Forget about the Four Food Groups


	by Lorena D. Johnson Forget about the four food groups when you shop for your groceries this week. Instead, whittle it down to three. That's how Ramona Josephson does her shopping. The Vancouver dietitian and author of HeartSmart Nutrition Shopping on the Run divides her shopping cart into three key areas to keep better tabs on what sheąs tossing into her cart. The largest section is designated for fruits, vegetables and grains. Meat, fish and milk products are placed in the front typically occupied by small children or a purse. The smallest space, usually under the cart, should be reserved for oil, fats and other items. It's a starting part, said Josephson during a recent book tour in Calgary. It gives you the picture of proportion. By using Josephson's guide it helps shoppers keep better tabs on their shopping and keeps the healthy, and not so healthy, items in check. She maintains eating a balanced diet really starts with a good shopping list prepared at home. Like the shopping cart, Josephson divides her list into the same three areas and categorizes her list accordingly. Items are added all week long. Then upon arrival at the store, she spends less time running back and forth hunting for missed items as many foods are also arranged similarly in the aisles. Itąs really a simple form of organization, she said. Josephson suggests spending the majority of time shopping in the perimeter of the store so the cart will be filled with more whole foods and less processed ‹ and often less nutritious ‹ ingredients. Start in produce and load up, said Josephson, noting shoppers must still hunt down the lower fat items in the dairy case and meat departments. Travel down the middle at the end. Read labels. Check for fat, salt and sugar content. Choose foods that bear the Health Check logo, an information program by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, that identifies foods that are part of healthy eating. Shopping with kids can be difficult especially with enticing foods purposely placed at their level. But it's also an important time to teach nutrition. What we do by example is the most profound example you can teach your children. The lessons suddenly start showing later. Josephson found by telling her children they could choose one item each trip often avoided the fighting and made them more selective about their choice. As we're whizzing down the aisles they can think about what they really want. Bean and Barley Soup This is one of Ramona Josephson's favourite recipes that was passed down from her mom. Add vegetables and herbs to suit your tastes. Bring 16 cups of stock to a boil. Add 1 cup of barley, washed and drained, and 1 cup large dried lima beans. Chop and add celery, onions and carrots. Season with a pinch of thyme, basil and ground pepper. Cook slowly for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until beans are tender. If too thick, add water. For a delicious meatless thick pea soup, use 2 cups dried green split peas instead of beans and barley. Serve soup with warmed whole-grain buns and a green salad. Granny Smith's Best Baked Apples This homey dessert will find your kitchen with the wonderful aroma of melted cinnamon and brown sugar. Choose a Granny Smith for the best flavour. Core the apple and fill with a mixture of cinnamon, small amount of sugar and raisins. Place in a baking dish, add a little water, cover and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Remove, cover and bake for 30 minutes longer. (To keep the shape while cooking, run a knife around the middle of each one so that it just breaks the skin before you core and stuff them.) Balsamic Orange Vinaigrette This is a low-fat and low-calorie salad dressing. 1/3 cup orange juice 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 tsp. mustard 1/4 cup water 2 tsp. parsley, shopped Combine and whisk. Refrigerate for a few hours. Serve with mild-flavoured greens.