Why stop along the road if you are stressing about the options? Roadsides are littered with multiple fast food options with a sprinkling of signs pointing to a diner which at least lets you believe the food is being prepared individually for you. Then, the options stop. This is especially true when you leave the Interstate for the scenic bypass routes. Leaving the road and exploring a small town can often yield little. Traveling into a larger town offers the best little secret: Try the local grocery store. You can at least find something that borders healthy, even if it’s not your favorite market, farm stand, or Whole Foods.

As the Interstates reveal, people are traveling again and judging by the numbers at picnic tables, frugality still dominates many of our dining decisions. Matching our budgets and desire to eat healthy poses numerous challenges which need great will power.

It can be done, but after your first opening of the Coleman, you might need to get creative.

According to the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association, the Fourth of July grabs the top spot as America’s single biggest day to grill outdoors with 80% of respondents planning to keep with tradition this year. Burgers top the list of most commonly grilled foods with ketchup repeating as the number one condiment. Probably should begin with a refresher course on food safety as many of us partake in our food ventures off premise as in picnic spots, tailgating, or camping. As always food handling should top the list of concerns and include the magic food safety words: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. No matter the menu, the rules apply and make everyone safer for the experience.

For so many of us, keeping the charcoal lit and hot proves to be directly proportional to how much lighter fluid we have on hand. I know you’ll miss the smell of the endless squirting of fluid, but here’s a fun gadget that takes the guesswork out of the operation and more insures the possibility of success: The Looftlighter. (Makes me imagine an air-lifting experience that transforms an ordinary pile of coals into a full-blown campsite)! OK, I admit it looks a little like a hair straightener, but this product seems to have little difficulty starting a fire. Also great for hardwood chunks added to the grill to infuse different flavors. Such love of grilling does not come inexpensively, but the neighbors and the environment thank you!

I know you’ll miss the lighter fluid taste, but some sacrifices need to be made! What if you’re planning a road trip and still want to grill, then there are full range of portable grills to make this a possibility. Since I’m such a coffee person, I was interested in seeing what the Bodum folks (known for their full line of coffee makers and accessories) came up with. Don’t worry, they are serious BBQ players with a full line of what they call “Toys for Grown Ups.” Am sure that phrase is debatable, but they have a nifty portable grill and all the necessary tools to make the outing a true holiday. You’ll have fun with the Ikea-like names as the FYRKAT, a picnic charcoal grill, solves the grill-on-the-go experience. Anyway the palette of fun colors makes this an uplifting purchase.

When you’re thinking about what to grill, take a moment and think about the foods you purchase and consider the humane farm animal care program. The website can direct you to purveyors and farms that are part of the certified humane movement. You’ll find no shortage of selections and at the same time know that your food has been handled better and will often prove tastier.

Let’s begin the long weekend!

This time the beneficial focus rests with the eyes in preserving vision (even in instances where there has already been some deterioration). This made sense to the researchers who cited the anti-aging properties of the compound so eye degeneration issues formed a natural fit. Let’s see if I have this right: Eat and drink some of these special foods and beverages and your heart and eyes benefit from the consumption. Nothing too difficult about this concept.

Wait, there’s more. Another study also just released addressed the obesity-fighting properties of resveratrol. This quickly brings to mind the French Paradox: A phrase employed with the earliest resveratrol studies that questioned how the French can remain so thin while they consume such large quantities of wine. As Yogi would say, deja vu all over again.

Nothing wrong with either of these studies. They point us in the right nutritional direction, and they have the seasonal advantage of information. Peanuts for the baseball game; grapes and blueberries as new seasonally ripe fruits, and wine anytime.

This makes sense to me!

–Giving Dad something for the grill is like giving Mom (on Mother’s Day) a new kitchen tool or a handy cooking device. Another day. Sure he loves to grill and everyone likes the post-grill kitchen clean-up, but another spatula, another day.

–Taking Dad out to eat on Father’s Day just means lots of people, lots of lines, and potentially less than stellar service. Make it yourself: That’ll be a better treat. Go ahead, you pop it on the grill! Remember, clean-up’s easy.

Dad might prefer a trip to a winery: Every state now produces wine. Lots of ‘em figured out how to make it a family affair so Dad gets to do what he wants, and the family is occupied with arts ‘n crafts, food vendors, and activities for the underage set. Check out your neighboring vineyards.

Maybe he could catch a ballgame in person or via television. Sorry, Strasburg fans, he’s not pitching today.

Repeat the Mantra: Give Dad a break; let him decide his Day.

Before the enumeration, here are a few special days to note–they come with goodies:

–June 4, National Doughnut Day, a holiday established initially by the Salvation Army to help those in need. Check out Krispy Kreme and Dunkin’ Donuts for their free offers. (Note that the offers are not identical). Get in line for a sweet Friday.

–June 5, Friendly’s is giving away free ice cream cones.

More of these special freebies as the month progresses.

Combine these single events with month-long celebrations:

–National Candy Month. The 16th is Fudge Day! This is from an association that has figured out how to celebrate different candies for each month of the year! They know about our collective sweet tooth!

–National Dairy Month. Easy to celebrate milk and all the other dairy foods as prices have remained fairly constant making dairy a consistently important, good purchase. FYI, vanilla is still the most requested ice cream flavor!

–National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month. Seriously, this needs little introduction. We know what we are supposed to eat and how many helpings. Slice up that organic celery now!

–National Iced Tea Month. It’s hot and as many people get into the iced cube part of life, tea does not want to be ignored. A vendor at The World’s Fair in St. Louis (1904) took credit for starting this beverage sensation. Why not have it on ice!

–National Turkey Lovers’ Month. This concept appeals to those looking for protein substitutes and the Association has been trying to get consumers to consider the product a year-round food, not just one celebrated in November. Lots of recipes and nutritional information on the site including a meal update calculator that helps us be more creative in our menu-planning.

Put them all together and what do you get: Many foods that we enjoy every month of the year!

Here are some interesting ones to add to your shopping outing:

–Avocados. This vegetable gets a lot of confusing press for its high fat content. Stop: It’s the good fat, the one that reduces the bad (LDL) cholesterol. Take it in. Most guacamole experts prefer the Mexican avocado splashed with a healthy dose of lime juice. Or just slice an avocado onto a salad or top your scrambled eggs (egg whites) with this colorful, soothingly sweet taste.

–Black Beans. With all the talk about BPA and can-leeching, find a market that offers dried beans and avoid the canned variety all together. Studies indicate that black beans have a special property in being able to boost your brain function. Grab a 3-ounce serving, your pen, and the New York Times Crossword Puzzle. See how effective this strategy is!

Sounds like we are solely advocating a Latin American-influenced diet, but the next flavor may move you around the globe.

–Turmeric. This bright colored, yellow spice gives flavor to many Indian dishes. Try it on chicken or use it with rice to benefit from its special properties that help lessen the possibilities from Alzheimer’s.

Don’t forget almonds and walnuts and last week’s nutty examination. Then move over to the dried fruit aisle for dried plums and figs, both of which have numerous health benefits. Figs for their lowering of blood-sugar and plums for their overall effect on lessening aging’s impact. Of course, fresh figs should not be overlooked when they are in season as they pair wonderfully with so many foods (cheeses) and turn an ordinary salad into a special treat. Add a little Balsamic, a ripe tomato, and you’ve got a beautiful plate.

Never too young to consider these foods and the longer list of possibilities. Time to start your weekend shopping.

Yet, if you make circle fries out of your potatoes, you’ll shorten the cooking time, i.e. reduce the oil you’ll need and still come up with a similar tasting product, albeit healthier.

This all rests on the premise if you believe potatoes are healthy to start with! I confess: I’m a potato person and like the nutritional benefits from this food!

My prediction: More circle potato products with fun-sounding recipe names!

–65% like “to dress it up” when it comes to grilling. Translation: sauce, marinade, or seasoning while 21 % “strip it down”, grilled food au naturel!

–More men than women prefer to add a spicy sauce.

–As for toppings, more grillers use ketchup on burgers or other grilled meats; mustard comes in a very close 2nd.

–Cheese is a frequent topping (over 60%), and over 70% of respondents say they want a bun for their sandwich, a traditional bun.

As for grilling’s popularity, the largest number of respondents said they like the way grilled food tastes.

No matter how you vote or what you like to grill, it is obvious that the outdoor cooking method makes kitchen clean-up an effortless process.

If you’re stuck without a clue how to get that perfect flavor or what to do with veggies on the grill, for instance, check out the Association’s website. BTW, if you don’t have a grill, but are thinking about buying one, they have advice and guidelines to streamline the process and help you decide whether to get charcoal, gas, or electric: All good options.

So many choices. So easy and delicious.

It was not that many years ago when the concept of a reusable bag was left to a small part of our population. No more. You see people everywhere holding their bags for any type of shopping excursion. Some stores trade your smaller bags for their larger ones; smart marketing and advertising on their part as long as they don’t throw away the bags!

Target has a plastic bag promotion: They want you to turn in your plastic bags by submitting them to TerraCycle, and they’ll give you a coupon to use for one of their reusable bags. Following the lead of Whole Foods Markets and others, Target recently added recycling bins near the checkout area. That’s a boost to one-stop shopping and avoidance of extra mileage trips. Starbucks hopes this Earth Day helps people understand about bringing their own tumblers for coffee so the company can lessen its use of paper cups. They’ll reward you.

Numerous grocers, restaurants, and other merchants want to be heard during this day. Get out and celebrate and make changes in your everyday routines.

Our work has just begun. We’ve learned. We still have so much to learn. It’s our only Earth.

The Nats meet the Phillies in what promises to be not only a good game on the field, but one the concessionaires will truly enjoy. There are some new foods gracing the corridors. Let’s start with one of the city’s top food destinations, Ben’s Chili Bowl, a must-visit for newcomers with several locations at the Park. For the traditionalists, there are no shortage of burger, hot dog, and pizza possibilities and then a carb world away are a few places that list “healthy options.” Somehow a baseball stadium and healthy options used together in a single sentence sound like a work of science fiction, but that is old school. Now there are choices including hummous, gluten-free pretzels, and even grilled chicken sandwiches minus the bun!

Ice cream stands will probably experience long lines to match the weather. Last year it was coffee stands that were doing a brisk business as the temperature was more fitting for an indoor sport. Not this year. It’s a sunscreen experience.

Other days; other parks. The healthy food option seems to be a sign of the times. When the Nats visit the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, vegetarian options lead the field. The Park earned the title as top vegetarian choice for baseball dining. Maybe this was the tie-breaker: A crab-free crab cake sandwich! Hmm.

Can’t wait to hear that famous magical phrase,  Batter Up as #44 throws out the first ceremonial toss.

Happy Passover.

Mexican, Thai, and other nationalities have plenty of choices Here’s a start: A masa-based Pupusa. The El Salvadoran dish or the version from Honduras is quite simply a delicious choice, a corn pancake-like dish filled with meats, cheese, or beans, similar to the more common Mexican tortilla. Rice noodles that work their way into Pad Thai is another simple solution. Being gluten intolerant may enable you to be more of an adventuresome eater, one with an interest in dishes from other countries, those that use more rice or corn than heavy gluten-laden wheat flour.

Some new snack foods are coming into the market that will please the G-F group. If you’re planning on visiting the Mets this season, they’re ready for you at the beautiful new Citi Field. Kozy Shack puddings are gluten free and now the company is sponsoring a G-F food cart that will be easy to spot and take the worry out of baseball dining.

Batter up.

With the newly passed health bill, the mystery of a calorie count will be removed form a guessing game. Calorie postings are part of the new program. Panera Bread announced sometime ago that it would be posting calories. In New York City, calorie posts have been required from businesses that had multiple locations (Starbucks, for one). Under the new law, any chain with at least 20 outlets will need to post. We can be certain that this type of in your-face information will have a positive outcome; at least it will make people think twice about some dishes that are the equivalent of a whole day’s calorie requirements!

The other food topic receiving increased attention is salt. More companies are taking a stand and reducing the sodium count of their products. The snacks owned by Pepsi (Frito-Lay, for example) will come under the reduced sodium count during the gradual reduction over the next five years. it would be grand if they considered reducing calorie counts in these same foods at the same time. Kraft (Oreos, for example) has a similar plan in the works. Both of these companies, both industry leaders, plan gradual changes so that consumers do not balk at the taste differences.

As a nation we are suffering from obesity and its many dangerous end results. At the same time, we cry out that regulation from any front is bad. This time our health as a nation depends on assistance from multiple sources if necessary.

We are out of control.

It’s intriguing to think of the concept:

His goal is to create lifestyle changes that reverse the devastating health statistics surrounding early death and severe obesity.  Without giving too much away, let me say his welcome did not resemble a cuddly, warm, open-arm reception. He was laughed at, viewed as a threat, and generally undermined, if that’s possible to do to the the delightfully entertaining Oliver. The kitchen staff at the first elementary school scoffed at what they considered an intruder; after all they had been there for decades doing the same thing. When they showed him how they make mashed potatoes, with potato pearls, he struggled to hold his composure.

His goal is simple: Effect the lives of the community and bring about healthy changes. He’s working with families and introducing them to foods that are not processed, deep-fried, and come out of the freezer section. Challenges are in every corner, for the students who are asked to choose between a home-cooked chicken lunch v. a slice of pizza–you know who wins! The lunch ladies, as he calls them, can barely hide their resentment and disgust. They admit that they said he could try to set up his school guidelines as he has done in the UK, but they emit skepticism.

Enough of this first episode. Recognize that he is tackling the very issues First Lady Michelle Obama has so eloquently addressed. His goal is to have schools, administrations, families and in general, the US think about the food that goes into our bodies. In this blog we’ve talked plenty about nutrition and childhood obesity; let’s hope that Jamie’s Kitchen becomes a model for how we can change the nutritional guidelines of school lunch programs and help families learn how to shop for foods that are not laden with lines of ingredients.

As they say, check your local listings for upcoming episodes.

As an aside, maybe the biggest irony of the show was the commercial for a fast food restaurant that talks about giving you more for less. They obviously never received the Jamie Oliver memo!

Children should not be held hostage for being participants in a program they need. Nor should they be given less than standard fare. With First Lady Michelle Obama headlining issues about child nutrition, the campaign for healthy school meals has gained front-row prominence and now needs to be able to deliver success.

A Congressional committee, part of Senator Blanche Lincoln’s Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, provides for the establishment of national nutrition standards consistent with the list of appropriate foods sold on school grounds. With a budget of $4.5 Billion for funding child nutrition standards, the USDA will be able to move forward in getting harmful products out of sight and improve the items in the school lunch line. The Act also provides for an expansion of after-school meals for at-risk children for a meal, not just a snack. For the first time it appears that the USDA will be able to impact the foods in line with nutritional standards and see that high fats and high sugars are items of a bygone period that should never have existed in the first place. It is shameful that regulations which govern what can be sold on school grounds have not been updated in 30 years!

With the cooperation of companies such as Coke, Mars, Nestle, and Pepsi, schools will be able to move children forward into healthier eating behaviors. Some of these companies have already taken steps to remove targeted items from school vending machines. It takes this type of cooperation from food companies and overall food industry players to impact the needed changes. Since over 2/3 of the states have limited or non-existent food nutrition standards, this type of Congressional action comes none too soon. With the expected passage of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Bill, junk food will remain in the junk pile and not in the lunch line.

Out of sight; out of mind. We have wasted years and calories. The time has come.

Naturally the bars and pubs are ready and some will be pouring green beer to make the day an especially memorable one. Plenty of corned beef and cabbage to round it out.

Here’s a big garden tip: If you live in the mid-Atlantic, tomorrow is a perfect day to plant peas. Nothing greener or sweeter when they’re ready. Just watch the ground and try not to step on the wet soil, use a plank or a board to avoid squishing down the ground further. The weather’s ready for that first crop of spring.

Go green: A good day to add an environmental thought to the food mix.

–Here’s a heads up, rather than a look back: IHOP has a special promotion this Tuesday (BTW, have you ever noticed how many one-day food deals there are on Tuesdays?), National Pancake Day. They hope you will enjoy the free pancake short stack (3) and consider making a charitable donation. This is a great two-fer as the company has managed to raise over $3 million dollars in the past few years of the event and would like the figure to reach $5 million. Take advantage and share your advantage.

–As long as we’re thinking pancakes, you might want to visit Bisquick’s Pancake Nation website where you’ll learn about pancake fundraising opportunities and potential grant information. As all states and counties seem to be struggling with budget issues, here’s an opportunity for schools and its organizations to kick start a fundraising effort.

–On the less sunny side of sweet news, there’s a warning from the FDA about Eggo waffles coming from a Georgia plant. The company has not yet responded. This is a watch-and-see situation as we wait to hear from Kellogg that the problems have been remedied at the Atlanta plant.

–This is the week that we had affirmation of a common trend we have promoted: The popularity of locally grown food. Seems a remote thought now with all the snow but a dreamy concept as the days get longer and the fields again produce the bounty we have come to expect. Time for individuals to decide about joining a CSA or starting their home-grown seeds. Have definite proof, spring is on the horizon (March 20).

–A little positive health news to end our round-up: Cranberry Juice is again in the news as a positive beverage to lower blood pressure and help promote a heart-healthy lifestyle of good cholesterol. The new study from Queen Mary University in London shows that those who do not choose an alcohol-based beverage are wise to select cranberry juice for its similar effects.

The week goes on.

Of course, if your needs are most strict as with celiac disease, then your requirements are quite different from those who just have a preference.  Dining out can pose a greater challenge, but there’s major improvement without the hassles of just a few years ago.

On the corporate scale, look at companies such as General Mills which have heavily advertised, front of label, their gluten-free line. Rice Chex and Corn Chex, two of the company’s long-standing cereals, now boast their special G-F properties. That’s great news as these products are readily available, and it means you can continue to make the popular Chex Mix as long as you add G-F pretzels such as those by Glutino.

If you follow strict guidelines, then ask stores you regularly shop for their G-F list. Many, such as Trader Joe’s, have quite an extensive product line, and having a printout makes shopping much easier when you know in advance what they carry. Some stores do a fabulous job having label tags that draw your eye to a product that qualifies.

If you are better off without gluten, so-called gluten intolerant, you’ll notice an increase in the number of familiar, everyday products that now list the fact that they are G-F. Study the two labels in the accompanying image and note that the one on the right touts the fact it is Gluten-Free: An important marketing tool. With “Gluten-Free” on the ingredient list, they have expanded their marketing base. Whether they have always been free of gluten or not, there’s a true advantage, a potential new customer base, in spelling out that your product is G-F.

If you look at the ingredient breakdown, you’ll notice they now also identify themselves a having 0 mg of Cholesterol. (Even though they have always been listed as a zero fat product, they want the zero cholesterol specific spelled out, too). Another marketing wave?

The breadth of product choices makes shopping in this category significantly easier than it did even a year ago as G-F product launches continue to increase.

Welcome aboard.