My First Attempt at Juicing

Posted in Clean Eating, Food, Health, Recipes by chicken nugget girl

I bought a bunch of produce on Sunday so I would be all set to experiment with my new juicer. Weirdly enough, buying a ridiculous amount of produce turned out to be cheaper than my usual trip to the grocery store ( when I buy Clif bars, Puffins, etc).

There’s a lot of research out there about the benefits of juicing. This article explains some of the basics. I also learned some tips – like to only drink juice that’s made fresh (if it’s not pasteurized) because otherwise gross bacteria can grow in it. You know OCD me is making my juice for lunch in the morning then, not the night before.

Hungry For Change suggests juicing as a method of cleansing our bodies, and a good way to get the nutrients that we don’t get from everyday meals.

I’m not going to do a cleanse, nor do I think I ever will. I like to chew, so I think a cleanse would turn me evil. I’m currently juicing as a supplement to my diet. It will be interesting to see if I feel a lot better and/or have more energy when I start to juice more and more!

My first attempt at juicing last night:

I based my juice on one of the recipes from Bess Be Fit’s cleanse and it was pretty darn good! The green apple seems to cancel out the kale-ness a bit. I think this juice tastes fresher than the Naked’s Green Machine.

It is surprising how much produce it takes to make about a cup of juice. I don’t mind it though, because that means my body gets that much more nutrients in comparison to eating them! I don’t think I could down that many veggies in one sitting in non-juice form.

Tell me everything you know about juicing!

Have you tried it? What are your favorite juicing recipes?

2May2013

Hungry For Change

Posted in Clean Eating, Food, Health by chicken nugget girl

A few weeks ago, my aunt asked me if I had seen the film Hungry For Change.

(source)

She was surprised when I said I hadn’t! That made me think – maybe I should start absorbing all the current commentaries on food philosophies (documentaries, books, etc.) since I ~~like to think I~~ am a food blogger.

The reason I’ve stayed away from some of these documentaries before is because I haven’t had the best experience with them.

When I watched Super Size Me (omg that was almost 10 years ago?) it actually made me want to go to McDonald’s. WTF is wrong with me.

(source)

Tuna and I watched Food Inc on Netflix about a year ago, and I was officially scarred for life. I couldn’t eat meat for weeks without cringing.

(source)

You get the picture. I don’t like any kind of media illustrations that focus on negativity surrounding food – or how stringently a particular person thinks we should consume it. Like diets swearing off carbs or fruit or something. Before, I’d rather just look the other way and eat my damn fruit.

Now I realize that the only way to be completely educated about food is to study these different philosophies and then make up my own mind how I want to eat in the way that I feel is best for me.

Anyway, here are some of the messages I took away from Hungry For Change. I’m definitely going to consider all of these things as I move forward in my healthy living journey.

Our bodies are starving for nutrition. America mostly consumes a diet based on high calories and low nutrition. This needs to be reversed! Hungry For Change says we are “overfed and starving to death.”

Our bodies are not designed for working under florescent lights in an office with absolutely no exercise. We’ve forgotten our instincts as natural human beings, and we need to go back to that version of health.

If you want good skin, you’ve got to eat healthy – it’s the last thing your body nourishes.

Stress = famine to your body. When you’re stressed, your body is trying to protect protect you by going in to fat storage mode. A good way to be less stressed is to sleep more.

We need to analyze why and how we eat. Where does the food come from? What went into the food in terms of attitude – are you eating out of boredom or because your body needs to be nourished?

You can watch Hungry For Change HERE!

Have you seen Hungry For Change or any other food related documentaries? What are your thoughts on them?

1May2013

Chocolate Protein Bars

Posted in Clean Eating, Food, Recipes, WIAW by chicken nugget girl

I can’t believe I haven’t shared this recipe with you yet. This was the first clean eating recipe I made last January, and it’s definitely a winner. Whenever I’m about to make these bars, and need the ingredients, I google my blog recipe page and realize – oh yeah, they’re not on here.

Well, now they are!

Jamie Eason’s recipes are the best. You can find the recipe for her pumpkin protein bars HERE.

I use an 8in x 8in glass Pyrex dish for this recipe.

Makes 16 bars.

Ingredients:

1 cup oat flour
2 scoops whey protein powder (I use chocolate)
3 tbsp baking cocoa
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ cup truvia or splenda
4 egg whites
6 oz apple sauce
4 oz water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a big bowl (oat flour, protein powder, cocoa, salt, baking powder) together in a large bowl.

Stir wet ingredients (sweetener, egg whites, apple sauce, water) in with the dry.

Spray cooking dish with a non-stick spray and add batter to dish.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

*****

I love to eat these as an afternoon or evening snack, and they really keep you full. Perf with some sliced strawberries [obsessed] or a glass of milk.

I think they expand in your stomach or something.

Thanks as always to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons for hosting What I Ate Wednesday!

24Apr2013

Apple Sauce Bread

Posted in Clean Eating, Food, Recipes, WIAW by chicken nugget girl

My mom made apple sauce bread for me for breakfast when I went to go visit her in Durham a few weeks ago.

I liked it so much that I asked her to send me the recipe!

I made a loaf last week to bring on our road trip, and we (several of us, ha) ate it all – it was nice to have a healthy snack with us on the road and in the hotel/s.

Ingredients:

1 cup apple sauce
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cup oats
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp chopped almonds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix wet ingredients together in a bowl, then add oats. Stir in remaining ingredients until mixed.

Top with chopped almonds and sprinkle with additional cinnamon.

Bake in a greased loaf pan (over a cookie sheet in case of drips) for about 50-55 minutes.

Thanks as always to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons for hosting What I Ate Wednesday!

17Apr2013

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Bark

Posted in Clean Eating, Food, Recipes, WIAW by chicken nugget girl

We could all use a little pick-me-up lately, and dark chocolate definitely works for me.

When I saw a recipe for dark chocolate pistachio bark in this month’s edition of Women’s Health Magazine, I knew it would be a great recipe to bring to book club.

This dark chocolate pistachio bark is the perfect combination of sweet and salty, making it a great snack.

Plus, it doesn’t hurt that it is ridiculously easy to make. Promise.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
1/2 shelled pistachios, chopped
pinch of salt

Directions:

Prep a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

Melt chocolate in the microwave for about 1 minute 40 seconds (take out and stir in 20 seconds increments).

Stir in chopped pistachios.

Spread out the mixture flat onto the baking sheet.

Sprinkle salt on the top of the flat mixture.

Place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.

Take out, break apart as desired.

Store bark in the freezer if serving in a few days. If serving that day or night, keep cool in the fridge until ready to serve.

Thanks as always to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons for hosting What I Ate Wednesday!

10Apr2013

Chicken and Orzo Soup (Slow Cooker)

Posted in Clean Eating, Food, Recipes, WIAW by chicken nugget girl

I already love my slow cooker. (Thanks, Dad!)

Crock-pots may perhaps be one of the best inventions ever. How did I not have one until now?

They are ridiculously easy to use since you just plop all of the ingredients into the pot and let it sit. Plus, when everything was cookin’ away, it made the apartment smell so good.

Here’s my first slow cooker experiment! I hope you like it as much as Tuna and I did.

We though it was delish and quite hearty. Too bad I discovered this recipe as soon as it is spring/summer!

Recipe adapted from 365 Days of Slow Cooking.

Makes 4-6 servings

Note: I used a 4 quart slow cooker size.

Ingredients:

3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup celery, diced
2 tbsp red onion
1 carrot, diced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp dried basil
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup orzo

Directions:

Dice veggies and cut up chicken breast into pieces.

Place chicken, chicken broth, celery, onion, carrot, tomato paste, tomatoes, garlic, basil, bay leaf, salt, and pepper into slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours.

Add in the orzo and cook on high for about 15-20 minutes.

*****

Thanks as always to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons for hosting WIAW!

9Apr2013

I Blew It

Posted in Clean Eating, Health, Run by chicken nugget girl

Welp, I blew it.

You guys know I took the two weeks after the Shamrock Half Marathon off of running.

But what you didn’t know is that I didn’t step foot in the gym once, and ate like complete shit. Half a pizza, a ridiculous amount of cookies, etc. Everything tasted really good, but my body wasn’t having it.

(source)

Not only did I feel like a beached whale, I was constantly tired and got a bunch of canker sores.

(source)

It seems I go all in or… to the opposite extreme when it comes to clean eating/exercising.

Not okay.

Lesson learned. I’m sorry, body!

I am not doing this again. Next time I finish a race, I’ll take a DAY or two off of working out, and eat ONE damn piece of cake, not three.

I really don’t want to have to keep starting over at a shitty fitness level every time I take a break after an event or race. Not that I’m training for a huge race right now, but we can all agree it’s never fun to lose your endurance. Building up those first few miles when you’re out of shape are not fun.

Last week I slowly started working out again.

Monday: 3 miles at the park

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday: My own personal spin class, arms, abs @ Crunch

Thursday: Yoga DVD

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 5 miles on the trail near Tuna’s

[With my sweet Shamrock running hat. Dorky? I don’t care. I love.]

Sunday: Hungover

This week I’m focusing on getting my act together re. eating clean. One step at a time.

I’m starting from square one (alright, maybe like square 3) but I’m going for it. Expect lots more miles and a bunch of fruit and veggies in the next few weeks.

Do you take breaks after races?

How do you stick to your diet? Do you ever cheat?

1Apr2013

Durham Farmers’ Market

Posted in Clean Eating, Food, Health, Travel by chicken nugget girl

This past weekend, I trained it down to North Carolina.

My mom recently moved to Durham, so I went to visit her for Easter weekend.

Durham is an old southern city built around tobacco production and is home to Duke University.

Now, Durham is ranked the “Foodiest Small Town in America,” and is full of trendy southern restaurants and food trucks. It also has a growing local food movement.

One of the first things we did while I was there was explore the Durham Farmers’ Market.

The Durham Farmers’ Market features all-local produce and goods from farms within 70 miles of the Durham city limits. Click here to see a few reasons why buying local is the way to go.

This weekend was the week before the main spring/summer season, so I figured there wouldn’t be too many vendors with fresh goods to sell.

Boy, was I wrong.

Even though it was a preview of the bigger farmers’ market in the weeks to come, there were tons of people there! My mom kept saying that it looked like a festival. It seems as though Durham’s foodies are an enthusiastic bunch.

67 vendors were busy selling items that they produced themselves.

There were so many vegetables for sale that I didn’t know what half of them were! See mystery vegetable number 1:

Each week, a local chef cooks in the center of the market, showing how to create dishes with ingredients that are in season.

Free range eggs for me, please!

Most farmers’ markets don’t just sell food – they sell other natural and organic items too, including soap, lip balm, clothing, etc.

I was loving the free samples!

Have you ever seen such a long line FOR KALE?

Not only is the produce at local farmers’ markets really good for you, it’s cheaper than grocery stores! (A common misconception).

Before this weekend, if you asked me what a pecan looked like still in it’s shell, I couldn’t tell you.

Pecans were everywhere in Durham. I think it’s a southern thing.

That’s not all. There was a whole second section of the farmers’ market: the food truck section.

I had to stop for some shaved ice from Sweet Water.

I sampled the pistachio flavor – look how green!

But I ended up choosing watermelon. Delish.

My mom’s bf went straight for the pretzel truck. The gouda pretzel was just about the best thing ever.

I’m really glad I got to experience the Durham Farmers’ Market because it reminded me of how good the food and produce is at farmers’ markets. It was the perfect inspiration to scope out the different ones around D.C. this spring and summer!

To find a local farmers’ market near you, go to: www.localharvest.org/

27Mar2013

Stove Popped Popcorn

Posted in Clean Eating, Food, How To, Recipes, WIAW by chicken nugget girl

I bought popcorn kernels a few weeks ago after I heard that stove popped popcorn is healthier than microwave popcorn [it doesn’t have added butter, etc].

The kernels were sittin’ up in the pantry for a while, so I almost forgot about them until I walked out of my room one day and Tuna had made some! He looked up how to make it on a blog.

Ingredients:

1 cup popcorn kernels
3 tbsp canola oil or vegetable oil
salt to taste

You’ll need: a large pot with a lid.

Directions:

Pour the kernels into the pot and add oil (don’t add the lid yet).

Turn the burner to medium-high.

Heat up for about 4 minutes. While it’s heating, shake the pot back and forth on the burner to distribute the heat evenly.

When the first kernel pops, put on the lid. Keep gently shaking the pot for another 3/4 minutes until the popping slows and stops.

Add some creative seasoning [suggestions, please!] and enjoy!

Thanks as always to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons for hosting What I Ate Wednesday!

13Mar2013

The Secrets of Weekly Food Prep

Posted in Clean Eating, Food, WIAW by chicken nugget girl

Before I started eating clean, I didn’t really spend too much time in the kitchen.

Now that I’ve learned a few of the basics of cooking, I realized that there is no reason to be intimidated by preparing food! Much of the preparation of healthy food doesn’t even involve any scary kitchen items [except a knife] since it’s all about fruits and veggies.

2013-02-04 23.08.57

When it comes to sticking to your eating plan, I think that the most important thing by far is to be prepared.

Be prepared, like a boy scout.

All hail my beloved personal sized cooler, originally purchased as storage for champagne at the annual field party in college.

If I’m outside of my apartment, you can probably find me with my black cooler at my side. I bring it to work, to Tuna’s, when I’m out doing errands – you name it.

If I’m hungry, I need to get food fast. And I’d prefer not to make an emergency fast food drive-thru run.

With healthy snacks or meals already in my cooler (and a Clif bar always in my purse), I never have to worry about finding myself stranded without food.

Unfortunately, it takes time to be prepared. Lots of time.

You have to plan, grocery shop, and prep your food.

Originally, I used to make my breakfast, lunch, and snacks to bring to work every night before bed. I spent each evening dreading the annoying chore.

One day, I had the brilliant idea – why not prep two days worth of meals?! It took pretty much the same amount of time, but I had one less night of prep work.

Finally, I realized I could prep all of my food for the week on Sundays. ~~Duh~~. Genius, huh?