Blog update

This week I'm going to focus on updating and revising this blog, so you will be seeing some changes. Hopefully I'll have it done for a fresh start and routine on Monday, February 4th!

Kale Chips

Kale chips are my new, favorite snack.  Our meals and snacks are mostly whole food, plant-based, but every now and then I still want to snack on something thin and crispy- like potato chips.  However, I don't like the way I feel afterwards.  Enter kale chips.  These are light, quick and easy to prepare and they satisfy that need to crunch.  Also, kale is a nutritional powerhouse.  Check out these stats:

One cup of raw kale =
33 calories
5% RDA fiber
2g of protein
9% RDA calcium
6% RDA iron
206% RDA vitamin A
134% RDA vitamin C

source:  Self Nutrition Data

Plus, there's an added bonus. The British Journal of Nutrition published a study titled Association of dietary fat, vegetables and antioxidant micronutrients with skin ageing in Japanese women in May of 2010. This study showed that "A higher intake of green and yellow vegetables was significantly associated with a decreased Daniell wrinkling score". Wow! Eating more green and yellow vegetables will decrease those crows feet! I'm sold!

Kale chips are so easy to make that there's no need to buy the pricier pre-made ones.

1.  Take a bunch of kale, cut the leafy part off the ribs, and cut the leaves into relatively uniform shapes (throw the ribs in your garden or compost pile!).

2.  Wash and dry kale leaves (a salad spinner is an excellent tool for this).

3.  Lay leaves out on a cookie sheet (you may want to use parchment paper to prevent sticking) or microwave chip maker.  Season to taste (I like a light sprinkling of sea salt).

4.  Bake in a 350 degree oven or microwave (2-3 minutes) until crisp, but not burnt.

5.  Serve!

This is also an excellent way to preserve an abundance of fresh kale. I've stored kale chips in glass jars or Tupperware containers and then added the kale chips to soups and stews. Yum!

Speaking of not liking how I feel after eating a bunch of potato chips, I came across this quote recently:  "Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels."  As someone who has been following a mostly (we did just go through the holidays) whole foods, plant-based diet since mid-summer, I can say that this is true for me.  I feel better and I have effortlessly reached a healthy weight.  I mentioned the holidays.  I admit that over the holidays I indulged in some of the traditional foods.  Did my taste buds enjoy the rich fare?  Sure.  But it wasn't worth the heaviness that I felt (for days) after.  This year we plan to keep our holidays whole food, plant-based.  However, we will not be sacrificing taste!  There are many delicious plant-based recipes out there.  We're even creating some of our own.  I'll share as I am able, so keep checking back to see what our latest culinary adventures have been!

New Link - Happy Herbivore

Well, so much for trying to post more often.  Fall is crazy busy around here, I think even busier than the rest of the year.  I am trying to develop a routine though, and plan to work posting into that routine.

To start off the new year, I'm adding a new link to the Food Links:  Happy Herbivore.  A friend recommended this site to me and I am really enjoying it.  I have subscribed to the e-mails and I have 2 of the cookbooks (after not wanting to part with the first one when I borrowed it from the library).  If you're trying to eat a more plant-based diet, Happy Herbivore is a wonderful resource.  Enjoy!  We are!

Salad Bar

We all know that we're supposed to be eating more plants:  preferably fresh (or fresh frozen) fruits and vegetables and whole grains.  Looking at the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate, we see that we should be focusing on a whole foods, plant-based diet and limiting fats (even healthy ones) and animal proteins.  However, sometimes it seems easier said than done.  Our food culture is built around meat and cheese.  Nowhere is this more evident than the American restaurant (even many of the ethnic ones).  When was the last time you saw a menu where most, if not all, of the meals were heavy on the meat and cheese and light on the plants (if there are any at all - french fries don't count).  Then, think about how the plants were prepared.  Were they fried?  Mixed with butter, cream, and/or sugar?  My husband calls sweet potatoes dessert since they are usually covered with butter and brown sugar.  We find it difficult to find a restaurant that prepares meals consistent with the way we eat at home.  So, we usually stay home.  It's healthier and easier on the budget.  Also, with a little bit of prep work, dinner can be quick and easy.

One way our household has increased its intake of plants is to start our meals with salad.  With the end of summer, it's harvest time for zucchini, summer squash (okay these have been with us for a while), cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell peppers.  The cooler temps bring the return of lettuces and spinach.  When I go shopping, I stock up on many wonderful salad foods.  At home, I prep the vegetables for salad use.  I put each vegetable in a storage container and place them in the refrigerator (except the tomatoes).  I even cleaned out and organized my fridge so that the salad ingredients have their own shelf - no searching the fridge or food getting lost.

Now, before we dig into the main course, we set out the containers and create our own salad bar.  This way we start our meal with a serving or two (or 3!) of fresh plants.

I have also prepped some vegetable slices for those inevitable snack attacks or for anyone who has not learned to appreciate a good salad.  A mentor of mine once shared that after school she would put out a vegetable tray for her kids to snack on.  They could snack all they wanted.  It didn't matter if they "spoiled their dinners" because they were eating healthy.

If any of your vegetables are around for a couple of days, before they get too old, transfer them (if necessary) to a freezer-safe container and put them in the freezer.  With winter coming, you'll appreciate having prepped vegetables ready for soup, which can replace the fresh salad as your meal-starter.

I hope this helps you on the path to a more whole foods, plant-based diet.  Enjoy!


Shopping Tip:  Be sure to check out your local farmer's market to see what's available fresh in your area.  Usually fresh produce at the farmer's market is picked that morning (instead of days or more ago, artificially ripened, then shipped).  You can't get any fresher unless you pick it out of your own backyard (another great idea).  Also, it's good to get to know and support your local farmers.  You will know who grew your food, how it was grown (feel free to ask), and you'll be supporting your local economy.

In The News

I'm sorry for the lack of posts the last year.  My focus has been on our recent move (packing, selling the house, moving, unpacking, etc.).  Now that we're moved and are fairly settled I'm starting to develop a routine and plan to make more time to blog about food and nature.  For now, I'd like to share a couple of articles I recently read.  I'm also adding a couple more links to the left-hand menu:  Forks Over Knives and Engine 2 Diet.  Enjoy!

9 Super-Healthy, Vegetarian Protein Sources

4 Reasons You Need to Eat More Kale

The Truth about Organic

What Exactly Is a GMO—and Why Should You Care?

In The News

Gardener feeds family with $100 a month

I love seeing stories like this.  I don't know if my garden will ever be as big as hers is, but I want to feed us as much as possible from the land that we have.  We just moved, but we managed to get a 4'x4' garden started with 3 basil plants, 2 Better Boy tomato plants and 10 Roma tomato plants.  I spent about $15 on the plants and the aged horse manure (which they absolutely love) was free.  I'm hoping to add several more 4'x4' squares next year, as well as raspberries and (maybe) blueberries.  Yum!

In The News

Nutrition Notes: Beans are a healthy source of protein

For bean recipes, just click on Beans/Legumes on the list on the right.  Enjoy!