Summer Weekends: Don't Let Apps Make You Fat

Dark photo but had to include Rosa Mexicana guac for an army from Taste of Upper West Side

Nothing says “hello summer” like a golf umbrella (or in my case yesterday a broken umbrella mid-typhoon) but weather aside Memorial Day weekend, for many, is the unofficial start to summer. Nutritionally each season has its liabilities. Summertime means cocktail calories and barbeques possibly mitigated by the presence fantastic produce and outside time.  This week, I’ve been prepping clients for summer snags. In a session earlier in the week a client said “I’m pretty good with my meals it’s just the appetizers and pre-dinner munching that trips me up.” She’s not alone; a cheese plate has derailed many healthy weekends.  Here are my tips for managing an app-attack.

Be mono-appous- despite what you’ve heard happy hour is not the time to play the field at least when calories are at stake. Is it going to be shrimp cocktail, crudité or cheese? Whenever possible, commit to one item and be faithful. This is similar to the presnacktual agreement I mentioned before. The more items you taste the more total food you’ll consume.

If food-loyalty is a virtue you’re still working on, I’ve got you covered. For pupu platter eaters sticking to one food takes work and can initially feel like dietary Alcatraz. In that case, just plate it. Take a bread and butter plate or if plateless a cocktail napkin will suffice and serve yourself a few items. The nice thing about plating is that you see what you’re consuming. This comes in handy if you’re keeping a food journal or just when donning a swimsuit for the first time in months. And it's just one plate, no refills.

It’s easy to overdo it on hors d’oeuvres (a word I can never spell correctly), especially after a glass of wine. When you’re tempted to blow it…wait, wait, compensate. If you polished off the better part of a basket of chips- skip carbs at dinner. If you couldn’t resist mini meatballs or sliders, veg it up during mealtime.  Apps add up and the truth is if you went to town (it has happened to the best of us) you technically don’t need much after that. If that sounds a little Where the Wild Things Are I’m sorry but we’re all a lot older than Max and dinner skipping (after basically having dinner) isn’t the end of the world.

If you’re hosting, some favorite app ideas are

• Olives- in NYC Citarella and Fresh Direct sell gigantic Cerignola olives that I adore.
• Veggies and Interesting Dip- try Sweet Potato Hummus or a knock off on Canyon Ranches Peanut Butter Delight (1/4 cup any nut butter,  1 cup Greek Yogurt spice it up with cayenne or keep it sweet with cinnamon/vanilla or maple).
• Nothing is better than guacamole but I serve it with shrimp instead of chips.
• If you’re a regular reader you know my fondness for freshly popped popcorn and truffle salt (preferably together).
• And if you’re feeling “cheesy” pair cubes of cheese with organic Hellfire Pepper Jelly- it’s spicy enough that it really satisfies you and spice helps with your metabolism.

What’s your appetizer strategy? Any of these tips sound worth trying? What are your favorite appetizers to eat or make?
Have a great weekend.

Kelly Bensimon Can Make You Hot

For those of you with better taste in TV shows than I do, Kelly Bensimon was one of Bravo's Real Housewives of NYC. She’s probably best known for an episode, taped on a girls’ trip to the Caribbean, where she really appeared to have lost her marbles. I’m not talking tipsy or ditzy but full-blown seemingly mentally ill behavior for us all to see. That was a couple of years ago and now model Kelly, the original tanorexic, 

or as one commenter on a message board said, who looks like she rolled around in a bag of Cheetos, has a diet book.

What’s that? Is everyone’s a nutrition expert?

Not to worry, on page 1- yes I did waste $11.00 on the kindle book, Kelly clears it up. “I’m not a doctor or an expert of any kind. I’m just a mom who was a teenage competitive swimmer and a model who has lost 50 pounds twice.”

Let’s dissect. She’s not an expert of any kind  she’s a mom (there are many mothers, how is that relevant?) who was a teenage competitive swimmer (bragging trying to justify authorship with athleticism) and a model (because they’re known for stellar eating habits) who has lost 50 pounds twice (um pregnancy doesn’t count). It gets worse she adds Playboy to her resume and plays the pity card because she was never “one of those tiny, blonde girls who guys named their hamsters after” OK so I didn’t waste my $11, page one and Kelly the Kookoo Krispy is in full bloom…hamsters?

Exercise Advice

Kelly  defends her RHONY running in the streets of NYC habit. See, on the sidewalk “you can get snacked by a shopping bag, a stroller, an even an oversized purse. Sidewalks are really obstacle courses. Beware!” So we’ll avoid the oh-so-dangerous Fairway bag and get hit by a Fresh Direct truck, that will be HOT. And there’s a suggested playlist, for when you’re running in traffic, it includes “Skinny Love” by Bon Iver and “Beautiful People” by Chris Brown. And in case you think running down Broadway listening to “Beautiful People” will make you look tranny hot like Kelly, she cautions “unfortunately I can’t give you my legs but I can help you be the best you can be.” Kumbaya.

What doesn’t work

  Kelly turns reveals her tricks by first  clearing up what doesn’t work. There’s a long list but for a taste:

• The tapeworm diet does work because “instead of making you thin, it makes you dead”. 
• Eating nothing but an apple a day does not work (“though it does save you money”)
• One I had never heard, though I think it’s part of the eating disorder Pica, “eating Kleenex to make you feel full does not work.”

If anyone reading this book needs this list, they need psychotherapy not a lunatic model taking you down diet memory road.

What works

Want to know what really works? Drumroll please. OK, Kelly discovered that “really eating is the key.” After that insight, Kelly transitions into a supermarket section and gets a little bossy. First “dress to look good when you hit the supermarket, if you look good you’ll feel good and buy food that’s food for you. No sweats.” I checked PubMed and couldn’t find studies showing that people who look good bought food that’s good for you. And do yoga pants count as sweats? If so, I clearly don’t look good when I shop. Next, Kelly says it’s not hot to snack while you shop.  So much for the motivational speak, I am not hot either. As someone who's genetically predisposed to snack while shopping, my mother said the doorman always knew her groceries because the baguette had the end torn off, I resent this.  Plus, Kelly insulted my mother too. Grrrrrr.

Here’s a sampling of the staples on Kelly’s suggested shopping list:

1. Cornbread Mix- I love good cornbread but it’s not the next superfood.
2. Organic Fruit Snacks- Kelly falls for the health halo, “fruit snacks” = candy
3. Yogurt covered goji berries- someone should tell Kelly “fauxgurt” isn’t hot.
4. Olives- olives may be little balls of fat, but they're full of health-promoting, omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acids as well as vitamin E and flavonoids, which are potent antioxidants. Plus, black olives have more iron than any other food and there is research to show that olives and olive oil may be effective in the prevention and treatment of arthritis, asthma, and some types of cancer. They also satisfy your need for salt and combat cravings. Aside from the “ball of fat” part someone needs to call the plagiarism department, I will bet my business on the fact that Kelly wouldn’t know a flavonoid if it hit her in her hallow head. Sorry if this sounds defensive, I like olives.

So this book is a total waste of time but like reality TV it’s the variety of time wasting that’s so unintelligent, self-serving and “off” it kind of sucks you in. I’m sure Kelly is proud of herself for writing a book (her 2^nd actually) but Kelly I have advice for you, reading a book- that’s smokin' hot. And because I couldn’t resist

Circa 1983, her name is Lauren

Do you think anyone is justified in writing a diet book? Have you seen Kelly on RHONY? Do you like olives?

Eat Less with Activity Foods

About a month ago I was encouraging a client to add more fruit to her diet. Pushing fruit in February is like selling pork in an Orthodox neighborhood. It isn’t easy.  At the time I was loving Cara Cara oranges and suggested them to my client. “Oranges are too much work,” she said.  “What do you mean an orange is work?” I asked. “The peel, the juice, the mess, I don’t have the time.” I let it go and I think we settled on apples (less work).  It got me thinking though, this “work” my client referred to is a good thing when it comes to food. “Activity Foods” as I call them are foods that take time to eat. This slows us down and may just lead to eating less. Convenience isn't always a good thing when it comes to food. Here are my favorite activity foods:

Nuts/Nutcrackers

My first memory of eating nuts was in my Grandparents den. There was always a bowl of nuts on the table. The nuts were whole and a silver nutcracker rested next to them. As a child I remember many failed attempts at nut cracking. I probably consumed 1 nut per day back then. I don’t even know that my kids would know nutcrackers are used for eating nuts.  I vote for a nutcracker revival.

Edamame

Edamame are a great source of protein and the ultimate activity food. Buy edamame in the shell, non-GMO. Enjoy them as a snack with some sea salt and a little cayenne.

Shellfish

Attending college in New Orleans, some of my favorite memories are chowing down on crawfish or peel and eat shrimp. You really work for your food when eating these. Other shellfish options are mussels and lobster.

Artichokes

One of my favorite spring vegetables is artichokes. Artichokes take a little work to prepare and time to eat. Watch what you “dip” into. Artichokes are low calorie and high fiber, creamy sauces aren’t.

Olives

As much as I love a dirty martini, I love olives on their own too. Olives are high in fat (good fat) but fairly low in calories. Make sure to buy olives with their pits. Again, the pitting (and spitting) takes time.

Whole Fish

People are scared of whole fish (or grossed out) and I think that’s a mistake. Cooking fish whole renders a delicious end product and is a very healthy method of preparation. Furthermore, find me someone who can race through eating whole fish, you can’t.

Pistachios

If you’re not up for nutcracking, try pistachios. Pistachios are great as they lower LDL cholesterol and also because you can eat more (for same calories) than other nuts. Removing the shells is sort of fun…unless you had a manicure recently.

If you’re a speedy eater, activity foods will slow you down leaving time to savor the food that you’re eating and realize when you’re full (or tired of “working”).

Do you like activity foods? Any good ones I left off this list? Do you think oranges are a lot of work?

Salty Tooth

All this Halloween talk has made me realize something I’ve probably known for a while. There are sweets I like. I mentioned Wednesday that I liked Mounds’ bars. I also like caramels, lemon meringue pie, crystallized ginger and dates. My mother used to give me Teuschers’ champagne truffles while I sat when she had her hair done and I still like those. If forced to choose between any of these treats and say delicious cheese or a French fry, the sweets will lose. I googled “salty tooth” and found a lot of information on various dental procedures and salt water rinsing. While that expression may not be legit, I know I’m not alone. At Foodtrainers, all of us are more salty than sweet. And so I offer some of our favorite “salty tooth” foods.
(photo above is from India, these are salt gatherers and photo take my the mother who bribed her child with champagne truffles)

Popcorn
My friend, chef Julie Negrin had a great blog post about popping popcorn in a pot and it changed my life. You put a little oil in a pot, add your kernels and cover the pot leaving a little room for air to escape. When the popping stops a little Kosher salt or a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Salty and crunchy.

Cerignola olives
Olives have to be one of the great salty foods and these are the king of olives. These large green olives have a firm flesh and amazing flavor. They are 3-4 times the size of a typical olive and fantastic for parties or snacks. In NYC, I get them at Citarella market.

Applegate Sunday bacon What’s salt without bacon? My kids love bacon but the nitrites and nastiness of bacon worried me a bit. I was happy to discover this Applegate product. Two slices are 60 calories and 290 mg of sodium (a serving of canned soup has 500). It’s gluten free and really good.

Marcona almonds
I referred to the Cerignolas as the king of olives and just read these almonds described as the “Queen of almonds.” What a great couple they would be. This “queen” hails from Spain. The almonds derive their saltiness from sea salt and there’s olive oil involved too. Add these to a salad or simply pop them in your mouth.

Nori snacks
I love nori (the black seaweed used for sushi) and often use it as a sandwich wrapper. A client brought me these snacks and they’re delicately salty and very low in calories. I could see these used in soups or one their own.

Pickles
I wrote about McClures  before and have jars of their pickles, bloody mary mix and relish in my pantry at all times. They would go in my salty hall of fame but they might have another pickle with them. I love NY Deli Pickles Horseradish Kosher Pickles . Ricks picks are pretty darn good too.

As far as my fellow Foodtrainers, Melissa loves salted edamame and crumbled feta cheese and Lisa likes avocados with kosher salt. None of us are advocating salt up the wazoo. The funny thing is many of these foods are far lower in sodium than processed foods. One still needs to exercise caution. Too much salt isn’t good but a little sure is.
Do you have a sweet tooth or a salty tooth? What are your favorite salty foods?