Food Geeks Inc

Frozen Pizza Nutrition Showdown

2006-12-04T15:48:00.000-05:00

Someone has followed in the Food Geeks footsteps and conducted a frozen pizza nutrition comparison. (Recall our first product showdown on pizza here.) Honestly though, dietitian Leslie Beck has more clout than we do, as this article is an excerpt from a piece shown on CTV's morning show, Canada AM. Hence, I'm sure we were not her inspiration..but it is nice to imagine that we could be :)

Ms. Beck provides info on both the worst and the best slices of frozen pizza out there on the Canadian market. It is quite surprising on the findings that the nutrition info on just one slice/serving of a pizza has such high numbers in sodium and fat. Example is the President's Choice Rising Crust Extra Pepperoni product, where just 1/6th of the pizza contains 16 grams of fat and 1004 milligrams of sodium - yikes!

Need a Food Habit Tracker Device?

2006-11-20T10:28:00.000-05:00

For Food Geeks who want to know more about their eating and activity habits, the Dietitians of Canada has launched an online program called EATracker. It includes a calendar where you can log in your food consumption plus amount of energy expended daily. A big plus is that it is like a diary where you can go back and check your progress throughout time. The eating diary includes a search function by keywords or by food group, so that makes it easier to log in what you ate for the day. I was fiddling around with it, and so far it seems like a good site to analyze your daily eating habits, and also help manage your serving sizes, as each food item is broken down into a typical serving size according to Health Canada's food guide. It does need to have its improvements in providing more ethnic based foods to its food list, but it can still provide you with a general assessment.

Check it out for yourself - do keep in mind that it does not replace medical advice, but is a guideline for you to understand more of what you eat and what you do!

Colour Me Hungry - Part 2

2006-11-06T18:39:00.000-05:00

Check out this article by Leslie Beck, a dietitian and nutrition spokesperson in Canada. She writes about why you should be eating your vegetables - colourful and leafy, plus the benefits of including more fish (yum, Omega-3 fats) in your food regimen. This follows on the tail of Ms. Pepper's love of all things colourful.

Colour me hungry

2006-10-31T14:00:00.000-05:00

So you know when you were a kid and your mom told you to make a salad? What did you put into the salad? Some kids were probably lazy and just did lettuce and tomatoes. Other kids probably just followed whatever instructions their mom gave them. For me, I always made sure that my salad was colourful. I didn't really think about how it would taste, really. Nor did I really think about the nutritional value of the ingredients I was adding. Rather, I would simply stand back and admire the salad to determine if it was colourful enough.

Now, I always thought that this silly habit of mine was due to the fact that I was a bit of an artsy kid. I loved to paint, draw, sculpt Play-doh, and flip through art books. Now, MSN is telling me that my compulsion for creating colourful meals might actually be an instinctual mechanism for ensuring I have all of the vitamins and minerals I need to be healthy. According to this article, my love of colourful foods is actually heart-healthy and contributes to keeping me young. Who knew?

This strange compulsion of mine has followed me into adulthood, thankfully. I love the contrast of blueberries against the golden flesh of mangoes. Or the way the red and white of radishes contrasts so nicely against the green of the lettuce. And I really love how the green specks of parsley and basil float around in the red of my tomato sauce. So get out your colour wheel and start cooking!

Chocolate = Healthy Snacking?

2006-10-12T11:33:00.000-04:00

This just in: for those located Stateside, Masterfoods USA (the people behind Mars Bars) are bringing their healthy line of chocolate bars to the convenience stores. CocoaVia is the name of these products, and their claim to fame is that they are loaded with anti-oxidants known as flavanols. These compounds have been associated with improving the health of blood vessels through preventing clotting and promoting healthy blood flow. Hence, less clogged arteries. These products have been available for purchase only via the internet and in multipacks at large retail stores, but it must be making an impact if it is going to be sold in the convenience store channel as single bars. So the trend of “good/better-for-you” snacking is going on strong! This article further states that the US snack market has decreased sales in items such as baked goods, in favour of healthy snacking alternatives.

I am oh-so curious to try one of these Cocoavia products to see if the taste holds up. The Mars people have been researching the benefits of flavanols for 15 years now, so they must know what they are doing, and have a serious investment in the (healthy) snack market. The Cocoavia website is packed with articles on the science behind chocolate, plus its heart healthy aspects. This is something I will definitely have to investigate, but being a chocolate lover myself, I do admit to eating my fair share!

Another Reason to Munch on Salad

2006-09-19T13:53:00.000-04:00

I love my green salads. Ms. Pepper loves her salads too (but please be moderate on the dressing, as she gets irked by seeing her salad leaves doused in it). So salad lovers or those that eat lots of raw vegetables typically have higher levels of many important nutrients in their blood, according to a study from the US.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, found that even just having one serving of raw veggies daily puts people almost at their recommended daily intake of vitamin A (key in vision development and keeping your skin healthy) and vitamin E (an antioxidant), to name a few. With this new knowledge in mind, you don’t have to eat a large serving to reap the benefits – just a serving will do. You might be asking, what is a typical serving size? From Health Canada’s food guide for healthy eating, this is equivalent to a cup of tossed salad, or ½ cup of raw vegetables. So for those who rather have meat over their vegetables or “forget” to eat them, it is so easy to work it into your eating schedule! For instance, you can have a salad to complement your soup or sandwich at lunch, or munch on some carrot sticks/broccoli etc. as an afternoon snack.

And for those that cannot do without their salad dressing or dip, the study also determined that a little fat helps the body absorb the nutrients more efficiently. So break out that Caesar dip, or oil and vinegar dressing…but of course, in moderation :)

Is it Healthy or Not?

2006-09-18T10:55:00.000-04:00

I know someone who won't eat beef because of the risk of mad cow disease, and she also won't eat shellfish because of PCB content, and she won't eat salad because she worries that you can't wash the veggies enough to get the pesticides off of them, and she won't touch poultry now with the bird flu scare, and the list goes on and on. But as many of us know, beef is a good source of iron, raw veggies are refreshing in the summer, chicken is a good source of low-fat protein, and shellfish is just yummy. So should we pay more heed to the benefits or the potential drawbacks of the foods we eat?

MSN.com has a good article that clears up some of the confusion that exists with some of our favourite foods. Interestingly, it sounds like the Food Geeks' Food Philosophy is not only a good guideline for nutritional balance, but including a large variety of foods in your diet helps to mitigate many of the health risks related to foods.

When Zero Doesn't Equal Zero

2006-09-14T22:07:00.000-04:00

There's an interesting article in Maclean's magazine this month that talks about a loophole of sorts in Canada's nutritional labeling requirements, which may mean that you are unknowingly consuming trans-fats. It appears that food companies can use the marketing claim of "0 grams of trans-fat" if the product contains less than 0.2 grams of trans-fat per serving.

And of course, where there is a loophole, you had better believe that food companies are going to exploit it. The article takes a critical look at some products that make the claim of 0 grams of trans-fats, and notes that although trans-fat content has gone down, there remains trace amount of trans-fats in many of our favourite snack foods.

Apparently Health Canada is aware of the loophole and is working to fix it.

What I'm hoping Health Canada will consider is in addition to amending what marketing claims can be made by food companies, that they also consider standardizing serving sizes for broad categories of foods. Not only would that make the comparison of nutritional information between products easier on the consumer, it would negate many opportunities for companies to take advantage of any loopholes that may exist in labeling requirements.

For example, if a product is tested and it's found to contain 0.2 grams of trans-fat in a 32 gram serving (which would allow them to make a "zero grams of trans-fat" claim), while 0.21 grams of trans-fat is found in a 33 gram serving (which would exclude them from being able to make a "zero grams of trans-fat" claim), guess which serving size they would be more inclined to print on the nutritional label?

While I'm sure the food companies would despise any further regulation on their industry, food plays such an integral part in human health and well-being that it becomes difficult to not further regulate the business of food (and by extension, agricultural production). This may sound somewhat alarmist, but if you stop and ponder just how many of the health scares in modern history are linked to food and diet (E. coli, Mad Cow Disease, scurvy, obesity, coronary heart disease, death-inducing allergies, and the list goes on), it makes you wonder how we can allow the continuation of status quo.

Ready-to-Eat Cereals Exposed

2006-09-07T11:37:00.000-04:00

After reading Ms. Pepper’s commentary on how children don’t necessarily outgrow their “baby fat”, I’ve come to deduce another reason to the rise in childhood obesity (on top of the serving size problem). The rise in processed and convenience foods can also be attributed to this problem. CTV and the Globe and Mail jointly did an investigation into ready-to-eat (RTE) cereals and its sugar content. It was an eye-opener to read this article, as many cereals contain the equivalent amount of sugar to popular chocolate bars. (Note: Although cereal varieties have no standard serving size, when children were asked to pour out a typical serving of cereal they consumed, it came out to over 50 grams.) Dr. Neiman, a pediatrician interviewed for this article, puts things in perspective in regards to the consumption of sugary RTE cereals: "Imagine if I take out the sugar bowl, and scoop out six teaspoons into your child's mouth.” Yikes! This chart gives you a chocolate bar to cereal sugar comparison of some of the leading brands in the Canadian market.

We cannot totally discount RTE cereals, as they do have good perks: contains essential nutrients (albeit fortified, but still there) and generally are low in fat. But sugary cereals still have to be classified in the “sometimes” eating category – which goes back to the “eat everything in moderation philosophy” that we Food Geeks stand by. Children cannot go ‘cold turkey’ and completely shut out Froot Loops or Cap’n Crunch from their diet immediately. In a related article, dietitian Rosie Schwartz suggests gradually weaning them off. Hence, you can try mixing in some oats, flakes and fruit together with the sugary cereals. Kids can still get their sugar fix, but will also have more fibre and whole grains in their morning meal. Another suggestion Schwartz offers (and one I like and should practice too!) is buying your own bulk ingredients (e.g. nuts, flakes, oats, fruit, raisins etc) and letting the kids make up their own granola. It makes it so much more interesting if they concoct the cereal mix themselves.

Early Childhood Education in Nutrition

2006-09-05T12:48:00.000-04:00

Today's Globe and Mail features an interesting article that debunks the myth that children will outgrow their childhood chubbiness. And while the study that is referenced in the article is important for the data the researchers were able to collect, what the article doesn't really address is the cause-effect of childhood obesity and subsequent behavioural issues that develop with the child into adulthood.

Towards the end of the article, there is a brief mention about educating kids in schools about nutrition. However, I'm a firm believer that a child's attitudes toward food are more likely learned from their parents and family rather than in school. In school, kids can learn what is healthy and what is not. But the reality is that most kids don't cook for themselves and perhaps have little say in what is served at the dinner table, and so educating children about nutrition and instilling good attitudes towards food really needs to start with the parents.

Margaret Cho, a riotously funny Asian comedienne, writes about her body image issues and her unhealthy relationship with food in her book I'm the One I Want. In the book, she tells of her mother's use of food as a way to deal with depression and other troubles. Often, her mom would ask Margaret to join her in her binge eating, wanting companionship as she soothed her pains. Ultimately, Margaret struggled with her weight throughout her life as she emulated her mother in using food to comfort herself as she went through the trials and tribulations of adulthood and career success.

In my own experience, my parents' pragmatism taught me to never waste food. I often grew up hearing "the starving children in Ethiopia would be thankful to have as much food to eat as you." My smart-aleck response, which always got me a very stern scolding from my parents, was "so how fast can Fed-Ex deliver to Ethiopia?" The result is that to this day, even if I'm full, I feel guilty about leaving food on my plate. I have to make a very concerted effort to not continue eating beyond the point of being comfortably full. In restaurants where I know portion sizes are large, I will ask the server to pack away half of my meal before the plate reaches the table. Otherwise, I have to continually remind myself that I can stop eating and not feel guilty since the food is not going to waste because I will eat the leftovers the next day as my lunch.

Mr. Pepper has similar food issues due to the way his family operated. Mr. Pepper's mom has no sense of portion size. She will fill every pot and plate to the rim and expect you to eat every last morsel. To her, the proper serving size of pasta is not the size of a baseball. Rather, it looks much more like football. Seriously. So to this day, Mr. Pepper has similar problems judging portion sizes and often makes, serves, and subsequently eats way more than what is appropriate. He has to continually convince himself that although the servings of food we're eating look small, he will be satiated in the end.

And these learned behaviours are not limited to the influence of parents, but also extended family. As I watch Mr. Pepper's mom dote over her grandkids, I worry that my niece and nephew will overhear and question their body image. As with all grandmothers, the senior Mrs. Pepper laments that her grandchildren don't eat enough food with enough frequency, and therefore look too skinny. I think my niece and nephew look healthy - they are tall, lean, and strong. Nothing to worry about in my mind. But she will not be dissuaded... I just hope that my niece and nephew don't take her comments with too much seriousness.

I'm sure many of you can relate to the above stories. And for all you parents out there, your kids are more impressionable than you know. The only way to ensure that your children will have a healthy body image and healthy attitudes towards food is to ensure that you enforce a healthy lifestyle for all members of your family, yourself included.

Diet Decoder Results

2006-08-25T15:11:00.000-04:00

For the last year, The Toronto Star has had a feature called "The Diet Decoder". The premise being that Megan Ogilvie tries a new diet every week and reports back on her experience with the various diets. It has been an interesting read, and the results of her year-long experiment are hardly surprising. In the end, the diets that worked the best and had the most support from deiticians were the ones that preached moderation (portion control) rather than elimination of the consumption of certain foods. Additionally, they preached balance and variety.

These are healthy principles to live by regardless of whether or not you are looking to lose weight.

The Truth Behind Sports Drinks

2006-08-23T16:24:00.000-04:00

Gatorade, Powerade, and various-other-ades are big business. They purport to give you energy and quench thirst. I've seen numerous people bring sports drinks with them to their aerobics class or on the treadmill. And while that is their choice to do so, I often wonder if they realize the truth behind sports drinks.

Too many people substitute sports drinks for water. Yes, Gatorade will quench your thirst, but they are also chock full of empty calories. ABC News features a good article that busts the myths surrounding the cult of sports drinks. In the article, Dr. David Katz makes an apt description of the sports drink phenomenon, saying, "It's a way of peddling soda to the health-conscious crowd."

The fact is that sports drinks contain incredibly high concentrations of sugars. And most people will not expend enough calories in a typical workout session or casual sports game to warrant the use of sports drinks to quench thirst. If you're just running on a treadmill for 30 minutes and/or playing a game of pick-up basketball with friends, you're much better off drinking water. About.com has a useful guide on determining hydration needs during physical activity.

As always, be careful of the marketing hype that surrounds food products. Remember that a company's primary goal is to sell as much product as possible, and in this health-conscious era, we need to be informed about the fads and marketing claims being made. If it's too good be true, it likely is.

The Perfect Diet

2006-08-16T16:12:00.000-04:00

I'll just quote, verbatim, the e-mail I received from Strawberry Shortcake, in which she attached the following article about "The Perfect Diet", because I think it says it all:

From : Strawberry Shortcake
Sent : Wednesday, August 16, 2006 7:22 PM
To : Sergeant Pepper
Subject : From A Friend: 'NBC11.com - Health - Perfect Diet? Eat Everything'

Strawberry Shortcake has sent you a story: "NBC11.com - Health - Perfect Diet? Eat Everything" the link:
http://www.nbc11.com/health/9652765/detail.html?taf=bay

Message from Strawberry Shortcake: Well..duh. This is what we've been saying all along - why
is it such a hard concept to follow??

Pomegranates – more than just a beautiful fruit.

2006-08-15T20:08:00.000-04:00

As foodies and food geeks around the world knows, pomegranates have become the darling of the food world. Tasty and good for you – who would have thought! Once something infiltrates the Starbucks line-up of beverages, you know that it has become a huge player in the food industry! I was quite surprised to learn that there have been 215 new pomegranate food and beverage products launched in the past seven months in the United States alone! Examples include a Chicken pomegranate sausage (who would have thought?) and Pomegranate truffles. Those R&D labs must have been working around to clock to be able to shoot out so many items in such a short time span.

In this article, it states many reasons as to why this gorgeous seeded fruit should become a staple of your diet. (Although this article is written from a US perspective, it is pretty applicable to the Canadian consumer as well.) And yet another thing to surprise me about pomegranates is that drinking the juice is healthier than eating the fruit itself! This is due to the peel containing a large quantity of antioxidants. Hence when the juice is squeezed, the antioxidants go along with it. As well as being packed with antioxidants, studies have shown that the pomegranate can slow the progression of prostate cancer and of all things, be a natural dose of Viagra.

So bring on the pomegranate, a food that will be a part of my diet through sickness and in health!

Turmeric is the New Ginseng

2006-08-06T13:13:00.000-04:00

Do you remember how, in the 90s, ginseng was the cure-all for everything from the common cold to low energy levels? Now, it seems that turmeric is the new wonder drug.

Turmeric is related to ginger and has been used by Chinese and Indian herbalists for centuries. These cultures also used it as a textile dye, and it is what gives curries their bright yellow colour. Western attention in its medicinal properties has only taken shape over the last few years. According to a new study by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, turmeric may play a role in preventing colon cancer. It has also been shown to aid in digestion and in helping to fight infections.

The active component in turmeric is believed to be curcumin. And while there has been a fair amount of study on the effects of curcumin in animals, we are only beginning to study its effects in humans.

Turmeric is generally a very inexpensive herb and is shown to be equally effective fresh or in dried or powdered form. However, once the full benefits of turmeric are revealed, demand for it will increase and expect price to follow. So stock up now!

Get Your Snack On

2006-08-02T01:14:00.000-04:00

I came across this article on top 10 healthy snacks and just had to share it with all you fellow Food Geeks. Being a fan of eating multiple small meals a day, I am very interested in what other snacks I can consume without all the guilt. Plus it doesn’t help that I just started a job at a confectionery giant where there is temptation of chocolate beckoning me everywhere I go. Thus, I need the advice and ideas so I can grab the healthier alternative versus the chocolate bars that are oh-so conveniently located in my office area.

Besides, as Diane Steele, the author of this article notes, healthy snacking can help curb your appetite from overeating at your next meal, and also optimize your intake of nutrients each day. All the ideas she listed are already on my hit list of snacks, or do sound very tempting to add to my regimen. So if your body so does crave food, do not deprive it, listen to its need! This list of snacks offers great choices that are easy to make and tasty. Another plus is she has a healthy tip for each of the snacks and recipes too. Bring on that kale pesto dip for my veggies!

And the debate continues...

2006-07-26T13:24:00.000-04:00

Got milk?

The dairy industry has had to resort to clever marketing campaigns to help their products curry favour with an increasingly fat-conscious public. In the late 1980s, sales of dairy products suffered a severe decline as researchers linked heart disease to animal-derived fats and cholesterols. And since then, the debate about whether or not dairy products are heart-healthy has raged on.

MSN offers an excellent and balanced article on the myths and truths about dairy products. It's definitely worth a read if you are on the fence about whether or not to include dairy products into your diet.

Speaking of Organics...

2006-07-25T11:40:00.000-04:00

I'm going to do a condensed product comparison today on organic raisins. I know that's somewhat random, but I always get cravings for raisins around "that time of the month" so if there is such a thing as a "raisin connoisseur", I think I might be one.

For those who don't have such a passion for these chewy morsels of sunripened sweetness, there is such a thing as a good raisin and a bad raisin. Generally, the best raisins are not sticky and sugary on the outside. Instead, the best raisins remain relatively dry with minimal stickiness on the outside, while the inside is plump and chewy.

So in my monthly search for raisins, I came across two brands of organic raisins that I thought I would try out: President's Choice Organics Jumbo Thomson Seedless Raisins ($5.99/425 g tin at Loblaws) and Earthbound Farms Organic Jumbo Thomson Seedless Raisins ($3.99/ 284 g tin at Dominion).

The first tin of raisins from PC were excellent. Everything that raisins should be: chewy, plump, and lovely natural sweetness. However, my second tin of raisins from PC were the opposite. They seemed to have been compressed to the bottom of the container, stuck together in a shapeless mass. And the sugars in the fruit seemed to have crystalized, the raisins no longer chewy but crunchy. It was a bit surprising to get inconsistent product from PC, since they are usually very good.

Earthbound Farm's raisins, on the other hand, were quite consistent from tin to tin. However, they did tend to be slightly more sticky to the touch and a bit less plump than the good sample of PC's raisins.

I'm hoping that my second tin of PC's raisins was an aberration -- a mistake never to be repeated again in the production process. While Earthbound Organics is an above average raisin, I actually quite prefer the texture and flavour of the good tin of the PC raisins. When you get a good batch of PC raisins, it really exhibits the perfection of "nature's candy".

More Organics Please

2006-07-15T00:44:00.000-04:00

It seems like the consumer is catching up to eating organic foods more regularly, or another way to put it is that the organic foods industry cannot keep up with the consumer’s demand. A report indicates that there is not enough organic meats produced domestically in the USA to maintain a constant supply. Thus our friends south of the border are importing their meats from other countries (including Canada) to keep up with the needs of the US population.

This news indicates that organics is starting to become a part of the mainstream, and people are getting used to purchasing these products. Nutritionally, organic foods haven’t been proven to be superior to regularly purchased foods, but you got to admit sometimes it is much tastier and they are pesticide-free. It also helps that the mad cow disease scare has contributed to the rising numbers in purchases. This increased consumption has also led to more countries implementing this industry into their workforce.

The pricing of organics has always been an issue, as the prices are much higher than standard fare. I think consumers are willing to pay for this price difference. If demand is kept up, there could be a change in pricing, where organics could be on par with standard food fare. Me, I'm still learning about organic food, and have it every so often and do marvel at the taste difference. So perhaps mix it up at the grocery store next time, purchasing some organics meshed in with your regular produced products. Sometimes it is worth it to the pay the premium.

Eat those Almonds!

2006-07-06T18:19:00.000-04:00

Another round for food that I love! First it was coffee, and now it is my favourite nut, almonds, that are getting the shining spotlight in the food and science world. Almonds are already seen as one of the nutrient packed choices from the nut family, since it is an excellent source of calcium, magnesium and vitamin E and only has one gram of saturated fat per one ounce tasting. It also helps that they are mighty tasty…yum yum yum. Now a study just published last week puts them on par with fruits and vegetables with its antioxidant levels. So that means my favourite nut can also confer the health benefit of protection against heart disease! Well, I might be getting ahead of myself on that conclusion, but the researchers for this study are going on to do further investigation on whether the human body can efficiently use and extract these anti-oxidants from the almonds.

So now I can have my tea or my coffee, grab a handful of almonds and think about all the goodness I am doing for myself with food that I enjoy.

For more information on almonds, the Almonds are In website has recipes, FAQs and more resources so you can learn more about this enjoyable nut.

The probiotic trend

2006-07-04T22:52:00.000-04:00

The CBC featured a series of stories on probiotics back in September of 2003, so this isn't necessarily a new concept. However, with food companies heavily marketing and expanding their probiotic product offerings these days, the benefits of probiotics are quickly becoming known and its status as a bona fide trend is close on the horizon.

Probiotics are live bacterial cultures that are in foods like yogurt, cheese, and milk, and live on in the GI tract after consumption to aid in digestion and system cleansing. While knowingly consuming bacteria is something that most people try to avoid, probiotic products have been instrumental in helping to regulate and control the symptoms experienced by those who suffer from GI disorders and diseases.

Probiotics have purportedly helped people suffering from irratable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn's disease, colitis, and even ulcers. And for those who are not suffering from any GI problems, they report benefits like desired weight loss, bowel regularity, and just a feeling of being "clean". All of these claims have some solid scientific and medical evidence to support them.

Probiotic products are markedly more expensive than regular products, but with the almost immediate and tangible benefits that many have reported, this will be a trend that has more staying power than most.

Attention Thai Food Lovers

2006-06-27T23:46:00.000-04:00

All Thai food lovers have something to celebrate, according to this article in the Toronto Star. The paper's "Vice Squad", a group of nutritionists that opine about food trends and food myths on a weekly basis, has deemed coconut milk (and palm oils in general) to be an acceptable saturated fat to include in your diet.

Since scientists started measuring these sorts of things, palm oils were considered off-limits to those who are at risk of heart disease because of the high concentrations of saturated fats contained within palm oils (higher, even, than many animal-derived fats!). However, Doug Cook, the author of The Star article, maintains that while palm oils are high in saturated fats, these saturated fats are largely comprised of polyunsaturated fats and "good" cholesterol, and are thus not as harmful as once thought.

He does caution readers to avoid products that contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated coconut, palm, or palm kernal oils. Hydrogenation is the process that transforms fats into transfats, and we all know how harmful transfats are.

The only comment I would like to add to what Cook says is that like all other fats, palm oils should be consumed in moderation. Now where did I put that recipe for Thai green curry?

Taste - It’s Half in the Genes

2006-06-24T14:22:00.000-04:00

A new study on obesity has linked the liking for protein-rich foods to be genetic, whereas vegetables and desserts liking are dependent on environmental factors. Interesting…so that means my parents liking for all things pork has also been given to me. (And probably the reason why I can’t go vegetarian…the Chinese cuisine can do the most interesting and tasty dishes with pork! Drool… )

Anyhow, back to the topic at hand. So the saying ‘you are what you eat’ can be taken quite literally. The researchers are coming up with theories as to why environmental factors influence the preference for desserts and vegetables (e.g. Witnessing their parents enthusiasm or distaste for certain items), but what is it about meat and fish that makes its liking factor heritable? In a majority of households, the meat is always the main attraction to the meal – to my parents, if there is no meat on the table, then it really isn’t a meal. So I guess we’ve been ingrained for so many generations to have meat as a staple of a meal, and everything else we eat is like a supporting cast. And thus now it has become genetically linked. A somewhat logical theory...? Maybe?

The researchers hope that this study can help the health and food industries in understanding more about the rise in obesity, and give them insight on how to modify their products or create new items to combat the childhood obesity problem.

Product Comparison: Commercial Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2006-06-20T00:24:00.000-04:00

We decided to have a cookie taste test this time around, but wanted to choose a variety that is somewhat healthy (so chocolate covered macadamia nut cookies were out of the question). The one that came out on top was oatmeal & raisin cookies. They are somewhat healthy, as consuming oats has been proven to lower the risk of heart disease. Plus, when you hear the word oats, it does bring out the idea of a “healthy food”.

The Food Geeks had a mélange of people come out for the taste test this time around. So along with the Peppers and the Shortcakes, we rounded up four friends to give us their opinions on the following products:

Christie’s Dad’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Kraft Canada)
President’s Choice Organics Raisin Oatmeal Cookies
President’s Choice Raisins First Oatmeal Cookies
Voortman's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

And the moment you have been waiting for...here are the results:

The Health Factor

Christie’s Dad’s Oatmeal Raisin

Per cookie (15g):
65 Calories
2.25g Fat (.75g saturated fats, zero trans fats)
1g Protein
10.5g Carbohydrates
95mg Sodium, 0mg Cholesterol

President’s Choice Organics Raisin Oatmeal

Per cookie (13.5g):
65 Calories
2.5g Fat (1.25g saturated fats, zero trans fats)
1g Protein
9.5g Carbohydrates
50mg Sodium, 2.5mg Cholesterol

President’s Choice Raisins First

Per cookie (13g):
60 Calories
2.5g Fat (1.5g saturated fats, 0.15g trans fats)
0.5g Protein
9g Carbohydrates
40mg Sodium, 7.5mg Cholesterol

Voortman’s Oatmeal Raisin

Per cookie (19g):
80 Calories
3.5g Fat (1g saturated fats, zero trans fats)
1g Protein
12g Carbohydrates
90mg Sodium, 0mg Cholesterol

The food industry has been on a quest to lower or eliminate trans fats in processed foods to comply to the requests of the consumers for healthier products. For example, Kraft was able to do this before the deadline for nutrition labeling changes requiring companies to list trans fats on their labels. (For Canada, the deadline was December 2005). From these products, all of them have none or minimal amounts of trans fats in their products, and are low in saturated fats – quite impressive! Voortman’s even toots its own horn by being the first major cookie company to eliminate trans fats from their product line.

The bottom line is that all these products are on par with one another nutritionally. Voortman’s is a larger cookie, so in theory you would be content eating just one versus the other products where you can easily consume two in one sitting. Christie’s Dad’s are higher in sodium content compared to the other three, but the amount is not too significant. These would all be good choices for when you are craving a treat to satisfy that sweet tooth.

They would all warrant a 3.5/5 rating on the health scale. These are the healthier of the bunch out of the cookie family, but still need to be consumed in moderation.

The Taste Factor
Christie's Dad's Oatmeal Raisin
At first glance, these cookies looked appetizing - they looked homemade, like a bowl of lumpy oatmeal in golden, baked cookie form. They even smelled like a warm bowl of oatmeal, with hints of cinnamon in the aroma. However, everyone felt the cookie was a bit too dry and even salty to the taste. Some even found the cookie to be too sweet, and most agreed that the raisins were imperceptible. The aftertaste was described by some as "chalky", and one person even said it was bitter. Overall, the taste test results for this cookie was rather lacklustre - Ms. Shortcake even lamented that she remembered them tasting better as a child.

Average Taste Test Score: 2.75/5

PC Organics Raisin Oatmeal Cookies
Appearance-wise, this cookie was fragile. Most of the tasters got cookies that were missing bits from the sides, and one even got a cookie that was broken into several pieces. The cookie was thin, but the raisins were much larger than what was in Dad's cookies, although they were more sparsely distributed. The cookie was very light and some described the taste as nutty while others thought it tasted more burnt than nutty. No one thought that the cookie was too sweet, though some mentioned that it didn't taste like much of anything. So while this cookie was the "healthiest" in terms its use of organic ingredients, the panel was split on the merits of its taste.

Average Taste Test Score: 2.75/5

PC Oatmeal Raisins First
Despite the name, most agreed that upon inspection, there weren't many raisins at all. However, the aroma was universally praised as being a combination of buttery, nutty, and sweet. And by all accounts, it tasted the way it smelled, with butter being a prominent flavour note. Some felt the cookie's texture was a bit too dry, but most were content with the balance of crunchiness to chewiness. A pleasant cookie experience, overall.

Average Taste Test Score: 3.63/5

Voortman's Oatmeal Raisin
These cookies were quite large in comparison to the others but unlike the others, these definitely looked the work of a machine, and lacked the homemade, lumpiness of its competition. But what it lacked in appearance, it made up in texture. These cookies were soft and chewy, and did not suffer from the dryness that its competition did. Tastewise, most agreed that it lacked any real raisin flavour and many thought it simply tasted sweet without any complexity in flavour. A few noted hints cinnamon in the aroma and the aftertaste, however.

Average Taste Score: 3.25/5

And the overall winner is...
PC Raisins First, with a total score of 7.13/10, although Voortman's cookies came in a close second with 6.75/10. The remaining two cookies tied for a disappointing third place, with significantly lower scores.

The Trans Fat Free Story Continues...

2006-06-17T00:04:00.000-04:00

Continuing on this trans fat free issue in the fast food outlets…the Globe and Mail reported that every major fast food company is trying hard to start using non-hydrogenated oils for their fried foods. Ah ha! As predicted in my last entry - if one starts…the others will follow. The main concern of course is the change in taste – will these products still pack the same flavour punch without these oils? Will the consumer notice a difference? That’s what the companies are struggling with – to maintain the ‘flavour’ standard of their food. (cough, using that term lightly for some menu items…)

With the recent research done by Globe and Mail and CTV (see Ms. Pepper’s blog entry here), there is even more of a signal to the fast food industry to hurry it up to develop these trans fat free oils. With the same frying oil being shipped to all franchises, this will keep the trans fat content of their products at a standard, instead of having a varying amount from outlet to outlet. That will also be a sigh of relief, since what we read on their nutrition information from booklets or their websites will be what we will be eating when we are in the store, whether you are savouring those chicken mcnuggets in Kelowna or Montreal.

Canadian Fastfood Analysis

2006-06-14T09:21:00.000-04:00

Today's Globe and Mail featured a story on the transfat content of fastfood in Canada. This study was commissioned by the newspaper, but mirrored a similar study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that analyzed the transfat content of fastfoods in 21 countries, of which Canada was not one of the countries included in the study, and concluded that American fastfood contained significantly more transfats than what is found in many European countries. A summary of the NEJM study can be found in The Toronto Star's news archives.

The G&M study analyzed fastfood from a number of popular fastfood chains in a number of different cities across Canada. According to the results of this study, only KFC's chicken and fries in Poland and Hungary contained more transfat than their Canadian counterparts.

More interesting were the regional differences in transfat content within Canada. A KFC chicken and fries meal in Toronto has 10 times more transfat than a similar KFC meal in Vancouver! A Burger King chicken nuggets and fries meal in Toronto contains 13 grams of transfat, while in Vancouver the same meal contains 3.1 grams of transfats.

According to the nutritional information provided on Burger King's website, 4 pcs of chicken tenders and a small order of fries contains a total of 8 grams of transfat. KFC doesn't and isn't required to provide information on the transfat content of their food. And that, is probably the most disturbing thing to come out of this article.

I will not outright condemn fastfood, since I am not immune to the odd craving now and then. However, it troubles me (and it should trouble you also) that fastfood companies are not required to provide as much nutritional information as foods sold in grocery stores. And even when they do provide nutritional information, the consumer must visit the company's website or specifically ask for this information. It's rare to find brochures with nutritional information at the ordering counter, ready for your perusal.

Consumers need to be able to compare nutritional data and make informed choices at the time of purchase - because who can really remember, in so much detail, what they read on a website the day before about fat/sodium/sugar content of what they are about to order? When you go grocery shopping, that information is readily available on the food packaging so you can make informed choices about which product is the best option, on the spot. No one I know sits in front of a computer with their grocery list, making nutritional and product comparisons before grocery shopping. Likewise, fastfood consumers should not be expected to decide what they want for lunch and do the nutritional comparisons before even stepping into the restaurant.

Another Fast Food First: Trans Fat Free

2006-06-10T00:38:00.000-04:00

It used to be getting the best value out of your meal at a fast food joint – going the extra mile (or dollar) to get upgraded to a larger gianormous meal where your box of fries seemed bottomless. As Sergeant Pepper mentioned in her latest blog, supersizing was actually costing more than what you see at face value. Nowadays, the fast food industry is revamping their image, to try to align themselves with the consumer trend of healthier eating. In a recent press release, Wendy’s is stepping up to the plate against trans fats. Starting in August, 6300 Wendy’s stores in North America will be changing their cooking oil to the non-hydrogenated kind (a.k.a zero trans fat oil) for the frying of their breaded chicken products and french fries. Quite impressive isn’t it? Since they are the first quick service restaurant to do this change, watch for their competitors to scramble to do the same.

Although it means that munching on your next spicy chicken sandwich is clogging your arteries less, this does not mean you won’t be consuming any less calories or fat. Your heart might be groovin’ along, but your waistline won’t notice the difference. Wendy’s does offer different side dishes alternatives like salads and baked potatoes. So there are choices, instead of just choosing the standard fries option.

Finally... some great advice from MSN.com

2006-06-07T12:38:00.000-04:00

It's a short article, but definitely worth a read if you want tips on how to change your relationship with food to one that is healthier. Click here to read the article.

Nutritional Economics 101

2006-06-06T23:50:00.000-04:00

Researchers at University of Wisconsin-Madison recently published a report about the true cost of "super-sizing" meals. It seems that while super-sizing a meal costs only an average of $0.67, those who super-size fast food meals may incur as much as $7.04 in additional costs related to medical and other expenses of an unhealthy lifestyle. In other words, for every 100 calories consumed beyond daily needs, the "hidden" costs of super-sizing a meal ranges from $0.48 to almost $2. In essence, super-sizing a meal is not as great a deal as most would believe.

If monetary arguments are effective in promoting healthy eating, so be it. So overweight accountants, economists, and banker-types take note!

The Whole Grains Hype

2006-06-03T10:22:00.000-04:00

There has been a steep rise in foods containing whole grains, as everyone wants to eat healthier these days. If you look at the bread section alone, there’s an abundance of choices in multigrain, 12 grain, 7 grain, 3 grain etc etc. breads. (I’m still a bit fuzzy on what the definition of whole grains, so if you are like me, read this article to learn more.)

I remember as a kid, my choices of bread were white Wonder bread and…well, more white WonderBread. Now this company (among other bakery companies) makes ‘whole grain’ white bread, for those people who cannot give up the taste of white bread, but want the health benefits of whole grain foods. This is a good start for people to implement more whole grains into their diets, since as a general population, we don’t consume enough of these good-for-you grains. Alas, things are starting to get a bit foggy when every food is starting to get on this whole grain bandwagon. Already on the market in the States are whole grain Chips Ahoy cookies and Pepperidge’s Farm’s Goldfish crackers. (Not sure when these will be available in Canada, but inform me if they are!) So you are thinking, awesome, I can have my indulgence and increase my consumption of these healthy packed foods simultaneously! Woo hoo!! Ok, hold off on the celebrations please. Ellen Kanner, a writer about vegetarian foods, did a closer analysis on these products. Let’s just say the cookies cannot be designated as a health food quite just yet. Another example of the whole grain is healthy mistaken identity comes from the Food Geeks product comparison on frozen pizza. We tried out a whole grain pizza there, and it was not all it was cracked up to be nutritionally. The regulations on marketed whole grains still has a long way to go, so consumers you need to keep yourself educated! Take a closer look at the labeling and ingredients – a little education goes a long way in making your food choices.

Will this whole grain trend stay or go? Will it be a low carb/Atkins fad, or something consumers will keep on? From the abundance of whole grain products on the shelves, I can see that people are making the switch.

Enough with the Hype Already!

2006-05-30T13:16:00.000-04:00

This week, MSNBC features an article about how many seemingly healthy foods are actually laden with calories, thereby thwarting dieters' efforts to lose weight. I won't get into the whole argument of why diets tend to fail since we all know how the Food Geeks feel about diets. Instead, I wanted to point out that the MSNBC article is reinforcing what I posted about a month ago about ignoring the hype that surrounds many food products and going straight to the labels to get the true story about the foods you are eating.

Food product marketing is a tricky business. The main goal is, of course, to sell as much product and gain as much market share as possible. And in this calorie- and fat- conscious society, the only way to ensure your product flies off the shelves is to market it as "healthy". Sometimes, that requires flashy packaging with lots of exclamation marks and "starburst" announcement bubbles to distract consumers from the nutrition and ingredients label. Other times, it requires enhancing the food product with trendy ingredients, like oat bran, pomegranate, or Omega-3 fats, that have been heralded by one expert or another for its nutritional benefits. Either way, the chemical composition of the foods remain unchanged - calorie-laden and fatty foods will remain calorie-laden and fatty regardless of how much Omega-3 or pomegranate juice you pump into them.

Another example of misleading media hype around healthy eating is an article I found on the MSN homepage. The title reads 3 Fats that Make you Skinny. Uhm, it should be very obvious to anyone who reads that title that there is no such thing as fats that make you skinny. That is an oxymoron - like plastic glasses or jumbo shrimp. The author of the article even acknowledges that fact, but does so only at the end of the article, in, like, 6 point font - whereas the title of the article is in bold and in 16 point font. Where is the justice here?

Consumers really need to do their due diligence in wading through all of the marketing bullsh*t to get the facts about what they are eating. Some good rules of thumb, which the Food Geeks swear by, include:

The fewer ingredients on the ingredients label, the less chance there is that the food has been processed in ways that change how your body metabolizes the food
The fewer unpronouncable words on the ingredients label, the less chance there is that the food has been processed in ways that change how your body metabolizes the food
Learn to read nutritional labels and remember the basic 5% rule and the 20% rule

While it's often hard to find foods that satisfy all of the above conditions, you should be able to find foods that strike a good balance of the above three points. When in doubt, go with the food with the most natural ingredients list and simply put tighter control over the portions you consume of that product.

Rice, with a sprinkle of Human Genes

2006-05-19T11:41:00.000-04:00

+ = ?

The newest kid on the biotechnology modification of food block is Ventria, a biosciences company based in the United States. Seems like they have a breakthrough product in their hands - rice containing human genes, which play a role in prevention and lessening the impact of diarrhea attacks in people. They are targeting this product for infants that aren’t breast-fed, so they can get the benefits of these proteins found in mother’s milk. A clinical research study showed that those infants fed a rice based oral solution containing these proteins had a shorter duration of diarrhea and were less likely to get a recurrent episode.

The company states that this product is only used as a “medical food” (i.e. food given under a physician’s supervision and used for dietary management of a disease), so the rice is ground to extract the proteins and done in a ‘contained system’. Thus in theory, it won’t contaminate the rice crops in our food chain. Still, it is making rice producers uneasy, since they fear that contimination could still occur, and ruin their conventional crops.

Ok, so the results are promising, and it could help with preventing deaths in kids…but who’s going to buy into this? Ventria is trying to woo the major companies that produce infant formula to use this technology, but no one is being convinced yet. Who really wants to deal with the questions they get from consumers and activists first? Although our food chain is loaded with genetically modified products, they are plants crossed with plant DNA, and sometimes fish DNA, but not plants crossed with human DNA. Upon reading the Yahoo discussion board, there are an equal number of people for and against this development. That's it with all genetically modified foods though - this will be a neverending debate. You can see their benefits in how crops are resistant to diseases and pests, fruit and vegetables being less susceptible to spoilage etc. Yet you can also see the cons: eating food that isn't naturally ripening on its own course, introducing allergens (e.g. nut proteins) into foods that were once allergy friendly products.

I believe Ventria still has a long way to go before their product can be accepted in the mainstream. (It's edging on the no side for me.) It will take the public awhile before they can swallow this idea up.

Staving off Cravings - Healthy or not?

2006-05-16T23:47:00.000-04:00

I recently read an article by the people at Weight Watchers about cravings, what they mean, and how to stave them off. It interestingly noted that many of us eat to "stifle boredom." I've personally been guilty of this... when you're on a plane for 9 hours, you've finished the crossword and sudoku puzzles, and are itching to just do something, no matter how unappetizing the airplane meal looks and smells, you can't help but pick at it. First, it's the salad since it's the "healthiest" thing on the tray despite the limp leaves of greying lettuce. You try to go back to reading that fascinating article about Nicole Kidman's maybe-maybe-not with gaybe-gaybe-not-fellow-Aussie Keith Urban, but feeling your brain going numb, you turn your attention again to the tray in front of you. The dinner roll and vacuum-sealed cheese look like they might make a half-decent snack... if nothing else, at least the dinner roll is whole wheat and the cheese is not one of those gelatinous Kraft Singles slices. And this back and forth between the gossip rag and the food tray goes on and on, and before you know it, the airplane food you promised you wouldn't eat is gone and the flight attendant takes away your tray with a knowing smirk.

But I digress.

The real reason why I'm posting about this Weight Watcher's article is to disagree with the remainder of the article. If I understand this article correctly, it's telling you to try to ignore your cravings. The article even recommends that instead of eating a warm and hearty meal on a cold winter's night, you should instead decorate your space with flowers and bright colours to make you feel better so you don't crave something warm and hearty.

...

...

huh?!?!?!?

I'm no nutritionist or psychologist, but I'm pretty damn sure that painting my home bright yellow is not going to make me crave beouf bourguignon any less. In fact, all of the lifting and climbing involved in painting will just make me hungrier.

This article, save for the eating out of boredom thing, makes no sense whatsoever. Why should one ignore cravings? I'm a firm believer that when you crave something, that's your body's way of telling you that you are missing something from your diet. If you're craving chocolate, maybe your body needs more of the antioxidants found in chocolate. If you're craving beouf bourguignon, maybe your body needs the iron found in red meats. Of course, I have no scientific evidence that this is in fact what happens but I'm pretty sure that there are experts out there who would agree with me.

Anyway, the moral of the story here is that denying yourself of the foods you crave is a sure-fire way to sabotage a healthy relationship with food and make you miserable. There's no harm in indulging in a handful of chips, a few squares of dark chocolate, or a reasonable portion of beouf bourguignon when the cravings strike. A healthy diet is a balanced one, and a balanced diet includes junk food sometimes. Just always remember that moderation is the key to maintaining a healthy relationship with food.

C is for Coffee, It’s Good Enough for Me!

2006-05-14T18:31:00.000-04:00

Good news for all you java heads out there! A paper recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has evidence that coffee is a major player in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in women. The study found that coffee contained many antioxidants - the compounds that provide a protective effect against damage done to your cells by oxygen. Keep in mind, it doesn’t mean go out and drink 6 cups of coffee per day, and dousing it with lots of cream and sugar. This conclusion was determined by moderate coffee consumption. (i.e. One to three mugs of your favourite coffee a day can have protective effects.)

For those heavy coffee drinkers out there, don't fret. Another recent study came to the conclusion that heart disease risk is no different in those that chug down more than six daily compared to the average coffee consumer. (For a direct link to the journal article go here; take this link for a synopsis.) This is for regular consumption of filtered coffee, not the french press kind, nor espresso. So unfortunately, you cannot come to the same conclusion about drinking the non-filtered coffee and risk of coronary heart disease.

Thus, it all comes back to the idea of enjoying what you like to eat or drink, but in moderation. So to me, I can relax, and enjoy my occasional morning coffee and/or mid-afternoon work pick-me-up contently. Yay!

Food Industry Conspiracies?

2006-05-08T23:14:00.000-04:00

On May 3rd, CBC Radio One featured a segment entitled "Fat Nation" on its show, "The Current" (available here; scroll about half-way down the page to Part 2 of the show to listen to the broadcast).

Anna Maria Tremonti, the host of the show, spoke with Michael Pollan from UC Berkeley regarding obesity and food culture in America. He had some very interesting points, like what he's termed, "the omnivore's dilemma", which is that omnivores can eat anything edible so the dilemma is having to choose what actually one should eat. According to Pollan, a combination of factors has impacted our choices of what to eat and that impact is often negative, thus leading to the "obesity epidemic" currently being bemoaned in America.

While Pollan sounds a bit like a conspiracy theorist at times, I actually found his arguments to be quite cogent. He says that the food industry, in light of shareholder demands to grow market share despite decreasing birthrates, has convinced us that we don't have time to cook and that we need to eat larger portions of food. As a result, we buy convenience foods like frozen and fast foods, which are often comprised of lower quality ingredients, and we buy and eat more food, a trend perpetuated by supersizing and bulk purchases.

Additionally, Pollan discusses the farm subsidies that have led to increasing levels of processed sugars in our food, food technology advances that promote increased consumption without the calories, and even orchestrating marketing campaigns in the guise of promoting health (he gives the example of omega-3 fats being a memorable food trend of late).

Overall, Pollan's points seem plausible and he does provide some interesting food for thought with regards to the true root causes for America's obesity epidemic. And it helps that his philosophy on eating is very similar to the Food Geeks' food philosophy.

Despite all of this, some of his statements and ideas still sound rather conspiratorial. Maybe it's just his tone of voice.

At any rate, Michael, I would like you to meet Special Agent Fox Mulder. Agent Mulder, this is Professor Michael Pollard... I believe Dr. Pollard has a new assignment for you.

Good Food Festival Wrap-Up

2006-05-05T21:42:00.000-04:00

How to tackle a food festival:
The opposite – take a leisurely stroll through the booths, picking up samples here and there that you do want to try, and learning more about the products. Oh yes, and also taking in the cooking demonstrations held throughout the day.

How NOT to tackle a food festival:
Arriving 90 minutes before closing time and end up stuffing your face at the booths and not taking enough time to read or peruse the stalls. Eat everything in sight, even if your body is saying no!

What I did? This time, I did the latter. I went to the annual Good Food Festival in Mississauga last weekend. Although I am a Food Geek, it is events like this that I can’t even adhere to our philosophy. I couldn’t resist the sampling, and tried everything I could (almost) get my hands on. Yet, I did manage to notice a strong trend towards two categories: ethnic food, organic and healthy products. There were multiple Indian food kiosks – many more than I can recall from when I went two years ago. It used to be just Patak’s, but now you can get so many more varieties! (Mr. Shortcake and I thoroughly enjoyed the chutney produced by Unique Foods.) Health(ier) and organic booths were aplenty – from frozen organic baby food, soy (you name it, they got it, even a soy and beef burger), reduced fat ice creams, and organic products for your pet Fido. There was even a booth for Acai, the new “superfood” that is packed with anti-oxidants – it even had a picture of Oprah at their booth giving it her thumbs up. The healthy food boom doesn’t look to be ending anytime soon, especially now with consumers having access to a lot more resources (thank you internet). As for ethnic cuisine, I believe Singporean/Malaysian could be the next big thing, if it isn’t already making a mark already. One booth was cooking up Laksa without all the complication of making up the broth base. This is something you should all try someday!

The Semantics of Food

2006-05-02T22:13:00.000-04:00

Did you know that when you buy a product that is labeled "light" or "lite", it can mean either reduced fat or energy content, or that it is simply light in colour or light in flavour? Health Canada's labeling requirements for the term "light" are quite broad and can therefore be misleading to consumers who don't read the labels more carefully.

Similarly, do you know the difference between a product labeled "low fat" and one that is labeled "reduced fat"? Or what about the difference between "lean" and "less fat"?

Health Canada's definitions for these marketing terms are rather complex (see Summary of Fat Claims table at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/guide/ch7ae.shtml#tab7-5). And while these definitions are meant to protect consumers, who can really keep track of what all of these terms mean unless you're a lawyer or a pro-star memory expert?

Your best defense against marketing jargon is to read nutritional labels thoroughly. Marketers will always come up with new ways to use euphemisms to their advantage. Thus, as consumers, we must do the due diligence in product comparison, rather than relying on the claims made on food packaging.

The Next Diet Trend: Science & Satiety

2006-04-28T22:50:00.000-04:00

I attended a meeting this past week that discussed the food trends for 2006. The one that stuck out in my mind is the development of food ingredients that can help with the feeling of fullness. Unilever , the makers of Slim Fast, have developed a process that alters the structure of fat molecules so they remain intact through the digestive system and breaks down once it reaches the ileum of your small intestine. The purpose? Once in the ileum, fat triggers the ileal brake response. And what is this you ask? The fat breakdown in the ileum triggers a release of hormones that signals to your brain that you are full (a.k.a stop eating). The reason (quoted from a Slim Fast PR release):

“The product is designed to tide people over through hunger spells,reducing temptation and controlling appetite, through natural means, with real food. The result: dieters stay full for up to four hours on just 190 calories, far fewer calories than most meals and many snacks.”
“Ultimately, the key discovery is that delivering just a little fat to the right place in the body can have a big effect in making dieters feel full.”

That is a fraction of the calories of what you would usually need to consume to have this feeling of satiety! Crazy…yet, I have to admit, quite ingenious. The research and development lab at Unilever must have been working like mad to come up with this. It could help with controlling overeating, cravings, and help tide you over between meals. BUT (isn’t there always one?) are there any side effects we should know about? (If any of you know, please do share with us!). Will it work? Time will only tell...and also if there is a steady climb of Slim Fast sales.

Unilever isn't the only one doing this - there are more of these science developed diet fads on the way - read more about it here.

Product Comparison: Frozen Pizza

2006-04-19T23:40:00.000-04:00

The Food Geeks will periodically do product comparisons, evaluating similar products for healthiness and taste. The goal is to help consumers make smarter food choices – ones where taste is not sacrificed for healthiness. The products are scored out of 10: a maximum score of 5 is given for each the health and taste factors.

This time around, the Food Geeks compared frozen pizza – a favourite food of poor college students and kids of super-busy moms. Four pizzas were evaluated against one another: two pizzas that are marketed as “healthy” choices and two pizzas that make no “healthy” claims. All four pizzas were vegetarian (though not vegan). The two healthy pizzas were Lean Cuisine and Delissio Balance; the regular pizzas were Ristorante and Delissio Thin Crust.

Four people participated in the product comparison: Mr. and Mrs. Strawberry Shortcake, and Mr. and Mrs. Sergeant Pepper.

THE HEALTH FACTOR

To be fair in our comparison, we normalized the nutrition facts to the same serving size according to weight (the links to the nutrition facts are for per serving size as per company). We also looked at the ingredients to compare variety of ingredients and also if there were any food additives that seemed out of the ordinary (or hence, ingredients that we were clueless about or did not know how to pronounce). Also keep in mind that these are all vegetarian pizzas - if we compared pizzas with meat toppings the nutrition facts would be different, and most likely higher.

Delissio Thin Crust Pizza (Kraft Foods)
Roasted Vegetable
Nutrition Facts (Per 1/5 pizza - 123g)
220 calories
10g fat (4.5g saturated fats)
20mg Cholesterol
500mg Sodium
25g Carbohydrate
10 g Protein

The definite plus to this product is the variety of vegetables you get – plus the presentation is oh so colourful! Since this product was not marketed as a healthy alternative, the nutrition facts are pretty standard pizza fare. This pizza is sold as a ‘family size’, thus it would not be ideal to consume in a group. As Food Geeks, we would advise against consuming this as an individual meal (remember, portion control!). The saturated fats and sodium content are high, as one serving (1/5 of the pizza) has 24% and 21% respectively of your daily intake already. If eaten in one sitting, you will have consumed more than your daily value of these nutrients just in one meal (and 1100 calories)!

Rating: 1.5/5

Ristorante Pizza (Dr. Oetker)
Vegatale
(Nutrition Facts)

As this is sold as a premium, gourmet pizza, you cannot skimp on the calories here. The sodium and saturated fat content is quite high per serving, so again this is another product to share, not to consume all in one sitting. Something unique is that sour cream is one of the ingredients listed - that will be interesting for the palate! Otherwise, nothing is out of the ordinary in its ingredients.

Rating: 2.0/5

Stouffer's Lean Cuisine (Nestle Foods)
Roasted Vegetable Pizza
(Nutrition Facts)

You want good nutrition and a reasonable serving size? Then this is your product here. All in all this is a complete package of nutrition satisfaction for a meal – reasonable values for all nutrients, plus a good source of calcium. (But really, you can say that for all of these products because of the cheese.)

Rating: 5/5

Delissio Balance (Kraft Foods)
Roasted Vegetable and Feta
Nutrition Facts (Per 1/2 pizza - 167g)
330 Calories
9g Fat (4g saturated fats)
15 mg Cholesterol
1010mg Sodium
48 g Carbohydrate
16g Protein

In this instance, looks can be deceiving. You pick up this product and read that it has a whole wheat crust, claims of a high source of fibre, so this should be a healthy choice. Looking at the finer details, by just eating half the pizza, there’s 42% of your salt intake for the day – yikes. The ingredients list something called disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate – just a fancier name for flavour enhancers. They are used in conjunction with MSG in food products. So you start to think…if they need these, they must need the flavour boost to improve the taste (or even add ) of this "healthy alternative".

Rating: 2.5/5

Lean Cuisine wins this round, but how will it fare in the taste test? Is the taste compromised when you choose a healthier alternative?

THE TASTE FACTOR

Delissio Thin Crust Pizza (Kraft Foods)
Roasted Vegetable
$8.79 at Dominion (Church and Gould Streets, Toronto)

Everyone agreed that there was a generous amount of toppings on this pizza, and that the toppings were evenly distributed throughout. There was a large variety of toppings: zucchini, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, and onion. The toppings were colourful and featured grill marks. Most agreed that there was no distinct aroma – only Sergeant Pepper detected a slight green pepper smell, while Mssrs Pepper and Shortcake both described a light “stale fireplace” smell. The crust was described as crispy and airy but nothing else on the pizza had any discernable texture. Everyone agreed that this pizza had no distinct flavour. Despite the variety and amount of toppings, no one could distinguish red peppers from zucchini from cheese. Black pepper was used very liberally and that was all that anyone could taste. Mr. Shortcake aptly described the taste as “one-dimensional.” The black pepper flavour also dominated the aftertaste – the black pepper flavour simply lingered on the palate. Sergeant Pepper found the aftertaste to be “styrofoamy.”

Average Taste Score: 1.75/5

Ristorante Pizza (Dr. Oetker)
Vegatale
$6.59 at Dominion (Church and Gould Streets, Toronto)

Everyone agreed that the pizza had a generous amount of toppings that were evenly distributed. The colours of the vegetables on the pizza were very bright and fresh-looking. Pizza toppings included: red bell peppers, green bell peppers, tomatoes, and onion. Some of the toppings could be detected in the aroma, mainly onions and green peppers. Texture of the pizza was soggy at the centre, but the edge crust remained crisp. Sergeant Pepper described the edge crust as “styrofoamy” and some commented on the strange creamy texture that the dabs of sour cream on the pizza imparted. All of the different vegetables on the pizza were distinguishable in flavour, including the cheese. Strawberry Shortcake excitedly exclaimed, “The cheese tastes like cheese!” The aftertaste left a slightly peppery and onion-y aftertaste.

Average Taste Score: 3.75/5

Stouffer's Lean Cuisine (Nestle Foods)
Roasted Vegetable Pizza
$3.99 at Dominion (Church and Gould Streets, Toronto)

Of the four pizzas, this was the only one that was microwaveable (in fact, there were no instructions for any other preparation method). The ingredients were microscopic but evenly distributed and bright in colour. Veggies did not look roasted. The aroma featured oregano and cheese prominently – Mssrs Pepper and Shortcake were pleasantly surprised by the aroma, saying, “it actually smells like pizza!” Everyone agreed that the crust had a “Wonderbread” feel, sticking to the roof of the mouth. No one liked the crust. Flavour-wise, everyone agreed that there was a sugary flavour to it, but other than the parmesan, none of the ingredients had a distinguishable flavour. Mr. Strawberry Shortcake likened the flavour to “Pizza Pockets”, another popular frozen pizza snackfood. The Food Geeks agreed that the aftertaste was “cardboardy.”

Average Taste Score: 1.875/5

Delissio Balance (Kraft Foods)
Roasted Vegetable and Feta
$4.99 at Dominion (Church and Gould Streets, Toronto)

This pizza’s appearance was absolutely not appetizing. The toppings were all a brown and indistinguishable from one another, as well as scant and concentrated at the centre of the pizza. There was way too much crust and very little in the way of toppings. The pizza smelled like whole wheat bread, but not much else. Thankfully the pizza tasted better than it looked, though not by much. The whole wheat crust gave the pizza a fresh-baked bread flavour. However, the remainder of the flavour was dominated by heavy amounts of salt and black pepper, and the toppings simply tasted of salt. The black pepper flavour was extreme and lingered on the palate.

Average Taste Score: 1.875/5

OVERALL COMMENTS AND SCORES
Both of the healthy choices in frozen pizza ended up with “middle of the pack” scoring in taste, significantly behind Dr. Oetker’s Ristorante Pizza. Thus, from a taste perspective, the Food Geeks can’t really recommend one healthy pizza over another.

Health-wise, Lean Cuisine edges out Delissio's Balance in all nutrition catergories but one. Delissio’s Balance is made with a whole wheat crust, which makes this pizza a better source of dietary fibre. Additionally, Lean Cuisine’s pizza is portion controlled, which is a definite bonus for those who have difficulties judging portion sizes. With a side salad, Lean Cuisine's pizza can be a healthy meal.

Alternatively, you can share Dr. Oetker’s pizza among four people (always add a salad to round out the meal), for significantly better flavour without overdoing fat and calorie intake. Certaintly it won't be as healthy an alternative as Lean Cuisine, but keep in mind that it should be a "sometimes", and not an everyday meal. You can still indulge or splurge periodically, but you have to be aware of when and what you want to indulge in, and where you should cut back. Just remember to make intelligent choices for your meals!

Final Ratings (Health + Average Taste Scores):
Delissio Thin Crust, Roasted Vegetable: 3.3/10
Ristorante Pizza, Vegetale: 6.0/10
Lean Cuisine, Roasted Vegetable: 6.9/10
Delissio Balance, Roasted Vegetable and Feta: 4.4/10

How much is enough?

2006-04-18T08:36:00.000-04:00

We all know portion sizes at restaurants are way bigger than what is deemed healthy. But do you know just how much bigger portions at restaurants are? Try this quiz from About.com and you'll be shocked at what proper portion sizes are vs. what we are offered at restaurants.

http://weightloss.about.com/library/quiz/blportquiz.htm

For example, according to the USDA, a serving size of meat is 3 ounces. That's about the size of a deck of cards or a cassette tape. When was the last time you looked on a menu and saw "3 oz. filet mignon grilled to perfection"? Filet mignon tends to be the smallest cut of steak on a menu, and the average filet mignon offering is 8 ounces. That's 2.5 times the proper serving size, and equivalent to an entire days' allowance of meat products!

And studies have shown that people will simply eat what's placed in front of them, without much thought as to what a proper serving size is. I don't know about you, but I can tell you that my parents guilted me into eating everything on my plate, 'cuz, you know, you wouldn't want to look like one of those poor Ethiopian children that Sally Struthers keeps frowning at. And while that is true, that kind of thinking has set a really bad precendent among people to overeat.

My solution: ask the server to pack away half of the meal before it even arrives at the table so I don't feel bad about not eating everything on my plate but I can still avoid overeating.

Income tax, sales tax, GST...how about a fat tax too?

2006-04-15T18:39:00.000-04:00

Back again in the news is the controversial ‘fat tax’, and the supposed consumer support it has gained. So you say, “What the (insert expletive) is this?” Governments globally have been trying to think of way to include this tax (a.k.a as the Twinkie Tax) to any items they deem as junk food or fast food. In turn this money is supposed to go towardsany public health initiatives in preventing obesity and promoting healthy eating programs. Even in Ontario this tax idea was proposed, but immediately shot down by the fast food industry for obvious reasons.

This issue has been in and out of the news for the past 10 years. In theory this sounds like a great idea, but how can you ensure this money will be used as intended and not to cover up budget deficits or otherexpenditures? And defining junk food – sure there are some obvious ones (e.g. pop & chips) but then there’s some that you just are not too sure of (such as coffee which carries certain benefits if consumed in moderation). As for the consumer support of 75% for the fat tax, let’s look behind the curtain. The participants are users of a ‘healthy lifestyle’ firm called eDiets. Smells like fat bias to me and is not a reflection of the general public.

Again, it comes down to the individual to make their eating choices wisely.This current plan would result in large lobby groups trying to get their food products classified as healthy. After all, the U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies batter coated frozen french fries as fresh vegetables. What would your reaction be if you see a fat tax on your receipt the next time you buy a treat?

Food Geeks' Food Philosophy

2006-04-10T21:18:00.000-04:00

Don’t hate us because we can eat whatever we want and remain slim and healthy! Sure, genetics probably has something to do with our ability to eat a horse (medium-rare, with a pomegranate chutney, please) and not end up looking like one. However, the Food Geeks do have a food philosophy that we believe contributes to our healthy relationship with food.

The Food Geeks follow the “Conscious Freedom” diet. “Conscious” because we are always mindful of our portion sizes and the quality of the ingredients in our food, but at the same time we are “free” because we don’t not eat things that we enjoy or that might have a few extra calories. We do not believe in the regressive and draconian methods of torture most women and men put themselves through in the name of dieting.

You will never see either of the Food Geeks saying “no” to chocolate when we get a craving for it. Instead, we will have two or three squares of the most delectable dark chocolate we can find, slowly relishing every morsel the way Demi Moore savoured the feel of the clay in her hands in Ghost.

You will never find either of the Food Geeks buying “diet” pop. Instead, we will buy all-natural juices and add some fizz by mixing it with some mineral water. Or we will simply buy regular pop and split a can with a friend or with each other. Frankly, artificial ingredients like aspartame and sucralose scare us. While we can appreciate the “low calorie” promises of such ingredients, we appreciate much more the knowledge that our bodies are programmed to completely process and breakdown the natural alternatives.

Throw in some lively activities that you enjoy and voila, you have yourself a healthy lifestyle. Yes folks, it really is that easy.

Food Labels 101

2006-04-09T22:13:00.000-04:00

From my top secret sources (ok, Health Canada and the US FDA), here is my interpretation on how to read a label:

(Click on image to enlarge)

A note on % Daily Value: average intake amounts for an adult are ~2000 calories/day, but this value is for someone who also includes moderate activity and exercise in their daily routine. Thus a marathoner will have higher nutrient intake requirements than this, and someone who is quite sedentary will have lower amounts. In the end, these values change according to your lifestyle and unfortunately, age!

**Something to remember: If a product has less than 5% of the nutrient, than it is LOW in that nutrient, and if a product has more than 20% of the nutrient, than it is HIGH in that nutrient.
Overall, it really depends on what you nutrients you want to increase or decrease in your diet. But hey if you want to be healthy and not keel over and heave at mid-life already, try to follow these guidelines:

* LIMIT or consume LESS THAN the upper limit of the following honchos per diem:
1. Total Fat (<65g),saturated fats (<20g) and trans fats
2. Cholesterol(<300mg)
3. Sodium (<2400mg)

* Increase your intake or eat AT LEAST the lower limit amount of the following:
1. Carbohydrates (>300g)
2. Dietary Fibre (>25g) – I still have yet to achieve this regularly (get it? Regular…ha, nevermind)
3. Vitamins A and C
4. Calcium
5. Iron