Natural Greek Yogurts

Olympus Greek Yogurt

Now here is a yogurt actually manufactured in Greece and imported here. You have got to try it and you will agree how delicious this yogurt is. I especially love the flavored yogurt since they have pieces of fresh fruit in them and strawberry and peach are my favorites. Their low-fat and non-fat yogurts taste equally great! The best part is that this yogurt keeps you full because it has about 12-15 g of protein. Very satisfying! Read more on their website or just simply try it.


http://www.olympusdairyusa.com/en/products/yogurt

Chobani Yogurt

Personally I am not very fond of non-fat yogurts because they taste very tart but Chobani has done a great job with their flavored non-fat yogurts. They have a layer of fruit preserve at the bottom of the fruit flavored yogurts that makes it taste like a dessert. This could actually be a very healthy dessert option. Their all-natural yogurts with yummy fruit preserves at the bottom makes this yogurt my favorite snack. Chobani very recently started low fat yogurts which is my first preference, especially the Mango flavored yogurt. It is like the most delicious snack I ever tasted.

My only personal critique, based purely on my personal preference, is that Chobani does not keep me as full because it is low in protein content as compared to Olympus. Nevertheless, they both are delicious natural Greek yogurts that I certainly am hooked on!

Pret A Manger

Pret A Manger (pronounced as Pretta mahnjay, comes from the French language meaning 'ready to eat') is a British sandwich retail chain that prepares food from natural and fresh ingredients. This chain of cafes is mostly in Manhattan with a few locations in DC and Chicago.

It is my favorite place to eat lunch, purely for the reason that they prepare their food, fresh and with natural ingredients and it tastes like real food. Their food is not necessarily all organic and I don't feel that food has to be organic to be healthy; natural and fresh foods are also very healthy.

Pret prepares the most delicious sandwiches and salads, some of my favorites are:

• Pret's Egg Salad and Arugula Sandwich
• Chicken and Mozzarella Baguette
• Chicken and Avocado Salad
• I totally love their Ham and Cheese Toasties (Grilled Sandwich)

Their menu changes by the season and I so look forward to their butternut squash soup in the fall, it is so yum!

If you need more information and nutritional information you can visit their website http://www.pret.com/us

Food Culture in India

I am often surprised by people's reactions in the U.S. to my healthy eating. It makes me think that it must be the food culture. I was raised eating healthy fresh meals, prepared at home with healthy fats and that is just how I like my food. I know words like Organic, Natural, Fresh and Seasonal sound fancy and expensive but that is just how I know to eat because that is just how I was raised. I thought I'd share some facts on the food culture in India, which is where I was born and raised. I moved to the U.S. in Sept 2001.

Growing up this is how I remember food being served in my home:

• Every meal including breakfast was prepared fresh.
• For convenience reasons, packaged sliced bread was made a part of your meals. However, if the bread was not prepared fresh, it was considered very unhealthy and bad for your diet.
• Meals were not refrigerated for more than a day maximum; a meal in the refrigerator for more than one day was considered stale.
• Restaurant eating was considered a bad habit. We would go to a restaurant only for a special occasion, only because home prepared meals were given a lot of emphasis.
• Guests were invited over to your home for dinner and meals were prepared fresh.
• We had tea pretty much any time of the day. Tea leaves were boiled in water, milk and sugar was added. Some people liked ginger and spices in the tea. Any tea was called Chai, not necessarily the one with spices in it.
• Tea and biscuits (cookies) was an afternoon 3pm affair; it was considered a light snack!
• The meals were large and balanced with vegetables, rice, beans, yogurt (for digestive reasons), freshly prepared bread called roti and steamed rice. We preferred having large less frequent meals than small frequent meals.

Brown Rice Pasta

If you have gluten allergies or if you are simply looking for a wholesome pasta meal, then you must try the Tinkyada Rice Pasta. It is wheat free and gluten free, it's like pasta just got better! You are going to stay full longer and it tastes nothing different than the regular pasta.

More so, they have all kinds of pasta. They make spaghetti, spirals, penne and even grand shells :)

For a complete list of products see the link below:
http://www.tinkyada.com/ProList.htm

Pour some ready yummy natural pasta sauce like Monte Bene or Whole Foods Generic 365 and you are good to go; your yummy healthy pasta is ready.

Fennel

Fennel seeds, used traditionally in India as an after mint and for digestive purposes, soothe the stomach and aid in digestion. They have a sweet taste and a very distinctive aroma that immediately calms you down.

I also like fennel bulbs to cook with, and often use chunks of fennel in a mixed vegetable medley of broccoli, yam, squash and fennel.

Enjoy fennel seeds as a mouth freshener or simply to curb cravings for sweets. You can find different forms of fennel seeds like roasted fennel seeds, raw fennel seeds and also sugar coated fennel seeds. These are popularly available in Indian grocery stores. You can find Indian grocery stores on Lexington and 28th Street or Jackson Heights in NYC.

I also enjoy a great tasting Fennel Tea made by a brand called Alvita Tea.

Eataly

Eataly is an Italian Market Place that carries all natural foods, just the way they are eaten in Italy. They use produce from local farmers for the foods that are prepared in-house. They have over 10 eateries and a newly opened beer garden called Birreria.

The Restaurants

1. Manzo
Formal dining place serves mostly beef dishes

2. Birreria
Roof top restaurant and brewery

3. La Piazza
In the heart of Eataly, with marble countered bars and standing tables, this place serves cured meets and cheeses paired along with a great wine list.

4. Il Pesce
Traditional Italian seafood, also with a raw bar

5. Le Verdure
All vegetables only, this place can prepare delicious vegetarian dishes

6. La Pizza and Pasta
The name says it all, pizza and pasta only

Eataly Dolci (Sweet)

1. Gelataria
Cannot miss the yummy gelato, my favorite flavor is pistachio and cioccolato

2. Pastecceria
Must stop for the authentic pastries. Love their limoncello baba and chocolate hazelnut muffin, yummy!

3. Caffe Lavazza and Cafe Vergano
The former prepares cafe of different kinds like Latte, Macchiato etc and the latter serves espresso shots.

4. Venchi Cioccolato
The most delicious chocolates.

In addition there is also the Il Panini and Rosticceria that carry paninis to go and the rotisserie chicken and other meats.

Don't forget to visit the bakery and try their focaccia and fresh hand made breads. Their freshly baked focaccia, taste divine. I have tried the mozarella with tomato, the four cheese, the margherita with no cheese and they all simply taste delicious.

They also have a produce market (vegetables and fruits) and a wine store called Italy Vino.

They also opened a school for cooking under the guidance of Chef Lidia Bastianich with unique cooking classes. The school also offers Eataly tours for just 35 dollars per person. Check out their calendar here.

At Eataly, I have tasted their delicious wines from different regions of Italy, I have bought fresh pasta and brought it home and simply added olive oil and lemon and savored its taste, I have enjoyed the gelatos, to the soft juicy flavorful limoncello baba, to the freshly grilled chicken rotisserie, to the flavorful vegetables at Il Verdure. There is not one thing I would ask you to try at this place, the list is overwhelming and so is the place bursting with flavors and choices. Always busy and never a dull moment at Eataly!

The market opened only last year in spring and I remember passing by, looking at the board waiting for it to open. I am so glad I have a place to go to when I need to getaway to Italy!

Visit Eataly at 200 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010 (Entrances on 5th Avenue and 23rd Street) and at the web at http://eatalyny.com/

Spring Berry Yogurt Parfait

I started my day preparing a very easy wholesome morning breakfast, a Berry Yogurt Parfait.

Ingredients
1/3 cup fresh blueberries
1 medium strawberry sliced
3-4 grapes
6 oz container of plain Greek Yogurt of your choice. I used Olympus 2 % Plain Greek Yogurt.
1/4 cup granola of your choice. I used Whole Foods freshly prepared blueberry almond granola.
6 walnut halves

Note - You could substitute the fruits to blackberries, raspberries, more of strawberries and less of blueberries, any kind of berries you like. They are in season and you can't help but enjoy them.

You need a tall glass for the parfait. Layer the fruits at the bottom, top them with yogurt, gently layer the yogurt with granola and top it with the walnut halves. Your delicious parfait is ready. Go ahead dig in!