Category: Skinny

Easy Roasted Tomato Soup

fellp20150820_lowCalifornia’s multiple personality disorder has reared it’s ugly head again.  The weather, which had been giving us a normal winter for a change, has turned on a dime and we have Santa Ana winds, sunshine and warm temperatures just a day after rain clouds and temperatures in the low 60’s.  Ugh!  This is really screwing with my pre-planned menus!

Screw it!  I planned to make soup for dinner and soup it will be.  I don’t care if it’s warm outside or not.  If anyone complains they can chill theirs like gazpacho.

Roasted Tomato Soup

  • 1 Poblano Chili (Stem and Seed Pod Removed if Desired)
  • 6 Large Tomatoes (Hard Stems Cut Out)
  • 1 Medium Sweet Yellow Onion (Peeled and Halved)
  • 5 Large Carrots (Peeled & Tops Removed)

Preheat oven to 350°F

Place the onion, cut side down, onto an oiled baking pan along with the peeled carrots, the poblano chili and the 6 tomatoes (cut tops up). Tip:  For added flavor, I roast my chili with the stem and seed pod in and remove them before throwing into the Vitamix.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tomato skins begin to crack and peel.

Preparation Option 1 – VITAMIX:

If you have a Vitamix with a soup setting like I do (it’s on the Professional Series 750), the steps are simple from here.  All you do is throw all of the roasted vegetables into the container, place the lid on securely, turn the dial to the soup setting, depress the start button and wait for the cycle to end when it’s done chopping/blending and cooking the soup.

Preparation Option 2 -Blender or Food Processor and Stove Top:

Place the onion, chili and carrots into the blender/processor container and pulse to chop the vegetables up.  Then turn the blender to puree and mix until the vegetables are well chopped.  Add the tomatoes 1 at a time blending on high until all are well incorporated.  If you run out of room in your container, move 1/2 of your vegetable mixture to the pan you’ll be heating the soup in.  When all of the vegetables are blended/pureed, heat in a pan on the stove until warm enough to eat.

If you use Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: things like health articles, my favorite recipes, fun drinks, food facts, nutritional information, restaurant reviews, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a very active page on Facebook you can visit too: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Broccoli and Chicken Noodle Soup

broccolichickensoupCooking Light is my favorite “Go-To” resource for a quick and healthy weeknight meal.  It’s been cold and blustery this week and the last thing I wanted to do was put together a big fussy sit down meal, but I wanted something hearty enough to be filling.

This soup, that they did a recipe rescue on, has 40 percent fewer calories and 62 percent less fat than the heavy original.  It satisfied the need for something hearty and filling without completely blowing the diet while also giving a big sit down meal feel with some crusty bread and a glass of wine!

Broccoli and Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 cup pre-sliced mushrooms
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1.1 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/4 cup)
  • 4 cups 1% low-fat milk
  • 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 4 ounces uncooked vermicelli, broken into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded light processed cheese (such as Velveeta Light)
  • 4 cups (1-inch) cubed cooked chicken breast
  • 3 cups small broccoli florets (8 ounces)
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

  1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  2. Coat pan with cooking spray.
  3. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally.
  4. Reduce heat to medium; add butter to mushroom mixture, stirring until butter melts.
  5. Sprinkle mushroom mixture with flour; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Gradually add milk and broth, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil.
  7. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly.
  8. Add pasta to pan; cook 10 minutes.
  9. Add cheese to pan, and stir until cheese melts.
  10. Add chicken and remaining ingredients to pan; cook 5 minutes or until broccoli is tender and soup is thoroughly heated.

Nutritional Information

Calories 317 Fat 12.3g Sat fat 6.8g Mono fat 2.9g Poly fat .9g  Protein 27.5g Carbohydrate 23.8g Fiber 1.9g Cholesterol 74 mg Iron 1.6 mg Sodium 723 mg Calcium 179 mg

If you use Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: things like health articles, my favorite recipes, fun drinks, food facts, nutritional information, restaurant reviews, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a very active page on Facebook you can visit too: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

A Lemon Bar That Won’t Derail Your Diet

6021601_SYYOL12299Most people who put themselves on diets at the beginning of each year wrongly assume that they have to deprive themselves of anything sweet and especially anything that falls under the category of dessert.  Thankfully they are wrong on both counts.

This week my main focus is finding low fat & calorie conscious ways to satisfy your sweet tooth whether you are dieting or not.

This recipe from Cooking Light Magazine cuts the sugar from a standard lemon bar recipe down from an estimated 36 g of sugar to 6 g of sugar and only 129 calories.

Tangy Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Crust:

  • 4 ounces whole-wheat pastry flour (about 1 cup)
  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • Cooking spray

Filling:

  • 3/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
  • 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 (8-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
  • 2 large eggs

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

2. To prepare crust, weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour, almonds, powdered sugar, oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor; pulse until almonds are finely ground. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour mixture into an 11 x 7-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pat mixture down into an even layer, patting firmly without compacting too tightly (which will make crust tough). Bake at 350° for 23 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; cool completely.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 325° F.

4. To prepare filling, rinse processor, and wipe dry. Place yogurt and next 6 ingredients (through cream cheese) in processor; process until smooth. Add eggs; process until smooth. Pour mixture over crust, spreading evenly. Bake at 325° for 30 minutes or until set.

5. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or until chilled.

Nutritional Information

Calories 129     Fat 7.7 g       Sat fat 3.5 g      Mono fat 2.6 g
Poly fat 0.8 g   Protein 4 g  Carbohydrate 12 g
Fiber 1 g     Cholesterol 37 mg    Sodium 130 mg    Calcium 34 mg

Sugars 6 g     Est. Added Sugars 5

If you use Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: things like health articles, my favorite recipes, fun drinks, food facts, nutritional information, restaurant reviews, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a very active page on Facebook you can visit too: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Best Way To Cook Cauliflower Rice

how-to-make-cauliflower-rice-graterAnyone who has tried to diet, lose a few pounds, or who just wants to cut down on the many, many carbohydrates in the average American diet has likely heard of substituting white rice with cauliflower grated down into a low-calorie, gluten-free rice substitute that is also a good source of protein, fiber, and vitamins C, K, and B6.

I have yet to master “cauliflower rice.”  The methods I have used so far have left me with either a pile of mush (something close to Cream of Wheat) or rock hard mini chunks that in no way resemble rice…UG!

Thankfully the test kitchen at epicurious.com did the hard work of trying out the many methods we’ve all seen on pinterest and gave us the method that they found to be the best tasting and closest in consistency to rice so that home cooks like me can stop screwing it up so badly.  The one thing that they did note, for consistency, was that they added olive oil to all preparations (except raw).

cookingcaulirice

The following is taken directly from the article found at http://www.epicurious.com:  The Best Way to Make Cauliflower Rice; by   04.22.16

COOKING METHOD 1: NONE

They tasted the grated cauliflower in its natural state, as it is sometimes added to couscous-like salads raw and simply tossed with a rich, acidic dressing that helps break down some of its tough structure. But although the raw form is the easiest—no cooking required—it had a crunch that was too vegetable-like to approximate rice.

Epinion: Raw cauliflower rice is crunchy, and works to add texture to a salad, but it doesn’t mimic cooked rice.

COOKING METHOD 2: STEAMED IN CHEESECLOTH

Steaming the grated cauliflower is the most minimal cooking process. But since the cauliflower granules are so small, they had to use several layers of cheesecloth to hold the cauliflower in the steamer basket. The texture here was great, and the flavor was clean and fresh, very similar to the blank canvas of white rice. But removing the tiny cauliflower pieces from the cheesecloth was a pain, and some cauliflower rice was lost in the process.

Epinion: This process yields great results, but it’s too fussy.

COOKING METHOD 3: STEAMED IN WATER, THEN GRATED

They then tried steaming the whole cauliflower florets first, using a traditional steamer basket set into a medium-sized pot. Once cooled, the cooked cauliflower was grated. Although this greatly simplified the process, the cauliflower rice tasted waterlogged and was mushy.

Epinion: Steaming whole cauliflower florets doesn’t work.

COOKING METHOD 4: COOKED IN WATER

Next they tried cooking the grated cauliflower as if it were traditional rice: they added the grated cauliflower to a small amount of simmering water, covered the pan, and let the cauliflower cook until the water evaporated. Again, this yielded watery mush.

Epinion: Cauliflower rice shouldn’t be cooked the same way as rice.

COOKING METHOD 5: BOILED

Not wanting to give up on the ease of water-cooking, they tried dunking some of the grated cauliflower in a pot of boiling water and then in ice water to try out quick-blanching. But yet again, the cauliflower rice was wet and squishy.

Epinion: Water + tiny granules of cauliflower rice = soggy cauliflower.

COOKING METHOD 6: MICROWAVED

They placed the grated cauliflower into a microwave-safe bowl, stirred in the tablespoon of oil, covered the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and cooked for about 3 minutes. And viola! Super easy, delicious texture with distinct rice kernels, and clean flavor, very similar to the steamed version, minus the mess of the cheesecloth.

Epinion: For the easiest and cleanest white-rice—esque cauliflower, use the microwave.

COOKING METHOD 7: SAUTÉED

Finally, they tested high-heat methods of cooking the cauliflower, heating up the olive oil in a pan and sautéing the grated cauliflower until lightly cooked. The taste was much richer than the microwaved cauliflower (or any of the boiled/steamed versions), but the cruciferous flavor was much stronger.

Epinion: For a sweeter, more cauliflower-forward rice, sautéing is a great option.

COOKING METHOD 8: ROASTED

For the final test, they tossed the grated cauliflower with the oil, then roasted it on a baking sheet at 400°F for about 12 minutes. This version had the sweetest flavor, thanks to the caramelization of the cauliflower. But again, that earthy, cauliflower funk was much more apparent than in other cooking methods. Cauliflower rice made this way makes a great side dish on its own, seasoned simply with butter, salt, pepper, and perhaps some cheese, but for a white rice alternative, the microwaved rice was the clear winner.

Epinion: For a quick-cooking, caramelized cauliflower side dish, roasting is the way to go.

I can see now that my mistakes were:

  • I wasn’t adding any olive oil when cooking
  • I was adding too much water
  • I was overcooking the riced cauliflower in the microwave

Knowing where I failed, plus taking the expert advice of the Epicurious test kitchen, convince me that my next attempt at cauliflower rice is going to be much better!

If you use Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: things like health articles, my favorite recipes, fun drinks, food facts, nutritional information, restaurant reviews, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a very active page on Facebook you can visit too: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Pizza is my weakness anytime I’m trying to lean out.  The ooey, gooey, cheesy goodness just warms my insides at the mere mention.  But I know it also will leave me bloated and sorry I gave in to my craving afterward.  This crust, from Eat. Drink. Smile. solves that problem!

CAULIFLOWER PIZZA CRUST RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup riced, then cooked cauliflower
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp italian seasonings
  • 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (for topping)
  • pizza sauce & additional toppings of your choice

DIRECTIONS:

  1. To rice the cauliflower, cut florets into chunks and pulse in a food processor until you see rice-like bits. You could also use a cheese grater to produce the tiny pieces. Do not over process, you don’t want mush.
  2. Microwave the riced cauliflower in a bowl for 5-8 minutes depending on your microwave. No need to add water. After microwaving, transfer riced cauliflower to a fine mesh strainer and drain completely, gently pressing out excess water. Once drained, transfer riced cauliflower to a clean dish towel and wrap the sides around the cauliflower while gently pressing out excess water. This drying process is important!
  3. One large head of cauliflower will yield about 3 cups of riced cauliflower. Use it to make more pizzas immediately, or store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
  4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
  5. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup riced, cooked cauliflower, 1 egg and your parmesan cheese. Next, add Italian seasonings, crushed garlic and salt. Making sure everything is well mixed, place your “dough” on the cookie sheet and pat out a 9″ round. Be sure not to press it too thin as it’s easy to create holes.
  6. Bake your dough at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven. Add sauce, mozzarella cheese, and your favorite pre-cooked toppings to your pizza. Place pizza under broiler just until cheese is melted, be sure to keep an eye on it!

If you use Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: things like health articles, my favorite recipes, fun drinks, food facts, nutritional information, restaurant reviews, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a very active page on Facebook you can visit too:https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Meal Prepping Made Easy

I came across a post on Twitter last night that is so simple, I can’t believe I haven’t seen it dozens of times before!

What is the one thing, besides tracking your meals and exercise, that all diets rate as a “must do” for weight loss success?Meal Planning.  Hand and hand with pre-planning what you’ll eat and when you’ll eat it, is making sure the food you’re supposed to be eating is ready and able to be eaten with minimal fuss to keep you from resorting to fast or unhealthy food choices.

Meal prep for the week is a great idea, but what is the most common complaint? Boredom.  One can only eat so much grilled chicken!  This brilliant idea from Fit Men Cook takes care of boredom without adding more than 5 or 10 minutes to your weekly meal prep time!


By simply using foil to create sections on a cookie sheet, you can create individually seasoned portions of the protein you’ll be adding to your lunches and dinners for the week and, by doing it when you pre-cook it, save time when you eat it during the week.  You can create different salad choices, bowl themes, stir fry mix-ins, fillings for lettuce wraps, toppings for zucchini noodles, the options are unlimited.

When you have a specific goal in mind (losing weight, adding muscle, or if you are an athlete) you need to consume specific amounts of protein.  Meal prepping using a scale, sectioned cookie sheet for baking, and zip bags or storage containers, is a great way to keep you on track.  

Most of us need at least 50 grams of protein a day, and significantly more if we’re working out a lot or trying to lose weight. This graphic shows what 25 grams of protein looks like in a variety of foods, so you can eat a few of these portions and know you’re on the right track.


If you use Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: things like health articles, my favorite recipes, fun drinks, food facts, nutritional information, restaurant reviews, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a very active page on Facebook you can visit too:https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Wine Before Bed = Lost Weight

COUNT ME IN!

Marie Claire says it’s true, so who am I to dispute this fantastic piece of scientific weight loss news?  Don’t believe me?  Want to look a gift horse in the mouth?  I’ll share the article with you just as it appeared in the pages of Marie Claire Magazine – no edits, no comments:

Drinking wine before bed helps you lose weight. Seriously. Science says so

Marie ClaireBy Marie Claire February 18, 2016

This is a wine related Public Service Announcement

Kristen Wiig

Dear everyone who thought it appropriate to sneer and cast a judgmental eye over us when we’ve admitted to enjoying a glass or few of wine before bed. You can go firmly back in your boxes, because scientists have discovered that drinking wine late in the evening aids weight loss.

The above paragraph is what music to our ears looks like.

wigwine

via GIPHYCINEMABLEND

Now let’s get scientific with the help from Washington State University and Harvard. In wine there is a chemical called resveratrol which works in the body as a means to stopping fat cells gaining more fat, therefore helping you slim.

And this isn’t one of those incidences when we’re told we can drink wine, but only a thimble mixed with vinegar every other Wednesday, according to scientists, drinking at least two glasses – half a bottle a day can help beat obesity by 70%. There’s no messing around with a number like that, is there?

The reason why coiffing your best glass of Blue Nun in the evening is best, is because the pringles_originalcalories help keep you full and reduce the need to late night snack, which is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to weight gain. *Glances towards Pringles under bed*

To back this up with even more scientific evidence, the University of Denmark found that people who drank everyday had slimmer waistlines compared to their sober lamarca-proseccocounterparts, while Harvard’s weight gain study of 20,000 people revealed that out of all of those that gained a large amount of weight, none of them were drinkers.

Oh science we love you. Now we’re off to celebrate your innovative findings by climbing into bed with a bottle of Prosecco.

If you are on Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to, recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a page on Facebook you can visit too:  https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Ceviche Style Shrimp Cocktail

cevstyshrcockIt may be starting to look like fall in the East, but here in Southern California, we’re getting ready for another 80°+ weekend.  It’s late September, and I’m not complaining.

With any luck, I’ll be out of my cast (fingers crossed), my stitches will come out of the four incisions on my foot, and I’ll be able to spend all day Sunday floating in my pool, catching some rays and we’ll BBQ a steak, some fresh asparagus, and some sweet potatoes for dinner.

Well before dinner though, I’m absolutely going to have a couple of these shrimp cocktails (thanks for the recipe Pampered Chef) prepared and ready to have for lunch while I’m lounging!

Ceviche Style Shrimp Cocktail

Ingredients

  • 1 pound shelled, deveined, large cooked shrimp, diced (21-25 per pound)
  • 1/2 medium seedless cucumber, diced
  • 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced and quartered red onion
  • 1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 medium avocado
  • Coarse salt, lime slices and whole shrimp (optional)
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
 Directions
  1. Combine shrimp, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeño pepper and salt in mixing bowl; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate up to 1 hour before serving.
  2. Immediately before serving, dice avocado and fold gently into shrimp mixture. If desired, rub the rims of four margarita glasses with one lime slice, then dip into shallow dish of coarse salt; spoon salad into glasses. Garnish with lime slices and whole shrimp.

Tip:

 For the best texture, do not prepare this recipe more than 1 hour in advance. Once combined with the acidic lime juice, the shrimp will begin to firm up and eventually become tough and rubbery.

Nutrients per serving:

Calories 200, Total Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 1.5 g, Cholesterol 220 mg, Carbohydrate 8 g, Protein 26 g, Sodium 550 mg, Fiber 5 g

If you are on Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to, recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a page on Facebook you can visit too:  https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Do You Eat Breakfast Every Day?

fruitandoatsSince we were young we’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Turns out that Mom wasn’t just trying to keep us from shoving candy and junk food into our pie holes by making us eat breakfast.

It really is important to eat breakfast for some very good reasons:

  • Breakfast influences how we perform physically and mentally throughout the day.  According to John L. Ivy, PhD University of Texas at Austin, “Breakfast immediately raises the body’s energy level and restores the blood glucose level to normal after an overnight fast.”
  • Kids who eat breakfast tend to eat healthier throughout the day
  • Skipping breakfast can make kids feel tired, restless and irritable
  • Choosing breakfast foods that are rich in whole grains, fiber, and protein while low in added sugar helps boost attention span, concentration, and memory
  • People who don’t eat breakfast tend to overeat later in the day and are more likely to be overweight
  • If you are trying to lose weight, breakfast kicks your metabolism into gear and helps get your body into calorie burning mode for the day.
  • Eating a good breakfast lowers levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, lowers chances of getting diabetes, heart disease and being overweight (per WebMD.com)

Eating the right foods for breakfast is also important:

  • Oatmeal – Steel cut with fruit, almonds and sweetened (if desired) with honey.  Another healthy option, the one that Barry Jay, Co-Founder of Barry’s Boot Camp, prefers, is to add a tablespoon or two of natural almond or peanut butter.  Avoid pre-packaged oatmeal that’s high in sugar and low in fiber.
  • Cheerios – Top with a sliced banana, and serve with non-fat milk and a hard boiled egg.
  • Greek Yogurt – A great “Grab and Go” option. High in protein, just add a pinch of cinnamon and a handful of blueberries or raspberries to sweeten.
  • Vegetable omelet or scramble made with 3 egg whites + 1 egg yolk (which provides protein, vitamin A, choline and B vitamins) a handful of fresh spinach, chopped tomato, a few chopped broccoli or cauliflower florets and, if you desire, a bit of feta cheese.
  • Bananas, Apples, Berries – Easily Digestible fiber that will keep you fuller longer
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake – chocolate whey protein powder, natural unsalted peanut (or almond) butter, ice, unsweetened almond or coconut milk, cinnamon, and water.
  • Whole Grain Bread Toasted – Topped with either: natural almond or peanut butter and a sliced banana; or a scrambled egg, atop a slice of cheese, a few leaves of raw spinach and a slice of tomato

Any of these choices are hearty enough to keep you full until at least 10:00- 10:30 when you should have a mid-morning snack to keep you going.  Keeping your blood sugar steady throughout the day helps keep your energy levels and attention up during the school day or work day, which is especially important if you are someone who operates heavy equipment or drives for a living.  I’d want to be at my very best if that’s what I did!

If you’re dieting it’s important to eat small amounts between your main meals for the same reason.  When blood sugar crashes we are at our most vulnerable and most likely to reach for the nearest food to satisfy our hunger, which often isn’t the healthiest choice: drive-thru, pre-packaged snacks, etc.

quest-bar-cheat-clean

In my case, I always try (I don’t always succeed) to choose:  a piece of fruit with a cutiesjuiceindividually packaged cheese stick;  a low net carbohydrate protein bar (I like Quest Bars); or a hard boiled egg and a glass of fresh sqeezed or whole fruit (no sugar added) juice like Cuties Tangerine Juice.

If you’re like me, you do more in a day than most people and do for yourself last.  I, for one, am slowing down to take care of my health because if I don’t, the rest of the people around me will surely fall apart.  Moms are the grease that keep the squeaky wheel of the family turning and we need to start taking care of ourselves today.  Yesterday is gone, we can’t change that, but we can change tomorrow.

That change starts with breakfast, even if it’s just a glass of juice (or an apple or banana) and a hard boiled egg that’s been pre-made and peeled to grab and go on the way out the door.

One way to make sure to have quick mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack on hand at work is to at least prepare your grab and go snacks on Sunday:

  • If you have a small to medium lunch or grocery type bag you can leave in the refrigerator that’s ideal.
  • Boil a dozen eggs; peel once they are cool enough to touch (I plunge mine in ice water to stop the cooking); put 5 into a zip bag and then into the lunch bag.  Put the other 7 into a second zip bag and put into the snack / deli drawer in your refrigerator.
  • Fill 5 snack sized zip bags with 1-2 TBLS each natural (no sugar added) almond or peanut butter and put into lunch bag.
  • Put 5 medium sized Apples and 5 individually wrapped low-fat cheese sticks into the lunch bag and put into the refrigerator.
  • Make a note for yourself and put it with your car keys so you don’t leave without your snack bag.

It takes a very small effort to eat breakfast when it’s something as simple as a banana and a hard boiled egg that you can grab on the way out the door to work.  Even if you regularly eat out for lunch, you will likely eat less (and better) and will get through your day with more energy and clarity if you have your snacks on hand to get you through the mid-morning and mid-afternoon danger zones.  Who knows, you might even lose a few pounds. 😉

Are you on Facebook?  You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. I may not write a blog post every day, but there are daily updates to my This Girl Loves To Eat community at: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

 

Nektar Advanced Juice Cleanse

nektarcleanseMy doctor reminded me this morning that I need to schedule my annual physical.  Ug.  As an added bonus she drew 8 vials of blood for the battery of tests that give me numbers that usually make me cringe.

I dutifully scheduled the appointment for July 1, which is a mere 2 weeks from now.  Of course that will come immediately after a weekend in Las Vegas, so I figured it would be a good idea to schedule a 2 day Nektar Advanced Juice Cleanse for the 2 days immediately preceding that visit. 😉

Since I was already at Nektar to pick up the nifty reusable cold bags full of my two days of punishment, of course I meant healthy eating, I went ahead  and grabbed a third bag so I could do a 1 day and see just how rotten, oops good, I am going to feel.

mintwaterI prepped 1/2 gallon of water with sliced cucumber, blood orange and lemon in it for between bottles and dove in with both feet.  I should have started at 8 this morning so I had to adjust the amount of time between bottles to be able to get them all in before bedtime.

  • 12:00 – Time to open bottle 1.  This is the green one and I was not impressed with the taste.  Made of apple, celery, cucumber, lime, kale, parsley, spinach and mint I expected this one to taste pretty good.  I immediately tasted the celery and couldn’t identify any of the other flavors except the kale, which I still do not like.  I drank the 16.9 oz in 3 large gulps, glad to have that bottle done and hoping the other 5 would be better.  This one was very salty.
  • 2:00 – Anxiously anticipating bottle 2.  This one looks like Tang© and I sure hope it tastes better than bottle 1.  Looking at the ingredients: filtered water, lemon, agave nectar, turmeric, and cayenne pepper, I wasn’t optimistic.  I tasted the lemon and the sweetness of the agave nectar and then WOWZA!  The burn of the cayenne (not full power, but it’s there) hit the back of my throat.  Again, polished this bottle off in 3 great gulps.  Thanks to the 33.8 oz of the cleanse juices and the 32 oz of water I’d already had, all I feel is the overpowering need to pee.
  • 3:30 – Time for the beet red bottle.  I hate beets and have been dreading the 3rd bottle in the bag.  I took a huge swig and reaffirmed my intense dislike for that bold red root vegetable!  The label says it has apple, celery, beet, lemon, parsley, spinach and ginger inside.  All I taste is beets.  Add to my displeasure of having to down this gross concoction that I also had to run to the bathroom mid-drink 3.  My intestines are starting their own revolt against the juice cleanse and I am not a happy camper.  The only solace I can find is that I didn’t eat a ton of solid food yesterday, so hopefully the internal revolution that’s keeping me in the bathroom will pass quickly.
  • 5:00 – Time for the scary looking dark blackish-purple bottle.  The ingredient that catches my eye is “Coconut Charcoal.”  WTH is coconut charcoal?  This bottle scares me!  According to science, the fine particles of coconut charcoal keep toxins and gas from settling in your digestive system and causing problems.  I will need to examine coconut charcoal in more depth in another post, it seems to good things.  It didn’t taste good, but I choked the bottle down and followed it with a 16 ounce bottle of water with lemon and mint to wash the taste out of my mouth.
  • 7:00 – Bottle 5 beckons.  Eerily similar to bottle #2 with the same cayenne effect.  Drank this one down in 2 big drinks and waited for something to happen.
  • 9:00 – Last Bottle!  This one looked like coconut milk and had a chunky/grainy consistency.  My guess is that it’s attempting to fool my system into thinking it’s ingested food at this point.  Very sweet and it took about reminded me of the rice cereal in formula mix I used to put in my sons nighttime bottles to get him to sleep longer at night.

Other than needing to pee more often from all of the liquids I had ingested, I really didn’t feel any of the effects that my girlfriends were complaining about.  I experienced no increase in needing to poop, no diarrhea, and no added gas.  Really I don’t feel like the one-day cleanse did anything at all for me.  I didn’t notice any change on the scale, I wasn’t hungry, so I guess that was a good thing, but honestly, I just felt full from all of the liquid.

I was more conscious of what I ate over the weekend, at least as far as trying not to shovel large meals in to make up for my foodless day, but I either had few toxins in my system (I find that hard to believe), or had just had a particularly clean eating day the day prior.  I honestly can’t remember what I ate before doing the cleanse, but I doubt it was super healthy.  I do know that I had been enjoying a nightly indulgence from the bag of “Chicago Style” Popcornopolis I foolishly bought at Costco.  In my defense, I did go hungry (Cardinal Sin) and couldn’t pass by the huge bag of a mixture of cheese corn and caramel corn.  It screamed my name and found its way into my cart….

Maybe I’ll notice a bigger difference when I do the two day cleanse next Monday and Tuesday after my weekend eating and drinking like a glutton in Las Vegas. 😉

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