Monday, March 23, 2009

Dangerous WOKway

...get it? Like...walk...but Wok. *giggle*. This post is intended for certain audiences who keep getting Chinese food (several times a week!) and think it's healthy just because it says no MSG. You people know who you are

The Good: Chinese food usually has lots of veggies, and is has lots of unsaturated fats and fish.

The Bad: Calories, salt, sat-fats, oil, deep fried batter, often MSG...


Even if you aren't eating Chinese food several times a week, you should be careful when choosing your meal--some of these dishes pack over 1500 calories (the same amount of calories many of us eat in one day!) and a lot of these calories are from fat. An eggroll generally has at least 50% of calories from fat...and just ONE egg roll or spring roll can have between 200 and 400 mg of sodium (the recommendation is to have below 2300/day...if you're on a 2,000 calorie diet, really you shouldn't be getting too much more than 1,500mg). Most of the meals have at least 1,000.

The popular beef and broccoli dish has over 3,000mg of sodium! While this dish does have lots of veggies, the nearly 1/2 pound of beef is enough protein for an entire day...maybe more. While some people are munching protein bars and drinking protein shakes to lose weight, most of us already get enough protein (thanks to 1/2 pound burgers and such...) and the additional protein (read: extra calories) turns into...guess! Your thighs (and blood pressure, and cholesterol level.) Much of that sodium is from the compound monosodium glutamate or MSG. There is a high concentration of MSG in seaweed extract, a flavor enhancer and popular additive (with crazy amounts of sodium). This stuff isn't just in Asian cuisine though...salad dressings and different types of chips have this stuff in them now.

Now that you know all that, if you do like Asian cuisine, there are still ways to make healthier choices off the menu...

Guidelines to dine by:
1. Choose entrees with more veggies than meat/noodles
2. If you're full, stop eating. I know this sounds dumb but we've all gone out to eat and felt like we had to be wheeled out of the restaurant on a dolly. You can usually split your food right when you get it--put half of it in a box to take home.
3. Deep Fried, read: bad. Go with the LIGHTLY stir-fried or steamed
4. Easy on the sauce, tiger. Most of the sauces have a few hundred mg of salt (soy sauce as about 1,000mg in a Tbs!) Use a fork to eat instead of a spoon to keep some of the sauce in your plate instead of your tummy.

Monday, March 9, 2009

"We’re not even going to call it junk food. We’ll call it junk.”

...says author Michael Pollan


A few weeks ago a friend and I saw the film Food Inc. I've always known that some of the food we eat isn't exactly healthy, but the film illustrated how almost all of the food we eat is all part of a huge system. A really messed up system.

We all know it's expensive to eat healthy; a bag of spinach is more expensive than a pack of Little Debbie's--my number one enemy of all snack foods. The answer lies across the entire midwest-corn and soy production. Because the government subsidizes these crops, they are super-cheap and have found their way into nearly everything we eat. We see "partially hydrogenated soybean oil" on peanut butter and salad dressing, but what is that? Partially hydrogenating the oil causes it to become saturated and harder. In a few years that yummy cream from the inside of your Swiss Roll is going to be some not so yummy buildup in your arteries. Here's what's going into your body...


Sugar, Corn Syrup, Water, Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil with TBHQ to Preserve Flavor (Contributes a Trivial Amount of Trans Fat), Palm and Palm Kernel Oil, Dextrose, cocoa, Eggs, Soybean Oil, Colors (Caramel Color, Red 40), Emulsifiers (Sorbitan Monostearate, Polysorbate 60, Mono- and Diglycerides, Soy Lecithin), Whey (Milk), Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate), Salt, Corn Starch, Sorbic Acid (to Retain Freshness), Natural and Artificial Flavors, Egg Whites, Citric Acid.


Above is a map from the USDA that shows where and how much corn is grown. Most of the corn that's grown in America is used for animal feed (even though most of the animals that are eating it should naturally be eating grassy stuff). Because the government subsidizes the corn, it can be sold at super-low prices and exported (about 20% of the corn the US grows is exported). International growers are unable to compete with these prices, so those farmers are put out of business. The low prices also allow American manufacturers to find great places to put corn in--like our juices and even our plastics.


Similarly, soybeans are grown all over the Midwest (the largest protein feed, and second largest source of vegetable oil), and have become cheap substitutes in foods because they easily modified to play a hundred different parts in a hundred different foods. Soybeans and soybean products are second only to corn in production. The most common one that everyone knows is the partially hydrogenated soybean oil, which i mentioned a little about before. We HAVE to stop putting this junk in our bodies.








So...now we know why things that are good for us are more expensive. They are generally less subsidized, so they are grown a lot less. Take a look at how much Americans are growing sweet potatoes (you know how much i love sweet potatoes.):



and peas (not my favorite, but still)...





The most effective way to change the way this is to EAT LOCALLY. I went to the farmer's market for the first time last November, and I looooved it. I bragged to all of my friends about it...but after learning about all of this stuff, I realize how important it is to support local farmers...even if it is a little more expensive. Find your own local farmers market (even though Columbia's is the best) here.

The film Food Inc. is super duper enlightening, and my fourth grade adjectives won't do the thing thing justice. Here ya go.



*Michael Pollan was part of Food Inc., and is most well known for his publications about the food industry. Check out his super-fab amazing open letter to the prez...here.
*The data from this post can all be found on the USDA website




Monday, March 2, 2009

Inspired by Arwa’s Pumpkin Bread

Today my neighbor Arwa dropped off some pumpkin bread wrapped adorably and tied with a red ribbon. I usually don't like these things, but since my friend Hiba started making pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies and even pumpkin pasta, I have been converted to a pumpkin lover. Arwa's pumpkin bread was golden and had the perfect amount of nuts and fruit and spice and pumpkin and sweetness. It was amazing! (Thanks Arwa!) So I decided I'm going to look at pumpkins a little deeper to try to justify my new fondness for Cinderella's carriage.

Pumpkins have lots of goodness and not a lot of calories. In about a cup of cooked pumpkin, you've got something like 50 calories. Low saturated fat, low cholesterol, low sodium—this food is heart healthy…as long as it's not smothered in cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, or layers of icing. The vegetable has plenty of Vitamin E, which may increase vasodilation, a widening of blood vessels—great news for sufferers of high blood pressure! Vitamin E is also a great antioxidant, preventing the spread of free radicals that can damage cells. This is also a great source of Vitamin A (you know all about that) and Iron. Iron is an essential part of enzymes and hemoglobin, among other proteins. Hemoglobin transports oxygen in our bodies, and without sufficient iron, one may develop iron deficiency anemia. It is imperative for young women to make sure they get enough iron, especially if they are pregnant. Another antioxidant, Vitamin C, is found in pumpkins. Vitamin C helps absorb and store iron, so this is a great combination of nutrients! Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is also involved in the synthesis of collagen, part of the structure of tendons, ligaments, and bones. The fiber in pumpkin is going to help keep you full (and regular) for a longer amount of time.

Here is a recipe for pumpkin soup—reduce the amount of salt you use by putting less in when you're cooking and adding a little sea salt later to taste!

Sunday, March 1, 2009

My shopping list

I like to find the perfect dress, or the perfect shoes. Half price. As I like to say: I save by spending. But one thing you should spend on is food. The best lettuce, or the most wholesome bread is worth having to pinch pennies elsewhere. The things I never miss at the grocery store:

1. Fiber One bars: These have about 9 grams of fiber, and between 120-150 calories. They aren't low in sugar or anything, but that fiber is great when you don't have time for breakfast. It is really filling and taste pretty good. My favorite flavor is the chocolate and oats one, but there are different flavors--there is actually a Fiber One cereal which is great if you have time to sit and eat in the morning. I've also seen Fiber One poptarts, yogurt, and muffins around, but haven't tried them yet. Kellog's has a similar version of the fiber bar called Fiber Plus, and it has pretty much the same stuff, except with calcium and Vitamin E.

2. Low fat yogurt: Yoplait is my favorite, harvest peach and blueberry. Yogurt is a great option to grab in the morning if you dont have time for breakfast. Choosing the lighter version cuts calories by nearly half, as well as sugar. Make sure to read the labels--you want your yogurt to have plenty of Vitamin D and Calcium. This one provides about 20% of the recommended amount. Stoneyfield Farms also has a great variety of yogurt, in whole, light, and fat free options. Stoneyfield also offers fat free greek yogurt, Oikos, which is much creamier than regular yogurt. Stoneyfield is an organic brand--all of the ingredients in the yogurts are natural. 

3. Baby spinach: Spinach is always on the list of "superfoods" because of its nutritional value, but now that they've started bagging baby spinach, it's much more convenient to be able to get all the nutrition out of it. Low calorie, no fat, no cholesterol--but about 50% of your day's Vitamin A. What is vitamin A good for? Lots--including immune function and skin, bone, and tooth growth. but Vitamin A is known best for its importance for proper vision. Tons of Vitamin K in here too, which is important for blood coagulation. It's great if you toss it in olive oil and sprinkle a little sea salt for a baby spinach salad, or in a grilled cheese sandwich to gourmet!

4. Sweet Potatoes: These guys are my latest obsession, and deservingly. Sweet potatoes can be prepared a number of ways, and can go from being a savory meal to a sweet side dish. Baked potatoes are high in Vitamin A (you already know all about that!) and Vitamin C, an antioxidant and enhanced iron storage. Sweet potatoes are pretty low calorie, at a little over 100 calories in a medium potato. Sweet potatoes also have plenty of fiber--around 3-6 grams depending on the size of the potato--so you'll get fuller faster. Bake them in their skin after piercing with a fork for between 45 minutes and an hour. Then toss them into a salad, slice them and have with cheese, or just enjoy them plain! Try this butternut squash and sweet potato soup.

5. Popcorn: Popcorn is a great snack-but it can be dangerous. It's important to always choose the light popcorn. The 100 calorie bags are great, but you can do your own portion control at home. Just look at the label and divide the bag into 100 calorie bowls after you've popped it, or put them in 100 calorie baggies. Be careful though--popcorn is also often high sodium, so try to grab a low salt one. Most popcorns also have a pretty good amount of fiber in them, often around 3 grams.