Impressca: Get More than a Healthy Cuisine

I have a problem with my spouse. He’s allergic to veggies. I've been wondering what's keeping him from eating healthy food.

I, on the other hand, was raised to enjoy chopseuy and pinakbet. I like eating veggies as much as buying them from the local market (no, not the supermarket). I prefer to buy from small rural farmers and it’s always a feast when we go to small town fairs. You’d be surprised how many baskets you can fill with Php500! Besides, it’s been hellish trying to find fresh veggie meals from restaurants these days. And with the accessibility of fastfood, it’s too tempting (just pretend you don't know the calories you'll be taking in) to get a bundled meal and go!

Throughout our married life, I have been encouraging hubby to try veggies. He’s allergies only exist in his mind, though. My sister-in-law attests he was always fed red meat when they were young so he hardly had the chance to enjoy vegetables. I have to admit that I tried preparing meaty meals for him before. But as years went on, I wanted my kids to get used to veggies. So he had to take the backseat and bare with the veggie meals I insisted on having :) Oh, we’re not totally vegetarian. I just try to give them a healthy balance of the different food types, minimizing our red meat consumption most of the time.

I can't say no to pasta :D

I’m not such a tyrant, really. After a week or so of fish meat and green leafy veggies, I’d let them have their not-for-everyday cravings, too. Sometimes, I’d be surprised when they’d rather have homemade (non-greasy) pizza than line-up at the nearest fastfood. If you happen to know a fastfood serving healthy food, let me know so we can give it a try :D

Yesterday, I joined a mini-event at Impressca, Mother Ignacia Avenue. We had the pleasure of meeting Impressca owner Beth Echano-Alfane who shared with us her business secrets. The name was inspired by an Italian priest Ms Beth met during an outreach program. The four branches of Impressca get their supply of herbs and veggies from their home-grown garden. Awesome, right? 

Here’s why:

If 1 million people started choosing local food sources for a year, we can eliminate up to 625,000 tons of CO2. Imagine each ingredient in your meal will have to undergo carbon emitting processes -to be produced (use of fertilizer), packed (paper, plastic, styro), transported (by land, sea or air), distributed (more packaging) and disposed as you store, cook and eat it. The more processes, the more non-eco-friendly our food becomes.

In as much as we don’t want to be bothered thinking about these, they DO MATTER now. Every small thing we have taken for granted (which has accumulated in the past years, multiplied by millions of I-couldn’t-care-less people) is now having its impact to our ecosystem. 

Another brilliant proposition from this inspiring entrepreneur is the Green Card. Every diner gets a free Green Card. Just present this to get 2% off your purchase (minimum 200) and in your behalf, Impressca will adopt a seedling to restore our forests. Now that'll change my hubby's heart :) I bet you he's going to start buying his lunch at Impressca!

I was, at first, surprised how proud Ms Beth was when she explained that Impressca strictly complies with the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. I was brought back to reality by a dumpsite photo. Now I remember why I stopped patronizing some restaurants. Try to look at the perimeter of the restaurants you patronize. It is likely that they don’t care about the environment if they can not dispose their waste properly. Improper waste disposal will clog drains and sewers, and leave a nasty smell in the vicinity. Establishments should be aware of local laws because they go through it every year when they renew their business permits. Great job for Impressca management and staff!

It’s a good thing we had a hearty but light Load-All-You-Can Salad with Red Juice. I tried the mustard dressing and loved it. I get excited when I meet eco-advocates and learn how passionate they are about their business. Glad to meet new moms who also blog and watch out for healthy food for the family. My thanks to Carlo, an advocate of vegetarian cuisine, who continues to inspire me to go vegan (Still working on that though). It’s nice to have good company while dining at Impressca. I hardly noticed until it was time to go.

You don't have to spend so much to eat healthy food. Check out Impressca's Facebook Page and see how you can save, help support their "Live Green. Feel Green advocacy" and stay healthy :) 

 

Grab a Salad at:
SM City, San Lazaro, Sta Cruz (LGF)
SM Cubao, Araneta Center (LGF)
UP PGH Food Plaza, Medical Arts Bldg, Taft Ave
Mother Ignacia Place, Mother Ignacia Avenue, Quezon City
SM North EDSA (The Block - 4/F) - Soon to open!

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