I like to eat foods in season. many times, there is a need for foods not in season. During winter, for example, it’s impossible to find fresh produce that I need. At those times I always head to the freezer section and pick my lovelies. A fully stocked freezer is very helpful. Besides, fresh produce in peak season is picked, cleaned, and immediately flash frozen to retain maximum nutrition. Check out my Methi Dal video in the Videos section on my blog.

Here are some tips from my experience:

1) Frozen veggies last for 8 months in the freezer if it is unopened. Once opened, cook immediately.

2) Alwyas check the ingredients list to make sure you are getting strictly what you want and nothing else.

3) There is no difference in nutritional content of produce though the packing style may be different. Boxed or bagged, it’s all the same.

4) Do not buy frozen food that is lumped. It means that it had been thawed and then refrozen again. Even at home, do not thaw and refreeze as your veggies will lose their nutrition, flavor, and integrity.

5) once you have taken as much as you need from the bag, reseal the bag completely, and put it in another bag and make sure that it is completely sealed. If your frozen veggies or fruits are exposed to frost, it will dehydrate and lose its flavor and nutrtion. If you find ice crystals, then your food has been exposed.It is better to discard such veggies than cook with them. You may decide to use it, but remember, repacking and sealing your veggies properly everytime is maximum bang for the buck you spent. Use opened bags in less than three weeks, no more than that.

6) Check for salt and fiber content on the bags.

7) Check for expiry date on bags before you buy them.

While shopping, head to the diary section, and then the frozen section toward the end of your shopping trip.

9) While riding back home, store your frozen items in an icebox with ice in it or in a ‘cold bag.’ That way, you’ll have no worries about melting ice cream or soggy veggies.

10) Plan your meals so you know exactly what and how much you have in your freezer.

11) Do not buy vegetables with cheese or frozen fruits with added sugars. These are not good for your health. Frozen fruits that are opened can be resealed and used for upto two months, no more.

12) Look for coupons or request companies to send you coupons that you can print off. Mostly they are sweet enough to send me coupons and I use that to buy my frozen groceries.

13) When I buy bulk veggies from Costco or Sam’s, I try to make smaller portions of veggies in little ziplock bags and keep them handy. That way, I do not have to dip into the big bag several times and risk leaving the veggies exposed.

14) Ayurveda does not recommend eating frozen foods of any kind. Unfortunately; it’s not possible to follow all those guidelines strictly. I am very grateful to have a freezerful of healthy produce. And of course did I mention I also have different varieties of ice cream and those dreaded french fries?

Seeds are very healing to the human body. They are rich in beneficial fats, vitamins, and minerals. Seeds are rich in fiber. The health benefits of seeds are so many that a book can be written about it. Combine seeds with nuts and eat 1.5 ounces everyday.

Eat more of these seeds daily:

Flax seeds, must be ground in order to be absorbed in the body. Men, Flax seed oil has been known to increase the risk of prostrate related problems. Se bewarned.

Pumpkin Seeds

Sesame seeds, both the black and white varieties. The black has more nutrtion in it.

Sunflower seeds

Hemp Seeds, great source of fiber.

Chia Seeds, now labeled as a super food.

Remember to chew slowly and completely before ingesting. The seeds may also be powdered and added to foods.

I always grind flax seeds and chia seeds add it to soups.

The other seeds lightly toasted on the pan and tossed with a little Walnut oil and spices taste awesome.

Nuts offer us proteins and fats.

When nuts are digested in the body, energy is produced in such a way that it does not negate the absorption of calcium and minerals.

Eat more of Almonds, Cashews, Pecans, Pistachios, and Walnuts. Studies have shown that these nuts are beneficial for heart health.

Eat 1.5 ounce or 1/3 cup of nuts everyday for optimum health.

Always eat unsalted nuts to prevent extra sodium intake.

Pine Nuts, Brazil Nuts, and Hazelnuts are full of saturated fat. Eating excess may be harmul to your health. The human body cannot easily break down these nuts.

Peanuts blong to the bean or legume family. But most people associate it with nuts.

Peanuts are a high allergen food.

They have a high mold content.

Most peanuts in the market are laden with pesticides.

Organic Peanuts offer a chockful of health benefits. Eat moderately.

Nuts have natural oils, and once hulled, the oils tend to go rancid very quickly.

Buy in small quantities, always keep them refrigerated, and consume quickly.

Nuts are a great snack treat, trash those processed snacks and switch them with nuts.

Being a Breatharian is no joke. They do not care what ‘regular food eating’ people think. Breatharians are highly evolved consciously. I have no ideas of becoming a Breatharian at all. But I’m curious to know what they do. Add more information here related to this. Here are some sites where you can find some answers:

http://www.angelfire.com/stars3/breathe_light/breatharianism.html

http://www.breatharian.com/home.html

This is one good article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/magazine/30food-t-000.html?_r=2&ref=magazine

When I was growing up in India, I had a unique Pachadi dilemma which took me years of experience to resolve. To the Telugu people Pachadi means something that is like a spicy chutney. Gongura pachadi, Allam Pachadi and other such spicy chutneys are good examples. Sometimes even pickles are referred to as Pachadi. With Tamilians and Keralites, if you ask for Pachadi, they will promptly serve you Raita, a yogurt based cooling salad usually served with Paratha or Biriyani. Kannadiga’s will serve you different types of chutneys. From Kadlebele (peanut) Chutney to Moolangi (White Radish)chutney, its just Pachadis galore. So breaking it all down, this is my final conclusion:

Tamilnadu:

Pachadi = Raita
Spicy concoctions are called Thuvayal or Thugayal.

Karnataka :

Pachadi = Same as in Andhra
Spicy concoctions = Also commonly known as Chutney

Andra Pradesh :

Pachadi = Spicy ground chutneys (main/Side – dishes) or pickles

Kerala:

Pachadi = Boiled / fried vegetables added to seasoned yogurt

Pachadi by itself means something that has been pounded, usually in a granite mortar. Today all Pachadi’s are made in the blender. Pachadi’s differ from home to home. Some insist that mustard must be ground with yogurt and added to boiled vegetables. Some just add raw onions and cucumbers to plain, salted yogurt. There are many varieties of pachadis. To me perosnally, Chutneys are something that you eat as a side with Tiffin items like Idli, Dosa, Upma and so on. So I try to make it clear to my readers if a given Chutney should be used only as a side for Tiffins or can be eaten as a main dish with rice.

I will list a few of my family favorite Pachadis. They are finger-smackingly delicious. Most of them are eaten with hot white rice. Many of them are relished with chapathi’s or used to as a sandwich helper. Pachadis are a life saver as they are very quick to make. Serving two or three varieties of Pachadi’s when guests arrive will make your dining table spread look elaborate. People will think you have gone overboard for them and slogged in the kitchen for hours. It’s really nice to enjoy all the comments that follow.

If you have any more information about pachadis, or if you like to share your recipe, please post it here. If I try your dish and it is fabulous enough to make it to my family recipes collection (which I’m sure it will) I will make a formal post of your recipe and give the credits to you. With your permission I would also love to pass it on to our You Tube viewers by making a video of it.

Keep it rolling!