One of my Facebook friends (hi Ilse!) posted this as her status. Read, comment, enjoy!
Is It Real Food?
Showing posts with label real food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label real food. Show all posts
Friday, January 7, 2011
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Twinkie Diet
A friend sent me a link about the "Twinkie Diet." After reading it, I decided I should write some of my thoughts about it, but I had my paying job to do and I had a hard time coming up with something coherent to say. I decided to start writing when I needed a break from the job, figuring I can edit later.
The article touches on at least 2 issues which are rather near and dear to me - weight loss and eating real food. The gist of the article is that a nutrition professor lost 27 pounds on what may be called a "convenience store diet." Two-thirds of his diet came from junk food such as Hostess cupcakes, Doritos, and sugary cereals. He limited himself to 1800 calories per day. By limiting his calories, he lost weight. I suppose I should be shocked, but I'm not. Weight-loss is not some great mystery. It can be summarized in an equation even I, the mathematically challenged, can understand.
The article touches on at least 2 issues which are rather near and dear to me - weight loss and eating real food. The gist of the article is that a nutrition professor lost 27 pounds on what may be called a "convenience store diet." Two-thirds of his diet came from junk food such as Hostess cupcakes, Doritos, and sugary cereals. He limited himself to 1800 calories per day. By limiting his calories, he lost weight. I suppose I should be shocked, but I'm not. Weight-loss is not some great mystery. It can be summarized in an equation even I, the mathematically challenged, can understand.
When Calories In < Calories Out = Weight Loss
The challenge in this professor's diet, like any diet, is portion control and keeping those calories consumed lower than the calories expended (i.e., eat less, move more). Not binging on junk food is challenging for many people. Some people struggle with the salty stuff; other people struggle with the sweet stuff; some of us struggle with all of it. All of that is to say, I am not surprised this man lost weight, even by eating nutritionally empty foods.
A slightly more surprising piece of information from the article is that the man's cholesterol improved. I'm not that surprised since cholesterol can be related to one's weight (not always as there is a rather strong genetic component). The article mentions his BMI being lower (duh - another way to measure weight), and his body fat percentage lowered as well.
A dietitian for the American Diabetes Association, questioning how the lack of fruits and vegetables could affect long-term health said, "There are things we can't measure. How much does that affect the risk for cancer? We can't measure how diet changes affect our health." I add to her question that we don't know what these foods do to our metabolism, the chemical reactions in our body which keep us alive.
As far as the weight loss is concerned, I feel there are many ways to lose weight. There are good ways and bad ways. Yeah, I'm judging how people choose to lose weight. At the end of the article, part of me was happy for the man who lost weight and part of me was disgusted by the foods he chose to eat.
The article left me wondering, "Why should I bother teaching my kids WHAT to eat if they can maintain a healthy weight by eating junk?" A few days later, I remembered that one of my favorite food blogs has my answer:
"It's Not About Nutrition"
The title of her blog is my answer. What we eat is NOT just about the nutrition. I'm not a purist, and I certainly think there is a time and place for processed junk food. That said, I have a feeling, call it a hunch, that perhaps science hasn't caught up with the reality of our relationship with food. I know that I feel better when I eat real food - less processed, closer to the original source, and recognizable by my great-grandparents as food. My new jogging routine is easier when I've eaten well the previous day, and it is harder when I've eaten what most of us recognize as junk. My opinion is just that - an opinion. It's not based in peer-reviewed experiments, though I understand there are some experiments which lend support to my position that real food is better for you. My opinion is based in personal experience, which is by definition anecdotal.
So of course the "Twinkie Diet" still rubs me wrong. I'm delighted the professor was able to lose weight as I think weight loss can have great health benefits. I think eating healthfully is a better option for the long run, and I'm continuing to pursue that despite the temptation.
The challenge in this professor's diet, like any diet, is portion control and keeping those calories consumed lower than the calories expended (i.e., eat less, move more). Not binging on junk food is challenging for many people. Some people struggle with the salty stuff; other people struggle with the sweet stuff; some of us struggle with all of it. All of that is to say, I am not surprised this man lost weight, even by eating nutritionally empty foods.
A slightly more surprising piece of information from the article is that the man's cholesterol improved. I'm not that surprised since cholesterol can be related to one's weight (not always as there is a rather strong genetic component). The article mentions his BMI being lower (duh - another way to measure weight), and his body fat percentage lowered as well.
A dietitian for the American Diabetes Association, questioning how the lack of fruits and vegetables could affect long-term health said, "There are things we can't measure. How much does that affect the risk for cancer? We can't measure how diet changes affect our health." I add to her question that we don't know what these foods do to our metabolism, the chemical reactions in our body which keep us alive.
As far as the weight loss is concerned, I feel there are many ways to lose weight. There are good ways and bad ways. Yeah, I'm judging how people choose to lose weight. At the end of the article, part of me was happy for the man who lost weight and part of me was disgusted by the foods he chose to eat.
The article left me wondering, "Why should I bother teaching my kids WHAT to eat if they can maintain a healthy weight by eating junk?" A few days later, I remembered that one of my favorite food blogs has my answer:
"It's Not About Nutrition"
The title of her blog is my answer. What we eat is NOT just about the nutrition. I'm not a purist, and I certainly think there is a time and place for processed junk food. That said, I have a feeling, call it a hunch, that perhaps science hasn't caught up with the reality of our relationship with food. I know that I feel better when I eat real food - less processed, closer to the original source, and recognizable by my great-grandparents as food. My new jogging routine is easier when I've eaten well the previous day, and it is harder when I've eaten what most of us recognize as junk. My opinion is just that - an opinion. It's not based in peer-reviewed experiments, though I understand there are some experiments which lend support to my position that real food is better for you. My opinion is based in personal experience, which is by definition anecdotal.
So of course the "Twinkie Diet" still rubs me wrong. I'm delighted the professor was able to lose weight as I think weight loss can have great health benefits. I think eating healthfully is a better option for the long run, and I'm continuing to pursue that despite the temptation.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Post-Vacation Update
We're baaaaaaa-ack!
We spent 11 days in the midwest, returned home for 4 days, and then spent a week in the Berkshires (western MA). We ate at more restaurants than we would have liked on our journey to the midwest, but I think we did pretty well with food overall.
What do I mean by well, anyway?
Well = eating real food rather than highly processed or scientifically designed concoctions which taste and look like food but may not actually be FOOD. Limiting junk, enjoying the process of acquiring, preparing and eating FOOD.
I already wrote about our trip to the midwest here and here, so I'm going to write about the Berkshires trip this time. Even though we knew we could buy food when we arrived, we wanted to minimize shopping trips since they are a bit trying for the kids (and thus for us). Here are some of the many foods we brought from home:
We still ate at the occasional restaurant such as when we met our friends at a tasty burrito shop or when we were at the top of Mt. Greylock and it was much easier to order at the lodge than drive back 45 minutes with increasingly tired kids. That said, I felt like our eating was pretty well balanced. We snacked on cucumbers and fruits, especially on the day we went apple, pear, and plum picking.
We hiked 2 different mountains, and I realized I want to make my own fruit bars which would work well for hiking. I'm thinking something dense and chewy with bits of crunchy goodness (nuts, chips). I just need to find a recipe that the kids will like AND will retain its shape reasonably well. Feel free to send me suggestions for fruit bars!
We spent 11 days in the midwest, returned home for 4 days, and then spent a week in the Berkshires (western MA). We ate at more restaurants than we would have liked on our journey to the midwest, but I think we did pretty well with food overall.
What do I mean by well, anyway?
Well = eating real food rather than highly processed or scientifically designed concoctions which taste and look like food but may not actually be FOOD. Limiting junk, enjoying the process of acquiring, preparing and eating FOOD.
I already wrote about our trip to the midwest here and here, so I'm going to write about the Berkshires trip this time. Even though we knew we could buy food when we arrived, we wanted to minimize shopping trips since they are a bit trying for the kids (and thus for us). Here are some of the many foods we brought from home:
- Vegetables - we took things we knew wouldn't last until we made it back (minus the spinach we somehow left at home???). This included several cucumbers, probably a sweet pepper. We brought green and yellow beans, which we ended up enjoying on Friday night. I *think* we brought an eggplant because I made a vegetable stew. I brought red and brown/green lentils for our favorite casserole. We also packed carrots since I like to put them into cheesy lentil rice casserole.
- Fruits - we meant to take our peaches and nectarines. Somehow we forgot those too. :( We did take some berries (blue and raspberry, I think). Those never last long.
- Grains - oatmeal, whole wheat sandwich bread, Ak-Mak and Vinta crackers, frozen tortellini, brown rice, Israeli couscous, Cheerios, Puffins, Trader Joe's fruit bars.
- Dairy - cheese (Feta and a cheddar-based shredded), yogurt as though it's going out of style
- Beverages - beer (I suppose this is a grain), seltzer, milk (yes I know that's dairy too), diet soda
- We also brought our most commonly used spices and vegetable bouillon
- Peanut butter (is this a vegetable? fruit?)
We still ate at the occasional restaurant such as when we met our friends at a tasty burrito shop or when we were at the top of Mt. Greylock and it was much easier to order at the lodge than drive back 45 minutes with increasingly tired kids. That said, I felt like our eating was pretty well balanced. We snacked on cucumbers and fruits, especially on the day we went apple, pear, and plum picking.
We hiked 2 different mountains, and I realized I want to make my own fruit bars which would work well for hiking. I'm thinking something dense and chewy with bits of crunchy goodness (nuts, chips). I just need to find a recipe that the kids will like AND will retain its shape reasonably well. Feel free to send me suggestions for fruit bars!
Friday, August 20, 2010
More Eating on the Road Thoughts
We just got back from our 11 day sojourn to the Midwest. I really think we had very successful eating while traveling. No, we were not perfect - we are human after all. But a few thoughts have been rolling around in my head, and I thought I'd put them out here to share.
Success #1 - Car Foods
I have oddly fond memories of eating some pretty junky stuff in the car as a kid. Anybody remember these? And of course, I had most of McDonald's and Wendy's menus memorized at a rather young age. I no longer remember their menus since I haven't eaten fast food in several years (minus pregnancy induced weakness for crispy chicken from McD's - blech). Anyway, I'm pretty sure my childhood car trips were an excuse for eating all sorts of stuff I may or may not have had more regularly. I think my kids will have very different memories. Here is a list of snacks we packed for all of us:
Edit: We did buy a bag of Chex Mix while on the road. The kids only sort of liked some of it and greatly preferred our options. Also, Aaron had some roasted peanuts, and I chose to indulge a few completely unhealthy desserts on the way home.
Success #2 - Eating Out
Eating out is REALLY hard for me since I'm trying to watch my weight and trying to teach my kids healthy eating. It's so easy to pop into a drive-through "McWendyKing" (Aaron's name for any fast food place) and just keep driving. We didn't. Here's where we ate while on the road:
Success #3 - Eating at our various stops
When we were eating with our in-laws, it was super easy to be healthy because they already eat so healthfully and are very supportive of all the kids and grandkids. When we chose to eat out, I found myself choosing salads, grilled chicken with vegetables and being quite aware of portion control and choices I was making.
Did I eat junk while on the road? Sure! I had 2 shakes from Steak N Shake. I had Chocolate Suicide cake from Round the Clock. I had Reese's Pieces at the movies. I overate at Leona's (one of our favorite Chicago-area restaurants), which isn't to say I chose junk but to say I ate too much then. And you know what? I knew that the choices I was making were temporary and not a change in how I wanted to eat in general. And yes, my family also ate some junk or at least less than ideal things (lots of pizza, mac n cheese, and even ice cream for the kids though I am not sure it's so terrible to eat ice cream *grin*). For me, it matters that I am aware of my choice to deviate from the norm and that I am aware of how much and what I'm putting in my body. And it matters that we are back to good eating here at home.
One of the best parts of coming home has been a return to cooking. Aaron was restauranted out (his words), and the kids were ecstatic to have olive pesto last night and today. We're heading back on the road for a shorter trip on Sunday, but I have faith that we can continue to feed ourselves well with good choices.
Success #1 - Car Foods
I have oddly fond memories of eating some pretty junky stuff in the car as a kid. Anybody remember these? And of course, I had most of McDonald's and Wendy's menus memorized at a rather young age. I no longer remember their menus since I haven't eaten fast food in several years (minus pregnancy induced weakness for crispy chicken from McD's - blech). Anyway, I'm pretty sure my childhood car trips were an excuse for eating all sorts of stuff I may or may not have had more regularly. I think my kids will have very different memories. Here is a list of snacks we packed for all of us:
- Fruit - plums, nectarines, peaches, grapes
- Vegetables - cucumbers, tomatoes
- "Crunchies" - Puffins cereal, Ak-Mak crackers, Kashi TLC crackers.
Edit: We did buy a bag of Chex Mix while on the road. The kids only sort of liked some of it and greatly preferred our options. Also, Aaron had some roasted peanuts, and I chose to indulge a few completely unhealthy desserts on the way home.
Success #2 - Eating Out
Eating out is REALLY hard for me since I'm trying to watch my weight and trying to teach my kids healthy eating. It's so easy to pop into a drive-through "McWendyKing" (Aaron's name for any fast food place) and just keep driving. We didn't. Here's where we ate while on the road:
- Panera - in NY, they provide calorie counts on their menu! Also they have a good kids' menu.
- Subway - nutritional information easily available AND marketing to guide you in picking healthier options (low-fat, low-calories, etc.). Thanks fellow Hoosier Jared!!
- Sandwich picnics at various state parks - this meant we planned sandwiches and found parks.
Success #3 - Eating at our various stops
When we were eating with our in-laws, it was super easy to be healthy because they already eat so healthfully and are very supportive of all the kids and grandkids. When we chose to eat out, I found myself choosing salads, grilled chicken with vegetables and being quite aware of portion control and choices I was making.
Did I eat junk while on the road? Sure! I had 2 shakes from Steak N Shake. I had Chocolate Suicide cake from Round the Clock. I had Reese's Pieces at the movies. I overate at Leona's (one of our favorite Chicago-area restaurants), which isn't to say I chose junk but to say I ate too much then. And you know what? I knew that the choices I was making were temporary and not a change in how I wanted to eat in general. And yes, my family also ate some junk or at least less than ideal things (lots of pizza, mac n cheese, and even ice cream for the kids though I am not sure it's so terrible to eat ice cream *grin*). For me, it matters that I am aware of my choice to deviate from the norm and that I am aware of how much and what I'm putting in my body. And it matters that we are back to good eating here at home.
One of the best parts of coming home has been a return to cooking. Aaron was restauranted out (his words), and the kids were ecstatic to have olive pesto last night and today. We're heading back on the road for a shorter trip on Sunday, but I have faith that we can continue to feed ourselves well with good choices.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Conversation with Caleb about Real Food
At lunch today, Caleb seemed to have a carbohydrate craving. He wanted peanut butter and jelly but not the quesadilla I was making for Ellie. Then he saw the tortillas and wanted those PLUS his PB&J. I denied him the tortilla.
Caleb: WHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYY???
His PB&J would be on a cinnamon raisin bagel, so I figured that was more than enough carbohydrate and processed food for one meal. I loaded up his plate with some favorite veggies (or fruit, depending on your definitions) and the argument was dropped.
As he expressed his enjoyment of the lunch, I asked him if he knew why I cared so much about what he ate. No, of course he didn't know, though he suggested that I was keeping him safe. I agreed that I was keeping him safe and reminded him that some foods are "growing foods" while others are not. He gave me examples of growing foods like the vegetables on his plate and the cherries he ate for a snack earlier. He then included his bagel sandwich in his list of growing foods, and I paused in my agreement.
Where is the line between growing food and junk or treat food? I started with the PB&J minus the bagel and decided those were real foods. Caleb remembered my making the strawberry freezer jam, and the PB has one ingredient - dry roasted peanuts. Caleb thought it was hilarious that one could make peanut butter from mashing up dry roasted peanuts. I think we will have to try this sometime. But what about the bagel? His bagel comes from a local bakery, so it is not mass produced. If it were mass produced, then the bagel could have all sorts of not so real stuff in it. For example, Lender's brand plain bagels contain:
Enriched Flour [Unbleached Wheat Flour, Malted Barley, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1)Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)Folic Acid (Folate)Ascorbic Acid (Dough Conditioner)Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Salt, Yeast, Cornmeal.
Just to show that it's not just Lender's bagels, here is the ingredient list for Thomas' plain bagels:
Unbleached Enriched Wheat Flour [Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Reduced Iron, Niacin, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1)Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)Folic Acid]Water, Modified Food Starch, Oat Fiber, Wheat Gluten, Inulin, Polydextrose, Yeast, Cornmeal, Salt, Dextrose, Natural Flavor, Preservatives (Calcium Propionate, Sorbic Acid)Grain Vinegar, Monoglycerides, Guar Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Citric Acid, Sucralose, Soy Flour.
BUT Caleb is not eating a mass-produced bagel. He is eating a magnificent Rosenfeld's cinnamon-raisin bagel. I would have preferred giving him a plain or sesame, but we had no such bagel. So is his bagel real food? I decided it was real food, but that it is a more processed food than even the peanut butter and jelly. As we talked through this, I realized I have another thought about how I want my family (all of us) to eat.
I want us to eat more foods which are less processed and to eat fewer foods which are more processed. I don't think it is reasonable for our family at this time to say "no processed foods at all." I do think it is reasonable to eat smaller quantities of processed foods and to eat larger quantities of less processed/whole foods. I think real foods will end up being more satisfying and filling, and that we will be giving our bodies what they actually need rather the junk they claim to crave.
Caleb: WHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYY???
His PB&J would be on a cinnamon raisin bagel, so I figured that was more than enough carbohydrate and processed food for one meal. I loaded up his plate with some favorite veggies (or fruit, depending on your definitions) and the argument was dropped.
As he expressed his enjoyment of the lunch, I asked him if he knew why I cared so much about what he ate. No, of course he didn't know, though he suggested that I was keeping him safe. I agreed that I was keeping him safe and reminded him that some foods are "growing foods" while others are not. He gave me examples of growing foods like the vegetables on his plate and the cherries he ate for a snack earlier. He then included his bagel sandwich in his list of growing foods, and I paused in my agreement.
Where is the line between growing food and junk or treat food? I started with the PB&J minus the bagel and decided those were real foods. Caleb remembered my making the strawberry freezer jam, and the PB has one ingredient - dry roasted peanuts. Caleb thought it was hilarious that one could make peanut butter from mashing up dry roasted peanuts. I think we will have to try this sometime. But what about the bagel? His bagel comes from a local bakery, so it is not mass produced. If it were mass produced, then the bagel could have all sorts of not so real stuff in it. For example, Lender's brand plain bagels contain:
Enriched Flour [Unbleached Wheat Flour, Malted Barley, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1)Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)Folic Acid (Folate)Ascorbic Acid (Dough Conditioner)Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Salt, Yeast, Cornmeal.
Just to show that it's not just Lender's bagels, here is the ingredient list for Thomas' plain bagels:
Unbleached Enriched Wheat Flour [Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Reduced Iron, Niacin, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1)Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)Folic Acid]Water, Modified Food Starch, Oat Fiber, Wheat Gluten, Inulin, Polydextrose, Yeast, Cornmeal, Salt, Dextrose, Natural Flavor, Preservatives (Calcium Propionate, Sorbic Acid)Grain Vinegar, Monoglycerides, Guar Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Citric Acid, Sucralose, Soy Flour.
BUT Caleb is not eating a mass-produced bagel. He is eating a magnificent Rosenfeld's cinnamon-raisin bagel. I would have preferred giving him a plain or sesame, but we had no such bagel. So is his bagel real food? I decided it was real food, but that it is a more processed food than even the peanut butter and jelly. As we talked through this, I realized I have another thought about how I want my family (all of us) to eat.
I want us to eat more foods which are less processed and to eat fewer foods which are more processed. I don't think it is reasonable for our family at this time to say "no processed foods at all." I do think it is reasonable to eat smaller quantities of processed foods and to eat larger quantities of less processed/whole foods. I think real foods will end up being more satisfying and filling, and that we will be giving our bodies what they actually need rather the junk they claim to crave.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Food on the Road
We're about to head on another road trip, so I thought I should take a few moments to write a bit about food away from home. Between trying to lose weight, trying to teach my kids good eating habits, AND trying to eat real food, travel can be a challenge. When we went to NY last weekend, I was certain that I would gain weight. By the time of my weigh-in this week, I had lost 2 pounds, and I'm pretty sure I didn't do that between Sunday and Wednesday. So what's working for us?
Road Trip Snacks
Being in the car for a long time can be really boring, and often we're in the car when we would normally eat. The kids end up asking for snacks, which can trigger me to think I NEED a snack. Snacks actually help me not overeat later, so I just need to make sure that the snacks we have are reasonably healthful and diverse.
We try to take fresh fruit and veggies with us. This time of year, plums are plentiful in New England. We also happen to have bananas because both kids have had their on again, off again love affairs with them. For me, a banana is quite filling for a snack. In the past month, the kids have enjoyed cucumber sticks (peel a cucumber and slice it such that the pieces look like sticks), so we usually have some of those. We pack some of their favorites like Vinta crackers and Annie's Bunnies. The crackers are not my favorite snacks for the kids, but I think I need to be practical on a road trip. Another item we pack for the kids is Trader Joe's fruit bars like these. They come in several flavors: strawberry, blueberry, fig, apple. Again this is not the ideal snack since it is a processed food, but we set some limits about them and tend to offer the real fruit and veggies first.
For my crunchy "fix," I pack Ak-Mak crackers, which I think are the most awesome cracker EVER. I wish my kids would get excited about these, but I'm selfishly glad they aren't yet. ;) They're all mine... *evil cackle* Anyway, they are low in Weight Watcher points for a pretty good serving size, and I like the taste and texture. I've seen them in regular grocery stores as well as Trader Joe's.
Snacks on the road are part of the story for successful eating away from home. But of course that's not all of what works for us.
Smart Eating Out Choices
There are some foods I simply avoid or limit when I'm away from home. Truthfully, those foods are probably the same ones I limit when I'm at home, but somehow it seems more challenging to limit them away from home. Here are some examples:
Chips with salsa or dip - I don't avoid these entirely, but I take only a few chips and then back away from the dish very consciously. Road trips where the end destination is a family gathering usually means some kind of hors d'oeuvres or "munchies" before the meal, so I try to limit how much crunchy stuff I have. If there is an interesting dip or salsa, I try a chip or 2 with that interesting topping and then I back away. I look for the vegetables or I leave the food altogether for any non-food activity.
Deep-fried or cream-based meals - If I have the choice, I order or choose some food prepared in another way. If I don't have the choice, then I am very aware of the portion I'm having, and I try to fill half of my plate with fruits and vegetables.
Salads that aren't green - Potato salad, macaroni salad, Ambrosia/5-cup "salad"... all very yummy, and all not so great for my weight loss goals. As for whether I want my kids to eat these foods, I certainly let them try a small portion of anything being offered, but I don't make these rich foods the centerpiece of any meal. I let my kids know when something is a treat/special, and I don't force them to eat these foods especially if they say they don't like them (Caleb claims not to like potato or mac/pasta salad). I usually give myself a very small portion (think about 1/4 c at most) and only eat it if the first bite tastes good.
Desserts - When we're on the road, especially for family visits, it's hard to say no to desserts. I have slightly different rules for me than for my kids. I eat desserts which seem worth it. Chocolate is worth it to me, especially as a homemade baked good. Store-bought baked goods probably aren't worth it. Ice cream is hit or miss as I have become an ice cream snob. For the kids, they have a small portion of dessert because I don't want to make any food off-limits or taboo to them. From a very young age, I tell them that dessert is not an everyday experience and that some foods are once-in-a-while foods. I let them know what foods are good growing foods, and I've been rather blunt about risks of eating out of proportion. My kids get really excited about watermelon as well as cupcakes, and I've seen both of them choose the fruit over the baked good. Maybe there is hope for them not to have quite the food struggles that I have. They know that we don't have baked goods and ice cream at home most nights, and I think they might start to make the association that dessert when on the road is something different from eating it all the time at home.
Restaurants - I haven't mentioned restaurants yet. Maybe it's because restaurants remain hard for me. For my kids, they don't read yet, so I can limit their choices to better options on the kids' menus. For me, I look for options with lots of vegetables but not necessarily salads. I look for foods which I know will fill me up more than a sandwich or a huge plate of pasta. Isn't it funny how eating a ton of pasta makes you feel full while you're at the restaurant but then you're hungry not long after leaving?
When we bought food on the streets of Manhattan, I looked for foods that were easily identified as "REAL FOOD" and not processed much. Yes, I had some of the hot pretzels we bought for the kids - several glorious delicious bites, in fact. For lunch, I saw burritos made fresh with grilled chicken and lots of veggies, rice, salsa, and other toppings. The kids had quesadillas; Aaron had chicken souvlaki, and I had one of the best burritos I've ever had. Sure, I could have bought a hot dog or some fried chicken or who-knows-what else on 6th Avenue. And no, the burrito probably wasn't the absolute best option for me that day. However, for road food, it was great. The portion seemed reasonable; it was delicious; it filled me up.
Anyway, I hope some of these late-night ramblings give you ideas for your next road trip. I remember stopping at all sorts of fast-food restaurants when on road trips as a kid. Other than the mall food court in Danbury, CT, I don't recall the last time my family went for fast-food on a road trip. It doesn't seem hard to me to avoid the drive-thru with my family, and maybe you will consider avoiding fast-food on your next trip.
Road Trip Snacks
Being in the car for a long time can be really boring, and often we're in the car when we would normally eat. The kids end up asking for snacks, which can trigger me to think I NEED a snack. Snacks actually help me not overeat later, so I just need to make sure that the snacks we have are reasonably healthful and diverse.
We try to take fresh fruit and veggies with us. This time of year, plums are plentiful in New England. We also happen to have bananas because both kids have had their on again, off again love affairs with them. For me, a banana is quite filling for a snack. In the past month, the kids have enjoyed cucumber sticks (peel a cucumber and slice it such that the pieces look like sticks), so we usually have some of those. We pack some of their favorites like Vinta crackers and Annie's Bunnies. The crackers are not my favorite snacks for the kids, but I think I need to be practical on a road trip. Another item we pack for the kids is Trader Joe's fruit bars like these. They come in several flavors: strawberry, blueberry, fig, apple. Again this is not the ideal snack since it is a processed food, but we set some limits about them and tend to offer the real fruit and veggies first.
For my crunchy "fix," I pack Ak-Mak crackers, which I think are the most awesome cracker EVER. I wish my kids would get excited about these, but I'm selfishly glad they aren't yet. ;) They're all mine... *evil cackle* Anyway, they are low in Weight Watcher points for a pretty good serving size, and I like the taste and texture. I've seen them in regular grocery stores as well as Trader Joe's.
Snacks on the road are part of the story for successful eating away from home. But of course that's not all of what works for us.
Smart Eating Out Choices
There are some foods I simply avoid or limit when I'm away from home. Truthfully, those foods are probably the same ones I limit when I'm at home, but somehow it seems more challenging to limit them away from home. Here are some examples:
Chips with salsa or dip - I don't avoid these entirely, but I take only a few chips and then back away from the dish very consciously. Road trips where the end destination is a family gathering usually means some kind of hors d'oeuvres or "munchies" before the meal, so I try to limit how much crunchy stuff I have. If there is an interesting dip or salsa, I try a chip or 2 with that interesting topping and then I back away. I look for the vegetables or I leave the food altogether for any non-food activity.
Deep-fried or cream-based meals - If I have the choice, I order or choose some food prepared in another way. If I don't have the choice, then I am very aware of the portion I'm having, and I try to fill half of my plate with fruits and vegetables.
Salads that aren't green - Potato salad, macaroni salad, Ambrosia/5-cup "salad"... all very yummy, and all not so great for my weight loss goals. As for whether I want my kids to eat these foods, I certainly let them try a small portion of anything being offered, but I don't make these rich foods the centerpiece of any meal. I let my kids know when something is a treat/special, and I don't force them to eat these foods especially if they say they don't like them (Caleb claims not to like potato or mac/pasta salad). I usually give myself a very small portion (think about 1/4 c at most) and only eat it if the first bite tastes good.
Desserts - When we're on the road, especially for family visits, it's hard to say no to desserts. I have slightly different rules for me than for my kids. I eat desserts which seem worth it. Chocolate is worth it to me, especially as a homemade baked good. Store-bought baked goods probably aren't worth it. Ice cream is hit or miss as I have become an ice cream snob. For the kids, they have a small portion of dessert because I don't want to make any food off-limits or taboo to them. From a very young age, I tell them that dessert is not an everyday experience and that some foods are once-in-a-while foods. I let them know what foods are good growing foods, and I've been rather blunt about risks of eating out of proportion. My kids get really excited about watermelon as well as cupcakes, and I've seen both of them choose the fruit over the baked good. Maybe there is hope for them not to have quite the food struggles that I have. They know that we don't have baked goods and ice cream at home most nights, and I think they might start to make the association that dessert when on the road is something different from eating it all the time at home.
Restaurants - I haven't mentioned restaurants yet. Maybe it's because restaurants remain hard for me. For my kids, they don't read yet, so I can limit their choices to better options on the kids' menus. For me, I look for options with lots of vegetables but not necessarily salads. I look for foods which I know will fill me up more than a sandwich or a huge plate of pasta. Isn't it funny how eating a ton of pasta makes you feel full while you're at the restaurant but then you're hungry not long after leaving?
When we bought food on the streets of Manhattan, I looked for foods that were easily identified as "REAL FOOD" and not processed much. Yes, I had some of the hot pretzels we bought for the kids - several glorious delicious bites, in fact. For lunch, I saw burritos made fresh with grilled chicken and lots of veggies, rice, salsa, and other toppings. The kids had quesadillas; Aaron had chicken souvlaki, and I had one of the best burritos I've ever had. Sure, I could have bought a hot dog or some fried chicken or who-knows-what else on 6th Avenue. And no, the burrito probably wasn't the absolute best option for me that day. However, for road food, it was great. The portion seemed reasonable; it was delicious; it filled me up.
Anyway, I hope some of these late-night ramblings give you ideas for your next road trip. I remember stopping at all sorts of fast-food restaurants when on road trips as a kid. Other than the mall food court in Danbury, CT, I don't recall the last time my family went for fast-food on a road trip. It doesn't seem hard to me to avoid the drive-thru with my family, and maybe you will consider avoiding fast-food on your next trip.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Why I shop in SO many places
Maybe it's a New England thing, but I doubt it.
People ask me where we do our grocery shopping and often are surprised at the answer I give them. We shop in at least 3 stores each week, not including farmers' markets/CSA. Yes, three stores - Trader Joe's, Roche Brothers, BJ's Warehouse Club.
This morning I wondered why I do this as I decided to get most of our groceries from Roche Bros. because the list for Trader Joe's was so short that it didn't seem worth the drive and my kids' limited patience for shopping. I know part of the reason is that we save money this way. Some things are less expensive at Trader Joe's or BJ's than at Roche. Ignoring money for a moment though, I realized I shop at so many places because I simply cannot get the foods I want, the quality of food I want specifically, at only one outlet.
This week, ground turkey is on the shopping list so that I can make a modified shepherds' pie. When I buy meat, I look for humanely raised, appropriately fed, unmedicated meat. I also look for meat that is JUST meat - no added flavors and such. Trader Joe's carries exactly this product for ground turkey and chicken cuts (e.g., chicken breasts, legs, etc.). Roche Bros. is a slightly upscale grocery store. It's not a Whole Foods, but it isn't the average Stop N Shop/Kroger's/A&P either. I figured they certainly would have an appropriate ground turkey already packaged.
Nope.
Even the ground turkey which was labeled with all the right words - no antibiotics, etc. etc. etc. - yeah, it had rosemary extract added. Why? I'm perfectly capable of adding rosemary if I desire it in a dish. And what is in rosemary extract besides rosemary? I actually found myself growling softly as I read the ingredients of the 2 or 3 ground turkey options available to me. The ingredients should read "ground turkey" or maybe something like "turkey, white and dark meat, ground" but rosemary is not a naturally occurring substance in turkey. Yes, I know it is a supremely good seasoning for poultry (in fact it is my top choice for poultry!), but I don't need someone else deciding how much or how little I should have in my ground turkey, nor do I want them deciding what kind of rosemary goes in my food. After all, this food goes in my body (and in my children's bodies!), so I want to have control over how it tastes and what it contains.
END OF RANT
People ask me where we do our grocery shopping and often are surprised at the answer I give them. We shop in at least 3 stores each week, not including farmers' markets/CSA. Yes, three stores - Trader Joe's, Roche Brothers, BJ's Warehouse Club.
This morning I wondered why I do this as I decided to get most of our groceries from Roche Bros. because the list for Trader Joe's was so short that it didn't seem worth the drive and my kids' limited patience for shopping. I know part of the reason is that we save money this way. Some things are less expensive at Trader Joe's or BJ's than at Roche. Ignoring money for a moment though, I realized I shop at so many places because I simply cannot get the foods I want, the quality of food I want specifically, at only one outlet.
This week, ground turkey is on the shopping list so that I can make a modified shepherds' pie. When I buy meat, I look for humanely raised, appropriately fed, unmedicated meat. I also look for meat that is JUST meat - no added flavors and such. Trader Joe's carries exactly this product for ground turkey and chicken cuts (e.g., chicken breasts, legs, etc.). Roche Bros. is a slightly upscale grocery store. It's not a Whole Foods, but it isn't the average Stop N Shop/Kroger's/A&P either. I figured they certainly would have an appropriate ground turkey already packaged.
Nope.
Even the ground turkey which was labeled with all the right words - no antibiotics, etc. etc. etc. - yeah, it had rosemary extract added. Why? I'm perfectly capable of adding rosemary if I desire it in a dish. And what is in rosemary extract besides rosemary? I actually found myself growling softly as I read the ingredients of the 2 or 3 ground turkey options available to me. The ingredients should read "ground turkey" or maybe something like "turkey, white and dark meat, ground" but rosemary is not a naturally occurring substance in turkey. Yes, I know it is a supremely good seasoning for poultry (in fact it is my top choice for poultry!), but I don't need someone else deciding how much or how little I should have in my ground turkey, nor do I want them deciding what kind of rosemary goes in my food. After all, this food goes in my body (and in my children's bodies!), so I want to have control over how it tastes and what it contains.
END OF RANT
Monday, October 12, 2009
CSA Farm Visit!!
I am SO excited about what we did as a family yesterday! We visited our CSA farm, Stillman's Farm, in New Braintree, MA. Last Monday was our last CSA box pickup, and the farmers had extended invitations to all members to visit the farm. We *finally* got around to it today, and I'm so glad we did.
To get there from our house took about an hour and change, mostly highway miles with some state highways as well. Like driving in the Boston metro area, there is no straight way to get anywhere else in Massachusetts either. Once we were off of the Mass Pike (I-90 for the non-Massachusetts residents), we were surrounded by beautiful country hills, fall foliage, and all that New England imagery you see in movies when the characters have nice vacation homes in the country.
I fell in love when we pulled up to the farmers' home. The Stillmans live in a picturesque white colonial farmhouse with lots of add-ons from a rich history. The house sits at the top of a small hill from which you can see some of the fields. Immediately surrounding the house are beautifully maintained gardens and very old wise trees, gnarly and full of character. I felt such peace and a sense of home and warmth just standing there breathing it all.
Genevieve greeted us, gave us some ideas of where to look around, what produce would be good for picking, and perhaps most important - a map. We started at the raspberry fields - rows and rows of raspberry bushes with bright red berries just asking to be picked and enjoyed. Caleb and Ellie had a fantastic time picking the berries. They probably ate about a pound of them as Aaron and I picked some for home. The berries weighed themselves down and began to squish each other, so we reluctantly moved a few rows over to the apple orchard. The apples actually glistened on the trees. We picked about a bushel and a half of Empire and Cortland apples before returning to the car to lighten our load a bit.
On our way back to the car, we met up with Glenn (Genevieve's husband) who answered our many questions and pointed us to the best places for broccoli, squash, and tomatoes. Aaron also asked about potatoes, and we learned about the flooding problems which reduced their potato crop this year. Glenn also expressed surprise and congratulations that we managed to grow about a dozen tomatoes in our backyard. I was honored and touched to get a compliment from an actual farmer.
Glenn also mentioned that they had some pigs we could visit on our way to the vegetable fields. I don't think I've ever seen such happy pigs ever, and my uncle raised pigs for many years. My uncle was kind to the pigs, but I don't remember seeing the pigs look joyful, and the Stillman pigs had a twinkle in their eyes. The kids enjoyed meeting the pigs as well as the other animals (chickens and 2 border collies), but we had serious vegetable picking ahead.
To get to the broccoli fields, we passed by more kale than I've ever seen in my life. Not only was there a ton of kale, but there were several varieties too. We also passed many rows of brussel sprouts. Aaron thought it was interesting to see the similarities between kale and brussel sprout leaves as well as similarities between those and broccoli. We snapped off several bunches of broccoli, went back for some brussel sprouts, and decided we would finish up with tomatoes and squash.
The Stillmans and their crew had picked all of the tomatoes the night before due to frost. They had sorted the tomatoes into large boxes in a gigantic greenhouse. I think most grocery stores could fit at least half to 2/3 of their produce section in this greenhouse. We chose a few nice tomatoes, explained a bit about greenhouses to Caleb, and returned to the barn where we earlier had seen a true cornucopia of squash. From the squash harvest, we picked up several delicata squash (a favorite here), a few butternut squash, and 1 or 2 squash we didn't know by name.
When Aaron and I talked about visiting the farm, we guessed we would spend about an hour there. By the end of our visit, we had spent 2.5 hours there and didn't feel at all ready to leave. We thanked the Stillmans again for sharing their home and work with us. We promised to share recipes and return next season.
If only next season weren't so far away...
To get there from our house took about an hour and change, mostly highway miles with some state highways as well. Like driving in the Boston metro area, there is no straight way to get anywhere else in Massachusetts either. Once we were off of the Mass Pike (I-90 for the non-Massachusetts residents), we were surrounded by beautiful country hills, fall foliage, and all that New England imagery you see in movies when the characters have nice vacation homes in the country.
I fell in love when we pulled up to the farmers' home. The Stillmans live in a picturesque white colonial farmhouse with lots of add-ons from a rich history. The house sits at the top of a small hill from which you can see some of the fields. Immediately surrounding the house are beautifully maintained gardens and very old wise trees, gnarly and full of character. I felt such peace and a sense of home and warmth just standing there breathing it all.
Genevieve greeted us, gave us some ideas of where to look around, what produce would be good for picking, and perhaps most important - a map. We started at the raspberry fields - rows and rows of raspberry bushes with bright red berries just asking to be picked and enjoyed. Caleb and Ellie had a fantastic time picking the berries. They probably ate about a pound of them as Aaron and I picked some for home. The berries weighed themselves down and began to squish each other, so we reluctantly moved a few rows over to the apple orchard. The apples actually glistened on the trees. We picked about a bushel and a half of Empire and Cortland apples before returning to the car to lighten our load a bit.
On our way back to the car, we met up with Glenn (Genevieve's husband) who answered our many questions and pointed us to the best places for broccoli, squash, and tomatoes. Aaron also asked about potatoes, and we learned about the flooding problems which reduced their potato crop this year. Glenn also expressed surprise and congratulations that we managed to grow about a dozen tomatoes in our backyard. I was honored and touched to get a compliment from an actual farmer.
Glenn also mentioned that they had some pigs we could visit on our way to the vegetable fields. I don't think I've ever seen such happy pigs ever, and my uncle raised pigs for many years. My uncle was kind to the pigs, but I don't remember seeing the pigs look joyful, and the Stillman pigs had a twinkle in their eyes. The kids enjoyed meeting the pigs as well as the other animals (chickens and 2 border collies), but we had serious vegetable picking ahead.
To get to the broccoli fields, we passed by more kale than I've ever seen in my life. Not only was there a ton of kale, but there were several varieties too. We also passed many rows of brussel sprouts. Aaron thought it was interesting to see the similarities between kale and brussel sprout leaves as well as similarities between those and broccoli. We snapped off several bunches of broccoli, went back for some brussel sprouts, and decided we would finish up with tomatoes and squash.
The Stillmans and their crew had picked all of the tomatoes the night before due to frost. They had sorted the tomatoes into large boxes in a gigantic greenhouse. I think most grocery stores could fit at least half to 2/3 of their produce section in this greenhouse. We chose a few nice tomatoes, explained a bit about greenhouses to Caleb, and returned to the barn where we earlier had seen a true cornucopia of squash. From the squash harvest, we picked up several delicata squash (a favorite here), a few butternut squash, and 1 or 2 squash we didn't know by name.
When Aaron and I talked about visiting the farm, we guessed we would spend about an hour there. By the end of our visit, we had spent 2.5 hours there and didn't feel at all ready to leave. We thanked the Stillmans again for sharing their home and work with us. We promised to share recipes and return next season.
If only next season weren't so far away...
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Welcome to Real Food For Kids!
I love food. I love my family. I love making good real food for my family.
One night while settling my daughter down for bed, the idea of writing about my quest to provide real food for my family. Allow me to introduce my family. I am a mostly stay-at-home mom, 33 years old, living in a western suburb of Boston. In addition to the blessing of being a mom, I also have the honor of teaching middle and high school students at a Jewish supplemental school for 6 hours per week. I am married to a wonderful man, Aaron, who I met in my last semester of college. He works as a university instructor and computer consultant. I think he is quite talented -- he can fix and build all sorts of things, is a great cook without using recipes, plays guitar, and he is just a great guy. I'm sure I'll share more about him as this blog progresses. Aaron and I have two children. Caleb is 3.5 years old, passionate, inquisitive, extremely active and rather direct with his opinions (of which he has many). He keeps us right where we belong -- on our toes. Elisheva (Ellie) is 15 months old, playful, curious, becoming more opinionated and increasingly mobile.
My hope for this blog is to share how Aaron and I attempt to feed ourselves and our family reasonably healthy real food. In the past few years, we have learned a lot about food and changed our eating habits as a result of what we've learned. We cook an increasing number of our meals from scratch or at least from minimally processed foods. We try to follow the idea that food is what our grandparents and great-grandparents would recognize as food. We eliminated high fructose corn syrup from our house and reduced how many "ready-to-eat" meals we buy. We also started thinking about how our food is created, produced, and distributed which led to our buying more food locally and food grown sustainably or organically.
As far as our eating habits, Aaron and I have our quirks like most people do. For starters, we choose not to eat mammals. I choose not to eat mammals because I get sick every time I try, though at this point I have a more philosophical reason as well. They make milk; I make milk. That's too close for comfort. Seriously though, I just don't like being sick enough to eat red meat. Aaron feels like it's too close in the food chain, though he originally gave up red meat thinking he would lose weight. Other than not eating mammal, we also wrestle with the idea of kashrut/kosher. We don't have a kosher home, but we don't eat foods which are "overtly treyf" (treyf = not kosher). For example, we don't eat shellfish/crustaceans or pork. And of course, we each have our likes and dislikes (I love chocolate and hate olives; Aaron loves peanut butter and hates sweet potatoes).
Then toss our two young children into the food puzzle. Fortunately our children do not have allergies and they are reasonably open to trying new foods, but they are kids. We never make eating into a battle, other than to establish a one bite/one taste rule. I always ask the kids to try a taste of each thing being offered. I don't enforce this rule with Ellie so much yet, but it works well with Caleb. We try to make food fun and tasty, and we try to make sure there is at least one thing at each meal the kids will eat. Sometimes we succeed; sometimes we don't.
And that's what this blog will be about - our successes and failures with providing our family with real food. I'll include recipes, photos when I have my act together, and lots of stories about making and trying different foods.
One night while settling my daughter down for bed, the idea of writing about my quest to provide real food for my family. Allow me to introduce my family. I am a mostly stay-at-home mom, 33 years old, living in a western suburb of Boston. In addition to the blessing of being a mom, I also have the honor of teaching middle and high school students at a Jewish supplemental school for 6 hours per week. I am married to a wonderful man, Aaron, who I met in my last semester of college. He works as a university instructor and computer consultant. I think he is quite talented -- he can fix and build all sorts of things, is a great cook without using recipes, plays guitar, and he is just a great guy. I'm sure I'll share more about him as this blog progresses. Aaron and I have two children. Caleb is 3.5 years old, passionate, inquisitive, extremely active and rather direct with his opinions (of which he has many). He keeps us right where we belong -- on our toes. Elisheva (Ellie) is 15 months old, playful, curious, becoming more opinionated and increasingly mobile.
My hope for this blog is to share how Aaron and I attempt to feed ourselves and our family reasonably healthy real food. In the past few years, we have learned a lot about food and changed our eating habits as a result of what we've learned. We cook an increasing number of our meals from scratch or at least from minimally processed foods. We try to follow the idea that food is what our grandparents and great-grandparents would recognize as food. We eliminated high fructose corn syrup from our house and reduced how many "ready-to-eat" meals we buy. We also started thinking about how our food is created, produced, and distributed which led to our buying more food locally and food grown sustainably or organically.
As far as our eating habits, Aaron and I have our quirks like most people do. For starters, we choose not to eat mammals. I choose not to eat mammals because I get sick every time I try, though at this point I have a more philosophical reason as well. They make milk; I make milk. That's too close for comfort. Seriously though, I just don't like being sick enough to eat red meat. Aaron feels like it's too close in the food chain, though he originally gave up red meat thinking he would lose weight. Other than not eating mammal, we also wrestle with the idea of kashrut/kosher. We don't have a kosher home, but we don't eat foods which are "overtly treyf" (treyf = not kosher). For example, we don't eat shellfish/crustaceans or pork. And of course, we each have our likes and dislikes (I love chocolate and hate olives; Aaron loves peanut butter and hates sweet potatoes).
Then toss our two young children into the food puzzle. Fortunately our children do not have allergies and they are reasonably open to trying new foods, but they are kids. We never make eating into a battle, other than to establish a one bite/one taste rule. I always ask the kids to try a taste of each thing being offered. I don't enforce this rule with Ellie so much yet, but it works well with Caleb. We try to make food fun and tasty, and we try to make sure there is at least one thing at each meal the kids will eat. Sometimes we succeed; sometimes we don't.
And that's what this blog will be about - our successes and failures with providing our family with real food. I'll include recipes, photos when I have my act together, and lots of stories about making and trying different foods.
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