"Whole Grain" White Bread?!

While recently at the grocery store perusing the bread section, I came upon something that just blows me away. Bread is actually being sold as "whole grain" when there's no way that it could be such.

I'm talking about white bread. There's no whole grains in it at all. It's the same consistency, ingredients and look of any other white bread. Oh wait, the first ingredient listed is whole wheat flour, not "enriched" flour. Spare me.

Another issue: The "whole grain" bread is white, so there had to be bleach involved. Whole grains are not white, by any means. How nutritious is that? Another mode of deception used by food manufacturing conglomerates.

How stupid do the food manufacturers think we are? I knew something bizarre was happening when I saw Disney cereals overtaking the boxed cereal shelves at the local marketplace. Disney...in the food industry? Spare me...

It's bad enough that food conglomerates have gotten a hold of traditional sugar-laden breakfast cereals (such as Cap'n Crunch) and have been attempting to sell the notion about the foods containing "whole grain" quality...but to try and sell us white bread as whole grain bread? Come on...

It's already happened with the yogurt section. What originally started out as a nutritious food has been turned into a commercially-prepared yogurt candy marketplace. How rare is it to find 'plain' yogurt that isn't laden with tons of sugar...all in the name of "good nutrition". Spare me. (Luckily, Greek yogurt is becoming popular, including plain variety..)

Hoping someone, or something, would stop this preposterous overtaking of our food industry.

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Food Portions

Wanted to share something that I find very curious and interesting...

When I started measuring my food portions during the mid-1980's, a portion of protein was 3 ounces, according to the American Dietetic Association. Now, if people start measuring their food intake, information states that a portion size is 4 ounces. Hmm....

Wonder why?

Heart Healthy Holiday Cookies

It's the time of year to share both baking ideas and baked goods with others. Here are some ways you can save on calories and fat while still maintaining the taste of your goods:

Prepare your cookie dough batter. Make some substitutions. For instance, for oatmeal cookies you can save on saturated fats by substituting "heart healthy" margarine for butter. To increase the nutritional value, use unbleached instead of bleached flour. Add extra cinnamon in place of some brown sugar.

Prepare your cookie sheets. Use parchment paper instead of lightly greasing your cookie sheet. This will save calories while also reducing your fat content. It does not affect the taste, either.

Shape your dough. Shape the dough into canes, bells and stockings. This is done by moistening your hands with water, picking up some dough, and placing it onto the cookie sheet. Now, shape into your preferred item.

Bake. Bake the holiday-themed cookies per your recipe instructions.

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Heart Healthy Breakfast Sandwich

Start your day with a nutritious low fat breakfast sandwich that is high in protein. It's easy and quick to make.

1 hard boiled egg, shelled
1 whole wheat English muffin, toasted
1 tablespoon low fat cream cheese
flax seeds
garlic powder
salt

Cut the English muffin in half. Toast it.
Spread the cream cheese on each muffin.
Slice the egg white and place onto the muffin. (Set aside, or toss, egg yolk).
Sprinkle with flax seeds.
Sprinkle with garlic powder and a touch of salt.

For variety, you can prepare one half of your English muffin like above. After covering with cream cheese, slice some fresh banana onto it. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Fresh Nutrient Rich Fruits

A health promoting dessert can be easily enjoyed by making a quick and simple fresh fruit salad. The USDA and American Heart Association have a list of 10 fruits that are known to be superfoods. Include them in one of your salads. All of the fruits are high in antioxidants and fiber.

If you have a farmer's market nearby, I recommend buying your fresh produce there. It'll give you a chance to meet the grower and learn new ways to enjoy the foods. Plus, you'll know exactly where your food is coming from. It can't get much better than that, in my opinion. Local farmers deserve all the support we can give them. When you get accustomed to the way food is supposed to taste, fresh from the unadulterated ground, you won't go back to supermarket foods.

Here's the fruit list, in no particular order:
* raspberries
* cherries (have you ever had a Rainier cherry?! OOOHH!)
* wild blueberries
* cranberries
* granny smith apples
* strawberries
* red delicious apples
* plums
* prunes
* blackberries

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Red Raspberries & Health Benefits

When I was a kid, my family grew red raspberries in our backyard. Getting a bowlful and enjoying throughout the season was a special treat. Then, when I got out on my own and saw the exorbitant prices....YIKES!! Down went my consumption...

My local organic market is having a sale on red raspberries...so I treated myself. Mmm...

In addition to their wonderful taste...red raspberries carry with them a variety of nutritional benefits. For instance....

Red raspberries are very high in Vitamin C, fiber, vitamins B2 and B3, magnesium, plus folate. They also are high in antioxidants. There is talk about them containing strong anti-cancer agents, but I haven't read enough information to convince me of this yet. I'll keep looking.

It's great knowing that not only am I giving my taste buds a treat, but my body is enjoying these nutritional delights also. :)

Red raspberries are great eaten as is, or with some lowfat milk, or added to plain yogurt.