Food

How to Eat Out the Safe Way

July 2, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

When you choose to eat out, you are often unaware of the quality of the food and how it is prepared. There are ways to safely eat out if you do your research and are careful where you eat.

The first step is to check the nutritional information and reviews about various restaurants in your area. This is often available through the internet, and many restaurants will give you a nutritional fact sheet. You can narrow down your options by ruling out fast food restaurants that fry most of the foods they serve and use cheaper quality meat and produce. Family owned and run establishments usually are safer, using fresh produce and cook food more carefully.

Keep a list of the places that you have found are safe to eat at so you have a ready reference when it comes time to choose. If you are in an area you are not familiar with, your choices may be limited. Check the menu carefully for items that you can order with a relative amount of security, such as salads. Avoid using salad dressings that are commercially made as they may contain ingredients you may not want to ingest. The safest thing to order is vinegar and oil.

Many restaurants now offer a low-carb menu for the health conscious, including vegetable choices like green beans and side salads. This is a positive swing in the right direction. When possible, order from a senior or children’s menu if allowed. These are smaller portions than the regular meals that are served.

Filed Under: International Cuisine, Lifestyle Tagged With: Food, Green bean, Salad

How to Shop for Vegan Food

April 24, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Vegans choose not to eat animal products or byproducts. If that is you, you may be looking for a place to get great food choices. Buying vegan food does not have to be a complex process once you find a trusted provider offering the assortment of foods you want. As you look around at your local grocery stores and become discouraged, remember that specialty stores carry a larger selection and can provide you with the guidance you need for creating your favorite vegan dishes.

Tips for Buying Vegan Food

When it comes to buying vegan food, you need to know what is available that fits into your menu choices. Don’t feel limited by the options available to you.

Be sure to purchase whole foods as much as possible. Purchase whole, fresh vegetables and fruits. These are the best way to know what you are getting.
Read the labels on the foods you do buy. Some specialty providers label vegan foods with the “V” symbol to make finding it easy.
Look for foods that contain tofu. Tofu is an excellent source of nutrients. You can find it in many food types including faux meat, yogurt, and cheese products.
You can find some foods prepared for you, including popular options like tahini, miso and hummus. Buy from a trusted provider to ensure a true vegan composition.

To find specialty stores like this, use a service such as Canada 411. Search for local providers that specialize in vegan and whole foods. When you find a few options, compare their selection of products. Ask questions of the associates there to ensure you are getting a truly vegan product you’ll love.

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks Tagged With: Canada, Food, Veganism

Vegetarian Cooking Ideas

February 21, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

These days having a dinner party means knowing what your guests eat. Before 15 or 20 years ago the host made food and every one ate it. Now, with more and more people omitting things from their diets it has become increasingly more important that dinner hosts understand what there guests will and will not eat. For those carnivores who are having that next dinner party, knowing a few vegetarian or vegan dish ideas will save the embarrassment of having someone not be able to eat or have to explain that they don’t eat meat. Remember these days not every one the same things.

Vegetarian Cooking Ideas

1. Salads- A cook cannot go wrong with a salad. How many times at restaurant has somebody heard a customer say, “oh, I’ll just have a salad.” Having a salad available for dinner guests will ensure that if there are any vegan or vegetarian guests that they won’t be left out.

2. Tofu- Tofu is the modern day everything kind of food. Tofu can go with just about any sauce on any dish and taste just fine. It can be served cold or warm and can even be disguised to taste like most other foods. Tofu is something that most vegetarians and vegans like and is an excellent source of protein and other nutrients. Tofu can even be made into a turkey or tofurkey.

3. Eggplant- Eggplant is excellent dish that can be made in several ways. It is starchy and filling so guests will enjoy it and has an excellent texture. Cooked eggplant or baked eggplant is the best way to prepare it, but having some baked eggplant handy can ensure that no one will be left at the table not eating.

Filed Under: International Cuisine Tagged With: Food, Veganism, Vegetarianism

The Stress of Meat on the Body

February 19, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Image via Wikipedia

As both schools of science and nutrition expand and move into the future, the human race begins to learn more and more about the food they eat and the way it affects their bodies. First it was burnt hot dogs and burnt marshmallows. Then it was diet soda and milk. But now scientists are pointing to the inability of the human body to effectively break down meat compounds.

The general belief now is that because cows and pigs and all the meat they we eat, eats other things itself, that the human body then has to expand as much energy that the animal would have to, to break down the food in their stomach, as well as, the energy to break down the food in our stomach ie. the cow. This process is harmful to the body is several ways. Here are just a few of those ways that meat puts stress on the body.

Two Ways Meat is Bad for the Body

1. Aging- Scientists believe that aging is directly linked to how much energy the body has to spend. Therefore, caloric intake would cause the body to age faster and since there are so many calories and so much energy used during the meat eating process it causes the body to age faster.

2. Harm to Organs- The bodies inability to effectively break down meat products causes more wear and tear on the body. This usually means that internal organs used in digestion will either be harmed or have problems later in life.

This information does not mean that meat should not be eaten, or that it can’t be part of a balanced diet, but it does mean that meat should be consumed responsibly which means not as often and such large quantities.

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks Tagged With: Food, Human body, Meat

Vegan Dining in Raleigh

February 10, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

This is actually Tom's Restaurant, NYC. Famous...

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A vegan is an individual who avoids eating dairy and animal products. This includes foods such as milk, eggs, fish and honey. Some choose to become vegans for political or environmental reasons, while others follow the vegan diet due to health issues. When you live in Raleigh apartments, you might find that the South isn’t an area known for its vegetarianism. This doesn’t mean you have to starve. There are several restaurants in the Raleigh area that offer vegan dining.

If you plan to dine with some non-vegan friends, head on over to Cafe Harmony, which offers both meat and vegetarian foods. Itspecializes in serving natural and organic food, with vegan milk, desserts and meals. It even has a juice bar. If you are a soup lover, you might want to try a meal at the Zest Cafe. You can have vegan dishes made upon request and sample vegan soup daily.

If you are looking for some ethnic choices, try going to Dalat Oriental Restaurant. The Dalat Oriental offers Vietnamese food and offers vegan options made with soy products. If you want something on the menu that isn’t vegan, just talk with your server. They are happy to make the menu option vegan for you upon request. Another benefit of going to this restaurant is that it is known for its large portions. Another great ethnic restaurant offering ethnic food is the Neomonde Baking Company. This restaurant offers Middle Eastern dishes.

Coffee lovers can also enjoy a nice trip out without worries. The Third Place Cafe offers coffee drinks with rice milk and soy milk. If you want to try another place, take a trip over to Sosta Cafe. This is a European coffee shop that also serves salads made to order. It uses ingredients such as breads and produce that are locally made and grown.

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: Animal product, Food, Veganism