As an “Ingredient Label reader” – SINCERELY TRYING TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND ON THE HEALTH ISSUE I have been searching for information about the currently in vogue “Impossible” & “Beyond” meat substitutes. from reasonably reliable sources wondering How Healthy Popular Plant-Based Meat Really Is, According to Nutritionists
And in no small part in hopes of finding facts. And
maybe even real info on its production and how all that processing
compares with the environmental effects of responsible farming.
As a health issue, so far this is the best I have been able to find. Hopefully so of my family and friends may know of other at least reasonably unbiased source of technical information I promise to read any links added to the comments –
In the meantime, since I have been noticing a number of posts including these “fake meats” I hope all will read and consider reading and “thinking about” these articles from Prevention magazine and Women’s Health
The search is still on for reliable production information to see if these products truly are “better for the environment” when objectively evaluated .
I would encourage all but especially parents to read the complete articles because just as all meat is not a complete diet, apparently none of these products are either.
Everything Bagel Seasoning Blend Comparison It is quite possible I got carried away with this Everything But The Bagel Seasoning. And yes I do know there are meds for OCD. However, I did learn something – For those concerned with Salt/Sodium, the best choice might not be Aldi’s. In terms of Price/Value/Sodium, The winner is the 11.5 oz Olde Thompson
Locally (Maryland) Aldi/Stonemill 2.3 oz at $1.95 Trader Joe – 2.3 oz at $1.99 BJ’s – OldeThompson – 11.5 oz at $4.99
What surprised me most was the substantial difference in Sodium between the Aldi/Stonemill brand and ALL others. The Aldi Stonemill had 95mg of Sodium – may be why some like its taste best but for those with special diet needs, the better choice may be Olde Thompson or Trader Joe at 65mg.
There at least another 6-10 “entries” on Amazon (trust me that is NOT the place you want to buy this seasoning but if you do – this is my affiliate link to the Olde Thompson as you can see it is double the price at BJ’s or Costco – and I included some links to other brands in my “store”
Basically all had at least the same 5-6 ingredients. Not necessarily listed in the same order. Sesame seeds, Sea Salt, Garlic, Onion, Poppy Seed. The “top 3” also include Black Sesame Seeds. Various descriptions were used for the form of Garlic and Onion.
If you like a PDF of the Chart which includes information for Aldi-Stonemill, BJ’s/Costco-Olde Thompson, Trader Joe, Safeway, Walmart/Great Value, McCormick’s and Castle Foods – email me with I will send copies until I remember how to include the link here. e mailto:wheatcarr@gmail.com
Please Note: Use at your own risk, I am human there may be mistakes. I did deconstruct 10g each of the Aldi, TJ & OldeThompson – For many reasons including respect for the rights to corporate formulas, ONLY publicly available information is included. Ingredients are labeled in the order shown on brand labels. Other Prices may vary by area.
Thank you to Paul Donahue, Cyndi Balke and Laura Coble Graham for their helpful added information.
So tell me, what is your favorite way to use this Spice Blend, I think it lends a sort of middle-eastern/asian taste, or it maybe I just like it in Fried Rice.
A bit back I asked on FaceBook how you defined Frugal and got quite an interesting variety of answers.
Frugal,to me, means taking the time to research the product with the best value ratio. That is not necessarily and in fact rarely is the least expensive.
If I heard it once I heard it a million times growing up that what is what worth having is (a) worth working for and (b) worth waiting for and of course the occasional “when you have job, you can waste your money that way if you want”? Tough love was often a staple in our home. My parent grew up during the depression so frugal living was embedded and I guess passed on.
There are many reasons for frugality – and at different times in my life, I have probably been motivated by any or all. For some, it is how you were raised. Others are frugal because they must be – whether by sudden change in circumstances or simply attempting to live within their means. Another common reason is to be mindful of how one spends so that one can afford other things (that worth working/waiting/saving for thing)
A frivolous frugal is my unwillingness to work with cheap yarns. If I am going to put that much of my time and energy into a project, then I want the best quality materials. so that means careful spending in other areas to afford the better yarns. It also often means fewer projects, but frankly that is okay.
Sometimes it means eating a LOT of hamburger meals so for a special occasion that expensive roast or exotic dessert is “on the table”>
There are more, but these seem to be the often cited.
Notice I have not mentioned the words cheap or miserly because really they have nothing to do with Frugality. Besides I prefer to focus on the positive when possible. And, as a smart mentor once told (well more than once) Cheap Can Cost You Dear – so that is not frugal.
Over the last years (even back to the hey day of Compuserve and Yahoo groups) I have been reading and occassionally commenting in “lists” and groups that focus on living frugally or “sustainably” or even some survivalists = because you can learn somethings even if you do not agree with the reasoning.
Today, the due diligence is a whole lot easier because so much information (although sometimes with questionable accuracy) available on line the “job” is much easier and as often as not can also be over whelming.
One thing I do know “for sure” is that I very much value the “habits” taught by my parents and several wonderful women who taught me cooking, knit, crochet and sewing basics as neighbors and “long distance” – not too mention parents who also instilled the importance of taking care of what you have “so it lasts”… because without them, there have been times in my life where those lessons were invaluable.
I do NOT consider myself a paragon of virtue – there are far too many times in my life where I listened to my heart over my head and that usually does not end well. But I have been very fortunate in many ways and so give thanks to those who have taught and otherwise helped me over my lifetime.
The question is always where to begin. for most I have often read it all starts with a need (whatever that might be) and a willingness to understand and determine “Need” vs “Want”
But there is no reason why one can’t learn the habits and how-tos before the emergency.
P.S. I have no idea where this line of thought is headed, but suspect there will be more – and of course I welcome your thoughts and experiences – because we can learn from each other.
It all started when the impossible happened. I ran out of Ricotta – an event which has never happened in my entire life. And something that must be prevented at all costs from occurring again.
Step 1: Check local library for cookbooks and wonder of wonders found on that REALLY Looked nearly perfect for my needs. For my Dairy Free friends, there is even a version that may be of interest to you as well
These are the Amazon links, although you may be able to find it for free – but if you do interact with these links, it is possible I may benefit from your purchase.
Since my experiments may need to be suspended for a few weeks (no wifi and unlikely they will set me loose in the facility kitchens, no matter what my first degree says “Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management” at the ReHab facility) Feel free to give either book a try and let me know know it goes.
Meanwhile something to look forward to in the New Yea! (the cooking not the physical therapy)
McCormick’s
is a “local” Maryland company and other than price is good quality –
In the past, I have found their recipes to be reliable – although since I
make my own blends – had to make some adjustments. But, for Beets
& Cauliflower – you are on your own.
This is not an affiliate link so far as I know, but if you are going to use Amazon to make a purchase, my “entry” for the tiny bounty for some purchases is… I “think” …. https://www.amazon.com/shop/wheatcarr
If you try them, I hope you will let me know from the perspective of “I already like Cauliflower” or “I will eat it” Pretty sure my group – The Can’t stand the smell so won’t be making this and now that I am an adult, you can’t make me won’t have much to say
Meanwhile, so far they seem to be the only brand that has a “table IODIZED Sea Salt and given my odd eating habits, it is good for me to have that option. It is has actually become quite common in many chain grocery and much more reasonably priced than either on line or in the Morton web site.
I don’t like the smell of Cauliflower cooking and do not like the flavor of raw – but many otherwise normal people seem to actually like it OR do not hate it and finding it helpful in the success in conjunction with Keto.
