Dilly Dally Provisions — a Chicago-area supplier keeping it local

I recently met a founder of Dilly Dally Provisions as he was giving out samples of mustard his company is making with a local (Evanston, Il.) brewery. I’m always eager to support local suppliers, so tried both the mustard and a hot sauce he had on his sample table.

I loved the mustard, it’s likely a variation of the beer mustard I found on the company’s website. It had a hint of horseradish in it and would be a great way to bring some flavor to something like a chicken sandwich (or of course the usual hot dogs and brats).

Mustard tends to be the healthiest condiment you can use, usually having no sugar or fat and very little to no salt.

The hot sauce was way too hot for me, but I’m not a hot sauce person in any way, shape, or form. I would imagine people who love hot sauce will enjoy it.

Check out the company website. It says they sell primarily at farmers’ markets but also will deliver free in a slice of the Chicagoland area for orders of more than $20.

July 27, 2022 0

A new spice supplier? Come back soon for my review

Recently a company from neighboring Wisconsin (I’m in Illinois), Burn Pit BBQ, reached out to me about its barbecue sauces and spice mixtures.

I asked what they had to offer that was low-salt, low-sugar and low-fat and received the samples pictured here in return.

I’ve written about how difficult it is to barbecue healthy in posts like Why you have to read the nutrition label — a barbecue sauce comparison.

Here’s hoping some of these will help me in preparing relatively low-salt, low-fat, low-sugar cookout meals.

I’ll be trying these in upcoming weeks (actually, the hot sauce is going to my daughter who is a hot-sauce lover and she’ll give me her review to include).

Initial kudos to this company for making their products locally in Wisconsin and for being veteran-owned.

July 25, 2022 1

Inflation is taking a bite out of the eating-out trend

Rising prices are discouraging people from eating out or from ordering-in from restaurants, according to a new study by bid-on-equipment.com, which sells a variety of used equipment, including restaurant equipment.

The study surveyed 1,008 Americans early this year. It found 50% saying they are eating out less because of inflation.

The impact of the Pandemic was evident in survey responses, 40% of those answering said at least one of their favorite restaurants had closed permanently during the Pandemic.

Local restaurants still are preferred by more people than are chains. When searching for a place to eat, people turn to Google, word-of-mouth, Yelp and other social media, the survey found. (For more survey responses, see the graphic here).

July 21, 2022 0

You eating breakfast more often? You’re not alone

Americans apparently turned to breakfast more frequently during the pandemic, according to a new survey from restaurant chain Denny’s. Sadly though, eating heart-healthy doesn’t seem to be figuring into most people’s breakfast preferences.

The survey reports that 52% of U.S. states pick bacon as their main breakfast food, followed by eggs for 26% and pancakes for 18% (see the graphic here for your state’s pick). None of those are practicularly health-healthy. I stick to Trader Joe’s high fiber cereal with banana for my breakfast, adding an occasional fat-free yogurt.

When I find myself eating breakfast away from home, I’ll try for a veggie omelet made with egg whites or whole wheat pancakes (which sadly still tend to be high in salt).

Fifty-five percent of Americans have been eating breakfast more frequently during the pandemic than before, the study found. Eat-at-home vs. out for breakfast was a close call — 48% prefer eating it at home while 52% prefer eating it away from home.

July 19, 2022 0

Who to watch for food info on TikTok

TikTok is doing more than dance videos these days, apparently. A new study by online review platform Meal Delivery Experts has pinned down the top food influencers on TikTok.

The number of followers each of these have (see the table below) is truly impressive. The rankings were determined by the number of followers and likes each has.

“What is interesting is that each of them has a different style, and sometimes concentrate on very different topics. If Emily Mariko and Amaury Guichon are quiet, straight to the point and all about ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response, or basically, low-grade euphoria), Gianluca Conte and Dylan Hollis like it loud and funny, making sure there’s a creator for any taste – pun intended,” says a Meal Delivery Experts spokesperson in a release on the study.

Continue reading →

July 15, 2022 0

A summer grilling treat — Honey-Mustard Turkey Burgers

Turkey burgers are a great low-fat grilling alternative to high-fat burgers, especially if you look for the leanest possible ground turkey. This sounds like a tasty recipe for adding flavor, a honey-mustard grilled turkey burgers from EatingWell.com.

*Turkey burger in a lettuce wrap with low-salt, low-sugar ketchup.*

The details, along with my notes on how to further cut salt, fat and sugar:

Continue reading →

July 12, 2022 0

13 cucumber salad recipes just in time for July 4th

My grilled artichoke, along with corn, cucumber salad and tomato salad. — *My basic cucumber salad.*

Cucumber salads are a staple of my kitchen. You can find a variety of recipes for them on my No Salt, No Fat, No Sugar Journal. I thought I knew all the ways to make one until I saw this piece, 13 Easy Cucumber Salads on Eatingwell.com.

Cucumbers with avocado? It’s here. A Japanese cucumber salad? Here too.

One caveat, some of these recipes involve cream or other non-heart healthy ingrteidnetds. Avoid those. As always, avoid salt. fat and sugar. A wonderful, refreshing cucumber salad doesn’t need those to be tasty.

Happy 4th of July. Stay safe, Covid may be fading but it’s still among us.

July 1, 2022 0

Month: July 2022