Showing posts with label clean eats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clean eats. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Pantry Staples to Overhaul Your Food

I thought before that my unlimited resources to exercise could be an excuse for me to unli-eat whatever. Like I can beast mode my workout and then eat platefuls of steak and cake after. Actually I found this working against me because I found myself being very sluggish the next day or so stuffed that I couldn't even peel myself off the couch or daybed. When I took the test to find out how much calories I should actually be consuming for maintenance for someone with high physical activity and physically demanding job, turns out I don't need much. In fact, for my body type, it was actually less than 2,500 calories. Also, it wasn't just the calories. It was also the type of food you put in your mouth. A bag of chips contains 160 calories. Blogilates' Healthy Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich has 260 calories. If you look at it, the bag of chips may be less in calories that the ice cream cookie sandwich but the chips contain a lot of sodium, chemicals, and stuff our body does not need as compared to the all-natural goodness from the bananas and oats. Which of you think would be a better snack alternative when you want something to munch on in the afternoon? I would think the cookie. When I really started incorporating better food and being really diligent with my meal preps (it does take time but the results are worth it and think of how much money you save on!) there is a total difference with my energy, my performance, and even how I recover to avoid injuries and prolong my fitness life more.

So with that, let's talk meal prep. I do my bi-weekly meal prep where I shop for veggies and ingredients and set aside an afternoon or a few hours before going to bed to cook. Since I'm so engrossed in the kitchen, there's less time to drown myself in social media drama (and gadget overdose migraine). It's like magic you're doing and you're making and getting really good food to last you for days. You can start with very easy, uncomplicated recipes that look good just as they taste good. If you get your groove, you can go and look for more advanced recipes. Just don't starve yourself or suffer eating bland food. If you look at my #bambikittycooks, you will never see yucky, dry, tasteless food. For me, it's just not worth it if you cry with every bite of your food or start hating life and the world halfway through this trend diet you tried out because this celebrity was on it and lost a lot of weight. Just eat a balanced diet. Results are better. You may see results a bit slower than extreme trend diets, but you won't hate life as much.


If you want to get into prepping, here are some basic staples in my shopping cart in the market or supermarket


Rolled Oats

I used to buy steel-cut and rolled oats but now I just stick to rolled since steel-cut is quite hard to find in the grocery. I get one big bag. Rolled oats are very versatile  not just in oatmeal or overnight oats. You can make granola, add them on to home-baked breads, bake cookies, or just grind them up and you have oat flour for pancakes, crepes, and all the refined flour-free recipes you would want to try. You can even blend them in smoothies for yummy brekkies on-the-go.


Low-Fat Milk and Nut Milk

My stomach can't tolerate full cream milk as it is. If I have it, I'd feel bloated and grumbly the entire day. However, I discovered low-fat milk to be friendlier to my tummy and I use this to make panna cotta, breads, or puddings. For overnight oats, smoothies, or on my little cup of hot chocolate or golden turmeric milk, I prefer almond milk or soymilk. I get my creamy fix without the bloating and bathroom trips feeling like I'm about to give birth to Godzilla.


Yogurt

Savory yogurt: used yogurt as dressing for my salad
Yogurt has the essential probiotics we need for a healthy gut. Yogurt isn't just for granola and parfaits. I use yogurt to make tzatziki or in salad dressings. They can also be an alternative to sour cream in your burrito or tacos.Regular plain yogurt is fine but if you can get Greek yogurt for protein, so much the better. For vegans, coconut yogurt is also a good alternative. You can find coconut yogurt at the Salcedo Saturday Market every morning.


Brown Rice/Quinoa

This is a healthier alternative to white rice. Quinoa is an excellent protein source (perfect for after workout). I like that this makes me full faster so that I don't consume as much to leave me feeling like I ate a hollow block. A cheaper alternative would be brown rice or black rice.


Honey
As much as possible, I like honey that's pure with no added sugars. Honey that's pure is golden in color instead of brown, kind of like liquid gold. I use honey to sweeten smoothies, overnight oats, make energy balls, or just take it as it is.


Eggs
organic eggs. happy chickens make happy eggs
I prefer organic eggs from cage-free chickens. Have you seen commercial chicken coops? The chickens are enclosed in small cages with very little space to move and are just made to lay eggs. Such a stressful environment! When I found out that they throw baby chicks in the shredder when they do not meet the standards, I do not want to buy from commercial big farms anymore at the thought of these poor babies! I prefer happy chickens for happy, nutrient-loaded eggs raised in small farms. I buy my eggs from Down To Earth where native chickens enjoy the sunshine and their lives free from hormones and antibiotics.


Good-Quality Meats

I love Down To Earth because their livestock and poultry are raised humanely and are fed the food they should eat. Beef are grass-fed. I buy their ground beef for my ragu. I don't smell any distinct raw meat smell and I don't need a lot of salt to season my ground beef. I haven't tried their steaks but I bet I would love the steak from grass-fed cows. Aside from high-quality meats, I also buy omega-3 rich salmon and seafood.


Bananas

Bananas are a staple in a fit person's diet. Notice some gyms always have bananas in stock? They're pretty convenient. No need for knives before eating. Freeze bananas and they make excellent smoothies or vegan "nice" cream. Are your bananas getting old already? Make banana bread!


VCO and Olive Oils

These are oils that I can't live without... literally! I use VCO to cook and bake (I get something neutral-tasting but somehow, the coconut-y summery taste enhances the flavor of certain dishes). Olive oils are what make my pastas, pita breads, foccacia breads,  and stews so awesome. I use regular olive oil for cooking and EVOO to make salads, spreads, raw sauces like pesto sauces, and my hummus. Contrary to some beliefs, I'm not afraid of fat. Just like everything, just not have too much of it.


Leafy Greens and Vegetables (lots of them!)
eat a rainbow - with lots of plant-based nutrients
Aside from salads, I sneak in leafy greens in smoothies (great way to use this when they're getting a bit mushy). I also stir-fry kale or spinach and make this a siding for my salmon and brown rice meal.  Always find ways to add veggies to your diet. They make life awesome, and your poop trips so much easier.


Lemon



Lemon adds a tangy flavor to most dishes. Make fresh lemonade during the summer or have a warm cup of lemon water in the morning to jump start your metabolism. Lemon is one staple ingredient when I make hummus for that tangy, citrusy lift in flavor.


Nuts

packaged nuts and dried fruit from Salcedo Market
For the house, I usually have pecans, walnuts, almonds, and cashews. You can add nuts to granola or cereal or you can make your own nut milks. Add some crunch to your salads with chopped cashews and kung pao chicken. Nuts can be used also to make energy balls, homemade nut butters, or if you want, homemade nut (vegan) cheeses.


Frozen Berries

When not in season, I get my strawberries frozen, which are excellent for smoothies, overnight oats, or puddings. Since blueberries are not available locally and the fresh ones can get really expensive, I buy frozen blueberries for my blueberry pancakes or smoothies.


Chia seeds

These fun little things are excellent plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. I use these as topping for my granola yogurt parfait, champorado, overnight oats, smoothies, smoothie bowls, and even make dessert with them. When they expand, they form a gelatinous coating just like sago.


White Vinegar

Aside from making a mean, flavorful adobo, I use white vinegar to make buttermilk for pancakes and waffles for happy, carby, cheat day treats. White vinegar has also awesome uses not just for cooking. Use this in washing strawberries to prevent them from being moldy and yucky or use white vinegar to remove soap scum, clean your fridge, clean your coffee maker and diffuser, make DIY natural house cleaners, and neutralize pet odors. It's practically an all-around kitchen-to-home solution!


Hopefully a little shift and changes here and there can get you happy and healthy eating. In a few weeks of putting good stuff, you would definitely notice a change in your energy and maybe you may feel better in getting yourself started for the day.



Image Sources:

 Bananas and Grocery 
pexels.com

 Meats
Down To Earth https://www.instagram.com/downtoearthph/
Store Directory:

 Down To Earth
Makati Curb Holdings, No. 7433 Ground Floor, Unit J, Yakal St., San Antonio Village, Makati City; 
http://www.downtoearth.ph/; instagram.com/downtoearthph

 Salcedo Saturday Market
Jaime Velasquez St., Tordesillas St., Salcedo Village
Saturdays 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
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Thursday, February 23, 2017

Vegan Flourless Black Sesame Pancakes Recipe

Here's a pancake recipe that's healthy and yummy. I made this vegan and flourless so it's also super healthy and clean. One recipe makes one serving so just double it up if you want to serve more people. This pancake is much softer though than regular pancakes so be careful in flipping them!

Black sesame seeds can be found in a Japanese grocery store. Aside from this, you can also use this to make salads or other Japanese-inspired meals. I buy my flax already pre-ground (it says flax meal on the package) at health food stores.




Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup oat flour (measure 1/2 cup rolled oats, place them in a blender, and process until finely ground)
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • pinch salt
  • a packet of stevia to taste
  • 1/3 cup soy milk (or any type of nut milk) + 1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, left to sit for 5 minutes
  • 1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp water left to stand for 15 minutes until sticky like an egg
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 tbsp. toasted black sesame seeds, ground with a mortar and pestle


Procedure:

  • Whisk together oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and stevia.
  • Combine milk, flax + water mixture and vanilla. add this gradually to the dry ingredients until just combined
  • Stir in the ground sesame seeds. Let stand for 5 minutes.
  • Heat the pan. To make sure the pan is at the right temperature, sprinkle a few drops of water. They should bounce and sizzle. Spray pan with cooking spray.
  • Place 1/4 c of pancake batter on the pan and cook until the edges are bubbly and the pancake is easy to flip. Cook the other half until brown, but not burnt. Remove from pan and repeat for the remaining 3 pancakes.
  • Drizzle the pancake with nut butter. Top with desired fruit/nuts. I used strawberries and pumpkin seeds in mine. Serve with maple syrup. 


Enjoy breakfast!


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Monday, February 13, 2017

The Fit Girl's Floral-y Alternatives

Funny thing is, I was never a fan of flowers. While most girls gush on bouquets of colorful blooms or go to flower markets to buy sprigs and blossoms for their house, I'm one who would be the one to keep the litterbox poop-free or vacuum the house. For me, I didn't really want the idea of someone to spend so much money on something that would be dying in a few days a slow, sad death. I would want something that I can enjoy aside from just looking at its beauty for just a few days.

If you would still want to give something blossomy-pretty, here are a few bouquet-inspired ideas on how to turn random things into something gorgeous and Valentine's-like. Not only are they gorgeous, but they are also yummy and good for our bodies.


Broccoli



Broccoli is a staple in most grocery carts of fit girls. For those allergic to fish, broccoli can be your source of  Omega-3's. It's also got anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. It's also good for your digestive and cardiovascular system. Just get good broccoli (organic is best) and tie a ribbon with a short note. It also looks like a bouquet. If you're not a broccoli fan, you can use cauliflower, which can be "riced" and made into gluten-free cauliflower rice or pizza. You can also combine both cauliflower and broccoli.


Enoki and Bacon

A photo posted by Bernice Caruana (@bernicecaruana) on

Happy protein overload. This savory grilled veggie. They actually look like tiny boqueuts. Just grab a bunch of enoki (seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper)  and then wrap them with bacon before grilling. Cool a bit before eating. Don't they look like tiny bouquets in the photo?


 Strawberries

Strawberries are also associated with Valentine's day. Let's make this awesome fruit the star of the show.  Did you know that they contain also a lot of antioxidants? They're also great in curbing PMS symptoms and prevent illnesses with the antioxidants. I've seen lots of tutorials on creating a strawberry bouquet. You can create your own and make it as small or as big as you want. For an added treat, dip some (or all) in dark chocolate for a nice treat. Even after dismantling the bouquet, the fruit will still be enjoyed in the form of smoothies, cakes, snacks, and even as it is.


Protein Bars

A photo posted by Lillemor (@lilylove666) on
Nothing makes a fit girl happy than the gift of #gainz or support towards the #roadtogainz so give her a stock of an after-workout muscle-building snack arranged like a bouquet or topiary in a flower pot. Make it one flavor (usually her favorite) or pick out her favorites and some bestsellers if you would want it assorted, Kinda unusual, but it's one happy gift for the one who wants some gainz.


Smoothie Bowls


Not really floral-y but just as pretty, these are gorgeous IG-worthy treats that are great for breakfast. I posted a few smoothie bowl recipes earlier so you can refer to that or your own if you want to go DIY,  This awesome acai bowl I found over at Blogilates looks super gorgeous (it's even got actual edible flowers! Substitute with food readily available and remember to use very little liquid with your fruit base.  Frozen fruit too helps create that icecream-like consistency.

Any ideas for floral bouquet-inspired Valentine's gifts? Post them on Instagram and tag me and I would love to see your creations!

Happy Valentine's Day!
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Wednesday, February 1, 2017

A Different Type of Hot Pot

On a cold day, it's comforting to bundle up in sweaters and slurp on chicken soup for a hearty meal to warm you up. Whenever we're sick, we're surely served a bowl of chicken soup. I even have a go-to recipe for a chicken soup that's low in calories and sure to make me heal faster. In many forms, chicken soup has had its benefits in the nutrition and comfort food department.

How would you feel if there is such a thing as a chicken soup that not only contains organic, high-quality ingredients with a lot of nutrients but also something that has also been our best friend in the beauty department? I actually had that chance a few weeks ago when I tried what is known as a Beauty Collagen Hot Pot, which - yes  you got that right, contains collagen, an important ingredient in a lot of beauty products.


Bijin Nabe by Tsukada Nojo gives us an entirely different hot pot experience with its Beauty Collagen Hot Pot. This signature dish is served at Bijin Nabe by Tsukada Nojo, located at the S Maison at Conrad Hotel. This restaurant has a farm-to-table concept, the ingredients are delivered on the very day, fresh and organically grown -with no harmful pesticides, hormones, or chemicals the body doesn't need.

So, anyway, let's talk about the star, the Beauty Collagen Hot Pot:

The chicken used for the broth is the Jidori chicken, a special breed of chicken that's meatier and tastier and richer in collagen. They are grown free-range with good care and a specially-watched diet (again, no hormones!). Cooking the chicken and producing the broth is an 18-hour process of delicate stewing (yes, 18 hours, that's like more than overnight), making the essence of the meat and bones dissolved into the stock.

that pudding when heated melts into a broth

The broth that's presented to you actually isn't liquid-like at first but it looks like a pudding (actually, when it was brought out to us, it kind of looked liked taho).


It would be then heated until that pudding melts into a milky white broth, shown above.


We got a taste of the pure broth in taster cups. The taste of the chicken is very flavorful. It sort of reminded me of essence of chicken but less medicine-like. The chicken meat was melt-in-the-mouth, flaking off the bone. We were provided yuzukoshu seasoning (a paste made of chili pepper, yuzu peel, and salt), depending on our preference. The yellow one was sweet, the green spicy, and the red extra spicy. I personally liked the taste of the green one. It was a bit refreshing with a bit of kick in the end. If you would want the red one, I suggest to put just a little though because the spice is very potent.

The hot pots we know usually have us adding the other ingredients randomly or as we please and letting them cook. Here,  there is a process and specific order in adding the vegetables and seafood and time spent for the ingredients to cook. This process also alters the flavor of the broth, which we take sips to distinguish the flavor,



The vegetables were a sight to behold and arranged prettily it's almost like an art. Well, it is actually an art. After the veggies were served (and eaten, the greens and enoki being my favorites), the broth had a different taste, with the strong chicken flavor mellowing down and the flavors of the mushrooms, greens, radish, and zucchini coming through. Veggies are best eaten with the leek oil but I still liked them with the yuzukoshu paste,


The seafood was served last and shrimp peeled for you, if you requested (since I don't really like getting my hands into shrimp shells). The broth changed into a different, richer flavor. The leftover broth was mixed with rice for a thick and comforting rice porridge. I skipped this part to make room for dessert though. According to my tablemates, it was quite good and comforting,

Since there is a ritual involving how the hotpot would be cooked, the eating process was carefully paced so our tummies were given time to rest and digest so I was full, but not really bursting type of full. A portion can actually serve 2 people, so you can go here with your friend or someone you know who would love hotpot (I'm taking my friend here one time).  Aside from hot pot, you can try out their appetizers like their salad and maximum eggplant (which I highly recommend to try, even if you're not an eggplant fan). Be sure to leave some room for dessert, too because they have great selections.

Try this as a post-workout recovery meal with all the good protein and organic veggies or try it on days when you are craving for something warm for your belly. The farm-to-table concept gives us a healthy dose of good-quality produce raised without chemicals, additives, fertilizers, and hormones so we get the best quality ingredients in every bite.

Let me know your Bijin Nabe experience. Did you have a special sauce combo used? Let me know and I'll try that when I get there.

Bijin Nabe by Tsukada Nojo is located at the 2F of S Maison at Conrad Hotel. Visit their website at http://bijinnabe.ph or check them out at Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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