Menu Mandala: The Ultimate Choice for Vegan Food Delivery in Calgary

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Introduction:

If you’re anything like us, you are looking for the best vegan food delivery in Calgary. We were too, which lead us to creating it. Through years of planning and development, Menu Mandala is now the premier vegan food delivery service in Calgary.

Before we get into why Menu Mandala is all that, it is important emphasize the importance of convenient, healthy, and delicious plant-based meals in a single package. Anyone can toss together a to-go container of ingredients, but it takes relentless research and refinement to make the best food in Calgary.

The result is that Menu Mandala is committed to using whole foods, successfully avoiding seed oils, and incorporating nutritious ingredients like MCT oil and kombu-infused grains.

Four single serving ready to eat meals. We call this Convenient.

Section 1: Vegan Food Delivery Calgary

Vegan Food Delivery, eh? This sounds simple, but there were quite a few options for us to choose from. Do we follow a meal kit package of ingredients, or go the extra mile and fully prepare meals? We are culinary enthusiasts and professionals, so we opted for fully preparing the meals. (We’ll outline why this is healthier later.)

We opted to fully prepare your meals and deliver orders in bulk. As the saying goes, you can only pick two (fast, valuable, great). We chose to eliminate fast. We instead batch prepare advanced orders using fresh ingredients from Alberta farms and greenhouses. This model ensures we deliver deliciously fresh meals at high value.

To keep it interesting, each week the menu changes. As of writing this article, we are up to five rotating dishes, two fixed staples, and some cheese and dessert options that don’t change. You can confirm that on our order page.

The five rotating dishes offer a diverse range of tastes and dietary preferences, combining worldly cuisines of Japan, Thailand, Europe, Canada, and the Mediterranean, to offer a different soup, salad, power bowl, zushi (zero-sushi), and curry each week.

Round food container filled to the brim with healthy whole food ingredients and freshly made sauce in a small, separate container

Section 2: Healthy Vegan Meals Calgary

Menu Mandala prioritizes the health aspect of vegan meals by reducing salt, oil, and sugar (SOS vegan). For example, we hand cut vegetables and freeze the leftovers (trim) to make our own vegetable stock. This allows us to have fresh stock on hand whenever we need it that contains zero preservative, salt, or sugar.

We differentiate from every other restaurant in Calgary by using whole food ingredients. Whole food, especially whole grains, are the unprocessed version of food. A great example of this is rice. White rice and brown rice are grown exactly the same way. White rice is just processed to remove the nutrient-dense bran and germ. What remains is just starch, or empty-calories.

We take this a giant leap further, and this is a big part of why we decided to fully prepare vegan meals in Calgary rather than send out boxes of ingredients. Get this: brown rice is a whole grain that is still alive. But it also contains a nutrient called phytase that our body really likes, but this can be a bad thing. We explain exactly how we turn these two aspects of brown rice into an uncommon benefit over on this page.

Did we mention ingredient lists? Not yet. But we provide a full list of ingredients, along with USDA formatted nutrition labels that are quality assured for complete transparency of what you’re eating. Oh, and the ingredient list and nutrition facts are synced to our preparation software.

Nutrition: Calories 700, Fat 27g, Carbs 88g, Protein 32g

Section 3: Ready-to-Eat Vegan Food Calgary

You’ll hear this a lot from us (or read it on the dissolvable sticker label on your meal) “ready to heat and eat or sauce n’ toss”. As mentioned, we add value by using culinary techniques to improve the nutritional value and flavour, such a flash steaming our Kale to reduce oxalate or fermenting onions in house.

But through giving you the convenience of ready-to-eat meals in your fridge, we also cut out the grocery store markup from your shopping expense. This is getting higher and higher, but only marginally affects restaurants who purchase direct (or near-direct) from farms. Our prices have actually declined since the grocery store inflation/shrinkflation of 2022.

While we put in every effort the ensure optimal taste and quality, there is still the matter of a food container going to waste. Well, there used to be. In 2023, Earthware, a local Calgary company, launched a product series that utilizes bottle depots to return their meal containers to them so they can clean and refurbish them. It might be no surprise to learn that Menu Mandala was the first restaurant to trial their product line, and is currently the only meal prep restaurant to fully onboard their zero-waste container system.

Image of a fully prepared meal in a white plastic deposit based bottle depot container made by Earthware in Calgary

Section 4: Plant-Based Food Delivery Calgary

Menu Mandala is committed to a fully plant-based menu. The leading organization of the world have done the research for us, including the WHO, UN, and even the Government of Canada, who all emphasize that a whole food, plant-based diet is optimal for nutrition at all stages of life, including pregnancy and professional aestheticism. Going further, a properly planned plant-based diet will significantly reduce the risk of every single leading health disease in existence.

We take care of the “properly planned” aspect of that, and are constantly pushing our menu forward to offer a diverse set of ingredients that taste great and improve gut health, completely eliminating issues like leaky gut, IBS, etc., by significantly improving the gut microbiota through diverse and healthy fibre intake.

If you are a sensible individual, you agree that sauce is life. We make all our sauces from scratch and include them separately packaged in each meal for free. (Rant: mayo should already be plant based by default. End rant.) To emulsify our mayo, we use aquafaba, mustard powder, and medium-chain triglyceride fatty acids (MCT oil) from coconuts while adding nutritional yeast, salt, apple cider vinegar, xantham, and olive oil. Mayo is the base for our range of over a dozen aiolis and dressings like our Caesar, that is, by no exaggeration, to die for.

Image of a selection of fully prepared meals including a gluten free brownie pack with salted caramels sauce, a communal sized curry, a sante fe poke bowl and a pesto scalloped potato bowl all ready to sauce n toss then heat n eat

Section 5: Vegan Meal Prep Calgary

We take meal prep to another level with our Communal line of products. Instead of only a single meal in a package, Menu Mandala offers two sizes: Convenient (single) and Communal (family sized). This is the only way we can offer meals for under $10 in Calgary.

Our meals can be delivered on Sunday or Monday, or pickup up from our kitchen on Sunday. We are in the process of expanding delivery range to the areas outside of Calgary, including Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, Chestemere, Priddis, Bragg Creek, and High River.

We offer completely customizable subscriptions that you can pause, modify, or cancel for free on your own. Other services opt to hide these settings from you and make it extremely difficult to make changes. No way we’re ever doing that. You deserve complete control over your meal planning. We offer big savings to sign on as a subscriber. Knowing how many meals to plan for well in advance is very helpful for producing meals with efficiency.

Section 6: Vegan Catering Calgary

Ordering for vegan catering is by contact only. We’ve had the pleasure of catering for the city counsel and non-for-profit and volunteers leaders of Calgary, Platform Calgary, and many private companies and events. We are able to offer the best price for catering in Calgary by offering what is reflected on our current menu for the week. Since we’re already making the food, the price becomes easily competitive to make enough for your event. Reach out to admin@menumandala.ca for a super-fast quote.

Our catering menu becomes special as we can customize each meal to your needs, do drop off catering or event services, and alter the quantities of each meal up to a week in advance.

Section 7: Gluten Free Meal Delivery Service Calgary

This is what really sets us ahead of the pack. Our entire menu is celiac friendly. Why just do whole food plant based when eating gluten free in 2023 is easier than ever and directly linked to a reduction in gut inflammation. The chefs and owners behind Menu Mandala love their gluten, but we all admit that we over consume it. Having a dedicated meal service that is gluten free is essential to diversifying our diet to improve our overall health. Even if you’re not celiac or gluten intolerant in Calgary, our meals are certified tasty and widely raved about.

Of course, with all this confidence that Menu Mandala is your option for the best vegan food delivery in Calgary, we back it up with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Simple as that.

Conclusion:

Healthy, delicious, and ready to eat. You get it, now discover for yourself: https://menumandala.ca/order/

Vegan Meal Delivery Calgary

Posted on by — Leave a comment
Four large family sized ready to eat meals stacked on top of each other with a large recyclable delivery brown paper bag in the background.

Introduction

Vegan meal delivery using Menu Mandala is a great option for those who have busy lifestyles and don’t have time to cook nutritious meals. Vegan meal delivery Calgary offers many benefits, including:

Vegan Meal Delivery Calgary

Vegan Meal Delivery Calgary

If you’re looking for a way to make sure that your family has healthy meals on hand, Menu Mandala is the perfect solution. Our chefs create delicious and nutritious vegan meals that are delivered straight to your door. You can choose from a variety of different options including:

  • Organic fruits and veggies in every meal
  • Plant-based proteins like beans, marinated pea protein, or roasted tofu
  • Whole grains like quinoa or brown rice
Round food container filled to the brim with healthy whole food ingredients and freshly made sauce in a small, separate container

Menu Mandala

The leading vegan restaurant in Calgary is also the healthiest restaurant in Canada. And if you want to try out a plant-based diet, they have an awesome vegan meal delivery service that will bring fresh meals right to your door!

The Menu Mandala team uses local ingredients whenever possible and makes everything from scratch using only organic ingredients. Their menu features dishes inspired by traditional Asian cuisine with modern twists, or Calgary favourites like the Mandala Signature “Ceries” YYCaesar pictured above.

Why Choose Menu Mandala for Vegan Meal Delivery Calgary?

Life in Calgary is busy, and if you’re looking for healthy vegan food options, they can be hard to find. With our meal delivery service, the options are only available in a small section of the city. We offer fully prepared meals when you’re ready for them–and we make sure that every dish is delicious!

What is Vegan Meal Delivery Calgary?

Vegan Meal Delivery Calgary

Menu Mandala is the only service in Calgary that offers vegan meal delivery. Our meals are made fresh weekly and delivered to your door, so you can enjoy healthy vegan food without having to worry about preparing it yourself! We offer a choice of three days per week for pick-up or delivery: Saturday, Sunday, or Monday.

Benefits of Menu Mandala for Vegan Meal Delivery Calgary

Menu Mandala is a vegan meal delivery service that offers fresh, healthy and delicious meals. The best part? You don’t have to do any of the work!

The Menu Mandala team uses fresh ingredients to create savoury and satisfying meals that are free of artificial flavours and colours, highly processed seed oils (like canola), excessive saturated fat and high sodium content. Their chefs also freshly ferment ingredients in every dish for added probiotic benefits.

Menu Mandala was founded by leading nutritional and culinary professionals with over 20 years experience! They know exactly what it takes to make sure you’re getting all of your nutritional needs met while still enjoying delicious food every day.

Whole food plant based nutrition is the best way to protect the environment and yourself.

When you eat vegan, you’re protecting the environment and yourself.

  • You’re helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by avoiding meat, dairy and eggs which have a larger carbon footprint than plants.
  • Plants are more sustainable than animals because they don’t require as much land or water to produce food for humans to eat.
  • Honey bees out-compete native pollinators which harms wild foliage in your area!

Serious Perks for Vegan Food Delivery in Calgary

If you’re looking for a way to eat healthier and reduce your carbon footprint, using Menu Mandala for vegan meal delivery is a great option. The Whole Food Plant Based diet relies heavily on fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains while minimizing processed foods. It also has many health benefits such as reducing inflammation in the body which can help with chronic conditions like diabetes or arthritis.

The menu at Menu Mandala has been positively reviewed by numerous registered dietitians who focuses on nutrient-dense meals that are easy to prepare but still taste amazing!

Order Now

Conclusion

We hope that you have enjoyed reading this article on vegan meal delivery Calgary. We know that it can be difficult to find a good resource for information about this topic, so we are happy to share what we know with you! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. We would love hear from our readership on what they would like to see next from us here at Menu Mandala.

ELI5 – Fat – Hazardous Snack or Healthy Energy

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Fat. Everyone seems to want to lose it, and yet it’s truly essential to our well-being. Healthy fat and dietary oil protects your organs, produces important hormones, supports cell growth, and provides your body with energy. So what exactly is it? We’ve heavily researched the topic and will attempt to ELI5 (explain like I’m 5 years old).

Fat is a molecule, like carbohydrate or protein. But unlike those other two macronutrients, fat has no taste or texture. Fatty acids are the smallest building blocks of fat. They’re made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms that form chains of various lengths. Scientists have determined there are “essential fatty acids” (EFAs). Unlike essential oils, which are the “essence of” a particular plant, EFAs are truly essential.

Let’s break down healthy and harmful fats so we can determine what to leave on the market shelf.

Monounsaturated fats contain omega-9 essential fatty acids (EFAs)

The healthiest of fats come from eating whole foods like avocados, nuts and seeds, and olives. These foods are high in healthy monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), like oleic acid, which help lower cholesterol levels. While our bodies can create these from other fats, dietary monounsaturated fats play a role in reducing inflammation and cardiovascular disease risk factors like high blood pressure.

There are plenty foods to get your daily dose of healthy fat. Here are a few:

-Avocado

-Cashews

-Tahini (toasted sesame butter)

-Seeds (flax, chia, hemp)

-Olives

-Nuts (macadamia, almonds, walnuts)

-Bottled oils (…but which ones?)

Polyunsaturated fats contain omega-6 and omega-3 EFA

An ideal diet includes dietary fat of equal parts omega-6 and omega-3. This is largely unachievable for most people’s preferences, which all but requires us to avoid oils altogether, so many doctors reduce that target to 2:1 or 3:1. Instead of focusing on eliminating omega-6 by avoiding affordable oils, you can up your omega-3s through flaxseeds, hemp seeds, and chia seeds. (These have been shown to boost mental health and contribute to healthy weight loss.)

DHA and EPA are important omega-3 fatty acids for brain health. These are found abundantly in the marine plant, algae, and less concentrated in some seeds and fish. It is a widely debated topic for how much our bodies can convert other fats to DHA/EPA and just how healthy (or unhealthy) they are, so if you want to go down that rabbit-hole, all the power to you! However, Pub Med, a widely respected source on health, concludes “the overall effect on blood lipids for marine omega-3 EPA and DHA seems to be protective due to overall improvements in LDL particle size and density”. So, if nothing else, supplementing with algae oil is good for cardiovascular health.

Cold-pressed canola oil—free of hexane—is another great way to get healthy fats into your diet. It contains vitamin E, which helps protect against damage from free radicals; it also helps regulate your metabolism so you burn more calories throughout the day! Canola oil has a 2:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, and a cold pressed version does not use the harmful solvent hexane to separate oil out of the seed.

Saturated fats are not created equally

Maybe you’ve heard that saturated fat is the worst kind of fat.

But here’s the thing: it’s not as simple as that. Fat is something we all need to stay healthy. It helps us absorb vitamins and minerals and keeps us satiated. Unfortunately, fat has gotten a bad rap over the years for the types of saturated fat in animal products. But there are many types of healthy saturated fats you can enjoy without guilt!

Virgin and refined coconut oils contain the highest amount of saturated fats of common oils, which is why they are solid at room temperature, but cholesterol levels tell the whole story. Healthline offers a great breakdown of how normal amounts of coconut oil consumption do not correlate with increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the bad cholesterol. While they admit more human research is needed, a negative effect to LDL is apparent from consuming animal fats. The point is, saturated fats are complex and our bodies treat them differently depending on the source.

The American Heart Association recommends getting just 5-6 percent of daily calories from saturated fats; too many and the level of “bad” cholesterol in your blood will skyrocket. They don’t, however, separate the forms of saturated fats. Still, you can easily keep within this range by avoiding dairy products and instead consuming normal amounts of coconut oils.

Trans fat is not a healthy fat

Trans fats, which are prevalent in processed foods like meat, dairy, and hydrogenated vegetables oils, can contribute to a number of significant health problems including stroke and heart disease. The best way to avoid trans fats is to follow a plant-based diet free of hydrogenated oils. This will also lower your risk of developing diabetes and cancer.

Most countries have banned the production of artificial trans fats. In 2022, these would be hard to find available on their own. Prior, they were common in margarine and vegetable shortening. Trans fats are not, however, gone. They are prevalent in animal fats such as meat and dairy and in processed foods such as KRAFT Peanut Butter. If you’re already in the habit of reading nutrition labels and ingredients, be sure to look for “partially hydrogenated” or “hydrogenated” and steer clear!

Some individuals have deduced that our bodies can fight these trans fats in small amounts, so all is well. Even if that were true, the limit to what our bodies can fight is undetermined and a health-focused diet avoids harmful food whenever possible.

The eli5 healthy fat is actually quite simple

A healthy fat is one that is found naturally in whole food sources. This means that it is not chemically altered, and it’s not something you can find in a lab. For oils, the less processing the better. A cold pressed or extra virgin option means less processing.

If you still aren’t sure which oils are good for you, choose unsaturated:

1) Monounsaturated fats: found in olive oil, avocado oil, cold-pressed canola oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, algae oil, and nut butters (like peanut butter). These fats can help lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease.

2) Polyunsaturated fats: found in flax oil or walnuts (both of which are high in omega-3 fatty acids). These fats have been shown to reduce inflammation throughout your body, which helps decrease pain and stiffness associated with arthritis.

When it comes to choosing your fats, eat them! Opt for those that come from whole food sources rather than oil. Our bodies prefer fats from whole foods. For nuts and seeds, the body uses what is needed and does not store the extra fat!

Meal Prep Calgary: Chef Prepared Meals That Improve Your Life!

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Chefs will prep your meals right here in Calgary.

Eating is not only a necessity for living, but it can also be a source of joy and pleasure. I know that statement may seem strange to people who love food, but there are many others out there who have lost their passion for the kitchen and struggle with eating fast food or processed foods without giving much thought to what they’re consuming. There’s nothing more frustrating than eating poorly because there’s no time and energy left for grocery shopping and preparing dinner on top of everything else going on. Introducing you to meal prep, Calgary: chef-prepared healthy meals, delivered right to your door!

Mediterranean Bowls inspired by Greece. In Convenient (individual) and Communal (family) sizes.

What are some benefits of using meal prep in Calgary?

Cut out the extra time it takes to shop.

  • Save time by not having to drive around our sprawled city for special ingredients.
  • Save time by not having to cook a few days a week.
  • Save time by not having to clean up the mess you make when cooking.
  • And use that time to enjoy life with the people who love you.

Start to enjoy eating again.

  • Eat at home instead of out.
  • Or have grab and go lunches packed for work.
  • Use your time to relax and enjoy your food without having to decide what to order.
  • Set up automated ordering once, and enjoy the benefits every week.

Live together.

Food is a social experience, and experiencing food together can be one of the best ways for people to bond. It does not have to be expensive, but it does have to involve the people closest to you. You will discover that having them over for a chef prepared meal can renew your relationships with a healthy foundation! If this sounds great, our Communal (family sized) meals are right for you.

Eat clean – ditch the junk and eat whole foods that haven’t been processed.

Eating whole foods is one of the simplest ways to improve your diet. Whole foods are unprocessed, and they’re more nutritious than their processed counterparts. Whole foods are generally more filling, easier to digest and have fewer additives or preservatives (or are free from them altogether). Eating whole foods can help you control your weight because they contain fewer calories per serving and contain diverse fibre! We recently switched all our grains to whole-grains for this very reason. We also shared the healthiest way to cook brown rice using an ancient fermentation process.

Pad Thai with Peanut Marinated Tofu
YYC Pad Thai from Menu Mandala

Create a healthy relationship with food by using meal prep in Calgary.

You can take the guesswork out of meal planning and make it easier to stick to your healthy eating plan. If you’re looking for ways to create a healthy relationship with food and make it part of your life instead of something that restricts you, finding the right meal prep service a great way to start. Here are some tips:

  • There’s nothing wrong with enjoying food! Food is a source of pleasure and joy in our lives—it isn’t just about nourishment for our bodies; it’s also about connecting with others through shared meals, sharing traditions and rituals around food, and celebrating special occasions by eating something delicious together.
  • You deserve balance in all areas of your life—including eating well! If you want to improve your health but haven’t found success yet because traditional strategies don’t work for you (or simply seem too hard), then try this: eat one carefully planned out and nutritionally balanced meals each day. This will transition your gut and pallet to start to prefer healthy food and identify the lousy feelings from eating processed junk.

Weekly menu helps diversify ingredients for your gut health.

You might be surprised to learn that a rotating weekly menu can help diversify your gut health. You know your body needs a variety of nutrients to thrive, but your gut also wants at least 30 different plants each week. There are billions of different fibres out there (countless) and our gut microbiota love to munch on new fibre.

Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables (the color of each indicates its antioxidant content), whole grains and legumes, nuts and seeds (chia seeds are great for gut health and brain function). This is what we mean by Feel Good Food! (That’s our slogan by the way.) We meal prep Calgary by rotating our menu every week for this very reason.

The problem with eating this way is the learning curve—who really has time to read every nutrition label at the grocery store and shop around for unknown ingredients in your new recipe book. While plant-based is significantly cheaper than meat-based diets, produce is still expensive when not purchased in bulk. That’s where meal prep comes in: these services purchase in bulk, and with Menu Mandala, most of these ingredients are sourced directly from Alberta farms! It’s one of the best ways to save big while supporting local.

A rainbow of fresh fruits and veggies in our signature Tu-nah Zushi Bowl. Every sauce is our own recipe, made in house!

Most affordable chef created meals, delivered free over $60.

If you’re looking for a meal delivery service that is affordable, look no further than Menu Mandala. We offer as low as $11 per meal, making us the most affordable meal delivery service in Calgary. With our free over $60 promotion and no hidden fees/taxes, we go above and beyond to help you save money. We rely on customer referrals rather than paid advertisements to grow our customer base. This keeps our costs down but requires a great service and excellent meals week-over-week!

Conclusion

I hope this article has given you some ideas on how to improve your life with the help of chef prepared meals. If you’re already sold on trying them out, go ahead and click on one of the links we’ve provided above. We have a variety of options available for every budget and taste, so there’s no excuse not to give it a shot! If there’s anything else I can do for you please don’t hesitate to reach out through our contact form or email our team at info@menumandala.ca. Thanks again for taking time out of your day to read this article!

Key insights from T. Colin Campbell’s ‘Whole’

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Introduction

The China Study was a groundbreaking work by T. Colin Campbell, one of the world’s most renowned biochemists. In it, he describes how the diets of people in rural China led to better health and longer lives than those of their counterparts in America, who ate mostly animal products. This finding has been confirmed by other researchers around the world—and there are many reasons why people should ditch meat and dairy in favor of plant foods. Here are just a few:

The health-care system is broken.

If you’ve ever been to a hospital, you know that it’s a government run business. The health-care system is costly and broken, but there are ways to fix it.

Health care needs to be focused on prevention, not just treatment. It needs to focus less on life-care and more on health. The right diet can help prevent disease and promote long life in people of all ages.

There’s a health crisis.

The first major takeaway is that there’s a health crisis. Campbell says the current health care system is broken, and many others agree with him. The health care system in Alberta is focused on treating disease instead of preventing it. It relies on medication and surgery as its primary means of treatment, which doesn’t work for everyone. We need to focus more on prevention and less on treatment—and we need to improve access to information about what works best for people based on their individual needs.

Plant-based nutrition promotes good health.

The plant-based diet is a healthy way to lose weight and lower cholesterol. It can also help prevent, treat and even reverse chronic diseases.

  • Cardiovascular disease: A plant-based diet has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease by as much as 40 percent.
  • Diabetes: Type 2 diabetes has been linked to meat consumption; it may also be prevented by avoiding animal products in your diet.
  • Cancer: The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that processed meats are carcinogenic, which means they cause cancer in humans. Reducing or eliminating meat from your diet lowers your risk of developing cancer or dying from it if you already have certain types of tumors or cancers!

The science on protein is complex.

Protein is not the same as meat. Meat is a high-protein food, but it also contains saturated and trans fat, cholesterol, and other harmful substances that may increase the risk of disease. Plant foods contain protein—and lots of it! But plant proteins are also packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help prevent disease.

To make matters more confusing: Not all animal products are equally healthy (or unhealthy). For example, some fish such as salmon are low in bad fat and high in omega 3 fatty acids (which can help lower cholesterol levels). Other fish like swordfish or tuna have higher levels of mercury than other fish which could pose a health risk for those who eat them regularly. The issue is the pollution in water – a significant portion of which is caused itself by deep sea fishing – getting into the fish and into those who eat them. Nearly 100% of fish today contain micro-plastics in their flesh, along with heavy metals and location specific pollutants. Mediterranean diets that relied on fatty fish are becoming far less desirable to locals due to pollution and over-fishing.

Animal protein causes oxidation and harm in your body.

Animal protein has a harmful side beyond the animals themselves. Animal proteins in your diet cause oxidation, which damages your cells and leads to aging.

Oxidation is a process that takes place when the body uses oxygen. During this process, free radicals are formed by unstable molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS).

The more ROS you have in your body, the faster you age.

The world would be better off if we all ate more plants.

It’s no secret that animal agriculture is a huge contributor to climate change, pollution, deforestation and habitat destruction. But did you know it’s also one of the biggest causes of species extinction? In fact, approximately 60% of all wildlife is directly threatened by the livestock industry. As Campbell writes: “The only way we can save nature is by eating plants instead of animals…You can choose to eat in a way that’s compatible with our planet or choose not to.”

There are several reasons why people should ditch meat and dairy in favor of plant foods.

There are several reasons why people should ditch meat and dairy in favor of plant foods. One reason is that animal protein is bad for you. Another reason is that a plant-based diet is better than an animal protein diet because it causes less oxidation, which means that your body will be healthier in the long run. If everyone ate plants instead of animals, then the world would be a much better place to live!

Conclusion

I believe that it’s time to ditch the animal products and embrace a plant-based diet. I hope you will take the time to check out his amazing book “Whole: Rethinking The Science Of Nutrition”, where he goes into detail about all of this.

Why we support our community with meals

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Introduction

Eating whole-food, plant-based is more than just a healthy lifestyle to us. It’s about compassion for all living beings, for our planet and for the health of those who consume this type of food. But it’s also about creating a stronger community. That’s why we operate a meal program at our restaurant every week – to make sure families in Calgary are getting healthy meals through our Feel Good Food.

Offering food to Calgary is more than just a lifestyle to us.

Our meal prep restaurant, Menu Mandala, isn’t just about food. It’s a way of life that is about respecting the planet and all living beings.

It’s an economic engine that can improve our city. And by supporting local businesses who sell plant-based products, books and other items, these organizations generate proceeds that go back into the community and to amazing organizations like The Alice Sanctuary!

Mindful eating is about compassion for all living beings, for our planet and for the health of those who consume nutritious food.

A healthy moral compass includes compassion for all living beings and for our planet.

We want to be part of the solution. And we are offing you two ways to get involved.

You can make a difference in your community simply by eating our yummy food! The more meals that are ordered, the more we are able to send to those among us in Calgary who need it most. We identified dozens of individuals when we reached out to Reddit in May 2022 with incredible response from the community. The program keeps growing and we simply cannot keep up with the demand.

We are now offering Community Meals every week on our menu. This is an opportunity for you to anonymously sponsor individuals in our community who need it most. This can be set up as a one week only, or a recurring weekly sponsorship. Individuals and families get no-compromise meals that are equivalent to our regular menu. We launched this addition to the program last week and we were blown away by the response! And the meals that were handed to members of the seniors home across the street were received with emotional enthusiasm for everyone involved.

It’s about creating a healthy, stronger, and safer community.

While we believe that eating whole-plants is the best path to a healthy mind and body, and better for our environment overall than non-vegan foods, we also believe supporting our community makes it a safer place to live. A controversial-figure with a great bit of wisdom is Vladimir Lenon, who said that “every society is three meals away from chaos”. The Calgary Food bank and similar programs are there to address this in our city, but the access to this food has a difficult barrier-to-entry. More than ever, we need to support responsible solutions to the food affordability problem in Calgary.

That’s why we operate this meal program at our restaurant each week – to make sure families in Calgary are getting a healthy dinner.

That’s why we launched Menu Mandala and keep our food affordable. People eat far too much processed foods and waste money with high service fee apps like Skip The Dishes in Calgary.

The weekly sponsored meal program at our restaurant helps families in the neighborhood get a healthy meal without worrying about cost. We provide healthy meals for free to challenged individuals and families which further utilizes our partnerships with local organizations like Carya Calgary.

We’re proud of this program and want to keep it going as long as possible!

Healthy food is more than a diet, it’s a way of life that creates jobs and helps people.

Eating whole-foods is more than just a diet, it’s a way of life that you can participate in that creates jobs and helps people. At Menu Mandala, we entirely support local businesses by buying products made in Calgary and from Alberta farms. We want to help grow the local economy and create a reliable supply-chain within the community.

Plus, the whole-food, plant-based diet has been linked with many health benefits, including weight loss and lower cholesterol levels. In addition to helping your heart health and immune system, eating plant-based can add years to your life and life to your years! The Canadian Food Guide now states that “Many of the well-studied healthy eating patterns include mostly plant-based foods.” And they continue with:

“Eating plant-based foods regularly can mean eating more fibre and less saturated fat. This can have a positive effect on health, including a lowered risk of:

  • cancer
  • heart disease
  • type 2 diabetes”

Our for-sale meals provide families with healthy meals in an affordable way so they can ensure they eat well and their children grow up strong and healthy!

Conclusion

As we’ve seen, eating whole-foods can be more than just a diet. It’s about compassion for all living beings and for our communities. That’s why we believe that supporting this type of food should be the norm rather than an exception. It’s why we support our community by providing healthy meals at affordable prices – or free! – so everyone can enjoy them and discover just how delicious plant-based can be!

Community Meals for Calgary, two sizes

How Kombu Kelp Plays An Important Role In A Healthy Diet

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Iodine is a mineral that’s essential for the normal functioning of your thyroid gland. It’s also necessary for healthy immune function and metabolism. However, many people don’t get enough iodine in their diets and are therefore at risk of developing goiter, hypothyroidism, or other thyroid problems. Thankfully, kelp—a type of seaweed that serves as a natural source of iodine—can help prevent these conditions in those who aren’t getting enough from their diets. In the article, we present a method to keep the benefits of kombu and leave the seaweed out of your meals.

Image by Freepik

Kelp or kombu is a “superfood” seaweed that has some of the highest amounts of iodine of any edible plant.

Kombu has been eaten in Asia for thousands of years and contains high levels of iodine, minerals, and vitamins—all essential nutrients that help to keep our bodies healthy. Plus, it contains folate which protects against birth defects during pregnancy or childhood development when taken regularly before conception.

Iodine is an essential mineral that is needed for normal growth, development, and metabolism. It is needed for proper functioning of the brain and nervous system. It improves the quality of our hair, is important for eye health, and protects our skin and eyes from UV radiation.

These are some of the reasons we add whole pieces of kombu to the water when cooking our grains. Cooking kombu releases iodine to the water and the grains absorb this nutrient with the water. The kombu will remain whole and can be eaten or discarded after cooking the grain.

Iodine deficiency is common among vegetarians and vegans.

Iodine deficiency is common problem throughout the world, and higher among vegetarians and vegans. When consuming a whole-food, plant-based diet, we are less likely to eat foods that are processed with iodized salt. To counteract this, we recommend adding kombu to the water when you cook your grains. Kombu can be found at Community Natural Foods and other health food stores in Calgary. See our article on fermenting brown rice for a nifty way to use kombu and a turbo-charged path to better health.

Conclusion

So, now that you know kombu kelp can be a great addition to your diet, it’s time to get started! Maybe you want to try adding it into some recipes or simply eating it raw. We recommend adding whole pieces to cook grains and discarding or eating the kelp once the grain is cooked. Or, let us do the work by trying our one of our delicious Zushi Bowls. Either way, the important thing is that you are taking steps towards a healthier lifestyle.

Healthiest Way To Cook Brown Rice

Posted on by — 3 Comments

This Is Why We Always Ferment Brown Rice

Fermenting is an ancient practice that predigests your food for you so that your body can more easily absorb its nutrients. In this article we’ll look at how soaking and germination change brown rice before you cook it, plus discuss how fermentation improves phytic acid levels and makes zinc more bioavailable for absorption into our bodies. You will learn a method of this trade-secret that you can try at home, where you will notice a big improvement in flavour and texture of your next batch of rice.

Brown rice is a whole grain, which means it contains the bran, germ and endosperm.

The bran is the outer layer of the rice kernel that provides us with fiber and other nutrients. The germ is an inner portion of each kernel where new plant life grows, so it’s also rich in vitamins E, B1/B3/B5/B9, phosphorous and iron. The endosperm is a starchy carbohydrate (carbohydrates are one of three macronutrients).

Brown rice can be eaten on its own or included as part of a meal like stir-fry or a bowl like our Zushi series (we offer this for our meal prep service in Calgary). Because brown rice has more fiber than white rice you’ll feel fuller for longer after consuming this type of whole grain—which means you might be less likely to reach for snacks if you’re trying to lose weight!

Fermented brown rice has a lower phytic acid content.

Phytic acid is an antinutrient that can bind to nutrients in your digestive tract, preventing them from being absorbed by the body. It’s found in whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and soy products. Phytic acid is not bad for us, we just prefer the diverse nutrients locked in the grain!

For another example, sauerkraut is a fermented food that is high in lactic acid bacteria. These little friends produce the phytase enzyme which breaks down phytic acid during the fermentation process. A similar process occurs when fermenting brown rice at home.

Soaking, germination and fermentation also increase zinc absorption and reduce antinutrient compounds that keep you from absorbing zinc from your food.

Zinc is an essential mineral that plays a role in many bodily functions. It helps maintain your immune system, supports healthy growth and development, and promotes healing. Zinc also helps prevent the breakdown of protein in your body.

Of the many benefits of fermented foods, it’s been known to help people with digestive issues like leaky gut syndrome, Crohn’s disease or celiac disease. But what makes fermented brown rice so special?

Fermenting grains like brown rice is an ancient practice that partly predigests the food for you so your body can absorb its nutrients more easily.

When you ferment foods, lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Leuconostoc break down carbohydrates in the grain and produce beneficial enzymes. These enzymes act as natural preservatives, preventing spoilage that would otherwise occur when fermenting foods at room temperature. In addition to preserving these grains for future consumption, these enzymes also enhance their nutritional value by increasing vitamin B absorption and breaking down phytates—which inhibit vitamin B absorption—in your gut.

Soak your brown rice overnight before cooking to enhance its nutritional value and help your body digest it better.

The best part is you gain all these benefits with nothing but rice and water in your kitchen.

Start by bringing dechlorinated water (boiled) to room temperature before adding the grains. Soak rice with at least 2x water to dry rice by weight in a sealed container on your counter for up to 24 hours. The rice will absorb water and we want it fully submerged throughout the soak. Drain and store some of the fluid in your fridge for later use–this is the beginning of your starter fluid!

For the next batch, use 10 parts dechlorinated water to one part starter fluid in your soak. Repeat the process above and keep the new rice soak as your starter fluid. After only three cycles, the fluid will have developed enough phytase to break down almost all of the phytic acid in the whole grain. The results improve with every batch!

When cooking, use fresh tap water instead of hot water to allow the fermented rice to slowly rise to temperature. We use 1.1x water to the soaked rice weight and add kombu kelp to the water. In our steam oven, this takes 53 minutes. A counter top rice cooker might need more water and less time. You should yield 2.8x dry rice to cooked rice with this method. Now, how can we better finish the rice?

Rice vinegar contains probiotics.

Probiotics are microorganisms that can be found in a variety of foods and dietary supplements. They further aid digestion by helping break down food, boosting your immune system and improving nutrient absorption. These tiny helpers can even help to prevent certain diseases by competing against harmful strains such as E. coli or salmonella!

Once the rice is finished, add up to the cooked rice about 2% (by weight) of sushi vinegar. We make our sushi vinegar by adding a pinch of salt and coconut sugar to rice vinegar and mixing until dissolved. Pour the vinegar mixture over your rice and fold it in to further improve the nutritional value, taste, and shelf life.

Conclusion

It’s not a secret that brown rice is one of the healthiest foods on the planet. It has fibre and valuable nutrients, including magnesium and zinc. And now, you can increase its benefits by fermenting it in your own home! If you’ve already tried one of our Zushi Bowls, you’ve likely noticed just how delicious this method of preparing rice can be!