Recently, a friend shared with me her new food philsophy: Don't eat anything that your great grandmother wouldn't consider food. She said that from this theory, she decided to stop eating Pop Tarts. I fully support this outlook and I think everyone should adopt a similar mantra.
This isn't the first idea of this kind that we've heard; many people promote eating less processed foods and extremists are raw vegans. I believe that the great grandma theory could greatly improve our health and also our appreciation for food in general. To back this up, I have come up with a short list of foods this way of thinking would elminate from our diet:
Cheez Whiz
Cool Whip
Energy/power bars & drinks
Kool Aid
Soda
Hamburger/Tuna/Chicken Helper
Hot dogs (especially those filled with "cheese")
As you can see, these are all things we shouldn't be eating anyway. You may argue "Hey, Hamburger Helper is just pasta or rice with spices and meat. I think G-Gma would have eaten that!". While it may be true that she would have eaten a similar meal, she wouldn't have gone out a bought a box full of processed ingredients and simply added meat. She would have made or purchased pasta, added her own spices (possibly even fresh herbs) and created her own meal.
Possibly the greatest benefit of this theory is that it forces us to think about what we are eating. Convience foods allow us to munch absentmindedly, consuming an infinte number of fat and calories without even realizing it. Making our own meals, begining with basic ingredients makes us aware of what is going into our foods and allows us to be in control of things like salt and fat content. I challenge everyone just to try out this theory in your next few meals.
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
2009/09/09
2009/09/06
Thoughts on Cheese Sauce...
Recently, I have become fascinated with cheese sauce. Thick, gooey, brightly colored...what is it that attracts Americans to this crazy condiment? I have never really been a fan myself. Here is my beef with cheese sauce...
It seems to me that the cheese sauce that is commonly consumed by Americans really contains no actual cheese at all. The closest ingredient to it would be the powedered cheese flavoring (think the stuff that comes in the mac & cheese box) and the rest of the ingredients are absolutely artificial. The worst part is the putridly bright orange coloring that gives cheese sauce its distinctive hue. In the world today, we are all concerned about our health and the growing obesity problem. So, should we really be eating this orange artifical goo full of fat and calories that only vaguely hints at the flavor of real cheese?
I think there is only one reason: comfort. Honestly what is more comforting than melted cheese? It's the star ingredient in so many of our favorite meals: mac and cheese, pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches. I think the issue here is that people are moving away from taking the 10 minutes max it takes to whip up a cheese sauce made with REAL CHEESE. We are sacrificing taste and health for the convience of the jar full of orange goo.
For example, I do not believe that the "nachos" they serve at concession stands nationwide can even be considered food, and I certainly do not think that cheese sauce and stale corn chips come anything close to a real plate of nachos. However, it seems that most consumers do not agree with me, because these "nachos" continue to be a best seller.
Another cheese sauce to consider: Cheez Whiz. I wonder what people use Cheez Whiz for? Kraft promotes using it with french fries (really!?! If they need Cheez Whiz they must be pretty crappy fries), chips, broccoli (because its HEALTHIER with Cheez Whiz). They even make a low fat version...don't make me laugh!
Velveeta. Now I have to admit to being a fan of Velveeta Shells and Cheese. I can't help myself. Velveeta is smooth and melts perfectly over those shells leaving a thick coating of a richly flavored cheese sauce. Just add bacon! Anyway, Velveeta isn't really a cheese sauce since it's sold in a solid form, so I won't condemn myself just yet.
I am challenging all the cheese sauce lovers out there to make a homemade version. I promise it's easy and much more rewarding than opening a jar. Start with a simple thick white sauce and add in some shredded sharp cheddar...you might just amaze yourself.
It seems to me that the cheese sauce that is commonly consumed by Americans really contains no actual cheese at all. The closest ingredient to it would be the powedered cheese flavoring (think the stuff that comes in the mac & cheese box) and the rest of the ingredients are absolutely artificial. The worst part is the putridly bright orange coloring that gives cheese sauce its distinctive hue. In the world today, we are all concerned about our health and the growing obesity problem. So, should we really be eating this orange artifical goo full of fat and calories that only vaguely hints at the flavor of real cheese?
I think there is only one reason: comfort. Honestly what is more comforting than melted cheese? It's the star ingredient in so many of our favorite meals: mac and cheese, pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches. I think the issue here is that people are moving away from taking the 10 minutes max it takes to whip up a cheese sauce made with REAL CHEESE. We are sacrificing taste and health for the convience of the jar full of orange goo.
For example, I do not believe that the "nachos" they serve at concession stands nationwide can even be considered food, and I certainly do not think that cheese sauce and stale corn chips come anything close to a real plate of nachos. However, it seems that most consumers do not agree with me, because these "nachos" continue to be a best seller.
Another cheese sauce to consider: Cheez Whiz. I wonder what people use Cheez Whiz for? Kraft promotes using it with french fries (really!?! If they need Cheez Whiz they must be pretty crappy fries), chips, broccoli (because its HEALTHIER with Cheez Whiz). They even make a low fat version...don't make me laugh!
Velveeta. Now I have to admit to being a fan of Velveeta Shells and Cheese. I can't help myself. Velveeta is smooth and melts perfectly over those shells leaving a thick coating of a richly flavored cheese sauce. Just add bacon! Anyway, Velveeta isn't really a cheese sauce since it's sold in a solid form, so I won't condemn myself just yet.
I am challenging all the cheese sauce lovers out there to make a homemade version. I promise it's easy and much more rewarding than opening a jar. Start with a simple thick white sauce and add in some shredded sharp cheddar...you might just amaze yourself.
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