GL Focus: Kosher

What does "kosher" mean?

When I applied for my current job in the kosher food industry, my understanding of "kosher" was that a rabbi would come into your home and say a blessing over your microwave or stove, and then it was kosher. Boy I had a lot to learn!!! During my interview process I would go home and Google as many terms as I could. I started inquiring about the little symbols I had seen on products all my life but never took the time to understand. I wanted this job and I knew with a bit of research I could impress my future bosses with my wealth of kosher knowledge. Months after hiring me, my manager told me, "You had me at 'hechsher.'" So what exactly are those symbols and what does it take to be able to certify your product as kosher?

[Blogger's Caveat: This by no means is a total rundown of the Jewish law, but it is an understanding for people who, like myself, never understood what being "kosher" entails.]

Back in April, The New York Times ran this article on the rise in popularity of kosher products, citing that only 15% of kosher product consumers do so for religious reasons. So what is it about kosher food that attracts the other 85%?

#1. Kosher is not just for the religious.
It means the health standards are higher and supervision is key to maintain those standards. Kosher laws regarding slaughter are so sanitary and supervised, the USDA's regulations are not as strict and often kosher butchers are exempt from the USDA rules since they already go above and beyond the USDA requirements. [Dietary Laws explained]

#2. Bug free.
When it comes to produce, being kosher means the fruit or vegetable you are about to eat has been inspected for bugs. This is key for any consumer. Each Garden Lites souffle and dish has gone through rigorous inspection to ensure every fruit and vegetable used meets these laws. Also, the fruits and vegetables go through a series of washes in order to ensure the best quality possible.

#3. Classifications of Dairy, Meat, or Parve help those with specific dietary needs.
Since kosher products define themselves on the label in order to keep dairy and meat products separate, it is very helpful to certain groups with dietary needs. If you are a vegetarian, you can avoid the meat labels, or if you are vegan, you know which foods contain dairy. Be aware that there are some ingredients that vegans and vegetarians do have to look out for - fish and eggs are considered neutral so for those avoiding them, be sure to read your labels!

These are just the basics of all that goes in to being a kosher product, but I feel it gives a good understanding to those new to the concept of "kosher." I know from personal experience, after learning about the standards that kosher products are held to, I began looking for the notation on products I would typically purchase. Each symbol, or hechsher, represents a different certifying organization. Depending on how strictly you follow the kosher law, different hechshers also come with different levels of supervision. To learn more about one of our certifiers, Star-K, you can check out their website.

GL Focus: Portion Control

Today I researched "cheating." No, things aren't rocky at home. But I have had trouble with my wandering stomach. My diet before consisted of so many sweets in such large quantities that to re-train it to be healthy has been an uphill battle.

The one Garden Lites a day is going really well and I think that's giving me a big boost, but I still am trying to figure out how to curb my sweet tooth. I once met an elderly woman who, when asked how she has stayed in good health all her life, replied "If I crave something, I wait a month and if I'm still craving it after a month, then I allow myself a little bit of it." A month?! With me, I'm lucky if I last a minute. With those words of wisdom/insanity in the back of my mind, I have increased my wait time from one minute to thirty and I've decreased my portion size from as much as I can inhale to what is specified as one serving.

Have you noticed how out of control our portions have gotten? We are so used to eating such giant amounts of food whether at restaurants or at home, that to sit down and eat only 4 chips as a snack seems criminal. I've also found that people (me included) look at food labels to determine what is a healthy choice based on the nutritional facts, but then eat multiple servings worth and are still confused why they aren't as healthy as the label says they should be. That's one of the great things about the Garden Lites souffles, you don't have to police yourself on how much to have before you stop. Which, for people like me who have very bad will power, is a great thing.

This Good Morning America segment on ABC drives home the point that our views on what a serving size is are way off. [Posted above]

Who's to blame for America getting fat? Instead of giving blame, I think it's time to take responsibility and not only read those labels, but try to abide by them. 2 Tablespoons of dip? Okay. Half of a 16oz. beverage as a drink? Alright. Just because the whole thing is in front of you doesn't mean you need to eat it all.

Try to eat off of a plate or in a bowl instead of out of the bag. Use smaller plates to trick your eye into thinking there's more food. Savor bites instead of wolfing them down. They say only the first few bites of something are what gives you the great taste, after that you're just going through the motions. So enjoy those moments and slow down. If you're going out to eat ask for the waiter to bring a container for your leftovers before the meal so you can portion off how much you'd like to eat in that sitting.

These simple steps can help you control your eating and get real about how much you're supposed to consume. Starting with a Garden Lites can be a great way to train yourself to eat less but eat better. You don't need mass quantities of food in order to get all the nutrients your body needs. Our 7 oz. souffle packs a mean punch with 2 full servings of vegetables, a good dose of dietary fiber, and significant levels of protein. Can your 4 chips give you that? Didn't think so!

GL Focus: Clean Food Label

Which one of the following ingredients is NOT found in Garden Lites Roasted Vegetable Souffle...

• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Egg Whites
• Zucchini
• Spinach
• Autolyzed Yeast Extract
• Broccoli
• Red Peppers
• Onions
• Whole Eggs
• Brown Sugar
• Rice Flour
• Sea Salt
• Salt
• Spices

You may have guessed that one of those ingredients stands out like a sore thumb - Autolyzed Yeast Extract. It just doesn't sound natural... and it's not! But it can be found in one of our competitor's souffles. (Who shall remain nameless and teaches you to READ YOUR LABELS!)

That additive is classified as a "Flavor Enhancer" according to the FDA. It's made in a lab by taking a processed yeast product and extracting the cell contents. Yum!

By not using any additives or unnatural ingredients, Garden Lites has a "Clean Food Label" and can feel confident that we only make healthy, natural food. You can pronounce all of our ingredients, you know what they are, they occur naturally in the world and are most likely sitting in your pantry. If you're working with great food from the beginning, you don't need a chemistry lab to add flavor, it's already there.

Check the labels of foods you normally eat. Is there something listed that you don't know what it means? Look it up! It might surprise you what you've been consuming. The cleaner the label, the better you can feel - inside, and out.

GL Focus: Nut Free

Over the past few years, nut allergy awareness has spread like - peanut butter? But if you suffer from an allergy to nuts, it's nothing to laugh at. Nut allergies are very serious, even deadly, and for those affected, food labels are a lifeline.

You may have noticed on each Garden Lites box the words "Nut Free." It may not seem like a big deal, but to produce our foods in a nut-free facility means a lot. We have done our part to help the nut-free community, but the question still remains: What are nut allergies and why are they so widespread all of a sudden? Let's learn a little more about this growing concern.

Growing up my mom never thought twice to pack a PBJ for lunch, but now many schools have banned the dangerous nut. And for good reason, the allergies are more prevalent in children than adults. Many blame over sanitizing around infants. A lack of exposure to germs and other bacteria can create weaker immune systems. But studies have shown that may not be the only cause.

Nut allergies could happen because of when a food was introduced, or even how. "Roasted peanuts, for instance, have increased allergenicity because cooking changes the nature of the proteins in the nut" claims a MedPage Today article on the topic. The same article reports peanut allergies have tripled among children between 1997 and 2008. As if that wasn't shocking enough, a survey was done and found 1.4% of children have peanut allergies. Sometimes fatal, called anaphylaxis when your respiratory system goes into distress, peanut allergies are now the number one cause of food allergy deaths. Not to say that everyone who is allergic will have such severe reactions, but it is important to know how serious these allergies can get.

Here are some other symptoms people with peanut allergies could have (from the National Peanut Board website)

skin irritation - rash, hives, itching or swelling
respiratory tract - wheezing, cough, chest tightness, shortness of breath, sneezing, runny nose
cardiovascular system - dizziness, lightheadedness, loss of consciousness, chest pain
gastro-intestinal tract - stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea

"Experts do not know why some people have mild reactions and others have life threatening reactions," the National Peanut Board reports. Nut allergies are not something you outgrow either. Unlike other food allergies, peanut allergies tend to be a lifelong issue. So finding good foods to rely on for meals is very important.

If you or your child is diagnosed with a peanut allergy, Garden Lites souffles and dishes could be a great way to ensure a healthy and allergen-friendly meal. The best way to find out if you or someone you love has food allergies is to go to a Board Certified Allergist and get diagnosed.

GL Focus: Gluten Free

Each week we'll focus on a different aspect of Garden Lites and how you can work it into your healthy lifestyle. This week's topic: Gluten

You may see me boasting how all of Garden Lites' products are Gluten Free, it seems to be all the buzz lately. But do you know what gluten is? With the help of Celiac.com I gathered some basic facts about this rapidly growing allergy that you may not have known about.

• Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.
• Gluten intolerance, known as Celiac disease, is a genetic disorder that
  affects at least 1 in 133 Americans.
• Symptoms of Celiac disease include diarrhea, weight loss and malnutrition.

Here's a link to the Mayo Clinic outlining the do's and don'ts of following a gluten free diet.

It's becoming more and more popular for Americans not suffering from Celiac disease seeking a healthier lifestyle to adopt a gluten free diet. In 2008 Oprah began following a 21-day cleanse that among other things included eliminating - you guessed it - gluten! Now just because Oprah and a growing percentage of Americans are going gluten-free, please remember that I am not a doctor and you should speak to your doctor before making any radical changes to your diet. But if making a simple change can help your digestion and make you feel better from the inside out, why not look into it and see if going sans-gluten is right for you?

I am really looking forward to what this blog has coming up - spoiler alert! - Peg, our National Sales Director, and I, your trusty blogger (and Marketing Assistant!) Julie are going to embark upon a healthy lifestyle challenge. We are going to pull out all the stops and track our progress as we get real about our health and start thinking about what we eat. I can't wait!

Peace & Good Eatin'

Julie