Balance of Food

How well do farmers markets do on Farmers' Market Flip?

Farmers markets and television don’t mix too well. So when the Cooking Channel came out with Farmers' Market Flip, I had hope that the two finally found an ideal mix.

The network launched the show a few weeks ago, but aired a pilot episode last year. So we actually have a pair of versions. We'll illustrate the best and worst of each version then we’ll present a more ideal version of the concept.

Each show has 2 teams of 2 chefs and they compete for $5000.

The pilot that aired in 2016 is, as a lot of pilots are, kind of a mess but also nice. There are dual hosts, Lara Spencer, who introduces the segments, and Chase Ramsey, who is involved with the contestants.

The chefs are given a $200 budget and 30 minutes to shop. We get to see them shop at various vendors and there is a lot of time devoted to what farmers markets offer to them.

They make a main dish and side dish and have 1 hour to prepare. We are talked through what they are doing. Even in rushed time, we get a real sense of what is going into those dishes.

The teams are asked to price their wares and get 1 hour to sell as much as they can. Since this is a reality show, we get a dumb challenge to make things tougher on one of the teams. The pilot invokes the lame short-straw ploy where the team with the shortest straw has to sit for 5 minutes.

The team that didn’t have to sit sold out of their food. That team also priced its food lower than the team that, though they sat for 5 minutes, outpaced the other team to win. The losing team sold out by underestimated the output. We got actual money totals, $429 to $294.

The 2016 pilot and the 4th episode of the 2017 version has a team with a male and female. Interestingly, the first 3 episodes of the 2017 version fell purely along gender lines in a male-female matchup.

The 2017 version went down to a single host: Jeff Mahin. He doesn’t have the hipster beard of Ramsey but has lots of arm tattoos. Mahin is more intense than Ramsey or Spencer but has that in rather good control. He doesn’t really add anything other than walking the audience through what is happening.

The new version adds a preliminary challenge involving a ingredient from the market. The vendor of that product from that market ends up singularly judging which team best pulled off the challenge. The best dish doesn’t always win but it’s more about how well the team did to keeping true to the ingredient.

Winning that challenge gives a team an advantage. The losing team is punished by arbitrary fashion such as being limited to 6 vendors in the next challenge or using main ingredients that started with A, B, and C. While better than short straws, the show needs to spend more of its budget coming up with less arbitrary punishments. The teams still get $200 but only 20 minutes to shop.

The teams don’t set prices but the consumers voted with large disks placed in the pot of their favorite choice.

Mahin will tell us how close the vote has been. One episode had a 1-vote difference; another had a 3-vote contrast. He does interview consumers as to what they liked or didn’t like about the dishes.

Narrowing down the hosts was a smart move. I thought Spencer would be the best host in the narrowing down (Spencer remains as executive producer). A farmers market needs a softer host; Spencer isn’t too soft. Mahin isn’t really friendly but fits in well as the kind of host you find on the other Food Network/Cooking Channel reality shows.

Having 2 challenges takes away from time spent in the farmers market but does give the viewer an extra opportunity to see a finished product. We could lose some of the prep time footage to show more shopping. 22 minutes isn’t often enough time but that is the time you get.

Speaking of which, the viewer could use some good farmers market shopping tips either from the host or the chefs. Teach us as well as show us about the farmers market.

On Junk Food Flip, we have a running count of how the votes went in the final challenge. That drama feels more real plus we know how many votes each team got. You don’t want to spend too much time on the counting. It does seem like Junk Food Flip does a lot with its 22 minutes.

In reality shows, the individuals become the “stars” of the episodes. A show involving farmers markets should make the fresh food be the stars. Given that California markets will carry produce not found in most markets, such as the blood oranges below, the food should speak for itself.

Farmers' Market Flip does an overall good job of presenting what farmers markets can offer. The show could use some improvements and better time management. But the show is worth investing time and energy to see what farmers markets can do for people not participating on the show.

Farmers' Market Flip airs Thursdays at 10 pm Eastern on Cooking Channel. You can find more information about the show here.

photos credit: Farmers' Market Flip/Cooking Channel

Celebrating the Michelle Obama legacy for food and nutrition

Michelle Obama will leave behind an incredible legacy as First Lady of the United States on food, nutrition, childhood obesity, and school lunches. Let's Move made an impact on trying to get kids to spend less time on screens and more time playing.

The First Lady used television well in a natural manner to spread the message. iCarly fit in well to attracting young people to hear the message. The Biggest Loser was a natural fit with people trying to lose weight. Let's not forget the many talk show appearances from Ellen to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

You might think that her natural grace and flair comes easy. Some of us still can't shake the image of Nancy Reagan on Diff'rent Strokes talking about drug abuse. And Nancy Reagan used to be an actress.

Like Batman, Michelle Obama had her list of enemies: Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Chicago Tribune, Basil Marceaux, James Sensenbrenner, those against federal school lunch programs. Instead of being constructive, they were destructive. Obama played it cool every time, even when the other side won significant victories. As she noted during the 2016 election campaign, "when they go low, we go high."

The White House organic garden started out as a powerful symbol but also proved beneficial to people in the capital city with bountiful produce.

Regardless of who the next president of the United States was going to be, Michelle Obama's legacy needs to be applauded. Michelle Obama, private citizen, will still have a platform after January 20 and we hope she takes advantage of that opportunity. The Obamas are staying in Washington until Sasha graduates from high school. The organic garden isn't too far away from their new home, if the new tenants will let her.

Her enemies, who fought hard and mostly without facts, will work to destroy anything Obama accomplished in her 8 years in that role. But they can't take away her legacy, the idea that someone with power wanted people to eat better and exercise more. Obama talked about "vegetable feasts," not "federal food nannies." Her positivity can't be shattered.

Since there will be significant changes in the government, keeping the legacy of Michelle Obama alive requires the help of the people. We have touted the need for government to help where it can. But the American people need to help out that legacy. Fight for school lunch reform. Encourage people to grow gardens. Focus on new food labels with an emphasis on added sugars.

The fear is that her legacy reads more like an obituary. Let's not make this an obituary.

BalanceofFood.com U.S. food policy coverage

BalanceofFood.com Congress food policy coverage

BalanceofFood.com school lunch coverage

Here are a few stories we have written over the years about Michelle Obama. The articles are in reverse chronological order so you can go back to the beginning.

2016

5 questions you should ask presidential candidates about U.S. food policy

2015

Appreciating Jon Stewart, 'The Daily Show' on food and nutrition

President Obama needs to replace Sam Kass with a nutrition czar

2014

Saying goodbye to the 'Colbert Report'

Election Day back when school lunch reform made headlines

Michelle Obama fights back against GOP school lunch cuts

2013

Barack Obama has 4 more years to improve U.S. food supply, but we need to help

2012

Election Day through the eyes of the food supply

BalanceofFood.com endorses Michelle Obama to be First Lady for 4 more years

Sarah Palin's diet/fitness philosophy likely similar to Michelle Obama's approach

iCarly tries to make veggies 'wacky' to appeal to young children

Michelle Obama talks of vegetable feasts on 'Daily Show'

Michelle Obama uses 'Biggest Loser' to push 'Let's Move'

Latest school lunch improvements prove it's important who gets elected

Temptation of the Week: Resist the non-existent message that government wants to tell you what to eat

2012 braces to be rough political year for food advocacy

2011

Rep. James Sensenbrenner latest to pile onto Michelle Obama

'Federal Food Nannies' aren't real, despite Chicago Tribune editorial

What should Michelle Obama do if she wants to order fast food in public?

Christie, Huckabee stand up for Michelle Obama, but repeat Sarah Palin's lies in the process

Rush Limbaugh better off learning Michelle Obama's 'rules' before he criticizes them

Podcast: Sarah Palin, Michelle Obama, and the politics of breastfeeding

2010

Obama signs school lunch bill, still waiting on food safety bill

Sarah Palin could help improve food supply if she argued policy, not politics

Seek out White House reminders of fresh local food

Basil Marceaux's paranoia aside, government will never measure waistlines

Michelle Obama also strikes the balance of food

Going back to 1970s might be best way to cut future childhood obesity

Should hear soon about White House childhood obesity task force

Michelle Obama's 'Let's Move' gets Kids Choice Award seal of approval

Michelle Obama takes obesity fight straight to corporations

2009

Has Barack Obama found the Balance of Food?

Why White House organic vegetable garden is so important

photo credit: iCarly/Nickleodeon

Leaving avocados and oranges whole encourages learning about produce

We saw in January on "My Diet Is Better Than Yours" where Taj was confused by the outside of an avocado. Jovanka pointed out that Taj loves Mexican food. Taj knew what the inside of an avocado looked like based on the end product of guacamole. But Taj did not know how an avocado worked.

This picture shows what the inside of an avocado looks like, mostly. The above avocado was found at a Sobeys in Thornhill, Ontario. This would be really helpful to Taj, but confuses the rest of us.

The avocado in that store in Atlanta (where "My Diet Is Better Than Yours" was taped) came with the seed and its own natural packaging. And even with the seed and its skin, even in an organic grocery store in Atlanta, that avocado costs a lot less than $3.99.

CanadianCrossing.com reality TV coverage

So what are people getting for that $3.99?

• Guaranteed freshness — True, you could buy an avocado and not get one as pristine. Or you can learn by touch and timing and experience as to how to pick an avocado. Plan to use an avocado in a couple of days? Pick one that feels firm and set it on the kitchen counter. Plan to use an avocado right away? Pick one that feels softer. Find out that is too mushy? Don't pick that one.
• Seed extracted — You don't have to worry about taking away the seed. Of course, you ruin one of the coolest things to do with a knife, to stab the seed and take it out. Plus, some people use the avocado seed for extra nutrition.
• No outer skin — We can't tell by the packaging but the outer skin might not be there. No having to scoop out the avocado from the outer skin. You can save a whole 60-90 seconds of scooping and who has time to scoop?

And we're almost certain, the whole avocado costs less than $3.99. At my local supermarket, I could get 6 avocados, seeds included, for about that same amount of money.

When people complain that they don't know how to cook, that they want to do more cooking, food knowledge is what they need. Keeping avocados green once you've opened them? Lemon or lime juice will help retain the color.

The primary audience for "avocado halves" are people with a lot of money and little food knowledge.

Avocados aren't limited to guacamole. They provide good fat and creaminess in many recipes from avocado chocolate pudding to a great substitute for mayonnaise on sandwiches. Using them is so much easier when you understand how avocados work.

We're told the healthiest food has no labels. Avocado halves from Sobeys and peeled oranges from Whole Foods work hard to being on the exception to that rule.

The peeled oranges and avocado halves serve the same purpose: "convenience" from lazy, rich people who somehow don't have the time/knowledge/energy to peel an orange or halve an avocado.

We don't know how much the peeled orange costs but convenience always comes at a price.

The peeled orange is missing the orange peel with the potential for orange zest or rind, both of which can add flavor and flair to a dish.

There is also the joy in removing the peel from an orange that you might have hated as a child but can appreciate as an adult. If peeling an orange is difficult, cut the orange in half makes peeling an orange much easier. Quartering an orange makes the process even easier.

Convenience in food makes lives easier, but they shouldn't be a substitute for not knowing about the food we eat. Carrot and celery sticks, vegetable and fruit trays have similar principles but are more acceptable.

Peeling a carrot or cutting up celery stalks takes time and effort but you learn how they work. And freshly cut carrots and celery always tastes better than pre-cut versions.

We talk a lot about knowing where your food comes from in terms of meat and dairy but that also applies to fruits and vegetables. Food involves taste, smell, sight, and, to a lesser extent, hearing. But touch is crucial in determining viability and freshness, especially in produce.

The firmness of an avocado or orange determines whether you are getting the best produce. Once you learn that life skill, you can eat forever. When the food is hiding behind a plastic-and-cardboard mask, you rely on the judgment of a company that sells produce outside of its natural packaging. In that scenario, you can eat but you don't learn a thing about eating.

photos credit: Sobeys and Facebook//Michelle Cehn/Facebook

'My Diet Is Better Than Yours' wrapup by the numbers

"My Diet Is Better Than Yours" was very good at giving health numbers: blood sugar, blood pressure, waist circumference. Shaun T even told Jasmin in the Week 7 weigh-in that her BMI had gone from obese to not obese. She sarcastically thanked Shaun T for telling everyone. But the show should be commended for giving health numbers and noting that even if the weight loss isn't too high that other numbers are important, too.

The show ran into significant problems with the body fat numbers.

Shaun T made a common math mistake by using subtraction instead of division to underestimate the body fat loss percentage.

As an example, in the first 7 weeks, Latasha's body fat went from 49.7% to 45%. Shaun T told us that Latasha lost 4.7% of her body fat.

That's wrong. Her actual body fat percentage loss was 9.46%.

At the final weigh-in, Shaun T told us that Latasha lost 8% of her body fat. That sounds like the same mistake, so if Latasha lost 8 percentage points, which is different than losing 8%, her actual body fat loss percentage was 16.1%.

Latasha lost quite a bit of body fat after the experts left. That significance will become relevant shortly.

At the Week 7 weigh-in, Jeff went from 44.2% body fat to 35.8% body fat. Shaun T wrongly told us this was a 8.4% body fat loss. The actual percentage was 19%.

In the final weigh-in, we learned that Jeff had "lost 8% body fat." Not true. But it also showed that Jeff lost 24 lbs. in the 7 weeks once the experts left but didn't lose any body fat. 

Jasmin, the winner of the contest, never had her body fat numbers revealed on the air. According to Abel's blog, Jasmin lost "13% body fat." Since Abel makes the same math errors that Shaun T makes, we have to assume that Jasmin lost 13 percentage points. Since we don't have a starting or finishing number, we can't compute Jasmin's actual body fat loss percentage. It's extremely odd that the winner would be the only contestant to finish where those numbers aren't provided.

From Abel's blog:

"My contestant, Kurt started at 352 pounds and 52% body fat. He finished at 265 pounds and just 30% body fat! So Kurt lost an astounding 22% body fat in 14 weeks …"

So much wrong with those numbers.

In the Week 7 weigh-in, Shaun T told us that Kurt went from a body fat percentage of 51.8% down to 29.4%, Shaun T told us that was a 22% drop. Uh, no. Make that a 56.8% drop in body fat. Depending on Jasmin's numbers, that drop almost was as big as the other 3 contestants combined. At that weigh-in, Kurt weighed 295 pounds and had a body fat level under 30%. Those numbers are rather unbelievable; the wild diet talked about burning the fat. And then some.

Here is where we are really confused. At the final weigh-in, Shaun T made a big deal that Kurt started out at "about 52%" and ended up at 30% body fat. Everyone made a big deal out of the same statistics from the Week 7 weigh-in.

As we noted on Friday, Kurt lost almost ⅔ of his weight before the experts left. But he lost 30 pounds on his own. Yet according to the numbers, Kurt didn't lose any more body fat in the last 7 weeks on his own.

The numbers were very specific in the Week 7 weigh-in; the numbers were very vague during the final weigh-in.

So Jeff and Kurt, the two men in the competition, lost zero body fat in the 7 weeks without the experts. Latasha lost 41.25% of her total body fat loss after the experts left.

The numbers are theoretically possible but rather difficult to explain. It would help if they understood math.

Dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, Jasmin win My Diet Is Better Than Yours

Heading into My Diet finale, superfood swap running close second to wild diet

'The Biggest Loser' still avoiding healthy food options

My Diet Is Better than Yours proves valuable with helpful food tips

Previewing 2016 weight-loss TV shows

Shaun T mentioned to us that Kurt had won more weigh-ins that any other contestant. That was true, but let's break down those numbers.

Only 3 of the 5 contestants won a weigh-in: Kurt, Jasmin, and Jeff. Kurt won 3 weigh-ins while Jasmin and Jeff each won 2 weigh-ins. Not much of an edge, but that was technically true.

Jeff won his weigh-ins early in the competition in Week 2 and Week 4, but didn't come close in the other weeks. In fact, Jeff came in 4th even with those early victories.

Jasmin's 2 weigh-in titles came in Week 5 and Week 7. While she did well early, barely losing Week 1, and even have the overall edge after 4 weeks, her momentum allowed her with 2 very strong weeks of the last 3 with the experts. In weight loss, better to have momentum later rather than earlier.

Latasha didn't win a single weigh-in and only came close late in the competition, yet finished third. She had the worst initial plan and stayed way too long. Once she got momentum, Latasha took off and did very well to finish 3rd overall.

The show got too caught up in short-term wins. Those who want to lose weight in the long haul would be wise to not think in terms of short-term wins.

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"My Diet Is Better Than Yours" was consistent in the TV ratings. The show scored poorly compared to the other broadcast shows, though Thursday is a competitive night and expectations from ABC weren't especially high.

The first week had the best numbers; the final week had the worst numbers. But Week 3 was better than Week 2. The numbers were close enough to be factored into the margin of error in the TV ratings.

Date	Adults 18-49 Rating/Share	Viewers (millions)
January 28	0.7/2	2.08
January 21	0.6/2	2.22
January 14	0.6/2	2.11
January 7	0.7/2	2.42
Numbers via http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com

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Full disclosure: I know Dawn Jackson Blatner in real life.

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photo credit: My Diet Is Better Than Yours/ABC

Dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, Jasmin win My Diet Is Better Than Yours

"My Diet Is Better Than Yours" had 7 experts, but only one of them was a dietitian. Turns out the dietitian and her contestant did win the 14-week challenge.

In the series finale that aired on ABC last night, Jasmin went from 200 lbs. to 147 lbs., a weight loss of 26.50% to win the title. Jasmin receives a $50,000 prize, $20,000 in free groceries, and both Dawn Jackson Blatner and Jasmin will be featured in People magazine. (Full disclosure: I know Dawn in real life.)

Kurt, on the wild diet, had a heroic weight-loss performance going from 352 lbs. to 265 lbs., an 87-lb. weight loss and a percentage of 24.72%

The superfood swap diet won the competition, though after the 7 weeks where the experts were alongside the contestants, Kurt had a slight edge with 16.19% versus 15% for Jasmin.

Dawn and Jasmin celebrating via smartphone after the win.

Jasmin won the Week 7 weigh-in, losing 5 pounds for a 2.86% weight loss. Kurt lost 7 lbs. in Week 7 for a 2.32% weight loss.

Jasmin lost 30 pounds while Dawn was there; 23 pounds on her own. She lost 56.6% of her weight loss with the expert. Kurt lost 57 pounds with Abel; 30 pounds on his own for a 65.5% rate while with the expert.

Latasha got some vindication by coming in 3rd with a 18.52% weight loss, going from 243 lbs. to 198 lbs. Given that she stayed too long with the clean momma plan, her numbers would have been a lot better.

Jeff had physical issues in the half marathon, but still did rather well, going from 359 lbs. to 295 lbs. for a 64-lb. weight loss and a 17.83% weight loss.

Taj dropped out of the competition just before the weigh-in at Week 7. She was going through personal turmoil, but was wrestling with other issues. In a game where the contestants couldn't be eliminated from the outside, her inner demons lead her to leave. Still, proof that in the real world and sometimes on TV, some people quit before the end.

Heading into My Diet finale, superfood swap running close second to wild diet

'The Biggest Loser' still avoiding healthy food options

My Diet Is Better than Yours proves valuable with helpful food tips

Previewing 2016 weight-loss TV shows

Jasmin won the Week 7 challenge and the half-marathon. Dawn had Jasmin update the stick figure self-perception; Jasmin figured out that she was more beautiful than she gave herself credit for in the beginning.

Jasmin and her family made lunch for Dawn: chicken un-Parmesan, zucchini wedges, and a tossed garden salad. The family noted that before Dawn came along, the chicken would have been breaded and there wouldn't be a salad on the table.

We saw Jasmin and her daughter coming up with a snack after Dawn was gone. They follow the binder of Dawn information, and end up with a snack of a banana and cheese. Nice thorough thought process in what can be a difficult decision.

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The wild diet took us into a world of intermittent eating, mixing in fasting. The talk was of doing breakfast at noon and having the last meal around 6-7 pm. That is a long time to go in waking up before eating. The contrast was eating sugary cereals in the morning, but I can tell you that you have plenty of morning options without resorting to sugar.

The nutrient timing has Latasha eating at 7 am, 11 am, 3 pm, and 8 pm. This is pretty much the opposite of intermittent eating. A solid diet program is about what you eat, not when. Some people can benefit somewhat from timing, but not that much.

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photos: me
screen grabs: My Diet Is Better Than Yours/ABC

Heading into My Diet finale, superfood swap running close second to wild diet

Jasmin was kicking butt in last week's episodes of "My Diet Is Better Than Yours" in winning the challenges in Weeks 5 and 6 as well as the Week 5 weigh-in. She lost 6 lbs. in Week 5 for a 3.3% weight loss; Kurt was a distant second with a 2.22% weight loss that week.

Jasmin was the first female to win a weigh-in. She has run a consistent second place in the competition.

The show has been running weekly totals without listing overall weight loss. After 6 weeks, Kurt is 1st with a 14.2% weight loss; he has lost 50 lbs. from his original 352 lbs. Jasmin has a 12.5% weight loss, losing 25 lbs. from her original 200 lbs. Her 1-lb. weight loss last week didn't help those numbers. Jeff is 3rd with a 9.75% weight loss.

So does that mean Dawn Jackson Blatner, who we know in real life, has the second-best diet behind the wild diet?

'The Biggest Loser' still avoiding healthy food options

My Diet Is Better than Yours proves valuable with helpful food tips

Previewing 2016 weight-loss TV shows

The show's dynamics have shown 2 very successful diet plans, some OK plans, a very strange plan that is now gone, and the newest one that has a lot to do with timing.

Latasha's new plan involves nutrient timing from Rob, a certified sports nutritionist. She says she trusts his plan because he looks like he knows what he's doing. His bandanna on his bald head makes him look like he doesn't know what he's doing. At least Latasha now knows what she is supposed to eat.

The program is "eating specific nutrients in specific amounts at specific times." Portion size is crucial: protein should fit in a palm, vegetables should fit into both fists, and fat should be the equivalent of both thumbs.

From my limited knowledge of nutrient timing, the program is about getting carbohydrates to the body when the body needs them. Seemingly, you might see a subtle difference if you are trying to be in very good shape, but the program doesn't seem to do as much for someone who needs to lose a lot of weight. Feel free to argue differently in the comments section.

Rob actually said supplements are a big part of the nutrient timing program. That's not really a diet program.

Latasha has been taking well to the program, and psychology is very important in these diet relationships.

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"Food isn't what make you happy," Dawn noted. We've seen more psychology than superfoods on the air. We know behind the scenes there have been many food swaps. We see lots of food dynamics from the wild diet but not the superfood swap.

Jasmin and her husband had a Mexican bowl for date night with her husband: lettuce, homemade salsa, red onion, guacamole, and fajita meat. We don't know if that came from Dawn, but that sounds tasty and healthy.

Dawn's big moment comes in Episode 6 came in finally convincing Jasmin to give up her fat clothes. At the date night meal, Jasmin is wearing the pants that she kept to try and fit into wearing. Keeping those clothes makes sense, but Jasmin needs a lot of help in giving up clothes she'll never wear again.

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We live in a society where we associate sweet potatoes with sweet potato fries. The wild diet guy is dealing with trying to get carbohydrates into Kurt's diet so he can train well for the half-marathon.

By boiling the sweet potato, the glycemic index is cut about in half. The on-air graphics said the glycemic index for the baked sweet potato is 94, but 46 for the boiled sweet potato.

I'm not that strong a believer in the glycemic index, but your body has that kind of extreme contrast based on how you cook a sweet potato, you should include that in your thought process.

The other wild diet tidbit might have come straight from Kurt, but asking questions in restaurants is important. Don't drive everyone off the beaten path with a litany of questions. But ask about the food you will be served. Knowledge is power.

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Under the clean momma plan, we had very little about food, so we didn't learn much about Latasha's eating habits. Turns out she had been eating 10 oz. of cheese a day. Even by American standards, 10 oz. of cheese daily is a lot. Rob was concerned about the loss of good bacteria from eating the cheese.

Does that raw milk cheese is healthier if it is less processed or does that apply to all cheeses. The bandanna doesn't help us figure that out.

The fat would be the biggest concern in eating that much cheese. My thought is that most regular cheeses are bland, and Latasha could add flavor in other ways while cutting unnecessary fat and calories.

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Taj gave out kale chips to her students. They didn't react well to the kale chips but they also knew they were kale chips. I'm not a fan of surprising people, but the exception can come if the food is crunchy and could pass for an odd-colored potato chip.

You would think these kids would have learned the reality TV test: if there are cameras in the room, you should pretend to like the food you are trying.

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The no diet guy had an interesting take on grocery shopping. He preached the "shop the perimeter" technique, which is quite important. But he wanted Jeff to sharply cut down the time spent in the grocery store to focus, streamline, and not be swayed by temptation. The shopping trip time went from 45 minutes to 13 minutes.

My own personal shopping style is more about going for a few items at a time. So the amount of time I spend in a store is very small. This is not terribly practical for a lot of people, but one of those two styles can work for most people.

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Note: I will be attending a live screening of the finale tonight. Yes, Dawn is sponsoring the event, but I am paying full price to attend. I'll have more on that next week.

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photo credit: My Diet Is Better Than Yours/ABC

'The Biggest Loser' still avoiding healthy food options

"My Diet Is Better Than Yours" has proven that a reality TV weight-loss show can show positive nutrition tips. So let's look at how a long-time player handles the topic of food temptations.

"The Biggest Loser" is focusing on temptations this season. In Episode 2, the show promised us footage of the contestants dealing with food temptations.

The track record of the program has been about exercise like Ivory Soap has been about pure. The rare instances of nutrition have come when the show featured teenagers. Adults need help, too.

Collapsing on a treadmill!? TV gold. Learning good nutrition? Off-camera, please.

My Diet Is Better than Yours proves valuable with helpful food tips

Previewing 2016 weight-loss TV shows

We were taken to a pretend food court. Since we can't learn anything without a game, the contestants had to identify the correct food based on the nutritional content questions, race down and grab that food and bring the food back to the starting line.

Which one of these dishes has the most fat? chicken parmesan, meat lasagna, pepperoni pizza, cheese calzone

This isn't really a question about actual nutrition; this was more about pointing to which fat food had slightly more fat than the other fat foods. Also, the serving size was chosen at random so the contestants couldn't really factor portions into their thinking, like they would do in real life.

Pepperoni pizza is the answer: 3 slices of pizza with 1050 calories, 48 grams of fat, and 1920 mg of sodium. Half the calories came from saturated fat. And no, we don't know which dish was the "healthiest." That would have been more helpful.

They didn't mention that most of that fat comes from mozzarella cheese. Few Americans know the fat content of food, and the question ignores potential good fat.

Which of these food items is considered to be the unhealthiest on the school lunch menu? chicken burritos, cheese nachos, steak tacos, cheese quesadillas

Cheese nachos won out with 1570 calories, 60 grams of fat, and 2380 mg sodium. We learned that the nachos had more calories than a kid should eat all day.

The question is subjective: based on fat, sodium, calories, or all of the above? Also, cheese nachos can be made healthier with black beans and plenty of vegetables, though school children aren't getting that version.

Chicken alfredo, macaroni and cheese, and pie a la mode were the other answers to the food court questions. Then again, if you aren't sure about these dishes, you won't learn anything advantageous on this show.  

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The message was AVOID, AVOID but without any positive reinforcement. Jasmin on My Diet was still able to eat macaroni and cheese with healthy upgrades. The Biggest Loser contestants were just scared. Did they learn how to avoid said temptation? Nope. Just learned that BAD was BAD. Sigh.

After the food court games, the contestants were taken to a lab to see how much sugar and fat they were putting in their bodies. Colby, a large man with a thick Georgia accent, has a drinking problem: in an average day, Colby drinks a 6-pack of soda, 3 sweet ice teas, 6 glasses of juice, and a sport drink. That comes out to 1.25 lbs. of "sugar" a day, with a lot of that sweetener being high-fructose corn syrup.

Scary, to be consistent, but helpful in that Colby was consuming mass amount of calories that didn't involve food. A small nugget of knowledge, even if it isn't positive.

The food court losers also had to eat the food as punishment for losing. In the second half of week 2, the contestants had to drag food trucks, and the losing team had to eat off the food trucks for the week.

Yes, these shows are designed to humiliate and play up emotions, but there is so much the people and the viewers could be learning on these shows. Good nutrition would be a significant start.

photos credit: The Biggest Loser/NBC

My Diet Is Better than Yours proves valuable with helpful food tips

We had high hopes for "My Diet Is Better than Yours" since the program had a real dietitian who I know in real life: Dawn Jackson Blatner.

Blatner's contestant, Jasmin, has been doing rather well on the superfood swap plan. Though Jasmin hasn't won an individual week, she actually finished first overall after 2 weeks, even with an injury. After 4 weeks, Jasmin is a comfortable second behind Kurt and the wild diet.

Since this is a reality show on a major network, the overall emphasis is exercise and psychology. Of course, the contestants are humiliated in their quest with the challenges. Jeff, the guy on the no diet plan, said before the challenge in Episode 3 that the challenge was stupid. Duh. All the challenges are stupid. This one might have been the least stupid, but it was fun as hell for a contestant to speak the truth on one of these shows. Thanks to the producers for leaving in the comment.

Dawn is preaching calm along with her superfood swap suggestions. This goes against every instinct on the reality shows. This may be why all of the experts explained their plan early in Episode 1 but not Dawn. Also, she virtually disappears from Episode 2, not even offering a superfood swap.

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Here are Blatner's food tips from the first half of the show (there are 4 more episodes than run the next 2 weeks, starting tonight):

• In her first superfood switch, the new macaroni and cheese involved whole wheat noodles and a 50-50 mix of cauliflower and cheese in the cheese mix. A good way to sneak in a vegetable while reducing the fat content of cheese without a negative substitution. Jasmin's daughter even liked the switch, though this was on camera. This was a better contrast to The Biggest Loser when Biingo's mother crammed 5 vegetables into a meatloaf. One vegetable is just fine, especially if she couldn't tell the difference.
• Blatner is in favor of treats … as long as they aren't done at home. We see Dawn and Jasmin in the grocery store when Jasmin says she wants the whole cake. Dawn says she can have the cake, but have a piece out in a cafe but don't have leftover cake at home.
• Blatner institutes a cart check to reflect the ratios on a dinner plate: 50% produce, 25% grains, and 25% protein.
• Blatner brings out green popsicles in Episode 3. The producers didn't give us any food tips from Blatner in Episode 2. The ingredient list mentioned were plant milk, almond butter, and spinach. The recipe online mentions bananas instead of almond butter, though both should be fine.
• In Episode 4, Jasmin is at a social event where candy is dominant. Dawn has suggested grapes instead of candy to help resist temptation. Grapes are high in sugar so they are a good alternative to candy, but eventually Jasmin should switch to lower sugar fruits such as blueberries and strawberries. But it's clear that Jasmin has issues with sugar, so grapes are a good transition. Dawn spoke of Jasmin needing to feel in charge and believe that sugar has no power over her.

The only diet to be on par with the superfood swap is the wild diet. Lean protein, meat, fat without processed carbohydrates. Think bacon cheeseburger but on a lettuce leaf.

The wild diet is second on the list for less drama, which is not a coincidence.

Some highlights from the wild diet.

• Put butter instead of sugar in your coffee. The wild diet emphasizes that you "have to eat fat to lose fat." The wild diet also pushes coffee, which for most Americans isn't an issue. Butter would seem to be a better option than sugar in coffee, but I might prefer to use butter in other scenarios. Since butter is often used with carbohydrates, using butter in coffee eliminates carbohydrates from the exchange. Might be smart to limit butter and coffee, but this is a way to do both.
• The wild diet guy threw a dessert party for Kurt's family and friends. They made ice cream with 85% chocolate and sweetened with dates. We also saw grain free cheesecake, avocado chocolate pudding, grain-free cookies, and mint chocolate chip ice cream. The grain-free cheesecake ties into the fat minus the carbohydrates. I make my own chocolate pudding with avocados and can vouch for its deliciousness.
• The wild diet loves the idea of bone broth. We saw them get animal bones and make broth with water and rice vinegar in a slow cooker. They made them look easy on TV but as we've learned, the process to make bone broth takes 18 hours.
• The wild diet mentions convenient protein sources such as canned tuna, sardines, and chia seeds, as well as using hot sauce instead of ketchup.

2 of the other plans were vague on food and the other plan was vegan. The contestants get to stay but the experts get to leave. The vegan lady was dismissed after 2 weeks over communication issues. The clean momma plan was extremely vague and the contestant was nice enough to have the expert last a whole 4 weeks.

• The "no diet" plan is about psychology and strategy. Blue plates since foods aren't naturally blue, for example. One of his relevant ideas is for people to use chopsticks to slow down the eating speed since it takes the brain 15-20 minutes to realize the stomach is full. On screen, we see that "the slower you eat, the faster you metabolize food." We're told to eat free of distractions, but those distractions could help us slow down our eating speed. Chopsticks would be more effective that way if you keep the bowl on the table as opposed to eating with the bowl close to your mouth.
• The vegan showdown came with smoothies in the first week with smoothies featuring kale, bananas, and chia seeds as a cleanse.
• The strong, safe, and sexy plan lady replaced the vegan showdown lady. The vegan plan is the smartest in a long-term situation, but there were communication gaps from the start. The strong, safe, and sexy plan lady says she is a clinical nutritionist, which is still not a dietitian such as Blatner. Her recipe for “egg muffins” sounded like frittatas in a muffin tin. Frittatas aren't fun but “egg muffins” do seem more fun.
• Latasha picked the clean momma plan, which was mostly about exercising at every single conscious moment. Latasha kept complaining to the viewers that she was struggling to understand the food component. I never saw anything where that was explained. The only food moment came when the instructor asked to switch mozzarella for cheddar on a salad since mozzarella had 30% fewer calories. I have a medical bias against mozzarella but would point out that in a dish where meltiness wasn't a concern, that the flavor of cheddar could mean using 30% less of it versus a cheese with little to no flavor such as mozzarella.

The show is about which diet is the best i.e., which contestant loses the highest percentage of body weight. You are an individual person with your own needs. Kurt and Jasmin are doing well in part because the diets they picked suit them. And those diets involve a food philosophy. Reality for you might be incorporating elements from each plan as they suit you.

If cheesecake is your calling, try it without a crust. Have a slice outside the home where you will be less tempted. Serve it on a blue plate.

photo credit: My Diet Is Better Than Yours/ABC

Previewing 2016 weight-loss TV shows

"My Diet Is Better Than Yours" matches trainers with individuals on a 1-on-1 basis, but the teams will compete against each other. ABC will run the show in 2-hour blocks over 4 weeks starting Thursday at 8 pm Eastern.

Shaun T, who you might recognize from the infomercial about "Insanity" that you've seen if you left your TV set on Comedy Central before you went to bed, is the host of the program. Celebrity trainer Anna Kaiser will be along to create and host challenges.

The "star trainers" are Carolyn Barnes, Jovanka Ciares, Jay Cardiello, Dawn Jackson (Blatner) and Abel James. This is the part where I mention that I know Dawn Jackson, as in Dawn Jackson Blatner.

I do like the potential on the 1-on-1 relationship but am less impressed with the game show mentality. But this is reality TV after all.

Because I know Blatner, I did check the bios of the other "star trainers." Dawn Jackson Blatner is the only trainer who is a registered dietitian nutritionist. Barnes, Cardiello, and James are about fitness rather than diet. Ciares describes herself as a "former entertainment executive turned Wellness expert, detox specialist, nutrition educator, and author." I don't see the word "dietitian" in that description.

Blatner's Superfood Swap plan revolves around versions of favorite foods made with healthier ingredients.

We talk about the disconnect in these weight-loss TV shows between exercise (which looks good on TV) vs. food (which gets ignored on TV). A competition between 5 dietitians would make for a more educational show vs. loud people who might be TV worthy.

We are rooting for Blatner to succeed not because I know her and like her, but because we finally have a dietitian on TV, even in a skeptical reality TV show format.

We have complained about the disconnect between dietitians who have information and people who need that information. Dawn Jackson Blatner is very good on television and has a chance in this show to show that dietitians can help people lose weight.

In the interest of full disclosure, here are stories I have written that mention Dawn Jackson Blatner:

What's Tempting: Snacking for dinner

What's Tempting: Moving vegetables from the crisper

Temptation of the Week: Nutrition swaps

How much meat per week makes you a 'flexitarian'?

I do plan to watch the show to get a full impression and will report back. I plan to be objective in writing about the show and giving an honest assessment. I know Blatner would expect nothing less from me, despite knowing each other.

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The biggest news for "The Biggest Loser" is that Bob Harper is the new host of the program. Harper replaces Alison Sweeney, who has hosted the show since 2007. Caroline Rhea, who is one of my favorite comedians, was the original host for the first 3 years.

Admittedly, I haven't been watching lately but I can't think of a single thing Sweeney ever added to the show.

Dolvett Quince and Jennifer Widerstrom remain as trainers. If you thought Jillian Michaels was still on the show, her last season was in 2014. If her loudness was still ringing in your ears, you are forgiven for thinking she was still there.

Harper ought to be a vast improvement as host. We aren't likely to watch, but we are glad the show has a host who will add to the experience for the contestants and the viewers.

The theme for Season 17 is temptation, something we address quite often at BalanceofFood.com. That theme might sway us to write about this season but don't count on anything similar to the coverage of many years past.

The Biggest Loser starts out tonight with a 2-hour premiere at 9p Eastern on NBC.

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photo credit: My Diet Is Better Than Yours/ABC
tweet capture: Twitter.com/djblatner

Cooking Channel needs to bring back Laura Calder, focus less on celebrities

Tiffani Amber Thiessen, Tia Mowry, Haylie Duff.

No, the category isn't forgotten TV stars. These three actresses are part of the new wave of celebrity food shows on the Cooking Channel.

Celebrities and food go together on too many levels, but that shouldn't come at the expense of entertaining cooking shows that are more about food.

Food Network and Cooking Channel are both owned by Scripps Networks. The company had a nice split: sillier shows such as Donut Showdown and anything Guy Fieri touches would be on the Food Network; more serious cooking shows, such as "French Food at Home" and anything Nigella Lawson touches would be on the Cooking Channel.

The celebrities are now part of the marketing push on the Cooking Channel: the fast-paced promo that is now running on the channel has more celebrities than food.

The real casualty of these increased celebrity moves is the loss of actual cooking shows, such as "French Food at Home" with Laura Calder.

• How important should sex appeal be in a cooking show?

The show used to have a prominent place on the Cooking Channel weekdays at 12:30 pm Eastern. The move to early Tuesday mornings at 7:30 am ET was a sign, but the early Tuesday slot meant still being on the schedule. Now the show is off the schedule.

The Food Network is rarely on the TV in my apartment; the Cooking Channel is often in the background. There is still plenty of entertainment in the cooking shows, but the food is the star.

"Dinner at Tiffani's" took over the early morning timeslot on Tuesdays. Not the original airings, but 2 of about a dozen or so airings per week. Since the show hasn't been on very long, if you missed a specific episode, you can leave your TV on and that episode will come back.

Thiessen does cook on the show and she goes through the basics of the recipes. Measurements? Maybe of the actresses but not measurements of the ingredients in the dishes.

Food is an interruption as to actors Thiessen has worked with, their spouses, and other related people. If you like Jason Priestley, and I do, you get to see more of him than the food. After about 20 minutes, you wish food was as important to the show as the guests.

Duff does cook on the show, but caters mostly to a hipster audience that ironically watches her and says, "Didn't she used to be Hilary's sister?"

Mowry's show recently debuted on the Cooking Channel. Mowry says she wants us to get to know her through her food. First, I have to separate her from her sister, Tamera. The two of them starred on "Sister, Sister."

In my subsequent research, Mowry is now a vegan as of the first of the year. That is a more interesting angle than her being a celebrity. The vegan angle gets no mentions in the promos.

"Extra Virgin" has a celebrity in Debi Mazar and her husband Gabriele Corcos. Bits of the show are kinda silly and self-serving, but when Corcos discusses Italian cooking, you wish the show was more about him and less about everyone else. If you fast forward through some of the more self-indulgent portions, you still get good cooking tips.

When the Cooking Channel aired "French Food at Home," they stuck with a few episodes and didn't rotate others into the mix. If/when the show is back on the air, we hope for more episodes that didn't get airings in recent runs.

We miss her cool, soothing voice. We miss her charm at her own expense but very light-hearted. We miss the butter, the indulgence, the way she poked fun at the diet industry.

We would love to have her back on the air, even Tuesdays at 7:30 am ET. The Cooking Channel still has a page devoted to her show, so hopefully the hiatus is temporary.

Laura Calder is entertaining and informative and all about fun and cooking: just what you want for a cable TV outlet called the Cooking Channel.

photo credit: French Food at Home