WIAW #36 – Making Pie: Crust or No Crust?



Source and Recipe

Even as that “tubby” boy who thought not once about calorie content in food, I never really liked pie crust. So now that I’m ever so conscious of what I consume, I opt for no crust on the healthy pies I make.

I’m writing this prior to knowing what November’s WIAW theme is, so please forgive my non-themed post. Not like I was very good at following last month’s theme either….sorry again. And while I’m on the topic of “sorry”, I’m sorry for the lack of brand new pictures for my post. I’ve still been cooking, but the pictures (as unprofessional as they are) take up a lot of precious time. Time I want to be spending with my loving wife, Kelley.

So hopefully I won’t lose any of you during this time of infrequent posts and pictures; I promise to get back into the game sometime…..just don’t know when!

Being November with Thanksgiving right around the corner, I’m sure there’s many a foodie with pie on the mind. I like pie, but only if made by me or I know the exact ingredients used and I like them. Since I don’t make pie often, this obviously means I don’t have a lot of the sweet, round, dessert. This season, I’d like to work on making my own healthy version that has no crust and that friends and family will enjoy.



I bet PB Crave Coco Bananas and pureed sweet potato would be an awesome pie!  Ughhnnnnnggggg!!! I think my stomach is saying something....

Sounds easy, but most of my “healthified” dessert attempts wind up being something only I enjoy. That’s okay to a degree, but I’d like to share. So, the first part to a healthier pie is taking out the crust component. This isn’t hard, just prepare the pie filling (the best part anyway) and if it’s one you cook, put in pie pan and bake as needed.

I think making overnight oats in a pie pan would also be an excellent no-cook and healthy version. Imagine, overnight peanut butter pumpkin oats mixed with milk of choice, protein powder, and pumpkin pie spice all mixed up and placed in a pan to set over night. You could wake up and have pie for breakfast; and it would actually be good for you!!

Right now I’m just “talking the talk”, but please stay tuned, I will post an overnight pie recipe to do the “walking” part soon.

As mentioned earlier, I am lacking in the picture department, so I’ll list out what I ate and then post a few pics and recipes for pies I found online. Thanks yet again to Jenn at Peas and Crayons, I love What I Ate Wednesday’s!!

I actually made this Clean Eating Pumpkin Cheescake posted on The Gracious Pantry and highly suggest you try too. Obviously, I chose to use no crust and this dessert is simply wonderful chilled and topped with Greek yogurt.

For those who find it hard to stick to just one slice (me), make mini pies so you can have the whole thing and not feel bad! Here’s the recipe good for 8 mini pies you can keep all to yourself or share with everyone! I’m pretty sure I’ll have a few of these in my fridge soon! If you don’t have custard cups, I’m sure a greased or paper lined muffin tin would work as well. Then you could even make them a little smaller and have 12 mini desserts!!

I found this recipe just through a Google search and like it as a way to start; plus it’s less than 500 calories for the whole thing. I would not use any artificial sweetener like Splenda and go for Stevia instead. Also, instead of milk, I will use unsweetened almond milk and protein powder in place of flour. That’s the beauty of recipes….you can suit to your own desire!!

 

 



Another Gracious Pantry recipe must try is this Clean Eating Sweet Potato Pie. Yum! There’s a crust recipe posted too, but again, I’d leave it out although it sounds simply delicious! A big thanks to Tiffany at The Gracious Pantry for allowing me to post these tasty pictures on my site.  If you haven't before, check out her blog and social media pages for clean and tasty recipes!

 

Web site: www.TheGraciousPantry.com
Facebook: www.FaceBook.com/GraciousPantry
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/GraciousPantry
Pinterest: www.Pinterest.com/GraciousPantry

So, have you or will you be making pies this season? Ever try going crustless? Besides saving in the calorie bank, I think no crust helps you enjoy more of the flavor filling anyway.

Please share any recipes you have as I really want to test a few out. And most importantly…

Happy WIAW, have a wonderful rest of the week!!

 

One more thing....it looks like another 4 years of Obama.  Are you : ) or : (

 

As a typical Texan, I'm more : ( about this one, but I also know the world won't end as a result.  So... : )

WIAW #35 - Random Eats and A Happy Halloween Questionaire

If it wasn’t for What I Ate Wednesday’s, I don’t think I’d have one blog post this month!! Okay, maybe one. What’s up with that? Too busy at work? Kinda, but the really busy part has passed until year end. Whatever it is, I’ll just take it easy until my “post-ivation” comes back.

I think a big part has to do with the lack of pictures I’ve taken lately. If you don’t have pics, it’s really hard to be inspired or to find something to write about. Anyone else like this?

The seasonal winter squash and other produce have been cooked in my home, yet I don’t have much proof. Guess I have some catching up to do, but don’t know when that will be.
Anyway, with today being Halloween, I figure I would pose a few Halloween themed questions to you…..
What is your favorite memory of trick-or-treating as a kid?

Mine is when I was old enough to go out on my own with friends and feel soooo cool for running around shooting silly string everywhere. Remember that stuff; Silly String? The neon colored foam stuff in a can? When I was younger, just getting to dress up was my favorite part. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Superman were the best!


Would your parents go through your “treats” before you could have any?

My mom just trusted I wouldn’t have anything harmful…..so much for that!! Probably why I was a heavy boy!! Well, that and McD's or Burger King double meat burgers and fries.  Geez, glad I changed!

What candy or other treat did you most enjoy from your collection?

Snickers!! Some people would even hand out full bars in the “rich” neighborhoods. The next best were Almond Joys for me….chocolate and coconut = bliss.
What candy or treat do you enjoy now?

It’s crazy to think that now I wouldn’t touch stuff I had as a kid. I would just think of the candy by each of its low quality ingredients and couldn’t even enjoy it. Nope, I’m perfectly fine with my homemade treats using protein powder, veggie purees, egg whites, fruit, and stevia. Oh, and of course natural peanut butter!!
Halloween leftovers – More for you or “get’em outta here quick!”?

This is first year Kelley and I are handing out treats and it is a big deal to me. She wanted to just buy the candy you see in stores, but I feel like I’d be a hypocrite for giving kids things I wouldn’t touch. She argued it’s not our place and for the parents to decide and we don’t want the kids getting mad at us. Well, good points, but I just can’t support it; doing that would drive me insane. So we settled on Annie’s Homegrown Halloween Bunny Grahams and Dove Dark Chocolate.

Someone commented to me a couple weeks ago that they handed out mini boxes of raisins, and I loved the idea, but could never find a big bag at the store. Plus, Kelley did not like that idea one bit. So the Bunnies and Chocolate is us “meeting in the middle” and will have to suffice. I’ll admit, the Bunny Grahams are pretty cool being whole wheat and all; too bad I’m gluten free now…..


Are you handing out candy this year? If so, do you try to keep it healthy or just give the usual mix for fear of getting your house egged/toilet papered?

See my answers above.

Did you go to any Halloween parties this weekend or have one planned for tonight? If yes, are you dressing up?

I will just be at home handing out treats and have no parties lined up. Back in college, it was a different story, obviously, and I got it all out of my system then. I remember one year Kelley and I had a party at our first home and dressed as a plug and socket. I’ll let you decide on who was which….. : )
One year, I was Zorro one and thought it would be fun to have someone video tape me sword fighting with a friend…..with real swords! Needless to say, I got stabbed in the upper shin and the rest of the night I was getting stitches in my leg. And no, I hadn’t even started drinking yet. The hospital was cool enough to let my Kelley and my 2 of my friends in to video the whole stitching. Maybe I’ll post the video one day….

Did you ever have any Halloween mishaps like my sword stabbing? Was it because of your costume?

That’s all of the questions I can think of right now. Hope you all have some great answers as I’d love to hear them. Now, despite my lack of pictures, I’ll attempt to share a few of my eats that I most enjoy. Thanks to Jenn at Peas and Crayons; I can’t wait to see what November’s theme will be. Hopefully I’m better at participating unlike my non-spooky eats and treats this month.

I love microwaves! This Microwave Veggie Frittata is delicious, healthy, and ready in minutes!!

 Another microwave masterpiece - Microwave Protein Chocolate Peanut Cake

Creamy green smoothie with a slice of Microwave Protein Cinnamon Bread, Plain Greek Chobani, and Natty PB on top

This is how I start the majority of my dinners....big salads loaded with veggies and a source of lean protein.  Then it's on to my creamy veggie protein smoothies!

No-cook Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars (made by using my Pumpkin Protein Cookie recipe and adding cocoa powder).

Hope everyone has a Happy and Safe Halloween and I hope to see you around more often!

Happy WIAW!!

Crazy, Stupid Diets and The One Thing That Makes Them Work

After reading about how a woman dined only on Starbucks fare and lost 80 pounds, I laughed, but it also makes me mad.  Why do I let these things get to me?  I know better, but some people seem so blind. Danni from Healthy Kitschy Kitchen agrees and she just posted a similar rant about this. In fact, we seem to share a lot of similar views. Check out her blog for some healthy tips, great rants, and delicious recipes.

Notice the word on the bottom. Do you want your day's worth of meals from this?

This will be short because time is limited, as I've said just about every time I've posted lately. Sorry for being a broken record, but I felt the need for this post.

There have been and still are so many meal-based fad diets like.....

The Subway Diet - We all know Jared and his giant pants he holds up.

Jared and his pants. (source)

A Very, Very, Stupid McDonald's Diet - Ever see Super Size Me? Nuff said. I can't stand to just pass by the place.

There are tons of crazy and stupid (hence this post's title) meal-based diets out there; here's a comprehensive list I found on Diets In Review if you care to see more of these aggravating diets.

I figure most of you reading are fellow foodie bloggers and can laugh at how absurd these things are, but sadly others actually get sucked into to the weight-loss claims and feel the need to try themselves. If you are one of the "others", let me save you some time and frustration....DON'T DO IT!

The basic reason a non-nutritive diet of nothing but McDonald's or Starbucks can let you lose wait is basic calorie math; if calories in < calories out = weight loss.  Here's a handy chart if it helps....

The Cause, Effect & Result of Your Daily Calorie Intake

The Cause	The Effect	The Result
Calories In Beats Calories Out	Caloric Surplus	Muscle gain, fat gain, or both.
Calories Out Beats Calories In	Caloric Deficit	Fat loss, muscle loss, or both.
Calories In = Calories Out	Maintenance	Everything remains the same.

source

Yes, it gets more complicated than this when you take into account the thermic effect of food, but that's another post for another day. For the most part, if you take in less calories than you use, you will lose weight.

If you really want that, just eat a pint of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey (~1200 calories) spaced out in 3 or 4 sessions each day and you will lose weight.  I'm assuming most of us burn at least 1200 calories just living.

Here's your breakfast, lunch, and dinner in one!

But please...don't do that either! Instead, avoid what the media says and do actual research on food; it is your health after-all.  Or, choose real, whole food not found in packages and you'll be on your way to a healthy way to change your body.  As a big bonus, when you consume whole foods like fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein, and healthy fats, you rarely need to count calories.  These foods will naturally fill you up with their healthful fiber which helps keep you from overeating.

Now, some of us have other issues like intolerances and allergies (including me), and that part is just trail and error...and help from the doctor.  Either way, a whole food diet will always beat meal-based diets where certain food groups are cut out b/c they are "bad" or you are limited to one place for all of your meals.  In other words.... whole food diet > meal-based/fad diet.

Tell me, what are your thoughts on these crazy diets?  Are you one of the "crazies" who fall into the media trap and try for yourself?  I admit I'm guilty of this in the past.

On a separate topic, I just got this Soyajoy G3 soy/nut/seed milk maker and am really excited to share my new creations with you.  I just made quinoa milk for my first run and it's still cooling now, so I'll update you once I try it.

Also, only one day left to enter my Navitas Naturals Giveaway; don't miss out!

Have a wonderful day; it's almost the weekend!

Protein Powder Choices - Is It Worth It?

I was perusing Amazon for my next purchase of clean protein powder the other day and before I knew it, I had spent 2 hours searching! Upon this realization, I began to question how much I should really stress over the different types, flavors, functions, and brands.

It seems there are protein powders made out of things you'd never expect.  We all know the common whey protein, which is broken into concentrates, isolates, and even goat whey protein. Other popular varieties are soy, egg white, and casein. Some less common, but still good types are rice, hemp, and pea proteins, but did you ever see beef protein powder? Doesn't even sound good.

PASS!!!
Aside from the stomach churning thought of drinking a chocolate, cherry vanilla, or blue raspberry flavored beef shake (yes, those are real choices), even ridiculous brands promoted by stars like Mark Wahlberg makes me sick.  Seriously, Marked Nutrition; check it out, and then clear it from your memory like I'm trying to do.

Mark, I like you in some movies, but not in my smoothie

Anyway, my lengthy searches for another protein powder made me question what I'm really trying to achieve.  Do I really need protein in the form of powder instead of just eating some delicious fresh or canned tuna or salmon?  I'm pretty sure whole food sources of protein are obviously the better choice since powder (no matter how clean, organic, and super-duper ultra filtered it is), is still a processed food.

I think protein powder is wonderful, and I am by no means saying I'm quitting the stuff, but maybe not stressing over so many types.  I would really like those 2+ hours back.

There are many people who rave about certain whole food and plant based powders; I have tried and like them in smoothies and for their excellent nutrition profile.  We could all use added digestive enzymes and 500mg of spirulina, right?  I was about to purchase the Garden of Life Raw Protein, but then thought about how I like to cook a lot with my powders.  Wouldn't cooking pretty much make the whole "Raw" aspect obsolete?  I think so; then I just paid a premium for higher quality protein and destroyed the premium part. WTF....is there ever a middle-ground?

There is a middle-ground, it's called buying more than one type of protein.  But wait, then I'm spending hundreds of dollars every few weeks for bottled and flavored protein.  Hmmm, that can of no salt added tuna in water is only $1.39 at the store I go to; not looking too bad.

Nevertheless, I think I speak for most of us when I say it's just good and fun stuff to have.  I enjoy protein powder in smoothies (here's several of my past posts on Google Search) and using it in place of flour for baked goods.  Maybe I will break down and buy a raw powder just for mixing into drinks or no-bake recipes like these Peanut Butter Pumpkin Cookies and another kind for baking.

Setting several guidelines before you look to purchase protein can be helpful; here are things I look for in protein powder:

• No artificial sweeteners...EVER!
• Very little to no sugar (less than 3g per serving); prefer no sugar and only stevia
• No added soybean or other oil; don't know why that's in some of these
• No nonsense "super pump" marketing/gimmicky (spelling?) ingredients
• Short, simple list of ingredients; unless it is the raw green food kind

These guidelines can limit your options and usually result in higher prices, but I'm willing to pay more to put good stuff in my body. I have used a lot of whey proteins and really like About Time for it's simplicity and flavor choices, but am currently using MRM Vanilla Egg White Protein and really like it.

Check out Protein Pow for a plethora of protein packed recipes (both sweet and savory) and useful information on the types of protein and each one's unique use in the kitchen.

So, what type or types of protein powder do you use?  I have tried Spiru-tein powders and like them, but might try a different plant-based powder that's raw next...any suggestions?

Do you get caught up searching for the "right" protein powder or anything else?  Too much information makes too much confusion sometimes!

Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend!

What's the Next Fad Diet and Why?

We have all seen the ever popular "low-fat" and "low-carb" diets and how products are rolled out to capitalize on them. I remember seeing treats like Snackwells being marketed as low fat and therefore "healthy" even though there was just more sugar. "Low-fat" has mostly faded, but "low-carb" is hanging around and you can find many products still making their claims.

This topic always gets me fired up since I see/hear so many people make bold claims that one ingredient or the other is super bad or another ingredient is the best one to add to your diet.  Wrong!

After searching for a cure for my writer's block (just like Danni at Healthy Kitschy Vegan currently has), I found a great article about Real Food at Fooducate.com. It basically mentions the past and current fad diets and the problems with each one. The author goes on to explain just like there's not one bad food, there's not one good food either. Here's a quote from the post:

"..It is not about the one bad ingredient that is making us unhealthy. On the flipside, it is also not about the one good ingredient, like beta-carotene, that is making us healthier. It’s about the diet as a whole."

When you eat real food, as the post explains, you include whole grains, fresh fruit and veggies, legumes, and lean protein.  All of these foods contain essential nutrients our bodies need to recover from exercise, energize for the next work out, and just for daily living.

The better the quality (less processed), the better for you.  When you choose convenience foods, chances are nutrients have been altered or removed all together to get the desired taste or look for the mass market. I'd rather have my odd-shaped carrot or lumpy apple over something that looks too perfect and comes in box, bag, or plastic wrap.

For those just starting out on their journey to a healthier lifestyle, here are some great tips that were listed:

Choose products with 100% whole grains as often as possible. Please don’t underestimate your family’s taste buds. Try transitioning them onto the more wholesome flavor by mixing the whole with refined grains at first and slowly wean them off of the simple carbohydrates. There are also a wide array of brands and types of grains on the market today so experiment until you find a taste that you enjoy.

Swap half the white flour called for in your baking recipes with whole-wheat flour. Typically, the sweetener can also be cut in half without the sweetest of a tooth noticing.

Eat tons of fresh vegetables and fruits. Try to include them in all meals and snacks. You can do this by making the vegetable the focal part of your meal and building the rest of the foods around it as a side. For example, a BIG salad, topped with a 3 oz piece of wild salmon and a side of sweet potato.

Think about including beans in your meals and snacks more often. They are a great source of plant protein, fiber, phytochemicals, flavonoids, carotenoids, and lycopene.

Eat fewer convenience and processed foods. They’re full of added fat, sugar, salt, and additives.

Choose nonsugary beverages such as water, green tea (iced or hot), fresh fruit juice, and skim or soy milk.

Of course you can progress as you get more comfortable with the new, healthier way of living. I can't even enjoy another other than whole grains and hardly anything with sugar. I like some sugar, but like to be in control of everything I make.  Crazy, obsessed, weird? Maybe, but have you seen what goes on behind the scenes of food prep?  It's not pretty.

So, if you're following a diet, or maybe have switched with the popular diet of choice, why not try just eating whole foods instead?  Don't omit certain food groups (allergy permitting), and do omit over processed junk that looks like food. Another great quote from the article:

"With the current claim that sugar is a poison, a drug and enemy number one, I can bet what will happen: the food industry will grab hold of the “no sugar fad” and substitute fancy artificial ingredients for natural sugar and guess what? Americans will probably still get fatter."

Agreed! I know I bring this topic up a lot, but it needs to be constantly discussed to get the message across it seems.  I think there is too much of a focus on calories right now and macronutrients are pushed aside.  So now a small single serve bag (wasteful packaging to me) that is only 100 calories makes those oreos "healthy"? Doubtful.

Have you made any changes for the better lately? 

Do you agree or disagree with this stance?

Happy Saturday and thanks for reading! Oh yeah, the Artisana Foods contest has ended, check back on Monday to see the lucky winner!

Mindful Monday: Protein Powder is not Food

I’ve been making and reading a lot of protein powder based recipes as of late, and wanted to make a statement to anyone who wants to hear/read it. Protein powder is called a supplement because it is meant to “supplement” your daily intake of this essential macronutrient.

Grillled chicken on salad is hard to beat for quality protein and taste!

I am guilty of thinking as protein powder as a replacement for real food protein sources in the past. Not so anymore! Great tasting protein powder is a joy to cook with in place of flour, add to smoothies, or just hold you over when you need a healthy quick fix. But we really need to get the majority of our protein from whole food sources since these have an abundance of additional vitamins and nutrients not found in a powder.


Ok, so maybe some whole meal powders have all of the extras, but it’s still processed no matter how you look at it. Plus, it’s good to have something to actually chew with various textures instead of just drinking.


Perfect Protein meal of whole grain rye toast with mixed beans, veggies and quinoa. Simple and delicious!



Of course you should still enjoy protein powder creations like these sugar free brownies!!

Beans, lentils, eggs, nuts and nut butters (yum!), chicken, fish, lean meat, whole grains, and more are perfect examples of healthy protein sources.


My favorite portable and versatile protein.


Maybe this is nothing new to you, but hopefully it helps others make real food a priority and not depend on powders and such for their nutrition. Here are several posts I made in the past with regards to protein; they are all very informative and useful to people of varying knowledge on the subject.


5 Healthy Ways to Add Protein to Your Salad
Complementary Proteins
Protein Primer
Healthy Stevia Sweetened About Time Whey Protein Review


Q: How do you get real food protein sources in your life? Are you guilty of depending too much on just mixing a powder to get enough of this vital macronutrient?

Have a wonderful week!

How to Never Worry About Calories Again!!

Basically, eat whole foods and don't eat packaged food. Cutting out packaged food and making your own snacks and meals from fresh, wholesome ingredients is the key to better health.

Convenient foods sealed in a nice little (or big) package in a perfectly shaped box present a problem for many people; they're convenient! What happens when you pour a bowl of cereal, finish the puffs/flakes/crisps and still have milk leftover? Instead of simply just drinking it or finding use for it in a recipe, many people will just pour more cereal in the bowl.

YES!!

I'm guilty of doing this in the past, and even now, but I don't buy boxed cereal for this reason. I make my own cereal with plain rolled oats and add various ingredients like pureed pumpkin, carrots, eggplant, yogurt, protein powder, peanut flour, chia seeds, mashed banana, nut butter, and more.

Using stevia as a sweetener allows me to cut empty calories from sugar and still have a little sweetness.  If using banana, you'll have the benefit of natural sweetness and comfort.

When you choose to eat whole food that comes straight from farm to table and not in a package, you will naturally feel full and know when to stop.  With plenty of fiber, water, and essential nutrients in whole veggies, you can eat plenty and still have a low calorie meal.

I want so bad to explain this to the uninformed, but so many think of this as "too hard" or "there's just no use." Nonsense! I say. If you say you really want to be healthier and change your lifestyle, then do something about it!

NO!!

Give it a chance; if you're buying something packaged, make it baby carrots or a veggie mix that's precut.  These are great for snacking alone or dipping in no or low calorie dips like mustard or plain non-fat yogurt.

If only I had thought to become a nutritionist or something health and food related, I could establish a practice and help more people.  Isn't it funny (really sad) how I could try and tell an unhealthy person a few simple ways to be healthier, but they will quickly ignore my suggestions and take advice from advertising on a box of "low calorie" chips.

It should be a red flag when you see a product trying to pass itself off as being healthy by just saying it is low cal.  Then you read the ingredients and see 50+ items you can pronounce. Really? Is that healthy? NO!

So, sorry for all of the jumping around, my head spins when I get caught up thinking of the vast information out there and how people listen to the wrong things.  Usually it ties into what's easier.

The takeaway? Don't follow some diet, don't listen to or even purchase packaged food, do choose whole food like fresh produce, lean cuts of meat (if applicable), and plain legumes. Here are a few past posts for some great ideas to get started:

Healthy Food Swaps

15 Healthy Cooking and Eating Tips

Diet Fads and How to Avoid Them

Why Diets Don't Work

Simple and Healthy Snack Ideas

Hope these help! Are you stuck in a convenient food rut?  Were you in the past? If so, how have you prevailed to overcome the "easy route" and choose fresh food instead?

Do you agree with my assessment?  Whole foods = natural calorie regulation, no counting needed!  The stripped down boxed stuff will leave you constantly craving more and more and may not ever keep you satisfied.

Have a great weekend!

Give the Cow Prod to the USDA and Support Meatless Monday!

Have you heard about the USDA retracting its statement referencing "Meatless Monday"?  It seems the Cattlemen's Beef Association flexed its "beefy" bicep when the Ag Dept posted a message to its employees about helping to reduce the environmental impact of eating meat by skipping it one day of the week.

Uh oh, the beef industry might be knocking at my door soon...

But what would the "cow people" association do if more people helped the health of the Earth and their bodies by abstaining from meat for one day?! They can't have that, so I can only imagine their well-paid lobbyists made sure the posting was removed promptly.  And it was......only hours after being posted.

I know I'm on a blogger break (I took only a few pics this weekend!), but I had to just make a quick post about this.  A huge reason America lives in a constantly confused state on what's healthy and what's not is because of the big industries and their money (aka power).

I know very little on the inner-workings of lobbying and getting messages out to the public, but I figure money is the biggest concern; not public health.  When I see/hear any sort of "this is good for you" promotion from the government or any big business, I raise a mental red flag and proceed with caution.

Just ask yourself these 2 questions when you see claims on packages, the television, magazines, billboards, etc:

Who or What will reap the most benefits of this statement? - It says it's healthy, but the 50 ingredients in this pretty package don't seem very good or natural.

How much money was spent so people like me can see this claim? - Only the big industries have great power to push their products for all to see. Small, local companies producing small batch, whole food goods, don't have the funding to really advertise as well.

I like all types of meat and fish, but I eat red meat sparingly and only grass-fed...preferably local too.  The economic cost of producing beef is just not worth it to me.  Just think of all the cheap, junky beef products fast food chains are rolling out to so many people each day; it's crazy! Sure, the $1 menu "deals" seem appealing to those who are ignorant to health and are short on cash; sadly, this is a common correlation.

Costs associated to produce a quarter pound of beef.

But consider other costs; the cost to get the meat wrapped in a paper package and handed to you through the window of a drive-thru...mmm. Producing just a half pound of beef requires 7.40 pounds of CO2, that's equivalent to driving 9.81 miles. Now take into account that in 2009 the U.S. consumed 14 million tons of beef; and 72 million tons for the world.  That's a lot of gas! (Source for this info.)

I will happily choose my meatless meals for Monday and other days of the week to help reduce emissions just a little bit. If more of us did this, our little changes will have a big impact on the health of our economy and bodies. So give the USDA and Beef Industry the finger a carrot, and enjoy a meal like spicy black bean patties along with a green pistachio and carrot smoothie for dessert! Check out wannaveg.com for a list of 10 reasons to go vegetarian one day each week.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! It was hot (not surprising) here in Texas, but I prefer the heat to the cold, so fine with me!

Thursday Thoughts: Blogging Break and Why You Should Read Packaged Food Ingredients

Do you remember how you viewed food before becoming foodie or just increasing your knowledge of the food world? I remember how I only cared if it looked, sounded, or tasted good; nutrition info and ingredients were of concern.



Yep, I used to crave these and would usually stuff them with fries too.

 



It's crazy how far I've come since then.  Now I will maybe go out to eat about once a month, I think way too much of what I will have for each meal so that the macro nutrients balance out, and I read every single ingredient on every single package I pick up. It doesn't matter if I read the exact same package the week before, I still read it again.  Borderline insane? Maybe, maybe not; the food industry makes such quick choices to help their bottom line that you never know when ingredients will change.



Now I crave this, amongst many other whole foods and clean, lean protein!



Quick example: The Good Health Peanut Butter Pretzels used to have whole wheat as the first ingredient, but now it's this:

Enriched, Unbleached Wheat Flower [contains the following vitamins & minerals: Niacin (A B-Complex Vitamin), Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Folic Acid], Peanut Butter (contains Peanuts, Cane Sugar, Salt), Stone Ground Whole Wheat, Salt, Baking Soda

But beware! Amazon still lists the ingredients as Whole Wheat, and Peanut Butter.

And what's up with companies like Jimmy Dean Sausage and Kellogg's trying to put up a healthy facade on their not-so-healthy products? Like Pop-Tarts are really a nutritious breakfast! Stop the advertising like these are acceptable breakfast (or any other time) foods!

No one needs a frosted rectangle jammed with crap like:

ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, DEXTROSE, SOYBEAN AND PALM OIL (WITH TBHQ FOR FRESHNESS), SUGAR, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF CRACKER MEAL, WHEAT STARCH, SALT, DRIED STRAWBERRIES, DRIED PEARS, DRIED APPLES, CORNSTARCH, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), CITRIC ACID, CORN CEREAL, GELATIN, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL†, CARAMEL COLOR, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, SOY LECITHIN, XANTHAN GUM, MODIFIED WHEAT STARCH, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, COLOR ADDED, TURMERIC COLOR, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, RED #40, NIACINAMIDE, REDUCED IRON, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), YELLOW #6, RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), FOLIC ACID, BLUE #1.†LESS THAN 0.5g TRANS FAT PER SERVING

That's for the popular strawberry flavor, right from their site.



Keep him and his friends out of your home!!



The Frosted Mini-Wheats might be better (read "easier"), but a bowl of creamy oats with mashed banana and peanut butter sounds and is so much better! Plus, what's with the little mascots riding around on the kids and acting like they help in school? Nonsense, I say!

And the Jimmy Dean Delights commercials just aggravate me to no end. You know the one where the guy dressed as a sun (who does that?) feeds a woman's wholesome breakfast to birds and gives her a Jimmy Dean Delights breakfast bowl or sandwich? Yeah, good job, commercial, way to make healthy eating look boring and bland....only feeding the negative way America views food.  The stupid commercial only talks about calories, not ingredients or nutrients.  Hmm, why not? Something missing in Jimmy Dean "Un"Delights?

Like most things in boxes, it has a list of crap:

INGREDIENTS: PRECOOKED SCRAMBLED EGG WHITES, COLOR ADDED (EGG WHITES, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, NONFAT DRY MILK, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE, SOYBEAN OIL, CARRAGEENAN, SALT, NATURAL EGG FLAVOR, GUAR GUM, XANTHAN GUM, ANNATTO [COLOR]), DICED POTATOES (POTATOES, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL [SOYBEAN AND/OR COTTONSEED OILS], AND/OR VEGETABLE OIL [CANOLA, SOYBEAN AND/OR SUNFLOWER OILS], MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, DEXTROSE, TETRASODIUM PYROPHOSPHATE AND DISODIUM DIHYDROGEN PYROPHOSPHATE [TO MAINTAIN NATURAL COLOR]), COOKED TURKEY SAUSAGE CRUMBLES CARAMEL COLOR ADDED, BHT AND CITRIC ACID ADDED TO HELP PROTECT FLAVOR (TURKEY THIGH MEAT, SEASONING [SALT, DEXTROSE, SUGAR, SPICES, BHT, CITRIC ACID], CARAMEL COLOR), REDUCED FAT SHREDDED MILD CHEDDAR CHEESE (PASTEURIZED PART-SKIM MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES, ANNATTO COLOR, VITAMIN A), WATER.

Man, I've been ranting a lot lately, but I want so bad to better inform the world on how to view real, whole food as good and normal.  Going out to be fed from a drive-thru or sit down place is not normal and should be a treat!



My idea of a healthy and tasty breakfast. Look at those Brussels!



So, be careful out there (the grocery store), it's a crazy place with false promises printed all over packages.  Here's a great article on the confusion of healthy eating that I think really makes a good point on why so many just don't even try.  Although they should!

About the "Blogging Break" part of the title; I am going to ease off my posting for a while to see if it helps reduce stress.  Yes, I actually stress about getting pictures and writing posts on my blog. Obviously, a full time job, exercise, and food prep already takes a lot of my time and I need time with Kelley too.  My marriage is most important, afterall!

I love talking with all of you about our passion for food and fitness, and I will still be around.  I may only have 2 or 3 posts a week, and maybe less pictures.  This is my true passion, but the job pays the bills, so you know how that goes.  Maybe one day I'll find my foodie calling, but until then, I need steady income...to buy the good food!!

Chocolate Microwave Layer Cake. Proof that healthy is neither dull, tasteless, or time consuming.

I know I don't have a huge following, but to those that read my blog, what would you like to see in my few short posts?  What topics have you enjoyed in the past?

I know a few other bloggers are taking a break for blogging as school starts up and life interferes. If you're taking a break, how are you handling not posting?  Does it feel like you are cheating?

Have a great day and thanks for reading, I appreciate everyone who comments!