Answer: Try this healthier version of a pumpkin pie. This pumpkin pie saves 100 calories per slice from the traditional version and it tastes identical.

The Best Light Pumpkin Pie

1 cup ginger snaps (about 16 cookies)
16 oz can Meijer pumpkin
1/2 cup egg whites (about 4)
1/2 cup Meijer sugar
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (1.25 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp cloves)
12 oz can evaporated skim milk

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grind the cookies in a food processor. Lightly spray a 9" glass pie pan with vegetable cooking spray. Pat the cookie crumbs into the bottom of the pan evenly. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Pour into the crust and bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Store in the refrigerator.

Allow to cool and slice in 8 wedges. Optional: serve each wedge with fat free whipped cream.

Serves 8. Each slice: 165 calories, 1.5 g fat, .5 g saturated fat, 1.5 mg cholesterol, 170 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 6 g protein. Diabetic exchange: 2 bread.

This recipe is excerpted and adapted from the 2004 Holiday Presentation Kit at Foodandhealth.com.

Answer: The average American only consumes about 11 grams of fiber each day. This number is half the amount of what is recommended. The health experts suggest eating 20-30 grams of fiber each day to reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease and to keep your digestive system running smoothly.

Increasing your fiber intake is easier than you may think. Just keep in mind that when you increase your fiber intake to also increase your fluid intake. If you increase your fiber too fast without enough fluid, you may experience some discomfort.

The first place to start when increasing your fiber intake is to determine which foods are high in fiber. Foods that are excellent sources of fiber include: fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, and bran cereals. The list below provides the average grams of fiber per serving for different foods:

Foods that contain 3 grams of fiber or more per serving:

Apple (with skin) – 1 medium

Pear (with skin) – 1 medium

Orange – 1 medium

Baked Potato with Skin – 1 medium

Raspberries – ½ cup

Bran muffin – 1 medium

All Bran, Bran Buds, 100% Bran Cereals – 1/3 cup

Lima, kidney, pinto beans (cooked) – ½ cup

Foods that contain 1-2 grams of fiber per serving:

Banana – 1 medium

Peach – 1 medium

Strawberries – ½ cup

Blueberries – ½ cup

Raisins – ¼ cup

Dried apricots – ¼ cup

Spinach, raw – 1 cup

Broccoli (cooked) – ½ cup

Cauliflower (cooked) – ½ cup

Peas (cooked) – ½ cup

Carrot – 1 medium

Whole wheat bread – 1 slice

Oatmeal – ¾ cup

Popcorn (air-popped) – 1 cup

Whole wheat spaghetti – 1 cup

Tomato – 1 medium

Great ways to increase your fiber:

•           Eat oatmeal for breakfast. Sprinkle some raisins on top for extra fiber.

•           Choose a bran cereal for breakfast or a snack and top with bananas and strawberry slices.

•           Have a bran muffin for a snack.

•           Add beans to a salad.

•           Make a sandwich on whole-wheat bread and serve it with vegetable soup.

•           Cut up fruit and make a fruit salad.

•           Enjoy popcorn for a snack.

•           Add vegetables to pastas and pasta sauces.

•           Have raspberries with low-fat milk for a great dessert.

•           Make a side of red beans and rice for a meal.

•           Toast a whole-wheat English Muffin or bagel.

•           Enjoy fresh fruit for a snack: banana, orange, apple, peach, pear, cantaloupe, or watermelon.

Answer: Pears ripen from the inside out, so check the neck or stem end, which is the narrowest area of the pear, to determine ripeness. To check the neck, gently press your thumb against the neck and if it yields slightly, it’s ripe and sweet. If you wait until the pear is soft around the middle, then it may be overripe.

You can’t depend on color to tell when a pear is ripe. For example, the Bartlett variety will turn from green to yellow as it ripens, while some red varieties turn from dark red to bright red, with others remaining dark red. Anjou, Bosc, Comice, and others change color very little. That’s why it’s best to check the neck for ripeness.

Place your unripe pears in a bowl or paper bag and let stand at room temperature. Check the neck daily to determine when they are ready to eat. Once they reach your preferred level of ripeness, they can be refrigerated to slow further ripening.

For pear recipes, visit www.usapears.org.

Answer: Grocery shopping just got easier with Grocery Express! Visit www.meijergroceryexpress.com and choose your groceries, your store location and time for pick up. Then, pull up to the Grocery Express area of the store and we will load the groceries in your car for you.

Currently, Grocery Express is available in four of our stores:

·         Aurora, IL

·         St. Charles, IL

·         Westerville, OH

·         Grand Rapids (Knapp’s Corner), MI

Orders can be submitted up to 7 days ahead of pick-up or as late as 3 hours before pick-up. Pick-up times are from 11am to 9pm in the Chicago locations and 11am to 8pm in the Ohio and Michigan stores.

The items that you can purchase through Grocery Express include grocery and most health and beauty products. This includes produce, meat and seafood, pet food, and deli items. Alcohol and tobacco products can not be purchased through Grocery Express in our Chicago stores, but they can be purchased in Ohio and Michigan.

You order. We shop. You Pickup. Grocery Express makes grocery shopping easy for you!

For more information, visit www.meijergroceryexpress.com.

Answer: It is never too early to start planning for Thanksgiving dinner!

In general, plan on 1 to 1 ½ pounds of turkey per person (this allows for leftovers!):

·         12-15 lb turkey for 10-12 people

·         15-18 lb turkey for 14-16 people

·         18-22 lb turkey for 20-22 people

Properly thawing your whole turkey is key to a smooth Thanksgiving Day:

·         To thaw a frozen turkey in the refrigerator, allow 24 hours per five pounds. A 12 to 16-pound turkey would require three to four days to thaw.

·         To thaw the turkey in cold running water requires 30 minutes per pound.  A 12-pound turkey would take about 6 hours to thaw. If you use this method make sure the turkey is wrapped tightly in plastic-wrap to avoid leakage.

Preparing a whole turkey can be tricky, make sure you allow enough time for it to cook.

·         Allow 12-15 minutes for every pound of unstuffed turkey.  A 16-pound turkey will require about 3-4 hours to cook.

·         Allow 15-18 minutes per pound for a stuffed turkey.  A 16-pound stuffed turkey will require about 4-5 hours to cook.

Answer: If you have any questions about Meijer brand products that are not on our Gluten and Allergen list, please feel free to email me through the Ask Janine section on our Healthy Living website. I would be happy to research the product for you to let you know if it is gluten free.

Answer: The recipe for the Edible Eyeballs and Vampire Fangs in Blood are provided for you below. They are a fun, easy and healthy snack or dessert for you and your family! Happy Halloween!

Edible Eyeballs: Simply slice carrots into 1-inch-thick chunks, top each with a blob of low fat cream cheese and one half of a pitted black olive, and serve.

Vampire Fangs in Blood: Serve sliced apples in strawberry or cherry sauce

Answer: All of our fresh Meijer brand meats and poultry items are gluten free including the Meijer brand whole pork tenderloin.

Answer: We are very excited for our first Gluten Free Demo Day occurring in every Meijer store on Saturday, October 24^th from 10am to 1pm. Stop by your local store to try different gluten free food samples and pick up free gluten free resources. There will be a variety of booths set up in the stores to provide great information.

Answer: We have a Meijer Brand Allergen List on our Healthy Living website. Under the heading "Special Diets" on the right-hand side of the site, click on "Meijer Brand Allergen List". This provides a list of Meijer Brand products and if they contain gluten and/or any of the 8 major allergens, including peanuts.

The list of Meijer Brand oils starts on page 19 of the list. I hope you find this helpful!