Balance of Food

Caving into HFCS

I'm not proud of what I'm about to say, but in the realm of finding the balance of food, the truth is beyond essential.

As you may know, I have been striving to eliminate high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) from my diet. I drink no regular American-made soft drinks. I buy alternative ketchup.

My last hurdles were hamburger buns and hot dog buns. Virtually every single brand has HFCS.

I solved the hamburger buns issue by resorting to rolls from the grocery store bakery: they don't use HFCS.

Hot dog buns are a different problem. No small bakery can match the consistency and texture of hot dog buns. The one brand, Natural Harvest, I have tracked down that doesn't have HFCS, is hard to find in the stores. Even when I can find it, they don't last as well.

So I broke down and bought mainstream hot dog buns. I have tried really hard to be as good as possible. I have to hope the bit of HFCS I may be consuming won't do much damage.

Finding products w/o HFCS is getting a little easier. But if you are like me, or you are someone with a corn allergy, grocery store shopping is frustrating and exhausting. In the land of the free, it would be nice to have a decent choice, and not be forced to eat products that are not healthy for us.

Serving size story

Hi. Besides bringing you the wonderful world of Balance of Food, I also write for Content That Works, a newspaper syndicate.

Here is a story about serving sizes that I wrote that appeared in the Missoulian (Montana).

Enjoy!!

10 best and 10 worst foods

Here is a list of 10 best and 10 worst foods, sponsored by Think Quest, an international contest that asks students to work in teams to create an educational Web site.

Here are their picks for best and worst:

Top 10 Best Foods	Top 10 Worst Foods
Watermelon	French fries
Pine nuts	Hamburgers
Lean meat	Bacon
Raisin bran	Cheesecake
Coconut oil	Fried chicken
Wild rice	Hot dogs
Fat-free yogurt	Spareribs
Steamed chicken	Custard pie
Organic eggs	Campbell’s chicken soup
Sweet potatoes	Tacos and burritos

These picks are fun. You could be better off eating the best and avoiding the worst, but neither is a guarantee. It's fun to see what they came up with.

For another perspective, try this Chicago Tribune blog.

Saints and food

Whether you celebrate St. Patrick's Day (March 17) or St. Joseph's Day (March 19), they are celebrations of color and food.

St. Patrick's Day is known for green, corned beef, and cabbage. St. Joseph's Day is known for red, and spaghetti dinners, preferably at church.

Have a little fun, even if you aren't Catholic, Irish, or Italian. Good food transcends religion, ethnicity, and anything else.

Enjoy!!

What to put on French fries

In the United States, the consensus is ketchup. Or chili. Or cheese. Or black pepper.

Well, maybe there isn't a total consensus on what to put on French fries. Even as close as Canada, there are other options you may not have thought about.

Using vinegar on fries, especially malt vinegar but not sometimes regular vinegar. In some parts such as Ontario, mayonnaise is used. Then again, poutine is popular in Quebec.

Truthfully, lots of good things can go on fries and taste good. But in moderation.

How to reduce in a restaurant?

Should you share plates? Ask for a doggy bag when you order? Only order an appetizer?

These are the issues when you order in a restaurant. How to maintain the size of your meal when restaurants want to just give you food.

This comes up with news that T.G.I. Friday’s now has a Right Portion, Right Price section in its menu. Unlike appetizers, these are supposed to be smaller entreés.

Here at BalanceofFood.com, we are not endorsing this particular solution. Any of the 3 solutions listed here at the top would appear to be a better solution. But if you can't be disciplined, the Right Portion, Right Price might work for you.

FDA unveils voluntary food safety rules

I haven't written much about food safety. Food safety is really important, but I figured food producers (and hopefully the government) would be smart enough to realize food safety benefits all concerned.

Spinach and peanut butter lovers, among others, might disagree. Fans of tomatoes, lettuce, and cantaloupes might also have serious doubts. So would readers of "Fast Food Nation." And a growing number of Americans may not disagree, but are starting to be nervous.

So we get good news that the FDA has new food safety rules. The bad news is that nobody has to follow them.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), who heads a subcommittee on food and farm spending, said the FDA guidance "merely tells growers what they already know." So even the guidelines aren't significant.

What provoked fear is that we aren't talking about food that might be bad for you. This isn't about heart-attack burgers. Produce is what people are supposed to be eating to make themselves healthier.

To truly get food to be safer, the system needs to be overhauled with less emphasis on corporate farms. You don't want to get to the point where trust is lost.

BMI story

Hi. Besides bringing you the wonderful world of Balance of Food, I also write for Content That Works, a newspaper syndicate.

Here is a story about the Body Mass Index (BMI) that I wrote that appeared in the Ravalli Republic (Montana).

Enjoy!!

New 1/3 lb. burger at McD's!?

I could have written about which is the best diet. Atkins apparently beat out the others, but then again, I'm not a fan of any of them. Each person works differently; some plans will work for some and not for others.

I'd rather write about McD's getting into the premium burger realm. For right now, the ⅓ lb. Angus burger is only available in Southern California, but the experts seem to think it won't stay there too long.

There was a time when a Quarter Pounder was a huge burger, yes a long time ago. Most places have ½ lb. burgers as their regular staple. So a 1.33 oz. increase seems like a good idea. Ironically, 4 oz. is probably the ideal size for a serving portion, but in the United States, 4 oz. looks tiny. The regular hamburgers at McD's are 1⁄10 lb. and that used to be the standard.

The Angus is an improvement, but then again, Burger King jumped into the foray long ago. I like Angus beef, but I wonder how much of an improvement really goes into "fast food burgers."

Of course, if you pick the Atkins diet, you can enjoy that new ⅓ lb. Angus burger, just hold the bun.

Prince Charles, 'food expert,' wants McD's ban

"Have you got anywhere with McDonald's? Have you tried getting it banned? That's the key," Prince Charles was quoted as asking one of the center's nutritionists. This was on Prince Charles' visit to the United Arab Emirates.

I have had my issues with McDonald's over the years. But nobody outside Windsor Castle thinks banning McDonald's is the answer. I suppose it would be difficult to expect royalty to understand such concepts, though if the late Queen mother was still alive, she would knocked some sense into her grandson.

McDonald's, of course, rose to its defense. And perhaps, Charles was speaking metaphorically about all fast food.

The good news about Charles is that he is a significant fan of organic food and set up a farm in 1986 that does not use artificial pesticides or fertilizers.

The advice for Charles, and for anyone else in the royal family, is to talk positively about organic food, healthy food, and not make broad, non-viable statements.