Today we are honoring the humble sandwich! March 3 is National Cold Cuts Day. The sandwich you take to work or send with your child to school speaks volumes. They range from the kind you can buy in a vending machine to those that grace the cover of food magazines. What’s in your sandwich?
Sandwiches are Number 1 for Lunch
Sandwiches are the number one food choice for lunch. Sandwiches are also consumed in one out of nine dinners eaten at home. The most popular sandwich in America is ham, followed by the BLT.
So how do you make a great sandwich?
Use fresh bread, fresh ingredients and a little love.
The best trick for sandwiches is to make something on the weekend for dinner and plan for leftovers – ham is good, so is turkey or chicken. Slice it up, sprinkle on a little seasoning like Peppery Herb rub or Over-the-Edge Herbed Spinach Blend and put it on your favorite bread! My kids love a good crunchy French baguette. They used to love white bread, but we’ve all learned that whole wheat is a better alternative. Or try focaccia. But if you are like me and can’t eat most bread, turn your sandwich inside out – make it a lettuce wrap. (If it weren’t National Cold Cut Day, I’d say use left over grilled vegetables, too!) We always use Racy Wasabi Raspberry Mustard along with crisp lettuce and juicy tomatoes to add color and flavor. It’s also a great wayto add vegetables and to cut calories – mayo has 99 calories per tablespoon, mustard only 10.
The love part? Maybe you cut off the crusts, or give them that indulgent surprise (like the banana and peanut butter you hate to make)…or add a note on top of their sandwich bag to let them know you care.
How to Keep Cold Cuts
We’ve all had those cold cuts in the plastic bag that get slimy…you don’t want to eat them. Cold cuts should only be kept for 3-5 days in an airtight container in the meat drawer where it’s cold! Certainly, that’s not what my mother taught me. The deli cut meat tastes better and has better texture, but it can be a little pricey.
The Ultimate Sandwich Question: Triangles or Rectangles
The most divisive question when it comes to making your sandwich is how do you cut it? In triangles (on the diagonal corner to corner) or rectangles (from top to bottom).
Vote and tell me how you cut!
Add a comment about your favorite sandwich and we’ll have a drawing to give away 10 jars of Racy Wasabi Raspberry Mustard.
Ok, so the day I found out I was celiac I was stunned. Like most people, I’d never heard of it. Unlike most people, I had absolutely no symptoms at all. So we double checked the test results and even checked to determine if I carry the gene (it’s genetic). And it turned out to be true.
Yummy Roast Vegetables!
And I was depressed. I felt doomed – and I didn’t even feel sick.
I’m a carb girl at heart (ok so not all carbs contain gluten, but it feels like it at first). Being celiac, in broad strokes, means I can’t eat anything made with wheat, barley or rye (corn, rice and quinoa are ok). In one fell swoop I cut out half the aisles of the grocery store. Most tragically –great fresh bread and pasta – my personal favorites.
So I decided to try living gluten free. I bought the cookbooks and the flours and read labels even more carefully than usual. And I got about 90% of the gluten out of my life. 100% is hard because it hides in strange places like malt vinegar and soy sauce ingredients. Here’s a link to a pretty good summary of what’s in and out. And after about a month, I have to admit, I did feel better. I had more energy, less bloating and felt generally healthier.
I started buying everything gluten free I could find so I didn’t have to make it, but let’s face it, a lot of it doesn’t taste very good or have very good texture. My family refused to eat it ( gluten free moms click here), and I started cooking two of everything – with and without.
Then I got virtuous. All the gluten free stuff was a pain to make and bake and fairly caloric – so I did what you have heard me preach so often – I went to naked food. If it’s fresh and pure, it’s probably gluten free. And it was so much easier, and generally fewer calories. I even lost about 10 pounds.
But…naked food is boring. There are only so many plain chicken breasts one can eat. I readily get in more than my five fruits and vegetables a day. My staple in the fridge is a huge dish of roasted vegetables sprinkled with Over-the-Edge Herbed Spinach Blend. So you know what happens when you deprive yourself…you break down and binge!
So, now I have come to grips with it. Most weeks are good, and some are terrible – and my body knows immediately. The best thing that happened is that a younger good friend of the family also turned out to be celiac, and started finding all of the best gluten free products to recommend.
I also found that a staggering number of friends also could not tolerate gluten, and mutual support and information sharing is great. (Believe it or not about 1 in 100 people are celiac). But as we age there are just as many people who can’t eat salmon, or high cholesterol foods, or salt or dairy….this list goes on, we’re not alone.
The good news is that over the past three years, gluten-free products have skyrocketed and can be purchased now in most regular grocery stores. Information is on all labels and is ready available from manufacturers. (By the way, our Consultants have allergy information on all of our products). You no longer have to make a big fuss about dining out (unless you want to invoke guilt or sympathy). Most restaurants can accommodate you. There are some great gluten-free blogs, online stores and cookbooks.
So what’s the upside? I pay more attention to what I eat. I eat better overall, not just avoiding gluten. I’m also a better cook. As with all issues we deal with in life, you can rule it, or it can rule you. Some days I can even feel a little smug.
But, I did put back on at least five pounds finding a balance.
Hmm! Cold gray day! No one home! Too much travel! A good book is calling!
Sounds like a day for comfort food. Mac and Cheese or Chili! Grilled Cheese or Butternut Squash soup! These are some of the things that come to mind immediately.
Comfort food by definition is a simple food, usually home made, that has an emotion significant to a person, frequently tied to childhood memories. They are also usually creamy, hot, and frequently fattening! So who cares- you can’t deprive yourself all the time!
So I sent an email out to family and friend to see how we mirror the rest of the nation. In the US, peanut butter and jelly, grilled cheese sandwiches, mac and cheese and meatloaf are right at the top of the list. ( Top 25 comfort foods) In our family, we did have a lot of votes for mac and cheese, but then we had some other for hot dogs and beans, pepperoni pizza and We also had our share of outliers like raclette (melted cheese and potatoes from Switzerland, Nasi Goreng (see Scoop and Nuke night post) – but those will have to wait for other posts.
OK – my personal favorite is mac and cheese. It’s hard to make a change when the family gold standard is a 99 cent blue box. But with age, improvements can be made! For starters, you can just add Outrageously Garlic to the finished product. If you want to get fancy, though, my family has now voted Mac and Two Cheese with caramelized shallots as top of the heap.
What are some TSG versions of the American Classics
Want comfort food, but don’t want to pay the consequences for all that good stuff – figure out how to take some of the calories out of your regular favorite. Substitute some of the key ingredients, like milk for cream, or low fat versions of sour cream, lean meats. Roast that skinless chicken instead of fry. If that doesn’t work, look here for some low fat comfort foods.
Remember though – comfort is the operative word. You can indulge, just occasionally.
Then there is that other part – exercise- Uggghh! I know, I imagine all of those young, fit women wearing spandex clothes, working out and smiling at the gym with their makeup perfect. And I am not one of those!
Them! Me
Even I Exercise Regularly
Now in all fairness, that used to be my response, but over the past 10 years, I have gotten to the place where I exercise at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week and I really do feel better. There are two crystallizing factors – I don’t want to be like many grandmothers and aunts whose falls in older age can be the precursor to their demise. We’ve learned enough to know that exercise keeps bones strong.
Then, our health plan started giving a discount for healthy learning. The measure was 10,000 steps a day. Do you know how much that really is? That’s about 5 miles a day. While I know running up and down the stairs with laundry feels like that, it really isn’t.
Start Walking
It turns out that for me to take 10,000 steps a day on a relatively regular basis, I have to do 5,000 steps on the elliptical in 35 minutes in the morning.
Also, I learned I can cope with stress and everything else better thanks to exercise – plus I’m helping the old heart muscle. My attitude now is “have sneakers, will exercise” (but I still hate running). I travel a lot, but exercise clothes are always in my carry on – believe me, it makes me a nicer, happier person to work with.
Find what you like to do and what works best for you. Walking starts with a single step, and it’s a great way to keep up with friends. I have some who make it a habit to go walking with their friends after the bus stop or around the parking lot at lunch. If you actively try to move, you will find a way. But there are other options – classes, swimming, kayaking, nature walks with your children– why not make it a family event?
Exercise at any age!
And you know the energy part? Doctors are right! You get more when you exercise. And it’s never too late – my mom is 88 years old and started going to the gym last week so she could move better and be more stable. She’s noticing a difference! You’ll be interested to know that studies have shown that with exercise, older people (even starting at age 85) can improve their muscle tone significantly in only six weeks. Of course, everyone should check with their physician before starting a rigorous exercise program.
I know I’m personally dieted, exercised and stretched to the point of exhaustion on a bad day. But in my heart of hearts, I know the answer is very simple. Move it or lose it!
I find it ironic that the month that kicks off the biggest eating binge of the year with Thanksgiving, November, is also National Good Nutrition Month. ( Mind you, it is also Georgia Pecan Month, National Peanut Butter Lover’s Month, National Pepper Month, National Pomegranate Month, Raisin Bread Month and Vegan Month!). November 1 is National Deep Fried Clam. I live in a geography where it costs more NOT to have your food deep fat fried – what is wrong with this picture?
So I want to spend a little time talking about my lifetime obsession – that twisted relation of health/weight/food. The national obsession and information overload on health and weight management is confusing. I’m actually going to break it into two parts, and I bet you know what they are – DIET and EXERCISE.
Part I -Diet
Help Tracking your Diet
We all have good intentions – and most of us mom’s try to put balance of good food on the table (although many are tied to the old food pyramid). The government has put together a really good site to explain this, and plan and track your progress to eating well. Give it a look see and gets your kids involved in planning.
Reality is we will all eat a little of everything – and that ‘s the key – A Little!
When you look at the portions in quick serve restaurants, they are full of fat, salt and calories – even a salad can contain a whole day’s worth (we all watch morning TV and have seen the expos). And heaven knows on a cold day I’m the first to line up for Mac and Cheese, or a cup of steaming hot cocoa with whipped cream, and that’s ok as an indulgence. But you can’t really live that way.
Our nation has an epidemic of obesity, starting with our children. We owe it to them to improve. If you really knew what a portion was, you could probably cut your food budget down – the man at the fish counter is always trying to sell me a ½ pound per person, when a portion is 4-5 ounces – half the amount. And the right portion for a toddler is ¼ that of an adult.
I spend a lot of time on the road where I do my best to piece together something clean and simple to eat – and I succeed about 60% of the time. All you have to do is look at my wardrobe to see the yo-yo battle. I used to make excuses, but the only person I’m fooling is me.
Manage Your Family’s Diet and Budget
The good news for managing your family’s diet and budget in these time is:
Cooking and eating at home is 1/3 less expensive than eating out.
Fresher/less processed food is generally less expensive.
Coupons are great, but are they helping you purchase the healthiest food for your family? Many processed foods are convenient, but may not have the best nutritional value – sodium and fat are two things to watch. (If you don’t know it – check this out for retailer coupons).
Cooking and coming together for a meal is a great way to connect. –whether within your immediate family, or everyone bringing potluck for Thanksgiving.
Eat as many fruit and vegetables as possible, serve food that is as close to fresh as possible, exercise and you’ll be fine.
If you eat in balance and control your portions– you can eat almost anything! What’s your favorite way to stay in control? Pass the dark chocolate please, it’s good for my heart!
Today we are honoring the humble sandwich! March 3 is National Cold Cuts Day. The sandwich you take to work or send with your child to school speaks volumes. They range from the kind you can buy in a vending machine to those that grace the cover of food magazines. What’s in your sandwich?
