Patricia Chuey

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Garbage Food

August 15, 2016 By Patricia Chuey

Garbage Food

Immersed in the food and nutrition profession, I’m always surveying the landscape and trying to come up with simple yet impactful messaging to encourage eating well and feeling great about it.

I continue to promote taking an 80-20 approach to healthy eating. Perfection is never the goal or the requirement in achieving optimal health. Where being mindful of the source and quality of what we eat is important, being meticulously “clean” about eating in every choice is also not necessary. Washing our hands before we eat is actually the most important and proven effective “clean eating” measure we can take in preventing illness. Cook at home and you’ll also be well on your way to mastering clean eating!

You’ve heard me speak about how doing diet math and precisely tracking each morsel you eat by using the numbers on the Nutrition Facts section of food labels isn’t the answer either. Instead, reading the Ingredients List and noting what the food is actually made of is useful. Many of the very best foods out there, think fruits and vegetables, have no labels at all and minimal packaging. They don’t have to try to convince us they’re good for us with bold  misleading claims about what they don’t contain. I’ve also encouraged choosing mostly food that rots if left on the counter for too long since foods with an eternal shelf life don’t typically provide the natural nourishment we require.

To all of these guiding principles and in an ongoing effort to make all of this even easier, I’m adding this latest rule of thumb for choosing great food:

Decent food doesn’t generate excess garbage.

Garbage food promotes both garbage as waste/litter and garbage behaviour.

Sadly, I’m reminded of this every time I head out on one of my regular running routes. I run up a rural-ish road that takes me past a lush green sports field and along a path leading to spectacular ocean and mountain vistas. The scenery is pristine, fresh and energizing. I can’t imagine throwing a speck of litter onto this sacred ground and the beauty that’s all around.

I think, or at least hope, it’s the minority, but every time I head out on this route I see garbage at various points on the side of the road. I never see salad bowls, nut butter jars, fish bones, vitamin bottles or paper bags from wholegrain bread strewn along the route. What is always there is pop cans, potato chip bags, chocolate bar wrappers, slurpee cups or fast food shrapnel – all litter from what can be considered unhealthy food we should eat less than 20% of the time, if at all. Note: Real ‘rock stars’ don’t litter. There are also always cigarette butts on the ground. A serious fire hazard in this wooded part of the country, I’ve always wondered how our beautiful earth can possibly be considered someone’s ashtray??? Sober or not when doing it, I wonder if some people aren’t even conscious of the fact they’re littering? That seemed to be the case in a news clip I saw where a local reporter interviewed a young couple who denied littering mere moments after throwing their McWaste out their car window – an action that was captured on film.

Perhaps the worst food I’ve ever come across for lack of nutrition along with over-packaging is those gimmicks marketed as a kid’s lunch or snack pack. As I ran along on a gorgeous blue sky day and saw a couple of those on the ground, all I could think about was how garbage food leads to garbage behaviour. I had to write this post because I suspect many of my nature-loving friends have also made this observation at one point or another and been baffled by it. If I see a trash bin nearby, I pick up the trash to discard properly. I then wash my hands while shaking my head in wonder. Then I reflect on the walking group I can start someday for earth-conscious nature-loving retired folk who value fresh air, getting outside for walks in the company of friends and doing something to keep the neighbourhood beautiful.

I know I’m speaking to the converted, but continue to respect your body and the earth by eating wholesome, low garbage-generating food. Ingesting quality, nourishing food also leads to clearer thinking and most likely the kind of thoughts that would prevent throwing garbage out your car window or anywhere you feel instead of in a proper recycling or trash bin. Also encourage kids to eat for their health and the health of their planet.

Filed Under: ChueyOnThis Tagged With: bad food=bad habits, clean eating, garbage, litter, waste

20 Reasons to Shop the Core of the Store

February 17, 2016 By Patricia Chuey

Cheap Food

The “clean” eating trend currently upon us is good…and bad. Good in encouraging awareness of the quality of the ingredients in the food we eat. Very bad in leaving many people feeling guilty if they don’t eat perfectly wholesome, natural, organic, vegan or clean 100% of the time. For some, it’s creating a fear of food – particularly of items from the inner core of the grocery store. Even contributing to a serious eating disorder known as orthorexia. Recently, several absolutely lovely, smart, fit, educated, talented mothers raising kids have shared with me that they feel guilty buying anything that isn’t an organic vegetable or free-range protein. This is not a healthy situation.

For all sorts of reasons ranging from scientific evidence and world food sustainability to enjoyment and affordability, I stand my ground firmly when encouraging an 80-20 approach to food choices. I also continue to support the notion that the majority of what fills our shopping cart should come from the outer perimeter of the store – fresh fruit, vegetables, wholesome grains and baked goods, quality protein and milk products (vegetarian versions or not). Are there some real lousy foods in the aisles? Yes absolutely! But not all. There remain MANY excellent, affordable, wholesome options from what they call ‘centre of store’ in the grocery biz. You don’t need to feel like you have to wear a bag over your head and hide when venturing in there to choose foods for your family. These foods still come from farms. And food remains just one of the many spokes in the wheel of health that also includes being active, managing stress, good sleep, self-esteem, genetics and much more.

Twenty of the many items to continue including in your cart:

  1. Dried or canned pulses – aka legumes – such as lentils, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans and others. See lentils.ca for amazing recipe ideas.
  2. Canned wild salmon. And if you’re really seriously after omega-3 fatty acids, sardines and herring too!
  3. Canned tomatoes. Often more tasty than fresh in the winter months and still a great source of nutrients.
  4. Oatmeal.
  5. Whole grain cereals. Yes, you can find sugar-laden chocolate bars disguised as ‘breakfast’ in the cereal aisle, but you can also find fibre-rich, nutritious options. A quality cereal with milk also makes a great snack choice for growing kids. And honestly, those little 8-packs of mini cereal boxes are a mighty special, fun treat on a camping trip!
  6. Canned pumpkin (the pure stuff, not ‘pie filling’). A vitamin-rich, delicious ingredient when baking muffins, loaves and even pancakes.
  7. Dried prunes, cranberries and raisins (and other dried fruit). Great in baking and in a homemade trail mix. They’re super pantry items to keep on hand for a source of fruit when you run out of fresh or have just returned home from a vacation and haven’t had time to shop yet.
  8. Nuts and seeds. Tremendously important protein, fibre and nutrients.
  9. Soup stock. Homemade soups are one of the simplest, most affordable, delicious and nourishing meals you can make. Look for reduced-sodium and preservative-free options. Same if opting for a ready-to-eat soup.
  10. Coconut milk. No magical powers in my opinion, but a delicious natural ingredient to have on hand for cooking savoury dishes.
  11. Canned peaches, pears or other fruit. Especially in the dead of winter, adding canned fruit to a fresh fruit salad is a great way to make it more naturally colourful and tasty. For example, fresh bananas and kiwi with canned peaches or fresh apple and orange pieces with canned pears. Sugar-free applesauce is another nice option here.
  12. 100% real fruit juice. A great option for normal (or underweight) highly active kids. Also a helpful ingredient to have on hand for making real fruit smoothies or popsicles. For single serving use, avoid buying bottles or cans that are larger than a cup (250 mL or 8 ounces).
  13. Baking ingredients. Assuming you use them for baking rather than late-night snacking most nights, keep a supply on hand (flour, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, chocolate chips, etc). When the urge to whip up a batch of wholesome cookies or muffins hits you or the kids, especially in cold, icky weather, the supplies are available and you won’t opt of the healthy experience of baking because it’s too miserable to run out to the store.
  14. Coffee. Make it at home. Keep portions normal, not turbo-sized, and avoid sugary syrupy additions and expensive average-quality or over-sugared baked goods that can tempt even the most committed of us in the coffee shop lineup.
  15. Black tea, green tea and/or herbal tea. It’s tea season for sure, but also make your own iced teas come the hot weather.
  16. Pantry staples for cooking: vegetable oils (canola, olive, nut oils), vinegars, dried herbs and spices, honey, etc.
  17. Rice, pasta, quinoa, barley, millet…any whole grains you like.
  18. Popcorn kernels. Make popcorn at home for a fibre-rich snack.
  19. Fermented foods. They’re good for gut bacteria. Sauerkraut, real pickles and kimchi, for example.
  20. If you’re having a party, you may even want to pick up things like birthday candles or potato chips! Still no bag over your head required!

As to the instant ‘lunch’ and noodles pictured above, I don’t consider these particularly ‘good’ deals. Cheap prices but also cheap, low-nutrient food. I don’t really see any redeeming qualities in those little ‘lunch’ packages amidst their salt, fat, lack of fibre and plastic over-packaged-ness. A tiny bit of fun maybe??? A homemade version will always be better – and MORE fun. Ichiban-style noodles? Definitely not a whole, fibre-rich grain. I don’t recommend them as a ‘good staple’ like I overheard a couple telling their home-stay college student in the grocery store?!? That was in September back-to-school season when they were 19 cents a package. Seriously! Still, I won’t judge you if you eat them. Personally, I need to look after nourishing my own family. Professionally, as a responsible dietitian and member of the only regulated group of nutrition professionals in Canada, I want to keep being a trusted source you can consult for healthy and practical ideas and one that helps you feel calm and confident as you stroll through the store selecting foods to MAKE and ENJOY with your family.

PS – Not everyone will agree, but if the instant noodles are among the first foods that your young kids temporarily get practice with in ‘cooking’, the I.K. gained (kitchen intelligence) FAR outweighs drawbacks of the product. They’re ready quickly for impatient kid chefs. If the kids move on to add vegetables and protein to these noodle mixes, even better! When the noodles are replaced with whole grains in a fully homemade soup, mission accomplished!

Some food products have become like cosmetics. You pay extra for trendy, attractive packaging that makes you look cool in the check out line and might even connect you to the product emotionally. Many so-called ‘clean’ foods fall in this category. Stay smart and don’t be fooled by 3’s dressed up as 9’s, like the band Trooper would say. Example, many ‘energy’ bars.

Cheers!

Filed Under: ChueyOnThis Tagged With: canned goods, centre of store, cereal, clean eating, cook at home IK intelligence in the kitchen, grocery shopping, instant noodles, orthorexia, pantry staples

Patricia Chuey

It has been my life’s work to create peace of mind around food and health. What an absolute joy to connect with so many who have shared, done the work and now reap the benefits of an energized, healthy life!

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