What’s the big deal about HFCS?

daphne on April 1, 2009

It goes something like this:

It’s a beautiful day. An attractive couple is enjoying a romantic picnic in the park.  It’s the perfect setting for a dollop of propaganda.  Have you seen these commercials by the corn syrup lobby?  She’s licking a popsicle and offering him a taste.  “Oh no,” shuns he, “it’s got high fructose corn syrup.”  She tosses her honey-hued hair and bats an eyelash. “So? What’s wrong with corn syrup? It’s practically a vegetable.”

He caves.  I think it’s the seductive giggles more than the strength of her argument, but that may just be my skewed interpretation of what happens where men and women and popsicles intersect.

“Corn syrup is fine.  Moderation,” she touts, “is key.”

Ok princess, that one I’ll give you.  Moderation is key. Moderation allows me to indulge in a sweet snack every day without beating myself up about it.

But her argument leaks. How exactly does one moderate when the sneaky substance lurks in every nook and cranny of the supermarket? It’s not as though we seek out corn syrup, insisting on seconds or thirds of those tantalizing ice pops.  It sneaks it to our diets by way of soft drinks, cereals, and condiments.  Crackers, bread and peanut butter.  And just about anything else that we buy in a box.

It’s everywhere.  That Snarky Spy of Safeway.  That Trojan horse of Target.

So what? Who cares?  Sugar by any other name, as the saying more or less goes, right?  Is it really that big of a deal if my sweetness takes the form of honey or brown sugar or highly processed high fructose corn syrup?

Yes. It is a big deal.  Recent studies have found that food items loaded with HFCS have unacceptably high levels of mercury.  Mercury is linked to problems in brain development.  HFCS is also blamed for the recent and drastic increase in diabetes in our country.  That super-sized soda sits on the side of the meal pretending to be a harmless drink; our body devours it like a bag of Halloween candy.

Not that I’m picking a fight with Halloween.  Let’s just call a spade, a spade, shall we?

Which is in fact my big hang-up with HCFS:  Awareness.

Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that I sit down and eat my way through the kids’ bags of Halloween candy.  A bad idea, sure.  But I am fully aware that I have just consumed my share of sweets for the millennium, and presumably, I would make up for that indulgence with a nice healthy lunch.

You know, a healthy lunch, like a salad, a yogurt and a glass of chocolate milk?  But chances are that the salad dressing, the yogurt and the milk are all packed with high fructose corn syrup.  Which means in my deluded quest for health I have just consumed the equivalent of another jumbo-sized bag of m+ms.  I’ve been fooled.

It’s not fair.  I want full credit when I eat my greens.  I do not want my veggie intake tallied in the dessert column down there in internal accounting.  And I don’t want to unwittingly spoon this over-processed, mercury-laden, spy of a pseudo-food into my kids, like I did yesterday when I poured out their Rice Krispies.

It feels lousy to be fooled.

********

Want more information about this stuff?  Read Michael Pollan’s book, Omnivore’s Dilemma.  It’s one of my favorites.  Also add the documentary King Corn to your Netflix list.  Two crazy college grads try to grow some corn, and get themselves educated in the process.

Daphne’s Tips at the Store:

  1. If the item says HONEY in the title (ie, Honey Wheat Bread,) it usually DOES NOT include HFCS.  This is not always true, but a good quick rule of thumb.
  2. The aisles on the inside harbor the most hiding places for HFCS.  Shop the outside perimeter.
  3. If it comes in a box, a bag, or a jar, take a quick glance at the ingredients.
  4. Nothing we eat should have 546 ingredients in it.
  5. If you want that Popsicle, eat the Popsicle.  And enjoy it in full awareness.

Chard, the thing that makes you say Mmmm (really!)

daphne on March 4, 2009

I am shocked. I had been wracking my brain trying desperately to write something garden-y amid late winter doldrums that would somehow resonate, and Bam! I hit the health-food jackpot. The outpouring in support of chard, sleeper vegetable of the year, has been overwhelming.

Here I was bravely choking down the stuff in the name of health when there are hundreds upon thousands of chard fanatics with a deep understanding of this under-appreciated vegetable.  You already knew why to serve it.  You even know how to grow it.  But more to the point, you really know how it should be eaten.  Hint: it can be crunchy!

Ok, crunchy chard. I am intrigued…go on. Where will this wacky nutritious hero pop up next?

Funny I should ask myself, because I happen to have an answer.  With summer just around the corner (and down the street and around the bend) thoughts turn to carnivals (work with me here.)  Blue skies, balloons, and loads of good clean American deep-fried fun.  Wait, hear me out.  I’m not suggesting you call it quits and break out the fryer, I’m simple setting the scene for our new crunchy, healthy friend….

Speaking of friends, my friend Annie is incredible.  Awesome, amazing Annie. She’s a magician who miraculously took our bitter, vitamin-packed pal and presto! change-o! Turned it into a crispy, carnival-worthy, snickity old snack.

And here, for the first time in North America, Annie has willingly revealed her secret for changing a nutrient packed yuck into a nutrient-packed yum.

Now I’m not going to lie to you. This recipe works best if you’ve got a top hat and a long black cape lined in purple satin.  Of course you can try it wearing jeans and a t-shirt.  Results may vary.

(Worried about me?  Think I’m showing just a bit too much enthusiasm for chard? Perhaps, but it has been a long winter.  And all I’m asking is that you try it first. Then come on back and judge me.)

1.    Wash the chard.
2.    Slice and remove the stalks. Set aside for salads or other recipe.
3.    Slice the leaves in half or quarters. Set aside to dry.

You’ll need a light dressing.  Mine was a simple vinaigrette, but anything will do; whatever you’ve got got in the house or throw together some of your favorite flavors.  I made a tray plain for the girls, with just a little oil and salt.

Mix together the dressing:
•    ½ cup Olive oil
•    ¼ cup Balsamic vinegar
•    1-2 Tbsp Mustard
•    2-3 Tbsp crushed garlic
•    Salt and pepper to taste.

1.    Toss the chard leaves in the dressing. Make sure to coat the leaves but they should not be drenched.
2.    Lay the chard flat on a greased baking sheet.
3.    Sprinkle with a little salt.

Bake for 7-8 minutes in 375° oven.  Watch closely so leaves crisp but don’t char.

Your guests, even your children, will be amazed!

Pretty please with chard on top

daphne on February 23, 2009

Rainbow chard is the prima donna of the produce aisle. Just take a look at this princess of a vegetable–

You should see its colors pop against the other dull greens stacked in the produce aisle.  Here, in the middle of February, when everything else seems shades of tan, the chard looks exotic.  It’s no wonder the children clamor for nibble. But children have to learn that throwing a temper tantrum and begging is simply not appropriate grocery store behavior.  No matter how much they want that veggie.

Of course I jest.  If my kids express even the most remote interest in a food that falls into a green category, I’m all for it.  So when I left it up to them to choose a veggie for the night, they were drawn to the amazing technicolor dream-chard.  No contest. How could boring broccoli even hope to hold a candle to such a dazzling veggie?

I thought it at best a begrudging choice, but then something incredible happened.  We were tucking into our Friday night movie and popcorn when Acadia spoke. Five years and counting and I still never know what may come out of that child’s mouth.

I don’t want any popcorn.  Can I have some chard instead? The purple leaf, please?

I kid you not.  The child asked for a leafy snack.  And said please.

Acadia’s movie treat aside, chard is a tough chew.  It looks a little like spinach, but the leaves are thicker, waxier and denser.  Still, there are ways to get the whole family to eat it, and receive a heaping dose of the good stuff in the process.  But chard is more than just a pretty face; it’s jam packed with good stuff.

Swiss chard is good for your lungs, bones and heart.  It’s a notorious cancer fighter.  It’s loaded with fiber, and vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin E.   And copper, calcium, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, protein, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, folate, biotin, niacin and pantothenic acid.

Not familiar with that last one? Lucky you have me, and lucky me, I have wikipedia.  Pantothenic acid is another name for vitamin B5, a water-soluble vitamin required to sustain life. Sustaining life is good.

And I thought the biggest triumph of the Swiss was Toblerone chocolate.  Mmm, Toblerone.  So so good.  But I digress…

On a return trip to the store this weekend I giddily pointed out the chard,  and graciously offered to buy more for my young connoisseur.

Uh, no thanks mom.  I don’t need any.

Oh, well.  It was a good thing while it lasted.


No-mush lasagna

daphne on February 22, 2009

Though I am an enormous fan of cheese, I never liked the goopy cheesy layers of traditional lasagna, so I made up my own version.

  • 12-14 lasagna noodles
  • 1 large tomato, sliced thin
  • fresh spinach, sliced into bite-sized pieces
  • swiss chard, cut small and sauteed in olive oil, diced onions and garlic
  • tomato sauce
  • Parmesan cheese
  • mozzarella, shredded or sliced
  • mushrooms, peppers, or any other veggie you’ve got around,
  • optional–ground turkey or meat
  1. Boil noodles according to package directions.
  2. Start with a layer of noodles.  Cover noodles with thinly sliced tomatoes.  Sprinkle with salt.
  3. Cover tomatoes with spinach, dollop entire layer with sauce (to taste) then sprinkle with cheese, (also to taste.)
  4. Layer with noodles, repeat.  I usually do a different veggie on each layer, ending with noodles and topped with cheese.
  5. Bake at 350°for about 30 minutes, or until cheese on top is bubbly and inside is piping hot.

There’s nothing like cinnamon in the morning

daphne on February 11, 2009

My kitchen smells amazing.   Unbelievably incredibly amazing.  And I’ll tell you, I don’t typically waste superlatives on things that don’t include chocolate.  In the interest of full disclosure, though, I probably should mention that I am writing this before my first attempt at homemade granola is ready for a taste test; at least this way I can carry on and on about the scrumptious smell even if the resulting snack comes out less edible than my exploding glass bread.

I’ve never made granola before, but the price of the stuff I buy at the store keeps climbing like an Ever-ready Sherpa.  And to hear my friends tell it, this stuff is even easier to make than pancakes from scratch.  So far, I’m a believer; I mixed up a batch in the time it took the girls to brush their teeth this morning.

Ten minutes to go according to the timer, and my house smells terrific. Forget lemon-scented cleansers, I may never clean again.  Close your eyes…could a house that smells this heavenly be dirty? I just don’t think so.

Speaking of smells, according to some new research pleasant odors, like peppermint or cinnamon, can increase alertness and reduce fatigue.  And, they found, it might even help with road rage.  I’m just saying, if you need a reason to mix up a batch of granola, think of your reputation:  you could be the most pleasant car-pooler out there.  Even without a mini-van.  And speaking of minivans, cinnamon is a powerful aphrodisiac too.  And it costs a mere fraction of the pricetag of a new car.

Therefore, in conclusion, here is is. . . My list of convincing reasons why you should stop everything and make  granola:

  1. These are tough economic times, homemade is cheaper.
  2. The sweet smell of cinnamon means an end to boring house cleaning.
  3. The sweet smell of cinnamon is the right spice for heating up a marriage.
  4. It’ll make you perky, alert, and happy behind the wheel.
  5. You can hide healthy stuff in there, like flax seeds
  6. You can hide healthy stuff in there, And THE KIDS WILL EAT IT.
  7. THE NUMBER ONE REASON TO MAKE GRANOLA (listed here at number 7)–it tastes really, really good.
  8. Really, it does.  I just tasted my first attempt at homemade granola.  And it is good.