The New Newton: Not Too Sweet Crumbly Fig Bars (Vegan)
When I was a child, I didn't much care for Fig Newtons -- the baked bars made by Nabisco with a figgy filing. I mean. they were OK but certainly not my first choice over chocolate chip or sandwich cookies or even plain vanilla wafers.Now, many decades later, times have changed. I love figs (especially fresh) and even have them growing outside my door. Figs are high in fiber, manganese, and potassium aside from being just plain tasty. For what it's worth, manganese helps ...
No Egg Salad, School Lunchbox Style
Long a staple of classic lunchtime fare, egg salad evokes simple times and a certain mid-20th century mentality, when it was best known for filling Wonder Bread sandwiches covered in waxed paper and stashed in metal lunch boxes accompanied by plastic thermoses (way before Lunchables and juice boxes).Having given up eggs, this no-egg salad will rekindle the memories (or start some new ones) without any chickens involved (and no risk of egg-borne pathogens like salmonella).To amp up the ...
It Does Not Compute: Danger Danger in New Robotics
The New York Times had a story the other day about two robots (Nao and iCat) that have been programmed to teach children to avoid overeating. Developed by the TNO research institute in Delft (Netherlands) and by Aldebaran Robotics of Paris (France), the robots are about two feet tall, can see and talk and even mimic emotions such as empathy through their moving facial features. According to the story, the goal is to help build emotional ties with young children which would allow ...
Cooking Karma: Why Our Eating Habits Can Leave Us Empty
In today's New York Times, the king of the food literati, Michael Pollan, presents, "Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch," a tale of how (and a bit of why) Americans barely cook these days and what it could mean for our future. The best part of the piece, for us anyway, was the guy who got right to the point. According to Harry Balzer, a leading food industry analyst, the real reason we have a national eating problem is "Because we're basically cheap and lazy." He adds, "Besides, the ...
Paying the Price: Kidney Stones Rise in Kids
This past October, the New York Times had a story reporting on the rise in kidney stones in children. Putting aside melamine – the now infamous substance that Chinese manufacturers used to phony up the protein results in infant formula, pet food (and likely more) – apparently one factor is excessive salt.We’re not talking just salty chips and fries either. It’s packaged and processed foods and even sports drinks. Also linked to kidney stones are the sweeteners used in sodas (which ...
Got De Skills? Losing the Art of Knowing How
Recently, we heard a lecturer who spoke about the de-skilling of the Western population. Apparently, we no longer perform tasks that for generations before us were basic to daily life. We cannot build, fix, construct, process, and create as our ancestors did. This is definitely true when it comes to how people eat. These days, there are folks who can barely do more than open a package to heat something up, preferring to order in, carry-out or let someone else do it. Bad idea.Fact is, you ...
It’s On the Label, OK? Now Get Off Our Backs!
A new coordinated effort from some of the world's largest food companies will be announced next week at the American Dietetics Association annual conference -- the Smart Choices Program. With backers that include food companies Kraft Foods, General Mills Inc., Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc., ConAgra, Kellog Co., and Unilever US, retailers like WalMart, and public health-oriented groups such as the Tufts' Friedman School of Nutrition Science and the American Heart Association, it's a ...
Kids and Food: Mistake Number One
The New York Times recently reported on 6 Food Mistakes Parents Make. Of these, one stands out for us: "Dieting In Front of Your Children." As we advocate, kids pay attention to what we adults, especially parents, do. If we are confused, erratic and stressed over what we eat, they see it. And then, chances are high, they will copy it.No amount of broccoli and whole grain bread shoved down their throats will make up for the fact that you're choosing to "diet," and maybe even eat a diet ...
