A Look In My Kitchen Cupboards: Is What's In Mine, In Yours?

It is very seldom that I have the time or courage to evaluate the different types of food I eat. As a student dietician, I have a vested interest in what goes into my body and I wanted to find out if the foods I was eating were really that unhealthy and if so, what was so unfavourable about them. So with much trepidation, I opened up the kitchen cupboards and fridge and had a good look.....

What is Junk Food?

The definitions of "junk food" or "non-nutritious food" vary widely and there is no final, momentous description available. An acceptable description is that it is food made outside the home, which people find delicious and choose to eat instead of home-cooked meals.

There is also a great emphasis on the fact there is no such thing as "bad food", only "unhealthy food". Unhealthy foods are those which are low in fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals but high in refined sugar and white flour, saturated fat, salt, preservatives and additives.

I thought the best way to show you the types of foods that can be found in my kitchen, would be to take photos, so here goes...

The Fridge:

• On the top shelf of the fridge, we have butter, creme fraiche and cream cheese- these are foods which have high amounts of fat per 100g and ones which should be eaten sparingly.
• Foods like mustard, citrus marmalade and parmesan are foods which aren't eaten very often and are usually used in small amounts in cooking.
• Home-made tuna salad is packed with vegetables and therefore vitamins and minerals and has very little mayonaise, thus it can be eaten frequently.
• The second shelf has various vegetables (containing many vitamins and minerals) and low GI seed bread. This bread is nutritious as it does not cause high spikes in blood sugar, provides the body with energy and keeps your tummy full, so you don't overeat.
• Cheddar cheese does contain a high portion of fat, but is also a good source of protein.
• French mayonaise should be eaten sparingly.
• Flora margarine is a good source of fat to eat as it contains plant sterols instead of cholesterol.
• Mangoes are good fruits to eat as they contain fibre to avoid constipation as well as vitamins and minerals.
• Chillies are said to help speed up your metabolism and are also packed with anti-oxidants.
• Peri-Peri marinade is usually used in the occasional braais and is thus acceptable in a healthy diet.
  

Cupboard Number 1:

• On the first shelf of this cupboard, there are various types of sugar, baking powder and syrup and these are usually used in baking and aren't eaten often.
• Rice flour is gluten-free and is thus suitable for people who cannot eat wheat (coeliac disease).
• Macadamia nuts are a good source of protein and a great food to snack on.
• Rooibos tea and 'Rooibos and Honeybush' tea is caffiene free and is packed with anti-oxidants.
• Oat bran is rich in soluble fibre to help combat constipation as well as minerals.
• Coffee grounds contain caffiene which affects the central nervous system negatively and should be drunk in moderation.
• Lasagne pasta, blackcurrent jam and chutney are foods which aren't eaten often and are acceptable in small amounts in a normal, healthy diet.
• Sugar should be limited to tea or coffee and cereal and should be in small amounts- too much sugar means extra kilojoules that may not be burnt up by the body and is thus stored as fat.
• Cup O' Soup contains additives and preservatives and should be generally avoided- fresh home-made chicken soup is packed with more nutrients and is a better option.
• Peanut butter is rich in protein and "good" fat and can be eaten regularly.
• Peppermint tea is rich in anti-oxidants and is good for any stomach ailments.
• Marmite forms a good spread as it is surprisingly rich in vitamins and minerals.
• On the thrid shelf of this cupboard, there is olive and sunflower oil which are good sources of omega 3 fatty acids.
• Iodated sea salt is rich in iodine but like salt itself, also contains a high amount of sodium and thus should be reduced.
• White wine vinegar, Balsamic vinegar, tomato sauce, pepper, HP sauce, green curry sause, curry powder and mixed spice are usually used in cooking are used in small amounts and are acceptable in a healthy diet.
• Muesli is rich in fibre and a good source of carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals.

Cupboard Number 2:

• On the first shelf of this second cupboard, there are several cans of legumes, such as baked beans, chickpeas and butter beans which are all excellent sources of protein and vitamins and minerals and great for vegetarians too!
• Tuna and mackeral are excellent sources of omega 3 fatty acids and should be eaten often.
• High fibre bran is rich in soluble fibre and helps avoid constipation as well as levelling out blood sugars.
• Sliced pie apples and toamato soup both contain vitamins and minerals but it should be kept in mind that fresh apples and fresh home-made tomato soup is best to use.
• Popcorn, lentils, soup mix and wholegrain oats all are rich in protein and soluble fibre.
• Preserved figs are rich in sugar and should only be eaten as a treat.
• Brown rice is always better than white rice as is wholewheat flour better than white flour.
• Grapefruit juice is rich in essentail oils, vitamins and minerals and it helps lessen the acidity in the stomach and helps the liver to produce less cholesterol.
• Spaghetti is a good form of carbohydrate as long as it is wholewheat.

As a dietetic student and and a type 1 diabetic, I eat fairly healthily. My diet is rich in wholegrains; legumes especially lentils (much to the chagrin of my digsmates!); vegetables, fruit and proteins and I do have the occasional treats. However, I also have a major Achilles heel - potatoes. Whether they're "slap chips", fries, crisps, boiled, roasted, baked, mashed or just grilled or even in a potato bake, I'm hooked (and the reason why you don't see them in the cupboard, is because I've probably eaten them!)The upside of eating potatoes is that they're an inexpensive staple for a student, however they aren't low GI and they don't do much to help beat the battle of the bulge! We all have weaknesses in our diets, but there are ways we can improve on this.

Here are several ways to help improve the contents of your fridges and cupboards:

• Putting a "STOP and THINK" sign on your cupboards and fridge may help remind you not to snack on unhealthy foods.


• When shopping at the grocery store, stick to your shopping list and avoid impulse buying at the till-points.


• Try and eat according to the Food Based Dietary Guidelines (see my first blog post, "The Importance of Being Nuts About Health: I'm Nuts, Are You?").


• Try to keep lots of healthy "snack foods" in your kitchen, such as nuts, fruit and vegetables.


• Take stock of your cupboards and fridge and categorize your foods, for example high fat, low fibre, high sodium and then look for the alternatives when shopping.


• Consider quantity, quality and variety of the foods you buy.


• Read Food labels as they will show you the serving size, nutrient content and ingredients.


• Plan meals and snacks ahead.


• And finally, be realistic - changing habits takes time; so start slowly and set goals.
  

Good Luck!

The Fast Food Controversy: Is McDonald's really a culprit?

The McDonald's jingle is known nearly everywhere. A teenager walks down the street whilstling "I'm lovin' it!" and the people around him grin and nod. Maybe they are even impulsive enough to buy a McDonald's cheeseburger. This is easy enough to do, with 123 McDonald's stores around South Africa. I went to one of these stores recently, and was amazed at how overcrowded the McDonald’s fast food chain store was. People of varying races, ages and sizes were sitting down, wolfing down greasy, lopsided burgers; brown oily fries and large Cokes. And they sure were lovin’ it! It also crossed my mind that many of us eat the same food on a regular basis; some of us nearly every day! And many of us rarely stop to think about the types, quality and quantity of food we put in our mouths and their effects on our bodies.

In the past, McDonald’s has found itself in a lot of hot water and has been slammed for its poor quality food. It has also been accused of taking advantage of the “little people” through persuasive advertising and has been involved in numerous court cases which claim that McDonald’s food causes obesity.

Taking Advantage of the "Little People"

In the McLibel court case, McDonald’s was accused of using gimmicks to market their fast food meals at kids. These gimmicks were aimed at making a child’s visit to the restaurant fun, thus encouraging them to return to that same restaurant again. McDonald’s is now aiming their advertising at teenagers and low-income households, who will buy the food as it is cheap and they think you get more value for money. However, this is not the case. In the States, there is the new One Dollar Menu, where for just under one dollar; young people can buy burgers or nuggets with fries. But for that one dollar, there are not enough essential nutrients to make that meal worthwhile. This one dollar menu is also being offered is also being offered to young people already at risk for chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes. Thus, people are spending their income on cheap food and saving money, but are creating a heavy health cost at the same time. This situation is no different in South Africa, where nearly 50% of young people are overweight or obese and are at risk.

Does McDonald's Fast Food Cause Obesity?

In order to determine this, one has to look at how Obesity is caused and the nutrient content of McDonald’s products. Obesity is caused by the combination of a poor, inactive lifestyle and poor diet. High fat, highly processed fast food has lots of kilojoules, which may not be burnt up. This is then stored in the body as fat. These poor diet and lifestyle choices soon become habitual and lead to obesity.

The McDonald’s website (in South Africa) gives a menu with all of its products, but it doesn’t give the ingredients or nutrient content in these products. The American McDonald’s website does however give a breakdown. McDonald’s food products do provide the consumer with carbohydrate, protein and fat; however the quality of those essential nutrients is questionable. The carbohydrates are refined and low in fibre; the fat is highly saturated and has very little unsaturated fat and the meat is also fatty. Thus the general consensus about McDonald’s food (and most fast foods in general) is that they contain high amounts of saturated fat, animal protein and sodium (salt) and they contain very little fibre and should not be eaten often.

The report that McDonald’s food causes obesity is unfounded. If McDonald’s food is incorporated into a normal healthy diet, it will not cause obesity. In a court case in 2003, two obese New Yorkers claimed that the McDonald’s food they had eaten several times per week had caused their obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure (hypertension), as McDonald’s had not informed them of the high fat, sugar salt and cholesterol levels in the food. However, it could not be proven that McDonald’s meals caused their ailments, as it could have been due to genetics.

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  It should also be noted that obesity can also be caused by eating large quantities of any food, particularly starchy foods like potatoes and chips, cakes, pastries and bread as well as fatty meats and sweet foods like chocolates, ice-cream and sweets.

McDonald’s literature suggests that its food be eaten in moderate amounts and a variety must be eaten, but this does not help the person choose how to plan a healthy diet and decide on how many times per week to eat McDonald’s.

Finally, McDonald’s is a global economic company, which tries its hardest to persuade the public that its food is good for them and that they should buy it. Despite enforcing a “Get Active” programme and giving balanced lifestyle tips, McDonalds is a culprit as it does not encourage its customers to choose the healthier and more expensive options and is still able to sell more cheeseburgers and fries than healthier meals and salads. There is also no specific guideline which tells you how many times per week to eat fast food, however having it once or twice every fortnight and whilst continuing to eat a healthy diet seems acceptable and shouldn’t cause obesity. So enjoy your next Big Mac and keep this post in mind!