Sunday, September 14, 2008

Supersizing, a New Nutrition Calculator,and...Broccoli!

Hello everyone! I thought I would do a quick Show and Tell post today and share some interesting articles that I have been compiling over the past few weeks. Enjoy!

Supersizing at Whole Foods

Sure, we all know that Supersizing at the Golden Arches is not a smart move for your waistline, but could this be true at my beloved Whole Foods as well? Apparently, some of those hot bar treats can be quite caloric. I'm still of the mind that the ingredients are of such good quality that you cannot equate a Whole Foods tofu salad with a McDonald's Big Mac. I'd splurge at Whole Foods over Mickey D's any day. What do you think?
PS The lentil balls on the Whole Foods hot bar are amazing!

Pacific Life Meal Nutrition Calculator
For those of you always on the hunt for a new nutrition calculator, add another one to your list. At first glance, it might seem a bit odd that an insurance company is responsible for this new health tool, but if you think about the long term repercussions of nutrition, it makes perfect sense why Pacific Life would provide the calculator. The database is not as extensive as I would prefer, but it's still pretty nifty.

"Cheating" on a Vegan Diet

I stumbled across this blog post from a Google alert for "vegan," and I was quite intrigued by its message. How strict is too strict when it comes to limiting animal products? I think this is an interesting topic to discuss because food is so central to social gatherings, and sometimes it might just feel inappropriate to bring up one's dietary preferences. This question extends not just to the vegan lifestyle, but any number of diet-based choices: Kosher diets, diets for diabetics, low-carb diets...When should we "just let it slide?"

Giving Broccoli a Second Chance
I obviously need no convincing to eat my broccoli--I was always more than happy to eat my "trees" as a child. However, some might have a bit more difficulty stomaching this superfood. I might try my hand at a version of the Spicy Broccoli Pasta.

That's all for now. I am off to study and tidy the apartment. Ciao!

7 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

"I'd splurge at Whole Foods over Mickey D's any day. What do you think?" AMEN TO THAT!!

As for that "Cheating" on a Vegan Diet article - since my #1 reason for being a vegan is for health reasons (since I have MANY food allergies and intolerances), I personally never "let it slide," because I don't want to be ill. I'm lucky that the people in my life support me 100%.

Broccoli = one of my #1 favorite cruciferous vegetables.

Interesting links you provided today - thanks!!

Happy Sunday!!

Anonymous said...

thanks for the great articles!! I found the WF's one really interesting. I adore their hot bar, but for price and the calories (though, mainly price)- it is a rare indulgence!


Happy Sunday Chickpea!

Anonymous said...

thanks for the great articles! I would also splurge at Whole Foods over Mickey D's any day. Mickey D's isn't even appetizing to me at all. yuck!

:)

Anonymous said...

for 'cheating', i think it is interesting. i feel everyone should respect the diets of others - whether they're personal, religious, medical, dieting or other reasons. i'm a vegetarian, but my diet is mainly vegan unless someone is preparing food.

most people are respectful about my diet...but i have friends who LOVE meat and tell me my body can't function without it...i'm not sure if it's just a southern thing - north carolinians love their meat! but i would always be respectful and not try to break anyone's diet!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the links! These are great!

I am completely with you on the Whole Foods hot bar. It's pricey enough that I won't get it very often, but when I do, who the heck cares?! I know it's far more wholesome than a Big Mac - and much better tasting! Worth it! But still, I didn't even stop to think about that, so I really enjoyed the article.

And thank you so much for the nutrition calculator link! It may come in handy when posting recipes :o)

I hope you have a great week!

Anonymous said...

I always tell poeple to be careful at HEALTHY places because they often think everything is good for them but we still need ot be aware of portion sizes

ChickPea said...

VeggieGirl: You bring up an interesting point--for some people veganism/whatever diet they follow is not a choice, so it really is necessary to not "cheat."
Thanks for your input!
GlidingCalm: Glad you enjoyed the articles. Your WF hot bar creations always look so delicious!
TrustMyIntuition: Yep, can't say I have really craved anything from McD's in the past 5 years or so.
grkgrl: I definitely know what you mean about meat-eating friends. They just can't fathom how I can enjoy plants and tofu so much. Haha.
EatingBender: I agree about the WF hot bar--when I do go, it's usually a treat, so I would rather enjoy it rather than feel guilty about how much I'm eating.
SportsNutritionLiving: Yes, I definitely think people assume that "health food" is automatically low-kcalorie. Granted, some of the time it is, but not when it's doused in a delicious (kcaloric) sauce!