Sardines and Bread - the russian touch

A few months ago, there was a certain brand of sardines on sale at one of the local supermarkets.

It was a promotional sale - two at the price of one. There were two versions: in oil and in brine. I bought those in brine. Very salty stuff, so I put it in water to eliminate some of its salt, and at the same time I told myself that I won't be buying it any more. Salt, like sugar and oil, definitely has its drawbacks.

 oil version (orange colored ); only two tins available on  shelf

Well, I  did buy it again. ( At present, it's not available on the shelf.  I suppose they'll bring it  in the cold months when people drink hot tea and/or vodka that go well with salty foods ). 
So, what made me buy it again?

I've noticed that  if I put even a small  sardine in my egg and veggies sandwich , it keeps me satiated  for quite a while. That's important if you wish to maintain normal body weight. I checked nutritional values: 21 gram protein per 100 gram sardines; ok! On the other hand, Tuna in brine, has even more protein, and less salt...so, why  buy this particular sardine stuff?

Good question. Well, I never felt that tuna, with all its  popularity as a healthy, low calorie-high protein sandwich filling -  kept  me satiated for long.  Perhaps it's an entirely subjective feeling that has nothing to do with reality. I don't  know. I need some more time to find out the answer.

There are no additives in this product (Ivasi); just sardines, water and lots of salt (350mg). Sardines have one obvious advantage over tuna: the little softened, white bones full of calcium which is said to be beneficial to our bones.

Anyway, for some reason, these  sardines are popular with customers of russian descent (have I mentioned vodka?!)   The owners of the supermarket (actually a chain of supermarkets), are also of russian descent ; that would explain why this product is not found elsewhere.

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Many of the above customers  also buy bread made of spelt flour . Spelt is considered the wild ancestor of wheat. In the 18th century it was the main food source for the russian peasants. Today, spelt is experiencing  a 'comeback' , an increase in popularity, as russians everywhere are becoming more health-conscious.

 packed sliced loaves of spelt bread on the supermarket's shelves

loaf of spelt bread - the wrapping paper - not eco friendly

Spelt bread is relatively high in protein and thus, of great help to those with dietary intentions, as it serves as a metabolic booster, and gives one a feeling of fullness. Two slices of this quite tasty bread  keep you going for most of the day. If only they would wrap it in an eco-friendly way! 

slices of spelt bread

The non-lazy  among potential consumers can buy the spelt flour package and bake, the real thing, at home.

packages with spelt flour

Skinny Pasta

I discovered this food item only last month, before the Passover holiday.   The 200 gr pack was lying on a shelf in the health store. It made me curious as it boasted  9 calories per 100 gr, no glutten, no sugar, no salt, no stabilizers - no additives whatsoever - only fiber .  Almost too good to be true (it even had a label with 'kosher le Pesach'  on it). The pasta comes in various forms: noodles, rice, couscous. I chose the noodles package for trial.

They say the product in our health store is not the original, but a local version - and a much better one - a version  that  got rid of an initial bad (fishy) smell that comes from the konjac plant upon which this product is based. 

instructions on the back of package

Well, after opening the pack, removing the water and giving the pasta  a good rinse, I divided it in two parts, and left the second half in the fridge for next day consumption. I warmed the stuff in a pan; next,  threw it into a small pot with 1 and a half  glass of boiling water and  a 1/2 flat teaspoon of organic veggie soup powder (Holland 'naturfood' powder is the only brand I use in my kitchen)- and, voila, a little soup with noodles for only 9 calories.

It was  delicious. Really. One warning though: drink much water after that as these noodles tend to absorb the liquids in the stomach and this might cause problems for certain people. I heard there were consummers complaining of nausea following the eating of a skinny pasta dish. Me, I wasn't  familiar with the water warning, and yet I felt nothing wrong. 

There are suggestions to combine this pasta with various sauces and veggies to improve its taste and texture. It's possible, of course, and it could work very nicely,  but there's no need to, and I wouldn't recommend that to those who want it as a tool in their weightloss process -   'the less, the better'.

front and back of package

Anyway, I shall definitely try it again  (pity it's a bit pricey in our parts) and then decide whether to include it in my regular menu . I  intend to eat the pasta soup in the evening, because it's a light meal and because it gives a sense of fullness that'll, hopefully, keep me well away from food until next day.