Easy Ways to Get Your 5-A-Day Part 2

Hello!! I'm back with the second part of the series I promised! 

And first on the list are brussels sprouts. People feel pretty negatively about them. But I think they've just gotten a bad rap! Poor, poor brussels. Roasting them is the perfect way to get rid of their bitter flavor and then they can be seasoned various ways or served along with scrambled eggs. Or at least that's what I do...

Aren't those just beautiful up there ^^^?!? I'll stop being weird now...Cut off the ends of the brussels, chop in half and mix with olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Roast at 425 for 20 minutes or until cooked fully. Add thai sweet red chile sauce and mix thoroughly. I added 1 Tbsp to the amount shown here, but you do you.  

Vegetable numero dos: CAULIFLOWER! I know, I sound absolutely nuts. But it is so so good. Seriously. I love it roasted, in this cauliflower calzone, in stir-fry's as "rice," or steamed and covered in melty cheese <3. It's one of the best things you can put in your mouth. 

For a stir-fry, just put a head of cauliflower in the food processor and pulse for a few seconds until it reaches a rice-like consistency. Then sauté it in some sesame or olive oil and use it as you would regular rice or fried rice. I even like to do a combination of rice and cauliflower rice so that I get the staying power of the carbohydrates and the nutritional benefits of the veggie!

For the mac-n-cheese cauliflower, cut half a head of cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Place in a large microwavable bowl, add a few tablespoons of water, and cover with a lid and microwave until tender (7-10 minutes). Meanwhile, add 1 oz. cream cheese, 1/3 cup shredded havarti cheese, 1/2 tbsp spicy brown mustard, garlic salt, pepper, and a splash of milk in a saucepan. Once the cauliflower is steamed and the cheese mixture is melted, add the cauliflower and coat. Feel free to add more cheese if you want. I mean, can you have too much cheese in your mac-n-cheese?

Last, but not least, I have for you a fruit-filled breakfast. I discovered this oatmeal awhile back and used to eat if everyday. The whipped banana thickens up the oatmeal and also gives it a natural sweetness without needing to add any extra honey or sugar. Combine 1/2 thinly sliced banana, 1/3 cup oats, 1/3 cup milk, and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it starts to boil, quickly stir to "whip" the banana into the oats. Once cooked, add ground flax seed, chopped walnuts, peanut butter, and chopped apple. See what I did there? Bananas AND apples. :-D

Hope you all have a wonderful, fruit and veggie filled day! And if not, there's always tomorrow :-)

Trek Bars--Homemade Granola Bars

These bars. Oh. My. Word. 

So I made an incredible discovery about the location of my new office. I happen to be caddy-corner from Great Harvest Bread Company. If you've never been, you're missing out. It's the cutest little bakery and sandwich shop. Everyday they make different options of fresh bread and goodies and then have a few everyday staples. The best part about this little gem is that they give you FREE samples every time you come in. Puhlease and thank you.  When I go, I try a slice or two of bread. Oh, and they top it with cinnamon butter. Enough said....

I wanted to show my friend the shop and when we visited they happened to have their Trek Bars to sample. I gave it a shot, and oh my word, it was SO delicious! Since I liked it so much, I decided to find a copycat recipe for these bars. I did, and then tweaked it slightly to my own liking. These bars are chewy and dense, sweet and salty, and crunchy all at the same time! I absolutely love the millet (aka, bird seed) because it adds a nice crunch. If you don't have any, I highly recommend you go out and get some for these bars. 

So some of you may read this recipe and think, "Oh my gosh, there's no way I can make those bars and eat them. They have way too many calories, fat, and sugar." I used to think the same way. But ever since I started learning about mindfulness and then intuitive eating, that has changed. I am going to post a blog about intuitive eating very soon because it's completely changing the way I view food and my body and it's been awesome. The thing about eating these bars are that, yes, I'm sure they have a lot of energy (calories, fat, etc) in them, but I'm not worried because they are incredibly filling. Instead of snacking on a bowl of popcorn, and then something else, and then something else; I have one of these bars and I'm satisfied for a really long time. 

And not only and I'm physically satisfied, I'm emotionally satisfied too because the bar tastes good and I'm able to enjoy it. When we restrict, we set ourselves up for eating more later on. Sooo, all of that to say, you should/must make these bars soon!

If you don't care for apricots or craisins, sub in raisins or some other dried fruit. If you're not a fan of walnuts or sunflower seeds, go with almonds. Substitute the mix-ins for things you like. The only non-negotiable is the millet :-). If you don't have any unflavored whey protein powder, I'm sure they will turn out just fine. They'll just be a little more chewy (which isn't a bad thing if you ask me!)