Balance of Food

Temptation of the Week: 'Citrus grapes'

When food manufacturers want to add high amounts of fruit sugar, they turn to apples and grapes.

So when I was in the grocery store, and heard the woman running the samples call out about "citrus grapes," I stopped instantly.

At first, my mind was confused. "Citrus" had nothing to do with "grapes." This wouldn't go well.

Curiosity being a feline instinct of mine, I asked what made the grapes "citrus." She calmly explained that the grapes had marinated in orange juice and sugar. I've tried worse than that, but even my curiosity wasn't strong enough to try it. And I've eaten deep-fried butter.

Grapes are already very sweet to my palate. We tend to over sweeten fruit that might be lower in sugar (e.g., cranberries), but grapes are sweet enough in its original state.

As we've learned from Michael Pollan in The Botany of Desire, people like to eat sweet things. Apples (featured in the program) and grapes rise up to the occasion to be naturally high-sugar fruits. They don't need any more help.

My reaction was aided by a recent article that I had read about the artificiality of store-bought orange juice, so I wasn't in the mood for anything OJ-related. And while BalanceofFood.com is an advocate of sugar over high-fructose corn syrup, we are now seeing more instances where even sugar shouldn't be allowed.

Admittedly, my sweet tooth is lessened than most Americans. Perhaps my high horse is extra high. However, exaggerating the sweetness of already sweet things can't be a good road to travel down.

Getting kids to eat fruit as dessert is one way to get them better nutrition and the thought of something sweet. But they should learn how sweet fruits are naturally before they are subjugated to added sweetness. You might find that they like fruit as sweet as it naturally comes.

'The Chew' gives us light and fluffy with very few calories

How big is a serving?

This is one of the many unanswered questions on the new ABC daytime show "The Chew." One of the helpful hints is to have a dish, tell you how much it costs per serving, then not tell you how big is a serving.

All the bases are covered, at least by five people on a network show. Fun to see 60 minutes of network time devoted to food, but you get the feeling that 30 minutes would be enough.

The debut had segments from the five people, including Mario Batali on a golf course. Clinton Kelly showed us miniature versions of foods we'd rather eat whole. Carla Hall tried to convince us that kids wouldn't eat apples unless they were dipped in pancake batter. Michael Symon cooked pork and beans on kale, not terribly exciting.

As if we needed proof for why Daphne Oz is the "nutrition" expert, we get a visit from her famous father, Dr. Oz. Daphne made a power smoothie with vitamins. You would think a smoothie would be made from whole foods and you wouldn't need extra vitamins. I would hoping like hell that the smoothie contained apple juice, but that is a sore subject in the Oz household these days.

Dr. Oz proceeded to distract us with a bizarre story of Daphne being born the color blue. Other than slamming home the point about the only reason why she is on the show, his appearance was useless. And whoever is doing Daphne's makeup should cut back about 90%. Her makeup looks like an 8-year-old girl did her own makeup and poured on way too much.

In the debut episode, they tried to seem relevant in talking about the news. The hosts referred to a story in The New York Times on the cost of junk food versus a home-cooked meal. It would have been more helpful to mention Mark Bittman's name so viewers could find the article easier. 

I confess I imagined that the hosts would sit around and talk about food issues in the news, ala "The View" and its various ripoffs. But this show doesn't want to stop and reflect too much because the next quirky feature is always around the corner.

The question that truly remains is "Why would people tune in to the same people 5 days a week for 60 minutes."

On Day 2, Batali came to dominate in the studio. The theme of the 2nd day was showing off financial outlets for 2 of the 5 hosts. Batali showed off his NYC market with his special guest, Whoopi Goldberg from "The View." Daphne Oz gave away copies of her book during her segment. As long as the hosts are getting richer, that's what matters. Uh, no.

Their attempts to be newsworthy brought laughter from this reporter. Clinton Kelly told us that he just found out in The Washington Post that the founder of Doritos had died. Well, that happened several days ago, and even newspapers had that information before Kelly did. Though, Kelly had a save by bringing out Doritos. Will be nice to see if they acknowledge junk food in many more episodes.

We were hoping that Daphne would provide some decent nutritional info. So far, this is all about her family name and products. At least she wore slightly less makeup and spoke a lot less outside her segment on Day 2.

The changes from Day 1 to Day 2 show that this program is still trying to figure out what it is doing. Too bad they didn't think that through in the months leading up to the telecast, or in creating a TV show. Until they figure it out, you probably won't notice what they do unless they make significant headlines. And then several days later, Clinton Kelly will bring in a newspaper and talk about what headlines they made.

Figuring out the cost and value of what we should pay for food

The thought bubble is from August from the regular Wednesday WashingtonPost.com food chat. People around the world are caught in a trap, though to different extents, that they would like to eat better, but find the prospects to be too expensive. And you can certainly walk into stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, if you have those options, and wonder who is buying these products at that price level.

We can certainly have a bit of fun with the misspellings or the idea of needing a 6-figure income to eat "green, local, organic, and support Pro Union causes." And we can offer up a menu of beans, rice, and vegetables that would be cheap along with being green, local, organic, and pro-union. However, let us assume that this isn't practical to this household with a 10-year-old Dodge minivan.

"These are nice ideals but only work for couples and singles who make 6 figures like you at the WP."

People are legitimately struggling with food costs, and we have many more people who are working harder for less money, if they can find work. Food costs are up for a variety of reasons: climate change affects crops, rising petroleum costs impact several links in the food chain. And our money flow, if we have one, isn't going up as fast as the food costs.

I always considered a pound of pasta to be the benchmark of food costs. Yes, whole wheat and whole grain pasta will cost more than the white flour equivalent. And let's be honest, your grocery store is much more likely to have the white flour edition on sale than the whole wheat version, further frustrating your inner accountant.

And in the regular grocery stores, whole wheat pasta does seem expensive compared to what I paid for white flour editions in the past, and even whole wheat versions from years ago.

In a world where we can't control basic costs such as rent/mortgage and gasoline, many race to the bottom on food costs as a way to cut back something they can control. Cheap food is aplenty and very easy to find.

Those who know better on how to find good quality food and the need for that food often don't understand the anger that stems from this comment. After all, most people who eat good quality food struggle to make ends meet and don't make six figures, even in DC.

The disconnect exists, and the first step to reduce the disconnect is to acknowledge its existence.

The tempting action would be to rise to the level of this person's anger and shout about the charges aren't true or fair. They aren't true or fair. But being angry about that won't help.

Chances are that this person isn't reading this blog, but if you run into somebody who feels this way, you can calmly let them know of ways they can make ends meet with better quality food.

Eat less meat. Find local and organic items in your price range, especially in season, and preserve them for later use. Rely more on whole grains and high fiber food, so eating less isn't a sacrifice. Cook more at home, which will save on eating out. Often, people know how much a fast food meal costs down to the penny, but not the cost of a home-cooked meal.

People who don't know a better way need education, but not preaching. Even if you make more than they do, you still shop with saving money in mind, just with different priorities. Share a tip and better the world.

Texas ditches last meals for prisoners

two chicken-fried steaks with gravy and sliced onions; a triple-patty bacon cheeseburger; a cheese omelet with ground beef, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and jalapeños; a bowl of fried okra with ketchup; one pound of barbecued meat with half a loaf of white bread; three fajitas; a meat-lover’s pizza; one pint of Blue Bell Ice Cream; a slab of peanut-butter fudge with crushed peanuts; and three root beers.

Texas kills more prisoners than any other state, and likely any other democratic entity. Yet the state has decided to halt the long-time tradition of the last meal.

The decision wasn't made after deliberate thought, but on the actions of one state senator. Given the quick rush to judgment that dominates the death penalty cases in the Lone Star State, a quick action to ditch the last meals fits in well.

Lawrence Russell Brewer was executed last week on Wednesday for the hate crime slaying of James Byrd Jr. Brewer's request wasn't so unusual, but according to prison officials, Brewer didn't eat any of his last meal. Brewer's last meal request? See above.

The last meal isn't without limits. Texas had required that the meal come from its own kitchen sources. Florida sets a limit at $40. So whatever you think of the death penalty, the idea of a last meal is a small gesture of good faith that will now be missing from the Texas death penalty hard-chugging train. The tradition does go back to ancient times, so even with reasonable limits, the spirit of a last meal should remain strong.

The spirit of the last meal doesn't have to be limited to death-penalty cases. Use it as a celebration of food if you have been on your best behavior. Or if you've been bad and you want one last blast before doing better.

Last meals are a creative exercise that gets you to really think about what you are eating, which helps you when you are trying to be good, too.

Sunday funnies look at hot dog eating contests

"Barney and Clyde," one of the newest comic strips on the scene, has a great sense of the history of comics. Gene Weingarten, co-creator of the strip, has shared his passion for comics over the years with readers of The Washington Post and chats on WashingtonPost.com.

So having a punchline of Sarge (Beetle Bailey), Dagwood (Blondie), Jughead (Archie), and Wimpy (Popeye) to a hot dog eating contest fit the spirit of the comic strip.

The strip stars two long-ago grade school teammates, one a millionaire (Barney) and the other is homeless (Clyde). Today's strip does give another motivation for a competitive eating contest; if you're homeless and you're hungry, competitive eating is more about not being hungry.

Seeing these legendary comic figures in a competitive eating contest would intimidate anyone, real or fictional. Though if you are in such a contest, you may be competing with others, but you also compete within yourself to see how well you can do, and grow, er, improve over time.

photo credit

Temptation of the Week: a better to-go ketchup package

Too often in food blogs, food writers get a little too excited about something new, especially something where they have a keen interest. Today, we're here to tell you about a new innovation that is extremely cool, yet without one major change, will almost never use.

Though the new Heinz ketchup packets have been out for awhile, the buzz kicked in this week. Admittedly, I have seen them for a few months (the new Chick-fil-A carries the new package), and they look quite cool.

Though I don't eat as much fast food as I used to do, I still appreciate a to-go container of ketchup that holds a lot of ketchup and doesn't require me biting off the corner of a too-small ketchup packet.

Fast food French fries tend to get really cold, really quick. The last thing you need is to let your fries get cold while trying to open the fast food ketchup packet. And then you have the effort but you still don't have much ketchup even after opening several packets. The long-ago 1970s Heinz commercial showed off the thickness by having it come out really slow. This is fine in a traditional restaurant where you have time before the food arrives to get the ketchup pool ready for diving. But when time is short, quick is better.

Of course, in the days where Carly Simon sang the praises of "Anticipation," ketchup was made from sugar, not high-fructose corn syrup. And that is the reason I will rarely, if ever, use the new Heinz packet.

This new packet would have great use for me if 1) the packet came into Canada, since the regular Canadian Heinz is made with liquid sugar and/or 2) the packet was expanded to Simply Heinz or Heinz Organic ketchup.

But to be honest, I do occasionally indulge in the HFCS U.S. based ketchup. I justify it by not using much, and usually if mustard isn't around. Or I build a moat of mustard with HFCS ketchup in the middle. And in those rare times, I would love to use the new Heinz ketchup package.

Speaking as someone who smuggles ketchup into restaurants, I would much rather have the new Heinz portable ketchup package. But as pretty as it is on the outside and I do love extreme functionality, what is on the inside still matters most.

Still, for those who indulge in fast food and regular American ketchup, these new packets will make a positive impact.

photo image: Heinz

Michele Bachmann calls for less food regulation, really

"We want to have safety," she said. "But we also want to have common sense."

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), in her third term in the House of Representatives and a presidential candidate, might be surprised to find that the current food safety system in the United States has neither safety or common sense. But she would be one of the few who doesn't know this.

Bachmann actually called for LESS food regulation in a campaign stop in Des Moines, IA.

Salmonella, e.coli are hotter Google topics than they should be thanks to a large factory farm system that is so huge that the USDA can't keep up.

As we've noted recently, smaller food processors have been hit with needless regulation and harassment. But since we are talking about conservatives, they aren't as concerned about organic farmers but protecting the factory farm system.

You can't help but make comparisons to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, not just because they are female, mothers, and prominent Republican politicians. Both Bachmann and Palin adopt an outsider's perspective that could be used for good instead of protecting large corporations.

Mothers are the ones who are more visible in fighting to protect their kids from unsafe food (sorry to seem sexist), but Palin and Bachmann aren't as concerned about the U.S. food system as these other mothers.

Unlike Palin, Bachmann had a chance to stand up for that food safety she says she wants, but voted against the food safety bill.

As we have stated numerous times, food safety shouldn't be a political issue. We should agree on bipartisan measures to ensure food safety. Since we don't, we should be aware of the same level of reality. Rep. Bachmann should do some more homework on what is coming out of factory farms.

photo credit: AP

Slow food challenge: What kind of a good meal can you come up with for $5?

My memory is a little hazy on this, but I recall as a child that my mother and brother and me were able to go to McDonald's for $5. Like I said, this was a long time ago.

Today, in most markets, a whole fast food meal cost under $5.

Inflation, minimum wage increases (less than inflation), and the cost of food should make that go up, but the true cost of the 2011 fast food meal isn't in what you pay the cashier. The food is heavily subsidized, and the fast food companies try to keep those value meals as cheap as they can to lure in patrons.

Most people in their hectic everyday lives don't factor in subsidies or corporate strategy. They look at a menu board, think about what they have in their pockets, and then decide what to order.

Previous coverage: Slow Food USA offers $5 meal challenge to eat well for half a sawbuck

Eating on the run, besides not being always the healthiest choice, gets rather expensive. For example, in Chicago, food from a restaurant has about a 10% tax where food from the grocery store is about 2% tax. And you pay for the restaurant's taxes, salaries, overhead, etc. In Michigan, you pay no sales tax on food from the grocery store.

Also, the "value meal" is a source of protein (burger) followed by white flour carbs (bun, fries) and finished up with carb-intensive and subsidized high-fructose corn syrup. Not a lot of fruits, vegetables, and fiber; they cost extra.

So the idea of a slow food $5 challenge sounded easy. Food from the farmers market may be more expensive on some level, but farmers have less overhead and tax is factored into the equation. Water is free, though in a value meal, you are paying pennies for the soft drink (which is good since soft drinks only cost pennies). Fruit and vegetables in-season or preserved aren't that expensive, and provide taste, flavor, fiber, and nutrients.

Eating food that is good for consumers, producers, and the planet can easily cost more than $5 if you stretch it out. An 8 oz. buffalo burger is a $5 meal in itself. The challenge was designed to show some creativity yet also demonstrate to people who aren't on the slow food bandwagon that you can adapt well-grown food into a $5 budget plate.

Let's take the buffalo example, as having meat is a good way to convey the parallel cost of a non slow food meal. A 4 oz. burger would cost about $2.50, a couple slices of sourdough bread locally baked would be 50¢, condiments (homemade ketchup, locally grown mustard, home pickles) would amount to 18¢, a lettuce salad with several vegetables and homemade dressing might amount to 65¢, ½ cup of blueberries would be 60¢. This hypothetical meal costs $4.43, well under the $5 challenge. You can pack more food for less than this meal, but I wanted a semi-realistic vision of what a novice would try.

If you compare that meal against a corporate-chain sandwich, I would take the slow food meal any day. Better quality food, more food, and more taste for less money. Yes, you need time and commitment. But your stomach and other insides are worth the effort.

Local eating includes produce you bring back from vacation

Lately I've been eating Minnesota garlic with Wisconsin mushrooms in Illinois. Doesn't sound local, but if you look beyond the obvious, and adapt the definition of "local," you can increase your local eating circle.

Now, Wisconsin mushrooms in this part of Illinois isn't a surprise; local farmers markets feature along with vegetables from Indiana and fruit from Michigan. But where does the Minnesota garlic fit into the mix?

Well, the "local" part of the Minnesota garlic deserves an asterisk. I went to Minneapolis for what was a 41-hour jaunt to Minnesota's largest city. I could have brought back a magnet from the Mall of America (no, not really), but felt like a better souvenir was the eating kind.

I visited the Mill City Museum farmers market within sight of the Mississippi River. And I ran across a lot of really good looking garlic. No offense to the markets in Chicago, but finding good garlic is rather difficult. The Minneapolis market was almost flaunting its wonderful garlic.

Practicality may enter into the equation when bringing back produce from a vacation. Tomatoes are more difficult; garlic is pretty easy. In fact, I have brought back California garlic in late November.

Bringing back your own produce reduces the footprint. No extra petroleum is required. You shouldn't travel to California just to get garlic, but as long as you are there, why not pick up an extra treat.

Editor's note: Some elements of this story ran last week on TheLocalBeet.com.

Slow Food USA offers $5 meal challenge to eat well for half a sawbuck

"On Sept. 17, I pledge to share a fresh, healthy meal that costs less than $5 — because slow food shouldn't have to cost more than fast food."

Well, slow food does cost more than fast food, but you still should be able to have local, fresh food for $5 a meal. At least, this is the challenge for today, so get out your grocery lists, hit a farmers market, and see what you can come up with for dinner.

Cost and convenience are the two mainstays that prevent more people from jumping onto the slow food bandwagon. Sometimes, the issue is real cost and other times, perceived cost. We will deal more with perceived cost later here at BalanceofFood.com, but for now, this is about a real meal deal for the pre-tax cost of a discounted foot-long sandwich at a national chain.

The carnivore special might be out for this challenge, but down forsake meat to get it down to $5. Forsake meat if you don't eat it, but use the financial guideline to see how meat can fit on the plate and in the wallet.

Slow Food USA is encouraging people to have a shared dinner, another good way to reduce costs. The emphasis is on food that is good for the consumers, producers, and Earth.

We'll have more coverage of the challenge in our Tuesday column at BalanceofFood.com. Until then, bonne chance and bon appetit!