A healthy, fit Food & Drink focus issue
Behind the whole grain movement
Walk into your local grocer, and it seems as of late we’re being pitched on the health aspects of Whole Grain down every aisle. The smiling yellow bee made the whole grain switch on the cereal aisle. The pasta and chip aisle are re-branded and, of course, there’s the bread aisle with so many options it’ll make your head spin. The reoccurring health pitch had me questioning a couple of things: what exactly does whole grain mean and how does it play into a health conscious pitch? I chatted with a local expert on the topic for his two cents, owner of Kraftsmen Bakery in
Christina Martinez Managing Editor
the Heights, Scott Tycer. Turns out, the whole grain pitch is much more than just the grain. Tycer said it’s about the production and what goes into the bread or product. “Bread in itself is a very inexpensive thing,” Tycer said. “Flour doesn’t cost that much, some do, but regular bread flour doesn’t. It’s what is put in that defines what it is. The component that people like from whole grain is the protein content. Whole grain has great protein and nice, naturally produced sugars.” When making bread, there are a few components that go into the process, but two that have a key role in production and what give the bread healthful components: flour and yeast. “In almost any kind of whole wheat bread you see out there, there will also be processed, or highly milled flour in it,” Tycer said. “A completely
A few assorted breads from Kraftsmen Bakery’s
whole wheat bread doesn’t tend to rise. You wouldn’t get a light, fluffy bread. You would get a dense, solid item that doesn’t have holes or a cell structure.” That is where the flour comes in. After wheat is ground down into flour, next is the aging step and where Tycer said health aspects come in to play. The oldest way is letting the flour age naturally, over time by exposing it to air. Other ways can be by treating the flour with bleaching agents or adding in potassium bromate. While the process does quicken, Tycer said additives strip the flour of good, naturally occurring proteins and sugars. On staff at Kraftsmen bakery, I met an assistant head baker that has been with the company for 15 years perfecting his craft, eventually bringing over his brother as head baker to turn their craftsmanship into a family affair. On a big day, the two and bakery staff produce roughly 19,000 slices of bread, and every slice is touched by a set of hands to make sure it is accounted for. That’s where artisan bread and products differentiate themselves from what’s at the grocery store - knowing exactly what goes in the product. In a world of sales, don’t buy into every health pitch at the grocery store. While whole grain is a good option, there’s more to the story when it comes to what’s good for you and what you should put in your body – don’t let the bee fool you. Email christina@theleadernews.com
Kraftsmen Bakery’s assistant head baker that has been with the company for 15 years, Narciso (photos by Christina Martinez).
Saturday, January 21, 2017 • Page 1B
Seasonal or superfood - watching what you eat Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
Shana Tatum started out as a visitor to the farmers market that Mickey Morales started in Garden Oaks - only recently has she come to share healthy habits and nutrition tips with neighbors. “I love sharing and learning too about people’s obstacles to eating better,” said Tatum. “Although people who come to the market are generally on a path to better eating.” Tatum said that an interest in healthy living has always been a theme throughout her life, but came into sharper focus five years ago after the diagnosis of an autoimmune disease grabbed her attention. “I had psoriasis and suspected psoriatic arthritis, too, because joint pain was recurrent when I added foods that were not good for me,” she said. “Changes to my diet and lifestyle caused a remission and from that point on I wanted to learn more. I have been so curious and hopeful about this field watching new science emerge all the time.” Tatum is a current student at the University of Houston, completing her study of Human Nutrition and Food. She plans to finish her coursework in December and begin a Dietetic internship in the spring of 2018 with the goal of becoming a registered dietitian. “This is a second career for me in mid-life,” she said. “I enjoyed a satisfying career in design before I decided to be
Shana Tatum at the Garden Oaks Farmers Market, The Farmstand, passing out knowledge, recipes and healthy eats (contributed photo).
a stay at home mom and raise our three wonderful boys.” Tatum wants to keep coming to the Farmers Market once a month to feature more recipes and ways to bring good food into home kitchens. “I recently heard someone comment that we spend more time watching cooking television shows than we actually spend cooking,” she said. “I think when you understand the way foods support us and provide benefit to our cells it makes eating in a more balanced way easier.” Tatum acknowledges that eating this way takes planning but says the payoff is immense. The idea of ‘Superfoods’ is one that has been much in the news lately. Tatum cites a list of 13 foods from noted researcher Chris Kresser that includes butter from grassfed cows, eggs from grass-fed
hens, oysters, wild salmon, bone broth, sauerkraut and organic beets. “Lists we see often in the news feature Acai, goji and lingonberries; Cocoa and red wine; Chia and hemp seeds; and Turmeric and kale,” Tatum said. “Certainly, these all have great properties and benefits for our health. I know many people adding chia and hemp seeds to smoothies daily as a way to increase Omega 3 fatty acids. I am a big fan of oven baked kale chips supplying more of my fiber and flavonoids. I have also been known to enjoy a turmeric coconut milk latte for breakfast getting my supply of curcumin full of anti-inflammatory compounds.” Although Tatum sees the benefit of many of these foods, she says she’s somewhat traditional when it comes to the benefits of food.
“I think eating whole foods and a less processed diet is a better way to health,” she said. “If we keep it basic and include the simple things, then we are likely to be getting the nutrients we need from whole and seasonal foods. Most people need something quick and easy. We are much more likely to spend time preparing if ingredients are readily available.” There are several foods she has in rotation right now - winter seasonal foods like citrus, collard greens, turnips and sweet potatoes. “Our bodies benefit from the vitamin and mineral richness of seasonal foods,” she said. “For example, collard greens provide large amounts of calcium per serving and is a warming green. Citrus gives us the boost of Vitamin C and reportedly can provide up to three times more vitamin content if picked in season rather than harvesting too soon and preventing full maturity. Sweet potatoes, a carbohydrate rich vegetable may help with mood by triggering serotonin production. Lastly, turnips are a good seasonal root vegetable high in fiber and can give the potato a nice replacement from your menus.”
Find turnip recipe page 3b
Leader Nibbles Crawfish season ready to kick off
11 AM - 3 PM
Mels’ seafood, located at 2521 N. Durham, is ready and open for crawfish season (contributed photo).
By Christina Martinez christina@theleadernews.com
Crayfish, mudbugs, crawdads, crawdaddies, crawfish - whatever your preferred name, the season is here! A few of our neighborhood spots have announced their doors are open for the season. The Boil House has their boil going at 606 E. 11th St. You can pick-up a batch of boiled crawfish, or purchase live bugs for your own boil. Hours are Wednesday - Sunday and bugs are in a limited supply. Once they are out, they are out! Mels’ Seafood Shack is open year-round with fresh seafood, and is ready to go for this year’s crawfish season. Orders can be placed by phone for to-go boils or bring your ice chest for live bugs by the pound. Pick-up or stay to enjoy with the sister-duo at 2521 N. Durham. The Barking Pig announced they are ready to go for this year’s season, and will be adding crawfish to the menu daily starting Thursday, Jan. 19. Find The Barking Pig at 2307 Ella Blvd.
New tenant on 20th Street A new sign went up to announce the newest tenant at the former Chirps Chicken & Rice - a brick and mortar for the Rice Box food truck. Originating in Houston in 2011, The Rice Box planted its roots on a corner in The Montrose district where it
3814 N. Shepherd 77018 | 832-667-8081
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The Emperor Chicken from The Rice Box (Facebook photo).
Do it yourself
served reinvented Chinese classics weekly ever since. The Rice Box will be located at 300 W 20th St.
Beer • Wine • Mead • Cider Cheese • Yogurt • Kombucha Bread Starters
White Oak tenant speculation The Heights Life, an online and Facebook blog dedicated to the Heights, started some buzz recently of what’s to come at White Oak and Oxford. A building permit has been issued at 3119 White Oak for Golden Bagels and Coffee.
& other fermentables
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