Month: July 2017

Vegan Snack Taste Test | Eat Real products

My biggest weakness is the need to walk around a supermarket looking for new foods to try. Our journey to a more plant-based diet lead me on a mission to find vegan snacks as we are a family of snackers.I decided to start a series of vegan taste tests to help people interested in making a change to a more plant-based diet and would like to hear someone’s taste experience with vegan food and snacks.

The first of many tastings to come will be on the Eat Real products found in Checkers retailing for just under R30 at time of publishing. These are not sponsored and purely based on my interest in trying out these products.

These products offer my family a healthier snack alternative that’s suitable not only for vegans but are also gluten-free. In my case, I can’t ask for a better combo given my IBS. They taste good while offering nutritional, real and natural ingredients.

There’s a selection of snacks and flavours. We have pretty much tried them all.Quinoa/ hummus/lentil chips and my toddler’s favourite are the veggie straws.

The flavours range from sundried tomato&roasted garlic, creamy dill, sea salt to chilli&lemon.

We enjoy them plain or with the ever so tasty Woolworths hummus.

These light and crispy snack bites have the perfect amount of flavour and are truly delicious eaten on its own, with salsa, guacamole or hummus. The hummus chips are perfect for dipping.Beware the chilli&lemon packs a punch. My personal favourites are the veggie straws and sundried tomato&roasted garlic quinoa chips.

The only drawback is that it’s on the pricy side for the amount you get in the bag. My justification is, if I don’t buy the chocolates and crisps, then I can buy a packet or 2 of these and it’s a better alternative. Having said this, these are a perfect savory and crunchy snack which I recommend is worth a try!

I would love to hear from you on which ones are your favourite.Please comment to let me know if you would be interested in more of these types of taste test posts?

WHAT I EAT ON A PLANT-BASED DAY?

So, this is how plant-based days of the week started. We watched a documentary called “What the health?” and it was enough to get us to start transitioning into a more plant-based diet. (Watch this space…I will be doing a post on our Journey to a plant-based diet).

This post is to share with you some of the meals I have on a typical plant based day.

On this particular day, I did not have any snacks because my meals were so hearty and satisfying. If I snack, it usually hummus with carrots sticks/quinoa chips or almond butter on medjool dates sprinkled with cinnamon and cacao nibs.

Breakfast: Oat bowl

What more can I say but I love my bowl food. Acai bowls in summer and oat bowls in winter. This is my go to breakfast 99% of the time on plant based days.

Lunch: Cauliflower and pea curry toastie 

This curry takes me back to my childhood, it is a staple at my parents home and never fails to tickle the tastebuds.

 

Dinner: Vegan burger and spicy wedges

I am not a fan of processed foods especially soya, however the Quorn spicy burgers (soya free) has helped with transitioning into a more plant based diet. Mum made battered brinjol lightly fried in coconut oil, I topped the brinjol with the vegan burger, kimchi and avocado. This combination was so flavourful and the kimchi completes this dish.

I hope this helps with meal ideas. Please let mw know if you would like more of these posts or recipes to any of the meals.

Restaurant survival kit when you have a toddler

How to make a restaurant survival kit? Our must-haves for eating out with our toddler.

 

We love eating out and trying new restaurants, its always been my husband’s and my thing to do over the weekend. I would plan and he would pay!

Then baby came along and going to restaurants slowed down  but we still did a fair amount of eating out, all planned around the breastfeed and nap time, it worked until she become a mobile toddler and then refused to sit in her high chair for more than a minute…I have one of those hyper toddlers (mind you not due to sugar but purely due to the love of life and curiosity). Going to restaurants slowly became my not so favorite thing to do and I thought to myself, there has to be a way to get around this so I started researching and talking to other mums which resulted in putting together the PERFECT FOR MY TODDLER restaurant kit to survive eating out (it also helps when visiting family and friends).

THOUGHT PROCESS INTO PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR KIT:

  1. Keep the toddler entertained so we could enjoy our meal together. Find something they love doing while not on the move.
  2. Make it educational to enhance developmental milestones. Eye hand co-ordination, match the sticker to the picture etc.
  3. Multiple play combinations with minimal items.
  4. Keep the kit small so its easy to carry around.

WHAT DID I PUT IN THE SURVIVAL KIT?

  1. Firstly I identified the bag to carry the items. We are using a PEPPA PIG backpack gifted to us by my cousin. Its ideal because our toddler feels like she is contributing to the whole process as she carries it by herself. Also, the unzipping, unpacking and repacking the bag is an activity in itself.
  2. Sticker book which I purchased from Mr Price home. It has pictures and comes with a range of stickers that can be stuck and peeled off and stuck again.So entertaining…
  3. Blank paper and crayons. A colouring book also can be used if you can find a small compact book or tear of the pages and carry the pages. We carry our own crayons because they are non toxic, fewer germs and are generally better quality than the ones at some restaurants.
  4. Small blocks of lego/duplo and some duplo small animals.

I must admit that it works for us 8/10 times, there are times we have to resort to putting on a movie on our cellphone but it works majority of the time. The bag is always packed and only taken out when we go to the restaurant, this way it keeps it interesting and new for her. This kit has made it more manageable eating out.

WHAT YOU WOULD PUT IN YOUR RESTAURANT KIT FOR YOUR TODDLER? Please share/comment as I am always interested to improve and hear your ideas.

HAPPY DINING!!!