Saturday, December 27, 2014

4 Steps to Planning Healthy Vegetarian Meals

Whether you are transitioning to vegetarian or vegan food or you have been preparing vegetarian meals for a long time, you might occasionally find yourself in a rut when trying to plan the menu for the week. There is a simple formula that you can follow, which makes it easier to plan vegetarian meals:
Step 1: Choose a Grain
 Whole grain foods are often a staple in vegan food, because it is often used as a substitute for the satisfying and filling ingredient in the meal. Examples might include rice, wheat, or quinoa. Or, you might choose a starch such as potatoes instead.
Step 2: Choose a Vegetable
When preparing vegan food, it is important that you are eating a wide variety of vegetables and fruits in order to get the essential nutrients that are needed for optimal health. Serve large portions of vegetables, and make sure to have at least one or more vegetables with every meal.
Step 3: Flavor the Meal
It can be boring to eat the same flavors over and over again, but with a little creativity you can find ways to prepare different vegetarian meals with the same ingredients. As an example, consider the many ways that rice can be prepared: Spanish rice, sushi, curry, and more. Explore different ethnic flavors and recipes, to find the spice combinations that your family enjoys.
Step 4: Serve a Vegan Dessert
Many popular dessert recipes include animal products, such as milk or other dairy ingredients. Choose a vegan alternative instead, such as vegan chocolate.
At Premium Chocolatiers, we offer many types of chocolates that are made without dairy or other animal products. Visit our website to view the vegan food and desserts that are available.


Sunday, December 21, 2014

Delicious, Dairy Free Chocolate Pudding Recipe


Are you searching the internet for dairy free recipes, because you want a tasty chocolate treat without dairy ingredients? There are many chocolate recipes to choose from, but the problem is that the majority of those recipes contain dairy ingredients. Here is a delicious dairy free chocolate recipe for you to enjoy:
Dairy Free Chocolate Pudding
1/3 cup organic sugar
2 tablespoons cold water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
A pinch of salt
1/3 cup chocolate chips, dairy free

Add the water and cornstarch in a small bowl, mix together and set aside. Add the salt, cocoa powder, and sugar in a small saucepan. Turn on the heat to medium-low, slowly stir in the almond milk. Be sure to stir constantly, so that the mixture maintains a smooth consistency.
Don't let the mixture come to a boil. Continue cooking until you see steam rising from the surface, and a thin film will develop on top. Next, remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate chips. Continue stirring frequently to prevent the chocolate chips from sitting on the bottom of the pan. Let the mixture cool for about 3 minutes.
Add in the vanilla and cornstarch mixture, stir well. Put the pan over medium-low heat again, continue stirring constantly. You will see the mixture thicken up, but don't let it get too thick because it will thicken a little more when it cools.
Cool the pudding for about 20 minutes before placing the bowl in the fridge. Let it chill for 2 hours before eating.
Dairy Free Chocolate for You To Enjoy
If you want to make other dairy free recipes, then we invite you to visit our Premium Chocolatiers website. We have many allergy-free options for you to choose from, and you can use all of our products in your dairy free recipes.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Peanut Allergy Guide: Protecting Your Loved Ones Who Have a Peanut Allergy

Whether you have a peanut allergy or you know someone who is allergic to peanuts or any other type of food, then you are probably aware of the fact that it is very important to avoid these foods in order to prevent a reaction. Some people are highly allergic to peanuts or other ingredients, which means that exposure to these foods might result in serious health problems and it could even cause them to stop breathing.
Planning Peanut-Free Meals and Snacks
With a food allergy, it is extremely important that you check every ingredient that is being used in the meal, to ensure that you won't cause the person to have an allergic reaction. For example, with a peanut allergy, you need to ensure that the product is free of peanuts, and you also need to double check to make sure there isn't a risk of peanut cross contamination.
Sometimes, foods are manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts or other types of nuts. If someone with a peanut allergy eats foods that were cross-contaminated with peanuts, then it could potentially result in a food allergy reaction even if their food didn't have any peanuts added directly during the manufacturing.
Finding Safe Foods to Eat
If you are preparing foods from scratch, then you will be able to monitor the ingredients that are added into the meals and avoid cross-contamination. If you are serving pre-made foods, then you should closely read the label, in order to ensure that the food was prepared in a peanut free environment.
At Premium Chocolatiers, we offer peanut-free chocolate that is safe for people with a food allergy. Visit our website to see the chocolate varieties that we offer.


Saturday, December 6, 2014

Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Many people consider chocolate to be a vice, but did you know that dark chocolate is good for your health? Over the years, chocolate has gained a bad reputation, and now doctors are uncovering health benefits that can be gained from chocolate.
How Dark Chocolate Boosts Your Health
Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, which are packed full of antioxidants in the form of flavonoids. When you are consuming antioxidants in your diet, those antioxidants work to reduce the free radical load in your body.
Increased free radical activity has been linked with a higher risk of heart disease and cancer. So, it is possible to decrease your risk of these serious diseases by decreasing free radical activity with antioxidant consumption.
Dark chocolate is packed full of these antioxidants. In fact, it is estimated that dark chocolate contains about 8 times more antioxidants than strawberries. Another benefit of dark chocolate is that the flavonoids help to balance hormone levels and decrease blood pressure. It has also been found that dark chocolate helps to reduce "bad" LDL cholesterol by as much as 10 percent.
Vegan Milk Chocolate vs. Dark Chocolate
If you are planning to eat chocolate for the health benefits, it is important that you choose a vegan variety. Milk and sugar are two ingredients that are not beneficial for your health, especially if you have a milk allergy. Vegan dark chocolate contains no milk and it has lower sugar content compared with milk or white chocolate.
At Premium Chocolatiers, our goal is to provide you with a variety of healthier chocolate options, and our products are vegan and allergy-free. Visit our website to see the delicious vegan dark chocolate products that are available.