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Barracuda Tacos (New Orleans, Louisiana)

Why is that place always so busy? Sure, the location is great. The name is fun. But who would wait in such a long line for tacos? In Los Angeles, I get it, but New Orleans? Maybe the lack of great tacos has made this place royalty. We always wanted to try Barracuda Tacos but refused to wait in that line. Fortunately, they opened another location on our side of the river! So, naturally, we ate almost everything there.

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Impossible Burger, but Taco Tuesday!

There isn’t too much to be said here. Ground meat, or ground fake meat in this case, is one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen. In the UK, they call it mince and it is the base for so many delicious recipes. It seems counter-productive to make mince out of already formed patties, but it works! It is far from Impossible!

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Manitoba Harvest: Hemp Yeah Protein Powder Review

Back in December, we talked about Manitoba Harvest Hemp Yeah protein bars. Now, it is time to discuss their protein powder. You might not think that protein bars and powders for shakes have a lot in common, but these two are very similar. They both have robust and earthy flavors, but present some challenging textures for many. In short, their chocolate plant protein blend is incredibly thick and with larger serving sizes, it can be messy and hard to blend under normal circumstances.

Overall, it is a high-quality product, with a rich and earthy flavor, that would be ideal for someone who isn’t on a budget and is making their shakes in a larger blender at home. 

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Bring Back the Morning Star Riblet!

As most of our longtime readers know, just like everyone else in the world, we have eating preferences. These aren’t just rooted in what tastes good or what will help us achieve our fitness related goals. These decisions are heavily rooted in what we feel comfortable eating from an ethical standpoint. For example, many of the large chocolate companies were found to use child/slave labor in Western Africa. We don’t eat Hershey’s as a result. (You can find out more about this via The Dark Side of Chocolate.) While Hershey’s acknowledged their wrongdoing, after Whole Foods put pressure on them, and vowed to change their practices, we’re skeptical until we see results. 

Another one of our issues is with the agriculture industry, specifically with the treatment of livestock. We only buy cage free eggs from the store. I try to consume free range meat. Also, we try to limit the amount of meat in the house, especially since Alana doesn’t eat any. We’ve taken a liking to using alternatives over the years and while we’ve enjoyed many brands, our go-to has always been Morningstar Farms. We enjoy their wide variety of products, which include both vegetarian and vegan options. They try to provide you with non-meat versions of meat favorites such as chicken nuggets and bacon. 

And riblets. 

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Carmo (New Orleans, LA)

An important note: Fit had been here before and was excited to return because of their amazing vegetarian selection. After our meal, she did say that it was much (much) better the last time she went, and that they probably had somewhat of an off-night. Taking her word, I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt.

All that hype, unfortunately, raised my expectations and I was looking forward to something magnificent. Carmo was an interesting find in the beignet & crawfish capital of the country: a vegan-friendly but still meat-serving funky joint serving meals from around the world. I was immediately skeptical when I looked at the menu. How could someone prepare and serve dishes from cuisines across the entire globe? I love the CONCEPT of traveling around the world during dinner, but could the kitchen execute?

carmo 1

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The Top 3 Vegan Food Trends in 2017

2017 has been an exciting year for vegan food. Here are some of this year’s hottest vegan food trends.

  1. Protein-centric foods

As part of a wider food trend, much of the focus on healthy eating has been on high-protein foods. Proponents argue that high-protein foods keep you fuller for longer, meaning there is less chance of snacking on unhealthy foods between meals. Some of this year’s hottest vegan ingredients include:

  • Amaranth – Similar to quinoa, amaranth is a much smaller seed. However, this tiny seed is packed with nutrients including iron, B vitamins, and magnesium. Just one standard cup of cooked amaranth contains seven grams of protein.
  • Tempeh – Another trending ingredient in 2017 is tempeh which is a fermented form of soy. One standard cup of cooked tempeh contains up to twelve grams of protein, as well as being high in probiotics, making it a great alternative to yogurt.
  • Edamame – Edamame is full of protein, fiber and other nutrients. One standard cup of cooked edamame contains up to seventeen grams of protein! It can be eaten in its natural state or roasted to make a great alternative to chips!

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How to Avoid Dairy Products

This post is brought to you by Catherine Lavinia.

Surely, for most of us milk is associated with childhood. Our mother or beloved grandmother was adamant that drinking milk is the pledge of child’s health and happiness. Milk contains a series of crucial nutrients: protein, calcium, Vitamin D, B-6 and B-12, magnesium, potassium and others. Besides these elements, sugar named ‘lactose’ is present in milk and other dairy products. Normally, our body produces the enzyme ‘lactase’ to digest this sugar. When there is a deficiency of lactase, however, lactose becomes very difficult to digest which leads to intolerance. And since lactose is present in dairy products, a lactose intolerance means a dairy free diet. Otherwise, uncomfortable side effects will make their presence felt at once, which can range from bloating, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

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How to Be a Vegetarian

Often times, when people find out I’m a vegetarian, they look at me sadly like they just found out I have a terminal illness. Funny thing is that I choose to be a vegetarian. And many other people do too! Now, the transition into being a vegetarian isn’t always so heartfelt and easy. There are tons of books out there with the purpose of instructing one on how to be a vegetarian. This is going to be a much simpler guide. I’m not telling everyone to be a vegetarian, I’m just showing you how to in case you were ever curious–how to get enough nutrients in a plant-based diet. Sometimes people turn into starch-atarians when they go veggie, but fear not–there is plenty of protein when you come this way!

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Tomato Avocado Salad

In the past few weeks, Hungry and I have kicked up our fitness level to a certain degree. It’s been going fairly well, and we are a mission to achieve our goals and stay healthy! It’s not always easy. We have busy lives, a not-so-great neighborhood, and everyday troubles. However, we rise above and keep fighting for our passion! To go along with that are healthy recipes. Recently, our fridge and pantry have been chock full with delicious fruits and veggies. We’ve been getting great prices on avocados from Trader Joe’s which we’ve been certainly using to our advantage. We’ve been making different things like caprese salads, roasted tomato on toast, and yummy spinach recipes too. In this case, I simply combined a few ingredients to create something very tasty: a tomato avocado salad. 

Finished product

Finished product

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Vegan Mushroom “Stroganoff”

Recently, some friends and I have been having “movie nights” (actually during the day) where we eat and watch a movie. This past time, we all brought food to share. I planned on making a vegan dish that our friend who doesn’t eat cheese or soy could eat. Now, I didn’t actually make it in time for this get-together, but I eventually did successfully complete it! And boy was it worth the wait! I made a vegan mushroom stroganoff. This dish is full of flavor, with the mushrooms giving that depth and heartiness. Since we live in Koreatown, there aren’t a lot of typical noodles, so we used udon noodles! It actually turned out well. Chris has been eating it every day for work, as this recipe makes a great deal of food. Let’s get to it. 

photo 1 (28)  photo 2 (26) photo 3 (22) photo 4 (18)

Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
Serves 4
A yummy substitution for its beef counterpart
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 8 oz package of any type of noodle
  2. 1 onion
  3. 1 tbsp olive oil
  4. 3 tbsp whole wheat flour (not all used at once)
  5. 2 cups vegetable broth
  6. 1 tbsp soy sauce
  7. 1 tbsp lemon juice
  8. 1 tsp tomato sauce
  9. 1.5 lbs mushrooms
  10. 1/2 tsp dried sage
  11. 1/2 tsp salt
  12. 1/2 tsp thyme
  13. 1 tbsp rice vinegar
Instructions
  1. Chop the mushrooms into 2 inch pieces and slice up the onions
  2. Cook the noodles as per directions on the package (undercook them slightly)
  3. Drain and set aside
  4. In a large saucepan, saute the olive oil and onions
  5. Add two tbsp of whole wheat flour and stir constantly for 30 seconds
  6. Slowly add the broth, soy sauce, lemon juice, and tomato sauce until mixture starts to become thick and bubbly
  7. Add mushroom, sage, salt and thyme and stir
  8. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until mushrooms have shrunk and absorbed juice
  9. Add vinegar and continue to let simmer for 5 minutes
  10. Now, add the noodles alongside another tbsp of flour
  11. Serve hot!
Adapted from One Green Planet
Adapted from One Green Planet
hungry and fit https://hungryandfit.com/
I am very pleased with how this dish came out, and it was inspired by One Green Planet. This is a great dish for anyone and everyone because it’s vegan and has no soy. It holds well for leftovers as well as the mushrooms continue to marinate with flavor. It’s very simple, the only time-consuming part is chopping up the mushrooms and onions, and even then it’s not a very long time at all. I’d be interested to see all types of noodles work with this, so please share if you decide to make it. It’s a perfect winter dish–full of flavor and warmth. It’s even been cold here in Los Angeles with temperatures of 39 degrees in the morning! That is cold for LA, let me tell you. Please enjoy this warm dish and as always, stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

photo 5 (14)

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