All Rice: For Better or For Worse...

Let me tell you this; if there is one thing that I can’t live without when it comes to food, it is Rice! Yes, honestly I really can’t survive the whole day without eating rice. I must admit I grew up eating rice practically every meal almost every day. Even during breakfast, my mom will cook fried rice with hotdogs, fried egg and chocolate or coffee to complete the meal. That is how we were raised.

As a matter of fact, our love for rice has always shown even when we as family eat out for lunch or dinner; we always have this line after we have ordered everything... plus 2 extra order of rice please! Another proof that we, Filipinos cannot let go of rice is that many restaurants or cafes or even eateries give promos for unlimited rice to attract customers. Other famous dish of ours that already include rice is what we call “Beef pares”, literally means pair; this dish is best served in a bowl of garlic rice with braised beef on top paired with beef soup.

Asians, especially Filipinos love rice. Aside from the fact that rice is the main star in our meal and viands like meat, vegetables and fish are just some of the ways to spice it up, we also have a lot of delicious foods made from rice which are usually serve during special occasions like birthdays, fiestas and even on Christmas. We Filipinos have our very own rice cake, we call it here bibingka or puto we also love congee or lugaw, Japanese also have sushi rice, one Latin American dish I am familiar with which is made from rice is Arroz A la Valenciana, it has become famous here in the Philippines and that we made some variations in preparation that will suit the Filipino taste. There are a lot of recipes that you can find online for desserts and other dishes with rice as part of the ingredients.

I really have great passion for food; since I was a kid until now where I am currently trying to build a career online by taking some training from best online schools.  Health and fitness enthusiasts always suggest that if you want to trim down and lose some extra pounds you should also reduce rice intake. Probably, I can do that but not totally remove it from my everyday meal.  I cannot imagine myself replacing rice for bread or pasta.

If you are one those who does not enjoy eating rice because you find it boring and bland spice it up. You can try different varieties, aside from the white rice, there is also the brown and the black rice. Rice is a very versatile food in such a way that it can be prepared according to your taste. Try your own creativity or you can check out some rice recipes online and you’ll see why Filipinos love rice like nobody else does.

All About Tofu and It’s Health Benefit

Have you ever tasted tofu? Did you know that this off white color, bland looking food usually packed in rectangular shape is a nutritious food that was once only found in Asia, and is now considered a kitchen wonder? Yes, tofu, which is made from curds of soy bean milk, has gained wide recognition because of its health benefits.  It is a very good source of protein that helps lower total cholesterol level.

Many people have started using tofu as alternative ingredient, because it’s cheaper and is widely available in the market. Vegetarians have been using tofu as a meat substitute in a variety of dishes; I do use tofu as extenders for meat dishes too. Aside from that, health experts and health conscious eaters as well have made tofu part of their daily diet program. This is also good for those who want to enter the police officer training, since this kind of training entails a lot of vigorous activities and most trainees are prone to various hearth diseases.

I used to hate tofu when I was a kid; I don’t like the smell whenever my mom would fry it and then serve it as an appetizer, you only need a combination of soy sauce, vinegar and chopped onion as dip, At times tofu is also part of our main dish where it is mixed with boiled pork cut or sliced in bite size. It is blended with soy and vinegar topped with chopped onions... best serve with congee. Now, I don’t care about how it smells, I don’t notice it actually now whenever I prepare a tofu dish. All I know is that I’m hungry and can’t wait to have a bite.

Here in the Philippines, tofu also known as tokwa is more commonly prepared as appetizer, usually for some friends who are having a good time after a day’s work. It is not just cheap, easy to prepare but of course with a lot of nutritional value. It has no particular taste actually as it only absorbs the taste of the ingredients in the dish.

It is not easy to ignore the benefits tofu can contribute to our health. It contains no cholesterol, low calories and high in protein. So to all those health and figure conscious out there, start including tofu as part of your daily meal plan for a healthy lifestyle.

The Sweet Life: Cakes for All Occasions

I loooove cakes!!! I love making them, eating them...  it is something I really can’t resist, offer me a piece and it won’t last a minute. Well, of course I’m just exaggerating it when I said that but really I do love cakes and my favorite... the classic caramel cake with custard filling topped with peanuts all over it. Yummy!!!

I really love cooking although I don’t have much time yet to make it as a profession. It would forever be a dream I guess, that is why I settled myself with baking simple cakes on birthdays and other occasions at home.

During those times when I was not yet so preoccupied with work and taking care of the kids at the same time, I thought of enrolling in a culinary class but since culinary class is quite expensive I opted not to pursue it because it is not within my budget. I then search the internet for online courses about cooking and baking but then again I ended up just printing different recipes and add it to my recipe collection. And when I have time I try doing some of the recipes and my kids are usually the judges and do some taste test.

Lately, I’m becoming more conscious of my weight as well as my health since I’m not getting any younger anymore. I’m trying to engage myself on a strict diet to lose some weight, but my craving for cakes is still there. I searched the internet for some information about cake’s nutritional value; well my intention actually was to look for an excuse so I can still eat my favorite cake even if I am on a diet!

Luckily I found out that cakes are excellent source of fats and oils because of its shortening and frosting ingredients. These fats in cakes are needed, although in small amounts, for body energy and a source for body heat for the winter season. Cakes also contain protein nutrients because it has eggs as ingredients. Cakes made from fruits such as pineapple cake, apple cake, banana cake help us get the right amount of fiber for better digestion.

With all these nutritional facts about cakes, who says they are the reason for all those unwanted curves. Maybe it is just a matter of discipline and self control. You want to lose weight, yes; but that does not mean depriving yourself from eating what you want. We also need to get the nutrients that we need and at the same time savor the taste and satisfy our cravings. 

Deciphering the Nutrition Facts label of Packaged Foods

Who knew that not reading the fine print on the back of prepackaged foods could hurt you? It wasn't very long ago that all a package had was an ingredient list and perhaps an expiry date. Today however, one needs a PhD in nutrition to figure out what those words and numbers in a nutrition label mean! I attended one of the top online nursing programs in one of the top online nursing schools and I still had a hard time figuring it out. For those that get it, it's a great tool to figure out what you're putting in your body. But for those that don't, here goes nothing.  


Before you even begin reading the nutrition label on the back, don't be fooled by the loud lettering on the front that claims that the food is “Low fat” or “Diet-Friendly”. These words really mean nothing. You see, in the front they can say just about anything they chose to, about the food. But the back is a whole another issue. Nutrition labels that go on the back of prepackaged foods are closely monitored and regulated by the FDA. So the next time you grab a bag of Doritos, don't bother with the front, just go right to the back!  


Begin your search with looking at the serving size first. This will be in particularly small print for a good reason. An average person would consider a standard size of a Doritos bag to be around 10 servings. But reading the fine print on the back would tell you that it’s actually 20! This is particularly important to read as watching what you eat is all about portion control.


Next pay close attention to the sodium content which is found towards the lower end of the food label. If you are consuming your entire sodium ration for the day in one meal in a watery soup, your cardiologist may have a thing or two to say about that. Recommended daily values have been established for a reason, so tread carefully when it comes to salt!


Then comes’ the clincher, the calorie information!  This must be read while keeping the serving size in mind – remember that the number of calories is per portion and not for the entire package, no matter how small the package! An average person requires between 2,000 and 3,000 calories per day. This is a good guideline to use for how much to consume a day. Working on one of the best online nursing phd programs, my friends and I from other online registered nursing programs barely had time to eat leave alone watching what we ate.  These guidelines came in really handy in keeping an eye on our weight. Under government regulations, food manufacturers must include calcium, iron and vitamin information as well.


With food allergies being rampant these days it is important that the allergy information be read carefully, especially the section that details the processing facilities shared by the food with other known allergens. If that is a concern, most labels will clearly mention that the food is processed in a plant that also processes nuts or wheat or whatever else the allergen may be.


So the next time you let your six year old throw his favorite cookies or crackers in your shopping cart, put on your cheaters and at least glance through the label. You might be surprised at what you find!


For a thorough and easy to follow formula for calculating how many calories come from carbs watch the following video:

Moderation - Even With Health Food, What the Experts are Saying About Soy!

There is no such a thing as too much of a good thing or is there? As a recent graduate of one of the top online schools for nursing, I was asked by a friend who was pursuing an online masters degree to look into the benefits of soy as she was premenopausal and couldn't pick up a book without reading about what soy does for a woman in that stage of her life. Also being a vegetarian and knowing that soy is an excellent source of non-animal protein, it just seemed the most natural choice to gravitate towards tofu and edamame. But lo and behold, what I found was truly shocking, considering that I take every chance to chow down on soy in spite of not being particularly fond of its texture. What was interesting was that soy is great for the body in moderate quantities but anything over a certain critical mass could do a number on your system.

Soy For Women: Recent studies have shown that soy can have harmful effects on female fertility and reproductive development. This is mostly worrisome because soy is ubiquitous in most processed foods. Recently, replacing soy for everything gluten has become commonplace with rampant wheat allergies across the board, so it comes as no surprise that the ingredient list of every box of crackers is punctuated with soy this or soy that. So if moderation is an important aspect of your diet, it is especially true with the soybean.

Soy For Men: While extensive studies have been done on the effects of soy on women, men have mostly been neglected in this arena. Recent research has pointed out that the high concentrations of isoflavones in soy have been linked to an increase in aggressive behavior in men. So while isoflavones have tremendous cancer fighting and cardiovascular benefits, it hardly makes up for road rage, does it? While the dose makes a difference when it comes to soy, gender seems to play an even bigger role. An even more bothersome study from Hawaii has shown that excessive soybean consumption in men leads to brain atrophy and loss of cognition.

Considering how reliant our society has become on prepackaged foods, experts recommend that although tofu is a miracle food, moderation is key unless losing your way and getting mad about it is okay by you!