Spinach has met its Mache

When it comes to healthy foods, I'm all about trying new things, and for some reason, I always find that I am exceptionally adventurous in Trader Joe's (probably because I usually go there hungry after a long workout). So, while in Trader Joe's I came across a ba of lettuce named Mache that I had never heard of before, so I decided to give it a try. It said it was good with avocado, and most things that pair well with avocado are delicious, so why not, right?

Naturally, I loved it. Like REALLY loved it. It is the color/shape of spinach, but the consistency of butter lettuce. It's actually "creamy" like an avocado, which is a strange was to describe lettuce, I know, but if you've tried it, you probably agree. If you have a Trader Joe's nearby, I highly suggest trying this stuff out- it's not any more expensive than any other lettuce out there! Have you heard of/tried mache? What do you think? Pin It

True Bleauty

I'm sure this will come as no surprise, but here comes another post on a new store-bought tea I tried. At my local supermarket, Celestial teas were on sale, so I decided to try one that I hadn't before, which brought me to this blueberry tea. Truth be told, I hadn't tried this one in the past because one of the first ingredients is orange zest which I generally don't like in my tea, but I figured I might as well give it a try.

Upon first opening the box, I smelled the orange, so I was a little reluctant, but after tasting it, the orange taste is very faint. The best way I can describe it is that blueberry candy-esque flavor with a tinge of orange. It definitely doesn't taste like fresh blueberries, but, dare I say it, I actually like the artificial blueberry taste! Like I said, it's candy-esque, and yet still fruity in the best way possible. Definitely worth a try if you're a tea-foodie like myself! Pin It

Squash Casserole Update

Since my squash casserole is among my top five most visited posts (thank you site trackers!), I thought I would give you all an update on how I have come to make my squash casserole even more delicious than I thought it could possibly be in honor of my absolute favorite holiday. Though, I will give you fair warning, it take some extra time, but it's so worth it! I usually buy a gargantuan-sized squash so I only have to make this once a week, and I have it for dessert almost every night. It has become a fridge staple for me.

First, all you need is 1 butternut squash (as I said before, the bigger, the better), and a dash of cinnamon! To prepare, start by piercing the squash a few times and microwave it for 10 minutes. Yes, I said 10 minutes, and preheat your oven to 450 in the meantime. Once it's finished in the microwave, and it is cool enough to handle, peel the squash,  remove the seeds, and cut it into small chunks. If it isn't super soft, microwave it for another 5 minutes, or as long as it takes to get it really soft. Then, line a baking sheet with tinfoil, and once the squash is soft, spread the chunks on your baking sheet in a single layer and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the underside of the chunks have gotten a nice char on them. Then, flip the chunks and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes until that side has a nice char as well. Finally, transfer the chunks into your Vitamix or food processor, add your cinnamon, and blend until smooth consistency is achieved. If you need the sweetness, you can add a little maple syrup, but I find that the roasted flavor adds enough depth and the squash is sweet enough that it doesn't even need the syrup. And, if you don't like butternut squash, try acorn or kabocha! Do you have a trick for making squash? Tell me in the comments below! Pin It

Meat my Valentine

In honor of my favorite day of the year (yes, Valentine's day), I've really been feeling the love in the kitchen, making all things red and heart shaped. And while I of course share this fact because I want to spread the love with you, I also want to raise the point that Valentine's Day is not solely about chocolate (though I do love be some chocolate!). There are plenty of other ways to show the love in the kitchen!

First of all, as shown above, you can make fun healthy heart shaped foods. Case and point, my burger drizzled in hot sauce above. Or, just add some healthy red to your dish- think strawberries, cranberries, red pepper, tomatoes, red cabbage, etc. etc.

Not a fan of red foods? Why not embrace the aphrodisiacs instead? We all know chocolate fits the bill, but did you also know asparagus, almonds, avocados, bananas, figs, garlic (you may want to avoid this one for breath's sake), salmon, walnuts, and oysters are all natural aphrodisiacs as well? And, my personal fav, hot peppers get your blood pumpin' as well, and we all know Tiny Tummy likes things SPICY!

Want to put all of this together? Why not make a spicy salmon dish with some roasted asparagus garnished with strawberries, cranberries, or pomegranates? Can't beat a healthy, aphrodisiac dinner! And, that'll even leave room to indulge a little for dessert with some chocolate!

What are you planning for Valentine's Day?   Pin It

Sweet Hearts for Your Sweet Heart

Full disclosure: February 14th is my favorite day of the year. Hands down. Obviously, it doesn't hurt that I'm a chocoholic, but anything cutesy and pink has my name written all over it, so when I happened upon this seasonal tea, I had to try it.

Truth be told, this tea is basically apple cinnamon tea in cute little individual pink packaging, but when it comes to things like this, I can't help but be suckered in a little. I actually really liked the flavor of the tea, though it's no different than Celestial's Apple Cinnamon Tea, so to scour the supermarkets to find this seasonal blend may be silly. If you do happen upon it though, I highly suggest it for the season, and the individual bags are also a plus, especially if you carry tea bags with you. And, it makes a cute little add-on to a Valentine's Day gift :)

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Don't be a Jerky

I have to admit, the thought of beef jerky initially grossed me out. I sort of pictured dog treats, but when a friend convinced me to try it, I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised. Given that jerky is a high protein, low carb, generally low fat snack, why wouldn't I try it right? Again, I'm glad I did. I really liked it! Thus started the hunt for the best, low-cal, high protein, and of course, yummy jerky- which brought me to Krave's Chili Lime Jerky. At less than 200 calories in the entire bag, and over 20g of protein, it makes an excellent snack for a few days. It's got a nice kick to it (hence the chili), and while I don't get much of the lime flavor, it is still delicious! Are you jumping for jerky? What's your fav? Pin It

Pizza Party (In Honor of National Pizza Pie Day)

Post cleanse, I was definitely craving pizza. It's been a while, but I used to love to make myself cauliflower pizza at least a few times a month, but considering it is a very time consuming process, I hadn't really had time lately. Thanks to Nemo (what a pathetic name for a storm by the way), I had ample time to make a time consuming dinner, so I decided to go ahead and revisit an old fav, which clocks in at less than 100 calories per pizza pie. And, I was even festive in honor of National Pizza Pie Day, and in honor of my favorite holiday (which I celebrate all month long!), I made a heart shaped cauliflower pizza, of which I will share the recipe.

To make this Low Carb, Low Cal Cauliflower Pizza for one, you will need:

200g riced raw cauliflower (use a grater to get the pieces super fine)
(optional: a tablespoon of egg whites to bind the crust better)
Toppings: tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, turkey pepperoni, roasted garlic, or whatever else you'd like
garlic powder, onion powder, italian herbs and spices, etc. to taste

To prepare, start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Then, simply microwave your cauliflower for 2-3 minutes to soften it. Then, add whatever spices you'd like, mix it up, (add your egg white if you want), and spread on a parchment paper-lined pan. Now, you have one of two options: you can either bake it for about 10 minutes and then flip it to get it crispier on both sides. Or, you can simply add your toppings and bake for about 15 minutes until the cauliflower is as crispy as you'd like it. I also put mine in the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese a little more. It was a great post-cleanse dinner, and a cute idea for the upcoming holiday! Pin It

Cleanse Weigh In

And so, The New You Cleanse has come to an end. As much as I love me some lentils and salmon, after four days, it's nice to have some variety. I'll probably be shying away from eggs for breakfast for a while, but a hard boiled egg is a great snack when you need an instant burst of protein. Anyway, I'm not trying to avoid the topic we're all waiting for, just trying to build up the suspense. How much did I lose? Tiny Tummy lost a whopping (drumroll please) 8 pounds! I kid you not- in four days I lost an astronomical 8 pounds. Daddy Tiny Tummy lost 5.5 and Mommy Tiny Tummy lost 4, putting her within 5 pounds of her goal weight. The Nutritious Life team lost a combined total of over 35 pounds. If these numbers don't speak for themselves, I don't know what would! 

And, as many asked, this is how I broke my cleanse. A yummy piping hot cup of coffee and a Thin Slim cinnamon bagel with cinnamon cream cheese. Yum!

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Cleanse Day 1

I apologize that this was never posted, but here is the cleanse post from a few days ago! 

Cleanse Day #1 is officially complete. I had my eggs for breakfast, lentil salad for lunch, and salmon for dinner- all of which were delicious! (And of course my snacks in between and my green tea and water!) As expected, the hardest thing for me was my late night sweet tooth, but other than that, throughout the day, I wasn't hungry at all! The meals are pictured below (disclaimer: Mommy Tiny Tummy is doing the cleanse, and the top photo is hers!). There's no real recipes here (other than the lentil salad, and I shared that recipe yesterday). Just an apple cut up with cinnamon and salmon marinated in a little balsamic vinegar over some sauteed spinach with sliced avocado. All whole foods. All delicious. Anyone else cleansing with me?

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Cleanse Day 4

The final day. For anyone cleansing along with me, we made it! I will say it has NOT been easy. Not going to lie, if I didn't see another egg for a few weeks, it probably wouldn't bother me. I did really enjoy the lentils though. I make those every now and then anyway, so the lunch salad was something I would normally eat. The sauteed spinach was also pretty yummy with dinner. I don't know that I'd eat it every night, but I could definitely make it as a side dish more often. If there's one thing I learned (or revisited) with this cleanse, it's that no grains/ starchy carbs= weight loss for me. I'll reveal my overall weight loss tomorrow (drumroll please!), along with Mommy Tiny Tummy's and Daddy Tiny Tummy's weight loss. And, if you want to know how the rest of my office did, you'll have to subscribe to the Nutritious Life newsletter. As usual, a few of my meals below. Another egg-pocket for breakfast, an apple with cinnamon , and the same ole lunch and dinner. Seriously looking forward to my low-carb bagel tomorrow morning though.

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Cleanse Day 3

Cleanse Day 3 has definitely been the hardest yet: simply because I had to wake up earlier, and my day was longer (ahem, class until 7:45!), but perhaps the hardest part was making it through my cooking class tonight where a large part of the way we critique our own food is by tasting it (which I didn't do!) We made roasted root vegetables, fried eggplant, sauteed zucchini, broiled onions and peppers, and pan-seared tomatoes. It all looked and smelled delicious, but I held out for my salmon/avocado when I got home. Below are the dishes from class, as well as my yummy eggs from this morning.

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New You Cleanse Day 2

Another day, more eggs salmon spinach and lentils. I have to say, I actually really enjoy these cleanse meals. With the exception of breakfast (plain ole eggs), I find ways to spice up each meal so that it's exciting and tasty. I wasn't all that adventurous today- I didn't prep my food any differently, so the meals were basically the same. Below is my salmon with spinach and avocado (with a side of lemon which I drizzled on the spinach). I'm never super full after these cleanse meals, but I'm satiated, and that's the point. We are so accustomed to eating to the point of "full" when all we really need is to be happily satiated. Anyway, the dinner pictured below kept me happily satiated and was incredibly delicious, so even if you're not cleansing, I highly recommend it!

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A Whole Lotta Lentil Lovin'

As you all know, I am starting a four cleanse today along with my team at work based on an 8 food eating plan. Since I will be going to classes, I figured I would get a bunch of my meals together in advance, so I can take it with me and eat it on the go. Lunch consists of a lentil, spinach, and egg salad,  so I hard-boiled some eggs in advance, and I decided to spice up some lentils (hopefully that's allowed!), and for those of you cleansing with me, or anyone who just wants to make some yummy lentils, I thought I'd share the recipe.

To make these delicious and flavorful lentils, you will need:

1 package of precooked lentils (you can get them at Trader Joe's in the produce section)
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t coriander
1/2 t paprika
3/4 t turmeric
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
1/4 t cayenne pepper


To prepare, put the lentils and spices in a bowl and mix it all together until the spices are distributed evenly throughout. If you find that this isn't enough spice to flavor your entire batch of lentils, simply double the recipe. If you're making your spinach/lentil salad, toss it over a bed of spinach greens, otherwise, enjoy on their own. Either way, they are quite delicious. I eat them cold, but you're more than welcome to heat them up!

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Roll with the Punches

So, you've done all your homework. It's girls (or guys) night out. You read up on the menu, planned your order, and you're all set to make the healthy choice, but something goes awry. Whether your friends change the restaurant, they won't do custom orders, or maybe they're out of your healthy choice. What do you do next?

First of all, don't panic. I am the first to admit I have been in this situation and gone into ultimate panic mode because hey, I went out of my way to try to do the healthy thing and the restaurant is standing in the way of me and my goals, but sometimes, you just have to roll with the punches. The worst is when you place your healthy order and it comes doused in butter or oil or sauce... whatever the case may be, but don't throw in the towel. If they screw up, it doesn't mean you should follow their lead. Don't be afraid to be vocal. Send it back if you have to. I've sent dishes back twice before they've prepared it the way I asked. If I am paying good money to eat their food, I want it prepared the way I ask for it. Maybe I'm a diva, but when it comes to being healthy, I take it very seriously! Most restaurants are on board to prep your food the healthy way- if anything, it makes their job easier to simply steam something instead of preparing it in a ton of sauce, but if a restaurant refuses to honor special requests, then stick to something safe such as a salad that they can't totally butcher. Or if there is truly nothing that looks healthy and appetizing, stick to the healthiest appetizer you can find that still tickles your fancy. At least you're guaranteed a smaller portion, and chances are, if it's something indulgent, the small portion should satisfy your craving. The most important thing to remember is if it's not the best meal nutritionally, don't let it throw you off your game. The next meal should be back to your normal, healthy ways! Pin It

Go Green the Sneaky Way

In a conversation with a friend, I was asked what kind of tea is the best to boost metabolism. Truth be told, it's green tea, but I'm not personally the biggest fan of green tea, so I completely understand if you're not into it; however, there's no reason you can't still enjoy the perks of the tea without that bitter taste. My easiest tip? Mask the taste! Add one bag of green tea, and one bag of a fruit flavored tea. Or if you're feelin' frisky, as I usually am, use one bag of green tea and add some looseleaf tea. I find that fruity teas pair well with green tea, so I usually opt to add those when I make that mix. Try it, and let me know what you think! Pin It