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Practical Eating

Joni Surette Nelson Makes Ratatouille for Babies

[The Love Challenge's Love Belly Feat asks to to prepare and enjoy One Wild Meal. Obvious takes on this include oysters, kumquats, moonlight...you get the idea. But another perhaps less obvious option: Prepare a special meal for your baby. Not your metaphorical baby. Your actual baby. Nieces, nephews, friends' babies, neighbors' babies...all legit options. And just because you're not personally eating the meal doesn't mean you won't enjoy it. Gurgling is a very satisfying thank you -the Eds.]

Joni Surette Nelson is the creator of the blog, "Feeding Little Foodies," and leads workshops on preparing fresh and nutritious meals for babies in Los Angeles.

Why homemade baby food? It's fresh, delicious, nutritious, wholesome, and made with love. And once I rolled up my sleeves, peeled a piece of produce or two, and gave that processor a whirl, I was shockingly surprised by how easy, fun, cheap and delicious making my own baby food was. And once I had developed my own little system, I couldn't imagine feeding my baby anything else.

Los Angeles

Practical Eating

Gourmet Jerky: Like An Anarctic Explorer's Dinner, But Better

You can learn a lot from Antarctic explorers. For one, whiskey keeps you warm. The New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust just uncovered whiskey left behind by Ernest Shackleton on his successful 1909 expedition (not to be confused with the 1914-'17 Endurance Expedition where his ship was crushed to pieces by ice). And of possibly equal importance, dried meat can keep you going for a long time. Explorers Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen are famous for reaching the South Pole, but also for their love of Pemmican. 

Pemmican, which is basically jerky with fruit pounded into it, is enjoying a resurgence these days thanks to Paleo Dieters. In fact, PaleoFood has issued a "Pemmican Manifesto," which tells you exactly how to make pemmican at home and answers those tricky questions we all have like, "What's the best fat for Pemmican preparation — tallow, lard, or suet?" (Answer: Suet) But pemmican isn't for everyone, and if you'd prefer your dried meat a little more straight forward, you're in luck, because jerky is also enjoying a resurgence. Forget about the awful stuff from the convenience store. These days, you have gourmet options aplenty. Recommendations and recipes after the jump. 

Practical Eating

Lessons From Canada: Man Cannot Survive on Protein Alone

Traditional Inuits used seal oil the way Italians use olive oil, except instead of dipping bread in it, they dipped caribou meat in it. In essence, they survived on seafood, meat, and the occasional root or berry. So why do you care? In part, because before Doritos were introduced to the great white north, Inuits were remarkably healthy despite their high-fat, high-protein diet. But also because scientists have noted a remarkable thing in the Inuit diet — a protein ceiling.

By looking closely at the Inuit diet, researchers have found that human beings max out at about 35 to 40% of their calories from protein. The body needs glucose, and it can turn protein and fat into glucose if carbs aren't available, but if protein far outweighs fat, something called "protein poisoning," starts to happen. The result: Wasting and death. So Inuits enjoyed some lean caribou meat, but they also piled on the whale blubber. As an American with easy access to Ben & Jerry's, you probably don't have a fat deficit. But some good fishy fats are always a good idea anyway. Check out a collection of healthy fat recipes after the jump. 

Practical Eating

Spinach Makes You A Better Lover

In his V-Day column, the Diet Detective, aka Charles Stuart Platkin, MPH, PhD, points out that spinach is loaded with magnesium, which relaxes muscles and soothes nerves, "making us feel more open and receptive." In case you're not catching his drift, "open and receptive" means sexy. Maybe eating handfuls of spinach out of the bag isn't a turn on, but try one of our slightly more creative ideas for using lovely, leafy spinach and see where it takes you.

Practical Eating

Duke's Goji Berry and Coconut Water Smoothie

When David "Duke Mushroom" Schommer says he loves coconut water and goji berries, he means it. This serious smoothie, made with coconut water, goji berries, bananas, nuts, sunflower seeds, and a whole lot more starts you off as a breakfast and takes you through mid-day as a snack. Duke's full recipe for his "Morning/Lunch Smoothie" after the jump.