EatingWell January - February 2016

January at the pool where I swim is predictable. Suddenly it’s crowded and I end up sharing a lane. By February, the rush to get healthy simmers down and I return to backstroking without fear of collision. I love that there’s a season devoted to making positive changes. That’s cool! But wouldn’t it be better if they actually stuck? Here’s what we’ve got on tap in this issue to help you make changes. For good. For inspiration there’s Joe Wines’s story (page 6). He transformed his life, losing 80 pounds and keeping it off for fi ve years now. We’re especially proud of Joe’s story because he’s part of the EatingWell team. Go Joe! If you’re ready to make your own slim-down happen, try the 400-calorie dinners like chicken with mango salsa and…

TRANSFORMATIONS I just finished reading the Nov/Dec issue of EatingWell and I am so pleased with what you have to offer. I am at a point in my life that I either start to take better care of myself or pay the price. I am excited to be working toward better health, and eager to embark on the journey with your ideas. —LINDA SHAW, Goodview, VA “I realized this wasn’t about a diet or more exercise. I had to transform my whole life.” Currently in training for his first Ironman triathlon—a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run—Joe Wines, age 49, will tell you he has more energy now than when he was 20. And he doesn’t just credit physical activity. “The food I put in my body is used to fuel my…

Don’t judge a vegetable by its color alone. Vibrant fruits and vegetables have standout appeal, but recommendations to “eat the rainbow” can exclude one underappreciated category: white fruits and vegetables. These boast a variety of flavors and noteworthy nutrition accolades, according to research published in Advances in Nutrition. The researchers pointed out that many nutrients—including several that Americans don’t get enough of—and good-foryou phytochemicals that give fruits and veggies their health benefits are not always colorful. So even though it’s way after Labor Day, these whites are definitely in season.…

In a pitch-black vineyard on Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula, pickers hustle to harvest frozen Vidal, Riesling and Cabernet Franc grapes. Their breath steams into the frigid night air, illuminated only by headlamps and the moon, as they race to harvest and press the entire vineyard before the temperature rises above -8°C (17.6°F). Aptly named, ice wine is made from grapes that have dehydrated on the vine until frozen. It’s a risky business for vintners like Ontario’s Reif Estate— these withered grapes are more susceptible to rot, foraging birds and weather damage than earlier harvests. But the risk pays off: any remaining water freezes and is discarded, leaving behind sweet juice that’s fermented into dessert wine. Look for ice wines from Canada, Germany, the U.S. or Austria; there, by law, grapes must freeze on…

❶MCDONALD’S EGGS GO CAGE-FREE The buyer of 2 billion eggs annually will use only “cage-free” eggs in the U.S. and Canada by 2025. Currently, about 90 percent of all U.S. eggs come from caged chickens, so the president of the Humane Society called this “a watershed moment.” McDonald’s follows in the footsteps of Nestlé, Burger King, Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts. Panera Bread and Taco Bell have also recently pledged to go cage-free. The next step would be to ensure that hens have outdoor access. ❷TYSON TO ELIMINATE HUMAN ANTIBIOTICS USE IN CHICKEN In response to findings that antibiotic use in meat production is linked to the rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, America’s biggest poultry producer will stop using medically important antibiotics in its chicken by September 2017. Meanwhile, Perdue has already nixed…

Some farmstands we visit as much for the sauces, salsas and jams as for the produce. Now Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, founders of Beekman 1802 Farm and Mercantile, in Sharon Springs, NY, are bringing favorites from their market to Target. The Beekman 1802 Farm Pantry is a line of 48 items—think Five Pepper Salsa, Rosemary Sprig Balsamic Dressing and Microbrew Beer Mustard—produced nationwide by small manufacturers with local ingredients. The goal is to help small farms expand their reach. “We wanted to get small farms represented in the middle of the grocery store, where the bulk of Americans do their shopping,” say Brent and Josh. “We look at what the individual manufacturers are skilled at, then we find a small farm within a twohour radius of that manufacturer to supply a portion…