Peeking Behind the Pantry

Reading food labels is imperative for me. Due to my intolerance to wheat and eggs I need to know exactly what is in everything I eat. Sometimes I scan the label quickly in order to determine if I can eat it. At other times I find myself trying to make sense of some of the strange ingredients. I’m constantly reminded of one of Michael Pollan’s suggestions when it comes to nutrition: “avoid food products containing ingredients that are a.) unfamiliar b.) unpronounceable c.) more than five in number – or that contain high fructose corn syrup. All those signs point to food that’s been processed. More process = less nutrients and vitamins, never mind the environmental costs of producing the food.”

I have to admit that I never really feel healthy or full of energy. I know this is due in part to the things I put in my body. I feel like I’m a smart shopper when it comes to the foods I purchase. I try not to buy processed foods or foods that contain a lot of unfamiliar ingredients. I decided to “rate” my compliance with Michael Pollan’s rule of thumb by taking some items in my kitchen that I eat everyday and seeing exactly what I’m consuming. This is not an effort on my part to call out manufacturers. I’m simply doing a reality check on what I have decided to purchase and how I may want to change my eating habits.

Breakfast: Instant oatmeal with unsweetened applesauce, flaxseed, cinnamon and a sprinkle of artifical sweetener. The oatmeal I purchase contains a multitude of ingredients. Unfortunately, there are way more than five so I’ll list the first few to get started. First ingredient listed: whole grain rolled oats (good start), followed by calcium carbonate (caclium fortified? okay), sugar (uh oh), salt (really?), dextrose (oy) and a bunch of other things I cannot pronounce let alone know what they are. Wow, major foul on the very first thing I put into my body. I thought I was making the right choice by buying plain oatmeal. By the way, the artificial sweetener I was using has already been thrown in the trash. I knew that there were health risks associated with artificial sweeteners but I had no idea how many side effects the particular one I was using could produce.

Snack: An apple with either a couple slices of cheese or a handful of peanuts. The apple is organic so I feel somewhat safe there. The cheese is …wait for it…sliced deli cheese. I know. I know! Sliced deli cheese? Really? It’s convenient sooooo that’s my excuse. A quick search of the ingredients were somewhat surprising because it wasn’t a long list of things I could not pronounce. Is it processed? Yes. Do I need to switch it out for something else? Yes, but I’m somewhat relieved it wasn’t as processed as I thought it was.

Lunch: Leftovers with a piece of fruit. I usually have whatever we had for dinner the night before so this is not something I’m too worried about. Let’s move on.

Snack: Here’s where my day tends to fall apart. It’s the end of the work day and I’m beat. I want a treat. I usually have a piece of fruit with natural peanut butter. Sounds good right? Well, once I get ready to make dinner I then find myself sneaking a few chips. I usually have whole grain tortilla chips but there are occasions where I want something loaded with barbecue sauce or sour cream. Again, that’s where I get into trouble. A quick look at a bag of chips in my pantry revealed ingredients like sodium caseinate, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate. In other words, huh?

Share

26 comments

Green Lite Bites Cookbook Giveaway

Among the list of things they never teach new moms is the ability to master the art of multitasking. There’s this new person that you are now responsible for. Add in a hubby, house, job, etc. and things can get a little crazy. When my cousin Barb, mom to an adorable little girl named Jen, began cooking for her family she needed easy family-friendly recipes. She found Green Lite Bites and for that I am eternally grateful.

Approximately four years ago Barb found Roni’s recipe for Red Rice with Beans and Sausage but needed to make a few changes for her picky eaters. Roni was kind enough to respond to my cousin’s countless questions about substitutions and preparation. The recipe, it turns out, was a hit but what captured my attention even more was the kind words my cousin had for Roni. Barb was nervous about what to feed her family. Roni gave her the support she needed to feel comfortable in the kitchen.

Shortly after I started my blog I began to follow Roni on Twitter and on Green Lite Bites. I love that she is so open about her struggles with the daily grind and how to find balance in her life. I have, on more than one occasion, tweeted that I was trying to channel my “inner Roni” to get motivated. She’s an inspiration.

If you pop over to Green Lite Bites or one of her other sites, you’ll likely find some of the cutest family photos around. Roni is the proud mama of two adorable sons. She routinely posts photos like the recent one below. Cuteness overload!

Little Guy and Little Bean

Share

62 comments

Philly Area Food & Drink Writer Meet-Up at R2L

Smoked Salmon Brunch Pizza

A few of my favorite things: a breathtaking view of the city, local writers and one killer menu. I would take any one of these on a lovely fall afternoon. On Saturday, I had the good fortune to experience them all at once. A group of food and drink writers gathered at R2L for a meet-up. It was everything I wanted it to be and more.

Several months ago I approached the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) with an idea. I wanted to bring together local food and drink writers with the folks at Philly Homegrown in an effort to continue to build our foodie community. Our writers are passionate about their craft. I knew they would love to have a chance to come together. When I started out writing I never passed on an opportunity to learn from others. This event presented the attendees with an opportunity to engage in a collaborative effort to share knowledge and empower each other.

R2L was gracious enough to host the event. If you have not been to R2L add it to your bucket list a.s.a.p. Located on the 37th floor at Two Liberty Place, they have a birds’ eye view of Philadelphia. Their menu of creative American food by Chef Daniel Stern sets the scene for a spectacular culinary experience. The staff is simply phenomenal. I cannot say enough wonderful things about R2L.

They created an amazing menu of hors d’oeuvres including steak tartare, truffled flatbread, smoked salmon, risotto bites and tuna skewers. Cocktails included the R2L-EVATION (gin, parfait amour, luxardo, fresh lemon, cherry) and a SIDECAR (hennessy vs, pallini limoncello, cointreau, fresh lemon). Did I mention that every guest was greeted at the entrance with a glass of champagne? When I say amazing it is quite the understatement. Plated items for the food photography portion of the workshop included many eye grabbing meals such as the smoked salmon pizza at the top of the page.

Me and Chef Daniel Stern (photo courtesy of The Omnivore)

Share

24 comments