Food, Link Ups, Trying New Things, Vancouver Island

What’s On Your Plate – November: Win-Win Eating!

Retirement Reflections

“Win-win eating” refers to a diet that is healthy for us and sustainable for the environment. In that case, I should have labelled this entry “Win-Win-Win.” My post today focuses on the above two goals but also includes supporting local small businesses. There are tons of ways that you can do this while improving your eating (and shopping) habits. Frequenting your local farmer’s market, subscribing to farm share boxes and purchasing food/meals from local independent merchants can make an incredibly positive difference to our communities.

In the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, I recently discovered Feeling Radish Foods. With the goal of helping others include more plant-based foods in their diet, this small business sells handmade vegan food options that are healthy, delicious and convenient.

  • Our First Order (but not our last!): Feeling Nourished Vegan Broth, Fully Loaded Marinara, Fruity Oat Bars

For our first order, we tried the Fully Loaded Marinara Sauce, Feeling Nourished Vegan Broth and Fruity Oat Bars. All three items froze well and were super easy to prepare. They were also scrumptious and had my husband and I both reaching for seconds!

  • Fully Loaded Marinara Sauce

If you live nearby, I highly recommend giving Feeling Radish Foods a try. (Along with their delicious offerings, this company is run by the nicest people imaginable!) If you don’t live nearby, there are likely many small business owners in your area offering healthy food options who would love to hear from you. Why not visit their website or give them a call?

Perfect for a cold day: Feeling Nourished Broth (served with Daiya Cheese and Gluten-Free Seed Crackers)
This just in: Just before this post was published, we ordered the Breakfast Bombs (roasted cashews, dates, peanut butter, chia seeds, hemp hearts and other good stuff.) A delicious way to start the day!

Striving for complete candidness in my reviews, this is not a sponsored post.

Feeling Radish Fruity Oat Bars

If you do have a similar business in your area, please mention it in the comments below so that we can learn about them too. Win-win-win! 😀

Here’s what others are sharing:
Deb (cohost):
Sue
Jo
Debbie
Antoinette
Natalie
Ju-Lyn
Tracey

So, what’s been on your plate recently?

#whatsonyourplateblogchallenge

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Published by Retirement Reflections

Prior to retirement, I lived and worked in Beijing China for fourteen years (Middle School Principal/Deputy Director at The Western Academy of Beijing). Leaving international life behind, my husband and I retired to Vancouver Island in June 2015. To document both this transition and our new adventures, ‘Retirement Reflections’ was born. I hope that you enjoy reading these reflections, and will be willing to share your own.

69 thoughts on “What’s On Your Plate – November: Win-Win Eating!”

  1. Pingback: What’s on your plate – what’s your favourite recipe? – Deb's World

  5. It is always nice to find these gems in our neighbour’s. Win, win. Your article does inspire to go out and found those restaurants, coffee shops that you never tired before. I still have memories of the one that had the tree branch from the ceiling as part of their decor.

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    1. I loved that visit and still have photos of us in that tea house (that was once a Fire Hall). The tea house is sadly no more (I am not sure what it is now). But the friendship — that has now hit 50 years and counting!! 😀

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  8. These look great, Donna! I love finding these local gems. You had me at “marinara sauce”. I will have to give Feeling Radish a try!

    Deb

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  9. Huge thanks Donna for supporting Feeling Radish Foods. A win-win indeed! I can personally say that yes, this food is good. 🙂

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  12. I love the idea of Win Win Eating – it is what I try to do by supporting UglyFood, our “food rescue” grocer.

    The name Feeling Radish, is so clever – it makes me chuckle! The food looks delicious!

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  13. It is so lovely to live in a community where you can promote small business. I recently discovered Hummingbird which makes protein and breakfast bombs similar to those in your post. They are quick, easy, delicious and healthy which is always a win/win. Love the name Feeling Radish that is rad!!! Thanks for hosting What’s on your plate and really enjoyed learning more about not only win-win eating but the local small business on the island. x

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  14. Hi, Sue – Thank you for sharing Hummingbird with us. Quality small businesses that are promoting good things definitely deserve our shoutouts. I agree with you on Feeling Radish being a very cool and clever name. You could learn even more about our Island by coming for another visit. (Hint, hint) 😀

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  15. I love farmer’s markets and buy as much as possible from local producers. Aside from actually chatting to the grower, the produce tastes so much better without the cold storage and the air miles. I realise we’re fortunate to have access to great produce all year round, but honestly, the difference between fruit and veg eaten in season compared to the same from a supermarket is astounding.

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    1. Hi, Antoinette – Thank you so much for joining us at What’s on Your Plate. This is a awesome recipe. It encourages us all to try and retry new things. Tastes and recipes evolve over time. I have never been a fan of risotto. Perhaps its time for me to give that one more try.

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  17. I love all these posts. My new dil is a vegetarian and I have been trying to find new recipes to serve that do not include meat. So I am happy to see “what’s on everyone’s plate” on your blog.

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    1. Hi, Ellen – It is great to hear from you. There truly are some wonderful vegetarian and vegan recipes out there now. In addition, most grocery stores carry ingredients and products that are essential for vegetarians. That makes things so much easier. I am not a full vegetarian, but I do have a definite ‘plant slant’ diet. If you ever need more ideas or have any specific questions that I can help answer, please do not hesitate to give me a shout.

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  18. Hi Donna – when I saw your post … I just thought wonderful – and what a great name ‘Feeling Radish’ … those recipes all look amazing. I’d love to be back on the Island – but at least I had that year. I’m like you – I mostly eat fish and veggie – sometimes then resort to some meat … but I do prefer plainer food. Cheers for now – Hilary

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    1. Thanks, Hilary – Inspired by one of your posts, I recently ordered Diana Kennedy’s ‘Nothing Fancy’ from our library. Although many of the recipes were not for me, I found the book itself to be a wonderful read. I talk about it in my upcoming What’s On Your Bookshelf post. Hope to see you there! 😀

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  19. So nice to support a local small business AND enjoy healthy eating! I make a marinara sauce in the summer that is chock-full of home- and neighbor-grown veggies but it would be great to find an off-season source. I also love those Breakfast Bombs! I often struggle with what to eat in the morning and those look like just the thing to make my tummy say “yummy!”

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    1. Hi, Janis – What’s not to love about a rich marinara sauce packed full with delicious, healthy veggies? Feeling Radish also sneak lentils into their sauce. That truly achieves new heights. I was sure that I would find breakfast bombs to sweet for me (I’m more of a savory morning meal gal), but they were just right.
      I’ve been missing your posts and short stories (hint, hint) and look forward to one popping into my inbox soon! 😀

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  20. Hi Donna, Everything looks so good and it’s a triple win like you said. Love the clever name of the business, too.

    My contribution: I recently had Shakshuka for Sunday brunch to support a local small eatery. I liked it so much, I plan to make it at home using this recipe: https://www.cbc.ca/life/thegoods/shakshuka-1.5025416.
    There is also a vegan option: https://www.cbc.ca/life/food/make-this-butter-bean-baked-shakshuka-to-enjoy-the-breakfast-fave-without-all-the-eggs-1.4975376

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    1. Hi, Natalie – That is so cool that you wrote about Shakshuka. I had never heard about this before but just saw a recipe for it in ‘Island Eats’ (which I’ve reviewed for my upcoming WOYBS post). Even reading the recipe for it, I had a difficult time imaging the texure and flavour. I’m off to read your post now. I’m confident that it will help solve some mysteries for me. See you there!

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      1. Hi Donna, I should have clarified my WOYP contribution this month is in a comment format, not a blog post. Shakshuka is basically tomato and spice-based sauce with eggs added later and cooked how you like your eggs. I had it with warm Portuguese bread and it was delicious. The CBC link also has a video to show how to make shakshuka. I haven’t tried the vegan option.

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  23. Donna,
    I, too, arrived late this week, but WOYP is a great way to savor morning coffee, and I would love to have a fruity oat bar to go with it. When we travel, we never miss a Farmer’s Market if one is nearby. Quite often, Farm to Table merchants are there to sell their packaged food items to market-goers. It is a fabulous way to learn about food choices in other parts of the country while filling our pantry with good stuff. Thanks!

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    1. Hi, Joe – I highly recommend a Fruity Oat Bar with your morning coffee. Healthy and delicious — what could be better? Like you, I try to visit Farmer’s Markets wherever I travel. It can be dangerous though — when I was in Turkey, I came home with two very long hallway rugs! 😀

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  25. Well, that looks deliciously tasty and healthy, Donna! I’ve said this before, but if I could eat like this every day, I’d happily become vegan. Cooking meals every day gets old. I support your win-win-win situation full-heartedly – especially if I lived somewhere permanently and had deeper pockets. 🙂

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    1. Hi, Liesbet – I’ve just been doing lots of Blue Zone reading (places where people tend to live much longer than average). Thankfully, deeper pockets usually wasn’t a factor that rated high on the list. However, your lifestyle did contain many of the key factors listed (preparing your own food, getting regular outdoor activity, owning a dog and socializing). Win-win-win-win! 😀

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      1. The Blue Zones topic would make an interesting blog post as well. I remember Kathy posting something about that a couple of years ago. Are you thinking of moving? Sounds like interesting literature for (potential) expats, like us. 🙂

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      2. Hi, Liesbet – Great minds think alike! Since I’ve gone down a large (HUGE, actually) rabbit-hole with my Blue Zone reading, I used that topic for my upcoming What’s on Your Bookshelf post. A couple of years back, I wrote a guest post for Kathy that included Blue Zones. I think that she also did a larger post on this topic (I went to check but couldn’t get into her site for some reason — could be general maintenance).
        We are definitely not moving, especially not from Vancouver Island. We LOVE it here! 😀

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    2. Hi, Liesbet – Good news – I am now able to get into Kathy’s site (she didn’t kick me out)!
      Double good news – we were both right! Kathy published a couple of articles on Blue Zones (https://www.smartliving365.com/how-to-create-your-own-blue-zone-for-a-long-healthy-and-happy-life). I also mentioned Blue Zones in my Guest Post for Kathy on Social Integration and Positive Aging (https://www.smartliving365.com/social-integration-and-what-it-has-to-do-with-positive-aging/#more-6506). I’m glad that we didn’t just imagine this! 😀

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  27. Hi Donna, yes, to buying locally, and so many small businesses are suffering from lockdowns. Our niece has opened her cafe and is doing exceptionally well, more about various coffees than food. I love pasta sauces and when at home I usually make up my own. The sweet treats would be good to take along when you both go hiking.

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      1. It’s in a small town called Whakatane. A gamble in this economic climate though when will be a good time for small businesses? The amount of profit that large supermarkets have gained during the Covid era is ridiculous so buying from small businesses is good 🙂

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      2. Hi, Suzanne – I wholeheartedly agree with supporting small businesses over chains and big box stores. We live in a small town with a full range of small shops and businesses within walking distance. Although it is sometimes tempting to drive the 1/2 hour to the ‘big city’ and their big stores, we prefer to shop local whenever we can. I hope that your niece continues to do well.

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    1. Hi, Tracey – That’s because I dont often make or post the unhealthy stuff. Im eating a gooey bakery cinnamon roll right now…but you wont likely see it on my sm! 🙂 Thanks so much for linking up. Im off to read that post now.

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