Ten Great Foods, Redux

A repost of an earlier effort, modified in time for Xmas.
In these troubled times, Ned is moved to reiterate, with increased vigor, his ten best food recommendations to his many friends and followers. Bon appetit! (List not in any particular order.)

10. Goat milk kefir: loaded with goodness, packed with happy, friendly bugs, this stuff is nectar. Avoid kefir from cow's milk. Just not the same. Free your mind from concerns about its cost. A little goes a long way.
9. Vegetable juice (low salt): remember that low sodium is not always low salt since some brands simply substitute potassium chloride for sodium chloride, and Ned is concerned about upsetting one's potassium balance. Vegetable juice is a low-calorie, high nutrient marvel, packed with stuff you might find hard to get in other common foods. And even has lots of fiber. A can't miss food. Ned likes the stuff sold by Trader Joe's even though some might not like the slightly lemony taste.
8. Apples: A wonder fruit, especially if you can get organic ones, non-red or golden delicious varieties. Loads of fiber and bioflavenoids. The old folks didn't say 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away' for nothing. May even help lower your blood pressure.
7. Cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts. Great nutrition, low calories, and easy to eat. Marinate broccoli and cauliflower, and eat cabbage as coleslaw mixed with a little carrot. Cauliflower can also be broiled with some cumin and butter or olive oil. Again, get organic if possible. Try this tip: buy a container of coleslaw from your favorite deli, then mix an equal part raw coleslaw from those friendly plastic packages. Cuts down on calories and just as good.
6. Blueberries: you just can't beat 'em for taste and nutrition. Buy them or pick them in the summer and dry them. Freeze a few packages for the winter, too.
5. Spinach: makes great salad, easy to cook. Great sauteed with garlic, or just mix with a little salad dressing. Be sure to get organic if possible, since the industrial spinach is doused with all sorts of bad stuff.
4. Game meat: buffalo, venison, elk: For those who eat meat, the best way to get it. Usually raised in small operations and much of it is local, so win-win. And buffalo don't mess up the soil like cattle. Besides, they are smarter than cows. Remember to eat only a little because we don't want any more cruelty than necessary and you need a diet that is mainly veggies and whole grains anyway.
3. Oats: Ned's secret weapon and the source of much Celtic inspiration over the centuries. High in protein, and soluble fiber. Mix it with game meat for a tasty meatball, and use in cobblers and cookies with only enough sweetener to qualify as dessert.
2. Coffee and tea: Great drinks, and good for you. organic, shade grown coffee varieties help local peoples and the planet. Tea has lots of bioflavenoids and antioxidants, and coffee is good for you, like so many other things, in moderation. Do not overdo it.
1. Tomatoes: Fresh is great, especially if you can pilfer some from a friend's garden. But cooked may be even better since cooking concentrates the antioxidants. Goes with most anything.

We will have other foods to add later, but for now, eat these and get healthy!

Food Poisoning (kids)

In the latest issue of that invaluable magazine Harpers is found this shocking fact: the three highest calorie sources for American children, in increasing order are, baked desserts, pizza and sodas. Perhaps Congress should quit worrying about that mote in our food eye ("recalls" and such) and concern itself with the toxic trash that is going into our kids every day.

More good foods

Ned recommends whole grain crackers like RyKrisp because of their high fiber content, low fat, whole grain composition, low salt, seeds, good protein and low calorie content. In general, Ned recommends only those rare packaged foods with few ingredients, and these qualify. Certainly Ned recommends his friends avoid crackers with enriched flour and lots of salt and fat, regardless of whatever else they contain.
Ned also recommends dates, whole, but in moderation, because they contain lots of fiber and minerals and not really too much sugar, considering all the other toxic sweet stuff out there.

Ned in trouble--food illness

On one of Ned's favorite sites, politicalwire.com, Ned has gotten into trouble for saying that the Food Safety Act being passed by Congress is fixing a problem that doesn't exist. His friends immediately jumped on him, leading Ned to understand that he should have elaborated. His point was that this country already has arguably the safest food in the world, and the proposed Act will basically just allow the feds to mandate recalls, which are now voluntary. Certainly people die from tainted food, but the numbers are hard to come by. The CDC says about 1,800 for sure, but it doesn't say how many are from improperly prepared or handled foods, which Ned suspects represent the lion's share. Certainly most food borne illness is from industrially-produced foods at large, centrally located facilities that require hundreds or even thousands of miles of transport. Ground meats are a "prime" culprit here, which can be avoided by avoiding ground meats from industrial sources. Eggs are another problem. But eggs have a natural protective skin that keeps the egg fresh without refrigeration unless they are washed, then they must be refrigerated of course. Ned advises his friends to buy eggs in small quantities from local sources. Some pathogens are attributed to vegetables, and again these can be minimized, but not eliminated, by buying from local sources and organic if possible. Keep away from raw milk and unpasteurized juice.
Ned's point is this: we already have safe food if people use their heads and only buy stuff that is good for you.

AVOID THESE FOODS

As we go into the latest phase of the "holiday" season Ned would like to reiterate that there are many foods that one should just avoid, and many of these are holiday staples. Here are some:
* Mashed potatoes: high in calories, especially when mixed with milk, half and half or cream, and/or butter and salt. Potatoes are healthy foods served with skins and without all the accessories, but how often do we get them that way?
* Candied yams: we all know the nasty dishes that start with something wholesome and then become something fit only for the undead, and candied yams qualify. The worst are those with marshmallows on top. ghastly and guaranteed to put on the pounds. Get your antioxidants and Vitamin A any other way.
* Dressing: Ned doesn't care what kind, or what it's served with, be it turkey or chicken. it's all toxic, unless made with whole grain ingredients, chestnuts and stock. But there's no such thing.
* Fruit salad with sour cream, whipped toppings, and/or marshmallows. Absolutely disgusting and toxic. Besides, most of the fruit is canned or packed in sugar syrup. Now, fruit salad made with FRUIT--that's another matter.
* White rolls, especially the ones from a store: Once in a while these things might be OK, but given that they are usually paired with all of the above, they are toxic and should be shunned.
* Giblet gravy: 'Nuf said.
* Store-bought pies, especially those with bottom crusts. They are almost always made with bleached flour and contain almost no nutrition given the sugar.
* Cake of any kind.
* Milk chocolate: too much sugar, etc. Dark chocolate (more than 75% cocoa OK).
* Egg nog, except in tiny quantities: Too obvious to explain.
And be careful of almost anything else except vegetables, fruits, whole grain breads and organic meats.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND MAY WE ALL LIVE TO SEE BETTER TIMES.