On The Fly

It's that time of the year again...Christmas time!!! Maybe not for you, but we have a Christmas-related business that always picks up steam the beginning of November. So. Hello stressful busy season, goodbye time to cook. I am usually super fun to be around this time of year because of my tendency towards stress and anxiety, but thankfully I finished that anxiety program earlier this year and I know when I am getting stressed/anxious and am much better at stopping it before I loose my mind. Also, I've never been on a health kick like the one that I am on now so this should be interesting. I am so thankful for grocery store salad bars. This lovely little salad is packed with spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, carrots, red onion, broccoli, hard boiled eggs, kamut, quinoa, barley, black beans and wheat berries.

What the F is kamut you ask?

Well, it is actually khorsan wheat (Kamut is the brand) and is higher in protein and many minerals, especially selenium, zinc, and magnesium compared to modern wheat. The origin of this grain is disputed but it was introduced to Americans in Egypt in the 1950's.

Quinoa is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudo-cereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the grass family. Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, secondary only to the potato, and was followed in importance by maize. In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice(which are low in lysine), and like oats, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it a complete protein source, unusual among plant foods. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. 

Barley contains eight of the nine essential amino acids. According to a recent study, eating whole grain barley can regulate blood sugar (i.e. reduce blood glucose response to a meal) for up to 10 hours after consumption compared to white or even whole-grain wheat, which has a similar glycemic index.

Beans, beans are good for your heart...the more you eat...(you know the rest). Speaking of farts, if you love beans but hate the gas it produces, add in cumin (its a spice) to whatever the beans are in. It will make them more easily digestible. 

Honestly, if this stuff wasn't labeled in the salad bar I wouldn't
be able to tell what's what. 

Wheat Berries are the entire wheat kernel (except for the hull), comprising the bran, germ, and endosperm. Wheat berries have a tan to reddish brown color and are available as either a hard or soft processed grain. They are often added to salads or baked into bread to add a crunchy texture; as a whole grain, they also provide nutritional benefits since they are an excellent source of dietary fiber.

------------------------------

Over the next two months I continue to make smoothies for the first half of my day, and then probably switching between sushi, veggie sandwiches at a local deli, and Whole Foods salads. I have not been extremely hungry lately (weird!) but if I do get extra hungry, I can supplement this with granola bars or protein shakes. I am a little leery about the prepared food at Whole Foods for a couple of reasons. They portray themselves as a "health food store" but their products and prepared foods are LOADED with soy products. Also, I find some of their prepared food to taste WEIRD! I got some spring roll wrapped in rice paper with peanut sauce- it was gross to say the least. I don't know... maybe some people like their meal to taste as if it came right-out-of-the-ground. Not I said Miss Jessie. Sticking to the salad bar.


BEWARE: Most salad dressings are LOADED with garbage ingredients. It is so F-ing easy to make your own (I keep some at home and at work). Basically you can use any vinegar that you like, extra virgin olive oil, and...spicy brown mustard! That's it. Shake and dump all over your salad. Some people (not going to name names) will tell you that it has too much fat. HOWEVER! It is more important to get those veggies into your body than to worry about the fat in the olive oil. ESPECIALLY since the olive oil is a healthy fat and the one that you should absolutely be eating. FAT FREE IS NOT HEALTHY! Plus (I'm about to start bragging) I eat full fat everything (!) and I have been loosing weight. You just have to make sure that you are eating ALOT of fruits and veggies. Once you have been eating a lot of fruits and veggies your taste buds will start to change and you will need less and less dressing. You will actually like the taste of vegetables! Who-da-thunk-it?