Archives for November 2013

GUEST POST: Mobile Food Apps

Today’s post is brought to you by Chris Narbone, the founder of Amplify, a blog that discusses the many benefits of running with technology. You can find him at http://amplifytoday.com. I hope you enjoy today’s guest post, I’ve really enjoyed these new apps on my iPhone! – Zucchini Runner

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Another runner told me once that in running, nutrition is king and fitness is queen, make sure you have a happy kingdom. As a runner, I pay attention to what I eat just as much as what I’m doing for my next run.

If you’re a no meat runner, living and performing on a vegan or vegetarian diet takes careful planning and attention to detail to maintain balance or “happy kingdom”. Chances are many restaurants or grocery stores aren’t as accommodating as they could be. You’ve probably been able to navigate your dietary needs through various online resources like Zucchini Runner, but what about when you’re on the go?

Mobile apps have a number of great uses especially when it comes to diet choices. Mobile apps allow you access information on the go and not miss a step in support nutrition. For vegans or vegetarians there are a number of apps to help with recipes and identifying the right foods.

3 Free Mobile Apps for the Vegetarian or Vegan Runner

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Happy Cow – A restaurant and travel guide for all things vegan or vegetarian. Maybe travelling for a race or looking for a new place to eat, this app will help you with its interactive maps, info addresses and phone numbers, and a share feature when you come across a great find. This is a great way to help you plan your next outing or trip. Download for iOS or Android.

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Whole Foods Market Recipes – Pick out the right foods with this mobile app.This app helps you create shopping lists, meal plans, and search capabilities for recipes to use ingredients you already have. If you shop at Whole Foods, this is a good app to have handy to get the most of your healthy living. Download only available for iOS.

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INRFOOD – This app is not only for vegans or vegetarians but anyone concerned about what’s in their food. Can’t pronounce something on the ingredient list? Unsure if there any allergens? Scan barcodes found on food labels and receive color coded messages of the food should be avoided or is safe. Settings within the app allow you to customize your dietary needs. Download only available for iOS.

So if you’re looking to do more than just get by with resources to maintain your no meat diet, then give these apps a try as they’ll provide help and ideas. With the use of mobile apps, you can integrate some great information into a busy schedule and not have to sacrifice dietary choices. With flexibility and the right information you can continue to perform at your optimum level.

A healthy lifestyle is important for any runner. Keep your “kingdom happy” by downloading these apps and taking control of your running performance and diet.

Carrot Pineapple Cupcake

This weekend I wanted to make a carrot cake, and SWORE I had created a recipe based on my Carrot Pineapple Travelcakes, only lighter and sweeter – perfect to be topped with a vegan cream cheese frosting! Only when I searched the blog (yes, I use my own blog as my personal rolodex of favorite recipes), I couldn’t find it anywhere! Turned out, it was on the old server, before I changed my blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org hosting. Somewhere in the transition, it got lost! Thankfully, it was easy to copy it over here, so you (and I) can reference it again.

These turned out great and didn’t last long at all at our July 3rd party 🙂 I still didn’t make the cake, but hopefully I can figure out a good vegan cream cheese recipe soon.

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Preheat oven to 350°

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl:
2 c. spelt flour
1 c. oat flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tea. sea salt

Combine in a liquid measuring cup (or bowl):
3/4 c. almond milk
3/4-1/2 c. maple syrup, depending on how sweet you like it
2 tbsp. grapeseed oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxmeal + 3 tbsp water; combine and set aside for 5-10 minutes)

Mix together the dry and liquid ingredients being careful not to over-mix, since spelt flour is delicate (which means it’s easier to digest as well).

Carefully fold the remaining ingredients into the mixture:
2 c. shredded carrots
1/2 c finely chopped walnuts
1/2 c. coconut flakes
1/3 c. dried pineapple

Scoop batter into muffin cups lined with paper, and sprayed with a little bit of cooking spray. This will help the cupcake separate from the paper better and not leave any deliciousness behind. 😉 Bake for 14-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.