EXCUSE #1: I don’t have enough time.
By far the most common excuse out there, and for good reason. As a society, we are busier than ever, and cooking healthful meals from scratch can certainly be more time-consuming than picking up a prepared meal on the way home from work or heating up a frozen pizza. You can make healthy eating a priority in as little as 30 minutes, e.g. prepping your meals for the week while watching a 30-minute show on Netflix.
EXCUSE #2: It’s too expensive.
Fresh organic produce may cost more than the conventionally grown variety and pasture-raised animal products are more expensive than factory-farmed animal products, but that doesn’t mean that healthy eating has to break the bank. Megan shares plenty of budget-friendly meal ideas (along with the price per serving, so you can budget accordingly), so your grocery bill goes down simply by preparing more whole-food meals at home. Many packaged foods, such as potato chips, soda and cookies— especially those with a brand name or a “healthy” marketing label— are more expensive than simply choosing whole foods in the first place.
EXCUSE #3: My family is too picky.
Even if you’re the only person in your home who wants to eat healthier, you shouldn’t have to become a short-order cook. It may take time for everyone in your household to make the transition, but gradually introducing higher quality foods and trying a new recipe each week is a great way to help your family
establish healthier eating habits while expanding their palates. Make it a priority!
EXCUSE #4: I’m always on the go.
If you have to travel often for work, feel as if you’re always in your car or simply aren’t around your kitchen much, you can still eat well on the go—as long as you make it a priority. Sticking to your healthy eating goals is more important than ever when you’re on the go because your immune system is closely tied to your gut health. When you eat nutrient-rich foods, you’ll give your immune system a much-needed boost and help reduce your chances of catching a cold, even if you’re exposed to more germs than usual in a crowded dance studio, child’s soccer game or busy airport.
EXCUSE #5: I can’t control my cravings.
Whether you’re on a diet or not, it’s totally natural to crave a sweet treat or salty snack every now and then. However, if your cravings feel out of control or start to occur more frequently, there could be a valid reason why.
DONNY SEBASTIANI, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF DON SEBASTIANI & CO. AND A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY’S FOURTH GENERATION
Don Sebastiani & Sons is a family-owned company rooted in the Sonoma Valley, with a winery in the Napa Valley. Since 1904, the family’s adventures have often included making and marketing products complementary to wine, and today, products range from wine to water and tequila, to pistachios, almonds, and cashews, all sourced from premier growing regions throughout the world--natural, healthy beverages and foods to complement life’s special occasions and celebrations with family and friends. The company was recently named one of the Best Places to Work by the North Bay Business Journal for the fourth consecutive year.
Today, fourth-generation proprietor Donny Sebastiani is expanding his family’s vision to include other aspects of the “Mediterranean Diet” to create a “Happy Hour At Home”, with such products as:
Small-lot, single-vineyard wines from Sonoma. Including Chardonnay grown on Donny Sebastiani’s home ranch.
Premium, seasoned almonds, pistachios and cashews called U Gottabee Nutz.
Organic flavored sparkling water: AquaJava, AquaKola and AquaMocha.
Craft 100% Blue Weber agave Tequilas grown and hand-made in Jalisco, Mexico: Contigo Plata, El Fumador Reposado, and El Macho Anejo.
NEW RELEASE: CUSTARD CHARDONNAY
Don Sebastiani & Sons, the Sonoma-based, family-owned producer of innovative wine introduces its 2015 Custard Chardonnay, a wine made from 100% North Coast AVA Chardonnay grapes and hand-crafted to be the ultimate “comfort wine.”
With 14.5% alcohol, the Custard 2015 Chardonnay is sturdy enough to pair with a variety of dishes, most notably a butternut squash ravioli and roasted seasonal vegetables. Yet its rich aromas of toasted almond and dried apricots, combined with evocative flavors of pear, citrus and vanilla, are smooth and silky enough to make it an uncompromising stand-alone sipper.
“Cozy isn’t a word you often hear to describe a wine, but that’s what our Custard Chardonnay is,” said Donny Sebastiani, President and CEO of Don Sebastiani & Co., and a member of the family’s fourth generation. “It’s comforting, evoking memories of family meals around grandma’s kitchen table, yet bright and lively on the palate, the perfect accompaniment to make those everyday moments memorable.”
As elegant as it is accessible, the 2015 Custard Chardonnay fits comfortably within the Sebastiani family’s vision of creating “Happy Hour at Home” opportunities. Recently, Don Sebastiani & Sons has introduced product lines complementary to its core wine portfolio, including premium, seasoned nuts; organic, flavored sparkling water; and three 100% Blue Weber gave Tequilas grown and hand-made in Jalisco, Mexico.
According to winemaker Gloria Mercado–Martín, the 2015 Custard Chardonnay is fermented in stainless steel at lower temperatures using a specially selected yeast strain and gentle stirring of the lees. The wine then undergoes malolactic fermentation to enhance body and add a subtle creaminess, before it is aged in new French Oak, which imparts toasty almond and vanilla notes.
Custard is one of 14 brands in the Don Sebastiani & Sons portfolio of fine California wines, built on the family’s 112-year winemaking tradition, all of it in the coveted North Coast AVA, encompassing Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake Counties, among other areas. This premier winemaking region bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and San Pablo Bay to the south is known for producing grapes of surpassing quality and wines of distinctive character.
“Our family has been producing wines in this region since 1904, and our 2015 Custard Chardonnay exemplifies the century of care and experience that goes into every bottle,” added Donny Sebastiani.
Custard 2015 North Coast Chardonnay is available in both restaurants and select retail stores across the United States; the suggested retail price is $21.99.
DONSEBASTIANIANDSONS.COM
WWW.CUSTARDWINES.COM