Just when I think I'm making some good progress on learning more about nutrition and eating healthfully, I do something really dumb...
Last week at the 5k, they were giving out these little Bagelful things at the post-race snack table. It's a Kraft product and is basically a bagel stick with a filling inside. I went for the carrots and apple slices and so didn't pick it up, but Jeremy did. He showed it to me and I glanced at the ingredients label. There are about 25 different ingredients in this tiny little thing, most of which you couldn't find in the average kitchen. "Yuck," I thought, and went back to my carrots.
Jeremy evidently thought so too and didn't eat it. Somehow the thing ended up in the fridge. This morning, I had to feed Lauren on the run to daycare and grabbed it, thinking she would like it. Of course, I should have thought at this point, "If I didn't want to eat it, why in the world would I feed it to my daughter?" I was in a rush, though, and wasn't thinking and grabbed what was easy.
Lauren is smarter than me, though, because she took one bite a refused to eat any more. I kept offereing it to her, worried that she wasn't eating, and she kept refusing. Finally, I tried it myself. Awful! It was like mushed-up strawberry Chap-stick in a crappy bagel! No wonder the poor kid didn't want to eat it!
The thing is, a lot of people would have eaten it. A lot of people would have grabbed it on the go, like I did, and would end up eating it because they don't have any other choices available. Heck, a month ago, I might have eaten it and not given it a second thought. It's incredible how little attention we pay to what we put in our bodies!
One interesting thing is that's actually pretty high in fiber and low in calories and fat. Therefore, it would be low in Weight Watchers points. Now, I love and adore Weight Watchers: it helped me change the way I was eating about 5 years ago and lose 40+ pounds. It's a great system and can actually help people learn healthier habits. The one downfall of the system, though, is that a convenience product like the Bagelful is low in points and would perhaps be preferable to something that is healthier, but more points. I know I spent too much tme eating low-fat cheese that was basically oil product in order to save myself points. Now, of course, someone could be eating only whole foods on the plan and do really well, but the convenience foods are just so easy to fall into. Too easy.
I won't be around the next couple of days: I'm running a half marathon in Eugene, Oregon. We'll see if this healthier food for the last months pays off! See you soon!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Mindless Eating
I've been very busy at work these last few days and have been desperate to relax when I get home, so I've been spending a lot of time in front of screens. Television and computer screens, that is. I've been eating in front of them more than I'd like to admit, taking my lunch at my desk as I've been working and eating dinner at home in front of the TV. I've found myself not paying attention at all to what I'm eating, just mindlessly chowing down as I eat.
Through a friend, I found another blog that I'm just loving: Real Food is Good Food. She has wonderful, delicious-looking recipes and gorgeous photos of the process to make it all. I highly recommend it!
Another is Smitten Kitchen. Ditto on the recipes and the photos. I can't wait to find out some of the things I'm finding on these sites! Namely, Homemade Pop-Tarts. I've never wanted a pocket pastry so much in my life!
Our dinner tonight was a Thai Protein Noodle Salad from The Great American Detox Diet. I can't find a recipe online, but it had bean sprouts, tofu, rice noodles, avocado, red bell pepper, and a yummy dressing made with peanut butter, ginger, and soy sauce. I can't even tell you how good it was and exactly what I needed to prep for the race this weekend!
Through a friend, I found another blog that I'm just loving: Real Food is Good Food. She has wonderful, delicious-looking recipes and gorgeous photos of the process to make it all. I highly recommend it!
Another is Smitten Kitchen. Ditto on the recipes and the photos. I can't wait to find out some of the things I'm finding on these sites! Namely, Homemade Pop-Tarts. I've never wanted a pocket pastry so much in my life!
Our dinner tonight was a Thai Protein Noodle Salad from The Great American Detox Diet. I can't find a recipe online, but it had bean sprouts, tofu, rice noodles, avocado, red bell pepper, and a yummy dressing made with peanut butter, ginger, and soy sauce. I can't even tell you how good it was and exactly what I needed to prep for the race this weekend!
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| From Drop Box |
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
From the Farm to the Table: A Story in Pictures
We picked up our second box of food from Full Circle Farm today - so exciting! I decided to take a bunch of photos to show you the bounty and what I did with it.
It's here!
Oooh... look at it all!
Oh crap. Where am I going to put this? Can you tell I just went to Costco?
There's a little room over here...
Posed veggies - Those are cremini mushrooms and arugula
Gorgeous new citrus fruits, tomato, and avocados
Dinner-making in progress. Note my compost bowl.
My ever-present chef's helper with a spoon on her head, right before she was banned from the kitchen for not listening. Hiring a new sous-chef if anyone is interested.
Cooking in progress with my pan already nearly overflowing. Those are roasted golden beets on the right for the salad.
Finished arugula salad with roasted golden beets and radishes. I made a dijon mustard/caper/maple syrup/olive oil concoction for dressing that was surprisingly good.
Finished, steaming chili with ground turkey, eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, carrots... pretty much as much as I could fit in there.
So, there it is! A gorgeous, yummy dinner in just under an hour with lots of great organic veggies. The bean and veggie chili was one of the recipes in Food Matters and the salad was my own invention. Delicious!
It's here!
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| From Drop Box |
Oooh... look at it all!
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| From Drop Box |
Oh crap. Where am I going to put this? Can you tell I just went to Costco?
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| From Drop Box |
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| From Drop Box |
There's a little room over here...
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| From Drop Box |
Posed veggies - Those are cremini mushrooms and arugula
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| From Drop Box |
Gorgeous new citrus fruits, tomato, and avocados
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| From Drop Box |
Dinner-making in progress. Note my compost bowl.
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| From Drop Box |
My ever-present chef's helper with a spoon on her head, right before she was banned from the kitchen for not listening. Hiring a new sous-chef if anyone is interested.
 |
| From Drop Box |
Cooking in progress with my pan already nearly overflowing. Those are roasted golden beets on the right for the salad.
 |
| From Drop Box |
Finished arugula salad with roasted golden beets and radishes. I made a dijon mustard/caper/maple syrup/olive oil concoction for dressing that was surprisingly good.
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| From Drop Box |
Finished, steaming chili with ground turkey, eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, carrots... pretty much as much as I could fit in there.
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| From Drop Box |
So, there it is! A gorgeous, yummy dinner in just under an hour with lots of great organic veggies. The bean and veggie chili was one of the recipes in Food Matters and the salad was my own invention. Delicious!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Food, Inc. Part II
Here are the rest of the note about Food, Inc. There was just so much interesting material in that film! I definitely think it should be required watching for adults and kids!
The biggest predictor of obesity is income level. - As with many other things, this wasn't surprising, but was good to have pointed out. We have to do something about the subsidies paid that make the foods that are so bad for us so cheap and subsidize good, healthy foods and make them readily available.
1 in 3 Americans born after 2000 will contract early onset diabetes. In minorities, the number is 1 in 2. - Wow. Add to this the fact that this generation of children is expected to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. What are we doing to our kids?
Many of the food processing plants hire illegal workers. The government cracks down on the workers, but never on the companies. - Interesting given the legislation just passed and signed in Arizona.
At the turn of the century, the average farmer could feed 6-8 people. The average American farmer now can feed 126 people.
Monsanto, the chemical company, has patents on genetically-modified corn and soybeans (GMOs). They have a team of investigators that prosecute people that attempt to clean and keep the seeds, calling it patent infringement. Farmers must continue to use Monsanto seed or face losing their crops, since few heirloom, pure seeds exist. - This was something I knew next to nothing about, but am prepared to learn more as I do all my reading. It's incredible the depths to which these huge companies have their fingers in the pie.
70% of foods in supermarkets has some sort of genetically-modified product. - So how do the other 30% manage it? Are they the fruits and vegetables only? Or do those not even count because corn and soy products are used as preservatives and industrial waxes? It's definitely a complex topic.
You'll notice above that I tried to use my photography to make something pretty rather than the slop I ordinarily produce. Hope you like it!
The biggest predictor of obesity is income level. - As with many other things, this wasn't surprising, but was good to have pointed out. We have to do something about the subsidies paid that make the foods that are so bad for us so cheap and subsidize good, healthy foods and make them readily available.
1 in 3 Americans born after 2000 will contract early onset diabetes. In minorities, the number is 1 in 2. - Wow. Add to this the fact that this generation of children is expected to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. What are we doing to our kids?
Many of the food processing plants hire illegal workers. The government cracks down on the workers, but never on the companies. - Interesting given the legislation just passed and signed in Arizona.
At the turn of the century, the average farmer could feed 6-8 people. The average American farmer now can feed 126 people.
Monsanto, the chemical company, has patents on genetically-modified corn and soybeans (GMOs). They have a team of investigators that prosecute people that attempt to clean and keep the seeds, calling it patent infringement. Farmers must continue to use Monsanto seed or face losing their crops, since few heirloom, pure seeds exist. - This was something I knew next to nothing about, but am prepared to learn more as I do all my reading. It's incredible the depths to which these huge companies have their fingers in the pie.
70% of foods in supermarkets has some sort of genetically-modified product. - So how do the other 30% manage it? Are they the fruits and vegetables only? Or do those not even count because corn and soy products are used as preservatives and industrial waxes? It's definitely a complex topic.
You'll notice above that I tried to use my photography to make something pretty rather than the slop I ordinarily produce. Hope you like it!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Food, Inc. Part I
I watched Food, Inc. last night. It was shown on PBS and you can still access it on their website here. I found it just incredible to watch and learned so much more about our food and food supply here in the U.S. So much of it was astounding to me and I feel pretty well informed already. So many Americans just have no idea what they're putting into their mouths and the mouths of their children!
Some notes I took and a little commentary:
The way we eat has changed more in the last 50 years than in the previous 10,000. - This wasn't a surprising fact per se, but hearing it really brought home the seriousness of the Standard American Diet. Why are we messing with what's worked for 10,000 years? Convenience? Taste?
The top 4 beef producers control 80% of the market. - Well, we know where our meat is coming from. Not that that's a good thing.
Many of the chickens “raised” never see sunlight. - This fact, along with the shots of the poor chickens in the poultry house made me sad. My heart just aches for mistreated animals and I wonder what it says about our humanity that we can do this to other creatures.
The chicken has doubled in size in the last 50 years, due to production needs. They go to full size now in 7 weeks. They grow so fast, their internal organs and bones can’t keep up and they can barely walk. - See above.
We eat 200 lbs. of meat per person, per year. - Now that's just gross.
Corn is being fed to cows to fatten them because it’s cheap and abundant, but cows are really grass-eaters. Mutant, more dangerous E. coli is formed by their eating this diet. Normally, grass would keep the E. coli out of their system for the most part. The runoff from our farms is contaminating other products, like spinach. - Now this fact made me nervous. I can make better choices, such as organics or buying from certain companies, but the lax USDA standards and inspections really are scary. I may think I'm making the best decision, but it could have terrible consequences.
The food regulatory agencies have often been led by the former heads of the largest food companies and lobbyists. - Being a history major, this surprises me not at all, but it makes me really sad. Really, really sad. Plus, it makes me wonder about other industries as well.
Kevin’s Law, which would give the USDA the ability to shut down plants with numerous failures of microbial tests, has not been passed in the 6 years it’s been in circulation. The lobbyists keep making sure it’s defeated. The bill is named after Kevin, a 2 ½ year old boy that died of hemorrhagic E. Coli. - See above. Kevin's story just broke my heart, especially since my daughter is not much older than he was when he died. It blows my mind that our government cannot regulate its own industries. Is the tail wagging the dog here or what?
I took so many notes that I'm going to have to finish up for today and give you the rest tomorrow. It was definitely worth my time to watch and I hope you will as well!
I picked up some more books at the library today, so be prepared for much more information! Man, my reading list has grown!
The other day, I posted a not-so-great photo of the whole oat groats I had for breakfast. Though this is steel-cut oats, I fixed it the same way, with a little flaxseed oil, a tiny bit of milk, chopped almonds and walnuts and golden and regular raisins. This is Lauren's portion, not mine. Clearly, I hope.
This was tonight's dinner: Walnut and Lentil Salad from The Great American Detox Diet. I can't find the recipe, but it has spinach, lentils, walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes and various oils and spices. Very filling and very good!
Some notes I took and a little commentary:
The way we eat has changed more in the last 50 years than in the previous 10,000. - This wasn't a surprising fact per se, but hearing it really brought home the seriousness of the Standard American Diet. Why are we messing with what's worked for 10,000 years? Convenience? Taste?
The top 4 beef producers control 80% of the market. - Well, we know where our meat is coming from. Not that that's a good thing.
Many of the chickens “raised” never see sunlight. - This fact, along with the shots of the poor chickens in the poultry house made me sad. My heart just aches for mistreated animals and I wonder what it says about our humanity that we can do this to other creatures.
The chicken has doubled in size in the last 50 years, due to production needs. They go to full size now in 7 weeks. They grow so fast, their internal organs and bones can’t keep up and they can barely walk. - See above.
We eat 200 lbs. of meat per person, per year. - Now that's just gross.
Corn is being fed to cows to fatten them because it’s cheap and abundant, but cows are really grass-eaters. Mutant, more dangerous E. coli is formed by their eating this diet. Normally, grass would keep the E. coli out of their system for the most part. The runoff from our farms is contaminating other products, like spinach. - Now this fact made me nervous. I can make better choices, such as organics or buying from certain companies, but the lax USDA standards and inspections really are scary. I may think I'm making the best decision, but it could have terrible consequences.
The food regulatory agencies have often been led by the former heads of the largest food companies and lobbyists. - Being a history major, this surprises me not at all, but it makes me really sad. Really, really sad. Plus, it makes me wonder about other industries as well.
Kevin’s Law, which would give the USDA the ability to shut down plants with numerous failures of microbial tests, has not been passed in the 6 years it’s been in circulation. The lobbyists keep making sure it’s defeated. The bill is named after Kevin, a 2 ½ year old boy that died of hemorrhagic E. Coli. - See above. Kevin's story just broke my heart, especially since my daughter is not much older than he was when he died. It blows my mind that our government cannot regulate its own industries. Is the tail wagging the dog here or what?
I took so many notes that I'm going to have to finish up for today and give you the rest tomorrow. It was definitely worth my time to watch and I hope you will as well!
I picked up some more books at the library today, so be prepared for much more information! Man, my reading list has grown!
 |
| From Drop Box |
The other day, I posted a not-so-great photo of the whole oat groats I had for breakfast. Though this is steel-cut oats, I fixed it the same way, with a little flaxseed oil, a tiny bit of milk, chopped almonds and walnuts and golden and regular raisins. This is Lauren's portion, not mine. Clearly, I hope.
 |
| From Drop Box |
This was tonight's dinner: Walnut and Lentil Salad from The Great American Detox Diet. I can't find the recipe, but it has spinach, lentils, walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes and various oils and spices. Very filling and very good!
 |
| From Drop Box |
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Sneaky, sneaky!
Running has been a large part of my life for the last two years, ever since a friend asked me to join a relay race team. I never thought I'd be a runner, but I find so much enjoyment in pushing myself and doing new things. I also find it very relaxing and a great way to relieve stress. One major reason I'm doing this eating overhaul is to improve my running, and I'm finding that it's working! Ever since I started eating this way, I've been getting faster and feeling so much better while running. Of course, that's not the only cause, but it certainly helps!
Today we were at a 5k race, and they had quite a spread at the finish line: carrots, apple slices, 100% fruit juice, yogurt, water... it was great. And then, there was this cookie. I won't name it, but it has the word 'power' in the title and says it's "naturally flavored." Right. Here's the ingredient list:
Rolled oats
Rice flour
Corn syrup
Maltodextrin
Sugar
Water
Dextrose
Fractionated palm kernel oil
Soybean oil
Fructose
High fructose corn syrup
Nonfat milk
Flax seed
Honey
High maltose corn syrup
Brown sugar
Rice bran
Nonfat yogurt powder (cultured nonfat milk)
Natural flavor (what could that possibly be?
Cinnamon
Salt
Calcium carbonate
Soy lecithin
Titanium dioxide (added for color)
Ferric orthophosphate
Niacinamide
Thiamine mononitrate
Riboflavin
What a list for a 1.76 oz. cookie, huh? Especially one that's supposed to be marketed for atheletes! Notice the bolded words? All EIGHT of those are kinds of sugar! That little cookie has 3 teaspoons in it! It'll give you energy for sure, but then you'll crash and burn in an hour. How sneaky of them to pack the cookie with all that sugar! Most people today picked it up, didn't even think to look at it and just wolfed it down. No more of that for me!
Tonight's dinner was Orecchiette with Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe. I couldn't find the exact recipe, which I got from Food Matters, but this is close enough. I added just a few sun-dried tomatoes and put in much more broccoli rabe. On the side, we made some green garbanzo beans that we found at Costco. We just put a little olive oil, sea salt, and garlic, and microwaved it for 2 minutes. Totally easy dinner and very yummy!
Today we were at a 5k race, and they had quite a spread at the finish line: carrots, apple slices, 100% fruit juice, yogurt, water... it was great. And then, there was this cookie. I won't name it, but it has the word 'power' in the title and says it's "naturally flavored." Right. Here's the ingredient list:
Rolled oats
Rice flour
Corn syrup
Maltodextrin
Sugar
Water
Dextrose
Fractionated palm kernel oil
Soybean oil
Fructose
High fructose corn syrup
Nonfat milk
Flax seed
Honey
High maltose corn syrup
Brown sugar
Rice bran
Nonfat yogurt powder (cultured nonfat milk)
Natural flavor (what could that possibly be?
Cinnamon
Salt
Calcium carbonate
Soy lecithin
Titanium dioxide (added for color)
Ferric orthophosphate
Niacinamide
Thiamine mononitrate
Riboflavin
What a list for a 1.76 oz. cookie, huh? Especially one that's supposed to be marketed for atheletes! Notice the bolded words? All EIGHT of those are kinds of sugar! That little cookie has 3 teaspoons in it! It'll give you energy for sure, but then you'll crash and burn in an hour. How sneaky of them to pack the cookie with all that sugar! Most people today picked it up, didn't even think to look at it and just wolfed it down. No more of that for me!
Tonight's dinner was Orecchiette with Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe. I couldn't find the exact recipe, which I got from Food Matters, but this is close enough. I added just a few sun-dried tomatoes and put in much more broccoli rabe. On the side, we made some green garbanzo beans that we found at Costco. We just put a little olive oil, sea salt, and garlic, and microwaved it for 2 minutes. Totally easy dinner and very yummy!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
One Month Ago Today...
... I got a wild hair after seeing Jamie Oliver's TED talk and Food Revolution and embarked on this journey to revolutionize the way we eat. It feels like so long ago and yet not. We've come a long way together!
What hasn't surprised me at all:
-I've been totally grossed out and distressed by many of the things I've read. Reading about this subject is much like watching Hoarders for me: it makes me all twitchy.
-The food is all delicious.
-Lauren won't eat it.
-It does cost more to eat this way.
-I've found it a little difficult to eat out.
What has been surprising:
-How accessible organic food is, especially with all the local CSAs.
-It doesn't cost THAT much more to eat this way.
-I haven't had to spend much more time in food prep.
-How quickly I began thinking about going full vegetarian.
-Just how delicious the food is.
-How willing Jeremy has been to go along with all of this, especially in regards to eating less meat.
-How interesting and enjoyable I find all of this.
-Just how many resources are out there, both in books and on the web.
-Just how good I feel. My running is going great: I've been running faster with much more ease. I haven't been overly tired at all and just feel great all day. I've lost about three pounds without even trying. Anything I've given up has been totally worth it and I don't crave most things any more. I'm ready to keep going!
I have a lot more reading and learning to do, and I hope you'll join me!
Tonight's dinner was absolutely delicious! I made the Pan-Cooked Grated Vegetables and Crispy Fish from Food Matters by Mark Bittman. Somehow, I had a reading comprehension fail and didn't see that I was supposed to grate the vegetables. Instead, I cut them into bite-sized chunks, using sweet potatoes, red-skin potatoes, purple-topped turnips, scallions, and a few left-over mushrooms. I just added more ginger and curry powder and it turned out great. I think the trick for that might have been adding a few golden raisins for that little tast of sweetness. I served the fish (I used tilapia) over the veggies and had some asparagus on the side. It was amazing! I would definitely eat this again. And again and again.
What hasn't surprised me at all:
-I've been totally grossed out and distressed by many of the things I've read. Reading about this subject is much like watching Hoarders for me: it makes me all twitchy.
-The food is all delicious.
-Lauren won't eat it.
-It does cost more to eat this way.
-I've found it a little difficult to eat out.
What has been surprising:
-How accessible organic food is, especially with all the local CSAs.
-It doesn't cost THAT much more to eat this way.
-I haven't had to spend much more time in food prep.
-How quickly I began thinking about going full vegetarian.
-Just how delicious the food is.
-How willing Jeremy has been to go along with all of this, especially in regards to eating less meat.
-How interesting and enjoyable I find all of this.
-Just how many resources are out there, both in books and on the web.
-Just how good I feel. My running is going great: I've been running faster with much more ease. I haven't been overly tired at all and just feel great all day. I've lost about three pounds without even trying. Anything I've given up has been totally worth it and I don't crave most things any more. I'm ready to keep going!
I have a lot more reading and learning to do, and I hope you'll join me!
Tonight's dinner was absolutely delicious! I made the Pan-Cooked Grated Vegetables and Crispy Fish from Food Matters by Mark Bittman. Somehow, I had a reading comprehension fail and didn't see that I was supposed to grate the vegetables. Instead, I cut them into bite-sized chunks, using sweet potatoes, red-skin potatoes, purple-topped turnips, scallions, and a few left-over mushrooms. I just added more ginger and curry powder and it turned out great. I think the trick for that might have been adding a few golden raisins for that little tast of sweetness. I served the fish (I used tilapia) over the veggies and had some asparagus on the side. It was amazing! I would definitely eat this again. And again and again.
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