Nutrition circa 1954: Strong boy eats meat; pretty girl eats vegetables. Video flashback.

Young Ralph has more fun and gets more pep by learning to eat the right foods. Check out this flash back video. A little fact. A little myth. Fun to see the American approach to healthy eating from 56 years ago.

Chickens in all the places you would NOT expect to find them. (In this case they come before eggs.)

Brooklyn, New York? Madison, Wisconsin? Austin, Texas? Yes, the backyard chicken is beginning to be a bit of a rage. It will be interesting to see whether this is a fad or a trend. Meanwhile, here is a video I came across earlier this year from @SkeeterNYC on Twitter. Check out her blog at Food Curated. There is definitely some cool stuff to be found there.

Get your chickens at My Pet Chicken.

Brooklyn's Backyard Chicken Keepers *food curated* from SkeeterNYC on Vimeo.

Forget the brisket, try a little barbecued tofu.

Barbecued tofu on Big Green Egg from Garrett Weber-Gale on Vimeo.
I have to say it was pretty good. Here's how to do it:

This easy recipe from AthleticFoodie and Garrett Weber-Gale is simple enough for anyone to make: Press liquid out of firm tofu. Cut into half-inch slices. Marinate in barbecue sauce. Lightly spray with olive oil to promote some sizzle and prevent sticking. Get your grill smoky. Cook three to six minutes on each side, depending upon how brown or seared you like it.

You gotta love food and cooking to get a Vita Mix for your anniversary

It's not like getting or giving a vacuum cleaner...really. This is one utilitarian gift that truly rises above the cries of, "You didn't really get an appliance for your anniversary, did you?"

Truth be told, my dear spouse wanted one of these way more than I did. Just a day into owning a Vita Mix, though, I have to admit that I am becoming a convert. This machine rocks. In fact, it might be able to grind rocks into a smooth puree. (No, not really, so don't try it.) It certainly makes fast work of just about anything else you want to turn into soup, or a smoothie. Want a little more texture? Just back off on the speed and time. Or put some ingredients into the mix later. (By the way, it also makes healthy cooking easier.)

At the moment I am thinking about a container of leftover three-bean stew on the counter. Hmmm...add a little vegetable stock...toss in a bunch of cilantro...give it a buzz...might make a fine soup.

Getting picked up on The New York Times is pretty cool. That's just what happened the other day when Garrett Weber-Gale wrote about food, nutrition and healthy eating on his blog. Check out this commentary from NYT writer Stuart Elliott. Garrett wrote a fair and balanced critique of the recent McDonald's TV spots featuring Chicken McNuggets and implying that nuggets were there food choice of Olympic athletes. He does make the rare trip to the arches but took exception of the basic message in the spots.

Olympic gold medal training with underwater bikes...you kiddin' me?

Check out this recent post on The Food & Water blog by Garrett Weber-Gale. Biking underwater while training in Florida with Randy Reese. Does eating well and being a fanatic for good nutrition help on the trick bike? Well, it certainly can't hurt.

Help us build this blog

This blog is dedicated to helping people live better lives through better nutrition. It's centered, quite obviously, around the philosophies and lifestyle that helped Olympic two-time gold medal winner Garrett Weber-Gale excel at a world-class level. What most people don't realize is that they, too, can eat better and live better. Simple recipes, nutrition tips, easy ways to stay healthier...these things and more will be included here.

Now we need your help.

The AthleticFoodieTM blog is obviously kind of a mess so far with an ill-defined design and an unclear editorial focus. We want it to be what readers want it to be. What should we include? News feeds? Reader submissions such as recipes, videos, photos? A nutrition forum? Video on cooking healthy food? Training tips?

All great ideas welcome! Just add them as comments.

And THANKS!

Garrett Weber-Gale swims 100 freestyle old-school in tribute to Matt Biondi

Check out this story in The Austin American Statesman about Garrett swimming the 100m freestyle in the briefest of briefs. Solid time that makes a statement.

Cookie recipe with a healthy twist

Nuts? Nutrition aplenty but which one is better?

Healthy Eating Tip: Sweet Potatoes