Does eating healthy bring visions of endless salads with only a squeeze of lemon?  Dried out baked chicken breasts?  Bowls of bland steamed vegis’s?  BLEH!  That sounds too much like the dreaded D word…..Diet.  Banish these thoughts and do away with the D word.  We are going to eat healthy and enjoy it immensely.

I LOVE breakfast!   Don’t skip it because you will just set yourself up to eat more, later in the day.  My usual weekday breakfast is 1 slice of sprouted grain toast with a light smear of real butter, and an 80 calorie container of Greek yogurt, along with black coffee.  On the weekends, we have bigger breakfasts.  Omelets with fresh mushrooms and low fat or fat free cheese, turkey bacon, sprouted grain cinnamon raisin toast, and lots of coffee.  Cottage cheese and oat pancakes with fresh blueberries and sugar free syrup, or topped with warmed sugar free cherry pie filling along with turkey bacon.

I have at least 2 snacks a day, sometimes 3.  A handful of raw, unsalted almonds, fruit – seedless grapes are my favorite, string cheese, 80 calorie yogurt, maybe another piece of toast.  Popped sorghum, Google it.  Tastes exactly like popcorn.

Lunch is vegis left over from supper, some chicken, maybe a salad with quinoa and cold vegis tossed in. Homemade hummus with carrots or cucumbers and fruit. 

Supper is fish or chicken, we only have beef about twice a month.  Instead of rice, I use the very versatile grain, quinoa.  It can be used as a rice or potato substitute.  I use it in salads; it can be done as a savory or as a sweet, super high in amino acids and minerals. A complex carbohydrate, it is a seed that is harvested from a species of a plant called goosefoot. It is officially a seed and part of a group of pseudo cereals, making it neither a cereal nor a grain, and more closely related to spinach and beets than to cereals or grains.  It is cooked the same as rice.  Roasted vegetables are our favorite, Brussels sprouts, eggplant, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, squashes, even green beans.  Toss them with a little extra virgin olive oil, some herbs and spices, and a sprinkle of grated parm, roast at 450 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes. YUM!  I LOVE pizza and pasta, I have adapted ingredients so that I still enjoy eating them.  Pinterest is a goldmine of food ideas.  I make a pizza crust from riced cauliflower, shredded cheese, eggs, and Italian seasonings.  Bake it at 450 for about 20 minutes and top with turkey pepperoni, fresh mushrooms, chopped pepperoncini, drizzle some sauce over that, then a good sprinkle of cheese, pop back in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, VIOLA`!  Spaghetti?  Why sure!  There is a nifty little tool you can find just about anywhere, it looks like a really big pencil sharpener, just get 2 or 3 good sized zucchini and turn them into “noodles”.  Microwave for about 6 minutes, drain, top with your favorite sauce, NOT Alfredo!  Shave a little fresh parm on top and that is some good eating!

Some things I always keep in the cabinet are:

Fat free condensed soup, great for pouring over chicken and baking.

Low Sodium Chicken and Beef broth, great as a base for cooking beans, simmering vegis, and starting soups.

A large variety of dried and can beans.  Chilled, drained black beans added to kale salad makes a quick and hearty supper.  Pinto beans, broth, browned ground meat, low sodium chili seasoning, over quinoa, very tasty.

Quick Cook Oats, not just for breakfast, grind about ¼ cup up, add to meatloaf, better than bread crumbs.

Raw Almonds, my go to snack, chopped as a topping on vegis.

Almond milk, it’s low in fat, good on shredded wheat.  Shelf stable, refrigerate after opening.

Lots and lots of herbs and spices, flavor up that food, go easy on the salt though.

Fresh, unprocessed foods are more expensive, not going to lie to you.  But you will find that eating clean, virtually eliminates digestive problems, lowers allergy problems, increases your energy, and helps to lower your weight, which has all kinds of great benefits.  It’s a lifestyle, not a diet.  And you can indulge yourself with a bit of chocolate or a bite of cake now and then.  I promise you, you won’t feel deprived.  Stay healthy, my friends!