Healthy Eating Tips

For The Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup.

Some awesome news in the science of weight loss (hint: it involves making your fat into a calorie burning machine), why you should only eat organic strawberries (at least for now), plus two awesome winter recipes I’m dying to try.

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. I also share links on Twitter (@summertomato), Google+ and the Summer Tomato Facebook page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.

Links of the week

• Brown Fat, Triggered by Cold or Exercise, May Yield a Key to Weight Control <<One of the coolest discoveries in health and weight loss science since resveratrol. Geeks, don’t miss this. (New York Times)
• Frying foods in olive, sunflower oils may not be bad for your heart <<Duh. I could have told you this. Read carefully though, you shouldn’t deep fry foods in olive oil. (Los Angeles Times)
• The Agrichemical Business Goes on Trial <<Let’s hope this pans out, but in the meantime you might want to eat organic strawberries. (Politics of the Plate)
• Increased Exposure to Compound Widely Used in Food Packaging Associated With Reduced Immune Response to Vaccinations for Children <<Well this is scary. Careful of those contaminants. (ScienceDaily)
• Dental Exam Went Well? Thank Fluoride <<I’m in the camp that thinks reasonable amount of fluoride is a good thing. Science agrees. (New York Times)
• Turning to Kettlebells to Ease Back Pain <<Exercise seems to help almost everything, even if it’s occasionally counterintuitive. (New York Times)
• Drinking three cups of tea a day may help lower blood pressure <<This was a surprisingly well-controlled study about the benefits of tea, and the results are compelling. (Los Angeles Times)
• Carrots and Cumin: 2 Ways <<If you’ve never had carrots and cumin together, that should change this weekend. Seriously, you don’t know what you’re missing. (Bittman)
• Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Lemon-Tahini Dressing <<These are a few of my favorite things, and they’re in season! (David Lebovitz)

What inspired you this week?

If you enjoyed this post, you might want to subscribe to Summer Tomato and follow me on Twitter!

 Print This

Tags: brown fat, Exercise, fluoride, kettlebell, olive oil, tea

Photo by xJasonRogersx

Snacking can be a mixed blessing for anyone learning to eat healthy. On one hand, a small healthy snack after a workout or an hour or so before a late meal can help you avoid making bad, hunger-induced food decisions later. On the other hand, snacking can easily grow out of control and be a source of hundreds of excess calories.

Late night snacking almost never falls into the good snacking category and is usually driven by cravings or habit rather than legitimate hunger. Here are a few tips to help you make healthy post-dinner food decisions and break the habit of late night snacking.

8 Simple Tips To Avoid Late Night Snacking

1. Eat a satisfying dinner

This may seem obvious, but is often overlooked by someone actively trying to lose weight. Though dinners shouldn’t be excessively large, they should be balanced, nourishing and satisfying enough to keep you happy until bed time.

2. Eat fruit

Late night snacking is often fueled by a desire for sugar or dessert. A small piece of fruit can be a great way to satisfy this craving and help you make it to bedtime without indulging in unhealthy sweets.

3. Drink herbal tea

Often a desire to snack can be quenched by simply changing the flavor in your mouth. Warm mint or chamomile tea can substitute for dessert without actually contributing any calories.

4. Brush your teeth

Dentists will tell you it’s good to brush your teeth as soon as possible after a meal to avoid tooth decay. An added bonus of this strategy is that toothpaste tends to make foods taste bad and sap your desire for late night snacks.

5. Drink some water

Water is often overlooked as a simple and effective way to avoid excessive eating. Not only is thirst often mistaken for hunger, water can also help fill your stomach during the extra time it takes for your brain to realize you are no longer hungry. Sparkling water flavored with a little citrus or cucumber is particularly effective at distracting your mouth from the desire to keep chewing.

6. Call a friend

Since late night snacking isn’t a symptom of real hunger, psychological tactics can be effective at helping you make it to bed without extra calories. Eating and talking are not compatible, so calling a friend or family member can be a great way to occupy your mind and mouth until the cravings pass.

7. Get moving

Light exercise can be great for killing the desire to eat. Try burning a few calories instead of eating them by taking a walk or making a booty call instead.

8. Play video games

Though I do not consider the Nintendo Wii a particularly effective form of exercise, one bonus of playing video games is it occupies both of your hands and makes it difficult to eat. It also gets your mind off the kitchen and onto something more fun. I’d vote for video games over television any day of the week.

What are your favorite tricks to avoid late night snacking?

Originally published May 3, 2010.

If you enjoyed this post, you might want to subscribe to Summer Tomato and follow me on Twitter!

 Print This

Tags: Exercise, snacks, tea, video games, water

Photo by Надя Антонова / Nadja Antonova

Healthy eating is important, but sometimes on special occasions you just don’t want to compromise. Luckily, sometimes you don’t have to.

Some of the most classic Super Bowl foods actually aren’t as bad for you as most people think. Just make sure that real, good-quality ingredients are used in all your recipes and enjoy.

5 Classic Super Bowl Foods That Are Surprisingly Healthy

1. Chili

Beans, tomatoes, onions, spices and grass-fed beef are the things healthy meals are made of—just don’t forget to eat some leafy greens at some point during the day.

Really good chili doesn’t require cheese, but if you can’t live without it just make sure you get real cheddar and not the processed fake stuff. Check the ingredients.

2. Chicken wings

Chicken wings are tasty, and depending on what you put on them they can be healthy as well. What’s important is that you avoid breading and sweet sauces. Traditional Buffalo wings are probably not the best option (they’re breaded and fried), but Chef John’s famous Super Bowl pastrami wings would be perfect.

3. Guacamole

I’d be lying if I said you didn’t have to watch your portions with guacamole—it’s easy to eat a lot and it is very high in calories. But fortunately it is very filling and all the calories are of the healthy variety. The monounsaturated fats in avocados are very effective at raising healthy HDL cholesterol, without negatively impacting other blood measures.

4. Salsa

Of course there can be no talking about Guacamole without mentioning his fiery little sister Salsa. On the health front, you can’t beat the combo of tomatoes, onions, chili, cilantro and lime, and it tastes good on pretty much anything. So go nuts, you can enjoy this one guilt free.

5. Bean dip

Black bean dip is a classic at Super Bowl parties. If you start with dried beans and soak them overnight before cooking and pureeing them for the dip, you can even avoid the digestive issues most people associate with legume consumption. If you’re tired of Mexican flavors (the ingredients are similar to those in salsa and guacamole) try using chickpeas in a Mediterranean-style hummus instead.

What are your favorite Super Bowl recipes?

If you enjoyed this post, you might want to subscribe to Summer Tomato and follow me on Twitter!

 Print This

Tags: chili, guacamole, hummus, salsa, Super Bowl

For The Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup.

There are certainly some must reads this week, including Ruth Reichl’s speech from the Good Food Awards about how the food landscape has changed (for the better) in America. I also found an excellent discussion of the Paula Deen fiasco, and a handful of studies showing exercise is even more awesome than we knew.

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. I also share links on Twitter (@summertomato), Google+ and the Summer Tomato Facebook page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.

Links of the week

• What I Said Last Night at the Good Food Awards <<Everyone should read this. Not only is it the most optimistic and hopeful piece I’ve seen on the food movement (and I totally agree with the sentiments), but it’s a wonderful reminder of how millions of Americans are still eating. (Ruth Reichl)
• Paula Deen has Diabetes and takes Victoza. So What? <<By far the best analysis I’ve seen of the Paula Deen situation. Seriously, don’t look so shocked. (Weighty Matters)
• Twinkies, the Undead Snack <<Mark Bittman would be happy to see Twinkies disappear. I wouldn’t mind either. (New York Times)
• Food industry opposes EPA limits on dioxins <<This is scary, but I think it is worth noting that most dangerous exposure happens in industrial foods, particularly animal production where their feed has been contaminated. This would make pastured, grass-fed animals far, far safer. (Food Politics)
• How Exercise May Keep Alzheimer’s at Bay <<This is a really fascinating story about how those with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s Disease can virtually eliminate it with exercise (though being sedentary has an opposite, accelerating effect). (New York Times)
• 30 Years of Aging vs 3 Weeks of Bed Rest – Which is Worse For Aerobic Fitness? <<More news in sedentary behavior… it’s really bad for you. (Obesity Panacea)
• 5 Phone Apps for Healthy Green Eating <<I think that anything your iPhone can do to encourage healthier behavior is a good thing. Good suggestions here, and a few I hadn’t heard of. (Treehugger)
• Fish and Young Women’s Hearts <<Eating fish is healthier than not eating fish, by a significant amount. (Dr. Weil)
• 7 surprising reasons to eat more soup <<Soup is one of my favorite foods, and it is one of the easiest to make and store as well. (Stone Soup)
• CARROT TUNA AND AVOCADO SALAD <<This looks tasty and filling. Plus, carrots are amazing right now. (No Recipes)

What inspired you this week?

If you enjoyed this post, you might want to subscribe to Summer Tomato and follow me on Twitter!

 Print This

Tags: Alzheimer's disease, dioxins, Exercise, fish, food movement, iPhone apps, sedentary, soup, Twinkies

Collards, Carrots and Lentils (click image for recipe)

Most people consider it common knowledge that healthy food is expensive and unhealthy food is cheap—that’s why we’re all so fat, right?

But for most people it does not need to be this way. Since I upgraded my healthstyle not only have I lost weight and become healthier, I have also managed to save more money.

How?

In a nut shell, I started cooking more at home.

It is a sad reflection on our culture that so many people rely on fast food for their daily sustenance, and my heart goes out to those who truly cannot afford better. But I contend that many of the bad decisions we make about food each day are more an issue of (perceived) convenience than price.

Last I checked burritos in San Francisco averaged over $5. And if you have properly set up your kitchen you will find it actually takes less time to cook a healthy meal than it does to place and fill your order at El Farolito.

Every penny counts in this brutal economy. Here are a few tricks you can use to save a buck and get a little healthier too.

10 Tips For Eating Healthy On A Budget

• Cook at home The most important change I made to save money was to turn cooking at home into my default option rather than rely on neighborhood eateries as my go-to cop out. Eating out is expensive, no matter which way you cut it.
• Shop on weekends If you already have fresh food in the fridge you will be more motivated to cook for yourself instead of going out and spending money. Make the habit of buying food ahead of time and you won’t be as tempted to waste money going out.
• Shop seasonally When choosing what to eat, taste trumps health 90% of the time. (That’s why you rolled your eyes when I suggested you eat fewer burritos.) If you really want to start eating healthy you must want to eat vegetables, and that will only happen if the ones you buy taste delicious. Seasonal, farm fresh produce can completely change how you feel about vegetables and fruits—it also tends to be the best deal in the produce section.
• Shop at the farmers market In my experience the best tasting produce in a chain grocery store is at Whole Foods. But if you have ever been shopping there you know what a dent it can put in your wallet (this does not apply to their non-fresh items, which are competitively priced and often cheaper than other stores). Rather than handing over your Whole Paycheck or settling for less than inspiring options at Safeway, do your weekly produce shopping at your local farmers market. If you shop intelligently (see below) you can get 2 meals for the cost of one burrito.
• Focus on leafy greens Leafy greens like kale, chard, collards, spinach and broccoli are some of the most nutritious, least expensive things you can buy. And this is true at any grocery store, not just the farmers market. Frequently, half a bunch of kale with some beans, grains and herbs is my entire dinner and costs around $1.50. It also takes less than 15 minutes to prepare. Can you beat that?
• Buy in bulk Canned beans are fine, but dried beans taste better and are way cheaper. Grains from the bulk bins at your local health food store are only pennies per serving. Cook these staples in large batches and save them in your freezer for cheap, quick and nutritious food anytime. This is also true of lentils. Just add some greens and you’re good to go.
• Eat less meat This is probably the easiest way to save money. Whether at the grocery store or at restaurants meat is always the most expensive thing on the menu. I do not advocate a vegetarian diet, but limiting meat to once or twice a week is an easy way to cut back on both calories and expenses. If you are worried about protein (you needn’t be) you can eat beans, eggs and lentils instead.
• Use fish from cans Fish is an important part of a healthy diet, but fresh fish can be expensive (especially the wild sustainable kinds). Canned salmon, sardines (boneless, skinless), smoked mackerel and anchovies are inexpensive alternatives for protein, vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.
• Make fruit dessert If you think the farmers market is expensive my bet is you spend most of your money on fruits. I am the first to admit that fruit can be very expensive, especially summertime berries and stone fruits. While I do recommend you invest in some high-quality farmers market fruit, it will be easier on your wallet if you consider fruit a treat.
• Think long term I am not arguing that buying every single food item at the farmers market is the cheapest way to shop, but it is almost certainly the healthiest. Our hedonistic tendencies may incline us toward cheap, greasy foods but you should consider what you are really paying for in the long run. Poor diet can be attributed to most cases of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer and a generally difficult, painful life. And I probably don’t need to convince you that a farm fresh salad costs less than a hospital trip and a lifetime of medication. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive, but unhealthy eating can cost you your life.

What are your favorite money saving tips for healthy eating?

This post was originally published on May 20, 2009.

If you enjoyed this post, you might want to subscribe to Summer Tomato and follow me on Twitter!

 Print This

Tags: budget, burritos, fast food, leafy greens, money, weekends