A.Y. Chen Illustration & Design
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Meal planning is essential

3/12/2016

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Meal planning, dietary planning, meat substitutes, changing eating habits
One of the most frustrating things about science is that, as information is gathered and then disseminated, sometimes the data then proves contradictory to a prior statement. To a scientist, this is a normal occurrence and is all in the pursuit to contribute to the “What we know” category.
However, when this becomes a matter impacting upon daily life, like what CAN we eat, what do we consumers do with this contradictory evidence?
I’m a meat-eater. I cook a lot of ground turkey, chicken and fish, but I enjoy so many different kinds of meat. Steak? Nom nom. Lamb? Bring it. Ham and bacon? Must be brunch time! And hot dogs? YES, a Hebrew National, reduced-fat, all-beef, slathered with Harris Teeter brand chicken chili and shredded cheddar...oh YEAH.
Our scientific history, when it comes to healthy eating, is peppered with over-rulings, from fats to sugar substitutes to carbs to sugars. But instead of completely demonizing the current food “enemy,” what if we try to moderate, and control/reduce our portions? I am not sure I can completely give up animal proteins, but, I can at least try to reduce my intake!
I cook 5-6 nights a week. Depicted are the most common meals I tend to prepare, and the thoughts I’ve come up with thus far on my modified strategy. I know alot of the portion sizes are because I have been doing this a LONG time, and so for example, I portion out a 12-16 oz bag of frozen veggies to ensure that I have enough for two meals for 2 people. Likewise, a 16-oz bag of fresh spinach is 4 servings. With meat, like salmon, I buy a big slab that I immediately cut into 5-ish oz portions, wrap up and freeze. I have a food scale, which is probably the most valuable kitchen tool I own.
SO, when this IARC announcement came out, I decided that there were some things I had wanted to get back to, that I had been too lazy to do before. For one, I have always LOVED tofu. I grew up in a household where we always had 3-4 kinds of tofu in our fridge: the plain kind, the “fried” kind, the fermented kind, and the stinky kind. I have wanted to cook more with it, but the prices in regular grocery stores makes it hard for me to buy when I know I could buy 4X the amount at a Chinese grocery store, but which is a good 45’ drive for me. So, this is a great reason to simply swallow the cost and perhaps treat it like a veggie.
I would love suggestions and to hear how you might be trying to reduce your animal protein intake!

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