food
-
My Favorite Healthy Breakfasts!
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? Not only is it the most important meal, it is my favorite meal to have. Having a good, hearty breakfast gives me the energy I need to get through my day. When I plan on having a good breakfast, it makes my mornings just a little more enjoyable. Below are some of the things that I have been loving to eat for my favorite meal of the day. Enjoy!
Scrambled eggs with spinach and a side of Ezekial bread
- This breakfast is very easy and fast. I take 3 eggs whisk them in a bowl and put them in a frying pan. I add a tiny bit of spinach and scramble that all together. On the side, I love having Ezekial bread with some sugar-free raspberry preserves. Ezekial bread is a bread made from whole grains that have been allowed to sprout.
“Jazzed” up oatmeal
- To me, oatmeal is just too plain for me to eat it by itself, and I know I am not alone on that thought. I love “jazzing” up my oatmeal to make it taste good, but still keeping it healthy. All I do is put 1 cup of plain rol
led oats in a bowl with about 1/4 cup of water. I microwave that for 2 minutes. I like my oatmeal a bit more “soupy” so I sometimes add a bit more water to mine when it comes out of the microwave. I add about 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp peanut butter, granola, and bananas. That is usually what I put in my oatmeal. Sometimes I add some dark chocolate chips as well as some fresh fruit and some almonds!
Avocado Toast
- This is exactly what it sounds like, toast with avocado on it! I take 2 pieces of Ezekiel bread and toast them. Once they’re toasted I spread a tiny bit of butter on them. I take a
n avocado and cut it in half, I take one of the halves and spread it out between the 2 slices. I season with some pink Himalayan salt and pepper. I usually don’t put anything else on the toast, but sometimes I will fry 2 eggs and put those on top of the toast. The other half of the avocado I put in the fridge for another day.
Avocado and egg burrito.
- This is something I like to make when I have a little more time on my hands. It doesn’t take that long but it takes a little more work than some of the breakfast listed above. I take some mushrooms, green peppers, and onions and fry those in a pan. I also scramble 2 eggs while the veggies are cooking. Once the veggies and eggs are finished, I take one whole grain tortilla and put the veggies, eggs and some avocado in the tortilla. I fold the tortilla in half and put it in our panini press. It will stay in the panini press for about 5 minutes or until there are nice grill marks on the tortilla. This is a great breakfast for on the go because you can wrap it up in tinfoil and eat in on the way to school, work or once you get to your destination.
-
Healthy – 3 Ingredient Pancakes
When I wanted to focus more on my diet and start eating healthier foods, breakfast was something I knew I would have a hard time with. I love chocolate chip pancakes, french toast, crepes, etc. I noticed these 3 ingredient pancakes floating around the internet and decided to try them out! All you need is banana, rolled oats, milk of choice OR eggs. I tried this recipe with almond milk and another batch including the eggs. Both options work really well and taste delicious. I chose to mention these 2 options in case someone wants a vegan choice and a choice for those who eat eggs and want to add some more protein to their breakfast. These delicious pancakes were super easy to make and are a great healthier alternative to regular pancakes using cheap ingredients!
Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup rolled oats
3 1/2 tbsp milk of choice (Only if using milk of choice instead of eggs)
OR
2 eggs (Only if using eggs instead of milk of choice)
Ground cinnamon (optional)
How To Make
Step 1 – In a small bowl mash up your 1 ripe banana.
Step 2 – Add your mashed banana and remaining ingredients in a blender
Step 3 – Blend your ingredients until a batter is formed and the banana is fully mixed in with the rest of the ingredients.
Step 4 – Heat a skillet or pan on medium heat and grease it very well, using butter/spray of choice or I personally like to use a bit of coconut oil.
Step 5 – Pour 1/3 cup of batter onto skillet/pan, using a measuring cup to ensure equal size and cooking time.
Step 6 – Allow the pancakes to cook until bubbles appear around the edges, then flip and cook until golden.
Topping options:
Berries of choice
Natural Peanut Butter
Sugar-free raspberry preserves
Maple Syrup – Maple syrup is very high in sugar but there are some maple syrups out there that are a bit better for you. Listed below are some healthy maple syrup options that I personally enjoy.
- Walden Farms Calorie Free Maple Syrup (Walmart)
- Simple Truth Organic Maple Syrup (Kroger)
- Archer Farms 100% Pure Maple Syrup (Target)
- Specialty Selected 100% Maple Syrup (Aldi)
-
Keto Diet – The latest Low Carb, High Fat Diet Fad
My older Sister, Emily, recently started a new diet, the ketogenic diet. I never heard of this in the past until she mentioned she was on it. Ever since she brought it up to me, I started noticing more people talking about it. So what exactly is this ketogenic diet? What do you eat? What does it do to your body? I wanted to know more about this new fad because how could a recent college graduate, who is paying off student loans be able to afford it? I decided to sit down with my older sister and ask her all things Keto!
Q: How did you learn about the Ketogenic diet?
A: When I was about 18 I did a low carb diet which worked really well, but once college came around I didn’t stick with it. But I have always known that a low carb diet worked well with my body when doing it correctly. I ultimately discovered the Keto diet while browsing social media.
Q: Did you like it at first?
A: Yes, it was very easy to adjust to. I never had any cravings for carb-loaded foods and it helped that I had a positive, excited mindset going into it. I knew what I was getting myself into since I’ve done a low carb diet in the past.
Q: What do your daily meals look like?
A: I start my day with breakfast which consists of a bulletproof coffee which contains coffee, 1 serving of MCT oil powder
, 1 serving of collagen peptides, 1 serving of coconut oil, 1 serving of kerry gold butter (grass fed butter), and sweetener.
My lunch is usually meat-based so its either pulled pork, brats, or meatballs with a side of starch free vegetables. After work, I head to the gym so I like to have my dinners consist of protein. For example, Tuesdays I make grass-fed beef tacos (without the shell obviously) with my homemade taco seasonings because the store bought taco seasonings have hidden sugars. I have another
side of starch free vegetables. The only thing I usually drink throughout the day is water. I try and have a gallon of water a day. Some nights I make myself some dessert. I have recently been making chia seed pudding for nights I’m craving something sweet.
Q: How are you able to afford this diet?
A: I have recently been starting to budget each month. I will take out my set budget for groceries in cash and only use that money for groceries so I do not have to use my debit card. I do the majority of my grocery shopping at Aldi, which is a global discount supermarket chain. I get the basic foods that I eat on a regular basis at Aldi like, grass-fed meat, vegetables,
almond milk, cheese. If I would go to let’s say, Pick n Save, my groceries would be almost double than what I spend at Aldi. I look for deals on things that are typically more expensive, like meat. If I do find a good deal I will stock up on that product and freeze what I don’t need at the time. I also do frozen vegetables rather than fresh vegetables so they last longer and are cheaper. To help save money, I go to Walmart and use their savings catcher on the Walmart app. I find different apps such as ibotta.Q: How has your support system helped you through this diet journey?
A: I have an account on Instagram where I post updates on my diet and my day to day life. So having a hugely supportive community on Instagram is amazing. Having a good connection with other Keto members gives me other ideas for recipes and wellness tips. My boyfriend Brad is a great support system, he even started eating healthier because of my lifestyle change. My sister’s friends love my Instagram account so that is a confidence booster as well.
Q: What tips do you have for people interested in this diet, but are a little skeptical?
A: Start small, start eliminating bread, carbs, sugars where you can. Do your research, there are a bunch of podcasts, youtube accounts, Instagram accounts that are all things, Keto. Everybody’s body is different, don’t get discouraged if it isn’t working. Listen to your body and try and focus on how you feel. If you feel like nothing is working or you are feeling worse, maybe it just isn’t the diet for you, and that’s okay!! What you eat is 70% of it and exercise is 30%. So working out will only help you during this. I don’t work out like crazy but being physical is going to help your body so much.
Follow Emily!!
-
Quick and Easy No-Bake Energy Balls Recipe
I swear by these quick and easy no-bake energy balls! I make them in the beginning of the week so I have them made for when I need a quick pick me up. They are so easy to make and taste amazing. You can even make them as a dessert they’re that good. I usually keep these in the fridge and put them in a container or plastic baggy to put in my backpack on long class days. These are a healthy protein packed snack that’s perfect for on the go.
The peanut butter is filled with healthy fats and fiber. Peanut butter is full of protein so it’ll give you that energy boost you need. The flax seeds will give you all the fiber you need to keep going throughout your day. I choose to put chia seeds in my energy balls because I usually have them around the kitchen. Chia seeds are rich in fiber, omega-3 fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals. So they fit perfectly with the rest of these ingredients.
Ingredients:
2/3 cups creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons Honey
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup flax seeds (ground is an option as well)
1/2 cup chia seeds (optional)
1 cup old fashioned oats
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir to combine. I usually place the bowl in the fridge for about 10 minutes before I start rolling them so it makes it easier.
- Roll into bite-sized balls (usually makes around 12-16). Keep in fridge for up to a week or so.
Original recipe from chefsavvy.com.