Recipes

BREAKFAST RECIPES:


LUNCH AND DINNER RECIPES:

Eat all the veggies! 



So quick, so easy, so delicious!

Hearty and filling!

A powerhouse protein filled summer salad with quinoa AND kidney beans for protein.  Absolutely delicious!

Refreshing and Zesty....perfect for a backyard cookout!

Healthy and oh so delicious.  Perfect summer dinner. 
This recipe had my husband going back for THIRDS!

Recipe: Buffalo Quinoa with Tofu, Carrots and Cauliflower

Delicious spicy buffalo flavor that can't be beat.  Indulge in a healthier way!








Recipe: Spicy Black Quinoa Stew

Some nights are just too busy to make a big dinner.  This recipe is a hearty and delicious dinner that takes literally minutes to throw together.

Recipe: White Bean and Pumpkin Soup

A spicy, high protein, super food soup 

(souper easy!)

Recipe: Whole Wheat Vegetable Orzo

Recipe: Sunshine Burger on Ezekial Bread with Avocado, Sprouts, and Spicy Vegan Mayo


Recipe: Butternut Squash Risotto

DRINK RECIPES

Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Recipe: Green Power Smoothie! 

A delicious green smoothie feel of nutrients, fiber to keep you full, and taste delicious.  Seriously, even my two year old drinks them.

Recipe: Chocolate Mint Protein Smoothie (Vegan)


Recipe: Coconut Water Chia Fresca
Refreshing and hydrating.  Give it a try before you head out on a long run. 

SNACK RECIPES

Recipe: Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower "Wings"

A healthier (and kinder) alternative to the traditional wing.  Super yummy with a spicy kick, that will keep you coming back for more!



Recipe:  Crunchy Kale Chips  

They are deliciously crunchy, quick, easy, and good for you!  Did you know that Kale has more iron per calorie than beef?  Yup, it's true!

No Bake Chocolate Macaroons











Food Related Articles:



Yes, I am a Whole30 Drop Out. 











5 Easy Ways to Add More Vegetables to Your Diet

Background:  I wanted to have a section of my blog dedicated to recipes because I really feel that nutrition is important, that FOOD=FUEL.   I noticed a huge difference in my performance as an athlete when I began looking at food not as a reward, or pure enjoyment, but actual fuel to help me perform at my best.  Nutrient dense foods fuel the body much better than "fluff foods".
I had always been interested in nutrition, but I started really taking healthy eating seriously when I began to want to increase my running speed.  We've cut out almost all processed foods in our house.  I try to make as much as I can from scratch.  My husband and I just to be addicted to Diet Coke and now we never drink it.  We've instead substituted club soda and add a splash of grapefruit juice for flavor.  I became very wary of all the additives in processed foods and the fact that a lot of them have not been fully tested in terms of how they affect our bodies, let alone tested in conjunction with the others that you are ingesting simultaneously. 
In addition to cutting out processed foods, we also began to limit our intake of added sugars.  We would look at the labels and look at the sugar content.  Anything with high sugar, or added sugar was a no go.  We entirely get way too much sugar in our American diets. 
I've found one thing that really helps is just never to have the bad stuff in the house.  We don't have any junk food in our house and so when the snacking urge hits, there are fruits, cut up vegetables, nuts, etc to choose from.  After a while, things that I used to like (that were bad for me), I don't really have  desire for anymore. 
We have completely cut out meat in our diets as well.  I am a vegetarian that uses very little animal products.  I rarely eat cheese, eggs, dairy, etc and we don't buy them for our own kitchen.   My husband describes himself as a "meat minimalist".  He will indulge very rarely in a fish taco.  We do go out for sushi and there are a number of fish free rolls that we order.
I try to add in as many vegetables and "super foods" as I can through out the day because I feel this is also something lacking in the typical American diet.  Vegetables are chock full of nutrients and relatively low in calories, so they are a win win.  I try to sneak them in to anything that I happen to be making, soups, orzo, sandwiches, smoothies, etc.   I sprinkle chia seeds on top of my oatmeal and yogurt, add to smoothies,  and on top of other foods.
A huge motivator to me and something that I constantly think back to when making my food choices is the documentary, "Forks Over Knives" and "Hungry for Change".  If you haven't seen them yet, you should!  It is on netflix streaming, or you can borrow it from your local library. 

4 comments:

  1. This is great Colleen, thank you so very much for the recipes, and also the background as to why you are posting the healthy choices. We struggle so much with food choices in my house, as my husband can not eat turkey or chicken, but will not cut out meat. He "has" to have meat at dinner, and that's that :-P I would love to do some vegetarian dishes now and then, so I do for myself, but then have meat on the side for Hubby... I had been looking for a good Kale Chip recipe, because I really think my son would like them, so thank you for that!! I also want to try the "wings" :)

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  2. You are very welcome Sarah! Thanks for stopping by. More recipes to come. Maybe you could incorporate Meat Free Mondays at your house? And just that once a week encourage your husband to try a meat free to see that meals can be good even without meat in them :-)

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    1. I ended up talking to him about that last night, because he's been eating too much red meat lately, taking customers or vendors out for lunch, getting a burger, steak tips... *Sigh* I'll work on it ;) It helps that Jonathan has been around me more, as I stayed home with him for 3 years, so he loves fruits and veggies :D In his lunch bag, every day, I put at least 2 fruits and 1-2 veggies, and most of the time they are all gone... not always though... he is a kid after all, they tend to love something one day, and then won't touch it the next :-P Thank you again for your recipes, I'll be trying more for sure! Oh, and I just bought some Barley Grass Juice powder on Amazon today to try... I had tried Wheat Grass before, and didn't care for it... We'll see ;)

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  3. Got the Barley Grass Juice yesterday, and I added it to my vitamin drink I have every day (just a half teaspoon to start, as the bottle suggested that...) and it was really good!!! I am feeling good today, after a strong run this morning, and then eating healthier... I feel like I'm on the right track. Thank you for all of your suggestions on your blog and on FB, Colleen- you have really inspired me :)

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