ok so per Morphine Boy's suggestion on the "IHEARTKISSES 2011 BEACH BODY CHALLENGE" thread I created this thread so we can all share our healthy eating habits and recipes and I'll start off.

I wouldn't say that I am on a low carb diet but I definitely limit my carb intake to just complex carbohydrates. This means no white bread, pasta, things of that nature. I focus on items high in fiber and whole grains if I do have any sort of bread, but even those I keep to a minimum. So this is my diet as of yesterday and today. I'll also share with you some of my favorite meals. I'll also try to start documenting with pictures to post in here of dishes when they are complete.

3/28/11

Breakfast: 7:30AM

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (Vanilla Flavor)
1/2 Cup Whole Grain Organic Granola
1/2 Cup frozen mixed berries

Add ingredients into a bowl and mix. you may want to defrost the berries first if you have sensitive teeth.

Snack 1: 10:00AM

Homemade Everything Muffin (see bottom of this post for recipe)

Lunch: 12:30

Grilled Salmon (leftover form the night before) over a bed of salad w/ Oil & Vinegar

Salad (all items are fresh): Spinach, Mixed Greens, tomato, almonds, mushrooms, onion, carrots and a small amount of light shredded cheddar cheese

Dressing: Oliver Oil mixed with Balsamic Vinegar (not the pre-bought salad dressing shit but actually mix raw Olive Oil w/ the Vinegar)

Snack 2: 2:30 PM

Apple

Snack 3: 100 Calorie Cliff Energy bar (only on workout days)

Dinner:

Grilled Pork Chops topped with sauteed tomatoes, onion & garlic with a side of sauteed green beans and mushrooms

Directions:

Sauteed Green Beans with Mushrooms: This recipe uses fresh green beans from the produce section of your local grocery. Prep beans by snapping the ends off and washing. Pre-Heat sauce pan over high heat. Add Olive Oil to pan (just enough to coat the bottom of the pan) and quickly add bean (so Olive Oil does not smoke). Immediately stir beans to coat with olive oil (i like the pan flip method but not everyone has mastered this skill, my wife included ) Turn down heat to medium and cook bean with occasional stirring to keep from burning. Cook for approx 10 - 15 mins. Add chopped mushrooms. Continue to cook for another 5 mins. Remove from heat and transfer to a clean dish or flat bowl. Top with Sesame seeds and a little fresh ground sea salt. Put in the fridge for 30 mins.

Grilled Pork - Remove pork shops from packaging. Rub both sides with Stubs Pork Lime Chipolte Dry Rub (I usually do this the day before and let it marinate in a closed plastic bag). Pre-Heat grill. Cook over medium high heat, flipping one until done (meat will feel firm to the touch)

Sauteed Tomatoes and Onion - This should be pretty self explanatory. Chop up the onions, garlic and tomato. Saute in Olive Oil over medium high heat until onions turn a golden color.

So thats pretty much it for yesterday. Today has been most of the same but I'm having the leftover pork chops and veggies last night for lunch today. Not sure yet what we are doiong for dinner.

And as promised....

Everything Bran Muffins
Makes 15-18 muffins


Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup ground flax seed
3/4 cup oat bran
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup skim milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup apple sauce
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds
*optional – substitute 1 cup of shredded carrots for shredded zucchini

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees. In a medium-large mixing bowl combine flours, oat bran, ground flax seed, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Add eggs, milk, vanilla, and apple sauce to the flour mixture stirring until well combined. Stir in shredded carrots/zucchini, raisins, and chopped walnuts. Scoop batter into prepared (sprayed with non-stick spray) muffin tins until 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until done. Allow to cool for 10 minutes inside tin before removing. Enjoy!

3/29/2011 12:38:53 PM

I've got a really good low carb muffin recipe if you want to mix it up. These are perfect for a quick breakfast or even a sweet dessert. I make these at least once a week

Low Carb Carrot-Nut Muffins (5g carb per muffin)

Ingredients:
• Vegetable oil spray for muffing tin
• 1 cup sifted soy flour
• 1 cup finely ground almonds
• 1¼ cups granular sugar substitute
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 medium carrot, coarsely grated (1 cup loosely packed)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease one 12-cup muffin tin; set aside. In a large bowl whisk together bake mix, ground almonds, sugar substitute, cinnamon, salt and baking powder. In a medium bowl, whisk vegetable oil, eggs, carrot, and vanilla extract. Pour carrot mixture into soy mixture. Mix until just combined. Divide batter in muffin tins. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown, and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

[Edited on March 29, 2011 at 12:51 PM. Reason : a]

3/29/2011 12:50:50 PM

I had this amazing salad last night, it was iceberg (i know) and romain lettuce with a little bit of rotisserie chicken, MAYBE half a slice of bacon chopped up, shredded cheese, 4 croutons and the kicker RASPBERRY vinaigrette. It was amazing with the chicken.

3/29/2011 12:53:15 PM

Quote :

"Breakfast: 7:30AM 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (Vanilla Flavor) 1/2 Cup Whole Grain Organic Granola 1/2 Cup frozen mixed berries "

I do that for breakfast on the weekends a lot, except I use pineapple because I like it more and I use plain greek yogurt. The Vanilla has a lot more sugar in it than I think it should, so I buy the plain and add splenda and occasionally some vanilla extract.

3/29/2011 1:16:00 PM

I love love love the plain goat yogurt made by Libertie. Throw it as is on fruit or use it as a sour cream substitute for dips. So good!

3/29/2011 1:39:31 PM

Paleo Chicken Lo Mein

*Look up how to deal with spaghetti squash if you've never used it:
http://www.fabulousfoods.com/index.php?option=com_resource&controller=article&category_id=224&article=19943

Ingredients:
Spaghetti Squash (already cooked) - 4 cups

1-2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chooped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup shitake mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup green onion, chopped Cabbage or bok choy, 2 cups shredded
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup gluten free Tamari (Soy Sauce)
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 tbsp coconut flakes or honey (optional)
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp black pepper


Prep:
1) have spaghetti squash already cooked and ready to go
2) cut chicken into thin pieces (not cubes)
3) chop and mince all veggies accordingly

Heat olive oil in large skillet or wok on med-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, mushroom, and garlic to pan and cook 1-2 min. Add in chicken, paprika, black pepper, and cook until it begins to brown. Add in soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, coconut flakes, and cabbage. Continue to cook for another few minutes and then add the green onion. With a few minutes left, reduce heat and add in the spaghetti squash. Simmer over med/low heat until spaghetti squash is heated. Serve and enjoy. Makes 2-3 servings.







Paleo Chipotle (you can do this AT Chipotle as well...except they use soybean oil which is a no no)

Guacamole
1 Haas avacado
1/2 a lime (the juice)
2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 jalapeno chopped (remove seeds)
salt to taste
dash of EVOO

Remove inside of avacado and put into mixing bowl. Mash with a fork and mix in other ingredients.

Steak (seasoning)
1lb of steak
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp oregano
4 cloves garlic
1/2 red onion

Sprinkle the seasoning on both sides of the steak. Heat a little bit of EVOO (do you like how technical I am) into a non-stick pan. Cook red onions for 1 min. and then add the steaks. Cook until done, only flipping once. Remove steak and cut into bite size pieces.

Fajita Vegetables
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp oregano
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
3/4 red onion
2 bell peppers

Chop up onion and bell peppers into strips. Heat a small amount of EVOO in a pan and toss in vegetables and seasonings. Don't cook too long or use too much oil, as you want these veggies to still be crisp when they're done.






Paleo Spaghetti + Meat Sauce

Incredients:
4 cups Spaghetti Squash
1lb Ground Beef
Pasta Sauce (Organic, no sugar added)
garlic, garlic powder, black pepper, sea salt (optional)

Directions (for spaghetti squash):
Poke holes in squash and bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees. Cut it in half and scoop out seeds. Using a fork, scrape the insides out into a bowl and shred (should look like angel hair pasta when finished).
Brown the ground beef in a pan (you can add veggies if you'd like as well). Add sauce and simmer on low/moderate heat.
Put "noodles" down on plate and cover with meat sauce.



[Edited on March 29, 2011 at 2:10 PM. Reason : ]

3/29/2011 2:04:12 PM

I love spaghetti squash but for some reason I have never thought about fixing it in an Asian way. That sounds really good. I kind of want to make that today.

And I'm not going to cross post stuff, but I do usually try to cook healthy most of the time (I give away all but a portion or two of the dessert/unhealthy stuff, I swear!), so much of my thread is relevant in this discussion message_topic.aspx?topic=606885.

3/29/2011 2:39:45 PM

I made the lo mein for dinner and it is way better than I thought it would be (and I obviously thought it would be pretty good considering I made it immediately).

If he mentioned how much chicken to use I missed it so I used 12 oz. raw, and I scaled up most of the veggies a little bit. 1 Tbsp. of each kind of oil, no coconut or ginger. Here's how the nutrition turned out for mine for 3 big servings:

3/29/2011 7:45:27 PM

I have been on Paleo since Feb 5 and here is what my breakfast has been since then:

(used to be made-from-scratch porridge [oats, rye, barley, etc] with honey/dates/prunes, apple/banana, nuts/seeds, EVOO, and Greek yogurt before I went on Paleo)

Paleo/Atkins Poweregg Breakfast

3 eggs

2-4 tablespoons of fat (I use EVOO and butter in a 50-50 ratio)

1-3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped

[Optional] Hard cheese handful, chopped or sliced (cheddar, mozzarella, halloumi, etc)

Spices/seasonings you like

2-3 from:
1 zucchini, sliced thick, length-wise or into circles
1 eggplant, sliced thick, length-wise or into circles
1-2 handfuls broccoli florets with stems, chopped or sliced
1-2 handfuls spinach leaves, torn
1-2 spring onions, chopped
8-10 small fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 tomato, sliced or chopped (or 5-10 cherry tomatoes, halved)
any other vegetable you like

1) Put fat into pan and cook veggies on medium heat until half done. If zucchini or eggplant, cook one side and turn over. If adding halloumi, add it with the veggies.

2) Crack eggs on top. Break yolks if you wish. I prefer them intact. Break eggs into bowl and whisk if you wish before pouring over vegetables. If adding cheddar/mozzarella, add now.

3) Once the white is cooked, turn over or fold over in half to make sure remaining white on top gets cooked. Add spices/seasonings and slide out of pan.

I eat it with labneh (almost like Greek yogurt), which gives me another 5-7+ grams of fat easily.


This has 50-70+ grams of fat... reduce eggs/eliminate butter as needed. Anywhere from 70% to 90% calories are from fat . Keeps me full for a solid 6 hours from 8 am to 2 pm with no desire to snack at all.


Hot sauce is awesome with this.

Since about Mar 21, I have been on a mix of Paleo and Atkins, so I have been using just 1 of the veggies (not tomato). I will be resuming normal Paleo in about a week or two, so I will add morevegetables again, for life.

Another variation is Fritatta, where you chop all vegetables and cook them in a big pan with straight walls. Once they are half/nearly done, you add enough thoroughly whisked eggs (w/milk if you wish) to cover the sea of vegetables nearly to the top. This sort of makes a big egg pancake with incorporated vegetables. When done, cut into triangles like a pizza. Of course, it can be done in a small shallow saucepan to make an individual portion.

Here are some pictures of several variations from the past couple of months:

3/29/2011 7:46:06 PM

I <3 eggs

3/29/2011 7:51:35 PM

^^ damn that looks good.

3/30/2011 8:50:38 AM

here's my half-moon soup! it's a lot of effort cause you have to make 2 soups, but it's fun to eat!

Recipe:
1. In 2 separate pots, saute carrots, onions, and celery in butter and EVOO until tender
2. Add veggie stock, black beans for the dark soup, and any white bean for the white soup (I use canned, if using dry you should soak them overnight)
3. Blend with an immersion blender, simmer for about 30 minutes and enjoy!!! Serve 1 scoop of white and 1 of black in the same bowl for a delightful effect. I didn't do it for the picture, but this is very tasty with a dollop of sour cream on top.

(I don't like measuring and whatnot, just use your taste and common sense on seasonings, etc. Also feel free to add any seasonal veggies that you enjoy!!)

3/30/2011 9:08:46 AM

i don't have a picture but i make this often enough i can get one up here by the weekend.

my famous (and delicious) healthy pancakes!

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 ripe banana mashed
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg white
3/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons EVOO

Mix all ingredients together and then cook in a nonstick pan on medium heat.

They cook really quickly especially if you use Teflon. The original recipe had called for 2 tablespoons white sugar but by adding the banana, I was able to lower the amount of sugar in the recipe. Also, since I use whole wheat and bananas, it makes the pancakes fall apart easier so by adding in the Greek yogurt, it helps keep the pancakes together as they cook.

One batch makes a ton so if it's just you and one other person, you could get away with splitting the recipe in half.

3/30/2011 9:25:28 AM

tried PackMan92's spaghetti squash lo mein last night, but doubled all ingredients, but kept the sesame oil/soy sauce the same.

will make again. ty for the upload.

3/31/2011 11:01:46 AM

add to my topiks

3/31/2011 12:03:04 PM

http://nomnompaleo.com/

3/31/2011 1:59:11 PM

I love spaghetti squash! I am totally making that this weekend. My girlfriend murdered our spaghetti squash last year so I hope to have success with it this year.

3/31/2011 2:34:02 PM

Add to my topics

3/31/2011 7:14:55 PM

That pancake recipe looks great, but I would (not that I would make them as I am on Paleo) include a whole egg as egg yolks are an incredibly nutritious food, contrary to popular opinion.

Also, those who are trying to avoid wheat/gluten for whatever reason could substitute another grain flour, such as oat flour, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, teff flour, etc. Heck, you could even make them with almond/hazelnut flour, or bean/chickpea flour to make them super healthier compared to with grain flour (or a mixture of grain/nut/legume flours), not to mention, super tastier as well. For various flours that I mentioned and more, go to http://www.bobsredmill.com

3/31/2011 7:31:30 PM

Best pancakes ever...I add blueberries to make blueberry pancakes:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/almond-banana-pancakes/

3/31/2011 9:17:18 PM

^^ thanks for the suggestions. I took the recipe, which was really basic, and have been slowly tweaking it. I have oat flour and bake with it frequently but I have yet to master oat flour in baking as it's a bit different than baking with white or whole wheat flour. It's a bit thicker which makes the mix drier. I'm getting there

^ awesome recipe!!!! I'm going to have to try that

[Edited on March 31, 2011 at 9:29 PM. Reason : Edit]

3/31/2011 9:27:55 PM

made these last night, mm good

Almond Macaroons
----------------
1-1/4 cups almonds
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
2 egg whites, beaten
1/4 cup raw honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Grind almonds coarsely. Combine cinnamon and lemon and add. Beat egg
whites very stiff, fold in honey and continue beating. Fold in lemon
juice with almond mixture and blend. Drop from a teaspoon onto ungreased
parchment paper. Bake 30 minutes at 250 degrees F. Remove from paper
while still slightly warm. Makes 30 macaroons.


except i added a shit ton more cinnamon and used the zest of two lemons and juice of two lemons.

will make again.

4/1/2011 10:30:48 AM

12 grain whole grain bread. Organic peanut butter. Organic raspberry preserve.

Slap together and serve. Magnificent.

4/2/2011 1:28:15 PM

^
A+

4/2/2011 1:42:24 PM

Flaxseed flour is another good substitute when baking. When I make pancakes I usually mix buckwheat (not an actual wheat) flour, flaxseed flour, and pecan flour or almond flour together.

4/2/2011 2:42:20 PM

I love ground flax seed! It goes into just about everything I make that calls for flour. When it comes to recipes, http://www.skinnytaste.com. She does her recipes for those doing weight watchers, but they tend to be tasty and healthy in addition to meeting the WW guidelines.

4/2/2011 6:41:26 PM

Forgot to say, when I have made pancakes before, I have always made them the way CassTheSass does, except, I never added sugar (mashed banana provides enough sweetness), and never tried with Greek yogurt.

To add protein, I have added mashed beans a few times. Chickpeas or some white beans if I didn't want flavor, or mashed kidney beans for a robust earthy flavor and a beautiful dark red color.

If you want a flavor other than banana, try applesauce, or lemon/orange peel, and even cocoa powder or dark chocolate chips, or bits of almonds/hazelnuts/walnuts, etc.

For a real treat, add hazelnut pieces and a couple of heaped tablespoons of Nutella to the mix

4/3/2011 10:52:38 AM

Just whipped this up tonight!! Orzo with chickpeas, red peppers, onions and turkey sausage

Boil some orzo while doing the other steps! I started out by slicing the sausage and browning it in a skillet. Then add the onions, cook until tender. Add a glug of white wine and simmer until the wine is reduced. I added the peppers and chickpeas last because I like crunchy peppers. Then add the orzo and enjoy! Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

4/3/2011 8:07:53 PM

My wife and I made this last night and it was awesome!!! Its got a little kick to it though.

Spicy Mango Grilled Chicken w/ Steamed Asparagus

Ingredients

- 4 boneless chicken breast, thawed
- 1 bottle of A1 Spicy Mango Marinade
- 1 bundle of fresh asparagus
- 2 medium sized ripe mangos
- 4 oz of lime juice
- 1 medium sized fresh jalapeno pepper
- 1 medium sized purple onion
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 medium sized cucumber

Directions:

Chicken: Place chick in bowl and smother with A1 Spicy Mango Marinade. Set aside to marinate. Let marinate for at least one hour.

Mango Salsa: Peel and chop mango into bite size pieces. Place in mixing bowl. Add lime juice, chopped jalapeno pepper, chopped onion, chopped cucumber and cilantro to the mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly and place to the side.

Back to chicken: Pre-heat grill on medium high heat. grill chicken over medium high heat continuing to baste chicken with marinade until thoroughly cooked. Set aside ( i usually put mine in the oven on warm if the sides aren't ready yet.

Asparagus: Steam asparagus until cooked

Place one piece of grilled chicken on plate. Top with salsa. Place asparagus on the side. ENJOY!

4/4/2011 1:15:56 PM

Where do you guys buy your granola?

ALways is so expensive at the grocery stores.

I have found it pretty cheap at Trader Joes and Big Lots...

4/4/2011 2:14:25 PM

My wife gets this organic granola form Walmart that she likes and she's really picky about granola. I'll check the brand tonight.

4/4/2011 5:06:00 PM

Bob's Red Mill has started making granola, 4 or 5 flavors. I haven't tried it, but BRM is pure gold of a company.

find them here: http://www.bobsredmill.com/cereals/

(but they are expensive... they do have bulk bags though)

4/4/2011 5:52:21 PM

Given that this is the recipe thread ... just make the granola. Plain oats are cheap as hell, and you can customize it to whatever flavors and level of seasoning you want. It's really easy to do.

4/4/2011 5:56:29 PM

This seems like a tall order, but any suggestions for healthy, filling foods that are homemade, can be shipped in the mail and don't require cooking/refrigeration? I have ideas on non-homemade stuff but that is easier to come up with. So far pretty much all I can think of is various types of trail mix sorts of things and homemade protein/energy bars.

4/26/2011 7:41:02 PM

Spinach salad (aka how I deal with an overflow from greens in the garden or eggs from our chickens)

something like:
4-5 cups spinach with other interesting green flavors (mustard, lettuce, rocket, radish, baby kale, etc.)
3-4 sliced hard boiled eggs
1/2 cup sliced radishes
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
1/4 cup walnuts or pecans
1 sweet pepper of some sort (red, yellow or orange look pretty)
1/2 chopped apple, orange, or whatever you want
sprinkle with parmesan cheese for flavor.

Toss with balsamic vinaigrette or whatever you fancy (oil and vinegar, whatever.) You can also slightly cook the greens and warm up the dressing for a wilted spinach salad. Tastes better if the salad sits for a few hours before serving, so the flavors get soaked up.

4/26/2011 8:23:02 PM

Quote :

"This seems like a tall order, but any suggestions for healthy, filling foods that are homemade, can be shipped in the mail and don't require cooking/refrigeration? I have ideas on non-homemade stuff but that is easier to come up with. So far pretty much all I can think of is various types of trail mix sorts of things and homemade protein/energy bars."

Are you camping? If so, you can cook! I have a hard time imagining a situation where you have no access to heat for your food!! If you have a food dehydrator you can make a lot of healthy meals and just dehydrate them. Also tomato sauce, meat, beans, and plain veggies can be dehydrated. Most require cooking, but will probably be edible after a long soak. Also cous cous is edible if you just soak it in water a while.

This guy has really good dehydrator recipes.

http://www.backpackingchef.com/backpacking-recipes.html

4/26/2011 11:27:34 PM

Nope. Fareako is at TBS and I want to send him some homemade things that he can stash in his room for when the chow hall is closed and/or sucks. So mostly heavy snack types of things rather than full meals is what I'm going for, but shelf-stable snack foods are usually not that healthy. I think he has access to a microwave in another building but no-prep stuff is better. I have been looking at camping recipes though. Thanks.

4/27/2011 9:29:37 AM

bttt

8/9/2011 10:05:11 PM

Quote :

"Given that this is the recipe thread ... just make the granola. Plain oats are cheap as hell, and you can customize it to whatever flavors and level of seasoning you want. It's really easy to do. "

This. The only granola I've ever really liked was carried by Wellspring, which of course doesn't exist anymore. So I just started making it myself. But I no longer have a dehydrator for the fruit so I haven't made it in a long time

8/10/2011 8:47:17 AM