Food

Antioxidants have attracted significant attention in recent times, thanks to the many health benefits they provide. To ensure you can incorporate sufficient levels into your diet, we introduce you to five fruits and vegetables that are naturally high in antioxidants. 

Antioxidants: What are they? 

Antioxidants are compounds found in foods that are also produced by your body. Their role is to defend your body from free radicals – molecules that can lead to serious illnesses like cancer. Antioxidants also protect your DNA and other important cell structures in your body.

Why are antioxidants so beneficial? 

Chronic oxidative stress occurs when free radicals accumulate in your body, which can lead to a range of issues including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. One of the best ways to protect yourself from free radicals is to follow a diet that is rich in antioxidants.

Scientists are able to discern the antioxidant level of foods by conducting what is known as a FRAP (ferric reducing ability of plasma) test. Essentially, the higher the FRAP value of a certain food, the more antioxidants it contains.

The best fruits and vegetables to boost your antioxidant intake 

Blueberries 

Blueberries are packed with nutrients and have a FRAP rating of 9.2mmol of antioxidants per 100g serving. Specifically, blueberries help to limit the decline of brain functioning that occurs as you get older.

One type of antioxidant in blueberries – anthocyanin – is known to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, and lowers blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels. Cheek out Love Struck’s Blueberry Thrill to get more of these super berries in your diet.

Strawberries 

Undoubtedly one of the most popular (and delicious) berries on the planet are strawberries. They’re a natural source of Vitamin C and contain various antioxidants. Their FRAP Score is 5.4mmol of antioxidant per 100 grams.

Like blueberries, strawberries also contain anthocyanin, offering protection from heart disease. Various studies have found that regularly taking an anthocyanin supplement can reduce LDL cholesterol among those with heart disease. Love Struck’s Strawberry Split is certainly one for you to try!

Raspberries 

Tangy, sweet and high in fibre, raspberries are the third berry to consider. They boast a FRAP rating of 4mmol per 100g and also serve as a great source of manganese and Vitamin C.

A study conducted in a test tube discovered that the antioxidants within raspberries killed 90% of colon, stomach, and breast cancer cells present in the sample. Black raspberries have also been shown to suppress the effects of various other cancers. Love Struck’s Berry-Go-Round is the perfect choice if you’re hoping to experience the benefits of these tangy berries.

Kale 

A member of the Brassicas family, kale is a cruciferous vegetable that has become exceedingly popular in recent times. It’s closely related to cauliflower and broccoli, and kale is widely regarded as one of the most nutritious greens on the planet.

Its antioxidant level is 2.7mmol per 100g and its also a rich source of calcium, as well as  Vitamins A, K, and C. If you’re looking for something a little higher in antioxidants, red varieties of kale are known to contain as much as 4.1mmol per 100g. Love Struck’s Kale Kick brings this cruciferous veggie to life!

Beetroot 

Last but not least, beetroot is another veggie that is rich in antioxidants, while serving as an excellent source of iron, potassium, fibre, and folate. Beets contain up to 1.7mmol of antioxidants per 100g, with a particularly high concentration of betalains.

Studies have found that beetroot lowers the risk of cancer and improves the health of the digestive tract. They’re also rich in compounds that might help suppress inflammation. Although they taste a little earthy on their own, Love Struck’s Dr Beet is super sweet thanks to the addition of mango, carrot, and apple juice!

If you’re hoping to improve your health and wellbeing, consider incorporating more of the above antioxidants into your daily diet and you will begin to see the benefits!

 

There is never a bad excuse to bake a cake. But choosing the right cake for a loved one can be a stressful proposition.

You might feel like a small cake, something with individual servings, best suits your purpose. If so, our article titled ‘Top Reasons Why Brownies Are So Hard to Resist’ might be of some interest! Of course, if you’re holding a party or a celebration, then a bigger cake, one you can slice, is probably a better idea. This might be themed, and so often we assume that themed cakes are just for kids. However, putting the extra time and effort into creating or commissioning a birthday cake that reflects someone’s interest shows that little extra effort, and makes it that much more special.

You can find plenty of inspiration out there, whether from the wealth of baking shows on Netflix or the life and work of the late Sylvia Weinstock –– so there is no reason to be intimidated by the prospect of constructing or designing a sugary tower of your own. But you do still have to pick a theme!

There are plenty of potential cake themes you can choose from, depending on what the intended recipient is interested in. Forbes.com tells us that “geeky” cakes have become big business, for instance, with comics- and game-centric cakes now constantly in demand. In this piece though we want to focus on a theme concept that’s particularly relevant of late, which is the always-popular game of poker.

The return of the World Series of Poker after a long hiatus due to the pandemic brought the game back into many people’s minds. And for that matter, the game remains popular on a more casual basis as well. Poker.org suggests that home poker games are common throughout the world; many are undoubtedly already pairing the game with birthdays or other gathering occasions that call for some cake! So really, a cake with this kind of theme can suit any poker lovers in your life –– those who have gotten accustomed to watching on TV again, or those who simply like to play.

Whatever the occasion, you can create some amazing poker-themed cakes with a bit of skill and planning. Here are some ideas to get the inspiration and the batter flowing.

Three Tiers of Cards

The first thing that people think of when they hear about poker is the cards, so this cake can be made up of several tiers of card designs. Start with your sponge flavors; red velvet and chocolate sponges go well together and allow you to emulate the color of the cards on the inside of the cake as well as on the outside. For the decoration, meanwhile, make some green fondant to recreate the felt that covers most professional poker tables. After that, it’s all about making cards out of white, red, and black fondant and lining the cake in them.

Recreate the Table

For fewer layers but the maximum visual impact, you can get your hands on a hexagon-shaped cake tin to recreate the shape of most poker tables. Fill it with a sponge of your liking and then cover the top with green fondant, and the sides with black. From there, you can make small cards and chips to go on top, dealt out into six different hands like they would be for a group of people playing each other. Be sure to throw a pile of chips into the middle so that it really looks like they are in the middle of a game.

A Stack of Chips

You can’t play poker without some chips to gamble. With a few thin, round sponges, you can create the perfect shape for these iconic representations of cash. With some fondant and icing, you can make the shape and color you’re looking for. Be sure to get those smooth, alternating lines on the outer edges of the sponges with textured sides that you can make by lightly scoring the outside of the fondant with a knife. Arrange the tiers in an off-center stack so you can create the look of a stack of chips once they’re all decorated and ready and you should be good to go.

Any of these ideas will be perfect for a poker fan. And beyond that, they might also get you thinking about just how creative you can get with any number of other themed cake ideas for different people in your life.

 

For many, the word fresh is a simple term that requires no explanation. It’s the complete opposite of stale or rotten. It means newly harvested food or produce that has not undergone significant degradation. It’s what consumers prefer as it is close to how food taken from nature should be.

Fresh has a different meaning in the food and beverage industry, though. Government regulators and industry standards consider something as fresh if it did not undergo preservation, cooking, treatment, or other state-altering preparations). Technically, the term does not take into account the quality of food and beverage products. It’s a mere designation as to whether or not produce is in its natural form. This is something the owners of https://www.kiril-mischeff.com/ admit, but they say produce businesses need to have a renewed mindset. The quality of fresh products should align with what most people tend to think whenever they hear the word fresh.

Which is fresh, which is not?

Fresh food products are unprocessed fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, and other farmed or hunted products sold in the markets. They are those that are not cooked, dried, or treated with preservatives. Regardless of their quality and condition, they are classified as fresh if they retain virtually all of their natural appearance.

As such, a mullet that is about to rot is classified as fresh, but salted eggs are not. Wilted bags of celery or basil are considered fresh products, but crisp pickled radish or carrots are not. In other words, the technical definition of freshness in the food industry only takes into account the lack of preservation methods. Fresh foods are classified as such because they are expected to be sold in their unadulterated state. They are not likely to last for a long time.

Bottled natural lemon, lime, or orange juices don’t qualify as fresh products because they have been processed. More often than not, they contain other ingredients such as sugar to make them last for a long time. Meanwhile, stores are allowed to sell mouldy fruits and vegetables in their fresh produce section.

Is fresh always better?

It’s ideal to consume fresh produce all of the time. However, being fresh does not always mean it is better. As mentioned, unpreserved products deteriorate over time, as they are exposed to the elements. Pests and microbial infestations cut their shelf life down. They can also develop defects, even if they appear fresh on the outside.

There’s nothing wrong with preserved products such as canned vegetables, dried meat, and frozen fruits. It’s a matter of need and preference for the consumers. Those who want to stock up food supplies can only hoard a limited amount of fresh produce because of the short shelf life. There are conveniences in canning, bottling, drying, smoking, curing, or treating fresh products. These preservation processes don’t only extend their useful life; they also improve the flavor and palatability.

 

If you are managing a hospitality business or a food-centric establishment that caters to customers, it is imperative to find reputable fruit juice suppliers in the UK. Food industry providers realise the importance of fruit quality to meet the expectation of consumers, as failure to ensure the safety and freshness of ingredients can result in loss of business.

The wrong supplier will typically deliver fruit juices of inconsistent quality, which means clients may enjoy a few weeks of excellent fruit juice products. In contrast, the next week presents a lousy batch that does not meet your purpose or standards.

When choosing fruit juice suppliers UK experts point out the following tips to remember

The quality of fruits will depend on places of origin

As a prospective client, you need to ask as many questions as you can about where the fruits come from. Ideally, the most common fruits should come from local farmers to ensure that you are using fresh juices for your customers. Of course, rare fruits or those not found in the country should be sourced from countries that have high standards in quality, too.

Suppliers showcase knowledge about the fruits they carry

A reliable supplier should display product knowledge to provide you with accurate information. To test their product knowledge, ask them simple questions first. If their answers are accurate and comprehensive, it’s maybe best to consider doing business with them.

Excellent storage and distribution strategies

The overall quality of the fruits used is only the first part of the equation. It would be best if you were sure that their products are appropriately stored in hygienic locations, too. A reputable supplier will keep all fruits in units outfitted with temperature regulation control, so they are stored and delivered safely and with low-chances of spoilage. If you are planning to work with a supplier over an extended period, we highly recommend that you visit their facilities to evaluate the overall condition of these locations.

Consistency in quality 365 days of the year

Again, we cannot stress to you the importance of buying fruit juice from suppliers that only utilise quality fruits for processing. Their products should be consistently good all year round.

An expert supplier can offer their products and services online.

Traditional marketing is still an excellent approach for customers. Still, with so many things happening all at once, it’s hard to find time to physically visit a supplier, or even call them over the phone.

Most expert fruit juice suppliers have successfully streamlined their ordering process. Through their respective websites, suppliers can now get orders quickly and more systematically online.

There is an excellent benefit to an online ordering system since you will tend to use their services more than competitors. If they offer quality and consistent fruit juice products combined with a simple and straightforward ordering system, there isn’t more than you can ever need from a supplier.

You only need a few minutes to complete an order, be it a small batch of juice puree or wholesale order of fruit juice concentrate. It allows you to focus on your core competencies rather than waste your time placing orders via the phone.

Breakfast has become an important meal that helps us power through the rest of the day. A healthy breakfast also contributes to a healthy lifestyle for the entire family.

But as you eat this meal more often, have you ever stopped to find out how much you’re spending?

Because people don’t have as much time to prepare breakfast, they end up spending more on expensive a la carte items in the process. Buying a cup of coffee every morning could be costing you over $1000 a year. The good news is that you can save on costly breakfast items by preparing early. Here are some useful tips to consider.

1. Start with a detailed shopping list

The easiest way of saving money on breakfast is by making as much of it (at home) as possible. Start by preparing a detailed grocery list of what you’d wish to eat in the morning. Go for convenient items that are easy to make- such as bread, frozen items, oatmeal, eggs, and cereal.

A grocery list is the best way to keep track of how much you’ll be spending every month on breakfast. You’ll also have an easier time monitoring your health choices and other ingredient information.

2. Hot cereal works for the entire family

Convenience is the guiding principle of enjoying your breakfast meals. Hot cereal is quick and easy to prepare, and it doesn’t cost much when compared to eating out. Kids also love cereal, especially when combined with syrup, fruits, and ice cream. You can rotate different cereal flavors and include a selection of wheat, oats, and fruits.

3. Prepare your eggs at home

Buying one egg at a time is much more expensive than buying by the dozen. Imagine spending $1 on a single egg, and you could spend a dollar and some change for an entire pack. The trick to saving on eggs is by preparing them yourself.

Boil them in groups and dip the unused ones in an ice bath for another day. This will save you time and money as you grab each egg to prepare your breakfast. There are also other ways of making eggs quickly. Scrambled eggs only take minutes to prepare, and you can mix them with brown rice for a protein-filled morning treat.

4. Bagels and muffins will fill you up

Your breakfast wouldn’t be complete without a bagel or muffin on the side. But we all know that these can be expensive, even in grocery stores. Consider purchasing your bread in bulk from day-old bakeries. Such bread stores can help you save up to 50% or more on the cost of breakfast bread. Furthermore, bagels and muffins are quite filling and will keep you going until lunchtime.

5. Put that blender to good use

Smoothies can cost as much as $5-$10 apiece. If you need a fresh smoothie to get your morning started, consider making your own. Is that blender collecting dust? Clean it and obtain some frozen fruits, yogurt, or juice (from the grocery store) to get started. All you need to do is toss a combination of the above inside your blender, crush with ice, and you’re ready to go.

6. Have some juice

It may sound convenient to purchase a cup of fresh juice on your way to work, but doing this is also expensive. Juice is a healthy and nutritious option to get your morning started. However, it can also drive up your breakfast budget pretty quickly.

Consider purchasing a bottle of fresh juice each week and titrating some into a container as you walk out the door. A combination of apple, orange, mango, and avocado juices should do the trick.

7. Avoid buying coffee at restaurants

Next comes the mother of them all: coffee. Buying a cup of coffee every day can burn a hole in your wallet. The solution? Consider brewing your coffee at home. Not only will you have the freedom to select from different flavors, but you can also save on the time it would take to wait in line for your tall Starbucks cup.

You can easily save hundreds of dollars every year by brewing your coffee, even after investing in a new coffee maker.

In a nutshell, saving money on breakfast is about paying attention to detail. What may seem affordable quickly adds up over time and could set you back hundreds of dollars by the end of the year. But if you plan ahead, prepare as much at home, and eat healthily, you can put a significant amount back into your pocket.

To read more on topics like this, check out the food category.

 

Sushi is one of the most iconic foods you can try in the Big Apple. Since New York is known for being a melting pot of varied and rich cultures, sushi is no longer a secret dish from the Land of the Rising Sun. You can get it right in your neck of the woods. There are even new versions of this dish popping up across the boroughs. While they maintain the Japanese method of cooking rice, several fresh ingredients are now being used to make sushi. But, of course, the classics will always have a special place. It’s the only way you can get a taste of authentic Japanese cuisine.

Many restaurants in New York have classic sushi dishes on their menu. You can get them almost anywhere – food trucks, Japanese bistros, Teppanyaki-style grill houses, and kosher restaurants in NYC.

Down below, we have collected the top classic sushi dishes you should try:

1. Tuna
2. Spicy tuna
3. Salmon
4. Spicy salmon
5. Yellowtail
6. Spicy yellowtail
7. Spicy crab
8. Sea bass
9. Pufferfish
10. Eel

On a side note, sushi is most often confused with sashimi and nigiri. People get them mixed up all the time. It’s not exactly anybody’s fault. These dishes resemble each other in many ways. You should know the difference so that you won’t embarrass yourself in public.

What’s the difference between sushi, nigiri, and sashimi?

Sushi

Sushi is mainly composed of rice. It is hand-rolled with other ingredients such as meat (crab sticks, salmon, tuna), fruits (avocado, mango) and vegetables (cucumber, carrot). Then, it is hand rolled into a sheet of seaweed (nori) that they slice into bite-size pieces.

Sushi can be subdivided into three different categories namely uramaki, maki, and temaki. Uramaki is when the seaweed or the nori that is used to wrap the sushi is on the inside while the rice is on the outside. Maki is when the nori is on the outside. Lastly, temaki is when the sushi is made to shape like a cone using the seaweed.

Sashimi

When you see the word sashimi, you should remember that it is solely meat. No other ingredient is included in the serving.

Nigiri

Nigiri is a special kind of dish. It is sashimi served on top of rectangularly molded rice. The sashimi can either be raw or cooked, and the sashimi can be other types of meat and seafood. A favorite alternative they use is unagi (grilled freshwater eel).

So, as you can see, it can be quite confusing. If you made a mistake of interchanging these words before, it’s not a problem. You at least know the difference now, and you can surely order the right one when you order sushi at your favorite restaurant.

These are the top things you need to know if you want to order sushi in NYC. Knowing these can undoubtedly help you out when you want to eat Japanese cuisine in the big city.

To read more on topics like this, check out the lifestyle category.

Nutrition is one of the most essential factors when it comes to your health. And with hundreds and thousands of different diets available, making the right choice for your body may be quite challenging. Keto diet is one among these diets, having quite a number of benefits that you can enjoy. However, there are potential downsides to note with this diet also. Unpleasant risks that can have adverse effects on your health. The following are the benefits and risks associated with this diet. Please read on.

Benefits of Keto Diet

1. Reduced Inflammation

A keto diet has the ability to lower the inflammation drastically. The burning of ketones instead of glucose for energy leads to lower amounts of free radical production. With more energy production, your body will have a heightened ability to heal in a variety of aspects. If you’re mainly depending on sugar for energy, you’ll be more likely to experience inflammation in the event of blood sugar imbalance. This diet allows for stabilization of insulin and blood sugar hence its anti-inflammatory advantage. You can try the BHB products designed for your keto diet today.

2. Improved Fat Burning

Excess body weight can put you at risk for quite a number of diseases. Toxin accumulation and hormone imbalances in your body can also result out of excess body fat. Which is why a keto diet will put you in a state of ketosis – your body will burn fat for energy. Your body will, therefore, burn the fat at a much more efficient rate if you’re having excess body fat.

3. Reduced Cravings

Perhaps you can relate to the sudden and intense hunger pangs accompanied by changes in the moods. You may have seen this to be very normal because, after all, almost everyone experiences them, right? But actually, the cravings result from instability of the chronic blood sugar and your brain will receive a signal that you’re starving. Now, how will you benefit from a keto diet? The state of ketosis will balance your blood sugar and provide your brain with stable energy. And your cravings will be eliminated just like that.

Risks of Keto Diet

4. Ketoacidosis

You should avoid keto diet if you’re having diabetes type 1 or type 2 as much as possible. This is because you’ll risk suffering from ketoacidosis – a dangerous condition triggered by ketosis. This condition makes your blood become acidic and if not monitored well during the initial stages, it may result in kidney stones or bone breakdown.

5. Keto Flu

You may experience the symptoms of “keto flu” days after adopting a keto diet. These include lethargy, fatigue, gastrointestinal distress, and vomiting. Studies have shown that about one in four people who try keto diet experience “keto flu.” This is caused by the transition your body undergoes when it runs out of sugar to burn for energy hence begins to burn fat.

6. Cognitive Problems

Adopting a keto diet may expose you to a danger of confusion and memory loss. This situation forces your body to produce its own carbs to counter the change and to do this, the body has to be broken down to access them. This carb consumption negatively impacts your brain since it’s fueled by glucose.

Conclusion

Keto diet comes with amazing health benefits – reduced cravings and inflammation and improved fat burning. However, it is not advisable to try the keto diet if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, experiencing type 1 or 2 diabetes, or are at risk for heart disease. If due to some reason also, your gallbladder was removed, you should avoid the diet because of its high fat. Look out for other relevant themed blogs to learn more about nutrition and keto diet.

Love authentic Chinese cuisine? If you do, then you’ve doubtless heard of Xiao long bao, or soup dumplings. These steamed delicacies are delicious, and they’re incredibly unique – filled with both pork and broth. When eaten correctly, they’re a culinary delight.

However, when eaten incorrectly, they can spill scalding broth over your lips and chin. It’s both painful and messy. Or, as Thrillist points out, “you’ve got a scalded mouth and wet chin at best (a ruined dumpling and guffawing friends at worst). The good news is that eating Xiao long bao the right way isn’t all that hard. You just need to know a few things.

The Wrong Way

We’ll start with a look at the wrong way to eat these delicious dumplings. As Good Food points out, the wrong way is to pop the dumpling like a pimple. Not only is that messy and crude, it’s gross, too. Not to mention the fact that it’s completely insensitive to Chinese culinary tradition. Imagine being told that the right way to eat a burger was off the floor, or the right way to eat pizza was by liquifying it in a blender first.

You also should not put the entire dumpling in your mouth and eat it in one swallow. They are meant to be savored, not consumed immediately. This isn’t sushi, and it’s not Japan. Chinese culinary traditions are different.

The Right Way

So, how do you eat Xiao long bao the right way? Is there a correct way? You bet there is, and it makes a lot of sense if you just take the time to think about it. Xiao long bao combine the deliciousness of soup with the beauty of a dumpling, and the savory taste of meat. The right way to eat them allows you to experience all these things with every single dumpling.

First, understand that, as Business Insider points out, the beauty of these dumplings is really the soup inside. It’s essentially soup that has been turned into gelatin, and then added to the dumpling. The cooking process liquifies the soup, filling the interior of the dumpling with delightful liquid. However, eat it too soon and you’re going to burn your mouth. Eat it too late and the liquid will have gelatinized once more, and the dumpling skin will have hardened. So, what’s a diner to do?

For that, we turn to Chili House SF. First, you need to wait just a little while for the dumplings to cool slightly. Then, you need to take stock of what you’ve been given in the way of utensils. You should have both chopsticks and a soup spoon. There’s a reason for that – you’re supposed to use both. Gently pick up your dumpling with your chopsticks and place it in the soup spoon. Then, use the spoon to bring the dumpling to your mouth.

Take a small bite from the front of the dumpling, and let the soup fill the spoon. Then, sip the soup while eating the dumpling. It’s that simple.