Posts Tagged ‘healthy eating’

Eating Healthy On-the-Go: How to Make Meals for the Week in Under An Hour

If the thought of sitting down to write out complicated meals that require following intricate recipes and spending hours at a time in the kitchen, all to “prep” your meals for the week makes you want to strangle a head of broccoli, then you’ve come to the right place. Because that is not what this post is about.

This post is about spending just one hour or less of your free time in the kitchen, prepping a few healthy meals for the week ahead. Of course, cutting down on time means cooking in bulk and therefore eating some of the same meals twice in one week, something I’m totally OK with. So if you’re ok with that too, then awesome! Let me teach you my ways.

A Week Without Oatmeal

I’m giving up Oatmeal.

I know, GASP! And believe me, even though (for now) this is just a one week experiment, I still bear this news with an extremely heavy heart.

Oatmeal is everything that breakfast should be. Creamy, carby goodness with hints of whatever flavors your oatmeal-loving heart chooses to add. Like say, banana, cinnamon and raisin.

Up until recently, I sincerely believed oatmeal was one of the healthiest breakfast options out there. When I first started Hungry Runner and began to learn about wholesome nutrition, one of the first changes I made to my diet was to replace sugary breakfast cereals with oatmeal for breakfast. It was like a miracle to me. Topped with some fruit and nuts, oatmeal kept me feeling way fuller for way longer than cereal and milk ever did. I was hooked.

Is it really healthy? PB2

PB2. I have been wondering about this low-calorie, powdered peanut butter substitute for months. One of my favorite fitness bloggers, Savannah (Muffin-topless.com) talks about it all of the time. She swears by it and uses it in many of her healthy dessert recipes.

But knowing what I do about most packaged foods, I just couldn’t fathom how a powdered version of peanut butter could meet my clean eating nutrition standards. I imagined it to include a handful of artificial additives. I thought, “Sure, it boasts fewer calories than traditional peanut butter, but at what cost to the nutritional value of the food? How many added ingredients does the company use to replace what’s missing?”

“Why don’t you go eat a burger?” On Being Teased for Eating Healthy

What’s the deal with criticizing healthy eaters? Or anyone eating any type of food for that matter.

Last night I made a plate full of veggies and lentils for dinner. As I sat down to eat, my roommate came home and started to cook her own dinner, similar to mine, with lots of veggies. We were talking and she started telling me about how on Thursdays, when she has class from 6-9 PM, she usually eats her last meal of the day during class. She said, “Yesterday I was eating in class. I made some kind of vegetable dish, and the girl who sits next to me said, ‘Wow, it seems like you eat really healthy.’” My roommate continued on to say that she hadn’t been sure how to respond.

Now, I guess this girl’s comment was more of an observation than a criticism, but still, what would be an appropriate reaction? “Yes, I do. Why thank you,” might be an acceptable response, but I know when things like this are said to me (it happens on an almost daily basis since so many of my meals are eaten on-the-go), it’s sometimes hard to refrain from saying something more like, “Yeah, SO WHAT?!”

Is it healthy? Hint Water

I’m weird. I really don’t ever crave flavored drinks like sodas or juices the way that many people do.

I know some people who would rather die of thirst than drink regular, plain, boring water. OK, I’m totally exaggerating with with the “die of thirst” thing. But seriously, I know some people who hate water a lot. Which is really not a good thing, since you know, we need it to survive.

Hydration plays a huge role in our health, and making sure to drink enough water on a daily basis has a long list of health benefits, including an increase in metabolism, clearer, healthier skin, and improved digestion.

Unfortunately, many people who feel they need a little flavor or fizz in their beverages turn to juices and sodas that are filled with an excess amount of refined sugars and artificial flavors, often without even realizing what they’re really consuming. After all, many food packages are quite misleading and every brand wants you to think that they’re product is healthy and nutritious, even when it may be anything but.

So, could Hint Water, (a product pointed out to me by a lovely Hungry Reader) which is self described as “pure, naturally flavored water,” be a healthy hydration alternative for health-conscious consumers who need a flavored fix?

Slow Cooker, Sweet Potato Chili

Hungry Runner Fun Fact: Chili is one of my all time favorite foods.

The best bowl of chili I’ve ever had was at a pub in Stirling Scotland on St. Patrick’s day in 2010.

This was before I had an iPhone and an obsession with posting pictures of my food on Instagram. So, unfortunately there’s no photographic proof of The Best Bowl of Chili Ever. But trust me, it existed and I ate it.

Here’s me, sitting at a Royal Table, during the trip. You know, eating like a queen. Like I always do.

Anyway, since then, I’ve made plenty of batches of my own chili. But never in a slow cooker. In fact, previous to whipping up this recipe, I’d never used a slow cooker before. Ever. At all.

So this is totally new territory for me. Territory I feel I’ve successfully conquered given the outcome of this vegetarian chili dish. Oh the cook is getting cocky now. Well c’mon, I wouldn’t share the recipe with you all if it didn’t taste good.

And taste good it certainly does. It’s spicy and sweet and full of varying textures. The addition of the split red lentils helps thicken up the dish without adding any meat. Although you certainly could throw some in if you prefer a classic, non-vegetarian chili.

Speaking of non-vegetarian chili, the bowl I had in Scotland was not meatless, which, I do have to admit was most likely a large factor in contributing to its Best Chili Ever status.

But vegetarian chili comes in a close second. A very close second.

Plus, this recipe is particularly convenient for some simple weekend food prepping. What could be easier than cooking some lentils, chopping up a bunch of veggies, opening a few cans of beans, and throwing it all into the slow cooker with a few spices and some veggie broth? I don’t know, maybe a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? I guess that’s easier. But (and don’t get me wrong, I love a good PB&J sandwich) not nearly as hearty and satisfying.

Less than an hour of kitchen time for 3-4 pre-prepped meals during the week. That’s my kind of cooking!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 small red onion, diced

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

1 can red kidney beans

1 can black beans

1 large sweet potato, chopped

1/2 cup split red lentils, rinsed, picked, and cooked

1 cup low sodium veggie broth

a few more dashes of cinnamon, chili powder, cumin, and turmeric to taste

Directions:

1. Follow package directions for cooking 1/2 cup split red lentils. (Note: you can skip this step and add them to the slow cooker uncooked, however I found that cooking them first allows for a thicker end product because they will have absorbed more liquid.)

2. Turn on the slow cooker (high heat setting). Once the pot is heated and the bottom is warm, add the olive oil and onion. Heat for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the cinnamon, chili powder, cumin, and turmeric. Stir lightly to mix with oil and onion. Let the mixture heat for another 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the pepper, beans, sweet potato, and cooked lentils. Stir lightly to blend with spice and onion mixture.

5. Add the veggie broth and stir. Sprinkle in a few more dashes of each spice.

6. Heat for 1-3 hours.

7. Serve immediately or pack in Tupperware and store in the refrigerator (up to 5 days) for a pre-prepped meal at a later time.

Brown Rice, Black Bean Mash-up

Throw everything in a bowl and eat.

I’ve talked about this idea on Hungry Runner several times in the past. It’s basically become my signature style of “cooking.” When I started this blog it was under the premise that I love to eat but hate spending a ton of time in the kitchen fussing over complicated recipes.

So, while I’m sharing the “recipe” for this dish right now, just know that before I made it… There was no recipe. I made it up as I went along. And also know that you are completely capable of doing the same. Don’t be afraid to experiment with food!

Making it up as I go along is how I prepare 98% of my meals during the work week. Friends, family, and clients are always asking for quick and easy healthy recipes, and don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of those to be found here on Hungry Runner. But most of the time, when it comes to eating healthily, I don’t follow any recipes at all.

The simple truth is, if you keep your kitchen stocked with nutritious, whole foods, you will end up eating healthy meals composed of nutritious, whole foods. You won’t have a choice!

For everyday meals during the week, don’t worry so much about recipes. You don’t have to spend 10 hours in the kitchen cooking up some extravagant dish you found on Pinterest. Sure that’s always fun for a weekend project when there’s more time. But during the week, it’s more about being efficient and prioritizing your time so that you can stick to a healthy clean-eating habits even when you’re busy.

Okay so, all this talk about how you don’t need recipes and now I’m going to give you a recipe. (Real smart marketing tactics, Katie.) But all jokes aside, if you feel like you just have no idea where to start when it comes to cooking healthy meals, this type of dish is a great place to begin. It’s fast, it’s easy, and chances are you already have most of the ingredients on hand.

You can follow along step by step, or simply use it as more of a guide. I even encourage you to test out your own additions and alterations. Maybe you don’t have every single one of the ingredients on hand. No biggie. Try subbing it for something similar that you do have. Another type of veggie, a different type of bean… Anything is game.

Pro tip: The reason why dishes like this one are super quick for me to make during the week is because I prep some of the foods, like rice and veggies that can be roasted, beforehand. (Usually on a Sunday so they’re readily available to me through the work week.)

Ingredients (For 1 serving):

Red onion, diced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup baby portobello mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup brown rice, cooked and spiced with turmeric and cumin

1/4 cup veggie broth

1/3 cup black beans

1/3 cup chick peas

1/2 medium tomato, chopped

1/4 of an avocado, chopped or sliced

Feta cheese for topping

Directions:

1. In a medium frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onion and a few dashes of turmeric and cumin.

2. Add the mushrooms and stir to coat with oil. Heat for 1-2 minutes.

3. Add the rice and the 3rd tablespoon of olive oil. Stir again then add the veggie broth. Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

4. Add the black beans, chic peas, and tomatoes. Stir and heat for 4-5 more minutes while adding a few more dashes of turmeric and cumin.

5. Remove from heat. Serve with avocado and feta cheese.

(Note: For multiple servings, ingredients can simply be doubled, tripled, etc. Doing so will not effect that outcome of the overall dish )