Category Archives: Health/Nutrition

Canned Tuna and Salmon Get Globally Inspired

Freshé Sicilian Caponata tops fresh kale.
Freshé Sicilian Caponata tops fresh kale.

Henry and Lisa Lovejoy take seafood seriously and responsibly, having founded EcoFish in 1999, a New Hampshire company that sells sustainably-caught frozen and canned seafood nationwide.

It was the first seafood company certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. Its seafood advisory board also includes some of the globe’s leading marine conservation scientists.

Freshé is the company’s line of single-serve, easy-open, tinned seafood designed to be a protein-packed small meal to take on the go to enjoy wherever and whenever.

They are all built around either certified sustainable tuna or certified sustainable aquaculture salmon.

They come in six international varieties, which I had a chance to sample recently: Provence Nicoise (wild tuna), Sicilian Caponata (wild tuna), Barcelona Escalvada (salmon), Moroccan Tagine (salmon), Aztec Ensalada (wild tuna), and Thai Sriracha (wild tuna).

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Plant-Based Savory Spreads Make Entertaining Easy

Growee Foods' Three Pepper Spread, which I used to saute shrimp with peppers, onions, and broccoli.
Growee Foods’ Three Pepper Spread, which I used to saute shrimp with peppers, onions, and broccoli.

When Aman Blana gave up meat and dairy, he was disappointed to find that so many vegan foods on store shelves carried a laundry list of ingredients.

He wanted something simpler, so he created it, himself, with Atlanta’s Growee Foods.

The company’s savory spreads may only be a year old, but they’ve already won a Nexty award in 2022, given to natural foods products that are deemed progressive, impactful and trustworthy.

They come in three flavors: Three Pepper Spread, Curry Zucchini, and Spiced Mango.

I had a chance to try samples of all three, which contain no gluten, nut, corn, GMOs or soy.

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What I’ve Been Drinking of Late, Part 23

When you're in the mood for sparkling wine -- but not its effects -- grab a bottle of Joyus.
When you’re in the mood for sparkling wine — but not its effects — grab a bottle of Joyus.

Joyous Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine

It looks like sparkling wine or Champagne. It’s packaged in an elegant bottle complete with a cork, cage and foil. And it’s beautifully effervescent in a glass.

But Joyous Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine is indeed non-alcoholic. It’s made like wine, but with the alcohol removed to become “dealcoholized.”

Launched during the pandemic, it’s the creation of Seattle’s Jessica Selander who proudly has 17 years of sobriety.

This is no cloying Martinelli’s trying to stand in for wine, as I happily found when trying a sample. Instead, this wine is a balanced blend of varietals, mostly Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, French Colombard, Chenin Blanc and other whites, Selander noted in an interview with Sip Magazine.

It even won bronze at the 2021 San Francisco International Wine Competition.

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Heat-And-Serve, Plant-Based Latin Eats

Casa Verde's ready-to-eat Garbanzos Al Pastor (front) and Red Bean Pozole (back).
Casa Verde’s ready-to-eat Garbanzos Al Pastor (front) and Red Bean Pozole (back).

Indulging in vegan, Latin-flavored dishes just got easier with Casa Verde.

Made by Ilinel Food Co. founded by Guatemalan-born Harry Lewis, these ready-to-eat pouch entrees need only a minute in the microwave to heat before serving.

I had a chance to try samples of the made-in-Mexico products, which are now available at Raley’s, Lucky’s, Lunardi’s, Draeger’s, and Oliver’s Market.

Four varieties to choose from.
Four varieties to choose from.

Casa Verde’s line includes four products fortified with beans: Garbanzos Al Pastor, Red Bean Posole, Lentil Mole, and Coconut Chowder. Except for the chowder, which is a single serving, the rest are designed to serve two.

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Plant-Based Scrambled Eggs

A scramble that's not quite what you think.
A scramble that’s not quite what you think.

It looks all the world like scrambled eggs.

But in reality, it’s the new Hodo Vegan All-Day Egg Scramble.

It’s the newest product from the Oakland-based purveyor of artisan tofu.

The plant-based product is made with organic soybeans, with turmeric giving it the eggy color.

It boasts as much protein as a real chicken egg and no cholesterol.

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