Balance of Food

Simplifying dinner could start from breaking a couple of eggs

An omelet can be a simple dish. But can an omelet really be dinner?

I haven't always had a solid relationship with eggs. Growing up, my parents loved eggs, but generally if they were scrambled with salt and pepper. This is not the way I like eggs, so my parents tried all kinds of things to get me to eat eggs. I even tried a raw egg in milk.

Even in adulthood, I didn't embrace eggs because what I knew about them were not that great. Oh, I did eat deviled eggs and liked them, but they took so much work to then eat up in 5 seconds.

There was an omelet pan in the house when I was a kid. To be fair, my parents probably didn't think I'd go for an omelet because foods would be combined, something I frowned on often.

I've eaten more scrambled eggs in the last five years than I had before, which isn't saying much. But I've learned how I like scrambled eggs — with hot sauce or enough ingredients to give the dish some taste. I had a scramble with mushrooms and gorgonzola cheese that was extremely yummy.

Eggs are bland and they don't take up much room in my belly — two strikes against eggs.

Since I can comfortably eat eggs with other food items, I have wondered if I could be an omelet person. But I had a chance to make an omelet in a class, and I was pleasantly surprised.

I actually got to cook the omelet — didn't go as smoothly as the others — and I overloaded the omelet. But it was good stuff, and it did fill me up pretty well. True, I did have my homemade snack food (Cheerios, walnuts, dried strawberries) before the session, so I had some quality carbohydrates. But I didn't eat anything afterward.

I could go with bacon and a nice melting cheese (Gruyere? Swiss?) or a purely vegetarian effort (mushrooms, roasted red peppers). I want it to be hearty enough to be an entree without being too large.

So perhaps I can do an omelet with healthy bread and a salad, and call it a meal. Dinner time becomes a pressure to eat heartier food. But maybe I need to look in a different direction for the evening meal: go light and hearty at the same time.

Even if my omelet wasn't a thing of beauty, I do realize that an omelet could be dinner. At least, it would be worth trying out some time soon. At least now I know how to make one.

Why White House organic vegetable garden is so important

For those close followers, my day job involves politics. And while the story about the Obamas planting a organic vegetable garden on the White House lawn might seem about politics, the gesture is about so much more.

Setting trends is something the White House can do, especially at a time when obesity and other health issues continue to climb. The tough economic times combined with increases in staple food items have sent parents scurrying to find better and healthier solutions.

Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers — some of the most common garden bounties. Eating vegetables home grown add nutrition, color, and fun to the plate. Most of us can't grow our own meat and starches, but vegetables are within grasp.

A simple garden in a large house in Washington, DC is more than just a symbol. It's an active reminder that we can join in and do our part, that homegrown healthy food can be a reality in people's lives. The children who helped launch the garden and who will assist in the growing process are the reality behind the symbol. And the children watching those children are an extension of the revitalization.

One avid follower of the Obamas is Alice Waters, the Berkeley, CA based guru of the slow food process, who has been pressing for the Obamas to start a vegetable garden. Another advocate even from last summer was Roger Dorion, founder of Kitchen Gardens International.

Not that Michelle Obama had to be convinced about a solution. As a mother of two school-age children in the White House, she has come out on eating healthier food, and specifically reducing the reliance on processed food. 

What's also cool since Michelle Obama has lived her entire pre-WH life in an urban setting in Chicago, she recognizes that not everyone has a back yard or a spot for a garden.

"You can begin in your own cupboard," she said, "by eliminating processed food, trying to cook a meal a little more often, trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables."

The problems are difficult but manageable. We have fallen over time into some solidly bad habits, so we won't get out of them that easily (okay, that is starting to sound like Barack Obama's speeches). But seriously, lots of little steps will get our country back into decent eating shape. The organic vegetable garden in the White House is a step, but a vital symbolic step.

President Obama putting a priority into food safety, even if he won't gain much political capital

It's another week where my day job and my needs here at Balance of Food collide head-on.

In encouraging people to eat well, we need to know our food can be as safe as possible. Right now, it isn't. Regardless of politics, the last eight years have been an unmitigated disaster when it comes to food safety, almost as if we need a 21st century equivalent of "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair.

Here is this week's essay on President Obama tackling food safety, even if there isn't much to gain politically for doing so.

Alice Waters on '60 Minutes' staying true to her form

"60 Minutes" gave us a peek into the life of someone we are familiar with in our circles: Alice Waters.

Whether you think she is a revolutionary or over the top, it was fun to watch Lesley Stahl give us a flavor of what Waters has been about for the last 35 years or so.

For those who don't know, Waters is the champion of what is now known as "slow food," eating fresh, organic, locally grown food.

I have praised her efforts for helping school children learn the value and joy of growing and eating homegrown food. I love her slow food festival featured in the CBS segment. And I love how stubborn she is in her quest, as proved by her answers to Stahl's questioning.

But there is no middle ground with Waters. Watching what Stahl described as one of the best breakfasts she has ever had (it did look really good), the event wasn't realistic if one has to leave quickly after eating the first meal of the day. And the idea of eating local and organic works well in her home of Berkeley, CA, but not in the colder parts of the country.

What on the Internet works for you in developing your nutrition style?

When I turned my eating life around about 5 years ago, I searched desperately for sources of information, especially for someone in my particular situation.

There were sources that provide some areas of assistance, but no one source covered everything. But two very useful resources at the time were two chats from washingtonpost.com: Lean Plate Club and What's Cooking. LPC died off when Sally Squires was offered a buyout, and now the Web site is ditching What's Cooking.

Kim O'Donnel is continuing the blog, and has talked about continuing the chat in another forum. But the chat format, hearing from people all over the world, is where I learn more than anything.

The Washington Post replaced LPC with the Lean & Fit newsletter. And I have subscribed to O'Donnel's newsletter. However, I really feel I can learn from the chat format.

Unfortunately, the newspaper industry is going through a rough period. And so, the chats won't be as much a part of my own personal help and assistance. Though, if O'Donnel keeps up the chat somewhere else, there will be perhaps a new chapter.

I've noticed that when LPC disappeared, the WaPo food section chat and O'Donnel's chat got more nutrition-related questions. Some of those came from me, whether they made the cut or not.

So how do you use the Internet to help you figure out what works for you nutritionally. There is, of course, this blog. But in an effort to be more modest, I'd like to hear from you on what works for you.

Are chats vitally important? Do you just look to read articles, personal blogs, and stories without any interaction? Just let us know in the comments section or you can e-mail me at [email protected]. If you do send me an e-mail, let me know if I can use your words in this blog.

Losing weight comes from finding internal solution

Not all the results are in, but the answer is clear: I weigh more than I should.

I violated my own personal rule and stop weighing myself. No matter how much you weigh, you should always know where you stand. And I haven't been doing that. But a trip to my doctor's showed me where I am at, and it's not good.

It's not horrible either. I weigh 5 more pounds than I did last year, though I think I lost a few leading to the appointment, so on January 1, my weight was likely even higher.

In an ideal world, 20 pounds would be perfect. 10 pounds would be a fine start. Though when I was 10 pounds lighter than now, I complained that I needed to lose 10 more pounds. Now it's 20. One lesson learned: complain only when you really should be complaining.

For many people, being 20 pounds overweight is a level where they would love to be residing. So I'm not complaining complaining. But I do need to lose weight.

My health issues should be a push to doing better, and my energy has suffered even more than in a typical winter. This winter has been brutal, but most of the United States has had more than their share of freaky weather this winter. Still, it's not an excuse.

The exercise has slipped. I know I'm getting less exercise during the day during the week. At our old location, we had a large indoor building to walk in at lunchtime. Now we have no such outlet, some non-shoveled sidewalks, and howling winds no longer blocked by tall buildings. Still, it's not an excuse.

Work is going well, but continues to be stressful, and that does add up in the calorie consumption/exercise realm. Still, it's not an excuse.

I might be eating a little more than normal, but I still eat pretty well. And the drinking has picked up a slight bit than normal, though normally I don't drink much.

I've eaten more red meat lately, but before that, had cut down quite a bit. It's likely a phase but I don't think eating red meat is a major issue.

With about 12 weeks until June 1, I could lose 5/6 pound per week, and lose 10 pounds by that date. Remember, 3500 calories lost or worked off per week equals a pound -- the 5/6 of a pound equals about 2915 calories. That 10 pounds might be enough to get me in a better frame of mind.

Losing it almost 5 years ago seemed easier at the time. After all, I had many horrible habits, and my focus was very strong on systematically going through them one by one, and trying to find a better path.

Sometimes we find ourselves in a position where we can figure out what others are doing wrong, but not ourselves. Yet if we dig within ourselves, we can find the solution to our own issues. One area I want to focus on is finding my own internal solution. I did it once before with great success. I just need to go back and find that part of me. And soon, I'll be thinner.