Deciphering the Food Label

Sometimes picking up a food product and trying to read the food label can be very confusing. Many people don't know what to look for, or what everything means and then end up choosing foods that may not be very healthy. I thought I'd share with you guys what I look for, and what I think are the main things you should look at when reading a food label. Here are a few things you should take a look at when checking out a food label:

**Start at the top (servings per container)...

Many food products are packaged to look like they are one serving size, when really it may be several. Take a look at the serving size, as well as the servings per package. The servings per package will let you know how many people/servings is in the whole package.

Example: This item has two servings that are one cup each. So this item is two cups, and is meant for two servings.

**Look at the fat (saturated and trans fat/calories from fat)...

Once I know how many servings are in the package, as well as the serving size, I'll look at the fat. In my opinion this is one of the most important places on the actual label to look, especially the saturated and trans fat. Saturated fat and trans fats are the two worst fats that you can eat, so the lower the number the better. Trans fats should be as close to 0 as possible, and saturated fats should be well under 5g.

Another important thing to look at is calories from fat. This number should be about a third of the total calories. This number isn't the most important, but it's good to glance at.

**Sodium:

Most packaged foods have lots of sodium, so when looking at this just focus on small numbers. Don't try to worry about memorizing a specific number, just make sure it is small (around 400 mg). Also, take a look at the % Daily Value for this as well to see what the percentage of sodium in a serving is of the recommended daily amount. If you eat about five meals a day, this number should be less than 20% of your daily value.

**Ingredients:

By far, the ingredients's list is the most important thing to look at. Sometimes I only look at the ingredients and that's enough for me to know whether or not the product is something I want to buy. I used to look at the amount of sugar on the food label, but found that if you look at the ingredients and see that there is no added sugar, then the amount of sugar in the product is usually natural, and not added in.

Some key words to avoid in the ingredients list are:

     high fructose corn syrup or any thing with the word 'sugar', hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated oils (AKA trans fats), caramel coloring or food dyes, aspartame or anything ending in -ose (artificial sweeteners), carrageenan, lecithin, monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed vegetable protein

Examples:

This is an ingredient's list for a Fiber One bar. As you can see, this list is super long and contains ingredients that I've never even heard of. In other words, this isn't the best option for a "healthy" snack bar.

Again this has a super long ingredient list, and key words to avoid like "monosodium glutamate," "hydrolyzed vegetable protein," "corn syrup," "caramel coloring," " yellow 5" 

Who knew that there would be high fructose corn syrup in tomatoes?!

Words in the ingredient's list should be words that are familiar, and that you can identify. If you don't recognize what the ingredient is, then you probably shouldn't be putting it into your body. Look for a short ingredient list, with only a few items.....just remember: the fewer, the better.


Key things to remember when grocery shopping, and trying to decipher the food label:

1. See how many actual servings are in the package (especially for snack foods)

2. Make sure the saturated and trans fats are small numbers, or as close to 0 as possible

3. Look at the calories from fat, and aim for less than a third fat calories from total calories

4. Take a look at the sodium, and again aim for a low number close to 400 mg

5. If you're in a rush, at least look at the ingredients and try to avoid ingredients you don't recognize, or can't pronounce

The Laughing Seed | Restaurant Review | Asheville, NC

Have you ever eaten something that was so wonderful, you knew that you'd never forget it....not only the meal, but the atmosphere or events that were taking place while eating it? I call these "life meals." I love asking people what their life meals are, because I feel like it really helps me to understand that person.

For a while, my "life meal" was a vegetarian sandwich I had in New York City, followed by a huge slice of tiramisu. It was one of those meals that was so good I knew I wouldn't forget it. But last week, my life meal changed...

My sister and I drove to Asheville to go to a concert, but before the concert, we stopped by a restaurant called The Laughing Seed to get some dinner. The Laughing Seed is almost all vegetarian, vegan and/or gluten free. The menu was filled with so many different options, from salads to soups, raw dishes to cooked, cocktails to beer, Indian to Mexican cuisine, so deciding what to order took quite some time. I finally decided on a raw dish that was both vegan and gluten free. It was called The Dragon Bowl, here is the description from their menu...

Dragon Bowl $12 (V, GF)

An all-raw version of our Harmony Bowl. A layer of cauliflower/nut rice, an assortment of seasonal vegetables, arugula, avocado, and sunflower seed/beet pate topped with housemade kim chee and our organic purple kraut. Served with miso-tahini sauce.

I loved being able to order straight from the menu and not have to ask for no meat, or no cheese. As soon as they brought out my food I was so excited, it looked beautiful and smelled amazing. I of course took photos, because even before eating it I knew this was my new life meal and I didn't want to forget it. It was delicious and I can't wait to go back and order it again. 

 

My sister, who isn't vegetarian or gluten free ordered the Tico Taco Salad (A bed of organic mixed greens topped with black beans, shredded Jack cheese, our grilled spiced crumbled Tico tofu, salsa, brown rice, guacamole. cherry tomatoes, red onion, and fresh jalapenos. Served with organic blue corn chips) and a blueberry pineapple mixed drink. She said that it was also amazing, and she was definitely just as pleased with her meal as I was with mine. 

The Laughing Seed in general was an amazing restaurant and if you're ever near Asheville I highly recommend you try it out! The ambiance was so relaxing, filled with flowers and twinkle lights. The service was great, the food was perfect, and I will definitely remember it for a very long time. The link to the website is http://laughingseed.jackofthewood.com 

A Better Way to Enjoy A Bowl of Noodles

I absolutely love a big bowl of noodles. It's such a great base for almost any kind of flavor you're wanting. They take on the flavors of whatever sauce, broth, or extras you add into them. But often times a big bowl of noodles can also be a big bowl of refined, nutrient lacking, processed calories. Today I'm going to share with you how to make a big bowl of nutrient packed, fresh, raw, healthy noodles.

This is how......

I got this spiralizer for Christmas this past year, and have been loving it! You can find these on Amazon, or other kitchen supply stores. You can buy them for as little as twenty-five dollars. They are very easy to clean by just wiping it down with a wet cloth. Also, you can spiralize almost anything. My favorites are zucchini, carrots, apples, beets, and sweet potatoes. This particular spiralizer comes with three blades, two noodle blades (one is for thick noodles, the other is for thin) and one for circular slicing. So this is how you use this awesome contraption: 

First start off with the fruit or vegetable you'd like to turn into noodles.....I love using zucchini. 

Then, cut off both ends so they are flat..

Next, place on end of the vegetable on the blade..

And place the other end on the side with the spikes..

It should look a little something like this..

Now it's time to spiralize! Simple push in and turn the handle to start cutting the vegetable into noodles..

And voilà, noodles!

They are nice and curly, and look just like noodles!

Do they taste exactly like noodles? No, but they are a great alternative to regular noodles. If you are trying to eat less processed foods this is a great way to do that. You still are getting the noodle texture, but getting more nutrients and less calories by using a spiralizer. These noodles can then be sautéed, heated, added into salads, and of course topped with all different sauces or toppings. This is a great base because the zucchini has such a neutral flavor it is easy to add whatever you'd like! 

I highly recommend buying a spiralizer to add to your kitchen gadgets! They are quite useful and a great tool to eating cleaner, and healthier. Here are a few links where you can purchase them..

http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Spiralizer-Tri-Blade-Spiral-Vegetable/dp/B006THC75E/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1397532322&sr=8-4&keywords=spiralizer

http://www.amazon.com/Epica-Manual-Multi-Blade-Spiral-Vegetable/dp/B009UEWLMW/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1397532322&sr=8-12&keywords=spiralizer

How To: Cut a Pineapple

With summer quickly approaching, this means more fruit! One of my favorite summer fruits is pineapple. They are so sweet and juicy, and they are also great frozen and blended in smoothies, or even grilled and thrown into salads. Pineapples look pretty intimidating, and many people have no idea how to cut into it, so I wanted to show you guys just how easy it is!



First...

you want your pineapple to be RIPE, to pick a ripe pineapple: pull a leaf from the middle of the fruit, and the easier the leaf comes out, the more ripe it is. You also don't want your pineapple to have a lot of green....so the more yellow, the better! Also, you should be able to smell the pineapple before you cut into it.

These three signs all guarantee your pineapple is ready to get cut open and be eaten! If your pineapple still needs some ripening, leave it out on the counter until it's ripe. Once it's ripe, you can stick it in the fridge until you're ready to cut it.

 

It's time to cut open your lovely pineapple! Start by breaking off the leaves/hair of the pineapple. Just simply twist it right off..

 

Now, you want to cut off both ends so you have two flat surfaces to keep the pineapple from rolling around, or toppling over..

Time to get rid of the skin! Stand it up on one end and go around each side, cutting off the outer layer. Try to leave as much of the actual pineapple, and only cut off the skin..

 Now, your pineapple should look like this..



Once you have the skin off, there is usually some spots of skin still remaining, so to get rid of this just use a knife to cut out the little spots. Again, try to leave as much of the pineapple while doing this..

Now, it's time to cut out the core. Pineapples have a hard core in the center, much like an apple or pear, so to cut this out I like to stand it up, cut around it, and then just pull it out. The core is a lighter yellow, so it's pretty easy to see it.

Lastly, chop up your pineapple into pieces, you can make them big or small depending on your preference. 

YUMMMMMMM.......

Pro Tip: Set a plastic bag beside your cutting
board, this way you can just put all your trash into this
and avoid taking "trips" to the trashcan.
Also, it makes the cleanup a little easier.

My Tips for Transitioning to Going Meatless

Like I said in a previous post, vegetarianism isn't for everyone. But if you are trying to cut back on meat, or wanting to eventually become a full vegetarian, here are some of my top tips.

1. Take it slow

Some people have a difficult time going cold-turkey (no pun intended) with giving up meat, so I definitely suggest taking it very slowly. If you are really determined to cut out meat, then go for it. But if you're not too committed quite yet, take it slow. For example, try giving up red-meat at first. I actually did this about two months before I decided to give up all meat, and I think it helped a lot with my transition. If you can handle this, then transition into giving up chicken, or turkey. Take it one meat at a time until you've completely eliminated all meats. 

2. Meatless Monday

Pick one day of the week to go completely meatless. This is actually a world-wide campaign that is trying to encourage people to go meatless on every Monday. My university is also encouraging this way of eating by providing more meat alternatives in dining halls on Monday. This is great way to try new foods, or just experience a day without meat. Also, it you've got one day down, switch to two days, then three....

 


3. Pick a meat alternative

When I first became interested in becoming vegetarian, I was determined to try tofu. Once I tried it, and found all different recipes that used tofu instead of meat, I knew becoming vegetarian wasn't going to be all that difficult. I highly suggest trying different meat alternatives, or different protein sources that you can add into your diet. This can be before or after becoming meatless, but just trying different alternatives can be a great motivation to your journey. I don't really encourage a lot of cheap versions of "fake meat" just because of all the chemicals and preservatives in them, but definitely check out products that have few ingredients, organic, or have vegetable based proteins. The best meat alternatives I recommend are things like tofu, beans, edamame, nuts, eggs, yogurt, and mushrooms.

(this was from the very first time I made tofu!)

4. Eat vegetarian at restaurants

Eating vegetarian at restaurants can be a great way to cut back on meat, and also avoid the possibility of getting food poisoning (because restaurants is where it happens). By going meatless at restaurants, you can avoid cheaply, inhumanely produced meats. Also, eating meatless can often be much cheaper. Ask about vegetarian options, or look at the menu before hand to find options that are meatless. There are so many delicious meat free options at restaurants, so check them out! Most of the time, the meals with meat are usually higher in fat, calories, and sodium, so you'll almost always be doing yourself a favor by choosing meatless options at restaurants. Order beans instead of beef at your favorite Mexican restaurant, or order a salad with nuts and eggs instead of meat. Small steps like this is a great start to your vegetarian journey.

 
                        (vegetarian at Panera)


(vegetarian at Jimmy Johns)


5. Do your research

Becoming vegetarian can be dangerous if you're completely clueless about certain nutritional information. There are some vitamins/nutrients that you can't get from meat, and replacing those nutrients with plant based nutrients is important. Find out the best meat alternatives, or high protein vegetables, or even recipes/restaurants that are vegetarian. Become best friends with google! Before going vegetarian, I became best friends with google, making sure that I wasn't missing out on any nutrients. I even got my blood checked to make sure that all my levels were good (which they were!). Nutrients like iron, B12, selenium, and zinc are sometimes hard to get enough of on a vegetarian diet, but just find out foods that are rich in these and eat up!

6. Get connected

It is super important to find people that share similar ideas and diets. Find other vegetarians that can help you with your transition, or your journey to becoming vegetarian. Being vegetarian is definitely becoming more "popular" so it's pretty easy to find other veg heads. I know that every time I meet a vegetarian, there is always so much to talk about, because of our similar diets and struggles. Also, it's great to share advice, and tips with each other. Even if you're not wanting to go completely meatless, its' still great to have someone that is a vegetarian to help you with that as well. Most vegetarians would be happy to talk to anyone with questions about this lifestyle, or at least I know I would talk for hours about it if I could!


So those are my top six tips to transitioning to becoming meatless. I hope you find it helpful, and also motivational! Becoming meatless is something that you have to really want to do, but taking small steps into this way of eating definitely makes it a lot easier.

Also, any questions/support you may have or need just let me know either in the comments below, through Facebook, or email (simplyknitted00@gmail.com). I'll be happy to answer as many as I can!

Bulk Up!

I have recently discovered the "bulk" section at grocery stores. I can't believe it's taken me this long to realize how great they are. Buying in bulk allows you to only get as much of a product as you need, and you only pay per pound. I love this way of shopping because often times I don't need a fifteen dollar bag of quinoa for just myself, instead I can use the bulk section and only get a cup for a dollar or two. This way of shopping is very practical because you're not wasting your money on the packaging, or brand name, instead you're only buying the product.

Buying spices in bulk is also great, because if you only need a couple of tablespoons of an expensive spice or herb, you don't have to pay for an entire bottle.

My favorite things to buy in bulk are nuts, seeds, grains, and dried fruit. Mostly because I know if I get an entire box of dried fruit, I'll eat it all in one sitting. So by buying only a serving, I not only save money, but I keep myself from eating an entire box.

Buying in bulk may be confusing, so here's some easy steps to walk you through it!

First, find a grocery store that sells items in bulk, I like Earth Fare, Bare Essentials, Ingles, and Whole Foods.

Then, pick out what you want to buy..



Get a bag, and fill it up with however much you want (you can weigh it to see if you have as much as you'd like)..

Get a sticker, and write the PLU number that is on the item's bin..



Stick the sticker to your bag, and that's it! Super simple!

 

iherb | Website Review

About a year ago, I discovered this website called iherb.com. It is basically an online store that sells healthy products that you can't find at all grocery stores like Food Lion, or Lowes Foods.

At iherb.com you can buy things at the lowest price possible, and there are so many different brands it's easy to buy it all in one place, and there is free shipping over 20 dollars, which is amazing when you're buying heavy food items. Iherb.com gives you a discount on your first order, and often times they have sales going on which makes shopping/eating healthily a little cheaper.

Iherb makes buying health foods and natural beauty products so easy, and they provide nutritional information for each product. Often times you can even get free trial products with your purchase. You can search for products by brand, dietary needs, price, or type of product which makes it really simple to find exactly what you're looking for. I love iherb for discounted health products, as well as for discovering new health foods that I might not have known about.

My latest purchase was some things that I wanted to try out...my total was just 43.00 and I got all this stuff!


I ordered two cans of unsweetened young coconut water, which I am loving during this spring weather! A bag of flax chia blend, as well as flax hemp blend, which I am putting in my oatmeal, and it is amazing and filled with protein and omega-3! I also got two products by the company Go Raw, which is all raw and "alive" foods. I got a box of banana bread bars which taste just like banana bread, and are filled with omega-3 fats, and yumminess! And then I also got pumpkin super chips from Go Raw as well, which I finished rather quickly, delicious! I also bought two boxes of tea, which were at a great price, I got Peach Apricot, and Honey Lemon, I've been drinking both and they are so flavorful and delicious! I also have been looking into a product called Kelp Seasoning, which is basically dried kelp that can be sprinkled on salads, or really anything, and so I decided to go ahead and try some. I've been putting it on my sweet potatoes along with other spices, and I haven't really been able to taste it, but it has so much iodine, which is super important for our bodies, so I'm hoping that its giving me a great dose of iodine. Lastly, I got psyllium husk powder, which is a detoxifier that can be mixed with water or juice. It is supposed to help cleanse your digestion, and I've heard its great to incorporate into your diet. I've only tried it with water, and I thought it was pretty gross, but I'm hoping to find better ways to incorporate it into my diet. Overall, I've loved everything that I purchased, aside from the psyllium husk powder. Very pleased with this purchase!

So that was my most recent iherb order. Hope you enjoyed my little "haul" and review of iherb.com. I definitely suggest you check out this website and look around for new products for you to try!