For The Love of Food

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

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This week we learn why we shouldn’t trust food labels, how economic woes can improve health, and the tastiest ways to travel without resorting to airplane food.

Want to see all my favorite links? (There’s lots more). Be sure to follow me on on Delicious. 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. (And yes, I took that pepper heart pic myself).

Links of the week

• Jedi Mind Tricks: How to Get Loved Ones to Lose Weight <<This is the most personal story I’ve ever shared about my family’s health and weight loss journey. My dad was one of the lucky ones. I hope it inspires you. Thanks to Tim Ferriss for allowing me to share the extensive excerpt from Foodist with his audience.
  
• The 10 Biggest Food Label Lies <<Food labels are intended to confuse you. Here’s some tips on how to decipher them (including some from me). (Women’s Day)
• A Potential Way to Eat Eggs Without Dying <<BS of the week. Call me crazy, but it seems a bit irresponsible to publicly recommend an unproven supplement to fix a problem with a food that has never been shown to promote heart disease in free living humans. Grrrr. (The Atlantic)
• Betting on Behavior Change <<I’m a big fan of anything that helps build healthy habits. Here’s some great tips from the Nutrition Diva.
• How Cubans’ Health Improved When Their Economy Collapsed <<When the Soviet Union stopped supporting Cuba with cheap petroleum, they were forced to return to the fields, eat more natural foods and be more active. Their rates of disease plummeted, despite their poverty. Fascinating, huh? (The Atlantic)
• Contaminated ground turkey found in 21 states: report <<In case you hadn’t heard, you may want to skip the industrial turkey burgers for awhile. (Medline)
• Children on Track for a Heart Attack <<This makes me so sad. Being a kid is hard enough, now they’re having to deal with grown up problems like stiffening arteries as well. Parents, please take this to heart. (Wall Street Journal)
• Of course you’re stressed. Just look at you. <<Chronic stress makes you look older. Just one more reason to practice mindfulness and other activities that reduce stress. (LA Times)
• RECIPES AND TIPS FOR HEALTHY TRAVEL <<Frequent travel is one of the biggest barriers to good health for some people. Here’s some lovely recipes and tips to avoid the toxic (and gross) airplane food. (My New Roots)
• How to Cook Morels <<Few foods exemplify the beauty of seasonal cooking like morel mushrooms. They’re delightful and simple to prepare, and I’ve even known some self-proclaimed mushroom haters that have found them delicious. (Ruhlman)
• Triangulation 101: Darya Rose <<I made a visit to TWiT studios this week and chatted with Leo Laporte about Foodist. It’s the most info that’s ever been shared about the content of my new book. Give it a watch when you get a chance.

Photo by x-ray delta one

Moms are wonderful. But as Mother’s Day approaches, I am reminded once again that my parents’ generation didn’t do the greatest job of equipping us to feed ourselves healthy foods.

Of course this isn’t exactly their fault. The food industry tried their best to ensure that we all became dependent on frozen foods and ready-made meals. Fortunately we now know enough to reverse a lot of these trends, but developing new habits can be more difficult as we get older.

The good news is that it isn’t too late for Mom. This year let one of your Mother’s Day gifts be to help make her life easier and improve her nutrition by sharing some of these kitchen upgrades. And if you’re really serious about this stuff, a copy of Foodist makes a wonderful Mother’s Day gift as well (wink, wink).

12 Ways to Upgrade Mom’s Kitchen Skills

1. Sautée instead of steam

Probably the most common way vegetables are ruined in the kitchen is the steam basket. Almost everything tastes better and is healthier when cooked in a little olive oil. Don’t forget to sprinkle your veggies with a little sea salt and toss some minced garlic in toward the end. It’s not much more work and it tastes way better, so you’ll happily eat those veggies.

2. Spring greens instead of ice burg or romaine lettuces

While I have nothing against either of the latter two greens from a flavor perspective (particularly when they are organically grown and fresh picked), the industrial varieties you typically find at the grocery store are rather uninspiring. For an easy upgrade, recommend that your parents grab the box of mixed spring greens instead. These have become easier to find, and if nothing else you’ll be getting a wider range of nutrients from a mixed greens bag rather than a single lettuce varietal.

3. Olive oil instead of margarine

At some point we all became convinced that butter was bad and we should use margarine instead, and many people still do. We eventually learned that margarine was made from highly processed hydrogenated oils that drastically increase the risk of heart disease, and that butter was actually better. However, I avoid common industrial butters because of the hormones and antibiotics used in the livestock (I actually get breakouts if I eat industrial dairy). Grass-fed butter is a nice alternative, but can be expensive and difficult to find. Olive oil is a great option and my go-to choice for most cooking.

4. Tongs instead of a spatula

This discovery revolutionized my experience in the kitchen. Get your mom a pair of 12-inch silicone tipped tongs and you’ll stop having to watch as carrots and zucchini slices fly out of the pan. Cooking vegetables has never been easier.

5. Quinoa instead of rice

I like rice, but it’s easy to forget there are other grains out there. Quinoa is very nutrient dense, and cooks up much faster than traditional rice. Just boil for 15-20 minutes and strain. Easy peasy.

6. Dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate

I think chocolate makes an excellent gift for anyone, especially Mom. Make this year’s gift even more luxurious by springing for the fancy dark chocolate varieties instead of the more common milk chocolates. Dark chocolate has far more of the healthy polyphenols and other antioxidants that improve health, and also has less sugar. If you get the good stuff it shouldn’t be bitter at all, it should be divine.

7. Look at ingredients instead of fat grams

For the longest time dietary fat was the boogeyman and many people still check labels religiously to see how much fat a food contains. This is pointless. Fat itself is not innately bad for you. To determine the healthfulness of a packaged food you and your mom are better off looking at the list of ingredients. The more the ingredients sound like real foods instead of chemicals, and the fewer of them that are added sugars, the better. Here’s more on how to decipher food labels.

8. Plain yogurt instead of frooty yogurt

Fruit yogurt sounds healthy, but it usually isn’t. Check the ingredients. If the yogurt contains more than milk, live bacterial cultures and fruit, something is amiss. You’re probably better off buying plain yogurt and adding fruit yourself.

9. Homemade salad dressing instead of bottled

Salad dressing is one of the easiest things to make. Just mix olive oil and some vinegar with a little salt and pepper. Feel free to get fancy by adding chives or stirring in a little Dijon mustard or miso paste, but those aren’t necessary. Check the ingredients, pre-made salad dressings tend to be some of the most egregious offenders.

10. Kale chips instead of potato chips

People love their chips. If mom just can’t give up the crunch of her afternoon snack, see if she’ll replace her potato or tortilla chips with kale chips. She may need to experiment with different brands (I’m a fan of Alive & Radiant Foods), but in my experience kale chips are some of the best tasting items in the “health foods” aisle.

11. Sparkling water instead of soda

If water seems too boring to have with a meal or as a mid-afternoon refresher, try getting in the habit of having some sparkling water and adding a lemon wedge or a splash of real fruit juice. You can save money by purchasing a SodaStream and making it yourself. Mom might like one too.

12. Almond butter instead of peanut butter

I LOVE me some peanut butter. The problem is that most of the supermarket varieties are highly processed and filled with hydrogenated oils. Try almond butter instead, as it is usually more natural. If you can find natural peanut butter (hint: the ingredients should be just peanuts and salt), that is a healthier option as well.

What are your simplest healthstyle upgrades?

For The Love of Food

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

This week foie gras is more ethical than chicken, paleo diets take some heat, and organic labels change how food tastes.

Want to see all my favorite links? (There’s lots more). Be sure to follow me on on Delicious. 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. (And yes, I took that pepper heart pic myself).

Links of the week

• Farm Transparency v. Farm Secrecy <<Michael Ruhlman explains how foie gras can be more ethical than your chicken dinner. I totally agree. (Ruhlman)
• Breaking up with Paleo <<A worthwhile read by a long-time paleo diet adherent, who found a healthier and more enjoyable alternative. (Hunt. Gather. Love.)
• Does Red Meat Clog Your Arteries After All? <<A fair analysis of the most recent “red meat will kill us all!” study scare. (Mark’s Daily Apple)
• Study: ‘Organic’ Labels Make Food Taste Healthier <<Another new study showing that food labels (this time “organic”) and words impact our perception of how food tastes. Interestingly, being informed about food helps reduce this effect. (The Atlantic)
• What’s new in food marketing? Protein! <<Don’t fall for it. Just eat real food. (Food Politics)
• Study shows a walk in the park fixes a fuzzy brain <<Don’t you love it when science tells you relaxing more helps you work better? I know I do. (Treehugger)
• NO TIME TO EXERCISE? THINK AGAIN <<No one is immune to the dangers of a sedentary life (sit at a computer much?). The good news is it doesn’t take much exercise to improve health substantially. (Dr. Weil)
• Would you eat bugs if they looked like sushi? <<I’m a huge fan of overcoming perceptions and trying new foods. Grist makes an interesting argument here for sure. (Grist)
• Calamari and Tomato Stew with Capers & Chilies <<I’ve never tried to cook seafood for long periods, but I’m definitely going to try this. (Not Eating Out in New York)
• Debunking the paleo diet: Christina Warinner at TEDxOU <<There are a few logical fallacies here, but I love her take home messages about what we can learn from authentic paleo diets: 1) Eat diverse foods, 2) Eat fresh foods, 3) Eat whole foods.

What inspired you this week?

For The Love of Food

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

This will be the last link roundup for a few weeks, since next Friday I’ll be traveling for my wedding (eeek!) and the following week I’ll be on my honeymoon (less scary, but still – eeek!). I’ll cue up some good stuff from the archives while I’m away, and of course share some pics. Wish me luck!

This week from around the internet Rob Rhinehart decides food is overrated, being healthy is easier when you enjoy it, and how your slicing method affects onion pungency.

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Delicious. 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. (And yes, I took that pepper heart pic myself).

Links of the week

• How I Stopped Eating Food <<A lot of people have asked what I think about the guy who gave up food for a nutrient-packed drink, so here it is. My first thought: Why the *bleep* would anyone want to give up food? Food is awesome! Second: Having all the nutrients you need to survive is not the same as having all the ones you need to thrive. I don’t think we even know all the nutrients that fight all the different kinds of cancers that exist, so how could they really all be in there? I’m skeptical. (Rob Rhinehart)
  
• Read This If You’re Trying to Cultivate a New Habit <<Habits are far more effective for getting healthy than trying to use willpower to restrain yourself. Here’s a novel idea: try finding activities you enjoy. (Weighty Matters)
• Cook Your Own Food. Eat What You Want.(Think for Yourself.) <<Just a friendly reminder that the quality of your life should be your top priority when choosing what to consume. (Ruhlman)
• Green Food Labels Make Nutrition-Poor Food Seem Healthy <<As in the color green. It’s a little frightening how easy it is to manipulate our perceptions of healthfulness. (ScienceDaily)
• Secret to ordering healthier food is seeing how far you have to walk to burn it off <<I sometimes like to think about my health as a bank account. Set yourself a budget that includes the occasional splurge, and you’ll be fine. It seems thinking of food in terms of how much it costs to work it off is an effective strategy. (Treehugger)
• Slice Onions a Specific Way to Affect Their Flavor and Intensity <<A cool trick I didn’t know about. (Lifehacker)
• Dietary supplements: A round-up of bad news <<Be careful with those supplements, kiddos! (Food Politics)
• Olive Oil Makes You Feel Full <<The headline is a little misleading here. What’s interesting about this study is that it is the volatile smell components of olive oil (compared to other fats) that make it more satiating. Smell is underrated in health. (ScienceDaily)
• High-Carb Intake in Infancy Has Lifelong Effects, Study Finds <<Be careful what you feed those little ones, especially if they are on formula. (ScienceDaily)
• Soy-Marinated Steak with Shiitake Mushrooms and Napa Cabbage <<An excellent example of why to not stop eating. Yum. (Not Eating Out In New York)

What inspired you this week?

Photo by {Guerrilla Futures | Jason Tester}

It’s no secret that my favorite foods rarely have labels. Whenever possible I recommend starting with raw ingredients from the produce aisle, fish counter and butcher, and building your meal from scratch. Seasonal ingredients from your local farmers market are better still, and tastier to boot.

But I’m also aware that we don’t live in a perfect world, and sometimes we find ourselves in circumstances that aren’t particularly conducive to healthy eating. Eventually most of us will end up staring blankly at the back of a plastic container or cardboard box, wondering what evils will descend upon us if we choose this packaged morsel over another.

Food labels have become stupidly complicated, not to mention misleading. Instant oatmeal mixes have “30% more protein” (huh?). Several brands of granola and crackers at my favorite health food store include “love” on their ingredient list (how is this legal?). Products without any animal-based ingredients proudly showcase that they’re “cholesterol free,” as if it were possible for plants to produce cholesterol (or dietary cholesterol even had a measurable impact on your health). And sometimes it seems like every processed food under the sun has the American Heart Association’s stamp of approval (Thanks guys, real helpful.).

Don’t kid yourself, these labels are not about health. They’re about selling more food at higher prices. The data consistently show that people (that includes you and me) are willing to pay more for a product if we think it has a special health benefit. Unless the system changes, expected to be bombarded with misleading food labels for the rest of time.

Fortunately, navigating the insanity is fairly simple. Do your best to ignore all the front of package health claims assuring you that this high-fiber, low-cholesterol, antioxidant rich product will improve every aspect of your life. Instead flip to the back and look for the one thing that will really tell you how healthy it is, or isn’t: the ingredients.

Real food is made from real ingredients, things you should recognize. Real food is not made with unpronounceable chemicals, dough conditioners, preservatives, or 14 different kinds of sugar. Why does Wonder Bread contain Datem and/or Azodicarbonamide? Because its manufacturers want it to have a shelf life that extends beyond the apocalypse. That way when the zombies run out of brains to eat they can still buy Wonder Bread.

Bizarre chemicals are a telltale sign of preservatives and other ingredients that are added to enhance a food’s sell-ability, not it’s healthfulness. Fake food doesn’t breakdown or go bad because the microorganisms that cause decay cannot thrive on it. It doesn’t support life, theirs or yours. Adding synthetic vitamins does not negate this flaw.

To avoid the traps of food marketers, you have to call their bluff and turn straight to the ingredients. The best packaged foods are more convenient versions of things you could make yourself. Simple foods like trail mix, dehydrated vegetables and fruits, jarred or canned vegetables, frozen fruits and vegetables, and perishable dips like salsa and hummus are at the top of my list of healthy packaged foods, so long as I recognize the majority of the ingredients listed.

You can tell almost everything you need to know about a packaged food by looking at the ingredients. Foods are made from other foods, food-like products are made from synthetic stuff in a lab. The best choices lean more toward real than fake.

The only caveat I’d add is that food manufacturers are not stupid, and many have realized that people distrust foods that contain high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). As a result some of them have replaced this cheap, uber sweet source of sugar with other forms that appear better because they sound natural. Alarms should go off in your head when you see anything that sounds like a sweetener, even if it’s made from fruit or grains.

If it’s impossible to find a version of what you want without added sugar, just try to get the one with as little as possible. Ingredients are listed in order from largest amount (first ingredient) to smallest amount (last ingredient), so if any of the first three to five ingredients are sweeteners you should be suspicious. At this point you can glance at the sugar content and serving size data to see how much sugar you would actually be eating. I try to keep non-dessert foods under 10 grams of sugar per serving (preferably under 5 grams), and anything over 15 grams I consider to be dessert even if it’s a savory food.

There are a handful of decent food companies that go out of their way to make real food from real stuff. But they aren’t easy to find, and the front of package labels and health claims are little help. I dream of the day when ingredient lists are the only information that is allowed on the front of a package. Until then it’s up to us to ignore the health claims and search the package to see what it’s actually made of.

Do you read the ingredients when you buy packaged foods?