Nutrition/Recipes

 

I’ll admit it, I’ve been silent lately because I was afraid I might jinx myself. I tend to jump on the bandwagon only to find myself jumping off before I even sat down. Not a great quality of mine. I get so psyched about eating better and crafting more or whatever and tend to burn out too quickly. I go big and then I go home. I wish I had more perseverance. That is definitely something I am asking the Lord for this year.

Anyways,  last year Micah and I watched an amazing documentary called Food Inc., I highly recommend it. I love documentaries by the way (thank you Netflix). After watching the film, I told myself that I wouldn’t eat meat anymore. That lasted real long…I was eating a steak dinner three days later. Oops. So on went a year with eating horribly (thank you pregnancy). After giving birth, I scoured the internet for the new fad diets and how to lose weight quickly. But as I’ve learned, diets aren’t good, I needed to change the way I eat- eat to live, not live to eat. That is something Food Inc. taught me…I just didn’t listen at the time (well for very long at least).

About a week ago one of my lovely readers and friend, Margaret Heidel recommended a documentary/book that I’ve been eyeing on Netflix for quite some time. It’s called Forks Over Knives and it has truly changed my life. I really encourage you to check it out for yourself. The two renowned experts featured in the film, Dr. Caldwell Esseslytn, physician and author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, and Colin Campbell, an American biochemist and one of the lead scientists of the China-Oxford Cornell study, suggest that eating a whole foods plant-based diet will improve overall health. It was a major eye opener for me. Basically the film suggests that a number of diseases can be linked to the Western diet of processed and animal-based foods. Among the diseases the film links to the Western diet are coronary disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Now, I am a big proponent of “all things in moderation.” But let’s get real. America leads the world in obesity, diabetes, etc.

So here I am, a week has past and I’m still loving it. I went to the local Whole Foods on Monday and have prepared some pretty delicious meals if I do say so myself. I will post some of those recipes in the “Nutrition” tab. I love cheeseburgers as much as the next person, but I will say I feel more invigorated, I’ve had more energy than I have in a long time. Micah and I are not calling ourselves vegans or vegetarians, but rather we are simply striving to eat more plant-based foods rather than relying on animal based products for our nutrients. Ultimately I know in the future I will eat an occasional piece of chicken or fish…it’s not the end of the world. But I want to make this a part of our lifestyle, it’s not meant as a restriction diet…those never work.

I would update you on my weight loss status, however, unfortunately our electronic scale is dying a slow death. My job this weekend is to by a new one. I will say though that my pants fit better and I can actually wear my wedding bands again! Big victory for me! 🙂

OK so if you want to get fit, live a more healthy lifestyle, and put good food into your body…I HIGHLY recommend reading the book or watching the documentary, Forks Over Knives.

What are your thoughts on a Whole Food Plant Based Diet?

 

I’ll be honest. I’m probably one of the pickiest eaters you might meet in your life. I’m talking I didn’t even like brownies until I was in college. I know I’m weird.  I will say that my tastebuds have changed dramatically over the past two years but I’m still learning. I like to try new things now in hopes that I might develop a taste for it. I will say that I wish I would have never tried brownies….

So here are two of my favorite sites for HEALTHY recipes:

skinnytaste.com

dashingdish.com

I have tried multiple recipes from both sites and I will say they are some of the best recipes EVER! What I particularly love is how these women take the foods that you love and put a spin on the ingredients with healthy alternatives. What I also love is that both of these women also post the amount of calories in each dish. LOVE THAT. Here are some of my favorite recipes:

Skinny Taste Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

Slow cooked shredded chicken with corn, tomatoes and black beans. Prepare the night before and turn your crock pot on in the morning for an easy weeknight meal. Low fat and low in points. Serve over rice with chopped scallions, fresh cilantro, fat free sour cream and reduced fat cheddar.

{source}
Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 8 servings • Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 190 • Fat: 1.5 g • Fiber: 5.6 g • Carbs: 23.1 g • Protein: 21 g

• 24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast
• 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
• 15 oz can black beans
• 8 oz frozen corn
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
• salt to taste

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning. Serve over rice (extra pts).

Dashing Dish Mini Deep Dish Pizzas

The crust for these hand-held pizzas are made from whole wheat wraps, which bake up nice and crispy, so they taste a lot like a thin crust! I added parmesan cheese and spices to the sauce, so every bite is bursting with cheesy flavor! You could add any toppings you’d traditionally have on your pizza to make them even more personalized!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 whole wheat wraps (try to find ones with at least 3 grams of fiber or more per wrap)
• 1 (15oz) can pizza sauce (you may have some left over, depending on how much sauce you like)
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 48 mini turkey pepperonis (or the 12 whole turkey pepperoni’s, each cut into 4 even pieces)
• 1 tsp basil/oregano mix OR Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• pinch of sweetener, (sugar/stevia/splenda)
• pinch of black pepper

*Put your own spin on these by adding anything that you would normally like on a pizza just before popping them in the oven!

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 12 count muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Start by laying each tortilla out individually on a flat surface, and use an empty can, cup, or cookie cutter to cut 3-4 medium circles out of each wrap. I used the empty pizza sauce can, which worked well!

Press firmly enough, using a rocking motion, until it cuts through the wrap.

3. Press each wrap circle into muffin tin using your fingers. Note: it doesn’t have to cover the entire side of the tin, it should just fit snuggly!

4. Meanwhile, pour pizza sauce into a medium sized bowl….

Add in the parmesan cheese…

And the spices. Stir until everything is well combined.

5. Drop about 1-2 tbs of sauce in each wrap, this really varies according to how much sauce you like!

6. Divide mozzarella cheese evenly over each mini pizza.

7. Place 4 mini pepperoni’s on top of each pizza.

8. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

9. Wait for pizzas to cool, and remove from muffin tin using a fork or knife. Pizza’s should pop out with ease!

Serve warm and enjoy!

Enjoy!  Love Katie

Servings: 12 Mini Deep Dish Pizzas

Calories: 66 Calories Per Pizza

Weight Watchers Points Plus: 3pp for 2 Pizzas, and 5pp for 3 Pizzas

Nutritional Advice

It is so important to eat nutritionally. However, this is something I struggle with majorly.
Here is some advice on meal portions I got from a physical trainer:

• Breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day, lunch should be smaller than breakfast and larger than dinner (backwards in our society don’t you think?)
• Eat two small 100 calorie snacks in between breakfast and lunch, and lunch and dinner
• Eat whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, and meat… avoid the middle aisles of the grocery store (processed foods)
• Drink plenty of water (a glass before and after a meal help keeps you full and more satisfied)