Monday " Mention"... Environmental Working Group

http://www.ewg.org/foodscores 

http://www.ewg.org/foodscores/content/ewg-food-scores-state-of-americas-food-landscape

     The Environmental Working group had developed a data base you can access on your computer or phone to help with making healthier options when shopping at the grocery store. There are catagories to pick from and you put your product in their data base you they will give you a score based on different factors. So if you have a concern with a particular product in your cabinet and wondering if it's a healthy choice, put it in the data base and see the results. It's nice to have a tool that helps cut down on some of the confusion and buzz words when trying to pick and choose foods that will nourish our bodies.

EWG's Food Scores just took the work out of grocery shopping for me!: EWG's Food Scores rates more than 80,000 foods in a simple, searchable online format to empower people to shop smarter and eat healthier. Each item in the database is scored based on three factors: nutrition, ingredient concerns and degree of processing. a href='http://ewg.org/foodscores/'Check it out and see how your favorite foods score./a

Monday " Mention "... Whole Food Living Website...

 

Feeling overwhelmed, need some new ideas for meals, don't know how to adjust your favorite recipes to make them healthier, does going to the grocery store cause you stress, could you use some helpful strategies for making your time in the kitchen easier or are you feeling lost about how to choose gluten and or dairy free products and recipes? If you answers yes to any of these questions... I can help - http://www.wholefood-living.com/

Tuesday "Try"... Small Comparisons

     One way to incorporating healthier choices is to start with "small comparisons." Every time you go to the grocery store pick one item you normal buy and compare it to a healthier choice. Start making a list ( one item at at time) so you can see the price difference and if/when you go to another store or see a sale you will be more aware of a good deal, plus when it's written down, you don't have to remember it again. This will help you decide what items you feel are worth the extra difference. 

      I picked a few items that I compared when I was at the grocery store to show you. The prices will vary from store to store but comparing will give you a general idea so you can make more informed decisions and "choose" healthier. You may be surprised at the small difference in some of the items that you weren't even aware until you compared. And when you find them on sale, (if your able) buy more them one.

Store Brand 1 lb butter - 3.44
Name Brand 1 lb butter - 4.39
Store Brand Organic 1lb butter - 4.99 ( on sale for 4.49)
Earth Balance 15 oz Non-butter - 3.69

Pillsbury cinnamon. rolls - 3.09 (hydrogenated oils etc)
Immaculate cinnamon rolls - 3.29 ( not organic but no hydrogenated oils, no corn syrup, etc.)

Kraft Mac and Cheese 11oz. - 2.99
Annie's Mac and Cheese 11oz - 2.29 (organic ingredients )

Skippy Natural Peanut Butter  15oz - 2.69 (non hydrogenated oils or corn syrup)
Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter 15oz - 2.99 (non hydrogenated oils or corn syrup)
Organic Smuckers Peanut Butter 15oz - 4.19

You can follow me on https://www.facebook.com/WholeFoodLiving

and visit http://wholefood-living.com/index.html to see how I can help you on your way to a healthier you!

Thursday 3 "Tips" to cut down on sugar...

Sugar and spice and everything nice, that's the feeling "sugar" brings to mind.

Sugar is not our enemy, and in moderation it can be our friend. Take a moment to read the ingredient labels on some of the food sitting on your pantry shelves, cabinets and in your refrigerator. Look beyond the obvious bag of cookies or can of soda, and check out the salad dressing, ketchup, peanut butter, yogurt, crackers, lunch meat, pickles, non dairy milk, creamer, cereal, bread, even gum, just to name a few. There is sugar everywhere (even in your medicines) and under many names besides the spelling, S-U-G-A-R.

To help bring awareness to how much sugar may be lurking in your food, here is just some of the other names that sugar can be found on your ingredients labels:

*high fructose corn syrup

*sucrose,

*glucose

*fructose

*lactose

*maltose

*dextrose

*honey

*corn syrup

*invert sugar

*invert sugar syrup

*molasses

*brown sugar

*evaporated cane juice

*dehydrated fruit juice

*corn sweetener

*fruit juice concentrate

*malt syrup

*raw sugar

*turbinado sugar

*sorghum syrup

*refiner's syrup

*beet syrup

*glucose syrup

*barbado's sugar

*muscovado sugar

*beet sugar

*carob syrup

*table sugar

*malt

*buttered sugar

*maple syrup

*rice syrup

*agave nectar or syrup

*powdered sugar

*corn syrup solids

*organic raw sugar

*golden sugar

*date sugar

*castor sugar

*golden sugar

*raisin sugar

*d-mannose

*sorbose

*galactose

*xylitol

*sorbitol

Don't let this list leave you discouraged, it's about bring awareness to the food we eat. So the next time you go to the grocery store try these 3 tips to help you start to cut down on some of the sugar consumed without even knowing it.

One

Read the label on that product your about to put in your cart to feed yourself and your family. Look to see if there is a another product comparable in price, that has less sugar with a similar serving size. 

Example -  if the product label reads 8 gram of sugar for 1/2 cup serving size

look for:

                  4 gram of sugar for 1/2 cup serving size

* or look for a label that may read " no sugar added" 

Two

When making a recipe that calls for sugar put less of the sugar then it requires. I do this all the time and I have rarely ever noticed a difference. And general speaking it doesn't usual effect the texture of consistency of the recipe.

Three

Start doing half and half with your food or drink.

Example - mix 1 pack of instant oatmeal (with 12 gram sugar) with 1 no sugar pack of instant oatmeal.

or

                 mix a bowl of yogurt (with 19 gram sugar) with a bowl of no or low sugar yogurt.

You will find over time that your palette will adjust to the taste of less sugar and you will wonder how you even use to eat so much.

You can follow me on https://www.facebook.com/WholeFoodLiving

and visit http://wholefood-living.com/index.html to see how I can help you on your way to a healthier you!

Tuesday "Try"... Parsnips

"Parsnip"

The parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) is a root vegetable closely related to the carrot. It is a biennial plant usually grown as an annual. Its long tuberous root has cream-colored skin and flesh and can be left in the ground when mature as it becomes sweeter in flavor after winter frosts. In its first growing season, the plant has a rosette of pinnate, mid-green leaves. If unharvested, it produces its flowering stem, topped by an umbel of small yellow flowers, in its second growing season. By this time the stem is woody and the tuber inedible. The seeds are pale brown, flat and winged.

On this Tuesday "Try" I decided on another in season vegetable that I'd never eaten before. It was easy to find in my local grocery store, and it was available in big and smaller sizes. I had one of each and I found the smaller one softer to work with then the larger one. The description said it was closely related to a carrot and I thought it looked and did taste similar to a carrot. The taste was not over powering and it complimented the sweet potato. I found a recipe that mixed parsnips and sweet potatoes http://glutenfreegirl.com/2011/01/sweet-potato-latkes-gluten-free/.

First I peeled the parsnips and sweet potatoes.

Then I grated them and soaked them for 10 minutes in water to release the starch.

After I drained all the water out, I put the shredded parsnips and sweet potatoes in a towel to get out as much of the excess water as I could. Then I added, thyme, plain coconut yogurt, salt and pepper, shallot, and potato starch. Then I mixed a little earth balance and olive oil in the pan and made small patties.

Now that I've tried parsnips I certainly will be using them again in my recipes. I've even found my next idea ~ baked parsnip fries http://www.delightedmomma.com/2012/01/baked-parsnip-fries.html

Tuesday "Try" ~ Miracle Noodles...

Another Tuesday means another day to search for something to "try." Today as I was wandering the aisles of the grocery store I came across these noodles. I was first taken with the name, "Miracle Noodles" and who couldn't use a miracle! Then there was the lure of words like, guilt free, gluten free, soy free, low in calories and the back of the package stated that "these noodles were made from plants that were not genetically engineered." Okay that was enough words for me to want to give it a "try." 

(There was a plain noodle available - not spinach flavored)

The directions said: Drain the water out of the package and rinse the noodles in cool water for 10-15 seconds. Blanch in boiling water for about a minute. Place on a paper towel to dry and then add to your favorite dish. 

When I first opened the package to drain it, it had a slight fishy smell, which I think came from the spinach powder. I was a bit skeptical, but wanted to finish the process before I gave a final review. And I have to say, first impressions are not always what they seem. So next time you have that experience, get to the final result and see if it doesn't surprise you, as it did me.

So my idea of a favorite dish when it comes to noodles is to make something cheesy! I melted a tablespoon of earth balance butter, added a couple tablespoons of almond milk, a sprinkle of garlic powder and onion powder, with some non dairy cheese and made a cheese sauce. And keeping with the theme of spinach, I decided to steam fresh organic spinach to mix in. The texture of the noodles seemed a bit lighter then your average pasta, which I liked. Over all - It was Yummy!

There were a couple of interesting words in the ingredients that I will investigate on my facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/WholeFoodLiving , so visit tomorrow on Wednesday "word" and find out what is in the "Miracle Noodles."

And as always, visit  me at  http://wholefood-living.com/index.html to see how I can help you on your way to a healthier you!

See No Evil~Hear No Evil~Speak No Evil~ TASTE NO EVIL...

YES... this beautiful juicy red strawberry you see, is more then meets the eye. It is on the list of the Dirty dozen http://www.ewg.org/foodnews  and just because you can't SEE the pesticides, or you haven't HEAR about it, or there hasn't been people SPEAKing out about it in your community, doesn't mean what your TASTing isn't one of the highest pesticide sprayed fruits and vegetables in your grocery store or even at your local farmers market.  

I use this as an illustration to bring awareness to "eating more consciously." Just because there is not a label around what your eating, doesn't mean you assume you know what is in your food. 

We have to become advocates for our own health and those of our children. Ask questions and ask until you get a reliable answer that you feel comfortable with. Research and "google" your concerns. It can be overwhelming, but take small bites ~ like that strawberry you are getting ready to put in your fruit salad: Find out where it came from ( how far it traveled to get to the store), how was it grow (organic, sprayed), is it in season, is it GMO http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/what-is-gmo.

When we are informed we can then make better choices about what we choose to eat. It's not about perfection, it's about progress, awareness and food investment ~ self investment http://whole-food-living.blogspot.com/2013/06/food-investment-self-investment.html.

With awareness comes change ~ one food at a time, one meal at a time. We can do this!

Here are a few resources to help make the research for those strawberries a little easier:

http://www.localharvest.org

http://www.ncstrawberry.com

http://www.pickyourown.org/NCpiedmont.htm

I'm daughters idea for strawberries:
Hollowed them out and put peanut butter inside!

~ Ready to Make a Change : contact me at http://wholefood-living.com/index.html