My Fruitive Challenge: Day 106 — The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue

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 I’m enjoying watching Forks Over Knives Presents The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue with Rip Esselstyn. It’s helpful to see him consult with couples in their homes. He goes through their fridge and cupboards to explain which products are optimal for a heart healthy diet, then shops with them to replenish what’s been removed with a whole-foods, nutrient-rich, plant-based items. Then he cooks an amazing meal with them. 

I appreciate the tips and advice he gives throughout the program, like the following:

  • Portabello mushrooms are great substitutes for hamburger 
  • Animal products don’t contain fiber which is why Americans struggle to be regular 
  • If there’s less than half a gram of fat per serving, manufacturers are allowed to label their products “fat free”
  • Whole Grain is the label to look for, not merely Wheat
  • He makes lasagna, sweet potato fries, and kale salad with the first couple 
  • Get recipes from engine2diet.com
  • Old Fashioned Oats, not Quick Oats; they're the scrub brushes of the food world to get rid of bad cholesterol
  • Ground your flax seeds so they don't go undigested
  • Peanut butter with peanuts as the only ingredient, no added sugar
  • Walnuts for omega-3
  • Just because it’s labeled “healthy” or “vegan” doesn’t mean it’s actually healthy. Always read the nutrition label to confirm the content per serving: 
    • Added Sugar content (4.3 grams equals 1tsp of sugar): 
      • Look for < 5% of total calories (ideally choose 0% of added sugar!)
      • Sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, malt syrup, or dextrose, which are added sugars. 
      • Avoid foods with sugar in the first three ingredients.
    • Sodium to calories ratio below or equal to 1:1 
    • Fat content 
      • Check that Fat is not listed in the top three ingredients (because the ingredients are listed in order of weight), 
      • Especially note the percentage of fat to the percentage of total calories (< 10-15% of total calories)
      • Saturated Fat
        • Aim for 0 grams of saturated fat per serving, especially for processed or packaged foods!
        • For whole, plant-based foods (like nuts, seeds, or avocados), the saturated fat is naturally occurring and not a significant concern when consumed in moderation. 
        • Saturated fat should not exceed 1-2% of total daily calories. 
        • On a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s around 2-4 grams per day maximum.
Also, ideally, there are no more than five ingredients that I could find individually in my kitchen (and that they’re not hard-to-pronounce chemical names!)

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