Nonetheless, during a recent listen I learned of another fantastic book by Michael Pollan, “Food Rules“.  The food/eating/health advice that pummels all of us every day is enough to make most heads spin.  This book, however, breaks down the labyrinth into a manageable guide, one often so basic that I laugh to think I needed direction.  In case you don’t come across the book on your own, I’ll go ahead and share some of Pollan’s notions here.

Rule #1 – “Eat Food”.  Duh.  Not so easy though.  He makes a distinction between the plants, animals and fungi folks have been eating for centuries and the edible products dreamt up by food scientists, those WAY processed items with so many ingredients none of us would ever find in our own pantries (Ethoxylated diglycerides? Calcium propionate?).  He encourages us to note the difference between real food and “industrial novelties”. 

Basically, if a third grader can’t pronounce an ingredient, put the thing back on the shelf (although perhaps you have a very precocious third grader).

The Massachusetts legislature is nearing passage of a bill to ban high calorie sodas and salty and sugary snacks from elementary and high schools.  The House recently approved the bill, which also encourages schools to serve low fat dairy products and whole grain bread and pastas.  Governor Deval Patrick wants to take it one step further and start to tax candy and soda and funnel the extra revenue into health programs.

Great start!

Quinoa is a gluten-free grain related to spinach and beets.  It boasts all 9 essential amino acids (a fabulous choice for vegetarians seeking a complete protein!).  It’s great for heart health and is packed with vitamins and minerals, namely magnesium which is especially critical if you suffer from high blood pressure or migraine headaches.

Check out this video on how2heroes.com and learn a terrific recipe for quinoa!

Enjoy this recipe for Bean Puree.  Serve it with chicken or fish, on toasted whole wheat bread, as a topping on a baked potato, or as a condiment on a sandwich.

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/4 cup celery, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp dried herbs (sage, thyme or rosemary)

Two 15-oz cans beans (pinto, great northern, garbanzo, cannellini, black…), drained and rinsed

1 cup low-salt vegetable broth

Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion, celery, garlic, and dried herbs.  Reduce heat to low and saute until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.  Increase heat to high and add beans and broth; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low; cook until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 20 minutes.  Puree mixture in processor.

Enjoy!

Here are a few points to consider as you roam up and down those aisles:

1. Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, explains that when selecting free roaming or free range animal products, consumers are being told that the animal had access to open space not that the animal necessarily spent time outdoors.

2. Be sure to read the label on all those Low-Fat and Fat-Free products.  When fat is removed, food manufacturers often add high amounts of salt and/or sugar in order to make up for the changes in flavor and texture.  Sometimes that lower fat version may have more calories and junk than the original!

3. The pricey drinks we see now containing green tea, acai, pomegranate, etc. are often full of sugars and artificial sweeteners.  Instead, go to the source.  In season, a real pomegranate has greater nutritional benefits and is far cheaper than the beverage.  In general, when choosing between a juice that most likely contains added sugar and little fiber and an actual piece of fruit, go for the fruit itself.  You’ll get fiber, a greater feeling of fullness and fewer calories.

4. Granola – I do love the stuff, but check the label.  Most brands are marketed as all natural but are loaded with sugar, fat and calories – especially when you make note of the suggested serving size (often a mere quarter-cup!).  Instead go to the source once again.  Pick up some oatmeal and prepare it at home with fresh fruit or nuts.

5. Two more tricky ones – David Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP, cofounder and director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, explains that some pasta sauces “have higher concentrations of added sugar than ice cream toppings” and that some breakfast cereals “have a higher concentration of salt than potato chips”.

So, read the labels to confirm or deny the “all natural” marketing language you find on food packaging.  You might surprise yourself.

Take a look at this piece on Healthday.com.  Amanda Gardner hones in on how tools that can bless us with needed information also have the potential to fuel self-harming behaviors in some, specifically eating disorders.

We all love the bulk buy and, if you’re like me, it just about KILLS you if some of that abundant purchase spoils before you have a chance to use it.  So, here are some tips for freezing some of that extra bounty so you can stretch your food budget – and eat well too!

1. Blanch your fresh veggies and THEN store in plastic bags in the freezer.  The blanching process helps the produce maintain its color, taste and mouth feel.

2. Nuts can go bad after a while in the pantry but can stay fresh and yummy for up to 6 months when frozen in freezer bags – great protein and unsaturated fats for another day.

3. If you’ve got fruit that’s about to go bad (think brown bananas in the bowl on the counter) puree it and freeze it in ice cube trays.  As you’ve heard me say time and time again they make great additions to smoothies, hot breakfast cereal AND baked goods (think Indigo Rabbit!)

4.  Tofu is even great frozen.  You can either drain, slice, wrap in plastic and freeze or simply toss the whole container in the freezer.  The resulting tofu will be great in stir-fries!

5. Eggs work great after being frozen as well.  Just store whites and yolks separately.

Oh, and remember to label everything.  You wouldn’t want to add thawed egg yolk to your morning yogurt thinking it’s a beautiful mango puree!

Vendors are often sending us samples of their products for us to evaluate for our business needs (http://indigorabbit.com).  Recently a company sent some fabulous dried vegetables in powder form.  While we enjoy working with them in the test kitchen, I made sure to set aside some of my favorites for personal use here at home.

Last night is when I achieved my first sneaky success.  It was pasta night at our house and my kids are huge parmesan cheese eaters.  I grabbed a hold of the powdered sweet potatoes I’d stowed in the pantry as they were the same color as our parmesan and had a mild enough taste for my plan to work.  I simply poured the powdered veggies into the 1/2 full cheese shaker, mixed it all up, and onto the table it went.

Wouln’t you know it?  I had everyone fooled!  Even my husband!!!

Kudos to me.  A sneaky success!

There are days when we stand on the top of that mountain, red cape whipping in the wind behind us, when less than a boat-load of sugar and/or additives have made their way past our kids’ lips.

Of course there are less heroic times when we let down our guard and just praise the fact that we’ve managed to “arrange for” something edible to be within kid-range a few times throughout the day – wholesome or not.

Bottom line – we live in a world where less-than-optimal choices for nourishment abound and we need all the help we can get when it comes to solidifying our efforts to raise healthy kids.  It seems that food marketing so often works against us. 

According to a recent piece in the Arizona Daily Star, while many food manufacturers have made strides toward marketing healthier food options to children, more than 70% of the food advertising aimed at youths is for the least nutrious foods.

I need a bigger cape.