Double Delicious (3 page)
Joy
Joy is our VERY stringent recipe vetter. She makes sure I stick to ingredients that are low in fat and sodium and that are nutritionally dense as well. Not every recipe passed muster with Joy, because in my reality, sometimes perfect nutrition must be passed over for superquick and efficient. But for the most part, everything in this book will keep you on track, if you do your part by keeping your portions in check.
AN AISLE-BY-AISLE GUIDE TO YOUR GROCERY STORE
I
t all starts with smart shopping. Without the right ingredients in the house, it’s hard to eat well. Unfortunately, choosing the right ingredients and products is not that simple—if it were, wouldn’t we all be healthy and fit?
Instead, when faced with hundreds of products on the supermarket shelves—many outright unhealthy and some masquerading as healthy—smart shopping becomes almost like a search-and-rescue mission. To make healthy, nutritious choices, we, the weary and often child-toting shopper, must not be distracted or misled, and must focus on separating the good from the bad. We need to stay alert and think like a food scientist.
Alas, thinking like a scientist doesn’t come naturally to many of us, certainly not to me, so I turned to my friend Lisa Sasson, a nutritionist in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, to help me develop some guidelines for selecting more nutritious foods—in nearly every part of the store—aisle by aisle. It has become my personal road map to the grocery store and has made shopping faster, easier, and healthier. I hope you’ll find it helpful, too.
Very Important!
The food label that appears on everything from bottled water to breakfast cereal reveals more about what you’re buying than any of the more prominent claims on the front of the package. Use it to compare products, discover what they truly contain, and check for allergens so you can make healthier choices.
- 1. Serving size.
Calories and nutrients on the label are listed
per serving
. But serving sizes are usually smaller than you think. Very often you’ll consume more than one serving, so increase the nutrients and calories proportionately. - 2. Look for a low (5% or less) Percent Daily Values for fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.
Most of us eat too much of these things. Diets high in these nutrients can increase your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. - 3. Trans fat.
You may also see the term “partially hydrogenated fat.” This type of fat is said to do the most damage to our arteries. It’s found in cakes, cookies, fried foods, salad dressings, snack foods, and stick margarines. Look for products that are “trans-fat-free.” - 4. Look for a high (20% or more) Percent Daily Values for dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron (especially for children, teens, and postmenopausal women).
Eating adequate amounts of these nutrients can improve your health and may reduce your risk of certain chronic diseases. No one food has a high Percent Daily Values for every nutrient, so a varied diet is essential. - 5. Sugars.
There is no recommendation for the amount of sugar to eat per day. Sugars on the label include naturally occurring ones (those found in fruits and milk) and added sugars such as corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, molasses, maltose, dextrose, sucrose, brown sugar, invert sugar, raw sugar, turbinado, honey, and maple syrup. It’s not good to consume too much added sugar, regardless of the source. - 6. Recommended daily intake numbers.
Nutrients that have upper limits, such as fat, cholesterol, and sodium, are listed first. The lower limit of other nutrients, such as fiber, are listed next, meaning we should eat
at least
this amount per day. Bear in mind these figures are based on a 2,000-calorie and 2,500-calorie diet, which covers most adult females and males, respectively. Our individual calorie requirements differ greatly depending on many factors—principally age, activity level, and gender. - 7. Ingredients are listed by weight, from highest to lowest.
BOTTOM LINE
I try to stay away from products with a long list of ingredients, especially those with lots of added sugars, high sodium, or trans fats.
Fruits & Vegetables
It’s safe to say we all need to eat more vegetables and fruits: They’re an essential part of a good diet. We also need to eat a variety of them to make sure we get the full benefits nutritionally. Fortunately, nature has done its own labeling: The different colors of fruits and vegetables actually indicate the presence of different nutrients. So, simply combining as many colors as possible in your basket ensures a good mix.
Besides mixing colors, go for in-season produce, ideally locally grown. Not only does it taste better but it’s likely to be fresher and have more nutrients. Strawberries or corn may look enticing in midwinter but after the long transport and storage, the nutrients and flavors will probably have diminished significantly.
Out of season, consider frozen produce, which can have even more nutrients than fresh, because they’ve been flash frozen at their peak. And of course, frozen fruits and vegetables need less preparation in the kitchen—purees take half the time!
Canned pumpkin, sweet potato, and tomato products are also good options out of season. With any frozen or canned food, look at the label and avoid those with added salt, sugars, or fats.
What I Buy…
Vegetables:
Buy whatever is in season and looks fresh. Broccoli, bell peppers (all colors), okra, carrots, tomatoes, squash, and dark, leafy greens such as spinach or collard greens are among the most nutritious choices.
Fruits:
Again, choose whatever is in season and fresh. Top choices nutritionally include: blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, oranges, bananas, watermelon, apples, melon, pink grapefruit, pomegranate, grapes, cherries, kiwi, and mangoes.
Fresh herbs:
Herbs, like basil, mint, rosemary, and sage, contribute added aroma and flavors that can reduce the amount of salt we use. They can also be a good source of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (substances found naturally in plant foods that promote health and reduce the risk of disease).
Dried fruits:
I like to use dried fruits, like raisins, apricots, and prunes, to add natural sweetness to foods or to eat as a
snack on the run. They’re good sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. But because they’re so concentrated, watch portion size, as calories can quickly add up.
Make sure dried fruit does not have added sugars or oils—check the label! Also, be aware that the concentrated natural sugars in dried fruit can contribute to tooth decay. A quick rinse with water, a tooth-brushing, or even chewing sugarless gum cuts down on risk of decay.
Dairy
Dairy products are rich in calcium, protein, and vitamins. Not surprisingly, fat is the problem here. The good news is that skim milk or 1% low-fat milk provide all the same nutrition with little or no fat. So, go for low-fat options in this aisle and watch out for products that say they’re low-fat but have long ingredients lists, like some yogurts, creamers, and whipped toppings. For sour cream and frozen yogurt, where a little fat may be necessary for flavor and texture, reduced fat can be a tastier option than low-fat or non-fat.
What I Buy…
Milk:
Most health authorities agree that children under 2 years should drink whole milk, but for everyone else, low-fat (1%) or non-fat (skim) milk is a much better alternative. In case you’re wondering, there is a big difference between 1%, 2%, and full-fat milk: 1% milk has less than half the fat of 2% (and a quarter that of whole milk)!
If you are getting away from dairy-based milk altogether, try unsweetened soy or rice milk (with calcium and vitamin D added). They taste better than you might think!
Low-fat sour cream:
Low-fat sour cream contains half the fat of regular, and I’ll bet you can’t tell the difference when it’s used on a potato or in a dip.
Low-fat Greek yogurt:
Yogurt should have only a couple of ingredients and little or no added sugars and no artificial sweeteners. I prefer Greek yogurt because even the low-fat or fat-free varieties are creamier than most regular yogurts and they contain up to 50% more protein.
Look for yogurts with live, active cultures, which may aid digestion.
Trans-fat-free soft tub margarine:
Soft (tub) or liquid margarines have less hydrogenated fat than stick and about a quarter of the saturated fat of most butters.
A little butter every so often is fine. What I don’t use, I wrap well and freeze to preserve freshness as long as possible. The most important thing is to use it sparingly.
