Category: food

things getting worse → Canadians

On By Rick McIn food, health & fitness, things getting worse2 Comments

Statscan found that 18 per cent of adult Canadians, about 4.4 million people, were classified as obese in 2009, up from 15 per cent in 2003.

We’re still getting fatter.

With less leisure time to exercise.

* One in five Canadian adult feels “caught in a time crunch,” experiencing high levels of time pressure
* That number is on the rise: the proportion of those who said they were in a time crunch grew to 19.6 per cent in 2005 from 16.4 per cent in 1992
* The average proportion of our waking lives devoted to social and leisure activities dropped by 20 per cent between 1998 and 2005
* A much higher proportion of females than males reported time pressure in 2005 — 22.7 for women, 16 per cent for men
* More than one in four employed Canadians were responsible for the care of an elderly dependent, and one in five (16.8 per cent) had responsibility for both child care and elder care in 2009
* The proportion of Canadians worked non-standard hours (weekends, evenings, nights, rotating shifts jumped from 23 per cent in 1992 to 29 per cent in 2009 …

… for the first time in 2 centuries, Canadians can expect to die earlier (younger) than their parents. …


Update – This article, linked by Chopbox, seems to contradict the one above: Life expectancy in Canada nears 81

love Trader Joe’s

On By Rick McIn food, product endorsements1 Comment

Trader Joe’s is a privately held chain of specialty grocery stores headquartered in Monrovia, California. As of April 2010, Trader Joe’s had a total of 340 stores. Approximately half of its stores are in California, with the heaviest concentration in Southern California, but the company also has locations in 24 other states and Washington, D.C. …

I first learned of the store as a supplier of “TWO BUCK CHUCK”. … Charles Shaw for $2. Who cares what it tastes like at that price.

In 2010 Charles Shaw will cost you $3, unless it’s on sale.

… Products sold include gourmet foods, organic foods, vegetarian food, unusual frozen foods, imported foods, domestic and imported wine and beer (where local law permits), “alternative” food items, and basics like bread, cereal, eggs, dairy, coffee and produce. …

I ended up buying vegetables, specialty granola, specialty craisens. And more.

… The May 2009 issue of Consumer Reports ranked Trader Joe’s the second-best supermarket chain in the nation, after Wegmans. …

I’d best be checking out Wegman’s.

home page – TraderJoes.com

KFC – Quadruple Down sandwich

On By Rick McIn barbecue, food, health & fitness, humour, uncategorized1 Comment

I couldn’t resist.

… two thick and juicy boneless white meat chicken filets (Original Recipe® or Grilled), two pieces of bacon, two melted slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese and Colonel’s Sauce. …

It’s as disgustingly delicious as it looks!

… the sodium content is high — a whopping 1,380 milligrams — more than a half-teaspoon’s worth of salt. For comparison’s sake, the American Heart Association recommends people eat less than 1,500 mg of sodium in an entire day.

Considering the rising consciousness on healthy eating — from rules that will require calorie counts on menus nationwide to Jamie Oliver teaching kids in West Virginia to make better food choices — it was pretty gutsy of KFC to market a product that sandwiches bacon and mayo-based sauce between two pieces of fried chicken.

Still, KFC’s new creation might surprise you a little on the nutritional front. At 540 calories, the Double Down, though not exactly a dieting food, is 90 calories lighter than McDonald’s Premium Crispy Chicken Club Sandwich. …

NPR – The Nutritional Lowdown On KFC’s Double Down


UPDATE – Is it really 540 calories? Or more like 1190 calories?

This crime against humanity will not be sold in Canada. America’s rank as the most obese major nation is safe, for now.

And just in case Wendy’s wants to challenge, KFC has this “sandwich” in the lab …

(via This is why you’re Fat)

why I bought carrot sticks …

On By Rick McIn food, health & fitness, travel5 Comments

Christmas day I weighed a svelte 160lbs. I had just gotten back from a 17-day hike around Mt. Everest.

By March I was feeling about as svelte as the Baron Harkonnen.

I blame this guy.

Do you know Jack?

The “founder, CEO, and ad spokesman, … a savvy, no-nonsense businessman”.

Though I’d likely never entered any of his fast food joints in my life, on a one month driving trip in March, my parents and I were in them constantly.

Jack in the Box is the best of the McDonalds clones, in my opinion.

For one thing, the newer franchises list the caloric content of each item prominently. It could not be more transparent.

My go to meal there is the Chicken Teriyaki Bowl, not the combo. That’s less than $5 and a satisfying lunch or dinner.

I know what you’re thinking: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.

I’ve never worried much about nutrition in my lifetime. What I eat seems to make very little difference. But, perhaps, getting older, I’ll experiment with nutrition.

Instead of eating Werther’s (100cal for 3 candies) while driving, I’ll snack on baby carrots. Or Craisens. (Can you buy craisens without added sugar?)

Instead of the tasty, fairly nutritious, fast, inexpensive Chicken Teriyaki Bowl, I’ll shop for unprocessed goods at Whole Foods Market.

Leave a comment if you’ve healthy fast food to recommend. Thanks.

Their business model is to buy the same stuff as Costco, repackaged with old fashioned green labels. And, conspicuously, the catch word “Organic”.

That way they can charge twice the price.

I’d avoided grocery stores like Whole Foods in the past. But picked up some Organic granola. (Is it really any better than regular granola?)

By the way, If you’re ever looking for pretentious California superwomen, look for them at Whole Foods. By the pained expression on their faces, you know they’re disappointed by everything in the Universe.

Stouffers suicide prevention tips

On By Rick McIn food, humourLeave a comment

Here’s a company that’s willing to admit their customers are desperate and despondent. Kudos.

Stouffers says the suicide prevention tips are available on all single serving microwavable dinners whether you enjoy veal parmigiana alone or beef stroganoff alone.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Thanks Kate.

Update: If those products appeal, check out a great book BFF: Microwave Cooking for One

can fish be saved?

On By Rick McIn food, good newsLeave a comment

My Dad and I watched an entertaining and informative 18min talk from the TED conference.

The decline of many fish species may be irreversible. This is one bit of good news.

… Dan Barber squares off with a dilemma facing many chefs today: how to keep fish on the menu. With impeccable research and deadpan humor, he chronicles his pursuit of a sustainable fish he could love, and the foodie’s honeymoon he’s enjoyed since discovering an outrageously delicious fish raised using a revolutionary farming method in Spain.

why won’t you clean the fridge?

On By Rick McIn food, product endorsements1 Comment

Recall when Bill Gates in 2002 announced he was going to reinvent the refrigerator?

Like most of his other announcements for Microsoft, Bill didn’t deliver. Finally here’s some good news:

… appliance makers like Whirlpool, Viking Range Corp. and Sub-Zero Inc. are tackling the messy fridge problem with a host of new features including souped-up shelves, bacteria-killing devices and better lighting. …

Is your fridge better or worse than this one?

Read more on the Wall Street Journal:

Why Won’t Anyone Clean Me?

Most Americans Tidy Their Refrigerators Only Once or Twice a Year; Manufacturers Try New Ways to Combat the Mess

naked chef wins $100k TED prize

On By Rick McIn food, health & fitnessLeave a comment

I’ve not been a fan of controversial British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.

I find him strident. And not all that amusing.

But I’m thrilled he won the prestigious TED prize for 2010.

At the heart of Oliver’s work is an assault on the obesity epidemic: The CDC states that one in four Americans are considered obese. It is estimated that 43 percent of Americans, or 103 million people, will be obese by 2018. The cost of this epidemic is anticipated to reach $344 billion per year. It currently accounts for almost 10 percent of the yearly US health care costs, and that rate will rise to 21 percent by 2018. WHO’s latest projections indicate that, globally in 2005, approximately 1.6 billion adults were overweight and projects that by 2015, that figure will rise to 2.3 billion.” …

2010 TED Prize goes to Jamie Oliver

God knows he’s passionate. If interested, click over to TED to watch his scary 18min presentation.

I hate plastic, love glass

On By Rick McIn food, product complaints, product endorsements2 Comments

Just one word: plastic.

Increasingly, over the years since watching The Graduate, I’ve come to dislike and distrust plastic. Especially plastic containers for food and drink.

But I love glass storage.

Snapware 18pc Glasslock Tempered Glass Storage Containers 18piece Set with Lids – Amazon

There are a number of companies selling these. All are superior to plastic though they all, I think, still have plastic lids.

I distrust plastic thinking that, once scored, traces of food may be caught in the scratches. Glass is easier to clean and disinfect.

My computer laptop has a glass screen. So does my iPod. And I suspect glass will be replacing granite as the best counter top material.

As a general rule, I try to find alternate materials to plastic.

Just one word: glass.