Today's Home Cooks Rely on the Internet
September 5, 2015

If you're a fan of the popular TV series Parenthood, you may have gotten a good laugh when the character Julia, a high-powered attorney, mom and an excellent cook, finds herself pressed for time and attempts to pass of fast food chicken soup to an ill community member...it doesn't work and creates an embarrassing situation for her. So how did we decide to dig deep into the cooking habits of our own consumer panel? We started by asking them to tell us if they have ever passed off a frozen dessert as their own. Ninety-two percent said they have not, and we believe it, because cooking and experimenting with recipes is hot!

Here's another way to get to the bottom of the habits of today's amateur cooks. Find out how they handle kitchen fails. We asked our panel what they found to be the best solution when faced with a cooking disaster. Our panel members aren't quitters! Seventy-two percent say they will salvage a recipe disaster with ingredients on hand. Another 12% will throw in the towel and order takeout, seven percent will grab a ready-to-eat meal from the freezer, five percent go out to a restaurant, and three percent call mom or a friend to come to the rescue!

So what about parties? We've all been there. You're hosting a holiday dinner, birthday party, or a super bowl gathering, and the pressure is on to satisfy a group of hungry people and keep them happy, while also secretly longing to impress them with your cooking skills and ease in the kitchen. Where does our consumer panel go for guidance? Eighty-two percent will turn to Internet for inspiration using sites like Pinterest, Facebook and food blogs. Ten percent will fill their grocery cart with frozen finger foods and appetizers, six percent ask the guests to contribute, and only one percent scan menus for take-out. And to add another interesting and related finding, our panel is less interested in traditional cookbooks and more interested in online recipes, and 34% of our panel that uses the Internet for cooking are baby boomers, so millennials aren't the only tech savvy cooks out there.

Finally, since the holiday season is not so far away, we asked our panel to rank their favorite holiday side dishes. And the winner is....drum roll...half of our panel said their most preferred side dish is stuffing with mashed potatoes coming in a close second and sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, and corn following. And here's something to chuckle about, 14% said..."Nah...forget side dishes, serve dessert for dinner!"

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Seven Coffee Tips that Will Save You Money And Keep You Healthy
September 5, 2015

Here are seven of SupermarketGuru's top tips to re-think, re-frame, and re-do your coffee habits to get the best value every day.

Brew your own at home. Add up how much you spend a week buying coffee drinks on the way to here and there. It's amazing what $4 once or more a day can do to the monthly budget. Even saving on cheaper venues where coffee drinks hover around $2 gets expensive, and who knows what's really in there? So, make the coffee you love, pour it into a thermos and travel the day on coffee you know is fresh, delicious and already paid for!
Make it yourself at work. Yes, there is nothing easier than popping into the corner coffee shop and ordering your favorite latte. But actually, when you consider the time waiting in line then waiting for your order, you could have made enough lattes for you and the entire office. If your office doesn't already have an espresso machine or other essentials for your favorite coffee drinks, ask for the perk. Here's the pitch: tell the boss it will keep employees in the office, coffee break time will be more meaningful and brief, and when the employees are happy, everyone's more productive!
If you cannot drive without your cup holder filled, get yourself a stainless steel mug. By year's end, you could be saving money by brewing your own and, in the bigger picture, saving a tree's worth of paper by eliminating the paper cup.
Leftover coffee in the pot? Don't toss it! Instead, pour leftover coffee into empty ice cube trays and freeze. When it's hot, you'll have delicious coffee ice cubes to chill your favorite summer coffee beverage that won't dilute the coffee flavor like water ice cubes can.
Use real dairy products instead of artificial creamers. Whether it's cream, half-and-half or milk, dairy always tastes fresher and is better for you. Fresh milk is also cheaper per teaspoon than the creamer, and much lower in calories (most creamers are full of sweet syrups, and can be loaded with chemicals.) If space is a premium, buy pints instead of quarts or half gallons. Check prices at your local dollar store, supermarket and convenience store to see where you can get the best deal.
Buying in bulk is a great cost-saving idea for cereals, beans, grains and rice, but that five-pound bag of coffee may not be the bargain you think it is. Yes, it's cheaper by the pound, but the value of the freshest coffee flies out the window even after a few weeks. So, for the best value, buy in small quantities and use promptly.
Grind your own. One other way to further ensure freshness and quality is to grind your own coffee beans. Small at-home grinders are available for under $25, and they last for years- a pennies-per-year investment that pays off big time.

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No Fat, Sugar Free, GMO Free: What do These Claims Actually Mean?
September 5, 2015

Front of package labeling can get very confusing. There are so many unregulated buzzwords that food marketers are taking advantage of to make their products more appealing. Most of these terms cannot be taken at face value, and as a consumer you need to always turn the package over and read the nutrition facts and ingredient list to be sure you are getting what you think you are. Here are six common claims that might not represent what you think they do:

Fat Free: Fat free labeling is not always completely truthful! Products can be labeled fat free if there is less than � gram per labeled serving. So if you eat more than one serving, the fat is adding up, and you are probably getting more than you think!

Gluten free: Gluten-free foods must contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) gluten. Foods may be labeled "gluten-free" if they are inherently gluten free; or do not contain an ingredient that is: 1) a gluten-containing grain (e.g., spelt wheat); 2) derived from a gluten-containing grain that has not been processed to remove gluten (e.g., wheat flour); or 3) derived from a gluten-containing grain that has been processed to remove gluten (e.g., wheat starch), if the use of that ingredient results in the presence of 20 ppm or more gluten in the food. There are many foods labeled gluten-free that are naturally gluten-free, so don't be fooled into thinking a product is healthy because it carries the claim.

Non GMO: The non-gmo label is not regulated by the FDA, so companies can make the claim if they believe it to be truthful. In order to qualify for the Non-GMO Project Verified label, a product has to be certified as containing ingredients with less than 1 percent genetic modification. Products applying for the label are all audited by a third party that certifies products as not containing GMOs, the same company is also able to suggest other ingredient suppliers if an ingredient comes up as a potential GMO. Keep in mind that organic foods and ingredients are by definition non-gmo.

Whole Grains: The FDA doesn't have a strict definition for Whole Grains, so look for the whole grains stamp developed by the nonprofit Whole Grains Council. The stamp will specify exactly how much of the product is made up of whole grains.

May Contain: As it relates to potential allergens, the use of advisory labeling i.e., "may contain," "processed in a facility that also processes," or "made on equipment with," is voluntary and optional for manufacturers. There are no laws governing or requiring these statements, so they may or may not indicate if a product contains a specific allergen. According to the FDA's guidance to the food industry on this issue, advisory labels "should not be used as a substitute for adhering to current good manufacturing practices and must be truthful and not misleading." If you are unsure whether or not a product could be contaminated, you should call the manufacturer to ask about their ingredients and manufacturing practices.

No Sugar: A food that does not contain sugar per se may contain any number of low and no-calorie sweeteners. Unless the product is specifically labeled "unsweetened," the only way to know whether a product is sweetened, and with what, is to read the ingredient list. Similar to "fat free," If a serving contains less than 0.5 gram of sugars, the weight can be expressed as zero.

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Are Carbs The Best Brain Food?
September 4, 2015

Carbohydrates are a rich source of energy and can be very nutrient dense. But many of us associate carbs with weight gain and believe we should be cutting back to lose weight. A new study, published in The Quarterly Review of Biology, is postulating that carbs might be excellent food for our brain. A group of British researchers thinks that once ancient humans learned to cook starchy foods like root vegetables, the calorie bump might have fueled the evolution of the human brain.

Carbs, particularly long chains of the simple sugar glucose or starches, are an ideal food for fueling the brain, says evolutionary geneticist at University College London Mark Thomas. "The brain has an absolute requirement for glucose." And with carbohydrate-rich food, the body doesn't need to spend extra energy converting the other macronutrients into glucose to feed the brain.

So what are some of SupermarketGuru's favorite healthy carbs?

Sweet Potato: Sweet potatoes might taste sweet, but actually have a very low impact on blood sugar. They are a powerhouse of nutrition, rich in vitamins A, C, B vitamins as well as fiber, potassium and more. Sweet potatoes are also rich in anti-inflammatory compounds, helping to keep pain at bay. Enjoy sweet potatoes with some olive oil, butter, ghee, coconut oil or fat of your choice, to absorb more of the fat-soluble vitamins.

Quinoa: Quinoa is a very good source of nutrition, specifically rich in magnesium and iron. Magnesium is important for muscle relaxation, building and strengthening bones as well as benefiting the circulatory system. Iron plays the essential role of helping to carry oxygen to the heart, lungs and brain as well as throughout the body. Along with magnesium and iron, quinoa boasts a whole host of other nutrients, antioxidants and bioactive compounds as well as being rich in fiber.

Khorasan Wheat also called Kamut: An ancient wheat variety that is super nutrient dense, kamut has been studied for it's benefits on cholesterol and blood sugar as well as helping with inflammatory markers in the blood. In addition, it contains up to 40 percent more protein than modern wheat as well as an impressive amount of magnesium, zinc, selenium and vitamin E.

Buckwheat: Contains various flavonoids that provide powerful antioxidant protection against free radicals in the body. Buckwheat is gluten free (despite its name!) and is a rich source of manganese, magnesium and fiber. It has been shown to support a healthy cardiovascular system and is rich in soluble fiber showing benefits for gallstone prevention.

Brown rice: Rich in fiber, selenium, manganese, magnesium and B vitamins, brown rice is an optimal carbohydrate choice, especially when given the option of brown or white rice. Selenium is essential for metabolism and has been shown to be cancer protective, fiber is critical for colon health and can even help lower cholesterol. Manganese plays an important role in the nervous system and B vitamins have a huge role in energy production! Many of the health benefits are lost when brown rice is milled into white rice.

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