Introducing our new “TRE Quality Label”

Published by Thursday, July 25, 2013 Permalink 0


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Introducing our new “TRE Quality Label”: Healthy, Homemade Meals Delivered to Your Door, Geneva

The TRE Quality Label

The TRE Quality Label

Introducing our new “TRE Quality Label”

In this complex world of industrial food, where even organic food is sold by agro food conglomerates, it is important to know the quality and origin of what we eat. Thus the importance of a quality label that has been tested by people like us who are experienced in the real-food business. When we give the TRE Quality Label, we know where the ingredients came from, we know how the food was processed and treated — and most of it is entirely local,  allowing you too to eat locally. We also know how it tastes, because we’ve tasted it all.

All the important criteria make up part of the TRE Quality Label: quality, origin, and taste. You can be sure of what you’re buying if it has a TRE Quality Label.

Today, we’d like to introduce the first product to which we’re giving our label: panbeh, a Geneva grassroots operation that makes every attempt to meet all these criteria, and to put something healthy, natural and tasty on your plate.

panbeh‘s meals are delivered straight to your door in Geneva. Most of the ingredients are from Geneva or nearby in the countryside.

It is the perfect solution for those who are home bound and for the elderly, as well as for those who simply don’t have the time to do the shopping required to cook a healthy, well-balanced meal. It’s great for those weeks when your work schedule is heavy, and ensures that you’ll get a home-cooked, healthy meal every day, delivered straight to your door.

Geneva: Healthy, Homemade Meals Delivered to Your Door by panbeh

panbeh describes itself:

panbeh means “pure cotton” in Farsi: the purity of a healthy, home-cooked meal

Panbeh's very own cotton plant in Geneva, Switzerland

Panbeh’s very own cotton plant in Geneva, Switzerland

As we all know, what we eat is important for our daily activity and well-being, so we are introducing our new concept: the pleasure of eating healthy, natural, homemade food while fully enjoying the taste of what you eat, delivered right to your door.

No additives and no pesticides, no hormones and no chemicals — only the real, natural flavor of top quality, artisanal ingredients, the origin of which we systematically list. And you benefit from the real taste of the whole, untreated, unprocessed food, prepared fresh every day in a high-fiber, low-fat manner.

Whenever possible, we use only organic ingredients.

We propose a daily lunch menu and will deliver it to you at your home or your office, free of charge. Please find below are our daily menus for the month of July.

Delivery to your home or office
Order the night before (before 6 pm) for next day’s lunch, or order for the whole week
Orders are delivered between 12 and 1 pm

Order by email:
panbeh@servge.ch
or by phone:
076 630 79 56

 
Free delivery for Petit-Saconnex, Grand-Saconnex, Grand-Pré and Nations.
 

It is our right to know where our food comes from:

Bread: Eric Emery bakery, Geneva.
Vegetables, fruits and mountain herbs (organic): Marché à la Ferme de Budé, Geneva.
Cheese (organic) : Casa Mozzarella, Geneva.
Salmon: Wild from Alaska or Scotland, sold by Francesco Drago, Halle de Rive covered market, Geneva.
Tomato sauce (organic): Marché a la Ferme de Budé, Geneva.
Spaghetti (organic): Marché à la Ferme de Budé, Geneva.
Rice & Quinoa (organic): Marché de Vie, Geneva
Olive oil: Greece, sold by Marché à la Ferme de Budé, Geneva
Eggs (organic): Marché à la Ferme de Budé, Geneva.
Chicken (organic) : Swiss origin
Wheat (organic) : Swiss origin

 

Bon appétit!

 

MENU for July 2013 (24.00 CHF)

Monday
Mixed salad
Quinoa balls, oven-baked Homemade
panbeh cake

Tuesday
Shirazi salad (tomato, cucumbers, onion, fresh mint)
Indian Tilda rice with safran, berberis (barberries) and chicken, or wild rice with chicken and vegetables
Fresh fruit salad

Wednesday
Potato salad, onion, eggs
Eggplant and tomato sandwich
panbeh homemade crème caramel

Thursday
Tomato & mozzarella & fresh basil
Spaghetti, tomato sauce & mushrooms
Watermelon or melon

Friday
Salad (ricotta & tomato covered with aromatic herbs)
Wild smoked salmon sandwich
Homemade panbeh cake

Large portion of mixed salad: 12.00 CHF

Drinks: kefir, mineral water, or fruit juice.

 

Order by email:
panbeh@servge.ch
or by phone:
076 630 79 56

 

 

 

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Summertime: Best Time to Start a Diet

Published by Wednesday, July 17, 2013 Permalink 0

The Rambling Epicure, Editor, Jonell Galloway, food writer.Summertime: Best Time to Start a Diet

by Jonell Galloway

Summertime is diet time: an approach to changing your eating habits

A diet rich in soy and whey protein, found in ...

Summertime is the best time to start changing your eating habits. Fruits and vegetables are tastier and cheaper in summer, so your tastebuds are satisfied, but with fewer calories and more fiber. You can take advantage of this time to start a lifestyle change that will not only help you lose weight, but hopefully change your way of eating for the rest of your life.

The Swiss seem to have understood some of the basic rules better than others, according to our 27 July 2009 article on the Swiss preference for fresh fruit and milk products.

Fill the kitchen with fruit

Start getting getting as much as possible of your sugar intake from fresh fruit.

Berries of all kinds are among the highest in fiber, and can be used in a variety of ways. In the Lake Geneva region, we have the good fortune of having berries from May and sometimes until late October or the beginning of November. If you want to nibble on something, you can just pop a handful in your mouth.

Alaska wild berries from the Innoko N...

 

Cherries are also easy to just pop in your mouth when you want to nibble on something.

According to WebMD, tomatoes and peppers of all colors are both in the fruit family. They are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and lycopene, and low in calories. Munch on them to prevent snacking on processed foods.

Fruit is also full of water, so it makes you feel full, without eating any fat or carbohydrates.

There are endless combinations of fruit to throw into your smoothies or that can be mixed with fiber-filled granola, muesli or oats, along with some plain, sugar-free yogurt.

Make it a goal to eat fruit in some new way every time you need a sugar fix. A bowl of berries or cherries can even replace a glass of red wine, from time to time, and your tastebuds might not even notice it.

Fill the kitchen and fridge with fresh local vegetables

Buying local ensures that vegetables are fresher and therefore more flavorful.

An emphasis should be put on vegetables that can be eaten raw, and that are easy to prepare.  If you have a little hunger pang, gnaw on a baby carrot stick, or slice a sun-ripened tomato, and add salt and a trickle of olive oil. If you can get your hands on some sun-ripened cherry tomatoes, you can pop them in your mouth like potato chips.

Cherry pepper poppers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make a big batch of gazpacho. It keeps for a few days and the high water content makes you feel full. It is also full of fiber and vitamins.

In the Lake Geneva region, we are blessed with a plethora of wild greens. In farmers markets, you can choose your own and make your own mesclun, or mixed greens, or buy the farmers’ own mixes , which vary from one producer to another. This wide variety lets you make a different kind of salad every day. The varieties are endless. But one warning about salads: the bad fats and calories are in the dressing, so try and make your own dressings, using good oils, yogurt, tahini, crushed tomatoes, etc.

The fact that summer vegetables are full of flavor will help you get in the habit of munching on vegetables instead of fat-filled snacks like chips and sausages.

Fill the fridge with plain yogurt and cottage cheese

Yogurt is full of iodine, calcium and phosphorous, and loads of other nutrients. According to The World’s Healthiest Foods, the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found low-fat, calcium-rich foods such as yogurt, which has the same fat content as the milk in your region (this varies from place to place, but hovers around 3.8% in the Lake Geneva region), to have a negative correlation with body fat. They encourage parents to accustom children to incorporate it into their diet in light of growing problems of obesity in children.

"Eat More Cottage Cheese...You'll Need Le...

 

The 11 January 2005 issue of International Journal of Obesity found that obese adolescents who eat more than 3 yogurts a day in conjunction with a lower-calorie diet and an increase in physical activity lost 22% more than adolescents in a control group which only cut back on calories and had a lower calcium intake. Increased calcium intake can also help reduce weight, in particular abdominal fat.

Yogurt is also a source of low-fat protein, just like beans and cottage cheese. Both yogurt and cottage cheese open the door to endless combinations of fruit. The old-fashioned Mayo clinic diet of cottage cheese and a peach is not all that bad if your peach is ripe and juicy. Cottage cheese can also be doctored with herbs, to make it a savory dish.

Start getting your protein from low-fat sources

Gradually start replacing your sources of protein with yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, beans, or soy-based products. Try making your smoothies with soy milk from time to time. Quark has more fat than the other options, but is still a low-fat source of protein as long as cream has not been added to it (read the label and fat content).

The more fiber the better

The more fiber-filled food you eat, the fuller you will feel. Over the long run, you will eat less fatty food.

More fiber helps you cut down on carbohydrates, and start decreasing their intake in your diet.

Water, water, water: never enough

Fiber soaks up water, making your tummy feel full. In summer, you need more water anyway, so it’s a good time to get in the habit of drinking your eight glasses of water per day.

Take another look at the food pyramid and the USFDA guidelines for healthy eating

The old food pyramid.

The US Food and Drug Administration is full of good advice about how to intelligently read food labels and make your calories count. Print out the pyramid and tape it onto your kitchen bulletin board or refrigerator door. Print out the food guidance and diet articles, and study them from time to time.

MyPlate.gov chart

MyPlate replaces the old U.S. food pyramid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, their new food pyramid that came out earlier this year is totally color-coded and has no words because it is intended to be interactive, so I’m showing you the old one. Disabled World has added excellent explanations to the new one (it might be better to print theirs).

Eat 5 to 6 mini-meals instead of 3 large meals per day

Dr. Sue Cunningham from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in the U.S. says that the human body is meant to be fed every 4 to 5 hours. Eating 2 or 3 mini-meals, consisting of healthy options, and 3 regular meals, in smaller portions, is therefore an ideal way to lose weight.

Continue eating out, but change your approach

When eating out, avoid ordering dishes with pastry, cream, and butter. Give preference to dishes containing lots of vegetables. Don’t hesitate to ask the server what is served with your dishes, and don’t hesitate to ask for side orders of vegetables and salads, even if they’re not listed on the menu. Skip the French fries and chips. Ask if you can replace them with salad or another vegetable. The more vegetables and salad, the merrier.

If you really can’t pass up dessert, try and choose fruit-based puddings, or homemade sorbets made with seasonal fruit. Don’t hesitate to ask if desserts are served with cream, whether they’re really sweet or rich, or any other question that might help you maintain your healthy ways. If you ask nicely and explain why you’re asking, servers rarely mind giving you advice about which desserts are healthier than others.

Cut down on carbohydrates

Winter vegetables tend to be higher in carbohydrates, so this approach to eating should by definition cut down your carbohydrate intake. Just remember to continue along the same lines once winter vegetables start again, and keep the level of carbohydrates in your diet low.

Give preference to the farmers market

The farmers market is a great way to give emotional support to these new eating habits. Take your camera along, and glory in the beauty of all the summer colors and beautifully stacked fruit and vegetables. Take your children along, and use the occasion to teach them why it’s better to eat fruit than artificially-flavored candy and show them the glories of summer as if it were an art show.

Change your supermarket buying habits

You might want to put a copy of the articles you’ve printed out in your pocket before going to the supermarket. That way you can read the labels on everything you buy and consult your list if you’re not sure whether an ingredient is good or bad. Sometimes just reading the label will scare you away from foods that are bad for you.

Photo courtesy of http://www.coachcalorie.com/where-do-you-shop-in-the-grocery-store/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t even go to the danger zones in the supermarket: chips, traditional savory cocktail accompaniments, sausage, frozen pizzas, cakes, cookies and biscuits, candy, or anything else that might be on the bad list, just waiting to tempt you.

It’s probably not advisable to take your children to the supermarket with you if you’re trying to make a true lifestyle change. They risk leading you down the candy aisle.

Avoid processed foods containing bad fats and needless additions of sugar.

If you find reading labels tedious, it’s better to stick to unprocessed foods and buy as much as possible at the farmers market or in the fresh food department of the supermarket.

Give preference to good fats

Good fats include monosaturated fats, contained in nuts and avocadoes and in canola (huile de colza) and olive oils. Polyunsaturated fats are found in fish such as salmon and fish oil, as well as in corn, soy, safflower oil and sunflower oil (huile de tournesol). Omega 3 falls into this category.

Photo courtesy of http://adventuresinhealth.co.uk/2013/diet-and-nutrition/why-is-fat-bad-for-you-part-3/

Photo courtesy of Adventures in Health

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bad fats include saturated fats, found in all animal products, as well as in some oils, such as coconut (huile de coco) and palm oil (huile de palme), which are to be strictly avoided. Both these oils are a big favorite of processed food manufacturers.

Trans fats do not even occur in nature. Scientists invented them to make processed foods last longer. They are the favorite fat used in fast food, and are used to make most margarine.

Check out healthier products such as soy milk and different types of sugar-free, low-fat, milk-based products such as the fresh cheese Serra, found in the Lake Geneva region, and delicious when eaten with berries, or cottage cheese, good with peaches or apricots. Herb-flavored cottage cheese is now available in almost all supermarkets. Traditional cheeses with higher fat contents are not advisable.

Good-Fats-Vs-Bad-Fats

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stock up on olive oil. Try to replace butter with olive oil as often as possible. For example, it’s wonderful on toast with a clove of garlic run over it, and it makes a tasty fried egg. If you want a more neutral taste, give preference to canola oil.

Gradually, you will realize that you are cutting down on bad fats — the trans fatty acids and saturated fats — and fat in general. You will gradually train your stomach not to crave foods full of bad fats and carbohydrates

Towards a new way of eating

This is not a diet in the traditional sense of the word. It is just a way of improving your eating habits so that you are healthier and feel better about yourself. No matter what your current eating habits, you will almost surely lose a little weight if you follow these guidelines. In addition, you’ll feel better about yourself, because you’ll feel you’re taking good care of yourself.

If your BMI is significantly higher than the average for your age and sex, it is best to consult a doctor.

Please note that these are guidelines for healthy eating. I am NOT a dietitian. Medical advice is required for serious weight problems.

 

 

 

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Spontaneous Cuisine: Scallops, Green Asparagus and Strawberry Balsamic Sauce Recipe

Published by Friday, April 13, 2012 Permalink 0

by Jonell Galloway

 
From the archives
 

Spontaneous Cuisine: Scallops, Green Asparagus and Strawberry Balsamic Sauce Recipe

This is another low-fat, high-fiber meal that fits perfectly in to any weight loss plan. All these ingredients are available as of late April in Switzerland.

 

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Spontaneous Cuisine: John Dory, Italian Green Wild Asparagus and Blood Orange Sauce

Published by Wednesday, February 8, 2012 Permalink 0

by Jonell Galloway

Italian Blood Oranges are in Season and Reasonably Priced Now!

One of my favorite ways of creating tasty but healthy dishes is using fruit and vegetables as sauce. There are millions of ways to do this, depending mainly on the season.

 

English: Slices of Blood Oranges Deutsch: Sche...

 

Oranges are abundant at the moment, so I’ve been using a lot of orange juice to liven up dishes. It adds a burst of flavor, yet requires no cream or butter, thus making it low in calories and high in fiber.

The season is short for wild Italian asparagus, so take advantage of it in April and May.

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Switzerland: Pan-fried Sérac Cheese & Potato Salad Recipe

Published by Friday, August 5, 2011 Permalink 0

Spontaneous Cuisine, by Jonell Galloway

Swiss Sérac cheese, a fresh cow’s milk cheese made with whey

Whey cheese is produced when the curds are separated from the whey to make cheese. Ricotta is also a whey cheese, but unlike Sérac, it is often made with sheep’s milk. As a result, you can use your local cheesemonger’s Sérac in most recipes that call for ricotta.

Photo courtesy of FribourgRegion tourist office.

Photo courtesy of Fribourg Region tourist office.

 

Sérac is made in most regions of Switzerland, and each region has its own version. Some regions smoke it; others flavor it with herbs, spices or pepper.

Sérac cheese is soft and creamy in texture, so it is easy to spread it on bread to make a healthy sandwich or snack, but Sérac is not only a snack cheese. It can also be used to make healthy, quick meals, such as the recipe below. In the summertime, I often use it like mozzarella, with tomatoes and basil or other Italian-inspired recipes.

It is a great way of teaching your children to eat healthy snacks. Top it with fresh fruit to make a healthy, low-fat dessert, or use it for between-meal snacks on chunky whole-grain bread.

Since it is a fresh milk cheese, it does not keep, and should be eaten shortly after purchasing. Because it is made from fresh milk whey, it is also naturally low in fat. In Switzerland, it would have about a 3.8% fat content, the same as milk.

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