Weekly Links: Homemade Nut Butters, How to Cook Oats and Eating on Food Stamp Budget
By: Stepfanie Romine,
SparkPeople Blogger
5/8/2009 2:37 PM
: 61 comments
We spent plenty of time this week surfing the web for the most interesting, entertaining and educational stories. From oatmeal to stevia, avocados to packaged foods, this week's links are heavy on the food. Find out which links caught our attention this week!
Avocados: ‘Poor Man’s Butter’ No More
Though they're mostly relegated to guacamole and taco toppings, avocados are actually quite versatile. Rich in monounsaturated (heart-healthy) fat, they're tasty to boot! How do you like to eat avocados?
From the New York Times
Homemade Nut Butters
Beyond peanut butter, there's a whole world of nut butters out there. Learn how to make healthy and delicious nut butters at home.
From the Washington Post's Checkup column
Hungry Girl 200 Calorie Cookbook: Hot or Not?
The second "Hungry Girl" cookbook debuted at the top of the NYT best sellers list, but not everyone's a fan. Are you?
From FitSugar
VIDEO: How to Cook and Top Oats
Instant oats are bland and gooey. Leave them on the shelf and learn how to make the real thing. (Though ignore this guy's topping suggestions and go to KathEats.com if you really want to know how to top your oatmeal. That woman turns oatmeal into a tasty and lovely creation almost every morning. She helped me turn my morning oats from boring--a handful of raisins and a splash of soymilk--to brilliant--bananas, almond butter, cinnamon, a sprinkle of flax and a handful of Grape-Nuts for a crunchy finish.)
From Chow
Stevia Not So Sweet for Your Diet
Stevia is a popular new sweetener, but some experts say it's not as natural and healthful as we might think. Have you tried it?
From MSNBC
125 Best Packaged Foods
Not all packaged foods are created equal. The folks who brought you "Eat This, Not That" did extensive supermarket research to find the tastiest and healthiest. Are these on your grocery list?
from Men's Health
Eating Sustainably on a Food-Stamp Budget
Food is expensive, and healthful food is especially pricey, or so says the general opinion. One writer set out to eat not only organically, but also ethically, sustainably and local for one month--on the "on the government-defined, food-stamp minimum: $248 for two people." Could you stick to that budget?
From Salon.com
What links caught your eye this week?
Avocados: ‘Poor Man’s Butter’ No More
Though they're mostly relegated to guacamole and taco toppings, avocados are actually quite versatile. Rich in monounsaturated (heart-healthy) fat, they're tasty to boot! How do you like to eat avocados?
From the New York Times
Homemade Nut Butters
Beyond peanut butter, there's a whole world of nut butters out there. Learn how to make healthy and delicious nut butters at home.
From the Washington Post's Checkup column
Hungry Girl 200 Calorie Cookbook: Hot or Not?
The second "Hungry Girl" cookbook debuted at the top of the NYT best sellers list, but not everyone's a fan. Are you?
From FitSugar
VIDEO: How to Cook and Top Oats
Instant oats are bland and gooey. Leave them on the shelf and learn how to make the real thing. (Though ignore this guy's topping suggestions and go to KathEats.com if you really want to know how to top your oatmeal. That woman turns oatmeal into a tasty and lovely creation almost every morning. She helped me turn my morning oats from boring--a handful of raisins and a splash of soymilk--to brilliant--bananas, almond butter, cinnamon, a sprinkle of flax and a handful of Grape-Nuts for a crunchy finish.)
From Chow
Stevia Not So Sweet for Your Diet
Stevia is a popular new sweetener, but some experts say it's not as natural and healthful as we might think. Have you tried it?
From MSNBC
125 Best Packaged Foods
Not all packaged foods are created equal. The folks who brought you "Eat This, Not That" did extensive supermarket research to find the tastiest and healthiest. Are these on your grocery list?
from Men's Health
Eating Sustainably on a Food-Stamp Budget
Food is expensive, and healthful food is especially pricey, or so says the general opinion. One writer set out to eat not only organically, but also ethically, sustainably and local for one month--on the "on the government-defined, food-stamp minimum: $248 for two people." Could you stick to that budget?
From Salon.com
What links caught your eye this week?
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Comments
Also, the prepackaged foods article was interesting. - 4/29/2010 5:32:41 PM
The article regarding groceries on a food stamp budget was very well written yet very overwhelming to me. My head is spinning when it comes to the SOLE food shopping and I am not a huge proponent of store peddled "organics" as much as I am a supporter of the local farmers markets (which by the way typically cannot accommodate the use of food stamps). I would like to see more on this topic as I feel I am in need of learning so much more in order to implement SOLE into my family's shopping habits. - 5/18/2009 12:58:35 PM
And I really enjoyed the Food-Stamp article, which I think was extremely well-researched and well-written. It reminded me of "Super-Size Me," in that she challenged herself to verify or debunk a common misperception. I think she and her husband did very well. I usually spend $200-300 A WEEK on food for a family of six, but I am not on Food Stamps. We have given up almost all of our dining out now that the economy has been so bad, so that is where we choose to save money. I do buy fresh produce, but I don't usually buy organic. And if I leave my husband at home when I grocery shop, I spend closer to the $200 mark, rather than the $300 mark. Why is that??? - 5/11/2009 3:14:10 PM
There are folks who find themselves coping with reduced circumstances that just need to put meals on the table that are reasonably healthy, but do not follow any particular philosophical persuasion. Those are the type of menus and recipes that I would like to see more of; something that captures creativity! - 5/11/2009 9:50:24 AM
Also - for the comment about organic produce - lots and lots of research has been done on organic gardening, check out the rodale institute. Ag agents don't like it because it doesn't follow what they learned in college, but it's much, much, much better for the soil. No matter what, organic produce is a social justice issue. Farm workers are much safer when they aren't exposed to the chemicals used in conventional farming. Since farm workers tend to be very poor, it's only just that those of us who can afford to buy organic do it as much as possible. - 5/10/2009 7:54:16 PM
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ch
eckup/2009/05/nuttins_better_than_n
ut_butter.html - 5/10/2009 1:57:49 PM
link>voices.washingtonpost.com/chec
kup/2009/05/nuttins_better_than_nut
_butter.html /link> - 5/10/2009 1:57:01 PM
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ch
eckup / - 5/10/2009 11:31:22 AM
Your links or your article does not address the subjecct
Please tell me how to do this where are the your recipes???????????????? - 5/10/2009 9:54:42 AM
And I have also heard from state farm agents that "organic" may not be all that it is "cracked up" to be. When will that be investigated?
We really need to be concerned with produce (including fruits) that are shipped in from foreign countries because 99.9% of it is never inspected by USDA.
Guess we need to grow as much of our own as possible. - 5/9/2009 4:35:30 PM
- 5/9/2009 2:12:16 PM
I love the idea of eating everything local and organic, and am trying to gradually purchase more of these foods... but I don't think that it will ever happen 100% for me unless I'm living somewhere with a lot more resources. Looking forward to doing lots of farmers' market shopping this summer, though!
One suggestion for others on a tight budget: see if you have a salvage store in your area. We have several - they sell things like dented cans, boxes with crushed corners, recently discontinued products that groceries pulled from their shelves, items with old versions of packaging or logo - all perfectly edible things that groceries won't sell. It's a great way to get things MUCH cheaper. For example, I can walk out with 3 boxes of healthy cereal, 4 cans of beans or soup and a box of whole-wheat pasta for like $9. Can't beat it! - 5/9/2009 10:57:11 AM
We're a family of 5, plus I run a home daycare. We go through 3-5 gallons a week of milk, so organic milk would be very costly. I know I should switch some of our produce to organic, but it's hard to justify the price when we go through so quickly around here. In fact, with all the kids around here, all food gets consumed rather quickly.
On top of that, we live in central Wisconsin. Farmer's markets are only around 1/2 the year, and all organic foods are more because of the transport of it. I'd love to have some health-guru come into my home, analyze my budget and show me how I can afford more ethical, organic foods! - 5/9/2009 9:22:00 AM
Who in their right mind would pay $9.00 for a whole chicken? C'mon, you can go to local farmers and buy a whole chicken (free range) for 3 bucks, eggs 75 cents a dozen and if you dare, fresh unpasturized milk for 2 bucks a gallon! I never rely solely on my neighborhood grocer!
Spices, how can you justify organic spices???? Go to an ethnic market and buy them straight from big bins...you put as much as you want into little baggies and the average cost for 3 ounces is 99 cents! Grow basil, oregano, thyme. chives, mint whatever you like in your window sill!
Well I'm hopping off the soapbox now......just my 2 cents worth! - 5/9/2009 8:45:30 AM
Hungry Girl- no thanks- I cook from scratch usually.
Love my mixed up steel cut oatmeal- fun to see what others are doing.
I agree about looking to 'peasant' food from other countries. So many people have already had to figure out how to get protein and balance on the cheap- African & Thai dishes with just a smear of meat- rice and peanuts. Yum, and perfectly balanced assessable to our bodies. Love to make dahl, and beans and rice dishes, just using the right spices and a dash of this and that. My average serving size of meat is about 1 oz per day- in my dinner.
Love the Spark!
- 5/9/2009 3:11:56 AM
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