Four shopping tips for more flavourful food
How you can choose foods with better benefits
Tides are shifting in the nutrition community when it comes to flavour and food. Leaders in the field, including Michael Pollan, Dr. Thomas Campbell, author of The China Study, and The Dorito Effect’s Mark Schatzker have encouraged a greater focus on whole foods and the power of plant-based options. This movement came from a drive to make our food more sustainable and also more nutritious.
As I briefly covered in my prior post, Mark Schatzker encourages that we return to slow-grown, local foods to help improve their nutritional and flavour profile.
Here is how you can turn his advice into meal-time reality:
1. If you eat meat, choose wild, grass-fed, and free-range products.
Grass-fed livestock and wild seafood carry the richer flavours of their own natural food supply. Grass-fed beef will graze on various greens, which affects the flavour of their meat and milk. From a nutritional perspective, grass-fed beef is a leaner choice, has a higher ratio of omega fatty acids, more antioxidant vitamins and conjugated linoleic acid that’s been linked to reducing heart disease and cancer risks.
Some fish eat seagrass and algae, while others eat parasites, crustaceans, or smaller fish. Each of these unique eating patterns flavours the meat of the animal. When it comes to fish, look for sustainably-caught seafood. Studies found unsustainably-harvested species were more likely to have higher mercury levels but did not have more omega-3 fatty acids. Species such as Atlantic mackerel, Pacific herring, and European anchovy score well on both sustainability and health. If you are interested in learning more about sustainability and fish choice, check out Canada’s SeaChoice.org for up-to-date guidelines.
2. When going organic, opt for smaller scale and seasonal produce.
Although purchasing organic foods results in potentially fewer pesticides, it does not necessarily mean better flavour. Flavour in foods is best when plants are grown using traditional farming techniques (unmodified seeds, slow growing times). As Mark Schatzker noted “…many industrial organic farms grow modern varieties that aren’t capable of being delicious.” To ensure your food is both tasty and safe, get in touch with local, organic farmers that grow crops on a smaller scale. Opt for seasonal produce, visit a farmer’s market, or start a vegetable garden in your own backyard.
3. Use your nose to identify peak nutritional value and health benefits.
Some nutrients in foods are associated with volatile aromatic compounds, which are vapours that give a food its distinct smell. Flavonoids, such as limonene for example, make lemons and citrus fruits fragrant. The human nose is attuned to detect these smells and point us in the direction of ripe, nutritious food. Pick your produce according to smell. Keep in mind aromas cannot always confirm if the food is safe to eat, but it can help identify peak nutritional value and health benefits.
Citrus fruits, mangoes, and cantaloupe should smell distinctively sweet at peak ripeness. Likewise, aromatic compounds associated with food breakdown should be avoided. “Fishy fish” suggest healthy fish oils have been oxidized and broken down. So trust your senses and avoid.
4. Choose an olive oil with a kick.
Olive oil, one of the healthy dietary fats, has been linked to lowering risk of heart disease, lowering total cholesterol and normalizing blood clotting. Certain olive oils may have even more health benefits than others. Oleocanthal, a compound found in high-quality olive oils, tends to leave a peppery sensation in the back of one’s throat. When scientists studied this phenomenon more closely, they discovered oleocanthal possessed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. If you purchase olive oil from a specialty shop, you can ask to sample products leave a lasting kick.
Although more changes to our food systems are necessary to ensure a healthy and sustainable food supply, these choices you make in selection can lead to big flavour (and nutritional benefits) boosts right away. Buon appetito!
Stefania Palmeri, registered dietitian at Medcan, likes to drizzle her Tuscan olive oil, full bodied, smooth with pepperiness on just about any meal.
