15 Staples To Make A Protein Packed Pantry

I’ll have to admit it. In a dream world I would have a personal chef. If I had to take it down a notch, I would say round the clock food delivery. Eating healthy can feel like a part time job sometimes. When you’re on a first name basis with all the stock boys and cashiers at the farmers market, you know you spend a lot of time there.

I’m constantly checking out new products, reading labels, and replenishing those fresh fruit and veggies. As much as I love the grocery store, I wonder what about the pantry? It had become a taboo place for me. I associated it with chips, cookies, and jars of sugar. But could I make it a protein palace instead?

Yes, it is possible to have healthy meals made in minutes which do not come in liquid form. Check out these 15 protein packed staples to add to your cupboard. They’ll help you minimize the number of trips to the grocery store. Just make sure you stock up on those glass storage jars for your bulk buying binge:

• Black Beans 15g
• Lentils 17g
• Chickpeas 14g
• Red Kidney Beans 15g
• White Beans 17g
• Quinoa 8g
• Bulgur 17g
• Israeli Couscous 6g
• Chia Seeds 4g
• Walnuts 12g
• Pecans 9g
• Millet 22g
• Pine Nuts 18g
• Freekeh 5g
• Mung Beans 3g

Now what to do with amazing ingredients? Let’s take some of our newer additions to the pantry for a spin with a couple of fresh ingredients. 

Tomato, Basil And Millet Salad

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup uncooked millet, rinsed and drained
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced basil
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 6 large leaves green or red leaf lettuce

Instructions:

• Toast millet in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and just golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and carefully add broth. Return to heat and bring to a boil over medium high heat then reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and millet is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer millet to a large bowl, fluff with a fork and set aside to let cool. 

• Add black-eyed peas, green onions and basil to millet, toss gently and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, then pour dressing over millet mixture and toss to coat. Add tomatoes, then spoon salad over lettuce leaves and serve.

Bulgur Salad with Cucumbers, Red Peppers, Chick Peas, Lemon and Dill

Ingredients:

• 1 cup bulgur or light bulgur
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/3 cup diced red onion
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 small English (or hothouse) cucumber, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh dill
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from 1-2 lemons
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions:

• Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Place the bulgur in a large bowl with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1-1/4 cups boiling water. Cover the bowl tightly with saran wrap and let sit for 25-30 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed.

• Meanwhile, to soften the bite of the raw onions, place them in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Let them sit for ten minutes, and then drain. (Feel free to skip this step if you don't mind the taste of raw onions.) Combine the cooked bulgur with the red onions, remaining teaspoon of salt (I know it seems like a lot but the salad is bland without it) and all of the other ingredients. Season to taste with more salt, pepper, sugar or lemon if desired. Serve cold.

These are few ideas to take your pantry to the healthy level. Minimize your trips to the grocery store. Whip up a quick meal with ingredients you probably already have on hand. If you also happen to use dried seasonings versus fresh we won’t tell anyone either. Taste is taste, right? 

Souping: Juicing's Healthier Cousin?

Remember when juicing was life? You spent your mornings washing vegetables. Wondering how many apples you could use to make the greens a little more yummy. Sometimes you would plunk down the ten dollars to get your cold pressed fix since you didn’t have the time to make your own. Ready to meet juicing’s cousin, souping?

It’ll leave you satisfied longer. Give you the fiber you need. Plus, you’re not adding tons of sugar to your diet from all the fruit used to make greens easier to drink. Some people go the

juicing route for a cleanse, but it’s only a short term fix. Souping can be part of a regularly detoxing way of life. 

I have to admit, I was a little taken aback by the souping concept. When I think of soup, I think of the traditional American fare like chicken noodle. Or if it’s a family gathering, we’d have albondigas soup, spicy mexican meatball soup. Neither is something you’re having through a straw. So I opened up my mind to the concept of souping. What’s it all about?

I love juicing. There is nothing better than a fresh made cold pressed drink right at home. I did have a little guilt when I ended up throwing away so much pulp, and figured out other goodies to make with it. But still I was left with the thought, “Why am I working so hard to make a drink.” The more I learned about souping, I think this could be a new route for me.

Juicing gives you so many vitamins and minerals which are quickly absorbed by the body. It’s a great way to detoxify, but how much goodness are we missing out on by not having the roughage? Learning about slow cooking taught me how much vegetable skin is good for us. You’re throwing away nutrients by not having the vegetable skin. It’s the vicious cycle of juicing. 

It’s a lot of work. It’s not always satisfying. It’s wasteful when you’re throwing away vegetables because you missed a day or two of juicing. Don’t get me wrong, I love juicing. But like all things, let’s mix it up in moderation. 

Here are some more fun souping pros for you:

• Souping Is More Economical.
• Souping Retains The Fiber
• Souping Is Mentally Easier To Sustain
• Soups Are Veggie-Loaded
• Benefit Of A Wider Variety Of Herbs, Spices, And Broth
• Won’t Leave You Feeling Hungry
• More Textures Instead Of Only Sipping Your Meal
• Warming & Grounding According To Ayuverdaa

I hope I’ve piqued your curiosity. I take my health and well being seriously. I’ve definitely noticed a difference in my body, internally and externally since I’ve made a conscientious effort to treat my body well. But like all humans, we get stuck in our ways. Even with our foods when we’re being healthy. You should see me when I realized I ran out of raw coconut vinegar!

I told myself it’s okay. My usual health food store isn’t open, but I can run to my local supermarket. I’m going to try a new cleanse tomorrow. Now to decide between these two. What do you think? 

Beetroot Soup

Ingredients

• 1 Large Beetroot
• 1 Large Carrot
• 1 Potato
• 1 Onion
• 1 Can of Peas
• Small can of tomato paste
• 1/4 Cabbage Head
• 1/2 Lemon
• 2 Bay Leaves
• Salt, Pepper and other spices

Instructions:

Boil a pot of water and add chopped potato and bay leaves to it.

Meanwhile, spray a frying pan with a little bit of oil and add chopped onion to it. Once the onion turn yellowish add grated beetroot and carrot. Stew them for 15 minutes. 

In a separate bowl mix the tomato paste with 2 cups of hot water and add it to the frying pan after 15 minutes. Let it stew for additional 15 minutes. 

Chop the cabbage. Once you finish stewing the beetroots and carrots, add all the frying pan contents to the boiling pot, add the cabbage and the peas as well.

Add Lemon juice, 1 table spoon of sugar, salt, pepper and other spices of you choices. Let it cook for additional 10 minutes. 

Lentils Soup

Ingredients

• 1 Cup of Lentils
• 1.5 Liters of Water
• 2 Tomatoes
• 2 Carrots
• 1 Onion
• 1/2 Lemon
• Salt, Pepper, Cumin and other spices

Instructions:

Boil a pot of water and add the lentils in. Meanwhile, spray a frying pan with a little bit of oil and add the chopped onion to it. Once the onion turn yellowish add grated carrots and chopped tomatoes. Stew them for few minutes.

Add all the frying pan contents to the boiling pot. Let it cook for about 40 minutes. Add salt, cumin, pepper and lemon juice. Use a blender to blend everything to a uniform puree soup. 

Believe In The Possibility Of More

Being open to new ideas and new people is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves. It’s completely free. You don’t have to go to a store, buy it on sale, or get a two-for-one deal. By being “flexible” with our thoughts, not only our we minimizing stress in our lives, we’re creating energy movement within our bodies. You know the feeling. The high you get from pushing yourself towards the unknown. Call it exhilaration. 

By no means do I have the answers to life’s problems. I will say, allow the inspiration of motivation to happen. Oprah calls it, the “A-ha” moment. I find mine sweating my little booty off in pilates class. I’m serious. 

Magic happens when we allow ourselves to be simultaneously challenged - physically and mentally. Exercising can sometimes be more than about burning calories, and looking good. It can be a call to challenge our spirit. Who are we? What do we believe. Do we think we are possible of more?

Funny, what happens in pilates class, doesn’t stay in pilates class. If you’re open to new ideas. Challenge what you think is possible. You’ll start taking the same philosophy with you in your everyday life. Sometimes we joke exercise if life, but you have to self motivate to believe you can do more.

We can fuel our body with raw, organic foods. Cover ourselves in head-to-toe name brand athletic gear, but at the end of the day, if we don’t challenge ourselves to achieve more, we’ll never become stronger. Don’t you love the rush after you’re done with class. It’s because you said, “I can!” 

In classes, you are surrounded by people who know exactly what you’re going through. The camaraderie after class. We all know the pain and suffering we experienced together. We motivated each other not to look for excuses. Instead we figured out modifications. We took breaks if necessary, but never gave up.

It’s important to talk about self motivation, because we can’t help but fall into a pattern. We have our set schedule. When things don’t going according to “plan.” We get irritated. I don’t know about you, but it physically doesn’t feel good, let alone, mentally feel good.

Throw in those days you feel “overstimulated.” It starts from the moment you wake up. The news blasts you awake. It’s not about puppies and ponies, but about the latest political he said/she said. It really does take the effort to get past the “noise.”

The same thing happens in the pilates studio. You feel pain. It hurts. Let’s admit it, it sucks sometimes, but how good do you feel after class? If you keep self motivating, you will see and feel results. They’re not overnight, but they do happen.

Yes, pain is a part of life, but shut off the negativity. If you focus on the bad of life, you will not see the joy, youth, and beauty surrounding you. I noticed I was letting myself be sucked in by the negativity around me.

Your mindset dictates how you perceive the world around you. When your boss sends you an email, or the friend who’s been annoying you lately texts. Notice you already feel tension before you even open up the email or read frenemy’s text. Then you complain about these feelings to your family and friends, and this vicious cycle of negativity continues.

My pilates instructor made me realize we are the only ones stopping ourselves from being happy and achieving what we want. Yes, you’re going to fail, it’s going to hurt, but you know what? It’ll be over soon enough. The “high” is something you achieved all by yourself. You motivated past everything to believe in yourself, and for one hour, you were complete free to believe you are capable of anything. 

Take the same motivation in your everyday. Achieve the impossible when everything around you tells you no. Asks you why you even try. Prove to yourself you can, and watch all the amazing things come to into your life. Make great things happen because you believe in yourself. Surround yourself by people who you believe in you, and life becomes magic. Because you made it happen.

How To Live The Supermodel Life: Plant Based LIfe

Every body comes in different shapes and sizes. It really is a genetics game. You would think being born with a supermodel body, you’d be eating pizza poolside, but Gisele Bündchen’s chef shares her physique is in part due to a plant based diet. Actually, 80 percent of her and husband’s, pro football quarterback Tom Brady, food comes from vegetables and whole grains. 

I think this would dispels any food myths of a plant based diet not being for those with an active lifestyle. What does chef Allen Campbell’s plant based diet exclude for Bündchen and Brady?

"No white sugar. No white flour. No MSG. I’ll use raw olive oil, but I never cook with olive oil. I only cook with coconut oil... [and] I use Himalayan pink salt as the sodium. I never use iodized salt," Campbell also added coffee, caffeine, fungus and dairy are also off-limits. 

It might sound super restrictive, but Tom takes it a step further with no nightshades. No tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, or eggplants. They cause inflammation, Campbell says. I figure if you’re a Super Bowl MVP several times over, your body is your temple. You will only give it the best fuel to keep you at peak performance.

Supermodels with a 20 year career don’t get there by pure genetics luck. If anything, what Bündchen and Brady’s chef has only taught me is putting pure, chemical free foods in your body will make you healthy, and keep you strong for decades to come. What you put in your body, shows on the outside. Make it the best you can.

So what do I put in my body if I’m speaking chef Campbell’s language. Well, your shopping cart if 80 percent full of organic vegetables and whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, millet, and beans. The other 20 percent is lean meats such as grass-fed organic steak, duck, chicken, and mostly fish, like wild salmon. It can be done, but where to gather inspiration from?

I like the Campbell language, but I couldn’t tell you how to mix it up recipe wise with 80 percent vegetables and grains as your base. It can be done without a personal chef. Since we live in a glorious time, with plenty of apps, a virtual chef is a download away.

Two of my favorite recent app discoveries are Veg Kickstart and Yummly. Yes, there are several out there, but price point, you can’t beat free, and more importantly it makes trying a plant based  easier. It can be a little overwhelming to shake up our diet, so finding tools to make the transition, I’m all about sharing.

First up, Veg Kickstart. Sign up online where you can get the 21-day meal plan, along with restaurant guides, and community forums to mention a few. Personally, I went straight for the app. Nothing to fill out or sync. It’s a straight forward daily meal plan of simple vegan meals to prepare, list of ingredients, directions, and nutritional facts. Very bare bones.  Simple, easy, and manageable tools to help change our lives, not make them more complicated.

If you’re looking for a little exploring versus a laid out meal plan, you’ll fall in love with Yummly. It’s a great interactive website. You tell it your taste preferences, and what foods you rather avoid. Check the boxes, and Yummly will give you the best recipes from your favorite blogs and websites. Instead of having to visit several sites or google searches, you can let Yummly do the work.

Depending on what you’ve told Yummly, you’ll get tiles and tiles of recipes ranging from Detoxinista to Williams-Sonoma. Think of it as your recipe newsfeed. You can add/share your favorite recipes to the Yummly community. But that’s not all my friends.

The app is so easy to use, and in combination with the site, makes it a breeze to shop for meals. There’s a clean, simple shopping list from all the recipes you’ve added to it. You can check off items as you go along, or you “share” it. Making it simple to text or email the shopping list to someone who wants to do the shopping since you’re making the meal.

If you have the Apple watch, you can search for recipes straight from you wrist. You can push the cart down the grocery aisle checking off items from you shopping list, and follow recipe directions without having to stop stirring the sauce. All the pieces of Yummly work great together.

You might not have the personal chef, or the state of the art kitchen with all the bells and whistles, but if anything, you can eat healthy and make it tasty. There are too many tools out there to stop you from making your personal best a reality. Look and feel amazing for years and years to come. Be your own superstar.

5 Tricks For Winter Health and Motivation

“Now what,” is what the little voice in my head says. No, it’s not schizophrenia. It’s what becomes our inner monologue after weeks of traveling, eating, and let’s face it, excitement. Here you are back at the grind, but it’s still winter. It’s cold outside, and the rain really doesn’t help matters. So let’s motivate. Kick up your winter health inspiration with these tips and tricks.

• Rise and Shine Sweetheart

It’s cold. You don’t want to get out of bed. Do yourself a favor, set your alarm clock for half an hour earlier. If you can do more, even better. The holiday break made sleeping in a treat, and now, it’s seems a little easier to hit the snooze button. With it getting dark so early, and the cold not going away for a few months, enjoy the daylight. 

Admit it to yourself. You’re not gonna come home and get all those things chores done. It’s a struggle not to sit on the couch, and marathon watch “Making A Murderer.” The temptation to Neflix binge is strong during the winter, almost like you deserve after making it through a long, dark outside. Enjoy more daylight in your

day, and get the vacuuming done. Your morning meditation done, whatever you decide, but add more “life” to your day vs. zombie tv watching.

• Morning Detox

Have you tried the power of raw coconut vinegar? If you haven’t, you need to get on this asap. You’ve heard of the mircales of apple cider vinegar for a morning cleanse, and all it’s benefits. But raw coconut vinegar kicks it to the curb in terms of benefits, and taste might I add. Try this simple recipe to get your body working right from the start of your day. You’ll help get your internal organs back on track after all the sugar, butter, and fun of the holidays with:

• 1 Tbsp raw coconut vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sacha inchi powder
• 1 Tbsp fresh coconut water probiotic
• 1 Tsp lemon juice
• 1 scoop green superfood (I recommend immunity/tangerine)
• dash of ginger
• dash of cinnamon
• squirt of peppermint spirits
• squirt of cayenne

You might be thrown off by this interesting mixture, but it tastes great. Your body will realign, rebalance itself, and there will be no need for the doughnuts as you walk to your desk. The cold weather makes us feel a little blah, and it’s what leads to the comfort eating. Notice those craving aren’t so strong on a hot, sunny day? Don’t give in, give your body health instead of refined sugars and flour.

• Water Additive

For some reason the cold weather makes it a little harder to get in those daily 64 oz of recommended water into our systems. Somehow we gravitate towards the warm coffee. It perks us up. Feels good when it’s dark so early, and helps motivate us for the rest of the day. Cold weather doesn’t mean we don’t need our daily hydration. 

Add a little kick to your water to make it fun and tasty. Avoid the sugary, processed, “fluffy” drink additives. Try Coco Hydro’s Instant Coconut Water Hydration. It comes in a variety of flavors like original, pineapple or pomegranate raspberry. More importantly it contains 5 macro nutrients like potassium, magnesium, sodium, calcium, and zinc. It also has 72 micro nutrients. Did I mention it also tastes great.

• Indoor Workouts

So life is good. You woke up earlier. You did a little morning detox to get your day going. You put the coffee away, and put more water into your system. Now to get our bodies moving. Yes, gotta go outside, where it’s cold, dark, and rainy. Don’t let it stop you from getting your cardio and strength training done. 

Hit up your favorite studio class. A couple of moments in the car will lead to getting all those right spots tone and fit.  The energy from your classmates will motivate to push yourself to break a sweat. If the weather is so bad, driving is not an option, turn on the tv. Yes, it’s more than movies and tv on there. 

Airplay/Chromecast cardio and strength training exercises while you clear a workout space for yourself. Youtube has more than cat videos. Check out channels like Blogilates to burn those muscles in your own living room. There are so many options you’ll never run out of at home exercises to do.

• Winter Workout Outfit

For those days you cannot be indoors anymore, take it outside with winter workout gear. Our drawers seem to be full of cotton yoga pants and lycra stretchy pants, but when it comes to braving the elements do a little splurging. It’s hard to run or hike in those baggy sweatpants and oversized sweatshirts. Let alone go for a walk if your favorite pants might have a hole or two in them. Hey, we’re not judging, comfort is comfort.

Check out Sweaty Betty’s Outdoor Training selection or Lululemon’s Cold Weather Run Gear. You’ll find some great items to keep your ears, head, upper and lower body warm without bulk. You’ll be able to get those limbs moving, and make your workout a reality. Don’t talk yourself out of exercising because of the elements. Enjoy the crip air on your face while you’re bundled up, and getting your heart rate up. The tv and coco will still there when you get back from the outside.

Cut Out Dairy To Lose Those Last Few Pounds

Celebrity gossip, love it or hate it, but sometimes you can’t help clicking when a celeb shares their secret to losing those last few pounds. I hated myself for clicking, but yes, what was “The 1 Thing Khloé Kardashian Did to Lose 11 Pounds?” You have to admit she is looking fit as of late. 

I was expecting to see some exercise routine from her celebrity trainer, but was surprised to discover she cut dairy from her diet. I’ve heard of people cutting out dairy due to lactose intolerance, but for weight loss? The Kardashian’s do have access to best trainers and nutritionist, so what is this secret all about.

The theory of why cutting out dairy leads to weight loss is it’s insullogenic properties, meaning it causes your insulin levels to spike. When your insulin levels unexpectedly shoot up, they cause your body to stop burning fat. Which is the exact opposite of what we want our bodies to do if we’re working out so hard. 

Ideally you want to maintain your blood sugar level between 70 mg and 110 mg which is considered “healthy” or little below average in sugar levels. Now here’s where we get a little Bill Nye the Science Guy. Insulin is secreted by the beta cells of the pancreas when your blood sugar levels are high. So if you’re eating a meal that contains mostly high glycemic, fast digesting carbohydrates, your blood sugar level is going to go past the 110 mg. 

When this happens, you facilitate the storage of glucose (blood sugar) in the muscle tissues, and especially fat cells. This how you end up not losing the weight, even though you’re making those workouts regularly. You’re keeping the fat stored in your body by spiking those sugar levels by consuming dairy. 

Ready for a little more science behind this insullogenic theory? When you’re blood sugar is low glucagon is secreted by the alpha cells of the pancreas. This predominantly occurs between eating and exercising. Glucagon causes the liver to release stored energy into circulation. Meaning when your blood sugar levels are low, you’re not storing fat, but actually burning it up through out your body.

Essentially, insulin and glucagon work in balance. As your insulin increases, glucagon decreases, and vice versa. Insulin promotes storing energy and manufacturing proteins while glucagon promotes the release of stored energy, both glucose and fatty acids. Meaning high insulin levels, high storage levels of fat. Low insulin levels, burning of fat in your body.

I don’t know about you, but if I’m hitting the studio regularly, I’m sure going to cut out the dairy. We sometimes think it’s a workout plateau. The reason we can’t lose those last few pounds, but maybe it’s a matter of mixing up our diet as well. Simply put, keeping your blood glucose level below 110 mg will cause your body to consistently burn more stored fat. 

Take the dairy out of your life and fill up on more good for you proteins and carbohydrates. Yes, I just said carbohydrates. I’m talking about those sprouted, nutrient dense carbohydrates, not those fluffy, refined products. Going this route will minimize insulin spikes, increase glucagon, and ultimately promote less fat storage, woohoo!

Not fully sold on this dairy free concept? Here’s a couple of other benefits going without lactose in your life.

• Your digestion will improve
• Your bowels will benefit
• You’ll slash your risk for chronic disease
• Your body will be okay with other sources of calcium
• Your skin will clear up

Yes, these are the amazing benefits of taking dairy out of your life. Say good bye to milk, butter, cottage cheese, yogurt, fromage, and ice cream and your body is gonna go cray with happiness. Don’t be sad, there are so many tasty alternatives to dairy products.

When you’re ordering your latte, ask for it with soy or almond milk. Have you checked out the frozen dessert sections, there are so many alternatives to ice cream which are coconut milk or tofu based. And c’mon how many more John Stamos commercials for greek yogurt do you need to see to know that dairy yogurt isn’t the only number out there.

This are a small number of examples of dairy alternatives, it’s all about making the conscientious effort in our choices. But hey if we’re spending so time leading a healthy life, why not make easier with delicious alternatives that will only make our bodies healthier. The best way to start 2016.

If You Don't Tell, Your Family Will Eat Healthy

It’s the holiday season, and it’s fun to get into the spirit. What isn’t so fun is looking at those leftovers upon leftovers sitting in the fridge. Especially, when they take on a gelatinous form. It’s what you call butter and fat, baby. Get a little sneaky this holiday season. Make your family eat healthy without them even knowing it. 

What is it about people as soon as they heard the word “healthy,” they shut down. Especially family members with their comments of, “I’ve been eating this way for years. My father ate red meat everyday of his life, smoked cigarettes, and lived to be in his late 80’s” Hey, I’m not knocking people’s lifestyle choices, but I do ask the question of “What was grandpa’s quality of life?”

Show your family eating healthy isn’t all sprouts and mung beans. It can also be a blend of their favorite foods with add on’s which would give them healthy benefits. A favorite one I always bust out is the avocado, just be sure not to pair it with chips. Mash up it up, and viola you have spread for some quick sandwiches. You just gave your family 20 vitamins and minerals, including potassium. Better than mayo in my opinion. 

The idea isn’t necessarily new. Parents have been doing this with the youngins for a while now. Ants on log, those celery sticks filled with peanut butter and sprinkled with raisins. Heart shaped fruit kabobs, or cute little tofu bento boxes with smiling pandas. It may seem silly, but it gets kids excited to eat. 

Maybe our grown up loved ones need the same. Perhaps it’s not panda bear buckwheat pancakes, but surprise the family with breakfast. Don’t preface it with, “I made a healthy breakfast for us.” Just surprise them with some omelettes. Skip the egg whites, because they’ll definitely know something is up. 

My favorite trick is using less eggs, but creating more “food” by sautéing some tofu first. Add your eggs. Then get your fancy on by adding sliced veggies, whatever you want to make your omelette. C’mon how often do you have omelettes? The fam will be stoked, and they’ll be eating veggies and tofu, gasp! Skip the cheese, top your omelettes with salsa. Low cal, low fat with lots of kick and you’ll be getting those liposomes from tomatoes. 

The ideas are infinite when you mix the worlds of health of classic comfort foods. Those light fluffy pancakes everyone loves dripping in syrup? Hi agave nectar, with your relatively low glycemic index value. At night, warm up the familia with some vegetarian chili. For your tangy topper? Low fat kefir cheese. Remember the mantra, “Don’t tell them it’s healthy, just surprise them.” They don’t need to know kefir is full of good for you probiotics.    

Here’s the vegetarian chili recipe to wow your family 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained
• 2 (12 ounce) packages vegetarian burger crumbles
• 3 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, then mix in the celery, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and green chile peppers. When vegetables are heated through, mix in the vegetarian burger crumbles. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 5 minutes.
• Mix the tomatoes into the pot. Season chili with chili powder and pepper. Stir in the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the corn, and continue cooking 5 minutes before serving.

How ever you spend this holiday season. Have an amazing time. Get outside. Go for a walk. Enjoy spending quality time with your loved ones, and when you can squeeze in those healthy foods, because nobody needs to know it’s “healthy,” but you. You might have some converts afterwards.