Favorite Food: Legumes

What are they: kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), soybeans (edamame), lentils and even green peas.

1. Legumes are high in Fiber

They have insoluble fibre which helps keep our bowels regular. They are also a good source of soluble fibre which can help lower LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol levels.

2. Macros:

Legumes are a good source of carbohydrate as well as protein, which makes them an affordable way to meet protein needs.  They also have a low Glycemic Index (GI), which means they are broken down slowly so you feel fuller for longer and they don’t cause a rapid rise in blood sugar, which makes them particularly good food for preventing and managing diabetes.

3. Micros:

• High in B-vitamins, phosphorous, and zinc
• Good source of folate
• Good source of antioxidants and phytonutrients

How I eat them:

Black-eyed pea salsa – with tortilla chips for a crunchy snack

Slow cooker Minestrone soup – great for a no fuss high veggie meal on a rainy day

Slow cooker Chili – throw it in, forget about it AND have leftovers!

Garbanzo beans on salad – easy peasy

Black bean brownies – you would never know they were in there!

Check out my Pinterest page for these recipes and more!

#WhatIEat3

First up: 5 mile run

Breakfast

Cold oatmeal with almond milk, hemp seed, chia seed, blueberries, sprinkle of cinnamon

I switch up my oatmeal to this cold version when the weather gets warmer. It’s really refreshing!

Sprouted sourdough toast with almond butter and ½ banana

3 egg whites

Latte with pea milk. Have you tried this new non dairy milk?!  It’s pretty thick so I use 1/2 as much as I usually would. A good source of calcium and protein!

Snack

Blueberries and raspberries

Lara Apple Pie Mini Bar

Lunch

Chicken bowl with leftover fajita chicken, rice, and a corn tortilla. This was leftover chicken fajitas from the night before. One of those easy one pan meals you bake in the oven! Similar to this one.

Raw veggies – peppers, carrots and pea pods

Snack

Smoothie with almond milk, frozen cherries and blueberries, and spinach.

Dinner after soccer practice

Hamburger with potato rounds and a salad. These potato rounds have been a hit lately in our house. Simply slice the potatoes, place on a non-stick pan, spray with olive oil, dash of salt and bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes or until desired doneness. I flip them about half way through.

Snack

Frozen peanut butter and banana bites

Have a great weekend!

Real Food Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are one of those old school recipes that are easy to make and can also be easily altered to make them a little healthier.  I love the below recipe inspired by 100 Days of Real Food.

Some diced veggies add an extra crunch and the sodium can be controlled when you add your own salt. I used a mixture of ground turkey and ground beef, but any ground meat would work great!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 pound ground meat
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pepper, to taste
• 1 can tomato sauce, plain, 15 ounce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper and carrot and cook until they begin to soften but not brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the ground meat and garlic, and cook while breaking up the meat with a spatula. Season with the salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the meat has browned all the way through. Drain the excess fat and discard.
3. Add the tomato sauce, chili powder, vinegar, mustard to the pan and simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm with whole-wheat buns and some yummy vegetables on the side. Enjoy!

Nutrient Breakdown: Vitamin D

(Repost from previous Real Spotlight)

Spring is here and I’m looking forward to getting more of this vitamin found in nature!

Vitamin D is known as the “sunshine vitamin” because your body can make it after sunlight hits your skin. You only need about 10-15 mins in the sun for your body to make vitamin D. (Note that people with dark skin don’t make vitamin D as easily as light-skinned people when exposed to sunlight.) In case you don’t get enough from the sun, it’s also found in egg yolk and some fish like salmon and sardines. It’s also fortified in milk, cheese, and yogurt. Some cereals and orange juices are fortified with Vitamin D as well.

Recommended intake for adults is 600 IU. Be aware that vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which means it is stored in your fat tissue. For this reason, it is possible to reach toxic limits if taken in excess.  Most doctors include a vitamin D test in routine lab work, so if you’re interested in knowing where you’re at, ask your doctor to order a lab test.

There are many reasons to be sure you are getting enough vitamin D. During cold and flu season, it’s ability to boost your immune system is key as it helps to fight off bacteria and viruses. Another main function of vitamin D has to do with bone health. Vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphorous and helps deposit these minerals in our bones. Other promising benefits include cancer prevention, and diabetes and high blood pressure management.

 

How do you fill your cup?

Life gets crazy sometimes and your routines get thrown for a loop. For a few months I tried to fit my previously uber consistent morning workout (read “me time”) into the day full of everyone else’s needs and wants. I will say I “got it done” for the most part, but didn’t find it as enjoyable as my morning wake up call.

I’m happy to say I’m back in the routine and looking forward to grinding it out early with my fellow early bird friends. That doesn’t mean getting up early has been easy, but once I get ME in first and I have the whole day for everyone and everything else, it makes me very happy! And that’s what it’s all about.