eatwellmag.com November 2010

www.eatwellmag.com

Staying Healthy on the RoadA simple eating guide

for road-trippers

Letter from the Editor 5

Eating in Season: A Recipe for Life 10

13 Biggest Nutrition Myths 24

Fresh Findings 32

p. 16

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n a sunny Friday,

Preston Maring,

M.D., the associate

physician-in-chief at Kaiser

Permanente’s Oakland

hospital, leaves his offi ce

to go food shopping. Just

downstairs, on the sidewalk

in front of the hospital, a

farmers’ market is in full

swing. Roberto Rodriguez

is arranging fl ats of organic

strawberries so fragrant

you can smell them from 10

feet away. In the stall next

door, stalks of rhubarb and

artichokes are piled high near

bouquets of garden roses.

On a table, paper bags are

overfl owing with a potpourri

of market produce and

fl owers. “Pick-of-the-market

bags,” Maring explains. “If

you are too busy to shop,

you can just reserve one of

these.” Everywhere, people

are smiling and saying, “Hey,

Preston!”

If it seems as if Dr. Maring,

a tall, graying man, knows

everyone at this farmers’

market it’s because he does:

he started it. In 2003, Maring

helped to get this market

off the ground and then

persuaded Kaiser to start

farmers’ markets at 30 other

hospitals. Says Maring: “If

we can just get people to

eat more fresh fruits and

vegetables, we can really

impact people’s health.”

“If it seems as if Dr. Maring ...

knows everyone at this farmers’

market it’s because he does:

he started it.”

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He also set about revamping

the hospital food system

by getting the health-care

company to buy more fresh

produce from local farms.

In 2006, Kaiser Permanente

purchased only 25 of the 250

tons of produce served in 20

Northern California hospitals

from local farms. In three

years, that amount has risen

to 74 tons. The Kaiser project

now serves as a model for

hospitals around the country

and is part of a worldwide

initiative to make health care

more sustainable, called

Health Care Without Harm.

This and other farmers’

markets not only cut down on

the average 1,500 miles food

travels from farm to fork, they

also help create local jobs.

Strawberry farmer Roberto

Rodriguez has hired fi ve

more people since Kaiser’s

Oakland market started, and

devoted half of his 37 acres

to growing organic berries.

“As my 6-year-old daughter

gets older, I don’t want her

playing in fi elds near so

many pesticides,” he says.

“Now, with the market here,

I have buyers for organic

strawberries so I can plant

almost half my

crops organic.”

But the most important thing

is that the market has done

what Maring hoped it would

do: it has made people

“Take Matt Kinch, the 53-year-old building engineer who has lost 63 pounds since he began shopping at the farmers’ market.”

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healthier. Take Matt Kinch,

the 53-year-old building

engineer who has lost 63

pounds since he began

shopping at the farmers’

market. “Now I have at least

two vegetables per meal

based on whatever is in

season,” he says.

In a time when the words

antioxidants, omega-3s and

probiotics appear on so many

packaged foods, Maring’s

advice to eat more vegetables

may seem a little quaint.

Yet it’s the same message

being sent out by dozens of

national health organizations.

“We know that eating fruits

and vegetables as part of a

healthy diet

reduces the risk of obesity

and chronic disease, such

as diabetes, some cancers

and heart disease,” says

Heidi Blanck, Ph.D., a senior

scientist with the Centers

for Disease Control and

Prevention. In 2000, national

goals were set by federal

health agencies of getting

more than half of Americans

to eat fi ve daily servings

of fruits and vegetables by

2010. Yet, according to the

CDC’s biennial surveys, fruit

and vegetable consumption

remained essentially static

from 1998 to 2007, and latest

fi gures show that fewer than

one in four Americans are

eating the recommended fi ve

a day.

“Think what would happen

if more people shopped

for their food at farmers’

markets—eating the fruits

and vegetables as they

become ripe each season,”

Maring continues. “People

would discover just how

good fresh produce can

be—apricots that are picked

ripe are so much tastier and

more nutritious than those

that have to be picked hard

to endure shipping,” he notes.

“Plus, these markets inspire

people to try new vegetables,

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such as kohlrabi or mustard

greens, and to cook more at

home.”

Which is exactly what Maring

loves to do. Ever since his

son, a trained chef, showed

him a few recipes and

inspired him to cook more,

Maring has become an ardent

home cook. Tonight, for

instance, he’ll take what he’s

found at the market—some

spring leeks, artichokes,

carrots in his basket—and

make an EatingWell recipe:

“Spring vegetable stew,”

he says, smiling. Followed,

perhaps by the Apricot-

Almond Clafouti. His shopping

is done.

We were so inspired by

Dr. Maring’s story that we

collaborated with him to

produce our latest cookbook,

Eating Well in Season: The

Farmers’ Market Cookbook

(The Countryman Press).

In it, you will fi nd our

favorite recipes, organized

into seasonal chapters,

that include the fruits and

vegetables you might pick

up at a farmers’ market or

as part of your community-

supported-agriculture share.

The book also has a handy

guide with shopping, prep,

storage and cooking tips

for more than 60 fruits and

vegetables. Plus we include

recommendations for our

favorite kitchen tools, profi les

of farmers and farmers’

markets and information

on why eating in season is

better for you and for the

environment.

Lisa Gosselin

“Fewer than one in four Americans are eating the recommended fi ve [daily

servings of fruits and vegetables] a day.”

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Seas

onal

Pro

duce

in th

e U.S

.

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Novem

ber

eatwellmag.com November 2010{16}

A Simple Eating Guide for Road-trippers

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ypical freeway fare includes fast food, microwave-

ready service station options, bags of chips, and lots

of sodas. These foods are almost always full of bad

fats, lots of calories, and not much valuable nutrition. Plus,

eating junk food for a couple of days can leave you feeling

fatigued and crabby, and give you a stomach ache.

With a little bit of effort and willpower, you can navigate

your way around the junk food and maintain your healthy diet

while on a long road trip. You’ll feel healthier, more alert, and

have more fun.

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At a restaurant:

• Choose an omelet fi lled

with veggies and order a side

of whole-wheat toast instead

of a stack of pancakes and

syrup.

• A bowl of oatmeal with

fresh fruit is very fi lling and

good for you.

• For something sweet,

choose a bran muffi n, which

is a good source of fi ber, or

opt for whole-grain toast

with just a little jelly.

At the hotel continental

breakfast bar:

• Choose a whole grain

cereal with low-fat milk.

• Fresh fruit gives you

vitamins and fi ber.

• Yogurt or hard-boiled eggs

are good sources of protein.

• Avoid sugary muffi ns,

sweet-rolls, and pre-

sweetened cereal.

At the service station:

• Look for single-serving

whole grain breakfast cereals

and low-fat milk.

• Protein bars can make

a good breakfast food

substitute, but watch out for

extra sugar and calories by

reading the labels.

• As a last resort, choose a

hot breakfast sandwich or

small breakfast burrito over

donuts and sweet-rolls.

Fast food restaurants:

• Most breakfast choices

have lots of calories and

saturated fats, but breakfast

burritos may have less than

other selections.

• Fruit and yogurt parfaits

will give you some calcium

and protein without too

much saturated fat.

• Drink low-fat milk or 100

percent juice instead of

sodas and orange-fl avored

soft drinks.

“Bring plenty of water...it won’t stain the upholstery like sodas.”

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• Load up on fresh-cut

vegetables and fruit. Bring

along a small cooler with ice

packs to keep them fresh.

• Bring plenty of water. You

will stay hydrated and if you

spill it, it won’t stain the

upholstery like sodas.

• Individually wrapped

portions of string cheese

or vegetarian cheese

alternatives can be kept

in the cooler with the fruit

and vegetables. They are a

great source of calcium and

protein.

• Bring baked whole grain

crackers along on your trip.

This is good for added fi ber

and nutrients.

• Don’t overindulge in greasy

chips. There are baked

varieties that have a lot less

unhealthy fats.

• You can also pack

sandwiches made with whole

grain bread and peanut

butter or lean meats.

• Nuts like almonds,

cashews, and walnuts

contain polyunsaturated fats

and are easy to take on a

trip.

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Healthy eating in

restaurants:

• Order a soup or a salad

with your main course.

Soups and salads are

generally healthy and fill

you up so that you eat less

of the more calorie-dense

main meal. Or skip the

entrée altogether; soup and

salad alone may be enough

for a simple, healthy meal.

• Split a meal with your

dining partner. Most

restaurants serve huge

portions, so there is usually

enough food to share. This

saves calories and money.

Besides, sharing eliminates

the temptation to take

leftovers back on the

road, where they can’t be

properly stored.

• Select foods that are

prepared with healthier,

low-fat methods. Baked or

grilled chicken is healthy,

but fried chicken has too

much fat.

• Eat the vegetables. Most

entrées come with at least

one vegetable. If not, be

sure to order a vegetable

side dish.

• Skip dessert, or choose

some fruit. A full meal that

ends with a sugary dessert

may make you feel sleepy,

and that’s unwise if you are

the driver.

At fast food

restaurants:

• Find sandwich shops like

Subway or Quiznos that let

you select your sandwich

ingredients. Choose whole

grain breads, lean meats,

and lots of vegetables.

• Many fast food

restaurants offer salads,

but be careful when you

select one. Some of those

salads are very high in fat,

especially taco salads or

those topped with fried

chicken strips.

• Don’t super-size your

meal. It sounds like a great

deal, but you will eat way

too many calories, fat, and

sodium.

Lunch & Dinner On the road, lunch and dinner usually mean going to a restaurant.

Don’t spend too much time at fast food restaurants; instead opt for full-service restaurants that offer more choices.

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At the Hotel If your trip requires

a hotel stay, you might get a bit hungry after a long day of

travel. If going to a restaurant is not an option, you should

still fi nd healthy foods.

• Find a local grocery store

and buy healthy snack

items such as fruit, nuts, or

healthy choices from a salad

bar or deli section. If your

hotel has a microwave, you

can fi nd healthier frozen

dinners or soup.

• If your only choice for a

snack is the hotel vending

machine, skip the candy and

chips and look for nuts or

microwave popcorn.

• Some restaurants will

deliver food to your hotel

room and may have

some healthy menu items

available. If you go for a

pizza delivery, don’t order

extra cheese or meats high

in saturated fat. Choose

lots of vegetable and

mushrooms. Order a side

salad too.

Shereen Jegtvig

“If your only choice for a snack

is the hotel vending machine, skip the

candy and chips and look for nuts

or microwave popcorn.”