Stressed? Put down the chocolate bar, grab a smart snack
I was talking with several other people at work the other day and we all complained about the same thing: our pants were getting tight.
There we were at lunch eating salads, still lamenting our increasing waistlines.
It's no secret that things are tenuous in the newspaper industry, just as in job sectors across the economy, but one of the unintended affects on me and my co-workers has been stress eating. Like you, we read about our stock dropping and we head to the vending machine for chips; hear about possible layoffs, unwrap a chocolate bar.
Eating things we enjoy takes our minds off unpleasantness, at least for a short time; but we still need to be mindful of what we're doing to ourselves in the long run. So for the people I work with, and others living with seemingly unbearable pressures, I offer these ideas for smarter stress eating from Toby Smithson, a registered dietitian with the Lake County Health Department and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
"Make sure that your snack choice is nutrient dense, packed with nutrients and not a lot of calories," she says.
Mix fresh or dried fruit with nuts, Smithson suggests. I recently combined golden raisins, dried cranberries, slivered almonds and a few dark chocolate chips in a baggie that I keep at my desk. In fact, I'm having some now. I don't get chocolate in every bite (that's the point!), but when I do it's a nice treat.
Toss raw vegetables and fruit (orange and apple slices, carrot and celery sticks, and broccoli) into a zip lock bag. The orange slices will keep the apple slices from turning brown, Smithson says.
If you have a bit more time in the morning, spread sugar-free chocolate pudding between two graham crackers and freeze. Or, layer low-fat yogurt with fresh fruit and crushed ginger snaps.
Of course, instead of eating, you could take a walk outside, climb the stairs or find an empty conference room for deep breathing exercises or scream therapy. Or maybe a little bit of both.
In the garden: Lucia Cavallino, co-owner of Enzo & Lucia Ristorante Italiano in Long Grove, will feature Italian recipes using fresh vegetables from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, April 23, in the Fruit & Vegetable Demonstration Kitchen at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe.
Cavallino, a native Neapolitan, will prepare main and side dishes that enhance the flavor, versatility and appeal of fresh vegetables. Tastings will be offered and recipes shared. The class costs $59 for garden members; $74 for nonmembers. Parking fee waived for students. Register at (847) 835-8261 or chicagobotanic.org/school.
By the book: Cooking instructor Jennifer Downing of Batavia will prepare a three-course menu featuring seasonal produce from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, at Inglenook Pantry, 11 N. Fifth St., Geneva.
Downing will use recipes from "Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes" by Jeanne Kelly as she creates a soup, entree and dessert. The class costs $45 for members of Geneva's Green Market group; $55 for nonmembers. Those attending will be entered to win a $10 gift certificate from Townhouse Books in St. Charles, which carries the cookbook.
To save a spot at the demo, contact Karen Stark, (630) 208.9321 or genevagreenmarket@gmail.com. Learn more about the market and membership in the nonprofit group at genevagreenmarket.org.
• Contact Food Editor Deborah Pankey at (847) 427-4524 or food@dailyherald.com. Listen to her discuss food and restaurant trends on "Restaurant Radio Chicago" from 5 to 6 p.m. Saturdays on WIND 560-AM.