Have we lost our ability to celebrate flavourful food that nourishes?
By Karen Gram, Canwest News ServiceApril 15, 2010
"You will get more nutrition and health protection from eating a whole apple than you will ever get from eating applesauce or apple juice," dietitian Liz Pearson said. "The more processed, the more sugar added, the more all these other things done to it, generally the less healthy it is."Photograph by: Photos.com, canada.comToronto-based dietitian and author Liz Pearson thinks Canadians have lost their love for food. It's an ironic statement considering the statistics about how many of us are overweight or obese.
It's also ironic because she has spent a whole hour itemizing the nutrient values of foods we should be eating, as if we should eat these foods just because they are good for us, not because good food (imagine a perfectly ripe peach or a slice of freshly baked bread) sends us straight to sensory nirvana.
Asked if she thought our society was becoming obsessed with the nutritional content of foods, Pearson agreed that on the one hand that may be so.
"But at the same time, I say almost 70 per cent of Canadians are overweight and almost 40 per cent are obese. Somebody needs to start paying attention to their health."
Pearson, who co-authored Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health, says Canadians are an "obesogenic" population, meaning we live in conditions that lead us to become excessively fat. Probably because of that, the foods we associate with pleasure are sin foods.
"We think we get enjoyment and pleasure from eating high-fat, high-salt, not-good-for-you foods," she said. "But when people learn to eat healthy, they see how flavourful and wonderful it can be.
"I think we have lost our ability to just celebrate food, just as a way to not only nourish your body, but also to share in life with family and friends."
That's why Pearson isn't giving up her day job yet. As she says, somebody's got to get Canadians off the burgers and back to the harvest table.
So here she is, crossing the country, preaching the benefits of whole grains and dark leafy greens, and rattling off the most important fundamentals to good nutritional practices.
- Eat foods the way nature provides them.
"You will get more nutrition and health protection from eating a whole apple than you will ever get from eating applesauce or apple juice," she said. "The more processed, the more sugar added, the more all these other things done to it, generally the less healthy it is."
- Eat fat to absorb essential fat-soluble vitamins, but not too much and not the animal kind.
While we need fat to absorb vitamins A, E, D, K and carotenoids, it packs a calorie wallop, having twice as many calories as protein or carbs, so Pearson recommends choosing low-fat foods and making sure the fat you eat is good fat, the stuff you get from fatty fish and extra virgin olive or canola oil.
If you eat animal products, which are high in "bad" saturated fats that clog arteries, choose lean varieties like skinless chicken or loin cuts of beef, rather than ground beef. Drink skim milk. Eat fish.
- Eat carbohydrates for calories and to fuel your brain and muscles.
But choose complex carbs like whole grains and fruit and vegetables. Complex carbs are high in fibre, which we need for digestive health and gut health and for reducing cancer risk of the gastrointestinal tract. Fibre also keeps us full longer. But whole grains also have high nutritional content, she says, adding she doesn't mean only 100 per cent whole-grain bread. She also means whole-grain pasta and brown rice or quinoa.
- Eat moderate amounts of protein to repair and build muscles.
Pearson says it's a myth that athletes need high-protein diets.
Ideally we should have two to three servings of meat or meat alternatives every day. If it's meat or fish, the portion size should be about the size of a deck of cards. If it's beans, the Canada Food Guide recommends a ¾-cup serving and a ¼-cup for nuts.
As for the types of protein, Pearson would really love people to eat more beans. Black beans, kidney beans and soy beans are excellent sources of both carbohydrates and protein and they have amazing health promotion properties, including antioxidants.
- Eat your antioxidants and cancer-fighting vegetables with every meal.
Antioxidants protect cells from damage that leads to disease, she says. Berries have the most among fruits. Artichoke hearts have the most among veggies.
- Don't forget the chocolate. Dark chocolate has more antioxidants than green tea or even blueberries. Great for pleasure too.
There you have it. Follow these principles and your body may say "Hallelujah." After a while, it will become automatic and you can stop obsessing and start really enjoying.
Then maybe Pearson can give up her day job.
*The only thing I slightly disagree with is the dietician's take on protein and athletes...they need lots in my mind!
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Asparagus, Grape Tomatoes, Portobello Mushrooms & Sliced Almonds, Whole Wheat Penne
This recipe is loaded with good nutrition, providing a great source of fibre, vitamin E, calcium and iron. Developed for the Almond Board of California by Liz Pearson.
1 box (375 g or 5 cups) whole wheat uncooked penne rigate pasta
2 cups (500 mL) grape tomatoes cut into halves
½ cup (125 mL) fresh basil, chopped
5 tbsp (75 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups (500 mL) 3 large Portobello mushrooms, chopped
3 cups (750 mL) 1 bunch of asparagus, chopped
1 cup (250 mL) sliced almonds
4 cloves garlic crushed
1 tbsp (15 mL) ginger, minced
½ tsp (2 mL) pepper
¼ tsp (1 mL) crushed red pepper
½ tsp (2 mL) salt (optional) Parmesan cheese
Bring large pot of water to a boil for cooking the pasta. While waiting for the water to boil, halve grape tomatoes and chop basil. Mix together in a small bowl, adding 2 tbsp (25 mL) of extra virgin olive oil. Set aside.
Dice onion and chop mushrooms. Chop asparagus into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Discard the coarse woody ends of asparagus stalks. Crush garlic and mince ginger.
Add penne to boiling water. Follow package directions for done-ness. Most whole wheat penne requires about 12 to 13 minutes of cooking time.
While the pasta is cooking, in another saucepan, saute onions in 1/4 cup (50 mL) of virgin olive oil for 1 to 2 minutes at medium heat.
Add the mushrooms, asparagus, almonds, pepper and crushed red pepper to the saucepan.
Saute for about 6 minutes or until the asparagus is tender yet crisp.
Add garlic and ginger to saucepan and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.
When the pasta is cooked, drain the water and add pasta back into the large pot. Add bowl containing grape tomatoes mixture along with the sauteed vegetables and almonds. Mix all ingredients together gently.
Serve with Parmesan cheese. Serves 6 people.
For more information and recipe ideas, visit wholegrainpasta.ca.
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