One of the few vices I have in life is that I eat out... a lot.
Its not that I particularly love restaurant food, its that I love the convenience. Like many young professionals, Ben and I often work late (when I am not actually physically at work, my time is swallowed up by the constant flow of emails that my narcissistic streak allows). We often go for runs or take a yoga class after work to try to stay fit, take night classes and spend time doing extras (like blogging). Usually 7:30pm will roll around when we start to think about preparing dinner (which project actual eating time at 8:00 or 8:30pm). But by that time, along with the fact I don't think eating late is good for digestion, the idea of pulling out the double steamer and wooden cutting board couldn't appeal less.
My dilemma is that I know how important eating well is to maintain a healthy body and healthy skin, but eating out is laden with tasty but unhealthy ingredients hidden in sauces and marinades.
So, upon my return home from our epic Paris-Dublin-Worcester-London trip, I did a smart thing and hired a meal service. For those of you who don't know what a meal service is, it is a company which prepares your meals and delivers them to your door. The ultimate in convenience - you don't even need to wait to be served or spend time deciding on what takes your fancy. I thought this was an especially fabulous idea to aid us while we waded knee-deep in work. Ben did not.
After a bit of online research, I found Toronto-based "Green Zebra" - a vegan, macrobiotic and raw foodism-inspired meal service which even pre-soaked their legumes (!). This also did not particularly excite my Ben. Neither did their declaration that they were "100% vegan, 90-100% organic and local when possible." He was looking at the priciness of it all (what do you expect with organics?). But after much prodding (we won't call it nagging) I got my way and filled out the convenient online order form, choosing the 9 meal option for $155- which I tallied up to be 4.5 meals each (or 3 meals each and lots of snacking for me).
To my delight, any initial order is 25% off and it appeared they threw in a jar of soup. As soon as we got our cooler of goodies, I read aloud the menu "oooh"ing and "mmmm"ing at Ben as if to say "See? See!".
Our menu included: Smoked Tofu with Barbecue Sauce, Roasted Yams and Cauliflower with Maple-Dijon Dressing, Basmati Rice with Spicy Kim Chi and Arame, Broccoli Squash and Quinoa Salad in a Cashew Sesame Sauce, Black Beans with Onions, Peppers and Cinnamon-Cilantro Dressing, Grated Beet, Carrot and Apple Salad, and Roasted Corn and Tomato salad, Adzuki Beans with Golden Vinaigrette. The Soup was Potato Leek with Fresh Herb and the weekly dessert was a quartet of Banana-Maple Pecan Cornbread Muffins. Yum! Just as good as homecooking (?). This list came with a complete ingredients list which I appreciated.
Well, let me tell you it was much more than 4.5 meals each. I was eating the stuff for breakfast and lunches (and I'm ashamed to admit, but would not bother warming it up eating it cold as salads)-- it saved me from my bad habit of delaying eating to fit in more work, then becoming an uber-wench when I realize that I am starving but also incredibly picky.
And to my surprise, Ben was enjoying it too. He was probably also enjoying not having to deal with the mood swings that come with me being hungry (he calls it the spirit of "Angry Girl").
Now this isn't something I want to do routinely. Firstly, I was raised in a family that doesn't believe in eating left overs...ever - but in all honesty, the food I was eating out-and-about may not be all that fresh either (an employee of an unnamed high-end, organic grocer whispered to me that their prepared foods are usually about a week old...gross). Secondly, despite finding the meals truly tasty, I felt they were simple enough that I could've made them myself.
"...But you didn't," Ben said to my surprise. "...I don't want to waste what little free time we have cooking. Let's order again next week."
www.greenzebrakitchen.com
Showing posts with label Healthy Eating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Healthy Eating. Show all posts
Friday, August 21, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Snack recipes from the pickiest eater in the city
Calling me a picky eater is an understatement. I pity the waitstaff of any restaurant that my mother and I eat at because we have a list of things that we will and will not eat... and they differ.
I don't eat dairy products as they make me puffy and my tummy hurt, I won't eat refined sugar as it causes inflammation (and wrinkles!), I cut out gluten years back (before falling off the wagon when I moved in with Ben - now we're both not eating flours - smile), and red meat is a no-no for my Pitta constitution (I used to be a vegan but decided I really liked walking down stairs without my legs shaking, but was too disorganized to monitor my protein). But along with specific foods I won't eat, I also have characteristics of foods I won't eat. Like Drying foods (pop corn, rice cakes, too many seeds etc) -- they not only dry out my skin but also are Vata increasing so often make my bloated. Or food that isn't fresh: I don't like food that has been sitting out, uses too many preservatives or is defrosted. According to Ayurveda, food which has been frozen causes dampness and toxicity in our bodies and some Ayurvedic doctors say they may be the cause of many modern diseases.
The problem lies in the fact that I, like many professionals living in the concrete jungle, am incredibly time-poor and usually running from one end of the city to the other with very few options along the way to satisfy my palette. But because I loooove eating, I will not be sacrificing tastiness. I once read a veggie cookbook which suggested snacking on cucumbers which have been drizzled with lime juice (Yum?). So, because of being uber stubbourn, I will simply wait until I can get something I can eat (plus often have enough work to distract me), which can lead to my famous hunger moods.
So, if you are anything like me, below are a few snacks for survival. These options are quick to make, use three ingredients or less, are sugar-free, gluten-free and dairy-free, and won't make you dehydrated (I can't take another dried out protein bar).
Simple Shake
Ripe Banana(s)
Carob Soymilk or Chocolate Rice Milk (I used Edensoy's Carob Soymilk because it doesn't have evaporated cane juice added. And the Rice Dreams Chocolate Flavour was the only other product I could find without sugar -- all Chocolate Soymilks were laden with it)
Cinnamon
I make things real simple and scrap measurements. Pour approximately 3/4 of the cup you are drinking out of with the "milk". Add one banana unless its ginormous, then use half. Add as much cinnamon as your taste prefers. Blend. According to Ayurveda, the cinnamon will lighten the heaviness of the banana to make it less Kapha. You can also throw in a couple of soaked dates (soaking dried fruit and nuts will help you digest them) to this shake for extra sweetness. Dates are excellent for helping you fall asleep, so it makes for nice evening treat.
Old-skool Celery Boats
Celery Stalks
Almond butter
Raisins (ideally soaked)
Remember this treat from Preschool? Mmm. A starch-free, protein-filled snack from the good ol' days when we had time for snack time. Fill as many stalks with Almond butter and then top it off with the raisins. I think we used to call them Ants on a Log and used peanut butter instead of almond. Those were simpler times, before the awareness of peanut allergies and the fact that preserved peanuts are usually candida causing as they have a moldy quality. The celery is also great for anyone with sensitive skin or break outs as it is an excellent blood cleanser.
Stewed Apples
Apples - (Stick with the red variety so they are not tart like Granny Smiths)
Whatever baking spice or spices you have at home: Nutmeg/ Cinnamon/ Cloves
Peel and slice as many apples you want. Sprinkle them with spices. Bake in a dish you can cover at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. This is a nice warming breakfast.
Spicy Almonds
Blanched Almonds
Garam Masala Powder (curry)
Ghee or Olive Oil
Place the almonds on a baking sheet which has been greased with ghee or olive oil. Put them in the oven at 400 degrees (preheated). After 10 minutes, turn them over and very lightly sprinkle the curry powder over them. Leave them for another 5 minutes and take them out. Almonds should be good and browned, if they are not leave them in for another few minutes (or longer if you like them really dark and roasted). You can salt them if you like. I have tried making these with soaked almonds, but though I like to soak most dried foods because it makes them easier to digest and less drying, it makes them a weird texture in this recipe. If you are more of a purist than I, I encourage you to soak them - they simply will not be very crunchy. These almonds are tastiest when right out of the oven, but I usually eat them as an on-the-go snack as they are very portable and easy to eat in transport.
I don't eat dairy products as they make me puffy and my tummy hurt, I won't eat refined sugar as it causes inflammation (and wrinkles!), I cut out gluten years back (before falling off the wagon when I moved in with Ben - now we're both not eating flours - smile), and red meat is a no-no for my Pitta constitution (I used to be a vegan but decided I really liked walking down stairs without my legs shaking, but was too disorganized to monitor my protein). But along with specific foods I won't eat, I also have characteristics of foods I won't eat. Like Drying foods (pop corn, rice cakes, too many seeds etc) -- they not only dry out my skin but also are Vata increasing so often make my bloated. Or food that isn't fresh: I don't like food that has been sitting out, uses too many preservatives or is defrosted. According to Ayurveda, food which has been frozen causes dampness and toxicity in our bodies and some Ayurvedic doctors say they may be the cause of many modern diseases.
The problem lies in the fact that I, like many professionals living in the concrete jungle, am incredibly time-poor and usually running from one end of the city to the other with very few options along the way to satisfy my palette. But because I loooove eating, I will not be sacrificing tastiness. I once read a veggie cookbook which suggested snacking on cucumbers which have been drizzled with lime juice (Yum?). So, because of being uber stubbourn, I will simply wait until I can get something I can eat (plus often have enough work to distract me), which can lead to my famous hunger moods.
So, if you are anything like me, below are a few snacks for survival. These options are quick to make, use three ingredients or less, are sugar-free, gluten-free and dairy-free, and won't make you dehydrated (I can't take another dried out protein bar).
Simple Shake
Ripe Banana(s)
Carob Soymilk or Chocolate Rice Milk (I used Edensoy's Carob Soymilk because it doesn't have evaporated cane juice added. And the Rice Dreams Chocolate Flavour was the only other product I could find without sugar -- all Chocolate Soymilks were laden with it)
Cinnamon
I make things real simple and scrap measurements. Pour approximately 3/4 of the cup you are drinking out of with the "milk". Add one banana unless its ginormous, then use half. Add as much cinnamon as your taste prefers. Blend. According to Ayurveda, the cinnamon will lighten the heaviness of the banana to make it less Kapha. You can also throw in a couple of soaked dates (soaking dried fruit and nuts will help you digest them) to this shake for extra sweetness. Dates are excellent for helping you fall asleep, so it makes for nice evening treat.
Old-skool Celery Boats
Celery Stalks
Almond butter
Raisins (ideally soaked)
Remember this treat from Preschool? Mmm. A starch-free, protein-filled snack from the good ol' days when we had time for snack time. Fill as many stalks with Almond butter and then top it off with the raisins. I think we used to call them Ants on a Log and used peanut butter instead of almond. Those were simpler times, before the awareness of peanut allergies and the fact that preserved peanuts are usually candida causing as they have a moldy quality. The celery is also great for anyone with sensitive skin or break outs as it is an excellent blood cleanser.
Stewed Apples
Apples - (Stick with the red variety so they are not tart like Granny Smiths)
Whatever baking spice or spices you have at home: Nutmeg/ Cinnamon/ Cloves
Peel and slice as many apples you want. Sprinkle them with spices. Bake in a dish you can cover at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. This is a nice warming breakfast.
Spicy Almonds
Blanched Almonds
Garam Masala Powder (curry)
Ghee or Olive Oil
Place the almonds on a baking sheet which has been greased with ghee or olive oil. Put them in the oven at 400 degrees (preheated). After 10 minutes, turn them over and very lightly sprinkle the curry powder over them. Leave them for another 5 minutes and take them out. Almonds should be good and browned, if they are not leave them in for another few minutes (or longer if you like them really dark and roasted). You can salt them if you like. I have tried making these with soaked almonds, but though I like to soak most dried foods because it makes them easier to digest and less drying, it makes them a weird texture in this recipe. If you are more of a purist than I, I encourage you to soak them - they simply will not be very crunchy. These almonds are tastiest when right out of the oven, but I usually eat them as an on-the-go snack as they are very portable and easy to eat in transport.
Friday, May 22, 2009
My Boyfriend Snacks and I'm gonna be in Trouble
Its hard to stay on a good diet plan when you are in love - every night becomes date night. And it becomes even harder when you move in together. What was once an evening treat has just become a sweet fourth meal.
When I first moved in with Ben, I was on a strict diet of no meat or dairy and low sugar, low starch. But now, I'm a chip dipping, gelato devouring, ice tea drinking little piglet.
I have heard the same from countless girlfriends of mine. Unless you are lucky enough to hit it off with a crunchy granola type, its so easy to slip into bad habits. Its kind of like the freshmen fifteen. The common-law ten? Doesn't have the same ring to it. And while Ben will deny this to the death, when we first met, he was pretty much a meat and potatoes guy (we have even argued over if potatoes are vegetables).
So recently, I decided that enough was enough. I was going to kick it off with a cleanse and get back to the real me. So for those of you in the same situation, I found the following steps have helped immensely:
1. Put your foot down - my therapist says in every healthy relationship the woman (or feminine energy) dictates its direction. He says in all of his years of practice, he has observed that the most functional relationships have occurred in the ones in which the female is clear and reasonable about her requests while the male complies. You know why I like this therapist eh? So I made it known: All shared meals had to follow my diet's guidelines or at least have options that would.
2. Give them a drawer. Or in my case, a three-shelf cupboard - Now, I couldn't strip Ben of all his treats just because I have, so I gave him a snack space to call his own. Somewhere he could stash his Oatmeal Cookies and Miss Vickies, and I don't go into...ever.
3. Keep tabs on yourself - My uber-healthy co-worker gave me this tip of keeping a food journal. Many Naturopaths have made me do this as well to track my eating habits. It is an excellent tool which can provide many insights like: I overeat when I eat too late, or Gee, I really don't drink much water. It is also best for your body to eat at the same times everyday to regulate digestion, so this also helps you keep track of if you have eaten at the right times.
4. Buddy up - It is so much more motivating when you have a friend who is doing the same thing you are, and feels less bad when you cheat together... When Kat and I did our cleanse together, it was not only great to swap recipes, but also more fun. We made an activity of lamenting about our cravings together as well as discovered purple quinoa together.
5. Send them to your Naturopath/ Eastern Medicine Doctor - I paid for a consultation with Dr Sharma and it was the best $90 I spent this year. I have been telling Ben to lay off the bread for years (not for his weight - those who know him know he's a strip of paint, but for his dehydration), but when it came from Dr Sharma, something new resonated with him. He has completely cut out drying breads and opted for Oatmeal in the morning instead of toast as well as hydrating, nutritious soups instead of sandwiches. Its also way easier for me to cut out bread because we no longer have delicious ciabatta buns around the kitchen.
When I first moved in with Ben, I was on a strict diet of no meat or dairy and low sugar, low starch. But now, I'm a chip dipping, gelato devouring, ice tea drinking little piglet.
I have heard the same from countless girlfriends of mine. Unless you are lucky enough to hit it off with a crunchy granola type, its so easy to slip into bad habits. Its kind of like the freshmen fifteen. The common-law ten? Doesn't have the same ring to it. And while Ben will deny this to the death, when we first met, he was pretty much a meat and potatoes guy (we have even argued over if potatoes are vegetables).
So recently, I decided that enough was enough. I was going to kick it off with a cleanse and get back to the real me. So for those of you in the same situation, I found the following steps have helped immensely:
1. Put your foot down - my therapist says in every healthy relationship the woman (or feminine energy) dictates its direction. He says in all of his years of practice, he has observed that the most functional relationships have occurred in the ones in which the female is clear and reasonable about her requests while the male complies. You know why I like this therapist eh? So I made it known: All shared meals had to follow my diet's guidelines or at least have options that would.
2. Give them a drawer. Or in my case, a three-shelf cupboard - Now, I couldn't strip Ben of all his treats just because I have, so I gave him a snack space to call his own. Somewhere he could stash his Oatmeal Cookies and Miss Vickies, and I don't go into...ever.
3. Keep tabs on yourself - My uber-healthy co-worker gave me this tip of keeping a food journal. Many Naturopaths have made me do this as well to track my eating habits. It is an excellent tool which can provide many insights like: I overeat when I eat too late, or Gee, I really don't drink much water. It is also best for your body to eat at the same times everyday to regulate digestion, so this also helps you keep track of if you have eaten at the right times.
4. Buddy up - It is so much more motivating when you have a friend who is doing the same thing you are, and feels less bad when you cheat together... When Kat and I did our cleanse together, it was not only great to swap recipes, but also more fun. We made an activity of lamenting about our cravings together as well as discovered purple quinoa together.
5. Send them to your Naturopath/ Eastern Medicine Doctor - I paid for a consultation with Dr Sharma and it was the best $90 I spent this year. I have been telling Ben to lay off the bread for years (not for his weight - those who know him know he's a strip of paint, but for his dehydration), but when it came from Dr Sharma, something new resonated with him. He has completely cut out drying breads and opted for Oatmeal in the morning instead of toast as well as hydrating, nutritious soups instead of sandwiches. Its also way easier for me to cut out bread because we no longer have delicious ciabatta buns around the kitchen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
