People will always need to eat and with the pace of life picking up, and the projected growth in population forecast for the UK over the next decade, there has never been a better time to start. There is definitely an opportunity for an independent fast food retailer to grab a slice of the profits as many people are fed up of the traditional fast food franchises.

I would definitely avoid going down the traditional route of selling juicy burgers, fried chicken, hot dogs, fries, milk shakes & soft drinks. This segment of the market is already well catered for and you will find it difficult to improve on the existing outlets already available. There has also recently been a backlash over fast food outlets selling unhealthy fried food.

Fish and chip shops are another no-go area. Margins admittedly are high and if you find the right location you could be serving unhealthy but profitable food to the whole neighborhood. I personally do not like the idea of working in a hot greasy environment seven days a week.

I actually like the new types of fast food shops that are opening up serving gourmet sandwiches made on freshly baked bread. They use quality ingredients and make up mouth watering sandwiches whilst you watch. Customers have a range of delicious bread and rolls to choose from and they can customize each sandwich to their own tastes.

You can add to your range by selling a complement of lovely home made soups, aromatic coffee, tea and soft drinks. This route to people’s appetites has ample room for enterprising newcomers and the margins are high. You are also serving healthy, nutritious food and the market is definitely moving in this direction.

You do not need to worry about maintaining fryers, grillers or ovens as there is little cooking involved. Many of the fillings can be prepared early in the morning or the night before. You can supply your product on quality foil backed paper packaging that protects the food and also serves as a vessel to eat from and catch the crumbs.

Could this type of business opportunity be right for you? The hours are long and you will need to be open early to catch the people before they start work. Then there is the lunch time frenzy as people queue up for your delicious sandwiches. Finally you will have to also cater for people once they have finished work.

Start-up costs are low, and for anyone willing to work hard, the margins are very good. A site will have to be found that has a high volume of footfall. A decent sandwich shop can be set up with as little $25,000 ready cash and a helpful bank manager.

The market is demanding though and you will have to splash out on decent fixtures and fittings and a great store front to create an inviting, contemporary setting. If you do get the ingredients right, this could be the start to a lucrative business chain serving healthy nutritious food.

Of course we all know that our eating habits also play a very significant role in our health. What we eat and how we eat matters. How is your diet recently? Are you eating a lot of vegetables and fruits like you’re supposed to? Or perhaps the local drive-thru is making a healthy profit off of you? You’d better take a second look at your eating habits right now, before it’s too late. You’re not getting any younger, despite what some people may tell you. It’s definitely high time for you to take your health seriously.

It’s understandable that your daily schedule may make it hard for you to maintain a healthy lifestyle, especially when it comes to your nutrition. And even if you do have the time to exercise, it’s not enough for you to say that you’re healthy. Millions of people in America alone just aren’t partaking enough of their recommended dietary allowance of vitamins and minerals. Chances are, you’re one of them. I suggest that you take advantage of the numerous food supplements available to you and improve your diet.

Supplements are a general term used for all kinds of vitamins, minerals, protein foods, energy bars and beverages. Essential nutrients in the proper doses are usually packaged in capsule or tablet forms, although some do come as powdered mixes and drinks. Using food supplements can be very beneficial for ensuring that you’re getting the right amount of nutrients for your body. However, it is also recommended that you first consult your doctor before taking anything, since an appropriate balance of nutrition and supplements must be achieved.

There are supplements for almost anything. There are supplements for when you need extra doses of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, or Iron in your diet. You can get some for improving your memory, or help you study for a big exam. Athletes regularly take protein supplements for developing their muscles. Whether you need them to boost your memory, strengthen your bone structure, or just to ensure that your body is getting all the nutrients that it needs, food supplements can be very valuable indeed.

But do you have any idea where to get the best supplements for your nutrition? There are a lot of stores in your local mall that are probably offering all sorts of food supplements, but sometimes the prices can get scary. I would suggest going online. The Internet is a great place to get some of the best health food supplements. With hundreds of online stores competing for clients and customers, prices are being slashed left and right. It’s very easy and convenient getting the supplements that you need from the World Wide Web.

Peanut Butter Exposed

This has been touted as a health food for a long time. But it also contains something called hydrogenated vegetable oil. This is a highly processed form of vegetable oil where they turn it from a liquid into a solid. It’s also why you don’t have to stir peanut butter anymore.

Your body will have a very hard time digesting this man-made form of fat, and it will overwhelm your liver will all the chemicals that are in it. This can lead to fat gain and the loss of ability to burn fat.

Instead of normal peanut butter, some brands are coming out with alternatives that once again make peanut butter healthy. Before you ever buy it at the store, look at the ingredients on the back of the label. If you see hydrogenated oil, stay far away! Look for the ones without that junk and you’ll be able to snack guilt-free.

When you switch back over to natural peanut butter, it once again becomes a healthy food. It has a lot of protein, and without that hydrogenated garbage in there, also contains good fats that your body can use to stay healthy and help you shed that unwanted fat.

Your next step is to CLICK HERE NOW to learn the real way to lose weight for good, no more yo-yo dieting! Making small changes in your lifestyle is the only sure way to get healthy and stay slim for life.

If you’re thinking about going organic there are a few things which you might want to look into first. And one of the most important aspects of trying to go organic is finding good organic food suppliers from whom you can get your organic foods. This includes not only organic fruits and vegetables, but also organic meat and poultry, organic dairy produce as well as organic processed foods.

All of these things come under the heading of organic foods, and when you’re looking to find organic food suppliers for your own needs, then you will have to take these into account as well. On the one hand, and depending on where you live, you have the option of going to the source to get your organic foods, but this will only work if you live in close proximity to organic farmers.

If you do live near an organically run farm, then you have will most likely not have a problem obtaining your organic produce and things. However, since an organic farm will only be able to produce a limited number of organically grown items, it does behoove you to find other organic food suppliers who will be able to look after your other organic needs.

If on the other hand you live in a big city which is miles away from the nearest organic farm, you will have to look around for your organic food suppliers. The best place for you to look would be your local food chain or supermarket, but it’s not guaranteed that these places will have organic foods to begin with or whether they will have a wide range of organic products for you to choose from.

That said, your next option when looking at organic food suppliers is to locate your nearest health food store, make certain that it sells organic foods items and go there for all your organic food needs.

This option however, comes with a few drawbacks, the largest one being the elevated price. Not all health food stores will be expensive, but to a very great extent many health food stores carry food items which are costly, and when you throw in the word “organic” into that mix, it just drives up the prices. Organic foods are costly enough without having to add health food store prices into it as well.

Another option for you to take, and this does seem to be your best option is to go through the many online organic food suppliers to get your organic food needs. Here you will find that you have a larger array of organic foods to choose from as well as a larger number of organic food suppliers.

Naturally it would be safest for humans to supplement their diet with human natural food supplements. Consider the overall benefits – weight loss, no obesity, natural cures, healthy lifestyle, weight control. What more would one ask for?

When natural really is natural

Carrots and whole grains are natural and healthy for humans that have been proven. So why do so many supplement manufacturers use strange ingredients in their products that have no safe, long-term, non-toxic history of use? The answer is not complex really. There is no other market for this kind of junk, so, as no one else wants it, it’s cheap and plentiful.

what scientists don’t really know are the long-term detrimental effects of these non-human foods. Who really wants to be a guinea pig? For instance, let’s take dunalliela salina thats used as a carotenoid; it grows in stagnant polluted water that no living creature eats. Its use in food supplements is based not on nutrition but on profit margins and hype-marketing.

Natural foods and food supplements are strong marketing expressions. And the majority of marketers have no issues with concocting tales, stretching the truth and misusing these words to promote their “unnatural” products particularly if it increases their profit margin.

Human food chain nutrition

If you want nutritional foods that go way beyond natural, you ought to consider whole food and even organic foods. These natural food supplements use traditional fruits, vegetables and whole grains as their source of ingredients. They are even guaranteed to be free of all toxins and have been proven to work. Hundreds of thousands of satisfied people in dozens of countries around the world have been using natural supplements for over 50 years to look and feel their best – naturally.

Benefits of natural food supplements

They encourage access to key nutrients that prevent disease. Thus they eliminate the population of diseased, malnourished customers.

They make artificial food supplements more expensive, putting their purchase out of reach of more consumers.

With the loss of vitamin sales, a lot of artificial health retailers will be forced out of business. This is good for the health industry at large. The fewer health shops, the less competition there is for prescription drugs.

They set the stage for the future banning of artificial food supplements that prevent disease such as blueberries, broccoli and garlic.

They allow for the arrest and incrimination of key proponents of bad health (drug manufacturers, retailers and consumers), removing them from the public stage so that they no longer have a voice.

They allow natural health critics to use circular logic to attack the drug industry.

GRANDMA’S FRENCH ONION SOUP

VANILLA PUDDING

SUPER EASY VEGAN SALAD

PEACH MUFFINS

GRANDMA’S FRENCH DRESSING

GRANDMA’S HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE

LIGHTSIDE

BACK TO COOKING SCHOOL

FOOD INFORMATION

BAR MIXES

NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS

ARCHIVES

GRANDMA’S FRENCH ONION SOUP
3 tablespoons………………….(45 ml)…………………………butter
2 cups………………………………………(500 ml)………………………thin sliced onion
4 ½ cups…………………………………(1125 ml)……………………bouillon
Salt and pepper to taste
Worcestershire sauce to taste
2 teaspoons……………………….(10 ml)…………………………sugar
French bread
Parmesan cheese or other finely grated cheese
heat butter, add onions, simmer about 10 minutes or until soft
and lightly brown. Add bouillon, bring to boil and simmer 20 minutes.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Add sugar.
Pour soup into individual soup dishes.  On top of each, float a slice
Of sautéed French bread and sprinkle with grated cheese.  Put in oven
350 F, (175 C), until cheese is melted.

YIELD: 6 servings.
TIME: 60 minutes.

VANILLA PUDDING
1 cup, 2 tbsp. …………………………….(280 ml)……………………pudding mix
2 cups………………………………………………………(500 ml)……………………water
2 tablespoons……………………………………(30 ml)………………………butter or margarine
1-teaspoon……………………………………………(5 ml)…………………………vanilla
Combine pudding mix and water in saucepan.  Bring to boil, turn
Stove down and boil gently for 2-3 minutes.  Stir constantly.  Remove from heat, add
margarine and vanilla. Stir.  Let stand for 15 minutes, stir again and chill.

YIELD: 4 servings.

Super Easy Vegan Pasta Salad

2 cups whole wheat pasta, cooked & cooled

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cucumber, chopped

1/2 cup organic sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup ketchup

1/4 cup vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

Mix together the sugar, ketchup, vinegar, oil, salt, pepper and paprika. Pour the dressing over the pasta and veggies, and stir well.

Peach Muffins

1 ¾ cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

4 teaspoons oil

2 eggs, beaten lightly

¾ cup peeled peaches

Bake at 400 F., 15-20 minutes.

GRANDMA’S FRENCH DRESSING
1 teaspoon …………(5 ml)…………sugar
2 teaspoons………..(10 ml)………..salt
½ teaspoon………..(2.5 ml)…………pepper
½ teaspoon ……….(2.5 ml)…………paprika
1 ½  cup……………(375 ml)……….salad oil
½ cup………………(125 ml)……….vinegar
1 clove of garlic (if desired)
Put sugar, salt, pepper and paprika in jar.  Add oil, vinegar and
garlic.  Shake well.  When dressing is thoroughly blended, pour
over salad.
YIELD:  approximately 2 cups (500 ml)
CALORIES: 92 per tablespoon (15 ml)
TIME: 10 minutes.

GRANDMA’S HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon …………(2.5 ml) …………salt
½ teaspoon…………(2.5 ml)………….dry mustard
¼ teaspoon …………(1.25 ml)…………paprika
dash cayenne
2 tablespoons ……..(30 ml)……………vinegar
1 cup ……………….(250 ml)…………..salad oil
Put egg yolk and seasoning in bowl and mix well.  Add 1 tablespoon(15.ml) vinegar and beat well.  Gradually beat in oil until ¼ cup of mixture is used.  Then add 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) at a time.  As mixture thickens add remaining vinegar.  If oil is added to quickly, mayonnaise will curdle.  To fix this add 1 more egg yolk and continue.
Store mayonnaise in covered jar and refrigerate.
YIELD: approximately 1 ¼ cup (310 ml).
CALORIES: 104 per tablespoon (15 ml).
Time: 15 minutes

LIGHTSIDE

A Sure Cure

An older lady came out screaming after being told by the young Doctor she was pregnant.  The head doctor of the clinic stopped her and asked her what the problem was. She tells him and he gets her to settle down in a chair, and then rushes over to the young doctor that she came from.

“What’s the matter with you, telling a 80 year old lady she is pregnant” he asks the young Doctor.

The Doctor kept writing the prescription he was filling out, and without looking up at his superior, asked, “Does she still have the hiccups?”

BACK TO COOKING SCHOOL.

TENDER CUTS of meat can be cooked by dry heat, as in broiling, pan-broiling, or roasting.
TOUGH CUTS can only be made tender by moist heat, as in pot-roasting and Stewing.

Our main object is to prevent shrinkage in so far as possible, and produce a tender, juicy, tasty product. In roasting, searing does little to help keep in juices, less shrinkage results at a lower temperature for a longer time (300 F). Searing however makes the meat look attractive and the outside layers taste better.

An uncovered pan with a rack in the bottom gives the best results in roasting.  Cooking time varies with preference.
For rare meat, 16 minutes per pound.
For medium meat, 22 minutes per pound.
For well done meat, 30 minutes per pound.

Add salt during or after cooking, not before.  The salt flavour does not penetrate more then 1 inch. If the meat does not reach the desired colour during roasting, increase the heat to (500 F) for a few minutes before removing from the pan.

Methods of searing is subjecting the meat to a high temperature until it is nicely browned.

By Browning in an uncovered pan in a hot oven (450 F-500F).
By Browning in hot fat in a frying pan on the surface burner.
By Adding boiling water and cooking at boiling temperature until the outside of the meat has lost its red colour.

Reasons For Cooking Meat
To develop flavour.
To soften the connective tissue when present in large quantity.
To kill any living organisms that may be present

FOOD INFORMATION.

How safe is our food supply?

Increasingly, the corporations that supply us with processed foods are unable to guarantee the safety of their ingredients. As a result, not just red meat and poultry, is now a potential carrier of pathogens, government and industry officials concede. As the drive to keep food costs down intensifies, most corporations do not even know who is supplying their ingredients, let alone if those suppliers are screening the items for microbes and other potential dangers.

Some concede that they cannot ensure the safety of items — from frozen vegetables to pizzas — and that they are shifting the burden of safety to the consumer. It seems the only time we know the products are unsafe, is when there is a problem, people get sick, and the product is recalled.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association has called for new safety initiatives.   They include new training and more food safety audits.   The grocers also want a new internet-based recall system to speed up the process of finding and removing recalled food products.

For information on receiving recalls by e-mail, or for other food safety facts, visit: www.inspection.gc.ca

Don’t just guess to tell when meat, poultry and seafood are done.  Instead, use a food thermometer to make sure foods have reached at least the following internal temperatures:

Steaks: 145 degrees F (medium rare)

Ground beef: 160 degrees F

Chicken breasts: 165 degrees F

Whole poultry: 165 degrees F

Pork: 160 degrees F

Fish: 145 degrees F

Officials of Ottawa Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency remind home canners and consumers that home canning and bottling of seafood is popular in Canada, but food safety awareness should be the priority when home canning or when buying home canned products from vendors.

Improper preparation, canning or storage, especially of low-acid foods such as clams, lobster and whelks, can cause serious illness, even botulism. Bacteria that produce colourless, odourless, tasteless, invisible toxins not necessarily destroyed by cooking cause botulism.

To keep home canned food safe, the Canadian health agencies advise canners remember to:

Use a pressure canner and strictly follow the manufacturer’s instructions for low-acid food canning or bottling. Recipe ingredients, amounts, or jar sizes should not be changed because these can affect times/pressures needed and could result in bacteria remains in the food.

Clean and keep sanitizing hands, all work surfaces, food, utensils, and equipment during all stages of the canning process.

Use home canned product within one year. Once the container has been opened, refrigerate leftovers immediately.

Never eat canned foods if the closure or seal has been broken, or if the container is swollen or leaking. If in doubt, throw it out.

The Memorial Day weekend is coming up. It marks the unofficial start of summer. Many will celebrate with a cook out or picnic, two things that can lead to food borne illnesses.

Food safety experts say hand washing and cooking food thoroughly can help prevent those illnesses.

Never use the same plate to carry both raw and cooked food.

And that burger-flipping spatula? Same principal applies: Don’t use the same one to drop the burgers on the grill and then retrieve them once cooked.

Most people believe that when meat turns brown, it’s done.  In fact, one out of four burgers turn brown before it reaches 160 degrees.  Use a cooking thermometer.

IF IT’S STEAK, MAKE SURE IT’S WELL SEARED

Cooking steak is not the same as cooking ground beef. Bacteria like to congregate on the surface and edges of steak. So be sure to sear it to kill toxins.

BAR MIXES

If you have teenagers, or in fact any adult, impress on them the risks of driving while intoxicated. Statistics demonstrate drunk drivers cause many fatal road accidents.

It should be known that like any other drug, addiction is a potential hazard.  Excess of alcohol will affect organs such as the brain, heart, and liver.

 BLACK VELVET

In tall glass add half chilled Guinness stout, and half chilled champagne. Stir quickly.

 Rum Punch

½ Pint Puerto Rican Rum

½ Pint peach Brandy

½ Pint Lemon or Lime Juice

5 tablespoons Bitters

6 Pints Soda Water

Stir rum, brandy, juice and bitters in a bowl.  When ready to serve, add block of ice and soda.

Serve 10 persons

 House Standard
1 jigger Tequila
2 jiggers Tomato Juice
2 dashes Tabasco
Shake with cracked ice and strain.
Serve with slice of lemon.

 NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKTea Punch
3 cups brewed strong black tea
1 quart orange juice
1 cup lime or lemon juice
2 cups raspberry syrup
1 cup crushed pineapple
Bar sugar to taste
2 quarts club soda

Pour all ingredients except soda over a large block of ice in a punch bowl. Stir well. Let it chill. At serving time, add chilled soda.

If we aren’t fueling up with the appropriate kinds of foods, we are giving our body less of a chance to succeed in the activities that we need it to do. And just like a car that doesn’t get the right fuel, we can break down much sooner without the proper food.

Defining wellbeing food

The idea that fitness food is limited to carrots and celery is too narrow – in fact, healthful foods come from a mixture of sources. Starting with the meat group, you can choose from a number of foods: chicken, red meat, pork, and fish, for example.

From the dairy group, there’s yogurt, cheese, and milk.  In the vegetable group, there are hundreds of vegetables to choose from – peas, carrots, lettuce, zucchini, corn, spinach, and so many more. But you can also choose from the fruits – apples, oranges, pineapples, grapes, bananas, and more. And from the grains group, you have breads and oatmeal, for example. There’s also nuts and beans that fall into the wellbeing food groups as well.

What you may want to realize is that healthy foods are those that are as natural as possible – that is, they don’t have an extra ingredients to make them taste ‘good.’  They naturally taste good. You can find most fitness foods by heading to the outside aisles of your local supermarket, where the refrigerated sections are. These foods are the closet to their original form when they were picked – making them the best energy for your body as well.

Defining rubbish food

But on the other side of wellbeing food is the ever common rubbish food. These are foods that be full of preservatives and added ingredients that were not a part of the food to begin with. These would include anything from boxes of macaroni and cheese to pre-packaged dinners. rubbish food can look like nourishing food in some cases too.

Many more natural manufacturers are boxing up their foods to be quicker to prepare, but these can include unnecessary ingredients that may be harmful to your health. rubbish food is also found at fast food restaurants and street vendors, as well as some restaurants. When in doubt, if you can’t understand the ingredients list for a food, it’s probably not a good choice.  

What you gain from eating a healthful food plan

A healthy diet plan is the best way to energy your body because it allows the various systems within your body to access everything it needs in an quicker fashion.  Because your body doesn’t have to process artificial ingredients, it can get correct to the vitamins, minerals and other healthful parts of the food.

A healthy diet also does not include possibly harmful additives that have been linked with some cancers, food allergies, and weight gain. The human body was designed to run on a health diet plan that includes foods that are closest to the original source – the ground or the animal itself.

Here are some other health benefits of health food:

* Increased energy and vitality
* Quicker digestion of foods
* Better weight maintenance or loss
* Increased immune system function
* More resistance to diseases like cancers
* Lowered risk of heart disease
* Lesser cholesterol
* Reduced blood pressure
* Reduced risk of diabetes
* Lower cost than processed foods
* Healthier skin

And this list is incomplete. A health diet regime allows your body to perform to its highest capacity, which allows you to function better than you ever could by ingesting rubbish foods.

How do I switch to wellbeing food?

If you’re accustomed to eating rubbish food instead of health food, the transition can be a little more difficult. What you will want to do is slowly introduce new fitness foods to replace the rubbish that you have been choosing.

By replacing just 1 food at a time, you will start to generate new habits and feel better which then spurns you into adding even more healthful foods. Over time, you will create new habits as well as new fitness for yourself.

Grains

Grains appear in many foods such as bread, cereals and pasta and are a rich source of complex carbohydrates – the energy food for your body. Grains are also a source of Vitamin B and Iron as well as containing fiber, all of which are important for your health. As a rough guide you should try to eat around 6 ounces of grains per day. This can be obtained from 3 ounces of whole grained cereals, breads, rice, crackers or pasta.

Vegetables

The key to obtaining health benefits from vegetables is to eat a wide variety. Vegetables are a great health food as they contain a number of antioxidants that are proven to help the body resist certain form of cancer. Try to increase the amount of dark colored vegetables you eat, such as broccoli and tomatoes as these usually provide the best health benefits. Tomatoes for example contain lycopene which can help to protect your eyes from sight problems. As well as this, vegetables are a good source of fiber, which helps to keep your digestive system in top form.

Fruits

Fruits are also an important food for health and provide  benefits similar to vegetables – antioxidants and fiber for example as well as vitamins and minerals. Once again the best way to maximize the health benefits is to eat a wide variety of fruit. Although it is normal to believe that fresh fruit is the best, the same health benefits can be obtained from tinned fruit, frozen fruit and even dried fruit.  

Milk

I have to admit I was reluctant to include milk in this article. It’s true that milk does contain good levels of calcium, but there are also fats in milk that lead to increased levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream. This therefore negates any benefits from calcium by increasing your risk of heart disease. A far better way to get calcium is with soy milk. This is usually fortified with calcium and often has other vitamins added.

Meat and Beans

The main nutritional benefit of meat and beans is protein. As a rough guide you need 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of weight, so for example a man weighing 70 kilograms would need 56 grams of protein daily. Care should be taken in the methods used to cook meat. Baking, grilling or broiling are best as they don’t need additional fats in the cooking. You should also try to limit the amount of meat you eat especially red meat as frequent consumption is linked to a number of serious health conditions. Try to get more protein from fish, nuts, peas and beans.

These are the five basic foods that you should be learning about and making a central part of your diet. Starting a healthy eating diet along with moderate amounts of exercise can have an amazing affect on your lifestyle and wellbeing as well as your life expectancy. So make a decision to educate yourself about healthy eating choices and start enjoying the benefits of a healthy eating lifestyle.