Remember, nothing can derail a week’s menu planning quicker than becoming a “short-order cook,” acquiescing to everyone’s personal tastes at mealtime. I recently saw a sign in a friend’s kitchen that said, “You have two choices for dinner. Take it or leave it.” This may be a little harsh, but the point is that catering to picky eaters creates picky eaters and destroys the best-laid plans for serving the healthiest meals. When planning menus for the week, try to think of meals that have at least one key element that everyone will enjoy and also consider dishes that can be easily customized. For example, provide various veggie toppings for whole-wheat pizzas and let each person design his or her own pizza. Do the same for taco fillings and toppings. And consider a make-your-own salad night. Even if you get complaints that “there’s nothing to eat,” I assure you that your family won’t starve.

Consider ethnic nights. Plan dinners around ethnic themes; it’s a great way to make mealtime fun, and if you have kids, they’ll look forward to Italian Wednesdays or Chinese Fridays. (It’s also a conversation-starter about what’s most nutritious in these cuisines and what to stay away from.) Use the recipes on pages 259–306 for ideas. For example, on Italian night serve MegaMeatballs and Sauce (page 276) with whole-wheat pasta preceded by a vegetable antipasto. (You can make the meatballs ahead of time and freeze them.) For Middle Eastern night, start the meal with Lemony Tomato Hummus with Carrot Chips (page 269) followed by Lentil-Bulgur Salad with Summer Squash and Walnuts (page 292). For Asian night, try Stir-Fried Garlic Shrimp with Bok Choy (page 289) served with brown rice rather than white.

Plan for leftovers. Recycling leftovers into next-day meals and snacks not only saves you cooking time, it also helps keep your food budget in check. Leftover flank steak (page 279), for example, can be sliced and tossed with veggies for a lunchtime salad; extra chicken (pages 275 and 278) can be turned into a chicken salad sandwich on whole-grain bread or be sliced, reheated, and served with vegetables over brown rice for dinner; leftover grilled salmon (page 288) makes a great salad paired with greens and a mustardy yogurt dressing; leftover broccoli (page 297) or sweet potatoes (page 303) can be used the next day for a vegetable omelet or frittata for breakfast or dinner.

• Feta cheese cubes (marinated in 2 tablespoons low-sugar vinaigrette) with bell pepper slices

• Cobb salad (top chopped romaine with diced reduced-sodium deli chicken, crumbled turkey bacon, and chopped avocado, tomato, and red onion) with balsamic vinaigrette

• Sliced cucumber and radish salad drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and vinegar

• Asparagus spears with ham (wrap baby asparagus with lean ham and sprinkle with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper)

• Greek salad (top chopped romaine with diced cucumbers and tomatoes, kalamata olives, and reduced-fat feta cheese) with 2 tablespoons red wine vinaigrette

• Mixed green salad with 2 tablespoons low-sugar prepared dressing ½ cup fat-free Greek yogurt with berries

• “Cheesesteak” bundles (wrap cubes of string cheese in lean deli-sliced roast beef; microwave for 15 seconds)

• Cheddar cheese toast (melt reduced-fat Cheddar on 1 slice 100% whole-grain bread)

• Turkey roll-up (spread deli-sliced turkey with Dijon mustard, top with a slice of reduced-fat provolone cheese, and roll up)

• Snow peas with red pepper dip (purée jarred roasted red peppers with fat-free or reduced-fat cottage cheese)

• Watercress and endive salad with fresh lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil Baked apple with chopped walnuts

• Caprese snack (toss mini mozzarella balls and grape tomatoes with extra-virgin olive oil and red pepper flakes)

MAKE A HEALTHY GROCERY LIST

The Lowdown on Buying Whole-Grain Products

If you don’t read the ingredient list on a food package, you can’t be truly sure that a product that purports to be whole grain actually is. But how do you separate the true whole-grain products from the huge number of imposters on the supermarket shelves? Before buying any grain product—bread, crackers, cereal, or pasta—check the ingredient list to make sure it says “100% whole wheat,” “100% whole oats,” or “100% whole rye,” for example. Skip products that simply say “whole wheat”; they may be predominantly whole wheat, but it’s not a guarantee. Also pass up any products that just use terms like “wheat flour,” “enriched wheat,” or “enriched white flour.” Other commonly used words like “multigrain,” “3-grain,” or even “10-grain,” which may make a product sound more wholesome, mean only that the product contains several different types of grains and are no assurance that any of them are whole grains. Even the word “organic,” which describes how a product may be grown and processed, does not mean it’s made with whole grains.

So why is it so important to eat only whole grains? The term “whole grain” means that all parts of the grain kernel—the bran, germ, and endosperm—are kept intact, which is beneficial because the complete grain kernel contains the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, as well as fiber, which appear to be protective against so many different types of diseases. The latest federal dietary guidelines recommend that everyone (except those who are already gluten-free) significantly reduce the amount of refined grains in their diet and replace them with whole grains.

Once you begin looking at grain packages, you will notice that some display a very visible black and yellow stamp from the Whole Grains Council, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group. There are two types of stamps: “100% whole grain,” meaning that a product is made entirely from whole grains and “whole grain,” meaning it may contain some refined grains. It’s best to look for the 100 percent stamp. Just because a product does not have a Whole Grains Council stamp, however, does not mean that it is not whole grain. Once again, you need to read the label carefully. And please, try to get your kids used to doing so too.

Eat before you shop. You’ve heard this advice before, but it bears repeating. Never go shopping when you are hungry. You will be more vulnerable to the sights and smells of food and end up with a shopping cart full of items you wouldn’t succumb to if your hunger were in check. Have a healthy snack at home or in your car before setting foot in the store.

Stick to your shopping list but be flexible. Having an easily readable list in hand will keep you from wandering aimlessly down the aisles, randomly tossing things into your cart that you may or may not ever use or that you’ll regret later (like that box of cookies!). Be flexible, however, and don’t pass up any super-sale items that you know you can use for present or future meals. You should be especially flexible when it comes to buying produce, purchasing what looks the freshest rather than just sticking to what’s on your list.

♦ Grams of sugar. We’re getting way too much of this empty-calorie nutrient; see the information on added sugars, page 202.

♦ Protein. Like fiber, it’s very important for maintaining stable blood sugar levels, suppressing hunger, and controlling weight.

And when it comes to reading the ingredient list, we recommend that you look particularly for whole grains (see “The Lowdown on Buying Whole-Grain Products,” on pages 196–97) and watch out for added sugars. Added sugars are those that don’t naturally occur in foods—not to be confused with the fructose in fruit or the lactose in milk, for example, which do. While the Nutrition Facts panel does provide the total amount of sugar in grams per serving for a food or beverage, what it doesn’t provide is how much of that sugar is “added” to make a food taste sweeter. That’s because the FDA requires that these added sugars appear only in the ingredient list. Since all ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, manufacturers can “disguise” the amount of added sugar in a product by using more than one type of sweetener, which means each added sugar weighs less and can be buried far down in the ingredient list. That’s why it’s important to read the ingredient list all the way through to look for added sugars under a variety of names.

A Sugar Experiment

If you are following the typical toxic American diet, you are consuming 35 teaspoons of added sugar in your food every day. According to a 2011 USDA report, that adds up to an average of 132 pounds of sugar a year for every man, woman, and child in the United States.

I want you to conduct an experiment. If you have kids, invite them to join you.

Equipment needed: One box of granulated sugar, a teaspoon, a bowl, and a glass of water (which you’ll need later)

Step 1: Carefully measure 35 teaspoons of sugar into the bowl.

Step 2: Eat all 35 teaspoons of sugar, one teaspoon at a time.

I bet most of you are horrified at the thought of eating all that sugar, and frankly, so am I. Of course I don’t want you to eat it! I suggested this experiment to help you visualize your daily sugar intake.

If you eat processed foods regularly, chances are you’re getting added sugar under a variety of guises—corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, glucose, honey, dextrose, fructose, crystalline fructose, maltose, malt syrup, and molasses, just to name a few (for others, see page 202). We all know that products like cookies, snack cakes, and candy bars are high in added sugar, but you may be surprised to learn how many other so-called “wholesome” foods are swimming in it, including breakfast cereals, commercial salad dressings, spaghetti sauces, canned fruit in syrup, and many granola bars. Read labels!

When you eat (or drink) something sugary, it produces a spike in blood glucose that turns on the production of insulin, which is the hormone that ushers sugar and fat into your cells and tissues. If you ingest sugar in the absence of fiber or protein, it breaks down very rapidly, producing a sudden drop in blood glucose that leaves you feeling ravenous—this is the source of most food cravings. Although added sugar has not been directly linked to heart disease, it is clearly associated with risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, increased levels of triglycerides, and high levels of C-reactive protein, a marker for arterial inflammation. An overly sweet diet also increases the potential for diabetes, another major risk factor for heart disease.

The 35 teaspoons of added sugar that many Americans are averaging daily is in addition to other sugar that is naturally occurring in foods like fruits, vegetables, milk, and whole grains. While these foods do have fiber and other healthful nutrients, the natural sugar they contain is still sugar, though it is digested more slowly than sugar coming from processed food.

Now to Step 3: Stir 8 teaspoons of sugar into a glass of water. This time, really do take a little taste. This is the amount of sugar in a typical 12-ounce non-diet soda, or 130 empty calories.

Sugar-sweetened beverages, including many sports drinks, fruit drinks, flavored teas, and punches, are little more than liquid candy. But many parents don’t seem to realize this. A position paper in Pediatrics on sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and its role in adolescent obesity showed that soft drink consumption among kids has increased by 300 percent since the mid-1980s, with 56 to 85 percent of schoolchildren consuming at least one soft drink daily. Dr. David Ludwig of Children’s Hospital Boston, whom I interviewed in Chapter 2, notes that if a child were to drink just one 12-ounce sugary soft drink every day, it would add up to the equivalent of a 40-pound bag of sugar by the end of the year.

Given all the hidden added sugar in foods, saying no to sweetened beverages is one of the easiest ways to cut out excess sugar from your diet. The latest American Heart Association dietary guidelines suggest that most women should eat or drink no more than 100 calories per day from added sugars (1 gram of sugar has 4.5 calories, so look at the Nutrition Facts panel carefully) and that most men should eat or drink no more than 150 calories per day from added sugars—that’s 6 and 10 teaspoons, respectively, not 35! For children, the American Heart Association recommends no more than 3 teaspoons (48 calories) of added sugars a day, which is why I hope you invite your kids to participate in this experiment.

SHOP HEALTHY ON A BUDGET

Patronize farmers’ markets. A favorite late-afternoon snack at our house is freshly picked heirloom tomatoes with thin slices of part-skim mozzarella cheese. We find the best and most reasonably priced tomatoes at various farmers’ markets around Miami, where South Florida farmers display their vegetables, fruits, herbs, whole-wheat bread and pastas, and many other items. More than 7,000 farmers’ markets are already established all over the country, and they are especially popular in urban areas. Farmers’ markets give local farmers an opportunity to sell their goods directly to consumers, and by patronizing them, you are helping to sustain local agriculture.

Farmers’ markets are a terrific resource for the freshest produce. If you’re a first-time visitor, walk around the various stands to familiarize yourself with all the options before making a purchase. If you typically shop in supermarkets, you may see more unusual types of greens or different varieties of produce than what you’re used to. Farmers’ markets can sometimes be cheaper than traditional produce stands and supermarkets, especially for products like organic fruits and vegetables (as well as organic eggs and grass-fed beef). Many farmers’ markets also now accept cards from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; formerly the Federal Food Stamp Program), which can be exchanged for tokens for purchasing items; and more and more farmers’ markets nationwide are doubling the value of these cards, thanks to the Double Value Coupon Program from the nonprofit Wholesome Wave (see wholesomewave.org). For additional bargains, browse through the market as the farmers pack up to leave at the end of the day. They’ll often drop their prices to avoid having to haul the food back to the farm. To find a farmers’ market near you, check out apps.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets.

Join a community-supported agriculture (CSA) group. Another way to ensure that you’re getting the freshest food possible, especially if you live in a city, is to join a CSA group. The way it works is that you purchase a share (a membership or subscription) in a farmer’s harvest, and then every week or every other week throughout the farming season you pick up or receive a box, bag, or basket of seasonal produce (and sometimes eggs or meat as well, if desired) from that farm. Today there are thousands of CSA farms all across the United States (see the database at localharvest.org/csa to find one near you). While a CSA may seem expensive to join (many memberships range from $400 to $600 per season, paid up front), if you share the expense with a neighbor or two, it can be a great way to have direct access to the highest-quality produce while also supporting local agriculture. Many CSAs offer flexible payment plans, including paying in installments, and some accept SNAP cards, offer sliding scale fees, and provide scholarship shares. Many CSA farmers allow visits to the farm once a season, and parents often find that their kids are far more willing to try new foods when they know they’re from “their farm.”

Buy frozen veggies and fruits. Frozen vegetables and fruits are a terrific, convenient, price-conscious alternative when fresh local produce isn’t in season. Frozen products can be considerably cheaper than fresh and, of course, can be stored for a long time. Most frozen food companies now use a technique called flash freezing, which means that the produce is frozen immediately after it is picked to preserve flavor and nutrients. It can be argued (and frozen food companies make this assertion) that flash-frozen vegetables and fruits are more nutritious than fresh produce that has been shipped thousands of miles after it has been picked. To me, that long-distance shipping is instantly a good reason to buy fresh local produce when possible. But in the off-season, frozen is fine (and way cheaper than the many items that need to be shipped cross-country or internationally).

Look for the Best Buys on Protein

Consuming lean protein is an essential part of a healthy diet, but lean cuts can be among the most expensive items on your shopping list. Fortunately, most grocery stores and big box stores run regular sales on lean ground beef, chicken and turkey breast cutlets, and ground chicken and turkey (and to really save money you can always buy a whole bird and cut it up yourself). Buy more than you need when the price is good and freeze what you don’t need. Most frozen meat will stay fresh for at least 6 months. If you’re interested in the best buys on grass-fed beef and pastured chicken, for example, shop the big box stores or visit a local farmer.

Don’t overlook frozen and canned fish. Unless you are a vegetarian, eating fish at least twice a week is recommended on a healthy diet. If you are fortunate enough to live near a reputable fish market with good prices, or a supermarket that carries good fresh fish, by all means become a “regular” and shop the bargains. If not, canned and frozen fish are a fine alternative. Frozen seafood is often as good as fresh, and in some cases could actually be “fresher.” New flash-freezing techniques enable fishermen to freeze seafood within minutes of catching it, which means it retains its flavor and nutrients. Typically, frozen fish costs less than fresh, and it can stay in your freezer for weeks if it’s not allowed to thaw before you get it home.

Canned fish is usually much more economical than fresh fish and is definitely more convenient. Stock a few cans of salmon, light tuna, or sardines (packed in water or olive oil) in your pantry for a quick lunch or dinner.

Avoid fish high in mercury, such as such as marlin, swordfish, shark, tilefish, orange roughy, king mackerel, big-eye and ahi tuna, and canned albacore tuna (use light tuna instead).

STRATEGY #3

SHOP RIGHT!

MAKE A WEEKLY MEAL PLAN

SAMPLE MEAL PLAN FOR A HEALTHY WEEK

MAKE A HEALTHY GROCERY LIST

The Lowdown on Buying Whole-Grain Products

Some In-Store Reminders

A Sugar Experiment

SHOP HEALTHY ON A BUDGET

Look for Best Buys on Produce

Look for the Best Buys on Protein

If You Are a Parent