Balance of Food

Keeping the spirit of chocolate alive

Not to pull out stereotypes, but women seem to flock to chocolate. Unfortunately, "chocolate" can mean just about anything.

The closer to actual chocolate, to me, the better it tastes. It also happens to be healthier for you.

However, anything with "chocolate" on it, such as this product, qualifies in many people's heads as "chocolate."

The makers of chocolate want to change the rules to significantly decrease the quality and health of chocolate to make more money, as this article points out. I personally think it's more corporate greed than politics, but this proposal does attack our values.

I recently got a sample of Canadian-based candy from Miss You Canada, a Web site that allows ex-pats to get products from home. The difference in taste is significant. Canada does not use high-fructose corn syrup, and Canadian products generally are less sweet (but every bit better) than U.S. products.

There would be less guilt over eating chocolate if people just ate quality products. Substituting vegetable oil for cocoa butter is dangerous because if that becomes the standard for the product, the value of chocolate decreases forever. And trust me, no other country in the world other than the U.S. would even consider such a proposal; no other country would denigrate a great product such as chocolate.

Greed is not enough to change this dynamic. And shame on those who try.

Overcoming exercise obstacles 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 overcoming exercise obstacles that I wrote that appeared in the Green Bay Press Gazette.

Enjoy!!

The effect of advertising on food consumption

Everything seems to be to blame for kids and obesity. There are a number of significant factors, but whether advertising is one of them is rather vague.

As this article notes, children receive a lot of messages, and even remember some of them. Morgan Spurlock's experiment in Super Size Me, similar to the one used in the intro to the article, noted that people were more likely to remember the Big Mac theme than the Pledge of Allegiance.

That looks good in a movie, but what does it mean? How often do adults recite the Pledge of Allegiance?

I write about nutrition and food and I used to write about advertising and marketing. If you talk to advertisers, they worry their message isn't getting out there enough (even McDonald's). Yet these experts freak out if children hear a message once.

Unless children are driving themselves to McDonald's or any other fast food restaurant, someone has to take responsibility. If we drew a pie chart over the number of times I wanted to go to McDonald's versus the number of times I went, the slice would be rather small.

Plenty of children are exposed to those ads who go on to eat healthy diets. Advertising is messages, and messages are suggestions. They aren't requirements.

Difficulty in finding healthy restaurant food

Could you pick the healthiest item among four choices of restaurant fare?

The first question in the poll commissioned by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy: Which Denny's dish was lowest in calories: a ham and cheddar omelet, country fried steak and eggs, three slices of French toast with syrup and margarine, or three pancakes with syrup and margarine.

The answer? Country fried steak and eggs.

I might have guessed the omelet.

This article sums up the poll. This is why we need to be more careful when we eat out. Hidden calories are out there.

A review of the Dodger Stadium AYCE pavilion

There are certain foods that fit in well at the ballpark: hot dogs, nachos, and a lot more. There's also something about wanting to eat a lot of those foods while at the ballpark.

Unfortunately, finances can get in the way of your gastronomic quest. Now, there is a solution.

This review in Slate magazine goes into more detail what we first reported here.

The food is available 90 minutes before game time, and the stands close up two hours after the first pitch, so that only gives you 3½ hours to consume what you want.

I love the "nacho dog" critique in Neal Pollack's piece. So was the experience worth the price? Read and find out.

Food observations from cable previews

True you shouldn't get everything about food from TV, but with free baseball and hockey previews combined with an HBO channels preview, there were many more opportunities.

-- From Bill Maher's program, talking about McDonald's new Angus Third-pounders "Don't worry about your kids getting fatter. It won't work; they're American kids. They don't know a ⅓ is bigger than a ¼."

We are talking a difference of 1.3 ounces, but it's funny because people probably don't realize a ⅓ is bigger than a ¼.

-- Tim Hortons is a popular donut shoppe in Canada. The Stan Mikitas donut shoppe in "Wayne's World" was inspired by Tim Hortons. The chain has a new donut, the Triple Chocolate Donut: chocolate filled, chocolate frosted, and drizzled chocolate on top. Alas, the Web site notes that The Triple Chocolate Donut (see above) is currently only available in Canada. But if you're near Detroit, there are tons of locations in Windsor.

Canadians and donuts — a lovely combination. I know the third chocolate is right next to the second chocolate, but I figure if the donut itself was chocolate, then you could have a quadruple chocolate donut. Imagine a chocolate donut filled with chocolate topped with chocolate frosting and drizzled with more chocolate.

I'm planning a road trip to Windsor. If I get there, I will try one for you. The things I do for my readers.

The anti fried food TV commercial

I don't think SoBe Life Water is a product I would buy, but I do love its new commercial.

A young woman is in a lunch room as the elderly lunch lady behind the counter is reciting the list of what is available. "We've got fried eggs, fried cheese, fried bean, fried potatoes, fried bacon, fried butter." We see pictures of the fried potatoes and onion rings.

My mouth is salivating, but the young woman in the ad opts to jump into a bottle of this Life Water. Here's the commercial.

Yes, fried food is bad for you and maybe this water will help. But it was fun listening to the choices. Fried butter? Can't imagine, but it still sounds good.

Menu planning 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 menu planning that I wrote that appeared in the Missoulian (Montana).

Enjoy!!

Seasonal alternative to HFCS Coca-Cola

As this nice story in the Chicago Sun-Times points out, this is the time of year in certain areas, you can access what Coca-Cola tasted like before the evil HFCS era.

"Kosher for Passover" is the phrase that pays, and you don't have to be Jewish to appreciate what this means. Essentially, no corn products can be involved if it's Kosher for Passover. I love this part of the story, talking about its popularity among non-Jews:

In fact, the East Coast-based "Kosher Today" warned the faithful to stock because non Jews have been "hoarding it."

Hopefully, it's available in your area. An alternative is Coca-Cola brought in from Mexico and Central American countries, also made from sugar and not high-fructose corn syrup.

Opening Day food

Once again, it's time for another food holiday. I know I've criticized the use of food on a holiday, and many wouldn't consider Opening Day of the baseball season to be a holiday.

The difference is that most people use the excuse of a holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas) to eat as much as humanly possible. On Opening Day, I still eat a reasonable amount of food, but I indulge in specific items.

Hamburgers or hot dogs, not a rarity for me, are on the menu. The "extra" is a nice can of Coca-Cola, Kosher for Passover (no HFCS). The other extra is when the Reds win, which they did this year 5-1.