A titbit or two between meals can keep hunger at bay and the kilos under control, says Michelle Bridges, so long as you follow the rules.

For some of us, grabbing the odd snack can be the difference between sticking to a sensible eating plan and crashing and burning into a mid-afternoon ocean of self-loathing and regret. But before I start banging on about healthy snacks, there are some facts about the unhealthy options that you should be aware of.

Muffins, for instance, have manoeuvred their way into our diet plans by seducing the weight-conscious with tempting, virtuous-sounding ingredients such as "bran" or "apple and walnut". But next time you're enticed by the excess mixture spilling over the edge of the muffin cup, know that, at about 1260 to 1680 kilojoules a hit, muffin-top spillage is a cruel metaphor for the resulting subcutaneous fat erupting from the top of your jeans.

It's a minefield, a trap for young players - just like those flavoured coffees (a regular white-chocolate skinny mocha is about 1113 kilojoules) and some muesli bars (about 630 kilojoules).

Nutritionally speaking, snacks are vital in weight management because they prevent us from getting hungry, and thereby ensure our metabolism bubbles along. When we get hungry, we lose muscle mass and our metabolic rate reduces. And in doing so, we effectively tell the body to hang on to its energy stores (stored fat).

Eating regularly - three main meals with two snacks in between - helps us to maintain a steady metabolic rate and therefore helps us to keep our weight under control, provided we don't ingest more kilojoules than we burn.

So snack, but snack carefully. Here are my five favourites:

• A punnet of fresh strawberries or blueberries. These are what I call my personal super foods because just digesting them burns about the same amount of kilojoules as you consume in each serving.

• A small tub of low-fat yoghurt with a sprinkling of untoasted muesli on top - it's filling, rich in calcium and packs plenty of fibre.

• A raw carrot dipped in low-fat ricotta. (Avoid the temptation to finish off the ricotta, though - three tablespoons is the limit!)

• Three apple slices with a dollop of low-fat cottage cheese and a mint leaf on top. This ticks all the boxes - easy to prepare, rich in calcium and protein, and delicious.

• What I call my "legume extravaganza": 10 snow peas, 10 sugar snap peas and 10 green beans. Just 210 kilojoules the lot!

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The next time you think about throwing out those aging strawberries or very ripe grapes, consider this: Belgian scientists report that fruits and vegetables do not lose any antioxidant content in the days after purchase, even as tell-tale signs of spoilage appear. In some cases, antioxidant levels actually rise.

The life of a post-harvest fruit or vegetable is traditionally defined in terms of visual appearance and texture. While this is good for aesthetics, these benchmarks disregard flavor and nutritional quality--especially with regards to antioxidants, which are affected by genetic, technological and environmental factors. "No important studies were done to evaluate the influence of storage on antioxidant capacity," the authors said.

To that end, Claire Kevers and colleagues obtained various produce from the Belgian market, measuring its initial antioxidant content. They then stored the fruits and vegetables at room temperature or refrigerated them at 39 degrees Fahrenheit, checking antioxidant levels at various times until the produce presented visual spoilage.

The results showed that, in the days following purchase, fruits and vegetables do not lose any phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid or flavonols -- a trio of chemical classes associated with antioxidant content. "Better, in some cases, an increase on the antioxidant capacity was observed in the days following their purchase, accompanied by an increase in phenolic compounds," the researchers state. The study  "Evolution of Antioxidant Capacity during Storage of Selected Fruits and Vegetables"   will appear in the Oct. 17 issue the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,

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July and August is when I buy fresh fruits and vegetables in enormous amounts.  Right now I have fresh peaches and mangoes sitting out getting softer, watermelon and fresh sweet cherries in the refrigerator, and blueberries and strawberries in the freezer.  This weekend I’m looking to purchase some raspberries, blackberries and cantaloupes.  I’ve been having fresh avocadoes, beefsteak tomatoes and freshly roasted red peppers in my salads at least four times a week.

I baked some wild sock eye salmon with a spicy seafood seasoning and topped it with the fresh mango salsa.  Cherlyn told me she tried some fresh lychees for the first time a few weeks ago and they were amazing.  They are an Asian fruit that are sweet and will remind you of grapes and cherries.  I recommend you take a trip to Chinatown and buy you some and you will become a fan too. So my recipes this month center on fruits.  Here’s my recipe for Mango Salsa that I eat on baked or grilled fillet of any type of fresh fish, poultry of meat.

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An eating plan originally touted to reduce high blood pressure in adults has been found to keep adolescent girls trimmer between the ages of 9 and 19. Researchers report that girls whose food intake most resembled the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet had the smallest gains in body mass index (BMI) over 10 years, and the lowest BMIs at the end of the follow-up period.

The DASH diet emphasizes higher consumption of low-fat dairy products; fish, chicken and lean meats; and nuts, fruits, whole grains, vegetables and legumes. Multiple studies have indicated the diet, long promoted by the American Heart Association, leads to significant blood pressure reduction.

"I think these were the results we were hoping to find," said study author Dr. Jonathan Berz, an assistant professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. "It's true, on the one hand, that this is common sense. What's perhaps new is that few studies look at overall eating patterns in relation to weight gain compared to individual foods, and over a long period."The study is published in the June issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Berz and his colleagues examined data from 2,237 girls, starting at age 9, who participated in the National Growth and Health Study and were followed for up to a decade. Data was gathered annually and each participant was given a DASH food group score based on how closely their diet resembled the DASH diet.

The girls logged their food intake once a year in three-day diet records extending for two weekdays and one weekend day. They were trained by a nutritionist to record the information using standard household measuring instruments to estimate portion sizes.

Girls with the highest DASH scores gained the least weight. They also ate more fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy products than other participants. At age 19, more girls in the lowest DASH score group had an average BMI greater than the threshold for being overweight.

Dr. Mitchell Roslin, chief of bariatric surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said young people tend to have better success at weight control with behavioral therapy and dietary education. But he feels the message of the study is probably lost on most Americans, who continue to grow heavier despite the prevalence of nutritional information.

Seventeen percent of American children are overweight, according to the study, and more than two-thirds of adults are either overweight or obese. "I don't necessarily feel the results are earth-shattering or incredibly impressive, but I think people have to give up on the [idea] that we can educate ourselves out of the obesity epidemic," Roslin said.

One benefit for young people who follow the DASH diet will be better overall health as they age, said Dr. Joseph Diamond, a fellow at the American Society of Hypertension.

"There's going to be less likelihood to progress to hypertension, either if they're genetically prone or because of poor lifestyle," said Diamond, also director of nuclear cardiology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y. "It's going to help prevent heart attack at that classic middle age, where it's so prevalent. And I think starting between 9 and 19 is the right time to do it."

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Researchers at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently examined the safety and quality of "wash techniques" used in the production of packaged produce. The study simulated washing techniques to learn more about how industry practices affect quality and safety of pre-cut lettuce.

Yaguang Luo, PhD, Research Food Technologist at the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Produce Quality and Safety Laboratory, headed the study of produce wash techniques used in the commercial preparation of pre-cut fruits and vegetables. Luo explained that recent outbreaks of food-borne illnesses associated with the consumption of fresh-cut produce underscored the importance of ensuring food safety of these packaged convenience foods.

He noted that washing the produce is an important step commonly employed by the industry to maintain the quality and safety of fresh and fresh-cut produce. Prior to the study, however, little information existed about how wash operation and water re-use techniques affected the water quality, the efficacy of sanitizers on the reduction of microorganisms, or the quality and shelf life of packaged products.

Luo explained: "The main objective of the research was to examine the dynamic interactions among wash operation, water quality, and sanitizer efficacy and product quality. We investigated the effect of produce washing techniques, including simulated water re-use, and the ratio between product weight and wash water volume on the water quality and effectiveness of sanitizers used to reduce microorganisms."

The researchers found that procedures in which water was re-used during the washing process led to rapid accumulation of organic matter in wash water and compromised the efficacy of sanitizers. According to Luo, "It is generally known that water re-use can cause water quality loss. The value of this research is that it reveals the complex effects of the foreign matter that is washed from produce on water quality and product quality, and it provides specific information on how wash operation variables (such as re-use of the same tank of water with increasing amount of cut product being washed) affect the water quality." The study also demonstrated the direct effect of wash water quality on product quality.

Luo concluded that results of the USDA study should define relationships among produce wash operations, water quality and product quality, giving produce packers new tools for enhancing food safety and quality. This study was published in the October 2007 issue of HortScience.

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People who crave a variety of fruits and vegetables might want to look up Charley Fernandez — on Page 27 of a guide released Tuesday. His farm east of Patterson is among those listed in "Buy Fresh Buy Local: The Eater's Guide to Local Food."The free 32-page guide aims to promote small, sustainable farmers in the San Joaquin Valley while helping consumers avoid eating habits that contribute to obesity.

Fernandez, who with his wife owns Ellie & Charley's Natural Garden Organic Produce, said the local food movement is catching on with younger consumers. "People between 25 and 45 seem to be our biggest clientele," he said. "They're interested, they're knowledgeable and they know what they want."The guide was produced by the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program, based in Fresno, and the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, based in Davis.

2 acres yield cornucopia: The guide has information on farmers markets, crop seasons, home gardening and shopping for fresh food on a tight budget. "Buying smart, cooking creatively and knowing where fresh produce is available are all ways to help you eat healthy and local, no matter what your budget is," the guide says. The guide includes dairy, fruit, nuts, vegetables, eggs, honey and other goods. Fernandez, a retired airline mechanic, sells at the Turlock Certified Farmers Market, Main Street and Broadway, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays through October. He also sells at his farm gate on Elm Avenue from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays through October.

The farm is less than two acres, but it yields a cornucopia — tomatoes, zucchini, salad greens, kohlrabi, apricots, apples, quince, figs, pomegranates, eggs and much more. "People like quality and local food, but I think with the economy, some people are still shopping for price," Fernandez said. In the long run, he said, eating well is an inexpensive way to good health. On Page 24 of the guide is Lagier Ranches, a grower of organic fruit and almonds near Escalon. It sells at several farmers markets and stores.

"One of the cornerstones of what we do is to have people eat fresh, eat local and try to cut down on the carbon footprint," owner John Lagier said. Fast food might seem the cheapest way to eat, he said, but consumers can save in the long run if they know how to cook the fresh stuff. "You're getting actually a better bang for your buck, and it's much healthier," he said.

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Military men and women serving abroad could soon be getting more fresh fruit and veggies thanks to a Woburn company. Primaira LLC, a product development and commercialization company, has developed a low-cost, low-power technology to preserve fresh produce and prevent waste.

“It’s a technology that improves the produce quality and extends its shelf life for transport, storage and retail,” Primaira managing partner Karen Benedek said. “It’s like an air purification technology that gets rid of the chemicals that accelerate ripening and lead to spoilage.”

The “Bluezone” technology removes the ethylene emitted by fruits and vegetables from the refrigerated containers in which they’re shipped and stored, and it inhibits the growth of microbes in the produce that lead to mold and rot. Its development garnered Primaira a U.S. Army Small Business Innovation Research Achievement Award last week at the Pentagon Conference Center in Washington, D.C.

The 10-employee company’s engineers develop products for Primaira to bring to market in addition to clients such as KitchenAid, Dupont, Genzyme, Viking Range and Whirlpool. It’s been focusing on the Bluezone technology for the last few years, backed by about $1.7 million from the Army’s SBIR program.

“Initially it was our technology that we applied to a need that the Army had,” Benedek said. The U.S. Department of Defense’s Combat Feeding Directorate at the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center has been overseeing the project.

“It’s a technology that is suitable for use for all of the military services,” said Pete Lavigne, a chemical engineer with the directorate’s equipment and energy technology team. “It’s very challenging to deliver fresh produce to a military environment. We’re in the process of transitioning this technology to the field now.”

The Army funding also will help Primaira commercialize the technology for civilian uses. The company is in talks with commercial entities in the refrigerated transport and residential refrigeration industries. “The idea is that we get the cost benefits associated with commercial production rates,” Lavigne said.

Primaira also sees other, non-produce applications for the technology. “From a question of air cleaning and deodorization and sanitation, there are just so many applications — from the storage of cleats and pads and sports equipment in the home to more professional uses on the larger scale,” Benedek said.

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For Michael Symon, great salads go far beyond a pile of greens. And they need to earn their keep. "For me, a great salad is much more than just greens. It should be something that really highlights the season and the vegetables that are at their peak at that time," Symon, an award-winning restaurateur and Food Network Iron Chef, said in an email interview. Just don't include iceberg lettuce.

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As Canadians become more aware of the dangers of consuming high-salt foods, there is a new cookbook out that delves deeper into the subject. “Hold That Hidden Salt” is by Halifax dietitian Maureen Tilley (Formac Publishing, $24.95, paperback). It goes beyond table salt and the use of it in cooking by turning to what she believes is the insidious overuse of sodium in processed foods.

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Like a new immigrant struggling for acceptance, pinot noir faced dirty looks and derisive whispers when the grape arrived on the southern tip of New Zealand in the mid-1980s. John Wallace, the winemaker at Chard Farm, a top estate in Central Otago, recalls one early jab. “I overheard someone in a bar saying, ‘Chard Farm is a bloody good waste of merino land.’”

The reference was to merino sheep, a breed prized by Italian tailors and makers of high-end athletic wear for its soft, ultrafine wool. For decades, merino farming was the lifeblood of this spectacular mountain terrain because of the region’s arid, wool-enhancing climate. Visitors can still see postcard views of flocks grazing on verdant slopes, especially at shearing time when their cartoon-like overgrown exteriors can make them seem like puff balls with faces. But over the past 25 years, many slopes have been turned over to produce a new and more lucrative commodity – wine for people who can afford merino suits.

In just a generation, New Zealand has emerged as a new Eden for pinot noir, the signature red grape of Burgundy and the rapture of wine geeks everywhere. The variety can produce glorious juice, usually lean and lightly tinted yet with eye-opening complexity. In the best renditions, an unmistakable essence of fresh berries comes laced with earthy notes of beetroot and mineral. They are consummate and versatile reds for food.

But the vines tend to travel poorly, like Texans complaining about hotel amenities in Paris. With few exceptions, notably cool pockets in California and Oregon, few regions outside Burgundy have managed to earn serious vineyard cred with this fragile, thin-skinned grape.

I used to be one of those Burgundy-or-bust bores, even though my budget crashed every time I’d splurge $50 or more to land a transcendent one. The more I taste Central Otago pinot noir, though, the more I come to believe that New Zealand is the place this grape was destined to unpack its suitcase.

That’s the reason I came to the southernmost wine region on the planet, and the reason I paid a visit to Chard Farm, among other boutique estates. Perched arrestingly above a steep gorge next to the spindly old Kawarau Bridge – home to the world’s first commercial bungee-jumping operation – the winery at first seems like it could do brisk business selling hearty red in Dixie Cups to insane bridge acrobats in need of liquid courage. But that’s not the purpose of fine pinot noir, a grape that turns farming into an extreme sport.

In contrast to the moist, maritime climate that prevails in much of New Zealand, Central Otago’s inland slopes and basins sit in the dry rain shadow of the Southern Alps. Clear skies prevail, which ensures full ripening most years, an asset Burgundy can only dream of. “Central Otago pinot has fruit to burn,” Mr. Wallace said of the wines’ resulting intensity.

Just as vital where pinot is concerned, growing seasons are marked by sharp daily swings in temperature known as diurnal shifts, with warm days and cool nights. This is high ground that’s as far south as Niagara is north, after all, and pinot loves sweater weather when the moon comes up, the better to preserve acidity and give the wines lift and balance. Well-drained alluvial soils also produce a naturally low yield of grapes per vine, concentrating flavours in the bunches.

Chard Farm’s Mata-Au Pinot Noir 2009 (score: 92), a $45 gem likely to arrive in small quantities in Canada, was a highlight of numerous Central Otago pinots I tasted. Jammy and soft, with supple tannins, it culminates with vibrant acidity. Another highlight was Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2008 (score: 93), from one of New Zealand’s greatest pinot and sparkling-wine estates. It’s pricey at about $65 in Canada when it eventually becomes available in select, big-city markets, but it oozes succulent dark-fruit flavour, firmed up by a spine of astringent tannins and acid.

Available now in Ontario are the gently spicy Carrick Pinot Noir 2007 (score: 92, $34.95) and sour-cherry-like Amisfield Pinot Noir 2008 (score: 90, $44.95). Though difficult to find – as with virtually all Central Otago wines – other names to seek include Felton Road, Gibbston Highgate, Mt. Difficulty and Two Paddocks, the last owned by actor Sam Neill.

A question hovers over every region that dares to produce good pinot noir: Can the stuff age like great Burgundy? If the 2002 Felton Road Block 3 pinot I sampled from the cellar of proprietor Nigel Greening is an indication, the answer is yes. Seductively evolved, with soft tannins and notes of cherry and bacon, it fills the mouth with good weight and still seems fresh. “Our wines have aged quite well,” Mr. Greening said proudly. “We haven’t killed one yet.”

Though a few of the lower-priced wines left me less impressed, the general quality of Central Otago reds is all the more remarkable considering the relative youth of the vines. Virtually all the region’s quality pinot vines, as opposed to the workhorse clones initially introduced for quantity over flavour, are no more than a dozen years old. Pinot vines tend to produce their best fruit when they’re between 25 and 45 years old, as the plants settle into middle age and become more parsimonious, yielding fewer but more flavourful berries. “Come here in 20 years’ time,” Chard Farm owner Robert Hay urged.

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