Trader Joe’s Must Haves: The Best Finds!

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Well, it’s been a minute since I updated my blog. In reality, it’s been more like 481,800 minutes (which equates to 11 months). Yikes! Starting a new job this year, planning a large celebration and more have unfortunately kept me focused on things other than this blog. I can’t think of a better topic to reemerge from my hiatus, though, than one that involves one of my favorite stores: Trader Joe’s.

My obsession with Trader Joe’s is almost two decades in the making. When I think of Trader Joe’s, I am always taken back to my college years spent in Fairfield, CT. My friends and I would flock to the Trader Joe’s on the Post Road a few times a month and stock up on essentials and the latest unusual finds. Back then, Trader Joe’s was one of only a few alternatives to traditional grocery stores.

When I moved to New York City years later, my regular weekend routine would include walking 17 blocks to the Trader’s Joe’s in Union Square. At the time, it was the only Trader Joe’s in NYC – so the lines were beyond insane and would literally wrap around the entire store. It was not unusual to have to wait 45 minutes or more (gasp!) on the checkout line. Despite the crowds and lengthy checkout wait, shopping there was always an experience. I would often head into the store with the intention of buying 3-4 items, and leave with about 20 or more. At that point, walking the 17 blocks home was not an option; so my bags were often taxied home in the trunk of a yellow cab.

Fast forward several years and another state later, and I am still a Trader Joe’s regular.  The best thing, in my humble opinion, about Trader Joe’s is that they are always changing things up. They update their stock with the seasons and are quick to embrace the latest health trends. As an added bonus, Trader Joe’s always stock their stores with many healthy, gluten-free, dairy-free and other options. Plus, they have some of the best prices around on organic produce.

When it comes to my favorite products at Trader Joe’s, I can easily think of 20 products to feature in this blog post.  But, in the interest of not losing your attention, I will limit my favorite things list to just seven. Well, without further adieu, here are my Favorite Things: The Trader Joe’s Edition:

DBD96077-A201-4849-82E8-D310289DFA181. Organic Coconut Oil Packets To Go – Trader Joe’s sells these amazing coconut oil packets that you can take with you on the go. Every store it seems these days sells coconut oil containers; however, these packets take things to another level of cool.  Instead of practically breaking my spoon attempting to retrieve some coconut oil from the containers, I just grab one of these packets. I use these packets in smoothies, on sweet potatoes and even use it as a make-shift lip balm in the winter months. You can’t beat the convenience! Check out 101 ways to use coconut oil here.

142CA78A-93ED-4A83-9EB2-2841C6E071112. Frozen Cauliflower Pizza Crust  – Oh my goodness! This frozen crust made of cauliflower and corn flour is absolutely amazing. Let’s face it; gluten-free pizza crust is usually pretty dreadful. (In fact, cardboard is probably more flavorful.) But, this pizza crust is delicious. My favorite “pizza” to make using this crust is topped with pesto (see next item) and arugula. On Christmas, I used this crust to make an appetizer with tomato sauce and veggies – which received rave reviews from my family of taste testers.

E991E68D-3E26-4D0F-AA57-BFC25D5DAB303. Vegan Kale, Cashew & Basil Pesto – While I am definitely not a Vegan (see next item for proof), this pesto is mouth-wateringly good. It is next to impossible to find a pesto made without some form of cheese. Finding this pesto, which has a tendency to sell out quickly at Trader Joe’s, has saved me from having to make my own dairy-free pesto.  Try this pesto as a dip with vegetables, with chicken or turkey, as a burger topping or on a cauliflower crust pizza. It can be found in Trader Joe’s hummus section.

1ED5F327-E1B2-4230-B392-E698CE75086B4. Grass-Fed Angus Beef Burgers – Quality beef can be expensive. Trader Joe’s, however, sells these tasty grass-fed burgers for a reasonable price compared to their competitors. I don’t eat beef too often, but when I do, this is my go-to burger.

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5. Unsweetened Golden Oolong Iced Tea – Unsweetened iced tea can sometimes be a bit bitter and unappetizing. This tea, made from oolong tea leaves, has a natural bit of sweetness without any added sugar or artificial sweetener. This tea is a staple in my refrigerator.

IMG_03816. Organic Ginger and Turmeric Tea – Speaking of tea, Trader Joe’s has a fabulous assortment of tea bags that often change with the season. My pantry currently has about six or more different varieties of Trader Joe’s tea boxes. At the moment, my favorite is the ginger and turmeric tea. It is surprisingly sweet with a just a hint of spice. And ginger and turmeric are both soothing on the stomach and help combat inflammation. (My honorable mentions for tea are Trader Joe’s Winter Wake Up Tea and the Bed Time Tea. The Bed Time Tea is an effective cure for insomnia!)

DC833244-95FE-4880-A84E-2B18E2562E2C7. Colorful Carrot Coins – I am always looking for new foods to try in my air fryer, which I have had now for just over a year. Trader Joe’s sells a ton of great fresh and frozen vegetable options. These colorful carrot coins are my go-to veggies at the moment. I heat these in the air fryer as a side dish or on the stove as part of a stir fry. These carrot coins are also great on a pizza (see #2 above).

Well, I could go on and on about my love for Trader Joe’s and ramble on about their fabulous products all day. In closing, they also have some pretty excellent bath, face and body products too. (Check out their Coconut Body Butter…it’s considerably cheaper and arguably better than any body butter/lotion around.)

It’s Snack Time: Treat Yourself with These Healthy, Paleo Finds!!

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Dessert can sometimes be a somewhat foreign concept if you are cursed with multiple food allergies, follow a strict Paleo diet or have other dietary restrictions. The following scenarios ring true for many of us who fall into these buckets:

Scenario 1: You are celebrating a milestone event with friends and family at a swanky restaurant. Dinner plates are cleared and it is time for dessert and coffee. Naturally, there is almost nothing on the dessert menu that you can tolerate. The waiter takes orders and returns a few minutes later with a tray of mostly decadent treats and after dinner drinks. You look around in sheer awe of the masterful cakes, mousses and ice creams at your table. Then, you look down at your plate of … wait for it … fruit. Suddenly, a strong wave of disappointment hits you as you gaze longingly at the spectacular dessert plates in front of everyone else at your table.

Scenario 2: You are invited to a backyard barbecue birthday party at a friend’s house. Everyone surprises the birthday girl or guy with a sheet cake, candles and of course, the Happy Birthday song. All of the guests line up to grab a piece of cake …except for you. You sit there watching everyone enjoying every last crumb of their cake slices. A guest even asks you if you think you are Gwyneth Paltrow or something because you are skipping dessert. (Yes, I was actually asked that exact question at a party once.)

Let’s face it; dessert time can be awkward for those of us who have restricted diets. It often forces us to disclose our food allergies publicly or make other excuses for shooing away the sweet treats.

Dessert time doesn’t have to be a bummer for us, though. With some careful planning, we too can join in on the sweet after dinner fun. Here are five dessert ideas that offer the perfect indulgences on special occasions:

1. Frozen Banana “Ice Cream”

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Appropriate for those who are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, nut-free, Paleo or follow a Low FODMAP diet.

During the dog days of summer, there isn’t anything more satisfying than a bowl of ice cream. While plenty of non-dairy ice cream options are readily available in most grocery stores and health food stores, these “ice creams” are often loaded with added sugar, chemicals and other ingredients that we just don’t need to consume – even on special occasions.

No need to fret! Would you believe that there is actually a healthy, allergy friendly “ice cream” option available with zero added sugar? This fabulous “ice cream” includes just one key ingredient: frozen bananas! I must say I was absolutely amazed at the creamy texture and ice-cream like taste the first time that I tasted blended frozen bananas. Best of all, it is incredibly easy to make. This is also the perfect recipe if you are trying to limit the sugar intake of your children; they will never know this is a healthy treat!

Kitchen Tools/Items You Will Need:

  • Blender
  • Knife
  • Ziploc Bag

Ingredients

  • 2 ripe bananas make 1 serving (peeled, sliced and frozen for several hours)
  • Topping of your choice

Instructions

  1. Peel 2 ripe bananas.
  2. Cut into small pieces.
  3. Place banana pieces in a Ziploc bag.
  4. Freeze banana slices for several hours.
  5. When ready to make the “ice cream”, dump the bag of banana pieces into the blender. Blend for 20-30 seconds (more time might be needed for less powerful blenders).
  6. Pour into ice cream dish and add the healthy topping of your choice (slivered almonds, raspberries, blueberries, etc.). Enjoy!

While a bag of frozen bananas would not be appropriate to bring to a restaurant for obvious reasons, these frozen banana bags can be easily brought to the homes of friends and family. Almost everyone has a blender handy and this recipe can be made with almost no fuss. If you don’t feel comfortable showing up to a party with frozen bananas in hand, simply save this treat for when you get home.

2. Barnana Banana Bites

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Appropriate for those who are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, nut-free, Paleo or follow a Low FODMAP diet.

Sticking with the banana theme, I recently stumbled upon my new favorite treat, Barnana Organic Chewy Banana Bites, while running a quick errand at my local drug store. The Barnana packages were placed in close proximity to the registers at the front of the store and caught my attention right away.

I guess I’ve always been a sucker for clever packaging, products advertised as being organic and anything banana flavored (as evidenced by my number one desert pick above). I didn’t realize at the time I first purchased these bites that they were actually a healthy snack.

If you don’t look at the ingredients closely, you will probably assume like I did that you are eating something naughty because the bites are so sweet and chewy. These banana bites have only two ingredients, though: bananas and water. You can’t get more natural than that! The bananas go through a dehydration process that is described in detail on the product packaging.

Consider bringing these along with you to your next dinner engagement or party. Dessert time might be much more enjoyable if you have these delicious bites to chew!

Barnana Organic Chewy Banana Bites are available at many drug stores, grocery stores, vitamin stores and health food shops. Although they offer several different flavor options (including plain, chocolate, coconut and peanut butter), I keep things simple by opting for the plain variety.

Prices can vary by store. One store by me sells a bag for close to $7, while another offers them at $4.99. Online retailers offer the best deals by far; some like Amazon offer amazing prices on packages of three or subscription services.

3. RXBARs

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Appropriate for those who are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and Paleo. These bars ate not Low FODMAP diet friendly because they contain dates.

For the longest time, it was nearly impossible to find a protein bar that was healthy, grain-free and tasty. Most protein bars out there have a lot of junk in them (sugar, chemicals, etc.) or taste like cardboard.

I was beyond excited when I discovered RXBARs last year. The company markets these bars as whole food protein bars with no B.S. And that is totally the truth!

Although available in 12 different flavors (chocolate sea salt, blueberry, apple cinnamon, mint chocolate, coconut chocolate, peanut butter, peanut butter chocolate, maple sea salt, chocolate chip, mixed berry, coffee chocolate and pumpkin spice), they all (with the exception of the peanut butter bars) contain the same 4 basic ingredients: 3 egg whites, 6 almonds, 4 cashews and 2 dates. I recommend avoiding the peanut butter bars and peanuts in general for reasons discussed here. All of the other flavors are solid options, though! (And no, they do not currently offer a banana flavor option.)

I usually drop one of the bars in my purse before heading out to a big event. Although not quite the same as a chocolate cake or other heavenly dessert, these bars provide a respectable alternative to the many desserts that you can’t eat at most restaurants or parties. My favorite flavors are the chocolate sea salt (if you are craving something salty, sweet and chocolate) and blueberry (if you are in the mood for something just sweet) options.

Best of all, these RXBARs are popping up everywhere. The cheapest option, though, is to order online here or here.

4. Hu Bars from Hu Kitchen

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Appropriate for those who are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free or follow a Paleo diet. Most of the bars are Low FODMAP diet friendly.

Hu Kitchen has started a food revolution in New York City. They operate two popular restaurants in Manhattan that focus on pre-industrial, healthy, non-GMO, organic and gluten-free foods. They also make out-of-this-world Paleo and vegan friendly chocolate bars.

Hu chocolate bars are one of my favorite treat options for special occasions. Hu Kitchen offers 8 different chocolate bar options, including hazelnut praline, crunchy banana, crunchy mint, salty chocolate and simple chocolate. All options have no refined sugar, cane sugar, gluten, dairy, emulsifiers, stabilizers, soy or GMOs.

Each bar is made from a few simple ingredients. For example, the salty chocolate bar contains just cacao, sea salt and organic coconut sugar. I challenge you to find a healthier chocolate bar!

Besides having only natural ingredients, these bars are absolutely scrumptious. I almost can’t tell the difference between these bars and some high-end chocolate bars that are loaded with sugar and crappy ingredients.

Those of you in the greater NYC area can pick these tasty bars up at Hu Kitchen restaurants, Fairway markets or Whole Foods. If the bars are unavailable in your location, Hu Kitchen also offers the option to purchase these bad boys online.

5. Healthy Hot Chocolate with Barlean’s Greens Chocolate Silk

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Appropriate for those who are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, Paleo or follow a Low FODMAP diet.

Most of us with dairy allergies have to skip the coffee or hot chocolate at restaurants or gatherings because non-dairy milk options are not usually available. We can now indulge in a hot chocolate treat when we get home! Barlean’s Greens Chocolate Silk powder mixed with the heated unsweetened nut milk of your choice offers a healthier and more nutritious option compared to standard hot chocolate. On hot summer nights, you can even make iced drinks with this versatile powder.

This Greens powder packs a healthy punch as it features 50 super foods, supplements and antioxidants. The silky chocolate flavor is thanks to 100% natural cocoa powder. The whole family will benefit from sipping this drink hot or cold. The best part of this powder, besides the oh-so pleasant chocolate flavor, is that there is zero added sugar. In fact, it is only sweetened with natural stevia extract.

Barlean’s Greens Chocolate Silk powder is available in most vitamin and health food stores. Some retailers like Whole Foods also carry this powder. For the best bang for your buck, purchase this powder online here.

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Note for those of you following a Low FODMAP diet: Mix the powder with 1/2 cup of nut milk only and fill the rest of your glass/mug with water. It’s just as delicious and Low FODMAP diet compliant this way.

Cheers to Having Dessert Options!

I hope that these options provide you with some new dessert ideas to avoid feeling left out of future celebrations! Although these desserts are fabulous and delicious (and mostly very nutritious!), all of these treats are probably best consumed only every once in a while. Do you have any other allergy friendly or diet friendly dessert hacks? Feel free to share your treat ideas in the comments section below.

Sweet dreams!!

Getting Your Veggies In … Even on Super Bowl Sunday!

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So, it’s Super Bowl Sunday – an unofficial national holiday practically devoted to Americans gorging our faces with wings, nachos, burgers, chips and beer. At first glance, it’s probably not the most fitting day to run a blog post about adding more vegetables into our daily meals. On second thought, though, I think we can all benefit from sneaking in more vegetables daily – even on days like Super Bowl Sunday. So, here we go!

As many of you are aware, the standard American diet typically falls short of the recommended servings of fiber-rich vegetables. Vegetables not only contain fiber, which is super important for gut health, they are packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that help keep us healthy and ward off disease. Yet, many of us are skipping these healthy vegetables for tastier, empty calorie comfort foods. Let’s face it, we could all use more veggies in our lives.

One of my personal goals for 2017 is to try to eat a healthy serving of vegetables with each and every meal. Yes, even breakfast. Ladies and gentlemen, this has been tough to accomplish every day, especially with a brand new job and a lot going on since the beginning of the New Year. I have been pretty successful in meeting this goal thus far, though.

The good news is that I have found a lot of easy and crafty ways that you too can get your “veggies on” every day. Here are three suggestions to help you add more vegetables on the sly with minimum effort:

1. Make Vegetables the Focus of Your Smoothies

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I’m all for juicing, but sometimes drinking cold pressed juices gives me a bit of a sugar rush. And the juicer is a giant pain in the neck to clean. These are just a few reasons why I usually blend vs. juice. One significant reason as to why I prefer smoothies to juices is because smoothies also contain fiber – which is lacking from most juices.

Smoothies are not always healthy. The biggest mistake that many people make is adding too much fruit to smoothies. I try to make vegetables the star of my smoothies and the fruit has much more of a supporting role.

The fabulous thing about smoothies is that you can really think out of the box when adding vegetables and make up recipes on the spot. I rarely make the same recipe twice. And my smoothie is always dependent on what I have in stock in my fridge or freezer at the time. Here are some vegetables that I regularly add to smoothies:

  • Kale
  • Spinach
  • Arugula
  • Romaine Lettuce
  • Swiss Chard
  • Cucumbers
  • Carrots
  • Beets (usually frozen)
  • Celery
  • Squash (whichever kind is in season)
  • Parsnip
  • Turnip

I usually add a bunch of vegetables from the list above to my blender, along with a 1/2 cup of coconut, almond or cashew milk. For a slight bit of sweetness, I add a small amount of wild frozen blueberries, pineapple or acai. To give my smoothies an added boost, I often add:

  • Fresh or powdered ginger (for a little spice)
  • Organic cacao powder (for a healthy chocolate kick)
  • Green Superfood powder (you can never have too many greens)
  • Cinnamon (for a warm flavor)
  • Fresh aloe (helps with digestion)
  • Collagen powder (helps with the gut, skin, hair and more)

As always, consult with your physician before incorporating any of the supplements above.

2. Consider Purchasing an Air Fryer for Quick, Healthy Vegetable Frying

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If you don’t yet own an air fryer, you don’t know what you are missing.

This past Christmas, I was pleasantly surprised when I received an air fryer as a gift from my sister Katie. At first, I thought it might be a fun new appliance that I would tinker with only on occasion. It turns out, though, that I use my air fryer several times a week these days.

Like the name suggests, an air fryer uses air as opposed to oil to fry/cook foods. So, what results is healthy, flavorful fried vegetables. (You can use a smidgen of oil if you prefer in the air fryer, although none is required for most foods.) You can actually cook meats, fish and other foods in the air fryer as well – although I haven’t been that daring yet to test the air fryer with these kind of foods.

I have cooked a number of vegetables (kale, butternut squash cubes, carrots, etc.) and starchy foods (shredded potatoes, sweet potato chunks, etc.) in the air fryer. Most vegetables and potatoes take less than 15 minutes to cook in the air fryer. And the air fryer tray is super easy to clean and maintain.

I typically will put a large portion of vegetables in the air fryer in the evening, eat some with dinner and reserve the rest for lunches I prepare for the next few days. I pair the veggies/potatoes with some form of protein for healthy, nutrient-packed daily lunches.

The best news is that you can snag an air fryer for less than $100. The model I use, pictured, is available at Amazon for $81. Trust me, it will change the way you cook.

3. Substitute Carb-Heavy Sides with Vegetables

When you eat out at restaurants, entrees are most commonly served with sides such as white rice, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, pasta, fries and other heavy foods. These options are definitely comfort foods that you almost expect to see on your plates when eating out. Many folks think of sides in the same way when cooking meals at home. But these carb-heavy sides can make an otherwise healthy meal significantly less healthy very quickly.

On a positive note, many restaurants are offering healthier, less heavy side options that focus more on vegetables and herb ingredients rather than empty carbs. At home, you too can incorporate more tasty vegetable sides into your daily menus. One such substitute is cauliflower rice. Below is a tasty cauliflower rice recipe that incorporates turkey bacon and herbs that will make you forget about white rice (I’m serious).

Savory Cauliflower Rice with Turkey Bacon, Herbs and Balsamic Vinegar

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If orange is the new black, than cauliflower rice is the new kale. Cauliflower rice seems to be everywhere these days – even on the menus of fancy restaurants. For the longest time, you could only find riced cauliflower in stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes. Nowadays, even Walmart carries frozen cauliflower rice. And it is very affordable in all stores.

Back on Christmas day, I wanted to make a new, healthy vegetable side recipe to accompany the usual Christmas sides. So, I devised the recipe below. It is a very flexible recipe so you can use the herbs and seasonings that you have on hand at home.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups cauliflower rice (fresh or frozen)
  • 2 strips of uncured turkey bacon
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (or avocado oil)
  • 2.5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water (if fresh cauliflower rice is used)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
  • Fresh herbs (In the past, I have used a couple of fresh basil leaves or some fresh rosemary. Use what you have on hand.)
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  1. Over medium heat, add saucepan with 1 tablespoon oil to stove.
  2. Stir in two cups of cauliflower rice (if using frozen cauliflower rice, add a tablespoon of water; if using fresh cauliflower rice, add 1/4 cup of water).
  3. Add balsamic vinegar to sauce pan. Add thyme, parsley, Cajun seasoning and rosemary. Add fresh herbs and salt and pepper. Stir regularly
  4. On a separate pan, cook two strips of turkey bacon until crisp. Add pieces of bacon to the cauliflower rice.
  5. Continue to cook over medium heat for 12-15 minutes and stir often – until cauliflower rice is tender.
  6. Add additional seasoning to your taste preferences

Enjoy and Happy Super Bowl!

 

One Last Pumpkin Recipe for the Season!

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Wow, Thanksgiving was already over a week ago! Tis the season that time truly does seem to fly.

Presumably like you, I spent the holiday weekend consuming heaps of Thanksgiving leftovers, spending time with loved ones and shopping up a storm. Also like many of you, I had a ton of ingredients left over from my holiday baking and cooking feats. So, I put on my thinking cap and began to concoct some new recipes to ensure the ingredients did not go to waste! Here is one recipe that I devised, which uses one of my favorite ingredients of all time – pumpkin:

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Beginning in September, manufacturers, coffee shops, juice joints and restaurants seem to add “pumpkin spice” to just about everything. It’s ubiquitous! As the calendar moves into December, most of the population seems to be “over” the pumpkin craze and already have moved on to December flavors like peppermint, cinnamon spice, gingerbread, etc.

Not me! I consume pumpkin all year round. It’s a staple ingredient in my smoothies, baking and other recipes. Pumpkin is actually one of the healthiest vegetables around. This exciting vegetable, which is part of the squash family, is low in calories and packed with fiber, antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and flavonoids galore. These nutrients are why I try to use pumpkin as much as possible in my cooking/recipes. Click here to learn more about the amazing benefits of pumpkin.

The one recipe I’ve always wanted to tackle is a pumpkin pancake recipe. It’s been years since I’ve eaten pancakes, although I have often craved them. I have never been a fan of the pre-packaged, gluten-free pancake mixes due to some of the suspect ingredients added to the mixes. My only alternative to ever enjoying pancakes again was to make my own.

So, I experimented and came up with the recipe below. Since this recipe is a bit rich, I only suggest reserving it for special occasions, holidays or to satisfy a fierce craving. I also tend to make the pancakes on the smaller side – to prevent from over-indulging.

Pumpkin Spice Pancake Recipe with Toasted Pecans Recipe

What you’ll need:

  • Baking sheet
  • Mixing bowl
  • Measuring cups/spoons
  • Mixing spoon
  • Griddle/skillet

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • 1/3 cup coconut or almond flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or coconut milk or cashew milk or blend)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 4 tablespoons of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
  • 1 teaspoon real maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (Trader Joe’s has an excellent one)
  • Pinch of sea salt

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Spread pecans on an ungreased baking/cookie sheet. Sprinkle olive oil over pecans and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, add the almond milk, eggs, canned pumpkin, vanilla extract and maple syrup. Mix together.
  4. Stir in coconut flour, pumpkin pie spice and the pinch of sea salt. Mix until lumps have disappeared.
  5. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Add coconut oil to the skillet or griddle. Once coconut oil melts, add pumpkin pancake batter to the skillet or griddle at the size that you prefer.
  6. The first batch will take longer than subsequent batches. Watch the first batch closely, when the bottom appears to lightly brown (typically takes about 4 minutes with the first batch), flip the pancake until the second side is lightly browned. With subsequent batches, it should take about 2-3 minutes for each side to lightly brown. Add more coconut oil if needed.
  7. Once finished, sprinkle each pancake with a few toasted pecans and drizzle the pancake with real maple syrup.
  8. Enjoy!

I may be late to the Pumpkin Spice party this year, but this is a recipe that can be enjoyed all year round! The pumpkin transforms these pancakes into a recipe that packs a healthy dose of nutrients. Now, that my pumpkin pancake craving is satisfied, I am suddenly craving peppermint….hmmm.

Start Your Day with a Healthy Protein Punch – Almond Butter Cup Protein Smoothie

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Breakfast truly does set the tone for the day. In fact, many nutritional experts agree that it is the most important daily meal. With that being said, breakfast is probably the easiest meal to veer off the healthy eating course.

And it is not difficult to do so! Think about it; many common breakfast foods like cereals, pancakes, muffins, granola bars, tarts and even most yogurts are loaded with sugar and other garbage. Eating these foods at breakfast sets you up for a day of blood sugar spikes and potential crashes by mid-day. This is the last thing we need during our busy days!

A Healthy Way to Start Your Day

There are much better ways to start your day. Why not add some healthy protein power to your mornings? Below is my Almond Butter Cup Protein Smoothie recipe that is not only protein-packed (which will keep you full until lunch) but is healthy, features no added sugar and tastes like a decadent dessert.

It’s called Almond Butter Cup because it tastes similar to the popular peanut butter cup candy – except the recipe features almond butter instead of peanut butter. (Almond butter is much healthier than peanut butter for reasons described in my earlier blog post here.)

Chocolate plant-based protein powder serves as the base ingredient of this recipe. Taste is subjective; so, find a protein powder that tastes great to your palate. Also, look for one without any added sugar and unnatural ingredients. (I also make sure any protein powder I purchase is gluten-free, soy-free and dairy-free.) Below are some protein powders that I recommend:

Rebuild Protein Powder – Chocolate

Orgain Plant-Based Protein – Creamy Chocolate Fudge

Sunwarrior – Warrior Raw, Plant-based Protein – Chocolate

Bulletproof Chocolate Collagen

Almond Butter Cup Recipe

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Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk, cashew milk or almond milk/cashew milk combination
  • 2 scoops of chocolate plant-based protein powder
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons of cacao powder (make sure it does not contain added sugars; I use this one.)
  • 1 handful of spinach (or you may use a scoop of green powder if you prefer)
  • 1 handful of shredded carrots
  • 8 frozen or fresh blueberries
  • 3 tablespoons of canned pumpkin (or you may use one small banana instead)
  • 1 heaping tablespoon of almond butter (pick one without unhealthy or unnecessary added ingredients. Click here for guidance in selecting healthy nut butters.)
  • A pinch of pumpkin pie spice
  • A pinch of sea salt
  • 1/4 cup water

Instructions

The instructions couldn’t be any easier. Just place all ingredients in your blender and blend away. A few seconds later, you will have a rich, creamy and protein-packed smoothie that keep you full for hours.

A Tasty Staple in Any Morning Routine

This is one protein smoothie that I can’t get enough of each morning. I literally wake up looking forward to making this tasty treat every day. This smoothie satisfies salty, chocolate and sweet cravings at once – which is rare for a beverage or food. Plus it is not only loaded with plant-based protein, it includes a one-two punch of vitamins and fiber. It’s a must try for anyone who loves peanut butter cup candies!

Just Breathe: 8 Tips to De-Stress During Hectic Days

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As the song goes, “Mama said there’ll be days like this.” Days when nothing seems to go right and when stress seems to get the better of us.

We’ve all had these kind of days. Days where we are pulled in multiple directions, get shaken by bad news, have to wear multiple hats or when 24 hours in a day just doesn’t seem to be enough. Even events like the unsettling presidential election and the seemingly unending cycle of disheartening world news can add additional stress to our already overburdened lives.

When life gets hectic, we have been conditioned by TV shows, commercials and movies to reach for a pint of ice cream or a glass of wine to soothe our heavy souls. While there is nothing wrong with imbibing with a glass of wine from time to time or indulging with a little ice cream on occasion, these items only provide us with temporary comfort. In fact, if you have too much of either, they could make you feel much worse.

Why make your stress any worse? Instead, try one of these healthy tips to insert some calm in your life, brighten your mood … and perhaps salvage your day!

1) Take a Walk Around the Block

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A simple brisk walk (or any exercise for that matter) can do wonders for your mood and stress. Exercise helps release endorphins, which in turn can help improve your mood. So, stretch your legs and take a little walk around your neighborhood. You might return home feeling refreshed and less stressed.

Click here to learn about how walking can help improve your mood and decrease stress.

2) Incorporate Meditation into Your Routine

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Meditation may seem out there at first. Trust me, it took me a long time to get into it. Finding just 10 minutes a day to let go and meditate can help you tackle your stress. Don’t rely just on my endorsement, though. Some of the nation’s largest institutions, such as Mayo Clinic and Harvard, promote meditation as an excellent stress reliever.

Unsure of how to begin? Guided meditations are available for little or no cost. Subscribe to Hay House Daily Meditations podcast on iTunes or Google Play for free meditations. YouTube also offers a vast catalog of no cost guided meditations that you can peruse.

Lastly, if you crave more structure with your meditations, consider a subscription to apps like Headspace or Calm; these meditation apps offer a multitude of meditations to choose from, help track your progress and send you notifications to motivate you to meditate daily. Both apps offer several subscription plans based on your needs.

3) Relax with Essential Oils

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Taking a whiff of essential oils like lavender, mint and eucalyptus has been known to provide an almost instant calming effect. That’s why places like spas and yoga studios – places where people specifically go to relax – often feature a strong aroma of essential oils when you walk through the door.

These days, essential oils are extremely accessible and affordable. You can find them in places like Whole Foods, vitamin stores, health stores and pharmacies. In fact, I recently picked up a lavender essential oil roller ball applicator at CVS.

As an added bonus, essential oils work wonders for other ailments as well, such as headaches, colds and more.

Need ideas as to how to use essential oils for relaxation? Check out these tips from mindbodygreen.

4) Add a Cup of Chamomile Tea to Your Bedtime Routine

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Chamomile has been used as medicine in some cultures for centuries. Research shows that drinking a cup of chamomile tea not only helps your body relax, it also soothes your digestive tract and can even help you sleep better.

Although not recommended for consumption during the day because of its relaxing effect, chamomile tea might be just what you need to unwind at bedtime. Click here to learn more about the benefits of drinking chamomile tea.

5) Treat Yourself to a Facial or Massage

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There is almost no place more serene than a spa. The aroma, the calming spa music and the overall pampering provide a soothing escape of our everyday stresses. It’s common to leave a spa with the feeling that the weight of the world has been lifted from our shoulders.

Although a splurge, many coupon sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial make facials and massages much more affordable. In fact, it is often easy to find spas offering coupons for facials and massages for $50 or less. So, pamper yourself today!

6) Watch Your Caffeine Intake

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When we are stressed, we often also feel drained and tired. Our instinct when this happens is to grab anything in sight that is loaded with caffeine for some “instant pep.” Proceed with caution, though. Consuming one cup of coffee or tea is probably not going to make your stress any worse; however, a few cups of caffeinated beverages can quickly make you jittery and anxious. Reach for some soothing decaffeinated tea or hot water with lemon instead!

7) Paint or Color!

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Adult coloring books and group painting classes are all the rage now! These activities not only give us nostalgia for our childhood art classes, several studies actually show that coloring or painting can help us relax and de-stress. If you haven’t tried it for yourself, why not pick up an adult coloring book (they’re everywhere these days) or sign up for a  painting class.

8) Try Acupuncture

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Most people tend to look to the Western world for stress relief remedies, but you may find relief from giving Eastern medicine remedies like acupuncture a try. Acupuncture, an ancient Chinese medicinal practice that includes pricking the skin in strategic places with fine needles, has long been touted as a panacea for musculoskeletal pain relief, infertility, digestive issues and hormonal imbalances. Studies also suggest that acupuncture may help with stress and anxiety.

Acupuncture has done wonders for me. I see an acupuncturist weekly for pain relief, but have found that my Friday pre-work appointment also ensures that at least one hour of deep relaxation is on my schedule each week. I often leave feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world.

Acupuncture can be pricey; however, more and more insurance companies are covering (or at least offering steep discounts for) acupuncture services as part of standard health plan benefits. In addition, some community acupuncture centers offer acupuncture for as little as $25 per session. If you are interested in trying acupuncture, I recommend calling your health insurance company and researching practitioners in your area. Look for a licensed acupuncturist with advanced Eastern medicine schooling, one with favorable online reviews and a provider with a clean and comfortable office.

Don’t Let Stress Get the Best of You!

So, the next time you are feeling a bit stressed, keep these tips in your back pocket. There is no need to suffer in silence. Find what works for you and keep stress relief strategies in your arsenal for handling future stressful days. Here’s to less stress and more relaxation!

 

Say What? Affordable Organic and Healthy Food Options at Aldi

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It seems like Aldi is kind of hip now. Last weekend, one of the largest newspapers in NYC, the New York Daily News, featured an article called, “8 reasons why you should shop at Aldi.”

While I hadn’t shopped at an Aldi store in a few months, the article convinced me that I needed to hop in my car and head back there ASAP. In fact, I literally drove to my nearest Aldi within a few hours of reading the article. And I’m glad that I did! Upon perusing the Aldi aisles, my eyes almost popped out of their sockets when I saw all of the new organic and healthy food options – at beyond amazing prices. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement.

The Aldi Experience

For those of you who are not familiar with Aldi, it is a “no-frills” German supermarket chain that seems to be popping up everywhere. In fact, at least 10 stores are now open within 10 miles of my home. Go back a few years, and maybe there were only two stores in my area. You can even find an Aldi in Manhattan! Beyond my immediate area, Aldi stores seem to be expanding in most U.S. states and throughout Europe.

The author of the Daily News article says it best when he described Aldi as the “Jan Brady of supermarkets.” When you first enter an Aldi store, you kind of have to get used to the “no-frills” concept of the chain. You are not going to see the beautiful produce displays and neatly stocked shelves of supermarkets like Whole Foods, Fairway or Trader Joes. In fact, most items are haphazardly placed in cardboard boxes or containers at Aldi.

Aldi has some interesting quirks. Shoppers must insert a quarter to gain use of an Aldi shopping cart. (You get the quarter back upon returning the shopping cart, though.) Also, the store charges for all plastic shopping bags. This policy, though, encourages shoppers to bring their own reusable shopping bags (which I remember to bring with me most of the time).

Aldi stores also carry mostly unique brands. They offer several brand lines that you can only find at Aldi stores, such as Simply Nature (natural and organic products), Fit & Active (food and beverages for healthy lifestyles), liveGfree (gluten-free line), Friendly Farms (dairy and dairy alternatives), Never Any! (meat without antibiotics, hormones or by-products), Little Salad Bar (vegetables/salad items) and more. Aldi stores also carry a limited and rotating stock of name brand items found at traditional supermarkets.

While kind of odd for a supermarket, these unique policies, unstructured looking aisles and limited brand options help Aldi keep overhead low. For example, they don’t need to hire as many employees for stocking shelves and no employees are needed for parking lot cart retrieval. The money they save on overhead translates into better prices for us consumers!

The “New” Aldi

Aldi had somewhat of an undeserved bad rap a few years ago. Back then, Aldi’s brand game wasn’t as strong and their shelves featured less healthy options. However, most notably there seemed to be somewhat of a stigma associated with shopping at Aldi a few year back. I remember shopping at an Aldi store in 2012 and overhearing a conversation between two neighbors who ran into each other unexpectedly at the store. Both ladies were acting somewhat embarrassed to be “caught” shopping at Aldi and were overtly making excuses as to why they weren’t shopping at the “regular” supermarket instead. Their exchange was almost humorous.

Back then, Aldi stores were not very crowded. Fast forward a few years later and Aldi stores are now super popular. Parking lots are jam-packed and the aisles are crammed with frugal-minded shoppers. Shopping at Aldi definitely seems more mainstream today.

Aldi’s low prices (especially when standard supermarket prices continue to rise) along with the expansion of healthy and organic food options continue to attract new shoppers and keep returning customers like me satisfied. As we all know, it’s very expensive to eat mostly organic and healthy foods – so Aldi’s incredibly low prices make healthy eating more accessible for everyone.

And there are so many great finds available at Aldi now! I am excited to share some of the organic and healthy items purchased at my recent Aldi shopping run:

Organic Arugula

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Arugula, which is hands down my favorite kind of salad green vegetable, is only $2.49 at my Aldi store. And it’s organic! Most supermarkets seem to offer organic arugula (with the exception of rare sales) at a price point of $3.99 or greater. My savings: at least $1.50

Organic Spinach

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Spinach is my go-to green veggie for juicing and smoothies. Organic baby spinach at Aldi is only $2.49 (compared to over $3.99 at standard supermarkets). My savings: at least $1.50

Organic Frozen Blueberries

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Blueberries are packed with antioxidants. Frozen organic blueberries are a regular staple item in my freezer. While packages at standard supermarkets could cost you around $4.99, Aldi sells frozen organic blueberries for only $2.79. My savings: around $2.20.

Organic, Antibiotic Free Chicken Breast

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This one is a total steal. It is hard to find affordable organic chicken at grocery stores. While some chicken will be marketed as antibiotic-free, the chicken will often not be organic. Aldi sells organic, antibiotic-free chicken breasts for an incredibly low price. The large chicken breast that I purchased (enough for two full servings) was only $5.33. I have been unable to find anything similar in standard supermarkets for under $10. My savings: approximately $5.

Organic Baby Carrots

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Baby carrots are fabulous in the juicer, in smoothies and are the perfect afternoon or anytime snack. Aldi sells a 16 ounce bag of organic carrots for $1.89. Compare this to $2.49 at a nearby standard supermarket, and I saved 60 cents by shopping at Aldi. Below is a juice that I made with these carrots:

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Pure Coconut Water

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Stores like Whole Foods sell pure coconut water for about $3.99 a pop. (Pure coconut waters need to be refrigerated and aren’t as widely available compared to the shelf stable coconut waters.) Trader Joes offers a great deal for pure coconut water for $2.99 a bottle; however, Aldi offers even a better deal at $2.29 per bottle! That is a saving of at least 70 cents per bottle. Needless to say, I stocked up on these coconut waters during my last Aldi shopping trip.

Unsweetened Almond Milk

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I love almond milk. The unsweetened almond milk varieties are a must for my smoothies and protein shakes. I can’t believe that unsweetened almond milk is only $2.29 at Aldi! The brand I typically buy at other supermarkets is at least $3.29. My savings: $1 or more. Note: They also sell coconut milk at Aldi, but I didn’t see any unsweetened varieties available.

Other Sweet Deals at Aldi

  • Slivered Almonds $2.99 – These almonds are usually very expensive at standard supermarkets. I am talking at least $5.99 at other stores. I use these almonds in many recipes including my carrot slaw and Asian salad recipes.
  • Bag of Lemons $3.29 – I use lemons often in hot water and to dress my salads. Lemons can be pricey at regular supermarkets. This Aldi bag featured a whole lot of lemons at a great price!
  • (Whole) Pineapple $1.99 – Wow! The cheapest price I have found outside of Aldi for a whole pineapple is $2.99.
  • 24 Pack of Spring Water $2.49 – I love the taste of Aldi spring water and the water comes in BPA free plastic containers. As an added bonus, the water bottles are made of recycled plastic.

A Word of Caution

While I have focused on the healthy food and beverage items that I have purchased, keep in mind that Aldi also carries a lot of junk and heavily processed foods also at great prices. Just like any supermarket, these not-so-healthy foods are definitely abundant at Aldi. I encourage all shoppers to carefully read labels of products before purchasing them. I tend to stick to certain Aldi brands, such as Simply Nature, Friendly Farms (for unsweetened almond milk only), Little Salad Bar, etc. to ensure that I am selecting only healthy and/or organic items.

Keeping Aldi in Mind for Future Shopping Sprees

While I can’t rely on Aldi for everything on my shopping list, it is a fantastic spot to save money on the healthy items above and more. I’m definitely going to try to shop there more often! Aldi is also a great store to shop at for large parties or holiday meals – which can often set you back hundreds of dollars at other stores. You can definitely save a bank load of money on key staples and ingredients at Aldi compared to traditional supermarkets.

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Some of the fabulous organic and healthy food finds that I picked up at Aldi.

 

 

 

 

 

Becoming Less Reliant on Microwave Cooking

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A few weeks ago my microwave oven stopped working. I was attempting to heat turkey meatballs quickly between meetings while working from home when my microwave flatlined. Basically, it was completely dead; the time started blinking and the buttons refused to work.

I must admit that I began to panic a bit when my microwave stopped working. Would I have to (gasp!) use my oven to reheat my food? How long would that even take? With limited time for breaks due to my hectic work schedule, I had definitely become reliant on my microwave over the years to reheat or cook food in a pinch. In fact, probably too reliant!

The broken down microwave didn’t cause a total disaster. In reality, the meatballs only took a few minutes to heat up in the oven. And they tasted a million times better than they would have in the microwave. Most importantly, I still had plenty of time to prep for my next work meeting.

While my food was heating up in the oven, though, I began to ponder if it was necessarily a bad thing that my microwave oven seemingly went kaput. After all, as an otherwise healthy person, I knew that I used my microwave way too often. I began to think for a moment that maybe I wouldn’t even replace my defective microwave at all. I even daydreamed about what I would do with the extra counter space – as my microwave took up prime real estate in my tiny NYC area kitchen.

My daydream was short-lived, though. Later that evening, I noticed a small piece of paper towel wedged in the microwave oven door. I swiftly removed the paper towel piece …and my microwave came back to life again.

While my microwave is now in working order, I have decided that I am going to make a concerted effort to try to use it less often.

The 1980s: Where it all Began for my Family

I remember my family’s first microwave oven. My parents purchased it in the early 80s on the way home from a visit with family in New York. It was an enormous contraption that was so big that it wouldn’t even fit on the countertop. At probably two to three times the size of a microwave today, my parents had to buy a large stand to hold the darn thing.

For the longest time, the microwave oven remained pretty much idle. It was rarely used – almost as if we were slighly skeptical of it at first. Then, seemingly overnight, it became the most popular appliance in our kitchen.

By the mid to late 1980s, microwave cooking became a hot trend. All of the ladies in the neighborhood, like my mother, had cupboards filled with microwave cookbooks and recipes. There were even cake mix kits that allowed you to make entire cakes in the microwave. (They tasted pretty dreadful, had a sponge-like consistency and didn’t last too long on the store shelves, though.) During this time, grocery stores started carrying TV dinners galore, microwave popcorn, soup that could be microwaved and so much more.

Almost everyone had a microwave. And it also became the go-to appliance for reheating food for families – moving ahead of even the regular oven.

Sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s, word seemed to spread that microwave cooking was probably not the safest method of cooking. I remember being told repeatedly by my mother to step back from the microwave while it was in use. The words “radiation” and “potentially dangerous” became synonymous with microwave oven use. However, that didn’t stop most people from using microwaves.

Fast forward 30+ years, microwave ovens are now much smaller and sleeker than the 1980s models, and most of us still use them at least once everyday. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t use a microwave for at least some form of cooking/reheating.

In fact, I have only met one person in my adult life who didn’t own a microwave. A former boyfriend lived life microwave free and cooked all of his meals strictly on the stove or in the oven. He would even buy TV dinners, transfer them to oven-safe dishes and heat them in the oven. I used to think it was kind of unusual that he didn’t own a microwave (and had no desire to ever own one), but now I think he was kind of on to something!

How Does a Microwave Oven Work?

A microwave oven heats food through microwave radiation. Rather, than boring you lovely readers with my attempt at scientific speak, I found a few articles that explain the science behind microwave ovens succinctly:

How Do Microwaves Work?

Explain that Stuff – How Microwave Ovens Work

What are the Dangers?

Well, the good news is that most experts agree now that the radiation that emanates from microwave ovens is not as dangerous as originally thought. Back in the day, it was widely believed that microwave ovens could cause cancer through excessive radiation exposure. No studies related to modern microwave oven models seem to suggest that this is a valid worry, though. Many experts still recommend standing a few feet away from a microwave that is in use, as a small amount of radiation exposure is possible.

All of the news about microwave oven use is not positive, though. Research indicates that microwave ovens can alter the nutrients of food, heating food in some plastic containers could be dangerous as toxins from plastic could leach on to food during the heating process and microwave ovens heat larger food items inconsistently which could result in some food borne illnesses. And that’s just the beginning. For more details about potential microwave oven dangers, check out the articles below:

The Hidden Hazards of Microwave Cooking

Why You Should Never Microwave Your Food

Tips for Using the Microwave Less

As I previously exclaimed, I am now committed to using my microwave less often based on the articles above and my own belief that microwave cooking is probably not the healthiest heating/cooking option. I have done a pretty good job so far of weaning myself off regular microwave use. It can be done! Below are tips that may help if you too are ready to give your microwave a bit of the cold shoulder treatment:

  1. Plan your meals and snacks for the day: The simple task of planning your meals will help you avoid using your microwave so often. For example, I will often have a sweet potato with lunch or dinner. I’ll now factor into my schedule that I need to place the potato in the oven about 45 minutes before I plan to eat. This planning also helps to curb mindless eating throughout the day or in the evenings.
  2. Consider buying an inexpensive electric kettle for heating liquids. This was the best $22 I’ve spent in a long time! Instead of plopping a mug in the microwave and having some of the liquid explode all over the place (not to mention having to use a towel or oven mitt to handle the scorching hot mug!), I now heat liquid in my stainless steel electric kettle. The kettle only takes about 2-3 minutes to heat liquid and shuts off when it is done. I no longer have to worry about being burned by a hot microwaved mug when making tea again. Here is an electric kettle for only $20 and change at Amazon!
  3. Use small/medium glass storage containers for leftovers. Transfer your restaurant or home cooked meal leftovers into versatile glass storage containers. These glass containers make reheating food in the oven super easy. Just make sure that your glass containers are safe for the oven. Here are affordable Pyrex glass storage containers for under $20! (If you must use your microwave, these glass containers are also a much safer alternative than most plastic containers.)
  4. Keep more raw foods and snacks handy. One way to use the microwave less is to keep your fridge or pantry stocked with fruits, salad ingredients, nuts, nut butters and snacking vegetables. I always keep some protein handy that I can to salads. If I make grilled chicken or meatballs for dinner, I will often refrigerate the leftovers and add them cold to my salad. These meals are quick, easy and don’t have me going anywhere near my microwave oven.

 

Tips for Eating Healthy During Chaotic Times and a Simple Carrot Slaw Recipe

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This week got the best of me! It was likely the sweltering heat, the multiple deadlines at work, the mid-week concert in Central Park, the dinner celebration for a family member and the general running around like a headless chicken that all contributed to me feeling more exhausted than usual by the end of this week. I haven’t welcomed a weekend with the enthusiasm as I did today in a very long time.

We’ve all had those weeks! For some reason, these action-packed and exhausting weeks tend to happen most often in the balmy summer months. It must be something in our blood that makes us want to spend as much time outdoors as possible in the summer and fill our calendars during these months to the max.

During these frenzied weeks, the last place most of us want to be is spending hours in our kitchens preparing meals. For some, increased stress and crazy schedules are the perfect excuse to veer off the healthy eating path. This doesn’t have to be the case, though! Plenty of quick, easy and most importantly diet compliant options are available even when time is of the essence.

My Healthy Eating Tips for Hectic Weeks

Unfortunately, most of the convenience foods that do not take long to make tend to be the most unhealthy for us (TV dinners, prepared foods from stores, etc.). And hectic weeks seem to give some of us an excuse to hop in the car and head straight to fast food joints for our meals. Don’t be tempted, though!  During the weeks when I am running around like a mad woman, I try to keep the following healthy items stocked in my kitchen instead of any unhealthy “convenience” foods:

  • Natural and Organic Rotisserie Chicken (from a local store)
  • Ground turkey or chicken (for a simple stir fry, burgers or meatballs)
  • Eggs (for quick and easy scrambled eggs or hard-boiled eggs)
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Spinach, arugula, carrots and other salad fixings
  • Plenty of fruit (for snacking and smoothies)
  • Nut butters (click here for information about how to find healthy nut butters)
  • Dairy-free and gluten-free protein powder
  • Rxbars

Also Keep Simple Recipes Handy for Snappy Cooking

During crazy weeks, I also rely on my quick and easy recipes that encourage the use of only a few staple ingredients and pre-diced or cut vegetables (which cuts down food prep time immensely). I have shared some of these speedy recipes in previous blog posts, including:

Beyond my recipes, there are many fast and delicious recipes that you can browse in other blogs, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and food-related websites. Keep them simple, though. I recommend focusing on recipes with only a few ingredients that can be made in under a half hour. Any more elaborate recipes just lead to more stress and post-cooking clean-up – which is the last thing we need when we are frenzied. Save the fancy recipes for quieter weeks.

Before I go put my feet up, slap on a facial mask and officially kiss this crazy work week goodbye, I wanted to share one more quick and easy dish: Carrot Slaw. This colorful dish is fabulous as a side dish or you can add grilled chicken for a full-on entrée.

Recipe: Carrot Slaw

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This recipe is so incredibly simple! This dish will literally be ready in about ten minutes, including prep time. This recipe below yields 2 servings.

Kitchen Items You Will Need:

  • Frying pan/skillet
  • Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons oil (olive oil, avocado oil, hazelnut oil or coconut oil all work well with this recipe)
  • 2 cups of shredded carrots (I recommend buying the pre-shredded carrots available at most grocery stores.)
  • 1/3 cup of slivered almonds (unsalted)
  • 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tablespoon dried thyme
  • Some fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary or parsley (optional)
  • A pinch of sea salt (I use fine sea salt for this recipe.)
  • A pinch of black pepper
  • A pinch of red pepper flakes

Instructions:

  1. Set the stove heat to medium.
  2. Add the oil to the skillet/frying pan.
  3. Pour in the carrots followed by the slivered almonds.
  4. Add the cayenne pepper, dried thyme, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
  5. Mix all ingredients well until all carrots and almonds are coated in oil.
  6. Add the fresh herbs if applicable.
  7. Stirring regularly, cook on medium heat for approximately 8-10 minutes (or until you begin to see a bit of brown on the carrots).
  8. Serve as a side or add grilled chicken if preferred.

Enjoy! And Happy Weekend!

 

Recipe: Ultimate Turkey and Veggie Burger Mashup

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A good turkey burger is hard to find! Ordering turkey burgers at restaurants is always hit or miss. Many times I have been completely let down when waiters or waitresses have delivered dry, whitish-looking pieces of meat that they attempt to pass off as turkey burgers. Sometimes the burgers even taste like they have been frozen for ages (even if they haven’t). Occasionally, I’ll find a good one that is tasty, juicy and looks appetizing – but sadly my experience is that most turkey burgers at restaurants are pretty lame.

I haven’t had too much luck with store-bought turkey burgers either. Most of the frozen turkey burgers are so incredibly thin, fall apart easily or include preservatives or other ingredients that leave them tasting like anything but turkey burgers. The pre-made and ready-to-cook turkey burgers, which are available in most meat sections of supermarkets, are most of the time okay; however, they are – let’s face it – a bit boring.

A Turkey and Veggie Burger Mashup

As the old saying goes: sometimes, when you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. So, I began experimenting and making my own turkey burgers with turkey ground meat and various other ingredients and seasonings. My favorite creation thus far is a turkey/veggie burger mashup.

Since it is impossible to find a pre-made veggie burger out there that is grain-free, Low FODMAPs diet friendly and soy-free, I decided to add my favorite (and diet compliant) vegetables to the turkey burgers. After a few tweaks here and there, I think I found a turkey burger recipe that will blow you away! I literally can’t get enough of these burgers. Here is the recipe:

The Ultimate Turkey Veggie Burger

This recipe yields 4 medium to large burgers. Double the recipe for larger families.

Kitchen Supplies You Will Need:

  • 2 frying/skillet pans (or 1 frying/skillet pan and a grill or grill pan)
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Grater
  • Chopper or chopping knife (if you don’t buy pre-chopped veggies)
  • Mixing bowl
  • Spatula or grill utensil

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of ground turkey (for best taste, look for ground turkey meat that is pinkish in color vs. white)
  • 1 egg (egg whites only)
  • 1/3 cup of diced celery (I buy pre-diced celery at the store to save time. For those of you on the Low FODMAPS diet, you may want to hold the celery or reduce the quantity – as celery is high in FODMAPS if greater than 5 cm of the celery stalk is used. If you don’t have any FODMAPS restrictions, you can substitute the celery for onions.)
  • 1/3 cup of diced red and/or green peppers (I buy pre-diced peppers to save time.)
  • 1/3 cup of diced carrots (As you probably guessed, I buy pre-diced carrots. You could also substitute with shredded carrots.)
  • 1/3 cup of grated/shredded sweet potato (some folks on the Paleo diet do not consider sweet potatoes to be Paleo compliant while others do. (I eat them!) Simply skip this step if they are not part of your diet.)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt (I prefer fine sea salt)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper (or chipotle seasoning or any spicy seasoning… cut this back a bit if you are not into food that is too spicy; add a bit more if you like your food super spicy!)
  • Cooking oil (avocado oil or other heat tolerant oil if you will by frying your burgers on the stove; olive oil is okay for sauteing the veggies. Click here for information about the best cooking oils.
  • 1 cup of Arugula (optional)
  • Juice from a lemon (optional)

Instructions:

  1. If you didn’t buy pre-chopped vegetables, chop the celery, carrots and peppers using a chopper or knife. You’ll need 1/3 of a cup of each vegetable.
  2. Peel the top portion of a sweet potato. Grate 1/3 cup of sweet potato using a grater.
  3. Add two tablespoons of oil to a hot frying pan/skillet. (Olive oil is okay for this step because you will be using low heat.)
  4. Add the celery, carrots, peppers and sweet potatoes to the pan.
  5. Saute on low heat on the stove for 8 minutes. And remove pan from heat and let cool for 2 minutes.
  6. Add one package of ground turkey to the mixing bowl.
  7. Pour in the salt, pepper, thyme and cayenne pepper.
  8. Add the vegetables to the turkey in the mixing bowl.
  9. Crack one egg and add just the egg whites to the turkey mixture.
  10. Mix all ingredients together well with your hands.
  11. Form 4 medium/large patties.
  12. In a separate frying pan, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil (avocado oil is great with this recipe).
  13. Add the turkey patties to the pan. (I tend to cook 2 at a time.)
  14. On medium-high heat on the stove, cook 6 minutes on each side. If your turkey burgers are not ready at that point, cook for an additional 2 minutes per side.
  15. Serve over a bed of arugula (drizzled in a bit of fresh lemon juice) if preferred.

The burgers are also fantastic on the grill (or on a grill pan)! Heat the grill to medium and cook for approximately 10 minutes per side or until the interior of the turkey burger reaches 160 degrees on a meat thermometer.

Enjoy!