Food is My Recess.

image©cherylsphotography

Double layer smoothie…bottom layer, spinach and apple, top layer, banana and blueberry.

I like cooking.  I like eating.  I study nutrition.

That was the short version.  Here is the extended.

I took a few nutrition classes in college and found I had quite an interest in it.  Having started a mostly vegetarian way of eating and then eliminating gluten, eight years ago, I have found new foods to include.  I have an interest in healthy eating but I think it can be delicious too!  I don’t think you have to sacrifice one for the other.

I recently started taking a class through Vanderbilt University…online as I’m here in Minnesota.  I’m really liking it.  I feel like if I had this much interest in college I might have gone on to a Master’s degree, but that isn’t the point.  The internet offers us many ways to continue our education and accomplish degrees and earn credits, or just plain learn about something new.  I highly recommend checking out some options if you have even the slightest interest.  You don’t necessarily need to attain a degree, but why not learn something new that holds your interest?

I’m midway through this class and I’m learning a lot.  I tend to share what I have learned or something that surprises me with my social circle.  I think they appreciate it, but I don’t ask because I don’t want to know.  I might mention something I have learned or realize an opportunity to educate them if they ask questions on the topic.

When I’m cooking something new, picking veggies from the garden, eating a new delightful creation or expanding my knowledge of new ingredients…it’s bliss.  It’s my recess.  It is a break from homework, or work or often times a shared experience with family, friends or my boyfriend.  Think about how many gatherings you have had or been to where people end up in the kitchen or mingling in and out.  It is a social hot spot!

Cooking doesn’t have to be overwhelming either.  I will admit, if I am researching new recipes and one of them has well into the double-digit ingredients, I skip it.  Start with something easy.

Do you like smoothies?  Here is a quick recipe:

1 cup frozen berries

1 banana

1/2 cup Greek vanilla yogurt

1/4 cup milk or non dairy substitute…I personally like Silk Almond Milk

3 tsp honey, optional

Cut the banana or break it to fit into a blender, add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.  You may need to adjust the amount of liquid depending on how thick you prefer your smoothies.  How easy?  Very!  Two servings of fruit and almost a quarter of your daily protein requirement in one glass!

I also add chia seed and protein powder, but those are completely optional.

I want to encourage you to find a new recipe or add a new veggie to your pizza next time.  You could even start with a smoothie tomorrow!

Sundaes on Sunday.

I wanted to treat myself.  In an effort to avoid high fructose corn syrup I researched some recipes for how to make homemade chocolate sauce for ice cream.

Salivating yet?

I searched the internet for an easy and delightful recipe and also quick!  I mean honestly…who has evaporated milk just hanging out in the cupboard?  That item needs in an invitation via a grocery list to make an appearance…and a recipe to follow.

It is a lazy…well, I prefer the word relaxing…afternoon for my boyfriend and I.  Groceries were bought.  Family get together attended.  Gas tank full and laundry put away.

So today we get a treat!

He has come to realize that if I can make food from scratch, regardless of how long or intense the recipe…I make it.

I recently found gluten free ice cream cones…a delight in any gluten free kitchen!  So today we are going to unveil our freshly bought Breyer’s Natural Vanilla ice cream and dress it up with a homemade topping.  I prefer this brand of ice cream as I can pronounce and explain what each ingredient is!  No endorsement intended but if you haven’t tried it before give it a whirl.  They have some delicious flavors!

The recipe I found includes butter, cocoa, sugar, pinch of salt and some vanilla.  Uh…homemade vanilla.  It’s so easy!  Gluten free brand of vodka plus four or five whole vanilla beans.  Fill up a small jar and wait at least three months…I know but it’s worth the wait!

So that’s our delightful treat for today!  Regardless of age or schedule we all need to make time for a little something sweet now and then.

Avocado Delight.

Maybe I’m hungry or have some things going on in my head that writing a thought-provoking, eye-catching post sounded draining.  It’s possible I just need some comfort food.   Am I the only one who finds mashed potatoes comforting?  Something about the texture and that they are quite filling provides comfort.  Maybe the fact that they are associated with family gatherings and holidays does it.  I don’t know what it is but foods like that comfort me.

Right now I am thinking about another delightful food.  A delicious omelet with a hint of avocado added right near the end, just enough to get heated through but still soft to provide a creamy texture and boost of protein.  I like eating them on a lazy Sunday morning with the sun making an appearance and greeting me.  I might remind myself that an accomplished Saturday is rewarded with some relaxation time every now and then.

So let me share some insight with you about avocados.

If you are already a fan of this fruit then you will find yourself nodding in agreement as you continue reading.  However, if avocados are not already an accessory to your way of eating then read on.

Let’s say you are open to expanding your repertoire of foods that you eat.  Then add avocados to your grocery list!

Here is a quick overview:

Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, including 4% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) for vitamin E, 4% vitamin C, 6% folate, 8% fiber, 2% iron, 4% potassium, with 81 micrograms of lutein and 19 micrograms of beta-carotene.

Click here to learn more www.avocadocentral.com

The misconception is the amount of fat avocados have.  Maybe you are familiar with good fat versus bad fat.  The good fat is unsaturated.  Look for these two specifically, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.  The bad fats are saturated and trans fats.  I might also add hydrogenated oils.  Avocados are high in monounsaturated fat…the good kind!

So you’re still interested, huh?  Good!

Here are some tips.

They can be purchased green and saved until they ripen, or you can buy the darker ones and chow down when you get home.  I also keep mine in the refrigerator once they are nearly ready to eat…they last even longer this way.

So what do you do with them?

I’m sure most of you are familiar with a little delight called guacamole!  Make your own by mashing up a few avocados and add in some salt, pepper…maybe some finely diced onion and lime juice.  You can get as creative as you want.  Use avocado in place of butter on your toast.  Dice up and add to scrambled eggs near the end of cooking.  Add to smoothies.  Dice them into a salad.  Here are links to some recipe ideas:

http://www.californiaavocado.com/recipes/

http://www.cookinglight.com/food/quick-healthy/avocado-recipes

http://www.avocadocentral.com/avocado-recipes

One super delicious addition to your way of eating!

Gluten free and glorious.

So, you’re gluten free, know someone who is or have been prescribed a gluten free way of eating.  Maybe you have just heard so much about it you are interested in it.  While I welcome your curiosity, let me say if you do not need to be gluten free for health reasons, then continue on your way of eating and follow my nutrition tips posts if you are looking to make improvements in your eating habits.

One quick side note…I don’t like the word diet.  To me, when people hear the word diet they associate it with restriction.  Granted you are restricted from gluten, but is it really a restriction when it makes you feel so awful?  I think it’s more of a relief from gluten because you feel so much better!

When I first started this way of eating after having some health issues, I was somewhat depressed.  Everything I ate seemed to have gluten in it.  Everything at the store seemed to have gluten in it.  I was dealing with feeling unwell for months and now I felt like I had nothing to eat.  The health issues associated with celiac and gluten sensitivity can be quite severe.

To learn more visit  http://celiac.org

When you start a gluten free way of eating you will become very good at reading nutrition side panels on food products.  Your four basic words to watch out for are wheat, barely, rye and oats.  These are guaranteed to contain gluten.  However, there are some other hidden gluten misfits that show up in products.

Here are a couple links from http://www.celiac.com that provide some very helpful print outs to take with you to the store until you familiarize yourself better…I laminated mine!

Safe Gluten Free Food List

Unsafe Gluten Food List

My first tip is to copy the list and paste it into a word document.  This allows you to tweak it so that you can create columns and get a ton of items on one page.  You will likely end up with only a couple pages this way.  You don’t need to laminate them, as folding them might be easier to take along with you, but I used them so often I had to.  However, you can print them out as is too.

Eventually you will start to recognize these hidden unsafe gluten items.  Ultimately you will know which foods you like and buy them regularly and spot gluten from a mile away!

To those of you starting out I realize how overwhelming and stressful it might seem at times.  You are not alone and there is a ton of support out there and actually right here!  Having gone gluten free in 2008 I have watched the increase in products on the shelves at the store and the expansion of resources.

You are going to feel so much better and wow your friends and family with some new delicious recipes!

 

This post is not intended as medical advice merely experience and opinion.  Expand your knowledge by clicking on the links included in this post.