Category Archives: Sound Nutrition

Is Healthy Food Really Too Expensive? 7 Ways to Save

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Healthy food is expensive. We’ve all heard that before. You may have read that on the Internet or heard it on NPR as outlets reported on a study in the journal Health Affairs.
is-healthy-food-too-expensive
Researchers from the University of Washington School of Public Health crunched some numbers to find out how much it would cost to eat according to the new federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They determined that meeting the government’s recommendation for potassium, a mineral that’s key to regulating blood pressure, would add $380 to the average person’s annual grocery bill.

They also found that the more saturated fat and added sugar a person consumes, the more food costs drop.

The issue isn’t that healthy food is too expensive but that our government’s current system of farm subsidies has made the price of unhealthy food artificially low. We spend less on food – not even 6% of our income – than the rest of the world.

Of course, all those cheap eats come at a very high price. What people save in the short term at the cash register when they load up on fatty, sugary, salty processed food they pay in the long term with their health. A recent large-scale study found that high-sodium/low-potassium diet – otherwise known as the standard American diet (SAD — really!) – significantly increases risk of death from all causes.

Is there any higher price than that?

But how much does healthy food cost, really? A USDA study earlier this year found it costs $2-$2.50 a day, on average, for the recommended daily 4-5 cups of fruits and vegetables. But other USDA research has also found geography has a big impact on food prices. What’s cheap for me in Southern California may be pricey for you.

We talk about food costs all the time in NOURISH Evolution, and while we believe a nourishing diet is a smart investment, we don’t think it should break your budget. With that in mind, here are 6 ways to save on your groceries:

  1. Cook! Awhile back we asked our Facebook followers to share their strategies for saving money on groceries. The No. 1 tip? Buy whole foods and cook from scratch.
  2. Plan meals. Planning is the cornerstone of a healthy diet. Armed with an organized shopping list, you’re less likely to give into temptation for expensive “extras” at the store and you’re more likely to use up everything you buy. (Need some help planning weeknight meals? Check out our Nourish Weekly Menus service.)
  3. Eat in season. It’s a bargain compared to out-of-season fare. It tastes better, too.
  4. Shop smart for organics. Don’t always want to pay extra for organic produce? Choose organic versions of the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen (fruits and vegetables most likely be contaminated with pesticides) and go for cheaper conventional versions of the Clean 15.
  5. Check out the bulk bins. You can save up to 60% on pantry staples – with much less packaging, which is nice for the planet.
  6. Pay cash. A recent study in the Journal of Consumer Research found people are much more likely to splurge on unhealthy treats when they pay with a credit or debit card than when they use cash. Lesson: Leave the plastic at home when you go grocery shopping.
  7. Minimize food waste. If you’re like the average American family, you throw away $2,275 a year in uneaten groceries tossed in the trash or the compost heap or sent down the garbage disposer. Remember, buy only what you need and use what you buy. This  pesto is an easy way to use up extra herbs – use any combo of herbs you have on hand.

 

Summer Confits

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This post may be a bit premature, since we’re all still in the early glow of summer’s offerings. But as the season wears on and you’ve had your 304th tomato salad and 172nd roasted pepper, odds are you’re going to be looking for other ways to use your summer veggies. Well I’ve got just the thing: a summery confit.

Officially, confit (pronounced con-FEE) is a specialty of Southwestern France where meat is cooked in its own fat for long hours at a low heat to render it succulent and silken—think duck confit and you’ll get the picture. Unofficially, confit is just about anything cooked slowly in a bit of fat and its own juices to give it a melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich depth of flavor, making it a great technique to use on summer veggies.

confit-vignette

There’s a magical give and take with a vegetable confit. Oil at a steady, low heat almost melts the vegetables and burnishes them with just the slightest hint of sweetness while they, in turn, impart their distinctive flavor back into the oil. Strain off that oil and you’ve got the makings for one tasty vinaigrette. Or scrape everything into a tight-sealing jar and store it in the fridge for up to a week.

Using Confits

Summer confits are extraordinarily versatile—somewhere between a condiment, a spread, a dip and a sauce—and the ultimate summer convenience food. Here are just a few ways to use them:

  • *  Mounded on grilled baguette slices for out-of-this-world crostini toppings
  • *  Tossed with pasta and a grating of pecorino for an easy, no-cook pasta sauce
  • *  Served in a bowl next to a basket of pita chips as an impromptu dip
  • *  Spooned onto a plate as a condiment for a cheese course
  • *  Spread on the bottom of a baguette as the base for a stellar sandwich
  • *  Mixed into beaten eggs for an easy frittata

Making Confits

Confits take a bit of time to cook because of the low-and-slow approach, but they scale easily so feel free to double or even triple the recipe. The basic method is the same for all confits, although you’ll have to adjust timing and measurements for each vegetable.

Step 1: Start with 2 cups thinly sliced vegetables (some, like onions and peppers, will hold their shape better than others, like zucchini and tomatoes, which will become almost the consistency of jam or marmalade). Feel free to add thinly sliced aromatics (garlic, shallot, onion or even ginger) and chopped herbs to the heap.

Step 2: Heat ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil over medium-low heat in a large sauté pan and swirl to coat the pan. Add vegetables (along with any aromatics or herbs) and a pinch of salt and pepper (add a pinch of sugar tooif it’s an especially bitter vegetable). Toss to coat. Cook, stirring every few minutes to ensure even cooking, for 25-75 minutes depending on the vegetable, until they’re meltingly soft and lightly gilded with caramelization.

Step 3: If you like, finish with a squeeze of lemon or a bit of citrus zest or fresh herbs.

Makes 1 to 1-1/2 cups

7 Things to Have in Your Summer Pantry

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Yes, we all know how important it is to have a well-stocked pantry. Those beans and grains and canned tomatoes come in quite handy during months when produce is bleak. But what about at the height of summer, when veggies are at their peak? I’d argue it’s just as important to keep your pantry strategically stocked, so you can turn those mounds of tomatoes and zucchini and eggplant (oh my!) into healthy summer meals at the drop of a hat.

summer-pantryHere are seven things I like to keep stocked in my pantry during summer:

  • Anchovies — Anchovies are amazing. They add a punch of savory umami–and good-for-you omega-3 fatty acids–to anything from tomato sauce (think pasta putanesca) to salad dressing (yep, hail, Caesar). I think their flavor pairs especially well with summery foods like zucchini, tomato and pepper. Salted anchovies have the best flavor, but can be hard to come by. I like to keep a jar of good-quality anchovies in my fridge; if you’re intimidated by whole anchovies, you could opt for a tube of anchovy paste instead.
  • White Beans — In summer, when we tend to eat lighter and focus more heavily on vegetables, a can of beans can make a main course. Toss them into a fresh garden salad, stir them into a summer stir-fry, or mix them in with your favorite vegetarian pasta. Besides adding a lovely “umph” and flavor to the dish, beans bring a healthy dose of filling fiber and protein.
  • Capers — It’s so funny. In winter, I think of capers as a quintessentially cold-weather addition, and in summer I think of them as belonging to that season. They go especially well with tomatoes, and I like them paired with squash too. They also bring a nice zing to grilled summer foods like firm white fish fillets, chicken or steak. I like them best whisked into oil with a copious amount of minced garlic and parsley.
  • Good Extra-Virgin Olive Oil — Around the stove, I reach for an average Joe bottle of extra-virgin olive oil. Those tend to be filtered, which means they stand up better to a bit of heat. But come summer, I want the cloudiest, most unctuous, tongue-tingling extra-virgin olive oil I can find because I’m drizzling it fresh over raw veggies. That cloudiness comes from impurities in the oil–little bits of olive paste that were left after the first pressing. That sediment is what makes the oil so incredibly flavorful (and so incredibly healthy … the antioxidants are what make your tongue tingle), but it’s also what burns when heated. So keep your high-quality extra-virgin olive oil away from the stove … and use it liberally during summer!
  • Whole Grain Pasta — I haven’t yet met a summer vegetable I couldn’t turn into ten or more variations of pasta. If you’ve got a garden, and you’ve got a box of whole grain pasta on the shelf, you’ve got dinner (bonus if you have these other items in your pantry too!).
  • Good Salt — Get yourself a perfectly-ripe heirloom tomato. Slice it into thin wedges. Get yourself a great bottle of extra virgin olive oil and drizzle a bit on top. Get yourself a box of Maldon Sea Salt (or another flakey sea salt) and sprinkle on a pinch. Take a bite. I rest my case.
  • White and Red Wine Vinegar — Yes, I am an advocate of having four or more types of vinegar in your pantry at any given time. But to me, summer is a time for the mellow flavors of white and red wine vinegar. A couple of lemon cucumbers from the garden sprinkled with white wine vinegar and sea salt is often my mid-afternoon snack. And red wine vinegar, to me, makes a lovely, flavorful foil for mixed greens laden with tomatoes and onion.

These are seven things I’m never without come summer. What are yours?

 

 

 

USDA Trades In Old Pyramid for a New Plate

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I suspect Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was overstating things a bit yesterday when unveiling the long-awaited icon to accompany the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

“It’s an important day for the entire country,” he declared, as he prepared to introduce the USDA’s new MyPlate. The icon replaces the old MyPyramid.

Well, important for dietitians, public health advocates and those interested in nutrition, maybe. I suspect more Americans were following Weinergate.

For the most part, MyPlate got a warm reception. First, it’s simple to understand. Anyone can glance at it and know half your plate should be fruits and vegetables, a quarter grains (mostly whole) and a quarter protein– with a small serving of dairy on the side. That’s a huge improvement over the old MyPyramid, which was widely criticized for being confusing and, basically, useless. That’s it here. Do you have any idea what those multicolored stripes mean? That’s OK, no one else did either.

Is it perfect? No, these things never are. As Adrienne Youdim, M.D., medical director of the Cedars-Sinai Weight Loss Clinic in Los Angeles noted, what you gain in simplicity you sacrifice in detail. Still, if people get the message on the proper proportions of fruits, veggies, grains and protein, that’s enough of a step in the right direction. In perfect world, she added, MyPlate would incorporate the message of physical activity, much like the stick figure did in the old pyramid.

Even Food Politics‘ Marion Nestle, who’s a tough critic of the USDA, is (mostly) satisfied with MyPlate. “My one quibble? Protein,” she notes in her blog. “Protein is a nutrient, not a food. Protein is not exactly lacking in American diets. The average American consumes twice the protein needed.  Grains and dairy, each with its own sector, are important sources of protein in American diets.”

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine PCRM raises another issue. While MyPlate emphasizes fruits and vegetables–and looks a lot (OK, almost exactly) like the PCRM’s own Power Plate–it’s at odds with current federal agricultural subsidies.

“The plate icon advises Americans to limit high-fat products like meat and cheese, but the federal government is subsidizing these very products with billions of tax dollars and giving almost no support to fruits and vegetables,” says PCRM staff nutritionist Kathryn Strong, M.S., R.D.

More than 60% of federal subsidies go toward promoting meat and dairy. Fruits and vegetables get less than 1%. So while the government is touting fruits and vegetables on half MyPlate, it’s doing little to fund promoting those foods.

Sure, if you visit the ChooseMyPlate.gov website, you can click around the plate to learn the different foods that make up the plate, and there are some improvements there. In “Proteins,” beans and peas, nuts and seeds, and seafood suggestions overwhelm those for meat and poultry. “Dairy” includes soy milk as an alternative (though as a bit of an afterthought), and “Grains” clearly favors whole grains over refined varieties.

But how many Americans are going to spend time trolling around ChooseMyPlate.gov, anyway? Harvey Hartman, of the market research firm Hartman Group, which does wonderful research on consumer behavior, has long maintained that plates, pyramids and other government-created public-education efforts are a waste of time.

“We were among the first to warn that the last refresh of the food pyramid in 2005 would prove unsuccessful and likely have no effect on obesity rates,” he notes. “We knew this because the pyramid was particularly confusing and people do not eat according to scientific principles. But more foundationally, because our research always shows that most people are not interested in this source of information, there is little reason to expect any correlated behavioral change.”

MyPlate is unlikely to fare any better.

“Once again, the powers-that-be refused to consider the historical evidence (i.e. that these things never work) and pursue more innovative approaches,” he says. “Rather than thrusting a plate upon us, why not remove all vending machines from schools? It’s always struck me as bizarre that we would let our children eat from machines.”

What’s your take on plates and pyramids? Do you care? In the meantime, try this Obscenely Good Eggplant-Ricotta Tartine. It’s healthy, delicious food on a plate. Your plate.

Romance and History in One Little Heirloom Bean

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It’s no surprise that we’re all about dried beans at NOURISH Evolution. They’re rich in fiber and protein, and a good source of iron, calcium, zinc and B vitamins. They’re cheap, too, offering plenty of nutrition for just pennies.

As far as I’m concerned, that’s just the nice bonus. The real appeal is the rich comfort of a plate of beans or other legumes — these Santa Maria-Style Beans wrapped in a warm tortilla for lunch, or a flavorful bowl of Red Lentil Dal with Caramelized Onions, Carrots and Peas over brown rice on a chilly night.

Heirloom beans–heritage breeds that are the legume equivalent of ancient grains–hold even more allure. When I spy packages of them in the store, I’m seduced by their gorgeous colors and patterns. Even their names evoke culinary romance. How can I resist splashy burgundy-swirled Anasazis (first cultivated by the Navajos) or the purple-and-ivory splotched Appaloosas (another Southwest favorite)? Or the dramatic black-and-white Calypso beans that evoke the yin/yang icon or the smaller version known as the Orca? This weekend, I was won over by shiny Eye of Goat beans, a Baja California native with subtle brown-on-brown swirls.

Given that we eat with eyes first, heirloom beans do a great job of selling themselves.

Heirloom beans can be used interchangeably with more common varieties. Just consider the bean’s size and characteristics. Their flavor ranges from mild and slightly sweet to full-bodied and earthy; their texture varies from creamy to firm.

Though you’re unlikely to find heirloom beans at the local supermarket, they’re still easy to find. Whole Foods carries several varieties (that’s where I spied my Eye of Goats), and I’ve even grabbed packages of golden Yellow Indian Woman beans at World Market. Your farmers’ market may offer some locally grown varieties. And, of course, there are many online sources, including Rancho Gordo, Zursun Beans and Purcell Mountain Farms. Yes, you’ll pay a good bit more for these babies than for more common varieties–about $5 a pound. But that’s still only about 40 cents a serving.

Really, isn’t that a bargain for so much history, romance and flavor?

Get Over the Guilt

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I came of age during the height of America’s low-fat craze; guilt is built into my circuitry. When I’d eat a virtuous meal of steamed veggies I’d end up feeling deprived, but if I dared add olive oil I’d be leveled by guilt. This deprivation-guilt cycle only intensified as I willed the numbers on the scale to drop; the more I obsessed over what was on my plate the more miserable I’d become until, finally, I’d fall off the see-saw and eat an excess of all the “bad” foods I’d been depriving myself of.

get over guiltBut I’ve learned it doesn’t have to be that way. And in My Nourish Mentor, others are learning it too. As one of them put it, “When I’m eating right, I don’t even want to eat the way I used to. I love that confidence and awareness in my eating.” Here’s how–and why–that happens. And it’s so simple it seems ridiculous. “Good foods” prepared in enticing ways can bring loads of pleasure and “bad foods”–if you’re talking foods like olive oil and chocolate anyway–really aren’t bad at all in reasonable portions.

For me, it was a combination of gaining a firm grasp of what certain foods were doing to my body–that olive oil helped regulate my cholesterol, for instance, and that refined starch sent my body through a tumultuous blood sugar spike without giving it anything to grow strong–and then deliberately taking my eye off the numbers and refocusing on enjoying what was on my plate.

Ironically, once I had that grounding embedded within me and stopped thinking so much, and instead just enjoyed myself, my weight actually dropped. Because what I wanted to eat had changed. And it’s not just me. The person I quoted above just mentioned this week that she’s lost 8 pounds, and another member 20, while on the program … and neither one have once felt deprived.

I’m not talking mindless binging, mind you. I’m talking about engaging with food as, well, food–not a conglomeration of nutrients and numbers and percentages that are destined to make us either miserable or fat or both. The bottom line is that our bodies know better than we think they do. And once we have a bit of a grounding in sound nutrition, we know better than we think we do.

So I challenge you to give yourself a break. See what it feels like to simply enjoy your meals. Notice how thinking about them as food instead of something sinful or healthy impacts what (and how much) you eat. Notice how it makes your body–and your mind–feel. And, sure, go ahead and check the scale. Now, that’s a mindful eating practice you’ll enjoy with every bite. I’ll bet you’ll be surprised by the results.

Ancient Grains Go Modern with Maria Speck

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I don’t know Maria Speck, other than exchanging a few friendly e-mails. But after diving into her gorgeous new book, Ancient Grains for Modern Meals (Ten Speed Press), I’ve got a big ole fangirl crush.

Here’s what I really love about the book: While Speck acknowledges the health benefits of whole grains, her primary goal is to make staples like millet and spelt so appealing that the reader can’t resist craving them. Who wouldn’t want to start the day with Walnut Spice Breakfast Cake?

“I was very lucky,” she writes. “Unlike many of us today, I was never introduced to whole grains as a health food. No one lectured me to add them to my diet.” Instead, Speck, who grew up in a Greek-German household where grains were always on the table, treats them as the ultimate comfort food.

“To me, whole grains carry luxurious qualities: lively textures, vivid colors and rich flavors.”

That passion comes through in every recipe and tip. You can’t help by be drawn to fare as tempting as Mediterranean Mussels with Farro and White Wine or Greek Millet Saganaki with Shrimp and Ouzo. (Sara Remington’s stunning photos add to the mouthwatering appeal of Speck’s wonderful prose and tempting recipes – that’s Remington’s handiwork, above left.)

While her Greek grandmother rose at the crack of dawn to cook for the family, Speck’s approach to cooking whole grains is in sync with hectic American schedules. Her handy reference cooking guides are divided by quick-cooking grains (those ready in less than 30 minutes) and slow-cooking grains, which may require overnight soaking and take up to an hour to cook.

She also offers plenty of helpful tips to make whole grains easier for busy cooks to prepare with strategies like putting a potful of grains on to soak before you leave for work (one our favorites!) and parboiling brown rice for quick weeknight suppers.

The book’s 100 recipes run a wide gamut of seasonality, and while Speck adores hearty, slow-cooking wheat berries and the like, she’s no whole grain snob. There’s room on her plate for instant brown rice, which turns up in Spring Pilaf with Artichokes and Green Peas. There are plenty of ideas for quick-cookers like bulgur, whole grain pastas and, my current favorite, whole wheat couscous (a curious anomaly, she notes, that’s neither a grain nor a pasta, but a sort of hybrid).

Such speedy options are balanced with recipes sure to appeal to more ambitious cooks. You can try your had at making Homemade Spelt Fettuccine, for example, or an intriguing Floating Sesame Bread, a yeast bread that calls for proofing the dough in a pot of cool water (can’t wait to try that one).

I suspect my now-pristine copy of Ancient Grains will soon be dog-eared and spattered with kitchen stains – sure signs of a well-loved cookbook.

“Indulgence” Fats in a Nourishing Diet

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I dislike labeling any food “good” or “bad,” but the terms do come in handy sometimes, especially when it comes to fats. Olive oil and avocados, which are full of monounsaturated fat, for instance. GOOD. The omega-3 fatty acids in salmon and flaxseeds. REALLY GOOD. Trans-fats. REALLY, REALLY BAD. But what about butter and bacon and cream? Are they all that bad?

That’s where I dispense with the “good” and “bad” labels and bring out a new one: Indulgence.

indulgence-healthy-fatsLet’s get one thing straight up-front. Our bodies need monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like those I mentioned above (olive oil, avocados, salmon, flaxseed, etc.). They play several essential roles like storing energy and regulating cell function, and also have a positive impact on blood lipid levels (they lower overall cholesterol and LDL while raising HDL). So these types of fats aren’t luxuries; they’re a necessary staple of a nourishing plate.

Saturated fat, on the other hand, is a luxury (and it raises LDL)—your body already makes all it needs. So there’s no need to look for ways to add saturated fat to your daily diet. But … saturated fats, which come primarily from meat and dairy, are the creamy, silky, buttery, melt-in your mouth fats that can pack a lot of pleasure into just a few calories, which can come in quite handy if your meals are heavy on veggies. Not every meal. Not every day. But every once in a while.

Which is why I call them “Indulgence Fats.” Here are a few ways to use them:

  • Butter – Butter is renowned for adding richness to a dish. Swirl in a tablespoon or so (off the heat) at the end of a sauté to give it body and depth. Or brown the butter slightly before sautéing your veggies, like we did with these Sauteed Radishes with Mint, for an even more complex flavor.
  • Cream – Cream brings a lush silkiness to foods. Whisk a tablespoon or two into a pasta sauce, like our Brussels Sprouts Carbonara, or dribble some into a pan sauce for a creamy texture.
  • Duck Fat – This may sound wacky, but duck fat is a terrific indulgence fat. Make our Revelationary Duck Confit, save the fat in a jar in the fridge and use it in place of oil to add ridiculous richness to things like mushrooms, onions and potatoes. One tablespoon (enough, quite frankly, to sauté mushrooms for four people) has just 4 grams of saturated fat, which is half the amount of butter.
  • Bacon – People tend to demonize bacon, which is too bad. One slice has just 40 calories and 1 gram of saturated fat, and it can add a LOT of flavor to a dish (it is high in sodium though, which is another thing entirely). Try these Clams with Bacon and Garlicky Spinach and you’ll see what I mean. I recommend chopping the raw bacon up and sautéing it with onion or garlic so the flavor permeates the ‘base’ of the dish. Then drain off all but a teaspoon or so of the fat and go on with your sauté.

Is this a green light to sit down and eat a package of bacon fried in butter for dinner tonight? Um, no. But you already know that. This is more about letting go of the paradigm that Indulgence Fats are “bad” and using them (occasionally) to enhance the wholesome foods you want to be eating more of.

Enjoy!

5 Smart Ways with Coconut

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As I observed recently, the Natural Products Expo West in March was filled with booths showcasing coconut in all its forms–everything from coconut water and coconut oil to coconut sugar and coconut ice cream. No question, this tropical fruit is enjoying its day in the culinary sun.
It also has some distinct nutritional advantages. “Coconut is a great antibiotic,” says NOURISH Evolution advisor Rebecca Katz in her book The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen (Celestial Arts). “Half of its saturated fat content comes from lauric acid, which the body converts into monlaurin, a powerful antibacterial and antiviral compound. Monolaurin is the absolute enemy of disease-causing germs, and may play a role in attacking cancer as well.”

Here are 5 forms of coconut, and how to use them:

Coconut Oil

Extracted from mature coconuts, coconut oil has a high smoke point so it can be used for high-temperature cooking. Choose unrefined coconut oil, which retains more of the beneficial fats than refined and has a rich, nutty flavor with hints of vanilla.

Use it: for sauteing, baking or anywhere you’d like to add a coconut-y note–like in our Creamy Millet with Blueberry Compote.

Canned Coconut Milk

You’ve probably used thick, creamy canned coconut milk to add rich texture to curries, like our Spring Vegetable Curry or Curried Mussels. It’s made from pressing fresh ripe coconut meat. Light coconut milk has about 60% fewer calories than the regular variety, and it’s still pretty rich.

Use it: In addition to curries, try coconut milk in baked goods, pancakes or anywhere you’d like to add a rich, nutty, tropical note. It’s also great for thickening sauces. Refrigerate leftover opened canned coconut milk for up to 3 days.

I also really like this tip from the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Companion: Don’t shake the can before opening. Instead, skim some of the thick cream that has risen to the top to use in place of oil to make a curry paste. Then stir the rest of the oil back into the milk to use in the sauce.

Coconut Milk Beverage

This is a relative newcomer on the market, and you’ll find it in the refrigerated section of many health-food stores with other nondairy milks like soy or almond milk. It’s made with regular coconut milk but has a thinner consistency so you can drink it by the glass. It has a subtle coconut flavor. It has 50 calories per cup, including 25% of your saturated fat needs for the day.

Use it: Drink it like milk, pour it over cereal, use in baked goods, puddings and the like.

Coconut Water

If you’re the athletic type, you’ll want to take a close look at coconut water as a natural alternative to sports drinks. It’s made from young, green coconuts (as opposed to the mature brown fruit used to make coconut milk). Coconut water has about one-third fewer calories than a sports drink yet it’s higher in potassium, magnesium, calcium and iron–all electrolytes that are key for hydration. It’s also a good choice for kids and pregnant or lactating women.

Use it: Opt for unsweetened coconut water, which you also can use in cooking as well as for sipping.

Coconut Sugar

Also known as palm sugar, coconut sugar is made from the sap of the coconut tree’s unopened flower bud stalks. Its texture is a bit sandier than granulated sugar with a subtle caramel-y flavor similar to brown sugar (but it doesn’t have brown sugar’s moistness or “pack”). You can find it in health food stores (where it’s sold in packages and, sometimes, the bulk bins) or in Asian and Latin markets. Double-check the label to be sure you’re picking up 100% coconut sugar–some variations from Asia are mixed with cane sugar.

Coconut sugar has a much lower glycemic index than granulated (or brown) sugar, which means it produces smaller fluctuations in blood sugar levels. It also has about one-third fewer calories per teaspoon.

Use it: Try it in place of either granulated or brown sugar in sweet and savory recipes.

Eat Some Eggs

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Eggs are one of those foods that got a very bad rap during the low-fat era, poor things. The yolk, especially, was banished from virtuous plates and in its stead appeared cartons of clear goo; essentially eggless eggs. Such a pity. As with many of the dietary mandates from that period, much of what we shunned eggs for–they’ll make us fat, they’ll clog our arteries–turned out to be a bunch of hooey.

egg-post

Here’s what is true. Eggs are an excellent source of protein and essential nutrients. And guess where all that good stuff is found? That’s right, the yolk. The part we’ve been leaving out. Eggs won’t make you fat either; one large egg has just 75 calories, about the same as a small apple.

But perhaps the biggest shame of having relegated eggs to the no-no list is that we’ve deprived ourselves of so much pleasure. I cite a freshly-laid egg fried in extra virgin olive oil as my first major food epiphany–yes, it was THAT good. Egg pasta made with super-fresh eggs is an absolute revelation; golden-hued with the texture of silk. And a yolk added to a dressing (think Caesar) or a pasta sauce (like carbonara) adds unparalleled lusciousness.

So when you’re dyeing your eggs this week leave a few for the plate as well . . . all the better if you can talk a friend or a farmer into sharing a few fresh ones with you!