Category: healthy eating

February 25, 2013

Weekly Food Rundown

I am one of those people that can eat the same thing every day for five days. It makes prepping on Sunday for the week a whole lot easier. I try to plan what I’m going to have for the following week by Friday. That way, I can put together the grocery list for Hubster by Saturday (he does the grocery shopping. Whew!) and prepare everything on Sunday.

Here’s what’s in my lunch bag this week–all healthy and as “clean” as possible. I am participating in a health bet (more on that to come), so I have been making very health-conscious decisions about my weekly fare. Even more so than normal! Here’s what’s in my lunch bag for the week and the approximate calorie counts for how I prepared them:

Breakfast:

The Breakfast Cookie with coconut flakes and raisins from the Fitnessista
368 calories

Snack #1:

Cottage cheese with pineapple bits (1/2c and 1/4c respectively)
119 calories

Lunch:

Lentil meatloaf from SparkRecipes (with a few tweaks) + 1 banana
259 calories

Snack #2:

Chickpea broccoli salad with raisins from Eating Well
180 calories

It took me all of about 1 hour to prepare a week’s worth of food on Sunday night. That is a very short amount of time compared to the time it would take to prepare all these meals–or different meals–separately throughout the week. While working in the kitchen, I am always preparing multiple things at once. For example, while the lentils are simmering, I’m mixing up breakfast cookie batter ingredients. I also have a tendency to choose very easy recipes so I’m in and out of the kitchen as fast as possible. I’m a low-maintenance cooker–I like my food healthy, fast, easy and tasty. You know, no pressure.

The breakfast cookie is awesome because it tastes like an indulgence. And, because you prepare it the night before, you have zero to prep the next morning. This is good for me, because I’m always running perpetually late on weekday mornings. The breakfast cookie is actually my recipe for being on time. No joke!

I’m on a chickpea kick, so I googled “easy chickpea recipes” and came up with this whole chickpea slideshow on Eating Well. I chose a simple super nutrient-dense salad that tastes amazing. I would probably add chickpeas to anything. Well…except breakfast.

I also have a goal to incorporate more lentils into my diet since they’re amazing. I never had any growing up and only recently discovered their magic. I’ve been researching lentil recipes for awhile now in an attempt to add more lentils to my recipe library.

Dinner will depend upon my family. I have some healthy butternut squash mac ‘n cheese up my sleeve as well as mini whole wheat English muffin pizzas (DIY to come). By the way, no I am not a vegetarian, but I do try to eat as little red meat as possible and am willing trade meat for healthier vegetarian options sometimes.

Perhaps one day, I can build up a nice array of these meal plans to help you, my readers, create your own healthy weekly menus. Would you be interested?

How do you prepare for the week?

January 21, 2013

Documentary: Food Matters

Have you seen Food Matters on Netflix yet? If not, you need to check it out. It’s not one of those documentaries that shows the gory conditions of chicken farms or meat factories. It’s actually an encouraging documentary about how healing food is. I heard about this through a friend, and I can’t encourage you enough to watch it.

Source

We all know people who pop pills as soon as they’re diagnosed with something that they potentially have the ability to reverse. Instead of treating the root cause of the problem, they rely on medicine to fix it. How many more cases of diabetes or heart problems could we prevent if we all focused on good whole foods? This really hits me close to the heart. I want people to thrive, not just survive, trite as it may sound.

One tidbit I was shocked to learn was that huge doses of vitamin C were given to some cancer patients in a study and it helped! But the researchers were shunned from publishing their findings in any of the major publications. Even the information we get from rock-solid, research-based, scientific publications can be skewed. Wow!

I’m also enamored with the idea of eating as medicine. I’ve mentioned before that I’ve been sponging the material in this book. My mindset about food has completely changed since checking out The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth at the library. I mean, I knew fruits, vegetables and other whole foods were good for your body, but only in a really generalized sense. I would read about a vitamin or antioxidant here and there in an article, but never focused squarely on one food at a time, learning about all the healing properties that one cup of spinach or button mushrooms offer your body.

I highly suggest both of these resources, even just from the library. Check out the Food Matters website too. They have some really amazing resources on there. Happy researching!

January 6, 2013

Supreme 90Day Overview

Say hello to my newest secret workout weapon: Supreme90Day

I ordered it right after my favorite magazine touted it as comparable to P90X, something I’ve always wanted to try but was reluctant to spend so much cash on. Lo and behold, Supreme90Day is super inexpensive. In fact, you can sometimes find it at some Big Lots stores for like $4. People, that’s $4 for 10 workout DVDs. That’s 40 cents each! Oh yeah, baby!!! For the value of this system, that is one heckuva price.

Let’s get one thing straight. This system will bust your butt! In fact, if you don’t have a strength training base to build upon, you might not want to start this until you do. I am a serious exerciser, and this still caught me off guard. This is not for beginners.

From a person who thrives upon change when it comes to working out, this 90-day workout system is ideal because you’re doing something different every single day. This not only prevents me from getting bored but it keeps every one of my muscles guessing. I can already feel a change in my body. Carrying my son around doesn’t feel as hard but my abs definitely feel harder! Push ups get a little easier, dashing up the stairs isn’t as hard, and now some of my other workouts feel like child’s play.

I’m currently on Day 15 of the system, working on this in conjunction with the Tone It Up Love Your Body series. Whoa! I started at Day 1 (again!) toward the end of December because I had a looong Christmas vacation to get a strong start. In fact, a friend and I just decided to head to the gym on our lunch breaks and we do some of the S90D circuits there. I started jotting the workouts down as I was working through the DVDs, so I can do them anywhere and I won’t get off-track. Here’s a glimpse at the breakdown (most videos pack major power into just 30-40 minutes):

Chest and Back: lots of push up and plank-style variation exercises, presses and flyes.
Ultimate Ball: prepare to work your entire body on the fitness ball.
Tabata Inferno: prepare to sweat profusely! Each circuit is performed 8 times for 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest. Some of the moves are strength-based (thrusters, lunges, etc), but you use lighter weights so you can power through them fast.
Shoulders and Arms: you’ll be shaking when you’re done and won’t want to lift your arms. Lots of traditional and functional bicep, tricep and shoulder exercises.
Cardio Challenge: Another sweat-buster. And you won’t do the same exercises twice in this powerful workout. Mountain climbers, plank jacks and burpees, oh my!
Legs: All different variations of lunges and squats abound in this leg circuit.
Core Dynamics: Sure, you’ll work your core, but you’ll also work your entire body. Don’t plan on doing crunches, though. You’ll be put through lots of plank variations and other powerful core exercises.
Total Body: Uses some exercises from the other videos and some new exercises to hit every major and minor muscle group.
Back and Bis: Many variations of what you’d expect with bicep curls, rows, and such. Some of the variations you probably haven’t tried before. Also hits the lower back.
Chest, Shoulders and Tris: Again, many variations on exercises you know like kickbacks, push ups, flyes and such.

Every workout incorporates major core work. In fact, many of them feature a core circuit before getting into the regular workout. The pace is pretty fast though, which is good in a way because you’re burning extra calories along with your strength training. But it can be difficult to keep up with.

You *could* do all of the workouts without a ball, but not without hand weights. And as you progress, you’ll need heavier and heavier weights. Most of the time, Tom Holland shows you how to do the moves without the ball, but there are a few instances where he doesn’t. I would highly recommend a ball. You can get one pretty cheap at Walmart.

In addition to the workouts, the system comes with a complete 90-day nutrition plan written by Tosca Reno. Be prepared for tons of lean protein like eggs and grilled chicken and eating every few hours. I am actually following the Tone It Up nutrition plan right now, but in some ways the eating plans are similar. Both emphasize lean, clean and green foods and eating every few hours. For those of you that don’t know, Tosca Reno is the biggest public personality behind eating clean. If she wrote this plan, I put my trust in it. To me, it seems similar to a bodybuilding diet, which makes sense since Tosca Reno is a fitness competitor.

As long as I keep at it–and I plan to–I will continue to update you on my progress. If you’re interested in learning more, please feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to answer.

*Disclaimer: I have no affiliation whatsoever with anyone or any system mentioned in this post. Nor am I a fitness or health professional (yet!). This post reflects my own thoughts and observations.

January 4, 2013

Green Tea Health Tonic

When life hands you lemons, make some lemon-spiked green tea. Of course!

Seriously though, lemons help your body absorb much more of the antioxidant catechin found in green tea. Don’t take it from me, take it from this study done at Purdue. What do catechins do? They sweep away DNA-damaging free radicals, helping prevent cancer and the common cold.

Here’s a recipe for green tea with a health kick.

Green Tea Health Tonic:

1 cup brewed green tea
1 slice fresh lemon
1 tsp honey
1 dash cinnamon

You know what to do. Mix it all together. Well, you’ll probably want to squeeze out the lemon juice into the tea and discard. But you know that, right? I have plans to drink this regularly and especially when I start feeling under the weather.

Such a simple drink, but here’s the amazing health scoop:

Green Tea: you already know green tea is good for you. But check out this article that outlines just how good it could be for you.

Lemon: As stated above, absorbic acid (vitamin C) helps your body absorb significantly more catechins from tea. Vitamin C itself is very beneficial to your immune system. Lemon is also used as a detoxifying digestive aid and has antibacterial properties. Read more here.

Honey: has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It could also hamper the growth of food-borne pathogens. The darker the honey, the higher the antioxidant content. Honey soothing for coughs as well. Read more here.

Cinnamon: Could help regulate blood sugar levels and fight inflammation.

Did I ever tell you that my little 4-year-old son loves tea? In the winter, you’ll find us poring over the selection at the grocery store and trying new flavors each week. We have lots of fun with it.

We’re really digging tea at our house this season. What are your favorite flavors/brands?

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or doctor, just an average person trying to eat and drink better. I’m simply presenting information as I have researched it, from what I consider reputable sources. Consult a professional before making any dietary changes.

January 3, 2013

Tone It Up Plan and Love Your Body Update

I finally did it! After all the time I’ve known about Tone It Up and wondered about the Nutrition Plan, I finally bought it. It took the Cyber Monday deal they were offering (and some nicely-timed bonus money) to finally push me over the edge. I got a TIU hat, water bottle, journal, Beach Babe workout DVD, packet of PerfectFit and a TIU decal for ordering that day. You know me, I’m always searching for a good deal! But really, I’m so glad I finally did it. I didn’t quite know what I would be getting, but it’s well worth it.

First, with the wealth of health information and recipes out on the web, I didn’t think I really needed to spend a significant amount of cash on this plan. However, once I got the plan, it was much more helpful and organized than I could have probably mustered on my own. You are given plenty of recipes and meal options for all six “meals” of the day. Plus, the girls have certain food groups timed throughout the day for optimal metabolism-boosting and sports performance. Every new season brings along new updates to the plan–all included for free! It’s super exciting whenever a new update comes out.

The emphasis of the plan is on Lean, Green and Clean foods. In other words, “real” foods or the closest to nature-made foods as possible. So far, I’ve noticed that when I eat on this plan for a week and then indulge in “unreal” foods for one meal (i.e. taco or burger + cookie), I get a stomachache. I guess that could be a good incentive to keep eating as healthy as possible. This is how we should be eating all the time anyhow, so I don’t consider it a “diet” per se.

You can tell that Karena and Katrina put a ton of work and manpower in putting the plan together. Plus, once you’re part of the team, you’re really part of the team. There are so many special “members-only” perks and challenges that once you sign up, you finally feel like part of the TIU “in crowd.” I didn’t quite realize what I was missing until I went all-in.

This week kicks off the Love Your Body series and I’ve been doing everything they tell me to and then some. Here’s a breakdown of what we were supposed to do to prepare.

List 5 Things I Love About My Body

*I should’ve added: “Strong pain tolerance.” I am so thankful for that. This was a tough exercise to do. It was hard to come up with five things and it felt vain, but really, it’s good to be thankful for what our bodies can do. I guess I’m also thankful for strong lungs, powerful abs (my baby doctor almost didn’t make it in time), and a kick-a$$ immune system.

Fitness Goals for 2013

Whoa whoa, what’s that you see? Become a personal trainer? Yep, it’s on my list of things to do before I turn a certain age (ahem) in June. NASM it is! I’ll keep you posted. I guess since I’ve finally written it now, it must happen right? Good incentive.

Workouts so Far

Monday: Rest day

Tuesday: 40 minute Tabata Inferno on the Supreme90Day system + 20 minute barefoot treadmill run (we’ll talk more about this later).

Wednesday:

AM: 35 minute shoulders and arms on Supreme90Day
Lunch: 30 min brisk walk w/ friend
PM: 45 Cupid’s Cardio interval run on treadmill w/ friend.

Thursday:

AM: 40 minute Cardio on Supreme90Day + 1 mile walk to work (in 20-degree weather)
Lunch: 30 min brisk walk with mom and sis
PM: 1 mile walk home + TBD

I already have plans to go with another friend to the gym tomorrow (Friday) at lunch for strength training along with cardio in the morning.
Pre-planning + Recruiting Friends = Success.

How are you doing so far this year? What are you Fit Goals for 2013?

December 26, 2012

Super-Power Roasted Chickpea Salad

Take a whole bunch of amazingly vital nutrients and put them into a single dish and you might get something close to this Chickpea Salad. It’s chock-full of clean ingredients that boast healthy levels of vitamins and nutrients to help keep your body in tip-top shape.

According to a fun book* I got per request for Christmas, this is just a handful of the beautiful things that the ingredients could do for your body:

Garbanzo beans: Since chickpeas are a legume, they reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Their high fiber content makes them aces at slowing sugar absorption, reducing cholesterol levels, keeping you feeling full, and lowering colon cancer risk.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes cooked in oil are rich in lycopene, which means they provide some protection against certain cancers. Eating tomatoes with fat makes them more easily absorbed by the body. Tomatoes are also a good source of lutein, which is beneficial for the eyes in a number of ways. Not to mention all the vitamins that the red veggie offers.

Onions: Onions are a potent cancer-fighting food. Onions “contain a whole pharmacy of compounds with health benefits.” They are also antiinflammatory, antibiotic and antiviral in nature.

Button mushrooms: They are a nutrient powerhouse. Get the book. Read page 51 and start adding these mushrooms to your daily meals.

Spinach: A great source of vitamin K and calcium, which together help build strong bones. No wonder why Popeye popped those cans like a pill! It is also a great source of flavanoids, which are antiinflammatory and anticancer agents. It’s great for women because of its folic acid and iron content. There are too many benefits to list!

Olive Oil: The phenols in olive oil are powerful antioxidants. The oil may have a significant effect on lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of certain cancers.

Garlic: The medicinal qualities of garlic are astounding: “Garlic is lipid-lowering, antithrombotic, anti-blood coagulation, antihypertensive, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral and antiparasitic. In other words, it helps lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, helps prevent plaque, helps protect against cancer and even helps prevent the common cold. Garlic is nutritional gold.

This week, I needed to make a light lunch that I could easily grab and munch on in between holiday events and preparations. I’m off of work for the holidays, which means plenty of non-nutritious foods are always within easy reach. Putting this salad within easy reach instead gives me a healthy alternative. For me, Christmas lunch is a free-for-all. Not so the rest of the week.

Superpower Roasted Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c fresh sliced mushrooms
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 c fresh spinach
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

Drizzle olive oil in a saucepan. Heat the onions, garlic and spinach over medium heat until onions start to look translucent and the spinach wilts. Add the rest of the ingredients and roast for another 5 minutes or so. Enjoy the salad, warmed or chilled, for at least another four days.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or doctor, just an average person trying to eat better. I’m simply presenting information as I have researched it. Consult a professional before making any dietary changes.

August 29, 2012

Zucchini Pizza

How our countertop has looked all month

Last year, we had way too much zucchini. This year, we only had one plant, and we still have more zucchini than we quite know what to do with. So, we’re experimenting.

Besides slicing them up and putting them in eggs and making 11 batches zucchini brownies, we wanted to try some different ways of preparing the vitamin-loaded vegetable while we can, before they rot. Enter, mini pizzas:

Mini Zucchini Pizzas

Ingredients:
Large zucchini, cut into discs
Pizza sauce (or tomato sauce)
Shredded cheese of choice
Toppings of choice <–we chose spinach and mushrooms
Oregano and garlic to season, if desired

Spread a small spoonful of pizza sauce over each zucchini slice. Then, sprinkle a pinch of cheese on each. Finally, add your toppings. Cook in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until cheese melts. You can’t quite eat them like a slice of pizza as they’re still moist. Use a fork.

Next time I might try cooking them on a baking rack so they’re a little less floppy. So healthy! Enjoy!

August 25, 2012

Some Healthy Living Obsessions Lately

Lately, I’ve stumbled over some minefields of health and fitness information in my always-insatiable hunger for knowledge. I really will be a student for life, no doubt. Let me share some fun resources for all you other folks who love to learn baby learn:

1. OpenCourseware: The Psychology, Biology and Politics of Food course will have to have a whole dedicated blog post, but I’ve been fascinatingly listening in to Professor Brownell’s class about food. It’s really interesting to see how we’re influenced by keen marketing strategies and social constructs. I mean, we already know we are, but it’s interesting to hear about it more in depth and pinpoint it. This knowledge is really an invaluable tool. If we know when we’re being influenced, we have the capacity to disregard it.

2. Eat-Clean Diet®: Now I know this is no new thing, but I think that this “diet” really has lasting power. This is the only diet that intuitively makes the most sense to me, healthwise. It’s not even a “diet” per se, but more of a healthy way of approaching food in its most undiluted, unprocessed form. Sure, you could manage to eat your daily allotment of calories in sugary cereals and Hamburger Helper, but you won’t be doing your body any favors and you probably won’t even lose weight as easily. I feel like feeding your body the most nutrient-dense food is like feeding it a universal anti-any-illness pill. I think science would agree. Might I add: Tosca Reno is a role model worth emanating!

I’ve been eating as clean as I can lately, and man can I tell the difference! I ate a small McD’s fry one day and it actually made me ill after eating so healthfully. If that isn’t motivation enough…

Source: indg.ca via Krista on Pinterest

3. Healthiest Foods on Earth and Healthiest Meals on Earth: Keeping in the healthy eating vein (the area I admittedly need the most education in), I checked these two books out at the library. These books are just brim-full of food education. I will never look at a piece of broccoli the same again. When you know a food is actively fighting potential cancer cells, you sigh and rejoice a little when you eat it. And hey, whey protein is listed as one of the healthiest foods on Earth. See, it all came around full circle.

Just check out this one snipped from the book: “Recent human studies have indicated that as little as one carrot a day could possibly cut the rate of lung cancer in half” (p. 30). Just reading the section on mushrooms blew me away because of their effects on cancer. Shiitakes could lower blood cholesterol by as much as 45%!!!! Greens have a pharmacy of nutrients. Onions vs. Cancer. I’m all over that!!

4. I’ve mentioned my quest for an ExerciseTV replacement and I’m really happy to have found some exceptional resources. Livestrong Woman and Tone It Up make the transition oh-so-easy and fulfilling. Even though I miss the full-length workouts and variety on E-TV, these resources more than suffice. I will gladly follow the cues of Karena and Katrina and all the trainers on Livestrong.

Also, if you haven’t stumbled upon it yet, BodyRock is super-amazing when you’re feeling hardcore. The workouts are only around 12 minutes long (super do-able) and I imagine they feel a little bit like P90X routines. But they’re missing that $100+ price tag. They’re completely free! And of course, I’ve mentioned Cassey’s POPilates too. Big fan! Now, I’m all set.

Source: bodyrock.tv via Laura on Pinterest

Source: toneitup.com via Samara on Pinterest

Source: livestrong.com via Roo Epic on Pinterest

August 16, 2012

Garden Veg Risotto Boats

I really hope this health food kick that I’ve been on lately really lasts. I always strive to eat healthy, but sometimes I don’t have the wherewithal to make it happen. Something about fresh backyard garden ingredients, farmer’s market picks, a certain Clean Eating book, and the lightness of summer has been perpetuating good things in my life and body.

I’ve been trying more new-to-me foods and making good on my pre-summer goals. In addition to all those goodies I tried a few weeks ago, we can now add eggplant, quinoa, bok choy, Swiss chard, and romaine hearts to the list. I have tried those things before, but I have never made a concerted effort to actually source them from the grocery store/farmer’s market and cook them myself. However, I’m sure glad I did. Some things just make sense–like eating foods packed with nutrients.

Last week, I made an abbreviated version of a risotto and stuck in some veggies I had on-hand in my kitchen. Here’s what I did:

Garden Veg Risotto Boats

Ingredients:
2 c minute brown rice
2 c fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 can black beans
1 handful chopped zucchini
1-2 chopped garlic cloves
1 handful of quartered cherry tomatoes
soy sauce for seasoning
12 whole romaine leaves

Process:
Prepare the brown rice substituting chicken broth instead of the water indicated on the box. Towards the end of the cooking process, stir in your garden vegetables and rinsed black beans. Cook until the veggies heat through and the zucchini gets soft. Add a tablespoon of chicken broth here and there if it gets too dry.

Pretty scientific, huh? I’ve never been a good recipe follower and I encourage you to be the same way. Experiment with whatever veggies/legumes you have on-hand. Just use the abbreviated risotto base as a starting point. Basically, risotto is prepared by gradually stirring broth in as your brown rice is cooking, but I don’t have the patience for that.

I prepared two cups of rice, which was enough to feed me lunch for four days. Each day, I filled three whole romaine leaves with the risotto for lunch and squirted soy sauce over the top. They really do look like little boats, which makes them much more fun. I haven’t been this excited about lunch in a long time. All ingredients are either from my backyard or Aldi’s. Yep, I’m having a love affair with Aldi’s lately. Don’t tell anyone;)

July 20, 2012

Living in Food Heaven

Lately, I’ve been trying lots of new foods. I go in spurts of being apathetic about what I eat and being very intentional. Right now, I’m feeling intentional and excited about my food choices. Especially since pondering/writing about making food more fun.

My husband was away for a week for work recently, and to get myself excited about him being gone, I planned a week’s worth of healthy meals for my son and me. Everything had tomatoes in it because Hubster’s allergic (this was my only chance!) and everything was super-healthy (something Hubster resists). Suddenly, a week without him sounded fun. Sure, I missed him, but planning something I couldn’t do with him around made the week fun.

For the majority of the week, I used recipes from Self’s Drop10 plan. It cut out all the work of making my own menus. They used a lot of the same ingredients in the easy-to-make meals, making preparation easy. Plus, they built the menus around superfoods that have loads of health benefits, something that really motivated me.

Penne Margherita: onion, garlic, olive oil, grape tomatoes, edamame and penne

Sausage and Potato Skillet: red potato, onion, yellow pepper, pre-cooked sausage.

I printed the meals that I wanted to use, cut them out, and pieced them together on a clipboard that I hung in the kitchen.

While motivation was high, I decided to try out a few more health foods purported to make my body a lean, mean, disease-fighting machine. Here’s what I ended up trying:

1. Edamame: I had never really tried these pea-pod like legumes. But I’ll be keeping a regular supply of them in my freezer from now on. Yum! They’re easy to add to just about anything. They were in the Drop10 quesedillas even.

2. Sushi: I should’ve known I wouldn’t care for this. I am not a fish eater. Maybe my taste buds are really different than anyone else’s, but I just don’t have a taste for fish. I know all the health benefits of fish, so I have given them a shot again and again. But I even tried a non-meat version of sushi and wasn’t enthused. Oh well. I am still proud that I gave it my best shot. And I had a great time spending time with some girlfriends in a neat little local hotspot.

3. Seaweed: However, the sushi joint served a really good seaweed salad! It wasn’t all for naught! I remember tasting seaweed in grade school and thinking it was terrible. I turned another one of my perceptions around, and I love that!

4. Protein Powder: Every fitness website I frequent mentions protein powder. To me, protein powder seems like something a beefy guy who hangs out at GNC would use. However, I’ve been reading a lot about the health benefits of whey protein powder, so I thought, why not? Target even offers their own version. Hey, guess what? It’s pretty darn good. Especially mixed in oatmeal, pancake batter or prepared as a breakfast cookie.

5. Beets: I may have tried these before, but I never intentionally buy them. However, Peanut and I have made a Saturday morning farmer’s market ritual. For $1, how could I not give them a shot? First batch of beet chips? Eww. Second batch? Not so bad. A friend clued me in that they taste better peeled. Duh! I also tried the canned version recently and I could take them or leave them. However, they’re super-healthy, so I wouldn’t be completely adverse to mixing them in with other things.

6. Avocado: This was another take-it-or-leave-it experience. I think I need to learn more about preparing avocado. I’m willing to give it another shot for all this healthfulness. I sliced it up and made some little finger sandwiches with crackers, sliced tomato and feta. I could barely taste it. Only the texture was noticeable.

7. Chia seeds: I finally purchased a batch when I noticed a local store sold them in bulk. Yippee! They’re ok, it just takes a little getting used to the gel-like consistency they take on. Given their benefits, I have gladly mixed these into pancake batter, oatmeal, yogurt, etc. Definitely keeping these on-hand. Especially with not eating fish, I need to find new ways of getting Omega 3s.

I hope this has inspired you to experiment with some new-to-you foods. What have you tried that you didn’t like? What have you tried and thought “how have I lived without this all this time”?