green eating

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  Hong Kong’s Raw, Organic & Eco Foodie Scene – An Update

  139 days ago by greenqueen

  Happy New Year to all Green Hong Kongers! May your 2013 be filled with joy, good health and as a green as possible!

  Just a quick update on some fantastic new additions to the locavore, raw and organic Hong Kong foodie scene.

  If you haven’t been to Grassroots Pantry, it’s time to pencil it in. They serve delicious vegetarian fare with a focus on vegan options and even a couple of raw dessert choices like the blueberry cheesecake.

  Another brand new options for veggies is The Herbivores, an innovative scene-setter on Hong Kong’s green dining scene brought to you by a chef team previously a Roka, so expect a Japanese twist to the menu. 

  Pushing boundaries in the wild food movement is Wild Grass. Their whole raison d’etre is organic, sustainable fresh ingredients done perfectly. Even the furniture is recycled. This is fine dining with a conscience. Perfect for a an eco-date, get booking now!

  Want more raw and superfood ingredient options? Try Culture Organics, a brand new online store with some very interesting prices for speciality ingredients like cacao butter and coconut palm sugar. They also have the usual selection raw kitchen equipment, supplements, nuts & seeds, beans, grains, superfoods and much more. 

  On the raw front, another exciting discovery: Anything but Salads. Imagine, Hong Kong’s very own first raw vegan prepared food service. They have raw breads, crackers, dips, cheeses, milks, granola…Green Queen’s mouth is watering as she writes this! Plus they offer catering services (from raw vegan to intelligent vegetarian) and host a private kitchen. Absolutely raw-tastic!

  Green Queen also came by Spicebox Organics, a fairly recent addition to Sai Ying Pun’s funky neighourhood. They stock some great organic brands from India, choose from Tulsi tea, speciality oils, raw energy bars and granola and cute gifts like thali sets and diyas. For those of you who want to cook Indian at home, finally here is your one-stop shop for organic Indian ingredients! 

  For those of us who want to detox this January, check out The Genie Concept. They provide hand-delivered, freshly made raw, organic fruit and vegetable juices in special packs and with detailed instructions so you don’t have to think! Plus, the staff is so lovely you can’t help but have a crush on the whole team!

  With all this thrilling innovation and experimentation, there is absolutely NO reason not to green your eating!

  photo credit: emilychang via photopin cc

• Greenspiration: What to Do with Leftovers

  476 days ago by greenqueen

  Stuck with a bunch of veggies going bad? Got a full fridge but no inspiration? Get a weekly greens delivery but have no idea what to do with the extra watercress and beetroot you keep receiving? 

  Many of us don’t buy fresh fruits and vegetables enough. The short expiration dates can seem inconvenient and frustrating, requiring careful planning and complicated recipes. With our lives so busy, who has time to compete in the Nigella/Jamie home chef awards? The TV cooking wizards make it look easy but after a long day at work and dealing with the pressures of daily city life and/or raising kids, following a recipe sounds almost scary. 

  Green Queen gives you quick and easy ideas that will save you wasting as well as money, and keep you full and happy. read more

• Green Reads – Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil by Tom Mueller

  480 days ago by greenqueen

  Olive oil has become a staple in most kitchens. With the fat brigade poo-pooing butter, many of us use olive oil to cook. Even more of us use olive oils to make salad dressings, pastes, dips and more. But how much do we really know about the golden oil that we regularly put into our bodies? 

   

  

   

  In his incredibly informative and politically important book Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, author-researcher Tom Muller tells the whole story of the oil we extract from the unique olive. It is a scary read but a must-read. It is a wise reminder of the importance of knowing where consumer products, particularly foodstuff, come from. Long Story Short? Do Your Homework! Advertisers, marketers, the media and businesses can easily fool you. Here are some of the most worry-inducing points from the book: read more

• 10 Reasons Why You Should Say NO To Sugar

  571 days ago by greenqueen

  In our recent baby talk column, Sarah offered some great suggestions about how to limit our children’s processed sugar intake  not just at Halloween, but also in daily life.

  We are all somewhat aware that sugar isn’t good for us. But do we actually have any idea why? Can we list out any solid anti-sugar reasons? Not to worry, Green Queen to the rescue. Here are 10 reasons why you should avoid sugar as close to 100% of the time as possible.

  1) Sugar makes you fatter. Sugar causes you to retain more water; to overproduce insulin which causes you to store all food intake as fat; to lower your body’s absorption of nutrients which means you don’t get any metabolic benefits of vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, etc; it disrupts your hormonal system and without balances hormones maintaining a healthy weight is near-impossible; it dehydrates the body which makes it difficult to lose weight; it slows down the absorption rate of your food in your digestion system thereby causing bloating; it causes an extreme rise in blood sugar, causing the body to crave even more food and increase total calories consumed. read more

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