WEEKLY ARTICLE
Eating Instructions
Whenever we get an inquiry from a new client, we like to send them a copy of a little something we wrote called: Eating Instructions. It sounds kind of silly, doesn't it, needing instructions on how to eat Wholly Macro's food. You are hungry. You want healthy food. You order. You eat. What more is there to it than that? Plenty!! And if you read on, you will find out all kinds of interesting tips related to how to maximize the food that you order from Wholly Macro. It is not complicated. But since eating is something that you do several times a day, you might as well maximize it, right? Many of you are very familiar with our food. And many of you are not. Some of you have received the short version of our Eating Instructions somewhere along the line, but many of you have not. And none of you have received this new vamped up version, and since we can all always use a little re-vamping, here goes. We'll follow the format of the menu, and outline a few serving suggestions for you in relation to each dish, but also want to be perfectly clear that all of our dishes are completely cooked and ready to eat as is. All else is entirely optional.  Our soups are probably the most popular dish on our menu! They are thick and delicious. So thick in fact, that we like to suggest that you purchase a container of miso paste. Make sure it comes from the refrigerator section of the store and says un-pasteurized on the label. You can then mix about � teaspoon of the miso paste with � or so cup of spring water, and add it to the soup as you warm it. This will thin the soup ever so slightly, while retaining the flavor. It is entirely optional. It will make the soup go a little further, but if that is not important to you, and you like a thick soup, you can omit this suggestion entirely.
You cannot omit this though: When heating the soup, do not let it  boil. Miso, the healing super food contained within all of our soups, is very sensitive to heat. The live enzymes and friendly digestive flora naturally occurring within the miso cannot tolerate high temperatures. So please heat the soup to just under a simmer prior to serving, and take care not to let it boil. Some of our soups can be eaten as cool summer soups; such as the several varieties of gazpacho we are so fond of making throughout the summer. Many of our clients also tell us that they enjoy the pureed soups cool in the summer, sort of along the lines of vichyssoise, only actually good for you! Just please do not eat the soups ice cold, right out of the refrigerator, as this is bad for both your digestive system and your kidneys.  The second dish / category on our menu each week is the whole grain dish, and almost always contains brown rice along with another whole grain, and various other tidbits and garnishes as well.
The whole grain dish can be warmed up, or eaten at room temperature. Generally, we like to eat the grain dish warm in the winter, and at room temperature in the summer. One of our favorite things to do in the summer, is to arrange our plate of food, and about one hour prior to eating, set it on the countertop - in the sun - and let it come to room temperature via "solar power". We love how the sun gently warms it, while allowing it to absorb its energy. We aim to cook the grains to perfection, to satisfy the average, yet discerning eater. They will be firm, plump, and chewy. They are generally oil free and very lightly seasoned. You may prefer your grains moister, softer, oilier, or more seasoned. If so, please feel free to: Add water, miso and water (as described in the soup section above), or you can simply add some of our soup broth if you like your grains moister, but don't want to fool around with the other two methods If you like your grains softer, you can then place the grains and added liquid into a pot, and cook them for anywhere from several minutes to several hours (adding more liquid as needed) until they reach the consistency you desire. You can take our freshly prepared grains, and cook them down to a porridge in this way. You can also blend them for a quicker softening method if you need to eat them pureed, as some of you may, due to dental or digestive issues. You can also:  Fry your grains in a lightly oiled pan. You can even add such items as fresh ginger, fresh garlic, or fresh onions to the mix. There is no reason, if you desire more oil or seasoning, that you can't take any of our grain dishes and turn them into the ever popular "fried rice" by lightly frying / saut�ing and / or embellishing them with other dishes that you may have ordered from our menu, or with additional items of your own choice.
We encourage you to be adventurous, and have fun mixing and matching our various containers! The next category on our weekly menu, the third dish, is the protein dish. It can be beans, or tofu, tempeh, or seitan. Beans, similar to whole grains, are cooked appropriately for the respective recipe. Some are firm, some are soft, and some are pureed. So again, all can be made moister, softer, richer / oilier, or more seasoned (to your own individual taste), by following the same ideas as presented in the whole grain section above.  Our tofu, tempeh, and seitan dishes are usually pretty "fancy", so rarely need much more than heating (or not), serving, and enjoying. But feel free to experiment if you like!
The fourth dish on our weekly menu is what we call the miscellaneous category. Many food categories end up in section four, and some of the dishes in this category may also appear in another category depending on the particular menu. Examples of dishes in this category are our ever-popular pasta dishes, cracked grain dishes, or certain salad like dishes. Most dishes in the miscellaneous category can be enjoyed at room temperature, or slightly warmed. It is really a matter of personal preference and / or personal condition. But again, do not eat any of these dishes COLD! Personally, we recommend that you always either slightly warm, or thoroughly warm our food, as the gentle warming of the food opens it up and expands it, thus giving it more energy and flavor. The fifth category on our menu is the vegetables. Some of them are nice at room temperature, and others are better slightly warm. 
As with the other dishes, our vegetables are cooked to perfection. They are not undercooked, but are far from over-cooked.You may prefer your vegetables softer Our premise is that you can always cook them more if you like them softer, but once cooked, they can never again become less cooked. Always, when heating the vegetables, keep in mind that you are merely warming them. So please take care not to accidentally over cook them. Although, if you do prefer your vegetables softer than our preparation, feel free to cook them until they reach the desired softness. You can easily add additional fresh vegetables that don't require  much more than simple steaming to your meals throughout the week, warming them up, and steaming them right along with your Wholly Macro food. Arugula would be a perfect example. It comes ready to use, and is lovely and organic. It is so tender, that a few minutes in the steamer does the trick, and voila, you have added fresh greens to your meal. And last, but far from least, the final category on our weekly menu is the dessert. Do the desserts need any instruction? We think not!  We'll just say this: The desserts look and taste decadent, but they are not! They are nutrient dense, low fat, and very lucrative. Depending on the particular dessert, they can be used as a breakfast food, a healthy snack, or, as originally intended, simply as a dessert. They contain no simple sugar, so have a low impact on blood sugar levels and related issues. They also have an extremely long shelf life, and a little go a long way, so satisfy your sweet tooth in a healthy way by enjoying small servings of dessert daily. This will save you from many an out of control and far less healthy binge!
Okay. Whew. We'll end with this: When packaging the food in our containers, we use a method we have developed over the years that we call the layering method. You might have noticed. We do this because we have found that the food stays fresher this way than it does when mixed all together. What we suggest you do, is to take your serving from the container vertically, scooping down through each layer. You can then toss it together for yourself just prior to heating or serving. A Wholly Macro Kitchen Tip: When we prepare food to bring to a dinner party or potluck we use the layering method as well, keeping everything nice and fresh until just before serving, at which time we toss or mix to provide a beautifully fresh presentation.  Heat all foods gently, unless you want or need them cooked more (per above instructions). If you don't need them cooked more, then please remember: They have all already been thoroughly cooked, so just need gentle warming. We recommend you use a bamboo steamer to heat the foods. If you don't have a steamer, you can use a flat frying pan moistened with the smallest amount of water to prevent sticking while simulating steaming.
At Wholly Macro, we like to use the bamboo steamer method because we can put our entire plate of food, arranged just the way we want to eat it, right into the steamer, warm it for a few minutes, remove it, and eat. No muss. No fuss. No microwaves please. We put every effort into keeping the food as "whole" as possible. We prepare it in such a way as to retain its life force energy, and nutrient value. Please don't destroy all that the food is by microwaving it. We suggest instead, that you always heat the food on a low, gentle flame. This prevents unintentional overheating, only takes a few minutes (same as the microwave), and is the least offensive to the integrity of the food. We find it best to heat it longer, not on a higher heat, if you want it warmer. We hope so much that you will enjoy the food you receive from us by following our friendly and helpful eating instructions. And in addition, you can maximize your culinary enjoyment and increase the health benefits contained within the food further by: Sitting down to eat in a quiet and peaceful space at regular times each day.  Eating slowly, savoring each bite, and allowing time for all of your senses to engage. And chewing well. Please remember that this food is very un-processed. And, contrary to popular belief, there is not a "food processor" in your stomach! Good digestion starts in your mouth. Well-chewed food, aided by the digestive enzymes naturally occurring in saliva, ensures proper digestion and assimilation. 
Happy healthy Easter and Passover to you all!! We have several festive and holiday appropriate dishes on this week's yummy menu. You will find it below! Wishing You The Best Of Health As Always. Gayle and Jaime / Wholly Macro | 
