I would be remiss in this series if I didn't share the websites that I LOVE
Do remember I am no expert - just a busy person trying to "health-ify" her diet and bring a family along with her.
These are my GO TO sources for ideas! I've included website links and Amazon links where available. I think I might get a little kickback if you order from the link but I'm not sure I did it right for that :-) I just wanted to direct you to my resources!
For Juices & Green Smoothie Ideas
My Note: Juices take out the pulp... and I'm kind of frugal so I need ideas how to use the pulp before I will do a juice. I lean more to the green smoothies to get the fiber in a one stop shop kind of method! But the flavors and ideas are pretty similar.
But I LOVE juices, especially carrot-apple-ginger (pulp is great in a muffin!)
Reboot with Joe (juice) Joe filmed a documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.... and has documented how juices have helped him regain health. He has written several books and has a ton of recipes. An awesome site and a lot of good info. Here is his Amazon link with all his books.
Simple Green Smoothies (I find this site to be the most user friendly - ie ingredients I can find & swap... and recipes I actually like right away :-) These ladies actually have a book now Simple Green Smoothies by Jen Hansard and Jadah Sellner and do have a "green smoothies challenge 3-4 times a year with a month of new recipes!
Incredible Smoothies This is the site I used when I began learning about green smoothies! Lots of good stuff here..
QUICK Grab 'n Go ideas
The Yummy Life My absolute FAVE site chock full of natural Grab n Go prepare ahead ideas that fit my lifestyle. I have cultivated a habit of making up 2-3 days of various grab n go meals / snacks that travel since I go into town 3-4 days/week (45 miles one way! Can't eat out that much)
All Around Good Ideas
Cook for Good This is the blog site for a book I learned a TON from and still use as a reference.. Wildly Affordable Organic by Linda Watson. Great info on basic basics... how to buy produce in season... cooking beans & rice... easy basic ideas that fit in a budget!
100 Days of Real Food Another site / author who has a lot of practical ideas for a budget. Lisa Leake is a mom who sends whole food lunches with her children - again many grab 'n go ideas that are whole real food! And practical packaging ideas as well! Lisa's book 100 Days of Real Food is an easy read and full of quick fixes that will help you move on your journey to whole food. [also really FUN to read how her family reacted to her project!]
For fun!
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day This is a book I have had a lot of fun with! I learned to make bread - quickly and successfully.... and I enjoy it! And it's true. Make the dough one day.. make the bread the next... easy-peasy... The blog is here. Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francoise have written several books but this is the one I've actually used and if you search my blog you'll find I have posted about at least half the book... I didn't quit baking but got tired of posting. One of the difficulties about continuing to post about things is that I don't even know if I have readers :-) So maybe it's just me... and if that is true - I can quit posting when I want without disappointing anyone!
I'm sure there are more I can't remember at this moment - but this is a good start for you. What are some of YOUR healthy food favorite resources?
Showing posts with label Little Tricks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Little Tricks. Show all posts
Monday, December 14, 2015
Monday, November 30, 2015
Little Tricks... Comfort Food.. Post 3 of 5
Okay.... so.. we are trying to make better choices and still keep enjoy eating!
here are a few tricks I use.
Crunchy munchies.... okay so I confess.... cheeto diving used to be my premier sport. I could eat thousands of calories of orange powdered crunch at a single sitting.
and it still can get to me
I spent a couple of years attempting the move from orange powder
to plain tortilla chips
with dip of course depending on the mood of the day
with an ultimate goal of salsa ... (tomato, right? It's a vegetable)
Or refried beans.... (or rather mushed beans with lots of garlic, chili powder and cumin)
Better option!
But what else can you do?
FUEL FIRST.
Give yourself permission to eat your orange powder.
Seriously.
BUT
Find a produce/protein combo that works for you.
And eat that first.
Crunch works for me :-)
Celery. Boring, I know. But add almond butter ( or peanut butter)
And you have a snack that gives your body a veggie and a protein. (Or substitute the celery with apples - another BORING option)
Still bored?
Eat the non-nutritive stuff you want.
Over time, you will eat less. You will get stronger. The veggie/protein combo will nourish your body. You will be better able to a) withstand the orange powder temptation and/or b) eat less of it.
Until you don't eat it.
I'm convinced.
Though I'm not quite there. [though I HAVE gotten to the point of recognizing how bad I feel after I eat too many cheetos.... and I HAVE... several times.... haunted the snack aisle wanting cheetos and settling for a better option [a low-calorie flavorful popcorn usually] and I HAVE... ONCE.... been able NOT to buy them at all because I remembered how bad they make me feel.
Because a truth is that I eat them for my taste buds. And I need to FEED MY BODY.
So I eat the whole bag, feel sick and guilty.... and THEN need to eat to fuel my body.
And it's a dumb idea
So fuel first.
here are a few tricks I use.
Crunchy munchies.... okay so I confess.... cheeto diving used to be my premier sport. I could eat thousands of calories of orange powdered crunch at a single sitting.
and it still can get to me
I spent a couple of years attempting the move from orange powder
to plain tortilla chips
with dip of course depending on the mood of the day
with an ultimate goal of salsa ... (tomato, right? It's a vegetable)
Or refried beans.... (or rather mushed beans with lots of garlic, chili powder and cumin)
Better option!
But what else can you do?
FUEL FIRST.
Give yourself permission to eat your orange powder.
Seriously.
BUT
Find a produce/protein combo that works for you.
And eat that first.
Crunch works for me :-)
Celery. Boring, I know. But add almond butter ( or peanut butter)
And you have a snack that gives your body a veggie and a protein. (Or substitute the celery with apples - another BORING option)
Still bored?
Eat the non-nutritive stuff you want.
Over time, you will eat less. You will get stronger. The veggie/protein combo will nourish your body. You will be better able to a) withstand the orange powder temptation and/or b) eat less of it.
Until you don't eat it.
I'm convinced.
Though I'm not quite there. [though I HAVE gotten to the point of recognizing how bad I feel after I eat too many cheetos.... and I HAVE... several times.... haunted the snack aisle wanting cheetos and settling for a better option [a low-calorie flavorful popcorn usually] and I HAVE... ONCE.... been able NOT to buy them at all because I remembered how bad they make me feel.
Because a truth is that I eat them for my taste buds. And I need to FEED MY BODY.
So I eat the whole bag, feel sick and guilty.... and THEN need to eat to fuel my body.
And it's a dumb idea
So fuel first.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Little Tricks.... Comfort Food Post 2 of 5
Okay -
So step 2 from making your own comfort food....
is trying to 'health-i-fy' it.
A) By adding more veggies.... onions, celery, peppers count :-)
But ask yourself..... can I toss a bean in there? How about a carrot?
Perhaps a serving of broccoli will go nicely along with it?
More veggies = more fiber....
You know it's a good transition.... make it as painless as possible.
I save the leftover broth from veggies (even the water from rinsing out a can of tomato sauce) in a container in the freezer. When I use the crockpot to make something.. that is the broth I use. Makes phenomenal soups... though alas.. I cannot duplicate the seasonings :-)
Another trick I am using is to try more kinds of veggies. Make a list of the veggies you don't choose but don't hate. Any way you can add one of them in without too much inconvenience?
B) By reducing meat. I am in no way a vegetarian.. though I do not care for many meats. But I am trying to follow Thomas Jefferson in using meat as a condiment for my vegetables.
I am not arguing the virtues of protein... there are many articles on that and a lot of differing viewpoints.
However I can find little disagreement that most green vegetables are good for you. In every way. And in every amount.
So... more veggies..... less meat.
If you are a meat eater, the approach may be to increase veggies first - NOT decrease meat. Get accustomed to a different ratio of meat to veggie. Then it is easy.
C) Whole Wheat..... Just so you understand that whole grain is not the same as whole wheat. Your end goal is 100% whole grain for bread, pasta, etc. - but any movement you can make in that direction is a good thing!
D) Make your own.
So I am not a cook... I just don't like it. BUT it is a fact that if you prepare it yourself, you know what is in it. And it is easier and quicker than we think! So it is important to learn.
I can share more on that if you are interested!
D) Of course, there is always "Eat Less"
But for some of use, there are many easier challenges with food. And if you are a comfort food eater.... "eat better" is do-able.... "eat less" is a lot tougher!
So step 2 from making your own comfort food....
is trying to 'health-i-fy' it.
A) By adding more veggies.... onions, celery, peppers count :-)
But ask yourself..... can I toss a bean in there? How about a carrot?
Perhaps a serving of broccoli will go nicely along with it?
More veggies = more fiber....
You know it's a good transition.... make it as painless as possible.
I save the leftover broth from veggies (even the water from rinsing out a can of tomato sauce) in a container in the freezer. When I use the crockpot to make something.. that is the broth I use. Makes phenomenal soups... though alas.. I cannot duplicate the seasonings :-)
Another trick I am using is to try more kinds of veggies. Make a list of the veggies you don't choose but don't hate. Any way you can add one of them in without too much inconvenience?
B) By reducing meat. I am in no way a vegetarian.. though I do not care for many meats. But I am trying to follow Thomas Jefferson in using meat as a condiment for my vegetables.
I am not arguing the virtues of protein... there are many articles on that and a lot of differing viewpoints.
However I can find little disagreement that most green vegetables are good for you. In every way. And in every amount.
So... more veggies..... less meat.
If you are a meat eater, the approach may be to increase veggies first - NOT decrease meat. Get accustomed to a different ratio of meat to veggie. Then it is easy.
C) Whole Wheat..... Just so you understand that whole grain is not the same as whole wheat. Your end goal is 100% whole grain for bread, pasta, etc. - but any movement you can make in that direction is a good thing!
D) Make your own.
So I am not a cook... I just don't like it. BUT it is a fact that if you prepare it yourself, you know what is in it. And it is easier and quicker than we think! So it is important to learn.
I can share more on that if you are interested!
D) Of course, there is always "Eat Less"
But for some of use, there are many easier challenges with food. And if you are a comfort food eater.... "eat better" is do-able.... "eat less" is a lot tougher!
Monday, November 16, 2015
Little Tricks...Comfort Food Post 1 of 5
I just wanted to share some tricks I have discovered over the last few years.
Maybe I already knew it - but if the light bulb went on for me....
Maybe it will help you!
I am a comfort food eater.....
nothing makes me happier than diving into a bowl of mashed potatoes
mac n cheese
lasagna
unless it's a bag of chips and dip
or some chili mac casserole thing
I'm not choosy
I like flavor and I like carbs
I like crunch and I like mush.
AND I'm lazy. Quick is the key!
So I've been experimenting
First off was the experiment in speed.
Most of those things freeze. Not much luck with potatoes.... but pasta & cheese combos freeze like champs.
So I can make up a batch of my own stuff with my own ingredients and freeze in 2-cup portions so we can have it whenever we want.
chili, chili mac, mac n cheese, pasta stuff like baked spaghetti or lasagna
Most soups without potatoes.... (soups WITH potatoes too if you are going to blend with milk later but that takes work and when I am searching for comfort food... I don't want to work :-) Look at the freezer section of the grocery store.... if they can do it, you probably can too.
with your own food.
So you are not eating the best... but you DO KNOW what is in there...
so there you go!
Progress, not perfection. It's the journey - so make sure you are traveling in the right direction!
Grab n go comfort food.
Maybe I already knew it - but if the light bulb went on for me....
Maybe it will help you!
I am a comfort food eater.....
nothing makes me happier than diving into a bowl of mashed potatoes
mac n cheese
lasagna
unless it's a bag of chips and dip
or some chili mac casserole thing
I'm not choosy
I like flavor and I like carbs
I like crunch and I like mush.
AND I'm lazy. Quick is the key!
So I've been experimenting
First off was the experiment in speed.
Most of those things freeze. Not much luck with potatoes.... but pasta & cheese combos freeze like champs.
So I can make up a batch of my own stuff with my own ingredients and freeze in 2-cup portions so we can have it whenever we want.
chili, chili mac, mac n cheese, pasta stuff like baked spaghetti or lasagna
Most soups without potatoes.... (soups WITH potatoes too if you are going to blend with milk later but that takes work and when I am searching for comfort food... I don't want to work :-) Look at the freezer section of the grocery store.... if they can do it, you probably can too.
with your own food.
So you are not eating the best... but you DO KNOW what is in there...
so there you go!
Progress, not perfection. It's the journey - so make sure you are traveling in the right direction!
Grab n go comfort food.
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