Hassle-Free, Healthy Eats
This post is for those people out there who think that eating healthy is only reserved for the few disciplined beings who make it in to the very secret, very elite club of healthy eaters. Or maybe this post is for people who already know the secret code and they could use a few simple eats to add to their repertoire. On any note, allow me to grant you access (whether you want it or not) into this exclusive club.
Allow me to start with my healthy eating manifesto:
1. Healthy eating does not equal punishment inducing food. I assure you there are oodles of healthy eats that taste real good. damn good.
2. Healthy eating does not equal hours slaving away in the kitchen and food preparation. I rarely create a meal that takes longer than 10 minutes. I realize this blog could lead you to believe otherwise, when I do spend a good amount of time in the kitchen I feel the need to document it and present it to the world, so it is very convenient that I have this blog.
3. Healthy eating does not equal a dogmatic set of rules in which there are no indulgences. In fact indulgences are a must.
Without Further adieu, here are list hassle-free healthy eats that I consume on a regular basis:
I always begin my day with lemon water:
I cheat and use pre squeezed lemon juice- it is way easier and a wee bit less expensive than buying 7 lemons. Keep in mind this pre-sqeezed lemon juice is not the same as concentrate. This lemon juice is the real deal.
Why start the day with lemon juice? Well… It is a tastier way to drink water and it offers a few health benefits like alkalizing the body and promoting digestion as well as boosting a good amount of vitamin C.
Breakfast:
I generally bounce between:
Perfect Foods Bar and Coffee w/ a dash of nut milk of choice.
or 1/2 Ezekiel tortilla w/ 1T nut butter, 1/2 banana and a wee bit of honey.
Both of these breakfasts take under 5 minutes to prepare and leave me full for a good 2-3 hours. Woot!
Lunch:
every lunch includes a green drink
My current green drink obsession: Super Easy. Super Tasty. Super Nutritious.
- 1/2c organic orange juice
- 1/2c coconut water
- 1 small hunk of fresh ginger
- 1/4 of a frozen banana
- 3-4c mixed kale & spinach combo
- 2t Douglas Laboratories Detox Powder (optional)
- 1/2t matcha (optional)
- dash of cinnamon
- 3-5 ice cubes
With my green drink I usually eat 2 Energy Giving, Hormone Balancing Protein balls. I usually make a batch of these once every 1.5 weeks. They take about 5 minutes to create.
or I eat a plant powered protein wrap
1/2 ezekiel wrap w/ a few beans, 1/4 of avocado, a few hemp seeds & topped with hot sauce, nutritional yeast and and garlic salt.
With either of these meals, I am in and out of the kitchen in under 15 minutes.
Snack:
Snacks are kinda all over the place, but I try to make them more protein based, so I am not famished for dinner. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t
Vanilla Siggi’s with 1T dark chocolate chips or 1T ground flaxseed
My other go to snack is the avocado & egg mash:
Avocado & egg salad = 1/4 medium avocado, 1 hard boiled egg, small scoop of honey mustard (approx 1t), dash of sea salt, fresh ground pepper, & curry powder.
Sometimes I have a few crackers on the side, or if I am really on top of my game I have a few pieces of roasted squash.
Dinner:
is almost always some version of a bowls of steamed greens
I usually take my pick from one these guys:
I then top with, nut or seeds, sometimes a little seaweed, raisins or cranberries, beans, canned salmon or a veggie burger, & hot sauce nutritional yeast, garlic salt and spicy vegan cashew sauce (I make batch of this stuff once a week)
Ta da:
one of many bowls. More often than not, my husband and moi get home late from work, so we need something that we can throw together fast and these bowls are fast, satisfying and nutritious. Who says you need to spend hours in the kitchen to create healthy eats?!
Dessert:
oh how I love dessert. Dessert is usually one (or more) of the fellas below followed by a glass of vino. yumsicles.
On a really good day:
During the week, I really do not set aside a lot of time for cooking, but I still want to eat well, enjoy the heck out of it and not dish out oodles of money to do so. I really believe you can eat healthy with out slaving away, going broke or compromising taste. I hope these ideas help you out in a pinch.
Loves,
Kelli
What I Ate Wednesday
It has been a minute since I have done a WIAW.
Thank you Miss Jenn for hosting da food porn party.
I finally remembered to snap pictures of nearly all of my eats yesterday. I am starting to try to do this more to bring a little mindfulness back into my eating. So far, I have gone to the freezer out of frustration to grab “just a few” dark chocolate covered almonds and realized that I really didn’t feel like taking a picture of them, so I refrained from consumption. However, there are times when a few chips or bites of a cookie fall into my mouth and I simply can not take a photo. I am a victim.
Anyway, here are the majority of yesterday’s eats minus the bites of cookie and chips I am referring to above.
Breakfast:
My favorite breakfast of all time. I took a break from these delights, but I am back on the PFB train.
Lunch/ Post Workout Eats:
My favorite green smoothie creation as of late:
- 3/4c carrot juice
- 1/4c apple juice
- 1-3T lime juice (I love sour, so I tend to go more for 3T)
- 3C mixed greens (usually baby romaine, spinach & kale)
- a small hunk of fresh ginger (note the ginger in the pic is not the size I used)
- 1/2t matcha
- 2t Douglas Laboratories Ultra Tox (detox powder)
- dash of cinnamon
- 3-5 frozen mango hunks
- 3-5 ice cubes
Three Things
I just discovered Hilary’s veggie burgers and they are too good to not give a shout out to. They are GMO free, Dairy free, Gluten Free, Corn Free, Yeast Free and they are simply delish. Nailed it. They are sold throughout the U.S.of A, so check their website or your grocery store to see if you can get your mitts on these fellas.
Please forgive the photo. I wasn’t planning on blogging about these gems, but they are just that good.
The fella in this photo is the adzuki bean burger smothered in ketchup & dijion mustard
Another food I am loving is avocado toast. I don’t why it took me so long to try this duo, but I am so tickled that I did.
Ezekiel toast, 1/2 of an avocado, 2t hemp hearts, a bit of garlic salt & red pepper flakes. So. Dang. Good.
And my final thought for the day, is my love affair with Medicine Mama’s Sweet Bee Magic Bee Balm. I am fairly certain that I have mentioned this product before on my site, but it really deserves another shout out. I swear by this product. I use it to remove make-up, on cuts, it is my lip balm and my go to product for any sort of dry skin issue. It is also my secret weapon in getting my skin to look extra glow-y. After I have put on my tinted SPF and my under eye concealer I dab the balm around my orbital bone (the circular area around your eyes).
Exhibit A
Exibit B
good lord that is a photo.
This balm is safe for those battling blemishes as the olive oil in it matches your skin’s on sebum (oil) and the propolis and honey are anti-microbial. However, I wouldn’t slather your skin in this balm if you are not exfoliating appropriately and you are acne prone- this product could be too much oil if the right about of exfoliation is not occurring. This wonder balm can be purchased from their site and some Whole Foods carry it- it is generally near the bandaids.
It looks like this, but I think their packaging has changed a wee bit.
While we are on the topic of acne, if you are battling it, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am all too familiar with sir acne, as I wrestled with him a few times in my years, and I know a thing or two about ridding skin of him.
Here is a recent testimonial I got from one of my clients. I am not sharing this with you to toot my horn, but to offer a resource to any body out there struggling with not-so-clear-skin.
I cannot begin to describe how wonderful Kelli is at Skinspot. My acne was pretty bad when I first visited Kelli, but from my very first facial, I was able to see obvious results from each visit. I can’t reiterate enough, how methodical and progressive each visit is. Kelli is knowledgeable, honest, and gives great practical advice. Above that, though, she is so kind, personable, and understanding about having skin insecurities.
I used to wake up each morning and look in the mirror, desperately searching for any improvement in my acne. Those days seem far away now, as I don’t have to wear make-up constantly and deal with the pain and embarrassment that comes with acne. I was the person who tried every type of facial and every face wash known to mankind, but to no avail. I was never rid of my acne until I saw Kelli, and so to anyone who is looking to clear up their skin or who just wants to know how to take care of themselves, I highly recommend Kelli at Skinspot. She’s a fantastic esthetician , but also such a great gal in general. – Maia R.
If you do not live in my neck of the woods, fear not, we can go through a strategy session to determine the best course of action to get you to clear skin. Honestly, home care is where the results are at, so if you are using the right products for your skin condition & type you will reach your clear skin goal.
To learn more about what I do go to skinspot’s website.
And with that, I am out. Happy Weekend!
What I Ate Wednesday
Happy Halloween!!!
Pardon my blog hiatus, I was celebrating my besties upcoming nuptials in Phoenix and work has been a little cray cray. Nonetheless, I did remember to snap the majority of my eats yesterday, so without further adieu, I bring you my latest WIAW:
Go Here For More Info.
Breakfast:
supplements & lemon water
pumpkin parfait.
In this delight:
1/4c Swiss Museli, 2/3c Organic Whole Milk Yogurt, 1T Chia seeds, 2T organic pumpkin Pie filling, & 2T unsweetened almond milk
How To: combine all ingredients the night before consumption and store in fridge.
Next Up:
Coffee & whole Milk
Lunch:
Egg Scramble on Ezekeil Wrap with a few orange pepper slices and hummus.
Post Lunch, I decided to pull this bag out from the back of the cupboard
big mistake. I kept going back for just a few more bites…
A few hours later, my appetite came back, so I munched on a few veggies w/ hummus while warming up last night’s veggie chili for dinner
Dinner:
Veggie Chili. I almost followed this recipe to a tee. Except I used butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes and used 1t of chipotle powder instead of 1T. I put this batch on a bed of spinach and topped with avocado, Siracha & nutritional yeast.
Honestly, the best part of this meal was sir cornbread
I used Bob’s Red Mil’s GF cornbread mix. Super easy & pretty darn tasty.
Dessert:
A medley of chocolate
1T white chic chips, 1T dark chic chips & 1T of Trader Joe’s dark chocolate covered ginger= yumsicles.
If you want to partake in this eating soiree or just get your fill of food porn, stop by Jen’s blog Peas and Crayons for more WIAW madness.
Have a safe and happy Halloween!
I will leave you with a pug mug:
What I Ate Friday?
I forgot to do a What I ate Wednesday, so I thought I would make up for such a crime my doing a What I Ate Friday, except it really is What I Ate Thursday. Confused? Good.
Pre-Breakfast:
supplements & lemon water
Breakfast:
Still Obsessed. Perfect food Bar & Coffee w/ 1/3c whole milk
Post Workout Smoothie:
8oz coconut water, 1T vanilla flavored Vegilite protein powder, 1/2c 2% Greek yogurt, 3c spinach, 1/4 frozen banana, 2t detox powder, 1T Maca, & dash of matcha
This guy is a new creation. Big fan.
Afternoon snack:
kale chips. I can’t stop buying these, way too expensive, delights.
I nibbled on these while I made this:
hard boiled egg & avocado salad on GF bread. See recipe here.
I might have also had a few dark chocolate covered almonds
later afternoon snack:
I had a handful of this goodness. My hunger caught me off guard. I am a victim. I was at target and I NEEDED this trail mix
Side note: This was the first time I have been in a Target in a while. I am so thankful that I do not live near one. I would be broke. I stopped in there to buy a $20 scale an ended up spending $100 and there were about 10 other things I told myself “no” on. What is with that store?
Moving on…
Dinner was at laughing planet. While waiting for our eats, we munched on way too many chips.
And I had a glass of wine. Yes, that is a rather large pour.
Dinner = The Paleo Bowl.
This bowl is really good, but I think I might be sick of/ grossed out by chicken. bummer
Dessert 1:
Vanilla Siggi’s w/ 1T dark chocolate chips
Dessert no 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9:
Multiple trips to the freezer to get chocolate chips. These guys did not get their photo taken as there simply was no time.
And with that, I am off to try a new workout then off to work. Happy Friday!
A few of my weekend eats.
I am a little late on this post. My Monday was little cray cray, so pardon the delay.
I have to admit, I am not very good about snapping photos of my eats over the weekend. However, I did manage to capture Friday & Sunday’s dinners as well as Saturday’s breakfast.
I have turned into quite the salad afficiando. This was Friday night’s din-din. In this beast: spinach, artichoke hearts, zucchini, candied hazelnuts, a sprinkling of parmesan and dressed with curry powder, nutritional yeast, and spicy cashew sauce. A tuna filet also landed on top of this guy, but he did not get his kodak moment.
Sunday’s salad explosion= spinach, shredded cabbage, quinoa, seaweed (stay with me), avocado and dressed with nutritional yeast, siracha, and peanut butter sauce (see recipe below). A cod filet also landed on this creation, but he, too, missed his moment in the spotlight.
Healthified Peanut butter sauce:
- 6T PB2 powdered peanut butter (or peanut flour)
- 2T low sodium Tamari
- 1T toasted sesame oil
- 1/2T raw honey
- a few drops of liquid stevia
- 3T water
- 2T brown rice vinegar
- Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl and whisk until smooth.
The Goods:
- 1/2 med sweet potato (cooked)
- 1 egg
- 2 egg whites
- 1T chia seeds
- 1T ground flaxseeds
- 1/4 c unsweetened almond milk
- 5-10 drops of liquid stevia
- dash of vanilla & cinnamon
- 1T natural peanut butter
- 1/2T dark chocolate chips
- crack eggs in small bowl and whisk
- in a a small sauce pan on low heat mash sweet potato
- add in all ingredients except for the eggs and stir
- add the eggs, turn heat to medium and whisk until they all gel together (approximately 3-5 min). This process always seems like it takes forever. Be patient- they always come together
- remove from heat and top with peanut butter & chocolate chips or whatever your little heart desires.
I am just not ready
I went to to the gym today. This is not a revolutionary occurrence; however, my emotions were a little weird. I got really sad and nostalgic. Here’s why: after purchasing Lance, I cancelled my gym membership (it is active until October) in part to justify cost and partially because I figured who needs the gym when you have Lance? Apparently, I do. I have been a gym rat for the greater part of the 21st century. I think I am rather attached to my gym rat-ness. Nearly, 8 years ago I lost 40lbs. The gym was a HUGE part of this weight loss. The gym ended up being more than my weight loss tool. The gym became my place to clear my head and fill up on lots of feel good feelings. Moral of the story: the gym= a very happy place for moi, hence my reluctance to bid adieu. Don’t get me wrong, I am more than tickled to embrace Lance with open arms, but why does making a new friend have to mean letting go of an old one? WHY?!!! I am not so sure it does. My solution to this incredibly pressing dilemma: find a cheaper gym. Nailed it. My current gym is $50 a month. My old gym, which was near our old abode, is $30. Conveniently, my old gym sent me an email yesterday saying they missed me and wanted me back. They wanted me back so bad that they are willing to take me back with no initiation fee. Sold. Guess who signed up at their old gym today? So now I have two gym memberships and a Lance. let the good times roll. Keith, if you’re reading this- don’t hate my guts.
All together now:
Moving on….
In even more exciting news, I made curried tuna salad (I was a virgin to this delight prior) on Sunday and I am certain I will be seeing him on a fairly regular basis. I looked up a few different recipes, and sort took bits and pieces of each here is what I came up with:
- 1 jar of Sweet Creek’s Albacore Tuna and the juice it is packed in (if you don’t have this brand 2 medium size cans of tuna shall do)
- 1 celery stick (washed and chopped)
- 1T currants
- 2 green onions (washed and chopped)
- 3T organic mayo with olive oil
- 1/2 small lime’s worth of juice
- 1.5t curry powder
combine the above in a medium size bowl and serve over greens. Serves two hungry people or three bird eaters.
Nutrition breakdown for 2 people
Another thing that is gets me razzed up: this snack:
hard boiled egg, pecans and blueberries. Don’t knock till you try it.
One more thing:
This breakfast really spoke to me. Dave’s Killer Bread, really is killer.
Does anybody else have any food gems that I NEED to know about?
And with that, I am off!
Happy Wednesday!
French Women Don’t Get Fat
I am reading this guy again.
I bought this book last year and it changed the way I viewed food and exercise. Every time I get overly obsessed with nutrition, which happens more than I care to admit, I come back to the time when I felt the healthiest and happiest. This time involved an ease around food and exercise that produced a genuine sense of contentment and I lost a few lbs in the process. I love this book for its anti diet, diet message and I have a mild fascination with European living; however, what I really love is the message to savor. Savor not just your food, but savor experiences in your life. Live a life filled with pleasure and weight loss & health become far less of an obstacle. Americans believe punishment and extreme measures are the way to achieve their goals, but the French (according to Mireille Guiliano) get to their goals via appreciation and moderation. The French do not battle obesity, diabetes or heart disease at the ever increasing rates that Americans do, yet they dine on rich cheeses, baguettes, chocolates and wine. Hmmm… I am definitely not endorsing that these delights are the secret to health and thinner thighs, but it is the attitude of moderation and freedom (that includes such indulgences) that speaks to me and seems to be an underdeveloped modality in the battle of the bulge as well as over all health and happiness. Don’t get me wrong, nutrition and exercise matter, but nourishment seems to be the name of the game. If you consume your foods in a nourishing manner (i.e. not in a car on your way to work), choose foods and their appropriate portions that promote energy rather than brain fog 80% of the time, while the other 20% of the time choose foods to promote pure taste bud delight, all the while moving in a manner that brings out the best version of you, then you may have just found the golden ticket to weight loss, health, and (most importantly) happiness. Don’t get me wrong, I am no Frenchie. I still struggle with this whole idea of good versus evil in the wonderful world of food and exercise, but I am making it a wee bit more of a mission to listen to what my mind, body and soul really want. Sometimes it may be a chocolate chip cookie or maybe it will be a really good sweat session to relive unneeded tension. The world is my oyster.
And with that I bring you a few bits from yesterday’s eats:
green smoothie breakfast. spinach, frozen rhubarb, limeade, goat’s milk kefir, detox powder and matcha. Don’t knock till your try it.
matcha= very concentrated green tea (their leaves to be specific).
Breakfast also included one of the peanut butter and Jelly Muffins. Yum
post workout snack: rice cake, hummus, turkey and pickles. Again, don’t knock till you try it.
Pseudo lunch was on the run, but still amazing. I had one peanut butter Perfect Food Bar. Still obsessed with these guys
late after noon snack: hard boiled egg with pecans
followed by a handful of blue corn chips
Followed by a piece of the the best chocolate I have had in my life. I just discovered these guys. This chocolate has oodles of grit to it, which I adore.
Dinner: kale, quinoa, black bean, pickled asparagus, and feta concoction topped with homemade tahini dressing, curry and sea salt. Not too shabby
A kombucha was also consumed
My latest dessert love: 1/2 frozen banana & few scoops of Greek yogurt, topped with a drizzle of almond butter and chocolate chips.
Burt would also like to share his eats:
that would be a beefstick
And with that, I am off. Happy Friday!
just breath…
lately I have felt like a wee bit of a crazy person. With starting my new business (sweetspot), managing my current business (skinspot), blogging, going to school, buying a house and just trying to keep up on day-to-day nonsense, some days I feel like my head might spin off. However, today was a nice reminder that I need to take a minute and just breath. This reminder came in the form of Abby White. Abby owns and operates Bliss Holistic Health and is one stellar blogger over at Eat, Drink and Be Aware. I had the pleasure of grabbing a bite to eat with Ms Abby today at Cloud Seven. Abby reminded me that I need to breath and not stress out over everything that is not getting done. Thanks Abby! We also got to geek out over food and IIN. I feel completely recharged and to think that I hesitated going because my to-do list was going to be abandoned for a whole hour. The horror.
My lunch was rather delightful as well:
curried lentil soup and side salad. I am obsessed with lentil soup lately.
followed by a ginger, molasses cookie from Lovejoy Bakers that was unreal. This might be the best cookie I have ever had. Somehow, I managed to save the other half for a later date. Potentially 5 minutes from now.
Breakfast this morning represented my scrambled noggin’. I literally could not figure out what I wanted. I was starving and wanted everything, so I had everything. I used up the last of the Greek yogurt and put it in a nearly empty almond butter jar, then added some Almande yogurt (I need to use this stuff up), 1/2 banana and some Heritage O’s Organic cereal. This was not my finest creation.
I am in a breakfast rut. This is a tragedy because breakfast is my fave meal of the day. I think I might try getting back on the steel cut oats bandwagon.
Off to meet with our home inspector. Yes, we got a home, but until we close I am not going to do my happy dance. However, I am so dang excited!!
attack of the snackimals
oh sure they look innocent enough.
I assure you they are not
I started they day out with a lovely breakfast involving 1/2 Ezekiel English Muffin and a homemade hempmilk latte. Somehow the picture no longer exists.
A few hours later, I snacked on my overnight oats made with 2% Fage Greek yogurt, pumpkin puree, oats & ground flaxseed.
so far, so good
I had one amazing Thai Massage at puraNpdx. Thanks, Jess!! Seriously if you live in Portland you must see her.
Lunch consisted of a mixed green salad topped with canned salmon, capers, left over sweet potatoes, curry powder, olive oil & honey mustard.
still going strong
And then they attacked:
I was/am powerless against them
This bag began relatively full. It is currently empty. I am a victim.
Luckily my very first issue of Oxygen Magazine arrived today.
Here’s hopin’…
Happy Monday!
