2010 May | Eat Without Guilt

Monthly Archives: May 2010

Black Bean and Corn Salad

As the weather is warming up, I LOVE making quick, easy, and healthy salads. And not just lettuce-based salads.

When I lived in France, I saw there were so many types of salads out there that the word “salad” took on a completely different meaning. There were fruit salads, vegetable salads, tabouli, bean salads….the list goes on and on.

And food took on a whole new meaning too. Especially during the Summertime when it was too hot to cook (AND there was no air-conditoning!) I saw the abundance of foods available — whole foods.

My favorite pastime (besides eating and drinking some wine) was going to the outdoor markets. Walking around, the air was filled with so many amazing smells: I’d catch a whiff of the ripeness of a tomato, the sweetness of a freshly cut melon, the aroma of a strawberry picked just hours before, an organic chicken roasting at a nearby stall. And the cheeses — ah, the cheeses! Now that was quite an aroma…and I loved it. Then I’d walk past rows of olives (I never knew there were so many types!) and I swear I could taste them with my eyes.

And the herbs….the fresh herbs filled the air.

(Okay, my taste buds are watering….now what was I talking about? Oh, salads….)

So I’d go to the farmer’s market and take a look (and some tastes!) of the foods that were in season. And I’d go home an try to create a salad. And sometimes just taking what was already in my pantry, and adding some of those fresh herbs, or a fresh vegetable or two, made all the difference.

So here’s a salad recipe I came up with made with canned black beans. No, it’s not a French recipe. But as in the summertime I didn’t want to cook too much, I was always looking for new ways to make salads. So I’d often use some of the items I’d get at the markets, and then add some of my pantry items to mix it up a bit.

Besides, beans are a great source of protein so they fill you up, have cholesterol-lowering fiber, and are loaded with antioxidants. Plus they’re low in calories (and that’s always a bonus).

So this recipe is super easy, quick, and even a non-cook can easily make it. Because that’s what I’m all about. Making food and cooking easy for anyone to do.

Because you don’t have to be a French-chef to prepare good and healthy foods.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Ingredients:

2 (15 ounce) can of black beans, thoroughly rinsed and drained

1 (15 ounce) can of corn, rinsed and drained

1 pint of grape tomatoes, cut each in half (or 3-4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped)

1 green or red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 cup chopped green onions or shallots

1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

3 Tbsp of lime juice (about the amount of juice from two limes)

2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, onions, jalapeño and cilantro. Add the lime juice, olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir and chill before serving.

Serves 6-8

So this holiday weekend when you’re firing up the grill, and tired of a boring lettuce salad and want to add to the mix something healthy, satisfying and easy — try it out.

What are some of your favorite salads?

The Latest Diet Victim

As I started my week on Monday morning, I sat down with my coffee (yes, cream and sugar) and put on the television to catch up on some news. So I tuned into Good Morning America. Now I do realize these morning shows don’t really give us much ‘news’, but as I have my coffee in the morning I like to catch the weather forcast and there’s not much else on besides these morning shows.

But they often (excuse my French)…..piss me off.

Why?

Because it seems at least once a week (actually, it’s usually a few times a week) they have a story about weight-loss. And the “right” foods to eat. And the right diet. And how to be slim and happy. Yadda, yadda, yadda…

“Lose 10 pounds by eating superfoods!” “Sugar is bad (no wait, good) for your heart!” “Lose belly fat for good!” ”How to walk off the weight!” ”Celebrity diet secrets!” they scream. It’s like I’m watching the cover of the latest diet magazine.

Anyway, on Monday they had Jason Alexander (aka George Constanza on “Seinfeld”) who is the new Jenny Craig spokesperson. (The last company he was a spokesperson for was KFC. Go figure). Now, nothing against Jason, he was funny as hell on Seinfeld. But what he was saying about his weight-loss just irked me.

Why?

Because he talked about how he was “fat” and how his eating had “gotten out of control the last 20 years.” Now I wouldn’t really consider him fat — sure, he could have lost a few pounds but he didn’t seem so overweight that it was a health issue. But I get it. He wanted to look and be slimmer. I get it.

But it seems (actually, it’s clear) that Jenny Craig is now going after the male population. Now they too have to be slimmer, sexier, and wear a smaller pants size to be a better person. There is “Jenny Craig for Men.” Now men are the target of the diet industry, which I guess really shouldn’t come as a shocker.

But then Jason went on to say how it’s all about “calories in vs. calories out.” Which is something we hear all of the time. But I gotta tell you… weight loss is NOT just about that. Because 1000 calories of fruits and vegetables does NOT equal 1000 of burgers and fries. And just eating the “right” amount of calories and burning off the “right” amount of calories does not equal a good diet.

He then went on to talk about how he had “no willpower” and “if it (the diet) is hard, I’m not a good candidate.” “If this was really difficult, I’d be a dismal failure,” he continued. Then he went on to say — which is what really irked me — that they, Jenny Craig “do all the work for you.”

So basically, what he was saying was — I don’t want to work for it, I don’t want to think about it, just give me what I need to eat and I’ll be thin.” Which I guess it what a lot of people want — fast, easy, quick, no-brainer.

Here’s the problem: losing weight shouldn’t be, and isn’t, about willpower, doing the ‘right’ things, and it’s definitely not about someone giving you a meal to microwave (which Jenny Craig does) and telling you to eat it. Jenny Craig’s system is set up that you buy and eat their prepared foods. Sure, they say you also need to incorporate some healthy fruits and vegetables….hello? Not rocket-science. But if you don’t even have to think about what the heck you’re eating, how are you going to keep the weight off?

On top of it, but if Jason (and everyone else wanting to lose weight) doesn’t look into the deeper reasons as to WHY you overeat, you’ll never keep the weight off. You’ll be constantly struggling with food. Even if you don’t think it’s a struggle, let me tell you it will be.

Back to his comment that “they” do all of the work for you. If you really want to lose weight — I mean REALLY — then YOU have to do the work. And I’m not just talking about the cooking, eating right, and exercising. I’m talking about the inner work. Because the majority of people who are overweight didn’t get there simply because they ate the wrong foods, or didn’t exercise, or because they ‘love’ food.

It’s because they weren’t willing to look deeper into themselves to get to the root of the issue. (read that again).

And no, it’s not about going back to your childhood and solving your ‘problems’….it’s about becoming real with who you are, what you want out of life, and what’s going on inside. Once you understand why you eat, what you’re really hungry for, how to love yourself (and your body), and to feel true fulfillment in life you won’t need the false security that food provides.

Even Valerie Bertinelli, the female spokesperson for Jenny Craig, talked about in her second book Losing It, that “dieting fixes one problem, but to maintain that weight loss, you have to work on everything else.” Let’s hope Jason Alexander soon realizes the same.

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