Finding nutritionally beneficial dining options on the road

With the plethora of fast food options out there, it can be challenging to find fresh ingredient, vegetarian, and vegan options out there. This is where a little research at your destination using social media can help out.

For example, try a yelp.com search for "fresh food restaurants", "vegetarian restaurants", or "vegan restaurants" in the local zip-code and review what comes up. I suppose you can do the same using your favorite search engine or a  Facebook search, too.

It's sure better than the just "driving around" and "lucking out (maybe)" approach!

Another good resource & cookbook

I've been checking out this resource book which I found on Amazon.com's free Kindle lending library. The book is also available from some public eLibraries, via the Overdrive client:

The 200 Super Foods That Will Save Your Life, Deborah Klein

This book is a good resource on the nutritional benefits of various fresh vegetables, fruits, spices, etc. It also has recipes that are helpful in preparing nutritious meals from fresh ingredients. Furthermore, it's affordably priced, so if you borrow the book and like it, you can have your own copy easily.

Aromatics (spices and herbs)

I have this personal hypothesis that adding aromatic spices to our foods may have beneficial effects. I've seen some indications of this in the press, although I haven't seen much hard science to back up the claims.

Anyway, adding spices to your diet can at least improve flavors and enjoyment, if nothing else!

My personal thought is that certain fresh spices may have beneficial effects, including the following:

• Basil
• Cilantro
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Turmeric
• Black or other ground peppers

Try some of these in various meal preparations; for example, in a hummus wrap, or salads.

Caveat: Some of these spices may be aggravating to some people's digestive tract or should obviously be avoided if there's a food allergy issue. Use your experience and judgement! Furthermore, massive doses are unnecessary; a little is better than maxing out. Remember, spices are for enjoyment - not for using as a hammer.

Nice cookbook

After doing some hunting around of veggie/vegan cookbooks in my local library and on-line, I found this one which I really like:

The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen, Donna Klein

Check it out; the recipes use generally available ingredients, are fairly easy to prepare, and produce good tasting and healthy dishes.

Even more cool, you can get the Kindle edition, which really works well in the kitchen.

Going veggie!

See this article in the UCLA magazine (July 2012) and this one from Time magazine. It's becoming evident that tilting towards, or going veggie, is not only good for you, but ultimately good for the planet, too. Simply put, it just takes too much feed, water, and petroleum to raise and harvest stock animals as protein sources. If there's going to be enough food to go around as the population increases, then we have to move away from dependence on high-cost, high-energy protein sources - to more sustainable and healthy ones!

In my experience, the more adapted to veggie eating I become, the less I miss meat. In fact, it's even become a little unappetizing for me to consider now. Consider giving it a try yourself and see!

Bottled juices

What are some things to look for in bottled juices?

Check for the following:

• 100% juice (sweetened with pear or apple juice, not sugar or sugar substitutes)
• No added preservatives or artificial ingredients (ascorbic acid, aka. Vitamin C and other vitamins OK)
• Dark juices (higher in antioxidants and beneficial sterols; including purple grape, pomegranate, blueberry, and raspberry)
• Cranberry is good for urinary tract health.

Some examples:

• Ocean Spray 100% Juice (no added sugar)
• Dole Orange Pineapple Mango or Orange Banana Strawberry blends (refrigerated bottles and frozen concentrates)
• Welch's Grape Juice (frozen concentrate)
• 100% Orange Juice (primarily frozen concentrates; check the labels on refrigerated bottles or cartons)

Healthy breakfast cereal choices

For many years, there have only been two ready-to-eat breakfast cereals on store shelves that contain no added sugar: Post Grape Nuts and plain old shredded wheat. However, be careful of the shredded wheat offerings out there, because some contain BHA in the package lining as a preservative.

These cereals offer fine nutritional choices:

• Barbara's shredded wheat (single ingredient: 100% wheat)
• Post Grape Nuts (no added sugar - a wheat & malted barley cereal - get it at Amazon at a great price!)
• Northern Gold Honey Almond Granola (lightly sweetened with brown sugar, very basic ingredients. Not suitable for vegans because it contains skim milk powder).

Did you know that you can eat rolled oats raw, as is, out of the box? Sounds weird, but it's possible. Just mix some in with one of the above cereals, include some fruit & nut trail mix, add milk or juice, and you have a very nutritious morning meal!

Interesting article on store-bought tomatoes

What we've come to overlook and accept about store-bought tomatoes has been confirmed.

When to buy organic produce

There are certain fruits and vegetables that contain more pesticide residues than others. This article on Yahoo! Mobile and this one from Time magazine give some tips on when to consider buying organic vs. regular produce.

Antioxidants

Most people are aware of the importance of antioxidants in their diet, but which foods are high in these beneficial compounds?

Well, here's a few:

• Dried plums (prunes)
• Dark berries (blueberries, blackberries, acai, etc.)
• Dark grapes and grape juice
• Dark chocolate (60% cacao or better, without excessive sugar and saturated fat, and in moderation).
• Red wine

A small portion one or two of these every day will provide a fine boost to your system.