All posts by Mira

About Mira

Mira Dessy is The Ingredient Guru. A holistic nutrition professional, author, and a popular public speaker, she knows that it's not just what you eat, but what's in what you eat. She is the author of The Pantry Principle: how to read the label and understand what’s really in their food. Dessy is a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner whose mission is to educate and empower consumers. She curates the Lean Clean Green Subscription box, the premier, organic, earth-friendly, healthy, sustainable subscription box which can be found online at https://theingredientguru.memberbox.com View all posts by Mira →

Bugs In Your Frappucino?

by Miraingredients, vegetarian

cochineal bugs | photo: Zyance

Starbucks has recently come under fire by vegetarians. It turns out their strawberry flavored drinks have been changed. They’re using a new ingredient…cochineal extract. That picture on the left is cochineal bugs. They’re used to make food coloring. Only pregnant females are used; their outer casings are crushed and processed into food dye, producing a deep red color.

Also referred to as carmine, this coloring agent has been known to cause severe allergies including urticaria and asthma. There have also been reported cases of anaphylaxis.

Because it is made from bugs, it is considered a natural food substance and some companies use it in place of petro-chemically derived artificial colors. Also because it is made from bugs, vegetarians do not eat cochineal. And I believe this ingredient is considered non-kosher. However it is appearing in a wider and wider range of foods including yogurts, ice cream, candies, and some beverages. Cochineal is also finding it’s way into cosmetics as a coloring agent.

While I know there are many cultures that eat bugs as part of their diet, they are high in protein, research has not shown that these other edible bugs carry the same allergic potential as the cochineal bug. I also find it very irresponsible for Starbucks, which advertises that it can made vegetarian friendly drinks, would change it’s ingredients without notifying it’s consumers. Even those who are not vegetarian may prefer not to ingest this substance. And why cochineal in the first place? There are fruit and vegetable based sources for red coloring such as beets or raspberries which could have been used instead.

Don’t want to eat bugs? Another good reason to read the label.

Making Maple Syrup

by Mirasweeteners

This is a guest post from my friend Becky S. who lives in the northeast. One day she happened to mention making maple syrup with the kids. Definitely a cool learning experience for anyone but especially exciting when it comes from your very own trees. She and her kids had a great time and she agreed to share the story of their first-time sugaring.

Although maple syrup is a form of sugar, if it’s the real stuff, it has some modest added mineral benefits as well. One tablespoon provides some zinc and a whopping 33% of your daily requirement for manganese (important for bone health, nerve health, blood sugar stability, and thyroid function). Definitely a better choice than the fake, flavored syrup so many people tend to substitute for the real thing.

Here’s Becky’s story:

Liquid Gold

Five or six years ago, we took our children to a local Maple Sugaring Fest. We were told the charming story of how the Native Americans discovered syrup, boiling it in hollowed logs by dropping hot stones into the sap. When we stepped inside the sugar shack, we were engulfed by steam. We got to see the sap being boiled down in large vats. It was at that point, while receiving my first maple-scented facial, that I became determined to someday make my own syrup from the trees in our backyard. There really is something quite amazing about boiling the bejeebies out of “water” from a tree to create sweet, amber goodness that my children delight in pouring over hot pancakes.

Two weeks ago, perhaps in an attempt to avoid spring cleaning the house, I found myself googling “How to Tap Maple Trees” and discovered Tapmytrees.com which told me everything I needed to get started. Apparently, there was no time to spare. In case you haven’t noticed, it has been a tad warm lately; not exactly the right conditions for tapping trees. In our case, a little ignorance was pure bliss…or should I say “pure syrup.” Here’s what we learned from the experience and what we will do differently next year…because there WILL be a next year!

Helpful things to know

1. Are you actually tapping a maple tree? Thank goodness for my “Local Flora” class in college. We tapped Norway Maples. Mark your trees during the summer when their leaves are easier to identify.

2. A Spile is the metal tap that goes into the tree from which the sap drips. I found a kit with spiles and hooks at our local Agway.

3. Drill the tap holes underneath large limbs. The sap will run much better in that location.

4. Sap is sweet. Bugs and little fuzzy critters really like the way it tastes. Be prepared to greet guests in your buckets if you are not using lids. (Ewwwwww)

5. Keep a cheese cloth handy when collecting the sap so you can filter out unwanted guests. (Ewwwww again)

6. Have a cold place to keep the sap until you are ready to boil. It must stay cold or it will get rancid. We stored ours in 1-gal covered containers, surrounded by ice in keg buckets.

What not to do

1. Do not use a concrete drill bit on maple trees…or any tree, for that matter. It takes FOREVER to drill the 2.5” hole for the spile, using up the battery on your cordless drill and turning the wood into putty. Invest in a regular 7/16” drill bit. They’re about $8 at Home Depot. Better yet, call your neighbor to borrow his.

2. Do not think tin foil will be an adequate cover for the sap buckets. Trust me, it’s not. (Read #4 above). Clean, sterilized gallon milk jugs are a great alternative to buckets.

3. Do not wait too long to try tapping. Keep an eye on the weather and the maple syrup blogs. Ideally, the temps should go below freezing at night and above during the day.

So, you’re wondering how it all turned out?

We managed to collect 10 gallons of sap in a day and a half from 7 taps. We boiled it outside (a must!) on a propane turkey burner for approximately 8-9 hours (divided over 2 days). Our final product: one quart of syrup that we affectionately refer to as “Liquid Gold.”

It is delicious!

Next year we are going for a full gallon!

all photos courtesy of Becky S.

Pink Slime Clarified

by Miraingredients, questions, unhealthy, USDA

ground beef | photo: Rainer Zenz

One reader contacted me asking, “What cafeteria food is made with this pink slime stuff? I’ve never heard about this and [my son] is now eating in the cafeteria at public school. He took his lunch every day for four years but not this year. I was just worried about the nutritional value of what he was eating but now, this is creepy.”

The quick answer to your question is any hamburger product is potentially made with pink slime. The industry term is actually “lean finely textured beef.” It is a meat-product made from scraps and trimmings, heated, de-fatted, and treated with ammonium hydroxide.

Current federal regulations say it does not need to be listed as an ingredient and reports suggest that it can be the basis for as much as 50-70 percent of “hamburger” meat. Although many fast food restaurants are backing away from it in response to consumer disgust, the industry still wants to sell it because it is cheap and profitable. The USDA has just approved it for school lunches.

News reports indicate that in response to growing outrage by consumers, schools will be allowed to opt out of receiving this product. Not, however, until next Fall and not until after currently signed contracts have been fulfilled. I assume there will be schools which will claim they didn’t hear from enough families so they signed contracts and it will continue to be available in the school food for some time to come.

There is a petition being sent to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (started by Houston resident Bettina Elias Siegel who runs the blog The Lunch Tray) urging a ban of pink slime in schools. Although I no longer have children in the public school system I am furious that my tax dollars are being spent to feed garbage to children and I have signed.

Current research shows that this product is also in grocery stores. However, once again, because it is not required to be labeled you may not know. As of today, March 20, 2012, the most recent list I have been able to find indicates the following:

Pink Slime NOT In Grocery Store:

Costco, Whole Foods, HEB, Ingles, and Publix

Pink Slime ALLOWED In Grocery Store:

Safeway, Stop&Shop, Kroger, Giant, Frys (I’m going to assume this includes Randalls since they are owned by Safeway)

Stores Not Responding About Pink Slime:

Walmart, Food Mart, Fred Meyer (I’m going to assume this includes Sam’s Club since they are owned by Walmart)

If your store is on the list for allowing or not responding the ONLY way to avoid purchasing this product is to purchase organic ground beef as it is, to the best of my knowledge, fillers are not allowed under the rules of organic production.

Eating More

by Mirafruit, habits, health, produce, questions, snacks, vegetables

I recently got asked the question, “How do I eat more fruit and veggies, I don’t think I’m eating enough?” That’s a good question. And one that’s faced by a lot of people. Especially parents who are trying to encourage their children to eat a healthier diet.

One of the best ways I have found to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables is to have them on hand and convenient. This means they are not in your fridge just rotting in the bottom of your crisper drawer. I frequently encourage people to cut them up, prepare and make containers. Set them out on the shelf in your fridge and it’s a grab-and-go snack. They can either be sorted by type of food or you can make “snack packs” with an assortment. Either way if you’re in the mood to munch and you open the fridge door to see a convient snack right there you may find yourself eating more healthy choices.

Another way is to add veggies to other foods. You would not believe what gets added to my homemade spaghetti sauce. Add shredded veggies to a lasagna. Double the veggies in your omelette or frittata. What about soups? Loaded with pureed veggies, especially if it’s a creamy style soup base is an easy way to boost your veggie intake without trying very hard. The trick is to make sure that you put in things that will not overwhelm your soup. Sharper tasting foods such as cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, etc) or onions may not appeal to some. Mucilaginous textured foods such as okra may not appeal to others. Experiment and be mindful of what you are adding in.

Choose seasonal fruits and vegetables. I can’t stress this enough. A tomato in season and from a farmer’s market (if possible) tastes like the most delicious, amazing thing. A tomato in the middle of winter with a waxy coating tastes like cardboard. When foods are in season, and hopefully local, they are picked close to ripeness. Otherwise they may be picked early, stored, and then force ripened with ethylene gas. This forced ripening does not allow the flavor to come through, it just makes it look ripe. If you’re eating unappealing, non-tasty fruits and vegetables it does not encourage you to want to eat more. As a side benefit, you really appreciate things when you can only have them in season.

Make different choices when you eat out. There are tasty ways to add more veggies to your diet when you are eating out which allow you to still enjoy your dining experience but avoid getting bogged down by the simple carbs and other unhealthy choices.

Skip the juice and eat the fruit. Did you know that it takes an average of 4 oranges to make 8 ounces of orange juice? That’s a lot of sugar and those extra calories add up pretty quickly. It would be pretty difficult to eat four oranges in one sitting. However each orange you eat comes with a significant amount of fiber which helps to slow down the glycemic effect. The same is true for other juices. Switch your juice to water (add a few slices of fruit for flavor if you like) and eat the fruit instead.

Keep a food journal. An 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper folded into quarters gives you 8 spots to write down what you eat each day. If you’re looking to increase things like water consumption (always a good idea) and fruits and veggies set a goal for yourself and then keep track of it. By looking back over the week you’ll be able to see if you’re meeting your goal and where you can make changes to increase your consumption a little at a time.

Small changes add up over time. By making one or two adjustments you may soon find yourself eating more healthy fruits and veggies.

Travel Food

by Miravacation

Just back from a trip to Washington DC I enjoyed great weather and beautiful scenery and exhibits. I really had a great time there and part of the fun was exploring the food in a different location. As you all know I love food and I love to eat.

I find it incomprehensible that some people like to travel to other places and then eat at the same chain restaurants. I have a friend from England who likes to vacation in Spain. She sometimes tells me about her countrymen who travel to Spain but want their usual English breakfast, mushy peas, and biscuits when traveling. I think part of the excitement of traveling is experiencing new things and that does include restaurants and foodie places.

In order of appearance these are the foodie things that I saw and/or ate:

Georgetown Cupcake – wandering over to Georgetown the first night there my husband and I saw the bakery featured on the TLC program DC Cupcakes. The store was going full steam and people were lined up on both sides of the street. I was stunned to see so many people patiently waiting for their little pink boxes full of cupcakes. And the people behind the counter were certainly hustling and bustling along.

I have to say the cupcakes certainly looked delicious and people seemed to enjoy them. It made me wonder if a gluten free cupcakery would do as well.

Right across the street was Dean&Deluca. I am a sucker for high end grocery stores. I love to wander the aisles enjoying the variety and selection even if what is available is sometimes beyond my normal grocery budget.

Even though I wasn’t hungry I was certainly inspired by some of the arrangements and ingredients they had on hand and made notes to myself of experiments to try in the kitchen when I returned.

I was surprised to see that they have a number of locations as I typically think of them as a New York City store.

We decided to stop for a nightcap before we headed back to the hotel for the evening. Wandering around the Dupont Circle area we happened upon a charming little place called Bistrot du Coin.

He got a Belgian beer on tap and I had a sweet little drink called a Bisou de Paris. A combination of champagne, Cointreau, and a little raspberry syrup. Sweet, bubbly, tangy, and flavorful it was a nice way to end the evening. Sitting in the Bistrot, at the bar, we enjoyed chatting with the bartender.

The next day we headed over toward the Mall area of DC. When it was lunchtime we decided to try out one of the many food trucks in the area. The hardest part was trying to figure out which one. It was lunchtime in a busy metropolitan city in a business district. There were a LOT of food trucks. We ultimately decided to go for Tasty Kabob. They must be pretty popular because the line was fairly long. I got the lamb which was delicious. The yogurt sauce on the lamb which was also used as a salad dressing was delicious. My only issue was the rice-a-roni used instead of regular rice. I still find myself a little bemused at the shift that food trucks have gone through. Remembering when I was a child how we called them “roach coaches” and NO ONE I knew would ever eat at one. Now they’re just as, if not more, popular than regular restaurants and have huge online followings. More, I suspect, than restaurants do.

For dinner we met up with friends and went to Busboys and Poets a very fun restaurant with a lot of atmosphere and an amazing bookstore. I was so busy enjoying the company of my husband and our friends that I forgot to take pictures of the food but I assure you it was all delicious!

The next day, our last one in town, we had a quick lunch at Zorba’s Cafe. Lots of garlic in the food which was delicious but probably not too great for the person sitting next to me on the metro and then the airplane ride home.

It was a fast casual restaurant, one of the ones where you pay up front and then call your number so you can bring your food to your table. I’ve noticed a growing number of these restaurants, I guess it saves on waitstaff. Doesn’t change the quality of the food, which was delicious, or the decor, which was cute, and the prices were certainly reasonable.

It was a good trip. We walked for miles all over town seeing cherry blossoms, monuments, historic sights, museums, and enjoying the glorious weather.

It goes without saying that these are my experiences, I am not shilling for any of these foodie places, I did not receive any commission or free food. I make no guarantees that you will like it as much as we did. I just wanted to share what and where I ate. I encourage you, when you are traveling, to seek out new experiences and new adventures in food. Think outside the box of chain restaurants and eat somewhere you may never eat again.

We Have A Winner

by MiraUncategorized

Using the Random Number Generator we have a winner for the Leap Day Giveaway.

I tried a totally new system this time and used a service where folks could earn points toward the giveaway. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to give a link directly to the entrant.

So, drumroll, Donna, if you’re reading this — and I hope you are because you entered the giveaway, please contact me directly at mdessy@grainsandmore.com in order to claim your prize.

To the rest of those who entered…did you like this way of entering? Would you rather enter simply by leaving comments on the blog? Do you have a solution for a different way to run giveaways (because I have more good stuff to send you)? Let me know.

Leap Day Giveaway

by Miraingredients

Whoo hoo! We love free stuff. And there’s a great gift on the way to one lucky winner.

The nice folks over at PurelyGreat are offering up a F-R-E-E 50 gram container of Women’s Citrus Deodorant. Made with only four natural ingredients this deodorant contains no aluminum and is vegan friendly.

According to the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Skin Deep Database many deodorants have chemicals which are known to be bad for our health. The EWG lists these chemicals as potentially causing cancer, as endocrine disruptors, neurotoxins, highly allergenic, and or causing organ system toxicity.

If you’ve been looking for a great smelling product that doesn’t have any of these chemicals in it, this may just be the answer for you. After all, the object is to help you smell better, not to add more chemicals to your daily load.

Here comes the legalese:

1. This giveaway is limited to the USA and Canada (sorry folks who don’t live in either of those countries)
2. Grains&More makes no guarantees regarding prize delivery and is not responsible for any possible taxes or fees
3. Grains&More has received no compensation for this announcement
4. The contest is open for one week from 2/29/12 to 3/06/12
5. The winner will be chosen at random and all results are final

Good luck!

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Eating In The Woods

by Miralocavore, vegetables

Merriweather | photo: miradessy

My husband and I were fortunate enough to be able to take a Wild Edibles Foraging Tour with Merriweather today. He’s always interesting and engaging, offering an amazing depth and breadth of information about edible, non-edible, and medicinal plants.

The ground was very wet and muddy at the Spring Creek Greenway Nature Center due to all of the rain we’ve had lately. And trust me, all of that rain is a good thing after the drought we’ve had for the last two years. However the muddy terrain didn’t hold back our eagerness to follow Merriweather over log and trail in pursuit of the knowledge he had to share.

There are rules to wildcrafting or edible foraging:

1. Respect the law – in Texas it is a crime, carrying fines of up to $500, to rustle. That includes plants. So if you’re going to harvest you need to ask permission first.

2. Respect the land – just like I learned in Girl Scouts all those years ago, leave it cleaner than you found it and if you packed it in, pack it out.

3. Respect the plant – make clean cuts so the plant can stay healthy and do not over-harvest.

4. Respect yourself – know, definitively, what you are picking and planning to eat. Don’t assume because you could be risking your health.

It was a fascinating class and I think everyone was struck by the vast number of edible plants in our environment that we are not aware of. There was a mind-boggling amount of information. Although there are other books out there, I’m waiting for Merriweather to write one of his own because I’m sure it will be good. He has a unique point of view when it comes to sharing this information.

luna moth | photo: miradessy

There were lots of neat things to see during the class, not just plants. One was this beautiful luna moth which patiently clung to the branch, allowing us to turn it over so everyone could photograph “the pretty side.”

In spite of the chilly weather, overcast conditions, and muddy terrain everyone appeared to enjoy the expedition tremendously.

"natural" Doesn’t Mean Appetizing

by Miraadditives

dictionary | photo: Alex756

And the word of the day?

Castoreum

What’s castoreum? I’m so glad you asked. It’s a food additive that appears in many of our favorite foods but especially in ice cream. It is used particularly in the following flavors: vanilla, strawberry and raspberry.

Sounds yummy right? I mean who doesn’t like vanilla. Or strawberries. Or raspberries for that matter. Well, unfortunately for us castoreum is not really made from vanilla, strawberries or raspberries. And because it’s made from a “natural” ingredient it doesn’t have to be listed as castoreum on the label either. It’s listed as a “natural flavor.” I’m not exactly sure why this is…after all, vanilla is vanilla. Why use something else and label it “natural flavor?” I’m sure I don’t have the answer but I do know that according to a number of different sources, and the Code of Federal Regulations, castoreum is an ingredient which is allowed in our food.

What is it made from? I promise you, you will never look at things the same way again.

What to do about this unappetizing state of affairs?

Personally I’m planning on hauling out my ice cream maker to make my own this season. I’m pretty sure I can’t buy castoreum at the grocery store, and even if I could I wouldn’t. Nope, just real old fashioned vanilla and fresh fruits for us.

You will need an ice cream maker to make your own. I have an old-fashioned hand crank machine. The kids are no longer young enough to be tricked Tom Sawyer style into cranking it. That’s okay I could use the upper arm exercise. I do however confess to occasionally dreaming about this Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Maker Attachment. But honestly I’m trying to cut down on the embarrassing number of appliances I have in my kitchen. If you don’t have a Kitchen Aid, and don’t mind cranking a little, this is a nice Donvier 1 quart which works well (we used to have one but it got lost in a move).

I love this recipe from David Lebovitz. Which reminds me, I need to run to Penzey’s one of these days to get some vanilla beans. Here’s another recipe for vanilla ice cream which is a little simpler if you don’t want a custard style.

disclaimer: cmp.ly/5

The Dangers Of Excessive Caffeine Consumption

by Miraadditives, healthcaffaine, coffee

Yet another caffeinated product has made it's way onto the shelves. Mostly found in coffee, caffeine can also be sourced from tea and cocoa. It is often consumed as a beverage. There is a new caffeinated product which is available as an inhalant.

Seriously? I've said it before, but I'll say it again. How much caffeine do people really think they need? And if they think they need that much they should be looking at what's going on in their lives to re-evaluate.

Sure caffeine can be enjoyable in moderation. But for many people it causes a whole host of issues. According to Trudy Scott, CNC, in her book, The Antianxiety Food Solution caffeine can cause not only physical symptoms such as an increased heart rate, tremors, and an inability to sleep, but is also linked to anxiety and panic disorders.

And yet manufacturers keep looking for new ways to deliver caffeine. We are being pressured to feel that we need to live life at a faster pace and to push ourselves beyond the limits of health. Caffeine is touted as the way to accomplish that need for more energy. Through marshmallows, gum and mints, popcorn, lollipops, beef jerky, lip balm, soap, stockings, hypercaffeinated shots and beverages (thankfully the caffeinated alcoholic over the counter drinks were banned),* and more it's everywhere.

Moderation is Key When it Comes to Consuming Coffee

I was stunned recently to read in a Good Housekeeping magazine the suggestion that instead of drinking a grande coffee one should simply have several espresso shots throughout the day to keep you pumped up. This is not a good idea. The potential to become seriously ill from all of this overconsumption of caffeine is a strong possibility. I am baffled to understand why we are being pushed so hard to consume a substance which, for many, is so bad for you. Again I want to state that for those who can consume coffee without ill effect it can be okay in moderation. However, moderate users are, I believe, far fewer than those who over-consume. And many do not do well with caffeine at all.

One young man that I am working with gave up his three Monster a day habit. Reluctantly. Eventually he began to notice that he felt much better, both physically and emotionally. His anxiety was reduced, his thoughts weren't racing as much, and physically he was beginning to feel better than he had in a long while. All very positive things. One day he was out with friends and they were all drinking Monsters, so he had one too. Within a very short period of time he felt his heart racing, his mood changing and, in his words, "I felt like crap." He was stunned at his body's reaction and wondered how he had ever managed to handle three monsters a day. The answer is he wasn't handling it, he just thought he was.

Be wary of these products, avoid them. The "energy" you think you gain comes at a price.

*I have not linked to these products as I do not wish to promote them. As of this writing however, they are all real products which are, sadly, easily available.