I'm broke! How can I eat healthy?

I spend more money on food than almost anything else that I purchase. When I say this however I spend more money on individual food items than food as a whole. I go to the grocery store with the intention of eating healthy each day. I have days when there is very little money in the bank and I have to eat on a budget, I go in to the store and I think, I can do this, the food doesn't have to be perfect. What ends up happening is I spend at least 30 minutes looking at food labels when I am buying something new. Each new food causes me to read labels, I look at the cheapest item first and see all the high fructose corn syrup and then put it back. I continue to read labels until I get to the higher end of the price scale and find something that doesn't have half of the chemicals in it that other foods do.

If I could I would make most of my food, here's the problem I'm a single mom that works full time. My days are filled with busyness. The way to make the most of what we have is to make our own food. If you have the time, that we can all find you can make your own food. There are some items that I make on my own, such as peanut butter, it's cheaper than buying it and takes less than 20 minutes to make. 1 single ingredient is peanuts. 

In a world where we are all busy running around, hectic, it's not easy to plan ahead. I am in the same boat as everyone else. I work long hours and on my weekend I have so much to do that making food for an entire week doesn't look like fun. My goal is to take one day for at least two weeks and plan what foods I can make and store for work, and what I can make. Foods such as rice, wheat pasta, and beans are not expensive. Make these items work for you, veggies can be bought at discount prices at a farmers market. If you don't have one near you make the most of add match at your local grocery store. 

For some switching to healthier eating makes you eat more, while there are less calories in most healthy foods, some are not. Be aware of what you are eating and know your calorie intake. It's a lot of work, but anything worth having is worth the work. My health and my life are worth it.

Pineapple Cabbage

Pineapple Cabbage

So with all the talk of there being extra ingredients in foods we find in the store I have been ever more diligent to eat an unprocessed food diet with my kids. My favorite place to shop is the farmers market, which is a bit of a drive but worth it for the fresh food that I get.
However I am still a busy mom and things have to be quick and easy for me to get things done. I thought that since I like to do easy, fast recipes that others may find them handy.
So for this first one is an odd mix that I threw together in my kitchen because it was all the fresh food I had left at the time.

For ingredients the number of people eating in my family is 3, which we eat about the same as 2 grown adults.

Sesame Oil/Olive Oil
1/2 small pineapple
1/3 purple cabbage
Salt, onion powder to taste

1 cup dry brown rice, cooked to instruction

Preheat the frying pan with Sesame or Olive Oil, just enough to not burn the cabbage
Cook down the cabbage on a medium heat until it is thoroughly warm, the crispness of the cabbage is up to you, I prefer softer with a little crunch. Once the cabbage is cooked down add the pineapple and continue to cook on medium heat until the pineapple is soft. Season to taste.

Once rice is cooked add soy sauce to taste, serve warm.

For this recipe each serving is 182 calories, 4g fat, 32g carbohydrates, 4g protein
It is low in protein but it is mainly a vegetarian meal as it is, if you need more protein you can always add chicken or turkey.

  

You need protein

I did a short stint as a vegetarian, it was an effort to eat healthier and get bad foods out of my diet. The most common thing I heard was, "you need more protein." I am no longer a full vegetarian but I don't eat red meat and eat poultry only occasionally. I found other sources of protein that are healthier and I don't miss steak.

The average American does not eat enough protein in a day

Meat: Protein is found in all types of meat, beef, pork, turkey, chicken. The issue that is found in eating excess amounts of meat is the cholesterol. Beef and pork have high amounts of cholesterol while poultry does not. If you are looking for a lean meat Turkey is the best choice.

Beans: The magical fruit, the issue of course with beans is along with the protein are high amounts of fiber and we all know what that leads too. When it comes to being an excellent source of protein beans is the lowest fat choice. Beans provide fiber and protein which help to hold you over for a long period of time.

Nuts: A great source of protein is nuts, the downfall of nuts is the high fat content. The fat content in nuts is good fats. You can have too much fat so watch the portions. Almonds and walnuts are two great foods and easy to incorporate into your diet. A salad with walnuts or almonds can make a great midday meal. Also having nuts on hand to snack on will fill you up faster and stop the snacking. Peanut butter is also a good source of protein, watch the label and the peanut butter with one or two ingredients.

Seafood: Fish are great sources of protein, once again they do have high fat content. The fat content in fish is also a good fat. Salmon is a great source of protein, however if you aren't used to fish, a fish like Talapia or Cod would be a great starter.

Here is an easy bean salad that I make, the kids like and even non-vegetarians like it. It's a great source of protein and versatile.

Black Bean Salad


1 Can Black Beans
1 Can Corn
1 Can diced tomatoes
1/2 Cup green onions
1/4 cup Cilantro (fresh or dried)
Garlic
Pepper

Drain the canned foods and toss together, season to taste. Due to the sodium content in the cans I don't use Salt. Preparation is about 10 minutes for an easy, high protein, low fat meal.

For a more detailed list of proteins visit www.choosemyplate.gov

Fiber fixes fat

Fiber, not something we usually like to talk about because we all know what it leads to. The other thing fiber does is fight fat. Too much of it can be a bad thing but most people don't get enough fiber. We've all seen the commercials in where you would have to eat loads and loads of broccoli to get enough fiber. There are other ways to get fiber in your diet.

My mom always used to tell me when I was younger that oatmeal is the kind of breakfast that will stick to your ribs. It didn't make it any easier to eat. It was not until I was a grown woman in college did I realize how correct she was. The type of fiber in oatmeal does "stick" to you.
If that were the end of what oatmeal does for you it would be a nice story but not enough to entice us to eat a bowl of gruel. Oatmeal does not end there, the "sticky" of oatmeal slows cholesterol and fat absorption. What does that mean? That means the more oatmeal you eat the lower your cholesterol and your weight.  Oatmeal is not the only fat-fighting food. Beans, lentils, and apples are a few of the common ones. Apples are a great food to have around and make an easy snack.

Flax meal

After many years of being tortured by my mother to eat my oatmeal I am at the place where I have learned to enjoy it. My favorite breakfast is now full of superfood. I am all about making life easy so most of the foods that I make are easy to prepare or come with previously cut ingredients.

Fiber-full Oatmeal
1/2 cup quick oats
1 tbsp flax meal
1 cup water

Cook according to directions on the box and to your preference of consistency. I add just a little more water because of the extra tbsp of flax. Add the desired toppings and blend them in with a little bit of honey to sweeten it.

Topping ideas
Raisins
Slivered Almonds
Walnut pieces
Dried cranberries
Blueberries
Honey (Sweetner)

Tip: When buying flax make sure it is flax meal not flax seed. Caution: Flax does contain cyanide; do not eat an excess of 10 tablespoons uncooked, cooking removes the cyanide.

Have a question about nutrition? Leave it in the comments and your question could be featured.

Fruits and Vegetables

The key to every good diet is to eat your fruits and vegetables, it's no lie. We might not like all of them, but it's important to get your daily serving of fruits and vegetables.
The average amount of fruits needed daily is a 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups. Young children and women over 30 should have 1 1/2 cups. From 14 and up for men, and women from 19-30 should get 2 cups.
The average amount of vegetables varies more, for younger children it's 2 cups. For those 14 and older it's 2 1/2, except for men who need 3 cups.
Ever have trouble getting all those fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet? Most of us don't eat fruits and vegetables for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The grocery bill would be outrageous. The amount of fresh fruit and vegetables would also go bad before you would be able to use it, if you are a bi-weekly shopper.

Here are some simple tips to lower your grocery bill and get those fruits and vegetables.
1. Buy Frozen: Many of the more exotic fruits can be found in the frozen food section. Pineapples, blueberries, and mangos are just a few that come in frozen. More common vegetables are now found prepared in the frozen food section such as chopped green peppers, or even chopped onions. This cuts down on preparation time. Warning: Check the ingredients, there should only be one.
2. Juice it: The easiest way to get the highest amount of fruits and vegetables in a short time is to drink it. A simple smoothie made from fresh or frozen can be a meal replacement or a snack. If you don't have time to make a smoothie you can buy one. Tip: Add vegetables to your smoothie, spinach is an easy ingredient, the fruit covers any after taste.
3. Long lasting foods: There are a number of fruits and vegetables that last longer than others. Apples, Potatoes, Onions and Oranges are a few. Leafy vegetables don't last as long as root vegetables. Tip: Not all fruits and vegetables need to be refrigerated, root vegetables do well in cool, dark storage spaces.

The amount of fruits and vegetables are not the maximum but the minimum amount. For more information you can check out choosemyplate.org.