It's about that time to start thinking about spring, summer, and fall veggies. Even though we have the wonders of freezing and refrigeration, food tastes best when you buy it locally and in season. Sure, blueberries are delicious in the wintertime (or anytime!), but their typical growing season is mid-May to September. This time of year, they're probably coming from somewhere in South America.
We're using these 7 weeks to be more mindful about what we eat - whole foods, no sugar, real ingredients - but where is the food coming from? One thing you should think about is joining a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). A CSA is "a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season."
Advantages for farmers:
- Get to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16 hour days in the field begin
- Receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm's cash flow
- Have an opportunity to get to know the people who eat the food they grow
Advantages for consumers:
- Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits
- Get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking
- Usually get to visit the farm at least once a season
- Find that kids typically favor food from "their" farm – even veggies they've never been known to eat
- Develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown
Check out this article from The Washington Post about area farmers markets as well as Local Harvest for information about how a CSA works and how to choose a CSA. Aside from cost, there are a number of things to consider - location, pick up day/time, season, additional items (fruit, herbs, eggs, etc) with/without an additional cost, organic, conventionally grown, etc.
Make a pro/con list to help you decide which CSA will fit your budget and lifestyle. Is organic really better if it's coming from Chile when you can get a similar non-organic (but no pesticides) item from Maryland?
Check out the Five Reasons to Go Seasonal on the Whole9 website. Included is a link to a Seasonal Produce Guide to help you choose in-season items as well as items that would be a good choice to buy organic.
Remember - good, better, best. Does it fit your budget and way of life? Do you notice a difference in how you feel when you eat certain foods.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
My paleo kitchen - video!
Can you spot the bad?
Here's a sneak peak into my kitchen. I'm working on a written description as well since I left out a few things (my oil cupboard!) and want to give a little more detail on what I buy, where I buy, what I cook, how often I cook, how messy my kitchen is, etc.
All in all, between two humans and a dog, 99% of our meals are cooked at home, and the cost to cook at home (Humans - 6 main meals; Dog - 2 meals) is about $4.00/meal. This doesn't include the occasional dog treat (1-2/day) or human snacks (2-3/day inc post workout).
Additionally, here's a link to a Google document with the information below the video as well as written description of what's in my kitchen.
Enjoy!
Where I shop
- Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market, Harris Teeter, Eastern Market, Safeway (sometimes). From April – October I participate in a CSA (community supported agriculture) and get most of my seasonal veggies (local – from within a 150 mile radius) from the stand. Also get some meat (ground buffalo) and veggies from a weekly farmer’s market in Penn Quarter from April – December. The buffalo are grass fed and free of hormones, antibiotics, or other growth stimulants.
How often I shop
- Once a week.
That often?!
- Yes. Fresh veggies don’t have a long shelf life and we eat a lot
What I buy
- Meats (cow, chicken, pig, fish), veggies, healthy fats, spices. I try to vary the meat so I’m not eating the same cut or making the same recipe every week. I try to have a couple recipes in mind so one recipe can act both dinner and lunch for the next day, or a roasted chicken can be picked over for a couple days as 1-2oz snacks.
Non-paleo foods in the house
- Jams/jellies – Family orchard in Michigan and I love to support them whenever in MI
- Chocolate treats – my better half finished a 30 day challenge and treated herself to some chocolate coconut things. Cruel. Also a bar of dark chocolate and some hot cocoa powder.
- Nuts – technically paleo friendly, but that bag of cashews didn’t last long after filming. If I’m hungry I can do some damage.
- Alcohol – liquor and wine. A mixed drink or glass of wine is nice from time to time, but it’s not a temptation during the challenge.
- Grains – rice, quinoa, cornmeal. Taking up shelf space.
Stew for the dog?
- Yes. He (barking in the background at 7:25) eats real food, too. It’s a mix of chicken thighs, mushrooms, squash, spinach, sweet potatoes, spices, etc. Basically whatever is on hand or whatever food might be on its last leg that we don’t want to eat. It changes week to week and he’s not picky. If we have time this goes in the crockpot overnight, but if we’re short on time it’s cooked on the stove stir-fry style. This is mixed with some grain-free dry food and he LOVES it. Also started giving him fish oil and he licks his bowl clean.
Here's a sneak peak into my kitchen. I'm working on a written description as well since I left out a few things (my oil cupboard!) and want to give a little more detail on what I buy, where I buy, what I cook, how often I cook, how messy my kitchen is, etc.
All in all, between two humans and a dog, 99% of our meals are cooked at home, and the cost to cook at home (Humans - 6 main meals; Dog - 2 meals) is about $4.00/meal. This doesn't include the occasional dog treat (1-2/day) or human snacks (2-3/day inc post workout).
Additionally, here's a link to a Google document with the information below the video as well as written description of what's in my kitchen.
Enjoy!
Where I shop
- Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market, Harris Teeter, Eastern Market, Safeway (sometimes). From April – October I participate in a CSA (community supported agriculture) and get most of my seasonal veggies (local – from within a 150 mile radius) from the stand. Also get some meat (ground buffalo) and veggies from a weekly farmer’s market in Penn Quarter from April – December. The buffalo are grass fed and free of hormones, antibiotics, or other growth stimulants.
How often I shop
- Once a week.
That often?!
- Yes. Fresh veggies don’t have a long shelf life and we eat a lot
What I buy
- Meats (cow, chicken, pig, fish), veggies, healthy fats, spices. I try to vary the meat so I’m not eating the same cut or making the same recipe every week. I try to have a couple recipes in mind so one recipe can act both dinner and lunch for the next day, or a roasted chicken can be picked over for a couple days as 1-2oz snacks.
Non-paleo foods in the house
- Jams/jellies – Family orchard in Michigan and I love to support them whenever in MI
- Chocolate treats – my better half finished a 30 day challenge and treated herself to some chocolate coconut things. Cruel. Also a bar of dark chocolate and some hot cocoa powder.
- Nuts – technically paleo friendly, but that bag of cashews didn’t last long after filming. If I’m hungry I can do some damage.
- Alcohol – liquor and wine. A mixed drink or glass of wine is nice from time to time, but it’s not a temptation during the challenge.
- Grains – rice, quinoa, cornmeal. Taking up shelf space.
Stew for the dog?
- Yes. He (barking in the background at 7:25) eats real food, too. It’s a mix of chicken thighs, mushrooms, squash, spinach, sweet potatoes, spices, etc. Basically whatever is on hand or whatever food might be on its last leg that we don’t want to eat. It changes week to week and he’s not picky. If we have time this goes in the crockpot overnight, but if we’re short on time it’s cooked on the stove stir-fry style. This is mixed with some grain-free dry food and he LOVES it. Also started giving him fish oil and he licks his bowl clean.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Pot luck dates
I'd like to have a paleo pot luck the week of March 7th to celebrate - not an end to the challenge, but to new life!
Before everyone goes off and adds beans to their turkey chili, cheese and buns to their hamburgers, and devours the entire case of Ben and Jerry's ice cream at Safeway, I'd like us to share and enjoy some food (paleo and paleo-fied) we made during the challenge, and discuss 'next steps'. If you don't think you can stick to eating paleo 100%, we can talk about what changes you can make to continue a modified paleo lifestyle, how to gradually add the 'banned' foods back into your daily eating routine, and how to look out for warning signs of "gut irritation" that you might not have noticed before.
Here's an example from last night. After completing the Whole 30 a few days ago, which is what I've modeled our challenge from, my girlfriend went and "enjoyed" a Milky Way milkshake from Good Stuff Eatery. Now, those things are very delicious, but if you've been away from sugar and milk and whatever other yummy goodness is in those things, you might be doing some heavy overloading to you digestive system. Needless to say, there was a serious belly ache afterwards, some late night Rolaids, and a 'quick trip' to the bathroom at some point today. I won't get into details about that (and I don't fully know them, and DO NOT want to know them in ANY sort of detail), so I will leave it at that. Let this be a warning!
It'll probably be a small gathering at my place, but I was thinking Saturday late afternoon. Other possible nights are Wednesday and Friday.
Let me know what works for you so we can try to get as many people together as possible.
Before everyone goes off and adds beans to their turkey chili, cheese and buns to their hamburgers, and devours the entire case of Ben and Jerry's ice cream at Safeway, I'd like us to share and enjoy some food (paleo and paleo-fied) we made during the challenge, and discuss 'next steps'. If you don't think you can stick to eating paleo 100%, we can talk about what changes you can make to continue a modified paleo lifestyle, how to gradually add the 'banned' foods back into your daily eating routine, and how to look out for warning signs of "gut irritation" that you might not have noticed before.
Here's an example from last night. After completing the Whole 30 a few days ago, which is what I've modeled our challenge from, my girlfriend went and "enjoyed" a Milky Way milkshake from Good Stuff Eatery. Now, those things are very delicious, but if you've been away from sugar and milk and whatever other yummy goodness is in those things, you might be doing some heavy overloading to you digestive system. Needless to say, there was a serious belly ache afterwards, some late night Rolaids, and a 'quick trip' to the bathroom at some point today. I won't get into details about that (and I don't fully know them, and DO NOT want to know them in ANY sort of detail), so I will leave it at that. Let this be a warning!
It'll probably be a small gathering at my place, but I was thinking Saturday late afternoon. Other possible nights are Wednesday and Friday.
Let me know what works for you so we can try to get as many people together as possible.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Peeking into my lunch bag
I pack a lunch 99% of the time during the work week. If I have nothing in the fridge or no time to cook up some chicken tenderloins before work, I'll go to Chop't and get a big ol' salad. Here's a look into my lunch bag.
Top left - Breakfast. Sometimes I'll pack it and take it with if I workout in the morning or am running late. Includes 3 whole eggs, 7 good size grape tomatoes, small onion, 5 baby zucchini chopped up, half a red pepper. Cooked in olive oil and topped with some basil and crushed red pepper flakes. Underneath are two strips of bacon. I usually have half an avocado this, but the EVOO it was cooked in is plenty for today.
Top right - Snacks. There are 6 baby zucchini in the bag (six were used in breakfast), a whole red pepper, small container of turkey breast (~2oz), and a vat of guacamole under the bag of peppers.
Bottom - Lunch - main course. Pork loin left over from dinner last night, and some brussels sprouts in balsamic vinegar with rosemary.
Bottom left - Lunch - appetizer. Salad. Contains about a cup of spinach, half a 'stalk' of romaine lettuce, a few grape tomatoes, maybe a 1/4c of sliced almonds, and about 1oz of turkey breast that was cooked up on Sunday.
Not pictured is my Nalgene bottle, a foil packet of tuna, and a bottle of olive oil that I keep at work. I try to drink at least 2 full bottles while at work, I keep the tuna just in case I'm hungry, and the EVOO is to add fat to anything I bring for lunch like a salad or veggies.
One thing I no longer keep in my drawer at work is a bag of almonds. It would not last a day or two. I'm trying to get away from constantly snacking, and it's too easy to do with almonds or other nuts.
Top left - Breakfast. Sometimes I'll pack it and take it with if I workout in the morning or am running late. Includes 3 whole eggs, 7 good size grape tomatoes, small onion, 5 baby zucchini chopped up, half a red pepper. Cooked in olive oil and topped with some basil and crushed red pepper flakes. Underneath are two strips of bacon. I usually have half an avocado this, but the EVOO it was cooked in is plenty for today.
Top right - Snacks. There are 6 baby zucchini in the bag (six were used in breakfast), a whole red pepper, small container of turkey breast (~2oz), and a vat of guacamole under the bag of peppers.
Bottom - Lunch - main course. Pork loin left over from dinner last night, and some brussels sprouts in balsamic vinegar with rosemary.
Bottom left - Lunch - appetizer. Salad. Contains about a cup of spinach, half a 'stalk' of romaine lettuce, a few grape tomatoes, maybe a 1/4c of sliced almonds, and about 1oz of turkey breast that was cooked up on Sunday.
Not pictured is my Nalgene bottle, a foil packet of tuna, and a bottle of olive oil that I keep at work. I try to drink at least 2 full bottles while at work, I keep the tuna just in case I'm hungry, and the EVOO is to add fat to anything I bring for lunch like a salad or veggies.
One thing I no longer keep in my drawer at work is a bag of almonds. It would not last a day or two. I'm trying to get away from constantly snacking, and it's too easy to do with almonds or other nuts.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Check out the blogroll and recipes (reviewed!)
If you haven't already, take a look at some of the websites I have linked on the right side of the blog. I'm not just posting random blogs that might have the word 'paleo' in them, but ones that I check out frequently, have good recipes, and have useful information.
For recipes, I go to The Foodee Project, Everyday Paleo, Health-Bent, and Jen's Gone Paleo.
For information, I go to Mark's Daily Apple, Robb Wolf (good podcast every Tues), and the Whole 9.
If you have a favorite that isn't listed, let me know and I'll include it. It's a great way to centralize the 'good' so you're not wandering around the internet.
Additionally, check out the recipe link to the right. Sure, there might only be a few recipes, but I've added recipes people have made, recipes that I like (and make often), and recipes that look good that I'm hoping you will try out.
If you're not sure about trying them out, here's my analysis on the ones that I've made.
- Breakfast Sausages- Doubled the recipe and used both 1lb each of the ground turkey and pork. Made w/o spice sage and it was a little too heavy on the thyme. Maybe the sage would've washed it out a little, but will make sure to use sage next time and/or cut back on the thyme. Don't flip them too early and get them nice and golden brown on both sides. Store in a container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or in a skillet. Good taste to them.
- Scrambled Eggs and Veggies - My staple just about every morning. I usually have half a pepper (red or green), whole squash (yellow or green), half an onion, a few grape tomatoes, and spices (basil or just 21 seasoning salute from TJ). A little EVOO in a skillet, add onions and then rest of veggies, then crack the eggs into the skillet and mix until cooked. Can use the hot pan to warm up the sausage patten when done w/ the eggs.
- Roasted chicken - Usually make this every week or every other week. It's super easy, but watch out for grease splatter; make sure the bird is nice and dry. Nice to have easy access to meat for lunches, salads, snack, etc.
- Butter chicken - I've made a version of this, but this recipe is very similar. The spices are a tad different, but the great thing about a recipe like this is that you use what's listed as a guide and adjust to what you have on hand and what you like.
- Spaghetti and meatballs - So easy and sooo good. I'm sure you could also make it with shrimp, but I've never tried that. Get a good size squash, maybe double the meat, and you'll have plenty of leftovers. Dried basil works well, too, but try it with fresh basil if you can get it.
- "Everything" Stew - I made this the other night and it worked well. I threw in what I had in the fridge and just guessed on the spices and it worked out nicely. A lot of times stews are 'trial and error' so make one that's your "own".
- Meatloaf - I like his music, too. I've made this a couple times and every time has been different - different combination of meat, different spices, and in the crock pot. Yes, the crock pot. The stove was smoking and everything was mixed, so I found some instructions online and followed it, and it turned out great. And all the times I've made it I save it to eat the next day. For some reason it tastes better chilled/reheated.
**Combine w/ the cauliflower mash.
- Pork loin - Even non-paleo Betsy can attest to the deliciousness of this recipe, or she was lying and being nice. I'm not a fan of mustard but liked this recipe. A must to use the fresh spices instead of dried.
-Lime Crusted Mahi Mahi - I'm making this tonight (assuming the stove won't smoke again), so I'll let you know how it turns out.
**Here's my review. "holy cow that's a lot of cumin!" My mouth was on fire and I had to drink coconut milk to douse the fire. Whew! I had a sweat 'stache and goatee going on. I still enjoyed it and ate everything, but had to chase each bite with a bite of acorn squash. Next time I might thin it out a tad more (even though it's a 'paste') or not spread it on as think. The mahi mahi was a great, mild fish. I'm looking for other recipes to make with it. It was easy to thaw (in the fridge all day) and took a total of 10 minutes under a low broiler.
- Cauliflower mash - Many variations of this recipe. I've made one that uses turmeric and EVOO (no coconut milk). A good side for any meat.
- Sweet potato rounds - I made these over the weekend (pictured in a previous post), and they turned out okay. Only seasoned one side a second time after putting them on the parchment paper, and sliced them a little too thin. And they only took 30 min, so check on them depending on the thin/thickness. Next time I'll slice them a little thicker and be sure to season both sides. I might try flipping them half way through.
(And if you've made (or made and submitted) a recipe, give me a short review I can include here so others have and idea of how it turned out and what changes they could/should make.)
So there is PLENTY you can make so you won't 1.) snack all day, 2.) starve to death.
Also, I'm planning to have a paleo potluck (location, time TBD) near the end of the challenge so we can share our recipes, maybe make some paleo-fied treats (pumpkin pie, 'meat candy', etc), and discuss ups and downs of the challenge. This would include changes to the program, how to adapt it to your everyday lifestyle, slowly adding back in 'bad' foods, etc.
And the video (and transcript) I said I'd be posting will be delayed until the weekend. I need to do a reshoot. Hold tight!
For recipes, I go to The Foodee Project, Everyday Paleo, Health-Bent, and Jen's Gone Paleo.
For information, I go to Mark's Daily Apple, Robb Wolf (good podcast every Tues), and the Whole 9.
If you have a favorite that isn't listed, let me know and I'll include it. It's a great way to centralize the 'good' so you're not wandering around the internet.
Additionally, check out the recipe link to the right. Sure, there might only be a few recipes, but I've added recipes people have made, recipes that I like (and make often), and recipes that look good that I'm hoping you will try out.
If you're not sure about trying them out, here's my analysis on the ones that I've made.
- Breakfast Sausages- Doubled the recipe and used both 1lb each of the ground turkey and pork. Made w/o spice sage and it was a little too heavy on the thyme. Maybe the sage would've washed it out a little, but will make sure to use sage next time and/or cut back on the thyme. Don't flip them too early and get them nice and golden brown on both sides. Store in a container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or in a skillet. Good taste to them.
- Scrambled Eggs and Veggies - My staple just about every morning. I usually have half a pepper (red or green), whole squash (yellow or green), half an onion, a few grape tomatoes, and spices (basil or just 21 seasoning salute from TJ). A little EVOO in a skillet, add onions and then rest of veggies, then crack the eggs into the skillet and mix until cooked. Can use the hot pan to warm up the sausage patten when done w/ the eggs.
- Roasted chicken - Usually make this every week or every other week. It's super easy, but watch out for grease splatter; make sure the bird is nice and dry. Nice to have easy access to meat for lunches, salads, snack, etc.
- Butter chicken - I've made a version of this, but this recipe is very similar. The spices are a tad different, but the great thing about a recipe like this is that you use what's listed as a guide and adjust to what you have on hand and what you like.
- Spaghetti and meatballs - So easy and sooo good. I'm sure you could also make it with shrimp, but I've never tried that. Get a good size squash, maybe double the meat, and you'll have plenty of leftovers. Dried basil works well, too, but try it with fresh basil if you can get it.
- "Everything" Stew - I made this the other night and it worked well. I threw in what I had in the fridge and just guessed on the spices and it worked out nicely. A lot of times stews are 'trial and error' so make one that's your "own".
- Meatloaf - I like his music, too. I've made this a couple times and every time has been different - different combination of meat, different spices, and in the crock pot. Yes, the crock pot. The stove was smoking and everything was mixed, so I found some instructions online and followed it, and it turned out great. And all the times I've made it I save it to eat the next day. For some reason it tastes better chilled/reheated.
**Combine w/ the cauliflower mash.
- Pork loin - Even non-paleo Betsy can attest to the deliciousness of this recipe, or she was lying and being nice. I'm not a fan of mustard but liked this recipe. A must to use the fresh spices instead of dried.
-Lime Crusted Mahi Mahi - I'm making this tonight (assuming the stove won't smoke again), so I'll let you know how it turns out.
**Here's my review. "holy cow that's a lot of cumin!" My mouth was on fire and I had to drink coconut milk to douse the fire. Whew! I had a sweat 'stache and goatee going on. I still enjoyed it and ate everything, but had to chase each bite with a bite of acorn squash. Next time I might thin it out a tad more (even though it's a 'paste') or not spread it on as think. The mahi mahi was a great, mild fish. I'm looking for other recipes to make with it. It was easy to thaw (in the fridge all day) and took a total of 10 minutes under a low broiler.
- Cauliflower mash - Many variations of this recipe. I've made one that uses turmeric and EVOO (no coconut milk). A good side for any meat.
- Sweet potato rounds - I made these over the weekend (pictured in a previous post), and they turned out okay. Only seasoned one side a second time after putting them on the parchment paper, and sliced them a little too thin. And they only took 30 min, so check on them depending on the thin/thickness. Next time I'll slice them a little thicker and be sure to season both sides. I might try flipping them half way through.
(And if you've made (or made and submitted) a recipe, give me a short review I can include here so others have and idea of how it turned out and what changes they could/should make.)
So there is PLENTY you can make so you won't 1.) snack all day, 2.) starve to death.
Also, I'm planning to have a paleo potluck (location, time TBD) near the end of the challenge so we can share our recipes, maybe make some paleo-fied treats (pumpkin pie, 'meat candy', etc), and discuss ups and downs of the challenge. This would include changes to the program, how to adapt it to your everyday lifestyle, slowly adding back in 'bad' foods, etc.
And the video (and transcript) I said I'd be posting will be delayed until the weekend. I need to do a reshoot. Hold tight!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Have your bacon and eat it too.
But this doesn't mean you can go hog wild! (yaaa! puns!)
When was the last time you heard or read about grass fed pigs? I'm waiting...
Been awhile? Ever? Probably not. Pigs are.. well, pigs, and eat just about anything - corn and soy included. So if we're limiting (nixing) the corn and soy we eat, we should probably be wary of what our food is eating.
So if you gave up bacon for the challenge, you can start eating it again.
HOWEVER!
Use what you've learned these first few weeks about reading labels and being aware of what's in the food you eat. Bacon DOES include some sugar in the curing process, so there will be sugar listed in the ingredients and possibly on the nutrition label as well. The *best* bacon I've seen so far is by Applegate Farms. I haven't tried it yet so I can't vouch for the taste, but what draws me to it is the lack of sugar in the nutritional label, it's from antibiotic free pork, and it's free of nitrites and preservatives. So if you can't find something that doesn't include sugar, look for something that is uncured, free of hormones, free of nitrates/nitrites, and free of preservatives. You can still find something delicious to eat, but don't go crazy.
Enjoy that bacon wrapped chicken breast, bacon wrapped scallops, bacon and brussels sprouts, or bacon explosion
PS - I will be enjoying a bacon explosion post-challenge.
When was the last time you heard or read about grass fed pigs? I'm waiting...
Been awhile? Ever? Probably not. Pigs are.. well, pigs, and eat just about anything - corn and soy included. So if we're limiting (nixing) the corn and soy we eat, we should probably be wary of what our food is eating.
So if you gave up bacon for the challenge, you can start eating it again.
HOWEVER!
Use what you've learned these first few weeks about reading labels and being aware of what's in the food you eat. Bacon DOES include some sugar in the curing process, so there will be sugar listed in the ingredients and possibly on the nutrition label as well. The *best* bacon I've seen so far is by Applegate Farms. I haven't tried it yet so I can't vouch for the taste, but what draws me to it is the lack of sugar in the nutritional label, it's from antibiotic free pork, and it's free of nitrites and preservatives. So if you can't find something that doesn't include sugar, look for something that is uncured, free of hormones, free of nitrates/nitrites, and free of preservatives. You can still find something delicious to eat, but don't go crazy.
Enjoy that bacon wrapped chicken breast, bacon wrapped scallops, bacon and brussels sprouts, or bacon explosion
PS - I will be enjoying a bacon explosion post-challenge.
Monday, February 7, 2011
How to fill your plate
I'm going to start this off by saying two words - EAT MORE.
You saw the pictures in my previous post of my Saturday breakfast and dinner, and I'm sure that is the equivalent of a day and a half worth of eating for some of you.
We've replaced grains and pasta with greens and other vegetables. And instead of 220 calories and 45g of carbs from 1c of cooked brown rice, we're trying to fill that 'calorie/carb deficit' with broccoli and kale. Sound impossible? It's not.
Remember, we're looking to remove sugar as our body's primary source of fuel, and start utilizing fat for fuel. Additionally, fat is not evil! Don't be afraid of full-fat coconut milk or a little extra dab of EVOO. It's not the 1990's and Snackwell's aren't on the shelves anymore (or are they??). We are eating real food... real, delicious food, that is full of vitamins and minerals and everything that is good for you. Nothing you are eating is bad. If we're going to use fat as fuel, you need to eat fat.
So now that that's out in the open, how do we eat to stay full?
1. Focus on the Big 3 - BLD (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
**But I've been told to eat every 2-3 hours to keep my blood sugar levels up and metabolism in check??
MYTH - What causes those up/down crashes throughout the day? Sugar! We're eliminating sugar so we shouldn't have those highs and lows throughout the day. Hungry? Snickers bar (bad); veggies and guac (better); tuna and avocado with celery (best).
2. Start each meal with your protein, preferably from an animal source.
- How much? Palm size, which is roughly 3-4oz. Hungry? Eat more.
3. Fill up on veggies
- How much? How much can you stomach to eat?? Use 3c as a baseline.
**Now think about that cup of rice at 220 cal and 45g carbs. The equivalent (1c) in broccoli would be 85 cal and 9g carb ---> 5 cups of broccoli. How hungry are you?? So I think 3 a good place to start, but if you're hungry, enjoy your veggies. Skip over veggies like celery and ice burg lettuce as they have little nutritional value compared to that of kale or brussels sprouts.
4. Fat!
- Here's where fat is good for you. Fat helps keep you satiated. It's that 'full' feeling so you're not eating every 2-3 hours.
- How much? Shoot for 1-2T for oils, butters; handful (closed!) for nuts/seeds; and up to a full avocado.
What does that look like?
**Drawing is for sale.
My usual breakfast looks like this - whole green pepper, 1/4c onion, small yellow squash, handful of grape tomatoes scrambled with 3 eggs and half an avocado with some spices. It fills my entire plate and *usually* holds me over until lunch at noon. I could probably go for another egg and a little more avocado, but on most days this is plenty.
The point of paleo is to get away from 'grazing' throughout the day; mindless eating. Your meals should be satisfying so you're able to go 4-5 hours without eating. Yes, I still snack from time to time, but I'm really trying to get away from it. On most days I workout after work, so I have a late afternoon snack that's more like a pre-workout meal to make sure I have a little fuel in the tank.
This is a long process, folks, which is why it's a 7 week challenge and not some 'get slim quick' scam. We're going to have ups and downs, hunger pangs, headaches, restless nights, etc, but it comes with the territory. It's what happens when change happens. This is a HUGE shock to they system and the body needs time to adjust. So give it time.
You may/may not know that your body really doesn't tolerate dairy products, or that acid reflux (gone?) was a result of eating rice everyday. We won't know until we remove that 'stressor' from our diet. After the challenge you can gradually add foods back in to see if there are any adverse affects (Yes? No?) and hopefully be able to stay paleo 80/20% of the time. And use your spreadsheet and add notes so you have something to reference if you're having a rough day.
I'm hoping to have a video posted tomorrow and will continue to add pictures to the blog so you can see (and critique) what I eat. Keep checking the Recipe documents as at one new recipe is posted every day.
You saw the pictures in my previous post of my Saturday breakfast and dinner, and I'm sure that is the equivalent of a day and a half worth of eating for some of you.
We've replaced grains and pasta with greens and other vegetables. And instead of 220 calories and 45g of carbs from 1c of cooked brown rice, we're trying to fill that 'calorie/carb deficit' with broccoli and kale. Sound impossible? It's not.
Remember, we're looking to remove sugar as our body's primary source of fuel, and start utilizing fat for fuel. Additionally, fat is not evil! Don't be afraid of full-fat coconut milk or a little extra dab of EVOO. It's not the 1990's and Snackwell's aren't on the shelves anymore (or are they??). We are eating real food... real, delicious food, that is full of vitamins and minerals and everything that is good for you. Nothing you are eating is bad. If we're going to use fat as fuel, you need to eat fat.
So now that that's out in the open, how do we eat to stay full?
1. Focus on the Big 3 - BLD (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
**But I've been told to eat every 2-3 hours to keep my blood sugar levels up and metabolism in check??
MYTH - What causes those up/down crashes throughout the day? Sugar! We're eliminating sugar so we shouldn't have those highs and lows throughout the day. Hungry? Snickers bar (bad); veggies and guac (better); tuna and avocado with celery (best).
2. Start each meal with your protein, preferably from an animal source.
- How much? Palm size, which is roughly 3-4oz. Hungry? Eat more.
3. Fill up on veggies
- How much? How much can you stomach to eat?? Use 3c as a baseline.
**Now think about that cup of rice at 220 cal and 45g carbs. The equivalent (1c) in broccoli would be 85 cal and 9g carb ---> 5 cups of broccoli. How hungry are you?? So I think 3 a good place to start, but if you're hungry, enjoy your veggies. Skip over veggies like celery and ice burg lettuce as they have little nutritional value compared to that of kale or brussels sprouts.
4. Fat!
- Here's where fat is good for you. Fat helps keep you satiated. It's that 'full' feeling so you're not eating every 2-3 hours.
- How much? Shoot for 1-2T for oils, butters; handful (closed!) for nuts/seeds; and up to a full avocado.
What does that look like?
**Drawing is for sale.
My usual breakfast looks like this - whole green pepper, 1/4c onion, small yellow squash, handful of grape tomatoes scrambled with 3 eggs and half an avocado with some spices. It fills my entire plate and *usually* holds me over until lunch at noon. I could probably go for another egg and a little more avocado, but on most days this is plenty.
The point of paleo is to get away from 'grazing' throughout the day; mindless eating. Your meals should be satisfying so you're able to go 4-5 hours without eating. Yes, I still snack from time to time, but I'm really trying to get away from it. On most days I workout after work, so I have a late afternoon snack that's more like a pre-workout meal to make sure I have a little fuel in the tank.
This is a long process, folks, which is why it's a 7 week challenge and not some 'get slim quick' scam. We're going to have ups and downs, hunger pangs, headaches, restless nights, etc, but it comes with the territory. It's what happens when change happens. This is a HUGE shock to they system and the body needs time to adjust. So give it time.
You may/may not know that your body really doesn't tolerate dairy products, or that acid reflux (gone?) was a result of eating rice everyday. We won't know until we remove that 'stressor' from our diet. After the challenge you can gradually add foods back in to see if there are any adverse affects (Yes? No?) and hopefully be able to stay paleo 80/20% of the time. And use your spreadsheet and add notes so you have something to reference if you're having a rough day.
I'm hoping to have a video posted tomorrow and will continue to add pictures to the blog so you can see (and critique) what I eat. Keep checking the Recipe documents as at one new recipe is posted every day.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
What's cooking?
I wanted to post a couple pictures showing what I ate today. It was a light day since I wasn't very hungry, I stayed busy, and I ate a couple big meals.
I slept in late and had 'brunch' at home.
Here we have about 5oz of steak that was broiled with some Everyday Seasoning (Trader Joe's) on it; a couple eggs scrambled with some mushrooms and black olives seasoned with onion and garlic powered and black pepper; and a side of broccoli sprayed with olive oil and topped with lemon pepper seasoning. (This is K's plate. The only difference between hers and mine is that I had about 6oz of steak and two eggs over hard. I don't like olives or mushrooms. Blech!)
And for dinner we had some 'sliders' (ground buffalo, onions, Adobo seasoning) with romaine, tomatoes, and avocado. On the side had some sweet potato rounds (recipe linked on the website)
Obviously this was a super light day of eating for me, but I just wasn't hungry and stayed well hydrated. I'm not going to make up for it tomorrow by eating more, but by staying on schedule and eating when I'm hungry.
I slept in late and had 'brunch' at home.
Here we have about 5oz of steak that was broiled with some Everyday Seasoning (Trader Joe's) on it; a couple eggs scrambled with some mushrooms and black olives seasoned with onion and garlic powered and black pepper; and a side of broccoli sprayed with olive oil and topped with lemon pepper seasoning. (This is K's plate. The only difference between hers and mine is that I had about 6oz of steak and two eggs over hard. I don't like olives or mushrooms. Blech!)
And for dinner we had some 'sliders' (ground buffalo, onions, Adobo seasoning) with romaine, tomatoes, and avocado. On the side had some sweet potato rounds (recipe linked on the website)
Obviously this was a super light day of eating for me, but I just wasn't hungry and stayed well hydrated. I'm not going to make up for it tomorrow by eating more, but by staying on schedule and eating when I'm hungry.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Self assessment - time to retool the tool shed?
We're coming up on the end of two weeks, and it sounds like folks are struggling.
- Tired of eggs
- Don't know what to eat for breakfast
- Fine during the day but starving at night
- Running out of ideas for snacks
- I miss bacon!
We're working to remove one vice (ya!) of bagels, blocks of cheese, muffins, coworkers candy jar, rice, and sheet cake, but replaced it with another vice (boo!) - jars of almond butter, bags of almonds, bags of baby carrots, or some type of dessert to satisfy our sweet tooth.
By doing that we're not making any gains. Remember, even though sugar might not be on the ingredients list on some products (almond butter, carrots, snap peas) - it's still in there!
Additionally, if you find yourself hitting the jar at nights end, do yourself a favor and get the jar out of the house. That isn't license to dive in knuckle deep! If you can't ration the nutty goodness, don't buy it anymore. And if you don't want to trash it, I can keep it in a lock box at my place. I have an open jar in the fridge but haven't hit it in a long time, so it's safe with me. I'm not going to assign penalties to nut butters, so you're on your own to police yourselves. However, if you have a goal to lose weight during this challenge, lay off the nuts and nut butters. Yes, they are a good source of fat, but just a smidgen on the tip of a spoon turns into half a jar in an instant and the next thing your know the jar looks like it just came out of a dishwasher, your spoon is bent, you've got a nut butter smile like Bozo painted on your face, and a belly like Norm from "Cheers". How did THAT happen?!?
So even though we're only 2 weeks into the challenge, let's use the weekend to take a look at our goals - are we losing weight, taking fish oil, getting enough sleep, eating enough protein, eating a variety of meats and veggies??
Go back to basics - meats and veggies, three square meals a day, stay hydrated, get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Your small meal post-workout (carb, protein, minimal fat) is a 'bonus' meal and it's not meant to replace your breakfast or dinner. It's a little something to help you recover faster and more efficiently. Cut back on snacking. If you find you need something to bridge the gap between the main meals, eat more at your main meals. I will venture to guess that you're not filling up on veggies. Not sure? Measure out 3 cups of cooked broccoli (or other favorite vegetable), drizzle it with EVOO, and have that with a side of meat. Full? Good.
And if you need to snack, make sure you have a protein and a fat. So you're on the right track with the almond butter, but add in a couple slices of turkey. Enjoy carrots and guac? That's cool, but get some roast beef in there, too. And that holds true for all meals and not just snacks - at least a protein and a fat.
Make sense? No? Quick lesson - when you eat the carrots and guac, you're ingesting sugar (carrot) and fat (guac). Your insulin is going up with the sugar, and you need the protein (from meat) to balance it out. The fat is there for energy. Remember, we're getting away from sugar as a fuel source and moving fat.
I have my vices, too, and my weakness is the Internet. Sounds creepy, but I need to get offline and get more zz's each night. I can also put away a bag of almonds or pistachios in no time, so I'm going to adjust things these next couple of weeks and really work on getting to bed at a decent hour. I'm also nixing nuts. I would like to lose some weight and a bag of almonds every 3 days isn't helping my waistline!
If you enjoy that paleo dessert before bed and you're looking to lose weight, maybe you should rethink that and go to bed a little hungry. I'm sure you'll be tired, headachy, and grouchy for a few days to a week, but it's your body going through sugar withdrawal again. You will survive!
I'm going to make some changes.. are you?
Email me recipes if you've got 'em. We're starting to get a small collection - some that people have tried and some I've found and thought looked good - so let me know what works/what doesn't, and I'll get your notes and ideas up there.
And keep an eye out on more posts and changes to come. Some good things in the works!
- Tired of eggs
- Don't know what to eat for breakfast
- Fine during the day but starving at night
- Running out of ideas for snacks
- I miss bacon!
We're working to remove one vice (ya!) of bagels, blocks of cheese, muffins, coworkers candy jar, rice, and sheet cake, but replaced it with another vice (boo!) - jars of almond butter, bags of almonds, bags of baby carrots, or some type of dessert to satisfy our sweet tooth.
By doing that we're not making any gains. Remember, even though sugar might not be on the ingredients list on some products (almond butter, carrots, snap peas) - it's still in there!
Additionally, if you find yourself hitting the jar at nights end, do yourself a favor and get the jar out of the house. That isn't license to dive in knuckle deep! If you can't ration the nutty goodness, don't buy it anymore. And if you don't want to trash it, I can keep it in a lock box at my place. I have an open jar in the fridge but haven't hit it in a long time, so it's safe with me. I'm not going to assign penalties to nut butters, so you're on your own to police yourselves. However, if you have a goal to lose weight during this challenge, lay off the nuts and nut butters. Yes, they are a good source of fat, but just a smidgen on the tip of a spoon turns into half a jar in an instant and the next thing your know the jar looks like it just came out of a dishwasher, your spoon is bent, you've got a nut butter smile like Bozo painted on your face, and a belly like Norm from "Cheers". How did THAT happen?!?
So even though we're only 2 weeks into the challenge, let's use the weekend to take a look at our goals - are we losing weight, taking fish oil, getting enough sleep, eating enough protein, eating a variety of meats and veggies??
Go back to basics - meats and veggies, three square meals a day, stay hydrated, get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Your small meal post-workout (carb, protein, minimal fat) is a 'bonus' meal and it's not meant to replace your breakfast or dinner. It's a little something to help you recover faster and more efficiently. Cut back on snacking. If you find you need something to bridge the gap between the main meals, eat more at your main meals. I will venture to guess that you're not filling up on veggies. Not sure? Measure out 3 cups of cooked broccoli (or other favorite vegetable), drizzle it with EVOO, and have that with a side of meat. Full? Good.
And if you need to snack, make sure you have a protein and a fat. So you're on the right track with the almond butter, but add in a couple slices of turkey. Enjoy carrots and guac? That's cool, but get some roast beef in there, too. And that holds true for all meals and not just snacks - at least a protein and a fat.
Make sense? No? Quick lesson - when you eat the carrots and guac, you're ingesting sugar (carrot) and fat (guac). Your insulin is going up with the sugar, and you need the protein (from meat) to balance it out. The fat is there for energy. Remember, we're getting away from sugar as a fuel source and moving fat.
I have my vices, too, and my weakness is the Internet. Sounds creepy, but I need to get offline and get more zz's each night. I can also put away a bag of almonds or pistachios in no time, so I'm going to adjust things these next couple of weeks and really work on getting to bed at a decent hour. I'm also nixing nuts. I would like to lose some weight and a bag of almonds every 3 days isn't helping my waistline!
If you enjoy that paleo dessert before bed and you're looking to lose weight, maybe you should rethink that and go to bed a little hungry. I'm sure you'll be tired, headachy, and grouchy for a few days to a week, but it's your body going through sugar withdrawal again. You will survive!
I'm going to make some changes.. are you?
Email me recipes if you've got 'em. We're starting to get a small collection - some that people have tried and some I've found and thought looked good - so let me know what works/what doesn't, and I'll get your notes and ideas up there.
And keep an eye out on more posts and changes to come. Some good things in the works!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Kitchen essentials
It helps to have a variety of meats and veggies in your kitchen to choose from, but what can you use to make life in the kitchen a little easier? Here are a few things (in no particular order) that I've found to be help -
- A good set of knives - it makes chopping veggies easier if you don't have to 'saw' through them.
- Sharpening steel - can't afford new knives or aren't in the market for a new set? Invest in a good sharpening steel to keep your knives in tip-top shape.
- Food chopper - Check out the reviews before investing in one. Usually small and good for small jobs - single tomato, pepper, onion, garlic, etc. If you want something a little bigger, look into a..
- Mini-Prep Processor - Motorized, but still good for small jobs like veggies, fruit, etc. If you want to do MORE, check out..
- Food processor - Good for grinding almonds into almond meal or even for making your own almond butter, shredding vegetables, chopping onions, etc. Look for something with multiple blades/slicing disks, high power motor (if you want to do almonds), or smaller cup/bowl inserts to chop up smaller jobs. Very versatile.
- Multiple cutting boards - You're working with meat, poultry, veggies, etc. Don't mix their juices and keep them squeaky clean. Get something color coded so everything has their own mat - meat=red, poultry=yellow, and the rest is for the fruits and veggies.
- Meat thermometer - I prefer my food medium well. The less it moos, bleats, or clucks, the better. A digital thermometer is easy to read. Bonus if it has a 'how to' guide so you know when different meats are 'done' - ie med, med/well, well done, etc.
- Storage Containers - I don't have a preference to one brand or another, but if you like to cook large meals to have leftovers, and if (when!) you're taking your food to work with you, make sure it's sealed. Don't be that coworker that comes in Monday with a Lean Cuisine boxed meal for lunch every day of the week.
- "A Non-aerosol mister" - or just a Misto. Miss using Pam to coat your skillets? This is MUCH better. Fill it with your own EVOO (extra virg olive oil), pump, and spray. Now you're coating your pans with olive oil and no fillers or additives. A definite must have.
- Slow cooker - aka a Crock Pot. Throw in a hunk of meat, some water or broth, tons of veggies and some spices, and let it cook on low overnight or while you're at work. Good for roasts, stews, whole chickens, soups, etc. Set it and forget it!
- Non-stick pans - So much to choose from! 10" for skillets, 12" jumbo with high sides, etc.
- Spices! - Okay, so it's not a piece of equipment, but it will help keep you sane. Basil, oregano, salt, pepper, mustard, curry, turmeric, coriander, marjoram, thyme, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, lemon pepper, Rosemary, sage, cumin, cinnamon, dill, hot sauce etc. And if you can, get theme fresh. On anything that might be a mix (lemon pepper), check the label for any added sugar.
There is so much more to add!
- Garlic press
- Garlic peeler
- Dehydrator (jerky!)
- Salad spinner
- Grill - Indoor (George Foreman) or outdoor
I know I'm missing more. What's in your kitchen that's your 'go-to' item or something you use a lot?
Additions from the comments section
- Microwave steamer for veggies
- Mandolin - slicing veggies
- A good set of knives - it makes chopping veggies easier if you don't have to 'saw' through them.
- Sharpening steel - can't afford new knives or aren't in the market for a new set? Invest in a good sharpening steel to keep your knives in tip-top shape.
- Food chopper - Check out the reviews before investing in one. Usually small and good for small jobs - single tomato, pepper, onion, garlic, etc. If you want something a little bigger, look into a..
- Mini-Prep Processor - Motorized, but still good for small jobs like veggies, fruit, etc. If you want to do MORE, check out..
- Food processor - Good for grinding almonds into almond meal or even for making your own almond butter, shredding vegetables, chopping onions, etc. Look for something with multiple blades/slicing disks, high power motor (if you want to do almonds), or smaller cup/bowl inserts to chop up smaller jobs. Very versatile.
- Multiple cutting boards - You're working with meat, poultry, veggies, etc. Don't mix their juices and keep them squeaky clean. Get something color coded so everything has their own mat - meat=red, poultry=yellow, and the rest is for the fruits and veggies.
- Meat thermometer - I prefer my food medium well. The less it moos, bleats, or clucks, the better. A digital thermometer is easy to read. Bonus if it has a 'how to' guide so you know when different meats are 'done' - ie med, med/well, well done, etc.
- Storage Containers - I don't have a preference to one brand or another, but if you like to cook large meals to have leftovers, and if (when!) you're taking your food to work with you, make sure it's sealed. Don't be that coworker that comes in Monday with a Lean Cuisine boxed meal for lunch every day of the week.
- "A Non-aerosol mister" - or just a Misto. Miss using Pam to coat your skillets? This is MUCH better. Fill it with your own EVOO (extra virg olive oil), pump, and spray. Now you're coating your pans with olive oil and no fillers or additives. A definite must have.
- Slow cooker - aka a Crock Pot. Throw in a hunk of meat, some water or broth, tons of veggies and some spices, and let it cook on low overnight or while you're at work. Good for roasts, stews, whole chickens, soups, etc. Set it and forget it!
- Non-stick pans - So much to choose from! 10" for skillets, 12" jumbo with high sides, etc.
- Spices! - Okay, so it's not a piece of equipment, but it will help keep you sane. Basil, oregano, salt, pepper, mustard, curry, turmeric, coriander, marjoram, thyme, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, lemon pepper, Rosemary, sage, cumin, cinnamon, dill, hot sauce etc. And if you can, get theme fresh. On anything that might be a mix (lemon pepper), check the label for any added sugar.
There is so much more to add!
- Garlic press
- Garlic peeler
- Dehydrator (jerky!)
- Salad spinner
- Grill - Indoor (George Foreman) or outdoor
I know I'm missing more. What's in your kitchen that's your 'go-to' item or something you use a lot?
Additions from the comments section
- Microwave steamer for veggies
- Mandolin - slicing veggies
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Reading labels - nutritional information vs. ingredients - and sugar
"But there's sugar in my almond butter!"
First off, as nuts and seeds are allowed, so are nut and seed butter - almond butter, cashew butter, sunbutter, etc. Not peanut butter! Remember - peanuts are legumes. Keep the serving to about 1-2 thumb-sized portions because it's easy to go overboard with a spoon in hand. Been there, done that! (Hellooo empty jar!)
If you choose to enjoy a scoop of almond butter from time to time, be sure to check the label. What's in that jar? Does your almond butter contain just almonds, or is there oil and salt added? That is okay.
Your label might look like this
And even though there is sugar, that's okay. Why? Because the ingredients on the jar say "Dry Roasted Almonds". What doesn't the ingredients list include? Sugar! There might be sugar in the nutritional label, but we're interested in the Ingredients list.
If you were to look at the Ingredients list for an apple, it would say 'apple'. If you were to look at the nutritional information, it would look like this -
Sure, there's sugar listed, but that's because it occurs naturally in fruit and other foods. It's okay to eat, but in moderation since a medium apple still contains 19g of sugar. Fruit is nature's candy.
During the challenge, I have you limiting your fruit to < 3 servings a day. Stick to whole fruit, which is a good choice. A not-so-good choice is dried fruit, and fruit juice should be avoided completely. It's just a can of sugar even if it's natural sugar; it's nature's Coke and not a good thing to drink if you're trying to ween your body off sugar.
This isn't just for nut butters as sugar is added to almost everything - tomato sauce, soup (look out for wheat, too), sauces, spices, etc. Read your Ingredients list (there better not be any sugar listed!) and be mindful of the nutrition label.
First off, as nuts and seeds are allowed, so are nut and seed butter - almond butter, cashew butter, sunbutter, etc. Not peanut butter! Remember - peanuts are legumes. Keep the serving to about 1-2 thumb-sized portions because it's easy to go overboard with a spoon in hand. Been there, done that! (Hellooo empty jar!)
If you choose to enjoy a scoop of almond butter from time to time, be sure to check the label. What's in that jar? Does your almond butter contain just almonds, or is there oil and salt added? That is okay.
Your label might look like this
And even though there is sugar, that's okay. Why? Because the ingredients on the jar say "Dry Roasted Almonds". What doesn't the ingredients list include? Sugar! There might be sugar in the nutritional label, but we're interested in the Ingredients list.
If you were to look at the Ingredients list for an apple, it would say 'apple'. If you were to look at the nutritional information, it would look like this -
Sure, there's sugar listed, but that's because it occurs naturally in fruit and other foods. It's okay to eat, but in moderation since a medium apple still contains 19g of sugar. Fruit is nature's candy.
During the challenge, I have you limiting your fruit to < 3 servings a day. Stick to whole fruit, which is a good choice. A not-so-good choice is dried fruit, and fruit juice should be avoided completely. It's just a can of sugar even if it's natural sugar; it's nature's Coke and not a good thing to drink if you're trying to ween your body off sugar.
This isn't just for nut butters as sugar is added to almost everything - tomato sauce, soup (look out for wheat, too), sauces, spices, etc. Read your Ingredients list (there better not be any sugar listed!) and be mindful of the nutrition label.
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