Easy Low Calorie Meals & Snacks Part II

Here are a few more of my favorite easy meals and snacks. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be an elaborate science. Yes, it does take a little planning, or at least more planning than hitting up the drive-through for a McCoronary—but preparing your own food gives you many benefits, like:

-knowing everything that’s in it. No hidden ingredients! YOU get to control the amount of any ingredient, and even change it up a bit to scale down on sugar, or gluten, or sodium.

-feeling empowered. Your kitchen, your rules. And if whatever you made kicks major ass, you can take all the credit for it.

-continuing your knowledge about food and health. I’ve learned more about being healthy by cooking my own food, than by any other practice or research.

Here are some fun foods to try:

Black Beans & Brown Rice with Cilantro, Lime &Avocado—such a complete meal! Cilantro and lime make everything sparkle. I tend to make a big batch of brown rice, and Tupperware leftovers in the fridge forreally quick meal-making during the week. And FYI: avocados have fat, but the “good kind.” They will not make you fat; low-fat, sugar-free, fake food WILL.

Brown Rice with Sauteed Veggies & Sunflower Seeds—I take all the vegetables in my kitchen that are looking a little sad and will spoil in the next couple of days, and lightly sautee them in a splash of olive oil.If you’re using greens, add them last and just let them steam on top of the other vegetables. I just learned this little factoid, too: the longer yousautee or steam a vegetable, the more nutrients leach out and become unavailable to you (hence all the hype surrounding macrobiotic and raw diets),so it’s best to leave a little crunch. I am currently loving sunflower seeds mixed into my rice. Play with this dish! Don’t always use the same veggie medley, and mix up the seasonings. Rosemary is particularly wonderful; basil always keeps things fresh-tasting; Emeril’s Essence is good for garlic and spice; Spike seasoning makes it savory. I also love a sprinkle of Daiya vegan cheddar cheese, made with arrowroot instead of soy. It melts and (dare I sayit?) tastes just as good, if not better than, the real thing.

Wheat Berry Waldorf Salad—So yummy, especially after chilling in the fridge for a day! Mix 1 c. cooked wheat berries (and if you haven’t tried this delectable whole grain, do), 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard, 1 tsp.honey, 1 chopped apple, 1/3 c. Greek or soy plain yogurt, 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, and some raisins. I think I got this originally from the back of thewheat berry package. I use Nature’s Earthly Choice brand. You can also add celery, but truth be told, good old celery is the only vegetable I loathe.

Wheat Berry Chickpea Salad—mix a can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed) with a couple of cups of cooked wheat berries, and chopped zucchini, bell pepper, tomato, spinach and parsley. Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice. Add any crunchy veggies in your arsenal! Steamed pea pods or lightly cooked broccoli would do well.

Spicy Sweet Potato & Black Barley—I don’t remember whereI got the basis for this recipe, but I think it called for lentils. Black barley can be found in the freezer aisle of some healthier stores, like Anderson’s Market in Toledo, and probably Whole Foods, and it worked SO well that I’ve made this several times and batched it up into individual portions for work lunches. In a 400 degree oven, roast 3-6 cubed sweet potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, cumin, Spanish paprika, and sea salt, until they meet your level of done-ness (I like mine almost charred, but I’m weird like that).Mix with ¾ cup prepared black barley, or more if you desire—your kitchen, your rules! Add some red wine vinegar, and maybe some fat free feta if you’ve got it, and even some greens—arugula is especially wonderful. Seriously, I don’t know who wouldn’t love this dish! It's so savory; a must-try.

Marinated Olives—I did this when I had that annoying amount of olives left in the can after using about 10 for a recipe. Pour them into a container, add olive or grapeseed oil and any spices you care to use, put a lid on it, and shake. Then store them overnight in the fridge and let them soak up the flavor. I used garlic, sea salt, black pepper, oregano and thyme. These would be great served with crackers and cashew cheese.

Tomato, Avocado and Quinoa Salad with Cilantro-LimeDressing-- I threw this together about a week ago, and my husband just loved it.(See? Take stock of what you have in your kitchen, and just start throwing stuff together! Once you start cooking more, you learn what tastes good together, and you’ll be able to whip something up in no time. I used to think applesauce and cottage cheese were food groups, okay? Practice makes almost-perfect!) Chop up a few tomatoes (heirloom or beefsteak are incredible),red onion, and avocado. Stir in some cooked quinoa, and dress with fresh lemon and lime juices, a little olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh cilantro, and salt and pepper. Garlic would work, as well.

Cannellini Bean & Heirloom Tomato Panzanella—Another easy-peas ythrown-together dish that made several lunches! Throw one can of cannelli beans (drained and rinsed) into a large mixing bowl. Add chopped heirloom tomatoes, chopped cucumber, diced red onion, green olives, and any other light, refreshing vegetable you have on hand. Tear some chunks of sorta-stale whole wheat bread (the real kind, that you bake yourself or buy from a bakery—nothing pre-sliced!) or toast fresher bread, and then tear. Add the bread, and mix in a little olive oil and red wine vinegar, along with torn fresh basil, salt, pepper, and garlic. I know the whole soaked-bread thing seems kind of icky, but really it’swonderful, and the crustier the bread you use, the better it will hold up.

PB Banana Roll-Up—The quickest breakfast! Spread some nut butter on a whole wheat wrap, and envelop a whole banana in it! Instead of the wrap, you can also use big leaves of romaine lettuce. I also use a pinch of cinnamon.

As always, there are plenty more recipes where these camefrom. Ben’s loving my sudden cooking itch, and even told me, “You might deserve a brand new kitchen!” Of course, this massive project will be the last in our crazy reno-house, but nevertheless, I’m excited.

For another blog post: I’ve been officially vegan for six days, and am LOVING LOVING LOVING it! Me, the cheese queen, loving veganism—imagine. If anything, it’s made me more creative. I’ve come across no shortage ofyumminess, including Tempt hemp milk ice cream (yeah, not the healthiest of vegan fare, but OMG. Definitely good enough to keep me on track the rest of the time.)  I just feel better and brighter and more…clear, kind of. It’s hard to explain, but amazing.

And for another blog post: I’m already 26 weeks pregnant. It’s going so fast this time. Too fast. Ahhh!

And for aNOTHER blog post: I am renovating not only my house, but my life. Major life decisions are currently underway. Scary, but I am ready for my family to live an inspired, healthy, creative, productive life.The time will go by anyway. I’m gonna make it worthwhile. There! I wrote it, and it’s out there in the universe, and not only in my head where it can easilyget tromped on by the spiked stilettos of my every day routine. I am CHANGING MY LIFE.

Change yours, too! (Unless of course it’s already fabulous.) And start by eating healthy, because the cleaner you eat, the more energy you have for every other area of your life.

Lindsey.