Healthful Eating on a Budget
Ok. It’s time to get real. Eating with health in mind is not cheap. It’s a great investment though. It’s important to remember that we can still eat healthy even when we are on a budget. Here are some tips (some may be harder to swallow than others). It also includes suggestions for cutting back in other areas. We need this at our house right now. It will give us time for more important things and help us live within our means. Check out this post by blogger Wellness Mama for some great tips for healthful eating and living on a bugdet. Healthful Eating on a Budget
Meatless Shepherd’s Pie
Meatless Shepherd’s Pie Its what’s for dinner at our house tonight. 1 hour start to finish. Recipe inspired by Martha Stewart Mashed Potatoes: 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes – washed 3 Tbsp butter (dairy or vegan) S & P to taste Filling: 1 med onion – diced 3 garlic cloves – minced 1.5 C brown lentils – rinsed and drained 4 C stock (veggie or chicken) 1 tsp dried thyme 10-oz bag mixed frozen veggies Preheat oven to 425*F Mashed potatoes: boil in water on stovetop until they easily slide off fork (20-30 min.), drain, mash with butter an add salt and pepper to taste. Filling: Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic in 1 tbsp avocado oil until caramelized (~5 min.) Add salt and pepper, lentils, stock, and thyme. Stir. Bring to low boil then decrease heat to simmer for 35 minutes or until lentils…
To Buy Organic or Not To Buy Organic
Pesticides are not good for you. I recommend organic produce whenever possible. However, organic produce can be expensive. Would you like a list of 12 fruits and vegetables you should ALWAYS buy organic (also known as The Dirty Dozen)? There’s also a list called The Clean Fifteen, which is a list of 15 fruits and vegetables that contain lower levels of pesticides when not organic. This should save you some money. We all know that money doesn’t grow on trees. If it did, would it be part of the 12 or the 15? 🙂 Thanks to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) for their work on this.
Cook Sunday for the Whole Week
Happy First Monday of 2016. We did some road tripping during the holiday and had time to talk about changes we would like to make in our routine. One of those changes involves food preparation. Once Monday hits, it seems like we are just running, running, running. I found this article from CleanEating.com that is similar to what my family is going to try. It involves prepping food during the weekend to help make food choices during the week easier and healthier (not to mention cheaper). Check it out!
Food as Nutrition & Tradition
Happy Monday everyone. Holiday parties are in full swing and we had our family party last night. It was a lot of fun and there was a lot of good home-made items. Food is not just about nutrition, it’s about a lot of things, including tradition and culture. I made this recipe from PCC to take along to the party and made sure to make enough to have plenty of leftovers for this busy, busy week ahead. It is nutritious and very tasty. I highly recommend it.
Wild Rice Chicken Soup and a Food Hug
The weather outside is frightful…This is in our pressure cooker right now. This is a slow cooker recipe from twopeasintheirpod.com, but I tweaked a few of the ingredients and adjusted it to work in our Instant Pot on the pressure cooker “Soup” setting so it will be ready for delivery on time and because I didn’t want to wake up at 3am to get it ready for the slow cooker setting. Someone we care very much about was in a fender bender this week and needs a little TLC and we are happy to give it. Was anyone else’s childhood filled with food as gestures of love? (That’s a whole different conversation 🙂
Busy Time Freezer Meals
This is a busy time of year for all of us. It seems like several of my friends are needing extra help due to new babies being born, unexpected surgeries, illnesses, etc. It’s at times like these that I like to offer to bring in a meal or two. Last night I made enchiladas and Spanish rice to bring to a friend in need. While I was at it, I made the identical meal for my family. There are several meals that are freezer-friendly and can be made in bulk. They sure do come in handy when times get busy and/or rough. Here’s a link from one of my favorite cookbook authors, Angela Liddon of the Oh She Glows blog. The meals are vegan and usually gluten free (she always gives a GF option). They are most definitely delicious, even for the non-vegan. If you want to add some healthy lean…
Keeping It Real – Cravings
It’s important to eat when you are hungry and be grateful that you have food to eat. It’s also important to listen to what your body needs. I came across this recipe that immediately spoke to my current cravings. Luckily it was full of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Take a look at this recipe: tropical quinoa pilaf with coconut, sweet potatoes and kale. I made it for my family later that night, hoping everyone would eat it – four and six year-olds can have over-discerning palletes. Here’s a phone pic of my home-made version minus red quinoa (because white was in the cupboard and red wasn’t) no macadamia nuts (family member with LEAP lab test sensitivity to macs), and we don’t have that amazing hand-carved wood spoon and pretty bowl and place setting. I also increased the sweet potatoes a bit because we love them. This is actually how we eat. This was actually what sounded good to…
Reset Button for your Diet
Need a “reset button” for your diet? This one is courtesy of OhSheGlows. It even comes with a shopping list. “As tasty as colorful” photo by Carlos Madrigal