Reliable Foods & Restaurants Secrets!

Thanks to Harvard Medical School who have become far more preventative in their thinking we have lists of foods that one must be wary of because of contamination from pesticides and conversely, those reliable foods that are more resilient. They are called the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen.

The Dirty Dozen are as follows:

1. strawberries
2. spinach
3. kale
4. nectarines
5. apples
6. grapes
7. peaches
8. cherries
9. pears
10. tomatoes
11. celery
12. potatoes
13. hot peppers (an extra item in 2019).    Let’s call it the dirty baker’s dozen!

It means that all the dirty dozen bluntly should be organic! Look for organic spinach and also I believe all greens! Tomatoes and Potatoes are also significant! In Costco the extra cost for organic apples is marginal and the same for the greens. Remember Strawberries are right at the top of the list. Nectarines are a sleeper. You are waylayed because you would think peeling the skin solves the problem. Also, they come from highly noxious territories if imported.

Then the Clean Fifteen:

1. avocados
   2. sweet corn
   3. pineapples
   4. sweet peas, frozen
   5. onions
   6. papayas
   7. eggplants
   8. asparagus
   9. kiwis
   10. cabbages
   11. cauliflower
   12. cantaloupes
   13. broccoli
   14. mushrooms
   15. honeydew melons.

These are foods that have the lowest levels of residues and are therefore fine to buy in conventional form.

Avocados are the fabulous buy and again at a place like Costco, they have sufficient turnover that they are usually within two days of ripeness. A half avocado is usually very filling. However, a whole avocado is usually no more than 200 calories and the fat content is monounsaturated and good quality! There are restaurants in the Netherlands that sell only avocado-based foods. Whether it be with an organic egg. In other words, if you are cutting out carbs as much as possible that is a sensible solution!

Going to restaurants Harvard Medical School also has good tips:

• Patronize restaurants where good choices—seafood, whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables—abound.
• Check out the restaurant website in advance in order to decide what you’ll order, instead of making impulse decisions.
• Skip pan-fried or deep-fried foods. Instead, look for foods prepared with healthful techniques, such as baking, grilling, poaching, or roasting.
• Avoid dishes prepared with gravy and heavy sauces. Or ask the waiter to use half the sauce or to serve the sauce on the side so you can decide how much of it to use. Because gravy is often made with fatty pan drippings from meat, it’s relatively high in saturated fat. Many sauces are made with butter and cream, which are also high in saturated fat.
• Resize your portions: split a meal with a friend, order small plates or side dishes, or take half of it home for lunch the next day. Take advantage of the “small plates” trend, in which you and your dining companions share small servings and avoid large portions of single dishes.
• Get extra vegetables. Many restaurant entrees don’t come with a generous serving of vegetables. But you can easily remedy that by asking for more vegetables, ordering vegetables from the side dish selection, or substituting vegetables or a salad for a less, healthy side dish, such as fries.
• Lighten up dessert. Skip the indulgent, rich desserts, such as ice cream, cakes, and pastries (some can contain more than 1,000 calories) and go for simple treats, such as berries and peaches. If you want a sweet dessert, share it with others at your table. You’ll get the full taste, but just a fraction of the calories, sugar, and unhealthy fats.
• Watch those beverages. Sweetened drinks (often refilled during the meal) and alcoholic beverages can add hundreds of calories to your meal. Opt for sparkling water, plain tea, or coffee.

Thanks Harvard! Reliable Foods & Restaurants Secrets!