Grapes make an excellent snack -- as long as you make the choice.

It costs more to eat well, according to a research study out of the University of Washington.

Hoping to see what effect the new U.S. dietary guidelines would have on a family’s pocketbook, researchers –  including Pablo Monsivais, acting assistant professor at the University of Washington and part of the Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network — evaluated hot much extra it would take to meet the new guidelines. (A quick aside: Prof. Monsaivais had already concluded back in 2009 that a better diet, which means a diet that’s richer in nutrients than calories, is more costly, and mostly consumed by those who are better educated.)

Research, according to newspaper and online reports, found that “eating more potassium, the most expensive of the four nutrients, can add $380 to the average person’s yearly food costs.” It also costs more to meet the fiber and Vitamin D guidelines. In addition, researchers confirmed that you can lower food cost by getting more of your calories from saturated fats and sugar.

Researchers want the U.S. government to back up the new guidelines with advice, and tell people how they can get the biggest bang for their buck. Me? I’m not so sure this would do very much. People know, for example, that bananas provide a good helping of the blood pressure-lowering, heart-helping nutrient potassium. I just don’t think it matters. Sure, they could eat a banana for a snack — bananas that cost about $.19 each or $.29 each if they are organic — but most choose not to. It’s sad, but I truly believe we as a society have been conditioned by marketers and advertisements and huge, honking supermarket end caps that a snack of say, potato chips is a much better alternative. I mean, who really thinks about potassium aside from pregnant women and mothers of small children?

I know I sound very cynical, but I have spent the better part of a week interviewing people who were morbidly obese, and I got an earful about what brought them to the brink of death. (These were really, really sick people with multiple co-morbidities like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart issues, sleep apnea.) Every one of those interviews confirmed something to me: It’s just far too easy to overeat bad food because eating bad food makes us, at least for a moment, feel good. The rush of sugar and chemicals dopes us into feeling good. The ultimate self medication. And that bad food is often the cheapest and easiest to find and get.

All of the people I interviewed are now closer to “normal” weight. (Although with two-thirds of adults and one-third of children being overweight, what’s really normal anymore?) They have made big changes in their lives. They all cut out processed carbs, chips, candy, sweets. They eat lots of lean meat, vegetables, and whole grains. They exercise. Not coincidentally, they all feel great. The co-morbidities are gone. And many of them are a little bit angry that they were duped into eating garbage to begin with.

This is not the first time I’ve written a story about weight loss. In the past, every single expert I’ve interviewed told me the same thing about weight loss: Calories in, calories out. That’s how you get slim, that’s how you stay healthy. If you eat, for instance, a Trader Joe’s chocolate biscotti (150 calories for a single small cookie) you’re probably still be hungry after you wipe the crumbs off your chin. However, if you eat a huge cup of organic red grapes (about 100 calories as well as fiber, vitamin C, iron, B-1, manganese, and calcium), you’re not as likely to be hungry. I know this firsthand. You’re also closer to your goal of eating more antioxidants like the anti-aging resveratrol.

And so we are back at the beginning. Yes, it’s cheaper and easier to eat garbage. It takes lots more time, a little more money, and a lot more effort to make good food choices. But I am convinced that the government can’t help us with this. It’s up to every person to make his or her own choices. Yes, I think it would be great if, for example, the Food Stamp program would make it more difficult to buy high calorie processed foods, and reward recipient for buying fruits and vegetables, but I don’t see that happening any time soon. How about you?

I just don’t understand why stores of all variety and sizes continue packing food into plastic that, unfortunately, people probably aren’t recycling. Whenever I go to that particular store, for example, they always try and give me a ton of plastic that I invariably have to tell the person behind the counter to skip. A piece of wax paper is fine, I say. I don’t need plastic clamshells for my cookies, muffins, or danish. They always look at me like I am nuts, but comply.

You’d think the store would want to save a little cash (not to mention the environment), and skip the clambox. But no, that’s just not the case. I asked about it once and was told that customers like their muffins completely unbruised. Putting a muffin in paper, I was told, means the sides might get a little squished. (Are we really so silly that we can’t have a little imperfection when we’re eating our sweets?) It’s sort of like the wastefulness of using a plastic bag for a single item while shopping. Or using plastic wrap instead of a reusable container to put away leftovers. Once you think about it you realize how silly the practice is.

And so, my challenge to you: This week try and avoid using one piece of plastic — wrap, clamshell, bag, or otherwise. Nothing radical. Just a single change. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is.

For me, the answer has always been: It depends. What time of the month is it? (Sorry, TMI, I know.) Am I going to the gym in a few hours where they will get very sweaty and be tossed in the hamper in a bit? Will anyone else be seeing them? Do I have an event going on in a day or two and am I running short on the good ones? You can guess where this is going, I’m sure. I wear the really cute ones only on special occasions. The old ones are my daily staples.

I realized this tonight as I staggered out of the shower on my way to bed. I looked at the neatly folded knickers and made a choice between two pair. The cute blue striped Aeries and the sorta old, sorta past-their-prime Olga Secret Hug flowered number. I was just about to grab the nice pair when I realized that I would change them anyway in the morning. Why waste a good pair, I thought, as I pulled on the ones that should have been tossed a few years ago. This is a problem.

Why shouldn’t I wear really nice, really awesome underwear for myself? Just because they are comfy and dainty and fun? And forget about the fact that I will only be wearing them for about seven hours before changing them again. Yes, this is a problem and the story of my life. I need to figure out why I don’t feel like I deserve the nice underwear all the time. Why I don’t pitch all my old drawers and buy a drawer-full of cool panties? I’m not sure, but I’m going to explore it this week. That’s for sure.

Do you deny yourself anything today? If so, what and why? And what’s your favorite pair of underpants? Have any tips for me? I’d like to know.

Digressing as usual…so we get out to the outlets and I ask Chris where he wants to shop. Saks Off 5th is his answer. I was about to start walking in that direction, but I stopped and looked at him first. Something went off inside of me. No, he wasn’t going discount this time. No, he needed something that would wow people. In the business world — especially New York City — he deserves to wear the best. Yes, it’s okay to buy $4.99 slacks for hanging around the house or going out to dinner with friends, but he needed to look like a million bucks when he stepped into his new place of business. So it was settled (at least in my mind): We were going to Brooks Brothers, someplace we’ve never stepped foot in. Ever.

After a little prodding we walked into the store. The Brooks Brothers outlet was really nice. Even sizing was a breeze since they had every size of shirt in the dressing room for him to try on before he got busy shopping. The salespeople were so helpful, too, and the clothing was really sharp. My husband is tall and has broad shoulders but is thinner through the waist, so he usually has a tough time shopping. Not at Brooks Brothers, though, where we discovered they have something called Slim Fit –shirts and suit jackets cut broad at top and narrower through the waist. He tried on one of the Slim Fit shirts in his size. He looked amazing. He didn’t have any of the annoying “puffy” look around his back and waist that he’s always complaining about. While he was trying on shirts I started looking at pants. I found the softest, lightest summer slacks I have ever seen. Tropical wool, they are called. I grabbed a few colors in his size and brought them to his dressing room. He tried them on and was ooohing and ahhing over them. We both agreed they would be so comfortable for commuting.

In the end he came home with three dress shirts and two slacks. Brooks Brothers shirts are usually $79.50 or three for $199. The slacks are usually $178 each or two for $279. I have to say it: WHO PAYS THAT KIND OF MONEY FOR BUSINESS CASUAL CLOTHING??? Okay, sorry, I lost it for a sec. Anyway, there was a HUGE sale going on plus I snagged a 10 percent off coupon from someone (“Excuse me, miss, are you going to use your Brooks Brothers coupon?”) so we paid about $170 for everything. Yes, that’s way more than I would ever pay for five items of my clothing, but I looked at Chris and, bursting with pride, I knew he deserved the splurge.

The sweet part was that he hesitated at the last minute. Are you sure, he wanted to know, as he stood waiting to check out. He knows how I stress over spending money and how I like my bargains. He knows my past still colors my present. I know that a simple phrase like, “Are you sure?” doesn’t seem like such a big deal, but it is SUCH a big deal. He gets me. Not only does he get me, but he respects me and how I feel. That’s huge. But what’s just as huge is that I didn’t stress too much about spending that kind of cash. I really can’t wait to see him all dressed up in his new clothing on Tuesday. I can’t wait to see how handsome he looks. I think we’re finally finding a happy medium between my fear-of-poverty mode and his the-pricetag-doesn’t-matter shopping style. It’s a refreshing change.

What’s the most you’ve ever spent on an item of clothing outside your wedding dress or tuxedo? What’s your shopping style? How much is too much to spend on clothing. And again: Who pays $178 for a pair of work slacks?!? I really want to know!

DJ Lance spins for the babies!

This week we spent the early evening at Brooklyn Bowl, which, to me, is really just a club that happens to also have bowling lanes. It was a launch party event for Yo Gabba Gabba’s live show. My big girl has watched the show. My baby, who won’t turn two until the end of June, hasn’t.

We went inside and saw throngs of people — kids, moms, dads and babies — milling around. All the characters were there, too, as was DJ Lance, who was actually using a turntable and spinning records. (Yes, actual vinyl! Each one encased in its sleeve and the sleeve encased in plastic.)

My big girl was excited to be there. The little one was a little scared. The noise, the darkness, the flashing lights. Once she settled down, however, she loved the music. Only ten minutes after we arrived, she stopped clinging to my shoulder and started dancing. Then she started clapping her hands.

It was a fun even even though I had to snag a bracelet from someone leaving (I was told at the front door they had no more to give) so we could get onto the dance floor. Once we stepped down onto the floor we participated in the meet and greets with everyone. I think my husband, who I am technically not allowed to write about anymore, was most excited. He really wanted to meet DJ Lance, who turned out to be one of the nicest, most down-to-earth people I’ve ever met. I asked him to do a video intro for the blog. Not only did he do it, but he did it twice since he didn’t get the name right the first time. The video will go up over the weekend or on Monday. (Have to let hubby work his technical editing magic on it.) In the meantime enjoy the photo, the following Favorites and the rest of your Friday!

Leafware = I have a new compost bin. I entertain a fair amount during the summer. I hate plastic.

I’m hoping this statement — if I was doing a truth table — would come out all true. (I’m expecting a sample some time soon, so I will let you know.) Leafware, as the company says is  “leaves of specific trees and vines, sewn together with bits of stem” to form plates, bowls, and trays. If you buy them in bulk they come out to about $.50 each. I’m personally willing to give it a try, especially since I can throw it into my compost when I’m done. Again, I’ll let you know what I think.

BetterWorldBooks. I am a reader. I’m also someone who writes stuff that goes into newspapers and magazines. And yet I hate the thought of how many trees I’ve probably killed doing what I do for a living. This is why this site may be one of my favorite new haunts. Every book it sells ships free in the U.S. (the international shipping fee is $3.97), and the company offsets its shipping by buying carbon offsets from Carbonfund.org. It also collects old, unwanted books and sells them to support literacy efforts. To date, the company says it has diverted 33,082,876 books from landfills. Not bad. Now do they have my next book club book?

Let’s Go Chipper! app. I got a press release about this one. Sounded pretty neat, so I checked it out. It’s an educational storyline (books, movies, activities and iTunes downloads) for kids ages 2 to 6 that teaches them about ecology. With the summer coming up — at least here in the northern hemisphere — the stories explain how to keep the environment the way you left it. A plus: Chipper, who is a chipmunk, is pretty cute, too.

That’s it for now. I’m back to work. Another few interviews to do today and then we’ve got a birthday party and I have a flip-flop party to go to. Whoohoo! What are you up to this Friday night? p.s. See that little brown box over to the right? The one that says Top Mommy Blogs? I am trying to move up in the rankings. Would you pretty please click on it and then click to vote for my blog once you get to the landing page? Thanks in advance! I only need 30 clicks through to move into the top 10 in the Eco category.

Earth Day meets 45th Street

I spent Friday in the city at the ASJA Writer’s Conference, which took place at the Roosevelt Hotel. Great conference, I was excited to see all the people I talk to on Facebook and on our online forum. Once I left the hotel, though, and made my way down 45th Street I was really excited. Right outside the hotel was EarthFair Outdoors, a celebration with music, booths and characters. As I walked through the crowd enjoying the beautiful weather and relaxed vibe I found a few things that have the possibility of becoming my favorites. I thought I’d pass them along…

Wicked, the play. Okay, I lied. This is already on my list of all time favorites. Still, what does Wicked have to do with Earth Day? I’ll let them explain. (From the tag on the cute baby evergreen they gave me to take home and plant: “Green. For Good. This tree has been planted in tribute to Elphaba and all the green things on earth.” So basically my favorite play of all time was giving out free evergreens for Earth Day. Outstanding!

Seed Body Care. I am a sucker for a sweet-smelling cream. And if that cream happens to have shea butter and be scented like my two favorite herbs, lavender and sage? Swoon. Seriously. And if it’s paraben-, phthalate-, presevative-, petrochemical-, and artificial color-free? I may be tempted to shell out the cash. They were showing three products — a body bar, a lotion, and a shampoo bar. I’m thinking I need to buy the body bar. (I kept sniffing my hands, scented from the tester, all the way home on the train.)

Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. What happens to livestock that isn’t well enough or hearty enough to be slaughtered? Some of the chickens, turkeys, cows, pigs, and goats end up at this place, a home for the animals that don’t make it to your table. The sanctuary gives tours daily from April 1 through October 31 where children and adults can learn about how and why the animals arrived there and what we as human beings can do to reduce our meat consumption. Sounds like a nice day trip…

The New York City Compost project. Okay, so you live in a small house or — in this case — an apartment. Still, you cook. You eat. You have non-meat food scraps. What can you do to recycle them? This project, funded by the New York City Sanitation Department, teaches apartment-dwellers how to create an indoor compost bin with worms. You can learn, too, by clicking through on this link. (Yes, there were worms at the event, but no, I didn’t get a photo!) Okay, if folks in apartments are composting I will finally make it my business to create a compost bin at my house. And I plan on doing it this weekend.

The components that go into the Sprout watch.

The Sprout. I got sucked in by the tubs of bamboo, cotton, and corn pellets, which reminded me of the tactile boxes at my big girl’s Gymboree classes. Once I got closer I saw that the bin contents represented what the company makes its watches out of. The watch body is corn resin instead of plastic. Straps are made of organic cotton instead of leather, while the watch face is made of mineral crystal — a type of glass — rather than plastic. The dial is natural bamboo. The result is a watch that is either 80 or 86 percent eco-friendly. Not bad. And they’re cute, too. At $30, it was a steal, but I didn’t have any cash on me. Sigh.

Matthew Modine wants people to ride bikes -- not drive cars.

Bicycle for a Day. Hey! I know that guy! He was the guy in Married to the Mob! (I’m talking about Matthew Modine.) A celebrity hanging out in the middle of the city? Yup, and for a good cause, too. Modine started a non-profit called Bicycle for a Day to help people get out of cars and on to bikes. A noble cause, and one I should be doing myself. I love spinning so much I should be jumping on my bike when I need milk rather than jumping in my car.

CommuterLink. How do people living in the Tristate area get involved in a carpool? This is a good place to start. The site helps you find people to carpool with. Then, once you’re signed up, guarantees that if you miss your ride because the driver has to leave early, they will help you get home free-of-charge. Nice.

How was your Earth Day? Hope you have a fun, relaxing weekend!

Big Girl is on a soccer team. Back when she first joined, we ordered her uniform at the local soccer shop. When my husband went to pick it up, he was informed that the shop was out of shorts. It was fine, though, because it was pretty cold by that time. She just wore leggings along with one of the two flimsy shirts that we ended up buying. The season went on and I must admit that I just forgot about picking up the shorts. It was a low priority. Still, a uniform is a uniform so when the next season started, I went back to the store to buy the shorts. The shop, which is only open Monday through Saturday from 10 to 6, was out of them again. Again! I made two additional attempts and decided it wasn’t worth it. Then came spring season.

This Sunday I sat watching all the kids running around. Big Girl was the only child on the field who wasn’t wearing those stupid shorts. Feeling like a horrible mommy, once the game was over I grabbed the baby — not remembering that the place was closed on Sundays– and went over to the shop. Ten minutes later I stood in front of that locked door muttering under my breath. There had to be a better way.

Driving home I passed a garage sale. I decided to jump out and look around. I walked through the boxes of dolls, books, and toys but didn’t see what I needed: the pair of size small maroon shorts with the little Nike swoop on the leg. I saw the homeowner sitting there, though, with his two little girls and figured it was worth a shot. “Excuse me, you don’t happen to have any soccer shorts for sale?” The guy turned to his daughters, who appeared to be a few years older than Big Girl and repeated my question. One of them jumped up and went inside. Two minutes later she was standing there holding a new-looking pair of soccer shorts with the little swoop on the leg. I was excited but cautious. How much, I wanted to know. I couldn’t beat the price: $2, and he would throw in the five paperback books, a Cooties game, and the Polly Pocket house I had been carrying around. Score!

I lugged my spoils home and spread them out on the table. My husband was incredulous. Only I could go out to a garage sale and come home with what I was looking for, he said. But I disagree. I think anyone can go on their own treasure hunt and come up a winner. If we want or need something, chances are someone else has needed or wanted that same thing at some point in time. There is someone out there who owns what you need and they’re probably looking to get rid of it. Maybe not for $2, but for a price.

So I say, as someone who saved $30 and all the environmental costs associated with buying new, it’s worth asking around for what you want. Try Craigslist, Freecycle.org, garage sales, consignment shops, your neighbors, your friends, eBay. You never know unless you try, right? (And FWIW: The shorts fit Big Girl fabulously, and she loves her new books and toys, too.)

What’s your best used buy? Where do you shop when you don’t want to spend a lot of money?

Why do I always get weird injuries?

Anyone who has been reading for a while knows that when I get hurt it’s usually in some weird, obscure way. Something that prompts an insurance letter being sent out. The letters always want to know if someone else is responsible for the injury. Because hey, how else could you get a black eye and contusions or a cut on your chin unless someone actually hurt you? I had another wacky accident yesterday, one that will probably result in another letter.

I have been working non-stop so I decided I would go to half of a mommy-and-me class with Little Girl. The place is right up the block. I could hang out for 30 minutes, I thought, and make it back in time for my noon conference call. So I get there, and we were doing circle time sitting on the floor. Little Girl, like most of the kids, was getting on and off my lap. At one point, she runs away from me. On her way back, she trips. I put my arms out to catch her, and her two front teeth met my thumb. I knew instantly we had a problem. Her teeth sliced my thumb open. Blood gushed. I picked Little Girl up and carried her out while holding my thumb airborne as not to drip and blood on the kid. She (and her teeth) is fine, thank goodness, and was able to go right back into the class with my mom, who was in the waiting room. But I was a different story. I ended up in front of a doctor getting liquid stitches and steristrips. So today’s Favorite Things is going to be short and sweet. My thumb is still throbbing. I can’t use it to type, and I have three more conference calls today. Sigh. So here, in an abbreviated format, are my favorite things of the week.

Clif Z Bar for Kids. I won a prize in a Twitter party. (Thanks, @Healthy_Child) Part of it: 20 of the chocolate chip variety. Yum. Big Girl loves them, too, so it’s given me another snack option for her lunch box.

ThredUP. I hate throwing clothing away. I hate buying it new, too, especially for the kids. This new site is part eBay, part Craigslist, part Freecycle. You go on, put a “box” of clothing up, and someone will claim it. And you can do the same. All you pay is the shipping on the clothing you’re claiming. Everyone wins. Clothing is reused. You don’t spend a fortune. Love, love, LOVE this, and plan on trying it out this weekend.

MatterofTrust.org I love using surplus in an innovative way. Who knew that human hair from the floors of salons could be reclaimed and reused for oil spills and oil slicks? But it can. This organization helps collect human hair and get it out in the field when there is an oil spill. They also do a ton of eco-education. Ask your salon if they are participating in the program. It’s worth it.

That’s it for now. I’m going to try and add two more things by late Friday. Have a great weekend in the meantime!

I had to read it twice. Since when is triclosan, an antibacterial that’s been linked to a host of environmental and health problems, turning up in toothpaste? I was even more aghast when I saw that the Academy of General Dentistry today released a press announcement saying that it supports the use of triclosan in toothpaste. That a recent study found that toothpaste with triclosan is better than regular toothpaste at killing bacteria found in the mouth. That must be a mistake, right? Give me a break. What about last week’s news out of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that recent studies raise “valid concerns” about the safety of triclosan? (Scariest part of all this: triclosan is in so many products that it is found in our urine. Three out of four of us are peeing triclosan on a daily basis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)

I wrote a whole missive about triclosan back in September. About how the EPA classifies it as a pesticide! About how it’s creating antibiotic resistant bacteria. About how it never breaks down — even after going through a sewage treatment plant. (And after re-reading that post I realized that yes, I did know that it was in toothpaste. I guess it just never registered.) Wow. Sigh. Wow. That really sucks. How can manufacturers do that to us? We’re putting a pesticide, a dangerous-to-the-earth chemical in our mouths. It makes me sad.

I went to CVS last night. Believe it or not I needed toothpaste. I looked around. I read the back of tubes and boxes. I didn’t see anything mainstream that didn’t have any chemicals. (The kids use Toms of Maine. I usually do, too, but I didn’t have time to go to Trader Joe’s last night.) So I bought a lesser-of-all-evils brand — Colgate actually has an option that only scores a 3 out of 10 on the EWG’s Skin Deep database. I’ll buy my usual brand the next time I get to TJs or Whole Foods. And in the meantime: Shame on you, traditional manufacturers. Isn’t it about time you started doing more for our environment? And our bodies?

What’s in your toothpaste? Do you know? How about your contact lens solution, your moisturizer? Your lipstick? Maybe it’s time you found out? And as for the Academy of General Dentistry: I’ve got an email out to the organization. I want to hear their reasoning behind their silly suggestion.

I read another article this week. This one was from the New York Times. Appearing as the Off The Shelf column, ‘Green Gone Wrong’: Can Capitalism Save the Planet?, the article examines a new book from Heather Rogers: Green Gone Wrong: How Our Economy Is Undermining the Environmental Revolution. Ms. Rogers has a different take on voting with your wallet. She thinks, and rightfully so, that the environmental movement — when Big Business takes over — can actually do more to harm than good where the environment is concerned. I’ve reported on this, too. Right here on this blog. A lot of organic farmers, for example, aren’t acting so organically. They are nothing more than Big Agra companies wearing a green hat while hurting our environment. Many are simply clearing rain forests away to create organic farms and in the process hurting the true organic farmers out there. And don’t get me started on their carbon footprint created by producing goods a continent a way and shipping them here to the States. (You might as well just read my other blog post — Supermarket Confusion: Or Why Wal-Mart is Bad for the Organic Movement — here.)

So what’s the answer? Do you skip organic food? Do you use your own reusable bags? Do you buy natural products? Of course, but with some thought. I know that’s hard to hear and swallow. Aren’t we already thinking too much about all of this? Every time the TV comes on we’re hearing about more terrible environmental news. Every time we go to a Web site we see more disturbing images. The answer is yes. We need to be a little more uncomfortable. And, like the New York Times reporter says, we have to make good choices while simply consuming less.

And this will be my task between now and Earth Day. Every day I am going to track my buying. I’m going to share with you what I’ve purchased. I’m going to have to justify to you and to myself if my purchase was actually necessary or worth it. Essentially, I’d like to try and be spend-free for the next few weeks. (Aside from food, of course.) Can I do it? Will it be worth it? At the very least it will give us more insight into why we are in this mess to begin with.

What do you think your biggest green faux pas is? I’d like to hear about it.