It is no secret that cooking from scratch is the best way to ensure that the food you're eating is whole, clean and healthy. It is also no secret that cooking takes time, and these days, time is something we all wish we could purchase in bulk.
There are some "convenience foods" that I keep on hand for when I am in a pinch & short on time. Foods that are "okay" in terms of taste, ingredients and health. Way better than hitting the drive through, but not as good as preparing it yourself. Most of these foods tend to be a bit high in sodium, but if you're not eating them all the time, it's not anything I would worry about.
Things such as:
-Amy's Organic Frozen meals. I love that most of Amy's stuff is meatless and are made with whole/natural ingredients. They taste really good too. The only downside is that they tend to not be super filling, so if I didn't have time to pack a lunch and take one of these to work, I usually eat something with it, on the side. Such as a baked sweet potato, small salad etc.
- Amy's Soup or Pacific Natural Foods Soup. Again, a bit high on the sodium and no where near as tasty as homemade soup, and, well not always a filling meal either, so sometimes I have this on the side of my organic frozen meal. ;)
- Organic Oatmeal. There are lots of varieties of organic oatmeal that are tasty. If I eat two, my hunger is satisfied. This will do in a pinch but they tend to be pretty high in added sugar so I try not to rely on it for an every day breakfast.
Then there are lots of quick & healthy snack items such as raw almonds, pistachios or other nut of choice, organic/natural tortilla chips with salsa, half of an avocado, whole wheat pita bread with hummus, half of an almond butter and jelly sandwich, a bowl of granola with almond milk, an apple, banana, or orange, Lara Bars etc.
But for meals, you can also get them to be healthy AND quick/easy/convenient. How? By preparing things that can be made in a "batch" ahead of time.
Breakfasts
Oatmeal, for instance, I sometimes cook a huge batch of (from regular, plain ol' oats) and then separate it in to 3-4 separate containers (all, still large, and are 2-3 servings each) and make each bowl a different variety. I sweeten it with different combos of the following: raisins, apples, cinnamon, maple syrup, brown sugar, stevia, bananas, almonds, walnuts, peanut butter or almond butter. Then I keep one batch /bowl in the fridge to eat from each morning and freeze the others, and take them out at as I need them. So it's all healthy & convenient and you only need to do the work once.
I also just discovered "Baked Oatmeal Bars" this weekend. I will post the recipe and pictures later, but it basically takes an oatmeal recipe, combined with some non-dairy milk and some other stuff to make your pre-made oatmeal portable as well ;) The only thing I'll do differently next time is double the batch and freeze half of it so it's even less work and more convenient... ;)
Egg Bake - I know a lot of people make "egg bakes" but the majority of them are not very healthy. Typically made with about a dozen whole eggs, bacon (and/or sausage), cheese, milk, hashed browns and who knows what else. Well I like to make a healthified version. (I know that's not a real word) I truly do enjoy the taste of veggie omelets but instead of taking the time to make one every day, I just put all the ingredients together (usually I do 6 eggs and 6 egg whites, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms and a little bit of reduced fat cheese and then bake them in an 8X8 baking dish on about 300° until done (about 30 mins). Cut in to squares and have 1-2 per day for breakfast. You can also bake these in muffin tins with the little paper muffin cups if you like.
So the key is making larger batches of something that can be eaten through out the week. You can do this with all kinds of dishes. Make a large batch of whole wheat or brown rice spaghetti and have leftovers to take to work for a couple of days, or a large batch of soup and freeze some either in to individual portions size jars, (I do this allll the time!!) or bowls that have several servings. A large Black Bean & Quinoa Salad will last 3 days in the fridge and can be your take-and-go lunch, or get-home-and-eat dinner. Bean Burritos are always fast, easy and healthy. I like to make big batches of beans on the weekends and then freeze them in to smaller portions to be used later on, but canned, organic & low-sodium beans are sufficient too.
I have more options too, but these are the ones that came to mind right away. I will post & link recipes to the dishes mentioned here too.
Question: What is your favorite thing to make ahead of time that can be eaten for several meals?
Monday, March 26, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
His and Hers Dinners
One of my big struggles when it comes to eating is the vast difference between my eating preferences, and my husband's... and my toddler's. I would prefer to eat all vegan, but my diet is more like pescetarian (mostly made up of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, pasta, nuts, etc... no chicken/beef/lamb/pork, only fish on occasion, dairy on occasion). My husband is a carnivore with a large appetite and my toddler would love it if he could live on macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets and french fries at every meal. (although typically we can get him to eat what is served, sometimes it just takes a lot of coaxing)
We prefer to eat dinner as a family obviously, and it's just not ideal to prepare two (or three) totally separate things to serve at one meal. Even if my husband was more up for cooking his own meal (which is not typically the case) then we'd still have two cooks in the kitchen at once which is difficult, and I still have to meal plan/shop for two different meals for one night, so it's still nearly twice the work.
In our case, there are few options:
1. Have him deal with it and just eat what I cook regardless if he would prefer something else.
Pros: Easier for me, and I get to eat what I prefer while also feeding my whole family healthy foods.
Cons: Hubby likes cheap food, unhealthy/fattening food and meaty food, so in this case dinner leaves him less than satisfied.
If I am going to go this route though, the least I can do is try and make things that are more appealing to him. I am more than happy with a big fat salad for dinner, but my husband, and son.... not so much, so I won't be putting that on our weekly meal plan any time soon. If I am going to make something for the whole family, I try and make something that still tastes great and at least resembles a food that he is fond of. Some things I've made that I know he has liked are:
-*Red Lentil Enchiladas (basically just using red lentils in lieu of meat)
-*Wild Rice Pub Burgers
-*Vegetarian Chili
-*Pasta with veggies and homemade "cream" sauce. (milk, flour and seasoning)
-*Spaghetti
-Bean burritos
-Lentil Loaf. Basically a lentil version of meatloaf. :)
-Salmon or other fish. I don't mind eating fish once and a while so that is an option, and Mike can just double up on the fish portion.
2. Make a meal that is versatile/a meal that can be done both ways.
The meals above that are marked with an asterisks, I sometimes make meatless/as described, but sometimes I make them both ways. On the dishes that have meat them, I will prepare the meat separate and have Mike add it to his own plate. The others, like burgers & enchiladas, I make meat for his and a meatless variety for mine. Some other things that can be made versatile are:
-Homemade Pizzas. Veggies for mine, canadian bacon for his.
-Tacos. Ground beef/regular tacos for him and then I either make a taco salad and use Morningstar meatless crumbles, or I just use beans, salsa, green peppers, guacamole... all the mexican fixings.
-Fajitas. Have portobello mushrooms, onions and bell peppers for me and chicken or steak for him. Then all the sides & fixings can be shared.
-Stir Fry or Pad Thai. I've never made Pad Thai but I found it as a suggestion from a search result, haha. But both can be made with meat/tofu separately and we can each add it to our own meals.
-Kebobs. These are more for the summer, but I can make chicken or steak kebobs for Mike, and veggie kebobs for me and throw them on the grill.
3. Make two completely separate meals
This is the case more often than I'd like to admit. The more acceptable version of this is when I make, say a meat main course with a veggie side and a grain side. He eats some of everything while I eat the two sides and no meat.
4. Have him make his own separate meal.
I don't know why but I feel weird about making something that I know full well he doesn't like or won't be satisfied with and making him fend for himself.
Of these, I really prefer the first and second options. I am going to need to look in to more versatile meals and meals that are hearty & filling enough for him too. When I find more, I'll be sure to put them here! :)
We prefer to eat dinner as a family obviously, and it's just not ideal to prepare two (or three) totally separate things to serve at one meal. Even if my husband was more up for cooking his own meal (which is not typically the case) then we'd still have two cooks in the kitchen at once which is difficult, and I still have to meal plan/shop for two different meals for one night, so it's still nearly twice the work.
In our case, there are few options:
1. Have him deal with it and just eat what I cook regardless if he would prefer something else.
Pros: Easier for me, and I get to eat what I prefer while also feeding my whole family healthy foods.
Cons: Hubby likes cheap food, unhealthy/fattening food and meaty food, so in this case dinner leaves him less than satisfied.
If I am going to go this route though, the least I can do is try and make things that are more appealing to him. I am more than happy with a big fat salad for dinner, but my husband, and son.... not so much, so I won't be putting that on our weekly meal plan any time soon. If I am going to make something for the whole family, I try and make something that still tastes great and at least resembles a food that he is fond of. Some things I've made that I know he has liked are:
-*Red Lentil Enchiladas (basically just using red lentils in lieu of meat)
-*Wild Rice Pub Burgers
-*Vegetarian Chili
-*Pasta with veggies and homemade "cream" sauce. (milk, flour and seasoning)
-*Spaghetti
-Bean burritos
-Lentil Loaf. Basically a lentil version of meatloaf. :)
-Salmon or other fish. I don't mind eating fish once and a while so that is an option, and Mike can just double up on the fish portion.
2. Make a meal that is versatile/a meal that can be done both ways.
The meals above that are marked with an asterisks, I sometimes make meatless/as described, but sometimes I make them both ways. On the dishes that have meat them, I will prepare the meat separate and have Mike add it to his own plate. The others, like burgers & enchiladas, I make meat for his and a meatless variety for mine. Some other things that can be made versatile are:
-Homemade Pizzas. Veggies for mine, canadian bacon for his.
-Tacos. Ground beef/regular tacos for him and then I either make a taco salad and use Morningstar meatless crumbles, or I just use beans, salsa, green peppers, guacamole... all the mexican fixings.
-Fajitas. Have portobello mushrooms, onions and bell peppers for me and chicken or steak for him. Then all the sides & fixings can be shared.
-Stir Fry or Pad Thai. I've never made Pad Thai but I found it as a suggestion from a search result, haha. But both can be made with meat/tofu separately and we can each add it to our own meals.
-Kebobs. These are more for the summer, but I can make chicken or steak kebobs for Mike, and veggie kebobs for me and throw them on the grill.
3. Make two completely separate meals
This is the case more often than I'd like to admit. The more acceptable version of this is when I make, say a meat main course with a veggie side and a grain side. He eats some of everything while I eat the two sides and no meat.
4. Have him make his own separate meal.
I don't know why but I feel weird about making something that I know full well he doesn't like or won't be satisfied with and making him fend for himself.
Of these, I really prefer the first and second options. I am going to need to look in to more versatile meals and meals that are hearty & filling enough for him too. When I find more, I'll be sure to put them here! :)
Monday, March 5, 2012
The good, the bad and the ugly
Today I have a few things on my mind, all very different. One is good, one is bad and one is ugly.
On the good news - I have a co-worker who has been trying to conceive for several years. Clomid was unsuccessful, as was IUI and they are now undergoing IVF. On Saturday they were able to retrieve 6 eggs from her and today, she let me know that 4 of the 6 eggs "took" and are now embryos. They just have to wait a couple more days and they will implant the two best embryos. I am so so happy for her. What a wonderful answer to a prayer. Now just hoping and continuing to pray that all goes well with implantation and that they are able to become parents. She is 39 and this would be their first pregnancy/child.
The bad news, (much more trivial than the good news) is that on both Saturday & Sunday this weekend, when Tyler was napping and I had a choice to either work out or nap myself.... I chose to nap, both days. I feel like such a lazy bum and super disappointed in myself. I have two months to get my body in as good of shape as I can in that time and I am not using the time as good as I could/should be. Also, if I don't, there's a chance I will lose $100 to a friend I am in a weight loss bet with.
And for the ugly. My dad has been struggling with some health issues for a while - he has had this awful cough that sounds as if he is about to gag/throw up, I think it's related to asthma and he has an inhaler for that. But about a month ago he let me know he is on oxygen and needs a biopsy on his lung. Last night, he let us know that he has lung disease and that he needs a lung transplant. I didn't get much more out of him than that and when I tried to google "lung disease" about 10 different kinds of lung disease came up in the suggested search, so I don't even know what kind, or how long the wait is or how he'll do in the mean time etc. Just that he needs one. And that is scary. He is only 55. My mom died when she was 49. I am only 29 and feel like it's way too soon for me to lose both of my parents. I just want him to be healthy and to have lots of years left.
On the good news - I have a co-worker who has been trying to conceive for several years. Clomid was unsuccessful, as was IUI and they are now undergoing IVF. On Saturday they were able to retrieve 6 eggs from her and today, she let me know that 4 of the 6 eggs "took" and are now embryos. They just have to wait a couple more days and they will implant the two best embryos. I am so so happy for her. What a wonderful answer to a prayer. Now just hoping and continuing to pray that all goes well with implantation and that they are able to become parents. She is 39 and this would be their first pregnancy/child.
The bad news, (much more trivial than the good news) is that on both Saturday & Sunday this weekend, when Tyler was napping and I had a choice to either work out or nap myself.... I chose to nap, both days. I feel like such a lazy bum and super disappointed in myself. I have two months to get my body in as good of shape as I can in that time and I am not using the time as good as I could/should be. Also, if I don't, there's a chance I will lose $100 to a friend I am in a weight loss bet with.
And for the ugly. My dad has been struggling with some health issues for a while - he has had this awful cough that sounds as if he is about to gag/throw up, I think it's related to asthma and he has an inhaler for that. But about a month ago he let me know he is on oxygen and needs a biopsy on his lung. Last night, he let us know that he has lung disease and that he needs a lung transplant. I didn't get much more out of him than that and when I tried to google "lung disease" about 10 different kinds of lung disease came up in the suggested search, so I don't even know what kind, or how long the wait is or how he'll do in the mean time etc. Just that he needs one. And that is scary. He is only 55. My mom died when she was 49. I am only 29 and feel like it's way too soon for me to lose both of my parents. I just want him to be healthy and to have lots of years left.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Motivation
Sometimes, working out is a huge priority in my life and I will go to great lengths to ensure I get a workout in. ... And sometimes, it is totally the opposite as that. Sometimes I don't feel like it for one reason or another and I will take any excuse not to work out, even though deep down, I know I *should* go. These times, I try to remember that there has never ever been a time, where, after I work out, I think, "Man I should not have done that!!!" Quite the opposite actually. I always feel amazing after a workout... refreshed, energized, accomplished, healthy, cleansed, less stressed... so many great things!!
Furthermore, whenever I skip a work out, I am never ever glad I didn't go. I regret it. All day. I feel like a bum. Like a slacker, I have less energy and I crave (and usually eat) crappy food. So again, I try to remind myself of this any time I am looking for a reason to skip a workout. And when that doesn't work, I log in to Pintrest and read my Fitness board. And for your viewing pleasure, I am putting them all here for you. Enjoy. :)
Furthermore, whenever I skip a work out, I am never ever glad I didn't go. I regret it. All day. I feel like a bum. Like a slacker, I have less energy and I crave (and usually eat) crappy food. So again, I try to remind myself of this any time I am looking for a reason to skip a workout. And when that doesn't work, I log in to Pintrest and read my Fitness board. And for your viewing pleasure, I am putting them all here for you. Enjoy. :)
My Fav Workout Beats
This topic comes up fairly often on various online social networking venues, so I'm putting my picks here. :) This list will continue to grow as I add new/more songs that I find to be helpful when working out, so check back!
I mostly like rock music to help me get amped up while I work out, but techno works well too and I do have a few hip-hop type songs in my workout playlist and a smidgen of rap as well.
My top pics are (in no particular order):
Lose Yourself - Eminem
Devour - Shinedown
Hell Yeah - Rev Theory
The Beautiful People - Marilyn Manson
I gotta Feeling (that tonight's gonna be a good night) - Cardio Workout Crew (made famous by Black Eyed Peas)
Sex Type Thing - Stone Temple Pilots
New Tattoo - Saving Abel
Supernova - Powerman 5000
When Worlds Collide - Powerman 5000
Sexy and I Know It - LMFAO
Breaking The Habit - Linkin Park
Headstrong - Linkin Park
Wait and Bleed - Slipnot
DJ Encore - Album: Intuition
Pretty much this whole album is awesome. It's techno music with lyrics. (most techno I use to listen to was almost all beats and music with little to no lyrics, this is not like that, the songs have a story to the lyrics and are great) I stupidly bought each song individually after I previewed them (one at a time) and ended up downloading all of them and paying like $5 more than I would have if I would've just bought the whole album. But my favorite upbeat songs on it are:
Open Your Eyes
Show Me
Chemistry
Another Day
You've Got A Way
High On Life
Talk To Me
I See Right Through To You
Stay
I mostly like rock music to help me get amped up while I work out, but techno works well too and I do have a few hip-hop type songs in my workout playlist and a smidgen of rap as well.
My top pics are (in no particular order):
Lose Yourself - Eminem
Devour - Shinedown
Hell Yeah - Rev Theory
The Beautiful People - Marilyn Manson
I gotta Feeling (that tonight's gonna be a good night) - Cardio Workout Crew (made famous by Black Eyed Peas)
Sex Type Thing - Stone Temple Pilots
New Tattoo - Saving Abel
Supernova - Powerman 5000
When Worlds Collide - Powerman 5000
Sexy and I Know It - LMFAO
Breaking The Habit - Linkin Park
Headstrong - Linkin Park
Wait and Bleed - Slipnot
DJ Encore - Album: Intuition
Pretty much this whole album is awesome. It's techno music with lyrics. (most techno I use to listen to was almost all beats and music with little to no lyrics, this is not like that, the songs have a story to the lyrics and are great) I stupidly bought each song individually after I previewed them (one at a time) and ended up downloading all of them and paying like $5 more than I would have if I would've just bought the whole album. But my favorite upbeat songs on it are:
Open Your Eyes
Show Me
Chemistry
Another Day
You've Got A Way
High On Life
Talk To Me
I See Right Through To You
Stay
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The "skinny" on meat and a little bit on organics
Some foods may appear whole but they are not. Such as non-organic vegetables or meats. Obviously, they do not list everything that they are treated with (pesticides, preservatives, wax on veggies etc) And don't be fooled - meat contains pesticides too. When factory farms raise livestock, the animals are kept in such tight quarters that they are barely able to move. They literally live in their own excrement because they have no where to go and because of their living conditions, they are prone to insect infestation and disease, so they are treated heavily with pesticides and antibiotics. (note - 80% of the antibiotics manufactured in the US are used on livestock [not humans!] as routine 'preventative measures'.... 80%!!) So even though a package of chicken breast may seem like it's just chicken, it's also pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, preservatives and arsenic. (There is arsenic in chicken feed, which you consume when you eat the chicken)
I once was about to buy some frozen fish and I looked at the ingredients. At first, the label just read "salmon", but then I noticed that the "label" was a sticker label that was placed over the original... which I could read through. What was underneath listed several "ingredients" that were completely unrecognizable to me. A bunch of hard to pronounce chemicals were also included in the frozen fish. And they tried to cover it up. Literally.
Additionally, a green pepper or a cucumber may seem like just that, but it's also pesticides, preservatives and wax. Now, of course conventional lean meats and vegetables are a better choice than a lot of other things you could be eating, don't get me wrong, but I want people to be aware what is in the food that we presume to be safe and healthy. Go organic whenever possible.
And as for meat, you don't have to become a vegetarian in order to enjoy a meatless meal once or more per week. Simply cutting down your meat consumption can improve your health, save you some money (the meat in your cart is by far the most expensive part of your trip at the grocery store!) as well as have a positive impact on the environment and reduce animal suffering.
I once was about to buy some frozen fish and I looked at the ingredients. At first, the label just read "salmon", but then I noticed that the "label" was a sticker label that was placed over the original... which I could read through. What was underneath listed several "ingredients" that were completely unrecognizable to me. A bunch of hard to pronounce chemicals were also included in the frozen fish. And they tried to cover it up. Literally.
Additionally, a green pepper or a cucumber may seem like just that, but it's also pesticides, preservatives and wax. Now, of course conventional lean meats and vegetables are a better choice than a lot of other things you could be eating, don't get me wrong, but I want people to be aware what is in the food that we presume to be safe and healthy. Go organic whenever possible.
And as for meat, you don't have to become a vegetarian in order to enjoy a meatless meal once or more per week. Simply cutting down your meat consumption can improve your health, save you some money (the meat in your cart is by far the most expensive part of your trip at the grocery store!) as well as have a positive impact on the environment and reduce animal suffering.
What I like about being fit
There are several reasons that I prefer to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Every so often, one of them will occur to me, so I thought I might put them all in one spot. Like here.
- I enjoy the fact that I can run up a flight of stairs without getting out of breath. This is especially enjoyable when said stairs are in public - like at a mall or at my Park & Ride. It would be embarrassing to have to take the stairs slowly and be left panting upon reaching the top.
- Similarly, I like being able to engage in a game of "chase" with my son, or to race him to the door of somewhere, ride bikes with him and do all the things that his energy beckons.
- It is also very important for me to be a good example for him. I want him to learn that physical fitness and eating well are a priority for a strong, healthy body and what better way to do so than walking the walk. If I were to enjoy television and potato chips all the time, I would imagine that he would learn the same thing and I don't want that for him.
-Disease. (Or, lack of) By taking care of my body... by not smoking, by having good cardio vascular health, maintaining a healthy weight, by eating a diet rich in nutritious, clean foods, I am dramatically reducing my risk of heart attack, heart disease, cancer, stroke and many other diseases and doing what I can to ensure that I around for him as long as possible.
- Vanity. I'll admit it, one reason for my drive to live a healthy lifestyle is my self image. When I am carrying extra LB's, I am self conscious, I hate how I look in pictures (well, in general but these times I tend to avoid the mirror and really notice my weight in photos) and I never want to be obese, if there's anything I can do to prevent it. And right now, I can.
- I enjoy the fact that I can run up a flight of stairs without getting out of breath. This is especially enjoyable when said stairs are in public - like at a mall or at my Park & Ride. It would be embarrassing to have to take the stairs slowly and be left panting upon reaching the top.
- Similarly, I like being able to engage in a game of "chase" with my son, or to race him to the door of somewhere, ride bikes with him and do all the things that his energy beckons.
- It is also very important for me to be a good example for him. I want him to learn that physical fitness and eating well are a priority for a strong, healthy body and what better way to do so than walking the walk. If I were to enjoy television and potato chips all the time, I would imagine that he would learn the same thing and I don't want that for him.
-Disease. (Or, lack of) By taking care of my body... by not smoking, by having good cardio vascular health, maintaining a healthy weight, by eating a diet rich in nutritious, clean foods, I am dramatically reducing my risk of heart attack, heart disease, cancer, stroke and many other diseases and doing what I can to ensure that I around for him as long as possible.
- Vanity. I'll admit it, one reason for my drive to live a healthy lifestyle is my self image. When I am carrying extra LB's, I am self conscious, I hate how I look in pictures (well, in general but these times I tend to avoid the mirror and really notice my weight in photos) and I never want to be obese, if there's anything I can do to prevent it. And right now, I can.
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