Written by Gavin Sklar, 2023 Let Go & Grow Summer Intern
Edited by The LG&G Team
New General Cafe is a restaurant located in Winter Park, Florida that embodies its mission of providing nourishing and delicious food to the Orlando community. They offer non-processed, gluten-free, and dairy-free food options amongst a vibe that signals high quality, high standards, and high performance as soon as you walk in the door.
“We believe food starts with nutrition and that healthy dining will ultimately improve the way communities eat. Our interpretations of familiar dishes are designed to consider nutrition and wellness while satisfying your appetite.”
One way New General supports the local community is by starting with the sourcing of the food itself. Many ingredients on the menu are sourced locally from places like Lake Meadow Naturals Farm, Olde Hearth Bread Co., and Lineage Coffee Roasters Co. These sources pride themselves on high-quality ingredients and processing without preservatives, acknowledging that the process and quality of food are just as important as the taste and flavor. In fact, the quality of food and taste are directly intertwined.
After making a hard decision from the menu, I chose to get the Buddha Bowl for my main course!
This bowl is gluten-free, dairy-free, and definitely delicious. The ingredients are quinoa, roasted broccoli, sweet potatoes, maple tahini dressed kale, curry carrots slaw, herbed chickpeas, avocado, sesame seeds, and I chose to add a “Hard Boiled Local Farm Egg” on top.
I also decided to get New General’s iced “Golden Latte” which has a turmeric spice blend, cordyceps, and oat milk. On New General’s menu, this wellness drink is an anti-inflammatory known to improve digestion, boost energy levels, and strengthen the immune system.
Furthermore, for the outing to get even more perfect, I ordered a couple of pastries to go: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin (GF) and Oatmeal Fig Bar (GF, V).
In one of our recent articles, Eating For Energy, we offer a 3 step approach to food- Quality, Intention, and Fun- that directly aligns with this food experience at New General.
Quality
As mentioned earlier, ingredients in this meal are unprocessed- meaning that they are made of whole ingredients with their fiber, nutrients, and phytochemicals all still intact. Additionally, all items are gluten-free and vegan/dairy-free (besides one pastry which is not vegan), with this approach being known to lower inflammation that normally results from the interaction of gluten and dairy with several areas in the body.
Many ingredients in this meal are locally sourced. For example, the egg in the Buddha Bowl is a cage-free egg from Lake Meadow Naturals Farm located less than 30 minutes away from New General Cafe. Being that many eggs from your local grocery store can come from across the country resulting in less freshness and possible contamination, the egg on my plate came from a farm 30 min away where with a click of a few buttons, one can read about the exact farmers online and the practices of the farm.
Even the pastries are cleaner than most- having no gluten, dairy, artificial flavors, or preservatives, made with many whole ingredients, and being locally sourced from Olde Hearth Bread Co. which is less than 20 minutes away from New General.
Intention
This three-step eating approach is like a sandwich, where intention is the part that keeps everything together. While it was hard to pick a main course from the menu due to all the amazing options, I decided to tune in to what my body and mind needed the most. I wanted something full of nutrition and flavor that would leave me feeling light, energized, and contently satisfied. “
With that awareness and intention in mind, that is exactly what I received. The Buddha Bowl features many colors that signal different phytochemicals, lots of fiber, and importantly ..…. make the meal look beautiful. Furthermore, quinoa is a complete source of plant-based protein having all 9 essential amino acids fueling optimal muscle protein synthesis as well as many other vital chemical reactions in the body.
There’s a quote that sums up intention nicely: “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened.”
Fun
New General Cafe was a special experience that was made possible with many different factors including the gracious help and guidance from Let Go & Grow: Grow Local Love. The point of this article was not to rave about a particular restaurant. Moreover, this article is a glimmer of evidence and hope that one’s food experience can benefit their body, mind, spirit, community, environment, and more.
As a part of our Grow Local Love program we aim to provide guidance and support to the Orlando community to build healthier, more energized, and loving lives.
We also offer the Mind Body Reset (MBR) Program for a tangible approach to align your mind and body, and reconnect to what is most important.
So, next time you want to eat out at a restaurant, what choice will you make and why?
References
Gluten-free and dairy-free diet guide: Health benefits, alternatives & more!. Dr. Brooke Stuart. (2023a, June 19). https://www.drbrookestuart.com/gluten-free-and-dairy-free-diet/
How To Set A Powerful Intention. Dr. Brooke Stuart. (2023b, January 1). https://www.drbrookestuart.com/set-powerful-intention/
How To Take Pride In Yourself And Your Choices. Dr. Brooke Stuart. (2021, December 12). https://www.drbrookestuart.com/how-to-take-pride-in-yourself-and-your-choices/
Mind Body Reset Program. Let Go & Grow. (2022, November 3). https://letgoandgrow.com/mind-body-reset/?wpam_id=13
Lineage Craft Coffee Roasters. Orlando, Florida. Lineage Coffee Roasting. (n.d.). https://www.lineageroasting.com/
New General. New General. (n.d.). https://newgeneral.us/
Orlando, FL Artisan Bakery & Pastries. Olde Hearth Bread Company. (2023, May 22). https://oldehearthbreadcompany.com/
Our story: Lake-meadow-update. lake. (n.d.). https://www.lakemeadownaturals.com/our-story
Shifting From Scarcity To Abundance. Dr. Brooke Stuart. (2020, December 22). https://www.drbrookestuart.com/the-shift-from-scarcity-to-abundance/
LG&G Team. (2023, July 8). Eating For Energy. Let Go & Grow. https://letgoandgrow.com/notebook/articles/eating-for-energy/
Gavin Sklar
Gavin Sklar is someone who strives for excellence in everything he does and is. He is passionate about feeling his best within his own body and helping others do the same. Gavin grew up playing plenty of sports with his main sport being baseball where he competed at the Varsity level in High School and was the team captain for his senior year. Sports taught Gavin the values of commitment, discipline, and effort while doing something that he loves. Additionally, growing up as the oldest of 4 children and later on the captain of the high school baseball team, he needed to learn how to lead others in many different ways for both an optimal family and team dynamic. Now, Gavin holds the positions of Content Writer at Let Go & Grow International and President of the Holistic Living Organization at UCF where he aims to grow and impact others on a daily basis.
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