raw chocolate pudding

04 Thursday Apr 2013

Posted by themuffinmyth in desserts, gluten free, vegan

Tags

chocolate, cooking, dessert, food, gluten free, recipe, vegan

When I’m going through tough times, I have a tendency to look for the answers in a bowl of pudding. I’m not advocating for emotional eating, but sometimes you just need a little something, you know? And pudding, at least the way I make it, makes for a fine little something any day of the week. Any time of day, for that matter. I long ago perfected the formula for vanilla pudding, a honey-sweetened version of which I posted here some time ago. Back in February, when I was going through a little rough patch, I turned my attention to chocolate pudding.

Folks, let me tell you, the perfect chocolate pudding is an elusive thing. I’ve tried countless stove-top cornstarch-thickened versions. Some relied on melted chocolate swirled in at the end of cooking. Others on a good dose of cocoa powder. Others still employed both techniques, but none of them were exactly what I wanted. Sometimes the issue was texture (not thick enough! too thick!) and other times it was taste (not chocolately enough! too sweet!). I spent time – a lot of it – reading pudding forums (pudding forums! how I love the internet!) to try and crack the code for the perfect chocolate pudding. This evades me still, so if you have a recipe for silky-smooth-perfectly-thick-but-not-too-thick-intensely-chocolatety-chocolate-pudding, please, PLEASE, send it my way.

Somewhere in the middle of my pudding trials I decided to throw caution to the wind and do something I practically never do and have always been decidedly against – blur the lines between treat food and healthy food. My friend Karen emailed me this recipe for raw chocolate pudding which she tried a sample of at a Whole Foods a while ago. My first instinct was along the lines of, thanks, but that’s not the kind of food I’m in to. But after many trials of sub-par chocolate pudding I figured I had nothing to lose and gave it a go.

So, I made this whacky chocolate pudding. Pudding made from nothing but avocados (what?!), banana, dates, and cocoa powder. And, after skeptically scooping a few fingerfulls directly from the food processor into my mouth, I wasn’t convinced. It tasted weird. It tasted like avocados. But, then I chilled it. And then later that same evening I sat with not one but two bowls of chocolate pudding in front of me. One, stove-top cornstarch-thickened with a bit of cocoa and a bit of melted chocolate swirled in. The other, this recipe.

I liked this one better.

I don’t even know who I am.

You should try this pudding.

One year ago: Pesto Penne with Edamame
Two years ago: Cranberry Spelt Streusel Cake

Raw Chocolate Pudding Recipe:

Let me say a few things here. First, pudding is kind of a stretch. This dessert is thick – much thicker than the pudding I’m after. But it is also intensely chocoately and really amazing. Can you taste the avocado? Yes, but only at first. If you eat it immediately, the avocado is definitely there. Once you chill it, however, the avocado flavour disappears. Make sure your avocados and banana are nice and ripe, otherwise you’ll have a hint of that unripeness. But otherwise, seriously, go for it.

Serves 4

Recipe inspired by Whole Foods

2 ripe avocados
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup soft pitted dates, roughly chopped
1/2 cup raw cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. You may need to stop and scrape the sides down a few times. Once the mixture is smooth, cover and chill for at least an hour. Serve cold.

Avocados are an extremely fatty fruit! Around 80% of the calories in an avocado come from fat, which is about 20 x higher than most fruit. However, about 65% of this fat is healthy monounsaturated fat, in particular oleic acid. Avocados also contain an incredible range of phytonutrients, and many vitamins and minerals. Avocados are a good source of vitamin K, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate, and potassium – more potassium than a banana even!

Bananas are a great source of concentrated energy and potassium. They are also a very good source of vitamin B6 and a good source of vitamin C, dietary fiber, and manganese.

Dates are a great source of natural sweetness, are rich in antioxidant polyphenols, dietary fiber, potassium, and manganese.

Raw Cocoa is antioxidant rich, and the flavanoid content appears to be helpful in protecting blood vessel linings and thus preventing high blood pressure.

All text and photos © The Muffin Myth 2013

what’s good around the web!

31 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by themuffinmyth in what's good around the web

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

food, health, nutrition, what's good around the web

Easter witch riding her broom to go trick or treating! It isn’t exactly like trick or treating, the children, who are all dressed essentially the same, go door to door singing traditional songs and handing out hand-made cards. In exchange they are given candy and money. It’s pretty sweet. Also, further to my last post, my Dad emailed letting me know there are ten eggs – gold with a purple stripe – hidden for me. Efff. Happy Easter!

What’s good around the web is a weekly series where I share some of what I’ve been reading around the web. Each week I’ll be posting links to five nutrition related articles, good recipes, and just general good reads. I hope you enjoy it! If you’ve got at article or recipe you’d like to see featured, please email me.

1. Banning big sodas? Subsidizing veggies? Turns out the public is okay with government policies that encourage healthy eating.

2. This new study shows benefits of a mono-unsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) rich diet. A couple of things concern me about this: who the study was funded by, and the fact that they’re genetically modifying corn and soy to be higher in oleic acid. Also, the trial was only four weeks long.

3. Do you find it confusing to wade through all the information about which fats are healthy and why? This article breaks it down nicely.

4. McDonald’s director of nutrition (that’s an oxymoron if I ever heard one) insists that their food is healthy. To a room full of dieticians no less. Oh man.

5. Are you a breakfast person? I sometimes am and sometimes am not. This study shows that a protein-rich breakfast prevents snacking later in the day.

All text and photos © The Muffin Myth 2013

curried devilled eggs

28 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by themuffinmyth in eggs, sides

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

appetizers, cooking, Easter, eggs, food, recipe, vegetarian

Have I told you before that I hate Easter egg hunting? Like, for real hate it. Am traumatized by it. Why? Because I can’t find the dang eggs. Can. Not. Find. Them.

In my house Easter egg hunting was a colour coded thing. My Dad would hide eggs in the living room, then each child would be assigned a specific colour. I could find all the other colours, but not mine. One year the dog got into the living room and got a few eggs without anyone realizing. That really messed us up. The worst, though, was the year I told a coworker about my Easter egg hunting disability, which he thought was hilarious, so he made up a series of cardboard eggs with numbers on the backs (1/25, 2/25, etc) and hid them all around the gigantic facility we worked in. Except that he didn’t hide them all. That jerk! It is not lost on me that this year Easter Monday is also April Fool’s Day.

In Sweden, children dress up as witches and go door to door looking for treats at Easter time. For real. According to Swedish folklore, Easter was a time when witches stole household brooms and flew to Blåkulla or “Blue Mountain” (a fictional mountain said to be in Germany) to consort with the devil. Modern tradition is like a mini-Halloween where children dress up as Easter witches with headscarves and painted red cheeks and go door to door with a copper kettle looking for treats. This is a tradition I can totally get on board with.

These curried devilled eggs are anything but traditional, but they’re so good they have become a bit of a tradition in our home. I make them whenever we have a social gathering, and there are never any leftovers. They are an excellent appetizer, particularly with a glass of champagne. And you don’t have to hunt for them, which is the best thing of all.

Happy Easter (och Glad Påsk)!

One year ago: Orange Earl Grey Muffins

Curried Devilled Eggs Recipe:

These eggs take a bit of effort, but are well worth it. It may seem like there is a lot of oil in the masala, and there is, but these devilled eggs use yoghurt in place of the traditional mayo, so it balances out. I’ve tried reducing the oil and they don’t turn out nearly as well, so I strongly advise against it.

Recipe from Vij’s At Home

Serves 4-6

1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup finely chopped red onion
1 Tbsp finely chopped garlic (3 medium cloves)
1/2 cup finely chopped tomato
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground fenugreek seeds (optional)
dash of black pepper
1/4 cup plain yoghurt (at least 2%)
5 hardboiled eggs
cilantro, finely diced green onion, or finely diced jalapeño for garnish

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for about 30 seconds, or until the seeds begin to turn dark brown (but not black!). Add the onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until it is lightly golden brown. Add the garlic and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, cayenne, cumin, fenugreek seeds, and black pepper. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, until the oil glistens on top. Stir the yoghurt into the masala, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat.

Peel the eggs and slice them in half. Remove the yolks and place them in a medium bowl, then use a fork to finely mash the yolks until they are smooth. Add the warm masala to the yolks and mix well. Spoon the filling into the egg white halves, and place on a serving plate. You may end up with more filling than will fit in the egg whites – I like to mound it up generously, but still usually end up with leftover filling – the leftovers are excellent as a spread on crackers or bread.

Garnish with cilantro, green onion, or jalapeño. Serve immediately, or cover the eggs and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

Eggs are an amazing source of high quality protein, vitamin B12, choline (important for your brain), carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Eggs are satiating; a study found that those eating a low fat diet which included 2 eggs a day for breakfast lost nearly *twice* as much weight as those eating a bagel breakfast with the same calories and mass, with no increase in blood cholesterol levels.

There is quite a lot of oil in this recipe, so it is definitely a moderation situation. But, as I said, we’re using yoghurt in place of the tradition mayo, and a serving is a couple of devilled eggs, which is totally moderation. Enjoy!

All text and photos © The Muffin Myth 2013

Moroccan carrot and chickpea salad

26 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by themuffinmyth in grains, lunch, mains, salads, sides, vegan

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

cooking, food, grains, recipe, salad, vegetarian

A little while ago, Paul went on a holiday to Morocco. He went by himself, on a solo holiday, a ‘Pauliday’ if you will. We’re very different vacationers, he and I. I’m more of a lie-on-beach-with-book kind of a vacationer, and he’s a very activity driven vacationer. When you’ve lived with someone for nearly 10 years you occasionally want a little time to yourself. And so, because it was a good week for him to go away, and a good week for me to stay home, go to school, load the dishwasher haphazardly, and watch as many episodes of Grey’s Anatomy as possible, off he went and home I stayed.

He arrived back home pumped right up about Moroccan food, and brought with him a suitcase full of all kinds of exotic spice blends, oils (olive and argan), dates, nuts, and several miniature tagines. And a bongo drum, which, I don’t really know what to say about.

His first weekend back, which seemed like it was the first weekend our schedules had lined up in forever, we made a date to do a much overdue inventory of our spice collection (it’s pretty bonkers), and, I made us this salad.

This recipe first caught my attention when Heidi posted it over on 101 Cookbooks, and then again when the cookbook it comes from, Roots, did quite well in Food 52′s cookbook battle. The original recipe is for a carrot and chickpea salad, dotted with prunes, lots of mint, toasted almonds, and a fragrant cumin-honey-lemon dressing. Yum. I made it first using dates and almonds and oils direct from Morocco, which was amazing. And I made it first with the carrots sliced into pretty little paper thin coins (using my mandoline), which were nice to look at, but I thought they didn’t distribute all that well in the salad.

Since then, I’ve made riffs on that salad several times. I’ve moved to shredding the carrots, which is not only easier, but takes care of the distribution issue. I’ve added chewy and nutty farro, which bulks up the situation into a grain salad and makes it a complete meal. I’ve used prunes, which I think are better than the dates (Paul, however, strongly disagrees with me on this).

This salad looks like a lot of work, but honestly it comes together really fast. Making the dressing is probably the toughest part (not tough at all) and once that’s done it’s just tossing everything together in a bowl.

One year ago: Chocolate Raspberry Torte and Date Almond Smoothie
Two years ago: A little link list

Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Salad Recipe:

If you have it, a teensy splash of argan oil is nice in this recipe. A little goes a long way, since it’s very expensive, and the flavour is strong. If you don’t have farro (also known as emmer wheat) you can use wheat berries, barley, or short grain brown rice in it’s place. Or, leave the grains out altogether (don’t use all of the dressing in that case). If you’re going to make this ahead of time, leave the toasted almonds off until you’re just about to serve.

Adapted from Roots via 101 Cookbooks

Serves 6

1 Tbsp cumin seeds
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp honey (or other liquid sweetener for vegan)
1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

300g carrots, peeled then grated on the large holes of a box grater
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cup cooked farro, or other intact grain (see headnotes)
2/3 cup (about 100g) prunes or dates, cut into chickpea sized chunks
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, torn
1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds

Heat cumin seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat until they become fragrant. Remove from heat and use a motar and pestle or spice grinder to grind the cumin seeds into a powder. Place the powder in a small jar, and whisk together with honey, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and cayenne.

In a large bowl toss together everything but the almonds with the dressing. Give it a good mix so the dressing gets a chance to run over everything. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, covered, until you’re ready to serve. Scatter almonds over the top.

Carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, as well as vitamin C, and dietary fiber.

Chickpeas are a super food! They’re a very good source of folate, protein, dietary fiber, phosphorus and iron. The fiber in chickpeas is mostly insoluble, which is really good for our digestive tracts.

Farro is a heirloom wheat, originating from Egypt, which is also known as emmer wheat. It is a rich source of fiber, B vitamins, vitamin E and carbohydrates. Recent studies suggest farro is also higher in antioxidants than common wheat varieties.

All text and photos © The Muffin Myth 2013

what’s good around the web!

24 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by themuffinmyth in what's good around the web

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

food, health, nutrition, what's good around the web

Swedish flag, windy day.

1. Aspartame freaks me out. This is a good article explaining the aspartame pathway.

2. While we’re on the subject of aspartame, did you know the dairy industry is petitioning the FDA to allow aspartame in milk? Yuck!

3. I kind of file this information in the ‘no duh’ category, but apparently the research is groundbreaking. Dietary sugar has a direct effect on diabetes risk.

4. When a calorie isn’t a calorie. Very interesting read.

5. Strong language warning! Some genius combined two of my favourite things: food, and swearing. Don’t click if you find cussing offensive! I’m sorry (and you’re welcome!).

All text and photos © The Muffin Myth 2013

Live Well – first running clinic

19 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by themuffinmyth in Live Well

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food, health, live well, nutrition

Today’s Live Well post is another in the series by my good friend Lindsay Goodridge.

It’s my first running clinic and I’m feeling a little bit nervous. I’ve never been a participant before, I’ve only every coached them. Is this what my participants go through?! I’m thinking of reasons not to go… it’s raining… I have a lot of work to get done… there’s a treadmill in the gym… maybe my knee isn’t ready… my neck has been really sore…

Then I remembered what I told you to ask yourself… “Why would you want to go?” …because the hot tub after will feel amazing… it’s the first step to recovering and running this ½ marathon… I will feel accomplished afterwards…

So I throw on a cheesy, energizing song and here I am, I’m getting into my run gear! My gloves! my toque! my hat! (for the rain), my new running pants! (I could probably convince myself that I would look pretty cool sitting on the couch in these… but I wont!) My snazzy new jacket! I’m looking like a running all-star! Let’s do this run club!

In Vancouver it’s super important to give some thought to how you dress for outdoor running. It’s warm here, but not that warm. It’s definitely wet. You want to layer and wear some wicking clothing – particularly against your skin. Even your shoes matter here because they can get so full of water that dragging them along can be hard on your ankles and knees.

I’m wearing a wicking tank, wicking short sleeve, and a rain-resistant top with a microfleece layer on the inside for a little extra warmth (My body runs a little cold). I have some wicking pants on with a little wool blend to help with warmth, some socks that are quick-dry, and mesh running shoes. This is all so that my legs stay warm, and my feet don’t absorb lakes of water to drag with me. I wear some fleece gloves, a hat to keep the rain off and some ear warmers.

Some days I get it right. Other times I’m peeling them off or wishing for more. In general I try to wear a layer that if I had to take it off, I could store it somewhere and wouldn’t be upset to find it missing. It’s all about figuring out what works for you. Remember though, if you’re warm at the start line of a run, you’re going to overheat, so plan accordingly.

Right… I was going to the running clinic… I’ll let you know how it goes.

what’s good around the web!

17 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by themuffinmyth in what's good around the web

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food, health, nutrition, what's good around the web

I love how the setting sun funnels down our street like this. I stepped out last night to grab a few groceries, and it was beautiful and blinding.

1. Has the advice to avoid giving children foods with known allergen risk (like peanut butter, eggs, shellfish) in the first year of their life lead to an increase in food allergies?

2. Are you eating gluten-free because you think it’s a healthier diet? You may want to pay attention to the important nutrients you might be missing out on.

3. Why do you eat? When do you eat? How do you eat? Is mindful eating a practice you’re familiar with?

4. Did you know that water is America’s favourite drink? I only wish that didn’t mean so many plastic bottles.

5. And, of course you’ve probably heard that the New York ban on super sized sugary beverages was overturned in the 11th hour.

What do you think about this soda ban business? Some people think that the judge’s decision to overturn the ban at the last minute is a tragic loss for public health. Others think of it as a victory for personal rights and freedom. I can see both perspectives. While I do find the existence of such large sizes of sugary drinks disturbing from a health point of view, the reality is that we live in a world where cigarettes are readily available in spite of clear and concrete evidence about the harmful effects of smoking.

But, unlike gigantic sugary drinks, tobacco is heavily taxed, as is alcohol. In Sweden alcohol is taxed by percentage. A 4.5% beer is taxed at a much lower rate than a bottle of 40% vodka, the justification being that you’re much less likely to drink yourself to death on beer than vodka. Hard alcohol is so expensive here that I really can’t afford to drink it. A martini or a high ball ordered from a bar would end up costing around $25 – $30, and it’s much cheaper for us to buy Swedish vodka overseas and bring it back than to buy it here.

I can still choose to drink high percentage alcohol if I want to, but I’m going to pay for it. Perhaps rather than an out right ban on gigantic sugary drinks, the ridiculously large sizes should be the most expensive option, rather than the cheapest. If you want to drink a bucket of soda that’s your right, but perhaps the price should reflect the potential damage that amount of sugar can do.

Thoughts?

cauliflower pea soup with mint and lemon

13 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by themuffinmyth in lunch, mains, sides, soup, veggies

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

cooking, food, recipe, soup, vegetarian

I’ve mentioned before that we always make soup for our Sunday supper, and as such last Sunday saw me flipping through a newly acquired cookbook looking for inspiration. I bought the cookbook, Anna’s Mat, after a conversation with my Swedish teacher, who frankly scares the crap out of me, and is also probably the most awesome teacher I could have hoped for. In a moment of crippling self-doubt I went to her and told her I knew I was pretty much the worst student in the class and I wasn’t sure I should be continuing with the group.

My teacher told me I have a lot of things to work on, like pronunciation (I stink at Swedish vowels – I can’t say or hear the difference between e, i, and y, and don’t even get me started on ä, ö and å) but that I’m not bad and I definitely fit with the group. I told her that we’re planning to stay here a while, and it’s important to me to go from functional to fluent as quickly as possible. When I told her what field I’m in, she suggested I buy this cookbook. She said the food writing is tremendous, and the recipes are great. And then she smacked me and asked why I never speak in class as well as I was with her then. I dunno. Nerves, I guess.

Because my Swedish teacher scares me, and because I hardly need convincing to buy a new cookbook, and because every bookstore in Stockholm seemed to be having a sale a few weeks back, I picked up the book. And oh, am I ever glad I did. The book is gorgeous, filled with thick glossy pages – over 500 of them – with amazing recipes, and short articles about particular ingredients, like peas or artichokes or beets.

If you speak Swedish, you probably already have this book. If you’re learning Swedish, I suggest you pick it up. For the rest of you, well, I checked and there doesn’t seem to be an English translation, which is a shame, because it’s an amazing book. But let me help make that up to you with this soup.

It’s a simple soup – a little bit wintery with it’s cauliflower base, and a little bit springy with the addition of peas - just like what’s happening with the weather right now (It’s been bright and sunny here, but the temperatures have been hovering around -10 C. What the heck, March?!). We’re using frozen peas because the fresh ones aren’t ready yet, but you could use fresh instead if they are ready where you are. This gets blended up into a nice smooth soup, and then a good amount of thick yoghurt gets swirled through, proving body, tang, and creaminess. But wait, it’s the finish – finely chopped fresh mint and lemon zest – that really makes it.

I hope you like it.

One year ago: Green Pea Pesto Ravioli and Cottage Cheese Muffins
Two years ago: Brown Rice Broccoli Tart and No Sugar Chocolate Coconut Granola

Cauliflower Pea Soup with Mint and Lemon Recipe:

I’ve translated this recipe from Swedish to English, and the measurements from deciliters to millilitres and cups. The recipe calls for a bit of creme fraiche or Greek yoghurt to be stirred into the soup – it’s only a little bit of dairy in a lot of soup, so I don’t suggest using a low fat version. If you want to veganize this soup try using an equivalent amount of cashew creme, or even coconut milk. I haven’t tried either of those though, so if you do, let us know how it turns out. Also, our cauliflower ended up being a little more than twice as large as the recipe called for, so we doubled the soup. It was a good decision, and I suggest you do the same.

Serves 4

Recipe adapted and translated from Anna’s Mat

1 yellow onion, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 head of cauliflower (about 350 – 400g), broken into bite size florets
4 cups vegetable broth
125g frozen green peas (about 1 cup)
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup (125ml) creme fraiche or Greek yoghurt (full fat)
2 Tbsp finely minced fresh mint
2-3 tsp fresh lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
extra yoghurt, mint, or lemon zest for garnish

Set a large pot over medium heat. Heat the olive oil for a minute, then add the yellow onion, green onion, and garlic to the pot, and sauté until they soften and just begin to take on a bit of colour. Add the cauliflower and sauté for a couple of minutes, then add the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, covered, until the cauliflower is tender. Now add the peas, wait a minute for them to soften and then blend the soup (I used an immersion blender, but if you don’t have one you could transfer to a blender in batches).

Once the soup is well blended, taste, and season with salt and pepper. Return to the heat, and stir in the creme fraiche or Greek yoghurt. Let it simmer for a few minutes, but do not boil. Add the mint and the lemon zest, stir well, and taste again. Serve immediately, with a drizzle of yoghurt, or a bit of lemon zest for garnish.

Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable, in the same family as broccoli, kale, and cabbage, with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory health benefits. Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate. It is a great source of vitamin B5, potassium, dietary fiber, and a good source of protein, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamins B1-3, and iron.

Frozen peas are low in fat, high in dietary fiber, and are a good source of protein , manganese, folate, vitamin B1, potassium, and phosphorous. The high fiber content in dried peas is thought to be helpful in lowering cholesterol and stabilizing blood sugar levels.

what’s good around the web!

10 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by themuffinmyth in what's good around the web

≈ 10 Comments

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food, health, nutrition, what's good around the web

It’s so awesome to be getting sunsets again. This one was particularly spectacular. If only all of the dang ice would melt already! I’m so ready for spring to arrive.

This weekend’s roundup marks the one year anniversary of what’s good around the web! I get a lot of positive feedback on this series, and I’m thrilled that so many of you enjoy it so much. Here’s to another year of great food, nutrition, and health articles!

1. What does it really mean to be gluten sensitive? This is a great, well written, easy to understand article that breaks it down. Worth reading.

2. My friend Kellie wrote a great post on eating meat, in response to the *shocking* news (sarcastic font needed!) that eating processed meats may be bad for us. And there is an awesome recipe at the end of the post. Check it out!

3. On that note, if you’re striving for a few more meatless meals in your week, Kiersten wrote a great post on how to make any recipe meatless.

4. Well done Whole Foods. This is major.

5. Guerilla gardening in central LA. Awesome TED talk.

live well – finding balance

06 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by themuffinmyth in Live Well

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

food, health, live well, nutrition

Many people, usually people who don’t know me all that well, assume because of my chosen field that I eat a 100% healthy diet all the time. Folks! No, definitely not. I do, however, try my best to find balance.

Balance means different things to different people. I eat a lot of vegetables. Like, a LOT of vegetables. It’s not unusual for me to make a meal of an entire head of broccoli – which is super healthy, full of amazing vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and the like, but it isn’t a particularly balanced meal. Where’s the protein? Where’s the nourishing whole grains? I don’t sweat it.

To me, balance doesn’t necessarily mean having a perfect plate of vegetables, whole grains, and proteins at every meal. Nor does it always mean having those things in balance every day, but I do try my best to balance my week out.

I’ve always been a firm believer in treat days. Even back in my Weight Watchers days I would take at least one day a week (usually a weekend day) and eat anything I wanted. I think that planned indulgences help to keep me on track the rest of the time, and I think that treat days are a part of a balanced week. Although I have become a much more disciplined eater over the years, I didn’t use to be the kind of person who could have just a taste of something. If a box of cookies (tub of ice cream, box of chocolates, bag of liquorice, whatever) got opened, I was going to eat the whole thing.

Here are three things that I know to be true: First, our food system has evolved a lot faster than our brains are capable of. From our hunter gatherer times, we’re literally programmed to consume as much fat and sugar as we can. Our brains don’t yet understand the limitless quantities of the stuff at our fingertips. Second, if you stop eating junk food you’ll eventually stop craving it. Truth. And third, eating all the treats you want for a day or a weekend, or even a holiday week, is not going to deeply mess up the balance in your diet. I promise. Some weekends my diet is more cake than not cake, but I always happily go back to a big ol’ plate of broccoli on Monday. And honestly, treat days are good for my mental health – probably they are for yours too.

I think that balancing your week is more manageable (and more attainable) than balancing your day. And balancing your day is more manageable (and attainable) than balancing your plate. If one meal is more broccoli and less protein and the next is more protein and less broccoli, and yet another is all grains? Your body knows how to handle that. If you eat a healthy plant based diet during the week and then go bonkers on cake on the weekend? Probably your overall energy intake is still in balance for the week. *Probably* – we can all go a bit too far from time to time.

I think a lot about what I eat, and, after having spent eight years of my life studying nutrition, I’d like to think I make pretty informed decisions about my diet. It’s taken some time to settle into a routine I know really works for me, and what works for me won’t work for everyone. This is how I find balance. What works for you?

The Muffin Myth

~ know what you're eating...

raw chocolate pudding

what’s good around the web!

curried devilled eggs

Moroccan carrot and chickpea salad

what’s good around the web!

Live Well – first running clinic

what’s good around the web!

cauliflower pea soup with mint and lemon

what’s good around the web!

live well – finding balance

Follow “The Muffin Myth”

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Follow “The Muffin Myth”