Oat bran and Protein Powder

In my last trip to Whole Foods I picked up bulk oat bran and a new protein powder and I am currently in love with both!!! Oat bran is great! I LOVE oatmeal and have it almost every morning, and hearing about oat bran and its great nutrition stats on other blogs i decided to check it out. Oats a a great whole grain in whatever form, but Oatbran has 6 grams of fiber and more protein and fat than quick oats which have 4 g of fiber. And they are delicious!! My usual 1/2 cup dry expanded so much in water, making it even more filling than regular oats just because of the volume. They are like quickoats' speedy, creamy twin.
I was looking for a protein powder at Whole Foods and LifeTime's Life Basic Plant Protein caught my eye.

I have tried hemp protein powder and Vega before, but hemp has quite a strong taste and while Vega is delicious, its a bit pricey. I like having protein powder around, if I'm in the mood for a smoothie, and making my own Protein Bars is near the top of my current To-do list. Life Basic Plant Protein is made with Pea, Hemp, Rice and Chia seeds and sweetened with stevia. I like that it has a mix of protein sources- I didn't want to get a soy protein isolate because my diet already contains quite a bit of soy. 1 scoop has 120 calories and 22g of protein! It has all the essential amino acids, and Chia powder is getting a lot of buzz right now as a Superfood-high is omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. They were apparently a staple for Aztec worriers and have amazing gelling properties. But the best part is, this protein powder tastes AMAZING. I love it-vanilla flavor and I've been just making a "protein pudding" by adding just enough water to dissolve it, and then the Chia seeds form a gel. I love pudding and this is delicious! MMMMM!!

Chocolate Mint Jocalat

I have a huge love for Larabars. They are simply divine. My favorite is definitely Cinnamon Roll and I tend to prefer the regular ones to their sister Jocalat Bars. But this morning after BikramYoga I had the Chocolate Mint Jocalat, and let me tell you-it was fabulous! It tasted just like I remember the Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies tasting. And since we are in the middle of Girlscout season, this is a much healthier alternative. The bar contains 6 ingredients, is organic, 90% raw, and the cocoa is Fair-trade certified. Like all Larabars, it is gluten-soy-dairy-gmo-free and kosher, contains a "serving" of fruit and 5g of fiber. And it tastes amazing! The peppermint flavor balances out the unsweetened cocoa powder perfectly! CCV is giving away a case of these Jocalat bars on her wonderful little blog, check it out!

Bikram Yoga

I love finding new ways of working out. I think its important not to get stuck in a rut and always enjoy your exercise!! BikramYoga Boston was having a special-$20 for 10 days, Unlimited, for new students so I signed right up! (and dragged my roommate along for the ride) I have done Hot Power Yoga before, but more of a Vinyasa Flow series, rather than Bikram which is much more structured and consistent. All Bikram classes are a series of twenty-six yoga postures (asanas) and two breathing exercises practiced in a room heated to 105 degrees F or above. Class is 90 minutes and each posture is done twice; there is no variation. The deep stretches that you can obtain are amazing, since your muscles are literally, warmed up. The amount I sweat is unbelievable and quite disgusting. You are literally in a humid sauna doing intense yoga poses. Hydration is key. I've been drinking lots and lots of water-some of it with Nuun to replinish electrolytesThankfully it is a very accepting environment, and since everyone is sweating buckets, no one really cares. I went last night, after a very high energy day, and it was great. The class was crowded, we had a very clear instructor, and after the class it feels like any sort of toxins you had in your body have been flushed from your system. This morning I went again at 6:30am, so I was a little less alert at first, but surprisingly not sore from the previous night. After class I finally feel warm, which is so wonderful-the cold here cuts into your bones and never seems to leave. I hope to continue going until next Friday, when I leave Boston for Spring Break! Can not wait! I am enjoying my little pre-break exercise switch-up, but Bikram isn't for everyone. I highly recommend you try at least one class though!

Sustainable Foodies.

and I'm back!

This weekend I went with 6 other members of SFBU to the Real Food Summit at UMASS-Amherst (We actually stayed at Hampshire, but that's another story). It was a great weekend-spending time conversing with 300 other students and adults who were all pro-real food, anti-fast food. There were some great ideas tossed around, good networking opportunities, delicious local vegan food, and a warm spirit despite the frigid temperatures! Vegan options abounded, everyone was drinking out of Mason Jars and Sigg water bottles, and reusable totes were sported on every arm. But it was by no means an all granola-crunchy-hippy-fest (not that that's a bad thing!) . We are Sustainable Foodies-Foodies with a Conscience. The weekend started with a definition of Real Food: Real Food nurtures the earth, the growers, the community and our bodies.

Our current food system is like the Titanic. We have a huge system that's chugging along, but where is it going? We're headed towards a huge iceberg that includes the Global Food crisis, and climate change. But like the Titanic, all it takes it a small part of the system, a rudder as such, to turn this ship around. Students have the potential to be a huge driving force, and not just consumers of Real Food. 4 Billion Dollars a year are spent for food in dining halls, which means we have a huge buying power, and the potential to turn this ship away from the iceberg. We just need to organize and work together to educate others about this situation. Choosing Local vs Organic, In-Season vs Out of Season, and asking What exactly is Sustainable Agriculture? are quandaries that requires a lot of thought and conscious commitment. I plan on exploring those issues and others in future posts.

I love food, but specifically, I love food that is good, clean, fair and Real. Food that not only nourishes my body, by does not harm the environment, animals, workers, and helps the community.

To Be Continued...

Just a little note to say that I am going to be MIA until next Wednesday. Internet is like crack for me, and since I'll be out of town, sans computer, this weekend and I have three midterms on Tuesday, I must restrain myself! But stay tuned for Real Food Summit adventures and more!

ThinkOrganic Bars

Tried these out.

Not about to replace Larabars as my go-to raw fruit and nut bar, but they weren't bad. I'm not a huge fan on shredded coconut in bars, (just a taste thing, I LOVE young coconuts and am not one bit concerned about the saturated fat in them). Apparently the creator and CEO is a former model who is "committed to living a life of vitality – educating myself on nature's nourishing foods, foods that gave me optimism, hope, and help, that invigorated and delighted me." That sounds good to me! I can't find the cashew-pecan or cherry-nut at my Whole Foods, but maybe I would like those better. I always love trying new things though!
The Potluck last night was fun. Annabelle made delicious vegan protein power bars and did a Kombucha demo and Dory made a fat-free vegan chocolate beet cake! SFBU is DEFINITELY not a vegan club, it just happens that a lot of us love vegan food! We also talked to CampusKitchens about the possibility of starting something in Boston, lots of good conversation about waste, hunger and how we can do things to reduce both. Watch for a post soon on the topic!
Happy Hump Day!

Food as a Universal Experience

"Food is our common ground, a universal experience." -James Beard
"Like the clothes we wear and the cars we drive, food is an expression of who we are and what we value." -Mark Winne

I agree with both of these statements-I think that food is something that brings people together, yet it is a venue for the expression of our individualism, and set of personal beliefs. We share with all of mankind the need for food to sustain our life, yet each of us goes about finding the nourishment in our own unique way. For me, Veganism is a way of eating that has the least negative impact on the environment, fulfills all the needs of my body, taste delicious, and makes me happy! I love eating clean, pure food! But I definitely understand that it isn't for everyone, and there are many ways to eat healthfully, I just believe not eating animal products feels best for me!
That is my individual philosophy but I love coming together with friends and sharing good food. SFBU meets biweekly for a meeting and potluck, so today I made a chickpea curry to share. Aroba Creations makes ridiculously easy and delicious spice blends which are good when you don't have a lot of time. You just add tomatos and chickpeas and tada!!

It's always interesting to see what everyone else brings! Dishes are usually vegetarian, a few vegan, and then we have members who are allergic to gluten and soy, so its quite an interesting mix! You just can't go wrong with a chickpea curry though! We'll see what tonight will bring!

President's Day

I love three-day weekends, really I do. Even when I have a lot of studying to do-(orgo test tomorrow and three next week) they're just so pleasant!
Tried two new foods today which was very exciting! For lunch I made a soy-noodle stirfry. I love wandering around the Asian grocery stores and finding new (sometimes crazy) foods to try! Last week I snagged a pouch of soy-noodles, which is basically just tofu formed into noodle shapes.
It packs a huge protein punch (50g in the entire package??!!) but tastes quite bland. So I heated it with tamarind paste, Thai chilis, a bit of Braggs liquid aminos (it goes on everything I eat) and beet juice. Random, but quite tasty!! I don't know if the "noodles" were good enough to garner a second purchase, but they were fun to try!

This evening I met with the rest of the Slow Food planning committee, and since I picked up Brown-Rice Mochi at Whole Foods today, (Its been catching my eye) I thought I'd share! We tried the Cinnamon-Raisin flavor (because I LOVE raisins and sweet things). The only ingredients are Organic Sweet Brown Rice, raisins, cinnamon and sea salt! According to the package they are "delicious, easy and fun to prepare!" I'd have to agree with all three! They are fool-proof- all you have to do is cut the sheet into little squares, pop them in the oven for 10 minutes and they puff right up! I was quite shocked!
Before:

AFTER:

(with Banana Peanut "Frosting")
So adorable! Ok enough food rambling, and back to studying!

Sunday Brunch at Grezzo

Grezzo has a special little place in my heart. Its the only 100% raw restaurant in Boston and its hidden away in this adorable little nook in the NorthEnd. I have never been disappointed with a meal there. And their desserts are to die for! (I have a huge sweet tooth!)
This is Alissa Cohen's premiere raw restaurant, and it was her book "Living on Live Foods" which first introduced me to the raw lifestyle. I still reference it! She was actually at the restaurant today, which is always cool. They recently opened up for lunch, which is oh so wonderful. I went with a friend today, and surprise! they were having a Post-Valentine's Day Brunch! I'm a huge fan of getting a variety of dishes and sharing, so we tried the Lobster Mushroom Salad and Cold-Smoked Papaya Sashimi. Both were incredible. The papaya was definitely my favorite though. They slice ripe papaya very thin, and serve it with a flax-caraway cracker and dill scallion macadamia cheese, and its just like a lox bagel! The papaya has the most exquisite flavor!

The Lobster Mushrooms had a dill cashew cream on them, and came with a spicy corn chip and avacado mango side.

"Would you like dessert?" Isn't even a question when I go to Grezzo, because the answer is always yes! Guilt-free, beautiful, delicious desserts are all I ever want in life. I usually go for something with raw cocao (their brownie sundae is to die for), but I'd never tried lucuma before, so we opted for the Lucuma caramel cheesecake, made from apples, hazelnut cheese, and a cranberry-hazelnut crust. It was very good, and Lucuma is very interesting. Not quite as I remember caramel tasting, but tasty in its own way. I'm really glad we tried it!

I wish I could go to Grezzo every single day. If you're ever looking for somewhere to eat in Boston, you simply must try it!

Bread Pudding

I had a loaf of whole wheat bread sitting around, and decided to try using it in a new way to take to a potluck tonight. So I made bread pudding!

6 cups cubed whole wheat bread
4 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 TBS whole flax (Ground and then added to 3 TBS water)
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 tsp powdered stevia
1 TBS each, vanilla and cinnamon
I combined everything but the bread, and then poured it over the bread in a pie pan. I didn't have a set of pans I could nest the pudding in, so instead I roasted beets in water in the rack below. (Usually you cook bread pudding in a dish in a dish filled with water. I think the theory is that as the water heats, it evaporates, making the oven humid and keeping the pudding from drying up). But this turned out working quite well-I got beets made for tomorrow, I kept the oven humid, and I saved electricity by not heating the oven twice! It baked for 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

This was my first time using flax as an egg substitute. I don't think it was really necessary, but flax seeds are great for you! They contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are an essential fatty acid. The only trick is that they should be ground before consuming, because the whole flax seed will pass through your digestive tract untouched, and you won't get all the benefits.
I love,love,love unsweetened vanilla almond milk! Its so rich and amazingly low in calories, though lacking in protein. I was originally just going to use soymilk, but then I remembered a fellow potluck-er has a soy allergy, so I switched it up.
It was actually really really good! It smelled just like "real" bread pudding, and tasted really good. (Even my omni roommate who thinks most of what I eat is tasteless, said it was good)

Have a happy valentines day!

Whole Grains 101: Buckwheat

I remember wondering as a child why my mother would ever rather eat a buckwheat pancake than a fluffy white one covered in maple syrup and butter, I now LOVE all things buckwheat! (My taste buds have changed dramatically since childhood). Soba noodles, kasha, buckwheat flour, love! The first time I had Buckwheat groats (Kasha) was at the home of a Russian friend-her Babushka made a pot every morning and ate it with almost every meal. I enjoyed it so much, once I returned home, I scurried over to the little Russian Grocerystore down the street to pick some up. Now I usually pick mine up in bulk at Whole foods, cook a bunch up on the weekend and portion it out for the rest of the week. Its so easy to cook- just a 1:2 groat:water ratio, simmered for 20 minutes. I usually add Braggs Liquid Aminos but its such a hearty grain on its own! My dinner today was buckwheat, heated with tofu and green beans with thai chili pepper, simple, hearty, satisfying, with a little kick! Next I plan on sprouting some and making a few raw salads!
Buckwheat is technically not a grain; it's a cousin of Rhubarb, and gluten-free! {something I don't necessarily avoid, but important for a lot of people} But, it resembles a grain nutritionally, has a similar texture, method of cooking and versatility. Its high in Magnesium and Manganese, and has 4.5 grams of fiber/cup. Full Nutrition Stats can be found here. Whole grains are should be an important part of everyone's diet-They are the grains as nature entended- unstripped and unrefined-not just "empty" calories like their refined counterparts. So many studies are being done to show how important they are to overall health. When most people think of a whole grain, whole wheat, oats and brown rice are about all that come to mind. But there is a whole world of grains out there to be explored!

Prickley Pear and ZUMBA

I stumbled into a little Armenian Grocery Store while wandering last week and bought a prickly pear fruit for fun. I've never had it (although I think my sister loves Bolthouse Farms Prickly Pear Lemonade??) and I'm always down for trying new fruits! So pre-run this morning I sliced it up, and was pleasantly surprised. The thorns had been removed (thank you!) and I ate the (edible) seeds as well. It reminded me of a smaller, brighter pink, bubble-gum tasting, pomegranate! While definitely not local, it was a fun little treat! Today was a GORGEOUS DAY!! I am so ready for spring! Winter is not my favorite time of year, and Spring is the greatest season! I did a small Whole Foods run and LaraBars were on-sale for 90 cents each, so needless to say I stocked up!! Cinnamon Roll is definitely my favorite-Rasins are the greatest! I took a Zumba class at Life In Synergy and it was the funnest workout I've had in a while!! I love working out, but this was a riot! I was smiling and shaking my hips for a solid hour of pretty high-intensity cardio. Zumba is a workout based on Latin-dancing, and its pretty much cue-less; you just watch and follow the instructor. Luckily, 10 years of dance and 14 years of violin have given me a pretty good ear and I can definitely catch the beat, but I've never trained in Latin dance, so its challenging! I can't wait to try it again!

Two Moms in the Raw

I love raw vegan food! In a perfect world, fresh, local, fruits and vegetables would be organically available year-round and I had endless time to sprout, dehydrate and juice gourmet little treats! But I more than get by with all the wonderful things I do have! One of these is a mother who sends Raw Granola and Crackers in a Valentine's Day Care-Package! I opened my little surprise present to Gojiberry Granola and Tomato Basil Crackers from Two Moms In the Raw which is based out of Colorado, and sadly only available in local stores. But you can buy them online which I may just have to do soon! They're all about creating raw foods that are easy for people on the run. The granola was a delicious snack in between classes for me today. Their products are gluten, oil and refined-sugar-free and 100% raw and organic! Fabulous!

Vegan Travels-NYC

A weekend jaunt to the Big Apple reminded me how much I would love to eat my way through the entire city!! Unfortunately, time does limit that-but I manage to take a bite out the endless list of great restaurants! After getting off of the bus, I stumbled upon the Union Square Green Market, which was very exciting! All the Farmers Markets in the Boston area end around Thanksgiving, so it was a treat seeing farm-fresh apple, potatoes, local wines and baked goods in February! I had an AMAZING lemon-poppyseed muffin from Body & Soul Stand! Its been so long since I've had a muffin! Body & Soul uses multi-grain flours, no refined sugars, are low-fat and vegan! Could it get any better??
And while I was in the neighborhood I just had to pop into OneLuckyDuck Raw Takeaway for a Raw Gingersnap cookie for later!
I took my aunt and her significant other out to dinner at V-spot. While our eating styles are sometimes polar opposites (they are devotees of the Aktins lifestyle) we all enjoyed our meal! I had a delicious quinoa pasta with marinara sauce! I've never tried quinoa pasta before, but I love the grain and its protein!

The next day my aunt and I did a lot of walking around the Upper Eastside, window shopping and museum hopping! We grabbed lunch at Candle Cafe on 3rd Ave and 75th St. Not to be confused with its next door neighbor, "Le Steak":

I've been to Candle 79 in the past and wanted to visit their sister cafe. I especially liked this quote from their menu:

"By supporting organic farming and avoiding animal products, we acknowledge the interconnectedness of environmental, spiritual and physical well-being. We are delighted to nourish your body with delicious meals served in a vibrant and friendly atmosphere. We invite you to enjoy the good foods that come fresh from the farm to your table."

It was an intimate dining location, and the food was delicious, once again! I had an amazing Indian plate special! The raisin and date chutney was to die for, and the spice blend they used on the chickpeas was fabulous. I'm personally not a fan of seitan- its too "rubbery" for me, but that was my only complaint.
The place was packed on a Saturday afternoon.
Yummy! There are so many great vegan restaurants in the city, I'll just have to go back to NYC soon to continue my epicurean adventures!

Welcome!

Welcome to Don't (White) Sugar-Coat It!! Where fruits, vegetables and whole grains are adored and fake, refined, "food" is banned!

I am a dietetics student in Boston, who loves to eat healthy and exercise regularly. I’m all about eating REAL food-unprocessed, and fresh. I support the Local Foods movement and adore farmers markets and my CSA. Though I have a serious sweet tooth, I try to stay away from refined sugars, and am addicted to stevia. PB and raisins are my Achilles heel. While I am vegan, I don't believe it's the only way to be healthy! I just know that I feel best eating this way!

The purpose of this blog is to share my thoughts about vegan food and exercise, through product and restaurant reviews and healthy lifestyle tips.

Something you should know-I very optimistic and have been known to abuse exclamation marks! I love trying new things and switching things up. Ruts and routines are no fun after awhile. What’ll I do next? Keep reading to find out!!!