Two simple swaps for more real food

Over several years, I've slowly changed my lifestyle habits and moved myself more and more away from a heavy processed and convenience-food diet toward a very real food diet.

Some dietary changes happened quickly whereas other changes required a different appreciation and time to create new habits.

I really value what real food can do for a body, when it comes to health and performance so I've worked really hard over many years to make some swaps when it comes to incorporating more real food into my diet.

I'm not against processed food and don't cringe at the thought of "food" in a bag but I do believe that some foods, like well-fortified foods, help to keep people healthy in all parts of our world. And since I don't have an off-limit food list, I never feel guilty, anxious or remorseful if I eat something processed.

I have a most of the time diet and then there are foods that I eat some of the time/on occasion. The great thing is that neither one is a mass-marketed diet plan so I am able to eat intuitively and mindfully and it's up to me as to what I put inside my body and when.

And I ALWAYS feel great when I eat and even better after I eat.

One of the biggest lifestyle changes in adopting a more real food diet is breaking away from food that is bought or consumed out of convenience. Certainly, it is just as convenient to snack on a washed and chopped fresh fruit salad that you put together and stored in your fridge and combine with Greek Yogurt or a hardboiled egg, as it is to snack on chips, cookies and bars, but it takes a lifestyle change to make sure fruit is available. 

I really believe that something magical happens to the body when real food takes the main stage. With a more real food diet, there is flexibility so that no macronutrient (carbs, protein, fat) takes the center stage. I prioritize proteins and fats, alongside carbs that pack a lot of nutrient density and give me the energy I need to train consistently well. In my diet, plants certainly get the spotlight and I feel this approach is great for everyone to ensure that your body stays in great health with a variety of vitamins and minerals.

I would like to share two simple real food swaps that you can easily try-out next week. 

For lunch the other day, I had this beautiful stir-fry dish.
Would you believe that this dish only had 5 ingredients???
Mixed frozen veggies, cooked black rice, cooked jasmine rice and tempeh cooked in olive oil.

Instead of a fast-food sandwich or wrap, with the meat and veggies in the inside, let's turn that sandwich inside out and fill a bowl with lots of nutrient powerful ingredients and add a grain instead of the bread.
I'm not anti-sandwich but there is only so much "plants" that you could squeeze between two slices of bread.

This swap does mean you have to eat with a fork and not with your hands but perhaps this can be the start to a new lifestyle change of sitting down to eat - with utensils. And, if you have all these items prepared ahead of time, this dish takes less than 10 minutes to assemble and heat.

This real food swap is so simple.
Consider turning your favorite sandwich, wrap or pita inside out for a more plant-strong meal. 

Your goal is to combine lots of veggies, a grain/starch, a protein and a fat for a balanced meal. You can use any meat instead of tempeh and add any fat that you'd like inside of olive oil.

Ready for another swap?

Before an early evening workout this past week, I was in need of a snack. I had some cooked sweet potatoes in my fridge so I took a few out and drizzled them with a little honey and topped with a little butter and cinnamon. I then added a small handful peanuts for a delicious and nutritious pre-workout snack. 

Eating a granola bar or a sport bar didn't even come to mind as I had real food waiting for me for a yummy snack.

Ironically, as I was eating and thinking about the composition of this snack, it hit me that this pre-workout snack had almost the same calories, carbs, protein and fat as a sport bar! Plus, you save a wrapper by eating real food instead of a processed bar so it's great for the environment too.
WIN WIN.

1 sport bar - ~240 - 300 calories, 5-10g fat, 45-50g carbs, 5-15g protein

Real food swap:
1 cup sweet potato
1 tbsp honey (or 4 pitted dates)
10 peanuts
~240 calories, ~5g fat, ~43g carbs, ~5g protein

What real food swaps will you make next week?

Healthy, budget and kid friendly lunch ideas

 First off, a few yummy recent creations from my Facebook page that were enjoyed while working at Baptist Medical Center Beaches last week. Delicious fuel for my body and brain to help me be a great clinical RD to be patients.

                                                       Fruit salad oatmeal

Peaches

Strawberries
Blueberries
Apples
Walnuts and sunflower seeds
Oatmeal (1/2 cup dry)
Water (to meet consistency needs)
~10-15g protein (Whey protein - if I don't add it I'm hungry in an hour)
1 tbsp flax seeds
Cinnamon

        

Yogurt parfait

~4 ounces greek yogurt (Fage 0%)

Grapes
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Blueberries
Granola (a few spoonfuls)
Trail mix (w/ a few M&M's for to make my tummy smile)

I had so much fun on set of News4Jax yesterday, talking about my tips for planning healthy, budget-friendly lunches for kids with Melanie. Here are the two segments: 

Part 1 - Don't make it complicated and Dips

Part 2 - Un-sandwich and creating balanced lunch meals

Tempeh and black bean stir fry

Every time I work at Baptist Medical Center Beaches (where I work as a clinical dietitian, as needed), I bring my lunch.

I love it when people ask "what creation did you make today?" as it gives me great joy to share with others what I am enjoying. Maybe I smile too much when I eat?

Key word: ENJOY

Because I make my lunch the night before (typically leftovers), I am always so excited to see how it tastes the next day. I have yet to be disappointed and my meals leave me super satisfied because I am making meals that fit my needs. I am not out to impress others as to how "low carb, low fat, low calorie" I can eat for I don't believe a diet should be low in anything. Bad, off-limit, guilty....you won't find me ever saying those words when it comes to my diet or the food I am eating. I want a meal to leave me satisfied so that I have energy later in the day and to be productive, alert and so my mood stays happy all day. It's so much fun to describe the ingredients in my meal and of course, eat it w/ silverware rather than w/ my hands.

When I work w/ individuals who are trying to change dietary habits and feel the pressure to "give-in" as to what others are sharing/eating or feel like an outsider, I remind them to keep in mind that you have the ability to inspire others w/ your creations, so long as you trust yourself that what you are eating is working for you. Everyone is on his/her own journey but when it comes to food, it has to work for you to fit your lifestyle (and activity) needs.
No need to tell others that they need to eat like you but rather, inspire others to enjoy real food. I don't believe there is a perfect way to eat and certainly, some progress is better than no progress.

Whether you are making a 100% homemade creation, bringing mixed raw veggies to go along w/ a PB&J on whole grain bread or bringing a salad from home to enjoy w/ your lunchtime fast food hamburger, keep in mind that the foods you eat should make you feel better after you eat them, than before. Be proud of what you are eating...even when you indulge every now and again on those 'occasional' eats.

I think when people look at my creations at work, they think my recipes are complicated, time-consuming and difficult. If they only knew.....

 

I guess the hardest part is just taking the 10 minutes to get off the couch in the evening to make this for the next day. But I promise, the 10 minutes of your day spent in the kitchen to make a lunch, will be worth it when it comes to reaching health-related goals and of course, showing off your creation at work the next day. Oh and never forget leftovers - they make for a 5 minute prep for lunch!

 

Grilled tempeh (1 block tempeh, sliced into wedges. Cooked in a little olive oil on medium heat until golden).
Canned black beans (Rinsed well under cold water for a minute)
Frozen edamame (without the pods) - placed in Tupperware frozen
Frozen corn - placed in Tupperware frozen
Leftover brown rice (cooked in microwave)
Salsa
Mozzarella cheese
White onion (sliced)
Seasonings (basil, parsley, pepper, curry)
Large handful spinach

1. Toss everything in Tupperware, except spinach. I don't measure but I do about a large handful beans, corn and edamame. I used about 1/3 brick of tempeh, about 1/2 cup brown rice.
2. Cover with a large handful or two of your favorite leafy green and sprinkle w/ cheese and salsa.
3. Shake, refrigerate and cook in microwave the next day for 2 minutes.
4. Enjoy

 

Viola! Super easy.

 

 

I recently received my latest issue of Environmental Nutrition (Oct 2012 issue). There was a great article on pg 2 titled "Healthy Food Preparation is Everything".

 

According to the article, here are the TOP HEALTHY FOOD PREP STYLES

 

1. Don't toss the salad: instead, serve a small amount of light or oil-based dressing on the side. "Put the salad on your fork and then "dip" it into a small amount of the salad dressing."

2. Light saute: quickly sauteing veggies or lean meats, poultry or fish in a small amount of olive oil is a great preparation technique.

 

3. The fresher, the better: The best way to preserve all of those nutrients in foods is to serve them fresh, such as in a salad or veggie appetizer.

 

4. Don't toss out the peel: Remember, most of the nutrients in plant foods are found in the skin or directly under the skin. Don't peel your fruits and veggies w/ edible skins like potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, apples and pears.

 

5. Crisp steaming: Don't overcook veggies in large amounts of water, which can leach nutrients. Steam then until they are crisp-tender.

 

6. Slow cooking: Pull out your crock pot to cook meats in slow, moist hat - a cooking style that doesn't promote the development of carcinogens. It is also great for cooking beans and lentils.

 

7. Try a rice cooker: The best way to cook whole grains, such as brown rice, what berries, barley and quinoa is to place the grain and the recommended amount of water into a rice cooker and push the button.

 

8. Bake it: Place chicken, fish, potatoes and casseroles in the oven for an easy, light cooking technique.

 

9. Skip the sauce: Instead of relying on fatty, salty sauces, dips and condiments, serve "clean" whole foods w/ plenty of herbs, spices, tomato sauce and lemon juice for flavor.



Refueling or fueling?

Either way you look at it, one must always see eating as an opportunity to provide the body w/ wholesome nutrients and fuel.

On Monday at lunch, I posted my lunch on my Trimarni Facebook page. The purpose of the post was to share my yummy creation and to share a tip that we should all be taking time to enjoy our meals.

Certainly, it's hard to enjoy lunch while multitasking....especially if you are stressed, anxious or overwhelmed. To improve productivity, to appreciate the flavors in your meal and to recognize what composition of nutrients satisfy you, it's important to provide your body with a fuel break without a pile of papers or a computer screen to distract you.

If you have been a long-time Trimarni blog reader, I have shared hundreds (I'm guessing) creations since I started blogging in 2007. Sharing my journey with others, I have always focused on my myself and my own needs in hopes that I can inspire others through my passion for food which ultimately, fuels my lifestyle.

I don't do fad diets or mass marketing diet trends. Even though I title myself a "vegetarian", I still believe in inspiring athletes and fitness enthusiasts to find what works for you  in order to to let food enhance your lifestyle. For way too often, people get so caught up in life that they make excuses about food, food habits and eating patterns - not recognizing that food is the foundation in which we thrive.

So despite me being a vegetarian for animal reasons (20 years strong and no chance I'll be changing this lifestyle), I am passionate about others adopting a more plant strong diet - or perhaps, a love for wholesome "fuel".

Speaking of my approach to educate, motivate and inspire others to discover what composition of nutrients work for you in your "healthful" diet.....
I was quoted several times in an article on Fitbie.msn.com.

20 protein packed foods


So, at the request of my Trimarni Facebook followers.....
My yummy lunch meal.......
FYI - I'd rather term my "salads" as "meals" for the majority of the time, I feel completely satisfied when I eat my hearty creations thanks to the combo of fat and protein, with my plant-strong items. I've tried them in the past but sandwiches don't work well for me on a daily basis to fuel my work day- I typically feel unsatisfied after I eat and my goal is to feel better after I eat, than before. For you can only stuff so much between two slices of bread. I'd rather build a meal of similar ingredients but more nutritional value. This doesn't mean that sandwiches won't work for you (although I still recommend a "snack" or appetizer of a salad before the main meal at lunch or dinner) but it's important to go back to the beginning of this post - are you searching for foods that will fit into your lifestyle, or allowing food to enhance your lifestyle. Sitting down and enjoying a meal will require food that can not be consumed in 5 bites. If you are looking for something quick and easy to eat in the car or in less than 5 mintes, re-evaluate your priorities for food should be savoured, not devoured.

Romaine and spinach

Sweet yellow and red peppers

Chives

Carrots

Tomatos

Sunflower seeds

Hardboiled egg

Wild rice

Chopped apple

Avocado

Farmers cheese

Parsley, pepper

Drizzle of sunflower oil

Afternoon snack: Dannon non-fat yogurt w/ frozen blueberries and cinnamon, baggy of sliced plum and apple (easier to snack with sliced fruit, especially while I am working)

How I fuel

Ok -maybe that was misleading. I should have said "How I eat."

Well - then again, shouldn't we all be fueling with the food that we put into our body? For everything we eat eventually turns to energy and supports metabolic processes.

Before I continue - I wanted to share my metabolism boosting, energizing cabbage slaw and B6 article from my PLATE NOT PILLS column on LAVA magazine online.

B6 article and creation

On Friday morning (5:15am), I had a small pre-training snack of a WASA cracker w/ a smear of PB and 1/2 banana w/ my coffee and skim milk. I sipped on water on the way to the YMCA near my parents for a leg-shaking, core-on-fire, strength workout. It didn't feel that tough when I started but the lunges, squats, deadlifts (all with free weights) and adductor/abductor machine + core/lower back/hip exercises had my legs shaking as I was putting on my swim gear.

My swim was relaxing. 3 x 1000's - outside. I absolutely love swimming outdoors, especially when the sky goes from dark to light within a main set.

I made a smoothie on Thursday evening (at my parents house) and froze it in a giant mug/cup to consume on Fri morning on my way to Clearwater beach. I left it in my car during my 90 min workout and defrosted just enough to slurp on my hour drive to the ISSN conference. With the smoothie - my favorite mixture of Shredded Wheat cereal + Cheerios.

I couldn't complain much about lunch. The view was priceless and I was in great company as I enjoy my vegetarian boxed lunch (whole wheat bread w/ some kind of cheese spread + sauteed veggies and lettuce + noodle salad + raisin cookie) provided by the Hilton Hotel.

I was not very satisfied with this lunch so good thing I brought an apple and nuts to keep my tummy happy.

There are not too many times in life when you can get free advice from someone who you look-up to but it was great to spend one-on-one time with Dr. Susan Kleiner, author of many books (Power Eating, Good Mood Diet, High Performance Nutrition, Powerfood Nutrition Plan). I picked her brain about how to get started in the "book" industry and she provided me with a wealth of valuable information on furthering my vision and philosophy.

I don't have pics of the happy hour eats on Friday evening but next to the pig-carving station (obviously not Marni friendly), I enjoyed a super yummy made-to-order stir-fry w/ wild rice and the best nutty/seed rolls I have ever eaten! For dessert, angel food cake cubes w/ fresh fruit and chocolate dipping sauce. Oh boy, was I well-fueled for that run on Saturday morning and I felt great going to bed with a happy and fueled belly.

On Saturday, I was treated by James (who I stayed with and an athlete of mine) who prepared the most delicious lunch that I once again enjoyed overlooking the beach (I love fresh air).

Pineapple, corn, carrots and herb quinoa and a tomato w/ basil and fresh mozzarella (and a little balsamic)....oh - so mouth watering. On the side, green beans w/ garlic and almonds and a little oil.

Heaven in my belly.

And Monday night......

Kasmati rice

Steamed - asparagus

Tofu, corn, peas, onions, cilantro, orange and yellow sweet peppers  - cooked on low heat in olive oil

Canned black beans (rinsed)

Canned no salt added tomatoes (basil, oregano)

Arugula

1. In large pot, I cooked tofu mixture in a little olive oil.

2. After 8-10 minutes (Stir occasionally), I added 1/2 can beans to mixture. I also added 1/4 can of the tomatoes to mixture (feel free to save leftover beans and tomatoes if you or your family want extra in their own dish). I added one large handful arugula at the end and stirred lightly and left it covered for a few minutes.

3. Serve 1/4 - 1/2 cup Kasmati rice on bottom of shallow dish and top with veggie mixture.

So flavorful - no additional seasonings needed!

If I could give you one take-home message it would be to consider all your food choices to be fuel. Keep in mind that you are always fueling, repairing and energizing your body. Any food can fit into a healthy diet so long as you are emphasizing the nutrient-rich foods that can be used and metabilzed effectively before, during and after workouts and not overflowing your "gas" tank. Think about it - if you are taking a trip you wouldn't put more gas in your tank than you you need -especially when gas is expensive and that would just be wasteful. At the same time, if you are planning a road trip, you wouldn't start on empty an just wait until the light goes on...you would hopefully fill up the tank and continue to check the status of your fuel as you continue on with your trip.