Decoding a Nutrition Label

I started this post in November, but for some reason, I never posted it! Silly me. Anyway, this post is to help us decipher our confusing food labels, that are getting more misleading by the second.

Much to my dismay, Prop 37 in California did not pass. I was really hoping that this could have been a catalyst to inspire us all to be more truthful and informed about our food choices. Unfortunately, we have to sort through the misleading information ourselves now.

The reason I'm so upset is not for people like me who are OCD about their groceries, and probably not like you who care enough to still be reading. I'm upset because the vast majority of Americans are not informed. This law would have made it easier for people to understand what they are buying.

People are becoming much more concerned with their health and nutrition, but a lot of products and claims can be misleading. Some of my favorites include: "all natural," "low carb," and "gluten free." These labels trick you into thinking something is healthy, but really, they don't mean much.

Here's what you can do to buy the most healthy products available.

First of all, the easiest way to avoid chemicals and GMOs and other yucky stuff, is to buy organic produce. Nothing bad can get in there!! But let's be real, no one survives on kale alone. Everyone buys packaged products.

This gluten-free craze is one of the worst offenders. If you really do have celiac disease, and your body can't tolerate gluten, then these labels are important to you and do matter. However, most of the world is not gluten free and people think that when they see this label, it means they are eating something healthier, but gluten free versions of certain foods can be worse for you than regular versions. If you are not gluten intolerant, there is no reason to avoid gluten. Gluten is just wheat protein, so things that are made from wheat like bread and pasta have gluten, but they can be a part of your healthy diet (as long as you get the whole wheat kind and not the more processed versions). Food companies are now slapping the "gluten-free" label on everything. Even things that never contained gluten in the first place. This is leading consumers to pick things up that are probably not the healthiest choice, and think, "Oh this must be healthy, it's gluten-free!" If you really do have a gluten sensitivity, there are a lot of breads and grains made from brown rice or quinoa that would be an equally healthy option. Just make sure you're actually choosing a healthy item and not buying it just because it's gluten-free.

A few years ago, everyone got into this low-carb diet frenzy. If you look at what this entails, there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY that this can be a healthy, sustainable diet. Carbs are the basis of the healthiest foods there are. Vegetables, fruit, whole grains: CARBS. This diet focused on a high fat, high protein diet. It encouraged eating lots of processed foods and a lot of meat and cheese, and basically that's it. Carbohydrates are not evil. They are actually the only source of fuel that your brain can process. This high-fat diet is also terrible for your heart and your kidneys. A healthy diet is full of vegetables and fruit and the fiber and vitamins in them. What's worse is when you take a food that normally has carbs in it, and you take them out, like they do in the processed foods they created for these diets, they actually have to replace them with artificial ingredients, usually artificial sweeteners (see my previous posts for the dangers of those bad boys), and added fat, sometimes trans fats. Honestly, I'll take good old carbs over processed, artificially sweetened, trans-fatty crap any day.

And here's where Prop 37 would have come in. The "all natural" label. Basically right now, if something says "all natural" it means absolutely nothing. It could come straight from the factory to the grocery store shelves never actually seeing the sun and still end up with an all natural label. The only things that can't be added to food for it to be considered all natural by the USDA and the FDA are artificial coloring and artificial flavors. However, most "natural" flavors, are not really very natural. This label also gives no indication of how the product was made before it was processed. For example, meat that was given antibiotics or that was feeding on GMO corn can be labeled all natural. Produce that was doused in chemical pesticides and sprayed with food wax can be labeled all natural. The only way to know if what you are eating is really natural, is to read the label and know your products. Check the labels for anything you can't pronounce. If you can't say it, they probably didn't grow it. Also, buying organic products eliminates a lot of these harmful ingredients.

Speaking of organic, there are some confusing terms when it comes to these labels too. "100% organic" means that all of the ingredients have been certified organic and all of the processing follows the USDA"s guidelines for preparing the food. "Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are certified organic and the processing follows the USDA guidelines. "Made with organic ingredients" means that at least 70% of the ingredients are organic. Any amount less than 70% can only be listed on the ingredient label as organic.

I know this is really confusing, and I know it can be expensive to buy everything 100% organic, but there are a couple shortcuts. And remember that while it may seem expensive now, keeping your body healthy will save you money in the future. One of the shortcuts that will help you is to remember the "dirty dozen" and the "clean fifteen." If an item is on the dirty dozen list, you should always buy it organic. These products have shown to have the highest levels of chemical pesticides. The clean fifteen are items that have a relatively low risk of pesticides, and you can buy these conventionally.

Dirty Dozen: apples, celery, bell peppers, peaches, strawberries, nectarines, grapes, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, blueberries, and potatoes.

There are also a few items of concern that should probably also be bought organic: beans and leafy greens.

Clean Fifteen: onions, sweet corn, pineapple, avocado, cabbage, sweet peas, asparagus, mangoes, eggplant, kiwi, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, grapefruit, watermelon, mushrooms.

Although sweet corn is on the clean fifteen list, I would buy that, as well as soy products organic. These foods are the most genetically modified foods in the U.S. so if that's a concern for you, organic would be a better option.

I hope I've cleared things up, rather than making them more confusing. Hopefully sometime soon, there will be more accountability in regards to what food companies are telling us, but at the end of the day, they want to make money by selling their products. It's up to us to research and figure out exactly what we put into our bodies, and I hope this will help you all do that.

Resolutions

Ok, so I know I'm a week late, but I wanted to share with you my New Year's resolutions. Basically, my word of the year is organization. I started by organizing my desk at work, then my kitchen, then my purse, then my closet. Next is the car and garage. Also I'm never letting my laundry get so bad again. Every time I do laundry it takes like 8 loads to get everything done.

But this year, I'm going to make sure that I am prepared and organized so I can have a healthier and less stressful life. I'm not leaving any shoes in my car anymore (definitely a terrible habit). I think if I can be prepared and have things ready to go, that I will be able to do the things I want (and need) to do. I started by cooking and freezing a ton of healthy food (see my previous post!) that just needs a quick trip to the oven to have a healthy meal ready.

I also started packing a gym bag every night that I can take with me when I leave the house and be ready to go to the gym once I'm done at the office. This has actually been working pretty well. This way, I have no excuses to not work out everyday. Plus I keep the class schedules for my yoga studio on my phone all the time so I can see when the next class is.

My next task is to try and create a better morning routine so that my day starts off orderly and not in a frantic rush like it usually does. Hitting the snooze on my alarm over and over again is my worst habit. I HATE mornings. I got a ton of fruit and quick breakfast options this week, so healthy breakfast is quick. I should really figure out how to set the timer on the coffee pot. That would be awesome. Waking up to coffee might pull me out of bed.

It's always easier to maintain healthy habits rather than start from scratch, so I'm trying to get my house clean, my life organized, and my body healthy. This way, it's all about maintenance, rather than huge daunting projects (like the laundry).

I just hope that I can keep this going for more than a week or two. What is it, 23 days for something to become a habit? I can do it for 23 days, right? What are your healthy resolutions this year, and how are you keeping them? Do you guys have any advice for keeping resolutions? Let me know :)

Vegan Lasagna!

I'm anticipating a very busy couple of weeks coming up. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to be better prepared. To never have to eat crappy food because I didn't plan ahead. Today, I went grocery shopping to make this an attainable goal. First I evaluated my food supplies and came up with a list of food I was going to make. Then I made a grocery list and set to it. I'm still feeling a little under the weather so I wanted to make some soup and some comfort food. I decided on vegetable soup, chili, lasagna, spicy sweet potatoes, and lentil loaf.  

I've never made vegan lasagna so this was a total experiment, and it was a good one!! It took a lot of research and some combining from a few different recipes (plus my own additions). It is pretty time consuming, but it makes a lot of food, and like I said, it freezes well so you can make a double batch and save some for later. It seems like a lot of steps, but they are all pretty easy. There are 4 parts to the lasagna: cream sauce, tofu ricotta, sauteed veggies, and the marinara sauce. Then you layer that together with some whole wheat noodles and bake it all together. Ridiculously good.

For the "cream sauce:"

1 cup raw almonds, soaked for 2 hours (the recipe I saw used cashews, but I couldn't find any at 2 grocery stores by my house! Cashews would probably create a smoother, creamier texture, but mine was just fine)

1 cup water

1/4 cup vegan butter

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

In a blender, combine the almonds, water, yeast, vinegar, and spices. In a sauce pan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Pour in the almond mixture and heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

For the "ricotta:"

14 oz. firm tofu

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

3 cloves garlib, minced

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/2 tsp black pepper

16 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained

In a large bowl, combine the tofu and the garbanzo beans. Mash with a fork until it has the consistency of ricotta. Combine the remaining ingredients. 

For the marinara:

This makes wayyy more than you need, so you can save the rest for spaghetti.

1 medium white onion, chopped

2 zucchinis, chopped

1 lb. mushrooms, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

64 oz. crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup fresh basil

2 tbsp dried oregano

salt and pepper

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Sautee the veggies in the oil in a large pan over medium high heat until they are soft. Then add the tomatoes and the spices and cook for about 30 minutes. 

In a separate pan, sautee whatever veggies you like best to layer in your lasagna. I used 2 more zucchinis, some more mushrooms and some broccoli. 

To prepare your lasagna, boil 1 box of lasagna noodles (I actually only used about 2/3 of the box) and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Oil a 9x13 inch glass pan. Put some of the cream sauce in the bottom of the pan. Top with a layer of noodles, a layer of tofu ricotta, a layer of sauteed veggies, and a layer of marinara. Repeat the layers and if you like, top with a sprinkle of Daiya mozzarella like I did. Bake for about 20 minutes. 

I don't remember where I got the basis for the recipes for the tofu ricotta or the cream sauce, but whoever it was, thank you!! It was seriously amazing. 

Healthy Holiday Eating

'Tis the season for family gatherings, traveling, holiday baking, and going out to eat. Fear not, all these festivities can be a part of your healthy lifestyle. Each one of these challenges can be overcome with a plan and a little self control. Keep in mind that it's holiday season and you don't have to be perfect. For me, it wouldn't be Christmas without cream of crab soup, but I know that I have to eat it in moderation with other, healthier items.

First diet saboteur is the family gathering. It took every ounce of willpower in my body to not eat my aunt's juicy golden turkey with a shimmery waterfall of silky gravy goodness poured over the top on Thanksgiving, but I knew that if I ate it, I would be really, really sick. The best way to tackle the family gathering is to bring something healthy to share with everyone else. I brought roasted sweet potatoes, herb roasted veggies, vegan green bean casserole, and homemade cranberry sauce. This way when I smelled that turkey cooking, I had something yummy to eat instead. Plus bringing a dish to share with your family can help them try some healthy food.

The next challenge of holiday season is traveling. However you plan on getting to see your loved ones (or getting away for them), the most important part of staying healthy while you're away from home is to be prepared! I always bring a couple healthy snacks with me when I fly, so I'm not starving when I get to my layover in Atlanta. Or a raging bitch ready to eat a small child by the time I get to Florida and finally see my family. When I finally get to wherever I'm going, my family is usually pretty good about eating healthy, we just eat allllll the time. Too much healthy food is still too much food. But the biggest problem when I travel is the drinking. The Tolson clan is known to sling a few back. I do my best to keep a healthy eating plan and just sum the drinking up to "It's ok I'm on vacation." I try to help cook a few meals while I'm there, incorporating my own healthy recipes and techniques. It's fun to cook with my mom and bond with everyone while we cook, plus I know that I'm making healthy meals for everyone I love. Speaking of, I'm sad that I won't be able to see everyone this Christmas, but I will be there soon!!! Miss you all!

The holiday baking can sometimes get out of hand too. My mom makes so many holiday cookies, it would make your head spin. And considering my standard batch of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies makes six dozen, there are so many sweets around my house when I start to bake. The way I prevent eating the entire batch and going into a diabetic coma is to wrap up at least half of my cookies as soon as they cool. Last year I got some cute little boxes and filled them up to give as gifts. Last time I made my pumpkin cookies, I wrapped up half on a platter and brought them into work. Not only did I get rid of half my cookies, but I got a lot more visitors at my desk that day.

The easiest task to overcome during holiday season is going out to eat. Between stopping to eat while you're shopping, catching up with friends that are in town, and entertaining family, a lot of restaurant eating happens this time of year. The good news is, there are almost always some healthy options when you are eating out. And if there isn't anything you see on the menu, ask the waiter and they can usually accommodate you. Today, I went to the Vietnamese restaurant by my house and ordered the vegetarian pho, but they use chicken broth in all their soup. I asked if they could use water instead, but the manager insisted on making me some vegetable broth! They were so nice! A lot of restaurants will make me a vegetarian version of whatever I order. You can make most dishes healthier by asking for a whole grain version or no cheese or cooked dry (without the oil or butter). Just keep in mind that when you go out, you want to choose a healthy option. Don't think that you have to splurge every time you go out.

Hope these are some helpful healthy tips for you! Happy Holidays to you all! <3

The Best Banana Bread Ever

I had some very ripe bananas sitting on the counter and was about to freeze them to make my banana ice cream (see earlier post!), but my brother suggested I make banana bread. What a genius idea!!!! It's too cold out for ice cream anyway. Banana bread always reminds me of my mom. I don't think she ever made it too terribly often, but banana bread is one of those things that just always reminds you of moms. And seriously, who doesn't loooooove banana bread?!?! I'm just so excited I can't even stand it. My mouth was watering waiting for it to come out of the oven. 

Normally when I start to come up with a recipe, I'll do a little research and look at other people's recipes and go through my many cookbooks, try to figure out how I can make it healthier, and decide on a plan of action, and then midway through, throw it all out the window and just make it up as I go. Today was no exception. But here's what I eventually did.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 vegan sugar
1/4 cup vegan butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup applesauce
3 very ripe medium bananas, mashed
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp each nutmeg and cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup golden raisins (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the vegan butter, sugars and the applesauce. Melt the coconut oil over very low heat, so it isn't hot enough to melt the sugar but liquid enough to use. Add this to the butter and sugar. Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices. Combine and then add the remaining ingredients until everything is well incorporated. Put the batter into an oiled cake pan and bake for 50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

If you're feeling extra indulgent (which for some reason, I always am), you can make a struesel topping. Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, 3 tbsp vegan butter, 1 tbsp flour and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Stir in some more walnuts and sprinkle on top of the bread batter before you put it in the oven.

This bread came out so moist and yummy, and I'm going to have to try really hard not to eat the whole loaf right now.

Yummmm

My first piece. Going back for seconds now.

What I really love about banana bread is that it tastes like cake, but you can eat it for breakfast. It's like starting the day with dessert. Nothing wrong with that ;)

Fast Food

It's no secret that most of us are so busy it makes our heads spin. Sometimes healthy eating can take a back seat behind work and school and family and friends and whatever else we have to do. That's what today's post is for. With a little planning and very little time, you can make lots of healthy meals fast.

I'm not really a huge fan of convenience foods like frozen meals and packaged products, but I do like to make my own so I can have good food fast that you can control the ingredients and flavors of a lot better.

First off, it's important to plan ahead so you're never left with no healthy options. Every two weeks or so when I go grocery shopping, I spend a few hours and make a ton of food that I can freeze for those nights when all you can do is heat something up. I like to make giant pots of marinara sauce and soup and then freeze them in smaller containers.

Here are some of my greatest go-to super fast meals:
Sweet potato and black bean burgers. This recipe is posted under my Fourth of July post. I make a giant batch that makes about 12 burgers. They freeze really well and then you can just pop them in the oven and eat them anytime!

Veggie loaded marinara. I throw in mushrooms and zucchini and spinach and whatever else is in my fridge and always have a container in the fridge. This way, all I need for dinner is to boil some whole wheat pasta and eat!

Also with your marinara you can make lasagna and freeze that right in the baking dish and bake when you're ready. You can do this with mac and cheese or baked ziti or any kind of baked pasta dish.

Vegetable soup. Usually I make this to use up any veggies that I have and maybe add some barley or rice or pasta in too. It's a great way to use up whatever you have on hand and sneak veggies in for picky eaters. Plus you can freeze and defrost a little at a time whenever you need a quick meal.

Sweet potato lentil soup. I've posted this recipe before and it's sooooo good. The ultimate comfort food for me. Plus it uses ingredients I always have on hand. Again, it's something that freezes well.

Veggie stir fry. I make this like four or five times a week. It's so easy to just throw some frozen and chopped veggies into a pan and put that over some brown rice or udon noodles. This literally takes less than 10 minutes from freezer to table. And it's versatile enough to cater to your tastes and what you have.

Wraps and sandwiches. My new favorite go to is avocado, spinach, tomatoes and cucumbers on a whole wheat tortilla with balsamic vinegarette.

Burritos! Who doesn't love burritos?! Just throw some precooked beans, rice and whatever else in a tortilla with some salsa and boom. Dinner.

Baked potatoes, either sweet potatoes or white. Fill with beans and veggies, and top with salsa. These also freeze well after you've baked them.

Poached egg sandwich. I've been eating eggs lately, which is weird for me, but I can't get enough of my newest creation. Some wilted spinach, tomatoes and sliced avocado on an English muffin with a poached egg. Not my usual vegan fare, but so yummy! Kind of like eggs benedict, but healthier and easier. And it takes like 2 minutes to make!

Look at that breakfast!

So there you have it! Some very easy healthy meals. No excuses not to eat healthy!

Hungry Holidays

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been MIA for so long. I've been a busy little bee lately. I promise I won't be so long between posts anymore. To make up for it, I'm going to tell you about my Thanksgiving and share my recipes with you! I know it's late, but trust me, it's worth it.

Thanksgiving was a little crazy this year. We wanted to do a work dinner on Wednesday so my very generous boss bought all the ingredients and I started cooking up a storm. Since my boss is allergic to dairy, all our dishes were vegan except the turkey and gravy. And of course, I made it all from scratch. I also made double of everything so he had enough for the fam the next day. Then I made more for dinner with my family! It was a three day cooking extravaganza.

Here's what I made:
Rosemary and apricot glazed turkey with gravy
Whole wheat cranberry and apple stuffing
Orange scented cranberries
Roasted garlic mashed potatoes
Spicy roasted sweet potatoes
Green bean casserole with caramelized onions
Herb roasted veggies

Rosemary and Apricot Glazed Turkey
I didn't eat this but I was told it was amazing and juicy and tender.
25 lb. turkey
1 cup vegan butter
4 tbsp dried rosemary
1 1/2 cups apricot preserves
1/2 cup water
1 orange
2 onions
4 stalks celery
4 carrots
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the onions into quarters and the celery and onions into big chunks. Cut the orange in half. Line the bottom of a giant roasting pan with the carrots and celery and 1 of the onions. Place the turkey on the top of the veggies and stuff the inside with the orange and the rest of the onion. Combine the butter with 2 tbsp of the rosemary. Rub the butter mixture under and on top of the skin all over the turkey, and some on the inside too. In a small saucepan, heat the preserves with the water, the remaining rosemary, and the salt and pepper. Set aside. Tightly cover the turkey with foil and cook for about 4 1/2 to 5 hours, basting every 30 minutes or so. When the turkey is almost done, remove the foil and pour the glaze all over the turkey and continue cooking for another 30 minutes. Ta da! Perfect turkey.

To make the gravy, in a large pot, melt 1/4 cup vegan butter and combine with 1/4 cup flour. Cook this for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add 4 cups of vegetable broth. Whisk this thoroughly to avoid lumps. You can stop right here for vegetarians or you can add the drippings from the turkey. Simmer over medium heat until this thickens up.

Whole Wheat Cranberry Apple Stuffing
This stuffing is moist and flavorful and low in fat! Much healthier than the boxed versions.
1 loaf whole wheat bread, toasted and cubed
2 apples, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup walnuts
2 tsp dried sage
salt and pepper

In a large pan, sautee the apples, celery, carrots, onions, and garlic in the vegetable oil until soft and translucent. In an oven-safe bowl, add the bread and sauteed veggies. Add the cranberries, walnuts and the spices. Pour the broth over the stuffing and mix everything thoroughly. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 until the top gets brown and crispy.

Orange Scented Cranberries
By far the easiest, but most impressive dish I made.
1 bag of fresh cranberries
juice and zest of 1 orange
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Boil all the ingredients in a large pot for 10 minutes until the berries begin to burst. Take the berries off the heat and chill until you're ready to eat. Seriously. That's it!!

Green Bean Casserole
2 bags frozen green beans (you could totally use fresh, but this way is much easier)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or any other dairy free milk you like)
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp vegan butter
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp vegetable oil
salt and pepper

In a sautee pan, heat 2 tbsp of the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until caramelized, about 30 minutes. In a large, separate pot, heat the remaining oil and sautee the mushrooms and garlic. Set aside. In that same pot, heat the butter and flour for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the broth and the milk and whisk thoroughly. Cook this for 10-15 minutes until it gets really thick. Add the mushrooms and garlic back in. Place the green beans into a casserole dish. Pour the mushroom mixture over the top and stir. Arrange the caramelized onions over the top and bake for 30 minutes until heated through. You can add those crunchy onions on top if you want too.

The rest of the recipes were pretty simple so I won't post them here. I think that was enough for one post.

The whole spread

We had a really big table

Carving the turkey!

After dinner, a little debauchery began.

I hope you all enjoyed the recipes! Hopefully you can use them this holiday season. Look out for new posts soon! :)