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| I was helping Melo-Cream at the age of four. Labor laws did not include children at that time. I learned about the best ingredients compared to the cheapest. Recently, someone suggested the Fuhrman book and I found it, unread, in my own library. |
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I began working at the Melo-Cream Donut Shop very young. The owner, my father, stressed nothing but the best ingredients in his products. He boasted that he saw about 200 bakeries go out of business, all guaranteed to make a ton of money, but lacking in quality and hard work.
We all live in a Bizarro world (see Superman comics) where everything is upside down. People complain about food prices, but they buy processed foods at hideous prices and have them delivered. Those foods are the worst possible for health, but they are addicting - fats, lots of sugar, and plenty of salt.
Super Stew for You
Many variations are possible. This is one I developed over time by making it for lunch every day, sharing with Charlie Sue, the Patterdale-Chihuahua. The ingredients are based on Doctors Joel Fuhrman and Michael Greger, seeing food as effective and inexpensive medicine.
I am going to list the way I make it. Feel free to plagiarize or improve.
Two-quart pan for the stove, starting with a bit of filtered water.
Blueberries go in first, as a super-food, plenty of antioxidants, low in sugar, anti cancer.
Sausage slices - a small amount is the base for some meat, either beef or pork or chicken. Charlie gets some during cooking and her portion later. Meat is not high in nutrition but some meat provides balance.
Walnuts - a small handful daily will remove bad cholesterol from the body. The blood chemistry convinced me when sugar and fat were way up with ice cream, but cholesterol was way down. I stopped ice cream completely. Those allergic to walnuts can try almonds.
Ground seeds and spices -
- Ground flax seed is very cheap, good against cholesterol and for the intestines.
- Ground mustard is added to help the blanched (frozen kale).
- Ground black pepper helps the turmeric, the ginger spice having oxidants and spice. (Go very easy with mustard and turmeric.)
- Allspice - would probably make a good bakery product - sob. Cumin is bean soup flavoring.
- Ground cardamom - aromatic and a memory of Mom, who never used any of these spices, but kept them for decades.
- Curry powder reminds me of cooking in India. Fennel and anise are seeds that add flavor.
- Kale is the daily champion. I resisted it but came to enjoy it, Greger said, "Nothing tops kale," so consider that. I use a lot each lunch.
- Spinach is the daily supplement. Variety is good in all the ingredients, because every plant has some variety, perhaps more than we know.
- Turnip greens are much like spinach.
- Collards are associated with bulking up future athletes who have little money.
Chick peas also provide a variety of vitamins and minerals, as well as a decent amount of fiber and protein. A 1-cup (164-gram) serving of cooked chickpeas offers (
- Calories: 269
- Protein: 14.5 grams
- Fat: 4 grams
- Carbs: 45 grams
- Fiber: 12.5 grams
- Manganese: 74% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Folate (vitamin B9): 71% of the DV
- Copper: 64% of the DV
- Iron: 26% of the DV
- Zinc: 23% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 22% of the DV
- Magnesium: 19% of the DV
- Thiamine: 16% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 13% of the DV
- Selenium: 11% of the DV
- Potassium: 10% of the DV
