Food & Nutrition

Food science, nutrition facts, and culinary whimsy from a Registered Dietitian

[cruciferousconspiracist]

Ask a Registered Dietitan

I've been seeing an absolute TON of nutrition misinformation in my personal life, in the media (thanks RFK), and even in the hospital where I work. I feel like some of the issue might be accessibility, especially with all the recent changes in our garbage fire post-apocalyptic wasteland of an insurance/medical system.

So! Do you have a nutrition-related question? Even a silly one? Ask me! Feel free to add to this post or use the "Ask" feature, and I will answer to the best of my ability.

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

reminder that things like carbs and fats and oils–those are GOOD things. those are valuable things that have served humans well for thousands of years. those are fundamental things that keep us alive and healthy. the issue is that our current food system gives us unprecedented access to those foods, and not enough access to the other types of foods we need to balance them out. a balanced diet is a diverse diet.

most of us don’t need to eat less, we need to eat differently. and the diets of millions of individuals–that’s not a reflection of personal choice, that’s a reflection of our food systems, and the governments and corporations that control them. if you want people to make better choices, first give people access to better choices. 

[aliexandriad-deactivated2024021]

For reference, this is what a properly balanced diet looks like, as represented by this food pyramid

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

Thank you! important info

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

did you not read the post, the point is you’re not supposed to be eating JUST one thing! your diet should consist of a wide variety of foods on the pyramid!!!

[hyperfixiationstation]

Guys, the food pyramid is so outdated! The My Plate model is a much better example of how you should be eating. 

[myothertardisisonthemun]

Exactly. Have a look at the plate model:

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

@systemgoblincore your TAGS

#my mom read this post over my shoulder and she sighed  #shes a geologist and she muttered something about gravel deposits being the equivalent to McDonald’s french fries  #no i do NOT know what this means

[cruciferousconspiracist]

Not where I thought this was going, but I guess it can go on my nutrition blog.

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

rice is the perfect food and westerners should eat more of it i'm so serious

[cruciferousconspiracist]

At Home Barista

Idk who needs to hear this, but it's really easy to make coffee shop quality beverages at home. All you need is a 1:1 ratio (1 cup each, for instance) of water and sugar, and whatever flavors you want! Bring them to a simmer in a small pot, or until all the sugar is dissolved. Done. You are coffee genie now.

Beginner - Vanilla

1 cup water

1 cup white sugar

Some vanilla*

*On God, I do not measure this. Listen to your heart, unless your heart says dump the whole thing in there. Do try to use actual vanilla extract if you can, not imitation.

Intermediate - Ginger Snap

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup water

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup sliced/peeled ginger OR 1/2 tsp ground

1/2 tsp whole allspice or cloves (1/4 tsp ground)

Some vanilla (see note above)

Pinch salt

Combine and prepare as above, but be sure to strain with a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth.

Advanced - Chocolate Syrup

Here I will link my favorite chocolate syrup, courtesy of my lord and savior Alton Brown (blessed be his name). What makes it advanced is the use of black cardamom and the use of a food processor.

Get crazy, make different combinations, use them for cocktails. Try with espresso for lattes, or just in drip coffee. Do whatever you want! Go forth and make beautiful beverages at a reduced cost!

[cruciferousconspiracist]

Hollywood Wants You to Think That You're Fat, and That It's a Bad Thing

There I was, doing my annual re-watch of Bridget Jones's Diary because a) it's hilarious, and b) Colin Firth.

But I almost immediately became disturbed by a little detail I had never really noticed before. We all know that the movies set unrealistic body expectations for women. But maybe because I've been a Dietitian for a little over a year, it's hit me lately how often I'm watching a movie and they say a woman's weight, and it's an absurd number. Take Bridget Jones; one of her main personality traits is that she's "fat" - at a whopping 136 pounds.

First of all, there is no ideal weight, everybody is different. But let's get one thing perfectly clear! Renee Zellweger is 5'4", and 136 pounds is NOT a heavy weight for that height. I can't tell you how many times I have been watching something and a FULL GROWN WOMAN said she was 120 pounds or less, which could fall into the unhealthy/potentially malnourished range for a lot of people. Stop letting media make you feel bad about your weight in general, but especially don't let them lie to you like this.

Am I going to stop watching this movie around the holidays? No, it's not Bridget's fault that she was a character made for the nineties, one of the worst diet culture decades in recent memory. But I'm not going to let it make me feel bad about myself anymore, either.

[great-and-small]

This is going to be an unpleasant post but I need to talk to y’all about heat stroke in dogs. I am an ER vet and I am seeing firsthand the death toll that this heat wave is taking on our pets. In the past two weeks, for every single weekend shift I have worked, we have had at least one DOA with a body temperature over 107 degrees. One of them had simply been on a 20 minute walk at 5pm. All of them were brachycephalic (short faced breeds like pugs and french bulldogs). Their owners were in shock that this could happen so quickly, and their grief lingers with me.

If you have a dog, and especially if you have a brachycephalic dog, you need to familiarize yourself with the signs of heat stroke. Do not take your dogs out in the heat of the day, be aware of the pavement temperature, and always have fresh water available for them. When I am outdoors with my dog I am checking on him constantly. This heat wave is extremely serious; I need you to keep yourself and your pets safe.

[critlore]

This is a super useful graphic I've been sharing everywhere possible. When in doubt, keep them indoors.

[cruciferousconspiracist]

Sugar in Lunches

Someone is finally doing something about the intense amount of sugar found in your average school lunch!

In a time when childhood diabetes and obesity dates are higher than any other single period in history, the government is actually doing something. You could knock me over with a feather.

U.S. agriculture officials on Friday proposed new nutrition standards for school meals , including the first limits on added sugars, with a

There will now be a limit on added sugars in school served foods (including breakfast!). The big items being impacted will be milks, drinks, cereals, and yogurts, which neatly fixes the problem of allowing high-sugar chocolate and strawberry milks, which was imposed by the Trump administration.

My queen, Michelle Obama, must be so proud.

[cruciferousconspiracist]

First time making bread in a Dutch oven, absolute game changer 😍

[cruciferousconspiracist]

Friend: Are you team Professor, or team Ryan?

Me, thinking about the "history algorithm":

[cruciferousconspiracist]

This has lived rent-free in my mind for almost 20 years.

Anybody else remember this crap?

[cruciferousconspiracist]

Soup

In honor of Soup Season, here's a hot tip! If you're making a "cream of" soup (potato or corn chowder, for instance), try cutting out the roux (soup base thickening agent made of butter and flour) and cream in favor of a boiled potato.

For example, my autumn squash soup:

1 butternut squash, small diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

2 carrots, diced

1-1.5 containers of chicken/vegetable stock (16 to 24 oz)

2 tbsp herbs, fresh or dried (I like sage and thyme)

1 tsp paprika

2 tbsp apple cider

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 large potato, cut in half

1/2 cup heavy cream (or alternative)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

Pumpkin seeds, optional

1. Sautée onion, garlic, celery, and carrots in a large pot with oil until onions are translucent. Add squash and cook 2 to 5 minutes. Add herbs and spices and cook an additional 2 minutes.

2. Add broth, just enough to cover. Add potato. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until potato can be easily pierced with a fork.

3. Remove potato to small bowl (wait until it's cool enough to touch!) and mash with cream using a fork, removing the skin. Add a little hot broth and whisk lightly with fork, then add the mixture back into the pot.

4. Add cider and brown sugar. Blend with standing or immersion blender until smooth. Garnish with seeds if desired, and enjoy!

See? The starch in the potato acts as a lower calorie, lower in saturated fat thickener. Also to make it vegan friendly, try a thicker dairy alternative like oat or cashew milk!

[cruciferousconspiracist]

All the federal programs targeted to alleviate hunger and provide nutrition education are so great (WIC, National School Lunch Program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and many more).

But like. Has anyone thought that even with all of these we’re still rampant with some of the worst health disparities and rates of obesity-related chronic diseases in the world?

I’m obviously all for nutrition education and outreach, but the sheer number of almost redundant programs makes me think that those in policy making don’t want to think about the real problems. Namely, the way that big business lobbyists are allowed to openly change public health guidelines released by the US government.

Yes, I’m taking about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, that love-hate report released at regular intervals in an attempt to save this country from its historically unhealthy diet. You may remember this topic from my rant about Big Milk, but the gist is that the DGA Committee (or DGAC) compiles thousands of pages of data backed by science for healthcare and nutrition professionals to help point their confused population in the right direction food-wise. The problem is that this body of information is allowed to run through a wood chipper of lobbyists and dirty politicians before anyone can read it.

One of the big focal points of the 2015 DGAC was red meat, and its proven links to chronic disease, metabolic imbalance, and rates of obesity. In fact, a large portion of the world eats little to no red meat and appears to be better for it! But what did the DGA report reflect? That red meat, like poultry and seafood, is all part of a healthy diet. Make no mistake that government-funded nutritional programs are fighting the good fight, but it’s hard to make progress when your ammo might as well be overripe avocados. 

[neil-gaiman]

A document about Roe v Wade, and the things you can do.

[cruciferousconspiracist]

This is important for everyone.

[cruciferousconspiracist]

I refuse to believe that people actually LIKE the taste of halls cough drops. Maybe their spit just combines with it differently than mine, and the result is more pleasant than the minty bug repellent I taste.

[feministism]

[cruciferousconspiracist]

When I eat something greasy and it hits my small intestine

[itscolossal]

Asparagus, Cucumbers, and Cabbage Leaves Take a Fresh Twist on the Iconic Hermès Birkin Bag