P is for Phytonutrients

I’m writing today about something I’ve been thinking about for a while but have not known how to put to words. A few weeks ago, I attended a wedding. After dinner, the woman seated beside me at the table remarked that now that she had eaten her “protein and vegetables,” it was time to go join the dancing. I hear friends describe how they ate their “protein,”or how they make sure to get the little ones at their tables to eat their protein. It’s like saying you ate your “produce” instead of your tangerine. Or your “fat” instead of your peanuts. People don’t say that. But I am hearing people say that they ate their protein all the time.

To be clear, what I am seeing is that folks are not identifying specific foods by their actual names. Instead of saying that they ate scrambled eggs, wings or drumsticks, chops or burgers, they are grouping them under the heading of “protein.” The woman at the wedding did not say that she ate the steak on her plate. She said she ate her protein. So I ask myself why? What is she really saying? What is happening here? And why?

Are people saying they believe that this portion of the meal is more important than the rest of it? Are they driven by concerns about cost? Is it because, excepting legumes, high-protein foods are usually more expensive than, say, grains and vegetables? 

No one in my family lacks for protein. They all get enough protein, and maybe even more than enough. If, for example, the little ones were to eat the tips off 8 spears of asparagus, followed by a few spoonfuls of rice, and call it dinner, nothing would change. They would still be well nourished. I don’t feel any need to lean on them to eat the protein on their plates. I’m not worried. 

I still don’t know why people are saying this, but I’m going to keep thinking about it. Does it harken back to a time when people were hungry and did not get sufficient protein? Is it because protein is filling, and they are trying to stave off hunger in the hours to come? Is it related to attempts at weight control?

When I look at people who regularly eat lots of greens and other produce, I see a kind of vibrancy in their faces that is difficult for me to describe. But I know it when I see it. 

I’m going to say something that may sound radical. If it were me, I would not put the emphasis on protein. If I were being pressured to choose, I would put the emphasis on phytonutrients. Color. Antioxidant power. If I were choosing components instead of foods, I would go out of my way to get phytonutrients. That’s not because I think they are more important than protein. It’s because I think we are eating much less phytonutrient-rich food than we should, while at the same time most of us are eating more than enough high-protein food.

I am thinking about two things: one is variety. My small grandchildren love eggs cooked sunny-side up. Truth be told, from what I can see, it appears to be primarily a vehicle for eating “yolk gravy.” I’ve seen them dip all kinds of things in their yolks, most recently cucumber sticks and toast. My granddaughter asked her father if she could put leftover “mac & cheese” in the yolk. “Sure,” he said. Anything goes. 

The other is related to the fact that we are privileged to live in a community in which our pantries are full. My family eats sufficient protein, and it’s high-quality protein at that, partly because I suspect that we are consuming many more beans and legumes than the average American family. My protein status is not, therefore, of concern. And the likelihood is that the same is true for my friends and their families. If it’s not beans, it’s chicken, turkey, salmon, cod, tuna, sardines, burgers and probably the occasional steak. 

I think that we are underestimating the nutritional value of phytonutrients, as well as their benefits to feelings of satiety. Phytonutrients nourish us profoundly. If you’re experimenting with ways to keep yourself feeling full, it may be worth seeing how you feel after you eat a generous bowlful of spinach salad with ripe avocados, toasted sunflower seeds, and fragrant olive oil. You may be surprised to discover that it keeps you full longer than you thought would be the case. 


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Roasted Tomato Soup

Do you know that feeling when you have a dozen gorgeous tomatoes on the counter and you go grocery shopping, and you forget, and you come home with another eight gorgeous tomatoes? Yes, of course you do. 

This week, I decided to make fresh tomato soup, which I had never made before. I have loved tomato soup since I was a kid. I especially loved my friend Mendy’s tomato soup when we were in graduate school, which was half a lifetime ago. I added white beans to this recipe, but no one will know unless you tell them. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Spicy Stuffed Peppers

You may have noticed that I am working on providing you with a few recipes that warm you up through these winter months. I love heat, so this is a perfect recipe for me. But if your tastes tend more toward the gentle landing, I recommend skipping the jalapeño and reducing the red pepper flakes to 1/2 teaspoon. Or you can just forget both of them altogether. That’s because the chili powder will still provide some spicy excitement. For me though, I’m all in, which means that if my batch of jalapeños isn’t particularly hot, then I’ll happily add an extra one. So if you’re game, I’m going to recommend that you try letting this gorgeous fireworks of color land on your tongue all at once, because if you can tolerate the concert, your tastebuds will sing! Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Red Crockpot Soup

Through the years I have shared quite a number of crockpot recipes with you on this blog. The crockpot is one of my favorite pieces of kitchen equipment, and my family and I have a long history of looking forward to the recipes that come out of it. I even gave each of my children one as a going-away present when they left for college: a crockpot of their own, a simple recipe, a large package of dry beans, and a few small spice packets to allow them to fill their crockpot to feed themselves and friends whenever they chose.  Continue reading


The Art & Science of Magical Fruit

On the occasion of my ninth birthday, half a lifetime ago, my beloved Uncle Lenny gave me a book called The Human Body, which still has a place on the shelves that hold my important books. I called it “The Body Book,” and carried it everywhere I went until I had memorized everything in it, cover to cover. I was fascinated not only by the descriptions and illustrations, but also by the idea that each part of the body was uniquely designed to do exactly what was required of it. Form followed function, and I couldn’t get enough. That, parenthetically, was also the year I decided I was, someday, going to become a doctor. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Vegan Cholent (Crockpot Stew)

A happy reprise of my seasonal fall cholent recipe, from when my dad was still here to enjoy it with us:

This past week, I made a version of this recipe for the first night of Sukkot, the fall harvest festival, and we ate it inside our beautiful sukkah that my husband built last week. It warmed us from the inside out in the chilly weather. And then it was gone, I mean really GONE, just a few hours later. Even my father, who said “I don’t like cholent,” ate a huge bowlful and said he changed his mind. Please make a note of that. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Two Brand New Salads

A couple of weeks ago we were making plans to a host dinner for a large group, and I got inspired to come up with a couple of new salads to add to our regular lineup. I sat down, started thinking, and before you knew it, I had come up with recipes for two brand new salads. And with a bonus — not only did they use up some of the contents of our pantry, they added only a few items to the shopping list!  Continue reading


And the Winner is Real Food

Years ago, the article Can We Say What Diet is Best for Health?, by David Katz and Stephanie Meller from Yale University School of Public Health, was published in the Annual Review of Public Health. A related essay by James Hamblin, Science Compared Every Diet, and the Winner is Real Food, was subsequently published in the Atlantic.  

Katz and Meller compared low-carb, low-fat, low-glycemic, Mediterranean, DASH, Paleolithic, and vegan diets, concluding that “A diet of minimally processed foods close to nature, predominantly plants, is decisively associated with health promotion and disease prevention.”  Michael Pollan said, “Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much.” More recent research continues to confirm these findings. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Carrot-Zucchini Soup

Here’s a lovely plant-based soup that I tossed together a couple of weeks ago. I made it in a little green Staub Cocotte that I’ve had for a very long time. It always seems like everything I make in that pot comes out so flavorful and delicious. Any soup pot will do of course, but it’s always nice when you have a favorite. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Bob’s Red Mill Quinoa Salad

You may or may not have heard, but last month, on February 10th, Bob Moore, a founder of Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, passed away at the age of 94. And I felt the need to write a post about this man who made such a remarkable difference in our food supply. Continue reading