0 Saturday Throwback 11 Things Dwight K Schrute Taught Me About Food and Frugality

Every Saturday, we post a piece from the CHG vault. Today, we salute the end of the 2010 television season with this feature from October 2007. Beets. Bears. Battlestar Galactica.

Hardworking. Alpha Male. Jackhammer.

A renowned beet farmer, volunteer Sheriff’s Deputy, and Assistant to the Regional Manager at the Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company Scranton branch, Dwight K. Schrute embodies all these enviable qualities, and then some. (He’s also merciless and insatiable.) Yet, the goose-bating, martial arts-trained Schrute makes cultural contributions that go far beyond his multiple jobs.

Of course, I er to his insights.

Our lives can only benefit from Schrutes somewhat obtuse, yet priceless aphorisms. Especially the ones about food. And cooking. And saving money.

So read on, dear … uh, readers. Learn from our fair farmer, and one day you, too, may join the DWIGHT ARMY OF CHAMPIONS.

DWIGHT SAYS: “Michael always says ‘K-I-S-S. Keep it simple, stupid.’ Great advice. Hurts my feelings every time.”
DWIGHT MEANS: Fresh, simple ingredients are the best way to a cheap, healthy meal.
In other words, eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, dabs of dairy, healthy fats and lean meats are the building blocks of delicious dinners and happy digestive systems. In the long run, they cost less and taste better than pre-packaged stuff, too.

DWIGHT SAYS: “My grandfather left me a 60-acre working beet farm. I run it with my cousin Mose. We sell beets to the local stores and restaurants. It’s a nice little farm ... sometimes teenagers use it for sex.”
DWIGHT MEANS: Buy local.
Not only does it support neighborhood farmers (who need security to keep randy kids away), but food that’s shipped from nearby tastes better, is better for you, and is easier on the environment. See here for more.

DWIGHT SAYS: "First rule in roadside beet sales, put the most attractive beets on top. The ones that make you pull the car over and go, Wow, I need this beet right now. Those are the money beets."
DWIGHT MEANS: Knowing how food is marketed is vital to saving cash.
There’s a reason grocery stores put expensive, good-looking food at eye level. It’s the same mentality behind placing pricey victuals in gigantic, showy displays. When you go food shopping, don’t forget to look at the top and bottom shelves - beyond what’s immediately apparent. You’ll spend less. (Also: Stick to the perimeter of supermarkets, shop from the circular, only use coupons for stuff you’d buy anyway, keep a price book, etc.)

DWIGHT SAYS: “Studies show that more information is passed through watercooler gossip than through official memos, which puts me at a disadvantage because I bring my own water to work.”
DWIGHT MEANS: Bottled water is a big, wet cheat.
Packing a thermos from home, using the cooler at the office, or simply gathering H2O from the tap can conserve up to $600 per year, depending on how often you buy bottled. (See here, here, and here for more.)

DWIGHT SAYS: “Yes, I have decided to shun Andy Bernard for the next three years, which Im looking forward to. Its an Amish technique; its like slapping someone with silence. I was shunned from the age of 4 until my 6th birthday, for not saving the excess oil from a can of tuna.”
DWIGHT MEANS: Save leftovers, or suffer the terrible consequences.
Whether it’s excess mashed potatoes or those last two slices of pizza, try to pack your extras away. It’ll keep your portion size down, make a delicious office meal the next day, and put your lunch money back where it belongs – in your pocket.

DWIGHT SAYS: "Oh you know that line on the top of the shrimp? Thats feces."
DWIGHT MEANS: Don’t play around with food safety.
Yeah, I think this ones pretty self-explanatory.

DWIGHT SAYS: “In the wild, there is no health care. In the wild, health care is, ‘Ow, I hurt my leg. I cant run. A lion eats me and Im dead.’ Well, Im not dead. Im the lion, youre dead.”
DWIGHT MEANS: Eating smart and modestly will save your money and your life.
Obesity contributes to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer – all difficult and expensive illnesses to treat. (See Get Rich Slowly’s The High Cost of Being Fat.) Plus, it makes it very difficult to run away from lions.

DWIGHT SAYS: “Whenever I’m about to do something, I think, ‘Would an idiot do that?’ And if they would, I do not do that thing.”
DWIGHT MEANS: Find a food anti-idol.
Imagine your most extravagant friend. You know, the high roller - the one that doesn’t think twice about his finances. For what does he dole out the most dough? If he’s anything like my big-spender buds, it’s food. Learn from his bad example and try to use good judgment when buying groceries, ordering out, or settling down for a restaurant meal.

DWIGHT SAYS: [to Tobys daughter] “Hello, tiny one. YOU ARE THE FUTURE!”
DWIGHT MEANS: Teach your children well.
When it comes to eating and budgeting, kids learn largely from the examples set by their parents. Whether it’s having dinner together or serving more vegetables, changing a bad habit or starting a few good ones will benefit them for life.

DWIGHT SAYS: “When you are ready to see the sales office, the sales office will present itself to you.”
DWIGHT MEANS: Honest change can not come until one is truly ready.
If you’re looking to cut costs or make a switch to simpler foods, you must first commit yourself to the idea, and then be ready to follow through on the behaviors. Think of it like smoking: every single person on Earth can warn you to stop, but until you want to, there’s no chance.

DWIGHT SAYS: “I do not fear the unknown. I will meet my new challenges head-on, and I will succeed, and I will laugh in the faces of those who doubt me.”
DWIGHT MEANS: You don’t know unless you try.
So you’d like to make more money, cook more wholesome meals, lose a few pounds. What’s stopping you? Don’t let the fear of failure keep you from reaching your dreams - gastronomic, economic, and otherwise.

(Catch more of Dwight on The Office every Thursday on NBC.) Photos from Flickr and Buddy TV.

0 Top Ten Links of the Week 4 22 11 4 28 11

Food marketing was the hot topic this week, with excellent articles from Leo Babuta, Marion Nestle, and Jane Black, among others. Plus, we celebrate the fabulous debut of Tom Haverfoods, which will only make sense for the next month or so.

1) Zen Habits: Breaking Free From Consumerist Chains
Super-solid piece on willingly dropping out of consumer culture. The first line establishes the tone: "We are not consumers. We are people." It just gets better from there, punctuated by real, honest-to-god useful tips.

2) Food Politics: At Last, FTC Releases Principles of Food Marketing to Kids
Marion Nestle analyzes the new FTC advertising guidelines for kids, and what they mean for the general populace. Essentially, she: A) wishes this would have happened already, but B) is pretty satisfied with the progress, and C) brings up a great point – Whos holding the food industry accountable? Also worth reading, Nestles other excellent column about the insidiousness of viral marketing to kids.

3) The Atlantic:The Latest Food Marketing Trend - Fake Authenticity
Fascinating analysis of the biggest trend in food advertising right now: Health. No, really. Industry leaders are trying any way they can to promote the health benefits (virtue) of their products, whether its watermelon or Tostitos. Reading labels could get real tricky, real soon. (Moreso, even.)

4) Serious Eats: What Exactly Does Fair Trade Mean?
Educational! Picture yourself as Johnny Carson when reading this, raising your eyebrows and saying, "I did not know that" in a thick Nebraskan accent.

5) Tom Haverfoods
Parks and Rec fans! Some genius created this randomizer of Tom’s alternate food names, from Funky Soda (light beer) to Cereal Sauce (milk). All it’s missing is Ron Swanson.

6) Bargaineering: How to Save on Groceries, With and Without Coupons
Good rundown of frugal food shopping strategies, emphasizing some of the not-as-well-known basics. ("Then how are they basics?" you might ask. They just are. Go with it.)

7) The Kitchn: 15 Simple Healthy Fruit Desserts
Guess what this post is about? Yep. Zombies.

8) stonesoup: vegetarianism for carnivores - a simple idea for healthier eating
The tips are pretty standard, but nicely presented, and MAN, I want to make that eggplant-bean thing right now.

9) USDA Today: Restaurants say consumers are finally ordering healthier meals
You guys! What we’re ordering at chain restaurants? As a nation? It’s getting healthier! The president of Applebee’s even says, “I’ve been in the restaurant business for 30 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this.” We win!

10) Wise Bread: The Best and Worst Nuts, By Nutrition and Price
In which mixed nuts prevail over all, and the word “nut” is used approximately 46,000 times.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Cupcake Project: Easter Cupcakes Baked in Real Eggs
This blew my mind. My clone will be typing the rest of this post.

Kalyns Kitchen: Six Years Old and Six Lessons Im Learning from Food Blogging
Happy birthday, Kalyn’s blog!

Neatorama: Every Secret Ingredient from Iron Chef America
Allez cuisine!

NPR: Shrinking Height of Poor Women Reflects Lack of Food, Health Care
Umm ... nothing funny about this one.

AND ALSO

The Daily What: Little Chefs
Kids + blenders = hee.



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0 11 Ways to Help You Eat Less

As children we always wanted to “play” and the farthest thing from our minds was food. My mom had to yell for me 4 or 5 times to get me to come and eat. My mom like all moms had a plan. When you finally did come down to eat, she made sure you were nice and full so you can grow up to be “healthy and strong.” Moms would use many tricks to get us to eat like saying, “It’s impolite to not finish your food” or “do you not like my cooking?” Some moms even use plain old force, like “sit back down and finish your food!” My wonderful mom used guilt as her weapon of choice. “There are starving kids in Africa” she would always tell me. And as a child, what can you say to something like that? I would just put my head down and continue to shovel away. I don’t blame my mom or moms around the country for making us overweight, but overeating has been embedded into us from childhood so here are some tips to help us unlearn what all moms have taught us.

11 Ways to Help you eat Less

1. Drink a glass of water. Drink a full glass of water and wait 20 minutes before you eat. The brain takes about 20 minutes to register that you have put something in your stomach. The glass of water will not only fill your stomach up so you won’t feel as hungry, but many experts believe the brain cannot distinguish between feeling hungry and feeling thirsty. I know what you’re thinking. I’m not thirsty, I want food! Just try it. Trust me, it works.

2. Eat slower. A number of studies have shown that just by eating slower you will consume fewer calories. It takes our brain about 20 minutes to register that we are full and by consuming our food faster, we continue past the point of realizing that we have eaten enough.

3. Eat a Piece of Fruit. If you are famished, eat a piece of fruit and wait 20 minutes. The piece of fruit won’t stop you from eating, but it has water and fiber to help curb your hunger so you won’t gorge yourself when you finally get to eat. This will help you follow step #2.

4. Fill your plate up with veggies. You want to "Eat from the Rainbow." Pick vibrant colors veggies as they are loaded with nutrients and are low in calories that will “fool” your mind into thinking it is eating a lot by take up a lot of space on your plate. When you go to Souplantation, doesn’t it look like you’re eating a ton of food?

5. Eat lean protein. Lean Protein such as chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, low fat cottage cheese, soy and lean cuts of beef give you a more "satisfied" feeling so you don’t always feel hungry. Oh and it helps you build that ever so important muscle.

6. Eat More Snacks. Remember when mom always said “Stop snacking, you’re going ruin your appetite.” She was right; you are going to ruin your appetite and that’s exactly what we want. You should be snacking throughout the day. This allows your blood sugar levels to never dip too low, which can cause you to overeat. Your snacks should consist mostly of vegetables, fruits and nuts as these will not spike your insulin levels.

7. Replace your unhealthy snacks with veggies, fruit and nuts. Keep fruits, vegetables and nuts cut, cracked or peeled and ready to go at home or work. This is using the concept of “path of least resistance” to your advantage. If you have healthy snacks within your reach, you WILL eat them.

8. Dont eat and watch TV. The TV keeps your mind distracted so you just go through the motion of putting whatever is in front of you in your mouth without realizing you ate too much. This one was very difficult for me at first until I realized that this was the perfect opportunity to strike up a conversation with a friend or significant other.

9.Use smaller plates. Like mom always said, “Finish your plate.” We have been programmed to eat everything on our plate and smaller plates mean smaller meals. NO SECONDS!

10. Eat veggies and fruits first. They are low in calories, filled with water and packed with colon friendly fiber. Fiber is filling so it allows your mind time to catch up to your stomach. If you eat a salad first make sure to use a low calorie dressing OR if you like the full calorie dressing, get the dressing on the side and dip your fork, that way you get the full flavor of the dressing on your tongue and you end up eat half as much dressing.

11. Eat your Calories, don’t drink them. There are many hidden calories in your favorite beverage. Limit your favorite beverage to once or twice a day as it is very easy to drink an additional 200- 400 calories a day in liquids. That equates to an additional 30-60 minutes on the treadmill just to burn off what you drink!