Vegetarianism?

After today, I think I may refuse to eat out more than twice a month. None of those restaurants will include chains. I will (do my civil best to) eat locally only, as well as to give a huge attempt to eat at local chains that use local products.
I will also put sodas to once a week, which will not be nearly as difficult.

I'll likely put down a lot of what I'm doing to avoid the occasional slip. I think I'll allow eggs in moderation (too many eggs are just asking for it, somehow, although, honestly, I really can't say how, considering how studies keep changing like lava lamps).

This shouldn't be too hard, really, since I don't carry meats around with me anyway, especially in warmer months. It's harder to keep them cooled to the proper storing temperature when I need to be out and about a lot. And when I make myself to-go-out-all-weekend food over the winter, it's not hard to exclude it.

We'll see how it goes.

Any tips would be appreciated, by the way. I'm not doing this solely for one reason. I am (slowly) putting on unnecessary weight where muscle should be; I don't like how animals AND humans are treated at meat packaging plants; I don't like the carbon footprint of most restaurants; I don't like how expensive it is to eat out as it is; I don't like how much crude oil is used to sustain the demand we have for chain foods. I think my decision will at least put my conscience at ease, if anything.

Tomorrow

Any suggestions as to what I should make? I'm thinking Indian, but I may be low on things. This is if I don't go to Will's to make Avocado Soup -- and if I do (I think it's avocado; could be jalapeno, I don't remember what he requested) then I'll post it online.
Due to how weird this year's been so far, I haven't cooked a lot, but I did find a bread recipe that went over pretty well. I'm hoping to expand past simple wheat recipes, though, into things that people react to with more than, "Yep, bread. It tasted like bread, felt like bread, cuts like bread, because it's bread." That's so boring. I want more than that! I want you to enjoy the bread, not be ho-hum about it!

Another general post

I've left the dietetic department at Clemson.
I have my reasons, but they aren't because I dislike the topic. On the contrary, I still find the idea of making healthy food taste good.
What I left knowing was not much different than what I came in with, and I studied three semesters. I'm not sure what they intended me to find out, but I don't supposed it worked.

What won't be happening any time soon is my doing any health reviews on meals, but I can still post the ones I'd done before (Lord knows I haven't found the time to get to them, still, what with the holidays and now all the hullabaloo going on in my house). I can, though, use my husband's account to sign on and run them once a week. I haven't really done a recipe that warrants it thus far, and I haven't made any recipe plans for the future, either. I should.

That leads me to this. I know I've been trying to healthy up a few things. I can do that without a problem, really: reduce butter, reduce salt and sugar, use real fruit and veggies, etc. But there are a few things I've gathered, really, as follows.

• Fats sound bad because the people after the 50's decided that's why they became fat. Fats are found in just about everything, even in vegetation (but less often) and don't cause you to become fat. Fat, in humans, is storage -- like a potato. The more the potato takes in from the sun and converts through photosynthesis, the bigger those little underground starches become. We do essentially the same thing.

• Also think about this logically: we're worried about cholesterol intake. Well, I'll make it simple for you: if it solidifies at room temperature, it may be apt to clogging up your blood vessels. Oils that are liquid at room temperature will stay that way in the human body, meaning that olive oil is always a much better choice than butter. But don't get discouraged. There's always a reason why there's an exception: there's an essential fat found in milks and butter that humans cannot create for themselves, and therefore receive from eating milk products. So if you must have butter on toast every morning, this isn't the worst -- but use REAL butter. Or, heck, churn it yourself if you're feeling chipper. Just try to reduce the amount to a serving a day, rather than on everything you can possibly think of. 

I promise, cooked vegetables can be good without a layer of butter in them.

• The key is eating the correct fats, which is highly disputed -- like the majority of the field. Animal fats, in general, are what I've gathered to be the most annoying. What do I mean by that? Limit it. Don't necessarily cut it out, but consider working yourself down to once a week. Perhaps consider getting your meat from a local butcher, which could exempt those growth hormones. The same goes for milk, interestingly enough, and if you go with local, grass fed cows, there are health benefits -- but it may be fattier. If taken moderately, these shouldn't put you in harm's way, and should leave you with extra room for fruits and veggies.

And yes, I know, there's a lot of arguing over whether we need milk at all. We lose our tolerance for it, etc etc; well, see about that essential nutrient I mentioned earlier.

• On to fruits and veggies: color is the big thing. Everyone seems to have picked that up. Consider what goes with fruits and veggies: either a thick, creamy dressing, or a nice, sweet dip. I read a while back that a large contributor to extra Calories is the sauce we tend to love. Dressings, BBQ sauce, ketchup and mustard, etc., all lean heavily in our caloric intake.

• Consider making your own Italian dressing, or Balsamic vinaigrette,  or just about anything that doesn't include cream or milk, sour cream, sugar. Vinegars and oils are good for you. Even a little salt is okay. Try to dress it up with herbs and spices more than salt, sugar, milk and egg. Even if you can't quite get past giving any of those up, it's still better than the average store-bought dressing. Why? All the fillers and preservatives are causing a tizzy with the health world, and I find, really, it tastes better when made at home. So, my leading argument is that: flavor over convenience. We may find out later that all those extra things are truly bad -- or not -- but it sacrifices the point: tastiness. 

As far as fruit: do you really need to sweeten that up? Noooo. Get used to actual sweetness and not some factory-made version and you'll thank yourself for it.

• I've had a few people want snacks for different things. My favorite idea is putting things into little baggies. I don't know whether people prefer doing it by Calories or what, but they generally put in the portion they like. I'd consider using plastic containers with seal-able lids, to remove that whole plastic waste problem (see: little plastic baggies all over the trash site) and you can get smaller ones that will fit in purses and things. As far as what snack? Well, I'd hate to tell you this, but even though things like celery are considered a 'negative calorie food' or whatever it's supposed to be, it's not. I mean, it might be, but rather the point is that it doesn't matter. You won't lose weight because you chewed on some celery for a while. That may take years for you to lose a pound this way. If that kills 30 Calories you're lucky, and it obviously should go with peanut butter and raisins, right? Well, there goes your 30 Calories.

• With snacks, try to go with things that you like. I'm not kidding. I won't suggest something like a cranberry nut blend if you hate cranberries, nuts or both. But steer clear of a few things, mainly if they're pre-packaged. Obviously, making your own snacks is a benefit: you can do little bran muffins, bite-sized oatmeal cookies, Mexican-chocolate brownies with walnuts (see: I love chocolate, and I find it is healthy for you, just not low in Caloric content. So sue me, I eat it anyway.) and so forth. I've done wraps filled with peanut butter, honey and raisins. Point is, a snack may be something you're used to, and that's dandy. But if it's pretzels and dip, or Hoho's, or cheesy fries, you're not helping yourself. Even apple pie, if home made, is better than those three I mentioned before it. It's still not great, but it's at least got fruit in it. 

• If you must have a snack like that, try to put it down to a 'snack day'. Everyone falters. I know I do. On Sundays, I'm taking down one or two orange soda cans, a half a bag of chips, and I graze heavily as I cook. But I typically don't repeat this process through the week. I eat when I'm hungry (which is getting harder for the people to do lately, I've found) and stop even if I have food left over. Point is, yes, I snack, but it's actual food. 

And I haven't gotten fast food in a month or two, at least, which isn't a record for me but it's not like I'm craving it.

• Try to find a variant source of edibles for snacks. Keep in mind that, even if they are 'healthy snacks', they still have Calories in them and you're still essentially a walking potato. Experiment with everything but meats and cheeses and you'll be set. Consider making breads or one-serving soups (which is what I did); consider the whole of the vegetable and fruit isle, rather than what quarter of it you may typically peruse -- if you must. Create your own, no-sugar-added, fruit medlies, tarts or trays. 

• Keep in mind, also, that as the brain shuts down for the night (I say night but I mean when the sun goes down, which is night to the humanoid brain) it has a harder time registering that it's full. Basically, we're more sluggish post sundown, and our bodies pay for it. Make a rule that you won't eat anything after a certain hour. Consider having a smoothie a few hours after dinner, or a piece of fruit. Try to resort to not having a fourth meal at around 9 pm, as I've found with a lot of people this tends to be a bad habit. 

• You can eat more at night and not know you're doing it, which may convince you that you're hungrier than you thought when you ate dinner. This isn't the case. If making the 'don't eat after ___ hour' rule doesn't help, try drinking a lot of water. Don't like water? Spruce it up with a slice of lime, orange or lemon, which people do in my house all the time. Hell, make homemade lemonade like my parents do (and, like dad does, limit the sugar; what he should do, really, is use a straw, but he's 'too much of a man for that'). Keep in mind that yes, it's possible that a glass of lemonade may harbor 100 Calories (guessing off the top of my head here, by the way). But a large bowl of cereal, a bunch of chips or some reheated leftovers will definitely be as much, if not more. And they're all heavy on the stomach. 

• I read often that it's healthier to eat lighter meals as the day goes on, and I've read that lunch should be the heaviest, but not once have I  read that dinner should be the heaviest. I read what a supermodel from Victoria Secret's eats, and it's a salad at night. Just a salad. Now, the girl is practically skin and bones, but she did recently give birth to a child. She at least held as much fat and whatever she needed to bring it to full term (she's a kickboxer,  as well, and the muscle definitely helps your chances). Point being, even she doesn't eat a lot at night. Course, she doesn't eat a lot ever, but the salad is her lightest in the day. She gets paid to do things this way.

I'm not saying you should become Adriana Lima and eat as little as possible, but I do know we eat way too much and she has a good thing going for her (ahem, too much, in my opinion, but life is life).

• I do a heavier lunch than dinner because I get nauseous if I eat in the morning. I've tried. I woke up at 5.30 last semester to find I couldn't comfortably eat until 8 or 9; if I woke up at 8 or 9, I could eat in about ten minutes or so -- after the grogginess faded a little. This isn't to say I don't drink a little to at least get something in my stomach, but it leads me to think that a heavy lunch is just what I need for the day. It may be different for you -- you may work hard during the day at some heavy-hitting job, and you may need the Calories in the morning. Have at it. But if you work a desk job, consider lightening your lunches and dinners. You aren't using those Calories and they aren't helping you. All it'll do is weigh down your stomach and make you sluggish.

• Now, the leading argument against that is 'it'll make you tired if you eat/don't eat, and you'll get sleepy at 2-3 in the afternoon'. I've heard names for this syndrome, but when it comes down to it it's just our circadian rhythms. Happens a lot with people who wake up early enough for a desk job (6 am, anyone, anyone?). I get sleepy at about 3 no matter what time I woke up, telling me that's just the time of day my body wants some rest. It has nothing to do with food, and I've seen plenty of studies to back that up.

No, I'm not linking anything to this. Why? Look it up yourself. I just intended to get some things off of my mind.

Grade: Roasted Red Pepper Soup

• Flavor
• Texture
• Cooking ease
• Price
• Estimated healthiness
• Creativity of the recipe
• Completeness 

Out of 70 points.

I know, I know, this is late. Somehow it escaped me. I have plenty of time (75 minutes) to do analysis', so why not?

Flavor: 8/10. I had qualms with the abrasiveness/bitter flavor of the soup, but that likely could have been due to my own addition of peppers and not the ones I'd bought from TJ's. I think it was a bit one-sided, though, and needed something else. I would highly suggest this with a sandwich -- perhaps grilled cheese, or ham -- to let the flavors mix. I'm not usually big into adding meats to soups (I will, and I have no qualms with it, but I try to find healthy alternatives and then have my meat on the side), but I feel like a protein would be a fantastic addition. Even tofu.

Texture: 10/10 Brilliant! It's thick, it's creamy, it's smooth, and it feels like substance all at the same time. You feel like you can spoon that into your mouth all day no matter what.

Cooking ease: 6/10. Roasting peppers is a royal pain in the ass when you likely have other things going on in the kitchen, especially when there are so many to roast. Try to find very large bell peppers to negate the need to have so many if you need a large pot. If not, and if you have the time, then this isn't so bad -- but if you're like me and you also want to do cupcakes, icing and perhaps even a little cleaning up before eating the soup, then you're locked onto the stove (in my case, toaster oven) until it's done. And it's hot. I did burn myself. Stupid stove.

Price: 8.5/10 Fantastic, actually. Peppers, when they're the main course and not much else is needed, aren't so bad to pay for. Granted, TJ's ones aren't so cheap, but they're brilliantly flavored, so I was willing to pay the price for them (I have in the past). I don't want to be babied from my other, cheaper soups, though. In the long run, it's worth the price and it still makes the price-per-bowl very, very reasonable. (The way I see it, if I can be cheaper than Panera I've done something. I'm better than them anyway.)

Estimated healthiness: 9.5/10. The cream throws it off, but peppers are a great source of vitamin C and (I think) A. The different colors mean there are different phenols -- that basically means they're, as a whole, healthier. I'd recommend looking up the whole color-in-veggie thing; carotene is in carrots, for instance, and I've seen some good things from it.

Creativity: 9/10. I never considered roasting peppers and cooking them in a soup -- I always consider peppers for things like garnish, addition for flavor, or, if roasting, stuffing peppers. Hispanic dishes have stuffed poblanos all the time, and I think a lot of people think of them when they think of roasted pepper meals -- that, or putting roasted pepper on chicken. But as a main staple of the food? I don't think that comes up nearly as much.

Completeness: 8.5/10. I still say it needs a protein of some sort, to offset some of the negative flavors. That may just be me, but.. again, this is my grade, so what I say goes. And I say bring on the cheese! (Actually, some sharp cheese with some nuts of one's choosing would be fantastic. I shall do that next time! :D )

Total: 8.5/10, so a B. Not bad. Like I said, it needs work, and I'm very interested in doing this again for round two. We all know about round two, right?

Information update

I can get things like bar graphs, pie graphs, a rundown of what gave which nutrient or what have you. This makes my future life a little easier (and subsequently more busy) since that's the field I am interested in working in for a while. People go nuts all the time about needing a vitamin or mineral, as instructed by their doctor or nutritionist, but then not knowing where it came from.

However, this means I can give a much more clear understanding of what would be in the average soup. This means you need to look up things on your own if you are scared of doing something like over-dosing on a nutrient because, for instance, you take vitamins or shots or something. So please, again, although my information may become more involved, it's still an estimate. Think of it more as a guideline.

That being said, I have the information on three different recipes but I'm going to have to leave campus soon. I'll get them up as soon as possible but I have no idea when that'll be. Tonight we're going over to visit my niece and nephew for Halloween, and I happen to have a homework sheet I forgot about, so between the two I may not be as applied on this blog as I intended. No matter.

From now on, I will be putting forth as much information -- even if it is miniscule -- as I can about what's found in the foods. I may even add some evidence and shed light on why it's useful through various reputable websites. I will not be making any recommendations or saying that it will keep you from death forever. My soups will not save you from tuberculosis, or anything like that. I wanted to make sure I'm extra super-duper clear on how I'm not, you know, a profession in anything other than the talented skill of bull-shit.

Again, if anyone has any interests or requests, take it up with me. I could use the kick in the pants to becoming a little more busy-body, sometimes.

Notice of Nutritional Information

I have the nutritional information for the last few soups (Tomato, Butternut squash, Apple). I have done the best I could with serving size, using the most appropriate ingredients and so on and so forth.

No one, and I repeat no one, can say I'm claiming any definite health benefits with my findings, or that it's going to be exactly the same when you make it. Why? Well, for one, I'm not medically trained, so that shoots down the first one. I'm not promising any of the readers they'll live for 200 years off of my recipes. For the other, you don't have the same stores, buying habits, cooking habits, and so on, that I do. You'll yield slightly different results. I'll try to be as accurate as possible, but use it as a mildly-strict guideline, not a definitely precise post from the FDA.

There's my 'please don't sue me' two cents. Thanks. =) I'll have them up soon, by the way. To those getting emails: haha! I'm all up in your inbox.