Category: nutrition

A Brownie for Breakfast?

Good habits are hard to form, but form them we must.

I just read an article in O magazine that suggests that a brownie at breakfast might help you lose weight. I’m thinking: really? That sounds like brilliant advice to give people who struggle with weight loss. Start the day off with 400 extra calories. Really?

This is not a review of O magazine. If it were I would have LOTS to say about the heavy cream that is an ingredient of almost every recipe they share. This is just me wondering, could that really work? Eat sweets at breakfast to stave off cravings the rest of the day? And is it worth it to try it?

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Into the Mouths of Babes

Train the taste buds right from the start.

My baby is 6 today. Six! My baby! I remember the day we brought her home from the hospital SO VIVIDLY. And yet…

The other day when her 2-year-old brother was begging for a granola-type bar right before dinner, Bella said, “Mommy. I have to tell you something. It’s a secret, so lean down close to me.” I leaned down. She said, “I think when these bars are gone, we shouldn’t buy bars anymore.” I said, “Really? Won’t you miss eating them?” She nodded. But that was okay with her. Because she wants her brother to have better eating habits. At 6, she already says things like, “I think I need to take a break from sugar tomorrow.” And when tomorrow comes and she asks for dessert and I remind her what she said, she ACTUALLY SAYS “OH YEAH” AND DOESN’T EAT DESSERT.

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#49 Squash-sta

Put a “spin” on your veggies

My kids call them snakes. Doesn’t bother me… as long as they eat those snakes. Check out the dinner Mike made tonight:

Squash Pasta

I got him a spiralizer for Father’s Day. That’s right. That’s what my sweet husband wanted for Father’s Day. Not an Xbox, but a spiralizer. So who am I to deny him?

What this newest kitchen contraption does is ingenious: It grasps onto the veggie of your choice (squash and zucchini tend to be favorites for this particular operation), and makes it into spaghetti-style noodles. Blended with a bit of real pasta and the sauce of your choice, you’ve got kids eating veggies. Not to mention an exciting new way to serve those veggies to grown-ups, too.

#46 Party Games

What to do when there’s no veggie tray.

Here’s a scenario to ponder: You’re at a party as your husband/boyfriend/significant other’s sidekick and he/she goes off to talk to his/her friends, leaving you smiling nervously at a bunch of people you don’t know. What is the natural thing to do? Check out the food table. Grab a drink. Take sips of your drink. Munch on chips. Search for the veggie tray. Find no such tray. Eat more chips.

This scenario was brought to mind thanks to a training client of mine who recently shared that she was at a party as her husband’s sidekick, was left by herself, found herself alone at the food table with no veggie tray in sight, and didn’t know what to do but munch on chips.

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#45 Hunger Games

There’s no need to play hunger games with your body.

Oh, the games we play to stave off hunger, pretend we’re not hungry, rationalize that we’re hungry again already…

What would happen if we all just very simply listened to our bodies, fed ourselves what we need to survive, and resolved hunger at the physical level?

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DIY Energy Bites

Pop a couple of these to get you through an afternoon slump. They’re good for you!

Fantastic Fruit Delights (aka Energy Bites!)

They’re raw, easy to make, and nutritious, and they’re known as “energy bites” in my home. Instead of buying a bunch of Power Bars, I make a batch of these. Just a couple fill my belly when it’s not quite mealtime, and they’ll last forever in the fridge.

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Spicy* Sweet Potato & Peanut Soup with Chickpeas

*leave out the spice if you want to!

Spicy* Sweet Potato & Peanut Soup with Chickpeas

1 T olive oil
5-6 c sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 c onions, diced
1 c celery, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t sea salt
2 t cumin
3 t ground coriander
1 t paprika
½ t crushed red pepper flakes (*or to taste)
2 c vegetable stock
3 c water
3-5 T fresh ginger, grated (we used the tube of ginger from the produce section at Kroger)
2 T natural peanut butter
2 c (1 can) chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
3-4 T fresh lime juice
Cilantro leaves, chopped, for garnish (optional)

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#43: Juiced!

To juice, or not to juice? That is the question!

To juice or not to juice? If you saw Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, no doubt you came away from it wanting to try a juice “cleanse”—no matter your weight. It was so inspiring to watch the people in the movie not just lose weight, but detox their bodies of all the crap they were subjecting themselves to: sugar, caffeine, processed foods…

I absolutely do not approve of fad diets. I do, however, think that short-term, doctor-monitored juice “fasts” are an interesting idea. There is not much wrong with eating only fruits and vegetables in their purest form, at least to kick start your quest for healthier eating. I do believe that a short-term fast can adjust your taste buds, help with taming your processed food addictions, and jump-start your weight loss, if that’s part of your goal.

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Meatless Monday: Fajitas

An Easy Weeknight Dinner

Fajitas

1 T olive oil
Green, red, and/or orange peppers (about 2 cups), sliced
Small onion, sliced
About ½ package Morningstar Farms or Gardein chicken strips
Dashes of each or any of these: cumin, coriander, oregano, chili powder or ancho chili powder, salt
Sour cream, salsa, and/or avocado for toppings
Small flour tortillas

Cook onions and peppers in the oil on medium heat. Add spices and cook about five minutes, or until the veggies are tender. Add the chicken strips and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until chicken is heated through. Warm tortillas in toaster oven or microwave, then add the fajita mixture. Top with suggested toppings, or come up with your own!

Afternoon Green Smoothie

A great way to curb the pre-dinner munchies

Several of you have asked for the recipe for the green smoothie I drink in the afternoons. Here it is!

About 1 T chia or flax seeds (throw them in first so they are weighed down in the blender or they’ll stick to the sides when you blend), a cup of almond milk, 1/2 or whole banana, healthy handful of spinach, 1 T nut butter (I’m using almond right now, but be creative), and a few ice cubes. Sometimes I add a few baby carrots, sometimes a T of carob powder.

That is it! It’s easy, delicious, and for me, fills the void between lunch and dinner. Let me know what you think.