Eating Gluten Free At the Fair

There are plenty of gluten free offers at fairs or festivals!

In today's world there are so many allergies  health issues relating to gluten , so what is one to do when going to a fair or festival?  Here are a few tips.

Yummy Yummy Big Fat Daddy's Bread Boules full of Crab Dip

Sometimes,  Sourdough Bread is a good alternative to Gluten breads!

1. Nix the Specialty Items.

First off, stay away from specialty items if you can't decipher what could possibly be in them. Case in point, these are French Bread Boules full of crab dip  Even though the manufacturer (Pillsbury) says they are Sourdough bread, we aren't exactly sure what Pillsbury's exact process is in making them. Therefore, you should avoid these type specialty foods in case you are sensitive to Gluten.

2. Nix the Fried Foods that are Breaded.

Since you can't be certain exactly what type batter is used on fried foods, and most are commercially prepared (such as Chicken tenders which come pre-breaded) it may be a good idea to nix the fried foods in case you have a Gluten Allergy.

Stick to meats, nix the breads. Big Fat Daddy's Angus Burgers and Nick Ferrante's original recipe Sausage.

3. Stick to Meats but Nix the Buns!

Since food vendors are using commercially produced bread, the labels may not tell you exactly the "gluten" scientific ingredients on them. Therefore, it's a great idea to avoid the bun and ask for the meat on the side instead of on a bun.  This is where you may find that food vendors won't have a plastic fork so walk tall and carry a fork with you!

Poultry is a safe choice if you have gluten allergies.

4. Poultry is Safe!

Eating some grilled turkey or grilled chicken at the fair is a safe idea. Just steer away from battered or deep fried!

Find Out More About Gluten Free Cooking: 

Visit Food & Fire blog which has great recipes. This is the carnivorous ramblings of a gluten-free grill geek!  Might we suggest a great recipe on their blog--> Slashed Chicken Thighs !

Boost Your Immune System Citrus HighVit

Yes this is a real photo. Grab my Citrus Marinade recipe HERE.

Three Ways Not to Get Sick

Everyone's sick.....except me.  I guess I should knock on something made of wood.  I don't believe in the flu shot and people laugh that I use swear by lots of citrus in my diet.  Here are my top three ways not to get sick.

1.  I use citrus marinade on my beef and often mix orange juice into my tequila-lime-chicken. I stick bits of fresh orange in my salad and use lime juice when making fresh salsa.  I don't care what anyone says, citrus fruits are full of vitamins and they sure keep me from getting sick.

2. I take my multi-vitamin.

I snagged this of the highvit website. Look at the umbrella. It keeps you covered.

3. I drink these drinks. I don't have time to learn the wonders of juicing it up as I am always on the go. I stock myself full of these vitamin drinks with benefits for my body by HighVit . These don't taste bad like some "energy drinks" I've tasted.  They are enriched with close to supplemental quantities of vitamins--meaning if I skip FORGET my vitamin today no biggie, I'm basically covered. And if I take my vitamin, well, I'm more than covered. Bye Bye Flu Germs!

Note: 

Their website says, "HighVit Functional drinks provide the required amounts of specialized nutrients together with vitamins to support 3 main functions: – Immunity defense – Body energy levels – Digestive function."

Here's a video: 

HighVit Vitamin Drink from Adomas Pranevicius

Low Carb Foods Grill it Up for Weight Loss and Overall Health

Hey! I'm using Instagram, follow me user : BigFatDaddys

Low Carb Options When Grilling

Last week I posted a photograph of a healthier meal, charbroiled chicken salad (you can see it a few up on the left) and my veggies for my salad (here on the lower right). Believe it or not I received a ton of twitter messages about it.  What's wrong with that picture?

If you asked me five years ago to post pictures of what I was eating you may not have seen a low fat low carb option. I couldn't honestly say that I didn't eat barbecue , ribs, pork, or beef seven days a week.  I'm six foot but I topped in at 360. I had a heart attack at 37 so by 44 I was pushing my second. Now, people wonder how I lost 100+ pounds. Well folks, I'm going to tell you how.

1. Increase Your Exercise 
I was never lazy and I moved around a lot. It just happened for me that I was eating more than I was burning. So I made a small change. For one, I took my little dog up there (cute huh?) and walked him each day. At first it nearly killed me trying to make it around the block a few times. By the middle of winter I was sprinting around the block and my neighbors thought I was up to something.  (Look at Big Fat Daddy run,)  I do believe this helped burned calories in addition to my usual routine. We walk together even to this very day.

2.  Choose Lower Carb Options and Cut Out Some Carbs

I listed to my pal who is a personal trainer and I cut out most bread--if I used to eat bread three times a day now I would eat it once. For dinner my big meals were salad and of course, I lived on my grill. Grilled veggies. Steamed veggies. Veggie Kabobs. Grilled Steaks.  I chose lower carb options like fish and ate my "big meals" at lunch.

3. Moderation is Key

Now I'm not going to lie, I did eat potatoes, but I ate these carbs in moderation. For instance in the past I'd make mashed potatoes and eat the whole pot in one sitting. Man, I miss that. Now I grill a mid sized potato or sweet potato and eat it that and be done with it.

100 Pounds Lighter with my TexasBrush.

Recipe for Weight Loss

I guess the recipe for weight loss is simple, exercise + moderation + low carb foods= Success. This site low carb foods has a lot of helpful advice.

Other Recipes for Success

You can eat more veggies in fact, maybe you want to cut out meat altogether for awhile. Eat healthy and go vegan. Hey, it's okay with me--look at this great post about  vegan stuffed peppers. This is a wonderful resource for vegans to create a one of a kind vegan stuffed pepper dish! You don't have to be a vegan to eat this healthy recipe!

Other ideas include checking out my posts for low carb options:

• Kebab with kabobs  
• Grab hold of my turkey leg smoking recipe . 
• Make the chicken or turkey soup MINUS the dough balls! 

Whatever you do, don't give up. Weight loss is hard work! When the going gets tough, the tough get going!

Is Barbecue Healthy? Stop Pig Discrimination

Pork this, Pork that, are there unfair cases of pig discrimination unfair?

Today I'm not talking about beef barbecue, I'm talking about classic Pulled Pork BBQ.  Is it really healthy for you? According to this study over at Men's Health, pork contains less fat than chicken breasts and has good health benefits.  On the contrary, there are lots of folks who refuse to touch or even taste a succulent pork barbeque sandwich due to the fact it comes from a dirty, muddy, smelly, messy  pig! (Didn't they ever watch Charlotte's Web?) Oh well, thanks to this blog over at Food Network we can see that when compared: 

Pork Tenderloin          versus        Chicken Breast
Calories: 96 calories                    Calories: 142 calories
Total Fat: 3 grams                         Total Fat: 3 grams

SWINE WINS!

Truth be told there are conflicting reports on many websites, and sometimes pork is shunned merely because the word "bacon" and "saturated fat" comes to mind.  This should be called pig discrimination! If you ask any barbecue guru they are sure to tell you how many different parts are on the pig and how you can use pork rump, pork shoulder, or pork loin to make the pulled pork barbeque--which all poses more questions as to trying to find out exactly how many calories in a pork barbecue sandwich.

Does Mitt Romney have a problem eating Wilbur?

Would Michelle Obama agree that pork is healthy?

In a generic "pulled pork bbq" search for calories, Livestrong website indicates there are "90 calories in 1/4 cup, with 1.5g of fat."   Sounds great huh--but not really. Who eats only 2 ounces of pork barbecue on their sandwich? Not me or most guys I know!  I would think an average bun in the barbecue world may yield you four or even as much as five ounces and that's not including the slaw piled on top or bbq sauce dousted on (if you swing that way).  Now a a sub roll at Big Fat Daddy's may yield you almost ounces of pulled pork topped with slaw,  (not counting the bun!) So now what?

Bottom line, anything you eat should be in moderation.  Consider a nice sized pork barbecue sandwich topped with slaw a good meal.  If you are worried about your weight, skimp on dinner. You can do low fat fish or steamed veggies (or kabobs) to offset the whopping six ounces of pork you just consumed.  Look up sites like Diet Foods to help you make menu plans and stay trim.

In a nutshell I get tired of people assuming just because it comes from a pig, it's bad for you.  Do the math, try some swine. Not to mention a whole world of pork barbecue out there, when never do two taste exactly the same, that you are missing! 

Pork Lovers: They are Everywhere.

If you like pork, make sure to visit the Hogging Up Barbecue Festival page that will be coming to Virginia real soon!

Staying Healthy BBQ Style

Image courtesy of picjoke.net

It is very hard staying healthy when you run your body ragged. Now maybe my life may seem a bit different than yours, but so many of my friends and family seem to have busy lives--some working more than one or two jobs just to make ends meet. Running around crazy for activities with the children, balancing work and home life, it's all relative.   In my life it seems I'm traveling sometimes over 1000 miles a week and working crazy hours. I'm at the festival three states away setting up while most people are still tucked in their beds getting some extra weekend rest. What is rest? I think that's something I'll get when I die. This is a few things I do to help combat the military type lifestyle I have endured for so long. Each weekend I'm off to battle.

Rule #1 : Drink a lot of healthy energy supplements like these LeVive drinks which help fight free radicals.

This LeVive dietary supplement is made with superfruits, I drink the hell out of these. Order it from here.

I also drink tons of water when I'm not downing my supplements.  I have to stay hydrated so I don't wither up from the heat of the 350 degree BBQ pits I'm cooking on. This is also important to you, when you are running around missing meals and getting run down. Downing a LeVive can make you feel full, give you a juicy boost of free radicals, and curb your hunger.



Rule #2 :    When you don't have a lot of time to eat, snack accordingly throughout the day. 

I snack on fruit and small bits of meat to keep me going.

I munch on small amounts of meat, no bread, just to keep me going.  While most people are still still dreaming of the barbecue. I'm cooking the barbeque and burnt up to a crisp. I want to eat breakfast, but no time for that.   I really think it's important to do as much healthy eating as I can on the road.  And so it seems that while most people are still having morning coffee and reading their email, or having breakfast,  I'm still cooking like a crazy fool and preparing  lunch for the masses.  Burning my ass up.

Rule #3 :    Keep moving.

I stay busy. Moving burns calories.

If I stop, I will drop. So, I stay moving. It seems my body is in full work mode and the day goes faster when I stay busy.   While people are on their way to the actual festival with the family, I'm prepared for battle. After the kind folks visit me for lunch and dinner, they go home, but I'm still there cleaning up from the big surge of business. I have barbecue sauce all over me, hickory wood soot on everything I own and I'm so tired I can't stand up.  It doesn't end there.  I'm tearing my stands down and getting on the road 2am while they are in bed with a full tummy snoozing away.  I haven't stopped since 4am. What a long day.
                 
Rule #4 :    Everything in moderation.

I'm in a wine club. It's all good.

Everything is in moderation. My snack intake. I will eat a  few oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies with toasted coconut from Pinch and Swirl, but that's in moderation. My steak intake--balanced with veggies.  My poultry balanced with fruits.  Even my wine intake - and yes I don't think anything is wrong with a glass of red wine once in awhile.  I belong to this Red Wine Club and have been very pleased.  If you are clueless, ask the Wine Witch (she's not a witch at all but that's what they call her.)

The Bottom Line :   In theory, it's not the size of your butt--but how you maintain it!

Sporting the "Hogging Up Barbecue Festival Logo" Image courtesy of picjoke.net

The bottom line is you have to stay healthy. Your body is your vehicle that moves you through life, and much like a car it needs tuneups and repairs, but the better maintained you keep it the better off you will be.   This article gives you a good outlook on cooking tips to help you lose weight.

You may also enjoy reading these healthy posts:
Gluten Free Recipes 
The BBQ Workout

Pigs Are Dirty Warning Not For the Vegetarian

I have to say those cute little pigs can be real dirty creatures. Sure, grilling pigs is a dirty job. I get asked a lot if I do whole hog (I would but the wife does not like looking at their little faces.) I guess it makes her feel better for me to get giant pieces of pig ass and grill those.

Now grilling pigs gets messy because of all the pork fat . For me, it drips down through my grate onto the wood fire and causes a lot of flare ups. If not careful I can really have a big meltdown.  This is where the Texas Brush comes into play, to clean the grate real good.  I don't mind because I'm cooking the fat right out of that sucker.  The pork fat actually helps keep your wood burning, as the fat that drips down is as good as kindling.

For those of you who think most pork overall is high in fat and sodium, you are right. However, when the pork loin, shoulder, or butt is braised and cooked properly, low and slow over high heat (and on a smoker you can indeed cook a good portion of the fat right out of that bad boy), you would be surprised at the updated  PORK Nutrition Facts right here. 

No two pork barbecues are the same.

Who can refute the glory that happens next? Pull it, add your spices and sauce and savor the flavor on a great pig old pork barbecue sandwich. No two taste the same, so why not try everyone's?  Mine is not your traditional southern vinegar based but more of a hickory sweet. I rarely pull mine but often slice or process mine into thin layers, simmering into a hickory sweet sauce that melts in your mouth, not in your hand. What's not to love?

Alternative to Pigs: 

Still disgusted?  Then I guess you'll have to eat Vegan Barbecue which is just something I found over at  Almanac of Eats.  Every day with them is a National Food Holiday!

Holy Vegan Cow, check out these vegetarian Spareribs!

There's National Spaghetti Day, National Whiskey Day, even a National Caviar Day! Almanac of Eats is celebrating with fun food facts, giveaways, and recipes. Come eat the year!   Please follow their Facebook Page or Twitter, we like their style!

Get Healthy Beef Up Love Your Body

A Salad a Day can really hit the spot, pile all that crap you crave in there for taste, when really it's only a teaspoon of each!

Eat Healthy: Let Me Count the Ways

It's no secret I have struggled with my weight all my life. Had a heart attack at 37 and struggled to get myself back in shape. Now I'm 49 and I have been up and down with weight loss, losing as much as 100 pounds and trying to keep it off. I'm here to tell you it's darn hard to keep the weight off when you LOVE to eat certain foods. I enjoy a good Angus Burger (that's got to be my favorite food) and must have beer (Natty Boh for this guy) with my Ravens game, and that's calories right there.

So I go with the whole moderation is key factor. I learned a lot of Natural Medicine Talk by reading different websites and seeing what I can do naturally to help lower my cholesterol and certain changes I could make in my lifestyle to help.

You could push away from the table or just eat in moderation, your choice.

I spend a lot of time on the road away from home. Although I have no time to prepare a healthy salad, and sometimes I'm away from home for ten days at at time, I make it a point to visit a salad bar.  If I'm craving ham or salsa, I pile a teaspoon of that on top and really think I'm getting a treat. 

I thought of a few things I do that may help you lose a few pounds or stay in shape!

• When you have a big meal looking at you square in the face, sample small portions of everything.
• Eat slow and drink lots of water.  This will fill you up faster. 
• One meal a day should be a salad.  *Use reduced fat or light dressing when possible.
• Snack on fruits throughout the day. This will satisfy your sweet craving. 
• When you are going to eat something like a beef or pork sandwich, cut your bread in half, eat more meat and less bread. 
• Try the Ham Dogger --- shout out to @foodchatter on Twitter who did a great view of the HamDogger right here.  What is it you ask? Something to shape your burgers into hot dog shapes so they fit on a hot dog bun.  If you hate filling up on bread, and want all meat and no bun this is for you!  This way you still can eat your burger, but overall you may end up with less bread!
• If you are having soup or stew, start with a coffee cup full instead of a big bowl. Most six or eight ounce cups you will only fill up 3/4 of the way, and it's a bit more time consuming to eat soup this way. Therefore, you are taking longer to eat it and filling up faster!

Soup in a coffee cup may get you eating less and taking longer. 

 The Atlas Classic Bodybuilding Show

I'm happy to be sponsoring the Atlas Classic Bodybuilding Show that's taking place in my home neighborhood of Parkville, Maryland. If you are interested or know anyone who likes to compete , do tell them about it more details at the Atlas Classic website. 

Eat Healthy at the County Fair Chicken Galore

Photo courtesy of IraMency, taken at the Cecil County Fair.

I hear a lot of people hate overeating at the county fair.  They dread eating funnel cakes, Italian Sausage and Cheesesteak which may be loaded with calories--although sometimes traditional food associated with fairs. Sometimes just the giant bread itself makes you feel stuffed and bloated after just one sandwich.  If you want to choose a healthy alternative why not try a turkey leg, or get some sliced pit beef without the bread?  My Cheesesteaks are made with my real texas beef, so they seem to be a good alternative if you do have to eat something BIG!   

Big Fat Daddy's grilled chicken dinners are lower in fat that most fair foods.

I do barbeque chicken platters at some of my county fairs, and they are a great alternative when on a diet.  I cut a whole chicken in half, add some dry rub and smoke it on high heat on both sides.  It then steams in a pan of water on our grills, coated in a hickory sweet barbecue sauce so that it's moist when you eat it.  Add two sides try some of my cajun homemade slaw, texas basked beans, 1/2 grilled corn cob, small side of fresh cut zero trans fat oil fries, summer cuke and tomato salad or fresh cut watermelon, and this proves to be a healthier alternative over traditional fair food.

Now honestly I don't see anything wrong with skipping lunch and pigging out on a big old pork barbecue or beef sandwich, if you know you are going to the fair, why not enjoy yourself?  Just don't overdo it. Remember, eat in moderation but do enjoy the bbq!

Want to Eat and Cook Healthier at Home? 

For more great tips make sure to check out this great website: Healthy Cooking Tips

Ferris Wheel at the Cecil County Fair.  Courtesy: IraMency

Beef and Pork for Breakfast

Okay, maybe I'm an old school country boy at heart but I don't see anything wrong with eating some beef or pork for breakfast.  They say that you are supposed to have so many servings of meat per day, and they also say that your breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So why not get one of those servings of meat out of the way for breakfast?

There are various things you can do to incorporate beef or pork into your breakfast.

Beef

• The old Steak and Eggs breakfast is a surefire way to get your protein on first thing in the morning. A small piece of steak pan grilled with some eggs on the side is great. 

•  Leftover steak can be cubed and thrown in an egg omlette. Nothing like a Steak and Egg Omlette. 

• Use 3 ounces of angus ground beef fully cooked in your egg omlette. 

Pork

• Everyone loves having a few links or a patty of pork sausage.  

• Bacon on the side is still pork. 

• A small piece of country ham on the side of your eggs is no joke. 

Eggs or French Toast

I've already told you how I eat my eggs, here's my egg post right here. I try to get free range eggs whenever I can.  Scrambled, sunny side, you name it, I'll eat it.

Of course I sometimes enjoy delicious french toast and nab some of the styling recipes off the French Toast Recipes
website.  That's still a way to get your eggs, and is still a  yummy for your breakfast.

The Big Fat Daddys Barbecue Workout

Here are my secrets to staying in top shape.

The Barbecue Workout

I'm telling you selling or competing in BBQ is a competitive sport. You have to get your body into some form of athletic conditioning just to survive the long hours.  Now for most, this form of exercise is currently lifting beer to chin repeatedly and includes the art of chewing lots of 'que.

That used to be me, and I'm no Aaron Rodgers even tough I try to be on top of my game. I give that guy a lot of credit.  Last year I lost 100 pounds with the help of a little something called willpower and some advice from my personal friend bodybuilder Mike Turkin.  Truth is I'm on the move from April to October doing fairs, festivals, and catering events and the extra weight made me feel lousy. I was sluggish and felt like a pile of greasy lard. So, I came up with my own game plan called The Barbecue Workout.  Here's what I learned along the way which may help any food vendor or bbq competitor stay in tip top shape!

Eating on the go: A major issue. Here I am driving up the Susquehanna.

Traveling Fast Food Eating on the Go is a No No

One of my big lessons learned was what not to eat on the go. I travel up and down the East Coast selling barbeque, so it's very important to not hit the drive in fast food places along the way. I find a coffee and some sweetness like grapes curbs my appetite while in the truck driving long hours. If I'm not in the mood for coffee or get too jittery I opt for some cherry juice.  Lots of benefits of this at the cherry juice blog.

Yeah, I crave the mighty burger, but I know that there will be a time and place for that later.  Why waste all my fat and calories with one swipe at McDonald's? Just not worth it because after eating that crap I feel like a pile of sludge and ready for a nap. Better save those calories for later, I could think of better food to use them up on.

Talking to my pal Eric with South Carolina BBQ.

Workout

I'm lucky in a way because I have a lot of physical labor in my job, meaning I have to set up my wooden stands piece by piece, put up my tents and haul out my heavy grills (also known as artillery for the bbq zone).  I go in like a warrior and take my punishment, almost breaking my back on some of this heavy crap. I've gotten smarter as I've aged, and started welding wheels onto everything.  I suppose this power lifting during set up really helps keep the muscles in shape. More calories burnt saved for later.  

Thinking about a Nap.

Staying Mobile and Busy

I spent long hours in the stand. I'm there before the public setting everything up, staying mobile. I'm cooking before they get out of bed. While they are having their coffee, I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off. While they venture out to the fair, I'm about ready for a nap because I've gotten four hours of sleep in two days. I find things to do rather than sit my butt down in the chair. Once I sit down, it's only a matter of time before the nap attack comes.  

Almost burnt my legs up!

See what I mean? So, I decided instead of burning up my beef and falling asleep on the job, I will I stay moving and stay mobile I'm not as tired. I might make my rounds and say hello to everyone or just take a minute and clean my grill.

 

Heavy Meal Eating Noon or Mid Day Not Late

I really try to eat my heavy meal  around noon or mid day, instead of later at night.  Now I do eat a nice big 'ol Texas Angus Burger, or a piece of sausage, or some barbecue. I am not going to skimp on a good meal.  The key here is I eat during noon or mid day, no later than 2:30, and that fuel is with me for the rest of the day. I don't eat this way all day long, and most cases I'm working an hour after the fair closes.  So, if I am starving at midnight, it's salad time.

Old West Style: Me and my Texas Brush.

Ride 'em Cowboy

I have fallen off my "diet" several times now, gained some back and lost some again. Truth is, I don't be too hard on myself, I just get back up on the horse and ride.  You have to give yourself some credit. It's hard not to eat all that barbecue, especially when it smells so good.

There's nothing wrong with a nice sized portion, meat and pork is very good for you, contains proteins and does a body good. As with anything, balance it out with some movement and exercise, and it's all good.

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Great Foodie Site: 

Please visit this great foodie site, my sponsors and pals over in Melbourne, Australia.  This30-something couple is a husband and wife team , and they decided it would be worthwhile to document the food they cook, eat, and really like. I guess you could say they have a slight obsession with great food. Be obsessed with them at dotchew.com.