Is the French parenting style better?

If you need me, I'm out on the patio in the sun. I'm soaking up as much of this CA gold as I can while I'm here. I'll be back with some real posts soon, but the allure of the sun, family and friends is too much to resist.

But, in the meantime, I do suggest you read this fascinating article on French parenting style. It may seem off topic for this blog, but think about how much parenting style affects the eating habits of children. Food battles can be some of the biggest between parents and children. And it is just an interesting read and a great topic for debate! Definitely peruse the comments of the article. What do you think? Is the French parenting style better than the US?

Think there isn't hunger in the US? Think again.

In the 'land of plenty,' where nearly 70% of the population is overweight or obese and 40% of the food purchased goes to waste, it is easy to forget that there are many many Americans who do not have enough food to eat. This heartbreaking and honest short clip from the BBC will remind you that not everyone is living in the 'land of plenty.' (head over to the BBC via the link to watch it...right now!)

And in full display of my 'bleeding heart,' watching clips like this truly does break my heart. The children in this clip who talk about not having food to eat at home, and whose faces show the worry usually present on someone much older, have haunted me for days.

This clip is a reminder to me, and will likely be the same for you if you watch it, to be thankful for my life and the good food on my table.  As you are eating your meals, or even enjoying some leftover valentines day candies, imagine how grateful any one of the children in that clip would be to have what you have. These children are eating beef-a-roni, potentially cold because of a lack of  cooking facilities, and without it they would have gone hungry. Makes me realize the luxury of the organic apples sitting on my kitchen table.

As the clip reports: "20 million Americans...earn less than $11,000 a year for a family of four." Could you feed a family of four on $11,000?

If you're like me, watching this clip makes you want to do something to help. The food that we give to the hungry in the US is often very unhealthy. Most often, it is inexpensive, unhealthy, shelf-stable processed foods. If you want to donate food to the hungry, at your local food bank for example, try to give healthy foods that will last. Canned fruits and vegetables without added sugar or salt, natural peanut butter, dried beans, and brown rice are all good choices.

As for me, I'm going to be keeping a close eye on the policy side of this. I'll be watching what happens with the Farm Bill in the US, which is supposed to be rewritten this year, although there is doubt about that actually happening. The Farm Bill is the legislation in the US that includes funding for the major food and nutrition related safety net programs, such as food stamps. For more information about the Farm Bill, Marion Nestle has a good starting summary of what will take place this year.

Update: The BBC News is reporting today that 500 million children world wide could be physciall and mentally stunted by hunger. Still think hunger isn't a problem?

Carrot and Apple Brown Butter Muffins {now with 15% less sugar}

Remember that time I set fire to the microwave?

Well, the microwave/oven (multifunction-thing) caught fire while I was making some great muffins a couple of weeks back.

Muffins that were good enough for me to have cravings for them. So this morning when I had some time (one of the benefits/negatives of working from home for a company in CA is that I usually have to work late, leaving my mornings free), and saw that I had both apples and carrots that needed to be used up, I jumped at the opportunity.

They are just as good as I remembered! And I managed to snap some pictures this time.

The perfect cold, gray day activity, if I do say so myself. Particularly when the world outside looks like this:

These muffins are chock-full of carrots and apple, so they nearly qualify as good for you.

You can find the recipe over at Cannelle et Vanille.I substituted a GF flour mix, and I'm sure these would also be great with regular flour. (When substituting flours, its best if you measure by weight, subbing the total grams of flour in this recipe for an equal amount of grams of the flour you have. You'll be getter results.)

In other (just as exciting news), the European Parliament (EP) vetoed a proposal to allow food companies to list "percentage less claims" on their packages. You've definitely seen these in the US, such as on the box of sugar-loaded cereal boasting "now with 30% less sugar."

This amendment would have allowed food companies to put percentage claims with lower numbers on their products, such as "now with 15% less sugar." Right now they can only put a reduction claim on their products if they reduce by 30%. While the European Commission is disappointed with the EP's vote (and food companies are probably furious), I most certainly am not.

Such claims are misleading for consumers. You see a package that says "15% less sugar" and assume that it has been made healthier. But if it is a 15% reduction from a huge amount of sugar, it is still an unhealthy product. These types of claims show up on foods that need marketing to make them appear healthy. These type of claims show up on highly processed foods, that are usually loaded with sugar, fat and salt.

The flip side of this argument is this: if companies could market that they've reformulated their products to be lower in sugar, it may entice them to reformulate their products. My take on this argument: sure, 15% less sugar is a slight improvement. But why should we let them get away with a 15% reduction, when as is stands they have to reduce by 30% (better but still not great) if they want to boast about it?

Ever seen a banana with a sticker boasting "now with fiber"? Of course not. These types of claims do not appear on the products we should all be eating: veggies and fruit, non-processed foods, raw foods, etc.

My rule of thumb: if a product has a health claim on the package, its a good sign that the product has been highly processed and should be avoided. Do your homework. If you see a label on the front, you still need to read the ingredient list. My tips for reading a nutrition facts panel are in a previous post. 

The best foods are the ones that don't need any labels at all. Those muffins above, made at home with natural ingredients, and without preservatives and artificial colors/flavors, they qualify. Even without a 15% reduction in sugar.

Fascinating photos of people eat dinner {and a challenge for you}

Hi Everyone!

Sorry I haven't been around here in a while. Last week was quite hectic with the launch of my 'work baby' Kick the Can (kickthecan.info; check it out!). And by all means, Give Sugary Drinks the Boot!

I was spending so many hours in front of my computer, that the idea of spending more time by the computer to blog was just not enticing. But now that I have a little room to breath, I have a backlog of posts to catch up on!

I have some serious nutrition-heavy posts coming up (including the EU decision on nutrition claims on packages), but today I thought I would share something a little more fascinating.

I saw this post on thekitchn.com, and immediately knew this project was something I would enjoy. Photographer Miho Aikawa has undertaking a project chronicling where and how New Yorkers eat dinner. The photographs offers a fascinating peak into one of life's most intimate acts.

Aikawa says this about the project:

The term dinner refers to the main meal in a day. Consumption of food is as essential an element of life as sleeping for a human being. Most of the people who know the importance of eating habits care about the quality of food and nutrition. However, even if the food provides nutrition, that alone is not enough. The question is, what is a quality dinner? Having dinner is not just about eating food, but portrays many aspects of our life.

A study in Public Health Nutrition which compiles data relating to Americans' food-related time use over the past 30 years reveals some interesting trends: Eating as a primary activity declined in the past 30 years. On the other hand, eating as a secondary activity rose dramatically in the past 30 years. When we combine the primary and secondary eating time, we see that in total we're spending an average of 25 minutes or more minutes eating daily than we did 30 years ago. We now do almost 50 percent of our eating while concentrating on something else.

I would like to propose thinking what a dinner should be by objectively seeing diverse dinner situations. When you enjoy mealtimes, you're more likely to eat better. Let's think what we can do to enhance the pleasure of the table.

A woman after my own heart!

The photos are copyrighted, so in respecting Aikawa's work, I will direct you to her site to take a look at them. http://www.mihophoto.com/projects/dinnerinny/ (In theory I shouldn't have even posted the screen shot above...All credit goes to Miho Aikawa via the Kitchn! Full admission: working on Kick the Can has made me hyper-aware of copyright laws, apologies in advance.)

What I find fascinating looking through the photos on Aikawa's site is the complete and utter lack of a pattern. Very few people are eating dinner at a table. Many people are eating alone, in front of computers, in front of the TV, eating take out, eating with their children, etc. If you have a moment to go through Aikawa's photos, I think you'll find them as intriguing as I did.

I, too, am guilty of eating dinner by my computer. In fact, I did it many times last week while working under some intense deadlines. But it is by no means ideal, and I did not like that I was so crunched for time that I could not properly enjoy my dinner. I was less satisfied after I had eaten. And did I get more accomplished? Probably not to a significant effect. But I felt that I had to multitask to meet those deadlines.

However, this week I am going back to savoring my dinner. At the table. Even with a glass of wine. Meal times are a moment of nourishment for our bodies and our soul. Take advantage as best you can! We are all very busy, rushing more and more each day. But I seriously suspect that if we took 30 minutes to focus on our meals and use them as a time of recharging and refreshing, we might actually get more done. 

Give it a try. Let me know how it goes. And I'll report back too.