Nourished not Famished

Real-life healthy changes, made simple and delicious.

Jen

One-Pan Garlic & Ginger Ground Pork Stir Fry

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As the week drags on, let’s admit it – getting dinner on the table becomes even *more* of a pain. Yes, the eating part is fun, but oh, lordy, the prepping sure ain’t no fun when you’re too tired for anything but fuzzy slippers and binge watching your Netflix faves. And you so badly want it to hurry up and be Friday already. That’s when I rely on fast dinners like this One Pan Garlic & Ginger Ground Pork Stir Fry to get me through.

Print Recipe
 One-Pan Garlic & Ginger Ground Pork Stir Fry
Course Main Dishes, One Pan Dinners
Cuisine Asian
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dishes, One Pan Dinners
Cuisine Asian
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add ½ tsp avocado oil.
  2. Add pork to skillet, and cook until browned.
  3. Remove pork from pan, and place to the side in a bowl.
  4. Reduce heat to medium, add remaining 1/2 tsp of oil, and add garlic and ginger. Stir, and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Do not let garlic brown (reduce heat if necessary).
  5. Add remaining vegetables, and cook at medium to medium-high heat until softened a bit, but not mushy.
  6. Reduce heat to low, add cooked pork to pan and 1 cup of black beans. Stir gently.
  7. Remove pan from heat, drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil, and then stir to combine. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Mousse

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If the thought of a vegan dessert has you feeling skeptical (I get it), let this recipe completely change your mind! This decadent, fluffy dark chocolate mousse relies on aquafaba (a.k.a. whipped chickpea liquid) for its light, airy texture, yet retains every bit of richness of a mousse made with egg whites. I added a pinch of cinnamon and chipotle powder to give it some Cinco de Mayo kick, but you could leave that out if you’d like.

Aquafaba is the liquid from canned chickpeas, and when whipped, turns foamy and stiff, just like whipped egg whites (see video below). It’s perfect for folding into melted dark chocolate for chocolate mousse. It’s an easy and economical dairy-free alternative if that’s what you need. And as long as your dark chocolate is dairy free, too, this recipe is a great option for a vegan dessert!

If you’re feeling guilty about indulging in a little bit of dark chocolate, fughetaboutit. As a matter of fact, it would do you good to eat a little bit every day (and not just because it tastes so damn good). Dark chocolate is loaded with healthy fats and antioxidants, and as long as you are consuming at least 70% or higher, and in small amounts, it’s relatively low sugar. The higher the cocoa percentage, the greater the benefit. My personal threshold is currently at 90%, and I’m working my way up to the 95%. Time to set yourself some chocolate goals!

whipped aquafaba

There are many health benefits to consuming dark chocolate regularly: .
– may improve blood flow and lower blood pressure
– can drastically reduce your risk factor for heart disease
– may protect your skin against the sun
– increases insulin sensitivity
– may improve brain function

Want to know more? Check out 7 Proven Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate.

 

 

Print Recipe
 Vegan Chocolate Mousse
Course Desserts
Cuisine Mexican
Servings
Ingredients
Course Desserts
Cuisine Mexican
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Pour the aquafaba in a mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer.
  2. Place the chocolate in a double boiler and heat until just melted (or, melt in the microwave in short increments, being careful not to overdo it).
  3. Pour into another mixing bowl and allow to cool for a few minutes.
  4. Whisk the the aquafaba, salt, and cream of tartar to the point that it forms soft peaks (approximately 2-3 minutes)
  5. With a spatula, gently stir a third of the whipped aquafaba into the melted chocolate, until fully incorporated.
  6. Fold in the remaining aquafaba in two additions, using a spatula and folding in gently until fully incorporated.
  7. Pour into 6 individual cups, and place in the fridge to set for at least two hours.

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas and Taco Slaw

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If you need to feed a crowd and want to keep everyone happy AND keep yourself on track, this is your solution! Throw this in the slow cooker while you enjoy some pregame chill-time. Serve it buffet-style with some easy-peasy taco slaw (recipe below) and a choice of add-ons: black beans, brown rice, avocado, tomatoes, sour cream, lime wedges, tortillas. Whatever your guests’ needs – gluten-free, dairy-free, slow-carb, low-carb, all-the-carbs – everyone is covered! Buffet-style entertaining is an easy way to keep yourself on track with real food, fat-burning meals without having to prepare two different meals.


If you’re looking to stay lean or get lean and keep cravings in check, include some protein, fat, and slow-burning carbs on your plate. For this meal, your best bet would be pork, some avocado or sour cream, a hefty pile of the slaw, and some beans. Skip the processed carb tortillas, and if you really want some rice, keep the portion small.
For the carnitas recipe, check out http://fitmencook.com/slow-cooker-pulled-pork-carnitas/

Print Recipe
 Taco Slaw
Course Main Dishes, Salads & Side Dishes
Cuisine Mexican
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dishes, Salads & Side Dishes
Cuisine Mexican
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients.

Curry Coconut Roasted Cashews

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If you get a little too excited about all things sweet & salty (yup, me too), this is THE snack for you. Sure, you can buy roasted nuts at the store, but they won’t taste anywhere near as good as these. And store-bought nuts have likely been roasted in less-than-stellar quality oil (go check that ingredient list on those nuts in your pantry now!). Plus, these are so easy to make, and involve no clean up, really, if you line your baking sheet with parchment paper.

As far as snacks go, you can’t go wrong with nuts. They’re loaded with satiating, nourishing good fats, and a bit of protein and carbs, too. When roasted, spiced, and salted, they satisfy that snack-time hankering for something crunchy and flavorful. And that curry powder can help fight inflammation and aid digestion.

Print Recipe
 Curry Coconut Roasted Cashews
Course Snacks
Servings
Ingredients
Course Snacks
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Melt the coconut oil in a small bowl, and then whisk in the remaining ingredients except for the cashews.
  2. Dump the cashews onto the baking sheet. Pour your spice/oil mixture over the cashews, and gently mix together with a spatula, ensuring that the nuts are completely coated. Spread out evenly on baking sheet.
  3. Bake at 250F for approximately 40 minutes, or until the cashews look toasted, and appear mostly dry.

Easy appetizers: Salad-on-a-Skewer & Sprigs in a Blanket

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So much entertaining this time of year, right? I looove it, but I don’t want to spend the holiday season stuck in the kitchen! If you happen to party with me this time of year, you’ll probably see these quick and easy appetizers make an appearance.

Salad-on-a-Skewer and Sprigs-in-a-Blanket (a.k.a. prosciutto-wrapped asparagus) are a breeze to make, and also pack in a lot of veggies. And, let’s face it – it’s nice get a few veggies in this month in between all those Christmas cookies. These appetizers are also free of refined carbohydrates (unlike the usual appetizer choices full of bread and crackers).

Salad-on-a-Skewer:
I used the small bamboo skewers, and loaded each with a chunk of roasted beet (you can skip the roasting yourself and use the precooked), a few leaves of baby spinach, and a chunk of blue cheese (I found some Danish blue cheese that was firm enough to hold up to being skewered). Last, I drizzled them with some sherry vinaigrette (recipe below – makes a big batch to keep for other meals and salads during the week).

Sprigs-in-a-Blanket:

Works best with thick asparagus spears, but I could only find thin ones at my supermarket, so I just wrapped two sprigs in each. Spiral wrap a proscuitto slice around the asparagus, and cook on a baking sheet at 450F until prosciutto is crispy (5-8 minutes). Halfway through cooking, rotate the spears for even cooking.

Print Recipe
 Sherry Vinaigrette
Course Appetizers, Salads & Side Dishes
Servings
Ingredients
Course Appetizers, Salads & Side Dishes
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients except olive oil to a bowl or jar and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, a little bit at a time, whisking to combine. This makes a large batch, leaving you plenty for the rest of the week.

You aren’t failing your diet. Your diet is failing YOU.

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Perspective is everything. If you went way off track with your eating habits, view it as a massive learning opportunity, and NOT as an opportunity to spiral down a rabbit hole of guilt, shame, and disappointment. You are not failing your diet. Your diet is failing YOU. It’s likely that your way of eating is fighting your biology, instead of working with it. Getting way off track is not an issue of willpower, rather, it’s simply a sign that your current strategies aren’t serving you and your goals. Time to do some sleuthing and uncover the the real triggers. Some areas to consider:

◽Am I ignoring my hunger and being restrictive about amount of food?
◽Am I regularly eating overly refined and processed foods (which hijack your brain and hunger hormones, a strong biological response you can’t oppose with willpower)? This doesn’t mean you won’t ever occasionally dip into such foods, but it’s a good idea to consider holding off on such foods until you’ve given your body a chance to reset and balance your hunger and metabolism hormones.
◽ Am I just too dang tired? Have I been getting enough quality sleep?
◽Have I been taking time for some stress relief?
◽Was I caught in too many situations without good food choices? Have I been doing some meal planning and simple prep to prevent difficult food choices?

It’s not you, it’s your triggers. Be gentle with yourself. Setting yourself up for success can be a much more pleasurable and *effective* way to hit those health goals you’ve set for yourself. What do you find are your most frequent triggers?

Your Brain, Not Just Your Body Needs Movement

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Your body AND your brain need movement to remain vibrant, healthy, and functioning at peak capability. And that is what we all want, right, no matter our age? I think we’re all already sold on the fact that our bodies benefit hugely from an active lifestyle that includes movement. We already get it that sedentary lifestyle = bad, bad, bad for our physical health. What’s also true is that less sedentary time, combined with more time simply moving = better learning and memory capabilities. And, here’s the biggie – there’s emerging evidence that being a mover versus a habitual sitter recudes your risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease. Hard to ignore that one, right?

The good news is, you don’t have to go nuts at the gym six days a week to benefit your brain health. In fact, non-exercise movment (simply walking, going up and down the stairs versus escalator; gardening, housecleaning, etc.) plays a significant role in preserving brain health. The name of the game is to interrupt your sitting time, even if it’s just standing up for one minute every twenty minutes that you’re sitting. While a big, sweaty, intense workout at the gym is great for a lot of reasons, if you’re sitting for the remainder of the day, your workout isn’t going to cancel out completely the risks associated with all of that sedentary time.

So, no need to overthink it. Just stand up when you think of it, take the stairs instead of the elevator when you can, park at the back of the lot and not in the front row, etc. Keep your joints and muscles mobile by sitting on the floor versus a chair once in a while. Get down there into a deep squat when you need to tie your shoes. If it’s only a couple of bags, carry your groceries out of the store instead of in the cart. All of these little, seemingly effortless actions add up to level of mobility and cognitive health that serves your life rather than restricts it.

That’s what I love about all of this real food/movement/sleep/stress relief stuff. They are the tools to #poweryourlife!

Want to learn more about the critical importance of movement and brain health? Check out https://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2016/02/26/sedentary-lifestyle-brain-shrinkage.aspx.

Staying on track, even on the weekend

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Staying on track, without feeling deprived, and actually enjoying your food is entirely possible on the weekend, even if you’re hitting up a few parties. When it’s time to dine, scope out the party spread, and do your best to build a balanced, delicious plate:
✅protein
✅ fat
✅slow carbs

Eating some of each macronutrient at mealtime, and steering clear of fast-burning highly processed carbs will leave you feeling satiated. Satiety is the best buffer against gorging on desserts and other junk. If your main meal leaves you satisfied and fueled, you’re a lot more likely to be content with just *one* super-fudge-m&m-brownie instead of five. Or, you might end up not craving dessert at all!

As for how much to eat – well, everybody’s caloric needs are slightly different, so you do you! As long as you are routinely eating primarily minimally refined foods, in a balance of protein, fat, and slow carbs, your hunger and satiety cues are pretty darn reliable. Eating too many processed foods creates a lot of white noise, and can really mess with those cues.

And as for balancing your plate – what works for you might be slightly different than someone else’s needs. Play around with the protein/fat/carb ratio by building your plate different ways.  You’ll know you’ve hit your sweet spot when your meal leaves you feeling fueled and filled until the next mealtime, and your cravings are in check.

What helps you stay on track during the weekend?

 

 

What’s Your Why?

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What’s your big why? I used to think mine was mostly to fit back into those skinny jeans again, but as the NSVs (non-scale victories) started trickling in, I had a big “aha”. My big why was now about *so* much more, like:

  • having a ton more energy to get through my day, no matter what curve balls are thrown my way
    the ability to move my body with more ease, and keep up with my kids
  • a peaceful, pleasurable relationship with food, with no more stressing about what I was going to eat & when, and the end of cravings
  • improved readings on key health markers like cholesterol levels and blood glucose readings – reducing my risk of chronic disease and limiting the need for multiple medications later in life
  • a sharper, clearer mind, free of the brain fog I would get from eating overly refined foods; reduced anxiety

Along the way, I really latched onto these bigger-picture whys, and they definitely made it a lot easier to stick with the day-to-day habits that helped me get leaner, stronger, and more healthy.

And, as a bonus, focusing on the long term, bigger picture health goals, ultimately helped me fit into those pants again.

Now, I consider eating well, moving my body, making time for rest & recovery, and stress relief to be not just strategies for fat loss or maintaining weight. Rather, they are the tools I use to power my life!

What’s your big why? How do you power your life?

Immersion Blender for the Win!

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My kitchen space is tight, so I am verrry choosy about kitchen tools and gadgets. One-trick ponies have no place in my cozy kitchen (avocado slicer, I’m lookin’ at you). My immersion blender, however, has earned every bit of real estate it occupies in my kitchen. If you don’t own one, you might want to think about it. I use mine all the time to puree soups, sauces, and dressings. All the time. Especially sauces & dressings – I throw a few fresh ingredients in a jar, puree for a minute, and then I have a *real food* awesome sauce that makes a meal taste AMAZING. And unlike using a regular blender, there’s no extra pitcher to wash because an immersion blender allows you to blend right in the pot or jar. No extra dishes! Woohoo!

So, channel your inner June Cleaver/ Julia Child and add one of these bad boys to your kitchen tool set. And look for one like this Breville that includes a whisk attachment so you can have whipped cream in 30 seconds.