Austin Monthly

Thai Peanut Sauce

This sauce was a great discovery for me. I made chicken peanut sauce with snap peas the other night. I served it over coconut rice (just substitute the water for coconut milk when making the rice). It was a big hit! I can't wait to make it again.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of peanut butter
• 1/4 cup of water (may need more depending on consistency)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 cloves of garlic (minced and crushed)
  
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar

• Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over low heat. If you are make the sauce in conjunction with chicken or veggies, let them cook almost entirely before adding the sauce. Tada!

Basil Spaghetti with Broiled Tomatoes

This is a great new recipe that i made the other night. It was very simple, easy and delicious!

Ingredients:
12 ounces of spaghetti noodles
3 large beefsteak tomatoes (cut into 4 think slices)
3 table spoons of olive oil, plus more for baking sheet
8 ounces of fresh mozzarella (grated)
1/4 cup of grated parmesan, plus more for serving
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
3/4 cup torn basil leaves, plus more for serving
salt and pepper

• Heat broiler.
  
• Cook past according to package directions; drain and return to pot.
  
• Meanwhile, arrange the tomato slices in a single layer on a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan evenly on the tomato slices. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden, usually about 3 to 5 minutes.
  
• Add garlic, oil, basil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to pasta. Toss to combine. Serve with the tomatoes, additional basil and shaved parmesan.
• Enjoy!
  

Muffin Pan Tacos

MUFFIN PAN TACOS

I am so excited to make this fun recipe tonight... I can make half the tacos healthy (no cheese) and half I can make spicier and cheesier for Ryan!


Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 onion, diced
1 large jalapeno, diced
3/4 cup water
taco seasoning mix (see her site for a recipe!)
12 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese
black beans
Shredded lettuce, avocado, fat free sour cream and diced tomatoes for topping.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350f. Cook the ground hamburger thoroughly, drain and return to a clean skillet.

2. In a separate skillet, saute the diced onion and jalapeno and add it to the hamburger.

3. Blend in the seasoning and toss to coat.

4. Heat the mixture on high and add water; reduce and let simmer on med/low for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

5. Cut 4-inch diameter circles out of the flour tortillas. A standard margarita glass is about the right size for measuring and a pizza cutter gets the job done quickly. (Bake the leftovers for extra chips.)

6. Wrap tortilla circles - 3-4 at a time - in a wet paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds to soften.

7. Mold the circles into a lightly greased muffin tin.

8. Add a layer of shredded cheese in the bottom, add about 2 tablespoons of meat mixture, then top with beans and cheese.

9. Bake for 20 minutes. When they're done, just pop them out and add your favorite toppings!

In Honor of Harry Potter...

1) Everyone needs to go see the movie. It's pretty amazing.

2) Take this fun quiz!:
http://www.timidity.org/tests/sortinghat.html

I got GRYFFINDORRRR!

Pistachio Crusted Chicken w/ Dijon Pan Gravy

1) You guys are slackers on this blog.

2) I made this last night with beets and baked potatoes. It was really good!

Pistachio Crusted Chicken:
(recipe for 2 — double for 4)
1/2 cup shelled raw pistachios
1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (a pinch dried)
2 boneless chicken breast halves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot diced
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Finely grind nuts in processor. Add panko and pulse until combined. (Alternatively, you can put the nuts in a ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin). Transfer to shallow baking dish. Mix mustard and thyme leaves in a medium bowl. Spread mustard mixture over both sides of each chicken breast. Dip chicken breasts into nut mixture, coating completely. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. By the time you are done, you will be wearing mustard and pistachio mittens. This is completely okay — you needed to wash your hands after the raw chicken anyway.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to baking sheet. Or if you are using a pan that is oven-safe, just pop the whole thing in the oven.

Bake chicken until cooked through, about 7-10 minutes (chicken should be about 165 degrees). Store gently on a plate and cover with foil.

For gravy:
Return chicken pan to heat and add shallots. Sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and with a wooden spoon, work any drippings/pistachio crumbs up from the bottom of the pan. Mix in mustard and thyme and cook for about 1-2 minutes and add butter.

Transfer a chicken breast to its own plate and cover with sauce.

Street Tacos

This is probably one of my faaaavorite things to make for dinner now that we have THE EGG.

STREET TACOS

The meat: orange honey habanero marinated fajita beef


The toppings: (queso fresco, carmelized onions, tomatillo salsa, mexican crema, cilantro, cabbage, lime, avocado) - I opt outta the cheese and crema but my fatty mcfatfat boyf can't live without them.


All togetha now:

Chana Masala with Spinach

So I'm doing this whole no drinking, no meat, no dairy, no bread, no crackers thing for 1 week (maybe 2??) to reset my bod before a 4th of July wedding. I made Chana Masala with Spinach tonight and it was SO DELICIOUS. Served over brown rice. I highly suggest making this for a meatless meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas in water (also called garbanzo beans) or 1 1/2 cups precooked + 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• juice from one lemon, (approx 2 tbsp )
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
  
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 large bunch of spinach or two handfuls, rinsed

Preparation:

In a large skillet or frying pan, sautee onions and garlic in olive oil until soft, about 3-5 minutes.

Add chickpeas straight from the can, including all the water. Add spices and lemon juice, cover, and simmer about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding more water if needed, until chickpeas are cooked and soft.

Reduce heat, add spinach and cover. Allow spinach to wilt for 2-4 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Strawberry Almond Cake!

I saw this recipe on Tasty Kitchen and literally stared at it for two days straight. It looked super easy so I just had to make it. Plus, any almond flavored pastry makes my skirt fly up. Turns out, it was super easy and the end result was so delicious and so sweet. It was especially good this morning for breakfast with coffee.

For Cake:
1 c Butter
1 c Watter
2 c Flour
2 c Sugar
1 tsp Baking Soda
1-1/2 tsp Almond Extract
1/2 c Sour Cream
2 whole eggs

For Icing:
1/2 c Butter
1/4 c Milk
3-1/2 c Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Almond Extract

Cake Directions:
* Preheat oven to 375
* In a small sauce pan, bring the butter and water to boil.
* While butter/water boils, mix dry flour and sugar in a large bowl.
* Pour boiling mixture into the bowl and mix well. Add baking soda, almond extract, and sour cream. Mix well.
* Add eggs. Mix well.
* Pour batter into 9x13 pan and bake for 20-25 minutes (note: I actually had to do it for closer to 30 minutes so just keep an eye on it and make sure it's not jiggly)
* Let cool for 20-30 minutes before icing.

Icing Directions:
* In a small sauce pan, bring butter and milk to boil.
* Add remaining ingredients to a large bowl. Pour boiling mixture into the bowl and mix well.
* Pour onto the cake and let sit for 20 minutes

You can then add any sort of fruit on top. The original recipe on Tasty Kitchen just added the blueberries on top of the slice before serving. As you can see, I covered the top of the cake with strawberries and it was AMAZING. You've been warned, though - it's super sweet. I might even reduce the sugar amount next time I make it just to see what that does to the cake. I would recommend this for sure though and the cake recipe seems like a good basic cake recipe that can be easily altered. Enjoy!!

Menu for week of 6/6

Can't believe it's already June!! This year has flown by and I have a feeling the second half will go even faster- so many weddings and travels and celebrations. I love it. Below is a list of meals I plan on making. But since I leave for Cristina's graduation on Thursday (whoop!), I don't know what I'll get to:

Basil Chicken Coconut Curry
 * In this recipe, the herbs/spice list is intimidating. But what she's doing is concocting her own curry powder so swap that in for the super long list in her ingredient list.

Honey Hoisin Pork Tenderloin
 * Made this a few times and it's been a big hit! Serve with rice.

What have yall got going on this week?

Bananas Foster

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• ½ -1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup banana liqueur (can sub Triple Sec)
• 4 under-riped bananas, cut in half lengthwise, then halved
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Directions:

• Melt butter. Over low heat, stir in brown sugar, and cinnamon in a flambé pan or cast iron/deep skillet until dissolved.
• Stir in the banana liqueur, bring sauce to a simmer.
• Add bananas cooking for 1 minute on each side, carefully spooning sauce over bananas as they are cooking. (bananas should begin to soften/and caramelize)
• When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum.
• Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum.
• When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream.
• Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately.

Serves Four

Roasted Cauliflower Puree

We grilled some ribeyes last night for Taylor's birthday and he requested cauliflower puree to go with it. It's so good under grilled chicken and steak because it absorbs the meat's juice-- delicious.

I used this recipe but subbed 4 C whole milk with 3.5 C 2% milk (it was all we had) and .5 C heavy cream. It was sooo good!

Ingredients

• 2 heads cauliflower, core removed, cut into florets
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 bunch chives, minced for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. On a sheet tray, spread 1/3 of the florets with the oil, season with salt and bake until caramelized, about 25 minutes.
   
3. Meanwhile, combine remaining cauliflower, milk and half a teaspoon of salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
   
4. Bring mixture to a simmer, cover, and cook until cauliflower is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
   
5. Strain cauliflower from milk mixture, reserving both.
   
6. Transfer cauliflower to a blender.
   
7. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and butter to the blender. Add half of the reserved milk liquid. Secure top on blender and puree mixture until smooth.
   
8. If mixture is too thick, thin by adding some of the remaining liquid. Season, to taste.
   
9. Serve in a large serving bowl topped with caramelized florets and chives.

The Tres Leches

So, I did the unthinkable and I decided to tackle the Tres Leches recipe for Zoe's birthday weekend. This recipe is part of the Holy Trinity that truly made my dad successful, and ultimately put us all through college. The Holy Trinity (the Churrascos, the Tres Leches, and Plantain Chips) are the main reason people go to Cordua restaurants, and they make up over 50% of the sales.

This recipe is from Tia Patricia. She is now a principal at a school in Nicaragua. But when the first Churrascos opened in 1988, she was in the kitchen helping out as a pastry chef. So she is a pro and has bestowed her knowledge onto her daughter-in-law, Venessa, who graciously agreed to be my guide through out the entire journey! Thanks Vene!

________________________________

Not only are there three milks, and not only is the Tres Leches part of the trinity, BUT it also has three distinct parts to the process.
First! If you can get a DJ for the event, it's best. "If you're lucky... you'll have a DJ"

Okay now, gather your ingredients:

THE CAKE:
2 cups Flour (sifted)
2 cups Sugar
6 teaspoons of Baking Powder
1/2 cup of Whole Milk
6 eggs (room temp)

THE TRES LECHES:
2 cans Condensed Milk
2 cans Evaporated Milk
1 pint Whipping Cream
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 shot of Baileys (optional, but encouraged)

THE MERINGUE FROSTING:
6 Egg Whites
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Water (approximately; see notes)
____________________________________________

Recipe for the Cake:
1. Turn the oven to 375 degrees
2. In a medium bowl, mix all your dry ingredients together (the sifted flour, sugar, and baking powder)











3. Next, in your standing mixer add the 6 eggs











4. Turn the mixer on and continue until the eggs are foamy and pale yellow. Like so...











5. Little by little add your dry mix to the egg mixture. As it starts to dry up, and a little bit of milk. Repeat this process until youʼve used all the milk and dry mix.












6. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 9X12 pan.











7. Bake for about 40 minutes or until fork is clean. (Do not open oven until after 30 minutes have passed or cake will sink.) (If you are using a glass pan, it will cook much faster than when it's in a foil or aluminum)
8. After 30 minutes, you can begin testing the cake with a knife. Once it comes out clean, the cake is ready!










Recipe for the Tres Leches:
8. While the cake is in the oven, gather your ingredients for the Tres Leches











9. You may need to blend these ingredients in two batches because they may not all fit. Have a large bowl ready where you can combine both blender batches.
10. We filled the first blender with 1 can of condensed milk, 1 can of evaporated milk, half a pint of heavy cream, and the vanilla extract. Blend until mixed thoroughly. Then poured the mix into a large bowl. In the second blender, we combined the remaining ingredients (the rest of the heavy cream, 1 can of evaporated milk, 1 can of condensed milk, and a shot of Bailey's).











11. Set the milk mixture aside until the cake is ready and out of the oven.
12. While the cake is still hot, poke a bunch of holes with a fork, and begin pouring the milk mixture onto the hot cake. Keep piercing the cake as you pour. (It helps to pour the milk mixture in a pitcher-like-container or something with a spout).












13. The finished product will look a little messy. But remember the icing is beautiful, and will cover the puncture holes.











14. Set the cake aside. It needs to cool and soak up the milk.












Recipe for the Meringue:
15. The safest thing to do is to leave the cake in the fridge covered over night. And then make the icing right before you serve the cake.
16. First, get all your ingredients ready for the icing. I would recommend using fresh egg whites (not like I did).











17. Mix the 6 egg whites in your Kitchen Aid or a hand held blender. (I have neither at my house, so I got a real work out mixing those egg whites!) Mix egg whites a "punto de nieve-" It has to look thick yet fluffy like fresh ice cream. In the picture below, it's almost ready, but not quite.

* Add 1/4 teaspoon of Cream of Tartar to hold the meringue if you're not serving cake right away 











18. Meanwhile, add 1/2 cup of sugar into a small sauce pan.











19. Then, pour just enough water to cover sugar. You may not need the entire amount but do not go over 1/2 cup if it is not covered.
20. Heat in medium-low heat and stir frequently.











21. Keep testing it by dipping a fork and lifting it up in the air. Once it is, an "hilo” or string will form as you lift the fork. Then you are ready for next step. It might take a while but it is important to get the right consistency. And you need to move quickly with this next step before sugar cools.

22. Now, while the sugar is hot go back to your egg whites. Add sugar mixture a little at a time while mixing. Once it is all blended in, add a little more. Donʼt do it too fast or it wonʼt mix right but donʼt do it too slow or sugar will cool down. Keep mixing until bowl is cool.

23. Frost your cake and enjoy!!!!

*Tonight, I'll post a picture of the finished product with candles and everything*

Menu for the Week of May 24th

Tuesday: Michi's White Fish Special & Cauliflower Soup
Wednesday: Beef & Broccoli over Brown Rice
Thursday: Chicken Pot Pie
Friday: Pan Seared Chicken & Broiled Brussels Sprouts
Saturday: Zoe flies in for a visit!
Sunday: Memorial Day BBQ at Polo and Vene's!

Thank you all for your support in my career reinvention. I did really well on my post-course LSAT practice test. So that's exciting! Lots of love.

Weekly menu starting May 22

Sunday- Mussels in red curry sauce with white rice (I bought a rice cooker this wknd. BEST IDEA EVER. I already freakin' love it. No more undercooked or overcooked rice!!!)

Monday- Ryan's being cute in the kitch rollin' homemade meatballs with spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash is so fun... vegetable that looks just like noodles! Love it. I'm making a salad w/ the awesome and amazing Annie's Woodstock dressing.

Tuesday- Salmon grilled in our new BIG GREEN EGG (OMG!! OMG!!! Ryan's dad got us this and it's INCREDIBLE - we never would've been able to buy this on our own) with brown rice and the broccoli recipe!

Weds- We're having Taylor/Melissa/Taylor's bandmates who are here from LA over for a BBQ.

Thurs- Grilled orange honey habanero chicken (they have it premarinated at Central Market and it's so good) and quinoa with black beans and roasted corn.

Fri- Night out. I vote korean bbq.

Testing Testing 1-2-3!

Hellooooo! I've missed this community! We gotta get back into it because it's summer/wedding season and I am a firm believer in menu planning being a step in the right weight loss/management direction. Gotta make this short and sweet though. My computer time is limited because of this little angel ...

so I want to maximize my time as a Domestic Goddess trainee. If I needed 30 minute meals before, now I need 15 minute meals. I have come to find that one can survive on granola bars, but it's not a pretty sight. Therefore, in an effort to regain control of my life (well, eating habits at least!), I am resuming the practice of meal planning! Plus, it'll help me shed the baby weight! So without further ado, here's my menu for the next week:

Thursday: Roasted chicken breasts with tarragon and green beans
Friday: (Teeners arrives!) Turkey burgers with baked fries
Saturday: Salmon a la Loulou (with dill yogurt sauce) and couscous
Sunday: (Teeners leaves :( Sad leftovers
Monday: Sausage and bell pepper pasta bake
Tuesday: Chicken in sherry sauce with rice
Wednesday: Leftovers

I know it's kind of a random day to start menu planning, but what have you guys been cooking while I've been MIA?

BAHAHHA.... i had to post it...

26 Common Food Labels Explained

26 Common Food Labels, Explained

ALL-NATURAL / NATURAL / 100% NATURAL
What it means: In regards to beef and poultry, NATURAL means the meat appears relatively close to its natural state, and often won’t have additives or preservatives. (Note: there’s no USDA regulation for this, however.) In regards to other foods, NATURAL and ALL-NATURAL mean nothing. Absolutely nothing.
What it really means: With the exception of meat, slapping NATURAL on a label is a marketing ploy. Everything essentially derives from nature, so there’s a ton of fudging that can be done. Don’t trust it, and read the ingredient breakdown before you buy any product.

ANTIOXIDANTS
What it means: I’m leaving this one up to Woman’s Day: “For a food to be labeled as containing antioxidants, the FDA requires that the nutrients have an established Recommended Daily Intakes (RDI) as well as scientifically recognized antioxidant activity.” What? I’m not sure. But it doesn’t matter, because …
What it really means: Actually, Woman's Day has this one covered, too: “Most products already contain antioxidants and manufacturers are simply beginning to call it out due to current food and health trends.”

CAGE-FREE
What it means: Egg-laying hens don’t live in cages.
What it really means: Very little. The poultry can walk around, but they can also be fed, raised, and slaughtered like any other chicken. There’s no official regulation for this term, as far as I can tell.

CERTIFIED
What it means: Congratulations! The USDA has acknowledged that your meat is actually meat.
What it really means: The USDA gave your meat a grade and a class, and certified that it hasn’t been replaced with Folger’s crystals.

ENRICHED / FORTIFIED (Added, Extra, Plus)
What it means: A nutrient (niacin, Vitamin C, etc.) has been added to your food. Now, compared to a standard, non-fortified food, it has at least 10% more of the Daily Value of that nutrient.
What it really means: It varies. A manufacturer can add a ton of Vitamin C to orange juice, and set you up for life. Or the same guy can slip a measly 10% thiamin into a piece of bread, and it barely makes a dent. Read the label to see you’re getting the amount you want.

FREE (Without, No, Zero, Skim)
What it means: FREE has hard and fast definitions set forth by the FDA. They are:
Calorie free: Less than 5 calories per serving.
Cholesterol free: Less than 2 mg cholesterol and 2 g or less saturated fat per serving.
Fat free: Less than 0.5 g of fat per serving.
Sodium/salt free: Less than 5 mg per serving.
Sugar free: Less than 0.5 g of sugars per serving. (See SUGAR-FREE entry as well.)
What it really means: You can be pretty confident that FREE foods lack what they say they do. But be careful. Often, fat-free and calorie-free products are some of the most chemical-laden items in the supermarket (not to mention awful for most cooking purposes).

FREE-RANGE
What it means: A term usually applied to chickens, FREE-RANGE means birds have access to an outside area. That’s it.
What it really means: This is a huge part of Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Essentially, FREE-RANGE often means birds are raised on a massive factory farm, and given a tiny patch of lawn that they rarely, if ever, use. The FREE-RANGE label means virtually nothing, for eggs or roasters. Don’t buy it.

FRESH
What it means: Pretty much, FRESH food is raw food that’s never been frozen or warmed, and doesn’t have any preservatives.
What it really means: Hey! This is an actual thing! Who knew? A food labeled FRESH is regulated by the FDA, so you’re getting what you’re paying for. Nice.

GRAIN FED / GRASS FED
What it means: Grain is the primary diet of most cattle. It’s meant to produce fatter animals who grow and can be slaughtered much faster than nature allows. GRASS FED cows (while I’m not sure there’s an official designation) are generally raised entirely on pasture grass, and can’t be fed grain.
What it really means: While I’m led to believe GRASS FED cows taste better on a bun, I’m actually a little hazy on this one. Can anyone clarify? Is there a federal regulation for this term?

GUILT-FREE (Wholesome, Traditional)
What it means: Absolutely nothing.
What it really means: It’s a made-up word to make you want to buy a product. Ignore it entirely, and don’t forget to read nutrition breakdowns on the packaging. Boo.

HEALTHY
What it means: Simply, “A HEALTHY food must be low in fat and saturated fat and contain limited amounts of cholesterol and sodium. In addition, if it's a single-item food, it must provide at least 10 percent of one or more of vitamins A or C, iron, calcium, protein, or fiber.” Exemptions (and there are many) can be found here.
What it really means: Wow. As in the case with FRESH, I didn’t know this was an actual thing. I assumed it was a spurious claim made by food companies. But it’s actually very real, and leaves little open to interpretation. Nice work, FDA!

HIGH IN / GOOD SOURCE (Excellent for)
What it means: Something labeled GOOD SOURCE “means a single serving contains 10 to 19 percent of the Daily Value for a nutrient.” In regards to fiber, the food must have between 2.5 and 4.9 grams of it in every portion, but also has to be low in fat. A food labeled HIGH IN has at least 20% of the Daily Value of a nutrient.
What it really means: It is what it is. There’s little ambiguity here.

HORMONE-FREE
What it means: Nothing. The USDA says it can’t be proved.
What it really means: Pigs and chickens aren’t supposed to have hormones anyway, so be on the lookout there. For beef, it’s not possible to show hormones weren’t used, so the designation comes entirely from the manufacturer. You’re taking their word for it.

HUMANELY-RAISED
What it means: In regard to the chicken for which it’s meant, almost nothing. It’s not a federally regulated definition.
What it really means: While there’s some effort by smaller groups to get standards together, it’s not completely there yet. In the meantime, look for the Certified Humane label, which means the birds “were allowed to engage in natural behaviors,” had room to move around, had fresh water and a no-hormone/antibiotic diet, and were handled with care during their lives.

LEAN
What it means: In terms of beef, poultry, and fish, LEAN means the product has less than 10 grams of fat, fewer than 4 grams of saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving. EXTRA LEAN meats go even further than that.
What it really means: I did a lot of research on this a few months ago, and while serving sizes vary, a LEAN label is good news for dieters. Look for it, but be careful to check the sodium content while you’re at it.

LIGHT / LITE
What it means: There are two definitions: A) the food has 50% less fat than its regular equivalent, or B) the food has 33% less calories than its regular equivalent.
What it really means: The product may be a better choice than its full-fat or full-calorie version, but it’s not necessarily healthy. For example, Hellmann’s Light Mayonnaise has 4.5 grams of fat, which is 5.5 grams less than their plain ol’ mayo. But that’s per tablespoon, which, in the grand scheme of things, is still quite a lot of fat.

LOW (Little, Few, Contains a Small Amount of, Low Source of)
What it means: There are exact specifications for this label put forth by the FDA. The most common are:
Low-calorie: 40 calories or less per serving.
Low-cholesterol: 20 mg or less and 2 g or less of saturated fat per serving
Low-fat: 3 g or less per serving
Low-saturated fat: 1 g or less per serving
Low-sodium: 140 mg or less per serving
What it really means: Thanks to strict standards, the LOW is pretty cut-and-dry. Expect food products to adhere to these guidelines, but don’t expect something that’s LOW in fat to also be LOW in calories.

NO ADDED SUGAR
What it means: Manufacturers haven’t put any additional sugar into their product.
What it really means: There still may be artificial sweeteners or naturally-occurring sugars within the food. Certain fruits and dairy products don’t need extra sweetness because they’re born with it already.

NO ARTIFICIAL COLORS, FLAVORS OR PRESERVATIVES
What it means: Your food is made entirely from natural ingredients
What it really means: Well, it depends on your definition of “natural.” Is high fructose corn syrup natural? What about ammonium sulfate? If a product is enriched with more niacin, does that count? While this label points towards good things, a quick scan of the ingredient list will tell you everything you need to know.

NO TRANS FAT / TRANS FAT FREE
What it means: The food has less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving.
What it really means: While this is a relatively new label addition (and a good one since trans fat is very, very, very bad), it’s not quite an indicator of health. A food with NO TRANS FAT may still be high in both saturated and regular fat.

ORGANIC (100% Organic, Made with organic ingredients)
What it means: There are entire books written on the topic, but it boils down to this: 100% ORGANIC products consist entirely of organic ingredients. An item labeled ORGANIC has 95% organic ingredients. Something that’s MADE WITH ORGANIC INGREDIENTS means 70% must come from organic ingredients. Chickens and cows are different and much, much rarer.
What it really means: Hoo boy. Here we go. The word “organic” is thrown around with some regularity, but the USDA’s never certified that it’s any healthier than ol’ supermarket food. (For what it’s worth. The USDA isn’t exactly the Vatican.) The label doesn’t guarantee any humane treatment of animals, and regulation for fruits and vegetables vary. However, it seems like a general consensus that organic food tastes better, and may be better for you. Proceed with caution.

PASTURE-RAISED / PASTURED
What it means: This is a term used to describe chickens. As the USDA puts it, "Birds are raised outdoors using movable enclosures located on grass and fed an organic diet (without hormones or non-organic additives) and/or raised without antibiotics (drugs that are intended to prevent or treat animal illnesses).”
What it really means: Chickens and hens can eat what they’re supposed to naturally (as opposed to feed), and are given lots of space to move around. Their eggs tend to be healthier and more flavorful.

PERCENT FREE (ex: 97% Fat-Free)
What it means: Let’s let the FDA take this one, since they have the simplest explanation: “A product bearing this claim must be a low-fat or a fat-free product. In addition, the claim must accurately reflect the amount of fat present in 100 g of the food. Thus, if a food contains 2.5 g fat per 50 g, the claim must be ‘95 percent fat free.’”
What it really means: In general, this is a good thing, since the percentage label can only be placed on leaner foods.

REDUCED (Fewer, Less)
What it means: A food item has at least 25% less calories, fat, or a nutrient as compared to the reference food. For instance, if regular potato chips have 12 grams of fat per serving, reduced-fat potato chips can’t have more than 9 grams for the same size portion.
What it really means: This is a pretty cut-and-dry definition, but can be easily confused with the LIGHT/LITE label. Reduced foods are generally healthier than their unreduced counterparts, but are not necessarily LOW in fat, calories, or anything else. Read the nutrition facts to make sure you want what you’re buying.

SUGAR-FREE (also: Without Sugar, Zero Sugar, No Sugar, etc.)
What it means: There is no, or an immeasurably small, amount of sugar in the food (less than 0.5 g per serving).
What it really means: There is no, or an immeasurably small, amount of sugar in the food. However, there could be a sugar alcohol like sorbitol, and sugar-free doesn’t necessarily mean carbohydrate-free. Diabetics, take note.

WHOLE WHEAT
What it means: There is some amount of whole wheat in the food you are buying.
What it really means: A range of things, many of which can’t be derived from reading the words WHOLE WHEAT splashed across a logo. To ensure you’re buying a healthy product, look for something with 100% Whole Wheat, and make sure whole wheat flour is the first ingredient, and no other flours are present.