The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended against taking vitamin E and beta carotene supplements for prevention of cancer or heart disease. The task force said the supplements don’t help prevent the disease and have the potential to be harmful.
It’s best to get vitamin E and beta carotene from foods, along with a wide variety of other nutrients. Here are two recipes and videos to get you started.
Cracked wheat chili contains olive oil, which is a good source of vitamin E. And whole-wheat pumpkin pancakes provide beta carotene.
CRACKED WHEAT CHILI
Serves 12
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
6 cloves minced garlic
4 cups water
1½ cups dry bulgur wheat
1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
1 can (14½ ounces) diced tomatoes
1½ tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
In a medium soup pot, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell peppers and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the water, bulgur, kidney beans, black beans, tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil for about 10 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly as the water is absorbed into the bulgur.
Nutritional information per 1½ cups: 158 calories; 2 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g transfat; 1 g monounsaturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 492 mg sodium; 30 g total carbohydrate; 9 g dietary fiber; 3 g total sugars; 7 g protein.
WHOLE WHEAT PUMPKIN PANCAKES
Serves 10
1 cup Greek fat-free plain yogurt
1 cup water
3 eggs
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons sucralose
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, water, eggs, pumpkin, oil and vanilla. In another medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, sucralose, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until well-incorporated.
Heat a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and lightly coat the pan with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan. Cook the pancake for approximately 2 minutes or until the top surface is bubbly and the edges are slightly brown. Flip the pancake using a spatula and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat this process until all of the pancake batter is used.
Nutritional information per serving size 8 ounces: 167 calories; 5 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 0 g transfat; 2 g monounsaturated fat; 56 mg cholesterol; 432 mg sodium; 27 g total carbohydrate; 4 g dietary fiber; 7 g total sugars; 6 g protein.
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