Hi 👋 Julia here, AIYANA’s in-house Holistic Nutritionist. Nutrient-rich prepared meals are our bread and butter, and I’m about to dive deep into some superstar ingredients found in our meals.
Radish, grass fed beef, and Greek yogurt support essential macronutrients (carbs, proteins, fats) and vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that fuel you to feel your best, so let’s dig in!
1. Radish
First up, radish, the trusty brassica family root vegetable found in our Middle Eastern Bowl and the Hearty Bowl. The radish in the bowls are raw, crunchy, and give off a subtle peppery flavour. The bitter component in radish signals to our digestive juices to start working their magic by supporting the breakdown of food in the stomach. Since the radish is raw, it provides a healthy dose of vitamin C, which is depleted when cooked. Balancing raw and cooked vegetables is the key to getting optimum levels of vitamin C that’s crucial for skin, immune, and adrenal health. And if that wasn’t enough to convince you to start eating radishes, they’re also high in vitamin K (needed for optimized calcium use) and folic acid (needed for proper fetal development, stable energy, and red blood cell production).
2. Grass-fed beef
We incorporated high quality and locally sourced beef into the menu to help you feel strong throughout the day. Protein intake in pre and post natal nutrition is crucial to growing and caring for babies. Not to mention that grass-fed beef is one of the most nutrient dense foods we have on this planet! Grass-fed beef not only tastes better than conventional beef but it’s higher in healthy fats (that support heart, skin, joint, and mental health) and lower in saturated fats than farm-fed beef. Grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene (vitamin A) and is needed for tissue repair, bone development, and eye, hair, teeth, skin, and nail health. Our Grass-Fed Flank Steak is seasoned to perfection and a great add-on to any AIYANA meal. You can also find grass-fed beef in our Bring on the Beef & shhhh..Veggies balls.
3. Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt is the queen of all the yogurts! For pre and post natal nutrition, Greek yogurt is a superfood packed with macro and micro nutrients needed for you and your baby’s health. It’s high in calcium, probiotics, protein, and vitamin E, and can be made with raw or pasteurized milk, the latter recommended during pregnancy (be sure to check with your registered physician). Calcium is essential for vitamin D absorption, and teeth and bone formation for both you and your baby. It is so important that if you don’t eat enough of it to pass onto your baby, your baby will take it from your stores. Protein is critical for growing a baby and Greek yogurt is an easy way to sneak in that extra protein. Half a cup of Greek yogurt can offer around 8 to10 grams of extra protein. You can find Greek yogurt in our Tzatziki and in the dipping sauce for our Turkey Zucchini Burger Bites.
The quality of our ingredients is a game changer when compared to most grocery products. Nutrient dense, whole foods are so important for you to consider while busy, pregnant, or raising a family, and incorporating these star ingredients into your day-to-day will only increase the energy you need to stay happy and healthy. Enjoy!