A Sweet Side

After about 2 weeks of living on my own post college, I finally realized why my mom would make chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese at least once a week for dinner.... it was easy and no one complained - a win-win situation for all.

So it was obvious after those two weeks of "whats for dinner" phone calls to my mom, that I needed my own chicken nugget and macaroni dinner for nights when I wanted to concentrate more on Seinfeld reruns than what I was going to cook for dinner.

While I still haven't nailed down an entire go-to meal, I did establish my go-to side dish: sweet potatoes. 

Easy. 

Healthy. 

Tasty. 

What more could you need?!

Well, besides an oven, some olive oil and spices... nothing!

Lets take a quick look at the nutrition profile of these orange spuds:

• high in Vitamin A
• high in beta-carotene
• good levels of Vitamin C
• 130 calories for a medium sized potato (roughly the size of a computer mouse)

Here's my go-to method on preparation:

• preheat your oven to 400 degrees
• cut potatoes into thin discs (the thinner the cut, the faster they bake)
• toss potato discs with some olive oil and any spice of your choice!
• I'm partial to my sweet tooth and usually use cinnamon on mine, but I've used garlic salt and have even seen people use cayenne pepper to give them a little kick
• spread evenly on baking sheet and bake in oven for about 20-25 minutes
• Allow for some cooling and enjoy your easy and healthy side!

Stay Healthy,

Brussel Sprouts

In effort to expand my vegetable repertoire past baby carrots and green peppers, I decided to go big and do up some brussel sprouts the other night. As many of you hopefully already know, brussel sprouts are considered a cruciferous vegetable. Cruciferous vegetables, for those of you who don't get the chance to watch the daytime doctor shows, are a highly nutritious, but overlooked group of vegetables that....

• support with detoxification of the liver and digestive tract
• protect against free radicals (unstable molecules that can cause cancer)
• support healthy eye function
• support immunity 
• support healthy blood and bones
• help maintain a healthy electrolyte balance within the body

You can find all of these important qualities in broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and bok choy......

Yes. That was my subtle way of politely telling you to eat your broccoli and brussel sprouts. File away all negative connotations about these cancer-fighting supermen and give them a second chance. 

Toss them with some olive oil and salt and pepper....

Throw some kale leaves into your morning shake....

Okay. Let's pause for a moment.

 I realize as much as I harp on how important these vegetables are, I know I can't force your taste buds to feel the same way - in these such cases, I strongly suggest looking into taking some sort of alternative way to get the benefits of these vegetables. 

Standard process offers awesome supplements called Cruciferous Complete or SP Green Food that combines all the benefits and nutrients of cruciferous vegetables in a tiny, boring tablet. Take them, take them, take them. Your body will eventually thank you - I promise. 

Stay healthy, stay positive,

Pumpkin Pie

Happy Friday everyone!

Today is my last day of the 21-day purification program which means, well... it means a couple different things:

    one: I drank over 42 shakes over the past few weeks            and...

    two: I finally get to enjoy my pre-run staple of peanut butter banana oatmeal

             

Okay, so I realize that the second statement has no value whatsoever to you guys, so lets get focused and concentrate on me drinking the 42 shakes - because not only is that a lot of shakes, but its also a lot of opportunities to play in the kitchen and play with my food...which led me to discover this little gem:

Pumpkin Pie Shake

- 2 scoops SP Complete

- half cup plain greek yogurt (1/2 cup water if on the purification program)

- half cup pumpkin

-1 banana

-pumpkin pie spice to taste

-splash of vanilla extract

Throw in a blender and enjoy!

have a happy and healthy weekend!

Welcome!

Hey guys! Welcome to Everyday Eating!

My hope with this blog is that is becomes your go-to tool when you need a quick and easy recipe, want to share your own recipes or experiences or even just need a motivational push in the right direction. I'm a firm believer that two heads are better than one, so please, if you have any suggestions, requests or topics you want more information on, do not hesitate to give me a shout.

So to jump right into things, I wanted to quickly share with you guys, the definitions of two familiar words that we see on an almost everyday basis and that are often misconstrued - diet and food. 

The word diet is usually always paired with thoughts of starvation, misery and deprivation however.... the true meaning of diet is: 

a regulated course of food and drink to promote health or for weight control, to eat according to prescribed rules, "a way of living"

Furthermore... the term food is often associated with a way to reward or treat yourself, or something you eat to get pleasure, when actually,  food means:

that which is eaten to sustain life, provide energy and promote the growth and repair of tissues, nourishment

Pretty interesting, huh? 

My challenge for you today, is to choose your food based on it's actual definition. Is that mid-afternoon Snickers bar sustaining your health? How about that all grapefruit diet? Is that a way of living?

Stay Healthy and Positive,