Food for Life: How the New Four Food Groups Can Save Your Life (31 page)

People in the anger phase simply need to be humored or ignored because they will pass into the next stage on their own. Those who are stuck in the bargaining stage need more information. They need to learn why a chicken salad sandwich will not clean out their coronary arteries or why their weight-loss diet did not work.

Some people will not change despite your best efforts. Human lethargy can be a powerful force, and sometimes the most you can do is not let someone else’s resistance affect your own eating habits. And sometimes even the most reluctant family members will surprise you and suddenly want to improve their diets.

A word about guilt. People often feel terribly guilty about their dietary indiscretions. Family members may feel that you are slinging guilt if you even mention food. As the health-conscious member of the family, you may end up being regarded as everyone else’s culinary conscience. People begin apologizing to you for something they ate, or they may start hiding things
in the back of the refrigerator in hopes that you will not notice. This is not a role you asked for; it just seems to happen. I suspect that people tend to feel guilty about food issues because of the ways food was used in their earliest family interactions, with all the rules and demands that went with it. An uneaten portion was a snub to the cook. A spilled water glass aggravated an already strained young family. The dinner table is a place where family rules and traditions play a big role. Is it any surprise that discussions of food later in life can bring rules and guilt to mind?

Of course, there are moral issues that relate to eating. Anyone who has a spouse or a child needs to try to stay healthy. Those who neglect their own health are not doing their dependents any favors. Also there are moral issues in the experience of the billions of animals that are processed through livestock industries every year, and the use of millions of acres to grow feed crops for animals and the environmental damage that results from it. Even so, I try to provide information and to steer clear of guilt. If a family member feels that your insistence on healthful eating is sanctimonious, it is a good time to remind them, “I just love you and I want you to be around forever, or as close to it as possible.”

If you are concerned that your new eating habits may present added burdens to others, don’t worry. Even dining at restaurants and the family reunion barbecue can be a snap using the tips that follow for special situations.

It is easy to bring the chance to taste new foods to your family. Just pick out some recipes from this book or any of the huge variety of vegetarian cookbooks now available, and try some out. The transition foods can be very helpful. Nonmeat hot dogs and burgers are often indistinguishable from the artery-clogging varieties, especially after the ketchup and mustard are added. A trip to the health food store will supply you with lots of things to try out. No need for a lot of fanfare. My mother used to say, “Don’t tell your father that the egg salad is really tofu.” It tasted as good or better than the high-cholesterol variety.

Children are the truest traditionalists. They do not trust new foods, and may frustrate parents’ hopes for variety in their diets. On the other hand, kids like to help out preparing new recipes. Children often like soymilks, which are widely available in a range of flavors and are very nutritious. When other children come over for dinner or a birthday party, try spaghetti instead of quinoa salad.

Don’t be daunted by a loved one who seems not to care about health or
denies the health risks. Education and the chance to taste new foods can overcome even dinosaur-size habits. Meat-eaters today are like smokers in the 1950s. They may not have stopped yet, but they know they cannot keep it up forever. That knowledge is half the battle.

A change in diet is always a temporary challenge for the digestion. This is true both for those who adopt a healthful menu and for those who slip from a healthful diet to a traditional one. But rest assured, the effect is usually short-lived.

Beans and some vegetables may cause gas for some people, some varieties more than others. Pinto beans, for example, seem to cause more gas than black beans. Try to pin down what is the dietary problem for you: cabbage, broccoli, orange juice, or whatever. Limit beans to moderate amounts, and include generous amounts of grains, such as rice. Most people find that, when they have adapted to a higher fiber diet, gassiness goes away.

You are planning a night on the town, or maybe your boss asks you to lunch. No need to worry. Simply suggest a restaurant. Italian restaurants are everywhere. Spaghetti with tomato sauce or
pasta e fagioli
(pasta and bean soup) are healthful and taste terrific. Or how about Chinese? The menu of every Chinese restaurant has a vegetable section. These are not side dishes; they are entrees, usually served with rice. Delicate vegetables, sometimes combined with spiced tofu, are served with rice and various exotic teas. At Mexican restaurants, have a bean burrito with rice. Larger cities have Indian restaurants, with any number of delicious curries combining spinach, potatoes, chickpeas, cauliflower, and other vegetables with carefully combined spices, served with rice or exotic breads. Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, and many other cuisines bring delicious and healthful cuisine. It is still important to be selective, however, because even many ethnic restaurants use excessive amounts of oil. Mexican restaurants may cook beans with lard. Look for menu items that are low in oil. Steamed, baked, or boiled foods are usually better than fried. When in doubt, ask.

At American-style restaurants, do not hesitate to ask for a vegetable plate, salad bar, or pasta dishes. They nearly always have them. At salad bars, skip fat-laden macaroni or potato salads and bacon bits, and favor bean salads or chickpeas prepared without oil, along with fresh vegetables and greens. Instead of dressing, try a sprinkle of lemon or lime juice, or enjoy the taste of salad with no dressing at all.

In 1991 the National Restaurant Association asked all its members to feature vegetarian entrees, because at that time about one in five diners was looking for them. If you don’t see vegetarian dishes on the menu, by all means ask. Nowadays, that is a routine request.

Many people believe that they must stick to the menu. Don’t. Restaurants are usually quite happy to leave the bacon off the spinach salad, to provide a tomato sauce instead of meat sauce for the spaghetti, or to bring you a hot vegetable plate.

When I am invited to dinner or to a party at a friend’s house, I find that the following simple strategy always allays any problem. At the time of the invitation, or as soon thereafter as I remember to do so, I call and say that I try to stick to vegetarian foods, and would like to bring something, like a meatless spaghetti sauce or hummus. Invariably, the hosts will say that there is no reason to worry—there will be plenty to eat. Whatever they were really thinking, they now will be sure to include something healthful, and I’ve just given them two suggestions. The risk of not telling them is that they will either be surprised when you avoid eating what they prepared or, if you do eat it, they will feel guilty later.

If the party is a backyard barbecue, bring along some tofu hot dogs, vegetable shish kebobs, or baked potatoes in foil. Your hosts will be delighted that you added something a little different to the party.

Travel does not have to mean giving up on healthy eating. All airlines now offer vegetarian meals if you ask for them in advance. The demand for these foods has led some to offer them as part of their in-flight routine. On the road, fast-food restaurants now offer baked potatoes and salad bars, and all taco restaurants have bean burritos (hold the cheese). In the car, bring along
some fruit, and sandwiches filled with hummus, lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. Soups travel well in a thermos bottle. Stock up on some instant soups at your local health food store—restaurants along the way will be glad to give you some hot water. In some parts of the world, such as Eastern Europe, vegetarian cuisine has not yet made many inroads, and even fruits and vegetables may be scarce. When I am traveling to such places, I check the local phone book for a vegetarian restaurant or society and ask the hotel management for restaurant suggestions. I often bring along some emergency instant soups in my luggage, too.

I find that my own dietary habits continue to evolve. As I visit new places, I continually develop new tastes and find new and interesting food products. I hope you enjoy the same continuing exploration of healthful foods.

This chapter will provide you with practical information about selecting and preparing the foods of the New Four Food Groups, including planning ideas and guidelines for modifying your own favorite recipes. You will discover that cooking from the New Four Food Groups opens up a world of exciting new flavors. Many of the recipes are based on the cuisine of other cultures, where the diet naturally tends to emphasize these foods. You will be amazed and delighted at how much more interesting and varied your diet becomes as you prepare these new recipes.

As you begin the transition to a more wholesome diet, remember that tastes for food are learned. Just as you have learned to like high-fat, sugary, salty foods, your taste buds can be retrained to appreciate the fresh, full taste of nourishing, wholesome food. Recognizing, however, that some time may be required for your taste buds to adjust, a number of transition foods—foods which simulate the taste and texture of meat and other familiar foods—are listed in
Table 9
. Although these transition foods are generally lower in fat and sodium than their meat-based counterparts, they are still higher than is optimal. For this reason they should be used as a bridge between your old way of eating and your new, and eventually be phased out by the exciting new flavors of the New Four Food Groups.

Almost every culture has a staple grain around which its cuisine is centered. In the United States, that grain tends to be wheat, which is ground into flour and made into bread and other baked goods. To a lesser extent, we use rice, corn, and oats. Yet the array of grains presently available is practically endless, as a trip to your local health food store will show you. From kasha and quinoa to millet and polenta, grains offer a remarkable diversity of delicious tastes and textures. They can be used to prepare salads, pilaf, casseroles, and desserts. They are delicious in soups, and of course are an ideal food for breakfast.

In addition to being inexpensive and easy to prepare, grains are nutritious; they are rich in complex carbohydrates, fiber, and many vitamins and minerals. They are good sources of protein and are very low in fat. Whole grains should become the mainstay of your diet; plan your meals with grains at the center.

Grains that have been refined, such as white flour and white rice, have lost important vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Keep these to a minimum in your diet. Whole grains, on the other hand, retain their full nutritive value. They have more texture and are more filling. A diet based on whole grains is one of the best ways to reach and maintain your ideal weight because whole grains fill you up with fewer calories.

When purchasing bread, be sure to select a whole-grain bread, which provides fiber as well as important vitamins and minerals. By reading the label, you can determine if the bread you are buying is whole grain. The first ingredient should be a
whole-
grain flour such as “whole wheat flour.” Don’t be fooled by labels that list “wheat flour” (actually white flour) in an attempt to mislead you.

Pasta is another delicious way to enjoy grains. A wide variety of pastas, in different shapes and flavors, is available in health food stores and most supermarkets. In addition to traditional wheat-based pastas, you can find pastas made from corn, quinoa, spelt, and Jerusalem artichoke. Experimenting with these different pastas will add interest and variety to your meals. Look for pastas made without eggs. These are available in health food stores and most supermarkets. For a quick dinner simply top cooked pasta with a commercially prepared marinara sauce (be sure to choose a low-fat or fat-free variety). Add a green salad or cooked vegetable and whole-grain bread, then relax and enjoy the feast.

    
Some other whole grains that will add taste and variety to your diet include:

    
Barley
. Many people are familiar with barley only as an addition to vegetable soup—and a delicious addition it is! Yet barley has many other possibilities. Its mellow sweet taste and satisfying texture make it a terrific breakfast cereal, and it can also be used as an addition to casseroles, pilaf, and salads. Pearl barley, which is more commonly available, has been refined. Look for unrefined, whole barley in health food stores.