Go with Greek Yogurt

Mix 1 cup quinoa (uncooked, rinsed, and well drained), 1/4 cup whole flaxseed, 1 tablespoon honey or agave, and 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Spread on a baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven until lightly browned.  Let it cool, crumble and add 2 tablespoons to 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt, along with fresh berries.  Drizzle agave or honey on top.

Try one of these fresh salsa's

Mango Ginger
1 medium mango, peeled
1 cup pineapple
1/2 cup red onion
2 Tbsp scallions
1 Tbsp fresh ginger grated
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp of honey or agave syrup

Tomato-Corn
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes
1 cup corn kernels
1/2 cup red onion
1/2 cup black beans
1/4 cilantro or parsley
1/2 jalapeno
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Cucumber-Peach
2 cups peach, peeled, pitted
1 cup cucumber
1/2 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup red onion
2 Tbsp fresh mint
1 tsp hot red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to tast
2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar

For each, simply chop and mix the ingredients, and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Serve with whole grain crackers or some baked whole grain chips!

Enjoy,

Melissa

Morning Muffins

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 cups buckwheat, spelt, or quinoa flour
1 tablespoon baking powder (use non-aluminum)
sea salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large egg
2 cups buttermilk, milk, yogurt, or water mixed with 1 heaping tablespoon almond or cashew butter.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients.  Toss blueberries into dry mixture coating evenly.

In a separate bowl, combine all other ingredients.  Quickly fold the dry mixture using as few strokes as possible to prevent overmixing, which will make muffins tough.

Pour into paper cups and evenly distribute the muffin mixture into each cup.  Do not fill; leave room for rising during baking.

Place muffins on center over rack.  Bake 25-30 minutes.

Favorite Cookbooks and websites for recipes

Cookbooks

• The Eat Clean Cookbook by Tosca Reno (I have all 3 of them)
• Body by God by Lisa Young (This was a great place to start)
• Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman
• Food to Live By from Myra Goodman
• The Maximum Energy Cookbook by Sharon Broer
• The Maker's Diet
• The Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen
• The kind diet by Alicia Silverstone
• Graeme Street has a cookbook but it is primarily for fitness
• Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld
• Food Beautiful by Sarah
• New York Body Plan by David Kirsch has some great recipes in the book
• The Clean Eating Magazine has great recipes
• Eating Well magazine has really good recipes
• The Athlete's Plate by Adam Kelinson

Websites that have great recipes.  Some of these websites have things that I do not endorse but they are good resources for recipes.

• http://www.101cookbooks.com/
• http://www.bragg.com/
• http://www.ohsheglows.com/
• http://www.honeyline.com/
• http://www.drfuhrman.com/
• http://www.foodbeautful.com/
• http://www.thekindlife.com/
• http://www.nomeatathlete.com/
• http://www.feastingonfitness.blogspot.com/
• http://www.shapeupmom.com/
• http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com/
• http://www.livingfuel.com/
• http://www.hacres.com/

Please share your favorite healthy cookbooks, recipes and websites that you enjoy! 

Eat to live!
Melissa

Greek Yogurt versus Regular Plain Yogurt

Check out this comparison:




1 cup Plain Regular Nonfat Yogurt:

Calories 110 Calories from Fat 0

Total Fat 0g

Saturated Fat 0g

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 5mg

Sodium 150mg

Potassium 510mg

Total Carbohydrate 16g

Dietary Fiber 0g

Sugars 15g

Protein 11g

Vitamin A%

Vitamin C%

Calcium 40%

Iron 0%



1 cup Fage Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt:

Calories 120 Calories from Fat 0

Total Fat 0g

Saturated Fat 0g

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 70mg

Potassium 270mg

Total Carbohydrate 7g

Dietary Fiber 0g

Sugars 6g

Protein 22g

Vitamin A 0%

Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 20%

Iron 0%



And if you're worried about natural, read the label... it should be nonfat milk and cultures, that's it. Obviously getting plain, unflavored yogurt will help you avoid unnatural ingredients. Add your own berries and/or honey. Sorry, but if you want to do natural, you'll probably have to add your own flavorings. Maybe just eat a half cup to compensate?


The other wonderful thing about greek is that you can substitute it for sour cream or other rich, creamy (read: fattening) ingredients in so many recipes! I think it's so much more versatile than regular.  We eat Brown Cow non fat plain yogurt, too. 
 
One of my favorites snacks right now is fresh blackberries with greek yogurt and a little squirt of agave syrup.  Sometimes I add walnuts, too.  Delicious!!
 
Melissa

The Green Monster

Today I made a shake for the kids and we named it the Green Monster.

1 cup frozen mangos
1/2 to 1 banana
Large Hand full of Spinach
1 Scoop of protein powder
1 and 1/2 cups of water

Blend and serve.  We had ours with a bowl of steel cut oatmeal and berries.

The kids loved it!  They kept asking why it was green:)

Melissa

Time for treats

Hannah and I baked chocolate chip cookies.  It was the recipe that I posted a few blogs back from 101 cookbooks.  They were pretty good.  Luke and I made Apple biscuits with Spelt flour. 

Smoothie to try on the kids

Green power potion

2 cups chopped raw greens (baby spinach, curly kale, romaine lettuce)
3 fresh dates, pits removed
1 ripe banana, fresh or frozen
1 cup chopped manog, fresh or frozen
1 1/2 cups of water

Place all ingredients in a blender (magic bullet).  Blend on high until the drink is smooth without any chunks of fruit remaining.

For other ideas visit. http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com/

Enjoy!
Melissa

A success story to inspire you!!!

Tonight I am sharing a story of inspiration with all of you.  One the owners at Amber Pharmacy started this program below on February 17th (Ash Wednesday).  It actually tied in well with the Lenten season.  Weight loss so far is 35 lbs.  His goal is 60 lbs.  Please see below his program that he is following.  I am also posting a picture of one of his meals.

Congratulations, Tim!!  Keep up the great work.  Thank you for allowing me to share your story.


Breakfast (Buy a Magic Bullet)


Smoothie

Skim Milk

Pomegranate Juice

Handful of Frozen Blueberries

Handful of Frozen Raspberries

½ Frozen Banana

1 Scoop Vanilla Whey Protein



Or if I’m in a hurry, I’ll eat an apple or some cut-up pineapple then do the smoothie for lunch.



Lunch

Big Salad with either ½ head of iceberg or a whole heart of romaine

Add as many raw vegetables as you want

Can add leftover chicken or steak (no more than 4 oz)

Drizzle olive oil and red wine vinegar for dressing

Kosher salt and black pepper



Or a 3 egg omelet with as many veggies as I can pack in



Dinner

Fish, chicken or lean meat

Steamed or roasted veggies and/or salad

Brown Rice (comes in individual servings for microwave in 1 minute)



Snacks

Raw almonds

Low Fat Yogurt (I like lime or lemon, not the fruit crap)

Raw Vegetables

Apples, Pineapple, Clementine’s or any fruit



I’m not consuming the following

Processed foods (stay away from the center of the grocery store)

White flour

Sugar

Pasta

Bread

Pop, Beer or any carbonated beverage



Exercise

I’ve been walking briskly (3.8 mph) on treadmill or outside for 30 minutes every day.

Started doing compound exercises and interval training thanks to Melissa



Indulgences

1 or 2 cups of coffee in morning (for my caffeine fix)

With skim milk and truvia (sugar substitute)

Couple glasses of wine on the weekend

5-minute hummus

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Sea Salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika

-In a food processor, puree the chickpeas and garlic with the olive oil, lemon juice, tahini (if using), cumin, and 3/4 tsp salt until smooth and creamy.  Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water as necessary to achieve the desired consistency.
-Transfer to a bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika before serving.

Serve with fresh veggies and whole grain crackers.

We stayed outside too long this evening so this is what was for dinner.....

Tuna Melts
2 cans of albacore tuna
1/2  cup of salsa
1 tablespoon of vegeneise
Mix together
Spread of Kalvi Whole Grain Crackers and Ravita Crackers.  Sprinkle with Organic Mild, White Cheddar and broil in the oven until melted.

I served with a vegetable medley of cauliflour, broccoli and carrots.

Then I served the kids favorite popcorn.  I take the whole kernels and put them in a large pan with 3 tablespoons of coconut oil.  Put the lid on and pop. I even melted a little organic butter and served with sea salt.  They loved it.

Grocery Shopping

I thought I would share what I usually buy at the store and try to keep in stock.  When I began this journey years ago, I would just use up what we had and replace it with the healthy version.  It took a while to convert.  Be patient with yourself.  It is trial and error finding brands that you like.  There have been seasons in this journey that I have been vegan, had no dairy, no wheat, never ate anything out of package but I think what we have settled on for now is that we eat real food.  We try to eat it as close to the way God created it and stay away from artifical junk.  You will see some healthier junk food under "snacks" that would by no means be as healthy as eating some "kale" but it is better than eating a bag of "cheetos". I try to buy the healthier cookies from WF that do not have trans fats and artificial things...if we wanted a treat or I bake it myself.  I have tried to share some my kids favorite things on this list, too. You can find everything listed at Whole Foods and some of the things at Hy-Vee, Bakers and Super Target. 

• Veggies- spinach, zucchini, red & yellow peppers, tomatoes, avocadoes, other dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, asparagus, large bag of carrots for juicing, sometimes kale, cabbage and beets for juicing.  (Pick your favorites and try 1 new veggie a week)
• Fresh fruit-blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, fuji apples, pears, grapefruits, oranges, bananas and pomegranites (This varies...pick your favorites)
• dates
• Raw nuts unsalted and plain (cashews, almonds, walnuts, pinenuts, pumpkin seeds and pecans)
• Fresh ground peanut butter and almond butter at WF
• Mustard
• Bragg's 24 herbs and spices seasoning
• All types of herbs
• Organic Fruit Sweetened Ketchup
• Bragg's Salad dressing
• Sea salt
• Organic Butter
• Cold Pressed Olive Oil
• Coconut Oil-Spectrum is my favorite brand
• Bragg's liquid aminos
• Bragg's apple vinegar cidar
• Red wine vinegar
• Pomegranite vinegar (great for making salad dressings)
• Cans of albacore tuna
• Capers
• Cans of Artichoke Hearts
• Cans of Black olives
• Whole Wheat, Spelt, Ezekial Pastas (Lasagna noodles and spaghetti)
• Muir Glen Organic Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
• Cans of unsalted beans (Black, Pinto, Black eyed, Kidney and White)
• Bags of uncooked beans (try Mung, Azuki, Lentils)
• Whole Grain Couscous from the bins at WF
• Granola (Triple Berry or a Meusli without sugar) at WF in the bins
• Hummus (WF Red Pepper is my favorite)
• Ezekial Bread(sesame seed, cinnamon raisin or plain)
• Ezekial Bread English muffins
• Ezekial Cereal (Almond, Raisin or plain)
• Frozen Whole Grain Waffles for the kids when we are in a hurry.  They like the Kashi Honey Wheat the best but I try to buy 100% whole grain most of the time
• Steel Cut Oats Bob's Red Mill
• Rolled Whole Oats in bin at WF or Bob's Red Mill
• Thompson's large raisins (These are in the bins at WF and they are AWESOME)
• Whole wheat flour
• Oat Flour
• Spelt Flour
• Eggs
• Organic skim milk
• organic unsalted chicken and veggie broth
• Annie's Whole Wheat Macaroni and Cheese for the kids
• Brown or Wild Rice
• Other grains-barley, oat bran and any types of grains that I might want on hand for recipes
• Chia Seeds
• Plain unsweetened Kefir
• Frozen Fruit (mangos, blueberries, mixed berry any and all)
• Frozen Veggies (I keep a good stock in case I run out of fresh during the week)
• Whole Grain Pizza crust from WF or I make a homemade spelt one
• Amy's frozen Bean and Cheese burritos for the kids to have a quick, healthier version
• Ezekial wraps (Corn and Whole Grain)
• Organic Cheese (mild cheddar, mozzarella, parmesean)
• Rice and Almond Milk
• Xylitol
• Agave Syrup
• Lemon and Lime juice
• Organic Cottage Cheese
• St Dalfour all fruit spread or other brand of all fruit no sugar jelly (NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETNERS)
• Ground Flax
• Vegenaise (instead of mayo)
• Greek Yogurt
• Brown Cow Yogurt Plain Unsweetened
• Frozen Wheat Grass

Meats

• Fresh Salmon-from WF or Absolutely Fresh
• Fresh Tilipia
• Organic Chicken
• Organic Beef (not often)
• Skinless Chicken Breakfast Links (not often)
• Wellshire Turkey Bacon (not often)

SNACKS

• unsweetened apple sauce
• Original Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks (Kids LOVE them)
• Pirate Booty in the chip section of WF 
• Popcorn (whole kernels and I cook them in coconut oil on stove for the kids)
• Whole Grain Graham Crackers at WF
• Feldkamp Famous German Fitness Bread
• Kavli Crispy Thin Whole Grain Crispbread (it's a cracker)Mary's Cracker's Twigs Sea Salt
• Mary's Organic Sea Salt Twigs
• Ryvita Sesame Rye Crackers
• Spelt Pretzels
• Dried Fruit juice sweetened cranberries
• POM juice
• Cascadian Organic Purely O's Cereal for the kids
• Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato Chips (these are great)
• Julie's organic ice cream bars (I do NOT keep these often but they are REALLY good)
• Uncle Eddie's Cookies at WF (This is a RARE Treat)
• Newman's Fig Newtons (Rare but if occasionally)
• Orange Juice

This can vary but these are some things that we really enjoy eating.  If I am cooking a certain recipe then I will buy whatever I need for that recipe but these are my go to foods for our family. 

Please let me know if you have any questions about where to find anything. 

Happy Shopping!!

Melissa

Apple tart

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups walnuts
1 1/2 cups dates
3 apples (granny smith or your favorite...I use Fuji)
Juice of 1 lemon in 2 cups of water
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 TBS honey
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup raisins

1. Combine walnuts and dates in food processor or magic bullet. Make sure you remove pits if dates have them and cut off end where stem was. Process until well mixed and ground, but not smooth. About 40 seconds. It should be a coarse texture when done. Press evenly into a 9 inch tart pan. Set in refrigerator while making the filling.
2. Slice apples by cutting into quarters. Cut out core and slice crosswise in 1/4 inch thick slices. Put into lemon water while you finish cutting apples. Drain well in colander when done.
3. Place apples in a large skillet with rest of the ingredients and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently on medium heat.
4. Remove apples with a slotted spoon from hot pan to a bowl and cool completely.
5. Reduce liquid to about half the volume and cool separately.
6. Spread apples evenly over crust. Brush syrup over apples. Can be served right away or will keep in refrigerator until needed. Keep tart covered in refrigerator so it doesn't pick up moisture. Top with a little vanilla yogurt if desired.
Serves 8

Breakfast Ideas

-Ezekial Cereal with sliced banana
-Ezekial toast with almond butter and all fruit jelly
-Ezekial toast with strawberries and all natural peanut butter
-Cottage cheese and fruit
-Shakes-spinach, frozen blueberries, pom juice, living fuel protein, flax and chia
-Egg white omeletes with veggies and welshire turkey bacon or chicken sausage
-Egg Muffins-ezekial english muffin, fried egg in olive oil and slice of provolone(Broil in oven)
-Pancakes-1 cup oats, 1/4 cup cottage cheese, 1 tsp cinnamon and 3 egg whites
-Eat clean pancakes-several recipes that are in her cookbook (all very good)
-Oatmeal pancakes
-Breakfast burritos-ezekial wrap, low fat organic cheese and eggs
-Egg white, turkey and veggie scramble
-Granola (Triple Berry from WF is my favorite), Greek yogurt, fresh fruit and nuts
-Grapefruit with anything above
-Jewish Fruit salad
-French toast-ezekial bread dipped in egg whites, milk and cinnamon. Serve with strawberries

I would love to hear your favorite breakfast recipes. Please feel free to share!

What to do with all those Easter eggs?

Low-Fat Egg Salad
3 hard boiled egg whites chopped
1 hard boiled egg chopped
1 tablespoon no-fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup coarsely chopped celery
1 teaspoon wasabi powder
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

Mix all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. You can play around with this recipe. Sometimes I just add regular mustard and leave out the wasabi and parsley. I have also used vegan mayo with it.

Happy Easter!!!

Quick Healthy Snack

Mash Avocado
Add Favorite Mild Salsa (Make sure the salsa does not have any junk)
Some of my favorites are: Whole Foods 365 Brand Mild, Newman's own has a good one, too.

They you can use Mary's cracker's or other whole grain crackers for dipping or you can take a slice of Ezekial bread and make a sandwich.

Something crunchy to replace chips

Buy at Whole Foods-
Red Pepper Hummus
Organic Mary's Gone Crackers "Sticks & Twigs" Sea Salt

These are really tasty with the Red Pepper Hummus....even the kids enjoy!!

Food tips for the day

Try to spend some time and have all these in the refrig when the urge hits you to snack...they are already prepared!

-Chop up fresh fruit and veggies
-Make up some brown rice or couscous
-Raw nuts
-Greek yogurt
-Boiled Eggs

Tonight I cut up strawberries, bananas and blackberries for a dessert after dinner.