The media are constantly reminding us that the main way to transmit COVID-19 is by mouth. So naturally, the first thing we asked ourselves was: does that mean we can get coronavirus through food as well? Keep reading and find out the most important rules for good hygiene in the kitchen!
There’s a saying in Croatia that goes: “Good hygiene makes up for 50% of good health.” And lately the hygiene measures have certainly become drastic. We’re not leaving our houses without rubber gloves, we’re stockpiling on toilet paper and building altars for our private collections of hand sanitizers.
We’ve heard all kinds of advice for good hygiene in public, but how about in our own homes?
The USDA (United States Department for Agriculture) tells us: “Public health and food safety experts do not have any evidence to suggest that COVID-19 can be transmitted by food or food packaging.”
Phew, that’s a relief. However, that does not mean that you can stop following the strict hygiene rules in the kitchen! That’s why we bring you the 8 most important rules for good kitchen hygiene, from our personal experience running a restaurant and other expert sources.
Your grandma always said wash your hands. Your mom always said wash your hands! Now mom and grandma are giving you that smug grin cause, whaddaya know, it turns out they were right all along.
So, for God’s sake, if you need to remember one rule from this list, remember that before touching food you need to wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap under hot water.
Wash them before cooking, wash them while cooking so you prevent cross-contamination (for instance if you first handle dirty veggies and then ready to eat bread) and also before eating.
Even though we frequently hear that you cannot put warm food in the fridge, this information is actually outdated and downright false. The proof lies in this simple equation:
Time + temperature between 5-60 degrees = rapid growth of bacteria!
You can leave your food outside for a maximum of 2 hours because after that time period the bacteria start growing very quickly. Therefore, the moment your meal cools down beneath 60 degrees, put in the fridge immediately .
If you’re in a hurry and can’t wait for the food to cool down, it’s better to put hot food into the fridge rather than to play Russian roulette with bacteria. Don’t worry – your fridge can take the heat and you can rest assured that bacteria won’t start multiplying on your favorite vegan pizza.
Food always needs to be covered because if you leave open all sorts of things can end up in it. Asking yourself how Buddy’s hair ended up in your vegan soufflé? Now you know.
Golden advice for anyone who uses animal products or vegans who live with non-vegans: raw food of animal origin needs to be kept at the bottom of the fridge. This is because raw meat and fish can easily leak onto ready to eat food. This can then lead to poisoning with pathogens such as Salmonella or E. Coli which are sometimes found in raw meat.
The essence of organizing food in your fridge is: keep ready to eat food at the top of the fridge (e.g. a sandwich) and raw food at the bottom of the fridge (e.g. dirty onions).
This rule is exercised by restaurants who practice good hygiene, but we rarely see this rule being implemented at home. Become an Ambassador of Well-Organized-Food-in-Fridges! Not the coolest title in the world but it does saves lives…. DUM DUM DUUUUM [*dramatic music].
Correctly defrost food? Wut? “Usually I just take out the frozen beans from the freezer in the morning and I reheat them after I come back from work. Isn’t that good enough?”
No, no, no! Food needs to be either defrosted in the fridge, or in cold running water, heated up in the oven or in the microwave. Never leave food to defrost on room temperature for many hours.
Food that easily spoils should never be kept out of the fridge for longer than 2 hours because after that time the bacteria quickly starts multiplying. The inside of the food stays frozen, while the outer surface is in a so called temperature “danger zone” for bacteria development.
We know the story. You’re in a hurry, late for a meeting or a class, and you don’t have time to completely reheat that frozen chickpea curry. So you will heat it up just enough so it doesn’t freeze your mouth.
Again…no, no no! When reheating food it needs to heated up to at least 75 degrees so that the high temperature kills the bacteria. You wouldn’t want your digestive system to remind you of this important rule in the middle of that meeting.
No, we don’t just mean the kitchen counter. We mean EVERYTHING. Yes, even that greasy oven that everyone’s been blatantly ignoring to clean up.
Clean out your sink daily, and on a weekly basis clean it with a stronger disinfectant, such as Genox. Genox also happens to be manufactured in Croatia so even if the borders are shut down, we can still clean our kitchens. Yay!
Don’t forget the fridge and freezer either. They need to be cleaned on a monthly basis…and not “moments before the penguins start settling down on that iceberg that’s been growing in your freezer for the past six months.”
Restaurants often have cutting boards and knives in different colors: red, green, yellow, etc. Some would say we’re a happy colorful bunch, but we know we are actually dead serious about hygiene.
Why the colors? The differently colored knives and cutting boards mark the different types of food (for example: red is used for meat, green for vegetables and black for ready to eat foods such as bread, tofu, etc.)
This is done because cross-contamination is a very frequent cause of food poisoning and it happens when bacteria from one product cross over to another one.
Not all of us have the money or the will to have 5 different cutting boards in 5 different colors so a practical tip is: always wash your knives and cutting boards after using different produce that have a potential for cross-contamination.
We’re just kidding of course. These are simple but important rules that aren’t even hard to follow, but they make a big difference in the kitchen hygiene. Which means they also make a big difference for your health!
But if you’re the type of person that can barely remember to wash their hands when they get home… Or the type of person for whom the bare thought of cooking makes them cringe in horror… Then leave the cooking to the professionals.
Order gourmet vegan food over the Glovo, Pauza.hr or Wolt apps and don’t worry about colorful cutting boards nor cross-contamination nor Buddy’s hair in your souffle.
Author: Martina Beg
The world-renowned concept of cloud kitchen has arrived to Croatia and the first restaurant of this type is our Barcode Mitra2GO! Find out why cloud kitchen is the best choice for those who love when their food arrives fresh and hot right at their front door. ?
Sometimes we don’t feel like dressing up for a restaurant. Or we just want to eat something tasty while being snuggled into our beds, watching our favorite TV show. The cloud kitchen concept was developed as a smart solution to the growing demand for food delivery.
A cloud kitchen is a kitchen where food is made exclusively for take-out and delivery. So it’s not a typical restaurant because there is no seating space for customers.
A cloud kitchen is also sometimes called a ghost kitchen ?, delivery kitchen, virtual kitchen, commissary kitchen, or dark kitchen.
The first cloud kitchen was opened in New York City in 2013 and in 2020 the cloud kitchen concept arrived to Zagreb!
Opening a cloud kitchen is cheaper than opening a classic restaurant. Since it is primarily used for delivery, there is no need to invest neither in expensive restaurant equipment such as chairs, tables or plates, nor in extra staff such as waiters.
This means that with the same investment a restaurant owner can open more cloud restaurants in one city and cover more neighborhoods, instead of opening a smaller number of the typical sit-in restaurants.
The first cloud kitchen in Croatia is located at Zagrebačka street 113! From there you can order our famously delicious vegan burgers and desserts, as well as our new dishes: pizza, salad, lunches and stew.
Our ingredients are always freshly bought at local markets. Our main philosophy is that healthy can be delicious. We like to say that our meals aren’t necessary only for vegans but for all real gourmands!
Apart from our already legendary vegan burgers ? and vegan desserts ?, at Barcode Mitra2GO you can now find a whole new line of original vegan meals created by chef Mitar Pejanović.
The lunch that will make all your colleagues at work “green” from envy. With four kinds of vegan lunches, everyone can find the perfect bite for their half hour break (which, let’s be real, is never long enough).
The Green vegan lunch is made from lentils with a green vegetable and onion sauce, while the Red vegan lunch is made from brown rice and a beetroot, carrot and onion sauce.
The offer also includes a Yellow vegan lunch (sautéed cabbage, butternut squash) and a Brown vegan lunch (buckwheat, beans, mushrooms). With a price of 39kn each, you’ll never again have to be hungry during lunch!
If you’re like my grandma and think that a meal is not a meal unless you can eat it with a spoon, then you will thrilled by this vegan stew ?! It is made from a fresh daily selection of seasonal vegetables from the local market and its price is 33kn.
Because what is a Croatian restaurant without pizza? ?? However in Barcode Mitra pizza doesn’t fall into the junk food category. Quite the contrary!
Its crispy crust is made from home-made vegan yeast dough, and on it you will be surprised to find fresh avocados, bean sprouts, a whole bunch of other vegetables and a delicious tomato sauce.
It is priced at 69kn and large enough for two people – so invite your always-hungry friend, your too skinny cousin, or anyone else who needs convincing that pizza can be tasty even without cheese!
A salad that can overshadow even the best main dish ?! Made from a combination of bean sprouts for your daily dose of vitamins and antioxidants with a delicious vegan dressing.
Its price is 45kn. However, this isn’t your usual “three leaves of lettuce with a little olive oil” ?, rather a whole meal!
Besides these new dishes, Barcode Mitra2GO also offers everyone’s Barcode Mitra favorites, such as vegan burgers, vegan desserts, and superfood smoothies.
The normal-size vegan burgers are as always 38kn, while the large ones are 54kn. Vegan desserts are 29kn, and the superfood smoothies are 50kn for a 0.30L and 90kn for a 0.75L bottle.
? Zagrebačka Cesta 113, Rudeš
⏰ 11 – 17h
? Monday – Friday
☎️ 013770428
? Only takeout/delivery!
Barcode Mitra2GO is a delivery/take out restaurant only. You can find us on Zagrebačka Cesta 113 (Rudeš).
For take-out you can call our friendly vegan team at +38513770428, and for delivery you can find us on Wolt, Glovo or Pauza.hr apps.
? Ulica Andrije Žaje 60, Trešnjevka
⏰ 10 – 22h
? Monday –Saturday
☎️ 016272927
? Sit and eat + delivery/take-out
If you want to absorb some of the Barcode Mitra energy or take a sneak peek into our kitchen, visit our restaurant at Ulica Andrije Žaje 60 next to Dom sportova!
At Barcode Mitra restaurant you can sit and eat or order take-out, as well as delivery with Wolt, Glovo or Pauza.hr apps.
Mitar is daily active on social media so you can order directly from him our sexy veggie pizza, win a free burger, or find out our latest discounts and promotions!
Follow us on Instagram: @barcode_mitra or on Facebook: Barcode Mitra.
Did you enjoy the blog post or are you one of those *weirdos, ahem* who like to read newsletters? Great!
Subscribe to our newsletter ? and be the first one to find out about our new blog posts, new discounts, or new incriminating pictures of Mitar. Wut?
Author: Martina Beg
25.2. we set off in Zagreb to find hand sanitizer. In 6 pharmacies, BIPA and DM they told us that all their bottles are completely sold out.
25.2. the Croatian prime minister Andrej Plenković announced the first confirmed case of coronavirus in Zagreb, Croatia. Coincidence?
In the streets, we can hear mentions of coronavirus – the youth mention it loudly and in a joking manner and the older generations quietly and with concern.
Tension is felt in the air, but we don’t let it get to us. We don’t care about sensationalist articles from famous news outlets. We prefer to do our own research.
In this article, we bring you the latest news from scientific studies and international health organizations. No nonsense… or humdrum.
Coronaviruses are viruses that afflict people and animals. They are also the ones to blame for diseases you have probably already heard of, such as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
The coronavirus which has recently been discovered to cause the coronavirus disease COVID-19 is the one that caused this new 2020 epidemic.
Coronaviruses are zoonotic viruses which means they are transmitted between animals and humans. For example, the virus SARS-cov was transmitted from wild civets to humans, and the virus MERS-cov was transmitted from camels to humans.
Surely you must be asking yourself does that mean your cat or dog can get infected with coronavirus? Luckily, for now, there is no evidence that house pets can transmit the new coronavirus COVID-19 onto people.
At the beginning of January 2020 in the city of Wuhan, China the first coronavirus COVID-19 case was confirmed. It is considered that the new virus transmitted from animals to humans at a seafood and livestock market in Wuhan. The new coronavirus quickly spread from one city to all of China in just 30 days.
25.2. the biggest number of confirmed cases outside of Asia was in our neighboring country of Italy (283 cases). Out of those 283 cases, 7 have died. Now we can confirm that the shortage of hand sanitizers in Zagreb is not a coincidence.
At the begging the symptoms are unnoticeable, but they evolve over time. The most common symptoms of coronavirus COVID-19 are: fever, dry cough, and fatigue. Some people also experience: body aches, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea.
An important (and calming fact) is that most people (around 80%) recover without major complications and need for special treatment.
Coronavirus spreads in 2 typical ways:
Firstly, coronavirus can spread through respiratory droplets from the mouth or nose through the air when a sick person coughs or breathes out.
Secondly, you can also get infected through touching items or surfaces that those droplets landed on if you proceed to touch your eyes, nose or mouth afterwards.
Many people with COVID-19 don’t have visible symptoms which especially applies to the early stages of the disease. But despite that, they are still contagious which means you can get coronavirus from someone who doesn’t have a fever or a strong cough and seems to be completely healthy.
Younger people and those with strong immune systems rarely have serious complications from coronavirus. On the other hand, elderly and those with chronic health issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes are more likely to get seriously ill.
25.2. the number of patients in the world was 80,350 with 2,705 fatalities. In the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) scientists have analyzed over 72,000 reported cases of coronavirus COVID-19 in China. They discovered that the mortality rate is 2.3% from which the majority of cases are the elderly.
If you find yourself bored out of your mind you can follow the number of coronavirus patients daily on the John Hopkins page:
Unfortunately, neither a drug nor a vaccine for coronavirus currently exists, which means we cannot stop it with drugs or treat it when it infects someone. Care for coronavirus patients focuses on alleviating the symptoms of the disease (e.g. lowering the fever, relieving the pain, etc.).
The World Health Organization (WHO) gives us the following directions for protecting ourselves from coronavirus:
The typical kind of face masks that you find in hospitals cannot stop coronavirus because viruses are extremely small particles that easily pass through these cotton masks. But these masks do help prevent a sick person from transmitting the virus to others (because it stops the big droplets from flying around while coughing.)
Luckily, some masks successfully stop bacteria and viruses! The so-called respiratory masks such as the N95 masks from the manufacturer 3M. These special masks filter more than 95% of very small (0,3 microns) particles, which includes viruses and bacteria.
However, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the usage of respiratory and typical doctor’s masks only to people who work in hospitals or directly with infected people. And why not for us regular Joes?
We assume that the proper usage of masks is too “complicated“ for non-professionals and therefore it is inefective in the actual prevention of transmission. For example, every mask should be thrown away after usage, the mask cannot be touched while on the face and after taking the mask off, hands should be immediately washed.
However, we have worn our N95 masks at airports a few times. We ordered them from China (a bit ironic, right?). Breathing through these types of masks is a bit harder because of the thick fabric. It also gets hot underneath it quickly. But it does give us some false sense of actually doing something healthy regarding the epidemic.
We’ll offer you some advice on how to protect yourself while traveling. Some we gathered from the Internet, and some from our own experience:
Even though most infected people will manage to overcome the disease without complications, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses should stay alert since the disease mostly affects people with weakened immune systems.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says:
“If you are located in an area where the COVID-19 epidemic exists, you need to take the risk of the infection seriously. Follow the advice of the state and the local health officials. Even though for most people COVID-19 causes only mild symptoms, some people can get very sick.”
Realistically, even if we aren’t old or don’t have a chronic disease, we still don’t want to get infected with coronavirus. Maybe the health consequences aren’t as bad as the media portrays them to be, but being stuck in quarantine for days, well we wouldn’t like that at all.
We neither want to be scanned at the airport and quarantined because we have a heightened body temperature (bye, bye holiday in Thailand). We also don’t want to have to sell our grandmother’s jewelry just because our travel insurance doesn’t cover coronavirus. Therefore, we diligently follow the advice for protecting ourselves from coronavirus and we munch on vegan burgers in the safety of our home.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a study that shows that a vegan diet cures coronavirus (yet!). But we do have one important piece of information: our immune system has a very important role in the fight against coronavirus, and studies do show that a diet full of vegetables and fruits is favorable for having a strong immune system.
Therefore, even if it’s winter don’t forget to take in your daily dose of fruits and vegetables! If you don’t know where to start with your greens or you just don’t feel like chopping some up, stop by at our restaurant and have one of our legendary burgers. Or our legendary vegan pizza. Or our legendary vegan lunch. Vegan cake? We have it all.
Mitar is daily active on social media so you can order your sexy vegan pizza, win a free burger or find about our new deals and discounts. ?
Follow us on Instagram: @barcode_mitra or on Facebook: Barcode Mitra
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Author: Martina Beg
We visited the Indian city of Palitana, which in 2014 became the first legally vegetarian city on Earth! Here meat and eggs are illegal, as well as any activity involving their production. Find out more about our adventure ?
The mountainous city of Palitana in India is the world’s first vegetarian city. The sale of eggs and meat here is prohibited, as well as the slaughter of animals.
We decided to visit this secluded and little-known city to discover its beautiful temples (of which there are over 900 in Palitana!) and to find out more about the vegetarian religion of Jainism.
The vegetarian city of Palitana is located in the western region of India – in Gujarat. On our trip there, we didn’t meet a single foreign tourist! This makes Palitana one of the true off the beaten trackdestinations in India.
The lack of foreigners isn’t that surprising though, considering Palitana is quite far away from the major tourist cities. To reach the closest major city, Mumbai, would take you 13 hours by car.
There are 3800 stone steps to climb before reaching Palitana. Climbing the steps can be quite difficult, particularly for older people because of the high temperature and long duration of the climb – which takes an hour and a half.
We clambered up the mountain quickly, but we saw many locals renting transport to the top and back. It was a chair carried by two Indian men.
Jainism is a peaceful, non-violent religion whose followers are strict vegetarians. Jains emphasize self-discipline and self-control with the goal of leading a peaceful life.
Jainism teaches against the consumption of meat and eggs, but consuming dairy products is allowed. Modern vegans will of course argue that consuming dairy products also harms animals.
However, the Jain vegetarian diet does include other aspects of animal conservation. For example, Jains don’t eat any vegetables that grow underground, such as potatoes, garlic, or onions – so as not to harm small insects or microorganisms. They also try to avoid destroying the entire plant by not harvesting it from its roots.
The Jains that we met were walking barefoot so as to minimize their chances of killing insects on the road. They also told us that for the same reason some of them don’t use any means of transport.
Palitana is considered one of the holiest cities for Jains because it’s the city where Adinatha, the religion’s first savior, is believed to have walked among the hills.
That’s why every devout Jain should visit Palitana at least once in his/her life.
In 2014, 200 Jain monks decided that they’d rather die than continue tolerating the slaughter and consumption of animals within the city.
In June, 2014 they started a hunger strike, threatening to continue until they die, unless the government declares the city a “meat free zone.”
In August, 2014 the Gujarat government banned the sale of meat and eggs, as well as the slaughter of animals within the city.
The law wasn’t passed without complaints from some groups – mainly Muslims, butchers, and fishermen who live in the city.
Muslims protested against the new law which they said went against their right to consume meat.
Many in the meat industry also took a stand against the law because they lost their jobs that they worked at for many years.
The government’s decision is also questioned by many who don’t think that it’s the government’s place to tell people what they can or can’t eat, and that religion shouldn’t be involved in politics. And what do you think?
If you’re interested in learning more about legal news involving vegans then read our article: Huge Win for Vegans – Court Rules that Veganism is a Philosophical Belief!
And if you want to know more about veganism and the vegan philosophy then take a look at: Vegan Diet – Beginners Guide (2020).
Mitar is daily active on social media so you can order our sexy veggie pizza directly from him win a free burger, or find out our latest discounts and promotions!
Follow us on Instagram: @barcode_mitra or on Facebook: Barcode Mitra.
Did you enjoy the blog post or are you one of those *weirdos, ahem* who like to read newsletters? Great!
Subscribe to our newsletter ? and be the first one to find out about our new blog posts, new discounts, or new incriminating pictures of Mitar. Wut?
Author: Martina Beg
Great news coming from Great Britain! Ethical veganism has been declared a “philosophical belief” and thus it’s legally protected, a British tribunal has ruled on Friday, Jan. 3, 2020.
The case was brought to court by vegan Jordi Casamitjana, who argues that he was wrongfully fired by his employer, the League Against Cruel Sports, because he’s an ethical vegan.
The League Against Cruel Sports is a charity organization which fights against the exploitation of animals in sports. Mr. Casamitjana has, however, learned that the same charity makes investments linked to animal testing organizations.
After he shared this information with his colleagues, he was informed of his upcoming dismissal from the company.
Ethical veganism is a philosophical belief and should be protected by law, an employment tribunal has ruled.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 3, 2020
Ethical vegan Jordi Casamitjana gives his reaction to Sky News.
Read more ? https://t.co/lc6g2koQXD pic.twitter.com/imduFSYKje
However, the court has ruled that ethical vegans, because of their belief, have the same rights as other “protected characteristics” under the Great Britain’s Equality Act 2010.
Mr. Castamitjana, 55, who lives in London, told the BBC that he’s, “extremely happy,” with the ruling – which is ongoing – adding that he hopes other vegans “will benefit.”
There could indeed be great benefit because the legal recognition of veganism as a philosophical belief gives vegans a greater ability to fight for their rights,such as the right to a vegan meal at school or at work.
Vegans follow a vegan diet, which is a diet comprised of plants which avoids animal based products such as eggs, honey, meat, or fish.
It’s often referred to as a plant-based diet because of this.
Of course, for some people the definition of veganism goes beyond a plant-based diet.
That’s why ethical vegans don’t just follow a vegan diet, they also have a broader vegan philosophy. They try to avoid ALL types of animal exploitation in their everyday lives.
For example, ethical vegans avoid:
If you want to know more about the vegan diet or vegan philosophy then you should read our article: Vegan Diet – A Guide for Beginners (2020).
And if you already have a PhD in Veganism then take a look at our The Best Vegetarian Fritters – Recipes for Veggie Burgers!
Mitar is daily active on social media so you can order our sexy veggie pizza directly from him win a free burger, or find out our latest discounts and promotions!
Follow us on Instagram: @barcode_mitra or on Facebook: Barcode Mitra.
Did you enjoy the blog post or are you one of those *weirdos, ahem* who like to read newsletters? Great!
Subscribe to our newsletter ? and be the first one to find out about our new blog posts, new discounts, or new incriminating pictures of Mitar. Wut?
Author: Martina Beg
Barcode Mitra restaurant gained fame with its vegan burgers, aptly named the best in Zagreb. Now we’ve opened a new location in Rudeš, exclusively for delivery and take-out, Barcode Mitra2GO!
Here you can order all of our classic delicacies (vegan burgers, desserts) as well as our new dishes: lunches, pizza, stew, and salad. Of course, everything is still 100% vegan!
As always, we buy all of our ingredients either from the local market or from local farmers. Our philosophy is that healthy can also be super tasty! We like to say that our dishes aren’t only for vegans, but for all true gourmets!
Why did we open a new location? Because we noticed that Zagreb is lacking options for healthy food delivery – for example in cases when we don’t feel like cooking on Friday afternoon or when we forget to pack lunch for work.
What’s in it for you? A lot!
1. Delicious, healthy vegan food is now just a few clicks away – on your phone or computer.
2. The food selection is way bigger! Vegan pizza for when you have friends over, vegan lunch because who wants to take Tupperware to work, or vegan burgers because… actually, did anyone ever need a reason to eat a burger?
3. The delivery is faster and the food you get is fresh and warm.
4. You help keep our master-chef Mitar from getting bored because he’s always creating new dishes for you!
Barcode Mitra2GO is also the first cloud kitchen in Croatia! Cloud kitchen is a restaurant serving only take-out and delivery meals.
Cloud kitchen is a new restaurant concept that first appeared in New York in 2013 and is gaining popularity worldwide. And now cloud kitchen has arrived to Croatia as well ?
Besides our already legendary vegan burgers and desserts, in Barcode Mitra2GO you can now find a brand-new line of original vegan dishes created by chef Mitar Pejanović.
The lunch that everyone at work will envy you for. With four kinds of vegan lunches, everyone can find the perfect bite for their half hour break (which, let’s be real, is never long enough).
The Green vegan lunch is made from lentils with a green vegetable and onion sauce, while the Red vegan lunch is made from brown rice and a beetroot, carrot and onion sauce.
The offer also includes a Yellow vegan lunch (sautéed cabbage, butternut squash) and a Brown vegan lunch (buckwheat, beans, mushrooms). With a price of 39kn each, you’ll never again have to be hungry during lunch!
If you think that food isn’t food unless you’re eating it with a spoon, then you’ll love our vegan stew! It’s made from fresh, seasonal vegetables from local markets and farmers, and costs 33kn.
Because what’s a Croatian restaurant without pizza? Of course, in Barcode Mitra pizza doesn’t fall under the category of junk food. Exactly the opposite!
The crunchy crust is made from homemade yeast dough, and on top of it you’ll be surprised to find avocado, bean sprouts, and a bunch of other tasty veggies and tomato sauce.
It is priced at 69kn and large enough for two people – so invite your always-hungry friend, your too skinny cousin, or anyone else who needs convincing that pizza can be tasty even without cheese!
A salad that can overshadow even the main dish! Made from a combination of bean sprouts for your daily dose of vitamins and antioxidants, and covered with a tasty vegan dressing.
Priced at 45kn, this isn’t your typical ”three leaves of salad sprinkled with a little bit of olive oil” but in fact an entire meal!
Besides these new dishes, Barcode Mitra2GO also offers everyone’s Barcode Mitra favorites, such as vegan burgers, vegan desserts, and superfood smoothies.
The normal-size vegan burgers are as always 38kn, while the large ones are 54kn. Vegan desserts are 29kn, and the superfood smoothies are 50kn for a 0.30L and 90kn for a 0.75L bottle.
? Zagrebačka Cesta 113, Rudeš
⏰ 11 – 17h
? Mon – Fri
☎️ +38513770428
? Only take-out/delivery
Barcode Mitra2GO is a delivery/take out restaurant only. You can find us on Zagrebačka Cesta 113 (Rudeš).
For take-out you can call our friendly vegan team at +38513770428, and for delivery you can find us on Wolt, Glovo or Pauza.hr apps.
? Ulica Andrije Žaje 60, Trešnjevka
⏰ 10 – 22h
? Mon – Sat
☎️ +38516272927
? Sit and eat + delivery/take-out
If you want to absorb some of the Barcode Mitra energy or take a sneak peek into our kitchen, visit our restaurant at Ulica Andrije Žaje 60 next to Dom sportova!
At Barcode Mitra restaurant you can sit and eat or order take-out, as well as delivery with Wolt, Glovo or Pauza.hr apps.
Mitar is active daily on social media so you can order directly from him our sexy veggie pizza, win a free burger, or find out our latest discounts and promotions!
Follow us on Instagram: @barcode_mitra or on Facebook: Barcode Mitra.
Did you enjoy the blog post or are you one of those *weirdos, ahem* who like to read newsletters? Great!
Subscribe to our newsletter ? and be the first one to find out about our new blog posts, new discounts, or new incriminating pictures of Mitar. Wut?
Author: Martina Beg
Wondering what we’re eating when we’re not enjoying
our own Barcode Mitra vegan burgers? Read on and find out the best recipes for
vegetarian and vegan fritters and burgers without meat – directly from the
veggie burger experts!
When we were toddlers and our mom wanted us to eat vegetables without us
realizing it, she’d make us fritters. As soon as we saw something green, we’d
complain. But in the end, we’d always give them a taste because – let’s
be real – veggie fritters are simply too delicious! ?
Eventually, we forgave mom for her sneaky culinary pursuits. Moreover, nowadays we can hardly wait to pack vegetables into every possible dish because they’re super healthy and tasty.
And guess what? In the end we made a career out of stuffing vegetables in the most unexpected places. Burgers, of course. ?
Vegetable fritters are one of our favorite vegetarian recipes. Our refrigerators and freezers are stuffed full of vegetable fritters be it day, night, dusk, or dawn!
Why? They’re healthy, affordable, simple to make, and everyone from kids to grandparents loves them! They’re also rich in fiber, protein, and essential vitamins.
So simple, yet so delicious that sometimes we feel like we never want to eat anything except fritters. Of…all…possible…varieties. Here we’re bringing you our favorite recipes for healthy vegetable fritters:
These are simple vegetable fritters that you can either make in just a few minutes (i.e. zucchini fritters) or make a larger batch and freeze it for later (i.e. lentil fritters).
Veggie fritters are a great way of putting a healthy serving of vegetables into your kids’ meals and it’s not a bad way to fool yourself either – if you’re not a fan of eating greens.
For a healthier version, make the vegetarian fritters in the oven with minimal or even zero oil. The standard way of making them is frying them in the pan. However, if you have a grill then grill them like we do, but if you don’t have one – then you can always pay us a visit. ?
Some of the vegetable fritter recipes are vegetarian, while others are vegan – that way there’s something for (almost) everyone!
If we had to choose our favorite zucchini dish, it’d have to be fritters. It’s one of those recipes with which you feel like you’ve hacked life – they’re so tasty and so simple to make!
They look like mini cakes, taste like savory pancakes, and are stuffed with healthy zucchini!
Zucchini are rich in antioxidants, vitamin K, magnesium, and have few calories – only 17 calories per 100g.
We love to eat these zucchini fritters with yogurt or sour cream – why complicate something so perfectly simple?
For this zucchini recipe you probably already have all of the ingredients at home! These zucchini fritters can be made either el clásico as pan-fried fritters, or as a healthier version: oven-baked zucchini fritters!
We’ve met a few people who’d run away from cabbage faster than from a burglar.
Maybe it reminds people of the vegetable stews our moms would make us eat before we had the right to choose our own food… or perhaps they don’t like the bitter taste of cabbage.
Whatever the reason, this cabbage fritter recipe would change even their minds!
Just 200g of cabbage carry your recommended daily amount of vitamin C and vitamin K! Kale is also rich in fiber and low in calories (just 27 calories per 100g).
In these cabbage and potato fritters the taste of the vegetable is relatively masked, so you get the good parts – without the strong taste.
No, no…we’re not joking. Chard fritters are the best! We love their green color that scares away anyone under the age of 12 – because that means we don’t have to share them with our kids! ?
These chard fritters are great for putting into a burger bun with something like guacamole, tomatoes, and onions – and they’re not even complicated to make.
Chard is super rich in antioxidants which protect your body from free radicals. Also it’s rich in vitamins A, C, and K as well as extremely low in calories – just 19kcal per 100g!
This makes them the perfect ingredient for any kind of diet (even the kind that tells you to eat nothing but watermelon for a week ? We hope you’re not on that kind of diet.)
Find out how we made these chard fritters with feta cheese ?
Chickpeas are the end all be all of vegan foods because they’re rich in protein (19g per 100g of chickpeas) and function as a great substitute for meat.
Furthermore, chickpeas are an affordable ingredient and can be used in a variety of ways. Our three favorite recipes are hummus (chickpea purée), chickpea curry, and of course: chickpea fritters!
Besides being rich in protein, chickpeas are also extremely healthy because of their high fiber content. Thanks to the fiber you feel full much longer after eating, and of course it helps regulate your digestion ? and blood sugar levels.
These chickpea fritters are completely vegan, inspired by Turkish cuisine!
Otherwise, chickpea patties can be found in our spicy red burger!
For an extra dose of healthy vegan protein, choose a legume that’s rich in it – lentils! With 26g protein per 100g you’ll be lifting heavy shopping bags like a big boy/girl and still have the energy to stand in the bus while going back from work!
Of course, that’s just one reason why lentil fritters are one of the most popular vegan recipes. Lentils are also extremely healthy! Honestly, if they were five times more expensive they’d be called a “superfood” ?
We’re just happy that this humble legume has kept its low price and high nutritional value.
Besides being over 25% protein, lentils are also an excellent source of iron, magnesium, zinc, and fiber!
This classic recipe for vegan lentil fritters comes with the help of a special guest: mushrooms!
You can find lentils in our green burger!
Last, but not least – bean fritters! We love to make them with beans from the market, using lots of spicy sauce, so that we can’t fall asleep until 3 AM.
Jokes aside, bean fritters are just as delicious as lentil or chickpea fritters, and they’re made from legumes that everyone has at home.
Beans, like other legumes, carry lots of antioxidants and minerals such as iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Likewise, they contain complex carbohydrates which (unlike white bread or white rice) raise your blood sugar at a slower rate and keep you feeling full longer.
These bean fritters are made with lots of cumin for that real Mexican kick, and we haven’t spared the chili either.
Surprise, surprise! We use beans in our yellow burgers:
Sometimes it seems that there are as many fritter combinations as there are vegetables on this planet! If you’re interested in learning more about the vegan diet we highly recommend you to read our blog post: Vegan Diet – A guide for Beginners (2019).
In our next blog posts you can expect recipes for:
Veggie fritters aren’t just healthy and cheap, they’re also really easy to make. In Barcode Mitra, fritters and patties aren’t just a part of our professional life, but also of our private life!
They’re loved by everyone, even the biggest opponents of vegetables (yes, we’re looking at you, Marko from 2nd grade)! That’s why we always have a few of them in the freezer, be it for lazy dinners or complicated young guests.
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Author: Martina Beg
A well planned vegan diet is one of the healthiest ways of eating right now. Find out everything you need to know about veganism in our in-depth guide for beginner vegans in 2023!
Nowadays, you can’t open Facebook, Instagram, or even a newspaper without seeing at least one picture or article about veganism. While this kind of diet used to be reserved for hippies or bohemians, today veganism is becoming more and more mainstream!
Popular celebrities such as Madonna, Ariane Grande, and Jennifer Lopez have become vegans. Even famous actors like Brad Pitt, Tobey Maguire (a.k.a. Spiderman), and Russel Brand are joining the vegan movement.
While we could spend a whole article writing about Hollywood (sexy *ahem*) vegans, we’re instead going to explain:
“Wait, can I eat butter? How about eggs? Oh c’mon, what about honey?”
Vegetarians don’t consume meat, while vegans go a step further. They remove from their diets all products that have animal origins.
This means that vegans don’t eat mean, avoid dairy products, eggs, honey, and even gelatin (which is made from animal collagen).
Why do people become vegans? Here are a few of the main reasons:
Most vegans consider animal life equally as important as human life. Hence why many vegans don’t think it’s okay for animals to suffer for our own benefit.
Cattle and poultry farms are proven to be some of the largest environmental polluters. Comparatively, producing plants requires far less energy and resources. This is why many scientists agree that transitioning to a plant-based diet is one of the most effective ways of reducing pollution.
Recent studies point to the many benefits of a plant-based diet. Some of these benefits include lower cholesterol and a lower risk of heart disease.
“How can you survive without meat? Where do you get the protein from?”
As vegans, we eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and an occasional handful of chips (when no one is looking).
However, our friends often ask us where we get our protein from. Most people aren’t aware, but meat isn’t the only source of protein. Moreover, a vegan diet is actually rich in plant-based proteins such as:
All of these sources of protein we use in our Barcode Mitra burgers!
If you exercise, don’t worry! Just as there are animal-based protein powders (such as Whey protein), there are also plant-based proteins that contain as much as 80% protein.
Our favorite plant-based protein powders are:
“Umm, I’ve never counted proteins before. How much do I need?”
The average woman needs about 45g of protein daily, while an average man needs about 55g. If you want to be precise, however, then multiply your weight (in kg) by 0.8 and you’ll get the gram about you need for your body weight!
Take into account that if you’re regularly exercising, you need significantly more protein. How much you need depends on what kind of activity you’re doing and what your goals are (maintaining mass, gaining mass, or lowering your mass).
Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a nutritionist to calculate how much protein you eat! There are some fantastic apps which calculate your calorie and macronutrient intake (fats, proteins, and carbohydrates). These can help make it easier to measure things at the start before you get a natural inclination for it.
We use YAZIO, but there are other option, too. We’ve also used this application when we were on a diet and needed to know our daily calorie intake.
“Okay, but I’ve heard that pork fat is really healthy and that I should drink milk to keep my bones healthy?”
When we’re talking about food, almost everyone has their own idea about what is a healthy diet. There are plenty of myths circulating the internet and plenty of people who like to give advice without actually knowing anything about nutrition. For example, “yea, but I’ve heard that…”
We’ve made the effort and read the newest studies to come out this year and almost all of them agree that people who eat less animal products are generally healthier.
A vegan diet is healthy for the heart. Studies have constantly shown that vegans have significantly lower rates of heart disease than people who consume animal products.
Diets high in fruits and vegetables, with low amounts of saturated fat or salt, are ideal for maintaining low cholesterol and low blood pressure.
These factors are important for heart health which makes a vegan diet recommended for people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or who have a history of heart disease in the family (and realistically, that’s most of us!)
Studies have shown that vegan diets are great at preventing and controlling diabetes. Veganism improves sensitivity to insulin (the hormone that controls our blood sugar) which means that vegans have healthier blood sugar levels than people who eat meat.
Being overweight is also one of the biggest risk factors of type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that veganism can also help to lose extra weight and maintain it at a healthy level.
Some studies have also shown that vegans have a lower risk of developing or dying of cancer.
Likewise, there are also studies that say a vegan diet can be an effective tool in reducing the symptoms of arthritis, such as pain, swelling of the joints, or morning stiffness.
They even found that some aspects of a vegan diet can help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
To us, all of this sounds great, especially since we’re planning on living forever. Or at least running a marathon and completing sudoku puzzles when we’re 92. At the same time.
“I’ve heard that a vegan diet can’t give me everything my body needs. Is that true?”
While vegans are generally healthier than meat eaters, one crucial vitamin is in fact missing from a vegan diet – vitamin B12.
We know what you’re thinking. Wait, what kind of healthy diet is that if I need to take synthetic vitamins?
Vitamin B12 is completely safe food supplement with which it’s practically impossible to overdose because your body naturally expels excess vitamin B12 through your urine.
Vitamin B12 is crucial for neurological function in your brain and for the formation of red blood cells, so it’s crucial you take this vitamin if you’re a vegan. Often, older people also lack vitamin B12, so while you’re buying some of yourself, you can also give some to grandma.
Other nutrients that vegans sometimes need are
Luckily, you can balance your diet with these nutrients if you watch what you eat and have a general idea of which ingredients are rich in them. More about that in the next blog!
Likewise, you can also supplement your diet with them. Though honestly, if you’re a die-hard vegan then we recommend you occasionally get a lab test laboratory test for these nutrients so you’re 100% sure about whether or not they’re missing.
In short, if you’re on a vegan diet and take vitamin B12, you’re well on your way to a healthier (and thinner) you!
“I have a few kilos extra. OKAY, 10kg extra… How many can I lose if I become a vegan?”
We’ll tell you first what the studies have shown, and then what we think! Research has shown that vegans have a lower caloric intake, have lower weight, and a lower body mass index (BMI) than meat eaters. That’s great news! So, why’s that the case?
Here’s our experience. If you follow a vegan diet correctly, as in you eat lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains – you’ll feel full sooner than if you eat high calorie meals with meat.
This way you’ll lower your appetite and simple eat less than usual. As you eat less, your stomach will also shrink (currently it might be overstretched) which makes you eat less and less until your body comes to a natural caloric balance.
Don’t only count on your diet, though. You should absolutely incorporate exercise into your new lifestyle as well. This way you’ll lose weight even quicker and easier as well as preventing them from coming back.
“I’ve been to health food stores and everything there is five times more expensive. I can’t afford to be vegan!”
A vegan diet is generally cheaper than a meat inclusive diet. This is because the vegan sources of protein we’ve listed earlier are usually more affordable than meat, eggs, or dairy products.
For example, a kilo of lentils costs about 15kn, and contains 260g of protein as well as an abundance of other, healthy nutrients! Seasonal fruits and vegetables are also quite affordable. Of course, vegans that eat avocado every day, special vegan products, or even 3kg of cashews will spend tons of money. However, that’s not you because you’ve read our article!
Just by itself vegan food isn’t expensive, but often you’ll find processed vegan products that have to be imported to carry a high price tag. Products with an organic ECO label are also more expensive, though not necessarily vegan.
Generally, we like to consider it like this: It’s better to pay for higher quality food now than for expensive medical bills later!
“Wow, all of this sounds way too complicated. Realistically, do I even have time for this?”
Look, we’re not going to lie. Maintaining a vegan diet requires more effort than a normal one. After all, don’t things that are different from the norm usually require more work?
While following a healthy vegan diet demands a certain amount of planning, we think the health, animal, and environmental benefits far outweigh the challenges.
Broccoli lovers don’t fret, we have some good news! In recent years, there has been massive growth in vegan alternatives of traditionally animal products. Oat milk, coconut cream or vegan sausages are just some of the many alternatives available!
Don’t know any vegan recipes? No worries. The internet has an almost infinite number of vegan recipes, from vegan lunches to raw vegan cakes. The Minimalist Baker is one such blog we follow… as well as ourselves!
What if you’re totally old-school and like to list through cookbooks with floury fingers? There are also plenty of vegan cookbooks in Croatian, including a fantastic collection of recipes for vegans which can be found here: vegan cookbooks in Croatian.
Feeling lonely? In Croatia there are more vegans than you might think! Croatian vegans share their own tips, recipes, and memes in Facebook groups such as:
“I haven’t really heard of many vegan restaurants ☹ What about when I want to go out for dinner with my friends??
One great resource for vegans is Happy Cow where you can choose a city and see all of the vegan restaurants that are there! We have it as our home screen.
Here in Croatia, we still have some problems finding vegan food in restaurants, but we’ve made that a little bit easier! In Barcode Mitra you can find vegan versions of the following delicious dishes:
“Does this mean I can’t eat sausages, pâté, or burgers? Noooooooo plz.”
Don’t worry! Some plant-eating geniuses have invented vegan versions of almost all of your favorite meat products.
So more and more often you can find supermarkets with vegan hotdogs, vegan ham, vegan pâté, vegan rolls, vegan sauces such as vegan Bolognese, vegan burgers…oh hey, that’s us! *blush blush*
These meat replacements are often made from soy or wheat, while other sources of protein can also be found in them, like lentils or chickpeas.
Other popular replacements for meat are tofu, tempeh, or seitan. Tofu is made from soy milk, tempeh from whole soy beans, and seitan from wheat proteins. They often come in a variety of flavors, such as smoked, with basil or with peanuts.
If you want to use them for cooking, then take the ‘Natur’ version without flavor and make something like vegan pan stir-fry or baked tofu in the oven.
“Vegan milk? What, they milk almonds?”
Do you drink your oatmeal with oat milk? Then you’re almost certainly a vegan. Plant based milks are made from cereals or nuts but can even be made from seeds or coconut.
Oat milk is our favorite because it’s usually the cheapest and has the least amount of sugar. However, the following plant-based milks are popular, too
The good news is that all of these are lactose free! Often adults have problems digesting lactose, hence why all of these milks are fantastic alternatives to normal cow milk. If you usually have stomach aches or find yourself running to the bathroom after drinking normal milk, try a plant-based milk instead.
But that’s not all! *Billy Mayes commercials start playing* These milks also come in different flavors, such as chocolate, vanilla, almond, etc.
Prices have become quite affordable in recent years and you can even find soymilk or wheat milk for as little as 10kn per liter.
“I can’t imagine a sandwich without mayonnaise, or a pizza without cheese. This vegan thing isn’t for me.”
You think you’re the first person to think that? Luckily, vegans also love these tasty foods, so they’ve invented substitutes for all of it.
Vegan cheese is most often made from coconut or cashews, vegan butter also from coconut, vegan mayonnaise from sunflower oil, and vegan egg substitutes we actually make ourselves!
PRO TIP: Eggs are important when cooking because they give consistency and structure to foods such as pancakes or cakes. Instead of eggs, vegans often use a mix of ground flax seeds and hot water in a 1:3 ratio. Let the mixture sit briefly and then add it to the batter as if it were eggs.
“I didn’t want to read the whole article; can you give me the summary?”
If you inform yourself and get organized, a vegan diet isn’t difficult to follow, and it offers many health benefits which have been proven by many studies.
A vegan diet has its risks (a lack of vitamin B12 and other nutrients), but after reading this article you’ll have more than enough info to make sure it doesn’t happen to you!
As with any diet, to see the benefits you have be consistent and eat healthy, whole foods and not junk food.
Luckily, it’s becoming even easier as the food industry becomes aware of new demands on the market. Consumers are more aware and educated than ever about healthy, ethical, and eco-friendly food options and veganism has appeared as the answer to all three of those concerns.
Author: Martina Beg
