Balance of Food

Finding an easier way to enjoy fresh produce off-season

Eating fruit and vegetables in season is one of the best elements of warm weather. But if you're like me, you have strong favorites, and would love to eat them year-round.

Unfortunately, for those in cold climates, having blueberries in December — good quality blueberries — is rather arduous, short of traveling to a destination.

But I've been enjoying blueberries in November and December — good quality blueberries. And my travel budget hasn't suffered as a result.

I took a 5-pound box of blueberries, separated them into containers and threw them into the freezer. In July.

I'm not a serial canner. I don't have the jars, nor the patience to turn summertime harvests into wintertime pleasures. These activities are not in my nature, though I appreciate those that do so. I bought a lovely small jar of grape preserves at a farmers market from someone I buy from often. They taste marvelous.

But I like feeling that I'm "cheating" the system somehow by having blueberries in December. They make me feel good. I know at some point I will cross over into apple territory — eating apples throughout the winter.

I like apples, and they are a fine fruit option in the wintertime. But apples don't excite me nearly as much as blueberries.

And quite frankly, blueberries you might be able from some far-off place don't have the same taste, consistency, or anything remotely pleasurable that you would find in local produce. A nearby apple tastes better than a far-away apple.

And if you're like me, and you don't have the canning instinct, other than buying the containers and having room in your freezer, there is no expense of time or money. If anything, the blueberries were cheaper in the summertime than trying to duplicate them in the winter.

Blueberries are just one example. There are plenty of fruits and vegetables that can freeze well.

As important as it is to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, when they taste better, you are more likely to eat more of them, and less undesirable foods.

If you are a serial canner, you can consider giving some of your bounty as a gift to someone who can use it. Or as a barter for something you might want. Fresh fruits and vegetables is a joy and they are good for you simply because you are more likely to eat them.

Locavores can be a little obsessive, but their heart is in the right place. Local food tastes better, and makes you more likely to eat that instead of inferior products. But you can do your part, and start buying fresh produce to freeze and maintain until a time when you really need to have that fresh goodness as part of your diet.

Food pantries part II: Seeing the need up close and personal

What to eat for Christmas: extravagant meats, extensive array of pies, easily consumed carbohydrates.

Or you can have canned goods, dry pasta, tuna fish, and peanut butter.

Doesn't sound so exciting, does it. But more people are eating from food pantries than at this time last year. Demand is at a high we haven't seen in decades. And food pantries are eager for donations.

Following up from last week, I went to a local food pantry to donate some food. There was a line just to get in the room to then line up for food. One guy in line noted that another guy hadn't been there in a while. He said, "Last month, I had enough to eat. This month, I don't."

When making the donation, I was led to a back room where I waited to unload my bag and make a donation. The room was crammed full of all different kinds of non-perishable food. There were all sort of canned goods: vegetables, protein sources (tuna, etc.). Bags of dry pasta, cereal boxes — all kinds of food that can go a long way.

Given how Americans throw away over 40 percent of all available food each year, there should be a lot more food available for food pantries.

For those who need receipts, they take care of that as well. After all, for those who deduct or choose to deduct on their tax returns, these contributions count toward your tax deductions.

If you give to food pantries for tax reasons only, so be it. But it does help to consider your relationship with food, and realize that those who struggle to get food might be envious of those who struggle with how to avoid certain foods.

And you could write a check to a food pantry, and be done with it. But consider seeing one up close in person. See the people, your neighbors, in line waiting for food, whatever food they can get from the local food pantry.

This isn't meant to make you feel guilty for having a nice holiday dinner. Ironically, giving to a food pantry can be designed to make you feel better about having what you have. After all, you have done your part.

And this isn't about making you feel guilty throughout the year. Having issues in relationships with food is hard enough to handle, adding more guilt isn't healthy. But stepping outside yourself and seeing how others see food can make us appreciate the smallness of our own struggles.

And I mentioned last week, this isn't about preaching. This isn't a tug at your heartstrings at the holiday time of year. This is a simple request. People who live near you need your help. You may not know that they need help because, quite frankly, this isn't something people brag about in conversation.

And they don't need to know that you helped. You can do so anonymously if you choose.

Giving to food pantries can help others and help yourself in the process. And it doesn't have to cost you a lot.

As promised, I will not make this a yearly habit. I resolve that as long as things are really bad, I will make a quarterly donation to a local food pantry. I could promise to do more, but to be honest, I can handle doing 4x/year. And if others who can afford to do so would make a contribution four times a year, food pantries and those who need it would be a lot better off. It's a realistic but helpful goal.

Michael Pollan to be on 'The Daily Show,' but you'll have to wait awhile

The good news is that Michael Pollan is scheduled to be on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart." The bad news is that it's going to be awhile.

Last night's episode was the last one for 2009. So Michael Pollan is scheduled to be on the first episode of 2010 (the Teens decade) on January 4.

After all the food you may have eaten over the holidays as well as New Year's, Pollan is the appropriate person to have on as a guest. Especially if you are planning a round or two of New Year's Resolutions.

And when that time comes, we will have extensive coverage of his visit with Jon Stewart. Hopefully, Stewart will bring plenty of sausage and pancake on a stick and Baconnaise.

Food pantries: Helping those who live without in these bad financial times

Preaching is not something we do much here on this blog. The belief system is that preaching doesn't convert anyone to your philosophy.

However, in terms of getting food to those who need it, perhaps a little preaching wouldn't hurt.

Every holiday season, we see stories about people who struggle with too much food and others who struggle with too little. And you've probably heard a few stories this year about a new realm of people who are going on food stamps and to food pantries for the first time.

The need in the United States is frightening. Despite the push at the end of the calendar year, this need continues regardless of what month the calendar reads.

If you have too much food, consider giving — and not just a little bit at holiday time. Try thinking about giving several times a year. And consider shopping specifically for something to give away.

This goes both ways: If you have too little food, and you haven't considered going to a food pantry, please reconsider. Asking for help is fine, really. If for nothing else, think of it this way. People should want to help, and they need to find people who need help. If you need help, raise your hand. You can still have pride — and food.

For that to happen, people do have to contribute more food.

If you need incentive beyond helping your fellow human beings, think of the food/calories you would have overeaten to make sure someone gets enough.

This economy has been unbelievably harsh in terms of job loss and financial catastrophe. People who needed help before the economic collapse are joined in line by people who wonder how they got there. Regardless of how they got there, they need help.

And if you feel better about volunteering instead of donating food, there is demand. If you have something, do whatever you can — all year round.

Note: In the feedback, those asked if I would put my money, er food, where my mouth is. The answer is "yes." I have a nearby food pantry in mind, and will make a donation before Christmas. And I resolve in 2010 to try and remember to donate every so often. And if I ever need help, I'll hold my head up high and ask for assistance.

Chicago French Market: Needing greater access for more year-round sources of fresh, local food

I have called out for greater access to fresh local food. We have food deserts, where regular grocery stores go missing. But we also need more opportunities to get fresh, local food as well.

The ideal for me has been St. Lawrence Market in Toronto. But we have what might be the closest Chicago can come to that in the brand new Chicago French Market.

Pluses

Location — not so much for people within the city, but excellent for Chicagoland. Located in a West Loop train station, those riding the suburban trains to city and suburban stops can get naturally grown, fresh local food with convenience and ease. Thought it's a bit awkward for some Chicago residents, there is very close access to the Green Line.

Variety — Vegetarians, carnivores, chocolatiers can all be satisfied. Bread, cheese, baked goods, meat, fish, seafood, fruit, vegetables, even soap and crafts. And fresh fruit and vegetables in December in Chicago.

Convenience — Not open on Sundays, but extensive Monday-Saturday hours. Not just limited to rush hours for trains.

Cons

Size — Chicago could support a facility 3 or 4 times as large. The aisles aren't terribly wide. If the market isn't crowded, the scene isn't so bad. But when crowded, moving around might be more difficult.

Seating — There is a seating area with the walls painted to look like you are beneath the Eiffel Tower. But there isn't a whole lot of space involved. I heard anecdotally that there is wi-fi, but there were no signs to mark this. If so, that will help. Most of the food isn't set up for eating there, but there are enough booths that sell ready-to-eat dishes. So if people start using the space, there won't be enough chairs. If they don't, the space won't look like it's being used well.

Promotion — If you are headed to the train station, the market is ready-made and convenient. If not, you would little knowledge to know the market is there. Street access is available, but the market isn't on a very common street in the downtown area.

Overall, the market is a great boon to a city starving for this kind of setup. While there are criticisms, the focus is more that we could use a secondary location perhaps twice as big either on the east side of downtown or near North Side or near South Side access.

The food is the show and worth the trip. The best hope is that the market is such a success that others will come along. But the folks in Toronto can vouch for a central location large enough to fill multiple needs.

More photos from the new market: All photos taken by me.

Turning holiday stress into a game

Did you dread the trip home for Thanksgiving? After all, you learned how to eat better and wiser, and your family, well, still loves the decadence or strives to make the holiday a 4-day pigout?

And if this described your Thanksgiving, will the December holidays be worse?

Ideally, you would have a "cone of silence" around you in those conversations, but the reality is that the holidays provide as good a test as you will get to see how you're doing, and how to survive temptation.

The December holidays involve food over a longer period, though Thanksgiving is the epitome mdash; as a 1-day event mdash; of dumping food into your system at a record pace.

You could stress out on these points, adding on to the stress of the holiday season, and having so much stress, eat lots of food as a result. D'oh. So let's try something different. As the computer voice asked us in "War Games," "Shall we play a game?"

Turn those potential stressful moments and play it off in a light-hearted manner. Above all, don't patronize your family with your new lifestyle. Lead by example.

-- Bring nuts. People usually buy peanuts outside the ballpark because they're much cheaper than inside the ballpark. Adopt the same philosophy and bring nuts. Almonds, walnuts, cashews mdash; whatever your pleasure. Nuts provide good fats and can fill you up, leaving less room for temptations. And they're easy to hide from unsuspecting relatives.

-- Save more room for dessert. You really want dessert, and it's important to have Grandma's pie. So have dessert, but maybe skip the potatoes or the rolls. Sure, someone in the family chain will be crushed. But by playing up the positive mdash; you are eating Grandma's pie mdash; you can reflect any criticism.

-- When in doubt, go homemade. If you are confronted with something that is store-bought, just say, "I'd rather concentrate on the homemade food." This won't get you out of a lot on the menu, but store-bought cookies and stuffing pale in comparison to homemade, and likely have more chemicals or other unsavory items (e.g., high-fructose corn syrup).

-- Add more protein, vegetables. If your plate looks full, even with more turkey and vegetables, you might save yourself some criticism.

-- Reduce calories devoted to drinks. All calories count, whether liquid or solid. So use more calories toward food and less toward drink. True, a drink might relieve some stress, but could have unintended consequence. If you do drink, try going with lowfat or skim milk, adding protein without too many calories.

Convenience counts in finding food that suits us

Peanut butter is not something I normally buy.

I don't have a lot of expertise on the subject. I couldn't tell Jif from Skippy from Peter Pan. I can tell the difference between creamy and crunchy.

I don't eat much peanut butter because there is too much sugar and salt for my taste. The more well-known the brands are, the more likely this is even more true.

But every so often in my life, I eat peanut butter since it's healthy, cheap, filling, and a convenient, easy to put together source of protein.

Recently, I came across a peanut butter that solved my issues. The ingredient(s) list for this product: just peanuts.

I don't honestly remember the brand name, but I have a hunch. My primary mainstream grocery store no longer carries this brand. And when I went hunting for peanut butter, I couldn't find a single brand that didn't have sugar and salt.

True, some had organic cane juice and sea salt, but the taste of sweet and salty was still there. Of course, sweet and salty is what makes America great, and disparaging these tastes is borderline treasonous.

Since I get enough sugar and salt elsewhere in my diet, I wanted to separate my peanut butter from those requirements.

Now, the peanut butter I really liked required me to stir vigorously whenever I used it, and often I would get tired of doing this before I reached the bottom of the container. But I really liked the taste.

There will always be plenty of peanut butters that have sugar and salt, but it would be good to have options that don't have sugar and salt.

Yes, I likely could find a peanut butter in a more wholesome store that has the requirements that I wanted. But it is a reminder that convenience is crucial when it comes to finding food.

Peanut butter can be a good source of protein, but when it's also a source of sugar and salt, the food isn't as appealing. And if the only kinds of peanut butter available conveniently have both of them, that isn't appealing.

Coda: By the way, I bought some organic peanut butter, containing organic sources of sugar and salt. It does come out of the jar easily, and it tastes like it has sugar and salt. The peanut butter, becomes to me, a less nutritious food. And that defeats some of the purpose of eating the peanut butter in the first place.