Really Read the Ingredients!!!!

This week while at the grocery store I remembered a recipe I recently heard about with Fiber One Original Cereal mixed with peanut butter. I decided to pick up a box and grabbed the store name brand instead (since it was cheaper). Before putting into my cart I did a quick check on the ingredients (which were identical to the name-brand), looked over the nutrition facts and was pretty pleased. I went on my merry way and enjoyed my fiber one cereal the next day. Yesterday while gazing in my pantry something stuck out to me on the cereal label: ASPARTAME. Yes, the chemical that is used in diet coke- the one that has been shown to alter your taste buds and make you crave more food. Needless to say it is really important you REALLY read the ingredients because you are what you eat right?

Yes, you can cook eggs in the microwave...

I hear a lot of people complain there is not enough time in the morning to make breakfast and cold breakfast foods aren't satisfying. So instead, they either skip breakfast all together or wait 623 hours at the drive thru for an egg sandwich (okay maybe not that long, but you get the point). Most of these sandwiches aren't made with the best eggs or ingredients and they cost more than making one at home. But then again, it takes too long to make an egg sandwich at home in the morning right? WRONG!

1. LIGHTLY coat a microwave safe bowl in olive oil.
2. Crack 2 organic eggs in bowl.
3. Poke the yolks and slightly mix.

4. Put 100% Whole Grain: Bread, English Muffin, Bagel, etc... in the toaster.
5. Microwave the eggs for 1-1:30 minutes (depending on your microwave).
5. Pop out the eggs from bowl and they will be in the perfect shape to place on your sandwich.

Spice it up:

• Add spices to the egg mixture before it is microwaved such as: Pepper, Oregano or Basil.
  

Veg it up:

• Cut up tomato slices the night before to top on your sandwich.
• Chop up peppers the night before to be added to egg mixture before it is microwaved.

Why use organic eggs? 
Many people stray from organic eggs because "they cost too much," instead they are proud when they find a great deal on cage free eggs or free range/ free roaming. These are NOT the same as certified organic eggs.

Cage free eggs do not have any standards or auditing procedures for food or living conditions. Hens are not in cages, but usually PACKED inside barns or warehouses without access to the outdoors. Free range/ free roaming eggs have no auditing procedures for food or living conditions. The birds are inside barns or warehouses and have outdoor access. However, there are no standards on the amount of outdoor space available and time allotted outside. Certified organic eggs aren't in cages and are required to have outdoor access. They are fed an organic, vegetarian diet without antibiotics and pesticides, as required and audited by the USDA. This means if they aren't fed the antibiotics and pesticides, NEITHER WILL YOU BE!

Organic eggs usually are about $3.90 per dozen, which comes to about 32¢ per egg. Which means a breakfast sandwich made at home with 2 organic eggs is less than $1.00, that is even cheaper than the drive thru! Bonus: organic eggs taste better. Enjoy your breakfast sandwich and let me know what you think.

Agave Nectar

Agave nectar is a sweetener that has recently gained popularity. It comes from a plant similar to the cactus and has a lower glycemic index than sugar (meaning it will not give as big of a blood sugar spike). Unlike artificial sweeteners, agave nectar can be used to make baked goods; since it is moist, some of the fat can also be reduced in certain recipes. You can virtually use agave nectar in place of sugar in anything you want sweetened, and since it is sweeter than sugar less amounts are needed.

Don't go CrAzY! Agave nectar has 60 calories per tablespoon(15 more calories than table sugar) and these calories can add up fast. Always work on decreasing sweeteners overall.

Mango "Yogurt"

Looking for a refreshing dairy free treat? Try this protein packed treat full of vitamins and minerals. This can also be used as a midday snack or a larger portion can stand in as a meal replacement.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. bag of frozen mangos
• 14 oz. container of tofu
• Favorite sweetener (optional)
• Slices of fresh ginger (optional)

Recipe:

• Drain excess liquid out of tofu, but do not squeeze dry.
• Combine mangos, tofu, sweetener (optional), and ginger (optional) in food processor
• Blend until smooth
• Enjoy!

 Tips:

• Leftovers can be stored in freezer (like ice cream)!
• Due to the natural sugar in mango, I love this treat without any added sweetener. However, if you are new to the taste of soy, you may want a little added sweetener at first.

Portion it out

If you are like the majority of Americans, portion size is a struggle. Buying pre-portioned food is usually more expensive than buying in bulk. However buying big packages leads to overeating of more than one serving size at a time. One way to help with this is to pre-portion your own food. It only takes a few minutes and some baggies for $1-$2(which will last you weeks, if not months). Check out the portion size on your favorite snack (you may be surprised), grab a measuring cup and portion them out into small bags. The best way to do this is right after the grocery store and then you can easily grab a snack to take on the go, put one in your lunch box, or to have as a snack at home. If you decide that one baggie isn't enough, grab a second, at least you know you are having 2 servings, NOT 10! Happy bagging!