SABA TO GO:
An exciting new health conscious menu has been launched. At SABA TO GO and SABA RESTAURANT, Paul & Alan Cadden understand the importance of healthy eating and have partnered with Erika Doolan Nutrition Ireland. Erika provides restaurants worldwide with a range of nutrition services providing nutrient analysis (calories, fat, sodium content etc.) and allergen identification. This new menu at SABA encourages you to take control of your own health, through the food you eat and the way you live your life. It provides a clear understanding of the nutrient profile of the menu to give the consumer food choices. This valuable information helps to facilitate a more healthy eating approach.
At SABA TO GO Erika highlights the nutritional content of the menu and provides a comprehensive nutritional analysis of each dish. This menu is naturally packed with nutritious ingredients.
Erika Doolan Nutrition Ireland explains that SABA TO GO’s new healthy concept focuses on a nutritional balance and on sustainability. We cater for everyone, health conscious customers, athletes, gym fanatics, customers with food intolerances and of course those who wish to indulge a little. It has been designed to give the customer food choice. Now customers can navigate the menu and see what health benefits each dish may have. All our meals are Low GL meaning they will keep you fuller for longer and will not spike your insulin when eaten in moderation. I always encourage people to choose brown rice as opposed to white to reduce the overall glycemic load.
A Low GL healthy eating plan is sustainable and excellent for people who are watching their weight, especially fat around the middle, have medical conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes, suffering with stress or simply want to stay healthy.
There are options for customers that are conscious of their calorie intake, look out for our new symbols ‘Saba Light’ <200 calories and ‘Saba Slim’ <400. SABA TO GO menu is naturally dairy free and gluten free which is a plus for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant customers and for our Paleo followers.
Erika follows a Paleo diet and has introduced some delicious Paleo Friendly dishes such as ‘The Green Machine’ and ‘The Caveman’. Paleo is a dairy free, wheat free, soya free and legume free health eating plan that is trending in Ireland and has many health benefits.
Thai food has many medicinal benefits, packed with antioxidants and there is a dish for every ailment from colds and flus to aches and pains! It is a powerful, natural medicine! In Thailand research suggests that they have lower cancer rates, lower blood pressure and less heart attacks than our Western countries. With it’s immune boosting properties it helps to reduce inflammation. Many Thai ingredients have many anti aging properties to help you stay young and help you reduce sugar cravings.
Erika is passionate about making dishes more nutritious without compromising on flavour.
Saba Restaurant & Nutrition Ireland
PHILOSOPHY
Saba meaning the ‘happy meeting place’ in Thai is well known for the following reasons:
Authentic cuisine at reasonable prices
Delicious food
Fantastic atmosphere
Cocktails
‘Health & Wellbeing’
Saba has always been naturally healthy and we are now going to show our customers just how healthy we are.
MENU:
Our menu is Low GL and suitable for customers on the 5:2 diet. Our menu has a combination of allergen symbols and all dishes have been calorie counted and labelled <250 and <500 making it suitable for customers seeking a restaurant that will support the popular ‘5:2 fast diet’. The UK’s number 1 bestseller written by Dr. Michael Morsley and Mimi Spencer’s is called the ‘The Fast Diet’ (5:2 Fast Diet). The 5:2 diet is all about sticking to a healthy 2000 calories for five days and fasting on no more than 500 calories for two days.
GLYCEMIC LOAD:
This is very important! All our dishes at SABA have a very Low glycemic load meaning they do NOT spike your insulin. Our dishes area wholesome and the more fibre , protein or fat in a food the less it will spike your insulin. For example, WHITE rice will spike insulin if eaten alone but mix with a coconut milk based curry and it will take down the overall glycemic load. Opt for brown rice, this is naturally low on the glycemic index because of it’s high fibre content.
VEGETARIAN:
We have lots of delicious vegetarian soups and salads on the menu
RAW FOOD DIET:
A raw food diet can consist of different types of raw foodies. Some raw foodies eat meat others only vegetables. A raw vegan diet consists of unprocessed vegan foods that have not been heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius). “Raw foodists” believe that foods cooked above this temperature have lost a significant amount of their nutritional value and are harmful to the body.
AT SABA we have lots of delicious salads that you could offer to Raw foodies.
WHEAT FREE & GLUTEN FREE:
Wheat Free vs. Gluten Free – What is Right For You?
I have noticed a lot of confusion whereby people are unsure if they should be off wheat or gluten.
Wheat v Gluten
Wheat = made with white or whole wheat flour – biscuits, breads, tempura, dumplings. Some sauces are thickened with white flour we at SABA use arrowroot instead.
Gluten = A protein found in many grains including wheat, barley, spelt, oats, kamut, semolina
Why avoid?
Causes bloating, gas and constipation. Skin rashes, allergies and congestion. Can cause death in serious cases.
Wheat Intolerance
Allergic reaction: swelling of the throat, hives, itchy skin, nasal congestion, watery eyes, difficulty breathing, cramps, nausea and possibly anaphylaxis, when wheat is consumed.
A wheat allergy usually develops during childhood.
Most people outgrow a wheat allergy by 3 to 5, but it can be a lifelong disorder.
Wheat free doesn’t always mean its gluten free. It is only wheat free! (Although wheat glucose syrup, wheat maltrodextrin are GF however)
Avoiding wheat products is a much more an expansive diet plan than consuming a gluten free diet.
Gluten intolerance:
Inability to properly digest gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Gluten intolerance, which is becoming increasingly prevalent, can range from gluten sensitivity to coeliac disease.
Gluten Free means its wheat free too.
AT SABA: Our soy sauce is wheat free we use tamari instead. We have rice as our main side.
DAIRY FREE: We are dairy free we even serve NOBO ice cream!
SUPERFOODS:
Superfoods are a special category of foods found in nature. By definition they are calorie sparse and nutrient dense meaning they pack a lot of punch for their weight as far as goodness goes. They are superior sources of anti-oxidants and essential nutrients – nutrients we need but cannot make ourselves. We all may be adding more salads and vegetables to our diets, but concern over the quality of foods grown on mineral depleted soils makes Superfoods an intelligent choice. The longest living populations consumed high amounts of antioxidants in their diet. At Saba we pack our dishes with fresh herbs and spices. This increases the intensity of the flavour but also increases the intensity of it medicinal benefits. If you are loaded with a flu or feel under the weather, chose one of our hot dishes and it will take the edge off you. Try it out ! In Thailand, the locals successfully use the nutrient power of food to naturally cure themselves.
Eg. Greens, Bee Superfoods, Fruit and nut, Seaweed , Herbs, spices
At SABA: We are inundated with herbs and spices. Every dish has a superfoods but we have labelled only the dishes that stand out from the rest with the most potency of Superfoods in them. We need customers to know that are foods have medicinal properties and help with health issues.
SABA SLIM: Less than 250 calories
Ideal for people on a calorie specific diet (5:2 Fast Diet) and gives them the freedom to feel they are not overindulging. This is great for light snackers on the run.
SABA LIGHT: Less than 400 calories
This is for the health conscious or those on a calorie counted diet (5:2 diet) who wish to enjoy their experience and not feel they over indulged.
PALEO:
This is very popular with sports people and health conscious people. This means NO DAIRY, NO WHEAT, NO LEGUMES, NO SOYA.
NUTS and shellfish allergies:
Becareful of nut & shellfish allergies.
SUGAR:
At SABA we avoid using sugar but when we do we use Palm sugar. OUR FOOD IS SO FLAVOURSOME THAT WE USE ALL OUR HERBS AND SPICES TO MAKE OUR FOOD TASTE GOOD! At SABA, we are sweet enough!
SALT:
AT SABA we use Sea Salt, black peppercorns, herbs and spices instead.
FAT:
At SABA: Saturated Fat is found in animal produce. The only really good saturated fat is coconut oil. When someone is trying to get their cholesterol down they should either chose a PALEO (they may eat meat with no carbs) meal or a Fish or veg dish if they are choosing to eat a carbs such as rice or noodles.
Watch Out For Those Hidden Calories! Sauces and creams seem so harmless, but they are more than likely full of sugar and cream. They can seriously make you gain weight without you even realising it! One tablespoon of mayonnaise has almost 100 calories, and it’s so easy to put more than one serving on your sandwich or hamburger. All of our sauces at Saba are dairy free! We only use fresh ingredients, packed with antioxidants and goodness. Our curries are made with coconut milk, excellent for promoting weightloss and optimum health. Coconut Milk IS GOOD FOR YOU ! IT HELPS WITH IMMUNE SYSTEM AND IT IS GOOD FOR LOWERING CHOLESTEROL AND BURNING OFF FAT!
Erika Doolan – Inhouse Nutritionist at Saba Restauarant & SABA TO GO
