Mmm, healthy

I’ve mentioned how our eating habits on the roadtrip were less than spectacular.  So UN-spectacular in fact that mentions of soup diets and detoxes became pretty regular.  Totally worth it.

Unfortunately, detoxes and juice diets are impossible for me due to my general preference for solid foods.  Crazy, I know.  Not to mention it’s too much work and too expensive for my taste.  So, I’m eating healthy and trying desperately to remember what portion control is.  Revolutionary, no?

The thing is- I actually enjoy eating healthy foods.  That brussels sprouts recipe below? I wasn’t exactly forcing myself to eat a whole package worth of sprouts.  I think it has to do with the fact that I was never forced to eat them as a child.  I don’t have any brussels sprouts horror stories.  My parents didn’t like them so we never ate them.  I can tribute this vegetable love affair to my grandmother- she’s the one who got me into them.

Now, the trick is making sure I eat more of the healthy foods and less of my other favorite food group: desserts.

Anyway, my pictures of said healthy foods have been few and far between but here is a list of some healthiness I’ve been dishing up this week:

Some roasted tofu and veggies from Hipsterfood.  I’ve found that when it comes to tofu you really can’t skip the pressing step of any recipe.  I usually press it for about 30 minutes- it helps to create a better texture when you cook it.

I also used another recipe from Hipsterfood for roasting brussels sprouts to eat with my lunch one day.  Seriously, just try them.  They’re delicious.

A Vegetable Tamale Pie.  It packs some fiber and protein and a bit o’ veggies with the tomatoes, salsa, and corn.  Plus, its extremely easy to make, especially if you use pre-meade polenta and canned beans.  I would suggest using a flavored polenta because that part was a little bland.

Babaganoush! This soup is totally amazing- it will become a recipe repeat very soon.  I’ve had it at lunch a few times this week, and it’s extremely filling from all the fiber in the eggplant.

A batch of turkey and bean chili similar to this one [this also makes for some great leftovers]

Roasted tomato soup.  So all the cheese might not make this a superstar in the health realm, but all those antioxidants and vitamin C in the tomatoes had to balance it out, right??

A turkey sausage and vegetable fritata similar to this recipe.  Fritatas are super versatile and can be made with pretty much any vegetables in your fridge and herbs you have on hand.  Plus they’re a great post-workout meal with all that lean protein!  You can always sub in some egg whites if you want to reduce the calories, but it’s already pretty low in cals so I usually just go all egg.

I also made a double batch of steel cut oatmeal over the weekend and had it for breakfast twice this week.  It’s super easy and convenient if you’re rushed in the morning.  I follow the directions on the Quaker Steel Cut Oats container, mixing half the liquid as water and half as almond milk.  Then, once it’s cooked I add in a healthy dose of cinnamon and a sprinkle of Truvia [or honey].  Just re-heat it in the microwave and give it a good stir!

I think another batch of my granola is in order too.  It served me well on the roadtrip, and it was so easy to make that buying granola seems silly.

It also makes things better if you listen to Spirit.  Just a suggestion 🙂

Here’s to hoping all this healthy eating will pay off soon- those 5 pounds I gained are not ok.