Why Putting Vegan Mayo On A Hot Dog Is Not Ridiculous
Today I tweeted a story from Bon Appetit titled, "80 delicious hot dog ideas from around the world." One of the hot dog ideas had vegan mayo on it and in the comments of that story, one person claimed ridiculousness with that concept:
I edited out the first part of the comment because it was a bit mean spirited. I see where the commenter is coming from, so I'm here to explain why putting vegan mayo on a hot dog is NOT ridiculous.
Food allergies
I have allergies to cow and goat milk, and to eggs. I cannot eat your basic Kraft mayonnaise made with eggs unless I'm prepared for gastric havoc and hours of playing "Pull my finger." It's really tough too because I used to really love eating tuna salad with regular mayo.
Just because one cannot do eggs doesn't mean that life has to be deprived of mayonnaise. No. We just have to use versions of mayo that are not made with eggs LIKE vegan mayo because I can tell you I have yet to see the "egg allergic" mayo. I eat meat. My body just doesn't jive with the animal's by-products.
When you go to the condiment aisle at the grocery store rarely, if ever, do you see products like mayo marketed as "dairy and egg free." There are some niche products, but usually you have to order those from some internet health food store and they are shipped from some far, far away land where non-dairy and egg goodness prevail...Ok, I jest.
It's about marketing
More often you'll see "vegan" mayo or sandwich spread because from a purely marketing verbage standpoint, the vegan market is much bigger than a market of people who are dairy and egg free because of food allergies, just don't like it, or are on some special diet. Having been a former marketeer, I can tell you that packaging is almost always driven by market size.
I get the funniest looks all the time when I eat a hamburger or hot dog and put vegan mayo on it because like that Bon Appetit commenter it is often automatically assumed that you have to be vegan to eat vegan marketed foods.
The next time you see someone ordering a meat dish with some vegan side or condiment, remember they could have food allergies.
If you happen to see a bottle of mayo clearly stamped with "Egg and Dairy free" not "Vegan" on it like Vegenaise, please do let me know. Would love to see pictures, and try the product. I've seen Kelkin and Plamil.
Snacks For The Road Trip
J and I are heading out on the road trip from San Francisco, CA to Boulder, CO today, and here are some snacks I got for us for our 3 days on the road.
Now, to note, my mom starts to come out in me whenever planning for food comes into play. Those of you with Filipino moms know exactly what I'm talking about. We'll buy enough food to feed 4 people for 5 days, even though the reality is 2 people for 3 days. I also shop at Whole Foods, and boy do I ever have to restrain myself there because I can easily go hog wild.
First up we have some heavier snacks which technically could also be lunch food.
- Regular hummus from the cold foods bar. To make the hummus interesting, I also got some Peppadew Peppers, pureed them in the mini food processor and mixed it in the hummus to give it a pinch of sweet heat.
- Barley, kale, garbanzo beans, and red pepper salad mixed with some olive oil, garlic, onion, salt & pepper.
- Chunks of grilled chicken from the salad bar.
- Red seedless grapes
Next we have some dried fruits and nuts
- Dried Turkish Apricots
- Green Chile Pistachios
- Whole Foods 365 brand Organic Banana Chips (in a bag)
For crunchy and sweets
- Baked Brown Rice Snaps - Vegetable flavored by Edward & Sons
- Chocolate Chip Cookies by Dr. Lucy's. These cookies have no peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, or gluten.
- Organic Watermelon flavored Moons Chews by Luna Sport. I got these because I was intrigued by the "Energy Chews" on the packaging.
And lastly for drinks:
- Bottled water
- Whole Foods 365 Organic Lemonade packaged in those 6.75 oz boxes.
- Few bottles of Organic Honest Tea in various flavors
- Few bottles of Sweet Leaf Tea in Mint & Honey and Mango. There was a sale 4 for $2.99. I love these Sweet Leaf teas. I could drink this stuff all day long.
J brought some goodies too, but I haven't seen them yet, but will update ya'll later. Between the two of us, I think we got some pretty tasty things to nosh on.
For The Juice: Loving Our Body Today
If I were to do an episode of "The Juice" a new online show collaborated by BlogHer and Tropicana Trop50 on topics related to nutrition, functional fitness, doing more with less, relationships and mind/body, I would call my episode, "Loving Our Body Today."
Recently, I retired my popular healthy living blog Back in Skinny Jeans after 3 years and 8 months because on my recent birthday it dawned on me, "How old do you have to be to stop obsessing about your body and your looks?”
I mean really, it's a good question to ask because do you want to be 40, 50,...and still be obsessing about your jeans size, wrinkles, flab, and crow’s feet? At what age does it all end? At what age do you finally get to "I love my body?"
I felt it was time to retire Back in Skinny Jeans on a high note because it was time for me to grow up into my higher self. Instead of getting "bikini-ready", I want to get "higher self-ready." My higher self no longer has a need to focus on her body or the subject of physical beauty and blog about it every day. She loves her body and herself today as she is and here are 5 tips that helped me get there:
- So, at what age does all the body obsessing end? The answer is any age. The obsessing stops when YOU stop. You can be 20 or 60. Age doesn't matter. State of mind matters, and YOU control that. I follow this mantra: My body is not the root of my suffering, my mind is. And equally, my body is not the root of my happiness, my mind is.
- Stop playing the comparison game particularly the Ms. Perfect edition. Nothing will torpedo your self esteem faster than playing the lack game. Instead, play the abundance game. Focus on what is unique and authentic about YOU.
- You are whole. You can have damage, flaws, and imperfections, but know that you are still whole. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Well, it’s the same thing for feeling whole. No one can make you feel "I'm not enough" without your agreement. No one can make you feel you’re not beautiful, talented, or worthy of love without your permission. No matter what happens on the outside, on the inside you are whole.
- Be your own best friend. It makes no sense to be kind, loving, and supportive to everyone in your life, then go beat up on yourself. If you cheer others on, cheer yourself on as well.
- Your body is a Wonderland not a Slum. Feed yourself foods that make you feel vibrant. Feed your mind thoughts that nourish your self esteem. Surround yourself with people and places that bring meaning to your lifehood.
So what are some other tips that helped you start loving your body today?
We're Going On a Road Trip. So How Do I Eat Healthy?
One of the hallmarks of summer is the road trip, and starting tomorrow 6/17, I am going on a road trip with J across 5 states as you can see above. Woo-hoo, road trip!
We're starting in the SF Bay Area and ending in Colorado. One of the cities we'll be seeing which I've just been dying to check out is Loveland, CO. US News & World Report recently named Loveland as one of the 10 best to live in the US, so we're going to go see first hand the fabulousness that is Loveland. I just dig that name. How can you not be feeling all kinds of happy vibes in a city called Loveland?
Besides being fun, road trips are also another opportunity to eat horribly because well, "road trip" is almost like a carnival on the road eating at rest stops, diners, and stop-n-gos. So, the challenge for us noshers is how can we eat healthy or at least mostly healthy on a road trip?
The next challenge for J and I is that we both have food allergies to contend with like no dairy and eggs. J is also gluten-free, and we both avoid soy. I'll have soy things from time to time, but in general I eat soy products minimally because too much soy can affect your metabolism and it can boost estrogen levels because of the estrogens it contains, and I have family history of female issues.
For the next few days I'll be blogging about the road trip and our adventures in food. Stay tuned!
Review: Cascade Fresh Activ8 Probiotic Bar. Noshing Good Bacteria Bar Style
One of the benefits of eating yogurt is all that probiotic goodness. All bacteria are not bad. There are the good bacteria that help your innards stay in shape, and that's where eating foods like yogurt with active cultures can help.
I'm limited to eating soy, rice, or coconut based yogurts because of the type II cow and sheep milk allergy and as much as I'd like to beef up on the probiotics I don't want to eat yogurt all the time. So, seeing this Organic Activ8 Peanut Chocolate Chip Probiotic Bar by Cascade Fresh was a fresh surprise because besides the probiotics, the bar has chocolate and peanut butter which is always a head turner in our book.
Colony-a-plenty
The Activ8 bar claims to contain 5.55 billion CFUs (Colony Forming Units at time of manufacture) of probiotic cultures which is more probiotics than 12 cups of typical yogurt. Sounds like a super duper food to me.
This Activ8 bar is organic, gluten-free, low sodium, and cholesterol free, but it is not dairy-free. The ingredients list is here along with the nutritional info. I thought it cool that the bar had agave syrup and Quinoa, two of my faves.
I ate the bar and was not reactive because I think the dairy ingredients are minuscule and the bar is organic. I could be totally wrong as I'm no pro, but that is me, so double check with your doctor.
The Peanut Chocolate Chip Probiotic bar was really delicious. Who knew bacteria loaded food could taste fabulous. The bar has to stay refrigerated to keep the cultures kicking.
I haven't tried the other flavors: Blueberry Acai, Cherry Vanilla, and Pomegranate Goji, but I definitely will now. You try the bars? Share your two cents.
Season 5: Next Food Network Star is Back!
Last night, Season 5 of The Next Food Network Star premiered and to keep it nibbly and interesting like a zesty tapas dish, we're gonna serve up our thoughts on Epi One tweet style.
btw, spoiler-ish alert...If you don't wanna know, how about a mosey over to check out our recipe for a Mojito Guacamole with Cassava chips.
- Meet the cast of 10. I have two clear favorites already but I'll keep you guessing on that one.
- Overall: Will this cast be more exciting to watch over Law & Order Criminal Intent in same time slot? Magic 8 ball says: Cannot predict now.
- Flay, Bob, and Susie are back. We liked watching the culinary point of view on TV like season 4. This time gotta watch the web vids.
- First act: Impress A-Listers of the Food Network at FN's Sweet 16 party. Access Hollywood in the house. zOMG! Toss the newbies in the pit.
- Red team: Shitake happens when you have no list. Likey the David Copperfield with zucchini. One makes us want to shimmy with Go-Go boots.
- Green team: Bubba, seriously? High 5 for mango & jicama but not the shrimp. Everybody loves sweet tarts. Dimples can't save the taterfail.
- Our guess for the final 4: Jeffrey, Jamika, Michael, Melissa/Brett. Melissa is more reachable but Brett is more entertaining. Toss up.
- The one who gets sent home was not a shocker. Wish the judges would add a bit more heat to their assessments.
- Feel it in our bones. One of them will end up on the new Food 2.
- If you want full play-by-play of Epi One, Foodie in Disguise has the meaty deets.
Your two cents?
Slow down and savor your food
Originally posted on my healthy living blog: Back in Skinny Jeans
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I was shooting the breeze with pal Deidre, and she was telling me that the one thing she admired about the French and their relationship with food is that they truly savor and experience their food at meal time.
For example, dinner can easily run 2-3 hours because people will slowly chew their food to really taste it. They will chat about the preparation of the food, the ingredients, and the memories of other times they've had similar food experiences.
Meal time is an experience to share with others and yourself. There is great pleasure. They savor.
In America, most of us scarf food, shovel it in, or chew like we're trying to win a gold medal for fastest eater. We are constantly in a rush and thus don't typically spend the time to just sit with food and relish all the wonderful sensations and flavors.
And because we wolf the food down, we quickly over stuff ourselves because the food is going in faster than the stomach can communicate to the brain, "Hey stop eating! We're full."
We eat plenty of fast food, frozen food, and left over food. There is plenty of instant gratification but not much savoring. That pizza got into your stomach in 5 minutes but did you taste the basil? Did you find pleasure in the chewiness of the mozzarella? Did you envelope the smell of the sauce and the toppings?
For many of us, the answer is no because we're more focused on instant consumption. This fast eating though is one factor that contributes to weight gain.
This week, take one day and make dinner a slow and lingering experience. Go out to one of your favorite restaurants or cook dinner, and really take the time to chew your food slowly, to smell your dish, and to enjoy the beauty of the preparation of the food laid out on your plate.
You may find the dining experience highly pleasurable.
Non-dairy Smoothie: Cherries and White Peach
I noticed cherries at the grocery store the other day and got a bit nostalgic. Cherries bring back fond memories of childhood when I lived in Traverse City, MI where it seemed like cherries grew from everywhere...at least in my kiddo memories.
White peaches are also a favorite of mine. When not in season, you can find these peaches frozen. Here is a quick recipe for a non-dairy smoothie at about 195 calories. You can switch out the fruit and put in your fave. If you add banana, it will thicken up even more.
- 1 cup Organic Rice Milk Original* (110 calories, 2.5g fat, 20g carb, 1g protein)
- 10 fresh cherries (45 calories, 10g carb, 1g protein)
- 1/2 fresh medium white peach (a whole peach is 40 calories, 9g carb, 1g protein)
- handful of ice cubes
- Pit the cherries, and the peach. I keep the skin on the peach because there are plenty of nutrients in the skin. The blender pulverizes the fruit anyway so you won't be swallowing any chunks of peach skin.
- I only put half the peach in so that I can enjoy the other half to munch on.
- Put all ingredients in a blender and frappawhiz.
- Sometimes I will throw in a couple teaspoons of flaxseed oil to get some Omega-3s in my body.
* I use Whole Foods 365 brand Organic Rice Milk because it's just as good and a bit cheaper than most other organic versions of other brands, at least in my area. You can use Vanilla flavored Rice Milk but it will add a bit more calories and carbs because it contains more sugar. I go with organic as well because I consume organically as much I can.)
Starbucks Breakfast Pairings and a Giveaway
We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And guess what, you can find a choice of six breakfast pairings at Starbucks for $3.95 within the U.S which is nice for those of us who want fast and cheaper. Starbucks in't my thrid place, it's my office, a perk for being a blogger.
You save as much as $1.20 when you buy the pairing versus as individual items. And, even though these are "breakfast" foods, the pairings are available all day long. And read to the end because I'm giving away some Starbucks gift cards. Oh yeah!
Before I get into the six choices. Here's some tidbits that can help you with some dietary preferences:
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For any of the four breakfast sandwiches, you can request that they take out the cheese, egg, or meat. You'll still be charged the $3.95 but at least you can cut down on fats.
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You can ask them to cut the sandwich in half so you can eat like half for breakfast, and eat the other half for a snack later in the day or for breakfast the next day.
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You can eat the sandwich open face by just removing one half of the bread. This will cut down calories and the carbs.
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All the nutritional info I list is in my county of San Mateo, CA. Double check the information for your city. There shouldn't be any difference, but again, double check. The nutritional info does list the ingredients, and almost all of those ingredients are recognizable items. It's still processed food, but it's not as sinful as it could be, at least in my humble opinion.
And now for your six choices:
* Tall Latte with Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal: The Oatmeal is made by Quaker and we love Quaker. For toppings you get to choose brown sugar, dried fruit, and a nut medley. The oatmeal is pretty much stuff you can make at home but if you're in a hurry, Starbucks is a good place to grab the oat goodness. Nutritional info in San Mateo.
* Tall Latte with Reduced-fat Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake. Now, in my opinion, you should not be starting your day off with cake. However, again, these six pairings are available all day long, so if you want to eat some cake as an afternoon snack treat on one of your "free" days or split a piece with a friend, then go for it. Nutritional info in San Mateo: 300 calories, 6g Fat, 53g Carbs, 4g Protein.
* Tall brewed coffee with the Artisan Bacon Sandwich: Smoked bacon, Gouda, and Parmesan egg frittata on hand-shaped artisan roll. Nutritional Info in San Mateo: 380 calories, 20g Fat, 31g Carbs, 19g Protein.
* Tall brewed coffee with the Artisan Ham Sandwich: Black Forest Ham, Mild Cheddar, and Parmesan egg frittata on hand-shaped artisan roll. Nutritional Info in San Mateo: 370 calories, 16g Fat, 32g Carbs, 23g Protein. Of the four sandwiches, this one was my favorite because it tasted good and it has the best overall balance of calories, fat, carbs and protein.
* Tall brewed coffee with the Sausage Breakfast Sandwich which I like to call the Star-BuckMuffin because it's pretty much Starbucks version of McDonald's Sausage Egg McMuffin: Sausage, egg, and mild Cheddar on an English muffin. Nutritional Info in San Mateo: 500 calories, 29g Fat, 42g Carbs, 20g Protein.
* Tall brewed coffee with the Reduced-Fat Turkey Bacon Breakfast Sandwich: Reduced-fat turkey bacon, cholesterol-free egg, and reduced-fat aged white cheddar on a multi-grain English muffin. Nutritional Info in San Mateo: 390 calories, 12g Fat, 46g Carbs, 22g Protein.
And now that I've gotten you drooling and curious over these breakfast pairings, three of you will be lucky winners of a $5 Starbucks gift card so you can try one of these pairings. I will randomly pick the three winners. Available to US residents only because the pairings are available only in the US.
You can only enter once. Doors are open until Friday 3/20/09 at midnight PST. I'll announce the winners on Monday 3/23. Please leave a valid email so I can contact you. And yes indeedy, I believe in karma so your email will stay between you and I.
To enter, in comments, tell me what your favorite Starbucks drink is, what you normally like to enjoy. My favorite drink is an iced coffee with a dabble of soy milk and one packet of raw sugar.
Oatmeal Idea: Papaya, Pecans, and Agave Nectar
This is what I had for breakfast yesterday. It's a bowl of instant organic oatmeal with cut up chunks of dried papaya spears and pecans along with about half a tbsp of agave nectar and 1/4 cup of rice milk. And, oh yeah, it was scrumptious.
I wanted to try something exotic so I got the papaya spears when I was strolling the dried foods bin at a local market. I use agave nectar all the time now because I like that it has a lower glycemic index than cane sugar. Honey has a distinct taste, and the agave nectar not so much so you almost don't even know it's there besides the obvious sweeter taste.
Try it. Lemme know what you think.
