Outsmart the Grocery Monster | Theresa Albert

Back to school means back to the grocery store where the time and money you spend are being manipulated on both subtle and blatant levels.  Once you know the magician’s tricks, you will find that you have only the items you want in your cart and a little more money in your pocket. Know that everything that happens from the moment you walk in the door is designed for your comfort (aka, to make you feel happy so you slow down and buy more).

Behind the curtain:

·         Know what things cost! A sale isn’t always a sale if you don’t know how much your favourite eggs cost next door.  Use online flyers or spend a few minutes with the ones delivered to your door.  Is $4.99 per pound a good price for eye of the round or is this sale tag enticing you to believe so?  You need a point of reference before you even enter.

·         Read coupons carefully!  Here’s the scenario:  you picked up the 16 ounce can of tomatoes you thought the coupon was promoting only to find that it was the 28 ounce can? You find out your error at the register and what do you do? Buy the wrong one anyway that cost more than the brand you usually buy.

·         Choose your store wisely! Store marketers regularly monitor your habits and behaviours in while in the store.  They lay out the store to maximize time spent and items purchase (and renovate “to serve you better” when they spot a dead zone that doesn’t get much action).  Frequenting one store will mean that you can put your fingers on exactly what you need and be able to compare from week to week how your grocery bill is adding up. 

·         Take a list! Some online flyers have wonderful email-able lists that can be built and sent to your own mobile (or someone else’s!) It helps to have a list that includes all of your items sorted by store aisle.  Nothing slows you down more than having to criss cross the store in search of one forgotten tin. 

·         Don’t smell the baked goods! You know that isn’t just a mistake, right? The smell from the in store bakery is purposely pumped back in to tickle all of your sense.  Ok, so you can’t stop smelling but you can prevent it from enticing you by eating before you go.  Or pick up a package of chopped fresh veggies and munch on them while you stroll.  You didn’t get enough veggies today anyway, you may as well make it work for you.

·         Don’t listen! The music is carefully chosen to suit the likely person in the store at a given time. Folksy romance tunes in major chords? Must be Friday night when the young couples or singles are shopping. This helps them feel all mushy and needy so that they seek comfort in the form of food.  Do yourself a favour, plug in your headset and listen to something angry to pick up the pace and knock out that sentimental drivel.

·         Look up and down, not just straight ahead. The priciest items are set at eye level and the ones enticing the kids are down around your knees. Do look for in store signs that signal a price reduction (and go back to step 1) or house brands that may cost less and be the same darned thing that is in the name brand anyway.

·         Halloween is 2 months away! You will see all the displays for this candy-fest now and you may think “hmm, if I buy them now, I won’t need to go searching later”. It’s a trick. You will (or some other little gremlin will) eat them now and still need to find them later. 

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Theresa Albert takes on the challenge of demystifying myths surrounding food and health. Millions learned just how smart and funny she is through her Food Network Canada Show called Just One Bite! She has authored two books published in both Canada and in the US: Cook Once a Week, Eat Well Every Day and Ace Your Health, 52 Ways to Stack Your Deck.

For more tips and tricks on how to eat well sign up for Theresa’s newsletter at www.myfriendinfood.com

Healthy Habits | Theresa Albert

To Snack or Not to Snack?
It’s an age old question with no clear cut answer. For some, having 3 square meals is their preferred route but for many, smaller meals eaten and a couple of smart snacks help keep energy levels strong and blood sugar levels even. Simple enough, right?

But what snack and for how many calories? How do you assess a snack? It is always best to grab a piece of fruit or a handful of veggies, no doubt! That way, you are not creating landfill waste, and no matter which you choose, you are sure to come out ahead with nutrients. But, we are an on-the-go nation who loves our packaged convenience. So here’s a rundown of the best Healthy Habits options that are low cal, and still feel like a treat and won’t do damage to the bottom, er, bottom line.

Carb craving?

• Popchips! Because the potatoes are hot-air popped and not baked or fried, they are deliciously low in calories and high in flavour. Coming in all of the traditional chip flavours and satisfying 100 calorie single serving sizes makes them a fantastic “I’m peckish but I don’t want to ruin my dinner” snack.

Protein starved?

• Try Blue Diamond single serving 100 calorie packets. They are tiny and it would be easy to eat 2 but let the pouch be your guide and stop there. 4 grams of protein in any one of the flavoured packets from Teriyaki to lightly salted.

Need refreshing?

• You could always pack a piece of fruit, that’d be your best bet, but, if you are worried about the bruises here’s an option. Motts has delicious unsweetened fruit cups in delicious fruit blends. Try the Country Berry flavour and pop it in the freezer overnight. It’s fabulous frozen and great as it thaws. The best part is that you get 2 of the containers for a measly 100 calories. That ought to wake you up!

Time for a dip?

• There is nothing like hummus and crackers but what a pain to pack! Luckily Summer Fresh has done it for you with their Snack and Go product. Best bet is the Red Pepper hummus to get the most nutrients out of your 160 calorie snack.

Super Sweet?

• Dark Chocolate is the way to go, no doubt about it. Look for formulations that say how much cocoa is used, you are looking for 70% or more for the most antioxidant power. If you find it hard to stop at just two thin squares (which is what 100 calories looks like!) both Cadbury and Hershey have new bars that wrap it up for you.

Full disclosure: I like Popchips so much that I became their nutritional spokesperson.

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Theresa Albert takes on the challenge of demystifying myths surrounding food and health. Millions learned just how smart and funny she is through her Food Network Canada Show called Just One Bite! She has authored two books published in both Canada and in the US: Cook Once a Week, Eat Well Every Day and Ace Your Health, 52 Ways to Stack Your Deck.

Healthy Habits | Theresa Albert

If there were three simple things that you could do every day that would virtually turn your health around, would you do it? What if all three were easy to do, did not take any time and cost you exactly nothing. Any one of them will help you live healthier, longer and take years off the appearance of aging skin but together they are your little secret to your inner universe. Are you ready? Of course you are!

Life Altering Tip #1

Make yours NEAT!

We are all strapped for time and getting to the gym isn’t on everyone’s wish list anyway. When you think about it, the official exercise regime gets you moving for one hour per day. It is what you are doing the other 15 waking hours that really counts. Now there is “NEAT” or Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. Making this change is as simple as increasing all the heat creating (aka calorie burning stuff that you do in a day) and you have a lot of sway in how that goes.

• Find as many ways as you can to wiggle, tap, move throughout the day. Walk one bus stop, take the stairs for at least one flight, sit on an exercise ball for an hour a day while at work or watching tv. The possibilities are endless and they all add up.

• Add weight whenever you can. Fooling your body into carrying more weight around (that isn’t really your own!) builds muscle. A backpack of books, maybe? Carry a basket around the grocery store instead of using a cart or strap on a waist belt for the subway ride standing up.

• Convert your desk to a standing station to reduce all of the sitting hours in your day.

Life Altering Tip #2

Remove liquid calories.

The brain does not process liquid calories the same way it processes calories that must be chewed. When you chew, your human internal food mechanism indicates satiety, when you sip...nada. If you added up all the useless calories that come by way of cream and sugar in your coffee, sodas, alcohol and even juices you would likely find 300 calories each day that you could do without.(Do that for 11 days and you can lose one pound!) And don’t go switching to aspartame laden beverages, they are even worse! Try this juice substitute instead.

Life Altering Tip #3

Add ½ cup of beans each day.

There is now sound evidence that it takes one small serving to make a world of difference in your cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease. Beans and pulses (not green beans!) can come in any form and need no longer be the overnight-soaking-pain-in-the-pants they used to be. Here are some ways to work beans in:
• Serve hummus (made from chick peas)

o as a dip for an afternoon snack

o hummus comes in a variety of flavors so you will never get bored

o It’s easy to make at home in a blender

o add a tablespoon to every wrap and sandwich instead of mayo

• Add drained, rinsed canned beans to any pasta dish

o White navy beans and lentils work best

• Make a crockpot full of lentil or minestrone soup weekly

o store in the freezer in single servings for lunches or appetizers

• Top salads with canned kidney beans or chick peas

• Look for bean based veggie burgers instead of beef burgers

• Snack on roasted soybeans instead of nuts or popcorn

All it takes is a tiny shift in attitude to improve your health outcome. Make these healthy habit decisions once and never look back.

Sign up here for Theresa’s weekly newsletter and receive more tips and recipes!

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Theresa Albert takes on the challenge of demystifying myths surrounding food and health. Millions learned just how smart and funny she is through her Food Network Canada Show called Just One Bite! She has authored two books published in both Canada and in the US: Cook Once a Week, Eat Well Every Day and Ace Your Health, 52 Ways to Stack Your Deck.



Read her at http://www.myfriendinfood.com/

Healthy Habits | Killing Me Softly

Hints:

• You likely consume it every single day and sometimes even feel bad about doing so

• Most of us know already know that we are supposed to reduce it’s consumption

• Kids today consume an exorbitant amount of it

• It, alone, may just be the explanation for our rising obesity crisis

• You can even pour it into a glass daily when you think you are doing a good thing

That’s right. Sugar.

(sometimes known as juice)

(even pure “freshly squeezed” fruit juice)

(also known as brown sugar)

(no better than High Fructose Corn Sugar)

There is a youtube video lecture called Sugar: The bitter truth given by a specialist on paediatric hormone disorders (like diabetes) and the leading expert in childhood obesity, Dr. Lustig that has become a bit of a legendary sensation normally reserved for pop artists. This lecture makes a persuasive argument about sugar and its toxic impact on your body. He makes it clear that we can no longer just think of sugar as “empty calories” that can be “worked off” as long as you are otherwise healthy. The impact of sugar goes way beyond that to actually become toxic. He walks through the biochemical reasons why a glass of juice or soda is no different than a shot of bourbon. The impact on the liver is the same either way and it is killing us...sweetly. Worth switching categories for, right?

Knowing this begs the question: Is it ALL sugar? Certainly all white sugar/brown sugar/corn sugar that is consumed in liquid form. There is no doubt that we need to reduce the estimated 40+ pounds of that stuff that we swallow in our snacks and pour into our cups each year. Then, you want to find alternatives to them as often as you can.

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Theresa Albert takes on the challenge of demystifying myths surrounding food and health. Millions learned just how smart and funny she is through her Food Network Canada Show called Just One Bite! She has authored two books published in both Canada and in the US: Cook Once a Week, Eat Well Every Day and Ace Your Health, 52 Ways to Stack Your Deck.
Read her at http://www.myfriendinfood.com/

Healthy Habits | Killer Condiment Conundrum | Theresa Albert

Its barbecue season and what could be faster, tastier and healthier than a little something grilled? From tofu and veggies to burgers and dogs, anything on a bun is beloved by our backyard and cottage culture. You carefully choose the leanest meat and whole grain bun but what you top it with could be a slather of unsuspecting empty calories. Here is your condiment guide in order of worst to best, choose wisely and slip back into your skinny jeans come the fall. Heed not and risk looking like the sausage yourself.

Worst to Best Burger Toppers

5. Mayonnaise or anything made with mayonnaise

All commercial mayos are made by thickening some kind of liquid fat into a solid. Either the traditional whipping of oil into eggs is used or the lower fat treatment of using a corn or seaweed derived thickener, the concept is still the same:fat. Delicious, creamy fat that will cost you about 100 calories per tablespoon no matter which brand you buy. Tartar Sauces and “sandwich spreads” are no better; they deliver no nutrients and too many calories. If you simply must have your mayo opt for President’s Choice Blue Menu or Hellmann’s Half the Fat because either will cut your calories down to half. Heed this, though, even then, they are more caloric than the next worst spoonful. (Yogurt makes a decent substitute)

4. Barbecue Sauce

This bold bounce to your bun packs a punch but most formulations begin with sugar and water. Mixing in a proprietary blend of tomato sauce and spices makes each version a flavor all its own and everyone has their favorite. Offering almost no nutritional value for its 300-400 mg of sodium (almost 1/3 of a healthy day’s dose) in 1 tablespoon is a crime before you even consider the 30-40 calories. There is one on the shelf that provides the taste without all the calories and that’s Kraft calorie wise at a decent 10 calories per tablespoon. (It uses more water and corn-thickeners to reduce the load but keep the consistency) You don’t get a break on the salt, though.

3. Ketchup

Treasured by children and loved by all as the condiment of choice for just about everything. Ketchup takes the middle spot for the fact that it relies upon one of earth’s healthiest vegetables. Albeit, this is a high salt, high sugar way to get that vegetable, but still. Most formulations do start with tomatoes or tomato paste that is thinned down with vinegar and water and seasoned up with salt, spices and sugar. The top few brands weigh in at about 20-25 calories per tablespoon delivering about 10-15 % of your healthy day’s amount of salt. The No Name brand is a little lower though the formulation looks about the same so expect it to be a little thinner (higher in water). Heinz has a low sodium version that will save about half the sodium and PC blue menu has one that uses sucralose to reduce the sugar (and that has its downsides too!). Even with the “improvements” this red spoonful is still middling at best.

2. Relish

Now we are moving to the better side of the bun. Not all relish is created equal; you can still stumble if you choose sweet green, zucchini or chili. All offer little nutritional benefit and about 15-25 calories per tablespoon which is about the same as ketchup. But there is a rising star here that can deliver huge taste for a mere 4 calories per tablespoon: Bick’s Dill Relish is the pick of pack. It does dose with the same kind of sodium found above but for much fewer calories in the end.

Best in Class!

1. Mustard

All you have to do is avoid the honey mustards and mustard blends and you can’t go wrong. Each and every mustard on the shelf is lower in calories than anything else you are going to squeeze on your dog. And they are little super heros packing much more than they seem. Made from mustard seed which is a high anti-oxidant spice that has anti-inflammatory properties. If it is colored at all it is usually with trace amounts of turmeric which is another potent anti-cancer spice. Rarely made with sugar (thus the “avoid the honeyed versions” note) and only mixed with vinegar and very little salt it offer zing for a caloric pittance. There are some outstanding gourmet formulations on the market that are truly worth trying but even the cheapest brand of yellow ballpark mustard is worth adding.

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Theresa Albert takes on the challenge of demystifying myths surrounding food and health.  Millions learned just how smart and funny she is through her Food Network Canada Show called Just One Bite! She has authored two books published in both Canada and in the US: Cook Once a Week, Eat Well Every Day and Ace Your Health, 52 Ways to Stack Your Deck.

Read her at www.myfriendinfood.com

Sleep Stealers | Theresa Albert

It is a very fine balance that we ask our bodies to do daily. We ask the mind to wake up refreshed and the body recovered despite the rigours of yesterday and forecast of today’s stress. Rest is the “reboot” that is meant to erase all that and if it goes off the rails, so too the recovery. There are ways to do it better.

These are the things that could be stealing your sleep:

Stress is the number one reason people say they lay awake at night

Caffeine can take up to 20 hours to leave your system

Indigestion and eating late-prevents the body from creating “reboot” hormones that do their work while you slumber

Exercising late at night can keep you pumped when you should be in slow down mode

Adding magnesium rich foods can save the day!

Here are your top tips:

Fight stress:

there are undoubtedly some things you can’t change and simply have to learn to live with. Dividing them into 2 columns and writing them all down before bed gets them out of your head

once the “stress to forget” and “stress to do” lists are done, set up a good sleep routine. Computers, tvs and smartphones deliver stress not only because the information on them is endless, disturbing or distracting but also because their flickering lights are stimulating in and of themselves. Turn all gadgets and off 2-3 hours before bed.

Stop sneaky caffeine:

Assuming that you go to bed around 10 or 11 try to stop drinking caffeine by 2 or 3 pm. Cut back slowly from your usual last cup so withdrawal doesn’t get the better of you. It can take a long time to get used to less but your rest will thank you.

Manipulate meals:

Give yourself at least 2-3 hours after eating before you expect your body to slumber

Smart steps:

If the only time you can get your exercise is at night, set a cut off time of 2-3 hours before bed. It is better to get exercise and risk a little sleep interference than not get any at all. But be sure to cool down and stretch or meditate for a much longer time than you would have to if you work out in the morning. It cools the body and sets the mind up for rest.

Smart Snacking or Supplementing

Magnesium is the nutrient that helps muscles relax so giving the body what it needs when it needs to use it is a good idea. Evening snacks (2-3 hours before bed) should include foods like oats (warm and comforting too!) dates, nuts, figs, molasses, seeds, wheat germ.

Here is a recipe for “sleep nut cookies” that uses many of the above ingredients. Two of those and a glass of warm milk before bed and you are good!

If you choose to take a supplement 100-250 mg of magnesium will suffice

Sleeping tight isn’t just for children anymore and with just a little bit of tweaking anyone can have it. Footed PJ’s optional.

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Definitely not a finger wagger, as a registered nutritionist, Theresa Albert, DHN, RNCP, has a passion for simple, honest solutions to today’s lifestyle choices. She has provided content and comment for every major Canadian broadcaster and most of the newspapers and is forever pushing the bologna out of lunchboxes and out of the news media. In addition, as an avid social media user, blogger/writer and as a parent, she understands the struggles of balancing priorities in real life. In print newspapers and magazines, you will often see her quoted when an issue needs common sense clarification.

Visit her website: www.myfriendinfood.com

What's Parent Club New

To keep it real.

And transparent.

And authentic.

And because I really can't keep secrets.

Here's what's Parent Club new...

❋ I'm 1 of 8 Canadian Moms handpicked to be on the Fisher-Price #playpanel. (Thing 3 and I were at a photo shoot for this a few weeks ago...keep an eye out for our picture on the Fisher-Price website as well as possibly your local toy store).

❋ I'm 1 of a select group of Canadian bloggers to be a #LMDConnector (that's Life Made Delicious Connector - whipped up by your friends at General Mills Canada)

❋The most famous Theresa Albert will be sharing food & nutrition tips in a Parent Club column on a regular basis. (watch for her column next week!)

❋ I am 1 of a select group of Canadians on the Crayola Mom Advisory Panel.

❋ Look to my everythingbaby contributions over at everythingmom.com

❋ Watch for an upcoming article in Oh Baby Magazine

And that's the news.