A Colorful Plate Year-Round

 

A Colorful Plate Year-Round

Word Count:
391

Summary:
For overall health, eating a variety ofo fruits and vegetables is essential year-round. A good starting place in your quest for color can be the freezer case.

Keywords:
A Colorful Plate Year-Round

Article Body:
Our family is in the habit of going to a local farmers' market during the summer and fall to get farm-fresh fruits and vegetables. I admit that I have to work a bit harder during the off- season, when seasonal produce is less plentiful, to make sure that my plate is just as colorful. For overall health, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is essential year-round.

A good starting place in your quest for color is the freezer case. Frozen melon cubes, berries, peach slices and even pineapple chunks are available year-round. Frozen spinach is one of my favorites for convenience-it is washed, cut and ready to be tossed into a soup or pasta dish. From a nutritional standpoint, it has just as much vitamin A and fiber as fresh-cooked spinach.

Next, stop in the canned fruit and vegetable aisle. "Our studies show that the nutrition value of canned fruits and vegetables is comparable to fresh and frozen varieties," notes Barbara Klein, Ph.D., professor of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Illinois at Urbana. Dr. Klein points out that the canning process does not affect the amount of fiber in fruits and vegetables. Canned pumpkin, apricots, carrots and other orange fruits and vegetables are a rich source of vitamin A. "In fact, vitamin A levels in canned pumpkin are much higher than in fresh cooked because canned pumpkin is less watery and more concentrated," says Dr. Klein.

Finally, visit the cereal aisle. New technology for freeze-drying fruit enables cereal makers to add berries and other types of fruit to their products. A bowl of Total® with Strawberries is a great way to brighten up breakfast. Top with sliced banana, slivers of dried apricots or a medley of dried berries. Dried fruit is a concentrated form of fresh and retains healthy nutrients like fiber and potassium.

Here are a few simple ways to add color to your plate:

• Toss sliced radicchio, red onion and yellow peppers into a green salad.

• Sauté frozen spinach together with minced onion; top with pine nuts, golden raisins and a dash of balsamic vinegar.

• Simmer slices of yellow and red apples and pears with a dash of apple cider and maple syrup until soft. Top with crushed Whole Grain Total® for added flavor and crunch.

• Add frozen mixed vegetables to your favorite soup.

Club of ebooks with resale rights http://www.SuperMegaPack.net

 

 

A Cook's Guide to Quick Meals and Desserts

 

A Cook's Guide to Quick Meals and Desserts

Word Count:
688

Summary:
Learn how to spice up your family meals with quick and easy recipes. Introduce new foods without spending alot of time or money...

Keywords:
cooking, recipes, menus, food, beverages, desserts, mixes, spices, sourdough, bread, fruit, veggies

Article Body:
With cooking, creativity can be just as important as the ingredients. With our busy lives, we can all get in a rut sometimes when it comes to cooking. We want simple and quick meals that we've cooked hundreds of times - no surprises! We want our children to try new, healthier foods but aren't willing to be creative and try out some new recipes.

If you find yourself cooking the same old meals week in and week out, there's good news. Now you can try out new recipes using many of your handy ingredients and create new healthy meals easily. Here are some tips to get started.

Buy an Easy Cooking Cookbook

This might sound obvious, but you should first find a cookbook with recipes your family will love that's very easy to follow. Many cookbooks today offer only "fancy" foods packed with bizarre ingredients you've never heard of. Often, the food in these books doesn't even look tasty in the photos! Shop around online to find a cookbook that makes cooking easy and uses many of the ingredients you already keep around the kitchen. Be sure the cookbook offers your basic types of recipes such as entrees, casserole dishes, breads, fruits, veggies, beverages, and desserts.

Cookbooks also tend to favor one style of cooking, such as Santa Fe style cooking or Southern cooking. Choose one that caters to your family's taste buds, but don't be afraid to try something new.

Spice It Up

After buying a cookbook, go through the cookbook marking recipes you'd like to try for the month. You might try one or two new recipes a week just to add a little excitement to the dinner table. Write down the ingredients required, but don't forget the spices. Spices are usually what can make or break a meal. Buy spices that are required for the recipes and maybe a few extra spices for later. You can stock up on spices and keep them for a long time. When you become familiar with the new spices, you can test them in a variety of foods to enhance the flavor.

Create Menus in Advance

Preparation is the key to saving time and sticking with a meal plan. Plan menus in advance so there are no surprises. Keep ingredients on-hand that you know you will need. Most recipes give a preparation and cooking time. Plan your meals according to your schedule. Check out the available time listed for cooking. On days that you get off work late and will be rushed, find simple meals that you can cook quickly.

Prepare Mixes and Simple Foods in Advance

If you plan to make a dessert or a large meal, prepare your mixes and simple foods in advance to save time. For instance, if you plan to serve rice, potatoes, or macaroni with a meal prepare these the night or morning before and store them in the fridge. Then you'll only have to warm them up when needed.

Cake, cookie or brownie mixes for dessert can also be stored in the fridge for later cooking. Tip: To make your flour last for months and months, store the bag of flour in the freezer. The flour itself will not freeze, but it will last a very long time.

Mix Old with the New Just to be Safe

When preparing a brand new dish, be sure to mix some old food items in the menu just in case your family dislikes the new dish. This will ensure that everyone has something to eat even if they don't like the new recipe. For example: Perhaps you're introducing sourdough bread for the first time. You can cook some regular bread along with it and present both types of bread for everyone to try. Some family members might like the new bread and some might not. At least they are trying new foods!

With any new cooking venture, you will need to take some extra time and effort to give it a try. Once you become familiar with some new recipes, you'll find that it gets easier and easier to add new foods to your family meals.

Club of ebooks with resale rights http://www.SuperMegaPack.net

 

Brew Pubs Today: The Revival Of A Proud American Tradition

 

Brew Pubs Today: The Revival Of A Proud American Tradition

Word Count:
691

Summary:
Remember the one-on-every corner dimly lit brew pub or tavern, beer-soaked carpeting and Joe the Bartender, a long row of customers with their glasses of watery mass-produced beer, all staring at a flickering television? Versions of these drinking establishments certainly still exist but their heyday as the gathering place of choice is over. In fact this rather depressing era was only a hiatus in America's rich brew pub history.

In 1634 the Puritans licensed the first brew...

Keywords:
brew pubs,brewery,brewer,beer distributor,beer brewing,beer festival,beer label,beer company

Article Body:
Remember the one-on-every corner dimly lit brew pub or tavern, beer-soaked carpeting and Joe the Bartender, a long row of customers with their glasses of watery mass-produced beer, all staring at a flickering television? Versions of these drinking establishments certainly still exist but their heyday as the gathering place of choice is over. In fact this rather depressing era was only a hiatus in America's rich brew pub history.

In 1634 the Puritans licensed the first brew pub in New England with ale brewed on the premises. Their idea was to steer drinkers away from the higher alcohol content of rum and whiskey. During this period, they also passed legislation ensuring the quality of the product. This tradition of local beer brewing paired with brewing excellence continued until the time of prohibition in the 1920's. European immigrants were the driving force behind this tradition, not only in transporting time-honored recipes and methods, but also in flavoring the atmosphere of their taverns with the customs and décor of their home countries. The Dutch and the English, then the Germans in the 19th century brought the family atmosphere of the old world to their adopted land.

Post-prohibition, the traditions and style of immigrant brewing were disappearing. By the end of the 1970's only light lager was selling in any significant volume, driven by big business marketing campaigns. At that point there were only 44 breweries in the United States. Yet a movement was on the way that would reverse this trend.

In the 1970's people were traveling in great numbers. It was the in thing to do and Europe was the inexpensive destination. These travelers returned to America with a taste for real beer and an appreciation of quaffing in agreeable, charming surroundings. With a sneer of disapproval at the state of watering holes in their native land, many opened their own breweries and brew pubs in the European style. In 1982 U.S. legislation finally allowed food to be served in breweries and the brew pub was 'reborn'.

Our brew pubs today represent a resurgence of tradition and ambience reminiscent of earlier times. As beer is once again brewed on the premises or in partnership with microbreweries, twinned with pubs in which to serve their products, brew pubs have taken new pride, not only in the beverages they create but also in the brew pub venue itself. No longer supplied by wholesalers of mass-produced products, these are generally owner-operated businesses with a reputation to protect.

The European beer garden was and is an oasis in working life, a neighborhood gathering focal point offering more than just a place to drink beer. This healthy, social atmosphere is reflected in the modern brew pub. Polished mirrors, exposed beams, glasses and bottles proudly displayed, revolving ceiling fans, and menus full of imaginative twists on traditional pub fare – the modern brew pub is a showcase for the brewery's products.

If you find yourself in the position of a stranger in a strange town, dropping in to your neighborhood brew pub might be the answer. Here is a social setting ideal for meeting the locals, playing a game of darts and sampling fine quality beers, ales and ciders. If you are traveling with the family, by-pass the fast food chains and seek out the local brew pub. Many are family run and family friendly, reasonably priced with an emphasis on responsible enjoyment, and with food a cut above the cardboard box brigade. Operating as restaurants, brew pubs rarely have an age restriction.

Some of you may remember George Orwell's famous review of his favorite public house, "The Moon under Water". Though completely fictional, he describes with affection the ten best qualities of the place, from the ornamental mirrors behind the bar to the sound of children's laughter. Says Mr. Orwell, "If you are asked why you favour a particular public house, it would seem natural to put the beer first, but the thing that most appeals to me about "The Moon under Water" is what people call its "atmosphere". Given the quality and ambience of today's brew pubs, I believe George would be pleased.

 

Bubba Knew Shrimp

 

Bubba Knew Shrimp

Word Count:
465

Summary:
Yes, it is a 'Forrest Gump' reference and it should be expected any time shrimp is mentioned for the next twenty years. "Bubba Gump" shrimp is how Forrest made his millions in the Hollywood movie. But, the movie will always be remembered for the amazing number of ways a person can make shrimp. As Bubba would say, "There's barbecue shrimp, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp soup, fried shrimp…..the list is almost endless. And while there are certainly a large number of ways to cook shrimp,...

Keywords:
shrimp

Article Body:
Yes, it is a 'Forrest Gump' reference and it should be expected any time shrimp is mentioned for the next twenty years. "Bubba Gump" shrimp is how Forrest made his millions in the Hollywood movie. But, the movie will always be remembered for the amazing number of ways a person can make shrimp. As Bubba would say, "There's barbecue shrimp, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp soup, fried shrimp…..the list is almost endless. And while there are certainly a large number of ways to cook shrimp, there is actually a fair amount of confusion as to what exactly a shrimp really is. Maybe Bubba wasn't actually cooking shrimp?

In England and a number of other places, what would be called shrimp in the United States is actually referred to as prawn. If you were to look at a prawn and a shrimp side by side, it would be virtually impossible to distinguish which was which. Technically speaking, however, a prawn truly is not a shrimp.

To the naked eye, the two may appear identical but they are biologically different. On the abdomen of a shrimp or prawn are flaps. Without going into too much detail and causing everyone to go running for a Biology book, let's just say that the there is a very subtle difference between the first abdomen flap on a shrimp and a prawn. But essentially, these are the same creature.

As far as the Americans are concerned, a shrimp is any crustacean that is part of the Natantia family of crustaceans. It doesn't matter how big the shrimp is or where it is found—so long as it is a Nantantia crustacean—it's a shrimp! However, there is a rather peculiar phenomenon among American shrimp that does have to do with size.

Were Bubba to have grown up on the West Coast of the United States, he most certainly would not have seen much potential in the shrimp—for eating, let alone making any money! This is because the typical size of a shrimp found of the West Coast is about ½ inch in length. For some reason, the Pacific Ocean just is not a great place for jumbo shrimp to grow. But elsewhere, it is nothing for shrimp to be 12 inches in length or more.

Shrimp, like any species, comes in a wide assortment of variety. There are rock, brine, royal red, white, brown, and even pink shrimp to choose from. Each offers a unique flavor and consistency but all are absolutely delicious when prepared properly. And, Bubba was correct—you can make shrimp just about any way your imagination will let you! So whether you want to call it prawn or just plain old shrimp—the truth is that it tastes great no matter how you make it!

 

Buffalo Meat - A Cut Above The Rest

 

Buffalo Meat - A Cut Above The Rest

Word Count:
623

Summary:
Buffalo meat is a healthy and flavorful alternative to beef whether you enjoy a piece of jerky, a juicy hamburger, or if you want to throw a mouth-watering steak on the grill.

Keywords:
buffalo meat, buffalo, buffalo steak, steak

Article Body:
For many people, nothing could be more stressful than being a meat lover and be prescribed a low-calorie diet.  Meat and low calories are self-contradictory, that's the common perception.  Persons who are trying to find a low-calorie meat that could replace the kind they are used to eating would do well to consider buffalo meat.

There are many Western-themed restaurants that offer buffalo (also known as American bison) dishes.  Ted's Montana Grill, co-founded by media mogul Ted Turner, which specializes in hand-cut beef and bison steaks, has locations in sixteen states.  The Buffalo Bistro and Buffalo Grill in Utah's Zion National Park are popular tourist attractions.  Customers at such restaurants can anticipate being presented with specialties like roasted buffalo or grilled buffalo with a small serving of mashed potato, buffalo burger type served like Salisbury steak with French fries on the sides, regular buffalo steak with a generous serving of raw onion toppings, and even stewed buffalo served with a large mixture of green vegetables in it. 

Roasted buffalo meat is especially popular, especially in its almost-raw form.  Unlike meat from other animals, bison meat requires very little seasoning to bring out its naturally juicy and finger-licking flavor.  A simple preparation technique would be to score the meat only on the surface and dab it with a little salt, a little pepper and olive oil, and it's ready for cooking.  One of the advantages that buffalo meat holds over regular beef is that it takes a shorter time to cook.  Just sear both sides to lock in the flavor and you're done!
 
Buffalo meat is the only meat with the 3 Ts - Texture, Tenderness and Taste.  The flavor is sweeter, and it is lighter and less greasy than other kinds of meat I was used to, such as cow beef or pork or chicken.  Also, buffalo meat does not need any tangy gravy to bring out its naturally good flavor; that is important because gravy for meat is usually heavy on calories. 

There are some interesting healthful statistics about how, in many ways, buffalo meat is more nutritious than other kinds of animals' meat.  It has around 70%-90% less fat than beef, and around 50% less cholesterol. Since it doesn't have all those harmful fats, it has more protein, iron, amino acids and omega nutrients that a number of people are prescribed to take in the form of tasteless fish and raw vegetables.  It is also eminently suitable for persons on a low-carbohydrate diet.  A four-ounce serving contains no carbs, 11 grams of protein and three percent of total fat.

And the fat it contains is of the good kind, a monounsaturated fat known as omega-3 fatty acids.  Adequate intake of this kind of fat has been scientifically proven to prevent heart disease and promote overall cardiovascular health.  In fact, buffalo meat has been endorsed by the American Heart Association and prescribed by physicians for patients on a low-fat, low-calorie diet.

Buffaloes are grown in their natural elements in the open fields and are not given any chemical feeds or antibiotics or artificial growth hormones which are suspected of causing cancer.  Since buffaloes are fed only natural grains and green grass, they have a natural strong resistance to diseases and their meat is not tainted with any harmful chemicals. In many ways, the meat of the buffalo, which feeds on nature's grain and grass, has been graded to be far more excellent than cow, dog or chicken meat. 

Today, we can enjoy buffalo steaks, soups, stews, and burgers either in restaurants or at home.  Buffalo meat is conveniently available in most supermarkets and is offered by many websites.  It's a hearty, healthy, delicious, and convenient way to enjoy meat.

 

Popular Diet Comparisons

 

Popular Diet Comparisons

Word Count:
1369

Summary:
At the end of the day, all people want to know is which diet reigns supreme and is worth my time and money? Which weight loss pill or exercise should I do? We all want to lose weight fast and guess what? and keep it off for good. Can some weight loss pill melt the fat off my frame, so I can eat whatever I want? The answer to that one may surprise you. Clinical trials are being run and some have finished with some shocking results you will like in regards to revolutionary, exciting new weight loss pills that are safe to take for the long run with little to no side effects.

Keywords:
Weightloss comparison, weightloss

Article Body:
At the end of the day, all people want to know is which diet reigns supreme and is worth my time and money? Which weight loss pill or exercise should I do? We all want to lose weight fast and guess what? and keep it off for good. Can some weight loss pill melt the fat off my frame, so I can eat whatever I want? The answer to that one may surprise you. Clinical trials are being run and some have finished with some shocking results you will like in regards to revolutionary, exciting new weight loss pills that are safe to take for the long run with little to no side effects.

The more diets published in magazines and on the Internet, the more people are befuddled about what dieting really means and about the right way of bringing your body back into fighting shape. The exponentially growing number of obese people has turned weight loss into an industry like never before and the market is growing every year into the billions. It seems that all is needed is a nice idea and a great marketing in order to make a lot of money or get a lot of popularity by proposing some sort of strange diet, despite the lack of professional experience in this very overcrowded field.

And there are many diets out there in magazines, TV and the internet. We're going to go through the most popular diets, since a review of all the diets making the rounds would be beyond the scope of this article and we don't want to bore you with all the details.

The most popular diet in the world many would say is the Atkins diet. The biggest thing in favor of this diet is that it lets you eat high fat dairy products like butter and cheese. However, the Atkins diet has fallen from its zenith over suspicions of increasing the risk of coronary heart disease, not to mention the the large number of people complain of muscle cramps, diarrhea, rashes and weakness. The debate over the scientific fundamentals of the Atkins diet is still raging on.

Next comes Barry Sears, the Zone diet; another well-known eating plan. It's all about eating the right mix of foods in order to reach the right hormonal balance for you. This state of balance, which is called the "Zone", lets the body take in calories and use them through the day without putting anything aside as fat. This diet does some serious discrimination among foods without any scientific basis. Such as starchy vegetables, beans and whole grains are banned from your diet, although these foods are not in conflict with the principles of the Zone diet. Please note that The American Heart Association states the Zone diet lacks essential nutrients while promoting high-protein foods. Medifast is a highly effective meal replacement diet, which has been satisfying customers for over 25 years. Medifast has been recommended by over 15,000 physicians and has been clinically proven at Johns Hopkins. Medifast is a growing company in the weight loss market. Medifast is offering customers a FREE week of product with the purchase of a 4-week supply. Customers also receive Free Shipping with the purchase of a 4-week supply. You can expect to lose 20 pounds per month. They offer 2 week or 4 week food plan designed for men, women and diabetics. Easily design your meals online. Prices range from $140 to $285 which is based on choosing 2 week, 70 meal plan or 4 week, 143 meal plan, or diabetic plan which costs $285. The Jenny Craig diet is next on our list. One of the longest running diets that we know of, Jenny Craig started this business in the early 1980s and it's still alive and purchased by Nestle, the famous chocolate maker. The basic idea of this diet is a trade off: say goodbye to recipes, and food shopping, and cooking, but you have to buy the super expensive Jenny Craig prepackaged food. And that runs to some $120 per week. Plus you have membership costs. Plus the vegetables and fruits which are not included in the prepackaged food. Therefore, If you can afford it and if you can adhere to it, the diet is not bad. The con here is you can buy similar low-calorie foods at the grocery store, and you don't have to discuss this with a Jenny Craig expert that insists on your eating the prepackaged food because he gets a percentage of the sale price. Yes, they get a sales percentage on the food they sell you.

>From Florida comes the South Beach diet. A lot of people have managed to lose weight with this diet and it actually works okay. The first phase of the diet will eliminate most foods containing carbs from your daily consumption. Fortunately, this phase lasts 2 weeks. Unfortunately, second phase focuses on return of whole grains and fruits and lasts as long as necessary. If reaching the desired weight takes you 1 year, then that's exactly how long this phase is going to last. And if you don't like the foods allowed by this diet then you're out of luck I'm afraid.

And yet another favorite dieting program around is the all popular Weight Watchers. This diet puts all the management tools in the hands of the user. A lot of people who are going through the same thing are going to be there to help you. If having company during difficult times helps your willpower, then you are probably going to lose all that extra weight. If, on the other hand, you don't like the idea of being constantly under peer pressure, then this diet is definitely not for you to try. The Mediterranean Diet is based on food patterns typical of Crete, much of the rest of Greece, and southern Italy in the early 1960s, where adult life expectancy was among the highest in the world and rates of coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and other diet-related chronic diseases among the lowest. Olive oil is the primary source of fat. Cereals, which include pasta, are an integral part of the diet, and low consumption of red meats.

This is just a brief summary, there are a lot of diets out there, dozens more than we've been able to go over here, so we invite you to visit our website to peruse many more diets and weight loss pills along with consumer ratings. The best thing to do when choosing a diet or weight loss pill is to do your own research. See what other consumers who tried it have to say and that will give you a better understanding of what works best. Then see what your physician and/or dietitian have to say about it.

Why are diets so popular today and which ones are worth your time and money? We have listed the most popular, respected diets today. How many more diets do you want to try? There are so many of them like the cabbage soup diet to diets made just for diabetics. Consumers have been polled and they rated all the popular diets according to how much weight loss occurred and the time it took. Look, we all know many diets aren't fun to be on and for most of us it's going to be a lifestyle change versus one - two month duration. Therefore, many consumers opt to use diet pills to loss weight without sacrificing all their favorite foods and suffering through small portions. Some will try both a popular diet and a diet pill. Either way it benefits the consumer today because of the revolutionary advancement in weight loss pills like Proactol. The one diet or weight loss pill that has true backing from the medical community for the first time, since it has passed 8 clinical trials to support all their claims, for example,blocking around 30% of your dietary fat in each meal you have by binding to the fat and is flushed out of your body. On top of that it's an all natural appetite suppressant. After being on Proactol for a year, you won't have to worry about going on anymore diets or suffer from hunger pains.

 

Poll: Half Say Low-Carb Diets Not Worth Risks

 

Poll: Half Say Low-Carb Diets Not Worth Risks

Word Count:
262

Summary:
Half of all Americans surveyed for the brand new "Dole Poll" said that no amount of weight loss from a low-carb diet would be worth the potential negative health impact.

Keywords:
Poll: Half Say Low-Carb Diets Not Worth Risks

Article Body:
Half of all Americans surveyed for the brand new "Dole Poll" said that no amount of weight loss from a low-carb diet would be worth the potential negative health impact.

According to the national poll of 801 adults, the possible side effects of a low-carbohydrate diet - such as high cholesterol, constipation, kidney stones and increased risk of some cancers -"tip the scales" against following such a diet for a full 50 percent of respondents.

In contrast, just one-third (36 percent) say they are willing to take their chances to realize some weight loss, with 4 percent reporting any amount of pounds shed would be "worth it."

Coming on the heels of The Lancet medical journal's survey, which suggested that such side effects as headaches, fatigue and foul breath are more frequently reported by low-carb dieters than those on conventional regimens, the Dole Poll findings are more evidence that the Atkins bubble has burst.

This backlash is already affecting the grocery industry, with less than half as many low-carb products introduced in 2004 than in 2003, and sales figures showing that many of these products are discounted or withdrawn weeks after introduction. Some industry experts even project that two-thirds of the products introduced this year will be off the shelves by 2006.

We've turned a corner in public awareness. The more people learn about low-carb health risks, the less appetite they have for such dangerous fad diets.

Jennifer Grossman is the director of the Dole Nutrition Institute, a research and education organization dedicated to promoting the health benefits of fruits and vegetables with regard to weight management and disease prevention.