Good reads for better eating: Michael Pollan

If you're looking to transform your diet from the ground up, whether it's because you're pregnant or because you just need to be healthier, one good place to start is with Michael Pollan's writing.

Pollan has written two books about our food system and the Western diet that will open your eyes to a new way of food shopping and eating.

In The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, Pollan looks at what he calls our "national eating disorder," and takes us on a fascinating tour of our food system, showing us how disconnected a lot of it is from the real nutrients our bodies need.

A followup that offers more direct advice for those trying to make dietary changes is
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, where Pollan tells us to "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." The trick is in defining what "real food" is amid aisle upon aisle of artificial, over-processed crap in the grocery store.

For those who don't have the time to sit down and read a whole book about eating (Like, say, those with toddlers running around), Pollan recently came out with Food Rules: An Eater's Manual, an inexpensive pocket-sized collection of simple rules that will keep you on track. Some are as simple as asking, "Can I pronounce everything on the ingredients list?"

Pollan offered a very simple rule in this week's "10 Questions" feature in TIME that should be useful for anyone trying to kick a junk food habit. Pollan admits he has a weakness for French fries, but to keep himself honest, "I actually came up with a rule: Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself. One reason we struggle with obesity today is that special-occasion foods like French fries, cakes and cookies have become so easy to obtain."

Good rules for good eating.

Recipe: Pea pesto over whole wheat pasta

Green peas are a great source of folate, but you don't always have to serve them as the same old side item next to the meat and potatoes. Frozen green peas make a sweet and nutritious winter pesto, and they'll get you on your way to eating your five daily servings of vegetables.


Serve that pesto over whole-wheat pasta and you'll probably take care of two of your three recommended servings of whole grains (Because who really eats only one small serving of pasta for dinner, after all?)

Below is my quick recipe for green pea pesto. This makes enough for about six servings of pasta, depending on how big an eater you are. I love to saute whatever I need to use up from my veggie bin (onions and peppers are particularly nice) to add even more vegetables to the mix. In the summertime, slice some fresh cherry tomatoes and mix those in.

Green pea pesto over whole wheat pasta

2 cups frozen green peas
juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
1/3 cup toasted walnuts or almonds
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1 pound whole wheat pasta, any shape

Cook pasta as directed.

Place peas in a colander and rinse to thaw. Place peas in food processor with lemon, nuts, cheese and garlic. Pulse to form a paste. With motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and mix until pesto is a pale, consistent liquid. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed

Toss pesto with pasta. Add crumbled feta cheese (pasteurized, of course) or other sauteed vegetables if desired.

"Eating for Two..." it's not what you think.

Most pregnancy books will quickly put to rest the old cliche that a pregnant woman needs to pack in enough calories for two people. Yes, pregnancy requires some extra calories (about 300 or so during the second and third trimesters, according to the American Pregnancy Association), but hardly enough to qualify as eating for an entire extra person.

A better way to look at pregnancy nutrition is to make every calorie count. In my opinion, that should be a matter of nutrition as well as taste. I've always thought that healthy, nutrient-rich foods are delicious, and leave us with much more energy than heavily processed foods.

This blog is about sharing some basic principles of healthy eating that any mom-to-be (or anyone else who just wants to get healthy) can work into her daily routine. Let's eat!