As we sit down to enjoy the quintessential American holiday dinner, let’s stop for a minute and contemplate what we are actually celebrating.

What started off as a harvest festival in colonial times, became an annual tradition during the civil war, and was formally observed as a federal holiday for the first time during World War 2. (Coincidence, or did people needed an extra something to celebrate during wartime?)

So what did people eat here 350 years ago?

It was all local food. Sourced from 100 miles or less. Probably much less.

The main elements of today’s meal are based on fresh local food that was available back then in the new land – the wild turkey (and other fowl), the cranberries growing in coastal bogs, the pumpkins, squash, yams, and corn.

It was also about community. The tradition of a large shared meal with family, friends, and other community members began with the first harvest festivals when the pilgrims and Native Americans sat together to celebrate together the bounty of the land.

Thanksgiving has changed form and been commercialized by big financial interests over the years, but at its core, this beautiful tradition is an ode to all that is good in this world.

– The miracle of food coming forth from the land.

– The harmony of different peoples forming a community of help and trust.

– And a minute to pause and count our blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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Image: Campbell Soup Company

Last week, Campbell Soup Company reintroduced 12 of its popular canned soups for children, reformulated to be considered healthy by FDA standards:

…12 Campbell’s® Kids soups, reformulated to contain 480 milligrams of sodium per serving.

Now popular favorites [...] meet the government criteria for “healthy” foods – controlled for fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and being a good source of a positive nutrient like vitamin A.

The newly-reformulated soups are the latest to come to market as part of Campbell’s ongoing commitment to wellness, for a total of 78 soups in the portfolio at the healthy levels for sodium. By leveraging a combination of unique, lower sodium natural sea salt and expertise in flavor design, Campbell has been able to deliver lower sodium options without sacrificing taste.

Read the Press Release…

What you need to know:

For years, using salt was a cheap and easy way for manufacturers to mask the canned flavor of commercial soups. However, due to high levels of consumption, salt is now recognized as a serious threat to public health. Americans consume almost twice the recommended daily allowance of 2400mg (a teaspoon) a day. This leads to high blood pressure and related ailments.

Reducing salt is a good move by Campbell’s, in line with its strategy to refurbish a tarnished image of canned soup as a mega warehouse for MSG and sodium.

Taking for example, the Disney Princess Pasta Shapes soup, Campbell’s has reduced sodium from 580mg to 480mg per serving, and eliminated monosodium glutamate completely.

However, the bit about unique, lower sodium natural sea salt is marketing hype. There is no nutritional difference between sea salt and regular salt (derived from rock salt mineral deposits). True, the flavor may slightly differ when shaken on to food, due to tiny amounts of additional minerals found in sea salt. But the amount of sodium is the same.

Also in the reformulation, the calorie count actually went up from 70 to 80 calories per serving, but this is negligible.

What to do at the supermarket:

Thinking about making your own soup but afraid to try? Soup is actually one of the easiest foods to prepare because it is very tolerant to mistakes by beginners. Scoot on over to the produce section and get some carrots, celery, pumpkin, zucchini, and onions. At home, wash, peel, dice, and throw into a pot of boiling water. Let cook for a few hours, add pepper and salt, and your soup is ready. Much tastier than canned soup, and guaranteed to contain less sodium.

OK, this week you don’t have time. In this case, look for soups with a reduced sodium level, preferably 480mg or less per serving.

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flickr photo: ninjapoodles

The holidays are upon us, and with them, family time, festive meals, and an unfortunate side effect of weight gain.

Better Homes and Gardens lists 6 superfoods to help you eat healthier come next weekend – turkey breast, cranberries, pumpkin (also see our post), whole wheat dinner rolls, sweet potatoes, and peas. Too bad there’s no dessert in that list, but how about some fresh apples?

A 3.5 oz serving of skinless turkey breast is about the size of a deck of cards. It is rich in protein (30gr which is about half your daily requirement) and practically fat free (only 4 gr). It is low in cholesterol and high in folic acid and several important minerals, iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium as well as B vitamins.

Generally, whiter cuts of meat are leaner than darker ones. So if you can’t get the breast, the next best options are leg or wing.

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flickr photo: creativedc

Halloween is just around the corner, and this is a great opportunity to provide our readers with a pumpkin update. This week we’ll talk about the pumpkin flesh, next week we’ll extoll the virtues of pumpkin seeds.

What you need to know:

The rich orange flesh stores a high amount of carotenoids (a type of antioxidant) which are associated with reducing the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. The alpha and beta carotenes in just a cupful of this super-food supply the body with more than a day’s recommended amount of vitamin A. Pumpkins are rich in vitamin C and vitamin E, as well as potassium and magnesium.

What to look for at the supermarket:

the pumpkin is a winter squash, usually available from late August until March. The height of the season begins now and lasts for 3 months. Since most pumpkins are rather huge, they’re cut up and sold in 2-3 lbs. chunks. Look for deeply orange flesh, seeds intact, and clean exterior skin. Not in season, one can usually find canned pumpkins. Although not as tasty, they work well in most recipes.