Caught out at the Food Court

Susie Burrell often has some interesting things to say in relation to nutrition and diet.  In a recent article for The Age, she calculated the calorific content of some food court favourites and the results may shock you.  These are seriously heavy meals that we may incorrectly consider to be light or a lunchtime snack.  

A few of  the BIG surprises:
Chicken Schnitzel Roll = 974 calories and 57.4g fat.
Pasta container = 695 calories and 16g fat.
Stir fry noodles with veggies and oyster sauce = 932 calories and 50g fat.

This doesn't mean that there aren't healthier choices at a food court - but the allure of the greasy, large noodle dishes or the great big foccaccias may override our desire to eat healthy and make the custom sandwich and sushi places almost invisible.

How to overcome this? Well, eating at home before going to the mall is one idea.  Just like the old adage that one shouldn't go supermarket shopping on an empty stomach, maybe we need to hit the mall with a satisfied tummy.  That could result in both a saving of calories and a sizeable chunk of change.  Or try pausing, breathing deeply and thinking to ourselves "Yes, I could have anything I want to eat but I am choosing to have a more healthy option in order to improve my well-being"  That pause can take the "mindless" out of the eating process.

What do you make a bee-line towards at the food court?  Is it a "whopper" in calories?  Or do you grab some sushi handrolls instead?  Inquiring minds want to know!!

How to modify your eating.

I recently blogged strategies from a nutritionist (e.g. only having one source of fat in the food you are eating) and that was full of sound advice and strategies.

At www.goodfood.com.au today there are more great modification strategies in an article by Tara Diversi, a  skilled dietician.  

A diet is by its very nature a temporary thing.  We go on it, we go off it (usually long before we've lost the weight we wanted to).  However, making modifications to our everyday choices can lead to better, healthier life-long eating habits.  Heed the words of the clever Ms Diversi.  

How will you utilise this information and what modifications will you make?

How to kick bad food habits

by Tara Diversi.  January 1, 2014

Creating a habit starts with a baby step in the wrong direction. Breaking these bad habits can take a little more effort.

As a dietitian, I often feel like I'm hearing confession from clients who speak of their “weaknesses” and the “wicked” foods that tempt them, from chocolate to chips to cheese. The simple solution is to remember the maxim, “everything in moderation”. But how do you put that into practice when a habit has formed?

When it comes to combating your temptations, there are tricks that can enable you to keep enjoying your food without gorging a week's worth of treats in one sitting. For specific food habits, there's usually a specific solution that can help reduce your reliance.

Sweet tooth

If you're eating sweets as everyday foods rather than celebration foods, you may have a hard time weaning yourself. Eating any amount of sweet food (from sugar or alternatives) increases your desire for it, and if you've switched to artificially sweetened foods in an effort to lose weight, it could actually have the opposite effect.  Satisfying your sugar craving can make you hungrier, and make you crave it even more.

Tip: Avoid eating sweet food early in the day as this is likely to set you on the wrong path.

Chocolate

If chocolate is your particular vice, there's no point feeling guilty. A recent study from New Zealand found that those who associated eating chocolate cake with celebration were more successful in reaching their weight loss goals than those who associated it with guilt. If you have a treat planned, you're less likely to overeat because you're feeling emotional, through convenience or boredom.

Tips: Always buy single-serving chocolate bars. You can't eat half a block when you only have a single serving in the house.

A want for chocolate disguised as a need may in fact be a need to eat a more protein-rich breakfast.  Swap your usual cereal and toast for vegie eggs (an omelette or scrambled eggs with vegetables like mushrooms, onion, capsicum and zucchini) or cottage cheese, baby spinach and smoked salmon on a multigrain English muffin.

Cheese 

Sure, most people find cheese and bacon delicious. However, they've both become condiments added to flavour dishes rather than being treated as ingredients in their own right. We tend to use them almost as an insurance policy against a bad meal.

Cheese can be part of a healthy diet, but when it is used with other high fat ingredients it just adds kilojoules and re-flavours the food rather than enhancing the original ingredients.

Tip: A slice of cheese can adds between 400-500 kilojoules to a meal or snack; two slices gives us the energy equivalent of a medium chocolate bar.

Treat cheese as an ingredient, not as a condiment.Photo: James Davies

Soft drinks

I am often intrigued by the amount of supermarket real estate devoted to large bottles of soft drink. While a two-litre bottle may be the same price as a 375ml can, you're more likely to drink or eat the first thing you see in the fridge, so as with chocolate only ever buy single serves. Also if you've got some milk-a-holics in your household, put the milk in the fridge on a shelf rather than in the door, and keep the door free for storing water or sparkling water.

Tip: Wean yourself from sweet drinks with sparkling water with a little lemon or lime added. You will soon find soft drinks too sweet for your liking.

Salty snacks

When you have a mid-afternoon craving for sweet or salty food it's easy to convince yourself "my body must need it" and to eat food you hadn't planned to.  Salty food in particular can be moreish - it's easy to stop at 15 raw almonds, but when they're toasted and salted, that second handful goes down very easily.

Tip: Use flavours of foods enhanced by herbs, spices or aromatic vegetables while you're trying to reduce salt. Keep small portions of chips and nuts in individual serves. Mix salted nuts with raw nuts to reduce overall salt, and swap salted snacks out slowly. It is easy to eat a meal worth of kilojoules in a snack when it is salty like chips or cheese and crackers.

Coffee

There are health benefits associated with drinking coffee. Between two and four cups per day has been shown to reduce the risk of some chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. The benefits are less apparent when you add syrups, sugar, chocolate or enjoy milky coffees. Lattes, flat whites and cappuccinos are more like snacks than drinks, and can add a huge number of unwanted kilojoules that don't fill you up. Two regular lattes per day above nutritional requirements will take the average person an hour of walking to burn off.

Also, too much caffeine can cause an increase in stress responses and sleeplessness. It may make you feel better at the time, but for a long-term improvement on your energy, replace some of the caffeine-induced energy with whole food energy at breakfast, lunch and dinner, for example, by eating at least two serves of vegetables a day.

Tips: Treat milky coffees as a stand-alone snack, rather than a drink. If you're drinking more than four cups per day, try herbal tea alternatives. Peppermint tea is a great pick-me-up for the afternoon. Beware of teas that have a lot of sugar added - usually fruit-flavoured teas.

Give yourself a goal for number of coffees per day, order the smallest size and gradually reduce the sugar you add. This will allow you to enjoy a few cups per day guilt-free and savour the true quality coffee taste.

Tips for fighting bad food habits

·         Plan when you'll eat your favourite treat, in small amounts and preferably away from home.

·         Keep a barrier between you and the danger food. For example, keep in drawers rather than on desks or in the fridge rather than in the door.

·         If you buy food in bulk, separate it into individual serves in reusable small containers.

·         Don't use fatty foods as condiments

http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/cook/how-to-kick-bad-food-habits-20140101-305vm.html

Flexitarianism: What the.....?

Why do we seem to need to label everything with a made up word?  Why not just say "flexible eating".  Well, whatever the reason for the strange name, the article has sound suggestions to improve the quality of what we eat, move away from packaged and pre-prepared foods and up the vitamin and mineral content of our daily diet, without sacrificing flavour or texture.

This article appeared in The Age (originally in the New York Times) and refers to the fact that these drastic "all or nothing" changes that we make - often at the beginning of the year - tend to last an average of two weeks before we tire of the hunger and monotony and get stuck into a gallon or two of Ben & Jerry's.  

What flexible changes could YOU make to your food consumption that would enhance your health and wellbeing?  Would love to hear your suggestions.  Yum Yum.

Flexitarianiasm: sustainable resolutions for your diet

Mark Bittman
Published: January 2, 2014 - 9:36AM

New Year's resolutions tend to be big, impressive promises that we adhere to for short periods of time - that blissful stretch of January when we are starving ourselves, exercising daily and reading Proust. But, and you know this, rather than making extreme changes that last for days or weeks, we are better off with tiny ones lasting more or less forever.

Mostly, though, when it comes to diet, we are told the opposite. We have a billion-dollar industry based on fad diets and quick fixes: Eat nothing but foam packing peanuts and lemon tea, and you'll lose 30 pounds (14 kilograms) in 30 days. Then what? Resolutions work only if we are resolute, and changes are meaningful only if they are permanent.

What follows are some of the easiest food-related resolutions you will ever make, from cooking big pots of grains and beans once a week, to buying frozen produce, to pickling things à la "Portlandia." Committing to just a few of these, or even one, will get you moving in the right direction toward eating more plants and fewer animal products and processed foods.

My suggestions are incremental, but the ease with which you can incorporate them into your normal shopping, cooking and eating routines is exactly what makes them sustainable and powerful.

Flexitarianism is about making a gradual shift, not a complete overhaul. It is a way of eating we are much more likely to stick to for the long term - which, after all, is the point of resolutions in the first place.

COOK SIMPLE, UNSEASONED VEGETABLES EVERY FEW DAYS

You can steam or parboil or microwave. Once cooked, vegetables keep a long time. And then they're sitting there waiting to top pastas and grains, to bolster soups and salads, to whip up veggie wraps or just to reheat in oil or butter with seasonings.

Leftover vegetable spread - Purée any leftover vegetables (as long as they are tender) in the food processor with olive oil, fresh parsley leaves, lemon juice, salt and pepper until the mixture reaches the consistency you want. Serve with bread, crackers or crudités. It's nice on toast as breakfast.

COOK BIG BATCHES OF GRAINS AND BEANS

Because it's nearly effortless, and having cooked grains and beans on hand at all times makes day-to-day cooking a breeze. They will keep in the fridge up to a week. White beans with kale and sausage - Sauté some loose Italian sausage in olive oil until lightly browned. Add minced garlic, cooked white beans, chopped kale, a splash of bean-cooking liquid or water, salt and pepper. Simmer until beans are hot and kale is wilted. To garnish, add oil and parsley.

BUY HALF AS MUCH MEAT, AND MAKE IT BETTER MEAT

Thinking of eating meat as an indulgence lets you buy tastier, healthier, more sustainable meat without breaking the bank.

Thai beef salad - Grill, broil or pan-sear a small piece of flank or skirt steak until medium-rare; set aside. Toss salad greens; plenty of mint, cilantro and basil; chopped cucumber; and thinly sliced red onion. Dress with a mixture of lime juice, fish sauce, sesame oil, sugar and minced jalapeño. Thinly slice the steak and lay it on top; drizzle with a little more dressing and any meat juices. Garnish with herbs.

SPLURGE WHEN YOU CAN

That way, the foods you consider special treats are truly special. For me it's dark chocolate, meat and cheese.

Dark chocolate ganache - Heat 1 cup cream in a saucepan until steaming. Put 8 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate in a bowl and pour the hot cream on top. Stir to melt and incorporate the chocolate; use immediately as a sauce, or cool to room temperature and whip to make a smooth frosting or filling.

BUY FROZEN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Because out-of-season produce from halfway around the world doesn't make much sense or taste best. Fruits and vegetables (from peaches, to corn, to squash) frozen when they are ripe are a better alternative, and incredibly convenient.

Frozen peach jam - Combine 1 pound frozen peaches, 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil, then adjust heat so it bubbles steadily. Cook, stirring occasionally until thick, 15 to 30 minutes. Cool completely; it will keep in fridge at least a week.

PICKLE

So the copious amounts of fresh produce you buy never have to go to waste. And because it tastes good.

Quick-pickled cucumbers and radishes - Put thinly sliced cucumbers and radishes (use a mandoline if you have one) in a colander. Sprinkle with salt, gently rubbing it in with your hands. Let sit for 20 minutes, tossing and squeezing every few minutes. When little or no liquid comes out, rinse and put in a bowl. Toss with some sugar, dill and vinegar, and serve. Garnish with dill.

MAKE YOUR OWN HUMMUS, BEAN DIPS AND NUT BUTTERS

With those around, vegetables and fruit practically dip themselves. You'll be filling up on produce without even noticing it.

Hummus - In a processor or blender, combine cooked chickpeas, minced garlic, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Purée; taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with oil, lemon and smoked paprika.

MAKE YOUR OWN CONDIMENTS

Store-bought versions of ketchup, barbecue sauce, salsa and the like are often loaded with preservatives and sugar. Besides, creating your own recipes is a blast.

Marjoram pesto - In a small food processor, combine a cup of marjoram (leaves and small stems) and some garlic; process until finely minced. Add red wine vinegar and olive oil; purée. Add capers (about a tablespoon) and pulse a few times. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

EAT VEGETABLES FOR BREAKFAST

You already eat fruit for breakfast, so what's so strange? Veggie-based breakfasts are common around the world: cucumber and tomato salads in Israel, pickled vegetables in Japan, a bean and tomato stew in parts of Africa. Think of it as a très chic international trend.

Cauliflower tabbouleh - Pulse cauliflower florets in a food processor, or chop them by hand, until they are small bits resembling grains. Toss with chopped tomatoes, plenty of chopped parsley and mint, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

COOK PLANTS AS YOU WOULD MEAT

Because bold, meaty flavours aren't reserved just for flesh.

Breaded fried eggplant - Dredge 1/2-inch-thick eggplant slices in flour, then beaten egg, then bread crumbs. Put on a baking sheet lined with parchment and refrigerate at least 10 minutes (up to 3 hours). Shallow-fry (in batches, without crowding) in 1/4 inch olive oil in a large skillet until browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Garnish with parsley and lemon.

COOKING FOR CARNIVORES? MAKE EXTRA SIDES

Let the people around you have their fill of meat while you eat a bit, but fill up on vegetables, beans and grains.

Roasted broccoli gratin - Put broccoli florets in a baking dish; toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 425 degrees until the tops are lightly browned and the stems nearly tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with bread crumbs (preferably homemade), mixed with Parmesan if you like, and a little more olive oil. Continue roasting until the bread crumbs are crisp.

COOK OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE

Because some of the best vegetable-centric food comes from halfway around the world, where it is "food," not "flexitarian."

Caramel-braised tofu - Put 1 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a deep cast-iron skillet over medium heat; cook until sugar liquefies and bubbles. When it darkens, turn off the heat. Carefully pour in 1/2 cup fish sauce and 1/2 cup water; cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until it becomes liquid caramel. Add sliced shallots, cubed, pressed or extra-firm tofu, lots of black pepper and lime juice. Simmer, stirring occasionally until the tofu is hot.

The New York Times

This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/flexitarianiasm--sustainable-resolutions-for-your-diet-20140101-305zq.html