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Captain Cooks Culinary Academy for Kids has been selected to partner with GOT MILK? in their picky eaters campaign beginning next month. The focus of the campaign is to highlight the fact that the majority of children are not getting the calcium they need to stay healthy with over 75% of all 9 to 13 year olds not getting enough calcium in their diet. Captain Cooks has created several recipes which incorporate both milk and vegetables in savory dishes that will tantalize the taste buds and provide nutritious alternatives to some simple dishes.
The campaign will be promoted through newspaper and magazine articles as well as TV spots the first of which will be aired on the Spanish speaking Univision channel ( KBNT 17) on Feb 9th at 5.30am and NBC ( KNSD 7) on Feb 11th at 6.45am.
The culprit -Sulphites
The problems - Sulphites have been used as preservatives and flavor enhancers in food and wine since Roman times. They are also found naturally in wine and many foods and have very little effect on a majority of the population. Only about 2% of the population has a sulphite sensitivity which may result in skin rashes, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome and other reactions. It is a much bigger problem with asthma sufferers, a large percentage of who have a sensitivity to sulphites. The FDA banned sulphites on fresh fruit and vegetables in 1986 due to over a dozen deaths of asthmatics who suffered severe allergic reactions to the sulphites sprayed on produce in supermarkets and restaurant salad bars. The sulphites were used to prevent discoloration and wilting however the FDA were unable to prevent their use on potato products which continues today. Read More…
The Culprit- Sodium Benzoate
The problems - Also known as E211, sodium benzoate is a preservative which kills bacteria, fungus and mold specifically in acidic environments such as soda, vinegar and fruit juice. Derived from benzoic acid it is used extensively and thought by many in the food industry to be relatively harmless when used on its own. However, recent scientific studies have shown that it can damage vital DNA structures which can in turn lead to degenerative diseases such as Parkinsons disease. Additionally it has been suspected of causing increased hyperactivity in children.
What is certainly known is that when it reacts with ascorbic acid ( citric acid, vitamin C ) it forms Benzene which is highly carcinogenic. All of the major soda manufacturers are currently or have been in class action lawsuits regarding the levels of Benzene in their products.
The solution - buy products which have a ‘ preservative free’ label such as Hansens soda or any of the USDA organic lines of products sold at your local supermarkets.
Karen Whitehead the Culinary Director for Captain Cooks will be appearing on San Diego Living, Channel 6 XETV between 9 and 10am on Thursday January 22nd. Tune in to watch Karen prepare the Baked Eggrolls we will be making at this Fridays Chinese New Year workshop.
The culprit – High Fructose Corn Syrup (HCFS)
The problems – Prior to the 1970’s all sugar was extracted from either sugar cane or sugar beet .Then in the mid 70s a combination of high sugar prices , a glut of corn on the market due to farm subsidies and a recent development by the Japanese for industrial production saw the beginning of the meteoric rise in HCFS. It is produced from corn through a series of complex chemical conversions and we now consume more of it than natural sugar. The debate around this product is fierce. Many scientists believe that its introduction correlates to the rapid increase in obesity rates which began in the 70s. Read More…
The culprit – Nitrites and Nitrates
The problems – Nitrites and Nitrates are added to meat along with salt during the curing process. They have two roles. First they prevent the development of harmful bacterial spores that cause botulism and secondly they provide flavoring and the pink/ red color found in cured meat products. These products are salamis, hot dogs, bologna, bacon, sausages in fact almost anything that has been cured. The problem is that they produce nitrosamines which are carcinogenic. Many countries have banned their use including Germany- (sausage capital of the world!! ). There are many studies linking hot dogs and other foods to childhood cancer and other problems. See link for more info. http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/food/hotdogs.htm
The solution – buy products which are Nitrite and Nitrate free which are different from ‘ No Nitrates or Nitrites added’ products as these may still have these products present as a component of the curing ingredients they are using. Whole Foods, Frazier Farms and Jimbo’s carry Nitrite free products.
Think twice next time you order shakes from a fast food restaurant. What may appear to be a semi healthy choice due to the presence of milk conceals the fact that these are the worst health offenders on the menu. The shake below contains 64g of saturated fat ( the heart stopping kind) which is over 3 times the daily recommended allowance and equivalent to…wait for it….60, yes 60 slices of bacon. My kids love shakes but now I know this stuff I guess I’m going to have to be the bad guy from now on.
1. The Worst Drink in America
Baskin-Robbins Large Heath Bar Shake
2,310 calories
108 g fat (64 g saturated)
266 gLet’s look at America’s Worst Drink in numbers:73: The number of ingredients that go into this milkshake.
66: The number of teaspoons of sugar this drink contains.
11: The number of Heath Bars you would have to eat to equal the number of calories found in one Baskin Robbins Large Heath Bar Shake.
12: The average number of minutes it takes to consume this drink.
240: The number of minutes you’d need to spend on a treadmill, running at a moderate pace, to burn it off.
A new term just came across my radar screen. Food deserts. Described as “districts with little or no access to the types of foods needed to maintain a healthy diet but often served by plenty of fast food restaurants”.This problem has reached such proportions in inner cities that in Los Angeles lawmakers recently passed a law preventing the construction of any new fast food restaurants in South L.A which has a 30% higher obesity rate than the rest of L.A county.
These deserts can be created by
- Physical barriers such as geographical location, high crime areas, lack of public transport which prevent people from easy access
- Financial barriers- healthy food is generally more expensive than the 99c menu
- Mental barriers such as the lack of cooking knowledge or not realizing the importance of a healthy diet. Read More…
When I get time I like to surf here in my home town of San Diego. When the water visibility is good it is pretty common to sit on the board on top of whole schools of small fish, usually sardines and anchovies. I also enjoy travelling and have spent many vacations in Southern Europe where these small fish are hugely popular usually grilled on a barbecue. As of yet I have never seen sardines on a menu here on the west coast which is a shame because they are delicious. It also happens that they are regarded as a very eco friendly fish. I recently came across the following website. http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=1521 . It is a very useful tool showing which fish are not only sustainable but also healthy to eat. Check it out.
The origins of my food has become somewhat of an obsession with me over recent months. I seem to find myself constantly examining the packaging for the location of every item. I shop with a CSA for my fruit and vegetables which guarantees that I know for a fact that this comes from a certified organic farm about 12 miles from my house. I know my milk is organic and comes from around 50 miles away. The rest of it can be a mystery. Produce of California could mean anything up to a thousand miles. My steaks say they are the produce of Canada, Mexico and the United States which I gather means that they could be from any of those 3 countries but I am a little suspicious why they can’t be more specific. Read More…
