Try A Hearty New Med Diet

This February’s Heart Month will have a decidedly Mediterranean flavor in Spokane.

The “Mediterranean diet” — high in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans and the healthful fats in olive oil, and low in red meat — is the focus of The Heart Institute of Spokane’s annual food plan.

Copies of the 28-page booklet, full of nutrition information and recipes from local cardiologists, are available for free at Tidyman’s supermarkets and in the lobby of the Heart Institute, 122 W. Seventh.

The diet also will be discussed during two television programs: a one-hour show Thursday at 7 p.m. on KSPS-7, and a half-hour special Feb. 13 at 4:30 p.m. on KXLY-4.

It’s an appropriate theme, as the Heart Institute is beginning the first formal study comparing the Mediterranean diet to the American Heart Association’s recommended diet.

During the two-year study, one group of heart-attack victims will follow the Mediterranean diet, while another group will follow the Heart Association diet, which is lower in overall fat but allows more meat and total calories. Their results will be compared at the end.

Protein power brokers

Our recent mention of the Low-Carb Gourmet Web site (www.lowcarbgourmet.com) drew responses from a pair of local people promoting the popular high-protein diets.

Dan Lauer of Coeur d’Alene offers an array of low-carbohydrate food products and cookbooks at his Web site, Low Carb Outfitters (www.lowcarboutfitters.com).

And Sunni Mace of Spokane has put together “Power Grains and Breads,” a booklet of recipes for low-carbohydrate baked goods. It sells for $11 at Lorien Herbs & Natural Foods, Huckleberry’s Natural Market, New Dawn Books, Auntie’s Bookstore and Hastings, or visit www.powergrains.com.

Contest call

Want to win 5,000 clams? The Snow’s Great Clam Cook-Off offers a $5,000 grand prize for the best original recipe using clams. Entry deadline is March 15; for details, visit www.snows.com.

Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Agriculture is sponsoring a nationwide contest for recipes using one or more ingredients grown in Florida (alligator, anyone?). Deadline is also March 15; for rules, call toll-free to (877) 469-1069, ext. 104, or visit www.fl-ag.com.

Dragon fries?

Chinese New Year 4698 — the Year of the Dragon — begins Saturday, and conventional Chinese wisdom holds that the foods eaten during the first two weeks determine your fortunes for the year. So you might want to hold off on those Tater Tots for a while.