Tag: food

enjoying holiday feasts

We’re in the holiday season now, with Thanksgiving and Christmas approaching. And typically there are family reunions and parties during this time where people eat a lot of food. And there will undoubtedly be “news” reporting linking this with obesity. So let me say this again: holiday meals don’t cause obesity.

While this blog has a lot of randomness and made-up content, that is absolutely true and supported by research. Follow the link to read more and find my source.

The TL;DR version: The average weight gain for the entire holiday season is just 0.8 pounds. Less than one pound! So while at these feasts of celebration and fellowship, enjoy the food. During that meal, don’t worry about calories and fat grams — just enjoy the time. Resume your healthy eating at other meals.

Perhaps I should add a disclaimer that I’m not a doctor nor a dietician. Although I do know a lot about eating… 🙂 I also try to eat healthy and responsibly most of the time. It just irks me when “news” people try to make people feel so bad they can’t enjoy a celebratory feast with family and friends.

donut nachos

This is just a photo found online. We haven’t tried this idea yet, but will post an update when we do. Just wanted to add a picture here, because, donuts are delicious. And talking about food is better with pictures.

If you think about the title wrong, it might sound gross. So if it sounds gross, you have the wrong image. 🙂 Perhaps we need a new name, but we have to start somewhere.

The idea started when I was having lunch with the Buffet o’ Blog staff. One of the guys ordered pork nachos. Later the conversation turned to donuts. We had the idea of making a dish like nachos but instead of chips, start with donuts. Have bite-sized pieces of donuts, then add chunks of bacon and/or sausage, and instead of cheese, pour icing over the top. Or you could put chocolate gravy over it.

I’ve never seen or heard of anyone doing this, but it sounds like it would taste great. Perhaps some research is in order… Update: I did a quick search, and it has been done, but the pictures I saw weren’t as awesome as what I’m imagining, so we should still attempt this someday.

Someone mentioned the idea of putting gravy on it. I don’t know… I’d try it, but I’m not sure how the sweetness would work with the gravy. Also, to be clear, this is referring to Southern-style gravy, made from sausage grease.

What do you think about the idea? And what would you call it?

what you don’t know about Oreos

Let me tell you two things about Oreos that you may not know (since I made it up).

1) There are three servings of Oreos per package. Forget what the nutritional information box says on the back — that’s just to appease the FDA with their serving size suggestions and such. The evidence is that they are divided neatly into three rows, so you know how many to eat per sitting without having to count them. It’s a clever design.

2) Regular Oreos should be called Lite Oreos. The Double-Stuf Oreos should be considered normal, because they have the ideal balance between creme filling and cookie shell. (I realize this is my opinion, so others may think differently, but I have done exhaustive research on this topic and I’m right.)

Now you know…

BONUS TRIVIA: Do you know how many flavors of Oreos that have been made? (I wouldn’t expect anyone to know the literal number, but do you think it’s over 30 or 50 or 100?) One count I found is 143 different flavors of Oreos. I know I’ve seen a few weird ones in the store occasionally, but I had no idea there were that many. (Actually, I usually try to NOT look at the Oreo display in the grocery store, because I would always want to buy a package but I also want to be healthy, so they must be eaten in moderation.) Anyway, I happened across a website about snacks that ranked all 143 flavors of Oreos they found. The list starts with the worst ones, which are the most interesting (to read about, not to eat). If you want to be surprised at the crazy ideas:

REVIEW: Ranking Over 100 Oreo Flavors Because We’re Fat. (Note: The article and site should be at least PG-rated, if that matters to you. Also, it lists 132 reviews, but some are combined.)

holiday meals don’t cause obesity

As we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas, there will undoubtedly be news journalists and magazine writers telling people to not overeat at holiday feasts. So let me preempt their “breaking news” and tell you to not listen to them! Eating more than normal at the occasional feast doesn’t mean you’ll get fat or that you’re a glutton. There has been actual research done on this which showed that the average weight gain for the entire holiday season is just 0.8 pounds. Look at that number — less than one pound! So don’t worry about a meal here or there. It’s your daily habits that determine if you’re overweight or not. Go ahead and enjoy the family get-togethers during the holidays. Enjoy the food and don’t feel guilty if you occasionally eat more than normal.

I’ve ranted on this before, so I’ll just link to that, which links to the actual news article with the research: holiday eating is not making you fat.

If you typically concern yourself with counting calories and saturated fat grams and such, don’t let that keep you from enjoying your meal. As I wrote above, one meal is not the problem. But if you feel the need to have restraint (like if your doctor told you to avoid sugars), then decide before the meal what you will eat and how much, then eat the meal within those boundaries so you don’t ruin your enjoyment of the meal, like I wrote about recently in my post about a bowl of chocolate versus a responsible adult. It’s a mindset strategy so you can enjoy your situation even when there’s restrictions.

Oh, and if someone wants to argue about it before or after your family get-together, you can tell them about the actual study in the news, but if they’re determined to not enjoy their meal, that’s on them and it may not be worth your time arguing about it. Just go eat another piece of pecan pie… 🙂