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pomegranates thrive! fruits and veggies month
Fruits & Vegetables

Perfect Pomegranates

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Pomegranates. As part of fruits and veggies month, Thrive! is featuring a few favorite fruits and veggies. A whopping 90 percent of adults and children don’t get enough fruits and veggies. So, add this one to your shopping list this week! HISTORY The pomegranate can be traced far back into time. It is named in numerous ancient texts, such as the Quran and the Torah, and the pomegranate originated in Persia (Iran today). The pomegranate continues to sweep across the continent and could even be found along the Silk Road, one of the richest trading routes in history. Pomegranates were extremely valuable in…

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Cherries (831626178) thrive!
Fruits & Vegetables

Cherries: Sweet and Savory

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Cherries. As part of fruits and veggies month, Thrive! is featuring a few favorite fruits and veggies. A whopping 90 percent of adults and children don’t get enough fruits and veggies. So, add this one to your shopping list this week! HISTORY OF CHERRIES Cherries were once prized fruits, tasty enough to make it to the finest meals. They were featured at Roman conquerors’ meals and fancied by the Chineses noblemen. They were soon enjoyed by the common man when they were brought over to America in the 1600s. However, it wasn’t until the French colonists brought cherry pits over to America did…

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Fruits & Vegetables

Eggplants: The Most Misunderstood Nightshade

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Eggplants. As part of fruits and veggies month, Thrive! is featuring a few favorite fruits and veggies. A whopping 90 percent of adults and children don’t get enough fruits and veggies. So, add this one to your shopping list this week! HISTORY Eggplants are one of the fruits most commonly mistaken as a vegetable and have been documented as a part of the world’s agricultural landscape since early BCE. Originally reported in China and India, there is speculation that the eggplants earliest uses were medicinal rather than for food. Eggplants grow from the nightshade plant and were originally thought to be poisonous because…

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June Dietary Restrictions Calendar thrive!-sized for blog
Dietary Needs

June Religious Dietary Restrictions Calendar

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In keeping with my commitment to bring a helpful monthly dietary restrictions calendar to everyone, here are June dates to keep in mind as you plan menus for June events. May 16th – June 14th   Observance & Dietary Restriction Ramadan – is an observance in Islam. Muslims have significant work restrictions and fasting during the entire month. Not only are the usual religious dietary restrictions in place, but Muslims must refrain from eating and drinking during daylight hours. Even smoking is prohibited as food and water particles passing through the nose and mouth are prohibited. Worshipers break the fasting…

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thrive! birthday, food allergy awareness month
Dietary Needs

Celebrate Food & Beverage Inclusion & Awareness

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  As I sat down to write this month’s newsletter with a focus on Food Allergy Awareness Month (#FAAW18) and Celiac Disease Awareness Month (#CDAM18), I remembered that May is also the anniversary of my company. Happy 8th birthday to thrive! How apropos that I officially opened thrive! in the month that also celebrates and raises awareness of food allergies and celiac disease, two of the many dietary needs that I advocate on behalf of so individuals with them can eat safely and feel included where they eat. Eight years ago I wasn’t aware of the annual celebrations, I just knew I wanted and…

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Religious Dietary Practices

May Religious Dietary Restrictions Calendar

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In keeping with my commitment to bring a helpful monthly dietary restrictions calendar to everyone, here are May dates to keep in mind as you plan menus for May events. May 1st   Observance & Dietary Restriction Lailat al Bara’ah (Islam) – This holy day is known as Lailat al-Bara’ah (“Night of Forgiveness”) in Arabic and Shab-Barat in Persian. It is celebrated on the night of the full moon. It is believed this is the night when fates are fixed. How to include participants Followers observe the date by holding a vigil throughout the night. They congregate at the local…

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Dietary Needs Food Service Laws & Regulations Meetings & Events

Cannabis Update for Meetings and Events

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With more and more states legalizing marijuana, your next event might be held in a state where it’s legal—and if that’s the case, you better believe that some event attendees will want to get high. There’s a lot to learn about the topic before allowing cannabis at your event, but I’ve compiled the basics to get you started. [list icon=”icon: check-square-o” icon_color=”#d81c5c”] As of January (when Vermont signed on), recreational marijuana use is legal in nine states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. In Vermont and the District of Columbia, it’s legal but, you can’t buy…

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APril calendar religious dietary restrictions thrive
Religious Dietary Practices

April Religious Dietary Restrictions Calendar

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In keeping with my commitment to bring a helpful monthly religious dietary restrictions calendar to everyone, here are April dates to keep in mind as you plan menus for April events. March 30-April 7th   Observance & Dietary Restriction Pesach / Passover is a Jewish holiday with a significant work restriction. It’s a week-long observance commemorating the freedom and exodus of the Israelites (Jewish slaves) from Egypt during the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses II. It is one of three pilgrimage festivals. Family gatherings, ritualized meals called Seders, reading of the Haggadah, lighting of Yahrzeit memorial candle at sundown on…

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Food Allergies

Food Labels: Meaning, Safety, and Duty of Care (Part One)

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Food labeling is a growing concern for millions on a global level. It tells us the nutritional content, ingredients that may be harmful, like allergens, and other important info such as whether an item is halal, kosher, or heart healthy. Consumers are also increasingly confused by value-added labels, such as non-GMO, organic, and free-range. Food label laws are barely keeping up with consumer’s needs, but here’s what you need to know when it comes to dietary restrictions.  At thrive! it’s important consumers and professionals both understand what these labels mean, but the meetings and events industry, HR professionals, caterers, and…

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