With Liberty And Fresh Tomatoes For All

A couple weekends ago, we found ourselves glued to an unsettling CNN special called "Blacks in America." One thing that instantly struck a cord with us was the discussion of how difficult it is for some people in this country to find fresh food. One woman said that it would be easier in her neighborhood to find a gun than a fresh tomato. It takes her an hour on the bus to find a place that carries fresh produce, and even that store she described as "despicable."

This is an issue that many Americans face, regardless of their race. We all know that fast food is cheaper and more accessible for all of us than organic produce, and many of us aren't lucky enough to be in a position to choose between the two. As a result, the latest statistic is that one third of Americans are obese and suffering from obesity related illnesses. Sure enough, the woman on CNN looks twenty years older than she is and has various health problems that are connected to her weight. And the only three things to eat in her neighborhood are fast food, frozen food and canned food.

So while we wait for the next President to hopefully help us fix this problem, what are we supposed to do when we are living or visiting or working in a town where healthy, fresh food is non-existent? Even in the worst circumstances, there are some foods that are better for us than others. Here are our tips for making the best food choices even when there aren't any good ones.

1. Can The Canned

Any vegetable that has an expiration date two years in the future should not count as an actual vegetable. The canned ones are full of sodium and preservatives that will raise your blood pressure and do worse things for your body than any vegetable can counteract. Of course, not all canned veggies are bad. There are some new organic ones that are good for you, but they're probably only available at the same places that stock fresh vegetables, so that doesn't really help. If you have the choice, always pick frozen vegetables over canned. Freezing vegetables keeps them from spoiling without the addition of scary preservatives, so it is always the better choice.

2. Convenience Store Stars

Even if the only food store you can find also sells gas, there are some decent finds in those tiny aisles. First of all, go nuts. Sure, nuts have lots of fat, but they are natural and high in protein and come straight from the earth. Skip the candied peanuts that are covered in high fructose corn syrup and get some plain roasted peanuts or almonds or walnuts. Many convenience stores also have bananas. These are rare fruits that have a long, natural shelf life, and even a beat up gas station banana is much healthier than Cool Ranch Doritos. This is also a time when it's a good idea to eat a meal replacement bar. Yes, we know we wrote a whole column about why you should never eat them, but this is the one time when you should. Concentrated food bars are high in calories and filled with strange ingredients, but a wrinkly old Power Bar is still better for your body than a bag of Pork Rinds.

3. Know Your Junk Food

When all else fails and you are left with no other choices but junk, read labels relentlessly and remember that some forms of junk are still better than others. Pay attention to how many calories you are ingesting. If you're at McDonald's, choose an Egg McMuffin with only 300 calories over a Big Mac and Fries with over 1000. At the grocery store, buy a package of English Muffins, which have less than 200 calories each, instead of frozen bagels with more than 300. Snack on a package of plain popcorn that has only 30 calories a cup instead of a Hostess Fruit Pie that has over sixteen times that. These small changes will add up over time, and if you manage to eat crappy food in moderation, you will suffer from far fewer health problems than someone who over eats the same crappy food.

Comments

[InformedSources]

Hey, while you're in that highway rest stop looking for bananas and nuts, why not grab a cup of coffee? A beautifully researched piece by Jane Brody in today's New York Times weighs the pros and cons of coffee consumption, and finds that not only is it not a health risk, but some studies have shown it to be cardio-protective while reducing the risk of liver cancer and Parkinson's disease. Best thing is, it enhances mood and performance! I love it when a journalist takes the times to do research and provide objective facts like that!

[InformedSources]

"I love it when a journalist takes the times to do research and provide objective facts like that!"

You can say that again!

[hollyo]

We need more warnings about HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP. It's totally replaced sugar, which has been made too expensive by protective tariffs. The high fructose stuff is not only highly caloric but urecognizable by your body and stored as fat. Some doctors think it's part of the diabetes epidemic because of the way it stresses the pancreas. Processors will get rid of it if we complain enough.

[JScott]

This is exactly why LA city banned expanding fast food places in parts of south L A, people whine, etc. but hopefully those who can provide more healthful alternatives will take advantage of the opportunity.

[Trilby]

You can not choose an Egg McMuffin over a Big Mac. At any given time, they will be selling one (breakfast) or the other (lunch), never both. Just saying...

[Pat15]

Folks have to take responsibilities for their choices ... Americans are so used to get whatever they want ..hey charge it ...guess the CC is gone now ..banks monitor it now ... so move out of the neighborhood ...sell your house ...one can find a job somewhere else or move in with someone so you can share expenses ... Just complaining wont help & neither the Boosh adminstration ..Boosh dont care about our citizens only for the big corporations who give him money ... We need to grow up and take care of ourselves better and think a bit when we elect people ..or this nation will become 3rd world where top 2-5% have the money & the rest just manage to survive ... yes we have freedom in this country as where we want to live & work but the choices are so limited .. We are economic slaves working 2 jobs to keep out families fed and have roof over our head ..cuz we made poor choices in electing our leaders .. we are paying the price now ...
Bring simplicity to your life & yes start a small garden full of herbs vegetables etc .. so much info available on internet ...Amen

[tompoe]

Can you girls do a little research for me? I need a good reference for learning how to grow herbs from seeds in my window. I also would like to know if tomato plants might be good in a container. I was thinking I could grow a row of corn along a fence, and maybe next to it, a row of bean plants that could use the corn stalks to climb up. Not sure what beans might grow that way, though. I heard there's green houses that can be made from windows as their roofs for lettuce and things. I'm just not sure ditching canned vegetables for frozen will work all that well, as my fridge freezer is really small. How do you feel about ditching lawns altogether, and replacing them with plants that are edible? Community gardens? Look to learn more from you about food for the poor.

[InformedSources]

Great comment! These are very thoughtful, practical suggestions.

[zizyphus]

All the empty lots should be converted to organic gardens. Rooftops as well.

However, Americans are used to a diet of machine foods, and most would rather die than change their eating habits.