On Sep 13, 2012, at 1:37 AM, Judi wrote:

re: Mexican-Style Corn

Dear Alicia,

When I did the calorie count for this recipe is was 200+ calories and that did not include adding the cheese.
I think it is pitiful that most recipes in this newspaper are fattening.  Hasn't anyone figured out that there is an obesity epidemic and that Dallas is one of the fattest cities.

This recipe is full of nothing but high fat ingredients.  Corn all by itself is good and healthy - it's not necessary to add all this fattening extra too.
It doesn't take much talent to make food taste good by adding butter, sour cream and cheese. 

From someone who loves to cook light and fresh.
Judi

******

Dear Judi,

I read your email with great interest, as I too, am concerned about the obesity epidemic in the US.
However, I do have a few points to make, if you would indulge me:

First, I am a syndicated columnist who contributes to over 100 newspapers across the country and have no say in what makes up the totality of the food sections in which my column appears. From week to week, I try to give my readers a wide variety of easy home-cooked recipes they will enjoy and balance the selection with everything from indulgences to super light and healthy choices.

Speaking of choices - I believe that it is each individuals' responsibility to make the choices for themselves. I include the nutritional analysis with each of my recipes, so that the consumer is educated with what the recipe contains. But I have no control over whether a newspaper chooses to run the analysis or not and am not sure if it was included in your paper.

When I ran the analysis of the corn here were my results:

Approximate Values Per Serving (with one teaspoon of cheese and cream):  128 calories ,  8 g fat ( 3g saturated),  10mg cholesterol,  3g protein,  14g carbohydrates,  2g dietary fiber,  50mg sodium

With a grilled chicken breast and steam veggie or other side, this corn makes a flavorful addition to a healthy dinner.

We do have a problem with obesity in this country, but I do not believe we stop printing or eating all "fattening" foods.

I also believe if more people cooked (not heat and serve, but actually cooked!) at home they would naturally loose weight. It is a lifestyle, a whole picture of diet and exercise, ingredients and styles. It's not about one recipe.

But most importantly it is about education so each individual can make their own choices.

Thank you for writing and sharing your opinion and thank you for listening to mine.

Alicia Ross

author, blogger, photographer, recipe developer, spokesperson

www.kitchenscoop.com

alicia@kitchenscoop.com