5 second rule

Is Your Body Craving Antioxidants? You Need Soda.

Stuff like this used to make me mad.  I'd see it and think, how on earth can a company get approval to slap "antioxidant" on a soda simply by injecting it with vitamin E?  Isn't there some law, or international treaty, banning this type of thing?  And then I realized, maybe I'm wrong.  Maybe the problem's with ME.  After all, I do know basic logic.  It's easy, and super, SUPER fun.

Watch and learn:

If antioxidants like vitamin E are good for me AND Diet Cherry 7-Up has vitamin E, THEN Diet Cherry 7-Up is good for me.

Also:

If Diet Cherry 7-Up is red AND cherries are red, THEN Diet Cherry 7-Up has cherries.

Also:

If roast beef is red AND Diet Cherry 7-Up is red, THEN Diet Cherry 7-Up has roast beef.

Also:

If Jergens Replenishing Vitamin E Lotion has vitamin E AND Diet Cherry 7-Up has vitamin E, THEN Diet Cherry 7-Up has Jergens Replenishing Vitamin E Lotion.

It's all starting to make sense now.  Let's play more.

If Diet Cherry 7-Up has a picture of a cherry on it AND I chalk a picture of a cherry on my driveway, THEN I can drink my driveway.

Also:

If cherries grow on trees AND Diet Cherry 7-Up has cherries, THEN Diet Cherry 7-Up grows on trees.

And finally:

If antioxidants may help prevent cancer AND Diet Cherry 7-Up has antioxidants, THEN Diet Cherry 7-Up may help prevent cancer.

And this last conclusion, of course, is the one we were being led to all along.

GummiBears!

Yummy!  Sugar-free gummi bears... with Splenda!

With laxative warnings on the front AND the back of the tiny package!

Plus more fiber than several cups of brown rice! 

Also, there's tasty carnauba wax!  Thank goodness, because Wikipedia calls it the queen of waxes!  It's the main ingredient in surfboard wax!  And it's in car wax and shoe polish, too!  And make-up!

Let's snack!

Tuna

I was withholding.

Tuna.  I was withholding tuna.  And it pissed me off.

Pissed me off because tuna is an affordable, versatile convenience food that's got much to recommend it. But the mercury thing, which is not especially breaking news, had gotten to the point where every time I slapped some tuna on a roll  I felt like I was serving the sandwich with a side of broken thermometer. 

So I pretty much stopped buying it.

Enter my friend and colleague Molly Watson.  Molly mentioned she'd ordered some low-mercury tuna from a Seattle company called Fishing Vessel St. Jude, and though the name doesn't roll off the tongue quite like Bumblebee or Chicken of the Sea, I took note.  Not because I was suddenly eager to start mail-ordering specialty fish products -- I'd rather spin my own wool -- but because it offered me a choice.  Choice A: no tuna.  Choice B: mail-order tuna with less mercury.

We went with B, and so far this new relationship is working out. Yes, it's more expensive, but it's also delicious.  Plus, tuna is an indulgence rather than a staple.  AND, I've turned my friend Lisa onto it, too, so the next time we order in bulk, we're going to split the shipping.  To read about St. Jude's mercury testing procedures, click here. 

Here are some other things to keep in mind:

1) You get what you pay for.  If your tuna is cheap, there may be a reason.  Be careful, read labels closely, and try to determine where the fish was caught and by which method.  Seafood Watch says that troll- and pole-and-line-caught Pacific tuna is a "best choice" from an environmental point of view.  These methods also tend to catch smaller, younger tuna, which is good news for your health.

2) Variety makes a difference.  The Environmental Defense Fund says that canned light tuna, which is mostly skipjack, is smaller and therefore contains fewer contaminants than albacore, or "white" tuna.  Albacore tends to be much larger, so mercury content is often greater.  But companies like St. Jude, and several others, claim that they select only "young albacore" as "young fish typically have low levels of mercury."  Do your research -- there are multiple brands that make the low-mercury claim.

3) Go easy.  This chart from the EDF indicates that pregnant women and young children, in particular, may want to be especially vigilant about mercury, and that adults and older children should monitor their consumption as well.  Of course, as with all food choices, you'll have to do your own risk-benefit analysis.  Tuna is high in beneficial omega-3s, so consider whether the added benefit to your heart and brain counteracts the potential hazards from the low levels of mercury.  I've decided, for my own family, that it does, within reason.

Finally, as I've mentioned before, canned salmon makes an excellent, and safe, alternative to canned tuna.

Ahoy.

...

Recipe for Tuna, Black Rice, and Arugula Salad

Choose low-mercury canned tuna (Google the phrase "low mercury tuna" for options) for this refreshing salad, which pairs black rice with peppery arugula and a quick lime vinaigrette.

Serves 2 for lunch or 4 as a side salad

3/4 cup black rice (I use this one)

1-3/4 cup water

1-1/2 cups arugula, packed

One 6-ounce can low-mercury tuna in olive oil, flaked and, if desired, drained*

Juice of 1 lime

(2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil)

Prepare the rice according to package directions or in a rice cooker.  Scoop out onto a rimmed sheet pan and allow to cool.

Arrange arugula leaves in a medium salad bowl.  Stir in cooled rice and flaked tuna.  Whisk the lime juice and oil in a small bowl and pour over salad.  Give a quick toss, and serve immediately.

*You're welcome to drain the tuna into a small bowl and whisk the oil from the can with the lime juice, obviating the need for extra oil.  Go with your personal preference.

printable pdf

Name-game

Had the sign at the farmers' market said "yellow prune," I would have walked right by.

But it didn't.  It said, "dried golden plum," and I spent $5 a pound.  Only when I got home did I realize I'd been swayed by the power of a name.

And who hasn't?  Let's consider some examples:

1.  Mini hamburgers have been around for years. (Hello, White Castle.)  But call them sliders and you can charge $8 a pop.

2.  Kids who wouldn't go near a "yogurt shake" will suck down a smoothie in 2 seconds flat.

3. Growing up in New York, I'd eat the occasional Clementine. But here in California, where they're called Cuties, people (and by people, I mean me) buy them by the crate.

4.  Mahi-mahi and dolphinfish.  Same exact fish, but who wants to even think about dolphins when eating a fish sandwich?  (Neither has anything to do with dolphins, which are mammals, but that's almost beside the point.) 

5.  How about rapeseed oil?  If you think you've never heard of it, think again.  It's canola.

6.  Which sounds tastier: a Chinese gooseberry, or a kiwi? 

I'm such a sucker for marketing.

Cocoa

With snow covering hillsides, blustery winds mussing ponytails, and fuzzy socks lining shoes, it's cocoa time.  Go ahead: take a look in your pantry.  If your cocoa's label includes unpronounceables, it may be time for a switch.

Land O Lakes Cocoa Classics Hot Cocoa Mix

Ingredients:  Sugar, nonfat dry milk, whey, coconut oil, cocoa (processed with alkali), corn syrup solids, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, dipotassium phosphate, cellulose gum, sodium caseinate (a milk derivative), mono and diglycerides, natural and artificial flavor, soy lecithin, silicon dioxide, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, polysorbate 60.

v.

Trader Joe's Sipping Chocolate

Ingredients: Cocoa powder, cane sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter.

Which would you rather drink?

Shrinkage

Oh my God, it's true.  Packages are getting smaller, and many of us aren't even noticing.

This article in the New York Times explains what's going on.  Remember those half-gallons of ice cream that so seductively perched in your grocer's freezer?  A relic, apparently.  Many top brands are now offering a quart and a half or a quart and three quarters rather than the standard 64 ounce (half gallon) size.  And you'd better believe there's no blaring seal affixed to the container screaming, "Now! With less ice cream!"

When I read the article, I only half believed it.  But walking through my local supermarket yesterday brought the reality home.  We're either paying more for the same quantity of food, or we're paying less for, well, less.  Which is better?

I'm a stickler for transparency.  The more knowledge, the better.  Not that I can fault Breyer's ($4.99/1.75 quarts) or Dreyer's ($4.99/1.5 quarts) for coming up with a clever solution to make the out-of-pocket price look more reasonable.  Like us, manufacturers are up a creek without a paddle, and it's our responsibility as consumers to look closely at the per unit price.  But I'd rather feel the sting of the sticker shock up front and deal with it rather than scratch my head, wondering if my ice cream is really more expensive or if I'm simply getting fewer scoops per carton. 

I've become that crazy lady in the market, emitting ever-more-audible "oh my gods" as I push my cart through the aisles.  At Trader Joe's, which doesn't seem to be playing this game (to my knowledge), 12 ounces of Organic Grade B maple syrup has been increasing steadily in price.  It's now $7.99/bottle.  But the bottle still holds 12 ounces, which I appreciate.  I've started buying less syrup, and will continue to do so until the price comes down.

I suppose people who only have, say, $50 to spend on groceries per week may feel like they're benefiting, in a roundabout way, from the smaller-packaging system.  They can still spend their $50 and continue to get the same variety of products as they did before, albeit fewer ounces' worth. 

But it's all a shell game, isn't it?

Dilemma

Knowledge is power, certainly, but knowledge can also stymie you at the fish counter at Whole Foods.  I used to feel really proud when I bought fish.  I'm fortifying my body with omega-3s!  I'm eating the good fats!  I'm introducing my kids to a healthier form of protein!

But with overfishing and polluted waters and fish farms and trying to eat more locally, I find myself anxious.  There are oodles of resources out there for those who want to take the time to educate themselves, and I've made use of some of them.  I really should put another Seafood Watch Guide in my wallet.  I had one until about a month ago, but then I cleaned out my wallet and must have tossed it.

Never, ever clean out your wallet.

When I bought the tuna, I should have thoroughly grilled the man at the fish counter.  Part of me figured, 'It's Whole Foods, so it has to be environmentally friendly, right?'  I mean, right?  It's Whole Foods!  But according to the well-reputed blog Chews Wise, Greenpeace gave all the supermarkets whose fish programs it analyzed a failing rating.  Even Whole Foods.

Here's what I found out about the tuna, after the fact: looks like it was either a) the best choice; b) a good choice; or c) something to avoid, depending on how (troll? pole? handline? longline?) and where (Atlantic? Hawaii? Worldwide?) it was caught. 

So I either got an A+, a B, or an F.

Oy.

I feel kind of bad saying this without knowing if I acted responsibly, but it still tasted really good.

...

Recipe for Grilled Ahi with Yellow Tomato and Avocado Relish

3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
3/4 to 1 pound wild ahi tuna steak ("searing grade") (about 1" thick)
coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 avocado, diced
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/2 large yellow heirloom tomato, diced
1-1/2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
1/2 teaspoon minced jalapeno, or more to taste, optional

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Massage 2 teaspoons of olive oil into tuna.  Season generously with salt and pepper.

When grill is very hot, lay tuna on well-oiled grates.  Sear for about 6 minutes over direct heat: 2 minutes on the first side, then 2 on the flip side, then 2 on the first side again to get cross-hatch grill marks, if this is important to you.  Watch the side of the fish very carefully.  It's done when you can still see a bright band of red along the center.  (Grill more or less according to your preferred degree of doneness, but 6 minutes still leaves a nice rare center.)

In a small bowl, mix together the avocado, lime juice, tomato, onion, and jalapeno, if using.  Sprinkle with coarse salt, additional pepper, and the remaining teaspoon of olive oil.

Slice tuna. Serve with relish.

printable pdf

Water

photo by darkpatator reprinted under a Creative Commons License

So there's a new water.  But this isn't just any water.  It's not Fiji water, which has been working hard to burnish its image.  It's not Smart water, which is "vapor-distilled" (huh?) and brimming with electrolytes.  It's not Evian natural spring water, the official sponsor of Top Chef.  It's not Poland Spring or Voss or Volvic or Vitamin Water or Aquafina, Arrowhead Mountain, or even Dasani.

It's O Water.

The label, as you'll see here, lets us know that it's unsweetened, AND, as if that weren't enough, that it's "ultra premium."

Ultra premium.  Let's think about that for a minute.  It's not premium water.  No, it's so much more.  It's ultra premium water. 

I guess those of us who've switched from bottled water back to tap are really missing out on something special. 

And is it me or does the phrase "ultra premium" actually make you think of gasoline?

On second thought, better make that a triple.

photo by colros, reprinted under a Creative Commons License

Legislation is rolling out across our vast land like a runaway donut, and it's bumping people in its path. If you live in New York or any one of a dozen major U.S. cities (including Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle), ordinances either have or will soon be passed that require fast food restaurants to post calorie counts next to every item on their menus.  So you may soon learn, for example, that a Starbucks blueberry muffin sports 410 calories and a Quiznos Large Tuna Melt has more than 1,350.

In response, there's been fussing both from obvious and less obvious corners.  On the one hand, the New York State Restaurant Association fought to strike down the ordinance, emphasizing the undue burden it would place on restaurants.  (As it is, only restaurants with more than 15 chains nationwide fall under the ordinance; the rest are exempt.) Others complain that the "nutrition police" have gone way too far this time, and that if they want to down a 530 calorie Peanut Butter Moo'd from Jamba Juice after working out, then, dammit, they should be allowed to.

As I see it, there are pluses and minuses to the issue.  On the plus side, transparency is always better than obscurity, whether you're talking warning labels on cigarettes, ratings on movies, or calories in a superburrito. People who want to take the information they're given and apply it to their decision-making matrices can do so, and those who choose to ignore it can do that, too. 

But it's a little more complicated.  Calories are but one measure of a food's health profile, and by listing calories to the exclusion of, say, fat grams, or calcium content, or even sodium, you're holding calories up as the end-all, be-all measure of a food's worth.  A diet soda has fewer calories than a cup of skim milk, but that doesn't make it the healthier choice.

Now I'm certainly not suggesting that we crowd menus with copious amounts of nutritional information.  That would be ludicrous, not to mention impractical.  But it is important to realize that the calorie isn't king.  It's but one player in a complex dietary chess game.