Alternative Eats: French Fries vs. Sweet Potato Fries

There are tons of healthier alternatives for junk food turning up at the grocery store these days, you just have to know what they are.

Today’s alternative eat: Sweet Potato Fries

Which will win?

Left: Ore Ida Extra Crispy Fries ($3.50) 

Right: Alexia Sweet Potato Fries ($3.99)

4 Smoothie Recipes To Mix Up Your Routine

It's summertime and smoothies are the perfect healthy treat. This week a few of my co-workers and I hosted a smoothie bar at work where we crowd-tested 4 of our favorite recipes! Now I’m sharing them with you. Hopefully one of these will peak your taste buds and you can add it to your routine. Since going on my diet I've been drinking a smoothie/shake every morning as my breakfast. You can read more about that in my post here. 

Drinking your breakfast – Do meal replacement shakes work?

If you have been reading my blog you’re probably wondering “Does this girl eat breakfast?!”, because I haven’t posted a single breakfast recipe yet! I do love a good American breakfast of bacon and eggs and I will never say no to brunch, but since I started my diet earlier this year I have been making shakes and smoothies as my breakfast, (at least Monday-Friday). I thought this wouldn’t work for me at first. I mean seriously, I’m supposed to drink 16 oz of liquid and that is supposed to hold me over till lunch? Really? Yes, surprisingly this has turned into my routine and most days I’m alert and ready to take on the day when I take my last sip. I can’t lie, I usually supplement with a granola bar or small helping of veggies before lunch, but for the most part this has curbed my hunger in the morning and my stomach seems to agree, no more weird tummy grumbles mid-morning (common pre-diet after eating my old routine of yogurt and oatmeal!).

Anytime Lentil Stew - $$

I call this "anytime" stew for a couple reasons. For one, your can eat it as a snack, for lunch or dinner. Another is that the ingredients are not seasonal, (unless you are an overachiever and can your own tomatoes and grow kale) so you can make it anytime of the year. It looks like a bowl of mush at first but this dish is packed with flavor from the tomatoes, garlic and sautéed kale. 

Chicken, Spinach, Tomato, and Sun Dried Pesto Skillet with Pasta - $$

Do you like spinach? Do you like tomatoes? Then I think this dish will be a hit! This recipe shares similarities with Chicken Florentine but is dairy free! If you are looking for a hearty meal that doesn’t throw all your best intentions for healthy eating away, this dish is perfect, coming in at around 550 calories (counted courtesy of myfitnesspal.com).

Alternative Eats: Does Greek Yogurt Make Tuna Salad Taste Better?

This week I did a "Mayo Vs. Greek Yogurt Tuna Salad Experiment".

I've been seeing a lot of recipes lately for tuna salad made with Greek yogurt. Intriguing. Greek yogurt is either loved or hated in my observances. I like greek yogurt but the question remains - could tuna salad taste better with greek yogurt instead of mayo?  Will it make traditional tuna salad seem old and antiquated? I wanted to know for myself, so I did a test with a somewhat traditional tuna salad recipe: one batch using mayo and one using plain greek yogurt.

Red Roasted Cauliflower

Cauliflower is pretty bland by itself and gets overlooked against its competitors that are more tasty and colorful, but this recipe is full of flavor and gives it a nice red hue. This is the perfect side dish for chicken or fish. Sometimes I make this for a snack because it’s quick and little mess. I get stuck in a habit of only making broccoli and carrots, so this recipe is nice to mix it up. 

Asian Summer Slaw

This salad is packed with fresh veggies, nutrients and is sure to be a hit at the dinner table! Perfect for a summer barbecue or picnic with friends. The recipe makes a lot, (not my usual 1-2 serving size) but it keeps well in the fridge. I usually end up taking leftovers with me for lunch. If you take this to a barbecue I doubt you'll have that problem (it's bound to be a hit!).

Alternative Eats: BBQ Chips

There are tons of healthier alternatives for junk food turning up at the grocery store these days.

Today's alternative eat: Quinoa BBQ Chips

Simply 7 brand found at Giant Supermarket
$3.50

Simple Nature brand found at Aldi
$1.99

Reach for these quinoa based chips instead of the national brands next time you are in the store. Even if you don't like quinoa, I have a feeling you will like this new take on BBQ chips. They have plenty of flavor with a bit of a kick. Find them in the organic aisle at your grocery store or Aldi if you have one nearby (one of my favorite groceries).

The Reason I Started My Blog - Standard Process

I was ready for a life change. As you may have read on the “about” page, my doctor diagnosed me with a stomach ulcer and other GI issues so I knew it was time to take matters into my own hands. My half-hearted attempt at “watching what I ate” wasn’t working (eating a salad for lunch wasn’t enough). For a long time I thought my exercising would completely off-set any bad eating habits but it’s hard to have one and not the other and see results.

Standard Process Diet Day 2-7 (week one)

Once I got past the first couple days the diet started to get easier, and I fell into a rhythm preparing food and learning what worked for me. There were proud moments when I made delicious recipes I never thought possible, and some fails (all part of the learning experience, right?). One key tool to my diet was keeping a journal. I maintained a journal that I wrote what I ate and how I felt each day. I also kept a page for my measurements and weight, which I wrote down every week (not everyday or I may have wanted to give up).

Easy Garlic Hummus

Who doesn't love a good hummus! Unfortunately for me, I didn't make this until the very end of my diet. Organic fresh made hummus from Whole Foods was my splurge while on my Standard Process Diet - so I could have saved some $$ with this recipe. Hopefully you will! 

This healthy snack’s main ingredient - chickpeas, are full of protein, fiber and good-for-you carbs. Another plus, hummus won’t go bad for a while.  I keep mine for about a week and store in a glass bowl with a lid. 

Strawberry, Pear & Spinach Salad - with Blueberry Balsamic

 

This is a great summer salad because all the ingredients are in season (I usually try make this when I can score a sale on the berries). Enjoy the freshness and flavor of the berries, pear, spinach, dressing and the fullness of quinoa. Quick to prepare and eat on a hot day in the summer time. Also eye-catching, I love the bright colors of this salad which make it look even more appetizing! Enjoy!

Standard Process Diet - Day 1

Don't worry I'm not going to bore you with a post for every day of the diet but the first day was important.

The first day of the diet was exhausting to say the least (not going to sugar coat it). I would recommend starting the diet on a weekend or day you are not working/busy - unlike me. I started on a Monday morning. I spent the night before prepping food and planning my food list for the week. Also there were several grocery trips made to stock up on all of earth's goodies (I may have gone overboard).

Balsamic Grilled Veggie Sandwich

What happens in my kitchen with leftover rolls...

 

Shopping in the grocery store for one (sometimes two) I have no choice but to buy more than what I need of many things. One of them is hamburger rolls. Who needs 8 rolls when you are making dinner for two? A week ago I made a special BBQ pulled chicken dinner and of course there were leftover rolls. So I was determined to do something meatless and healthy with them the next day. Looking around my fridge I found some fresh mushrooms, spinach, roasted red peppers, pesto, and viola... I had one of my new favorite recipes!  In this case grilled really means pan because I don't have a grill.