5 Cool Food Things

I was recently asked, "Chris, why do you write so much these days about cooking and healthy foods 'n stuff?"

My answer:

Because 100% of people eat.

And 66% of them are fat.

Hey, it's true. And it goes along with something that's been a catch phrase of mine for almost a decade now: "It's your diet, stupid!"

Which goes along with another one (if I'm allowed to quote myself again like a pudknocker): "You can't out-train a poor diet!"

Anyway, everyone eats, and if they're like me, they like to eat a lot of flavorful foods that won't make them into wheezing land whales. And there's no reason to live on dry chicken breasts and carrot sticks. Ever.

So, here are five cool little food/nutrition related things I've discovered recently that you may find interesting. After all, if you enjoy your food, then your diet plan is going to be easier to stick to. Nothing major here, just some blog-worthy tidbits:

1. Italian Rose Bread Dipping Oil -- Ain't no way an FFB like me is going to use bread to dip this stuff, but it's still damn good for other purposes.

Basically, this is flavor-infused, healthy olive oil with garlic, vinegar, herbs and spices. My favorite is the sundried tomato. Drizzle it over spinach salad or use it in any recipe calling for olive oil. Good stuff. I get it at Wal-Mart (of all places.)

Info: www.italian-rose.com

2. McCormick Valencia Orange Peel -- Many recipes call for orange or lemon zest. If you don't know, "zest" means you take an orange and grind some of the rind off into your baked goods, vinaigrettes, marinades or whatever. Adds a bright zing to your recipe.

Problem is, I don't keep a lot of oranges and lemons around, and I hate to go buy them just for a grind or two of zest. Luckily, I discovered these gourmet McCormick dried versions. Good stuff. My favorite is the Valencia orange. Picking up lemon next.

Info: www.mccormick.com

3. Ethnic Food Stores -- There are a thousand ways to add flavor to foods without adding a lot of calories. Problem is, most North Americans only use a handful of what's out there. So they get bored, start going for more calorie-dense or sugary foods, and then start having sex with the lights off. So sad.

Do yourself a favor and visit your local ethnic food store. I like Mexican and Asian stores the best. These places often cater to the immigrant population and carry a wide variety of authentic spices and seasonings you've probably never even heard of. Go in and explore.

My favorites are anything hot: chili pastes, curries, hot mustards, chipotles in adobo sauce, etc.

4. Barilla Plus Pasta -- I'm not much of a carb guy. I tend to agree with Poliquin in saying that most people need to greatly reduce their intakes, and that very few thrive on carbs. I also like the idea that carbs must be "earned." And most people just don't earn them.

How do you know? Look down. See a lot of belly fat, love handle/muffintop? Then you're not earning your carbs.

Anyway, I do eat pasta during some phases of my training, and when I do it's Barilla Plus. Per serving, this stuff manages to pack in 17g of protein (not from soy surprisingly), 260mg of ALA omega-3 (from ground flax seed), and 7g of fiber. And it looks and tastes pretty much like regular pasta. Great stuff for a post-workout meal.

Info: www.barillaus.com

5. Superfood -- Seriously, how can you not make this part of your daily regimen? Along with Flameout, Superfood should be a staple for anyone who wants to be healthy, maximize their physical potential, and extend their life.

I write about it here because of the crazy "feel good" effect it seems to have. Biotest doesn't advertise this effect, and the supplement itself contains no stimulants, yet a whole lot of people are reporting it.

My girlfriend, who's pre-med and a little leery of all supplements, doesn't want to start her day without a dose of Superfood. She summed it up nicely: "I don't feel stimulated like with caffeine; I just feel good, even on minimal sleep."

So, besides all the health benefits, Superfood is getting an underground rep as a "feel good" supplement. Pretty cool.

Info: https://www.t-nation.com/...o.do?id=1900223


Got your own cool little food-related tidbit to add? I'm going to open up this thread to replies so you can post them. If possible, include a pic or a link to the food product.

Let's hear it!

Edit: (Note -- Thread now closed. Thanks for the tips!)

Man, I know that carb stuff but I have so much trouble keeping my carb intake down. Most easy things I can find have a decent amount of carbs. Pasta is so easy to make! I guess this 15 year old will just have to go insane trying to find things to eat.

Eielson wrote:
Man, I know that carb stuff but I have so much trouble keeping my carb intake down. Most easy things I can find have a decent amount of carbs. Pasta is so easy to make! I guess this 15 year old will just have to go insane trying to find things to eat.

Unless you're very overweight, at 15 I wouldn't worry too much about keeping carbs low.

Sure, drop soft drinks, most fast food, fried stuff etc. but have your pasta. Choose the Barilla or whole grain stuff ideally, but don't sweat it too much.

At 15 you should be lifting hard and choosing good foods, including some carbs. Your body composition will change rapidly (more muscle, less fat) in the next few years regardless. Just train hard and eat a "clean" but plentiful diet.

I use my rice steamer to cook things other than rice.

I steam chicken in a vegetable basket, add 2 cups of chicken broth, then whatever herbs or seasoning. It doesn't heat up the house like the oven, I don't have to stand over the pan and it keeps the chicken moist.

I also use this for vegetables.

Sea salt tastes better than regular table salt.

almond meal is great in egg salad

I also use anchovies as a base to roast vegetbles. Put down some anchovies and top with either chicken breast or asparagus and it gives it a nice flavor.. I don't always eat the anchovies though

You can make celery more interesting by standing it in jalapeno juice or pickle juice

Chris Shugart wrote:
Eielson wrote:
Man, I know that carb stuff but I have so much trouble keeping my carb intake down. Most easy things I can find have a decent amount of carbs. Pasta is so easy to make! I guess this 15 year old will just have to go insane trying to find things to eat.

Unless you're very overweight, at 15 I wouldn't worry too much about keeping carbs low.

Sure, drop soft drinks, most fast food, fried stuff etc. but have your pasta. Choose the Barilla or whole grain stuff ideally, but don't sweat it too much.

At 15 you should be lifting hard and choosing good foods, including some carbs. Your body composition will change rapidly (more muscle, less fat) in the next few years regardless. Just train hard and eat a "clean" but plentiful diet.



I have a little bit of a gut but I guess it isn't terrible being 6'2 and 200 pounds. I look fine with a regular shirt on, but I wouldn't impress anybody without it. I used a food calculator and I usually get a little over half of my calories from carbs.

Chris, what do you usually put on top of the pasta? Just some oil or any kind of dressing?

So, you're like 35 and dating a college chick?

BradyZ wrote:
Chris, what do you usually put on top of the pasta? Just some oil or any kind of dressing?

I like fire-roasted tomato and garlic Classico brand sauce. This stuff has less sugar and overall cals than even those pasta sauces that claim to be "light."

I also cut my pasta with veggies. In other words, I replace some of the pasta with vegetables and mix them all together. This creates more filling "bulk" and dilutes the carb count. Pic above shows how I did this with a honey-glazed chicken dish.

Chris:

Do you buy the canned/packaged, "already-chucked" white chicken (there seems to be some great, low-sodium/no preservative at SAMS)...or do you just cut up some chicken breast?


Mufasa

Mufasa wrote:
Chris:

Do you buy the canned/packaged, "already-chucked" white chicken (there seems to be some great, low-sodium/no preservative at SAMS)...or do you just cut up some chicken breast?



There may be some decent canned stuff out there you can use in a pinch (traveling etc.), I really haven't looked, but I think it's usually better to cut up your own. That's what I do.

Okay, you have to share how to make the honey glazed chicken. That looks amazing.

Lowery38595 wrote:
Okay, you have to share how to make the honey glazed chicken. That looks amazing.

Thanks. Still working on that one though. Not perfect yet.

One of my favorite substitutes for pasta is shiritaki noodles. They're made from yam flour and are practically free from a nutrition perspective -- per pkg: 24 kcals, 0 fat, 16 carbs, 12 fiber, and 0 protein. I get them in an Asian market. I like to add them to stir fried veges near the end of the cook time and then top with chicken. It adds bulk and is similar to pasta primavera to me (without the tomato sauce).

Another great find was an Indian market where I picked up a total of several pounds of spices including cardamon, cumin, curry, garam masala, ginger, and turmeric for less than $20. I use these and other spices and herbs in different combinations to make my own rubs.

Bless my college for providing Barilla Plus Pasta.

Chris,

Can't think of any off hand.... Most of the stuff I use I have learned from you! Love the Barillia pasta, been using for awhile now. I will say that searching for healthy stuff has kinda becoming a hobby though. It is amazing that we have such an obesity problem in this country. There are so many healthy options out there now, 10 years ago you had to go to some hippie health store to find good stuff.
Sorry for the rant, keep up the great work and recipes!
I will say that keeping a cooler in the car is key for me. Bring my own good shit with me = not having to eat the funky shit from the gas station!

McCormick has a salt free line of spice I enjoy on most anything but put mostly on veggies, few dashes on brussel sprouts or brocooli add a little something extra.

Also I buy EVO at the world market, $9 for a liter and a half and it's the real deal.

1. Farmers markets - I buy vegetables, such as broccoli, spinich etc., cut and wash them, then store them in the freezer - So they are ready to go. It takes pretty much 5 min to make stir fry

2. Coconut oil - My oil of choice. Delicious.

3. Tomatoes - There are so many ways to make a dish out of them, but my favorite is to saute them lightly in olive oil and garlic, lightly season them with salt, pepper and cheese. Were talking 5 min cook time here as well

4. Lightly cooked fruit as a topping for anything - Suprisingly, works well. Blueberries and strawberries are favs - Just lightly saute them in a drop of butter, and toss them on top of whole grain toast, pancakes, salads, or just as a side dish. Sauteed blueberries taste good on top of pork chops. By the way, you can buy fruits like strawberries and blueberries in bulk, and wash and freeze for later quick use.

5. Cook pasta, whole grain, in bulk, enough to last several days. This way its as simple as throwing into a saute pan for 5 min with vegetables and whatever else to reheat

dday wrote:
McCormick has a salt free line of spice I enjoy on most anything but put mostly on veggies, few dashes on brussel sprouts or brocooli add a little something extra.

Also I buy EVO at the world market, $9 for a liter and a half and it's the real deal.

dday,

a little iodized salt shouldn't be avoided, and is actually good for you.

There is also a some good evidence that iodine actually helps estrone, the mother estrogen. Iodine slows estrones conversion into estradiol, a particularly nasty estrogen, and pushes it into estriol, a good estrogen that is cancer protective and is involved in many anti aging benefits

Given that active people tend to dump sodium as well, I would sprinkle a little iodized salt with that spice

I love the Barilla Plus Pasta with Organic Italian Chicken Sausage! The chicken sausage is low in fat and carbs but adds an extra protein punch and also reduces the amount of sauce you need to flavor the pasta.

Chris, I agree 100% with your girlfriend on the "feel good" effect of Superfood. It's for that exact reason I use it right after my PWO drink. It really refreshes me and puts me in a good mood.

I make good use of curry powder. Not those pre-made sauce mixes, just the dry powder. It packs a ton of flavor for 0 cals. One of my favorites is to stir fry up some veggies and shrimp in a bit of coconut oil, add a bunch of curry powder, a few packets of splenda, and a few tbs of coconut milk (about 1/2 tbs per serving). To me it tastes just as good as restaurant chinese food, with hardly any carbs, and only good fat. Try it if you love food with heat. Some good Thai curry powder will light you up!

Get out the Door wrote:
dday wrote:
McCormick has a salt free line of spice I enjoy on most anything but put mostly on veggies, few dashes on brussel sprouts or brocooli add a little something extra.

Also I buy EVO at the world market, $9 for a liter and a half and it's the real deal.

dday,

a little iodized salt shouldn't be avoided, and is actually good for you.

There is also a some good evidence that iodine actually helps estrone, the mother estrogen. Iodine slows estrones conversion into estradiol, a particularly nasty estrogen, and pushes it into estriol, a good estrogen that is cancer protective and is involved in many anti aging benefits

Given that active people tend to dump sodium as well, I would sprinkle a little iodized salt with that spice

I don't avoid salt but have a problem with using to much seasoning at times so this is a good option for me.

One of the things I love to do is find the recipe for some of my favorite foods and figure out how to make it better.

As an example, Chorizo. This is a spicy Spanish/Mexican sausage. The Mexican version is my favorite but it is always tons of fat. However, that is because of the meat that is used (beef or pork). The true flavor of Chorizo comes from the seasonings. So, I found the recipe and now I make either turkey or chicken Chorizo. Real healthy stuff and even recommended by JB.

�?� 2 Lb. ground pork.
�?� 3 1/2 tsp. salt
�?� 6 Tbl. pure ground red chile
�?� 6-20 small hot dried red chiles; tepine, Thai dragon, pico de gallo or the like, crushed
�?� 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
�?� 2 Tbl. dry leaf oregano
�?� 2 tsp. whole cumin seed, crushed
�?� 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
�?� 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
�?� 4 Tbl. good cider or wine vinegar
�?� 2 1/2 Tbl. water

I don't put the sugar into the recipe and replace the pork with either ground turkey or chicken. I let it marinate over night then cook it up. You can mix this with eggs for breakfast, with beans (including chickpeas) if you like for a great spicy side dish.


Oh, I also use Sambal (pictured in CS' first pic). It is a great Asian chilli that tastes great on chicken and with stir frys.

Natural peanut butter, peanut oil (or olive oil), soy sauce, and a pinch of kosher salt added to stir fry vegetables and chicken can be insanely good. My dieting downfall is Chinese food and this recipe keeps me on track.

Also, Worcestershire sauce with tuna is really good...as is balsamic vinegar with tuna. Even spicy mustard is great with tuna. No need for mayo....ever.

I have recently discovered the wonders of my oven broiler. Put some chicken in an oven pan, spray some cooking spray on the chicken, and season liberally to taste. Throw it in the broiler for 10 to 12 minutes and you have some fantastic tasting protein.

Speaking of chicken, I really like the bags of frozen chicken from Walmart. They are convenient and cheap. Just take a few pieces out, let them thaw for a couple hours and you are good to go. You can usually pick up a 3 pound bag for around $6.

Chris Shugart wrote:
5. Superfood -- Seriously, how can you not make this part of your daily regimen? Along with Flameout, Superfood should be a staple for anyone who wants to be healthy, maximize their physical potential, and extend their life.

I write about it here because of the crazy "feel good" effect it seems to have. Biotest doesn't advertise this effect, and the supplement itself contains no stimulants, yet a whole lot of people are reporting it.



I picked up a tub of Superfood close to a month ago as an answer to my search for a "greens" type product(I always liked purple better anyway).
I figured that I would try it for a month, if I noticed anything, keep buying it, if not, move on.

For the first two weeks, I can't say that I noticed anything. I found that it tasted pretty good in my AM shake, so I ate a serving a day that way. Then I went out of town for a week, leaving my tub of Superfood at home.

My diet was very similar to what I would otherwise eat, minus the Superfood. I felt like I was dragging ass every day. On top of that, I noticed a recurrence of some digestive stress(gas, bloating) that I hadn't even realized was gone during my two weeks on Superfood. Since getting home I've returned to a serving a day in my AM shake and I feel great. I don't know what to call that but results proven.

- Hershey's 100% cocoa, as an addition to any shake for those that love extra 'chocolaty' flavor. I also enjoy it with whey to flavor my coffee.

- Diet Green Tea instead of water/milk when making shakes (vanilla recommended). Awesome change of pace.

- For those addicted to regular salad dressings, or even to cut more calories out of the diet versions, mix equal parts of the dressing (ranch, ceasar, bacon, blue cheese, etc) with balsamic vinegar and/or mustard. Taste will barely change but calories will drop substantially.

* When purchasing balsamic vinegar, make sure to go for a slightly fancy one. The cheap kind is usually regular vinegar with caramel added for color. Deception.