Flexitarianism predicted as key food trend for 2017

Rachel Hosie wrote . . . . . .

We all know that eating less meat is good for the planet and good for our health, and it seems more and more of us are consciously making an effort to cut down on our meat consumption.

According to Whole Foods, flexitarianism – eating predominantly, but not strictly, vegetarian – is going to be one of the biggest food trends of 2017.

After the rise and fall of clean eating, flexitarianism is emerging as a much more achievable alternative to going full vegetarian or vegan.

As a flexitarian, you might only eat meat on weekends, when eating out or after 6pm – you can do it however is most manageable for you.

Of course, this way of eating isn’t new, but it’s becoming increasingly popular thanks in part to high-profile champions including Sir Richard Branson, Emma Thompson and Jamie Oliver, who all support the Meat-Free Monday campaign started by Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney in 2009.

“Meat Free Monday is the most brilliant excuse to focus on the incredible variety of veggies out there – the flavours, textures and wonderful dishes you can create are beyond belief. So here’s to Meat Free Monday and frankly, meat free Wednesdays too,” Oliver has said.

Studies have shown that cutting down on meat has a number of health benefits including reduced risk of diabetes, cancer and heart disease, and flexitarianism gives people a way to improve their health without going the whole hog and giving up burgers and steaks for good.

What’s more, with the rise of ethical and sustainable living, more of us want to help improve the planet – some organisations have estimated that the livestock sector could be responsible for as much as 51% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

So the solution for an increasing number of people is to go flexitarian, and Whole Foods thinks we’ll all be doing it in 2017.

But that’s not the only way we’re set to improve our health in the new year – the health food experts predicts a rise of non-wheat pasta (made with pseudograins like quinoa, for example), coconut sugar and flour, and purple foods too.

Source: Independent

Zucchini Bake

Ingredients

5 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced
1 large onion, diced
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups grated Old Cheddar cheese
6 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup canola oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 to 1 tsp garlic powder

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Prepare vegetables.
3. Measure flour, baking powder and salt into a very large mixing bowl. Stir in shredded Cheddar cheese.
4. In separate bowl, beat eggs well. Beat in vegetable oil, oregano, pepper and garlic powder.
5. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and mix well. Stir in zucchini slices and diced onion. Spread mixture into 9 x 13 inch baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake 50 – 60 minutes until golden.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Source: Manitoba Egg Farmers

How Two Chefs Took a 75,000-Calorie Tour of France

Kate Krader wrote . . . . .

So, American person, you think you ate a lot at Thanksgiving? You probably did. By most accounts the average Thanksgiving meal clocks in at about 4,500 calories. And that doesn’t count all the beer, whiskey, and cider you might have been consuming. Or the potato chip salad you could have made.

That’s merely an average day of eating for chefs Shane McBride and Daniel “Chino” Parilla when they’re researching a restaurant. At least it was when the pair went on a tour of some of Paris and Lyon’s most classic restaurants in preparation for the wondrous new New York restaurant Augustine, which they opened with legendary restaurateur Keith McNally. Over the course of 10 days, McBride and Parilla ate some of France’s most famous dishes. They estimate that in the course of their research, they consumed some 75,000 calories-worth of food.

If you want to recreate the chefs’ epic culinary adventure in the two capitals of French cuisine, the blueprint is below. Just remember to pack loose fitting clothing. And bon appetit.

Day 1, Paris

Le Voltaire, Lunch

This überclassic bistro is right off the Seine, close by the Louvre, and boasts red velvet curtains, soft lighting and mainstays of French cuisine.

Key Dishes: salade gourmande, a composed salad with foie gras; entrecôte with bordelaise sauce; escargot; apple tart tatin with a pot of whipped crème fraîche.

Takeaway: “The salade gourmande shaped the one we serve at Augustine now,” says McBride. “And we wanted to do a version of their entrecôte: It’s a thin rib-eye, quickly grilled and gratinéed with bone marrow on top. It kept getting side swiped when we did at tastings at the restaurant, but we still might put it on; it’s delicious.”

L’Ami Louis, Dinner

This quintessentially old-school Paris restaurant is notorious for its brusque service (they’ve been known to politely take your coat, then toss it up on a rack), the dangerous trip down the steep stairs to the bathroom and oddball décor, such as jelly jar water glasses with Star Wars icons on them. The menu is a pricey roundup of the greatest hits of classic French cooking.

Key Dishes: foie gras terrine; escargot; roast chicken for two; côte de beouf; berries with crème fraiche.

Takeaway: “You start with foie gras terrine—four thick slices, the size of my hand, and I have pretty big hands,” relates McBride. “It’s served with a towering pile of buttered toast. and then you get a pot of butter alongside. That dish alone is 2,000 calories. ”

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Read more at Bloomberg . . . . .

Beans and Peas Increase Fullness More than Meat

Numerous modern dietary recommendations encourage high protein consumption to help with weight loss or prevent the age-related loss of muscle mass. Furthermore, consuming more vegetable-based protein from beans and peas, and less protein from meats such as pork, veal and beef, is recommended because meat production is a far greater burden on our climate than vegetable cultivation. Until now, we haven’t known very much about how legumes like beans and peas stack up against meat in satiating hunger. As a result, little has been known about the impact of vegetables and the possibility of them catalyzing or maintaining weight loss.

High protein vegetables fill more

The recent study demonstrated that protein-rich meals based on beans and peas increased satiety more in the study participants than protein-rich veal and pork based meals. In the study, 43 young men were served three different meals in which patties – consisting of either beans/peas or veal/pork – were a key element. The study also demonstrated that when participants ate a protein-rich meal based on beans and peas, they consumed 12% fewer calories in their next meal than if they had eaten a meat-based meal.

“The protein-rich meal composed of legumes contained significantly more fiber than the protein-rich meal of pork and veal, which probably contributed to the increased feeling of satiety”, according to the head researcher, Professor Anne Raben of the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports.

Sustainable eating can help weight loss

Most interestingly, the study also demonstrated that a less protein-rich meal based on beans and peas was as satiating and tasty as the protein-rich veal and pork-based meals.

“It is somewhat contrary to the widespread belief that one ought to consume a large amount of protein because it increases satiety more. Now, something suggests that one can eat a fiber-rich meal, with less protein, and achieve the same sensation of fullness. While more studies are needed for a definitive proof, it appears as if vegetable-based meals – particularly those based on beans and peas – both can serve as a long term basis for weight loss and as a sustainable eating habit”, concludes Professor Raben.

The results are published in the scientific journal Food & Nutrition.

Source: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen

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