Tonight's Dinner: homemade chicken nuggets!

I bought local free range chicken breasts, cut them in cubes, rolled them in almond flour, then raw egg, then almond flour again (added salt and spices to the almond flour), and fried them in olive oil. Yum! I may experiment with frying them in different oils, but for now, my standard EVOO does just fine! We will be dipping them in honey mustard. Also, I am cooking them now, and will warm them up tonight when we get home from a long afternoon. Serve them with a side of steamed veggies. I am so excited at how easy this is! +/- 30 min. to make nuggets. Probably could be done much faster because i am enjoying myself too much to be in a hurry!

If you're wondering, the local chicken did cost me more. Much more. I paid $12 for four chicken breasts. It is a trade off. Watch Food, Inc. if you haven't already, or read Michael Pollan's "Omnivore's Delimma." Then you'll be willing to spend a little more as often as you can. As more people buy it, the price will go down...

Why Must I Drink So Much Water?!

Functions of water in the body

Water: How much should you drink every day?

Caffeine: Is it dehydrating or not?

Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more

Iron: What's the use?

I got it today! I mean, I understood what the deal is with iron! I recently bought a bag of pepitas, pumpkin seeds. I also bought some granola that claimed to be high in Omega-3's. The granola had flax seed and pepitas added to it. The back of the box highlighted pepitas as being high in iron. I read on. We need iron to help oxygen travel through our blood. Without oxygen in our blood, we feel weak and tired, anemic. The oxygen grabs on to iron to travel through our blood. Hmm. The more iron we have, the better we feel, the more energy we have. I see! So, pepitas, or pumpkin seeds are a good source of iron. Other seeds, such as sunflower and pine nuts, have 10% of our daily need in 1/4 cup. Pepitas have 25% what we need in 1/4 cup! I will be using these pumpkin seeds in my trail mixes from now on!

Ground Beefalo, the New Taco In Town

From a previous post, beefalo is comparable to chicken and fish when it comes to calorie, cholesterol, and fat content. I threw a pound of ground beefalo in the pan with EVOO and cooked it in about 4 minutes! The lack of fat helps it to cook faster. We then wrapped it in our favorite tortillas with sour cream and lettuce, salt and pepper, and seared the whole thing to make the outside crisp. Simple, quick, yummy!

The Zone Tray

This is Zone Tray Experiment A. I filled it with veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds, and dip. Myself, my 3 kids, and my 65 year old mentally disabled aunt, sat at the table and ate until it was all gone! I did forget the protein because I had a lot of "help" and just pulled out food and filled the tray and when each section was full, I stopped. I was so pleased that we ate it all! And we ate around the table together! It was fun for my 7,5, and 2 year old. Of course, they were not satisfied without an insulin rush (although we might have avoided this if there had been a protein source), so I ended up giving them "desert" of a mini bagel with butter and jelly toasted (Jack snuck these into the basket at the grocery store. Once again, I am using it instead of throwing it away! However, I must say, that I am ok with the kids eating bread since their carb load for each meal should be 50% [according to Sugar Busters Book]). So, this wasn't perfect, but it was a good way to introduce good food and make it fun. Specifically, we ate snow peas, baby carrots, apples, cherry tomatoes, bing cherries, sunflower seeds and pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds- green in color). Then I had ranch, blue cheese, and honey mustard (honey mustard didn't really go with any of it- I don't know what I was thinking). The kids drank milk. I myself had to get some protein and made ground beefalo wraps for Evan and I! The Zone tray served as a sort of appetizer this first time around....

Peanut Butter vs. Almond Butter

Creamy Salted Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Dry roasted peanuts, salt.
2 TBSP= 190 calories, 16g fat, 130mg sodium, 7g carbs, 3g fiber, 1 sugar, 8g protein

Creamy with Sea Salt Almond Butter
Ingredients: Dry roasted almonds, sea salt.
2 TBSP= 190 calories, 17g fat, 60mg sodium, 6g carbs, 3g fiber, 2g sugar, 8g protein

So which is the better choice?
Beside the fact that almonds are actually nuts (above ground, in trees) and peanuts are legumes (growing in the ground), my preference is almond butter if based on taste. Evidently, it takes less sea salt to do the job in the almond butter than regular salt in the peanut butter. That is a positive for the almond butter. Also, almond butter has an 8% higher calcium content, and 2% higher in iron. Other than that, everything only varies by one gram. It boils down to the good fats versus the bad fats; almond butter has a greater monounsaturated fat content, and this makes it the healthier heart choice!

WWW.eatdrinkbetter.com says this about almond butter: "Almond butter boasts ten times the Omega-3 fatty acids of peanut butter, they’re high in monounsaturated fats and low in saturated fats, all of which make them a terrific way to boost heart health. Almonds are particularly known for high levels of calcium, magnesium, potassium, protein and Vitamin E. And since 715,623 tons, almost half the world’s almonds, are produced in the United States, the carbon footprint of this butter is relatively low."

Trader Joe's sells their own brand for $4.99 for a 16 oz jar! Their natural peanut butter is $1.79! It's worth the trip to stock up! However, you can order it online right here, right now from Maranatha.

Reporting from Bethany Circle- Cocoa Nibs

I have discovered that I love to investigate food. Consider me your food reporter!

Tonight's product: Chocolate Covered Cocoa Nibs
Who? For the chocolate lover trying to eat zone or paleo!
What?! Nibs are little pieces of cocao bean. These are then coated in chocolate
When? Afternoon or late night chocolate fix
Where? I have found them at Publix and Whole Foods, so far
Why? Nibs are the bare basic of chocolate= good in many ways!
How? Add to milk, yogurt, icecream, smoothies. Click on the nibs link for tons of information and ideas!



The link I found gives a wealth of information that I won't repeat, so check it out! I am not promoting this company's product, because I haven't tried it myself, but I am very impressed with the site.

The two brands that I have tried are very different from one another. Both say 'organic', but,
Publix, Explorer's Bounty brand uses chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa powder and soy lecithin to cover its nibs.
The other, from Whole Foods, is more basic, just dark chocolate (cocoa beans, cane sugar, cacao butter, and vanilla beans) with the nibs. I don't know if you noticed, but there are two different spellings: cocoa/cacao. They are the same thing. The first brand with the liquor is sweeter, the second brand takes more of an open mind, especially if you are a milk chocolate lover!

Instead of stopping and picking up my free container of cookie dough from Papa Murphy's tonight, I stopped at the grocery and bought cocoa nibs! It's not quite the same, but I did get my chocolate fix!

Letting Food Work For You During Stressful Times

This weekend, my dad got remarried. He has been a widower for a little over 2 years. Although a wonderful occasion, it was a time for stress to invade. I wanted to feel good physically and emotionally. I wanted to have energy despite going to bed late and waking up early with my two year old son. So, Thursday, I made an effort to eat no grains and make sure my meals were balanced with good protein, good carbs, and fats. I ate mostly eggs, tuna fish, and some beef or chicken. I ate a lot of fruit and almonds and reasonable amount of mayo. I also had coffee to help me out, but I do not doctor it up anymore; I only add a little half and half. This I can remember, but I did not keep a close log, I just ate what I knew was best for me. If I felt tired, I ate. If I felt hungry, I ate. Then I would feel more energized. This is a different approach from my previous efforts to eat on a schedule and eat specific amounts. This new way worked for me. By Saturday, I had energy, even with only 6 hours of sleep. I was in a "good" (balanced) mood. And, I felt good physically, i.e. no swelling, water retention, or bloating. I feel confident that I let my food work for me and not against me. I am so glad to know what to do when I need to kick it into gear. The best plan for success is education. For many years, I did not know exactly what to do to loose that weight or feel better. But now, as I study and experiment, I understand more about how foods are going to affect me. This is my hope for people who are frustrated with how they feel or how they look. This is why I blog!

"Real" Processed Food

Isn't it funny how foods that are not good for you, i.e. processed foods, are the ones that feel the need to remind us of the food pyramid and where they fit in?!

First of all, if it promotes the food pyramid, then we should be hesitant anyway! The food pyramid is updated and more balanced than the previous recommendations, and has some good information about food (such as why it is good to choose fish, nuts and seeds), but it is still allowing for processed foods. Therefore, many products are able to use it to promote their nutrition information. The government has a conflict of interest when it comes to teaching us about health and also making money off of the business at the same time!

Second of all, these type foods brag about their "real" food products that they have added in there to make you feel ok about it! Such as Chef Boyardee's Mini-Bites Spaghetti and Meatballs. They list "premium beef" (I've learned that the government standards are not my standards!), vine ripened tomatoes (in the sun or under ultra-violet rays!?), and enriched pasta (the government suggests 1/2 of your daily grain allowance to be 'whole' and it's ok for the other half to be 'enriched'). Shouldn't spaghetti and meatballs read: whole wheat pasta [stone ground wheat berries, water, salt], meatballs [ground beef, spices]? Well, maybe the meatballs are more extensive than that, but my point is, they can't make a canned or processed product with the simplest ingredients because it won't last long enough on the shelf or make people crave it. This product has 22 ingredients, plus what those ingredients contain, which amounts to 32 more ingredients. My red flags are "enriched", which follows with words that I can't pronounce very well, caramel coloring (my food has to be colored to make me want to eat it?), flavorings (what's wrong with natural flavors and what are these 'flavorings' anyway?!), high fructose corn syrup (sugar), hydrolyzed corn (I'm not quite sure what this means, but it sounds like a machine is involved), enzyme modified cheese (modified...into what?), and then there is chloride and inosinate,and guanylate (what in the world?!!!). Why are we eating this?!!! Because mommy is lazy, and most mommies haven't sat down and considered all of this. So I have now. Everything has sugar and corn in it! This particular product has even added high fructose corn syrup so that my kids will beg me for it when we go to the grocery store, or complain that mine is not as good!

So can you guess what sparked this blog entry? The can of spaghetti and meatballs that I bought at the grocery store because my kids were with me and begged me for it! So do I let them eat it for dinner tonight? Or do I throw it away in protest and go against my nature to waist food?

hmm...I think this should not qualify as food...what do you think?

Buying Locally Grown- Here's Why, Here's How

In the summer and fall, I enjoy going to the Farmer's Market in Murfreesboro (Near Sam's Club) and finding veggies and more, in season, that taste and smell more vibrant. Winter months are slower for the farmer's variety, but there is still produce to choose from. I have considered CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture) in the previous year, but have shied away at the thought of not utilizing everything I recieve in my box because of the ages of my children and the preferred tastes of my husband and I. Today, I found the Locally Grown website that makes it so easy to see what is currently available from local farmers and order what you want. You pay when you pick up, and you choose from several pick up locations. I like that! It makes it easy and more convenient to fit it in with my weekly grocery management as opposed to committing to a whole season. Here is a link to the Q & A's of exactly how it works, and from there you can go on to check out the individual farmers and products. As Crossfitters and the health conscious, I hope we can be large supporters of our local farmers. I hope you check it out today! Or, if you already do something of the sort, tell us where and what and why you like it.

Beefalo...

Today I went to the C & F Meat Co., Inc. right outside of M'boro as you pass over the 840 while on Hwy 96 towards Franklin. It is about a 10 minute drive. It is a processing plant and market that is family owned. Beefalo is their primary emphasis, but they also carry pork, rabbit, goat, and free range chicken. When I asked if they were grain or grass fed, I was told that they were grass fed, but grain fed the last 2 months. All meats are USDA inspected (which doesn't mean all that much to me after seeing Food, Inc.! I don't really want the govt. involved in the food I eat!). Anyway, you can buy from them Monday through Saturday. You can call 615-395-4819 with questions or orders. The woman that helped me was very friendly, even though I did not get greeted right away. It has a small town feel to it, which I like. They carry rubs and sauces and jams and honey to accompany their meats!

Here's some eye raising facts about Beefalo!:
-naturally raised (no hormones, grass fed, but grain finished)
-less calories than tuna!
-1/5 the fat of regular beef!
-3/4 the cholesterol of chicken!

I found this chart very interesting on test results that compared 3.5 oz portions of the following cuts of protein:

Cholesterol Fat Calories
Fish 70mgs .3 gr 76
Tuna 70 .8 127
Chicken 60 1.9 117
Beef 70 19.6 352
Lean Beef 63 6.0 130
Beefalo 47 4.2 119

What is Beefalo exactly? It is bred of bison and domestic cattle. It contains 3/16ths Buffalo. Beefalo retains the nutritional advantages of buffalo, while preserving the taste of quality beef. Because it is leaner, it is more digestable and it cooks in 1/3 to 1/2 the time of beef with less shrinkage. C & F raises their beefalo without the use of growth hormones, steroids, and unnecessary antibiotics. The lean red meat of Beefalo is a finer more digestable texture, and a slightly sweeter flavor. So, try some Beefalo today! :)

I will post later how our New York Strip Beefalo and our Beefalo sausage patties cook and taste. I also bought some free range chicken breasts and their very own ground beef. They were out of ground beefalo, so I plan on going back to get some in a week or two. It may be premature to tell you about them before I try the product, but I was too excited about this nutritional info to not pass it on right now! Plus, they have been there for 15+ years- I have driven by them for that long, anyway, over the years. Many people around here buy whole pigs to roast at gatherings. And even more, it is a beautiful drive to College Grove (Before Triune).

Kids and the Zone

As a new year begins and "better eating" is at the top of the to-do list, I am convicted of my task to do the same with my poor kids. They are a product of what I allow them to eat, and when I am not eating well, they get to enjoy way more junk than the occasional treat. Today, in the car, after I bought them a nasty chocolate donut from the gas station (or the "hot stop" as my husband to cutely refers to it!) as a "treat" for being good during our shopping earlier (yes, roll your eyes, be disappointed, because I do my fair share of unhealthy bribery, it is terrible, I know), I told them to eat up and enjoy because healthier eating days are on their way! This allowed me to ask the question, "Why should we eat better?". And here is what they (and I, with a little spurning) came up with:
1.Be stronger!
2.Feel better!
3.Run faster!
4.Be in a good mood!

This seemed to be convincing enough for Jack and Sophie. Little do they understand that they will be more attentive in school as well, not to mention the internal health benefits! In my effort to get our kids excited about good foods, I am going to make a chart with the above reasons listed and let them keep track of their progress this week. Charts are good in Kindergarten and 1st grade! Post any ideas or methods you have used or heard of to inspire healthy eating in kids! I'll be ready for new ideas soon!

-------------------------------------------...

Dr. Sears says that children should have 15 grams of protein per meal. After puberty, they should have as much as an adult. String cheese is usually an easy option that kids will eat. My 5 year old daughter enjoys boiled eggs.

Go to this link for great breakfast ideas for kids that will get them through the school day, as well as 2 block lunches (7 grams of protein = 1 block, so the 15 recommended is basically a 2 block lunch if you are ever referring to a Zone block chart).

Tomorrow's lunch back to school will be:
all natural applesauce (no sugar added),
7 cheese cubes (I love that each one is 1 gram of protein!),
a peanut butter and honey sandwich on whole wheat, (sad to admit that I spared the piggy bank on the Ezekial bread and bought the buy one get one deal on Pepperidge Farm. It is healthier than a lot, but still doesn't compare to Ezekial).
and a Roarin' Waters drink (has 8g of sugar).

I treat the flavored drink as a sort of fun thing in their lunch because often I will give them water or let them buy milk. Roarin' Waters is not juice, but flavored water. On a related note, Sugar Busters for Kids states that kids should have only 24g (6 tsp) of added sugar per day. I am afraid to know what it has been lately for my kids! Sugar Busters for Kids also recommends a ratio of 50% carbs, 30% fats, and 20% protein, in short, because they are growing up and need energy, rather than growing out and building muscle. I haven't done a detailed comparison, but Sugar Busters is seemingly the Zone because it shares many of the same ideals and recommendations (such as the adult ratio of 40% protein, 30% fat, 30% carbs). The two go hand in hand as far as I am concerned. You could even use the Sugar Busters books as precursers to starting the Zone. Get the sugar under control, then focus on portion control.

Slow Cooking in January

If you haven't already, check out Dr. Sears Zone website. I plan on making these soon- you can't go wrong with these ingredients. Here are a couple of great sounding slow cooker recipes:

Minestrone Stew with Pear, Rasberry, Walnut, and Feta Salad
Lentil Walnut and Chicken Chili with Salad and Guacamole

Report what you think if you make it.

The Pantry Plunge

You've heard of the Polar Bear Plunge, right? Jump right into that cold water, all for a good cause! Well, I am doing the New Year's Pantry Plunge: Eat everything up that is bad and then don't replace it with more! This is not as good of an idea as making a clean sweep of your pantry. But, the holidays are over and I can't bring myself to throw out the badness that I love so much, so I will let it deplete. If this does not work, then I will have to go cold turkey on the sugar for a while to readjust! This new year is not going to be a countdown to healthy eating for me, rather a practice in daily decision making. My first goal has come straight from Missy's comment on the last blog entry- preparing ahead. I will not buy anymore processed foods (graham crackers, cereal, enriched flour products). I probably will not even weigh and measure my food, but I WILL make attempts at discipline and self control when it comes to choosing the right foods.

Concerning my sweet tooth, I am going to experiment. Missy allowed herself icecream somewhat frequently and still saw results and felt great, so I may also allow myself dark chocolate (Ghirardelli's bittersweet chocolate chips or squares, to be precise). Some of you may be remembering that this was my past downfall and that I vowed to stop keeping chocolate chips on hand to bake with, so it may be that I allow myself to go get some when the cravings well up, but just not keep them around all the time.

If you are ready to be super precise about what you eat, then don't let me talk you out of it. There is a time and place for measuring and weighing- I would encourage anyone to do this in order to gain a realistic idea of what your body needs versus what you tend to want.

I hope you figure out your goals and then work towards them, experimenting. The road to health is a journey. I hope you will share your successes and failures with me (us!).

Preparing,
Angela