A healthy lunch spot & sushi by the pound

While I try to avoid generalities, one I do use is that the less processed food is, the healthier it likely is as well.

That’s why sushi has become an even larger part of my diet than it was before my two stents were put in to unclog my arteries.

Nutritionists do raise a red flag about eating a lot of white rice, but sushi can be found with brown rice and there’s also sashimi which is sushi’s rice-less cousin. But sushi can get expensive.

So I was excited to try a Chicago sushi lunch spot that sells sushi by the pound ($1.25 an ounce) rather than the piece. Grain & Sea is a very neat-looking spot with an almost limitless sushi buffet.

You walk the food line, taking whichever you want and have it all weighed at the end of the line.

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Say it ain’t so Hostess, mold in your Ding Dongs?

Hostess snack cakes and I go way back, so I cringed when I saw this latest recall of Hostess Ding Dongs for mold contamination.

Once my favorites, Hostess HoHos are off my diet today, but I will never forget them.
Hostess shut down for a bit before an ownership change in recent years. Now, there’s a recall.

Mold?

“An investigation confirmed that a mechanical issue with a piece of equipment could create conditions that support mold growth in Ding Dongs before the listed expiration date, Hostess said in its recall statement,” reports the Today Show on its site.

I grew up in Brooklyn living off of Ring Dings, which are made by Hostess competitor Drake’s Cakes. Ding Dongs are a Ring Ding knock-off, for those of you into junk food family trees.

I’ve spent my adult life in the Midwest, where Drake’s do not distribute, so Hostess is my fallback favorite.

I normally opt for Hostess cupcakes, however, because those Ding Dongs really don’t hold a taste candle to the original Ring Dings, in my opinion. So maybe I shouldn’t be surprised mold is a secret ingredient.

Oddly enough, I was at a local Jewel supermarket yesterday and the Hostess rack was full of Ding Dongs but out of cupcakes! The mold issue seems to be confined to multipacks, not the two-packs.

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Eat healthy — your circulatory system will thank you

Me with the heart mascot, sporting my survivor's cap and beads for each year since my 2012 surgery.
My heart mascot and I in a recent heart-health walk.

People who know me know that I’ve had two near-fatal heart incidents, one in 2012 and a second in 2017.

Two different arteries were blocked, although not badly enough to cause damage to my heart (a heart attack causes heart damage; short of that is just an incident in medical jargon).

So worrying about my circulatory system is always on my to-do list. which is why I read this piece, How Diet Impacts Your Circulatory System on a site called Vitasupportmd.com.

“The foods consumed each day play an important role in how well the circulatory system performs. A balanced and nutrient-rich diet can support vessel tone, help maintain blood pressure within a healthy range, promote the balance of blood lipids like cholesterol, and encourage a healthy inflammatory response,” the article notes. One more important reason to eat healthy.

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Summer weight-loss tips

Summer can mean more trips to the local swimming pool or beach. And seeing ourselves in bathing suits could lead us tot think about dropping a few pounds. Here are seven tips on weight loss from LoseIt!, the food journaling app.

My new tiny oil and vinegar bottles for eating out.
My tiny oil and vinegar bottles for eating out.

At its core, losing weight can be fairly simple, eat less calories than your body burns every day. But the devil is in the details, or the Hostess cupcake wrappers in my case. So, these tips might help you.

Chief among them — eat more fiber, avoid sugary drinks and watch for, and hopefully avoid, all the calories in salad dressings and sauces. I carry my own olive oil and vinegar whenever I plan to eat a salad at a restaurant. I’m overweight now, but would be so much more so if I ate fat- and sugar-filled salad dressings every day.

Give the list a read and practice eating slowly, one of the tips. Give our brain a chance to know your stomach is full. Happy Summer!

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Listeria outbreak linked to Walmart, Kroger products

One of the recalled products — Home Chef Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo 12.5 oz

A deadly listeria outbreak which already has killed three people has been linked to chicken products sold at Walmart and Kroger stores.

“FreshRealm, a large food producer with sites in California, Georgia and Indiana, is recalling products made before June 17,” reports the Associated Press. “The recall includes these products, which were sold in the refrigerated sections of retail stores: 

— 32.8-ounce trays of Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccine Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken and Shaved Parmesan Cheese with best-by dates of June 27 or earlier.

— 12.3-ounce trays of Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettucine Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken, Broccoli and Shaved Parmesan Cheese with best-by dates of June 26 or earlier.

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Use by dates have different meanings for different people

A new study finds that Americans have different ideas what “Use by” dates on food products mean.

Some see them as indications of deteriorating quality while others think they indicate the safety of consuming the food involved, found The International Food Information Council (IFIC) in a study released this June.

“When survey takers were asked what “Best by,” “Best if used by,” and “Use by” dates mean to them, 48% of survey takers say the date labeling indicates when a product begins to lose quality.

“Another 29% believe the dates signal when the food is no longer safe to eat, while 17% think they indicate when the product should be discarded. Just 5% say they do not know the purpose of date labeling on food packaging,” the IFIC says in a PowerPoint presentation it issued on the survey.

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Was it fiber or taste that propelled Olipop and Poppi?

Are Americans so worried about their stomach health that they’re willing to spend more than three-quarters of a billion dollars a year on gut-health-promoting sodas?

That might be too simple an explanation for the rapid growth of competitors Olipop and Poppi, according to a fascinating analyst in the Food Institute site by Dr. James Richardson is the founder of Premium Growth Solutions,rt a strategic planning consultancy for early-stage consumer packaged goods brands.

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Säti Slim — A sugar-free soda option for Memorial Day

I grew up drinking Coke and Pepsi. These days, I tend to drink Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi despite concerns about the sweeteners they use. But when an alternative come along, I’ll try it. The makers of Säti Soda Slim, rolled out late last year, were nice enough recently to offer me samples to review.

“Säti Slim’s ingredients were meticulously chosen to give you that caffeine kick at no expense to your health and wellness. Keeping with Säti Soda’s commitment to providing both function and flavor, Säti Slim includes:

  •  Clean caffeine sourced from 150 mg of green coffee beans for that energy boost and appetite suppression
  • Functional Benefits: Includes PurC, an organic Vitamin C blend from Acerola fruit, which supports immunity, skin health, and acts as a natural preservative & Lion’s Mane supporting cognition and caffeine absorption
  •  Zero-sugar, zero-stevia, zero-artificial sweeteners: Sweetened with only organic monk fruit.
  • Better-for-You Option: A clean, organic energy drink that prioritizes health without compromising on flavor,” explains a company press release.
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Spring and Asparagus go hand-in-hand

Asparagus ready for my backyard grill. I use these disposable grilling sheets to keep my main grill clean.

In spring, an old man’s fancy turns to — asparagus? Well, hopefully still other things as well. But spring is traditionally thought of as asparagus season, the New York Times tells us.

Asparagus should be on your healthy menu. It’s high in probiotics and a good source of Vitamin K (although if you’re on some blood thinners as I am, vitamin K may not be your friend, see below for details).

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Balsamic-Roasted Broccoli — try this for summer fare

I saw this recipe for balsamic-roasted and was shocked to discover I’ve never written about it on this blog. I did have a piece on roasting broccoli and cauliflower, but never just the broccoli.

Start with fresh broccoli, cut off the bulky stems and trim as you like
Broccoli often is on sale in the Chciago area where we live. Watch out for sales near you.

So here it is. Leave out the salt, obviously. The balsamic vinegar will give it plenty of flavor even without the salt.

Leave out the cheese too if you’re worried about salt and fat. OR search out low-fat or no-fat cheese to help a bit.

Recipe

Balsamic-Roasted Broccoli

Prep time:  5 mins

Cook time:  20 mins

Total time:  25 mins

Yield: 2 side-dish servings

Ingredients

  • 3 cups broccoli florets (about ¾ lb/350 g fresh broccoli)
  • 1 small onion, peeled, halved, and thickly sliced
  • 1½ tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoon fresh grated Parmesan cheese, for topping (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425F.
  2. Toss together all ingredients, then arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.
  3. Roast until the broccoli is tender and browned in spots, about 18 to 22 minutes (depending how crispy you like your broccoli), tossing once halfway through.
  4. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top, if using, and serve immediately.
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