk foods and goodies around here. They will still be allowed a treat here and there, like any diet suggests. I already started by buying fruits and vegetables to use as snacks for those "between meals" hunger pangs. My 8 year old is responding very well to this. He loves apples and oranges. He even likes carrots and broccoli. I do have to limit this with him also, he doesn't know when to stop. If I let him, he will eat three oranges.

I have heard so many stories about soft drinks. They say cut them out and you will lose weight quickly. My children have a  very limited amount of soft drinks in their routine already. They really enjoy water. I find if I buy the water bottles, they really like to drink it. That can be a bit costly, but I buy it by the case at Sam's Club, the Deer Park brand. It only costs about $4.88 a case of 36. I make them write their name on the bottle too. That way there is less waste.

I try not to say anything negative about their weight. I know it's a problem and so do they. They don't need to be insulted or made to feel bad about themselves. I just say things like, "Mommy is trying something new." or "Here, have some fruit instead." When the weather gets a little bit nicer, I will suggest going for a family walk or a bike ride. I can even take them bowling for some fun exercise. They wouldn't even have a clue it was good for them.


The importance of eating healthy is my main goal. I am going to record our weights and see what kind of difference this will make for all of us. I know it will be hard for me because I know what I am up to. The kids won't have a clue. My husband is a meat and potato kind of guy, carb city. I see I will be having to make two different meals everyday. He doesn't like change to much. It will be an accomplishment if I can get him to eat healthier too. This year, for Christmas, I hardly even baked. I wanted to make the transition easier next week. I myself love all the goodies that come with this time of year. I also hate to waste, so I tend to eat everything until it is gone.

I am going to begin by researching some diets and nutritional information. I will definitely stay away from the fads. I know this is going to be an awesome adventure with great results. Maybe I will even post some pictures of our progress. Have a wonderful and Healthy New Year!

I spend a lot of time each week planning and preparing my son's school lunches.  He has the cutest Laptop Lunchbox that has adorable little compartments that encourage me to include a variety of tasty items for him each day.  I have to laugh when people ask us if eating vegan is boring, since our food choices are "limited".  I would bet money that my son eats the most un-boring lunches of any kid in his school!

For his "entree", I alternate between PB&J, pita bread triangles with hummus, crackers with almond butter, and "mock meat" sandwiches with Rice cheese and mustard.  

In the large, lidded compartment (if it doesn't contain hummus or almond butter), I usually include applesauce, banana rice pudding, or soy yogurt.

In one of the smaller compartments, I usually put fresh fruit or veggies.  The most common ones are grapes, raspberries, kiwi, raisins, and carrots sticks with a side of dairy-free ranch.  


And finally, he gets a dessert.  When they go on sale, I stock up on fruit leathers (Stretch Island and Fruitabu).  I also try to have a few Organic Dark Chocolate Bug Bites on hand each week.  Sometimes I put in a homemade raspberry muffin or a Fauxstess Cupcake (shown here, Halloween-style!).

For a drink, he gets apple juice, soy milk, or sometimes a juice box of Kidz Dream Orange Cream Smoothie (flavored soy milk).

Granted, I don't go to school with my son to compare his lunch to the other kiddos'.  But I remember growing up taking a brown paper sack to school with a Carl Budding sandwich, a baggie of chips, and a stale-tasting Little Debbie.  Every day.  

My son is eating healthier food and getting a lot more enjoyment out of school lunch time than I ever did!  

* My next few posts will focus on the importance of healthy eating.  This goes for adults and kids!

I'm dabbling a bit into finding out why to eat organic and what to eat organic. In my searching, I ran across Kids Organics that had an article listing some of the top foods that you should make a priority to eat organic. Let me tell you, my eyes have been opened! And that made me want to share with you some of the foods on their list:

1.  Baby Food -- very young children are extremely susceptible to pesticides. Some organic baby food brands are Earth's Best and Tender Harvest. You could also make your own -- keep your eyes peeled for a future blog about that particular topic!
2.  Milk -- today's milk is loaded with antibiotics and growth hormones. Make sure your milk and other dairy is from organically-fed cows without the extra rBST, rBGH and antibiotics.
3.  Soybeans -- Most soybean in the USA is genetically-modified. Why the fuss over modified soy? The herbicide Round-Up Ready has been spliced into the soybean plant DNA. That means you can never wash that herbicide off because it's "permanently embedded".
4.  Bananas -- because of the short window of ripeness and long distances they have to travel to the store, these fruits are loaded with pesticides.
5.  Green Beans -- Over 60 different pesticides are used on green beans.
6.  Peaches -- peaches often have the highest rates of illegally-applied pesticides.
7.  Rice -- domestic rice is "splattered" with chemicals.
8.  Corn -- not usually considered wrought with pesticides, but if you take into consideration that 75- 90% of all domestic corn has been genetically-modified, that the average American eats 11 pounds of it, that most cooking oils include corn oil, and that most everything is sweetened with corn syrup, then you might be more apt to consider organic corn.
9.   Potatoes -- can be laden with pesticides or genetically altered.
10. Raisins -- grapes are laden with pesticides. Raisins are concentrated grapes, therefore concentrated poisons.

With the busy holiday season upon us, and college students finishing up this semester of school, now is as good of a time as any to take advantage of healthy easy to make dinners.  While we are on the topic of potatoes, I have to remind you how simple it is to have a baked potato bar for dinner!  To simplify things further, bake the potatoes in advance and refrigerate them.  Then just zap them in the microwave on the night you have the least amount of dinner-prep time.

If you are like me and occasionally forget the details on baking a potato, don't feel foolish.  The Internet is a fabulous resource:  Howtobakeapotato.com

Once you've mastered the hard part, setting up your bar will be easy!  Just gather any toppings you and your family desire.  Here are some suggestions:

tofu sour cream
chives
salsa (my personal favorite)
diced onions
black olives
mushrooms
steamed broccoli
sausage-style veggie crumbles
Betty Crocker Bac-o's Bacon Flavor Bits
steamed broccoli (or any vegetable you like!)
ranch dressing (we use organic non dairy ranch by Organicville)
shredded vegan cheese

Everyone can assemble their potatoes to their own tastes, which should satisfy even your pickiest family member (whether that be your spouse or your toddler).

If you choose large baking potatoes, one of these will be a filling meal.  (Although you might consider dessert just in case.)

Don't be fooled by the Atkins Diet craze. Potatoes are not going to make you fat - unless you eat them in the form of fast food french fries and greasy potato chips on several occasions each week.

The average potato, which weighs in at roughly 5.3 ounces, is actually extremely nutritious! That little spud contains 45% of your daily Vitamin C requirement, 620 mg of potassium, as well as thiamin, riboflavin, folate, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, and zinc.

There is no fat whatsoever, and a mere 100 calories. (Potatoes are the ultimate low-calorie food!) And, just like all vegan foods, it also contains no cholesterol. Take THAT coronary heart disease!

I found this wealth of nutrition information at Potatoes.com, where I also learned, "Despite the popular notion, the majority of nutrients are not found in the skin, but in the potato itself." Good to know for those people MY HUSBAND who refuse to eat the skin of any type of potato.

A good potato peeler eliminates that issue quickly and easily. So, get yours ready and you are one step closer to a tasty home-cooked dinner!

POTATO SOUP

Ingredients:
5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, chopped (I use a lot less, roughly 2 - 3 Tablespoons, so feel free to adjust to your family's liking!)
1 - 3 carrots, grated (Carrots add a great color and hint of flavor to this soup - omit if you really feel you must, or if you are like me - add more!)
5 Cups water
1/2 Cup non-dairy milk (I prefer rice milk, but I have used soy milk successfully in this recipe)
1 Tablespoon margarine (Earth Balance is a great vegan margarine)
dash of salt and pepper
dash of parsley (dried works just as well as fresh)
1/2 Cup shredded Cheddar cheese (vegan cheeses can be pricey, so feel free to skip the cheese)

* Cook the potatoes, onion, and carrots in water in a covered saucepan for 45 minutes over Medium to Medium-High heat. (You want it hot, but you don't want a mess on your stove. If your soup appears watery after 45 minutes, you don't have it quite hot enough - turn the heat up and cook a bit longer.)
* Stir in the remaining ingredients, except cheese. Simmer for 15 minutes.
* Stir in cheese. Heat just long enough to warm up the cheese, stirring constantly.

This is a family favorite in our household. We sometimes top it with a handful of oyster crackers or even a scoop of tofu sour cream. Or more parsley. Or more cheese. Either way, it is a quick family dinner that practically cooks itself.

Isn't that an oxymoron? Using the words "healthy" and "desserts" in the same sentence, I mean! Desserts are one of the best things about the holidays, but the calories and fat that go with them.......not so much. So here are some great low-fat recipes that are healthy for you as well!  Happy cooking!

Pecan-Topped Pumpkin Pudding
(from Women's Health Magazine)

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs, beaten
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1 can (12 oz) 2% evaporated milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 tsp chopped pecans

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 8 half- cup ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except nuts and divide among ramekins.
3. Place dishes in a 9”x13” baking dish with enough water to cover bottom of sheet. Bake for 45 minutes.
4. Remove from oven. Sprinkle each pudding with 1 teaspoon chopped pecans. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition Information

Per half-cup serving:
173 calories
4g fat (1 g saturated)
222 mg sodium
30 g carbs
2 g fiber
6 g protein



Ginger Tea Cake
(from the Food Network)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
1/4 cup reduced-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 packed cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
Confectioners' sugar, optional

PREPARATION:

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
Line a large (4 1/2-inch by 9 1/2-inch) metal loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Sift the flour, baking soda, ginger and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk the pumpkin, buttermilk, and vanilla in another bowl.
Beat the butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the light brown sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes more. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the pumpkin mixture in 2 parts, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix briefly at medium-low speed to make a smooth batter. Turn off beaters and add the crystallized ginger. Finish folding batter--which will be thick--by hand with a rubber spatula.
Scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean and top springs back when lightly pressed, about 55 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 to 15 minutes, then invert pan to release cake onto rack to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired. Serve.


Nutrition Information
Calories 139
Fat 3 grams
Saturated Fat 2 grams
Carbohydrates 26 grams
Fiber 1 gram
Protein 2 grams


Finally, here are some more tips on enjoying holiday desserts from Healthdiscovery.net:

• Mix applesauce with mincemeat to reduce the amount of fat and serve with frozen low fat or fat free yogurt.
• Angel food cake contains little or no fat and can make a great dessert when served with fruits such as strawberries, raspberries or a fresh fruit salad.
• If making pumpkin pie – use evaporated skim milk and top with low fat or fat free ice cream or frozen yogurt. Also try our "crustless pumpkin pie"
• Try to make 'wise' dessert choices rather than deny yourself, have a smaller portion and savor every mouthful when you have choices, opt for desserts that are lower in fat and sugar. For example, if faced with a plate of cookies, you may decide to choose the sugar cookies or gingerbread cookies over shortbread cookies as they tend to be lower in fat.