Being a huge fan of ready-to-eat meals all my life, I am always on the look out for new products to try. Just the other day, I was perusing the isles during my usual grocery shopping trip and came across a new ready-to-eat lunch box. Seeing that it was on sale, I was drawn to taking a look. After checking out the products within the gopicnic lunchbox, I was sold – and bought three flavors. Being familiar with the usual high amounts of sodium, fat, and sugars in other ready-to-eat meals, I was surprised to find a different quality (and taste) in the nutrition of these gopicnic products. Quite a pleasant surprise!
gopicnic brands gopicnic ready-to-eat meals is an innovative company based out of Chicago, IL. First founded in 2006 to provide airlines in the United States with easier food for customers, gopicnic has thrived over the years and is now available in retail stores across the nation (…9 Alternatives to Candy for Trick-or-Treaters
So, Halloween is the holiday most known for it’s spooky amounts of candy.
It starts out as a sweet little, “we’ll buy a bag to hand out to the disguised kids knocking on our door”; but then develops growing more horrific by the minute. “Okay, I’ll take one for myself.” “Let’s get an extra bag for us”. “Wow! I haven’t seen this candy since last year! Let’s get some!” From innocence to guiltiness, one by one we consume more and more candy; the result? – feeling terrible the following day, your face breaks out like a leprous zombie, and the creepy monster that roared the night before is feeling shameful and disappointed in itself.
To appease the candy vampire within, try serving one of these alternatives for yourself and/or the costumed minions rapping on your door.
1) Fruit
Apples, Bananas, & Oranges all make great snacks and are sturdy enough to survive the night in a trick-or-treaters bag.
2) Veggies
Chopped celery with peanut butter and raisin…
Read more
Jellyfish: Menace to Medicine
Recently, jellyfish have found themselves in the news as causing quite a bit of havoc among the seas. Fishermen, tourists, and even some power station workers are finding themselves negatively affected by these slimy characters. The Environmental News Network, reported on such issues this week; yet, they went a little further and found a research group who has discovered, and is working on, helpful aspects drawn from the jellyfish’s biological properties.
The Trouble with Tentacles
“Jellyfish have overwhelmed the marine ecosystem as a result of the overfishing of more competitive species [and] consuming fish eggs and larvae of weaker specimens…” claims ENN. This is causing a damaging imbalance among the seas. By blocking up the systems of power stations using seawater, jellyfish are causing a bump in the road for productivity. Furthermore, “jellyfish have had a dramatic impact on the world fishing industry, snagging and blocking fishing nets …
World Humanitarian Day: What will you do for humanity?
Today, August 19, 2014 is World Humanitarian Day. A day designated to honor those who dedicate their lives to humanity’s betterment, most especially those whom have lost their lives for the cause. According to WorldHumanitarianDay.org,
“World Humanitarian Day falls on August 19, the day in 2003 when 22 aid workers were killed in a bombing at the UN headquarters in Baghdad. It's a day to commemorate all people who have lost their lives in humanitarian service and to celebrate the spirit that inspires humanitarian work around the world.”
Today, we say, “thank you”; today, we say, “how can we help?”; today, we say “enough’s enough!” Be brave and compassionate. People all over the world need your help in more ways than one. Many need financial help, many need shelter, many are starving and need food, many are persecuted for their own beliefs or race and need relief. Relief – a word most of us take for granted. I’m not talking about relief on your lunch break, or relief the sc…
Read more
Food Safety for the Fourth
With Independence Day coming up this weekend, a lot of US citizens will find themselves Barbecuing and cooking for friends and family. We certainly will. My personal favorite grilled hot dogs with a side of beans, fruit salad, and maybe some barbecued corn on the cob; and to wash it down, some refreshing lemonade. I don’t know about you, but there have been some gatherings that did not end so well, and have left me not wanting to enjoy shrimp or some other type of food for a long time. Here are some food safety tips to help your scrumptious ribs and potato salad not make any one go home sick.
Temperatures
It is important that when cooking meat, you keep a close eye on the temperature. Poultry should hit 165 °F at the minimum and be held there for at least three (3) minutes. Beef, pork, lamb, and veal should all hit 145 °F and be held there for at least three (3) minutes. It is important these meats are cooked so hot because most bacteria cannot survive these temperatures. Any…
Read more
(Part 2 of 2) Catching Cunning Companies and Their Claims: Nutrition Label
How healthy is the food item for you, really? “Low in sodium”. “Heart Healthy”. “Lots of Fiber”. Companies like to make “healthy” claims on their products to pull the consumer in. However, much of the time, their claims do not mean anything to health. Consuming their product will get the consumer no closer to a healthier lifestyle, than sitting on the couch all day long. To make sure these food products are actually healthy, the nutrition label is the first stop to finding out.
The Nutrition Label will provide accurate sums of certain macronutrients, micronutrients, and vitamins and minerals contained in the food that the body consumes on a daily basis. Such nutrients include: sodium, carbohydrates (or sugars), and fats.
Fats
It is important to understand what kinds of fat are bad and what kinds are good. Trans fats and saturated fats become solids in the bloodstream, and increase levels of low-density lipoproteins, or LDL cholesterol, which hurt your heart. Too many low-d…
Read more
