A vegetarian Thanksgiving (anytime recipes)

 

We started off the day with a ~3 hour bike ride on our road bikes. We left around 10am and the weather was weird - misty, grey, not too warm, not too cold. We welcomed the fresh crisp air and took in the beautiful sights of nature, farm animals and fall colors. It's incredible that after six years of living in Greenville, SC we are still discovering new routes. Although our country roads are typically pretty quiet from cars, this recent ride treated us with no more than ten cars passing us over just over 50 miles. 

After we returned home around 1:30pm, I cleaned up, had a meal and then got to work in the kitchen. While Thanksgiving food centers around traditions, I see this holiday as a way to create memories over food. And there's no better way to create positive memories than around delish food that feels just as good on the taste buds as it does in the belly. 

I wanted to share the recipes that I used to create the dishes that I prepared for Thanksgiving. These recipes are not exclusive to Thanksgiving - I encourage you to try them out and add them to your weekly menu. If you are like me and feel a bit overwhelmed and anxious with detailed recipes, I will list the ingredients below and then you can click on the recipe link when you are ready to follow the actual recipe. I find it much less cumbersome to purchase ingredients in advance and then prep those ingredients in advance, versus trying to do everything at once (shop, prep, cook all on the same day). 

Sesame Ginger Tempeh Stir Fry

RECIPE LINK

Ingredients: 

• 8oz block tempeh (I used two x 8 ounce blocks of tempeh to have leftovers.)
• 1 cup each carrot sticks and green beans
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 tbsp fresh garlic
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp soy sauce/coconut aminos for lower sodium+paleo (I used Tamari sauce)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• Sesame seeds, green onion, white rice for serving (optional) (I used sesame seeds)

Broccoli and Quinoa Casserole

RECIPE LINK

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups vegetable broth or water (I used vegetable broth)
• 1 cup quinoa (any color), rinsed under running water in a mesh sieve for a minute and drained
• 16 ounces broccoli florets, either pre-packaged or sliced from 2 large bunches of broccoli
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 10 twists of freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, omit if sensitive to spice
• 8 ounces (about 2 ½ cups) freshly grated cheddar cheese, divided (I used brick provolone and just under 1 cup)
• 1 cup low-fat milk (cow’s milk tastes best but unsweetened plain almond milk works, too) (I used cow's milk)
• ½ tablespoon butter or 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
• 1 slice whole wheat bread (substitute gluten-free bread for a gluten-free casserole)

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup

RECIPE LINK

Ingredients:

• 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-size florets
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Fine sea salt
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more if needed
• Scant ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• For garnish: 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, chives and/or green onions (I used dried parsley) 

Vegan Apple and Pear Crumble 

RECIPE LINK

Ingredients: 

• 2 1/2 cups pears, chopped (after peeling)  (I used 3 small Bartlett pears)
• 1 1/2 cups apples, chopped (after peeling) (I used 3 small honey crisp apples)
• 1/8 cup coconut oil (melted)
• 1/8 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup coconut oil (I used ~2 tbsp vegan butter)
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped optional (I used a handful each of chopped walnuts and pecans)

My best friend. 

Campy's plate.

He's always so surprised and patient when he receives his own Thanksgiving plate. 

Happy Tummy. 

Sesame Honey Tempeh with Wild Rice

Picture source

As a lacto-ovo vegetarian, Tempeh is one of my favorite, go-to plant-based protein sources. An Indonesian staple, tempeh is a cultured food that makes for a protein-rich plant based meal. Unlike tofu, tempeh is dry and densely compact, which makes it great for marinating, crumbling or grilling.

And denser than tofu, is is also more concentrated in calories and nutrients. For example, a 3-ounce serving of cooked tempeh (~1/2 cup) contains ~166 calories, 10g fat and 17g protein. In a 3-ounce serving of firm tofu, you will find ~53 calories, 2.3g fat and ~6g protein.

Tempeh is also a good source of iron (4.5 mg in 1 cup) and a complete plant protein providing all nine essential amino acids. Although tempeh does contain probiotics, the short fermentation period and cooking decreases the lifespan of the beneficial live bacteria.

The process of making tempeh involves fermenting cooked soybeans and binding them together when exposed to a mold culture from the Rhizopus genus. Unlike anaerobic fermentation, tempeh requires a warm, oxygen-rich environment and can ferment within 24 hours. Because tempeh is an unsalted, perishable and commercially produced food, it should be cooked to 165 degrees F before eating.

Most of the information above was found in the Sept/October 2019 issue of FoodandNutrition.org magazine (Pg. 27). 

Although tempeh can be easily prepared by crumbling it into warm olive oil and cooking on a skillet, try out this delicious tempeh recipe from my book Essential Sports Nutrition.

Sesame Honey Tempeh with Wild Rice 

Yield: 4 servings 

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 15 minutes 

Tempeh is made from cooked, whole soybeans that are fermented into a firm, dense patty. It’s considered a staple in vegetarian and vegan diets. Although the food may look a little strange, this minimally processed food brings a nutty, chewy and “meaty” flavor to your dishes and also does a great job of absorbing other flavors. This makes it excellent dish to refuel your energy storage, boost your immune system, and to speed muscle healing.

Ingredients
4 cups cooked wild rice
2 (8-ounce packages) of tempeh, crumbled into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons tamari sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Optional: leafy greens and scallions

Directions

1. In medium bowl combine the sesame oil, honey, tamari sauce, water and cornstarch and mix thoroughly.
2. At the crumpled tempeh to the bowl of wet ingredients. Toss until evenly coated.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
4. Add tempeh to skillet and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Toss every few minutes to prevent burning.
5. Over a bed of greens, top with 1 cup wild rice and 1/2 cup tempeh mixture. Garnish with scallions.

Tempeh Tip:
Look for tempeh in the refrigerated section near the tofu or meat-alternative foods at the grocery or natural food store. Don’t be put off by its appearance. Tempeh is a fermented soy product, so you may see a few black spots with white stuff in between. Technically that is mold, but it’s entirely normal and perfectly edible. If you can’t get past the mold, just cut it off. However, if tempeh is slimy, sticky, or smells sour, throw it out. To make this recipe vegan, use apple honey.

Cauliflower, lentil and quinoa dish

Some of my favorite meals are the ones that involve no recipe but a lot of creativity.

Cauliflower is not my most favorite vegetable but I picked one up at the grocery so I could make myself do something yummy with it in the kitchen. I first thought about baking it in the oven but that seemed rather boring as I was feeling a overly creative yesterday.

As I was deciding what to do with this white vegetable, I cooked some lentils (about 1 cup) in water on the stove top.
I then added some quinoa (about 1 cup) to the cooked lentils (with a little more water) because, well, why not?
I seasoned the lentil quinoa mix with a little salt.

Still stuck with the cauliflower, I softened a pack of sliced tempeh in the microwave for 90 seconds and then cooked it on a skillet in a little olive oil until browned on all sides.

In the same large skillet on medium heat, I sauteed chopped onions (about 1/2 large onion) and garlic (2 large clove) because I knew that it would bring out a lot of flower in my soon-to-be-made cauliflower dish.
I decided I would chop up the cauliflower and do something with it...eventually.

Finally, I added the chopped cauliflower to the sauteed onions and garlic, with a little more olive oil and on low heat, I covered the dish for around 20 minutes to let the cauliflower soften. I occasionally stirred the mix and added a little water to help soften the cauliflower.

When the cauliflower was soft, I added a good amount of shredded fresh reggiano cheese and a few pinches of salt and my dish was finally ready to plate.



I love it when I impress myself.
Yum, yum, yum!

When's the last time that you were extra creative in the kitchen?
Don't stress about it - it's just food.
Meals are simply a bunch of ingredients thrown together.

Be brave in the kitchen as there are no rules.

Have fun creating your future yum and be sure to take a picture of your final product before it goes into your body to make your tummy happy!

Stewed vegetables with barley

                                 

Wouldn't it be nice if you always had a meal ready for you immediately after your workouts?

Think about it.
No more processed food because you are too hungry to cook.
No more fast food/take-out because you can't find time to cook.
No more incomplete meals because your food options are limitless.
No more snacking your way to a meal because you are too starving to wait for a meal.
No more sabotaging workouts from not eating the right foods at the right time to repair and recover. 

Sadly, athletes are busy and ironically, food is an afterthought. Well, not so much food being the afterthought (as athletes do eat) but food prep isn't always a priority. With every minute of the day planned and occupied, many athletes don't put meal prep on the hierarchy of "things to do" each day.
This often backfires as athletes will find themselves not meeting energy needs, not recovering well, eating too much convenience/processed food (quick and easy), struggling with aches and colds (immune system depression) and not feeling good inside.

Simply put - food is your fuel!

When you eat well, your body performs well.
When your body is starved for energy or key nutrients, it's easy to reach for pick-me-ups like energy drinks and/or caffeine. It's also common for athletes to overly use NSAIDs and sleep aids because the body is not recovering well from workouts. 

If you read the recent article on Gwen Jorgensen, you'll see that Patrick (her husband) makes sure that Gwen always refuels and fuels. 

"Food preparation is arguably Lemieux’s most important job. When they travel to races, Lemieux turns the couple’s hotel room into his own kitchen. He insists on packing his own knives, cutting board and rice cooker. He gathers food from a local grocery store and uses his rice cooker to prepare everything from meat to vegetables to quinoa.

During the season, Lemieux shops at a grocery store six days per week. 

After serving Jorgensen her morning oats, Lemieux transitions to preparing lunch, which usually consists of rice with meat and vegetables, followed by a piece of dark chocolate, a staple for Jorgensen after every meal. Lemieux looks at his watch often, knowing his wife will return home from her swim workout at 12:30 p.m.

“Lunch needs to be on the table immediately,” Lemieux said. “She is hungry.”

Jorgensen is grateful that lunch is served so soon after her morning swim. This allows her to relax and stay off of her feet for several hours until her next workout at 4:00 p.m.

Not all triathletes are as fortunate.

Many of Jorgensen’s rivals spend this critical recovery period between workouts shopping at the grocery store, cooking lunch and cleaning dishes."

I realize that not every athlete is this lucky but it is important to emphasize how critical nutrition is as it relates to how your body adapts to training stress.
Because you don't have to be an athlete to be healthy, I suggest to see meal prep in another light - it nourishes your body for disease prevention and healthy weight maintenance. 

Whether you see food as fuel or nourishment (or both, as I do), I encourage you to make an added effort to not let meals be an afterthought in your busy life.

Try this.....

Think about how you eat when you don't have a meal planned for after the workout.

Now, plan a meal for post workout.
No, not right now, but in your head. What would you eat after the workout? Maybe oatmeal, eggs and spinach or chicken, a baked potato and sauteed kale or homemade pancakes with eggs, yogurt and fruit.

Think about how you would eat differently if you had your meals planned ahead of time, before the meal. 

Instead of having a bowl of cereal, a packet of oatmeal with a protein bar or a rice cake plus avocado and a hardboiled egg for a meal, you could have something more substantial and filling.

But the only way to make this happen is by preparing your meals ahead of time.

Try to make this more of a habit. Tell yourself that you can't start a workout unless you have food options or a meal ready for after the workout (I suggest to have a meal ready as much as possible because we all know that food cravings change post workout - it's easy to eat what's craved versus what is most "healthy" and practical for post workout.)  

If you make time to train, you should make time to fuel and refuel with nourishing food options. 

If you complain that you just don't have time for meal prep or healthy eating, perhaps you need to rethink your priorities as you can't optimize your fitness and health with a poorly planned diet. 

Stewed Vegetables with Barley
1 cup barley (measured dry) - or your choice grain or potato

1 eggplant
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 green pepper
Pasta sauce
Olive oil

Salt/pepper

Protein of your choice

1. Cook barley. Rinse, then cooked in 2.5 cups boiled water, on low heat, for 40-50 minutes. 

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

3. Chop peppers and eggplant (into chunks). 

4. Drizzle olive oil on bottom of large casserole dish until evenly coated (thin layer, a few tbsp). 

5. Toss peppers and eggplant in olive oil and spread over casserole dish.
6. Add pasta sauce (enough to cover the veggies). Toss to evenly coat. 

7. Cook for 30-40 minutes. Let veggies sit on oven (turned off) while barley continues to cook.
8. Cook protein of your choice (I made tempeh, Karel made chicken). 

9. Prepare your dish: 1/2 - 1.5 cups barley tossed with veggies (as much as you want), topped with 4 ounce protein.

This is an easy hassle free dish as you can let veggies and barley cook without having to stand around in the kitchen. You can ride your trainer or run on the treadmill for 30 minutes or fold laundry, pay bills or play with your kids. There's no reason that you can't find 60 minutes to prep and cook this dish in your day. Be sure to plan for leftovers. You can add dark leafy greens and a different protein to leftovers the next day to make it a whole new meal! 

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?

Fueling for St. Croix 70.3!

5:30am Wed track workout

4pm Wed swim workout

It's no shocker that my busy life is filled with activity and I love challenging my body and mind with a swim-bike-run lifestyle. 

If you are a regular reader of this blog, it's likely you feel the same way about your life (perhaps maybe a different activity/sport)

But my amazing body allows me to do so much, both in life and with triathlons and I constantly remind myself that the food I eat has the opportunity to enhance my life, fuel my workouts and reduce risk for disease. 

Food is so powerful!

In October of 2011, I had the great opportunity to write an article for Ironman called "Fueling Kona: Your Daily Plate" This article was special to me not only because I was able to share my passion for seeing food for fuel and for health but also because I was participating in the 2011 Ironman World Championship and my article was featured during Ironman Kona race week. 

Here are two recent creations that I have used to fuel our active lifestyle. 

24 more days until St. Croix 70.3!!!

A beautiful spring performance boosting salad. Hydrating cucumbers, antioxidant rich sweet peppers, fermented soy protein (tempeh), heart happy avocado, gut healthy quinoa and beans and nitrate-rich arugula.

Roasted red potatoes (400-degree oven, toss raw sliced red potatoes into wedges and toss in a little olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and cracked pepper). Bake for 40-50 min or until golden brown and soft. 

Roasted veggies and toasted quinoa (cooked quinoa added to sliced onions and sweet bell peppers, cooked in 400 degree oven in casserole dish for 25-35 minutes) on a bed of arugula with roasted red potatoes (above) and a side of Daisy brand cottage cheese.

And let's not forget the yummy snacks!

Yum...pistachios.

Yum....Edamame.

A late afternoon/pre-meal plant strong snack that will make you feel great inside and only takes 5 minutes to make, is exactly what you want to crave after a long, busy day of work. 
Pre-washed mixed greens
1/4 avocado
Baby tomatoes 
Baby carrots 
Fruit slices (ex apple)
Cottage cheese (or 10g protein of your choice)
Small handful muesli for a crunch

And with your well-fueled body, how about 10-stability ball push-ups to start your day each morning?

And 10-stability ball tricep dips.

Red quinoa and tempeh salad w/ homemade roasted yellow pepper hummus

What a beautiful, flavorful, delicious, healthy way to fuel and nourish your body. I hope you enjoy my latest Trimarni plant strong creation!

Ingredients
Serves 2 

Romaine lettuce (chopped)
1 package tempeh
Olive oil
White onion
Red quinoa (1/2 cup dry + 1 cup water)
Yellow pepper
1 can chickepeas
Tahini paste
Salt

 Roasted yellow pepper hummus

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil (just enough to place yellow bell pepper in the middle. Lay down the pepper on foil and bake for 10 minutes. Give the pepper a turn and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove when slightly charred and soft.  (You may as well roast some other veggies and/or protein while you have the oven on)

2. Pour 1 can chickpeas (not drained) in blender or food processor and add 1 tbsp tahini paste, 2 tsp olive oil and 1/2 charred yellow bell pepper. 

3. Blend until evenly combine. Add additional tbsp or two of water if needed to meet your consistency needs. 

4. Store in airtight container for up to 4-5 days. 

Red quinoa and tempeh salad

1. On medium skillet, heat to medium heat and drizzle with a little olive oil. Add tempeh (cubed) and cook for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown (toss every few minutes).
2. Add 1/2 cup chopped onions to skillet and cook with tempeh until slightly golden brown. Season with pepper or your choice of seasoning. 

3. Cook quinoa - boil 1 cup of water and add 1/2 cup quinoa. Reduce heat to low and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes and then fluff with fork. 

4. Add chopped romaine to salad bowl (two handfuls) and top with 1/2 serving tempeh/onion mixture (~4 ounces tempeh) + 1/2-34 cup cooked quinoa.

5. Add 1-2 tbsp homemade hummus, a pinch of salt and cover bowl with a plate and toss until evenly combined (you could also do this in Tupperware container). 

6. Yum!

Real food homework and a speedy/endurance track workout

This endurance body is happily fueled by real food.
AND
Plant strong for almost 21 years.

A Karel creation:
Jasmine rice and a stir fry of tempeh, peanuts, onions, mushrooms, peppers and marinara on top arugula.
This creation was enjoyed last night and made my tummy/muscles super happy for an early morning wake-up call (4:20am) for a 5:30am track workout. 

Love your afternoon snack
Honor your biological hunger in the afternoon. Do not expect your body to allow you to go from lunch to dinner without food (especially if more than 4 hours between meals or if working out in the evening). A mid afternoon snack is a great way to nourish your body and boost energy. 
Here's one of my fav mid day snacks: 1/2 cup Chobani Greek yogurt + fresh fruit chopped + a few spoonfuls of KIND or organic granola. Enjoy!

Refueling from a long brick
Asparagus, mushrooms and tofu tossed with pasta noodles and marinara, topped with Parmesan.
Karel had the same (larger portion) but chicken instead of tofu. So much flavor! Yum!

Track workout w/ Karel and a large motivating group - feeling the need for speed (and endurance)
2 mile run warm-up
10 min dynamic stretching/warm-up on track
MS: 3x's through
800
600
400
200
(with 200 jog in between)
~1 min rest in between the 3 rounds to refuel/hydrate
(I had 1 scoop INFINIT ISIS Hydration in my bottle to sip during the workout)
~8 miles total (including warm-down laps in opposite direction)

Trimarni homework

Write down the ingredient lists of the foods you are consuming today. (If you are eating out, look up the ingredients online.)

This assignment is for product awareness and to help you form a healthier relationship with the food that you choose to put into your body. This is NOT designed to make you scared of food or to hate food.
Also, this homework is focused on the ingredients in food and not on focusing on organic, genetically modified, gluten, dairy.

Because there is an overload of information on how to "eat healthy" with so much conflicting information (and often causing a lot of disordered eating habits or feeling incredibly frustrated with food), the first step in creating a more balanced diet is to make an effort to eat more real food. Once you incorporate more real food into your daily diet, you will then need to gravitate toward making time to prepare food and maintain this real food diet. It does not have to be perfect (there's no such thing) but instead, make an effort to prioritize real food as much as possible with your daily meals/snacks.
(and stop reading forums/blogs when the "expert" is yelling at you about what foods are bad. Seek out information that inspires you and motivates you to make slow yet healthy changes that move you closer to your personal goals and contact a professional (RD) who will give you credible information. You can not make changes in your lifestyle if you are always worrying about what other people are doing and you will find yourself with info overload if you continue to use the internet to search for the "right" answer.)

Because it doesn't seem appropriate to start changing your eating habits by dissecting real food if you have yet to be consistent with eating food that is grown from earth, take a look at your daily diet to see what immediate changes may make a meaningful difference in your life and health.

Consider clinical, fitness, religious, ethical and personal experiences when it comes to individualizing YOUR diet.

Show yourself that you can prioritize real food for 2 weeks - making time to cook and time your meals/nutrition appropriately around your workouts and schedule- and your body will be in a better place to start making more individual choices with your diet.


There is so much information out there and many times, info that may not apply to you and your goals (or lifestyle).

Your occasional foods should be enjoyed and your daily diet should enhance life.

Simple swaps can easily improve your health and can keep you from feeling the itch to jump on the elimination food/mass marketed diet train. Instead of hearing that dairy is bad and is causing bloating, swap out the artificially flavored yogurt and replace with Greek Yogurt and add real fruit. If you have heard that whole grains are bad or gluten is bad, consider adding organic whole grains like quinoa, teff, millet or wild rice to your diet.

Like with anything in life, you can't rush changes when you want long lasting results.
So instead of wondering if you should choose organic oatmeal vs non-organic oatmeal.....

I recommend to first transition to using plain oatmeal and then adding your own fresh fruit, nut and spice add-in's instead of prioritizing a quick option like flavored oatmeal. 

It's an easy switch but it does require a lifestyle change. To prepare food ahead of time (and you need tupperware if you are taking this to work to eat)

But to make these changes, you have to not only buy the items but you have to plan ahead. And in our rushed society it's much easier to eliminate foods and "not" do something than to be more proactive and add something to our schedule (yet that something may improve health).

Simply identify any ingredients that may give you an "ah-ha" moment as to why you may not be feeling so "healthy" such as food dyes, artificial ingredients, additives/chemicals. Also ask yourself how and why you are consuming those foods. Remember - you can't eat a salad very well in a car and you can only stuff so much "salad" with your protein and healthy fat choices between two slices of bread. Is bread bad or is it what you are eating and when?

Your goal is to gradually move toward a more real food, balanced diet. Not only will real food make your body feel better but it's scientifically proven that a real food balanced diet provides your body with the necessary vitamins and minerals that can reduce risk for disease and improve longevity, health, performance and mood. If you love to eat and you like all those great outcomes of eating real food, what's keeping you from making the necessary small steps?

The ultimate goal is to not feel the pressure from "experts" who are brainwashing you to eliminate heart-healthy real-foods that may improve your health.

If you need individual help, seek out an RD to treat your individual body.

Happy real food eating and enjoying your body in motion.

Broccoli and tempeh ginger stir-fry

It's no fun coming home hungry after a long day/commute, evening workout or late meetings and feeling the pressure to cook. 

We all have crammed-packed schedules but even if you want more hours in the day to get everything done, you'd likely fill-up those hours as well. Rather then beating yourself up that you are failing on certain areas of you life that may improve your overall health, remind yourself that regardless if you find the time or make the time, you do have time that you may not be using wisely and nothing is more important to your busy life than keeping your body in good health.

You know a home cooked meal will make you feel great inside and with you in control of the portions, ingredients and timing, there is a lot to benefit from when it comes to preparing food at home.  So the hope is that when you make small changes with your diet and keep them up, you will feel the effects of those changes and not only form new healthy habits but you may also feel so good that you are even more motivated to change other areas of your life to feel even better.  

The next time you are about to sit down at home to relax, watch TV, fold laundry, clean, get on the computer, call your family or do anything that my take 30 min or longer, STOP before you get going on whatever you are about to do and head to the kitchen. 

One of the best investments to your health is having a plan when it comes to eating real food. But in order to implement that plan, you have to have food at home to prep for upcoming meals. 

Here are some options: chop, cook, grill, steam, bake.  

Whatever you can do in 30 min, consider it 30 min that you don't have to spend on food prep later that day (or next day). 

A few options: 
-Cook 2 types of whole grains per week (I recommend plan 1 cup dry of each grain so you have enough to last for a few meals) on your stove top
-Chop veggies and fruit so you have a salad bar of tupperware in your refrigerator
-Buy frozen veggies for easy steaming or microwaving
-Bake proteins in the oven which require no attendance until they are finished cooking
-Use your crock pot for stews/soups/chili's (large) or oatmeal, beans, lentils (small)
-Hard boil eggs (1 for each day)
-Have go-to options for a quick, easy meal when you feel overwhelmed with life (Ex. yogurt, fruit and granola parfait or potato w/ Greek yogurt and steamed veggies drizzled with olive oil) or bagged lettuce with cottage cheese, fruit and pumpkin seeds on top)


                            

Broccoli and tempeh ginger stir-fry

3 cups broccoli (fresh or frozen) - steam until cooked
1 package tempeh (chopped)
2 small baked potatoes (cooked in microwave and then chopped)

1 leek (washed and chopped)
1/8 cup peanuts
Olive oil (2 tbsp olive oil)
1 tbsp ginger (chopped, skin removed)
Rice vinegar (2-4 tbsp)
Water
Wok
Turmeric, pepper
Optional: top with greek yogurt, salsa or shredded cheese.

1. On medium heat, add 1/2 tbsp olive oil and cooked tempeh until golden brown (5-8 minutes) - toss as needed. 

2. Add 1/2 tbsp olive oil and add potatoes, broccoli, leek and ginger. 

3. Turn heat to low and add 2 tbsp rice vinegar (may want to turn on your vent on your stove at this time). Stir to combine. 

4. Add 2-3 tbsp water and additional olive oil/rice vinegar as needed if creation starts to stick to bottom of your pan. 

5. Toss well, add seasonings of your choice and cover for 5 minutes. 

6. Add peanuts, toss and serve. 

Leg burning trainer workout and fueling the triathlete

Trimarni lifestyle change tip: 

If you have between 10-30 min when you come home from work before an evening workout or meeting/event, start your dinner prep and finish as much as possible so you don't come home starving and convince yourself that you can't wait the time to cook a real food, balanced meal. 

Here's a creation that I prepared in 25 minutes before our evening swim practice on 1/15 (I planned for leftovers):
Tempeh, mushrooms, frozen veggie mix (corn, peas, carrots), onions, garlic, balsamic, olive oil, kale, turmeric, pinch of salt, chili pepper, slivered almonds. Also, 1 pot of quinoa (1/2 cup dry to 1 cup boiling water). 

The final creation!

Swim workout Main set (at the very end of our 75 minute practice):
3xs (with fins):
3x100s fast swim on 1:30
3x50s fast kick on 1 minute
Continue 2 more rounds.
Total yards: 3800

After my morning fuel (8 ounce skim milk + 1 spoonful chia seeds + 1/2 cup cheerios - a new creation I have been using for the past few weeks which seems to be working really well for energy and recovery. I tweak for longer workouts over 90 minutes. + water and cup of coffee.) and dynamic stretching/foam rolling, it was time to break a sweat....and wow o wow, did I ever!

Thanks Karel for the leg burning workout!

Our Bike Trainer: 

CycleOps PowerBeam Pro - I will let DC Rainmaker give the details about this awesome trainer with specific wattage resistance control.  

WU (warm-up): 30 min, including 10 min of one leg drills to wake up my glute medius
Main set:
5 x 30 sec ON/OFF @ Z4 watts  (cadence 90+ rpm)
2 min EZ spin
5 x 1 min ON/OFF @ Z4 watts (cadence 90+ rpm)
2 min EZ spin
5 x 90 sec ON/OFF @ Z4 watts  (cadence 90+ rpm)

5 min EZ spin 

5 x 2 min ON/OFF @ Z3 mid to upper watts (cadence 90+ rpm)
Rest of the ride is just EZ spin.

This was one challenging set - the intervals are short but you really have to stay focused for each interval during that time. Because I can adjust my watts on the trainer, I use the resistance control to put in the watts I want to hold as a minimum and then I am forced to hold those watts for each part of the set. No cheating on the trainer when you train with power.
This is also a great set to use RPE if you do not have a power meter. HR training will not be a valuable tool in this set because the HR will not rise to specific zones in that short of time with the recommended effort. Focus on a high cadence but strong pedal stroke and you will gain a lot from this workout. 

If you can't get through the entire set due to fatigue, that is OK. The goal is not to nail every workout but to give your best effort and get excited for the next go around.
I recommend 20-25g carbohydrate sport drink during this workout w/ electrolytes + additional water as needed.

After this workout I did a short brick run (3.77 miles):
10 min warm-up run
Main set: 

5 x 2 min @ 7:30 min/mile w/ 1 min walk in between
Cool down

Post workout I had 1/2 cup greek yogurt + cherries, apples and banana slices on top + 1 slice bakery bread (nuts, raisins inside) + Smucker natural PB (A good smear) + water and coffee. 

Tempeh stir-fry with Basmati rice

There's food inspiration everywhere and depending on your creativity in the kitchen, the possibilities are endless.

I recently received my first every wok from my brother and his new wife and I couldn't wait to put it to good use.

When I was reading a recent issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter, I came across this page on stir-fry recipes.

 

Instant Trimarni Motivation!!

 

One of my favorite proteins in my plant strong diet is Tempeh. Actually, Karel is the one that turned me to LOVE tempeh after he had a wrap from Nathttp://nativesunjax.com/ with Tempeh inside of it.

I am a big fan of soy (in it's whole form) because it is a complete protein and contains all essential amino acids. So, not only is this ancient fermented soybean food great for my health but tempeh is also protein packed (20g per 4 ounce serving) which makes for a great fuel in my active lifestyle.

 

 

With the following ingredients in my kitchen, it was time to get to work with my wok and make something beautiful for my belly.

 

Rice Vinegar
Olive Oil
Paprika
Iodized salt
Edamame
Zuchini
Onions (white)
White beans
Tempeh
Sweet peppers (yellow, orange, red)
Almonds
Basmati rice (cooked)
Parmesean

 

 

 

Heat your wok to low heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil.
Add:
Edamame
Zuchini (chopped)
Onions (white) - chopped
White beans (rinsed and drained)
Tempeh (chopped, 4 ounces or 1/2 package per person)
Sweet peppers (yellow, orange, red) - chopped

 

 

Stir occasionally and add additional oil and a splash of water to prevent overbrowning or sticking. Season with paprika, a pinch of salt and any other seasonings.

After veggies begin to soften, add 2-3 capfuls rice vinegar and stir.

 

After 15-20 minutes of letting veggies and tempeh cook, add a small handful chopped almonds and give it a final stir.

 

In a shallow bowl, spoon a few ladels full of veggie mixture and top with  1/2 - 1 cup basmatic rice (or your choice of rice/whole grains - or you can use any type of small cooked potato, chopped). Then mix together.

 

Top with Parmesean cheese and yum your way through your meal.

 

 

And in other yummy news....

 

My recent find at the Bartram Farmers Market....oh my yumminess. The BEST bread I have ever had.

 

A little about the baker from Boutique Du Pain:

"Nana (Chef/Baker) is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute (NYC) and has a worked

 

for Dean and Deluca (the beloved retailer known for its curated selection of artisanally

 

made gourmet products) in NYC. With her knowledge and expertise, she brings to your

 

table breads that are simply irresistible and wholesome."

And her breads:

Boutique Du Pain gives you the opportunity to enjoy a great selection of breads

 preservative-free and additive-free. All Breads are rustic, flavorful and artisanally made

 

from start to finish with French technique.

 

Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf, White Sandwich Loaf, Bagels, Baguettes, Old Fashioned

 

French Sourdough, Ciabatta, Challah, Brioche, Donuts, Oatmeal Blueberry Walnut

 

 

Also - if you are local in the Jacksonville area, check out Mina's Bakery and her holiday special. There's nothing we love more than our yearly shippment of Czech cookies from Karel's mom in December, but now everyone in our area can enjoy the many traditional types of European cookies.

 

50 homemade European cookies for $20!!!

To order: 904-463-3752

 

 

 

Thanksgiving creations

I hope everyone had a wonderful day of giving thanks and the rest of 2013 brings happiness, love, more memories, movement with your awesome body and lots of yummy eats.

For everyone who was worried about Campy after Karel shared some pictures on Facebook, from Campy's vet appointment on Wednesday, Campy is doing great. Thank you for your kind words for our furry child!

Campy has an on/off ear issue inside his left ear and I really like my mom's vet, Dr. Griffin, who Campy saw in September for his ear. Campy's ear has been much better after Dr. Griffin treated him a few months ago, so we decided to get another check-up since Campy still gets a bit sensitive with his ear.

Sadly, Campy had to get a little sedation for his treatment because Dr. Griffin had to get deep inside his ear. Campy was not his normal self that evening but not to worry.....

After a good night of rest, he was back to his opinionated, loving, active self. 

 

 I wanted to share a few creations that I enjoyed for my 21st (or 20th - hard to remember) vegetarian Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for that it is no problem for me to enjoy a delicious Marni-friendly meal around my non-vegetarian family (and Karel) as we aren't spending our meal discussing good or bad foods but instead, sharing memories and of course, doing a lot of yumming. 

Here are a few creations, along with the normal staples of mashed potatoes, steamed veggies, sweet potatoes and stuffing (made out of the bird for me to enjoy with everyone else).

Tempeh celery salad

 2-3 stalks celery (chopped)
1 packaged tempeh (cooked in a little olive oil on medium heat until golden brown)
Chopped onion (about 1/4 cup)
A few spoonfuls greek yogurt (to taste)
Parsley (2-3 tbsp - to taste)
Pinch of salt and pepper (to taste)
1-3 tbsp of lemon juice (to taste)
optional: chopped pickles

1. Mix together and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Serve cold.

Cranberry apple cobbler

 

 (I recommend to use a large casserole dish and not a 9" pie dish - I took this pic before the topping started oozing over so I switched dishes - oops!)

Filling:
3 Granny smith apples and 2 pink lady apples (peeled and chopped)
1/2 bag cranberries
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp cornstarch
juice of 1 lemon
pinch of salt

Topping:
3/4 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt

2 tbsp butter (I used Olivio butter)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, toss together filling ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk topping ingredients.
4. Spread butter on bottom of casserole dish. 

5. Fill with fruit mixture.
6. Pour topping over fruit filling.
7. Bake for 1 hour or until juices are bubbling or cobbler is golden.

Orange cranberry sauce

 4-5 oranges (or 2/3 cup orange juice)
1 bag cranberries (12-ounce bag)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/8 tsp ground cloves

pinch of salt 

1. Using a sharp knife, remove peels from oranges and squeeze juice into measuring cup to make 2/3 cup orange juice.
2. Combine the juice, cranberries, brown sugar, cloves and pinch of salt in saucepan. 

3. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and stir occasionally until thickened around 10-15 minutes.
4. Serve warm, room temperature or cold (a great "jam" for bread)

(adapted from Eatingwell  magazine - December 2013 issue)

 

The final masterpiece! Happy tummy!

 And Campy was wide-awake to enjoy his own Thanksgiving plate. What a lucky doggy!!

 The best part of having a vegetarian mommy - lots of leftovers for Campy.

Guess what day it is tomorrow????

Small business Saturday!!


We would like to thank everyone who has already placed an order for a custom Trimarni kit - which includes tri top, tri shorts, cycling shorts and/or cycling jersey (purchased together or separately) as well as ordering a Trimarni t-shirt.

Our Trimarni store is only opened for 1 more week so if you are interested in sporting and supporting Trimarni in 2014, check out our store with our NEW design and colors for 2014 (designed by Karel).

Order here: Trimarni Store

Thank you for supporting small businesses!! 

Swim set, podcast link and tri-colored quinoa w/ tempeh

As I have mentioned several times, I just love the Ironman journey. This time around, sharing it with Karel has been extra special for we have both been able to see progress within each other and that is really neat to see. Karel continues to push me on the bike and in return I get the reply "great job, babe" as I smile every-so kindly to thank him for the suffering. But on the flip side, Karel has really worked hard on his swimming and I can't believe he just started swimming 1 year ago!! I have really enjoyed helping Karel learn to swim and to be there to witness his major swimming breakthroughs. Karel started very slow, working on form for he knew he had a year to train for the IM and there was no need to rush speed when form is the most important part of swimming efficiently. 

The issue for many triathletes who struggle with swimming is the exhaustion that comes from swimming. No matter how fast or slow in the water, how long or short, it is just exhausting and it's not the same kind of exhaustion that you get from pushing yourself during a run or bike set. Although swimming is non weight bearing, one would think it would require less energy to perform. However, any form of exercise increases your breathing rate and as you know, when you swim you do not have a lot of opportunities to breath (or to take in a full inhale and exhale). Seeing that swimming (like any exercise) increases your heart rate and your blood circulation in response to your effort/intensity, your lung capacity, the efficiency in which you take in oxygen and transfer it to blood vessels as well as your form/strength in the water to push past the water's resistance, determine how fast and how far you can swim.

Overtime, your respiratory system will get stronger and you will find your lungs working more efficiently to help you with exchange of gases (oxygen/carbon dioxide). Thus, before you get focused on being fast in the water, it is very important to work on your stroke and swimming effortlessly (as possible) so that you can train the body to perform with the least amount of energy expenditure. The speed will come, just be patient. 

I have been giving Karel swim sets for the past few months and they are really paying off. It is amazing that he is so strong in the water although he does get tired which is to be expected. But, he refuses to give up so he is in the pool 3 times a week working on his form and just being as comfortable as possible in the water. 

On Tuesday before our brick run (immediately after swim) we had a great swim set focusing on a little speed and then pacing. I am trying to help Karel learn how to tolerate lactic acid in the water but not exhausting him (which is what happened a few months ago when Karel would just do fast swims and we figured he wasn't doing any good with consistency for he was just exhausting himself for upcoming workouts). 

Here's the set we did: 

3000 yards

500 warm-up

Main set 3x's: 

3 x 100's fast w/ 15 sec rest (I did them on 1:30, Karel did them on 1:45)

300 steady IM pace (ideally, going the same pace as your cycle, about 15-20 seconds or so per 100 slower than your "fast" pace). 

50 EZ recovery before repeating (or rest 2-3 minutes)

500 pull stretching things out (w/ buoy/paddles)

100 cool down

On Wednesday I had the opportunity to do a podcast with Real Women on Health and Iron Girl and it was a lot of fun as I got to talk about my favorite topics......nutrition, fitness and health! Here is the 30 minute podcast for your listening pleasure if you want to hear my thoughts on eating for fuel, health and pleasure.

LISTEN HERE

I made the most delicious creation the other night and I am so excited to share it with you. I visited wholefoods the other day to explore some new foods to add to our diet and I picked up tri-colored quinoa. Prepared the same as regular quinoa with a nice nutty taste. Speaking of nutty, Karel and I just love tempeh for its taste but it is also packed with protein. It can taste a little bland so I recommend cooking it in a little olive oil (cubed) or you can try to find flavored tempeh (just watch the added sodium). 

Enjoy!

Tri-colored quinoa stir fry

Asparagus

Sweet Peppers

Garlic

Mushrooms

Tempeh

1. In cooking pot, prepare quinoa 

2. In large skillet, turn to medium heat and add a little olive oil (~1-2 tsp per 3 ounces tempeh per person) and cook cubed tempeh until golden brown (toss occasionally). Season with a pinch of salt, turmeric and oregano (pepper optional). 

3. While tempeh is cooking, prepare asparagus by chopping off ends (1 inch) and microwave in shallow dish for 3 minutes until tender (maybe 4 minutes if needed). Then chop. 

4. When tempeh begins to turn golden, add ~1-2 tsp olive oil and add pepper and mushrooms. Toss and reduce heat to low and cover (may need to add a little cooking spray to prevent sticking) and toss occasionally. Let cook for 5-8 minutes or until soft but not browned. 

5. Add asparagus to pan, toss and cook for 1-2 more minutes and then turn off heat. 

6. Assemble plate with ~1/2 cup quinoa + veggie and tempeh mixture. Enjoy!