A friend recently asked me whether it was better to buy fresh or frozen vegetables. As we sit in the middle of winter here in the US, and our post-holiday dollar must stretch to its limit, I deem it a very fair question. Most frozen vegetables are undeniably cheaper, but are they as nutritious?
The answer is: sometimes. As a general rule, frozen vegetables are picked from the plant at their peak of ripeness, blanched in hot water or steam to kill bacteria and stop the action of degrading enzymes, and then flash-frozen. While the blanching process causes some water-soluble nutrients to leach out (for example, vitamin C and vitamin B), the subsequent flash-freeze locks in the remaining nutrients in a stable state.
In contrast, fresh vegetables are more often than not, picked from the vine before they are ripe. This gives them less time to develop the full range of nutrients that their 'vine-ripened' counterparts contain. Outward signs of ripening still occur, but they are not as nutritious an end-product as they would be if they were allowed to ripen naturally. In addition, the time it takes these vegetables to get from the farm to our plates is often surprisingly long, and during this time they are exposed to lots of heat and light which in turn degrades some of their nutrients.
So, my advice is this: when the vegetables (or fruits) are in season (and therefore generally grown close to your dinning table), buy them fresh and ripe. When they are out of season, frozen vegetables are a great option since they most probably offer you a higher level of nutrients. In addition, since frozen vegetables are generally cheaper than fresh, some of us are able to afford more organic options in the freezer section of the market.
And finally, in answer to those of you who are questioning how to know what the hell is in season now we are pretty much offered the full spectrum at any point in the year (!), there is a pretty conclusive list at www.fruitsandvegiesmorematters.org . At the moment, in the Northern Hemisphere, December, January and February yield the following:
Apples
Belgian Endive
Brussels Sprouts
Cherimoya
Chestnuts
Collard Greens
Dates
Grapefruit
Kale
Kiwifruit
Leeks
Oranges
Passion Fruit
Pear
Persimmons
Pummelo
Radicchio
Red Currants
Sweet Potatoes
Tangerines
Turnips
Winter Squash
I'd like to continue this blog to cover foodmiles, 'green' produce containers and much more, but I'll leave these for another day. Suffice to say that 'Eating Well' online recommends that those of us in the US choose packages marked with a USDA "U.S. Fancy" shield, as this designates produce of the best size, shape and color, which deems the vegetables more nutritious than those of the lower grades ("U.S. No. 1") or ("U.S. No. 2").
As yet, I haven't been able to find enough information on the UK grading system ...
I hope this helps stretch those winter dollars and keep the nutrition levels high!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year!
I am now back on US soil and hope that you have all had a wonderful holiday season. If nothing else, I hope it was a welcome break from 'routine', both industrious and nutritious! There is nothing more refreshing than being removed from the well-trodden daily pathways of our lives, and sometimes it takes global festivities to persuade us off those favored tracks!
If nothing else, today is a day which should fill us with hope and new beginnings where needed....and as my revered Chinese doctor said to me last night 'If at first you make a mess of your New Years resolutions, there's a chance to start again at Chinese New Year, February 14th'! I rather believe that all resolutions benefit by continuous affirmation of their importance and presence, so I offer Chinese New Year as a more formal method of achieving this!
Whether your resolutions are nutrition-based or otherwise, I thoroughly recommend you restrict yourself to objectives you feel are WELL within your grasp. There is no written rule that you can't expand your goals if you achieve them before the year is out ... rather like taking a smaller portion of food the first time round, knowing you can have a second helping if you so desire!
Enjoy this new beginning ... I am going to post some exciting new recipes and invigoratingly healthy tips in the coming few weeks ... just as soon as our bodies have had time to digest December's indulgences!
2010 is going to be a good year. I'm sure of it. Be good to yourself.
If nothing else, today is a day which should fill us with hope and new beginnings where needed....and as my revered Chinese doctor said to me last night 'If at first you make a mess of your New Years resolutions, there's a chance to start again at Chinese New Year, February 14th'! I rather believe that all resolutions benefit by continuous affirmation of their importance and presence, so I offer Chinese New Year as a more formal method of achieving this!
Whether your resolutions are nutrition-based or otherwise, I thoroughly recommend you restrict yourself to objectives you feel are WELL within your grasp. There is no written rule that you can't expand your goals if you achieve them before the year is out ... rather like taking a smaller portion of food the first time round, knowing you can have a second helping if you so desire!
Enjoy this new beginning ... I am going to post some exciting new recipes and invigoratingly healthy tips in the coming few weeks ... just as soon as our bodies have had time to digest December's indulgences!
2010 is going to be a good year. I'm sure of it. Be good to yourself.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Happy Days to you all....
Once again, I feel the need to apologise for my less-than-punctual contributions to this blog....but suffice to say that I'm now back on track and look forward to posting a full slew of blogs in early 2010! I fly off to visit friends and family back in the UK tomorrow so this will be my last blog this year ...
As the holiday season takes full hold, I feel an urge not to persuade you to resist all treats, but just to treat them differently! December has a strong relationship with food, whatever your faith or belief, and for those of us who are conscious eaters, it is a time of decision-overload! In times like this, our most common coping mechanism very much resembles 'boom or bust'. Either we roll home from parties filled to the gills and uncomfortable with both our bodies and our minds, or we retire to bed feeling virtuous that we managed to eat little or nothing at that evening's social event, but also wondering why we feel that we slightly missed the party!
If there was a little pink pill I could give out to help us all hit the right balance of enjoying the treats our host has provided, without having to endure the mental battle that so often comes along for the ride, I would be a sought-after woman! Instead, I offer you this:
Life is for living. December is only 1 month out of the year. Don't avoid the enjoyment of savoring the party-food with friends only to gorge on the left-overs, alone. Food is a blessing and for those of us who are not in a state of famine, its presence is something for which to be thankful. Enjoy it. Savor it. Be conscious of what you choose to eat, and your own hunger. Respect your body, and your tastebuds, and trust yourself to eat in balance with your needs.
And most importantly, enjoy all that comes with the food....family, friends, warmth and humor. These things, along with the odd piece of chocolate, are vital for our souls!
Happy Holidays! Be good to yourselves.
As the holiday season takes full hold, I feel an urge not to persuade you to resist all treats, but just to treat them differently! December has a strong relationship with food, whatever your faith or belief, and for those of us who are conscious eaters, it is a time of decision-overload! In times like this, our most common coping mechanism very much resembles 'boom or bust'. Either we roll home from parties filled to the gills and uncomfortable with both our bodies and our minds, or we retire to bed feeling virtuous that we managed to eat little or nothing at that evening's social event, but also wondering why we feel that we slightly missed the party!
If there was a little pink pill I could give out to help us all hit the right balance of enjoying the treats our host has provided, without having to endure the mental battle that so often comes along for the ride, I would be a sought-after woman! Instead, I offer you this:
Life is for living. December is only 1 month out of the year. Don't avoid the enjoyment of savoring the party-food with friends only to gorge on the left-overs, alone. Food is a blessing and for those of us who are not in a state of famine, its presence is something for which to be thankful. Enjoy it. Savor it. Be conscious of what you choose to eat, and your own hunger. Respect your body, and your tastebuds, and trust yourself to eat in balance with your needs.
And most importantly, enjoy all that comes with the food....family, friends, warmth and humor. These things, along with the odd piece of chocolate, are vital for our souls!
Happy Holidays! Be good to yourselves.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Chaos? Just add cookies and chocolate...
Apologies for the rather long lapse since my last blog - since my previous writing, I have been thrown into a state of confusion and sadness that attacks one in such a way that no matter how many times you have pondered its possibility, when it arrives, you are none-the-wiser. During this time, I have challenged many of the principles I so avidly and enthusiastically encourage my clients to follow, and it has made me realize that when life trips you up, even the easiest of behaviors is easily disrupted.
A case in point; my initial reaction to my development, over which I have no control, was, extraordinarily, not to try and control what I could control, but to relinquish control on everything. This included food choices. I have made it no secret that I am gluten-intolerant, and I tend to do better without dairy foods too.....and sugar is something reserved for treats, but here I was, my head spinning with depressing news, and all I wanted to do was feed my poor, exhausted body cookies and chocolate. At what point was that going to make me feel better? Well, I guess that's the point.....I didn't care.
Thankfully, my 5 years as a nutrition professional kicked in after only 1/2 the bar of chocolate had been eaten (otherwise it most definitely would have been a foregone conclusion that the whole bar would have been wolfed down my throat, barely tasted!) and I managed to wrestle my rebellious mind into some sort of order, reasserting the important belief that I hold dear (or thought I did!) that eating badly just makes one feel bad.
But the lesson is there. No matter what the good intentions, the training, the belief-system or the determination, when life throws us a curve-ball, it can take all our power to try and stay on track. And that's ok. Falling off the 'wagon' is not failing. Failing is not getting back on again.
So as Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, don't count every calorie and chastise every guilty indulgence, but try and be a realist, and see your behavior for what it is. Then, when you've recognized your readiness to pounce on the last cookie or polish of the remainder of the pumpkin pie, sit with it for a few minutes, and process your new revelation. Enjoy that last mouthful and move on. We're not perfect, but that doesn't mean that we can't try to be!
Happy Turkey Day to all my US friends!
A case in point; my initial reaction to my development, over which I have no control, was, extraordinarily, not to try and control what I could control, but to relinquish control on everything. This included food choices. I have made it no secret that I am gluten-intolerant, and I tend to do better without dairy foods too.....and sugar is something reserved for treats, but here I was, my head spinning with depressing news, and all I wanted to do was feed my poor, exhausted body cookies and chocolate. At what point was that going to make me feel better? Well, I guess that's the point.....I didn't care.
Thankfully, my 5 years as a nutrition professional kicked in after only 1/2 the bar of chocolate had been eaten (otherwise it most definitely would have been a foregone conclusion that the whole bar would have been wolfed down my throat, barely tasted!) and I managed to wrestle my rebellious mind into some sort of order, reasserting the important belief that I hold dear (or thought I did!) that eating badly just makes one feel bad.
But the lesson is there. No matter what the good intentions, the training, the belief-system or the determination, when life throws us a curve-ball, it can take all our power to try and stay on track. And that's ok. Falling off the 'wagon' is not failing. Failing is not getting back on again.
So as Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, don't count every calorie and chastise every guilty indulgence, but try and be a realist, and see your behavior for what it is. Then, when you've recognized your readiness to pounce on the last cookie or polish of the remainder of the pumpkin pie, sit with it for a few minutes, and process your new revelation. Enjoy that last mouthful and move on. We're not perfect, but that doesn't mean that we can't try to be!
Happy Turkey Day to all my US friends!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Steaming Liquids
So the weather is cooling fast, and suddenly our bodies are dictating that a trip to the coffee shop is more comforting than to the smoothie joint.....yes, winter is here (for those of us in the desert, this is a hugely exciting time of year!). While I'm all about embracing those hot, steaming cups of deliciousness, I think it's important to know what you're ordering. While a double caramel mocha with an extra shot and whipped cream might sound delicious, it might be wise to consider the fact that not only will it push you into a high spinning orbit fueled by sugar and caffeine (!), but it's also got enough calories to replace a meal....and yet none of the nutrition.
SO......what is my point? I don't recommend denying yourself your long-named-indulgence which comes in the form of a hot steaming drink, but I do suggest acknowledging that whether you're someone who is trying to prevent the pounds from creeping on, or someone who is desperate not to drop any more dress sizes, this 'drink' is an intravenous nutritional-bypass, and really doesn't help your aim to fuel your body and keep it healthy.
Enjoy every sip, but don't let it take the place of nourishing foods, and remember that hot teas are a delicious way of embracing the warm comfort of a hot drink without the calorie-impact of most coffee-creations.
In short, keep the feel-good-factor high, and the drink-size low!
SO......what is my point? I don't recommend denying yourself your long-named-indulgence which comes in the form of a hot steaming drink, but I do suggest acknowledging that whether you're someone who is trying to prevent the pounds from creeping on, or someone who is desperate not to drop any more dress sizes, this 'drink' is an intravenous nutritional-bypass, and really doesn't help your aim to fuel your body and keep it healthy.
Enjoy every sip, but don't let it take the place of nourishing foods, and remember that hot teas are a delicious way of embracing the warm comfort of a hot drink without the calorie-impact of most coffee-creations.
In short, keep the feel-good-factor high, and the drink-size low!
Monday, November 9, 2009
More sugary advice...
Yes, I will let this topic go.... I just have one last word to say!
As we approach a sugar-filled season of treats and indulgences, I wanted to remind you of a wonderful alternative to sugar which you can easily use at home: Agave Nectar.
This is a natural sweetener produced in Mexico from blue agave, salmiana, green, gray, throrny or rainbow variety cactus. Agave has a low glycemic index so it is slowly absorbed into the body preventing spikes in the blood sugar. In contrast, regular sugar is a high glycimic index food and so is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream producing the all-too-familiar 'sugar rush' effect.
Agave is 25% sweeter than sugar, so you need less of it, and it is perfect for anything to which you would add regular sugar ....hot drinks, cereals, oatmeal, plain yogurt, baking, salad dressing, in place of maple syrup, honey etc. It is a staple in our house, and I can tell the difference if my toddler eats plain yogurt flavored with agave or comercially flavored yogurts which have added sugars - it sounds rediculous, I know, but seriously, if ever the sugar-rush is evident, it is plain to see in these little bodies which have no filters between feelings and actions!!
If you're interested in learning more about this guilt-free sugar(!), go to www.allaboutagave.com. For those of you who just want a quick introduction on how to use it in place of regular sugar, here's some information on subsitutions which I've taken from that website:
Substituting Agave Nectar for Liquid Sweeteners
Honey: Replace each cup of honey with one cup of agave syrup.
Maple Syrup: Replace each cup of maple syrup with one cup of agave syrup.
Brown Rice Syrup: When replacing a cup of brown rice syrup, use 1/2 to 1/3 as much agave, and increase other liquids in the recipe by up to 1/2 a cup.
Corn Syrup: When replacing a cup of light corn syrup, use 1/2 as much agave, and increase other liquids in the recipe by up to 1/3 of a cup. Like corn syrup, agave nectar will not crystallize.
Substituting Agave Nectar for Granulated Sugar
White Sugar: For each cup of white sugar replaced, use 2/3 of a cup of agave and reduce other liquids by 1/4 to 1/3 cup. This substitution will also work for Demerara Sugar, Turbinado Sugar, Evaporated Cane Juice, or Sucanat.
Brown Sugar: For each cup of white sugar replaced, use 2/3 of a cup of agave and reduce other liquids by 1/4 cup. Because the moisture content of Brown Sugar is higher than that of white sugar, liquids may not have to be reduced as much when substituting agave nectar.
Other Considerations
Agave syrup may cause baked items to brown more quickly, so reduce oven temperatures by 25°F is and increase baking time slightly.
Experiment & enjoy!!!
As we approach a sugar-filled season of treats and indulgences, I wanted to remind you of a wonderful alternative to sugar which you can easily use at home: Agave Nectar.
This is a natural sweetener produced in Mexico from blue agave, salmiana, green, gray, throrny or rainbow variety cactus. Agave has a low glycemic index so it is slowly absorbed into the body preventing spikes in the blood sugar. In contrast, regular sugar is a high glycimic index food and so is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream producing the all-too-familiar 'sugar rush' effect.
Agave is 25% sweeter than sugar, so you need less of it, and it is perfect for anything to which you would add regular sugar ....hot drinks, cereals, oatmeal, plain yogurt, baking, salad dressing, in place of maple syrup, honey etc. It is a staple in our house, and I can tell the difference if my toddler eats plain yogurt flavored with agave or comercially flavored yogurts which have added sugars - it sounds rediculous, I know, but seriously, if ever the sugar-rush is evident, it is plain to see in these little bodies which have no filters between feelings and actions!!
If you're interested in learning more about this guilt-free sugar(!), go to www.allaboutagave.com. For those of you who just want a quick introduction on how to use it in place of regular sugar, here's some information on subsitutions which I've taken from that website:
Substituting Agave Nectar for Liquid Sweeteners
Honey: Replace each cup of honey with one cup of agave syrup.
Maple Syrup: Replace each cup of maple syrup with one cup of agave syrup.
Brown Rice Syrup: When replacing a cup of brown rice syrup, use 1/2 to 1/3 as much agave, and increase other liquids in the recipe by up to 1/2 a cup.
Corn Syrup: When replacing a cup of light corn syrup, use 1/2 as much agave, and increase other liquids in the recipe by up to 1/3 of a cup. Like corn syrup, agave nectar will not crystallize.
Substituting Agave Nectar for Granulated Sugar
White Sugar: For each cup of white sugar replaced, use 2/3 of a cup of agave and reduce other liquids by 1/4 to 1/3 cup. This substitution will also work for Demerara Sugar, Turbinado Sugar, Evaporated Cane Juice, or Sucanat.
Brown Sugar: For each cup of white sugar replaced, use 2/3 of a cup of agave and reduce other liquids by 1/4 cup. Because the moisture content of Brown Sugar is higher than that of white sugar, liquids may not have to be reduced as much when substituting agave nectar.
Other Considerations
Agave syrup may cause baked items to brown more quickly, so reduce oven temperatures by 25°F is and increase baking time slightly.
Experiment & enjoy!!!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Swapping out the SUGAR!
To follow on from my last blog; I hope you had a fabulous Halloween!
While I was trick-or-treating with my 2 year old, I met another mother who has instrumented a 'replacement-candy' activity for her children for the last 10 years.....and I think it's genius.
To explain: she takes them to Whole Foods before Halloween and together they choose a vast array of 'replacement-candy' - no, this isn't some 'trick-to-replace-the-treats', this really is just a healthier version of the candy her kids will collect on Halloween. By 'healthier', I mean that it is free from artificial colorings and flavorings, and is often less processed and more pure....yes, pure sugar maybe, but at least it doesn't have glitter and glue in it too, not to mention the ingredients one needs a pHD in Chemistry to translate.....
Her children (now 10 yrs and 5 yrs old), dress up like everyone else and have a fabulous evening trick-or-treating with their friends, fully motivated to collect as much candy as possible because they know that later they will swap it out for their cherished replacement candy. On their return home, they choose a piece of replacement candy for each piece of regular candy that they have collected, and both parents and children feel satisfied. I love it.
If some of you feel that this is a great idea but a 1-for-1 swap for replacement candy still leaves a lot of sugar floating around the house, then choose another ratio....10-for-1, whatever, but at least you know that your children will be on a real-sugar-high rather than a fake-foods-overload?!
And as a final word - I have seen a multitude of facebook posts about how to deal with this holiday....do you let your children gorge as much candy as they want during the WE, ending up with stomach aches and soaring blood-sugar levels (not to mention mood swings!), or do you ration the candy and end up eating it from now until Christmas? Well my last blog focuses on this and to reiterate, my advice is to enjoy the holiday or WE and then GET RID OF THE REGULAR CANDY. I recommended throwing it out in my last blog, but I know that this does not sit well with a vast majority..... instead, in our house, we bag it all up and send it to work with my husband....alternatively, I saw that my son's school had a huge donation box for left-over candy which they were sending out to the soldiers. So if you don't like the idea of waste, think about who would enjoy receiving some candy, but for goodness sake, don't leave it in YOUR kitchen unless you have a willpower of steel and don't feel haunted by its presence!
While I was trick-or-treating with my 2 year old, I met another mother who has instrumented a 'replacement-candy' activity for her children for the last 10 years.....and I think it's genius.
To explain: she takes them to Whole Foods before Halloween and together they choose a vast array of 'replacement-candy' - no, this isn't some 'trick-to-replace-the-treats', this really is just a healthier version of the candy her kids will collect on Halloween. By 'healthier', I mean that it is free from artificial colorings and flavorings, and is often less processed and more pure....yes, pure sugar maybe, but at least it doesn't have glitter and glue in it too, not to mention the ingredients one needs a pHD in Chemistry to translate.....
Her children (now 10 yrs and 5 yrs old), dress up like everyone else and have a fabulous evening trick-or-treating with their friends, fully motivated to collect as much candy as possible because they know that later they will swap it out for their cherished replacement candy. On their return home, they choose a piece of replacement candy for each piece of regular candy that they have collected, and both parents and children feel satisfied. I love it.
If some of you feel that this is a great idea but a 1-for-1 swap for replacement candy still leaves a lot of sugar floating around the house, then choose another ratio....10-for-1, whatever, but at least you know that your children will be on a real-sugar-high rather than a fake-foods-overload?!
And as a final word - I have seen a multitude of facebook posts about how to deal with this holiday....do you let your children gorge as much candy as they want during the WE, ending up with stomach aches and soaring blood-sugar levels (not to mention mood swings!), or do you ration the candy and end up eating it from now until Christmas? Well my last blog focuses on this and to reiterate, my advice is to enjoy the holiday or WE and then GET RID OF THE REGULAR CANDY. I recommended throwing it out in my last blog, but I know that this does not sit well with a vast majority..... instead, in our house, we bag it all up and send it to work with my husband....alternatively, I saw that my son's school had a huge donation box for left-over candy which they were sending out to the soldiers. So if you don't like the idea of waste, think about who would enjoy receiving some candy, but for goodness sake, don't leave it in YOUR kitchen unless you have a willpower of steel and don't feel haunted by its presence!
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