Food Revolution Day

Yesterday, May 19th was the first ever Food Revolution Day! This day is about standing up for real food, and empowering people to think more about how food affects their body. I watched a documentary called Food Fight the other day and it was a very inspiring documentary about the evolution of processed foods into our society and the benefits of eating clean, going to farmers markets, and the quality of these fresher foods.

                               

In light of the documentary and Food Revolution day, I went to the farmer's market on Saturday morning. Some may be intimidated by the farmer's market, but it is a great place to try new items and get the freshest produce. meat and nuts possible.

The quality of berries at the farmer's market always suprises me. Even just sampling 1 berry, I could tell it was packed with nutrients and flavors as apposed to being mostly water; they literally melt in your mouth.

I find that herbs and greens are a lot cheaper at the farmer's market then at the super market. I was able to purchase bundles of thyme, rosemary, chives and mint, each for $1. I also got a big bundle of kale for $2.

The Farmer's Market ended being a huge success. My two favorite items that I purchased were purple carrots and duck eggs. I have never had either so I was excited to try something new! We also got apple pomegranate juice, oranges, maple & orange zest almonds, raw trail mix, cashews, and sunflower seeds! I want to save up and be able to purchase the fresh meat and fish they have! It is expensive, but I believe that the quality of meat is going to be worth the extra dollars.

The purple carrots tasted pretty much the same as regular orange carrots, but the color was gorgeous! I have not tried the duck eggs yet, but I may make hard boiled eggs this morning for breakfast so I may!

Next on the agenda for the day was the WOOF Xtravaganza. This was also the first year for this event, and it was at a local park where dogs could come and there would be raffles, booths, food, and much more! 

I would like to think Jack enjoyed it! It was a beautiful day, so it's always good to try to get out of the house and enjoy the sun a little.

One of the snacks I brought to the WOOF X event were the purple carrots, and I let Jack try one! I think he liked it ;)

Once we got back home, it was lunch time! I made myself a HUGE PALEO salad. It included, spinach and arugula, purple carrots, cucumbers, avocado, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, green bell pepper, tomato, green onions, and ground chicken! It was delicious :)

Over the past few days, I have also put together an arm and leg workout! They were both difficult but worth it after I completed them!

Legs:

Arms & Abs:

Paleo Started Off Strong

Starting paleo diet! I am hoping I can last for at least 2 weeks, I am now 3 days in and going strong!

First thing I did was went to the Farmer's market and got some fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, and nuts! I got all this plus 3 small bags of nuts for $30; that's pretty good!

After the farmer's market trip, I made a successful arm and ab workout!

After my workout, I made a fresh smoothie! Just add water and ice

At the farmer's market, I got 8lbs of oranges for $2.50! I wanted to make some fresh squeezed orange juice. From the 8lbs of oranges I was able to get 75oz of fresh OJ! 

It only lasted me 3 days because it was so delicious! 

At the farm'ers market I bought golden beets. I have never tried golden beats before, and honestly, I don't eat beets very often! I know they are good for me, so I thought I would give them a try in a salad!

Before making the salad, I cut the both ends off of the beets, wrapped them individually in tin foil, put them on a baking sheet and roasted them in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. I let them cool completely, then peeled off the skin and thinly sliced the beet.

For the salad, I used roasted golden beet slices, arugula, white onion slices, orange slices (peeled), walnuts, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, and sea salt!

I was very impressed with the salad! I ended up making the same salad 4 times it was so delicious :)

Also with my lunch, I made a fresh fruit salad with sliced apple, strawberries and kiwi; with fresh squeezed lemon juice and some fresh mint!

I can't wait for the farmer's market this week! It is so fun to explore all the different produce and for relatively low prices! Perfect for my paleo plan.

Breakfast Taco

I am definintely loving theses Ezekiel wraps. I will unfortunately have to stop eating them for a week when I try the Paleo Diet. I am so excited to try it! Maybe it will stick, maybe not, but it will be a fun experience either way.

Breakfast Taco

1 Small Ezekiel Tortilla

2 harboiled egg whites, chopped

1 Tbsp black beans, drained & rinsed

Assemble taco, with beans and egg whites, and microwave for ~20 seconds

Top with:

1 Tbsp red salsa

1/4 avocado chopped

Fold tortilla into a taco and enjoy!

That's it! Very simple, and I made my hardboiled eggs the night before so I didnt have to worry about them in the morning. Also, it is low in calories, good source of protein, healthy fats and fiber also! 

As a snack, I had a nonfat blueberry Oikos Greek yogurt and 2 hardboiled eggs. This snack is very high in protein so it kept me full for a long time!

Arugula Salad

Arugula Salad with Roasted Veggies & Grilled Chicken

(Recipe 2 servings)

                          

First thing to start is by roasting the vegetables:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. 

2. Peel and chop into cubes 1 sweet potato & 1 yam; boil in medium pot for 5-7 minutes until fork tender

3. While those are cooking, clean and trim 10 asparagus 

4. On a large baking sheet, add the asparagus and season with about 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1-2 garlic cloves, sea salt and fresh ground black pepper (to taste).

5. Once the sweet potato and yam are fork tender, transfer the cubes onto the same baking sheet. Season these with 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, small amounts of cayenne pepper, black pepper, and sea salt.

6. Roast these veggies for 15-20 minutes, until potato and yam are browned and asparagus is tender. (Sometimes for the last minute I will put the oven on broil to make a nice crust)

Grill chicken breasts:

While the vegetables are roasting, season 2 chicken breasts with 1/2 of a lemons juice and sprinkle each side with fresh black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Cook each side on a medium-medium high heat grill pan for 7-8 minutes, until brown and cooked through.

Assemble salad:

1. For the greens, I used a bag of fresh arugula (1/2 bag for each person)

2. Once vegetables and chicken have cooled, top each serving of arugula with half roasted vegetables (chop asparagus spears) and a sliced chicken breast.

3. Top each salad with 1-2 Tbsp raw pumpkin seeds and 1-2 Tbsp raw sunflower seeds.

4. (Optional) If you need a dressing, a mix of lemon juice, agave, olive oil, and pepper is a great option. However, I did not need a dressing since the chicken and veggies were all seasoned.

*This salad works very well without chicken as well if you are a vegetarian or vegan or also if it is being used as a side salad!*

Banana Almond "Crepe"

Yesterday and this morning were my days to hit the store! It was a big store run, since we just had our refrigerator worked on and had to get rid of most of our fresh food; which says a lot since most all of my food is in the vegetable and fruit drawers. 

I got most everything on my list with the exception of Coconut Flour and Chia Seeds. I also added Mangoes, they were 2 for $1 at Albertsons. I couldn't say no! My Uncle got my sweet potatoes and bananas also! I will be stoked up and ready for the next week.

Also, I couldn't find Ezekial Wraps BUT I found Ezekial tortillas, I am a bit obsessed now. The ingredients are clean and fresh. It tastes very similar to a regular whole wheat tortilla.

So with the tortillas in mind, I had a breakfast idea!

First though, I made a Kale, Onion, Turkey & Bell Pepper Scramble.

I sauteed onion in some olive oil, and added some spicy garlic chili paste (YUM!). I then added my orange bell peppers, kale, and turkey breast.

After the vegetables (and meat) were warm and cooked, I added 2 full eggs and 2 egg whites. I put the top on and cooked this over medium heat. I topped the final scramble with 1/4 avocado slices, and some medium Salsa Verde. It's just a simple scramble, but it was still good and filling!

While these were cooking away, my brain was thinking of a good way to use these tortillas. At first I was going to do a simple breakfast burrito, BUT I had just bought almond butter and I was craving it. Soooo... 

I present to you, Banana & Almond "Crepes"

Ingredients:

1 Ezekiel Sprouted Tortilla

1/2 small banana, sliced

1 Tablespoon Raw Crunchy Unsalted Almond Butter

1/2 Tablespoon ground flaxseed meal

1/2 Tablespoon Agave Nectar (for topping)

Simple, get 1 tortilla, spread almond butter all over, sprinkle flaxseed meal evenly, add 2 rows of banana slices, roll into a "crepe" form. I warmed the crepe up in the microwave for about 15 seconds and topped it with extra banana slices and drizzle with warmed agave syrup!

Final product!

Now, note that these need to be eaten quickly after warmed because the tortilla will get hard relatively fast (which didn't ruin the taste, just made it more difficult to cut through). 

I got my first half gallon of Trader Joe's Original Unsweetened Coconut Milk this morning too! I must say, after having a glass this morning, it may now compete with my love of almond milk. Thank goodness I have both right now so I can switch off.

 

Final breakfast was great!

Scramble + Crepe + Coconut Milk

The perfect way to get your day going :)

Oats & Kiwi with Greek Yogurt

Breakfast was kind of small the other day, but I made sure every nutrient counted!

*Wheat Germ is an excellent source of folic acid, as well as iron and zinc.

*Flax seed is an good source of omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, manganese and magnesium.

*Oats are heart healthy and contains soluble fiber. 

*The non-fat Greek yogurt is a good source of protein.

*Kiwi are a good source of fiber, folic acid, vitamin C and vitamin E.

More about Kiwis: http://www.superkidsnutrition.com/superfoods/sf_kiwi.php

Chia seeds would be a great addition to this as well, but I did not have any on hand. 

Oats & Kiws with Greek Yogurt:

Mix in a cereal size bowl:

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

2 Tbsp Wheat Germ

2 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed

1 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Top with:

1 Kiwi, peeled and chopped

1 container Trader Joe's non-fat Honey Greek Yogurt

Turkey Burgers

Ground turkey is super cheap yet still high in protein and low in fat! I got 1.5 lbs from Trader Joes for $4.50 and was able to make 5 turkey burgers! I did not put my turkey burgers on buns because I was adding a small amout of BBQ sauce and did not want the extra carbs from the buns, so I ate it like a steak with a fork and knife. Another good way to go is a "protein" style burger with 2 pieces of lettuce.

Turkey Burger Recipe:
1.5 lb. ground turkey breast
4 tbsp panko bread crumbs
2 egg whites
2 garlic cloves, minced or 2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 white onion finely chopped or 2 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp black pepper or cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Form into 5 patties, and make a nice indent in the middle of each patty (this helps so they cook into an even patty and are not raised in the center). Heat a grill pan, spray with cooking olive oil spray, over medium-medium high heat grill each side for 5-6 minutes.

While the burgers were cooking, I grilled up some asparagus, sweet potatoes, broccoli and onion slices! Seasoned the veggies with olive oil, pepper, garlic powder and sea salt.

I topped my burger with 1 tsp of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce (but they are great plain too!)

I had plenty of left overs which was great! I stored them in an airtight Tupperware container so they could last a few days in the fridge.

For breakfast I wanted another turkey burger, so I paired it with an egg white scramble with zucchini, white onions, spinach and red pepper flakes! To reheat the burger, I heated up a pan, added a little cooking spray and cooked on medium-high for 2 minutes on each side with the lid on.

Italian Inspired Frittata

On Tuesday morning before class, I did an intense an workout I got from April Oxygen Magazine! (I am obviously late posting this one haha)

After an intense ab workout and a 4 mile run, I was hungry!

I made a Tomato, Spinach, Feta Frittata with toast and a glass of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

To make the frittata:

1• Spray Trader Joe's Olive oil spray (or any other cooking spray) in a small sautée pan, add 2 cups fresh spinach, once wilted, transfer to a separate plate
2• Spray a little more cooking spray so eggs don't stick. Then add 1/2 roma tomato, sliced (4 slices), then add the spinach back into pan, and pour 6 tbsp egg whites into pan, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes
3• Put top on the pan, cook until bottom is cooked (I like mine a little browned) (~4 min over medium heat)
4• Flip over carefully (!!!) and cook another 2 min-3 min over medium heat.
5• Top with 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (can add more if u like it spicer) & 1-2 tbsp nonfat feta, put top on pan to let cheese get warm (~1 min)

****Serve!

For the toast:
• Toast 1 slice whole wheat bread, add 1/4 mashed avocado on top with a sprinkle of black pepper

Nom nom nom! :)

Roasting Up!

I wasn't very hungry for dinner last night since I had been munching on raw walnuts all day, so I made a small plate of roasted veggies for dinner! I have never cooked brussels sprouts nor sweet potatoes, but I know I like them!

4 brussels sprouts, quartered
4 asparagus spears
5 cauliflower florets, halved if too large
1/2 sweet potato, peeled & cubed

Preheated oven 375

 

I first boiled water in a pot and added in the sweet potato chunks for 3-4 minutes, so they softened. (This was to ensure that all the vegetables would cook in the same amount of time)

Once I had arranged vegetables on the baking sheet, I sprayed olive oil cooking spray on each, and sprinkled lightly with sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. I put the baking sheet in the oven for ~10 minutes, and broiled them for the last 30 seconds to 1 minute!

Served immediately!

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