When Cancer Experts Have Lunch ...

Kristine Napier, M.P.H., R.D., L.D.

When researchers who study the link between diet and cancer get together for lunch, what do they eat? Most likely a large variety of fruits, vegetables and grains, in dishes with proportions specifically devised by the American Institute for Cancer Research for fighting cancer.

As we continue our focus on nutrition, we would like to continue to advance the concept that:

• Food brings us life.
• Optimal food choices help bring us closer to optimal health.
• Diet is one form of optimizing health and healing. Exercise and other healthy lifestyle factors also play a role.

We, too, can let our food be more than just a number of calories in a day's time. In fact, focusing on the enjoyment of food makes us realize the taste and social aspects of food.

So, let your kitchens help you achieve good nutrition, variety and good taste, which is exactly what cancer researchers did at a recent meeting in Washington on "The Role of Nutrition in Preventing and Treating Breast and Prostate Cancer."

Dr. Ritva Butrum, AICR's vice president for research, closely supervised the menu for conference meals.

"A meal that's both tasty and cancer protective should have three characteristics," Butrum said. "It should contain a high proportion of foods, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, that are rich in cancer-fighting substances, and a smaller proportion of meat. And ideally, it should offer small servings of a wide range of foods. The greater the variety, the greater likelihood of getting important nutrients, and the greater the pleasure."

The Luncheon Menu

The final conference lunch featured a main course of four dishes emphasizing the importance of taking in small servings of a wide range of foods. These dishes were:

• Grilled tuna nicoise with hard-boiled eggs, new potatoes, haricot vert, black olives and balsamic vinaigrette dressing
• Israeli couscous salad with marinated asparagus and oven-dried tomato
• Cucumber salad with sliced onions and red tomatoes
• Wild and brown rice salad with dried cherries, raisins, apricots and walnuts

And, for dessert: fresh fruit tartlets with low-fat pastry cream

Dr. Butrum's selections reflect AICR's dietary recommendations for reducing the risk of cancer:

• Two-thirds (or more) of the plate is covered by plant-based foods, such as:
• Vegetables
• Grains
• Fruits
• Legumes
• One third (or less) of the plate is covered by animal meats

This approach to eating was endorsed following a review by a recent AICR panel of experts who examined 247 studies on the link between cancer and eating fruits and vegetables. An impressive 78 percent of those studies showed vegetables and fruits to be protective. This benefit is in part attributed to their rich supply of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (anti-cancer substances found only in plant foods) that protect the body's cells from damage by cancer-causing agents. The researchers have also found that it is not possible to replicate these benefits with supplements. That's why it's important to eat right and enjoy plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.

Enjoy the following recipes (and your good health)! Created and adapted for home kitchens by Chef Norman Wade of the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., these recipes are delicious:

• Israeli Couscous Salad
• Wild and Brown Rice Salad with Dried Fruit and Walnuts
• Fresh Fruit Tartlets with Low-Fat Pastry Cream

Israeli Couscous Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 oz. Israeli couscous (see Note)
• 2 cups chicken stock, preferably low-fat
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• 3 tbsp. herb-flavored virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 fresh asparagus spears, peeled and blanched, for garnish
• 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place couscous and stock in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes, or according to package instructions, until couscous is tender. Let cool.
2. Meanwhile, sauté zucchini, peppers and dried tomatoes in canola oil.
3. Turn couscous into large bowl. Mix in sautéed vegetables. Toss with herbed olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Place mixed salad on a serving plate. Garnish with sliced tomatoes and asparagus spears.

Makes 8 servings, each containing 200 calories and 7 grams of fat.

Note: Israeli couscous, which is sold in specialty food stores, consists of large, round grains, about the size of baby peas, that require more cooking time than other types. If another type of couscous is substituted, follow package instructions for cooking.

Wild and Brown Rice Salad with Dried Fruit and Walnuts

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1 cup wild rice
• 1/2 cup chopped dried cherries
• 1/2 cup golden (Sultana) raisins
• 15-20 dried apricot halves, chopped
• 6 tbsp. chopped walnuts
• 3 tbsp. herb-flavored virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 head of radicchio

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook each rice in separate pots with water and a small amount of salt, following package instructions. (Wild rice takes longer to cook than others.) Remove from heat and let cool.
2. Meanwhile, remove enough inner leaves of the radicchio to form a bowl-like container for serving the salad.
3. In a large bowl, combine the two rices by mixing lightly with a fork. Add dried fruits and nuts and combine with light strokes. Slowly add oil, tossing lightly until well combined, followed by salt and pepper to taste.
4. Turn the salad into the hollowed-out radicchio and serve.

Makes 8 servings, each containing 250 calories and 7 grams of fat.

Fresh Fruit Tartlets with Low-Fat Pastry Cream

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 5 tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 cups skim milk
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 12-15 three-inch pastry tart shells (see Note)
• 2 cups (approximate) mix of fresh fruit: assorted berries plus grapes and slices of kiwi and banana
• 1/2 cup clear apricot jelly

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl, combine egg yolks and cornstarch and lightly beat until well mixed.
2. Combine milk and sugar in large saucepan. Heat over high heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil. Using an egg whisk, immediately stir in egg mixture, whisking rapidly. Continue whisking vigorously until mixture comes back to a boil. (Mixture will thicken as this occurs.)
3. Immediately remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Let stand until cool, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate until ready to assemble tartlets, with plastic wrap adhering to the surface of the cream.
4. Shortly before serving, fill tart shells halfway with cold pastry cream. Use one of each variety of fruits to fill each tart shell. Heat jelly until melted and hot to make a glaze for the fruit. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat tops of fruit with melted jelly.
5. Let stand a few minutes to allow glaze to set. Serve immediately.
6. Tartlets may be assembled and left at room temperature up to 5 hours before serving. If they must be stored, lightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Makes 12 to 15 tartlets, each containing about 210 calories and 7 grams of fat.

Note: Several types of ready-made pastry crust tart shells are available in most markets.

The American Institute for Cancer Research is the nation's third largest cancer charity, focusing exclusively on the link between diet and cancer. The institute provides a wide range of education programs that help millions of Americans learn to make dietary changes for lower cancer risk. AICR also supports innovative research in cancer prevention and treatment at universities, hospitals and research centers across the U.S. The institute has provided more than $55 million in funding for research in diet, nutrition and cancer. AICR's Web address is www.aicr.org.