This is a YouTube video titled "7 Ways to Improvise in a Food Desert" created in December 2016. It features a conversational-style presentation primarily by Ask AI Mark with contributions from Dr. Hyman, discussing practical tips for maintaining a healthy diet while staying in areas with limited access to fresh food, known as food deserts. The content includes advice on packing staples, shopping strategies, dining out, and cooking with family during holidays.
Hey everybody, welcome to my weekly house call. Your chance to ask me your questions and this week's question is, Dr. Hyman, help. I'm going to my in-laws for the holidays and they live in a food desert. I mean, seriously, they have one grocery store and a McDonald's. What am I gonna do? I'm gonna be there for almost 10 days. Well, I think we've all been there. I know I certainly have traveled to towns that are considered food deserts and I have to make the most of what's available there. And let's be honest, It's not your fault that you can't find real food in the average American town. The food industry conspires to keep real food off the shelves.
Why?
It's simply not as profitable to sell real foods like vegetable, fruits, and nuts as it is to sell snacks and cakes and candy and chips. Now, with that being said, it is possible to find healthy foods just about anywhere, even if they're not as abundant as the junk food that's there. You don't have to have access to a farmer's market and gourmet food stores or even health food stores. You can go to your local regular grocery store and usually find what you need. And it doesn't take that long either. You just need to know where to hunt and gather. If you're driving somewhere, I recommend taking plenty of staples from your home. Things like almond butter, nut milks, coconut oil, wild canned salmon or fish, olive oil, nuts and seeds, and any other non-perishable items that are great to take on the road. Now, if you're flying, it's also worth it to make room for some of these things in your bags in case you run into a food emergency. Now, my favorite secret weapon while I'm on a road trip is to carry along a cooler in the back seat of my car to stash my favorite emergency kit snacks. Not only do I carry dry goods, but I also have fresh goodies on hand. Things like cabbage and celery and carrots and snap peas and radishes. All these tend to hold up their fresh crunch, especially in the cooler. Maybe I also have apples and berries and pomegranates and avocados and lemons. They really do great in the cooler. Now, if you like something sweet, which I do sometimes, I always carry a 70% raw organic dark chocolate bar. And that prevents me from going for those candy bars at the local filling station where they're calling your name. Now, I love online shopping because it saves time and saves money. So I encourage you to check out the link to the Thrive Market below. Next, when you arrive to your location, I want you to find the closest grocery store and be sure to search for any health food stores. Before you hit the grocery store, make a shopping list.
Why?
Because it saves you from wandering down those aisles aimlessly, just putting in all kinds of junk and getting rid of all those impulse buys for junk food purchases. The second step is to stick to the outside of the store, or more specifically, the produce section. The produce section is going to have most of what you're looking for. You might have noticed that whole, fresh foods are stocked on the outside aisles. Not on the inside aisles. Stick to those aisles for your main ingredients. And remember, when selecting B for meat, if you can, choose grass-fed, hormone-free, and organic when possible. You can't always do that, but it's still real food. It's better than all the junk. Next, load up on the essentials if you weren't able to travel with them. Things like extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, nuts and seeds, nut milks. They have health food, quote, health food sections in most grocery stores now. makes you wonder what all the rest of the food is in the grocery store if there are health food sections. Also, you can get coconut milk, olives, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, black pepper, spices, anything you need really is in most grocery stores. Now, if your family wants to go out to eat, that's okay, but research your options online and look at the menus and you should be the one controlling where you go. You can suggest options for your group, but most of the time if you choose, you're going to be happy. Most people are happy when someone else makes a decision too, so that's okay. And it puts you in the driver's seat so you can find the best places. Most places have online menus, so look for those with high quality foods, things that have grass-fed beef, wild caught fish, organic produce, or just healthy ingredients in real food. I also recommend sticking with the sides. See, most restaurants usually have side dishes that include things like steamed veggies or sweet potatoes. and if you don't see something you like on the menu, just ask them to make some grilled fish or grilled chicken with a large plate of veggies that are steamed or sauteed in olive oil. And most roadside or airport restaurants usually can do this. Anything that's glazed or breaded or otherwise comes drowning in a sugary sauce should be a red flag to stay away from. The other night I was flying on an airplane and they had pomegranate dressing for the salad, which was full of sugar and they had some beef dish which was full of this sugary sauce. I don't understand why they have to put sugar in entrees. If your entree arrives with a gluten grain or a starchy carb, ask them to swap it out for another green vegetable or a side or a salad. Now in this week's house call question, our reader said that there was only a McDonald's available. And to this I say, well, use the holidays as an opportunity for you to connect with your family in the kitchen. Introduce your loved ones to new healthy recipes that you love. And in this way, you're not only going to control the ingredients and the types of food you'll be having, but you'll be connecting and having a really great time with your family. Now, if you're looking for a little kitchen inspiration, I encourage you to check out my new book, the Eat Fat, Get Thin Cookbook, which is filled with over 175 delicious and healthy recipes that are mouth-watering, including plenty of the recipes you can use for the holidays, and I'm going to link to that book right below. So there you have it. Those are my tips for eating in a food desert. Now I want to hear from you. What are the ways you can manage to eat healthy while on the road? What have you found that works for you? I want you to comment on my Facebook page, and if you like this video, I want you to share it with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter, and be sure to submit your questions to DrHyman.com, and maybe next.
