Note: This is the last part of a multiple-posts about getting and preparing the best food. Please read the earlier posts to get more information.
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food (part 1)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Vegetables (part 2)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Fruits (part 3)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Meat (part 4)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Poultry (part 5)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Seafood (part 6)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Eggs and Dairy Products (part 7)
The bakery section of the market offers a wide array of white, whole-wheat, rye, pumpernickel, sour-dough, raisin, pita, and assorted-grain breads from which to choose. For the past half century, white bread (made with wheat flour that was milled after the germ and bran were removed) has been the most popular. But whole-grain breads (made with all parts of the grain, including the germ and the bran) have surged in popularity as more emphasis is placed on fiber in the diet.
Whole-grain breads provide the best source of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. “Wheat,” however, does not always mean whole wheat. Appearance of the loaf alone will not tell the full story. For example, bread that is darker in color may appear to be whole-wheat bread, but it may be made with refined flour to which caramel coloring or molasses is added. Certain brands, advertised as high in fiber, contain wood pulp, sometimes identified on the label as alpha cellulose. The shopper, therefore, should be sure to read the labels on breads closely.
If a family prefers white bread, it should be enriched with some of the nutrients (B vitamins, in particular) that were removed during the refining process. Enriched white bread may contain most of the nutrients found in whole-grain breads, but it will lack the fiber.
Rice is available in many forms and varies greatly in nutritional value. Rice loses nutrients as it is polished from brown rice to white rice. While the protein in polished white rice may be more digestible, some of the protein and many of its B vitamins
and minerals are lost in the process. Parboiled or converted white rice contains less nutrients than ordinary rice but more than instant white rice, which contains less nutrients than all other categories.
For new ideas on cooking delicious and healthy food, visit lowsugar-recipes.com.
Note: This is the 7th part of a multiple-posts about getting and preparing the best food. Please read the earlier posts to get more information.
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food (part 1)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Vegetables (part 2)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Fruits (part 3)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Meat (part 4)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Poultry (part 5)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Seafood (part 6)
Important vitamins and minerals abound in the dairy case at the grocery store. This is where milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, and eggs are stored in refrigerated units.
Milk and milk products are primary soures of calcium, riboflavin, high-quality protein, vitamin D, and phosphorus. Milk also supplies vitamin A, thiamin, and niacin. Eggs are good sources of high-quality protein, iron, copper, phosphorus, vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and thiamin.
Eggs: At one time thought of as one of nature’s perfect foods, eggs recently have come under attack for their high cholesterol content. The yolk of one egg contains approximately 275 milligrams of cholesterol, a figure that approaches the 300-milligram-a-day maximum recommended by most registered dietitians for older children and adults. Egg WHITES are excellent sources of high-quality protein, and they are low in cholesterol and calories.
Eggs are graded by the United States Department of Agriculture depending on their cleanliness and soundness of shell, the amount of air in the shell, and the way the yolk and white hold together. The top-ranked eggs, Grade AA, are found mainly in
fancy restaurants and gourmet shops. Grade A eggs are the kind generally carried in supermarkets. Both grade AA and A are used for frying, poaching, and boiling because the white and yolk stay together well and produce attractive egg dishes. Grade B eggs have thinner yolks and more white, and they tend to spread out when cooked. These eggs are used for commercial baking and scrambling.
Egg size, which has nothing to do with grades, ranges from peewee to jumbo, with large and extra large being the most popular sizes. When looking for the best egg buy, compare prices with sizes. If the price difference between any two egg sizes is
more than 8 cents, then the smaller eggs usually are the better buy.
Although freshly laid-eggs have more flavor, supermarket eggs are sufficiently fresh. Freshness of egg can be judged by placing it in cold water. If the egg floats or tips upward, it is an old egg and should not be used.
The yolk and white of a fresh egg will hold together well when the egg is cracked open onto a flat surface. The yolk should form a high yellow dome, and the white should be thick and translucent. As the egg gets older, the yolk flattens and the
white becomes thin. A dark red speck in the yolk simply means the egg has been fertilized. Fertile eggs are not more nutritious than others. Unless the red speck is undesirable for the sake of appearance, there is no need for concern and no need to remove it.
The color of the shell – white, cream, or brown, depending on the breed of chicken – does not affect the taste, texture, or nutritional value of the egg. Also, yolk color, which can range from light yellow to vivid orange, will not affect flavor. Color of the yolk is influenced by the type of feed and heredity.
Milk: The variety of milks offered in supermarkets is wide. Milk sold in stores has been pasteurized to destroy microorganisms, and homogenized to keep the fat globules (cream) from separating from the milk. Most milk also has been fortified with vitamin D, and skim milk usually has been fortified with vitamin A, which is present naturally in the fat of whole milk.
Whole milk is at least 3.25 percent fat and 8.25 percent protein, lactose, and minerals. Low-fat milk and skim milk contain similar amounts of protein, lactose, and minerals but less fat. Non-fat dry milk solids have been added to some brands of low-fat milk to increase the protein content. This might be listed on the label as “high protein”, or “protein fortified”. Low-fat milk contains 1 or 2 percent fat, and skim (or nonfat) milk contains less than 0.5 percent fat.
When shopping for milk for children older than 2 years of age and adults, the less fat the better. Very young children need the fat that whole milk supplies; however, after the age of 2 years, fat in milk does little but add extra calories and cholesterol. Low fat and skim milk supply the same nutrients as whole milk but with less fat and cholesterol and fewer calories.
Cream: The percentage of fat in commercial cream varies greatly. Half and half, a mixture of milk and cream, contains anywhere from 10.5 to 18 percent fat. Fat content of light cream ranges from 18 to 30 percent. Light whipping cream contains from 30 to 36 percent fat, and heavy cream contains from 36 to 40 percent fat.
Cultured Milk Products: Buttermilk usually is made from pasteurized skim or low-fat milk that has been treated with bacteria cultures to produce a heavy consistency. Yogurt, made with whole, low-lat, or skim milk, also is treated with bacteria cultures to produce a thick texture. Sour cream or sour half and half are made by adding cultures to homogenized cream or half and half.
Butter: Butter is made from fresh cream and is available in two varieties: sweet (unsalted) butter and lightly salted butter. Butter, by law, must have a fat content of at least 80 percent. The majority of this is saturated fat and, as a result, butter is high in cholesterol.
Margarine: Recently, many people in developed countries have begun eating less butter, relying more on margarine, which has no cholesterol, less saturated fat, and more polyunsaturated fat. Margarine has the same caloric value as butter – and it usually costs less. Diet margarines, which generally have a higher water content and lower calorie content than regular margarines, also are available. Margarines also may contain salt, dyes, preservatives, and other additives.
Those who think the taste of margarine cannot compare with the taste of butter but are concerned about cholesterol, may combine butter and margarine. Some companies package such combinations, but it is easy and more economical to soften a stick of each and blend them together at home.
Cheese: Supermarkets usually carry a variety of bulk cheeses in their deli sections as well as prepackaged cheese in the dairy section. The large assortment of cheeses can be placed into three general categories: unripened cheese and ripened cheese (both of which are called natural cheese), and processed cheese.
Unripened cheese is produced when heat or lactic acid is added to milk to separate it into chunks of curd and liquid whey. The whey is drained off, and varying amounts of cream or milk are added to the curd to make cottage cheese, farmer’s cheese, pot cheese, and ricotta cheese. This process also is used to make mozzarella, and cream cheese.
Ripened cheese, such as cheddar, Swiss, Muenster, and Parmesan, is made by adding bacteria culture to the curd and allowing the cheese to ferment. The consistency of the cheese depends on the amount of whey left in it (less whey leads to a firmer cheese), and the flavor depends on the type of milk used, the length of aging, and the humidity and temperature of the cheese as it ages.
Processed cheese begins as natural cheese but it is chopped, blended, and pasteurized. Various additives often are introduced to provide the desired consistency. American cheese is the most commonly used processed cheese.
Other processed cheeses, such as “cheese food,” contain a variety of natural cheeses, thickeners, stabilizers, flavors, and colors. “Cheese spreads” are processed cheeses to which gums, fats, and liquids have been added.
Most cheeses are high in fat and cholesterol. Hard cheeses and processed cheeses usually contain more saturated fats than most soft and natural cheeses.
Unripened cheeses, such as cottage cheese, are the most nutritious varieties for everyday use. The most healthful cottage cheese is the low-fat or uncreamed variety. Most farmer’s, mozzarella, and ricotta cheeses are made with skim milk. Some are made with whole milk. Other kinds of cheese with the word “imitation” on the label have vegetable fats added.
For new ideas on cooking delicious and healthy food, visit lowsugar-recipes.com.
Tags: dairy products, eggs
Note: This is the sixth part of a multiple-posts about getting and preparing the best food. Please read the earlier posts to get more information.
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food (part 1)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Vegetables (part 2)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Fruits (part 3)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Meat (part 4)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Poultry (part 5)
Seafood, like chicken, has increased in popularity in recent years because , in general, it is a good source of protein and supplies less fat and fewer calories than red meat. Many types of fresh, frozen, and canned fish and shellfish are available in supermarkets.
Some kinds of seafood are higher in fat content. Examples are albacore, bloaters, butterfish, bluefish, chub, eel, herring, pompano, salmon, sardine, shad, smelt, sprat, canned tuna in oil, trout, and whitefish. Sardines, anchovies, and canned tuna in oil are high in cholesterol as well as fat. Leaner varieties of fish include sole, flounder, red snapper, turbot, grouper, halibut, and canned tuna in water.
Mollusks (clams, oysters, mussels, scallops) and crustaceans (crabs, lobsters, shrimp, crawfish) are higher in cholesterol than most types of fish, but shellfish generally are low in fat.
Below are hints for buying fish and shellfish.
Fish: The key to good fish is freshness – the fresher the better. Fresh fish do not have an offensive fishy odor. Saltwater fish tend to have a slightly stronger smell than freshwater fish.
The best, freshest fish will have glossy, bright skin with good color. The scales should be shiny and stick tightly to the body of the fish. The flesh should be firm, yielding slightly when pressed gently, but the meat should spring back into place when pressure is released. The eyes of fresh fish should bulge from the head, and the gills should be clear red. Freshness can be tested by placing the fish in cold water. Fresh fish will float.
Fish with sunken eyes, an unpleasant smell, or soft flesh should be avoided. Loose scales, a dull color, or a whitish film covering the skin may mean that the fish has been allowed to dry out. Fish with any of these characteristics should be rejected.
Mollusks: Most of the common mollusks are bought while still alive. Bivalves (mollusks with two shell halves that are hinged together), such as clams, oysters, and mussels, should be bought only if the shell is tightly closed. Bivalves with open, broken, or cracked shells should be avoided.
Live, fresh clams should not float when they are placed in cold water. Mussels can be tested for freshness by trying to slide the two halves of the shell against each other. If they move, the mussel usually is filled with mud.
Tiny bay scallops or larger sea scallops (both members of the bivalve family) usually are sold out of the shell. The part that is eaten is the muscle that controls the hinge of the shell. Fresh scallops should have a sweet smell, and little liquid should be in the container. Fresh bay scallops should be shiny, moist, soft, and light pink in color. Sea scallops should be firmer in texture and filmy white in color.
Abalone is the foot of a large single-shell mollusk. It is popular in California and available fresh primarily on the West Coast. Light-colored abalone steaks that are flexible, shiny, and moist usually are the most flavorful.
Crustaceans: Fresh crabs, lobsters, crawfish, and shrimp often are available in supermarkets depending on the region and the season. Live crabs, lobsters, and crawfish sometimes are displayed in large tanks in supermarkets. Live shrimp rarely are available in grocery stores, but in saltwater areas they often can be found in bait shops or at roadside stands.
When buying crabs, lively ones that have all their claws and legs intact are the best. Crabs that are heavy for their size usually have more white meat inside, and the larger the claw, the more meat it will contain. Crabs that have an ammonia-like odor or a lot of mud on their shells should be avoided.
Live lobsters and crawfish also should be active and heavy for their size. They should be dark blue-green in color. The females usually have sweeter, more tender, more flavorful meat than males. Lobsters and crawfish should have large tails, and the best lobsters have large claws.
Shrimp should also be bought when it is as fresh as possible. Fresh shrimp should be dry, firm, and olive green in color. Shrimp tends to go bad quickly, so smell and texture usually are good indications of freshness. There is little difference in taste
between large shrimp (sometimes called prawns) and small shrimp.
For new ideas on cooking delicious and healthy food, visit lowsugar-recipes.com.
Tags: seafood
Note: This is the fifth part of a multiple-posts about getting and preparing the best food. Please read the earlier posts to get more information.
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food (part 1)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Vegetables (part 2)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Fruits (part 3)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Meat (part 4)
The most common types of poultry are chicken, turkey, and Rock Cornish game hens. These birds provide more protein and less fat than identical amounts of red meat. The dark meat in poultry is higher in fat and cholesterol than white meat. On rare occasions, duck and goose also may be available in supermarkets. These birds, however, have higher levels of fat and cholesterol.
The USDA inspects poultry that is sold in interstate commerce. Most of the poultry in supermarkets is top grade or Grade A poultry. This means that the poultry should be tender, meaty, and should have a good appearance. Poultry that receives grades B or C generally is tough and is reserved for soup, stews, or commercial use.
Listed below are tips on selecting chicken, turkey, and Rock Cornish game hens.
Chicken: Smaller chickens tend to be leaner than large Capons (castrated males) and stewing chickens have higher fat contents than broilers and fryers. Roasting chickens also are slightly higher in fat than broilers and fryers.
The legs and wings on chickens should spring back quickly when gently pulled away from the bird. A flexible breastbone is a sign of a young, tender chicken. The tip of the breastbone should bend readily. If it is stiff and fails to yield easily to pressure, the bird may be old and tough.
The color of the skin makes little difference in the taste or texture of the chicken. Yellow skin simply means that the chicken was fed primarily corn, while white-skinned chicken has been fed other types of grain. Chicken with skin that is rough, overly dry, broken, bruised, or tinged with purple should be avoided.
It generally is more economical to buy a whole chicken and cut it into parts at home than to buy prepackaged parts. But if everyone in the family prefers drumsticks, for instance, these can be bought packaged separately.
Turkey: Fresh turkeys, when available, usually have a better flavor and texture than frozen turkeys. Frozen birds often are self-basting, which means they have been injected with butter and other fats. This, of course, adds calories. Male and female birds (toms and hens) usually are identical in flavor, juiciness, and tenderness, but hens tend to cost slightly more per pound. The size of the turkey makes little difference in taste, texture, or tenderness.
Plump, large-breasted birds with meat extending well over the breastbone usually have the best flavor. The skin should be creamy white to pale yellow, smooth, and damp. Turkeys with skin that is purplish, dry, or broken should be rejected.
Rock Cornish Game Hens: Breeding Cornish gamecocks with Plymouth Rock chickens has produced small birds called Rock Cornish game hens. They contain all white meat, and when the skin and visible fat are removed, they are quite low in fat and cholesterol.
The best game hens are plump with yellowish, smooth skin. The most tender hens are young, from 5 to 7 weeks old. Hens that are more than two pounds tend to be tougher and dryer than smaller birds.
For new ideas on cooking delicious and healthy food, visit lowsugar-recipes.com.
Tags: poultry
Note: This is the fourth part of a multiple-posts about getting and preparing the best food. Please read the earlier posts to get more information.
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food (part 1)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Vegetables (part 2)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Fruits (part 3)
Meat, one of the more expensive items routinely purchased in supermarkets, consumes the greatest percentage of the average person’s food dollar. Although consumption of beef, lamb, pork, and veal has declined recently, meat remains the featured attraction on the dinner plate in most American households.
The United States Department of Agriculture inspects and grades meat sold in interstate commerce. The most expensive grade is PRIME, found mainly in gourmet butcher shops, restaurants, hotels, and clubs. Prime meat is marbled (flecks of fat throughout the meat), extremely tender, and juicy with a fine texture.
The highest quality meat carried in supermarkets usually is CHOlCE. Choice grade means that the meat is tender and juicy with a good texture, but it is not as well marbled as prime meat. Meat that receives a GOOD grade from USDA inspectors is less fatty and juicy than prime and choice meats. It can be a good buy, and it usually is tender if cooked slowly in moist heat. STANDARD and COMMERCIAL grades of meat, which are from low quality or older animals, generally are not available in supermarkets. These grades are given to meats that have little marbling and thin layers of exterior fat. The flavor may be bland, and the meat tends to be coarse, tough, and dry.
Listed below are tips for buying beef, lamb, pork, and veal.
Beef: Expensive cuts of beef are not necessarily better than less expensive cuts – at least nutritionally speaking. Highly marbled cuts such as Porterhouse steaks and standing rib roasts usually cost more per pound than leaner cuts, such as chuck or rump. (The exception is hamburger. Lean ground beef – 10 to 15 percent fat – is more expensive than regular ground beef – 20 to 30 percent fat.) But more than three-fourths of the calories in expensive cuts come from fat, and most of this is saturated fat and cholesterol, which has been linked to heart disease.
The best buys from the point of view of food value are the lean, inexpensive cuts that may need to be tenderized or cooked slowly in moist heat. Lean, bright pink to red meat with light-colored bones usually has the best flavor. Fat casing around the exterior of the beef should be creamy, white, and crumbly.
Veal: Veal is meat from calves slaughtered before they are 8 months old. The most expensive veal, milk-fed veal, comes from calves that are slaughtered at 3 to 5 months, before they have been weaned.
With the exception of the breast, cuts of veal are quite lean, with a thin layer of exterior fat and little visible marbling.
The most expensive veal is white or very pale pink. This meat usually comes from calves that have been confined in narrow stalls so that their flesh remains undeveloped and tender. Veal that is dark pink or red usually comes from older calves that have been allowed to roam and graze in the field.
Pork: Most cuts of pork contain a high percentage of fat. The least fatty parts are the tenderloin strip, center-cut leg ham, and loin chops. The fattiest cuts are the rib roast, bacon, feet, hocks, picnic shoulder, and shoulder butt.
The most flavorful pork usually will be light in color – light pink, approaching white – with pinkish bones and firm, white exterior fat. A grainy look in pork may affect the tenderness slightly, but generally not the flavor.
Lamb: Meat from sheep that are from 3 to 5 months old is called baby or spring lamb. Spring lamb is tender and has a mild flavor. Meat from animals 5 months to 1 year old is called winter lamb or simply lamb. Meat from older lamb usually is less tender and has a strong flavor.
The fattier cuts of lamb, such as the loin, shoulder, rack, and rib chops, are more expensive than leaner cuts, such as leg, shank, and breast. Like beef, the most expensive cuts offer the same nutrients as the least expensive cuts, but higher-priced lamb often means a higher saturated fat content.
Lamb should be lean and bright pink with creamy white exterior fat, and pinkish bones. If flesh and bones are approaching a red color, it may be a sign that the lamb was slaughtered at an older age, and it may be tough.
For new ideas on cooking delicious and healthy food, visit lowsugar-recipes.com.
Science and modern technology, including improved transportation methods and better refrigeration, have made many popular varieties of fruit available year round. Exotic and tropical fruits also appear routinely in supermarkets. The best choices, however, are local, seasonal varieties, which offer good flavor and high nutrient value at a low cost.
Most fruits are rich sources of natural sugar, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. With the exception of olives and avocados, fruits are virtually fat-free. Fruits, which are composed of a high percentage of water, provide little protein to the diet.
Vitamin C is found in varying quantities in all fresh fruit, but citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit are the richest sources of this important vitamin. Also, citrus fruits, as well as strawberries and figs, supply limited amounts of calcium. Yellow fruits such as cantaloupes and peaches provide some vitamin A, and figs, plums, and dried fruits supply B vitamins, especially thiamin. Dried fruits, bananas, grapes, berries, peaches and apricots contain some iron. All fruit provides varying amounts of potassium and magnesium.
Below is a list of fruits with tips on selecting the best of the batch.
Apples(Baldwin, Cortland, Yellow and Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Gravenstein, Grimes Golden, Jonathan, Mclntosh, Melrose, Newtown Pippin, Northern Spy, Rhode Island Greening, Rome Beauty, Russet, Spitzenberg, Stayman, Wealthy, Winesap, York Imperial): Apple season is late summer and fall, but many varieties are available year round. Look for firm, brightly colored fruit. Some apples, such as Granny Smiths and Rhode Island Greenings, are green when ripe. A few varieties, such as Golden Delicious apples, should be bright yellow. Red apples, such as Jonathan, Red Delicious, and Winesap, should be bright scarlet ; others, such as McIntosh, Newtown Pippin, and Gravenstein are best with a greenish-red background. Too greenish a tinge, however, may mean that the apple is hard, starchy, and flavorless. Fruit that is too yellow may be soft and mealy. Smaller varieties tend to be less mealy. Avoid apples that are bruised or shriveled. Local tree-ripened varieties usually are tastiest for eating raw and best for cooking and baking.
Apricots: Apricot season is June and July. Select fruit that is small, firm, and plump with an orange-yellow color. Ripe apricots should yield slightly when pressed gently. Avoid shriveled apricots, as they may lack flavor.
Avocados: Avocado season is November through May. Two varieties are available – a smooth green-skinned fruit, and a darker fruit with rough skin. Most avocados are sold slightly underripe, but they ripen within a few days if unrefrigerated. Ripe avocados should yield slightly to gentle pressure but not be too soft.
Bananas: Bananas are available year round. Often the bananas sold in the produce department are underripe – hard and slightly green at the ends. These will ripen quickly. Ripe bananas are bright yellow with brown flecks, and firm but not hard. Remember that these will become overripe quickly at home. Red bananas are
brown-red in color and slightly softer than the common yellow banana.
Blueberries: Wild blueberries are available in midsummer; cultivated berries are in season from spring to fall. Buy blueberries that are plump, dry firm, and bright blue with a slight frostlike coating. Cultivated berries are fatter and fleshier than the wild variety, and less intense in flavor.
Cantaloupes: Cantaloupes are in season from June through November. Look for a smooth, shallow depression at the stem end (which means it was ripened on the vine). No part of the stem should remain on the fruit. Netting on the skin should be thick, coarse, and raised over a yellow-beige rind. Ripe cantaloupes will have a pleasant smell, and the skin will yield slightly to pressure on the end. Avoid green, bright yellow, or soft rinds.
Cherries: Cherries are in season during the summer months. The most common types – Bing, Black Tartarian, and Napoleon – should be deep red, and plump to the point of near bursting. Sour cherries, which are used primarily in baking, are smaller and pale red.
Cranberries: Peak season for cranberries is September through January. Look for firm, plump berries that bounce like rubber ball when dropped on a hard surface. Color differences generally do not affect taste.
Grapes: Green and local varieties of grapes are available in the summer and fall. Most red, purple, and black grape varieties are in season in the late summer, fall, and winter. (Seedless varieties are better for young children. For older children and adults, the seeds provide a boost of fiber.) Select grape bunches with plump, unblemished, brightly colored grapes. The clusters should be firmly attached to the stems. Avoid bunches that are off-color or have deteriorating stems.
Grapefruit: This fruit usually is available year round, but it is best in the fall, winter, and spring. Choose firm, heavy, well-rounded fruits. The thinner the skin, the juicier the fruit. Grapefruit that narrows at the stem end may be less juicy and have less flavor. Scars on the rind will not hurt the fruit. Avoid soft or dented fruit.
Honeydews, casabas and Cranshaws: These melon varieties are in season in the late summer and fall. Look for ones without green rinds. When ripe, the blossom end should yield to pressure. Honeydews and Cranshaws should have a sweet smell.
Lemons: Lemons are available year round. Choose fruit that is heavy and firm – but not hard – with a bright yellow, shiny, thin rind. Avoid greenish lemons with rough, thick skins.
Limes: Limes are available year round. Look for full, heavy fruit with a bright green color, and shiny, thin skin. Avoid limes that are yellowish and thick-skinned.
Oranges, tangelos and tangerines: Most varieties of oranges are available year round, but they are best in the fall, winter, and spring. Tangerines and tangelos are in season in the winter. Look for heavy fruit with a glossy skin that is not too thick or coarse. Greenish tinges or skin blemishes usually do not affect the taste. Discoloration around the stem end, however, may be a sign that the fruit is overripe. Spoiled oranges develop soft spots and a dull white or green mold.
Papayas: This tropical fruit is in season in May and June. Papayas should be pear shaped with a smooth-textured surface. Ripe papayas are firm, yet should yield slightly to pressure. Medium-sized orange or yellow papayas are best.
Peaches and nectarines: These fruits are available from late spring through the fall, but they are at the peak of flavor in the summer. Peaches should be golden to orange, well rounded, fuzzy, and slightly soft when pressed. Nectarines should be orange-yellow with patches of red. The area along the seam should be soft. Avoid
fruits with tan or brown spots.
Pears: Bartlett pears are in season in the late summer and fall. Other varieties, such as the Anjou, Bosc, and comice, are available in the winter. Ripe pears will yield slightly to gentle Pressure. It may be better to buy them when they are firm and allow them to ripen at home. Bosc pears are best eaten while they are somewhat firm.
Color will vary with the variety. Blemishes on the skin usually will not affect taste. Avoid pears with soft brown spots.
Pineapples: Tropical pineapples are in season year round, but they are best in the spring months. Look for large, heavy fruit with no soft spots. A small, compact crown usually denotes good fruit. Ripe pineapples emit a dull, solid sound when thumped with the finger. Protruding eyes and a sweet, delicate aroma also indicate ripeness. Avoid those from which the leaves can be pulled off easily.
Plums: Plum season is July and August. Choose fruits that are of good color – whether purple, red, blue, yellow, or green – and even round or oval shape. Ripe plums should be plump and slightly soft with smooth, unshriveled skins. Choose medium-sized plums; larger ones generally have a blander taste.
Pomegranates: These fruits are available in the fall months. Choose pomegranates that are brightly colored – ranging from yellow-red to brilliant crimson – with slightly flattened ends. Ripe ones should be firm, plump, heavy, and about the size of a large orange. Avoid those that are blemished or shriveled.
Raspberries: Some types of raspberries are in season in June and July, and other varieties in the early fall. Look for fresh, clean berries that are shiny and brightly colored. Red raspberries should be bright red, and black raspberries are blackish-purple. Avoid berries with green spots, whitish fuzzy mold, or dampness.
Rhubarb: This fruit is available from January through June from warm climates, or in the late summer in cooler areas. Choose firm, thick bright reddish stalks that are not overly stringy or fibrous.
Strawberries: Hothouse berries or berries grown in warm climates are available year round, but strawberry season in most of the country is May, June, and sometimes in September. Select bright red, shiny, well-formed berries of medium size. Large berries may have less flavor. Avoid those that are soft, moldy, or damp.
Watermelon: The height of watermelon season is summer. Look for firm, well-shaped melons with bright green color. The surface of a ripe watermelon can be scraped off easily with a fingernail. The flesh should be juicy and deep pink with no white streaks, and the seeds should be dark and shiny.
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food (part 1)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Vegetables (part 2)
For new ideas on cooking delicious and healthy food, visit lowsugar-recipes.com.
When choosing fresh vegetables, avoid those that are limp and tired looking. “Old” vegetables cannot be revived by stir-frying, boiling, steaming, or baking. Although most of the common vegetables are available year round, in season they tend to have the best food value, flavor, texture, and price.
In general, vegetables are good sources of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fiber. Most vegetables are composed mainly of water and carbohydrates. There is little or no fat in vegetables and, with the exception of legumes, they are low in protein. Most varieties of vegetables also are low in calories.
Yellow vegetables such as carrots and some varieties of squash provide valuable vitamin A (the deeper the color, the higher the vitamin content). Green, leafy vegetables, such as spinach and kale, are rich in vitamins A, C, K, and riboflavin, as well as iron, calcium, and fiber. Flowering vegetables, especially broccoli, are valuable sources of vitamins A and C, riboflavin, iron, and phosphorus.
Below are some common tips on how to buy the best vegetables.
Artichokes: Artichokes are best from March through May. Select heavy, tightly closed heads with green stems and firm, unblemished leaves. Spread-out, brownish heads may be tough.
Asparagus: Peak asparagus season is March to June. Choose spears with green color extending two-thirds down the stalk. Good asparagus is firm and green with tightly closed tips. Open tips generally mean a tough stark, while soft, wrinkled spears mean the asparagus is not fresh.
Beets: Beets are available year round, but they are best from June to October. Choose beets that are smooth, round, and firm. The small or medium-sized ones tend to be most tender. Beets should be deep red; leaves should be green and unwilted.
Broccoli: Broccoli is in season and available year round in most areas. Buy firm broccoli stalks with small, unwilted leaves. The best broccoli is topped with dark green or purplish flowerets that have compact and tightly closed buds. Avoid loose, yellowish buds because these usually are tough and old.
Brussels sprouts: The best season for Brussels sprouts is late fall and winter. Choose unblemished, tightly closed heads. The best Brussels sprouts are bright green. Avoid ones that are soft, dull-looking, or have a yellowish color.
Cabbage: Good cabbage is available year round. It comes in many varieties – smooth green, crinkly green Savoy, red, and Chinese. The best heads are crisp, firm, and heavy. Avoid heads with loose, yellowish outer leaves ind blemishes.
Carrots: Carrots are available year round. Buy carrots that are well-formed, firm, smooth, and bright orange. Smaller ones usually are tastier and easier to work with. Avoid carrots that are rubbery, grayish, or have a lot of cracks and greenish color at the top.
Cauliflower: The peak of cauliflower season is fall and winter. Choose heads that are crisp and white with compact, tightly closed flowerets. Outer leaves should be firm and bright green. A purplish tinge on the heads (caused by sunlight) will not affect taste. Avoid heads with brown spots, bruises, and spreading flowerets.
Celery: Good celery is available year round. The mildest celery is light green in color, while stronger-tasting celery is darker green. Buy firm, unwilted stalks with crisp leaves. Avoid celery that is flexible or split.
Corn: Fresh corn is available in the late spring, summer, and early fall, depending on the area of the country. Buy ears that have plump, yellow or white kernels that extend from top to bottom in straight lines and do not look dry. The best ears are those that are medium sized. Husks should be moist and bright green. Local corn, which has not spent much time in transport, is much tastier than corn that has been shipped from other parts of the country.
Cucumbers: Cucumbers are available year round, but they are especially good in summer. The best are firm and slender with uniform dark-green color. Avoid those with soft spots. Many people prefer cucumbers that are not coated with wax, although sometimes unwaxed cucumbers are difficult to find.
Eggplant: August and September are the best months for eggplant. Select the heaviest and firmest ones, with surfaces that are shiny and smooth. The most common variety is the large, gourd-shaped, purple eggplant; however, white eggplant and tiny purple eggplant are sometimes available.
Green and wax beans: These vegetables are available year round, but they are especially good in the late spring and summer. The best beans are those that are crisp, firm, and bright green or yellow. Beans should snap crisply when broken. Avoid beans that are limp, wrinkled, or have brown spots.
Greens (beet, collard, dandelion, kale, mustard, Swiss chard, and turnip) : Most greens are available year round, but they are especially tasty in the late summer and fall. Select greens with bright green, crisp, unwilted leaves. Avoid those with brown edges, variations in color, and thick stems.
Lettuce (iceberg, Bibb, Boston, garden, red-leaf, escarole, chicory, watercress, endive, romaine, arugala): Most types of lettuce are available year round. Iceberg, the most popular salad lettuce, should be large, compact, and heavy. In general the darker leaves of all types of lettuce will have a stronger flavor (and more vitamins and minerals) than the lighter leaves. Choose crisp lettuce that is fresh looking with a good green or sometimes reddish-green color.
Lima beans: Fresh lima beans are available in the spring and summer. They usually come in the shell, which must be broken before the beans are squeezed out. Select fresh, firm, bright green pods that are slightly flexible and have a velvety texture.
Mushrooms: Fall and winter are the ideal times for fresh mushrooms. Of the commonly sold variety, the best are firm, white, and velvety with caps closed around the stem. Avoid mushrooms that are dark, spotted, or soft. Some less common varieties, such as morels, may be available locally. Unless well trained in identifying mushrooms, people should eat only store-bought varieties. Some wild mushrooms are poisonous.
Okra: The okra season runs from May to October. Okra pods should be bright green, tender, and pliable. The best tasting pods are small – anywhere from two to four inches long.
Onions: All kinds of onions – yellow, sweet, Spanish, Bermudas, white, shallots, and scallions – are available year round. For bulb-type onions, choose ones that are unsprouted, very firm, and rounded with dry, thin skins. Select scallions with crisp, tender, bright green tops and firm, white bottoms.
Peas: Fresh peas are best in the spring and early summer. They are usually sold in the pod and, like lima beans, require shelling. Choose firm, bright green pods. It is difficult to determine the quality of peas without cracking open a pod and tasting a pea. It should be tender and sweet. Snow peas, also called sugar or Chinese peas, are eaten pods and all. Buy flat, bright green, firm snow pea pods.
Peppers (green bell, red bell, Italian, green chili, and red chili): Most pepper varieties are available year round. Choose peppers that have a good color and a natural shine rather than a waxed surface. The sides should be smooth, firm, and unwrinkled. Red bell peppers are sweeter than green bell peppers. Sometimes, orange and yellow ones are available. Italian peppers have thinner skin and a sweet, delicate flavor. Red and green chili peppers are extremely hot.
Potatoes: Most varieties of potatoes – Idaho, russet, red new, white new, sweet and yams – are in stores year round. The best potatoes are firm, smooth, round or oval, and blemish free. Avoid potatoes with sprouts, too many eyes (tiny buds in the skin), green blotches, large cuts, growth cracks, bruises, discolored areas, or a musty smell. Sweet potatoes and yams should have an orange color and be smooth and tapered at the ends.
Radishes: Radishes are available year round. Bunches usually are best because each radish can be inspected. Select dark red, hard radishes with fresh, green leaves. Prepackaged radishes should be inspected carefully, and bags with cracked, off-color, or soft radishes should be avoided.
Spinach: Spinach is available year round. Loose, bulk spinach usually is better than the spinach that is prewashed and prepackaged. Select leaves that are crisp and medium to dark green with small, tender stems. When buying packaged spinach, make sure the leaves are fresh and not too wet or too powdery.
Squash: Summer squash (yellow, zucchini, and pattypan) is available most of the year but is best from late spring to early fall. Winter squash (acorn, Hubbard, butternut, buttercup, green and gold delicious; banana, pumpkin, and spaghetti) is available in the fall and winter months. Select summer squash that is small, firm, and smooth with bright green or yellow, shiny surfaces. Winter squash should have a hard, possibly rough, surface with few blemishes.
Sprouts: Mung bean and alfalfa sprouts, the two most common varieties, are available all year. Choose sprouts that are fresh looking, resilient, and crisp. Avoid those that are wet and slimy with a moldy smell.
Tomatoes: The best tomatoes are available in July, August, and September, but tomatoes grown in hothouses are available year round. Locally grown, vine-ripened tomatoes provide the best taste, texture, and juice. Packaged hothouse tomatoes usually are pale with hard skins and mealy textures. Small cherry tomatoes, which also are grown in hothouses, may offer better flavor in the off season. Select firm, smooth, bright red tomatoes. Avoid those with soft spots, cracks, or breaks.
Turnips and rutabagas: White turnips are available year round, and rutabagas (also called yellow turnips) are available in the fall and winter. Choose turnips that are hard and round with smooth, unblemished skins. A coating of paraffin wax may mean that a turnip has been stored for a long time.
For new ideas on cooking delicious and healthy food, visit lowsugar-recipes.com.
Tags: tips, vegetables
Note: This is the first part introduction of a multiple-posts about getting and preparing the best food.
A nineteenth-century housewife would find the modern supermarket truly overwhelming. Not only is there an endless smorgasbord of canned, boxed, bagged, frozen, and convenience foods, dairy products, fresh produce, meats, and breads, but today what the shopper sees is not always what the shopper gets. Inside a can with a label showing colorful, perfectly cut, crisp-looking green beans may be some pitiful, gray-green, limp specimens. A bag of green beans in the frozen-food section may be more nutritious than canned beans but may still lack some nutrients found in the fresh variety.
Choosing the most nourishing forms of the best food is only the first step toward good nutrition. Once the shopping has been done and the food is in the house, proper storage methods are necessary to retain vitamins and minerals and prevent the possible spread of harmful bacteria. Then, practical preparation and cooking methods are needed to keep food appetizing and wholesome.
Most American consumers buy food in one of the major supermarkets, which in the past 50 years have spread throughout the country, replacing the old-time general and specialty stores. Today’s supermarkets stock more than 10,000 different items, which can make grocery shopping a confusing task.
Choosing the best food requires knowledge, practice, and some luck. As shoppers examine mounds of green beans, piles of peaches, or stacks of tomatoes, they may search for color, firmness, size, or ripeness. As they compare one package of chicken breasts to another, they may look for color or meatiness. As they scan loaves of bread, they may test for softness, type of grain, texture, or size of the slices. Other shoppers maybe more interested in the price, quantity, and the number of additives in a product.
In general, it is best to shop the periphery of the grocery store. This is where fresh fruits and vegetables; fresh meat, poultry, and seafood; dairy products; and freshly baked breads usually are located, because of the need for refrigeration and frequent turnover. The market’s rim, therefore, contains the foods with the least processing, the fewest additives, and often the most vitamins, minerals, and food value.
For new ideas on cooking delicious and healthy food, visit lowsugar-recipes.com.
To get enough fibre eat at least two servings of fibre-rich foods at each meal – one of whole grain and one of fruit or vegetable. Below are some ideas on how to increase fibre intake.
- Use legumes such as peas, beans, soyabeans and lentils regularly to fill up meat dishes or to replace meats.
- Eat fruits and vegetables raw whenever possible and choose those with edible seeds and skins. If possible, take 2-3 servings of vegetables and 2-3 fresh fruits daily.
- Substitute wholewheat flour for white in baking and choose wholewheat bread and brown rice instead of the polished variety – they contain three times as much dietary fibre.
- Incorporate whole grain such as buckwheat, cornmeal, oats, barley, bulgur and wheatgerm in recipes whenever possible. Use whole grain cereals such as oatmeal, barn flakes and shredded wheat for breakfast two to three times per week.
- Have bean soups, fresh fruits, wholemeal crackers and biscuits for snacks.
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Tags: fibre
