Foods that Fit People Love

Some time ago I came across a SHAPE Magazine gallery that revealed 13 foods that fit people loved. If you have not seen this you can check it out here!

(pepper, spinach, avocado photo credits)

This inspired me to think back to my childhood (or just a couple of years ago) and how many foods I hated. I basically disliked anything that was healthy... I really did not like vegetables at all, with exceptions such as tomatoes(I don't care if its a fruit), bok choy, cauliflower, potatoes, and green beans. But all the nutrient rich vegetables, like broccoli, spinach, avocados(again with the fruit), beans, asparagus, bell peppers, eggplant, carrots, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and squash, I disliked. I also did not like nuts all that much (almonds, walnuts, etc. I did like cashews and peanuts, tho.)

However, I have came to like a lot of the foods that I would not even touch before if my parents had cooked them for dinner. I realized that learning about nutrition and health, as well as maturing into a sensible adult, really helped me to accept these foods into my diet. I did not even have to force myself to like fresh and nutritious food, fresh food is what it is, delicious, filling, and healthy! So without awareness, I fell in love with so many of the foods I used to hate! I can't even explain why!

I think this is the easiest way to become healthier and live a better life. It is not about starving yourself or eating foods that taste like sand, it is about loving what you eat. Fresh foods will give you tons of energy and make you feel like a different person! I swear! ;-) You can also surprisingly save money if you start buying fresh and spend less on pre-packaged foods!

I'm now going to share some foods(not all, I love pretty much everything) that I used to dislike but now love along with some tips and recipes to make them taste delicious! :-)

Almonds

Almonds are super foods that contains tons of healthy fats. Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats, the same type of health-promoting fats as are found in olive oil. However almonds, along with some other nuts, don't have that much flavor and they have that awkward hardness to it (What I used to think). Now I love it. Here are some ways to get some of the healthy nutrients that Almonds have to offer. I LOVE both. 

(Almond Milk) 

(Ways to eat Almond butter)

Asparagus   

I know how this would be not tasty, it has a strange crunch to it and has bit of that "hardcore plant" flavor (boy I am so good at explaining taste). But the key is to dress it up, literally. Here are some of my favorite ways to eat Asparagus.

(Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus SkinnyTaste) 

(Penne with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes Giada de-Laurentiis)

Beans

The first time that I actually liked black beans was when it was in a Chipotle Burrito Bowl. From then, *Poof*, I was obsessed. I love beans! I know that sometimes they can be starchy and bland, but they offer high quality protein as an alternatives to meat sources. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy beans, in a healthy way, of course.

(Quinoa Chili with Black Beans and Sweet Potatoes)

(Southwestern Black Bean Salad Skinny Taste)

Bell Peppers

I still think that bell peppers have a little bit of an acquired taste to them, but I am acquired to that taste now! I love bell peppers especially in salads and wraps. One exception, though, I only like my bell peppers cooked. And here are a couple of ways to cook them!

(Steak Fajitas The Meatwave)

(Grilled Vegetable Salad Cooking Light)

Broccoli 

Broccoli, a food that I still remember ever hating. It has more plant flavor than cauliflower and has more of a crunch to it when cooked. I believe that reason that I used to hate it it's because I never liked the way it was cooked and seasoned. But now I love broccoli, believe it or not I even crave it once in a while... The key is cook it until it is not hard and slightly tender and season it up with some big flavors!

( Broccoli with Shrimp The Wednesday Chef)

( Broccoli and Tofu Sitr-fry Eating Well)

Mushrooms

(photo) 

Oh mushrooms. I also remember hating this one. The texture and flavor is very unique among the other veggies. I really LOVE mushrooms love, especially in veggie burgers, grilled, and in pasta. If you don't like mushrooms, try it on pizza and pastas! They are great!

(Mushroom Risotto Skinny Taste) 

(Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps Skinny Taste)

Oatmeal

YUM-O. Oatmeal is one of my favorites, not just for breakfast, but anytime of the day! I know that I used to not like oatmeal because it really doesn't have any flavor... or texture. But with just a little sweetness and a little added touches, oatmeal could be delicious! Oatmeal is proven to be a help with weight-loss and to maintain a healthy heart. Here are some sweet and delicious, yet healthy ways to prepare oatmeal. (I love both ways!)

(Almond Joy Oatmeal) OBSESSED

(Choco-Banana "Monkey" Oatmeal)

Raisins

All I can say about raisins is that they are ridiculously addicting and delicious! I know that you either love this treat or hate its taste. I have stepped on to the "dark side" when I made vegan energy bites. Raisins are healthy but also dangerous. They offer great nutrition, but the downside is they are rather caloric. So limit your portions to just 1/4 cup!

(No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Chocolate covered Katie)

(More Raisin Ideas Here!)

Zucchini 

Zucchini is super low in calories while it contains towns of cholesterol lowering and cancer fighting nutrients. I like Zucchini personally because it is delicious! especially if its cheesy. It can even be used to make healthy desserts! What else could be better? Here are some of my favorite recipes.

(Pasta with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Creamy Lemon-Yogurt Sauce)

(Cheesy Zucchini Rice) 

(Low-Fat Brownies)

However...

I Still don't like carrots. I don't know why I can't stand them. The only way I will eat my carrots is if its in one of these...

Back on topic... 

Thanks for checking out this post! Have you ever had a change of heart on certain foods? Share along with some of your favorite recipes for your favorite healthy foods! 

Happy Friday!

-Grace

PS. Julia left today :-( But wish her all the best at Wellesley!

A Day of Healthy Eating

So, it's been a while....It's summer and Julia and I will be both starting college soon, so we thought we would visit this blog once more and see where things take us. We have been busy and will be even more busy later on so here is our chance! Please take a minute to tell us what you think of our posts if you can!


Anyways, back to today. Recently (or not too recently) I have been on this health kick (we both have). I
realized that I was not watching what I was eating and I was eating a lot more when I was bored than when I was actually hungry. My parents really liked buffets and you know how that goes. I love sweets and desserts, a little too much. I am not a very athletic person and I was wayyyy too out of shape! So I decided to make a change. In January of this year, I downloaded a fitness app for my iTouch, the very popular MyFitnessPal Calorie Counter.


iPad Version <--- Love it!


iPhone/iTouch Version

[Picture Taken From (Sample)]

I am still using this app today. I find this app so helpful in keeping track of what I eat, my workouts, and my goals. I know that many people suggest that counting calories may not be the best way, but it works for me! If you are looking for something to start off your goals, I really suggest this app. It is free on iTunes!

I would say I was not "fat" by any means before I started, but I was definitely not thin. I was still considered within a "healthy weight" for my height, but a little on the higher side. Since this January I have successfully lost about 10 pounds +/- here and there and have kept it off. It might not sound like a lot but it definitely made a huge difference in how I feel about myself and people definitely have noticed as well. I am still about 7 pounds away from my ultimate goal weight, but I know I will be able to achieve that if I keep pushing myself and keep making better choices!

I thought I would share what my day in terms of food would look like,

Breakfast:

I usually wake up at 7:30AM and have breakfast at around 7:45-8AM. This is what I had today!

Homemade Yogurt Parfait w/ Strawberries, Blueberries, and Homemade Granola 
There is not really a recipe for this, I kind just threw things together. Here are the exact measurements of the things I used:
1 Container of Hyvee Greek Non-fat Plain Yogurt (6oz)
3 medium sized Strawberries
1/4 cup Blueberries
1 Tablespoon of Homemade Granola (Based on this recipe but I changed it up a bit)

It was a light but protein and nutrients packed breakfast under 200 calories!

Workout:
After about an hour or a little more after breakfast (that would make it at around 9:15AM today) I do my exercises! Today was a cardio focused day so I did 70 minutes on the Elliptical trainer and about 10 minutes doing this ab workout twice.

Mid-Morning Snack:

At around 11:00AM or so, I was getting some cravings but it was a little early for lunch. I decided to have a kiwi. It was delicious!

Lunch:

At 12:15PM, I had my lunch. I had some left over Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili with some fresh avocados. It was very good and full of high quality protein (from the black beans and the white kidney beans and also the quinoa) and fat.

Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili

Adapted from Milk Free Mom
Makes 8 (heaping 1 cup) Servings

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion (I used a white onion)
5 Cloves Garlic (minced)
1 Can Tomato Paste (6oz)
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Oregano
1 14.5 oz can Black Beans
1 14.5 oz can Cannellini beans
1 32oz box Chicken Stock  (for vegan recipe use vegetable stock)
1 Medium sized Sweet Potato (Peeled and Cut into bite sized chunks)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Cup Dry Quinoa
Avocado for Topping (optional)

Heat the oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium high heat. When hot turn the heat down to medium and add onions, cook until soft and they start to turn brown (about 10 minutes). Add the garlic, and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the beans, stock, and slightly potatoes, and season with salt and pepper . Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the quinoa. Turn heat down to medium low and continue cooking for about 20-40 minutes (depending on stove top. I have an electric stove top and it took me around 35 minutes), stirring frequently, until quinoa and potatoes are cooked and the chili has thickened and the liquid has reduced. Add a bit of water if the chili becomes too thick for your liking. Serve with some chopped avocado pieces! 

I made this on Saturday and kept the left overs in the fridge. It is sooooo good, great even on the third day out of the microwave!

Afternoon Walk:
Because I had some extra time on my hands, I decided to go on an hour walk at a bike trail near my house. It was a beautiful day!

Afternoon Snack: 

At 4:00PM I got a little hungry so I had.....

Half a watermelon.....

Don't worry! It was a mini watermelon, so half I would say would be about 4 cups AT MOST. (I always like to count things on the larger side, prevent from actually over eating on the calories!)

Yum!

Dinner:

6:00PM, Time for dinner! (yay!)

Turkey BLT w/ Provolone Cheese 

(my own little delicious creation)Serves 1

2 Slices Whole Wheat Bread (I use the lower calorie kind, but make sure to use bread that is under 100                  calories a slice and that does not contain high fructose corn syrup!)
2 Slices Turkey Bacon (or more if you prefer)
1 Slice Reduced Fat Provolone Cheese
Onions (Personal Preference)
2 Slices Tomatoes
Green Lettuce (Personal Preference)

Other add ons could include:
Avocados
Cucumbers
Peppers
Basically anything you want. 

Cook the bacon first (However you want, I just cooked it over the stove and made it nice and when the outside crisps but not yet crispy. Then place bacon on bread, cover with the cheese slice. I placed some onion slices over the cheese and toasted the sandwich in a little toaster oven for 5 minutes. Top with lettuce and tomatoes (or other toppings) and the other piece of bread and enjoy! (I served mine with some Sriracha,  super tasty.)

You thought you had to give up everything...

Yup. Dessert. Chocolate to be exact. ;-)

I had extra calories left over today, so I decided to indulge in some dark and delicious chocolate. You don't have to give up everything to start eating healthy! A tip from SHAPE magazine said that you can have 200 calories each day devoted to something you love/crave. And that is exactly what I did today! :-) No guilt chocolate eating. 

Summary of Today: 

Calorie Summary:

Breakfast: 175 

Lunch: 321

Dinner: 237

Snacks: 202

Dessert: 200

Total: 1135

Calories Burned:
Cardio: approx. 678

Calories recorded are not 100% exact. I'd like to think that the percent error should be about +/- 10%. 

I promise, I'm not this good everyday... ;-) Or I would have reached my goal a long time ago...
But I enjoy being healthy most of the time. On a day like this I feel better about myself and the decisions that I made (I mean chocolate!) 

Make sure to eat close to 1000-1200 calories a day at least. Your body needs these calories to function and to do the things that you want it too (like lose weight). If not then your body actually can not become fit. 

and make sure to DRINK LOTS OF WATER as well. I always drink at least 2 liters of water per day. Keeps me hydrated and full :-)

I liked this. I shall do more of these posts in the future!

Have a great day!
-Grace

Chocolate French Macarons! [Recipe + Life Update]

College, Graduation, Spring, and Vacation Plannings, these past couple of months have really been lazily hectic. Although I am very excited and happy about life in general, I don't know If I will be ready for a huge change to come! College is right around the corner; I am currently in the middle of selecting "the one" from three possible options and I do not want to make a bad choice! I will for sure give an update once I am decided on my future~ Serious things aside, I am super delighted to feel the breezes of spring. Fashion, seasonal produce, and just the overall levity school has been feeling are all just some on the good things in life that I am very happy with.

Another thing that I have been especially pleased with was my macarons success! After buying a pound of almond meal for $10, I was determined to perfect the art of french macarons. All of you probably around know what french macarons are, but for those of you who do not, french macarons are meringue based cookies that are made of Almond flour and are common filled with buttercream, ganache, or jams.

However, attempts after attempts, I was not successful at creating these delicate treats! It is definitely a lot harder than it sounds in the recipe. But after four tries, I have finally mastered, well not quite, but finally created something that looks and tastes (I think, I've never actually had an actually macaron from a bakery) somewhat like a macaron!

Read more for the chocolate macaron recipe!

Baking Time: Holidays Treats Roundup

If there was anything I did more than breathing in the month of December, it was probably baking.

I baked several different recipes that were all very minimal work and super fun.

Here are the best treats that I made in December!

Cookies:

Chocolate-chip cookies

{read more for more!}

ღ Chocolate Chip Success ღ

Just recently, my family purchased a Kitchenaid Mixer. I am someone who absolutely loves to bake, so I was super excited when it arrived on Wednesday! I tried out the chocolate chip cookies recipe in the book that it came with, and it was the first batch of cookies I made that has ever been successful. I tried many times, but either it was too flat, too thick, too hard or even harder.

Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

2 Sticks Butter

1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla 

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Salt

3 Cups Flour

2 Cups (12oz) Chocolate Chips

Mix together the sugars, butter, eggs and vanilla on low to medium speed for about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and mix again on the same speed for another 30 seconds. (Time may vary). Then, on a stirring speed, add the dry ingredients (Baking soda, salt, flour) slowly. Mix for about 40 seconds. (Time may vary) Mix in chocolate chips, about 15 seconds. Place tsp size dough on greased cookie sheet (or parchment paper). Bake in 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Place on cooling rack immediately. 

(From Kitchenaid Recipe Book)

This time, it was indeed very delicious, not too hard and just the right texture of chewiness and crunchiness. It even looked appealing! I brought these delicious pieces of goodness to school today and shared it with my government class. Treats make everyone just that much happier! 

xoxo

-Grace