Category Archives: Going Healthy

Going Healthy: Pumpkin Black Bean Chocolate Pudding Easy and Healthy

08/23/2014 R.C. Liley 1 Comment

Since I’ve started eating a whole foods based diet and avoiding most processed foods, many of my unhealthy cravings have vanished. To those reluctant to switch, I promise, it gets easier if you stick with it. Plus, you’ll look better and feel amazing!

I used to have ice cream and boxed cereal on a daily basis, and although the ice cream was usually a lighter version, it was loaded with either sugar or artificial sweeteners along with other chemicals to attain that “perfect” consistency.

The cereal I had seemed healthy, but even those whole wheat biscuits have to undergo processing to be transformed into pretty little shreds of wheat compacted together to get their shape. To me, that’s not really in its “whole” form anymore.

One thing I am unable to shake, though, is how these things are consumed; with a spoon (and cup in my case). So, I still have my cup and spoon, but you’ll usually find organic carrots that I diced and put in the freezer along with frozen organic wild blueberries. The carrots satisfy my desire for crunch and the blueberries are just awesome.

Yes, I like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and this cup has been with me since I was a little boy. It’s the perfect serving size and I’m pretty sure everything tastes better inside my turtle cup!

I simply love eating cool, creamy, and/or crunchy food with a spoon and cup. I’ve nixed the ice cream a long time ago, and only eat the Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Cereal for my boxed choice.

Think Grape Nuts, only a lot healthier! I love it plain with almond milk or as a crunchy topping to my homemade puddings/purees. Like, for instance, this super healthy and scrumptious chocolate pudding made with black beans and pumpkin.

Here’s all you need to make your own healthy pudding to savor guilt free…

Pumpkin Black Bean Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

1 15oz. can pumpkin puree (I use the Farmer’s Market Pumpkin Puree in a BPA-Free can)
1 15oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed (I used organic, BPA-Free canned beans)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp pure stevia powder (if you are not a fan of using all stevia, use only 1/4 tsp and add 2 tbsp raw honey or more if you want it really sweet)
1/2 cup milk of choice (I used unsweetened coconut milk from the can and have had success with unsweetened almond milk too)
pinch of baking soda
dash of sea salt
*Optional: 1 tbsp natural peanut butter and/or 2 scoops high quality chocolate or vanilla protein powder (Sunwarrior makes a great protein powder)
*Optional #2: Add 1 or 2 digestive enzyme or probiotic capsules to help digestion and bloating because you will want to eat a lot of this!

Directions

I like to keep things simple and easy; add all ingredients to your food processor and mix until you have a creamy consistency. I pulsed it a few times and then let it run non-stop for almost a minute.
Put into an air-tight container and chill in the fridge until ready to devour.

Here are what the cans I used look like…

And then you transform these into this!

What do you think? Does this sound like something you’d try or are you repulsed by the combo?

If you make this, please let me know how you like it and if you made any changes. I bet adding banana and shredded coconut would seriously up the flavor profile!

Going Healthy

Going Healthy: Homemade Egg “McGriddle” Sandwich

07/06/2014 R.C. Liley 4 Comments

Have you ever had a McGriddle breakfast sandwich from McDonald’s? The soft maple-flavored pancake “buns” sandwiching crispy bacon or sausage, egg and cheese creates a sweet and savory fast food breakfast.

Mmm, I really enjoyed these sandwiches back in my “ignorant to how food is made” days. Now…not so much.

Glad I’m free from food ignorance now, and can see right through the “M” branded griddle cakes stuffed with fluffy egg and crispy bacon. I only see low-quality, non-nutritional ingredients like enriched flour, chemicals created in a lab to obtain that certain “flavors”, and cheese that is anything but.

Starting from the top, lets break down the ingredients in one of these sandwiches from McD’s. This info comes right from their site here.

Who brands their buns anyway?

One Bacon, Egg, and Cheese McGriddle (source) packs a whopping 420 calorie handheld heart attack served neatly in colored paper wrap. You get a substantial (not in a good way) 18g of fat, 240mg of cholesterol, 1110mg of sodium, 2g fiber, and 15g of sugar.

Still sound good? Lets keep going….

The top-level ingredients for a Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles® are:

Griddle Cakes, Folded Egg, Pasteurized Process American Cheese, Bacon, Liquid Margarine
Seems somewhat safe, but dig deeper and we find the Griddle Cakes have a little more than you or I would use to make pancakes:

Water, enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, dextrose, palm oil, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate), brown sugar, salt, soybean oil, rice flour, whey powder, modified tapioca starch, buttermilk powder, caramel color, natural (dairy and botanical source) and artificial flavors, soy lecithin, corn oil (processing aid).
Surely there’s nothing in the Folded Egg besides “egg”….right?….wrong:

Pasteurized whole eggs, food starch-modified, soybean oil, natural flavors (botanical source), sodium acid pyrophosphate, carrageenan, flavor enhancer [salt, maltodextrin, natural flavor (plant source), spices, herb, turmeric (color)], monosodium phosphate, citric acid, soy lecithin (release agent).

And the topping on (and in) the “cake” is Liquid Margarine:

Liquid soybean oil and hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oils, water, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, soy lecithin, mono-and diglycerides, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preservatives), artificial flavor, citric acid, vitamin A palmitate, beta carotene (color).

This, among numerous other reasons, is why I happily prepare my own food at home!

My version is actually what you would expect an egg sandwich with pancake buns to be; two pancakes with a cooked egg in the middle. Wow, shocker!! I made a batch of coconut flour protein pancakes from ProteinPOW.com for the “buns”, but you can use your favorite pancake recipe if you choose.

The fluffy white one was obviously my egg-cellent first choice.

For the egg, I had this bright idea to microwave it in a small, circular glass dish to make the perfect round egg patty.

As you can see, I did this 4 times, and the egg just expanded and wrinkled into a brain-like resemblance. #FoodieFail.

I made do with the best rounded one of the bunch and just saved the other eggs to put on salad. Since my pancakes were too big, I trimmed around them a little; not necessary, but I wanted to make it look good!

Topped with a drizzle of raw, local honey, sprinkle of cayenne, and dash of pepper, this was a delectably sweet and spicy sandwich I devoured immediately after the last picture; pancake trimmings included.

I was pumped when the idea to make this sandwich came to mind, and I’m glad I did. These non-McGriddles are a delightful (and healthy) way to start or end the day. Not to mention they can be fun to make with kids!

I think it’s smiling at me…

My favorite breakfast on the weekends would be a scrambled egg sandwich with ketchup that my mom would make, and I could eat several! Did I mention I was a heavy boy? I don’t have ketchup anymore, but salsa suits me just fine and I don’t feel like I’ve given up anything!

Have you ever made your own fast food version into something healthier?

Do you like egg sandwiches with ketchup?

Read more: http://www.dadcreek.com/news/who-needs-a-gym-fitfamilyfriday/

Going Healthy

Going Healthy: 6 Light and Easy Ways to Dress Your Salad

07/02/2014 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Are you planning on having a big feast prepared for your July 4^th celebration? For most, I’m sure that involves a grill and all different kinds of meat; right? This dad loves organic, grass-fed meat (preferably local) as much as any omnivorous individual, but I “rarely” have it since it is costly. Ha, get it, “rarely”? *sigh*

Well, while the main dish is always important, don’t forget about the very healthy side options that make your celebration, or any meal, complete; fruits and veggies! An easy way to get a substantial dose of these vitamin and mineral rich plants is to create a salad.

I’m salad’s number one fan and have a giant one filled with all sorts of goodies every night, but I never use salad dressing from a bottle. Nope, most bottled salad dressings will turn that once healthy bowl of fresh produce into something not so good for you rather quickly.

Just one tablespoon of popular dressings like ranch, Caesar, and thousand island range from 65 to 75 calories. If you ever tried measuring your dressing, I’m sure you’ll find most people put way more than one tablespoon!

Not to mention you are receiving very little, if any nutritional value from these. Also, beware of the “light” or “fat-free” varieties, these are typically loaded with sugar and extra chemicals to maintain a certain thickness. No thanks!

I enjoy finding new and creative ways to “dress” my salad without the use of those creamy and/or chemical-laden choices and using things that actually boost the nutritional value. Here are six options I suggest trying next time you’re having a salad.

1. Salsa – If you need to cut down on calories or just looking for something different, salsa is your answer. There are many varieties to choose from at the store, just look for real ingredients and nothing more. I’ve seen modified food starch, guar gum, and even corn syrup in some, so be cautious! From mild, medium, or hot, have your choice and mix into your salad as desired. Add some canned black beans, corn, and tomatoes for a Mexican fiesta salad.

2. Nuts and Seeds – Add crunch with a healthy dose of protein and good fats from seeds like sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and nuts like pistachios, walnuts, and almonds. It’s easy to go overboard though, so try and keep it to a moderate amount.

3. Dijon Mustard and Yogurt – Stir a big spoonful of Dijon or your favorite mustard (I enjoy horseradish mustard) into 1/4 to 1/2 cup of non-fat plain regular or Greek yogurt for a healthy dressing made in minutes. Increase taste and nutritional value by adding your favorite herbs and spices; my favorite combo is cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, and dill. Have fun, be creative, and see what you can make.

4. Avocado – Just chunks of plain avocado spread across and mixed into your salad gives you the creamy texture of those heavy dressings, but in the form of one ingredient, and a healthy one at that! To avoid it from turning brown to quickly, sprinkle a little lemon juice on top. Lemon juice also adds a little something extra to your salad with no cost to your calorie budget!

5. Vinegar – Unlike the bottled vinaigrettes with sugar and oil added, I go for the plain vinegar types. With varieties like red wine, balsamic, apple cider, and more, you’re bound to find one you like. It’s strong enough to where you don’t need much, and goes well if you’re using avocado or nuts and/or seeds. The fat you’re getting from these offers more nutrition than the processed oil in dressing.

6. Papaya Seeds – Yes, you read right, seeds from the papaya fruit. I love to buy fresh papaya, cut it into chunks and freeze for appetizing blender concoctions; but what about all of the seeds in the middle? Unlike the fruit that encompasses them, the seeds have a pleasant peppery taste which pairs well on salads. Try it. Papayas are easy to prepare; just peel the soft skin, cut down the middle, and viola, you have the seeds! Scoop out the seeds and keep in an airtight container in the fridge; then enjoy fresh papaya as you’d like.

Not only are these healthy ways to top your salad, but they are interesting and even fun to try. I’ve used all of these and even mix several at a time to come up with new flavors. Try setting out different options to have your kids try ones they are most interested in, they will have fun creating their own “dressing”.

Above all, these can be used year round, so don’t limit yourself to just special occasions; reap the benefits of healthy choices every day! If you’re in the U.S., have a happy and safe Fourth of July!

Since I can’t have a post without giving you at least one pic of Avery, here’s what she’ll be doing for the 4th….

I'll have a breast milk martini....shaken, not stirred. — I’ll have a breast milk martini….shaken, not stirred.

Have you used any of these as salad dressings before? Do you have any others?

Do you have any plans for July 4^th? Going Mom, Avery, and I are going to G-Ma’s house to watch fireworks in the neighborhood and enjoy each other’s company. This will be our first 2-night stay with Avery, so hope it goes well!