"healthy" news and stories

We're not sure if the folks in the City of Watsonville, California, were fans of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, but we're pretty sure the star-chef would give a high-five to its council members. In a 6-1 vote on Tuesday, members passed a Healthy Eating Options ordinance, requiring all new restaurants (and existing restaurants looking to expand), to offer healthy options on their menus if they want to secure a building permit.

"It's a very attainable requirement," says Marcela Tavantzis, assistant city manager. "We're not trying to dissuade businesses from coming to Wastonville. The threshold is very low, but it's designed to get restaurants to think about their selections."

The ordinance is based on a point system determined by a list of options. Offering whole-grain bread will earn a restaurant one point. Prepare fish, chicken or beef by broiling, baking or poaching? Bingo! Two points. Offer water free of charge to customers? Yup. That's another point. To secure a permit, restaurateurs need a total of six points. Existing restaurants are also encouraged, but not required, to participate. Certificates are given to businesses that earn nine points, while restaurants that reach 13 will be able to proudly display a Golden Carrot Award. (Sounds like hot-dog joints should rethink the new construction in Watsonville.)

There's something about food on a stick that speaks to our inner child, especially when that food is perfectly cooked over an open flame, tender and succulent but with just the right amount of charred edge. The fact that these chicken kabobs are also healthy captures the attention of the adult side of us, we suppose.

The grill guy who cooked this up looked to the Mediterranean for heart-smart inspiration, and found a solution for keeping his "arch-nemesis: boneless skinless chicken breasts" moist.

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Black baked beans. Photo: Jennifer Iserloh.

Beans are one of the foods I crave. No matter if it's black bean soup with tons of fresh lime, refried beans, chili or summer barbecues -- I make a beeline to the baked beans.

I have a passion for Moros y Cristianos, gorgeous black beans and rice cooked with green peppers, fresh cilantro, savory spices and a little ham. I treat myself to this whenever I visit the very authentic Cuban restaurant, La Isla, in Hoboken, N.J.

My version of black baked beans is a nod to some of the flavors you'll find in a plate of their moros. The recipe is after the jump.

Leftover pitas, tortillas and other thin, bready products can make a superb, simple and salubrious baked snack.

A breakfast sandwich is always a filling, satisfying way to begin the day--or, occasionally, end the night. One of the things I truly missed when I left New York City was the glory of the corner bodega breakfast sandwich. So, I'm always interested when one of the local West Coast, drive-thru, fast food franchise joints comes up with a new combo of bread, egg and cheese. The two most recent entries, Dunkin' Donuts' Egg White Turkey Sausage Flatbread Sandwich and Carl's Jr.'s Monster Breakfast Sandwich lie proudly at opposite ends of the spectrum. A clear-cut rivaly of health vs. indulgence, but what of taste?