eat healthier

I hate beets! As a child my mother made me eat those little diced things out of a can with fried calf’s liver…YUCK! We would sit at the table for hours instead of eating that! Remember all of those starving children? We would have sent this to them overnight express!

As I got older I grew to like the calf’s liver fried in onions with mashed potatoes and broccolli but never acquired a taste for beets.

Tonight my friend had raw beets marianated in balsamic vinegar and olive oil with spices and they were sooo good. She sent some home with me.

Not sure if I’ll eat them again but they were fresh and tasty!

when I marked this as done. I wish we could reactivate some of our goals to keep them fresh in our minds.

Anyway, I have been eating poorly all winter. I ate comfort or fast foods because I eat most of my meals alone. I feel like sludge is running through my veins. No excuses.

I am going back to being a vegetarian… a pescatarian is more accurate. I can’t imagine not eating fish or chocolate. When I was little I was a finicky eater and my mom always told me it was trout or chocolate to get me to try new things. I do love fish.

Eating meats has never been a life or death decision for me. So it’s back to eating healthy and hopefully feeling good.

Recipe Brought to you by

This recipe serves: 1
Cooking time: 2 minutes

Ingredients
2 large egg whites, or 1/4 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon peanut oil
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped chives, parsley or dill

Cooking Instructions
1. Crack the egg whites into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk to combine completely.
2. Heat peanut oil over medium heat in a 6” non-stick omelet pan until almost smoking.

Recipe Brought to you by

This recipe serves: 1
Preparation time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup plain, low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup washed, stemmed raspberries
honey to taste

Cooking Instructions
1. Place all the ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth.

is very popular here in the wilderness. Luckily local growers are plentiful so our prices will be affordable compared to the food that has to be trucked in.

I made some fabulous chocolate chip cookies without using refined white sugar, eggs or refined flour. I was skeptical. They tasted fine to me but handed them out to people for a taste test today.

Rave reviews!!! I was very pleased.

Which for me means no fast food…

I don’t miss it until I’m watching TV and then all of the ads make it look so much better than it actually tastes.

I have my refrigerator stocked with fruits and fresh veggies just for those moments when a snack attack hits. :)

according to sparkpeople How do they know these things?

Fast Fueler Personality

Convenience is everything – and it’s a problem. You tend to be on the go a lot and have a no-nonsense but inconsistent approach to health and fitness. The rational side knows about good nutrition and how it helps you get more done. But eating right all the time is a real hassle, especially when you just want to know what tastes good! Moreover, you prefer to eat when hungry but your busy schedule makes it difficult. Relatively speaking, it is also likely you have less weight to lose compared to most.

Fast Fuelers as a general rule tend to get caught up in what they’re doing and sometimes forget to eat. A skipped breakfast or lunch is a recipe for trouble, usually ending up in an evening or late night calorie load-up. Fast Fuelers do not necessarily eat a lot of fast food, but your hectic day can lead to unhealthy food because a trip home or the grocery store just isn’t convenient.

What can you do?

Retake control of your diet with meal planning, convenience, and more consistency. Spacing out smaller, more frequent meals will keep your energy reserves stable and avoid the highs and lows of “grab and go” meals and late night snacking. You need to structure good nutrition into your day (like other appointments) to avoid the compromising situations that cause you to skip meals or hit the drive thru. You are likely an excellent do-it-yourselfer in other areas of your life. Plan and pack ahead. Use that advantage of discipline and determination to stick to a real plan!

How SparkPeople Can Help

SparkPeople’s structured meal plans match your caloric needs and take the guesswork out of healthy food choices. Our searchable 10,000-food database makes it easy to plan ahead and keep track of calorie levels, overall nutrition and your weight loss progress. Choose from our plans or mix and match your own. Our food planning, tracking and calendar tools help you control your eating habits without using up a lot of valuable time or brainpower. They bring stability to your diet, using your rational side to plan ahead and stay consistent.

Good Tips for Fast Fuelers

Pack your lunch or have someone pack for you so it’s there when you need it.
Have and use plenty of disposable resealable containers of different sizes.
Batch-cook food on Sunday for the rest of the week
Make a point to have more fresh fruit and vegetables within arm’s reach.
Try cutting the intake of coffee and soda in half or substituting with green tea.

I have some left over salmon from yesterday’s dinner at my mom’s. This will make those leftovers really special tonight.

Recipe Brought to you by FoodFit

This recipe serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
For the vinaigrette:
2 teaspoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped shallots
4 teaspoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:
4 tablespoons coarsely chopped, unsalted cashews
2 1/2 cups spinach, cleaned and torn into bite-sized pieces
2 honey tangerines, peeled and sectioned

Coooking Instructions
For the vinaigrette:
1. Place all the ingredients in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well.
2. Add the salt and pepper to taste.

For the salad:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Spread the cashews on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Place the spinach in a bowl and toss with the vinaigrette.
4. Transfer the dressed spinach leaves to a serving plate. Arrange the tangerine sections on top and sprinkle with the cashews.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 2/3 cup salad
Calories 131
Protein 3 g
Total Carbohydrate 13 g
Dietary Fiber 3 g
Sodium 184 mg
Total Fat 9 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Percent Calories from Fat 56%
Percent Calories from Protein 7%
Percent Calories from Carbohydrate 37%

eDiets reminded me of my favorite sandwich in the world.

They wrote:
Add some sprouts to your diet. All sprouts contain fiber, antioxidants and flavor. Broccoli sprouts, in particular, are a superfood because they contain a healthful nutrient called sulforaphan. Research shows this phytochemical to be a cancer-fighter. In addition to broccoli sprouts, alfalfa sprouts have good nutrition and are widely available. Throw some on your salad today.

My absolute favorite sandwich is avacado, tomato and sprouts with cream cheese on a whole grain bread. It is so yummy!