What’s the hottest thing on sliced bread these days? Avocado, of course.
It’s the toast topping of celebrities and a hot pick on social media sites.
Do a Google search, and you’ll get 6 million results. Yep, 6 million.
The simplest recipe is to spread toast with mashed avocado or top toast with avocado slices.
This is not guacamole, But you can jazz up your plain avocado with salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, a swipe of mustard or mayo. A drizzle of lemon juice or lime juice or hot sauce. You could add slivered almonds or a little goat cheese. How about hummus? Greek yogurt or a fried egg or slices of hard-boiled egg. If you add bacon, you’re into the bad fat, so skip that if it’s supposed to be a healthy meal.
Psst. How about avocado grilled cheese?
More TV, more calories
A study recently released shows that people eat more food when watching TV. There’s a big suprise. But here are some stats: Student subjects watching an action movie ate 98 percent more grams of food and 65 percent more calories than those watching “The Charlie Rose Show.” Students watching the movie with no sound still ate 36 percent more food and 46 percent more calories.
Blogger Jane Sandler’s advice is to put food far away while watching TV, or stick to Charlie Rose.
— Dallas Morning News
Kids get too much salt
And while we’re talking no big surprises here, the Centers for Disease Control has found that 90 percent of U.S. children ages 6-18 eat more sodium than recommended, putting them at higher risk for developing high blood pressure and diabetes.
“Most sodium is from processed and restaurant food, not the salt shaker,” says CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden. We’re taking about you, pizza, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, french fries, cold cuts and canned soups.
Schools have begun to make changes in lunches to promote healthier eating, but it’s taking a long time for the FDA to recommend sodium limits on processed and restaurant foods.
— Food Safety News
Making it more local
Here’s a step in the right direction: University Dining, the food service at N.C. State University, has increased its use of food from North and South Carolina from 18 percent to 28 percent. N.C. State’s purchasing manager points out you can’t buy bananas and pineapple from either state, but the supplier, US Foods, does try to buy food in season, such as strawberries.
It’s all part of the My Roots Campaign, which highlights alumni and their contributions to food in North Carolina.
— The Technician
September food festivals
Here are some North Carolina food festivals you might want to check out.
• This Saturday, 18th annual Brewgrass Festival in Asheville. Brews and bluegrass. http://brewgrassfestival.com/
• Sept. 26-27, NC Muscadine Harvest Festival in Kenansville. 250 wines and music, wine making and cooking contests, farm implement exhibits, educational seminars, food and craft vendors. http://www.muscadineharvestfestival.com/
• Sept. 27, Annual Yadkin Valley Pumpkin Festival, Elkin. Includes Great Pumpkin weigh-off, vendors, live entertainment, pie-eating contest. http://yadkinvalley.org/festivals-events/yadkin-valley-pumpkin-festival/
• Sept. 27, International Food Festival, Clayton, at St. Ann Catholic Church, featuring ethnic foods. http://www.internationalfoodfestival.net/