Cheryl Redmond Freelance editing, writing, style guide development, and nutrient analysis services

There's no denying that, as a nation, we've got healthy eating on our minds more than ever, although our waistlines don't necessarily show it. When you provide nutrient analysis for recipes that accompany health-oriented articles or books, you complete the picture for readers and give them a valuable tool for improving their health. But there's a bit of an art to the process. To show you what I mean, here's an easy recipe that I make often, along with a standard nutrient analysis. Afterwards, I mention some factors to take into account when analyzing recipe nutrients.

Zucchini, Mushroom, and Black Bean Quesadillas Serves 4 These vegetable-filled quesadillas make a great light lunch or quick weeknight dinner, accompanied by a tossed salad. If you're concerned about sodium, check labels when you're shopping for salsa and beans. Organic beans are a wise choice because they tend to be lower in sodium than conventional brands.

	1	Hass avocado
	1/4	teaspoon salt
	1	tablespoon lemon juice
	2	teaspoons canola oil
	2	cloves garlic, minced
	1	medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise
	4	ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced thin
	1	teaspoon ground cumin
	1	15-ounce can black beans (preferably organic), drained and rinsed
	2	scallions, white and light green parts only, sliced thin
	1/4	teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
	4	ounces shredded low-fat sharp cheddar cheese
	4	10-inch low-fat flour tortillas
	1/2	cup mild, medium, or hot salsa

1. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise and remove the pit. Scoop the avocado flesh into a small bowl and mash with the salt and lemon juice. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the avocado, and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, zucchini, and mushrooms and sauté, stirring, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and the vegetables are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cumin and black beans; stir and sauté until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl, add the scallions and hot sauce, if using, and stir to blend. Add the shredded cheese and stir into the vegetable mixture; the cheese will melt and bind the vegetables together. Place two of the tortillas on a work surface; divide the filling mixture evenly between them and spread the filling out evenly almost to the edges of each tortilla. Place the remaining two tortillas on the filled tortillas and press lightly.
4. Heat the oven to 250 degrees and place a heatproof platter on the middle rack. Clean and dry the nonstick skillet and return it to medium-high heat. Place one assembled quesadilla in the skillet and cook until the bottom is lightly browned, about 5 minutes; using a spatula, flip over and cook until the second side is brown. Remove from the pan, cut into 4 quarters, and place the quesadilla on the platter in the oven to keep warm while you cook the second quesadilla. Serve, passing the avocado and salsa at the table.
Per serving: 421 calories, 16 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 18 mg cholesterol, 20 g protein, 49 g carbohydrates, 18 g fiber, 287 mg calcium, 868 mg sodium* © 2005 Cheryl Redmond

*In case you're curious, here are the other nutrients for this recipe, along with some further discussion.

Nutrients of prepared foods can vary considerably from brand to brand. Sodium, for instance, can get out of control depending on the brands you choose. Besides canned foods, other places sodium may hide in your recipe include dairy products and breads.

Fortunately, the software program I use gives me a lot of brand choices and lets me pick the one with the best nutrient profile, if that's a concern. For this recipe, I switched from one nationally available salsa (Tostitos) to another (Old El Paso) and dropped the per-serving sodium by 150 mg. Then, rather than endorse a particular brand, I added a headnote encouraging readers to check labels.

Fat is another concern for many cooks, and therefore, many recipe developers. There are a couple of ways to reduce the amount of fat in a recipe; either reduce the amount of fatty ingredients, or use lower-fat ingredients in place of full-fat ones. The method you use will depend on the type of recipe. Sometimes you need a certain amount of fat for flavor. This recipe has a lot of flavor from garlic, scallions, and hot sauce, and the cheese is used as much for its creamy texture and binding ability as for its flavor. In addition to using reduced-fat cheese, I chose sharp cheddar rather than a milder type to get a bigger flavor impact from a modest amount of cheese. It's also worth mentioning that almost 8 g of the fat in each serving comes from the avocado, a very healthy, though high-fat, fruit.

Naturally, a recipe that's totally "from scratch" won't present as many options (or potential problems) as a recipe that uses prepared ingredients. If you're trying to improve the nutritional profile of this type of recipe, you can look to different methods of cooking and different equipment--steaming or poaching foods, or using nonstick pans to reduce the amount of fat needed, for example. Also, think about ingredients to add as well as subtract--using herbs and citrus to reduce the need for salt, or substituting whole grains for refined ones to increase the fiber.

You can finesse the profile of your recipe by adjusting portion size and by leaving out accompaniments or condiments. If I had omitted the salsa and the avocado, the calories, fat, and sodium in this recipe would have dropped significantly, but it would have been less realistic. On the other hand, I admit that I often eat three pieces of quesadilla instead of two (the recipe's portion size). The headnote acknowledges this is a light meal and suggests an accompaniment.

Are there cases where nutrient data doesn't enhance the value of a recipe? When I worked as a pastry chef in Florida, I made a wonderful black-and-white pound cake, rich with eggs, butter, and sour cream. I used to enjoy a slice of it with my mid-morning coffee. Then I decided to figure out how many calories and how much fat--the bad, saturated kind--were in a serving. The numbers shocked me so much, I couldn't bring myself to eat that cake again (I think it was in the neighborhood of 800 calories per slice). Depending on your perspective, analyzing the nutrients for indulgent, high-calorie food is either a smart move or a needless joykiller. Of course in the end it depends on the audience you're publishing for.

It seems everyone has a version of fudge brownies; here's mine. The nutrients for these brownies are on another page, so you can remain blissfully ignorant if you like. (It's okay; they're nowhere near 800 calories.)

Cheryl's Brownies Makes 32 brownies High-quality chocolate makes for a better brownie; I like to use Callebaut or Ghiradhelli, both reasonably priced, good-tasting chocolates. For a slightly different flavor you can omit the rum and instead use 2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder dissolved in 2 tablespoons of warm water. To toast the walnuts, heat them in a large, dry skillet over medium heat until they are slightly fragrant. Don't let them get too dark. These brownies keep well and actually taste better the second day.

	8	ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
	4	ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
	4	ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
	1	cup all-purpose flour
	1/2	teaspoon salt
	4	large eggs
	1	cup dark brown sugar, packed
	1	cup granulated sugar
	2	tablespoons dark rum
	1 1/2	teaspoons vanilla
	1 1/2	cups chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 by 13-inch pan and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt the 8 ounces of butter over medium-low heat. Add the chopped bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates, reduce the heat to low, and stir until the chocolate is almost melted. Remove from heat and let sit until the chocolate is completely melted. Stir to blend thoroughly.
2. Whisk the flour and salt together in a small bowl and set aside. Break the eggs into a large bowl and stir until lightly blended, then add the brown and granulated sugars and beat with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until light and smooth. Stir in the rum and vanilla, then the melted chocolate-butter mixture. Stir to blend completely, then fold in the flour mixture. Add the nuts and stir to incorporate.
3. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the pan comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it, 26 to 30 minutes. (Don't overbake; the tester should not be coated with gooey batter, but if it comes out clean, the brownies won't be quite as fudgy.) Cool the brownies completely and cut in 32 pieces (four by eight). © 2005 Cheryl Redmond