Time For Salad!

Now that Spring is here, warmer weather invites feasting upon a great salad.  Salad is a staple at my home, and is just as important as the main dish - so it better taste good, no, great!

I find the best way to get in all my veggies in a day is to not only mix it up with variety, but don't be afraid to serve TWO vegetables at a meal! I prefer to prepare one hot and one cold vegetable dish with dinner, and usually the cold one is our appetizer while we wait for dinner to cook.  If the cold veggie is the only thing out while dinner cooks, impatient eaters will at least munch on something good for them while they wait!  Also, too many times we abide by our own rule we teach our children - "Eat the warm food first, then the cold" to avoid reheating plates, and we end up too full for salad because we eat our own main dish first.

As I mentioned in an earlier post but I'll include again, I discovered some great homemade-ish salad dressings at Top Foods for those who don't make their own.  It's called Bolt House Farms, and they have a variety of flavors.  I prefer the fruity flavors, and their ranch is more edible than other Organic brands of Ranch, though not my favorite.  Watch the shelf date as they expire within only a couple months because they are not full of preservatives - that should motivate you to eat salad EVERY night to not waste it!

Here are my two favorite salads I hope you will try.  Don't wait to chop until right before dinner because it takes a while to prepare if you're picky like me and wash every piece of lettuce thoroughly... Romaine lettuce can have a lot of sneaky bugs that are easy to miss, but I have recently discovered the likes of Green Leaf Lettuce - not so many bugs either! Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Apple Salad

Antipasto Salad

Soup Recipes

I hope you're in the mood for soup because here are some more recipes for you to try out.

Lentil Soup Recipe  Don't know what to do with lentils? Here is a great recipe for Lentil Soup on my recipe blog.

Fresh Asparagus Soup   This may not sound like anything you've ever considered making, but give this recipe a shot and taste what you've been missing!

Replacing Unhealthy Food With Better Choices

 It's time to clean out your pantry and refrigerator!  You will be alarmed at how much you may throw out as you go by the list of "5 Ingredients to Avoid" but don't be dismayed! There are many things you can replace with better alternatives, and I have listed a few tips and brands below to save you time and perhaps money.

RICE – Out with the white, in with the brown!  Brown rice has much more flavor if you cook it in chicken or beef broth (depending what meat you serve with it or which ever is your favorite).  Also, most packages’ cooking times are incorrect as it takes nearly an hour to cook fully and absorb all the water.  Trader Joes has a Brown Rice Medley I like (and my kids like!) that is brown rice, barley, and radish seeds, and I cook it in chicken broth.  Most grocery stores carry brown rice.  I like brown Basmati.

PEANUT BUTTER – most are full of trans fat and other garbage.  I recommend the no stir Mara Natha brand, and I stock up when it goes on sale at Fred Meyer. One draw back is it’s hard to spread because it’s refrigerated – I leave a few scoops on my bread to sit a few minutes before spreading.  Fred Meyer also has a fresh peanut butter machine (and almond butter) that’s significantly cheaper and all you do is push the button and fill up a container.  I mostly use it for recipes (cookies, or Thai sauce, etc) though it’s fine on sandwiches if you don’t mind it has no salt and not as smooth a texture (you can easily add salt if you miss it!).  I refrigerate it though it doesn’t say to, and it’s easier to spread because the oils are freshly pressed.  Also, Costco carries Mara Natha Almond butter but not peanut butter.  There are many different nut butters out there and I recommend trying a variety until you find what you like. 

MACARONI AND CHEESE – It’s the fake cheese packets that ruin it more than the refined pasta.  Skip the Kraft and knock-off brands for Annie’s.  She has a regular ‘natural’ line and organic line and whole wheat pasta which goes on sale a lot at Fred Meyer.  The natural line uses some organic ingredients but not all.  Costco carries the regular Annie’s Macaroni though she has many varieties in stores.  It may take a couple times getting used to it if you’re a regular macaroni cooker, but we prefer it to other brands. 

CRACKERS – Kudos to Annie’s again.  She has bunnies in all different flavors (honey, chocolate, chocolate chip, cheddar), whether in a box or individual packets like Costco carries in a variety pack.  Also, I just purchased her latest cracker which is shaped saltine crackers and my kids love them (we overdosed on the bunnies, thanks Costco!).  I am still hunting for a good replacement to Club’s whole grain crackers I can’t replace as many ‘healthy’ ones I’ve tried are like eating chalky dirt.

YOGURT – The best is homemade, though it’s a bit adventurous.  My mom gave out a recipe I will link to this soon for those who want to try it.  For the rest of us, there are a few good store-bought varieties.  I don’t remember them all but will give you my favorite.  Top Food carries the best, it’s Greek Gods Yogurt in a Honey or strawberry flavor, not reduced fat.  They don’t always have it in stock because it’s so good.  Fred Meyer carries a few (Organic Fridge: Nancy’s and Stonyfield, with other yogurt: Mountain High I think), but find the whole milk kind, or ones that don’t say reduced fat.  They are all in the big cartons, not individual.  Top Foods carries some individual servings but they get pretty pricey. You can always go with plain and add your own fruit to sweeten them. 

BREAD – Who doesn’t love how soft white bread it, and how sweet it can taste?!  This is a hard one to give up.  But you need to.  Try different varieties to see what you like.  There isn’t a perfect replacement for this one as most brands have a healthy bread that still doesn’t have everything right.  The two biggest problems are the carb count and trans fat, besides the obvious flour ingredient.  Choose something that’s either whole wheat or better yet whole or multi grain, doesn’t have trans fat or canola oil, and has a low carb count.  Remember, each gram of fiber cancels out a gram of carbs, and usually it’s only one slice of bread that is the serving size.  A replacement we use but is still not the perfect choice (as it has a small amount of soybean oil) is OroWeat’s Sandwich Thins.  They have a few varieties but I recommend the multi grain or the White Whole grain.  We’ve used them for sandwiches, toast, and even hamburger buns (that’s what they’re next to at the grocery store), though for hamburgers your patties need to be thinner since the bread is thin.  They have a very low carb count and are becoming very popular.  Costco carries the Whole Wheat variety I believe, though Fred Meyer and Top Foods have good sales on them so I stock up and freeze them for later.  I also like Thomas Bagels - they have little mini whole wheat or cinnamon raisin that are pretty good, and I like the organic cream cheese (in the organic fridge) that goes on sale occasionally.

SALAD DRESSING – Most are not good for you so it’s best to make your own.  Eventually I will post some recipes here.  I just came across a great brand at Top Food in the refrigerator produce section called Bolt House Farms.  They have a variety of fresh dressings (I’ve tried both the Raspberry and Mango and they are delish!  They have around 8 flavors I will eventually try). But be careful because fresh dressings do not have a long shelf life, so use it up fast.  I find I don’t even use as much as the serving size recommends, so even less carbs there!  (For either of those two flavors I toss it with salad greens, fresh berries, and chopped pecans.  Even my super picky 5 year old who doesn’t eat salad tried it and wanted more!) 

BEEF BROTH or CHICKEN BROTH – It’s best to make your own, or else buy organic, and read the ingredients to see if they use actual vegetables or just powders.  I used to use Swanson but it has MSG and powdered seasoning.  Organic broths go on sale a lot at Fred Meyer, though unfortunately I think they still have canola oil.  Costco carries the big boxes of them I use for soup.

MEAT – More to come on this subject… Grass fed beef is hard to find, even if you find organic.  PCC and Whole Foods are your best sources as Freddies and Top Food do not carry them.  Costco carries organic ground beef for the best price of $4.33 a lb (comes in a 3 lbs pack for $12.99) and organic chicken breasts for either $4.99 or $5.49, I can't remember, which is a great deal since it’s hard to find it under $7.00.  When shopping for bacon, make sure it says “nitrate free,” which also can be found at PCC and Whole Foods. 

SALSA – Emerald Valley has the closest to homemade taste and we LOVE it.  It goes on a sale a lot and has a short shelf life since it’s fresh.  They have the best hummus too – I never liked hummus until I tried their original flavor and it tastes like bean dip (which they also have) and even my baby likes to eat it!  They are found in the organic refrigerator section at Fred Meyer.  I prefer Mild salsa, but they have medium and hot, and Costco carries a big tub of Medium (it’s like medium plus to me – too hot!).  Freddies also carries a fresh Pico De Gallo I believe it’s called, on an end cap in the produce section (not organic) and that stuff is DIVINE.  It makes the taco salad!

DAIRY AND EGGS - More to come here as well.  I prefer Organic Horizon Whole Milk (it has a red carton and is almost always on sale) and Chino Valley Ranchers organic brown free range eggs, which is also on sale frequently, for less than $4.00. 

Good luck as you experiment with different brands and get used to reading labels.  It's best to leave the kids at home as you get your feet wet during your adventurous shopping experience.  I rarely venture outside of the right side of Freddies between the organic produce and refrigerator section.  I hope you stick to that area too!

Most Controversial Food Additive in History

YOU MEAN THE FDA ALLOWS US TO CONSUME A BIOCHEMICAL WARFARE AGENT?!
The old NutraSweet and currently named Aspartame are now updating their tainted name to something more healthy sounding, "Amino Sweet," in hopes to deceive the consumer.
Here is a great link at one of the current changes in marketing sugar alternatives.  This just solidifies why is it so important to stick to the basics of the food mother earth provides us.  It is amazing what a little power can do that impacts everyone (since we all eat) and we are so unaware of how damaging it is!  There is a lot of deception in the food world (and/or FDA) as our health is not necessarily their top priority.  Please take a look and see also near the bottom where he talks more about good sugar and bad sugar. 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/02/old-monsanto-food-toxin-disguised-under-new-name.aspx

Ingredients to Avoid

READ THE INGREDIENTS! The most important step so you know what you’re eating. (I’ll explain the reasons later)

The most important ingredients to AVOID are:
1. High Fructose Corn Syrup
2. Partially Hydrogenated Oil (including canola)
3. MSG or natural flavor
4. Modified or Genetically Modified anything
5. Soy products

Reading Labels

A few little secrets you may or may not know when it comes to reading labels:
• Read the Ingredients before you buy! Don’t buy it if it has something harmful.
• The first ingredient means it’s the largest ingredient in the product
• “Partially Hydrogenated” means it’s a trans fat
• “Genetically Modified” or just “Modified” means it’s unnatural and unsafe
• “Natural Flavor” is not necessarily natural, and can include MSG!
• “No Trans Fat *per serving” means there IS trans fat! Check the ingredients and you’ll find it. (it’s a small amount per serving but nonetheless it’s still there!)
• Added vitamins and minerals don’t necessarily make it healthier – it’s mostly a marketing scheme to make you feel like you’re making a healthy choice when the product itself doesn’t have much value to your health

Balancing Your Plate

We have lost our connection to the power of food and our sense of balance. We need to return back to the basics; the food mother earth provides us with. This diagram is a representation of the balance of food we should have on our plate at each meal and snack. To get you started, I will just scratch the surface of these topics and the purpose of this balance to help you understand why it works.

Food is used for one of three purposes: rebuilding the body, energy, or storing fat for later. When you don’t eat properly, these functions will be disrupted, resulting in poorer health. When you eat a balanced meal, your body uses the nutrients for energy and in rebuilding your body (nails, hair, bones, skin, cells, etc). And when you don’t eat a balanced meal, not only does your body store it as fat, but also your body is unable to rebuild properly, and becomes susceptible to inflammation.

The GOAL in following this balanced plate is to maintain your blood sugar levels (or insulin) throughout the day. I’ll talk about why this is so important later, so for now just go with me! Ok, so each meal (have 3) and snack (have 3) should consist of a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and non starchy vegetables, and healthy fat. (Some foods can be categorized in more than one group).

PROTEIN: Animal sources have the best protein such as fish, eggs, meat, dairy. Protein is also in nuts, seeds, lentils, and whole grains. Grass fed is the best choice for eggs and meat choices, not grain fed.

CARBOHYDRATES: Pay attention! This is the tricky one. Whole grains are your best source, but you must watch how much you eat here! Avoid anything refined (ex. white flour, white bread, table sugar, crackers) as they have little nutritional value and raise your insulin (we don’t want it raised!).
Ok, so how many carbs? I have a table I’ll post soon but in general, don’t go above 35 g of carbs per meal, and 15 carbs per snack. (It’s different depending on how active/sedentary you are and your weight). If you’ve never counted carbs you’ll be shocked at how many you’re used to consuming! This is where the balance comes in, and is really the only numbers I want you to focus on. Oh, BTW, NEVER eat a carb alone! (that doesn’t mean eat it with friends…), as it will spike your insulin. Eat your dessert with dinner instead of waiting until later.

I will give plenty of tips about carbs from my own experience and education so stay tuned. But for now here are some healthy choices: starchy veggies such as artichokes, cooked carrots, corn (select organic as non organic is genetically modified), as well as beans, ½ medium potato, ½ sweet potato, brown rice (it’s better cooked in broth!), oatmeal (I have a great recipe I’ll post), yogurt (whole fat), hooray for popcorn! (don’t you dare microwave it! I’ll include my recipe soon) Small amounts of fruit starting with berries, then apples and citrus, and the most sugar in bananas, grapes and dried fruit. Whole wheat is good but whole grain is better.

NON-STARCHY VEGETABLES: Vegetables for breakfast?! Bring it on! You should have at least 5 servings a day of fresh non-starchy veggies (they’re most of the colorful ones). You cannot overeat here (so it can be bigger than 1/3 your plate) so start trying something new and experimenting with different recipes for salad. Examples are: raw carrots, broccoli, salad greens, celery, cucumber, peppers, raw tomatoes, asparagus, etc. BTW, raw is best.

FAT: Eat Fat Lose Fat! Fat is your friend, so pick your friends wisely! Some are not good for you, others are fantastic and help you out. I will go in depth in this area later as well since there is so much to say! But for now, just know that fat slows down the induction of sugar into the blood stream, therefore eliminating a spike in insulin levels (which we’re trying to maintain, remember?) Also, your fat soluble vitamins (A an D) do not get absorbed if you are not consuming fat. And low fat and non fat products are usually filled with chemicals or fillers that are not good for your body. God purposely did not create skim milk cows!

So what are good fat choices? Natural sources are best such as meat, fish, nuts, seeds, olives, avocados, eggs, organic salted butter, followed by oils such as unrefined coconut oil, cold, pure or expeller pressed vegetable oils like EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), peanut oil, flaxseed, and more I’ll post soon. But fats can be damaged easily and some shouldn’t be heated so I’ll get you a table soon about it all.


This balanced plate should be the building block of your food choices and eating habits for the rest of your life! Each meal and snack should contain healthy choices of protein, carbs, non-starchy veggies and good fat. This balance will help your body maintain insulin levels, absorb nutrients effectively, curb hunger cravings, give you energy and more. Our diet needs variety so that our food can work with each other to offer our bodies the most nutrition from what we eat.

From here on out I will focus on specific areas pertaining to details about this balanced plate, as well as other healpthful information. Don’t be overwhelmed! Next up: Cleaning out the pantry, and also Good Fat