Most people know that I have made a transition to a whole foods plant based lifestyle in the last year. What that basically means is I avoid processed food and refined sugars like the plague. My rule is if the ingredient list has unpronounceable names or anything I can't recognize I do not touch it. I also avoid dairy for the most part and eat limited amounts of meat. I try to eat 60-80% raw. I eat a lot vegan and vegetarian but don't classify myself as either since I eat meat once or twice a week and do use eggs for cooking and have cheese and yogurt occasionally. I am basically a whole foodie. I am not perfect by any means in this lifestyle but I try my hardest. I figure if I am trying to eat this way 100% of the time, and I end up breaking the rules a few times which is unavoidable when you live in the real world, then I will still be eating this way 90% of the time and I will still be really healthy. So that is basically my philosophy. I base a lot of the way I eat by trying to follow my religions Word of Wisdom listed in the Doctrine and Covenants.
As most of you know I am a green smoothie girl disciple. Ha ha. I have learned so much from her blog and website about healthy eating. She does a ton of research and is really well educated and forms her opinions based on science. I have felt so much better and have lost 60lbs since I started eating the way she recommends. I bought her 12 steps to whole foods course and it really simplified transitioning to a whole foods lifestyle for me. There are a lot of great recipes in there that actually taste good along with being healthy. Take a look around her website and read her blog if you want to learn more about important things such as good fats vs bad (healthy and unhealthy oils), refined vs unrefined sea salt or himilayen salts, animal vs vegetable protein, why we don't need dairy, and many other great topics.
www.greensmoothiegirl.com
The china study has really influenced me a ton in my eating. Watch the documentary Forks over knives to get in depth interviews with the doctors/researchers. The study is the first of it's kind and is a large ongoing longitudinal study that has had tremendous findings. I learned that we really only need 5% animal protein in our diet and anything more than that has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The evidence in this work is quite compelling. They have repeated the same study over and over again with animals and now with humans isolating the variables in different ways and keep coming up with the same results. Those that eat 20% animal protein in their diet are increasingly unhealthy and have much higher rates of cardiovascular disease and cancers and die sooner than those who only eat 5% animal protein. Anyway you can learn more here.
http://www.thechinastudy.com/the-china-study/about/
Here are my favorite recipe blogs. I will just add more to the list as I keep finding them.
http://www.amuse-your-bouche.com
http://www.gimmesomeoven.com
http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/
http://www.superhealthykids.com/
http://www.simplyquinoa.com/
http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/
Friday, March 7, 2014
Lentil Tacos and Taco Seasoning
Taco Seasoning
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1&1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Mix all together and store in a Tupperware container. Great for any Mexican dishes.
Lentil Taco's
2 cups water
1 cup red lentils
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning
Combine above ingredients in a saucepan and cook uncovered for 20-30 min until water is absorbed and lentils are done.
Add a couple large spoonfuls lentils to a heated sprouted corn tortilla shell and top with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, cheese, salsa, and anything else that sounds good on a taco.
Serve with a side of rice and black beans. Super delicious!
I make these all the time, and my family loves them. Everyone that I make them for is surprised how good they are and ask for the recipe. Lentils are a great meat substitute and very healthy. Great source of protein.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
I got this recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com. Made this for thanksgiving and was so glad that everyone ate all the unhealthy stuff and left most of this for me. I think I ate most of the bowl. Ha Ha! It was so good!
Ingredients:
2 cups no salt added chicken broth
1 clove garlic smashed
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 large chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
1 large red onion diced
1 large green bell pepper diced
1/2 cup kalamata olives (I don't love those so I use regular olives)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions
1. Bring chicken broth, pinch of sea salt, and garlic to boil in saucepan. Stir in the quinoa and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, 15-20 minutes. scrape the quinoa into a large bowl.
2. Gently stir in the chicken, onion, bell pepper, olives, cheese, parsley, chives, and salt into the quinoa. Drizzle with the lemon juice, baslamic vinegar and olive oil. Stir until evenly mixed. serve war, or refrigerate and serve cold.
Kristen's Notes: I usually leave out the chicken when I want to make this a vegetarian dish. I only eat meat maybe once or twice a week so I rarely add the chicken. But it is a nice option to have if you are wanting some animal protein. I also add a pinch of sea salt to the chicken broth since it is no sodium added to give it a little more flavor. I usually get no sodium added chicken broth because the refined salt is so damaging to our cells. I add the unrefined healthy sea salt myself so I can control my sodium intake but still have the flavor enhancement of salt.
Ingredients:
2 cups no salt added chicken broth
1 clove garlic smashed
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 large chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
1 large red onion diced
1 large green bell pepper diced
1/2 cup kalamata olives (I don't love those so I use regular olives)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions
1. Bring chicken broth, pinch of sea salt, and garlic to boil in saucepan. Stir in the quinoa and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, 15-20 minutes. scrape the quinoa into a large bowl.
2. Gently stir in the chicken, onion, bell pepper, olives, cheese, parsley, chives, and salt into the quinoa. Drizzle with the lemon juice, baslamic vinegar and olive oil. Stir until evenly mixed. serve war, or refrigerate and serve cold.
Kristen's Notes: I usually leave out the chicken when I want to make this a vegetarian dish. I only eat meat maybe once or twice a week so I rarely add the chicken. But it is a nice option to have if you are wanting some animal protein. I also add a pinch of sea salt to the chicken broth since it is no sodium added to give it a little more flavor. I usually get no sodium added chicken broth because the refined salt is so damaging to our cells. I add the unrefined healthy sea salt myself so I can control my sodium intake but still have the flavor enhancement of salt.
Wendy's Veggie Chili
My mom made this for me a couple months ago when she was over visiting. She randomly threw this together and it tasted so good we wrote it down. The spice measurements are not exact and I have been eyeballing it. The measurements for the spices below are my best guess so feel free to shift the spice ratios to taste. After learning about how damaging refined salt is to our bodies and cells, I have been shifting to using no salt added beans, broth, and any other vegetable to my recipes. I just adjust for the reduced flavor that by adding a little more sea salt in the recipe since sea salt is unrefined and a lot better for you.
In a big pot combine:
2 cans low sodium vegetable broth
2 Cans no salt added Kidney Beans
4 Cans organic black Beans
2 Cans fire roasted tomatoes
2 Onions chopped
1 bunch of cilantro chopped finely
several mini peppers chopped (red, yellow, and orange)
1-2 Tbsp. Grill mates mesquite seasoning
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1 tsp Dillweed
1 Tbsp. Smokey Paprika
2-3 tablespoons Fresh garlic
1 tsp. Cumin
2 Tbsp. Basil
Stir over medium heat on stove for 30-40 minutes then reduce heat stirring occasionally. Total cooking time is one hour. You can also put in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.
In a big pot combine:
2 cans low sodium vegetable broth
2 Cans no salt added Kidney Beans
4 Cans organic black Beans
2 Cans fire roasted tomatoes
2 Onions chopped
1 bunch of cilantro chopped finely
several mini peppers chopped (red, yellow, and orange)
1-2 Tbsp. Grill mates mesquite seasoning
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1 tsp Dillweed
1 Tbsp. Smokey Paprika
2-3 tablespoons Fresh garlic
1 tsp. Cumin
2 Tbsp. Basil
Stir over medium heat on stove for 30-40 minutes then reduce heat stirring occasionally. Total cooking time is one hour. You can also put in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.
Tomato Basil Pasta
This recipe I also got courtesy of the green smoothie girl. Everyone I make this for loves it. My toddler has several helpings and it is hard to get him to eat much of anything.
Tomato Basil Pasta 16 oz whole wheat angel hair pasta 4 large tomato's chopped 1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped 2 C fresh spinach chopped 1 C artichoke hearts chopped 1/2 cup flaxseed oil 1 C sun dried tomatos 1 and 1/2 tsp. sea salt 1 Tbsp. dried basil freshly ground pepper to taste Cook pasta according to directions. In a high powered blender, blend the flaxseed oil, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, and dried basil until the sun-dried tomatoes are broken down into small bits. Scrape the mixture into the pasta, and then add the fresh tomatoes, spinach, fresh basil, and artichoke hearts. Grind the pepper on top, toss well and serve immediately. Serves 6-8
Tomato Basil Pasta 16 oz whole wheat angel hair pasta 4 large tomato's chopped 1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped 2 C fresh spinach chopped 1 C artichoke hearts chopped 1/2 cup flaxseed oil 1 C sun dried tomatos 1 and 1/2 tsp. sea salt 1 Tbsp. dried basil freshly ground pepper to taste Cook pasta according to directions. In a high powered blender, blend the flaxseed oil, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, and dried basil until the sun-dried tomatoes are broken down into small bits. Scrape the mixture into the pasta, and then add the fresh tomatoes, spinach, fresh basil, and artichoke hearts. Grind the pepper on top, toss well and serve immediately. Serves 6-8
All Natural low calorie ranch dressing
This recipe is courtesy of the green smoothie girl. I love it and use it all the time.
Ranch dressing 1 C buttermilk 1 C sour cream 1Tbsp. dried parsley 1 Tbsp. dried chives 1 tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. ground black pepper 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder Briefly blend in high powered blender until just mixed. Pour into a jar and refrigerate for a few hours to meld flavors. Makes scant 2 1/4 cups. I plugged this recipe into my fitness pal and it works out to be about 30 calories per 2 Tbsp.
Ranch dressing 1 C buttermilk 1 C sour cream 1Tbsp. dried parsley 1 Tbsp. dried chives 1 tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. ground black pepper 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder Briefly blend in high powered blender until just mixed. Pour into a jar and refrigerate for a few hours to meld flavors. Makes scant 2 1/4 cups. I plugged this recipe into my fitness pal and it works out to be about 30 calories per 2 Tbsp.
Low Fat Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
This recipe is courtesy of my friend Sadie. These are really good. The first time I made these I misread the recipe and put in one can of pumpkin instead of 1 cup. They were so dense that they would not cook in the center. So when I read the recipe carefully and tried again the second time, they turned out so much better. Ha Ha. So yeah...it is 1 cup of pumpkin not 1 can.
Low fat pumpkin oatmeal muffins
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup unsweetened all-natural applesauce
1/2 ripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup chocolate chips, plus 2 tablespoons
Extra oatmeal, for sprinkling on muffins
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 12 muffin cups with paper cups or spray with nonstick spray. If you use muffin cups, make sure to spray the inside of the cups.
In a large bowl mix flour, oatmeal, pumpkin pie spice baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. In a separate bowl combine pumpkin, mashed banana, brown sugar, almond milk, egg whites and applesauce. Add the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full so that each is even. Sprinkle a tiny bit of oatmeal over each top of the muffins. Place into the oven and bake for 23-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean. Muffins are best served warm. Reheat in the microwave for 20 seconds and spread with topping of your choice!
Low fat pumpkin oatmeal muffins
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup unsweetened all-natural applesauce
1/2 ripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup chocolate chips, plus 2 tablespoons
Extra oatmeal, for sprinkling on muffins
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 12 muffin cups with paper cups or spray with nonstick spray. If you use muffin cups, make sure to spray the inside of the cups.
In a large bowl mix flour, oatmeal, pumpkin pie spice baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. In a separate bowl combine pumpkin, mashed banana, brown sugar, almond milk, egg whites and applesauce. Add the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full so that each is even. Sprinkle a tiny bit of oatmeal over each top of the muffins. Place into the oven and bake for 23-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean. Muffins are best served warm. Reheat in the microwave for 20 seconds and spread with topping of your choice!
No Bake Energy Bites
Here is a link to my favorite treat! These are the best fuel for long training days. 2 of these will get me through an hour of cyling followed by an hour of crossfit with no problems. I totally have tons of energy. I totally plan on using these to fuel for long rides and during my half ironman. I have a hard time not eating the whole batch though when I make these. They are tasty!
http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/no-bake-energy-bites/
http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/no-bake-energy-bites/
Pumpkin Waffles
I modified this recipe from the green smoothie girls 12 steps to whole foods. The recipe she had was way to dense and the waffles would not cook through, no matter how many cycles cooked through the waffle iron. I ended up adding an extra cup of flour, a whole tablespoon of baking soda, and another table spoon of palm sugar, increasing the pumpkin spice and halfing the pumpkin. The original recipe calls for 30 oz of pumpkin. So after some experimenting I found that this creates the perfect fluffy waffle and still maintains all the healthiness. I love pumpkin spice so I add a whole tablespoon. You can add a little less if you want. Happy eating!
Pumpkin Waffles or pancakes
3 C whole-wheat flour (white wheat
pastry flour)
2 C regular rolled oats
1 C Kefir
3 C filtered water
1 15 oz can pumpkin
¼ C Coconut oil
4 Tbsp. Raw coconut palm sugar
1 Tbsp pumpkin spice
1 tsp. Sea salt
1 Tbsp. Baking powder(aluminum free)
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 eggs (organic free range)
Mix rolled oats in your high powered
blender to break them down to coarse meal. Mix the whole-wheat flour,
oats, Kefir, and water together. Add the remaining ingredients and
mix by hand, but don't over mix. Pour one cup of batter onto waffle
iron and cook through one cycle. They also work as pancakes.
P.S. I may try substituting spelt flour for the whole wheat pastry flour to see how they are gluten free.
Purpose of my blog
So I created this blog to catalog and save all my favorite healthy recipes and have them in one spot. People have started asking me for them, so I thought it would be nice to have them in one place so I can just send a link when a recipe is requested. It will also save me lots of time cooking:)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)