Ahhhhh … the French way to teach children to love food (real food)! And the results? The lowest childhood obesity rate in the industrialized world. Check this out: French School Lunch Menus | Karen Le Billon.
Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food – TIME
Data from a study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Thought I’d start the New Year with a post that holds extraordinary meaning.
Three and a half years after it was written, this is still one of the most important articles ever written on food. I would love your thoughts … and if you think it’s important, please share it. Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food – TIME.
The graphic to the right was originally published in the Time Magazine version of the story, but is not included in the electronic version … and I thought it was important.
I couldn’t say it any better myself – so I won’t :-)
Pomegranate – Background and Handling Tips!
First, check out the great information on the history and lore of pomegranates at Pomegranate – HandPicked Nation.
Then, newly inspired to get the fabulous health benefits of this fruit, try one (or both) of the following easy ways to enjoy them!
1. Open the pomegranate and eat the arils – the mess-free way!
The key to opening a pomegranate without it looking like a crime scene afterwards is simply to do it underwater! First, shallowly slice through the pomegranate skin, and cut away the are around the stem. Then, dunk the whole pomegranate into a
bowl of water deeper than the pomegranate, and pull the fruit apart with your hands. You’ll be able to easily roll the arils away from the white pith, leaving the arils on the bottom of the bowl, with the white bits floating. Pour out the water and floating bits, and eat!
2. Juice the pomegranate (you’ll never drink the stuff in the jar again)
Again, cut shallowly around the pomegranate, dividing it into about 4 sections (depending on size). Pull the fruit apart with your hands (underwater if you want to stay clean). Using a hand-held juicer – one made for oranges or grapefruit – insert the sections of pomegranate and squeeze. You may have to reposition each section and squeeze twice … and this could be messy, so wear an apron or cover yourself with a towel. Warning: this fresh juice tastes nothing like what you can buy at the store … you might get addicted!
Want to use even more of the fruit? Apparently, ancient Romans used pomegranate rinds as a form of leather … hmmmm ….
Addicted to Acai Bowls!
I was lucky enough to spend most of October in Hawaii on business … and lucky enough to stay in a hotel that was right next to the most amazing little acai joint called Basik Acai (a don’t-miss if you’re in Kona!).
I came home virtually addicted to these nutritional-powerhouse bowls of goodness (Dr. Oz: “Acai is a powerful antioxidant. Colorful dark foods like red wine, pomegranates, concord grapes, blueberries — they call them brain berries — are full of nutrients.”), and since there isn’t an acai bowl source anywhere near my home in Atlanta, I had to figure out how to make them on my own. Luckily, they’re simple if you have a Vitamix, and you can have fun playing around with loads of different ingredients.
TO MAKE:
Using a strong blender, blend the following until creamy but still frozen:
Frozen unsweetened pulp packets: Whole Foods sells the frozen Sambazon-brand pulp, but I’ve discovered I like Amafruits (which you have to order online) a little better – seems like less water, more fruit. I use 1.5 – 2 packets per bowl, but experiment to see what you like.
Liquid: Just about anything you want, but I really like coconut water, coconut milk, homemade cashew milk, and/or greek yogurt.
Other frozen fruit: For me, frozen bananas (at least a bit) are a must – they make the texture nice and silky. Mangoes are also nice.
Whatever else you want to blend in! I’ve used kale, edible green tea, peanut butter, almonds, cacao nibs, pomegranate, chia, and lots more. Have fun!
Spoon this mixture into a bowl, and liberally top with chopped fresh fruits (papaya, banana, blueberries, strawberries … you get the idea).
Add texture with a sprinkling of granola, goji berries, crushed almonds, walnuts, unsweetened coconut, and/or flax seeds, etc.
Finish with a drizzle of fresh local honey or maple syrup if you like. I don’t normally add sweetener to anything, but Acai pulp is unsweetened, so just a touch of honey or maple syrup really builds the flavor.
ENJOY!
Pajama Party at Nana’s (in Chicago)! Great food and great fun!
Love that the cool restaurant Nana’s (in Chicago – wish it were in Atlanta!) is hosting a Pajama Brunch on New Year’s! Awesome idea!
How they describe the restaurant: “Nana is a family-owned, organic restaurant offering choices for those who are not only passionate about great tasting food, but who are also passionate about where their food comes from. We source the finest of organic ingredients from farmers, producers and vendors who meet and maintain USDA National Organic Program standards.”
We need MORE RESTAURANTS LIKE THIS!
Recipe: Gibbs Banana Oat Bran Muffins Recipe
Looking for breakfast muffins that aren’t just cake in disguise? This is actually a recipe from Simplify Your Life by Elaine St. James — it’s her husband Gibbs’ recipe. Bake them the night before, and they’re perfect in the morning (and for days to come). A little honey or jam makes them perfect. Gibbs Banana Oat Bran Muffins Recipe.
Deepak Chopra on “A Freer Way to Think”
Found this great article on mastering your own mind … moving beyond habitual thoughts and unconscious actions (as Chopra says, “distractions are a multi-billion-dollar business”), to deliberate focus on higher goals. Thought you might love it, too.
NOTE: Why isn’t this post about food? Because life is more than food … and this blog will be, too, from time to time. Thanks for indulging me!
Made today: Raw Cashew Dreamcake from My New Roots
I’m not a vegetarian, but find I generally feel better when I focus on non-meat food sources. Today, I was out looking for ways to use up some cashew cream that I’d made, and stumbled onto the My New Roots blog’s Raw Cashew Dreamcake recipe. Working with what I had on-hand, I had to substitute cranberries for the raspberries, but this was AMAZING. Give it a try and let me know your thoughts!
Steath Health: Healthy Substitutions (that can make food taste better!)
As I’ve said before, I’m NOT a fan of compromise …in any form, really, but particularly not in something as important as what I eat. But there are a lot of simple substitutions you can make without even impacting the deliciousness of your favorite recipes … and sometimes even making them tastier!
Give these a try and let me know what you think:
- Replace sodas with sparkling water. Add muddled fruit for a flavor boost: this time of year, try ginger and lemon, or fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice!
- …
