Health starts in the kitchen |
 With the 4th of July just around the corner, you’re probably starting to think about what you’ll be serving at a 4th of July party or bringing to someone else’s. Are you doing a barbecue? Corn on the cob? Hot dogs? If you are, you won’t be alone. Seventy-four million Americans barbecue on the 4th of July and 150 million hot dogs are eaten. [1,2]
And if you’re just giving up and ordering assorted pizzas—pepperoni, sausage, Hawaiian, you name it—you’re still not alone because the 4th of July is the second most popular holiday for pizza-ordering in the U.S. But think about it: aren’t you getting a little tired of eating the exact same things every year? And with more people becoming vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free, it seems like it’s getting harder and harder to accommodate all of your guests—some can’t eat the bread, some can’t eat the meat. It’s a headache waiting to happen, but you still want to please all of your guests. So, this 4th of July, try something different. And if you can’t part with your beloved barbecue or have a killer burger recipe, try adding one of these dishes to the repertoire in addition to your old favorites. These recipes are crowd-pleasers that work for individuals with a range of dietary restrictions. Most importantly, they’re easy to make—cooking doesn’t have to be stressful, intimidating, or difficult this 4th of July. Instead, it can be simple and will leave you with a beautiful and delicious dish that you and your guests can enjoy.
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 What if we told you that some of the most common health issues in the United States—even the ones that seem completely out of your control—are preventable? You might have heard the saying that food is fuel but think about what happens when you put the wrong kind of fuel in a car—it doesn’t run well. The same goes for your body: if you fill it with beneficial fuel, it runs smoothly; if you don’t, you may end up with one of these common health concerns that are highly preventable through lifestyle choices. So, if eating healthy, local, high-quality foods can be the solution to so many health issues, why aren’t more people jumping on board? It’s a combination of misinformation about the prices of healthy foods combined with food accessibility issues and increasingly busy lifestyles that make fast food and takeout seem like the easiest option. In the past when humans were hunters and gatherers or when agriculture first began, most everyone’s lives were centered on gathering food and using this fresh, local produce to sustain themselves. Now, individuals are so much more disconnected from the food they eat—getting food is as easy as picking up a microwave dinner off of a shelf at the grocery store or getting a dollar menu meal at your favorite fast food place. Yes, the fact that modern technology has made food so accessible in so many places is great, but with more disconnect from the food gathering and cooking process also come the perils of eating lots of processed foods: the negative effects of foods high in sodium, trans fats, and especially refined sugar. So, it might be easy to say that some of the most common health issues can be prevented by filling your body with the right kind of fuel—with good quality food—but how do you actually do that? It’s easy to tell yourself that you’re going to eat healthy food or support small businesses instead of franchises, but if you’ve been at work for eight hours and might even be considering bringing some work home that night, getting a burger, fries, and a shake in that drive-thru seems like the best and most stress-free option. Or, if you’ve had a long week filled with work, carpools, or even tasks around the house, but are planning a get-together this weekend, ordering cheap pizza, stuffed cheesy bread, and wings from a popular franchise seems a whole lot easier than cooking for 20. And, of course, if you’re on vacation, eating out every day really seems like the best option, even if you’re staying in a home with a kitchen. So, yes, it’s understandable: everybody is busy, and food of lesser quality often seems like the quick fix. But consider this: if you’re thinking about your long-term health, is the quick fix really what you want? Is a little bit of time saved now worth the risk for highly preventable health issues later? It doesn’t seem like it. But, again, the work creeps up and even the weekends are filled with work, errands, or chores, and it does sometimes seem like the quick fix is the best way out. What if there was just as quick of a fix that still allowed you to have healthy, high-quality meals made with local produce whether you’re travelling and staying at an Airbnb or hosting a weekend get-together at your house? This is where Placemat comes in. Placemat’s goal is to change the way individuals eat by connecting local chefs and culinary professionals with meals in the comfort of your own home. The service brings neighborhood ingredients right to your kitchen with the purpose of improving the health of individuals by making nutritious food more accessible, personal, and intentional. We’ve explored how better nutrition can affect overall well-being and are working to tackle just a small part of a complex issue. Most importantly, we want to show that better health is accessible and affordable and can benefit not only the consumer, but also the producer. Placemat takes the perceived difficulty out of eating nutritious meals: booking is done through the website where it’s easy to select a menu that can accommodate any and all dietary restrictions—vegan, vegetarian, Whole30, Paleo, gluten free, or that one person who eats anything and everything, we’re talking to all of you. Our team reaches out to confirm the booking, and on the day of your event, a local chef arrives and prepares your customized, family-style meal for you in less than 90 minutes—we even do the dishes. We’ve already served healthy, affordable, and delicious meals to more than 4,000 people in Nashville and know that we will continue to grow. With this in mind, think twice about ordering mediocre pizza, wings, and soda for your next get-together and try something that can give you a taste of local cuisine, benefits local chefs and businesses, offers a healthy meal, and provides you some quality time with family, friends, or co-workers all in the comfort of your own home or at an Airbnb in a city you’re visiting. |