Balance of Food

Bacon and chocolate??

Yes, there is a candy bar, a little expensive, but you can combine bacon and chocolate.

The candy bar from Vosges Chocolate offers applewood smoked bacon, Alder smoked salt, and deep milk chocolate.

We wonder if there was a collision between the two food giants as demonstrated in the Reeses peanut butter cups commercials of a long ago era.

As soon as I can come up with $7, I might give this a try. Then again, I could buy a pound of bacon and dip it in chocolate for about $7. Still, if someone offered it to me, I would eat some.

'Overfed and undernourished'

An excellent letter to the editor on the role government plays in our horrible diets. The letter to the Chicago Tribune is from Connie Diekman, president of the American Dietetic Association.

If you've read Michael Pollan's "Omnivore Dilemma," you have some understanding of a system that feeds corn to animals that can't normally digest corn. A system that is pro-corporation, anti-farmer, and ultimately, anti-consumer health.

As she points out, "Today most Americans are overfed and undernourished. And the nation's farm policies, which tilt the equation for farmers to produce more commodities for industrial users and processors rather than nutritious foods for people to eat, contribute to this lamentable situation."

The overfed and undernourished line is so obvious. Yes, food is cheap, but it costs us all in the end. And the food is cheap because corn products are subsidized. Notice that the price of milk is climbing due to the rise in the price of corn. This is about high-fructose corn syrup and so much more.

Dunkin' Donuts getting rid of trans fats

Dunkin' Donuts is following the train of fast food restaurants and calling for virtual elimination of trans fats. The chain has noted that its trans fat levels will fall below half a gram per serving.

The chain says its menu will be "zero grams trans fat" by Oct. 15 across its 5,400 U.S. restaurants in 34 states.

While difficult to imagine the doughnuts would ever be healthy, they technically will be healthier. So when you do get an occasional craving, it will be less bad for you.

Deep-fried Pepsi balls

State fairs don't always offer nutritional fare. In fact, they usually lower themselves to borderline disgusting levels.

The New York Times article has a lot of fun with the fare at the Indiana State Fair. But what is truly precious is this picture that went with the article.

We want to give full credit, not smaller type, to Darron Cummings/The Associated Press for this picture. It's that good.

Be sure and look carefully at the picture since it gives you the recipe for Deep-Fried Pepsi balls. As if you don't already have enough sugar and fat, you can get your Pepsi balls topped with cinnamon sugar, drizzled Pepsi syrup, and whipped cream.

I would prefer Deep-Fried Coke or Dr. Pepper, but only if I could get the syrup without high-fructose corn syrup.

McDonald's doing much better in NYC

Let's make it clear that as much as we bash McDonald's, we will praise them when they do well.

According to the CSPI, despite the fact that New York City banned trans fats, you are still getting some in your French fries. But in the CSPI test where it had independent laboratory analyze the samples, McDonald's did significantly better.

Burger King scored 3.3 grams of trans fat and Wendy's had 3.7 grams of trans fat, while McDonald's had 0.2 grams of trans fat. (Wendy's did have a significantly larger amount of fries.)

You are asking: "Gee, they banned trans fat. Why is it still there?" The likely answer is that partially hydrogenated oils are being used in the par-fry process, where French fries are pre-fried before they are shipped to the restaurants.

While technically fulfilling the law, Burger King and Wendy's are certainly violating the spirit of the law. And consumers are getting misled.

Kudos to McDonald's for doing it right in NYC. Now, do it everywhere else and we'll truly be happier.

So how much HFCS do you eat?

Those who have tuned into this blog knows I'm not crazy about high-fructose corn syrup. Whether you think it's horrible or wonderful (well, maybe not wonderful, but OK), you should at least know how much HFCS you eat.

If you regularly eat ketchup or regular U.S. soft drinks, you probably get healthy doses of HFCS. But virtually all hot dog buns have it.

I noticed a blueberry syrup at the breakfast bar at a Midwestern family restaurant over the weekend. The first 2 ingredients were high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup. Yes, the word "syrup" is in both, but the blueberry part was a bit further down.

So take the opportunity to read a few labels — look to see how much HFCS you eat, or at least, to see how many food items you eat that contains HFCS.

As much as I try to avoid it, I know I do consume some, but it's mostly ketchup in restaurants and most hot dog buns. I used to down tons of soft drinks, so I'm sure I have consumed multiple pounds. I don't honestly have an idea of how much. All I know is I feel better now that I have sharply reduced the amount. I would love to reduce it more, but that would require substantial changes.

Summer food item: Potato Lollipops

Summertime and fair time are great times to eat fun disgusting things.

Today's latest find comes from the Iowa State Fair: Potato Lollipops.

As the state fair admits, the lollipop "features four thick slices of Russet potato deep-fried and on-a-stick with a variety of dipping sauces."

It's good when you walking around to be able to have the food on a stick, especially with the dipping sauces to be held in the other hand.

The great thing about potatoes is that they are fun to eat covered in some other fat, fun flavor. For example, this Chicago chain features fries covered in melted bleu cheese, bacon, green onions, a cup of Alfredo sauce, and garnished with tomato. (What is that tomato doing there?)

The Iowa State Fair is also offering as a new entry this year, the X-Treme Fries – covered with chili, cheese, and topped off with jalapenos.

And this entry is a reminder that other countries have an unique view on what should go on fries.

Going from 11th to 42nd in life expectancy

As this article points out, the United States has dropped from 11th to 42nd place in the last 20 years in the world rankings on life expectancy.

This cartoon above from Andrew Wahl illustrates why, perhaps, this has happened. All he is missing is the chili and/or nacho cheese stains on his shirt.

Note: I do have a relationship through my day job with Wahl. Then again, it's a great cartoon.

Curves, and the marketing of diet foods

When the Atkins craze hit, the one thing that really annoyed me was the products. How you not only needed to follow this carb-deprivation plan, but also you had to do it with those products.

The sincerity of a diet program can be measured in whether it tries to sell you food.

Now, Curves is at it with breakfast cereal. I saw the two flavors: Whole Grain Crunch and Honey Crunch. I see from the Web that they also have chewy granola bars in Chocolate Peanut and Strawberries + Cream.

I have not looked at the ingredients for the bars, but of course, I had to read the ingredient list for the cereal. I saw one ingredient that shouldn't be in a breakfast cereal: sucralose. The honey version had sugar and sucralose.

So we have an extra sweet cereal, which will make you want to eat more. If anything, breakfast cereal needs to be less sweet. If you need that much sweetness in the morning, have a piece of whole wheat toast with natural fruit spread.

I understand the idea of "extending a brand" with marketing. Weight-loss centers apparently don't make enough money. But at least put out a product worthy of your audience.

Not to talk up brands, but Special K is a cereal targeted at diet-conscious women. It doesn't have to resort to cheap tricks such as artificial sweeteners. There are other reasonably healthy cereals that could accomplish the same idea (Cheerios, Wheaties) that have the whole grains the Curves cereal promises without artificial sweeteners. And this doesn't even take in healthier, lesser-known cereals.

If a diet center helps you get into better shape, good for you. But this cereal isn't going to help.

Slow food: Trend or a better way

Now that slow food is becoming part of the food conscience, I'm still not sure where I stand.

This is one of many articles touting the praises of slow food. I do think locally grown food tastes better since it's picked at its ripest point. But the obsession with which slow food fans treat food isn't terribly realistic for the modern world.

If we hold it up as an ideal, great. If we try to pressure the working mother of 3 small children that processed foods are evil, it won't work.

Lead by example; speak positively of the virtues, and more converts will come around. Slow food isn't a bad philosophy, but it won't work as a religion.