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chloeunitfive · 1 year ago

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Could Fashion Have An Animal-Free Future?

Veganuary, a movement promoting turning vegan for the month of January, has increased in popularity year after year since its inception a decade ago. It's no wonder, therefore, that a rising number of individuals are thinking about getting rid of animal products from their wardrobes as well. Rebecca Cappelli, filmmaker and director of the WaterBear documentary Slay, which illustrates some of the environmental and ethical issues associated with the manufacture of leather, wool, and fur (the latter of which is already prohibited by several luxury labels, including Chanel, Gucci, and Prada), is one such individual. "There's a blind spot when it comes to animals in fashion," says Cappelli to Vogue. "I wanted to make a film putting them into the conversation, but also addressing the harms of [these] industries when it comes to their impact on the planet and on people who either work in the supply chain, or live in communities that are affected by these industries." According to the United Nations, cow ranching is responsible for an estimated 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions each year, as well as deforestation in locations like the Amazon. While leather is sometimes portrayed as a byproduct of the meat industry, it is in fact an essential component of the industry. Meanwhile, the tanning process (when animal skins are transformed into leather) frequently necessitates the use of a huge number of chemicals, which can wind up contaminating nearby rivers (though groups such as the Leather Working Group are spearheading efforts to lessen its environmental effect). That's why we've seen a surge in alternative leathers recently, from Mylo, made from mushroom roots, on Stella McCartney's catwalks to Vegea, a grape leather made using waste from the wine industry, at brands like Ganni, which has committed to eliminating leather-like entirely by the end of the year.

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However, many of these alternatives now have some synthetic component, making them difficult to recycle and unable to entirely biodegrade, while others, like as Mylo, still go through the tanning process. "To date, we have struggled to find alternatives that do not require a compromise on aesthetics, function or sustainability - particularly [thinking about] end of life - and therefore have held off [adopting these alternatives]," “Protein-based innovation is very interesting [but] we’ll need investment and patience to see these products ready for consumers,” Sydney Gladman, chief scientific officer at the Material Innovation Initiative, comments. When it comes to wool substitutes, there has perhaps been less innovation. At the moment, the major animal-free possibilities are synthetics like acrylic, which emit hazardous microplastics and do not biodegrade. Eirinn Hayhow, a vegan designer, employs plant-based alternatives for her knitwear, such as recycled cotton, hemp, and soya bean fibre. "Synthetic fibres are still favoured as they are more accessible and affordable than the natural alternatives," she says. "Hemp [for example] is an amazing material - it takes to the natural dye really well, can be grown and sourced locally, but isn't easy to get hold of on a larger scale."While there are some ethical issues about the usage of wool, particularly the practise of mulesing, which is the removal of skin strips around a sheep's buttocks to avoid flystrike, a parasite illness, supporters of the fibre claim progress is being made. "[A] large number of wool growers are moving away from mulesing wherever possible," says John Roberts, managing director of The Woolmark Company. "The welfare of the sheep and lambs [is] the number one priority."

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Furthermore, there is a rising trend towards regenerative wool, or manufacturing the fibre in a way that has a good influence on the environment. For example, Mara Hoffman released her Climate Beneficial wool collection in 2020, while Sheep Inc claims that its jumpers are carbon negative, meaning that more carbon is absorbed from the atmosphere than is emitted. "Wool is one of the most regenerative fibres in terms of its ability to be reused and passed on," he explains. "A lot of farmers already [adopt] regenerative practises - I think it's [now] about actually agreeing on a measurement and a standard and actually doing that as an industry." Although there is some worry about the amount of acreage required to transition the entire sector to a more regenerative method, it appears that animal-derived products are here to stay for the foreseeable future. Moving forward, the emphasis will be on how to lessen the environmental effect of these fibres while also improving transparency - and hence accountability - throughout the production chain. "Traceability is essential for any material to be able to demonstrate the conditions under which it was produced and where it came from," says Stuart Cranfield, head of standards and assurance at the Leather Working Group.

Nonetheless, as new inventions scale up and develop, some in the industry believe an animal-free future is on the horizon. "Next-gen materials represent a multi-billion-dollar opportunity - reduce [and] eliminate harm to people, animals, and the planet, and meet the needs of both consumers and brands," Gladman goes on to say. "Without a doubt, we see a future where animal-free materials are the norm."

Reference:

Emily Chan. (2023). Could Fashion Have An Animal-Free Future?. [Online]. British Vogue. Last Updated: 14 January 2023. Available at: https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/vegan-fashion-future [Accessed 7 November 2023].

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vegi1 · 1 year ago

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Effect of Vegan Diet on blood pressure

Blood pressure is a thing that we have heard a lot, but probably many of us do not have a proper definition of it, so let me start with the basic concepts of this topic.

With each beat of the heart, your heart forces blood into the main arteries, this blood exerts pressure on the walls of the vessels, which is called systolic pressure, and the vessels, due to their flexible and elastic material, re-produce pressure to the blood, which is It is called diastolic pressure

High blood pressure damages arteries over time. Where damage occurs, the body tries to heal itself like when you get a cut and a scab forms. Scabs on the inside of the artery wall can grow over time, narrowing the artery further, and increasing blood pressure

High blood pressure also damages the heart. When blood pressure is high, the heart has to work harder to pump blood

High blood pressure is known as a “silent killer” because most people with high blood pressure don’t notice any signs or symptoms, but the issue is exists and causing harm.

So it is not strange that you and I have this problem. There are a series of common symptoms that show that you need to check your blood pressure; Headache, dizziness, heart palpitations, numbness of hands and feet, shortness of breath, etc.

LDL cholesterol (the bad variety) and triglycerides accumulate through the consumption of too much saturated and trans fat, added sugars and refined grains.

This contributes to a build up of plaque in the arteries.

Over time, plaques cause the arteries to narrow and harden. If the arteries become completely blocked, it can lead to a heart attack or a stroke.

With its emphasis on plant foods, a vegan diet contains an abundance of the food required to maintain good heart health. This diet includes fruit, nuts, seeds, vegetables , fibre, polyunsaturated fats and legumes.

One large-scale research found that a diet low in these foods accounted for the most deaths and disability-adjusted life years, globally

Calcium is very important for healthy blood pressure, because it helps blood vessels tighten and relax when they need to.

As this mineral is essential for numerous metabolic functions in the body, it’s necessary to consume enough through our diet.

When you hear the name calcium, you probably think of dairy products, but it is interesting to know that sesame is one of the richest sources of calcium.

So make sure to include sea vegetables, dark leafy greens, chia and sesame seeds , almonds and beans daily into meals

One of the things that made me interested in vegan diet was its numerous benefits. Maybe this is your question, how can I become a vegan? Before that, let me ask another question, is veganism compatible with human nature?

This questions are often raised by scientists is whether humans are inherently vegan or meat-eaters, that is, apart from human moral issues, is human nature also vegan or not?

To answer this question, let’s examine, when you see a dead sheep on the side of the road, are you tempted to eat it? We are talking about instincts. Do you enjoy the idea of killing a cow with a knife and then eating the meat? Can you even stand the smell of raw chicken? It definitely does not mean sausages and spicy sausages.

Except for the fact that the necessity of a human job causes it, your answer will definitely be negative.

The next topic is the analysis of human physical characteristics, let’s start with the teeth and jaws

The jaws of carnivores only move up and down because they need to tear pieces of meat from their prey and swallow them.

Humans and other herbivores can move their jaws up and down and from side to side. This ability allows them to grind fruits and vegetables with their molars. Like the teeth of other herbivores, the molars of the natural human diet are designed to grind plant foods

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ganeshafoodstore · 2 years ago

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GANESHA FOOD STORE

In general Wellbeing

The supplements in the food sources you eat support the exercises of everyday living, shield your cells from ecological harm and fix any cell harm that could happen. Protein revamps harmed tissue and advances a solid safe framework. The two starches and fats fuel your body, while nutrients and minerals capability all through your body on the side of your body's cycles. Nutrients A, C and E, for instance, go about as cell reinforcements to safeguard your cells against poisons, and B nutrients assist you with separating energy from the food varieties you eat. Calcium and phosphorus keep your bones solid, while sodium and potassium help to send nerve signals. Without a sound eating routine, you could think twice about these fundamental capabilities.healthy food

Weight Control

Notwithstanding the nature of the food sources you devour, the amount matters while considering great dietary patterns. Taking in a similar number of calories as you consume guarantees your weight stays consistent over the long run. Consuming more than you consume, then again, brings about weight gain as your body switches additional calories over completely to fat tissue. At the point when you aggregate fat tissue, you increase your gamble of creating at least one medical condition, including coronary illness, hypertension, respiratory issues, diabetes and disease. A good dinner plan without overabundant calories assists you feel with bettering as well as can drag out your life.food

Illness Anticipation

Weight isn't the main nourishment related reason for sickness beginning and movement. To an extreme or excessively bit of specific supplements can likewise add to medical problems. For example, an absence of calcium in your eating regimen can incline you toward creating osteoporosis, or debilitating of your bones, while a lot of soaked fat can cause cardiovascular sickness, and too couple of foods grown from the ground in your sustenance plan is related with an expanded occurrence of disease. Eating food varieties from a wide assortment of sources guarantees your body has the supplements it requirements to keep away from these medical issues.

Contemplations

On the off chance that you are not used to eating a sound eating regimen that advances your prosperity, rolling out slow improvements can assist you with further developing the manner in which you eat over the long haul. You can substitute water for unhealthy, sweet beverages, for instance, and change from full-fat to low-fat dairy items. Choosing lean meats rather than greasy cuts and entire wheat grains rather than refined grains can bring down your admission of undesirable fats and increment your dietary fibre consumption. New products of the soil contain less sodium than canned, and nibbling on new, crunchy produce like carrots, apples and cucumber cuts is more grounded than the fats and salt in chips.junk food

VADA PAV RECIPE

1] First and foremost, in an enormous kadai, heat 2 tsp oil and splutter ½ tsp mustard, a spot of hing and a couple of curry leaves.

2] likewise add 1-inch ginger, 2 clove garlic, 1 bean stew, 2 tbsp corn further, add ¼ tsp turmeric and saute for 30 seconds.

3] further, add ¼ tsp turmeric and saute for 30 seconds.

4] Also, add 2 bubbled and pounded potatoes and ½ tsp salt.

5] blend well ensuring every one of the flavours are consolidated well with potato

6] mood killer the fire and add 1 tbsp lemon juice.

7] blend well and the aloo combination is prepared. keep to the side.

8] further, get ready besan hitter by taking ¾ cup besan, 1 tbsp rice flour, ¼ tsp turmeric, ¼ tsp stew powder, a spot of hing, ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp baking pop.

9] add ½ cup water or as required and get ready smooth knot free player

10] Now make a ball-sized aloo combination. I like my vada to be round as opposed to level, smooth the balls somewhat in the event that you like.

11] dunk in arranged besan hitter and coat well

12] profound fry in hot oil blending once in a while

13] fry on medium fire till the vada becomes brilliant and fresh

14] Channel the vada on kitchen paper to retain an abundance of oil. keep to the side

15] Now fry the green stew, by switching off the fire - be cautious as the oil splutters.

16] Mix incidentally, till the rankles show up on bean stew.

17] Channel the seared bean stew on kitchen paper to ingest overabundance oil. keep to the side

18] Now with an extra besan player, plan chura by pouring watery besan hitter in hot oil. add 2 tbsp of water to the besan player to make a watery besan hitter.

19] fry on medium fire till the chura becomes brilliant and fresh.

20] Channel the chura on kitchen paper to ingest overabundance oil. keep to the side.

#Food #Healthy food #Junk food

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valeriemcvilly · 4 years ago

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The Hemp Network - Is It A Viable Mlm Chance?

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akhilesham · 5 years ago

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A healthy, balanced diet

In this article, you will find information for the general public who are interested in knowing about a healthy, balanced diet.

We will cover:

What is a healthy diet?

The Eatwell Guide - what, who, how and when?

Are we following a healthy diet?

Will using the Eatwell Guide give me all the nutrients I need?

Sustainability

What is a healthy diet?

A good diet is important for our health and can help us feel our best - but what is a good diet? Apart from breastmilk as a food for babies, no single food contains all the essential nutrients the body needs to stay healthy and work properly. For this reason, our diets should contain a variety of different foods, to help us get the wide range of nutrients that our bodies need. This is illustrated by the UK’s healthy eating model – the Eatwell Guide.

How much food do I need to have a healthy diet?

A healthy diet should provide us with the right amount of energy (calories or kilojoules), from foods and drinks to maintain energy balance. Energy balance is where the calories taken in from the diet are equal to the calories used by the body. We need these calories to carry out everyday tasks such as walking and moving about, but also for all the functions of the body we may not even think about. Processes like breathing, pumping blood around the body and thinking also require calories.

So, foods and drinks provide the calories we need to go about our daily lives, but consuming more calories than we need over a period of time will cause weight gain. This is because, any extra calories we consume but we don’t use, will just be stored as fat.

Over 50% of adults in the UK are overweight or obese. There is also a huge concern about childhood obesity, where 1 in 3 children aged 4-5, and 1 in 5 children aged 10-11, are overweight or obese. Being overweight as a child increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers in adulthood. So, maintaining a healthy weight is really important for health.

How much energy you need from foods and drinks depends on many different things, such as how active you are. But, on average:

women should have around 2000 calories a day (8400 kil0 joules)

man should have around 2500 calories a day (10500 kil0 joules)

Eating only as many calories as you need will help to maintain a healthy weight. However, the foods and drinks you choose need to be the right ones, and in the right proportions to stay healthy. Having this balance in your diet can be achieved by following the Eatwell Guide.

What is the Eatwell Guide?

Public Health England's Eatwell Guide is the UK’s healthy eating model. It is a simple, practical tool to help us make healthy choices and to show the proportions in which different food groups are needed to make up a healthy, balanced diet.

Who does the Eatwell Guide apply to?

The Governments' Eatwell Guide is suitable for most people in the UK, regardless of weight, dietary preferences, ethnic origin, religious or cultural beliefs.

However, it doesn’t apply to children under the age of two, as their nutritional needs are different. Children aged between two and five should gradually begin to eat the same foods as the rest of the family, in the proportions shown in the Eatwell Guide.

Anyone with medical conditions or special dietary requirements may need to seek advice from their GP or health professional about their diet.

How to follow the Eatwell Guide

The Eatwell Guide has taken the foods and drinks we consume, and split them into five main food groups, each in different proportions. You don’t have to eat all the groups in these proportions at every meal time, but rather over the space of a day or even a week.

Each group provides different essential nutrients, so we should be trying to choose a variety of different foods from each of the food groups to make sure our diet provides the range of essential nutrients our body needs to function properly and stay healthy.

Fruit & vegitables

Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates

Beans, pulse, fish, egg, meat & other protines.

Dairy & other alternatives

Oils & spreads

None of these food groups need to or should be excluded. Cutting out a whole food group, for instance, avoiding starchy carbohydrates could reduce intake of key nutrients like dietary fibre and B vitamins.

The size of each group in the Eatwell Guide shows what proportion these foods should make up in our diet.

Most of what we eat should come from ingredients shown in the two biggest food groups - starchy carbohydrates and fruit and vegetables.

The beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins group, and the dairy and alternatives group are smaller, showing that we should eat foods from these groups in moderate amounts.

The oils and spreads group illustrates that although some fat is essential in a healthy, balanced diet; we are generally eating too much saturated fat. Most of the fat in our diet should come from unsaturated oils and spreads, but all these foods are high in calories and so should only be eaten in small amounts.

The Eatwell Guide also displays foods high in saturated fat, salt and sugars outside of the main image, meaning they are not needed as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Eating too much of these foods may be bad for our health, so if they are consumed, it should only be done infrequently and in small amounts!

When can I use the Eatwell Guide?

The Eatwell guide can be used to help you make healthier choices on lots of occasions, including:

When at home cooking

When out shopping for groceries

When deciding what to eat for a meal or snack

When eating out in a restaurant, café or canteen

When choosing food on the go

What about mixed dishes?

Lots of the dishes we eat contain many ingredients that are combinations of the food groups in the Eatwell Guide. These are called composite foods and include things like:

https://www.nutrition.org.uk/images/cache/c32234cd2915b57413b0a7b840fc7e5a_w800.png

For these kinds of meals, all you need to do is identify the main ingredients and think about how these fit into the food groups. This will help you achieve a healthy, balanced diet.

Here is an example for a lasagne:

https://www.nutrition.org.uk/images/cache/74a6173026a1114edb4ef06424df5f2a_w800.png

Here is another example of a vegetable curry:

https://www.nutrition.org.uk/images/cache/732fd72346aa4be9d71fe68a00af0b2b_w800.png

Are most of us eating a healthy diet?

As well as the Eatwell Guide, we have recommendations for specific foods and nutrients. We know from national surveys that we are generally not meeting these recommendations.

Do we eat 5 A DAY fruit and vegetables? NO

Do we eat 2 portions of fish a week? NO

Do we eat enough fibre? NO

Do we eat less than 6g salt a day? NO

Do we meet the saturated fat recommendations? NO

Do we meet the free sugars recommendations? NO

What are these recommendations and do we meet them?

If you would like to see the below infographic a little larger and clearer, you can download the PDF version here.

https://www.nutrition.org.uk/images/cache/7b9104cc7405fea2ef988b26fbafddea_w800.png

*We will cover ‘free sugars’ in the foods to eat less often and in small amounts section.

So, from this it is clear that in the UK we need to increase our fibre, fish, fruit and vegetable intakes and reduce intakes of saturated fat, salt and free sugars.

Will using the Eatwell Guide give me all the nutrients I need?

For most people, eating a healthy, balanced diet based around the Eatwell Guide should provide all of the nutrients needed to stay healthy. However, at some stages in our lives we may need to take supplements to make sure we get enough of a particular vitamin or mineral.

��Supplement

Who?

How much?

Vitamin D

Babies*

All babies under 1 year should have a daily 8.5 to 10 microgram vitamin D supplement to ensure they get enough. Children who have more than 500ml of infant formula a day do not need any additional vitamin D as formula is already fortified.

Young children

Children aged 1 to 4 years should have a daily 10 microgram vitamin D supplement.

Everyone age 5 years and over

During the autumn and winter months, we cannot make enough vitamin D from sunlight and it may be difficult to get the 10 micrograms we need from food alone, so taking a 10 microgram vitamin D supplement in these months should be considered.

People with very little or no sunshine exposure (e.g. those who are seldom outdoors such as frail or housebound individuals and those who are confined indoor, such as in institutions like care homes)

People who habitually wear clothes that cover most of their skin while outdoors.

These groups should take a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms vitamin D throughout the year.

Folic acid Women who may become pregnant & pregnant women

Folic acid is important for pregnancy, as it can help to prevent birth defects known as neural tube defects, including spina bifida. 400 micrograms should be taken daily for women trying to conceive, and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (or higher amounts for women at increased risk).

Vitamin B12

Vegans

Vitamin B12 is typically only found naturally in foods from animal sources, although there are some fortified vegan sources like B12 fortified breakfast cereals, soya drinks and yeast extract. Sources for vegans are therefore limited and a vitamin B12 supplement may be needed.

*Babies should be exclusively breastfed until around 6 months of age. For more information on healthy eating in pregnancy, please see our Nutrition for Baby section.

What about sustainability?

The global population is increasing, which puts pressure on valuable resources, including food and water. In turn, food production, along with other aspects of modern living such as cars, results in greenhouse gas emissions that influence climate change. So, to ensure that there is enough food for future generations, it is important to consider the ‘sustainability’ of the diets we eat as well as whether or not the overall diet is healthy.

https://www.nutrition.org.uk/images/cache/4126dbe94d18becf1331689f4a793204_w160.jpg

By ‘sustainable’ we mean that the impact the production of the food has on the environment is limited. The type of diet illustrated by the Eatwell Guide, which includes lots of plant-based foods, has been suggested to be relatively sustainable, especially if the fruits and vegetables consumed are those that are in season.

(sourced from British Nutrition foundation)

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#healthy dinner #diet #balanced diet #healthy diet #eatwell guide #healthy living

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tinyscratches · 6 years ago

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Isamu Rat Diet

I’ve seen too many good web pages disappear (and photobucket is nasty) so I’m reposting the good bits of this RatForum thread here. It’s obviously more pertinent to UK rat owners but can help inform rat owners in other countries, as well.

02-18-2013

Isamurat: Making your own mix – how I do it (picture guide)

I have seen that several people are thinking of starting to make their own mix, or are just starting out feeding one. I thought it might be useful to see how I go about my mix, with photos and info on the kind of ingredients I use as well as the steps I take. I’ve been feeding a homemade mix for years now (started in 2006) and get on very well with it. I do tend to evolve my mix fairly steadily depending on how the rats are doing and new ideas I see. This is one of my mixes, they are all slightly different, but the basic balance stays the same. It is very much my take on a Shunamite style mix, given that I started out on that diet, and have learnt and adapted my mix along the way with a good amount of help from its author over the years. Base (50% by volume) First off I start by assembling the base of the mix, this is predominantly minimally processed grains, it forms about half my total mix and is aimed at giving a solid foundation of carbs, that aren’t too easy to digest (leads to fat rats) and contain plenty of whole grains, but not too much that are high in phosphorous (harsh on the kidneys, one of a rats weak points). I like to include a decent amount of grains still in their husks here too, as it adds an element of enrichment, and keeps the rats busy during the day doing what they are meant to do, peel open little seeds and grains. This means that I generally use animal quality grains (or at least a good number of them) as for some reason us humans are rubbish at, or too lazy to getting grains out of there husks so strip them off. I’ve used a lot of different bases in the past, sometimes entirely mixed grains, sometimes entirely a rat suitable commercial rabbit food. My current balance involves a mix of the two and works well, they get the variety with the backup of the enriched rabbit food. To make my base I add the following (note I’ve tried to photo these all in the same container for people to see the size of the bits) • 6 scoops Banana brunch - this is a lovely rabbit mix with the following ingredients (in order of volume); cooked flaked peas, cooked flaked barley, oats, cooked flaked maize, cooked flaked beans, mixed wheat discs (with vitamins), banana chips, flaked carrot, banana essence, vitamins + minerals. Its nutritional analysis is; protein 14%, fat 2%, fibre 5%, Vitamin A 5000 iu/kg, Vitamin E 26 iu/kg, copper (cupric sulphate) 5mg/kg . I break up the banana pieces into smaller chunks, otherwise it looks like this

• 6 Scoops Marshams Mixed flakes - this is a nice mix of micronize flakes, micronizing is essentially heating and squishing, the heating helps ensure that the fungus issue you sometimes see with dried corn/maize isn’t an issue. It’s 60% flaked barely, 20% flakes peas and 20% flaked corn and smells lovely and pea flavoured. I use this to help bulk out my mix and up the barley content (this is my fave rat kidney friendly grain, closely followed by rice)

• 4 scoops Versa Laga Junior Dark Plus Pigeon mix – I add this as it’s a good way of getting lots of variety of seeds and grains in without having to have many little packets of them. Its ingredients are as follows: extra french cribs maize 16%, dari white 14%, paddy rice 12%, extra wheat 8%, safflower seed 8%, extra small french cribs maize 6%, milocorn 4%, extra barley 4%, yellow peas 4%, green peas 4%, small green peas 4%, yellow millet 2%, toasted soya beans 2%, mungbeans 2%, maple peas 2%, striped sunflower seeds 1%, brown linseed 1%, junior pellet I.C. 6%. Its major nutritional values are; protein 12.5%, fat 7%, fibre 7.5%, carbohydrates 54%. The higher fat helps combat the low fat of the banana brunch and mixed flakes. It’s a lovely interesting mix and goes down well.

• 2 scoops Paddy rice – there’s already some in the pigeon food, however I add more as it’s such a good grain, and my preferred mixes major on barely and rice. Paddy rice is a nice form of rice, it’s still inside it’s husk, meaning to get at the grain the rats need to peel it before they reveal the brown rice inside.

• 1 scoop Pearl Barley – I add this as an alternative form of barley, it’s a different shape and texture so nice for them, this is human quality so unfortunately doesn’t have its husk on, I’ll get hold of some that are husky at some point.

• 1 scoop Millet seeds – this is another good grain, and as it’s around 11% protein it helps make up for the fact that most grains are very low in protein. I get a mixture of red and white millet still in their husks

• 2 x Millet spray broken up – another form/texture of millet. I take a millet spray and just run my fingers along the stalk backwards, giving my lots of mini millet tufts. These are a little easier for rats to find in there substrate, though mine can find even individual seeds now.

When mixed together this gives me my base mix which is approximately 20-21 scoops

Protein (5-10%)

As I use a base that works out relatively low protein in need to add extra protein to top it up. Rats need a diet around 12-14% protein for normal adults, more for growing youngsters. The best protein sources for being kind to the kidneys are egg, soya and fish (in that order). All have their strengths and weaknesses so I do a mix, which also adds variety balancing there weaknesses. It also helps make sure that the rats get ‘complete’ protein, proteins are made up of different amino acids, you need a full range of them to fully use the protein, mixing the type of protein you use helps this. • ½ scoop dried shrimps, mealworms, fish, tubifex, bloodworm and krill. Crustatians are really handy as there high in copper, they are also a great form of protein in that they have a high protein:fat ratio. Mealworms are a little high in fat but I include them because they’re quite a natural foodstuff for rats, and there isn’t loads of them. These are all very light, as I mix by volume it means by weight I don’t add loads, but given there around 60% protein this is good as you don’t want to boost the overall values too much.

• ½ scoop Soya flakes – this is micronized soya, the cooking part of the process makes it safe for the rats to eat, as uncooked soya beans are not good for them (much like any bean). Soya is a bit controversial for some people, it reduces the chance of some forms of cancer, and increases the chances of others, however pretty much all studies are done at high levels of soya, feeding as a small part of the diet can be quite beneficial and it’s a good kidney kind protein and one of the few proteins which are complete. I’ve also fed it as the dried beans soaked for 12 hours, then roasted in the oven, this also makes them safe to eat (and are a nice treat for humans and rats too).

• ½ scoop Egg biscuit– this is essentially floury biscuit soaked in egg then dried. It is often sold for birds as egg food, this one is particularly nice as its in bigger chunks, meaning the rats can find it in their substrate when I scatter feed. It seems a little high in sugar (smells cakey), so I wouldn’t use it as all their protein, but it’s a very handy way of adding dried egg.

• ½ scoop Fish for dogs Salmon small bite kibble. This is by far my fave dog kibble to use in my rats diet, its really high quality and the ingredients list says it all. Ingredients; Salmon (27%), Pea Flour (22%), Potato (23%), Fishmeal (8.7%), Salmon Oil (9.3%), Beet Pulp (6.6%), Brewers Yeast, Minerals. Nutrition: Protein 26%, Fat 12%, Crude Fibres 7.5%, Omega-3 Fatty Acids 1%, Vitamins: Vitamin D3 1,800 IU; Copper Chelate Of Amino Acid Hydrate 80mg; Calcium Iodate Anhydrous 2.5mg Antioxidants (Stabilised With Rosemary And Tocopherol-Rich Extracts). Effectively it has a good proportion of named meat, and that’s an oily fish, which is a sign of good quality. Also by going for fish you avoid the heavily farmed poultry or beef, which are far more likely to have poor care standards and contain lots of chemicals. The other ingredients are also named and aside from the fishmeal (which I would prefer over most other meat meals) all are whole. The protein is quite high for a dog kibble but as I don’t add loads it works well, plus the size of the pieces is tiny, which means it spreads well in the mix. I mainly add it because of the added vitamins it contains, particularly vit d and copper. Both are naturally low in a grain based mix, and with the rabbit food I add being low copper I need to boost it. This helps a fair bit and as an added bonus the rats love it too

Here’s a shot of the mix with protein element added to the base

Processed Carbohydrates 20-25%

This section is there to up the amount of carbs the rat can get from the food, as well as adding in vitamins and minerals. A diet entirely devoid of more processed carbs can mean that some of the nutrition is not so available. Too high and you get rats that get fat easily. This balance seems to work well, as long as you keep the sugar content of the carbs down below 5% (in most cases) and try and select for wholegrain products unless you have old rats (when white grains, and upping the overall percentage can be useful). • 1 scoop Denes wholegrain mixer – this is a mixer for dogs, it’s a wheat based biscuit, which I normally don’t prefer, but has good vitamin content, especially copper, calcium and vitamin D, so it is very useful. Ingredients: Cereals (Wholegrain Wheat), Derivatives of vegetable origin (herbs include Seaweed), Grassmeal, Minerals. Nutrition: Protein 11%, Oil 2%, Fibre 4%, Calcium 1.4%, Copper (Cupric Sulphate) 15mg/kg, Vitamin A 5,000iu/kg, Vitamin D3 500iu/kg, Vitamin E 50mg/kg. I break these in half of thirds as on their own they are a bit too big to properly divide up in a mix.

• 1 scoop Rice crispies – one of my preferred grains, I normally go for a value or own brand ranges as they are generally lower in sugar, as a breakfast cereal its enriched with plenty of vitamins and minerals.

• 1 scoop Mixed puffs – These are a mix of different grains including spelt, rice, millet, etc. These offer a nice easily digestible addition to the diet and add a variety of grains

• ½ scoop Shredded wheat bitesize – this is the lowest phosphorous form of wheat, I break them up a bit and use them as my main wheat element of the mix.

• ½ scoop Cornflakes - similar to rice crispies, I use own or value brands, whatever is lowest sugar content. They are enriched which is handy and corn isn’t a bad grain to have in terms of phosphorous.

• 1 rice cracker broken up – mainly added for a little more variety, I break into small pieces At this stage the mix looks like this

Herbs – 5%

This part of the mix offers extra flavours and textures, as well as a change to exploit some of the lovely properties many herbs have. I vary this one every time and try and add a couple of different types in. I generally use herbs sold for rabbits as they come in decent sized chunks, human herbs are chopped too finely and easily get lost in the mix. • ½ scoop Herb Plus – this is my fave rabbit herb mix, it smells lovely and has good variety in it

• ½ scoop Echinacea – This apparently has immune boosting properties (at least in the tincture form, I doubt it adds much in its herb form, but I feed it anyway), it’s a little big so I chop it up smaller, the rats eat it though it’s not there fave bit.

• 2-3 sheets Shredded Nori – seaweed is full of lots of minerals and is very useful to have in a mix, I find that cutting up dried nori sheets sold for sushi goes down well and is easy to get hold of, seaweed powder just gets lost in a mix.

Veg – 5%

This also adds some variety and extra flavours, vits and minerals. • ½ scoop Dried mixed veg – this is a mix typically sold for human soups, its leek, carrot, potato and peas. I sometimes get it in cubes, sometimes chopped for variety of texture.

• ¼ scoop Beetroot flakes – beetroot is a super food, full of all sorts of good stuff, its also a natural way to add colour to the mix (from an entirely human view lol). The rats seem to like it as it’s one of the first things to go. If it gets wet though it turns things near it pink.

• ¼ scoop Mixed pepper flakes – A nice mix of chopped, dried sweet peppers (capsicum), both red and green, colourful veg is packed full of vitamin C and it goes down well too.

At this stage the mix looks like this

Seeds – 5%

This is the final element of my mix, it ups the fat content, as aside from the protein section everything else is a fair bit lower in fat than the rats need. It also makes sure that these fats are good fats, in particular omega 3 and 6. It’s easy to cut out the good fats when your rat is overweight but don’t, the overall calories make a far bigger difference and a decent amount of good quality fats keeps there skin and coat healthy. This section also adds a bit of additional protein to the mix and can have other advantages if you choose your seeds well. • 1 scoop Mixed Seeds and pine nuts – This is a mix of good seeds I’ve made up, I always try and get them in their shells or husks to add to the task of getting in to them, it also slows down there scoffing slightly. This mix includes hemp (one of the few complete protein sources out there), linseed (otherwise known as flax, great for the kidneys), pumpkin seeds in their shells (full of nice omega oils), Pine nuts (there shells are really tough which is a great challenge to the rats), mixed meadow seeds (typically edible grass and flower seeds), fennel seeds (gives them a lovely smell) and cumin seeds. The main ones are the first few oily seeds, with the others adding variety and interest, as well as the challenge of finding them in there bedding.

• 6 Chopped brazil nuts - I add these because here in the UK, and in Europe in general, our grains are low in the mineral selenium, brazils are really high in it, so the rats don’t need much. About 1 brazil will do 4-6 rats there selenium intake for a week. I chop them up small so everyone gets a bit of them.

When everything is mixed together it looks like this

The above mix is fed in the mornings, they get about 10-20g of this mix each a day. Importantly to me it’s scatter fed, which means they have to forage for it in there substrate. It’s not just about what you feed, it’s also how you feed it. They don’t leave anything apart from husks, as I’m mean and don’t feed loads. Supplements, Veg and Fresh Food On its own it is not this mix is not 100% complete, it’s still a bit low on some vitamins and minerals, however I feed it alongside a daily mix of Veg. I also give them vitamin supplements in there water once to twice a week. These are important as the offer a safety net in terms of vitamins and help to make sure everything is covered. Even with all the balancing above, and feeding daily veg the mix is a little weak on copper, vit d and calcium. Without this the rats could become deficient, you can balance it to some extent by fresh, but I would strongly advise anyone who feeds this kind of diet to consider some supplements, having had rats with vit D deficiency in the past when I didn’t add the kibble, rabbit food etc. The following are my normal ‘extra’s • Dr Squiggles Daily Essentials 1 – this has a nice wide range of vitamins and minerals, the main ones I use it for are topping up there copper and vit D. It goes in there water 1-2 days a week, or up to 6 days a week for babies or pregnant mums

• Dr Squiggles Calcivet – this contains calcium and vitamin D, they get this alongside there daily essentials, I don’t feed this daily, even in youngsters, as the rats need time to process the calcium, so need at least a day off a week, plus too much and they can get calcium stones. 1-3 days a week is plenty for an adult, up to 6 for a baby. • Bones and egg shells – a great source of calcium, my rats always get my left over bones, they get lots of iron out of the marrow , the bones are full of calcium too. Egg shells are the same, they might get 1-2 shells a week, which they sometimes eat. If they get some of these, especially bones, I only do calcivet one day a week • Vegetable – this is fed daily, it’s a mixture of veg I make up then freeze in daily portions. It’s 50% dark green leafy veg such as kale, 20% colourful veg such as carrots, tomatoes or peppers, 20% other veg such as peas, sweetcorn, courgettes etc, 5% berries and 5%raw coconut chopped up. They adore this mix

• Cooked meal – about 1-2 times a fortnight the rats get a balanced cooked meal, this is typically carbs, protein and veg, like eggy rice with peas. It’s a bit of a treat, though a healthy one, and replaces there dry mix for the day. I use it to hide other supplements in and give them a bit of a boost. Typically it has a multivitamin powder in, some salmon or linseed oil and anything else that may be appropriate for their age and conditions (such as extra vit b and glucosamine for oldies, and phosphate binder for those with kidney issues).

Its easy enough to create your own diet based on this kind of principles, a lot is about what ingredients you can get hold of and understanding what the words mean on the ingredients list of things you find in pet shops and supermarkets, but really it’s doable for anyone. I would say that unless you really know how to judge your rats condition make sure you feed a good proportion of enriched foods (like most pet foods and human breakfast cereals) and ideally a good vitamin supplement too, and if your not sure whats wrong talk about it and don’t be afraid to change the balance a little. Someone I massively respect in the rat world once said that feeding rats is part science and part art, and from my experience that is very true. I started out relying on spread sheet and meeting the scientific requirements of my rats, but never got them beyond ‘good enough’ condition, then I relaxed a bit and started doing it more by feel and now my lads are in the best condition they’ve been, which was also verified by others at the show I went to this weekend. Its really nice when it all comes together.

Here’s a list of where you can find them in the UK (I tend to get mine all from online shops, the local farm shop or the supermarket), as well as some info on how to choose alternative brands, as I doubt the same brands are available over there Base • Banana brunch – You can get this from some pet shops, online petshops and online small holder / farm suppliers in the UK. When looking for alternatives try and find a rabbit muesli which is higher in peas/barley/beans than wheat and ideally has no alfalfa, wheatfeed or strawfeed added (or these are low down the ingredients list). Don’t just limit yourself to rabbit food, some rat, horse and guinea pig food isn’t bad as a base over here (though it might not be great for a normal meal). If you cant find any you can drop this element of the base, its just a nice cover all. Aiming for around 10-14% protein and 2-5% fat works well • Marshams Mixed flakes – Animal feed stores, online farm/small holding stores, farm and equine supply shops. Its normally easier to get hold of each product individually but that’s not massively practical with only a small number of rats. There are a variety of mixes sold here, the ones higher in barley are better, some come with added soya flakes too, which is handy. This could be replaced to some extent by more processed grains sold in health stores, less enrichment for the rats but easier to get hold of. Can work out quite expensive though and you need to get a range of grains • Versa Laga Junior Dark Plus Pigeon mix – Animal feed stores, online farm/small holding stores, bird feed specialists. if picking an alternative aim for one with a large range of grains and not too high or low protein, most pigeon feeds are predominantly corn, avoid these unless you don’t have much if any corn elsewhere in the mix. Some parrot / bird seed my make a good alternative • Paddy rice – Online bird feed stores, im sure it must be available elsewhere but that’s the only place I’ve found it here, oh and rat rations but as that started out life as an online bird feed store until the rat world got hold of it that doesn’t count. • Pearl Barley – supermarket, health food shop • Millet seeds – bird feed shops, could replace with processed millet if needed or entirely with broken up millet sprays if wanted • Millet spray broken up – pet shops, very commonly sold over here. Protein • dried shrimps, mealworms, fish, tubifex, bloodworm and krill. – sold for turtle/terrapin/fish food here in specialist exotics shops (mainly sourced online). Mealworms are very easy to get hold of and sold for wild birds. • Soya flakes – Animal feed stores, farm shops, online small holder ranges etc., can replace with roasted soya nuts (salt free) which you can make yourself by soaking dried soya beans for 12 hours and roasting for about 20-30 mins at 180 deg C. Chickpeas are another alternative (also need soaking and roasting) as is dried soya mince or similar often sold in health shops • Egg biscuit– sold as bird egg food or similar in some pet shops and bird food specialists. Could be removed and just feed fresh egg once a week. • Fish for dogs Salmon small bite kibble. – found in online petshops and their website, not sure if this brand is available in the US. Look for high end ‘natural ingredients’ dog food, aiming for fish based where possible as its higher quality. High copper content and small bite is a bonus. Can be missed out but you need to up the supplements relatively Processed Carbohydrates • Denes wholegrain mixer – Available from online pet shops, it’s a natural vegetarian mixer. Aim for high end ranges again, look for high vitamin content, especially copper. An alternative is barley rings, sold as animal feed in farm shops, small holder places etc. If your missing this out you will have to up supplements in other forms. • Rice crispies – supermarket • Mixed puffs – health food shops, rat rations (who stock pretty much everything here in the uk) • Shredded wheat bitesize – supermarket • Cornflakes - supermarket • rice cracker broken up – supermarket Herbs • Herb Plus and Echinacea – pet shops, sold as rabbit treats, alternatives is to aim for a nice mix of herbs and edible plants, can do this yourself easily enough, just get a load of fresh herbs, hang to dry on a cooling rack in somewhere warm and dry, break them up. Good herbs and plants to try are; dandelion leaves, current leaves and your commonly available human edible herbs like basil, tarragon, mint etc, Growing your own is easy to do as well. • Shredded Nori – supermarkets, Asian food shops Veg • Dried mixed veg – some supermarkets, online human food shops (sold as soup ingredients, loads of choice out there) • Beetroot flakes and pepper flakes – as above but more specialist so not in most supermarkets, there’s a vast range of options out there, some interesting ones are; kale, cabbage, mushrooms, carrot, berries, tomato etc Seeds • Mixed Seeds and pine nuts – Bird seed specialists online stock a good range of seeds still in there husks, I get pumpkin, hemp, pinenuts and linseed from them, for the others (which are a nice to have) they are sold as a special mix by versalaga for wild birds in the uk (meadow mix) or from Indian / spices suppliers (cumin and fennel), I’ve found them in my local supermarket too. If you’re struggling a human quality seed mix sold by supermarkets is a good option, or look at some of the parrot foods out there, though try and avoid those too heavy in sunflower seeds and peanuts. • brazil nuts - supermarkets (probably not needed in the US) Supplements, Veg and Fresh Food • Dr Squiggles Daily Essentials 1 and Dr Squiggles Calcivet – - bird suppliers, pet shops, mainly online. There are a lot of alternatives out there, though bird supplements seem best for calcium and vitamin d in particular. You can also use those sold for humans, such as vitamin A extracted cod liver oil (here in the Uk the brand seven seas does a good one that does several rat doses when fed once a week in a wet meal) for both of those. Copper is easily fixed by feeding liver regularly, you can make liver treats which make a good way of topping rats up (let me know if you want the recipe). I also add ground up human supplements for vitamin d and calcium to these, baking destroys some of the nutrients but not all. Its always worth looking at other animals supplements too, some are very useful for rats, some of the senior dog ones are very handy for old rats in particular for example. • Bones and egg shells – left overs, alternatively here in the UK butchers will often give you free or very cheap bones for dogs, you can roast these or even feed raw in many cases. • Vegetables – supermarket, some fresh, some ready frozen, • Cooked meal – whatever’s in the house, mainly carb with some healthy protein, bit of oil and any veg I’ve got or some natural wet dog food, fish for dogs do a nice salmon mousse that’s great as a treat for the boys. I’m sure you can find similar quality stuff in the US, the trick is read the ingredients, if there’s any you don’t recognise then it’s probably not great quality. If anyones not sure of anything then if you can get it's ingredients and nutrition and bung it on here myself or someone else thats spent a bit of time on rat nutrition will probably be able to help.

It probably works out around £2.50per kg, which is cheaper than anything decent here in the uk. My rats get about 60g a day (I have 5 boys) so it works out roughly £5 a month, then theres veg and such on top. That is down to buying some stuff in bulk from farm shoos though, as I have sone local friends I split it with.

Oh and it keeps pretty well in a good container, as long as the oldest ingredient. Normally I make up monthly batches and keep the unmixed stuff in a sealed box in my shed. This lasts typically 6 months

It evolved over the years. Next time you make yours just try adding a couple ingredients or changing a few whilst keeping the balance the same. over time your mix will develop to. To be honest mine had changed since this again lol, I've found a bit more banana brunch seemed to improve my boys coat, and oddly less veg to (though they still get it a couple times a week). out just goes to show that you can play around to find the right food for your rats if you know how to judge condition

#rat #rats #ratblr #diet #rat reference #rat food

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healthfood24h · 6 years ago

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💥MEAL PLATE EXAMPLE💥 Read below to for details!👇👇 - TAG A FRIEND WHO NEEDS TO SEE THIS! 💪🏼 ———————— ✅Follow @mealplans for certified diet info! 🔥We help YOU reach your fitness goals with proven content on dieting and nutrition ‼️ ———————— REPOST: @nessasphere - - - - - - I used to think eating healthy was complicated. Counting calories and measuring food overwhelmed me 👎🏼📝 It took me a few weeks to understand it was not really necessary unless you are preparing to a competition. This easy-to-follow Healthy Meal Plate Model makes meal planning simple, well balanced, and good for you in the long run 🤗 Use medium size plate and set it up as below: . 1️⃣ Vegetables - 50% of the plate - veggies are high in vitamins and minerals, fibre, antioxidants and loads of goodness for your body - I usually choose: asparagus, green beans, lettuce, broccoli, zucchini, tomato, cucumber, kale, spinach, bell pepper or cauliflower. I also love adding sauerkraut which is basically fermented cabbage. It improves our digestion, boosts our immune system, helps reduce stress and maintain brain health. You can replace one half of the vegetables with fruits. . 2️⃣ Protein - 25% of the plate - the portion should be comparable to the size of the palm of your hand - go for lean protein if possible, I choose: chicken (mostly breast and thighs), turkey, lean beef, white fish, salmon, eggs or if you are vegetarian, enjoy plant-based alternatives such as tofu, lentils, chickpeas, beans or edamame. . 3️⃣ Carbs - 25% of the plate - go for unprocessed, fibre-rich whole grains or starchy vegetables, I prefer: basmati or brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, bulgur, oats, buckwheat, squash or pumpkin. . 4️⃣ Healthy fats - don't forget about them, add a portion of your thumb tip - I use olive oil, coconut oil, nuts (approximately 20 pcs) or avocado (1/4 of big avocado). Use this Plate Model as a guide for where to begin. You can adjust the portion of each food group depending on your level of physical activity and your goals.  I showed an example of one of my meals built according to Healthy Meal Plate Model. There is basmati rice, grilled Source: instagram.com mealplans

#healthy drinks #food #nutritional recipes #Healthy recipes #party food ideas #lean eating #low carb #n

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billygibbonsirene · 6 years ago

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History of chocolate

The Mayans are believed to be the first to discover cocoa around 900 AD. They learned that the cocoa beans could be harvested and made into a liquid called chocolate.

Mayans & Aztecs

Bitter Water

Mayan chocolate was different from chocolate today. It was a liquid made from crushed cocoa beans, chili peppers, and water. They poured the liquid from one cup to another until a frothy foam appeared on top. The word chocolate is said to come from the Mayan word xocolatl which means bitter water.

Food of the Gods

For the Mayans chocolate was like liquid gold. As well as bitter water they called it the food of the gods. Cocoa was often consumed during religious ceremonies and marriage celebrations. All Mayans could enjoy cocoa, regardless of their social status.

Cocoa was highly valued for its healing and medicinal properties. Mayans would whip up a mix, and people would enjoy it the same way we enjoy coffee today.

Chocolate and Commerce

Cocoa quickly became pertinent to the Aztec economy. The demand for the cocoa bean and the beverage that it produced brought about a huge network of trade routes throughout the region.

When the Aztecs conquered the Mayans, they were forced to pay taxes to the Aztecs. These taxes were called “tributes” and they were paid in cocoa, so the Aztecs, who couldn’t grow their own cocoa, would always have a supply.

Cocoa beans were kept in locked boxes in businesses, and some enterprising Aztecs actually made counterfeit cocoa beans.

The history of Chocolate - Europe

In 1502, Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas. He found new and wonderful foods including cocoa. When he returned to Spain, he brought some cocoa beans back to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, but they were not especially interested in the strange new bean.

Hernan Cortes arrived in the Aztec homeland in 1519, the same year Quetzacoatl promised to return. Cortes happened to land at the exact spot from which the Aztec god departed. In his feather coated armour and gold jewellery, he reminded Aztecs of their returning god. No wonder Montezuma offered him a cup of cocoa and an entire cocoa plantation.

The secret of the Spanish

The Spanish kept cocoa beans secret from the rest of Europe for a long time. In 1579, English pirates attacked a Spanish merchant ship filled with cocoa beans. Thinking the beans were dried sheep droppings, the pirates burned the ship in frustration.

Like the Mayans and Aztecs, the Spanish drank cocoa for health and energy. But they also enjoyed it during church services and were even allowed to have cocoa during Lent, because it was considered a necessary beverage.

Cortes did not enjoy the bitter cocoa drink, but he was amazed at how the Aztecs valued it. He found that warming the drink made it taste better and “hot chocolate” was born.

After cocoa took off spanish cooks experimented with the recipe and added sugar to sweeten it.

Chemical and physical affects of chocolate

1. Very Nutritious

If you buy quality dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, then it is actually quite nutritious.

Quality dark chocolate is rich in fibre, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and a few other minerals.

2. Powerful Source of Antioxidants

Cocoa and dark chocolate have a wide variety of powerful antioxidants. In fact, they have way more than most other foods.

3. May Improve Blood Flow and Lower Blood Pressure

The bioactive compounds in cocoa may improve blood flow in the arteries and cause a small but statistically significant decrease in blood pressure.

4. Raises HDL and Protects LDL from Oxidation

Dark chocolate improves several important risk factors for disease. It lowers the susceptibility of LDL to oxidative damage while increasing HDL and improving insulin sensitivity.

5. May Reduce Heart Disease Risk

Observational studies show a drastic reduction in heart disease risk among those who consume the most chocolate.

6. May Protect Your Skin from the Sun

The bioactive compounds in dark chocolate may also be great for your skin.

The flavonols can protect against sun damage, improve blood flow to the skin and increase skin density and hydration.

The minimal erythemal dose (MED) is the minimum amount of UVB rays required to cause redness in the skin 24 hours after exposure.

7. Could Improve Brain Function

One study of healthy volunteers showed that eating high-flavanol cocoa for five days improved blood flow to the brain.

Cocoa may also significantly improve cognitive function in elderly people with mental impairment. It may improve verbal fluency and several risk factors for disease, as well.

Cocoa contains stimulant substances like caffeine and theobromine, which may be a key reason why it can improve brain function in the short term.

Cocoa pod source image

Spanish coin source image

Mayan source image

Aztec source image

In this brain storm i was trying to choose a topic for my inforgraphic. I went with the history of chocolate because i think that it would be interesting to find out about where i came from and how it became a stable snack or treat today. Also i think that the infographic i make would be more interesting to people as most people have an idea of how its make but not where it came from.

In these sketches i was trying out different coin designs i could use for the Spanish coin. i started with a cross on the coin but thought that there wasn't much going on and it looked a bit boring so i then went with a shield. The shield is what is on an actual coin so i decided to just go with that as it would if the historical inforgraphic i was going to make. I was also looking at what the background could look like. the first was a set of stairs going up to a door or corridor that goes into a pyramid i liked this design a it would look good and would take away from the information on top of it. i also like the bush form the other design because it looks like your bushing through the jungle and have found this by chance so i decided to add it to the other one.

In these sketches i was trying to find the right heads for the Aztec, Mayan and Spanish graphics. The Aztec head started with having the spike going up but i didn't like how that looked as it reminded me of anime styles so it then tried then going side ways and the look more like an actual Aztec statue. With the Spanish head i deiced to leave that out because i didn't want the infographic to be the same thing over and over again, so i decided to make a ship in stead as it would be a change from the heads. With the Mayan head i found that they normally have animal featured with the head like a crown or hat so i went with a bear as they were near the Mayan empire at the time but weren't see a lot in Mayan architecture or art.

This is the colour pallet that i used for the Infographic. Four of the colours are analogous which means they match well and create serene and comfortable design that doesn’t clash or take away from another part. i chose the cream colour as it resembles stone or clay which is what the Mayan statues would have been made from. I also went for goldsish colours as the Aztec had a lot of gold and were famous for the myth of eldorado, the city of gold.

This is the first layout that i tried. This layout shows the information clearly but the hierarchy of information doesn't flow as i intended and it looks like you go from from left to right but you go along the top and then along the bottom. Also i think the the graphics could be bigger so the information is clearer on the back ground.

Firstly, i started to create the back ground scene for my infographic. i decide to go with the stairs leading to a door. I mainly used the square shape tool for this part but also used the pen tool to make the 3D element of the stairs. i gave each part a stroke of 1pt. i also made each part of the stairs smaller then the one before so add depth to the otherwise flat background. I also added a gradient to the stair to add depth and to reinforce the 3D aesthetic. As well as that i used the curvature tool to make the flame because i started with an ellipse then used the tool to curve the sides to make the flame shape. next i added an inner darker shade to the flame to add more to the piece.

After that i added the title to the infographic . i chose white text because black text didn't stand out as much and was less visible in the other parts of my infographic. I chose this font because its easy to read and stands out on a page.

Next i added a circle with a lighter colour over the fire to make a lighting effect. i reduced the opacity to 50% so it looked more like lighting.

Then i went on Photoshop to create a bush. i used the leaf brush in two different colours (dark green and lighter green) to make it look less flat. i firstly put a layer of the dark green where i wanted the bush to go and then added areas of the lighter green and kept going over with each colour till it looked how i wanted it to.

Next i created a Mayan graphic. Firstly i used the ellipse tool to create a circle which i curved and distorted to make half of of face which i then duplicated and flipped horizontally to make a symmetrical face. Then using the same method i created the eyes, mouth and the nose. Next i used the rounded rectangle tool to create a square and then duplicated it and made the colour dark and moved it to the centre of the other circle to make the ‘ears’. Then made the hat using the ellipse tool and curving it. I then duplicating it and flipped it to make it symmetrical. The tassels are 7 rectangles variating in colour. After that i used the ellipse tool and duplicated the circle and made it smaller then using the pathfinder tool i created a hole in the larger circle. After that i duplicated the ring across the hat to make the Mayan aesthetic more viable.

Then i made a cocoa graphic. to start i used the ellipse tool to make a oval then i i made another oval and placed it on top of the first one to make a cone. then i used the curvature tool to make the top oval more organic looking. i then added another oval to the top to and shape it with the curvature tool to make the cocoa beans. i then added squares that i deformed to the oval to make it look more like the real thing.

Then i added gold bars to the graphic to show that it was worth a lot of money.

The next thing was the Aztec graphic. i started of making the head by using the ellipse tool and shaping it with the curvature tool to make it look more Aztec. i then made the eyes and the mouth it the same way. after that i i used the rectangle tool and curved the top and bottom of it to make the parts coming of the head look more refined as it would of been in Aztec time. i then used the ellipse toll and the curvature tool for the eye

Finally i made a coin using the ellipse tool. i then used the type tool and typed on the circle. i also made the shield using the rectangle tool and curvature tool. I tried to make it look like an actual Spanish coin so i used the exact text which is on the coin.

Overall i think that the design is effective in covey the information on it in a simple and interesting way. Most of it went well as the graphics are clear and portray the aesthetic of each thing. also the text is clear and easy to read and tells the information in a concise way. To improve this i would try and add more 3D element to the graphic as it a bit flat. also i would try and make the character graphic stand out more they are both only really using the colour but in different shades.

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moonsdancer · 7 years ago

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headcanons...

Okay, fam, I’m going to need about 40K fic of platonic soulmates (who occasionally make-out in non-serious and V. PLATONIC ways) roommates Toni and Jughead fic, STAT!

She gets locked out of her uncle’s house regularly and needs a couch to surf on, Jughead has that couch. So give me this...

housemates (trailermates?) jopaz

In which:

The two of them spend long nights lounging on Jughead’s lumpy couch, exchanging sarcastic one-liners and watching bad reality shows, late night infomercials interspersed with classic Agatha Christie and Twilight Zone reruns on a surprisingly quality flat-screen TV they technically stole.

They take turns on who does the cooking. When Jughead does it, it’s really slap-dash beans out of a can on toast with a hot dog (and a few hot dogs for the real Hot Dog) or an overcooked burger... basically, he ends up going to Pop’s and getting them the Duo Double Cheese Special (two double cheeseburgers, fries and some sodas). When Toni does it, she introduces Jughead to novel and revolutionary things like the concept of tasty vegetables and the importance of dietary fibre. Except, when Toni cooks everything tastes amazing - LIKE, restaurant level amazing. And Jughead’s not been to many fancy restaurants but he’s sure of this. Where did she get her skills? Right after her dad split, and her mom died, and she got stuck living with her uncle, her uncle’s girlfriend at the time was a chef at a local diner and she showed Toni everything she knew about a skillet. Jughead didn’t even know hot sauce and peas out of a can could do the things Toni makes it do. And jerk chicken? Toni makes the best jerk in Riverdale, he believes it. He wants to enter her chicken in contests but he’s too scared that other people will discover this treasure and STEAL IT FROM HIM! She also, weirdly, somehow, makes a gourmet grilled cheese that’s Jughead’s favourite. The two of them eat A LOT, it’s probably one of the cornerstones of their friendship.

NOTE: Jughead is ALWAYS on dish duty because Toni hates that shit, and it’s only fair.

Sometimes on nights when the both of them can’t sleep (more often than not for these two), they sit in the dark on Jughead’s trailer’s makeshift porch. Toni occasionally produces a blunt, or Jughead offers a root beer (or a real beer), that they share, while they ruminate on life, love and Riverdale’s latest lurid crime.

On days, mostly weekends, where they’ve got to do a drug/petty theft/whatever run for the Serpents, they spend the mornings oiling and tinkering on their bikes. Toni’s better at it than Jughead is, and she shows him how to fix his busted oil gauge, where to source mostly decent old tires for when the rubber on his wears thin, and all that good shit.

Toni’s also a faster and more skilled rider than he is, by far. She goes so fast sometimes, that she disappears on the long stretches of road in front of Jughead, and by the time he catches up, she’s idling by some tree, filing her nails, quirking her eyebrow to ask “What took you so long, Juggie?”

Jughead shows Toni all his favourite places on the Northside. She didn’t have any reason to explore it before, and now she gets to see it through his eyes, and see that maybe it’s not all bad asshole territory. The old drive-in’s totally gutted, and it’s mostly covered in a half-completed paved car-park and dusty construction crap, but they spend some nights out there anyway, throwing rocks at signs, and racing their bikes in circles.

Toni shows Jughead some of her photos, even the ones she’s never shown anyone, that she’s gathered in dusty albums as part of her portfolio. She’s always dreamed of being one of those awesome travel photographers or maybe fashion or a hard-hitting journalista... anything that would allow her to get out and see the world. “It’s a dumb dream,” she says, with a wry twist of her mouth. “It’ll never happen, or whatever.” Jughead puts a hand on hers and says with confidence, like he’s never been more sure of anything in his life, “It will - I believe in you.”

In turn, Jughead shares some of his stories with her. Short stories that he started writing when he was twelve, remnants of novels that he’s never finished, the Riverdale story he’s constantly writing now. The first time, he just shoved a sheaf of papers at her and ran away to his room, too scared to wait and see what her reaction to reading it would be. But then she gave it back to him, with a few notes in the margins, some really great feedback that helped Jug see where he could improve a couple of things, and a big smiley-crying face (:’DDDDD) with a few hilarious doodles at the end along with the words, You have a gift, don’t ever let anyone make you think different. Now he doesn’t get so shy.

They work on articles for the RED AND BLACK together. The newspaper’s held together with nothing but sticky tape and a wad of gum, and the school doesn’t bother to give them any funds to produce it - but they both believe in it so much that they turn it into an online blog (which is much better for Toni who takes care of all the photography). Riverdale needs to hear the voices of the Southside, to know that the town might step all over them but they’re not worthless or dead. They can still speak out about the shitty reality of their town. It starts with only a few clicks, but when they break a Ghoulie trafficking ring story - there’s no going back. Their “little blog” starts giving the official town paper a run for its money.

They share their war stories. Jughead tells Toni about the day his mother left with Jelly Bean. He tells her about what it was like growing up with his dad, and how he decided to run away and live homeless because he couldn’t take it anymore. About being the weird loner kid in high school whose only friends were good people but that he never could quite shake the feeling of being their charity case or something. The horrible feeling that he was a walking reminder that they might have terrible lives, but at least they weren’t having it as bad as Jughead and his shitty father and his absentee mother. Toni tells Jughead about the day her dad split - she can’t really remember it perfectly, she was five or whatever. She just remembers the sound of the door swinging on its hinges, the voices of her parents yelling at each other, and then her mom locking herself up in her room, crying. After her mom passed, she tried to find her dad. She even got an phone number, somewhere out in Tennessee or something. She hasn’t called it. She tells him about her uncle, who took her in with great reluctance. He wasn’t all bad, at least for the first few years. But then he lost a bunch of money (gambling addiction), and Toni got mixed up with the Serpents. She managed to keep him from getting his ass killed for not paying his debt, and he ends up locking her out of the house whenever the whim takes him because he blames her for all his shitty life choices. It’s whatever. She has a bed, and a roof over her head 1-2 days out of the week. Sweet Pea puts her up some nights, Fangs too, a couple of her on-offs as well. “That’s more than a lot of people can say, right?”

Toni’s the first person Jughead tells that he thinks he might be demisexual and demiromantic or something. That he feels like maybe something’s wrong with him because he loves Betty but sometimes he’s not sure it’s in the way she wants him or needs him to love her. Toni never laughs at him or tells him he’s weird, she just listens and accepts, and he appreciates that.

Jughead reluctantly co-hosts a party with Betty and Archie for the sole purpose of creating an opportunity for Toni to maybe, possibly, probably hit on Cheryl. And you know he must care for Toni a lot because Jughead + Parties is just NO. Anyway, Toni and Cheryl date for a while, and they’re really into each other even though they fight quite a bit. Jughead doesn’t think the weird curdling, burning feeling in the pit of his stomach is jealousy per se because him and Toni aren’t like that. But a tiny ugly part of him is relieved when Toni and Cheryl call it quits in the summer after senior year. “We’re just on different paths, y’know,” Toni says, her eyes are a little red, and Jughead cuddles with her for long hours and makes his infamous beans on toast.

She’s right though: Cheryl’s off to Paris for something or other. Toni and he are taking a roadtrip on their motorbikes all the way across the country, then down the West Coast and maybe even as far as they can get through Central America (hopefully). It’s not the “responsible” thing to do, but neither of them is sure they want to apply to college like Betty and Veronica, hell, Archie did. And they definitely couldn’t afford it, so an adventure seems like a good idea. Sweet Pea’s coming along for most of the US-leg but he has to come back to help with his family’s shop. Either way, it’ll be awesome, Toni taking photographs, Jughead writing -- maybe they’ll both get their dreams after all!

I could go on. I really could.

But. Someone, please, make it happen. I might make it happen. I make no promises.

#toni topaz #jughead jones #jopaz #cheroni #tughead #southside serpents #sweet pea #fangs fogarty #headcanons #side blog rambles

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agnesfwest90 · 4 years ago

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Healthy Dinner Ideas Shared By 25 Food Bloggers

You love cooking for your family but lately, you’ve been running out of healthy dinner ideas? Unfortunately, this happens more often than we would like to admit. Many people are too tired in the evening to have any more energy to cook so they choose to eat junk food. But as the name says “junk food” or “fast food” has many negative effects on your health and on the way you look.

Despite what you may think there are tons of dishes that you can prepare that are nutritious and don’t require a lot of time and effort. To help you with this challenge we reached out to 25 food bloggers and asked them the following question:

What are your favorite easy healthy dinner ideas?

We received some amazing recipes that you can read in the post below. Enjoy!

Melissa Eboli – Via Melissa

As a nutritional chef, I have a lot of favorite easy and healthy dinner ideas. One that comes to mind is a basil-turkey stir fry. It takes less than 10 minutes to prepare, and then quickly and then it easily cooks on the stovetop in 15-20 minutes. It can be served over rice, quinoa or cooked with cauliflower rice for an even lighter version.

Another super easy dinner idea is salmon w/ asparagus. You can prep them in under 5 minutes, and then bake them simultaneously in the oven for 10-12 minutes.

One additional suggestion I will give is a plant-based dinner idea, jackfruit stew with chipotle aoli. This dish also takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and cooks on the stovetop in 15 minutes. The one great thing about all items I mentioned above is that you can always have the ingredients on hand to make them in your pantry or freezer.

If you’d like the recipe for these or very similar dishes, please check out my cookbook Let’s Dine In: Healthy Recipes & Tips To Minimize Your Shopping Trips on my website ViasKitchen.com or Amazon.

Jim Mumford – Jim Cooks Food Good

My favorite easy, healthy, and comforting dinner ideas must have these things to be as amazing as possible; minimal effort, maximum versatility and is interesting.

To me, an easy meal is one that doesn’t take a lot of effort or ingredients. Sure, chopping veggies or rolling out dough isn’t *hard*, but it can be taxing, especially if you’re trying to also parent! So, a recipe like my Pizza Soup, which uses the blender as a time-saver, is a great weeknight meal.

Versatility is also crucial to an easy healthy meal. We’ve all been there; an ingredient goes bad, you’re out of something, etc. Having a recipe that can give and take with ingredients is a must for weeknight success. Consider my Pork Bibimbap, which can accept a wide array of ingredients and toppings! This is also super important if you need to cook with dietary restrictions in mind!

Finally, your weeknight winning meal needs to taste amazing and be interesting! Fun, interesting meals keep you going back for more, and make dinner fun. A tip would be to mash up foods to make something new and exciting, like my General Tso’s Tacos!

So, in conclusion, my favorite weeknight meals are easy to make, versatile to meet all demands, and are fun and interesting to make!

Katy Malkin – Learner Vegan

My absolute favourite easy dinner is loaded with baked sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are so nutritious, packed with fibre, and easy on digestion too! Plus, did you know that they stabilise your blood sugar levels, and keep you full for longer?

I choose the biggest one I can find and bake it for around 30 mins. I often have it with chickpea ‘tuna’ for a real protein-packed meal. Simply put, that’s a tin of chickpeas drained and rinsed. You roughly mash them with the back of a fork and mix in garlic, nori, vinegar, and houmous. You could also add salt, mayo, or sweetcorn to taste.

After that, I just add a side salad or steamed veggies. Perfect!

The best thing about this meal is that you can switch it up so easily by changing the toppings. It never gets boring! I love a sweet potato with bean chili, tarka dahl, roasted chickpeas, and scrambled tofu. You can batch make all of these in advance, too.

Top tip: if health is your goal, switch out the butter in your jacket potato for a smear of houmous.

Niki Campbell – The Flourish Group

I often tell my clients to start with their family favorites and then look for ways to upgrade the health quotient.

For example, a favorite recipe might be a rigatoni casserole with ground beef sauce and lots of mozzarella cheese on top.

Take that recipe, upgrade to a high fiber noodle like whole wheat pasta or a high protein pasta like lentil or chickpea. Then, use a leaner ground beef or ground turkey, and cut the cheese in half. Still get the same flavors and comfort with less fat and more fiber.

Another one is sheet pan recipes. These are protein and veggie-focused with some starch mixed in. Start with a healthy protein and surround it with your choice of potato or starchy veg like carrots and then add something green that roasts well – Brussels, broccoli, asparagus.

Luke Jones – Hero Movement

I like eating and I enjoy cooking, but like most people, I’m not always a fan of spending hours in the kitchen prepping meals or deliberating over what I’m going to have for dinner. So if in doubt, I typically refer back to a tried and tested formula:

Half a plateful of veggies: typically some roasted veg, greens, salad, or a mixture of all the above.

A few handfuls of a protein-dense food: tofu or tempeh is our go-to, but we’ll also sometimes include good quality fish and occasional meat.

A carb-dense food: often buckwheat, quinoa, rice or potatoes – typically a cupped handful if I’ve not been super active, but 2-3 if I’ve been training.

A fat-dense food: olive oil, nuts, seeds, or avocado, varying from 1-3 thumb-sized portions depending on activity levels.

Condiments and sauces: hot sauce and light mayo are the go-to if we’re after something quick, or we’ll make a homemade curry, stir-fry or traybake if we have more time on our hands.

Alina Z

My latest creation and obsession recipe is this Truffle Pasta:

1 package of ground Beyond Meat

1 package of gluten-free fresh pasta by Taste Republic (or try Mung Bean pasta by 365 Brand for extra protein)

1 bag of mushrooms medley from Trader Joes

Follow Your Heart Provolone dairy-free cheese

Follow Your Heart Parmesan dairy-free cheese

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sabatino Truffle Zest

Saute ground Beyond Meat beef in a pan while cooking the pasta (this fresh kind only takes 2-3 mins), then add mushrooms and let them defrost and heat up in a pan. Cover with Provolone, then add cooked pasta and truffle zest. Mix all together.

Serve in a bowl sprinkled with parmesan and olive oil. It’s sooo good!

3 MINUTE Chili

⁣ ⁣

Ingredients: ⁣ 1 Bag of Beyond Meat beefy crumbles⁣ 1 12-Ounce jar your favorite salsa⁣ 1 10-Ounce box of unflavored kidney beans 1/2 Cup Daiya cheddar cheese⁣

⁣Combine beans, salsa and beefy crumbles together in pan and sauté for 3 minutes.⁣ ⁣ Drizzle with Daiya cheese, cover for 1 minute to melt the cheese, then serve.⁣

Alex Johnson – Med Munch

Curries are perfect healthy dinners you can whip up quickly when you’re struggling for time. They allow so much variety, allowing you can easily get your veggies into your diet or add some lean meat in for extra protein.

Some of my favorite types of curry include veggie chickpea curries for when I’m on a health drive and sweet potato and lentil curries, which are perfect for those lazy evenings when you want to throw in some extra carbs without overindulging.

Chicken curries are excellent for when you need to lose weight, keeping protein levels high and calories low without making you feel dissatisfied after.

Eggplant or aubergine is also a great alternative to base your curries around. No matter what you go with, you can often cook them within 30 minutes.

Simply serve with a healthy carb like whole grain rice and you’ve got yourself an easy evening dinner you don’t need to feel guilty about.

Gita Kshatriya – Warrior In The Kitchen

My idea of easy and healthy dinner ideas consists of including plant-forward ingredients that are packed with flavors and can be made in minimal time and with minimal mess!

I typically make a batch of quinoa and/or brown rice that I can use throughout the week. I pair that with vegetables and seasonings to create flavors from various cuisines around the world.

To make an Indian meal, you can combine the batch-cooked quinoa or brown rice with vegetables like broccoli, onions, and zucchini in tempered oil with whole spices like whole cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and whole dry chili peppers and ground spices like turmeric, ground cumin, and red chili powder.

To make a Mediterranean meal, you can combine the batch-cooked quinoa or brown rice with sauteed vegetables like cauliflower, zucchini, and eggplant. You can add a simple lemon juice, salt, and black pepper dressing, and top with olives, red onions, and feta cheese.

Those are just a couple of examples of how you can take batch-cooked quinoa and brown rice to a whole new level with each weeknight meal you prepare. Batch-cooked quinoa and brown rice provide simplicity, versatility, and variety when creating healthy weeknight meals.

Lisa Goodwin – 2 Share My Joy

You can save so much time and money while also eating much healthier if you choose to cook your own dinner at home. The best way I stay motivated to cook my own dinners is by choosing recipes that take 20 minutes or less and have easy ingredients.

One of my go-to dinner meals is this 20-Minute Black Bean Quinoa Chili. It is also oil-free, gluten-free, and vegan. One serving contains 450 calories and over 22 g of protein. The beans and the quinoa give this meal a high protein and fiber content which keeps you full for a long time. I love to top this meal with avocado as it adds a source of healthy fat.

During the summer, I enjoy making Italian Asparagus Spinach Gnocchi that also takes only 20 minutes to prepare. This light meal is packed with healthy greens like asparagus, spinach, and peas. I add chickpeas as my lean protein source

Another great way to add more vitamins to a meal is by blending your vegetables into a sauce. In this One Pot Creamy Coconut Potato Curry I blend bell peppers with coconut milk to make a creamy stew. This meal also contains potatoes, chickpeas, and spinach.

You can make it in an instant pot for a super quick and healthy dinner. One serving contains more than your daily need in vitamin C, which makes it a great immunity booster.

Jenny Zhang – Organically Blissful

When I have limited time to spare but want to whip up a delicious and healthy meal for my family, I like to turn Vitamix, Instant Pot, or air fryer for help. With a Vitamix, you can whip up a delicious meal in minutes.

Some of my favorite recipe to make from Vitamix includes hummus, squash soup, and even curry. With an instant pot, you can put your favorite ingredients in, and within an hour, you will have a delicious and healthy meal that is ready to be served while it feels like you spend hours on making it.

Some of my favorite meals to make in an instant pot includes chicken noodle soup, risotto, and fajita.

And lastly, with an air fryer, you can make your favorite comfort fried food healthier. Creating crispy food through circulating hot air, you can save fewer calories and contains less fat—all without sacrificing the taste.

Some of my favorite air fryer meals include chicken tenders, falafel, and salmon.

Sarah Cull – Life In Full Flavour

Whenever I’m feeling that I need a boost of energy or vitamins, I’ll aim for a nutrient-rich salad with a healthy protein. If I’m having meat or fish – chicken, salmon, and squid are my main choices – I’ll marinate it for 24 hours before cooking. It’s a great way to add flavours with herbs, spices, and seasonings that taste delicious but don’t add on too many extra calories.

For the salad, the more colourful the better. Beetroot, red cabbage, olives, mixed leaves, carrot, and peppers are some of my favourites. I’ll try not to dress the salad if possible, adding seeds instead to boost the flavour and add extra bite.

If I’m short on time or know I’ll be running late to get dinner started, I’ll buy a pre-made salad as a base and then add extras to bulk it up. Supermarket salads are convenient but can often lack a bit of inspiration, but as a base, they can be really helpful and a great time-saver.

Lisa Mitchell – Sacred & Delicious

Like most working folks, I’m interested in cooking easy meals Monday through Friday because I often work until 6 or 6:30 p.m. Simplicity and ease are my watchwords during the work week. Vegetarian and gluten-free are essential for my health.

Most meals in our household are vegan, although I do still cook with ghee (clarified butter). According to Ayurveda, the ancient medical and wellness system of India, ghee is considered the healthiest fat for its medicinal qualities.

Here are some of my favorite American-style weeknight meals:

1. Red lentil soup with vegetables. I usually make a homemade soup stock over the weekend, and then it’s ready for this soup. Sauté an onion in the soup pot or better yet, leeks, which are faster. Then cook the lentils for about 20 minutes with vegetables and seasonings in homemade stock, when available.

For an Italian flavored soup, try carrots, zucchini, and spinach with lots of fresh basil and a little bit of oregano. Sundried tomatoes are another tasty addition. You can make the dish Indian-style with cumin, coriander, and turmeric, and a hint of curry powder, it you like. All done in about 30 minutes.

2. A black bean soup is a winner during this cold weather. It can cook all day in a slow cooker with a bay leaf and an onion. Or cook it with a pressure cooker or Instant pot and add seasonings later. Be sure to soak the beans overnight or they will never get tender. Serve over a little basmati rice. Make plenty of that black-bean soup and strain the leftovers.

3. Next day, bake some sweet potatoes and top them with warmed up black beans, avocado, and or guacamole. Maybe a little fresh salsa, too. Yum!

4. With some leftover stock, enjoy a carrot soup with fresh ginger and basil, made creamy with a little almond milk—another 30-minute dish. When the weather warms up, I switch up the seasoning to cilantro and mint with cooling coconut milk. Serve it with some grilled tofu and some sautéed greens or a salad in the summer.

5. Try a gluten-free pasta or pasta of your choice! While the pasta is cooking, sauté one or two quick-cooking vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli, or red pepper, in olive oil, liquid aminos, and garlic. Place the cooked and rinsed pasta on a bed of fresh arugula or spinach.

Add the veggies and toss with lots of fresh basil and salt. Sprinkle with nuts of choice. A delicious 30- or 40-minute meal!

Elizabeth Girouard – Pure Simple Wellness

The best way to make easy healthy dinners is to use whole food ingredients, prepared simply. Frozen veggies are great to have on hand for easy dinners. They are flash-frozen when picked, so often they have more nutrients than fresh ones.

Shortcuts can save time and energy, like purchasing pre-cut vegetables or mini-versions, like baby carrots or baby potatoes. Sheet pan meals, where all the ingredients are cooked together on one sheet pan, make clean-up easier too.

A client favorite is organic chicken thighs with roasted baby potatoes and baby carrots. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, drizzle some olive oil, and cook at 400 F for 30 minutes.

Another no-cook option is an organic rotisserie chicken over a precut salad, with olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper and garlic. The dressings in the prepacked oils usually have less healthy oils, so it’s best to avoid them. Or, a bag of steamed frozen vegetables, with rotisserie chicken, drizzled with olive oil and hot sauce.

Here are a few other favorite simple, healthy dinner ideas:

Organic Chicken Sausage with onions and peppers

sauté onion and pepper strips in avocado or olive oil with garlic, salt and pepper for 3-5 minutes; add cut up pre-cooked sausage and cook until heated through

Veggie stir-fry

sauté chopped peppers, onions, zucchini, green beans, carrots (fresh or frozen) olive oil; add gluten-free Tamari sauce or coconut aminos, and serve over cauliflower rice or brown rice

Ground beef and mushrooms over zoodles

sauté grass-fed ground beef, once meat is cooked through, add thinly sliced mushrooms and organic tomato sauce until mushrooms are cooked through. Add zucchini noodles for 2 minutes at the end to heat.

Candice Walker – Proportional Plate

If I’m trying to keep dinner under 30 minutes but still keep it healthy and packed with flavor, one of my go-to recipes is a salmon dish, Citrus Thyme Salmon with Pesto Pasta. Salmon is most people’s go-to fish because it’s healthy, delicious, and extremely versatile.

It takes no time at all to cook in the oven, and I serve with simple pesto pasta and steamed veggies. The key to making a healthy, easy meal is combining elements that you can cook all at the same time – for example steaming veggies while the salmon cooks.

Another quick dinner I love is Ginger Scallion Noodles with Broccoli & Carrots – it’s an amazing substitute for takeout when you’re craving it. It helps to have an easy recipe on hand if you want to resist the temptation of ordering in.

Then, if I need something quick and warm, I always make Vegetarian Egg Drop Soup with Mixed Veggies – I use arrowroot powder to thicken it so it’s just the right texture.

It’s a hearty, simple soup that works with frozen veggies like corn and peas, and I use homemade vegetable stock to make sure it’s not loaded with salt and other additives.

Jessica Braider – The Scramble

One of my favorite easy healthy dinners is build-a-bowl nights because they are so easy, flexible, and fun.

Start with a grain base such as rice, quinoa, or couscous, and then you can add any proteins, vegetables, and condiments you like to make the flavor fit your mood.

For example, you could go a southwestern route with black beans, roasted vegetables, shredded Cheddar cheese, and salsa.

Or, you could go middle eastern with chickpeas, chopped raw vegetables, crumbled feta, and hummus.

The possibilities are endless and if you make the base grain and some proteins or vegetables ahead of time, dinner can be ready in mere minutes!

Stephanie Mantilla – Plant Prosperous

My favorite healthy meal is lentil chili.

You can dump the lentils, salsa, spices, and vegetables all into one pot and let them cook.

This even works in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker.

The lentils provide a good amount of protein and you can add whatever veggies you have on hand.

You can serve the chili over a bed of rice, quinoa, or greens for a healthy meal your entire family will like.

Katrina Love Senn

My favourite easy healthy dinner ideas are tasty, quick, and easy. I am inspired by the seasons and like to eat real food.

In Winter, my favourite dinner ideas are delicious, warming, and nourishing. They include thick hearty winter soups (made from home-made broths), Asian stir fry’s, and spicy curries served with Basmati rice, cauliflower rice, or quinoa.

In Summer, as the weather gets warmer and the days are longer, my meals change also.

They are generally lighter using fresh salad greens, herbs, and microgreens. To serve interesting salads, presentation is key. Choose colourful ingredients, served on a long white ceramic plate.

Top the plate with interesting salad leaves. Then, add generous amounts of fresh vegetables (such as sliced avocado, grated carrot, grated beetroot, pomegranate seeds, walnuts etc or roast vegetables) and fresh parsley, basil, and mint, cracked black pepper, and sea salt. In Summer months, I also like miso, sushi, sashimi fish, and Vietnamese spring rolls (fresh).

Antonia Korcheva – Escape Waste

I love making zucchini boats. They are easy to prepare and the filling options are endless. This is a personal original recipe! Here are the steps:

You’ll need one or two zucchinis per person for one serving.

Cut the zucchini crosswise.

Carve each half with a spoon to create the boats.

Drizzle the boats with olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Bake them for 10 minutes on medium heat.

In the meantime, prepare the filling.

Put the filling in the boats and cook for 20 more minutes.

Filling ideas:

Mushrooms with onion and herbs;

Sauteed seasonal vegetables;

Quinoa.

Additional tip: Use the leftover carvings for the filling of the boats or prepare other meals such as salads, zucchini balls, or even cakes.

Cheryl McColgan – Heal Nourish Grow

People love to overcomplicate dinner time, especially when they’re trying to switch to a new, healthy way of eating. One of the first things to determine is what is really a healthy meal…which is not so easy nowadays with the pervasive old ways of thinking still dominating nutrition. Eating healthy can be simple.

After hundreds of hours of research, I’ve determined that a low carb diet free of processed food and added sugar is the healthiest option.

Based on this paradigm, my favorite easy and healthy dinner ideas basically include two ingredients. Combine your favorite protein (bonus points if it’s grass-fed or pastured) with a low starch vegetable. Add some healthy fat or sauce and you’re done!

If you’re really pressed for time or creativity, you can even skip the vegetable, GASP! This would be unheard of in the past but you can make a good case that vegetables aren’t necessary to a healthy diet.

Some specific examples of this type of meal are a perfectly cooked grass-fed ribeye with some asparagus roasted in olive oil. Another great choice would be a one-pan meal of pastured chicken thighs and brussels sprouts cooked in butter. Particularly if you’re trying to lose weight, this dinner method will keep you on track and simplify healthy eating.

Youmna Rab – Sustainably Yours

My favourite, easy healthy dinner ideas are ones that can be made in less than 20 minutes and create very few dirty dishes. When it comes to cooking, having to wash tons of dirty dishes automatically makes an easy dinner much harder. Dishes that can be made in one pan are the best way to go.

The easiest one-pan dinner I make is pesto ravioli. All you have to do is heat up frozen ravioli, cut some veggies and mix it all together on the stove with pesto! Most frozen food isn’t considered healthy, but ravioli can be if you add pesto and lots of vegetables.

Another great easy vegan option is a barbecue chickpea wrap. All you have to do is heat up canned chickpeas in barbeque sauce and wrap it in a tortilla with your favourite vegetables. Lettuce, tomatoes, and onions are great options that pair deliciously with chickpeas. Spread some hummus on the tortilla as well to add some more flavour.

These two healthy dishes are favorites that can be made in less than 20 minutes. To spend less time in the kitchen, cut up vegetables while everything else cooks.

Stephanie Harris-Uyidi – Posh Pescatarian

Soups, Chowders, and Stews

I love turning to soups, chowders, and stews as quick and healthy dinner options. This way, you can easily combine a medley of veggies, legumes, and spices to create a healthy but flavorful meal.

Soups, stews, and chowders provide home cooks the opportunity to experiment with flavor combinations. From a Mireproix mix (sauteed celery, carrots, and onions) to coconut milk to kale to lentils to lemons, the options are endless!

Some of my favorite recipes include Cauliflower, Coconut & Orange Lentil Soup, Wild Salmon & Tuscan Kale Chowder, and One Pot North African Fish & Chickpea Pescatarian Stew.

Salads

Salads are another great healthy dinner option, and it doesn’t have to be limited to Caesar! You can add veggies, fruits, protein, cheese, and nuts to your dish for added flavor and variety.

I love going back to many of my recipes that are now staples in my diet, including Elote Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad, Salmon Bacon Salad, Spicy Yucatan Fruit Salad, and Wild Tuna Salad.

Laura Poe Mathes

When putting together quick and healthy dinners, I like to use a basic template to make sure my family gets the nutrition they need while also keeping it simple: every dinner has a protein (usually meat), a vegetable and a whole grain or root vegetable. Fill in these blanks with whatever is on hand and you are on your way to a healthy dinner.

For example, some of my favorite nutrient-rich and delicious dinners are: tacos with ground beef and beans on corn or whole wheat tortillas with plenty of veggie toppings; Thai laab, a dish of ground pork, seasonings and vegetables served in lettuce wraps, with brown rice; curry or stir fry with whatever meat and vegetables need to be used up in the fridge, on a bed of sweet potatoes or brown rice.

Finally, breakfast-for-dinner, the ultimate dinner-saver–I will typically make a cheese and veggie frittata or omelette and serve with whole grain sourdough bread when we are really short on time to throw dinner together.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and try to do as much meal planning as you can ahead of time so your healthy dinners come together quickly and easily.

Shruthi Baskaran – Urban Farmie

My favorite healthy dinners are plant-forward, vegan or vegetarian versions of simple African stews.

Say, for instance, Efo Riro, a hearty Nigerian spinach stew cooked using a red pepper and tomato puree, as well as umami-rich elements like mushrooms and tahini.

Or a warm bowl of Ethiopian Atakilt Wat, a cabbage stew made with pantry staples like potatoes and carrots, and oil infused with simple spices.

These dinners are hearty, comforting and nutritious, and easy to make at home even when I’m busy!

Jenna Passaro – Sip Bite Go

As a parent, I know how important it can be to throw a quick and easy dinner together. Make a delicious 30 minute or less chicken dinner with inspiration from this recipe.

Here these perfectly cooked chicken breasts are served with an easy avocado and vegetable salad. You can make a simple chicken dinner like a restaurant would make – right at home.

Need a vegetarian option? These easy baked buffalo cauliflower bites are an addictive meatless buffalo wings alternative. This vegetarian chicken wing alternative is a favorite in my house for game day and using up leftover cauliflower.

If you’ve heard of cauliflower buffalo bites, you’ll find this recipe is a little different. The addition of red onion makes these buffalo cauliflower bites taste more gourmet. Find the recipe here.

Marissa Schaumloffel – Over The Spoon For

My favorite easy and healthy dinners are any options that I can use whatever I have on hand.

I either turn leftover vegetables and potatoes into a baked frittata or create a Buddha Bowl with a rice or quinoa base.

These allow me to fill up on protein, fiber, and healthy fats and use what I already have rather than going to the store after work.

I cook rice or quinoa in the rice cooker in about 20 minutes while I cut up any vegetables.

I love to add different sauces to make the meals different and flavorful.

Thank you so much to all the experts that have contributed to this expert roundup! If you want to help more people improve their health and their diet then please share this post with your friends and followers so we can spread these healthy dinner ideas.

source https://nutritiondietnews.com/healthy-dinner-ideas/ source https://nutritiondietnews.blogspot.com/2021/02/healthy-dinner-ideas-shared-by-25-food.html

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