Fun, Fun, Fruit!

Hello readers! Yesterday, we had on office potluck and of course I signed up to bring the only healthy dish! My wallet this past week was particularly slim but since I love my staff so much, I did not want to show up completely empty handed so I made a fruit tray. Making a fruit tray turned out to be more fun than I thought, all you need is a couple different colored fruits and you are set! Let me show you how I did mines:

1. Find a ton of delicious fruits! Luckily, many of the fruits I found were on sale
2. Clean and cut the fruit
3. Place a small bowl (I used a $1 guacamole dish) in the middle of the tray (which I found at Party City for $1)
4. Get any yogurt to place in the middle. I like to use regular, unsweetened yogurt and fold in strawberries in the middle for taste. You can also add honey for a sweeter taste since plain yogurt is an acquired taste
5. Arrange your fruit anyway you see fit! I did mines with bright kiwi in the center as an eye grabber and berries on the corners for a color contrast. The color contrast really made the yellow/orange from the mango, pineapples, and tangerines stand out!

Here is how much everything costs:
-Raspberries $1.25

• Antioxidant support, anti-inflammatory phytonurtients, Vitamin C, Manganese (defends the body against free radicals), Fiber

-Blackberries $1.50

• Known to have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties; their dark color also gives them a high antioxidant factor; high in Vitamin C, and Fiber

-Kiwis 3/$1

• These tiny fruit are packed with Vitamin C and Vitamin K (a fat soluble vitamin that acts primarily in blood clotting)

-Tangerines 3/$1

• These cute little citrus fruits are high in Vitamin C and have a long shelf life; like most fruits, it has a natural antioxidant that is best for giving your body a natural defense system

-Mango .68c each

• Not only is mango one of my absolute favorite fruit, but it easily one of the best tasting things on the planet! Mangoes are packed with Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Fiber (which helps aid in digestion and elimination)

-Pineapple $1.98

• This tropical wonder is made for more than just pina coladas! Just like the other fruits above, pineapples are a great source of Vitamin C but also contain Manganese and Vitamin B1 for energy production and antioxidant support.

Total - $10.09 
Why did I name this article fun, fun, fruit? Well because fruit is a colorful and delicious way to get many key vitamins. Why would you settle for fake fruit flavored snacks and drinks when you can have the real thing for a cheap price? Processed foods, particularity those aimed at tasting like fruit, are laced with artificial sugars and ingredients that are created to mimic the taste of the real thing. Don't be fooled by the labels of many popular fruit snacks, while they claim to be gluten free, fat free, and have no preservatives don't forget the other funky ingredients who are secretly eating. This list includes:
-Corn Syrup
-Artificial Flavors
-Sodium Citrate
-Carnauba Wax
-Red 40
-Yellow 40
-Blue 1
It is almost as if you are consuming gummy bears...with marginal amounts of health benefits.
In all, fresh fruits is the best snacking choice out there!
-Eating Clean in College

Quick Fix Meals!

With all the hustle and bustle of today's world, it seems that it can be really hard to actually find time to sit down and cook a healthy home cooked meal. While it seems easier to order in, carry out, or just pop in a frozen dinner, we all know that there are many health consequences that come with convenience foods. Not only are they more expensive (compared to actually making your own pizza or stir fry) but most delivery or fast foods are full of saturated fats, extra calories, sugar, and salt. With all these factors added up, then you will not only gain weight, but put your body at risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity. Today's post is about easy it is to make a fast and delicious meal at home.

Sauteed green beans and black peppered crab

On the right, you see a dinner I made that took less than 10 minutes to make. First, you just boil the green beans until they are a medium well texture. While the beans are boiling, chop, season, and cook your crab in a separate skillet. Finally, when the green beans are at a medium well texture--depending on how crisp you like them--stir them in with the crab and voila! You have a quick seafood and veggie stir fry.

Crab- $1.70
Green Beans- $1.50 lb
For $3.20 you bought enough to make this delicious paleo crab stir fry for two! This is still cheaper than any side option that you'll find at any Asian restaurant.

For all you meat lovers out there, here is quick dish that you will love to eat! Just like the recipe above, all you have to do is sautee the vegetables but this time, you add in onions in the beginning then your zucchini. For steak, you can either grill it in the George Foreman and then cut it up into strips OR you can cut the steak into strips and cook it to your desired doneness. Either way, you will be sure to have a healthy and tasty quick meal that is cheaper than restaurant alternatives.

Steak- $3.24 for a pack of 4 thin strips
White onion- 1 onion for around $.30
Zucchini- $.68
So for one person, this meal cost less than $2.00 to make!

 

For this quick pizza that I made for lunch, all you have to do is add topping to frozen whole grain pizza crust. I purchase them at my local Indian store, but I am sure that traditional grocery stores sell them as well. Before I bake them in oven with my toppings, I like to drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the crust. Once that is done, then you pour your tomato sauce, cheese, veggies, meats, and bake for 5-10 minutes at 400. Feel free to play with this for different crust and cheese likings.
Whole Grain Crust- package of 4- $2.00
Shredded Cheese- $2.48
Spinach- $1.28 a bunch
Bell Peppers- SALE $.50 each
Tomato Sauce- $1.08
So for $7.34 I bought enough ingredients to make 4 pizzas, or $1.83 each
Here are some more quick and healthy meals

• Whole wheat spaghetti and sauce
• Grilled chicken on the George Foreman, 1 serving of Annie's Homegrown mac n cheese
• 5 Minute bean and cheese quesidillas
• Homemade vegetarian chili using canned black beans and vegetables
• Stir Fry and ready brown rice
• Taco Salad
• Loaded Sweet Potato with black beans 
• Broiled salmon and ready brown rice

-Eating Clean in College

Shake, Shake, Shake

Shake your bootay! Just kidding guys, this will be a serious post shakes and smoothies though. While smoothies are often times seen as quick snacks or desserts, when done properly they can become a meal in a glass that is packed with nutrients, antioxidants, protein, and healthy fats. You can use them to replace a meal such as breakfast or as a post-workout supplement. Best thing is, you can change it any way you can! Let's get started:

First off, you don't have to go to a smoothie guru or fancy shop to get quality shakes and smoothies. You don't even have to spend vast amounts of money to do so. The most expensive thing you will buy is the blend er, but you can find a really good one at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for only 16 bucks.

The List - Here is a list of some basics base ingredients that most smoothies require
Fruit/Vegetables- whether they are fresh or frozen, produce is both a delicious and nutritious way to liven up a smoothie

Here, I previously blended frozen blueberries, raspberries,
strawberries, flax seed, and natural yogurt. Once that was done
to my desired consistency, I filled in the remaining half of the
blender with fresh spinach leaves. Continue to blend until smooth

• Bananas- probably the cheapest and most trusted one fruit of them all. This fruit is found in basically every smoothie recipe
• Berries- although they are expensive, they provide a substantial amount of antioxidants and Vitamin C
• Watermelons, apples, kiwi, pineapple- these 'juicy' fruits are used better when the liquid base is a juice
• Mangoes, guava, papaya- I love how these fleshy fruits add a sweet and tropical taste to anything. Their versatility allows them to be used with a variety of bases and even to sweeten up the taste of protein shakes
• Spinach, kale, avocado- make it lean and green!

Liquid Base - add 1-2 cups of liquid, however the more juice your selected produce has, the less liquid you will need

• Milk/soy milk/ almond milk- of course for the calcium, Vitamin D, and protein
• Juice- if you are feeling tropical or looking for a day time snack- be careful. Combing fruit AND fruit juice will sure put you in a sugar overload so use this combo sparingly 

Thickeners - Now, I LOVE a thick shake so often times I will use 2,3 or even more in one smoothie. Here are some good ways to get the right consistency of creaminess while still maintaining its nutritious content

• Nut butter- whether it's peanut or almond butter, nut butters are packed with healthy fatsit 
• Yogurt/cottage cheese
• Frozen yogurt- mix this with berries and mangoes and you you have a delicious, low fat, natural summer dessert 
• Ice
• Oats

Enhancements - boost the flavor or nutrient density with sweeteners, spices, herbs, and dried fruits

• Honey
• Cinnamon- adds a layer of earthy sweetness without adding extra calories
• Nutmeg- makes it taste like cake, if done right Martha Stewart's Banana Nutmeg Smoothie
• Figs and Dates
• Protein Powder
• Flax Seed
• Fish Oil
• Vitamin Powder
• Cocoa Powder

-Eating Clean in College