The Wandering RD

“Moderation” Makes Me Cringe

February 27, 2017May 8, 2017thewanderingrd1 Comment

A while ago now, I read yet another nutrition-related news article that stated “moderation” was key–and I cringed. Then it hit me, I am a moderation-hating registered dietitian (RD). You will no longer hear me use the word “moderation” or worse, the phrase “everything in moderation.” You heard that right. Hear me out…

I used to preach “everything in moderation” as much as the next nutritionist. Especially when friends or acquaintances asked me on the fly for nutrition advice. Or when I addressed a group of people and couldn’t delve into individual specifics. I walked a line; I wanted to promote a balanced and sustainable way of eating, while not giving too much bad news. And I also towed the line with my fellow RDs; moderation was our mantra. However, recently I have become frustrated with the ambiguity and the political correctness of the “moderation” philosophy, which is geared toward the masses and therefore, grossly oversimplified.

I can see how this phrase came to be. Unfortunately, I think nutrition experts (like me), food industry, government, and consumers are all partly responsible for this ill-defined, mass-communicated, often ineffective approach to eating. But the fact that moderation has gotten out of hand as a philosophy is as much my fault as anyone else’s. As a nutrition expert, I now believe it is negligent telling people they can eat everything in “moderation” knowing it’s likely not specific enough to help them improve their health.

But in all honestly, one of the reasons I haven’t been posting (besides a busy life) is because I have been hesitant to say it. Afraid of turning people off immediately and not getting through to help them. Afraid of taking a stand when science may disprove me in the future. And I honestly think even our political climate lately has affected me so very personally, so that I have been generally afraid of voicing an opinion. Eeek. How meek of me…

Am I a middle-child peace keeper having a mild mid-life crisis? Maybe, but the bottom line is this: I’m over it. (Until the next one.) And recipe posts are not all I have to share (although it is my pleasure to offer this practical information since I’m doing it for my family anyway). That said, I can’t make any promises about posting a certain number of times a week, although more frequently than once every five months should be doable. Ha. Blogging on my own terms…ah.

Back to my main point…in our defense, sometimes we nutrition experts have engaged in the moderation conversation when it’s not the right time or place (in a group or in public), when what we really need is more time together to make individualized changes that you can live with to improve your health. But I now think it’s more harmful than helpful to give a cursory spiel of moderation even in these situations.

The way I see it, suggesting moderation for the masses can actually hinder individual behavior change. For example, sometimes during an individual counseling session— just when I think we have made progress together, forming some specific behavior change goals—I hear my moderation philosophy echoed back to me. At this point, it is as clear as a door slamming in my face that the conversation is being shut down. (We all do that sometimes, don’t we? Sabotage ourselves before we begin when we are not ready to make changes.) But when this happens, I am only half as frustrated as the people who later realize that eating in moderation hasn’t helped them achieve their food-related goals. I can only imagine how devastated they must feel, blaming me or themselves, or both. And the viscous cycle of weight-loss efforts and failures continues…

Just look around to see how moderation fails us with weight loss. Some people eat moderately and are not overweight. Some people eat moderately and are overweight. Some people do not eat moderately, and are not overweight. And yes, some people do not eat moderately and are overweight. Clearly, “eating in moderation” isn’t effective for everyone. It’s not simply a matter of increasing physical activity. There are many overweight marathon runners. And I strongly believe achieving a healthy weight is not only a matter of will power either. Obese people have different genes that are making it harder to be thin than people who are not obese. Weight control for overweight or obese people is an uphill battle that is definitely an injustice, yet deserves no judgment—only useful tools. And “eating in moderation” is simply not specific enough to be one of them.

I think the moderation philosophy also came into being because we haven’t wanted to negatively talk about certain foods. We don’t want to take away your eating pleasure by stigmatizing “bad” foods. Eating should be enjoyable! But what you may not realize (I didn’t for a while) is that certain food industry lobbyists go to great lengths to make sure government directed guidelines don’t identify and/or quantify “bad” foods. You could say I’m cynical (BTW, I think that’s when you know you’re getting old, when everything is a conspiracy!) but this really happens. So, we nutrition experts have been left frequently hoping we all have a “sixth sense” that helps us figure out how to balance mostly healthy foods with a few treats now and then, because that seemed reasonable. But it’s not reasonable or helpful.

Much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, I care enough to spend my priceless free time saying this (among other things): there are indeed “bad” foods. While we might disagree on some, most unbiased experts can’t deny sugar-containing foods are among the worst. So, we’ll start there. Foods containing the refined white stuff we know as sucrose, the syrups (corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup) and all of the 50+ other names for sugar (cane sugar, brown sugar, and even honey, maple syrup, agave, etc.) are not healthy when eaten in excess—and they almost always are eaten in excess if you’re not purposefully avoiding them.

Sorry, but there’s no sugar-coating it. And even though it may make me a nutrition extremist, I have to take a strong stance against sugar (all types)—and even a high carbohydrate diet (more on that later)—because I feel you should know it’s a serious health hazard. And it’s not just in regards to people who are overweight or obese. Sugar is linked to many different diseases—which means you might want to read on whether your weight is in a healthy range or not.

To be clear, I am not trying to take away your eating pleasure. Anyone who knows me knows I believe eating should be truly enjoyable! But I also firmly believe eating whatever your body craves is not the only way to enjoy eating. Changing your mindset, “resetting your body” with easy, real foods, and focusing on many positive and social eating behaviors (shopping at local farmers’ markets, cooking with friends, eating as a family, etc.) will allow you to enjoy foods in a simpler, more meaningful way. I passionately believe (and there is some evidence to support this belief) “there is something in” these social connections we make while eating. And living overseas, especially in Italy, made it even more apparent that we are often lacking those connections in our American culture.

Who doesn’t crave simplicity and meaningful social connections in this often crazy, fast-paced, disconnected lifestyle we live? I think it’s a great start to eat easy, real food at your next snack or meal. Stay tuned for more on all of these themes, starting with more thoughts and data on sugar.

How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count My Kitchen Tools…

September 16, 2016April 2, 2017thewanderingrd6 Comments

Anyone who knows me has heard me admit that I have hoarding tendencies. (Think: cans of pumpkin from the commissary while living overseas. And then there’s my pottery “collection”…)

But anyone who admits this can’t possibly be a real hoarder. Or so I tell myself! I just think most people have these tendencies, if for no other reason than it takes effort and energy to go through our stuff to keep it from collecting right under our noses. And if you’re busy enjoying life, working hard, raising children, etc., who has time for sorting through stuff on a daily basis to discard or organize it? Or even weekly? Are you with me???

Truth be told, I guess I could be a real hoarder if the Navy didn’t force me to come to terms with my stuff every two to four years, sifting and purging before each move. (And again immediately after the move, why does this always happen???) I have learned to keep up with it in some ways. I keep a donation bag in the corner and collect things around the house until full, and then I donate it, and start another bag. But there’s still a ton to do right before a move. Fortunately, we are still about two years out from another move.

Nevertheless, I just started reading The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo and I’m totally on board–I’m ready to part with things that don’t “bring me joy.” While deep down I don’t believe any items truly bring joy, I buy into this “parting with material things” as part of my ongoing spiritual pursuit for serenity through living a more simple, grateful life. I am drawn to “the more of less”–even when I don’t always live by example. With food, with stuff, with everything. Kind of “new age” for me, I know.

That said…moving or not, there are some things that will never ever end up in the donation bag. Most things in my kitchen–especially these top 10 beloved kitchen tools. Most of these are nothing short of life changing! How is that possible, you may ask? Well, they add unparalleled quality, freshness, and flavor in my cooking. More importantly, they simplify my life, and allow me to cook easy, real, whole foods for my family, which brings me great joy. And this is one key way I show my family how much I love them–thrice daily. To be more precise, these tools are not exactly beloved, but my family they serve is, so I value them greatly.

Put simply, it would be more difficult to cook for my beloved family without these useful kitchen tools. At the very least–I think they can help you cook easy, real food, too! Here they are:

Kitchen Tool	Estimated Cost (On Amazon)	How We Use It	How Often We Use It (Days Per Week)
1. Misto spray bottle for olive oil	$7	I love olive oil; living in Italy only increased my fondness for it. I don’t like aerosol Pam, so I use this pump spray bottle with my favorite olive oil to grease pans, and spray fresh vegetables or fruits before grilling or roasting. Even when I bake (rarely), it doesn’t impart a flavor.	7
2. Nordic Ware Aluminum jelly roll sheets (recommend 2 or 3 of them)	$13 each	Most of our dinners include roasted (or grilled) vegetables. I use these pans to roast all vegetables (zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, etc.). I add olive oil and salt, sometimes garlic, and bake for about 25 minutes at 400. B also makes bacon on the weekends in the oven with these (and cleanup is easy if you soak with hot water for 5 minutes before washing.)	7
3. Oxo Garlic press	$12	We love garlic. I sometimes add it to recipes that don’t call for it and I almost always press it, even when recipes call for minced.	6
4. Gas Grill (not pictured above)	Varies	I LOVE a gas grill, because simple meats and vegetables tastes good grilled and it’s easy clean up. But I mostly love it because B’s so good at it, so he takes care of dinner on grilling nights. Win, win!	4-5
5. Citrus juicer	$20	I frequently use fresh lemons and limes in recipes, usually as marinades, salad dressings, or guacamole but sometimes in B’s low-sugar mojitos! It tastes better than store bought juice and is a breeze to squeeze with a stainless steel hand-held juicer.	3-4
6. Bovado Vegetable peeler	$7	You just have to have a peeler, for peeling the tough skins of some vegetables, such as butternut squash, sweet potatoes, the outer stringy part of celery, etc. I love these stainless steel ones B’s mom first gave me when we just married.	3-4
7. Lodge Cast iron skillet with lid	$50 for both	At least twice a week, we use a full-size cast-iron pan for scrambled eggs with vegetables mixed in (tomatoes, peppers, avocados, etc.) Other times, when the weather doesn’t allow for grilling, we use it for cooking chicken with my seasoning salt, or turkey burgers, etc. Of course it comes in handy for quick and crispy quesadillas for the kids with leftover chicken and cheese.	3-4
8. Oxo Hand held cheese grater	$8	Most of us (but not all) love parmesan cheese, especially after living in Italy. This hand-held grater makes it easy for some of us to add cheese at the table to roasted vegetables (zucchini, butternut squash, etc.) for extra flavor.	2-3
9. Crockpot Slow Cooker (6 Qt+ for families)	Varies	I am very picky when it comes to slow cooker meals, which is why I only use it about 2 times per week. But I love the convenience of slow cooking and how it frees up dinnertime for paying more attention to my kids when they are home from school. I avoid “easy” recipes that use store-bought processed ingredients. I use easy, real food ingredients. And I prefer to take a few minutes in the AM to brown the meat in most cases beforehand, which gives a more browned flavor and less of a “boiled” texture.	2
10. Paderno Spiralizer (3 blade)	$30+	We love “spaghetti” zoodles, even the kids. If the sauce is good, they don’t seem to miss the pasta. I use them in Italian dishes, or Asian noodle dishes. I’ve also used other blades to make baked apple chips and spiral baked sweet potato fries as a treat.	1

Just Say Yes (to Breakfast Popsicles)!

August 17, 2016August 17, 2016thewanderingrd2 Comments

FullSizeRender I don’t know about you, but sometimes I am a mean mom. In my opinion, there’s no way around it. Sometimes, because we love our children so much, we need to say no to our children. (True story: they are in their respective rooms as I write this. I said no to the fighting. And we still have three more weeks of summer.)

Regardless, I could probably stand to say no more often, actually. It’s just so hard. (If you didn’t hear the whine in my words, read that last sentence again!) I hate to make light of serious world issues or to exaggerate about my family’s negative behaviors—although I’m about to do both here. I often “negotiate with [my] terrorists.” It’s never more evident than when I hear my four-year old say to me in an exasperated tone, “okay, fiiiinnne” after I’ve had to ask her three times to do something. Yes, I hear my words echoing in her voice; I’ve given in with the exact words and tone after she’s whined about something to me no fewer than three times. Just being honest…although I don’t always cave, sometimes it’s easier (albeit only in the short term) than sticking with a firm “no.”

But when it comes to healthy eating, I usually stand firm. I try to provide a wide variety of foods—and believe me, there are plenty of treats—so most times I don’t give in to unreasonable requests for junk. (Especially junk I don’t like. Do you do that as a parent, too?)

Nevertheless, at the store with my three children, I am barraged with questions: “Can we buy this sugar cereal? Can we buy these fruit snacks? We can’t agree on one, can we buy both these cookies?” Aside from the usual treats (if you know me, you know I can’t deny them ice cream and chocolate), and the occasional bribe, this mean mom says, “No. No. And no.”

And then this mean mom makes a mental note to self: do not bring all three children (or any combo, really) to the store, if it can be avoided. I highly recommend going shopping alone. If you know me, you have heard me say more than once, “If you see me at the store with all three children, you will know I was desperate for some ingredient(s).” Of course, going it alone doesn’t solve all nutrition-related problems, but it’s a good start. And it’s cheaper, calmer, and just plain easier.

FullSizeRender (15) Once at home, the testing continues. Just before dinner, “Can I have another snack?” During dinner, “Is it a dessert night?” And this summer, I have even been asked before breakfast, “Can I have a popsicle?” You guessed it: “No, no, and hell no!” I’m not sure why a popsicle after lunch is any more reasonable, but I try to hold out for as long as possible on the less nutritious foods…

Well, sometimes I like to be able to say YES to my children. It’s so much easier! So, my work around for “breakfast popsicles” is simple, yet well-received: leftover homemade smoothie frozen into popsicle molds.

While I myself hardly ever drink smoothies, I do make them for my kids now and then. Smoothies, no matter how healthy the whole-food ingredients, can quickly provide unreasonable portions, especially of sugar. And because they are liquid, they just don’t have the satiating power of solid foods because they are digested more quickly. Meaning, they will be back for more to eat before you’re even done cleaning the blender.

FullSizeRender (16) Most often, I make smoothies that are plain yogurt based with added frozen fruit, because it’s easy. I use plain, full-fat yogurt (organic and Greek-style if possible) to provide protein, fat and probiotics to balance out the carbohydrates. I don’t usually follow a recipe, because it’s hard to mess it up (here’s my smoothie recipe). However, because of this, I always seem to make more smoothie than we need. In trying to teach my kids about reasonable portions, I serve up a 9-ounce serving for each of them in these purple cups (with these amazing straw spoons) and then freeze the rest into several different popsicle molds, but the colorful silicone tubes (4 ounces) are our favorites.

Sometimes, thanks to my high-powered blender (mine is a Vitamix but many are just as powerful), I skip the yogurt and make the smoothies all whole-fruit, and sometimes they include a combo of fruit and vegetables, making for a green smoothie we affectionately call the “Shrek smoothie.” Although they are tasty, we haven’t tried freezing them yet.

All this is to say, it’s not rocket science or proprietary. I’m surely not the first to think of this. But it’s easy, real food that I feel good about serving to my kids. But perhaps the best part about it is that my kids get to eat popsicles for breakfast and I’m the best mom ever…if only for a moment.

Then it’s back to my usual “mother of the year” status…

From Our Kitchen: Lemon Marinated Chicken Thighs

August 3, 2016May 2, 2020thewanderingrdLeave a comment

I’ve been MIA. Maybe you have been, too! When did summer become so HECTIC! Come May, I always cling to the R&R that summer promises: sun-filled vacation days, schedule and homework free. But with three kids, the work of the day continues 24/7, and there’s a schedule of a different sort all summer long. Not complaining, just keeping it real! I’m sure you can relate. But rest assured, I’ve been cooking easy, real food all the while. I just haven’t had time to blog about it! My goal is to share more substantive nutrition posts with you, but until then I’ll show you how we eat and hope it gives you ideas. You don’t need to rely on processed food, take-out, or even “meal delivery in a box” to keep meals simple and delicious.

This recipe is a family favorite. (And dear to my heart, as I modified it from my dear friend Michelle’s family recipe–thank you for letting me share it!) We usually have all the ingredients on hand. And once you pop it in the oven, you have enough time to roast some vegetables along with it, and then make a quick simple salad. It also tastes great over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles (zoodles.) I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Lemon Marinated Chicken Thighs

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Resting Time 30

Total Time 1 40

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Servings 8

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
1 large lemon juiced
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds boneless chicken thighs

Instructions

Mix all ingredients and marinate chicken at room temp for 30 minutes (or overnight) in the refrigerator.
Bake in a baking dish along with the marinade at 375 for 1 hour.

Notes

Keyword Lemon marinated chicken thighs

Camping Challenges and Good Eats

June 21, 2016June 21, 2016thewanderingrdLeave a comment

Did you think I gave up blogging? Never fear, I am not at a loss for words. (In fact, I have about 15 blog posts in the works, just don’t feel they are complete yet…) I was just sick. Very sick. Shame on me, but I never got around to getting the flu shot this winter and I recently paid a hefty price for this: two weeks of June (of all months). And if that wasn’t enough, I was subsequently stricken with a stomach virus last Thursday. But by the grace of God I was feeling better by Friday, so our End of School/Father’s Day camping trip with our neighbors was a go for Saturday!

We packed everything we own (for five people, it really seems like it), loaded up the car including the top carrier, strapped on the bikes, and squeezed the dog in the way back. We got on the road Saturday morning (a little later than we thought, after all that packing) to meet up with our neighbors at a state park in central Virginia.

En route, B and I realized we are a bit RUSTY at this camping thing. He locked up the bikes to secure them on the car, and two hours into the drive we realize I forgot my bike lock key. We almost forgot SA’s bike seat for my bike, only to arrive at the camp site and realize I neglected to grab the small clip sitting next to it that attaches it to my bike. We also bought new self-inflating mats and didn’t read the directions until the next morning, so we essentially slept on gravel. Ugh, I’m too old for that.

Well, as you can see, we made it to the bridge!

Fortunately, our neighbor friends are old pros at camping! Sarah was so organized, she had even created an Excel spreadsheet packing list, which she shared with me in advance. All three of the other families had arrived Friday, bringing camp stoves and other handy cooking equipment, and of course, food and beverages to share. They even brought fun games (corn hole, a slack line) to entertain our kids (and as it happened, other nearby campers). When we arrived, their zip ties, duct tape and tools were offered up–along with a bloody Mary–and soon we remedied the mistakes we’d made with the bikes. It really adds to the enjoyment of camping when you team up with experienced, fun people!

Speaking of which, even when it comes to food, I realized I had a thing or two to learn from my neighbor friends on this camping trip. Father’s Day brunch consisted of these delicious, personalized boil-in-a-bag omelettes! “Fancy Nancy” (pictured above) as we began to call her, had nothing short of a system in place to crank these omelettes out. It was impressive! First, she wrote a name on each omelette bag, and then cracked two or three eggs into each bag. Large zip lock bags were turned down to form bowls, which held the toppings: broccoli, asparagus, ham, cheese, onion, peppers, squash. She took our order and scooped out the toppings each person wanted into their omelette bag. Then she tossed all the bags into the boiling water for about 15 minutes. I was in such a hurry to eat this masterpiece, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product! But trust me when I say she even had a fruit garnish on the plate! My kind of camping. I love good (easy, real) food!

Although, in full disclosure, I am not going to pretend we didn’t have some junk food this weekend. I mean, for example, how can you camp without s’mores? We go camping so rarely (once a year, or once every two years), I really don’t see a problem with this. But…it is indeed possible to eat easy, real food even while camping!

On the way home, the kids (before conking out) were already asking, “Can we go camping again?!” B told them to wait three weeks and ask again. Ha! Yes, camping is fun, yet hard work. But I know he’ll gladly do it again for them–preferably with an air mattress. Happy Father’s Day, B!

From Our Kitchen: “Is It A Dessert Night?”

May 27, 2016May 28, 2016thewanderingrdLeave a comment

Ahhh, summer is here! It’s Memorial Day weekend and right on cue, Mother Nature turned up the thermostat and rolled back the clouds. And it’s Friday, so as some of you might know, this means, right on cue, we will be serving up dessert tonight in the Norwood household!

One of the easiest ways we started to slash sugar was by cutting out dessert during most days of the week. Early on while the kids were toddlers, B and I instituted a weekend-only dessert policy. (Funny fact about memories: My oldest “remembers” it as her good idea. I can live with letting her take the credit.) We felt it was important to restore dessert to its former role as an infrequent treat.

While helping us all eat better, it also cut out whining, begging and bargaining at dinnertime during the week. Bonus: I also learned to introduce new meals on weekends. With a “no dinner, no dessert” rule, the kids are more likely to try and eat new foods. One of my more brilliant parenting strategies, if I say so myself…

My kids love ice cream. What kid doesn’t? That’s their dessert of choice. We usually stick with the real deal: full fat, with the fewest ingredients possible, and a small portion.

But Brian and I are fond of fresh fruit with fresh whipped cream. You can make it however you like, but it takes only 10 seconds in a high powered blender (I use a Vitamix)!

Pour about a cup of whipping cream into the Vitamix, add about 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and a teaspoon of maple syrup, if desired. Turn on LOW and quickly increase the speed to about 7. Watch carefully, and you will SEE when it stops sloshing around as a liquid at the same time you HEAR the change in the noise the blender is making. After only about 10 seconds, it’s done! Stop then, or you’ll have butter. Spoon it onto your fruit (red, white and blue in this case, of course) and indulge!

Have a wonderful long weekend, remember our fallen service members, and enjoy time with friends and family. God Bless America!

New “Nutrition Facts” Label, New You?

May 21, 2016April 20, 2017thewanderingrdLeave a comment

I read this New York Times article yesterday (March 20, 2016) about the newly approved Nutrition Facts Label, which will be required on most products by July 2018. Here’s the gist (and a picture, below) from the article:

the new labels will show updated serving sizes, to reflect more accurately the portions Americans are actually eating,
the calories will be listed in big print, and
there will be an “added sugars” line listed under carbohydrates.

new nutrition facts label 2016 Hmmm…how do I feel about this? Well, I agree we eat bigger portions, and too many calories. We definitely eat way too much sugar. And I believe looking for added sugars is a big step in the right direction. But I think there’s a better, easier way to eat less and avoid sugar. Avoid most foods with labels whenever possible! Eat real, whole foods and eat more simply. I know it’s not always that simple for many people. But changing the Nutrition Facts label does nothing to make it easier, in my opinion.

I can see why they are increasing the serving sizes on labels, but I’m just not sure it will help anything. Americans eat bigger portions than the serving sizes currently reflect, so as it stands on the current Nutrition Facts label, we have to do math to figure out calories and all the other nutrients for the amount we eat. But are we going to eat less if the only thing that’s changed is we don’t have to do the math? (Actually, isn’t it possible if we don’t have to spend time on the math, we might spend the time we saved eating more?) Yes, we can see how much we are eating at a glance, but even without the math, the numbers are meaningless or easy to avoid for most people, aren’t they? I mean, who wants to worry about the math and the numbers anyway??? Sometimes I eat a handful of pita chips (one of my weaknesses) and I never even look at the label. Gasp. And I call myself a dietitian. If the numbers won’t stop me, who will they stop?

I actually found myself sympathizing with the soda industry camp when they said the rule to add the “added sugar” line lacks scientific evidence. Now, hear me out…there is plenty of evidence that sugar sweetened beverages are associated with obesity. I’m not saying you should drink soda by any means. (And BTW, who doesn’t know soda has a ton of sugar in it??? How is this label going to make a difference when people already know that and drink it anyway?) The main problem I see is that replacing products containing “added sugars” with products containing other forms of carbohydrate could be just as unhealthy as the foods containing added sugars. That is, the soda industry representatives are right in that the science does not support the idea that an excess of other sugars (or any carbohydrates for that matter) are any better for you than soda. For example, choosing a product full of “natural sugars” like 100% fruit juice and drinking too much of it is not a healthy choice. Choosing a highly refined white flour product, like bread or pasta, that has “no added sugars” is definitely not a healthy choice. And what about honey, maple syrup, and agave? The science doesn’t support choosing them more frequently than any other form of sugar. Focusing on “added sugars” completely misses the mark and doesn’t tell the complete story: that excess carbohydrates of any kind are likely to be bad for your health.

Well, the Nutrition Facts label is merely a tool, not an education in nutrition. If you have a drill, you won’t necessarily know how to hang a picture. If you have a better Nutrition Facts label, you won’t necessarily know how to eat well for better health. So, I hope to help your understanding of nutrition more than a Nutrition Facts label alone ever could. Yes, there are times when you can’t or don’t want to eat whole, easy real foods. I get that. But I also get–and I’m sure you do, too–that changing the Nutrition Facts label is not enough to change the health of Americans.

The good news is we have all the information we need on the Nutrition Facts label as it stands. When I do buy products with labels, I skip over the calories on the label. Because if you are choosing the right foods (real, whole foods and fewer refined carbohydrates and sugar), you will automatically lower your calorie intake and feel satiated, without counting calories. I do linger at total carbohydrates, and fiber and sugars for a minute to assess the quantity and quality of carbohydrates, but I would argue the ingredient list is the most useful part of the whole label.

If a product has many ingredients (say more than about five, according to Mark Bittman in Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating), I avoid it.
If it has products that I feel are harmful, I avoid it. For example, any sources of trans fat.
If a product has ingredients I feel are unnecessary like food coloring or preservatives (especially if I can’t pronounce them) or if there’s an alternate fresh version that eliminates those ingredients, I avoid the product and choose the fresh version. For example, I never buy bottled lemon or lime juice; it takes only a minute to squeeze a lemon or lime with my handy citrus squeezer gadget, and it tastes better.
If a product has any of the 50+ names sugar goes by, I generally avoid it or when necessary only eat it once a month (or even less frequently). For example, my kids love baked beans, so if I don’t have time to make them from scratch, I buy one can and add a can of drained and rinsed pinto beans to them to make it go further. But again, it’s very seldom that we have baked beans. Ketchup and mayo are the condiment exceptions, I could try making my own, but until then, we don’t use enough ketchup or mayo to worry too much about the sugar they contain.

So, the bottom line is this: I wouldn’t wait with bated breath until July 2018; you can start now choosing whole, real foods and using the ingredient list to make better choices in the grocery store.

From Our Kitchen: Chicken Parmesan

May 10, 2016May 2, 2020thewanderingrd1 Comment

chicken parmesan

Thanks to my day of rest on Mother’s day, I’m starting the week off way behind on my meal planning. Anyone else have that problem? A day of rest means double time the rest of the week. Whether it’s meal planning, work, laundry, errands…I’m sure I’m not the only one. Oh well, the break was nice while it lasted!

But who am I kidding??? I often let Monday slide by before I get my act together. Especially if it’s yet another rainy dreary day. Then I rally as only a good procrastinator can. Yet, despite the sophisticated flavors I try to serve up daily, even on weekdays, my meal planning is hardly elaborate or time consuming. You might be surprised to learn you don’t even need an app for it! But make no mistake, I believe planning ahead–any way you feel comfortable–is the key to serving easy, delicious real food. And your method of planning doesn’t have to take too much of your time, if you have a variety of go-to meal options up your sleeve. (Note the new, ever-expanding recipe index tab at the top of the blog!)

So, for me, meal planning is low-tech and old school. (I may know what you’re thinking. Just stop–I do at least keep all my recipes in Evernote, which I highly recommend. It comes in handy to check a recipe for ingredients while grocery shopping, particularly if you’re winging it, which I don’t recommend…) In fact, my meal planning generally consists of a dry-erase board on the fridge with usually no more than four meals planned at a time and scrawled in a hurry. Why four? I try to plan for slow cooker meals or leftovers at least twice a week, on our busiest weeknights. And I leave one meal open for one of these options: letting my mood decide, eating out, or–my personal favorite–letting B cook when time allows and the mood strikes.

However, tonight we have gymnastics, B works late as usual, and I didn’t plan on a slow cooker meal or leftovers…so whatever we are going to have has got to be easy! Naturally, I thought of this simply delicious baked chicken parmesan. I hope it can come to your rescue, too.