What's cooking? (1 Viewer)

[Dheiner]

Likewise, I can't answer your question, either, Stan, but, I do have an add-on.

When discussing calories, and diet(s), people talk about the number of calories consumed, and the number "burned" via exercise.

Why are the number of calories "eliminated" not addressed? Given that different people have differing metabolisms don't their utilization of calories differ, too?

 

[Stan]

I don't think it is a strange question at all. Unfortunately, I can't answer it, but I have a comment or two.

Back in May, I did the Whole 30 program. I was intrigued by it, and when Julia Collin-Davison of America's Test Kitchen said she was doing it, I thought I would give it a try. Basically, it is an elimination eating protocol - for 30 days you do not eat dairy, grains, legumes, sugars or alcohol and then you slowly add things back to see how they affect you. It is for information about how your body reacts to certain foods, and I found that intriguing. Interestingly, bacon is allowed on the protocol as long as you can find bacon that is not sugar-cured. I found some at Spouts market.

One of the things I discovered doing the Whole 30 was that I need less food than I had been eating. I have lost 30 pounds since May 1, mostly, IMO, by reducing portion sizes and limiting carbs to fewer than 100 grams per day. (I have also upped my physical activity somewhat, but not to an extreme by any means.) I have added all of the food groups in question back to my diet, but in moderation. I typically have bacon at breakfast 2 or 3 days a week, but never more than 2 slices. In addition, I have avoided processed fats as much as possible, and I now use olive oil, butter and - yes - bacon fat - for cooking, I have also become a big fan of ghee (browned and clarified butter) for higher heat needs (it is easy to make, just takes a bit of time). I even have a cookie now and then, but I make them myself, using butter and good ingredients; I want to avoid whatever "mystery shortening" they use in things like Chips Ahoy,

I think many foods have become demonized. Rather than say "never eat this" I have found for myself that I can enjoy many things in moderation, including pasta and bread, and bacon, and still feel satisfied. I am just commenting, not making a recommendation. All I know for myself is that I am still losing weight (a good thing) and my most recent blood test showed normal cholesterol (something I was worried about) despite my intake of bacon and using butter and bacon fat for cooking. I will admit it takes time and effort to avoid processed foods, but since I have made that effort I lost weight, feel good, and feel more satisfied eating less than I used to eating more.

Never really paid attention to the ingredients in bacon, just pick up whatever is on sale and looks moderately lean. One to avoid is the non-nitrite, low sodium versions. They were terrible, left the most awful aftertaste. Never again. In moderation a little bacon here and there is fine, go for the real thing.

Just looked at the package I purchased and it's got water, salt, sugar, dextrose and a few other things. I'll have to shop a bit more carefully and see if I can find something without sugar.

I've got a little George Foreman grill, so most of the fat drips off. I take two slices, cut them in half and they fit perfectly. Tiny little grill, bought off QVC years ago, they misrepresented it as being much bigger than it is. Can't even fit a decent steak into it. Barely holds a regular sized sandwich, but good for some things.

The only fats I use are olive oil, peanut oil and butter. Read terrible things about Canola oil, vegetable oil, Crisco and others, so skip them. They're much cheaper, but I use so little, I'll go for the higher end items. And margarine, with the whole trans-fat, hydrogenation, etc. I avoid. I'd rather have a small amount of natural butter than a mystery fat with who knows what in it.

Ghee is great. Takes a little labor, but once you've gotten rid of the milk portion, it stores forever in the fridge.

I'll have to look into the Whole 30 thing, never heard of it. I became severely diabetic for about three years, taking five insulin shots a day. I probably got a bit carried away, but I dropped my carbs to 45 grams a day, which is kind of tough to do. But after three years, it went away. I'm more careful about what I eat, but never had a problem since.

I was a bit chunky, about 225 lbs. But I dropped to 140, which was way to extreme. My body chemistry was so screwed up, I was using my own fat and muscle as fuel. Things got better, no more insulin and my weight leveled off at 165-170, much more normal.

My only exercise now is pushing buttons on the remote. Just kidding I walk the dog, no jogging because of a spine issue, but light weights and 3-5 miles a week of walking keep things under control.

 

[KPmusmag]

Never really paid attention to the ingredients in bacon, just pick up whatever is on sale and looks moderately lean. One to avoid is the non-nitrite, low sodium versions. They were terrible, left the most awful aftertaste. Never again. In moderation a little bacon here and there is fine, go for the real thing.

Just looked at the package I purchased and it's got water, salt, sugar, dextrose and a few other things. I'll have to shop a bit more carefully and see if I can find something without sugar.

I've got a little George Foreman grill, so most of the fat drips off. I take two slices, cut them in half and they fit perfectly. Tiny little grill, bought off QVC years ago, they misrepresented it as being much bigger than it is. Can't even fit a decent steak into it. Barely holds a regular sized sandwich, but good for some things.

The only fats I use are olive oil, peanut oil and butter. Read terrible things about Canola oil, vegetable oil, Crisco and others, so skip them. They're much cheaper, but I use so little, I'll go for the higher end items. And margarine, with the whole trans-fat, hydrogenation, etc. I avoid. I'd rather have a small amount of natural butter than a mystery fat with who knows what in it.

Ghee is great. Takes a little labor, but once you've gotten rid of the milk portion, it stores forever in the fridge.

I'll have to look into the Whole 30 thing, never heard of it. I became severely diabetic for about three years, taking five insulin shots a day. I probably got a bit carried away, but I dropped my carbs to 45 grams a day, which is kind of tough to do. But after three years, it went away. I'm more careful about what I eat, but never had a problem since.

I was a bit chunky, about 225 lbs. But I dropped to 140, which was way to extreme. My body chemistry was so screwed up, I was using my own fat and muscle as fuel. Things got better, no more insulin and my weight leveled off at 165-170, much more normal.

My only exercise now is pushing buttons on the remote. Just kidding I walk the dog, no jogging because of a spine issue, but light weights and 3-5 miles a week of walking keep things under control.

That is fantastic that you got the diabetes under control. Awesome. Thanks for sharing, that is encouraging to hear.

 

[KPmusmag]

Likewise, I can't answer your question, either, Stan, but, I do have an add-on.

When discussing calories, and diet(s), people talk about the number of calories consumed, and the number "burned" via exercise.

Why are the number of calories "eliminated" not addressed? Given that different people have differing metabolisms don't their utilization of calories differ, too?

I think so, absolutely. And I think also there is the quality of the food that contains the calories that should be considered, too. A woman I work with faithfully packs a healthy lunch, like chicken breast and vegetables, for example. But at least two or three times a week she will eat a donut in the morning and then skip lunch because she is going to be over her calorie limit. And I just want to say, "But that donut makes it even more important to get that protein, vitamins, fiber etc., eat your lunch!" I recall that when I had a nutrition class in school the discussion about calories was separate from the discussion about nutrition, which always seemed wrong to me. They would say, "To lose weight you need to expend more calories than you take in." Period. I think they should have added, "...so make those calories count with good nutrition."

 

[Stan]

I think so, absolutely. And I think also there is the quality of the food that contains the calories that should be considered, too. A woman I work with faithfully packs a healthy lunch, like chicken breast and vegetables, for example. But at least two or three times a week she will eat a donut in the morning and then skip lunch because she is going to be over her calorie limit. And I just want to say, "But that donut makes it even more important to get that protein, vitamins, fiber etc., eat your lunch!" I recall that when I had a nutrition class in school the discussion about calories was separate from the discussion about nutrition, which always seemed wrong to me. They would say, "To lose weight you need to expend more calories than you take in." Period. I think they should have added, "...so make those calories count with good nutrition."

The quality of what you eat makes a huge difference. I'm not vegan or one of those extreme anti-carb, anti-gluten people, just eat normal, but pay more attention now than I used to.

One odd thing I discovered is when you cut out sodium, deep fried foods, desserts and other unhealthy items, you really can't go back.

Any commercial or processed food tastes incredibly salty. Give me something deep fried and it's awful, tastes like a big spoonful of grease, totally overpowering whatever food was in the recipe. If you do it right, get the temperature correct and don't overload the fryer, very little oil gets absorbed, but good luck finding a place that knows how to deep fry properly.

And frying at home, with one of those cutesy deep fryers that hold about a gallon of oil rarely work. I bought one and it never got to a high enough temperature. Put in just a small amount of food and the temp drops 30-40 degrees, plus it smells up the house so I only used it outside. Just not worth the effort, cleaned it up and it goes out in the next yard sale.

One good food to make from scratch, yeast dough, your own tomato sauce, etc. is pizza. Takes some effort, but far better than any commercial product. Haven't done it in a while, there are a few commercial brands that are okay, but time to get back to making my own. It will probably have ten ingredients, not 45.

Much cheaper and just that satisfied feeling that you did it yourself.

 

[Raul Marquez]

Stan,

Bought a Phillips Air Frier. Couldn't believe how great it is!

Highly recommended! All the taste of fried foods with little or no added fat.

 

[Stan]

Stan,

Bought a Phillips Air Frier. Couldn't believe how great it is!

Highly recommended! All the taste of fried foods with little or no added fat.

Do those things really work? I've been burned by late night TV infomercial stuff in the past so tend to stay away. We all have our guilty pleasures and if they can be made in a more healthy manner, yet still taste decent it would be nice.

I've seen the ones where you add a little oil and it has a stirrer, like a popcorn machine, but read terrible reviews about them. Never heard of the Phillips model, and like Alton Brown, don't like "unitaskers" that only do one thing, but I'll check this one out.

 

[Raul Marquez]

Stan,

Just to give you an idea you get PERFECT french fries out of a frozen bag without adding any oil. Same goes for fish sticks, and other frozen foods that you may normally fry. Baking these just doesn't cut it for my taste buds. The air frier works great. I've bought it for over a year on Amazon and that's one appliance I don't regret buying. I initially had my doubts, went into the Phillips Air Frier web page, saw the videos there, and also the YouTube videos on it and bit the bullet. We use it 1 to 2 times a week at least. BTW, they have 2 models; one with a dial and another a digital one. I bought the digital one.

 

[DaveF]

Question for the scientists or nutritionists here. A calorie is the energy required to raise a certain amount of water one degree, or something similar.

Food calories are measured by burning the food and measuring the amount of heat given off.

Now for my silly question. Bacon is considered terribly unhealthy, to much fat, little nutrition, etc. But do they take a slice of raw bacon and measure it at that point? Or is it cooked like normal, letting a lot of the fat drain off and measured from there?

Considering that most people will drain off the excess fat and toss it, is bacon really as unhealthy as we've been led to believe?

Yes, I ask strange questions, but I'm bored today

I expect that the calories on the package of raw bacon are for raw bacon. But I would wager that caloric content has been also measured for various forms of cooked bacon: fried, baked, etc.

 

[Malcolm R]

Good to know. I was wondering about those air fryers, too.

 

[Stan]

Okay, just a lazy, fattening day. But no appetite so skipped breakfast and lunch, but this will catch me up.

Dinner is a giant fat bomb. A Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken & Bacon Pot Pie.

Serves two, yeah as if that will happen.1020 calories, 64 fat grams and 82 grams of carbs. But once in a while, just not in the mood to cook, have to splurge and break the rules

 

[Kevin Hewell]

Now for my silly question. Bacon is considered terribly unhealthy, to much fat, little nutrition, etc. But do they take a slice of raw bacon and measure it at that point? Or is it cooked like normal, letting a lot of the fat drain off and measured from there?

You obviously didn't grow up in the South.

 

[DaveF]

Lunch, I tossed a farmers market salad: fresh lettuce, blackberries, strawberries and a tomato that I'd bought yesterday (and some vinaigrette).

Dinner, a giant third-pound cheeseburger cooked very rare, with cheddar and Monterey Jack. It was the best burger I've made in years. I ate on the deck, at my grilling station

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Now you need to replace those chips with grilled potato slices. Cut them maybe 1/4" thick, rub with oil, then grill on the cooler parts of the grill.

 

[Mike Frezon]

O....M....G

Look at that cheese!!!

Is that one-third pound of cheese to go with the one-third pound of beef?!?!?

 

[Stan]

Dinner, a giant third-pound cheeseburger cooked very rare, with cheddar and Monterey Jack. It was the best burger I've made in years. I ate on the deck, at my grilling station

The only way to go, very rare. So many people and restaurants overcook burgers, that silly safety thing where it has to reach 150, 160, or whatever temp is in vogue.

I like my burgers or steaks rare, my eggs a little under done, never had a problem, and I'm still here.

 

[DaveF]

Now you need to replace those chips with grilled potato slices. Cut them maybe 1/4" thick, rub with oil, then grill on the cooler parts of the grill.

I've been doing chips lately; so much lazier than fries. Unfortunately, the brand I recently found that is my new favorite is no longer at the neighborhood grocery store.

O....M....G

Look at that cheese!!!

Is that one-third pound of cheese to go with the one-third pound of beef?!?!?

Pretty much A layer of thick cheddar and a layer of thick monterey jack took it over the top!

The only way to go, very rare. So many people and restaurants overcook burgers, that silly safety thing where it has to reach 150, 160, or whatever temp is in vogue.

I like my burgers or steaks rare, my eggs a little under done, never had a problem, and I'm still here.

Since I was only cooking for myself, and not my wife or friends, I took a chance of killing myself with undercooked beef. With other people, I go for medium rare and fully cooked.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Now that I'm not tank-limited anymore, I'm trying a slow roast on the grill of foil wrapped chicken breast in butter, fresh rosemary, onions, and sliced potatoes with a rub of marinade of garlic and spices. We shall see how this turns out.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

The only way to go, very rare. So many people and restaurants overcook burgers, that silly safety thing where it has to reach 150, 160, or whatever temp is in vogue.

I like my burgers or steaks rare, my eggs a little under done, never had a problem, and I'm still here.

So have you ever gone for Steak Tartare, which is raw ground beef with a raw egg mixed into it?

I've been known to grill this mix with some minced onion mixed into it. Makes a fabulous burger but something you eat with a fork, not on a bun.

 

[Stan]

So have you ever gone for Steak Tartare, which is raw ground beef with a raw egg mixed into it?

I've been known to grill this mix with some minced onion mixed into it. Makes a fabulous burger but something you eat with a fork, not on a bun.

I enjoy Sashimi at a good Japanese restaurant, but never tried raw beef, not quite that daring. Rare I enjoy, but it's got to have at least a little bit of cooking.

I've got a pretty good recipe for egg nog that uses a raw egg. It's a nice, normal liquid drink I'll sometimes have for a quick breakfast, not that thick, gloppy, overly sweet stuff that people serve around the holidays.