‘Eat. Live. Be.’ Articles at Sweetnicks, Page 2

Recipe: Parmesan Chicken with Garlic and Herbs

December 14, 2011 · Narrative

Mystic usually comes over for dinner on Tuesdays because his kids are with their Mom. I had a plan of what I was going to make for dinner. Chicken, vegetables, bacon pinwheels… then 6 pm came last night and I was still working. And freezing. And.could.not.get.motivated. I have had this perpetual chill that I have a hard time getting rid of and I really just wanted to change into sweats, comfy socks, and crawl into bed. I settled for sweats, comfy socks, and a call for pizza.

I felt super guilty. If I ever do take-out, leftovers, or something completely uninspired, I try not to do it on Tuesdays. Just a silly mini goal of sorts. Of course I cook other days too, but I figure a homecooked meal cooked by someone else is always appreciated. Especially a single parent.

I even had all the groceries to make the dinner last night. So tonight I made good, and all seven of us enjoyed the meal-that-wasn’t-yesterday instead.

If you’re playing along with our Eat.Live.Be. reboot, this week’s inspiration was to come from somewhere online. I actually found the chicken recipe on Pinterest, but it originates from Kalyn’s Kitchen. If you’re not familiar with Kalyn’s Kitchen, the focus is on the principles of the South Beach diet. With New Years’ resolutions nearly on the horizon, I’m sure legions will be reupping their interest in South Beach, so Kalyn’s site is a great resource if you’re heading that way. Although I don’t follow South Beach, I liked the concept of the chicken. Similar to a Chicken Parmesan recipe, it’s baked though, instead of fried, and even more healthy with whole wheat bread crumbs.

Although it’s supposed to marinate all day (I did mine for 5 hours), outside of that, the recipe is super simple, making it an ideal entree for a busy weeknight. The chicken is relatively tender, and packed with flavor from the olive oil and garlic. Seven out of seven ate it tonight, with five going back for seconds. Considering some of the picky eaters around the table, these are excellent results, trust me. I added a side of roasted vegetables and plain spaghetti with red sauce, and it was perfect.

You can find the recipe right here.

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Recipe: Barefoot Contessa’s Hummus

December 13, 2011 · Narrative

As I was packing up the kids’ snacks and lunch this morning, Nick stopped me.

“Wait, I need pretzels and hummus for school!”

I love that he loves hummus. And I’m certainly addicted to it myself. Especially lately. Clean eating. Healthy. And delicious. It’s the perfect mid-day, tide-you-over-till-lunch bite. And with our recent reboot of Eat.Live.Be., this is a perfect guilt-free snack to take the edge off, and it seriously whips up in five minutes flat. If you’re playing along, tomorrow’s Eat.Live.Be. will take its inspiration from somewhere online.

It turns out that Mystic is not a fan of hummus. Or chick peas. Or apparently beans of most any kind. Couldn’t even get him to try it, and he’ll usually try anything. I haven’t given up yet, but in the meantime, it’s most definitely his loss. Adding to his list…

I brought some in to work last week and asked one of my new co-workers if she wanted some.

“Hummus? Is it gross?”

“Hey now, do you think I would make something gross? Come on now.”

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Eat. Live. Be. REBOOT

December 8, 2011 · Eat. Live. Be., Narrative

Regular readers may remember an Eat. Live. Be. movement that me and Sarah came up with and ran last year. At the time, it was perfect because it partnered nicely with my whole Cate Version 2.0 movement. You know, the one wherein I got addicted to Zumba, clean eating, and a weight loss of over sixty pounds. But then, I sprained my ankle in May, and that put the brakes on a lot of what I was doing. I haven’t been back to Zumba since, and you have know idea how much that pains me. The good news is that while I haven’t been going as full force as I was before, I have managed to maintain my weight loss.

But that isn’t enough.

Or wasn’t for me.

I missed the mental zone that all that dedication afforded me. When people prattle on about the endorphin rush you get from exercising, it’s not just meaningless drivel. It’s the truth. And when I say that your body responds differently to how and what you feed it, again, it’s the truth.

And when you’re treating your body right, everything else just magically falls into place.

You’re able to handle stress better.

Relationships.

Work.

Kids.

You have more energy.

And you want to do better.

It’s not just lip service.

So the fact that I wasn’t in the exact same spot as I was in the spring? Killed me. Like, seriously. Thought about it day in and out.

And in the grand scheme of things, there wasn’t much I could do about it.

Which, of course, frustrated me even more.

Zumba and clean eating is what started me back on the straight and narrow.

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Eat. Live. Be. #17: Bad Habits are Hard to Break

May 2, 2011 · Eat. Live. Be.

I have a long list of bad habits I’m sure those that know me will be all to happy to share. I like to think of them as personality traits, or quirks. A bad habit just sounds so negative. Who needs more negativity, right? Someone who I just met recently called me “nice” and “exciting.” I told him to give it time, he didn’t know me and my habits well enough. Can you guess what today’s Eat. Live. Be. topic is? Bad habits that we need to break. Fairly certain whoever came up with this topic meant it pertaining to health and fitness, so my bad habit of rolling my eyes won’t be much help. I had to dig a bit, dig deep, to find a bad habit that might work for this week’s topics because although I might have a few, they’re totally not on topic.

And then I thought of one that might work. Ruts. I get in them all the time, mostly because I hate change. So says the girl who has moved five times in the last 13 years and threw in a divorce to boot. But, that being said, ruts are evil when it comes to health and fitness especially. You need to continually change things up and keep everything fresh in order to have your body respond to what you’re doing. Especially if you’re trying to lose weight. As much as I love Zumba, I have learned that my body will not respond to Zumba alone. The five classes a week I take quickly become “routine” and “maintenance” and no longer exercise. While that sucks, it highlights how important it is to keep things revolving and evolving. I do some weight training, some pilates, walks and hikes, bike riding, anything and everything. But because I can quickly fall into the rut, I have to force myself to be aware of it and get out of it, which is a constant battle.

I actually quit my membership to the Y recently, for a few different reasons. The end result will certainly force me to think more outside of the box in terms of getting my regular exercise in and bust through that pesky rut bad habit of mine. And with the weather getting nicer every day, it’s the perfect time of year to do it.

Now for other bad habits that my fellow ELBers are trying to break, visit them at the links below:

Sarah from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
Joanne from Eats Well with Others
Chris Arpante – Melecotte
Jenna – Stop, Drop and Blog
Casey – The Starnes Family
Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
Claire – Cooking is Medicine
Jen – NJ Epicurean
Rivki Locker – Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
Jennifer Schulz – Lick-a-Plate
Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations
Gwen – Simple Healthy Family

Project 365
May 2, 2011, Photo #121
These Japanese erasers are popular with the kids. Although they don’t erase especially well, they are too cute for words. I would really love to steal them all and put them on display in a clear glass jar on a shelf in the kitchen. Madeline got these four at the communion party yesterday. Maybe she won’t notice if they disappear.

Eat. Live. Be. #14: What Supplements Do You Take?

April 18, 2011 · Narrative

“Can I ask you a personal question?”

I braced myself.

“All those pills you take… is everything ok?”

“In that little green container?”

“Yes, the one with the days of the week on it.”

“Oh yes, everything is fine. Those are just all the supplements and vitamins I take.”

“Ahh, gotcha.”

And then I rattled off what the container held so there wouldn’t be cause for worry. My friend had every right to be concerned though. I’ll be the first to admit it, I take a lot of stuff. It was such an inordinate waste of time opening up all the bottles every day, when a co-worker suggested getting a pill dispenser to ration out my daily pills, it was one of those “duh, why didn’t I think of that?” moments. But it definitely makes it look like something is seriously wrong with me if you don’t know better.

I have always taken a multi-vitamin and extra Vitamin C. That’s a given. Over the past year and a half, I have seriously upped the regime to include fish oil supplements, calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin B-12, flax seed and green tea supplements. I even had to upgrade to the XL pill dispenser after just a few weeks. But the thing is, I’ve only been sick once (last week, as a matter of fact) in the past 18 months, so I have to believe that what I’m doing works.

Fish Oil – lowers your triglycerides, lowers blood pressure, prevents and treats arthritis and promotes healthy joints.
Calcium – helps keep bones healthy, and per Dr. Oz, most people don’t get enough calcium from their food sources.
Vitamin B-12 – helps develop your red blood cells and is used to make the protective coating around your nerves; it plays a key role in brain and nervous system development and the metabolism of cells.
Flaxseed Oil – studies show it can reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Vitamin D – essential for the growth and development of bones and teeth, and protects against multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune conditions. A higher intake of vitamin D has been associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer in women.
Vitamin C – stimulates the immune system, helps prevent and treat infections and diseases, aids in the production of white cells, helps form and maintain collagen (the basis of your connective tissue) and even assists in lowering your cholesterol.
Green Tea – promotes increased metabolism and aids in weight loss.

I keep the Vitamin C tablets separate (since they’re soft, they don’t do well mixed with the others when I ration out the week ahead), so I take those at work, along with two of the three green tea supplements.

With the way I and the kids eat, I know we’re getting a ton of vitamins from all the fruits and vegetables we eat, but I don’t think it’s enough, and studies have shown that even if you’re hitting all your marks with the proper amount of recommended daily amounts of fruits and vegetables, it’s still not enough. This regime just bumps it up a notch, and as a single mom, I just can’t afford to get sick. Who will take care of me and the kids? :)

I’m not quite sure why it’s necessary to write the days of the week beneath the letter of each day. My first thought, because it’s raised, was that it would help those that are blind, but my smaller dispenser doesn’t have the days written out on it.

I’ve priced out most of the supplements, checking online and stores when they have their sales combined with coupons, and Costco seems to have the best deal for the ones I’ve researched. No surprise there. If you stock up there, just be sure to check the expiration date against how many pills you’ll have to consume before they expire. I haven’t had any issues, but just something to be aware of.

I’m one week behind on my ELB posts since I wasn’t posting last week, so I will do this week’s topic (what’s on our playlists) later this week. To find out what’s on the iPods of my fellow ELBers (and what supplements they do or do not take, from last week’s topic), please visit them at the below links:

Sarah Caron from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
Joanne from Eats Well with Others
Chris Arpante – Melecotte
Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
Claire – Cooking is Medicine
Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations
Rivki from Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
Claudia from Journey of an Italian Cook
New Jersey Epicurean

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Eat. Live. Be. #13: My Go-To Lunch

March 28, 2011 · Clean Eating

Thank goodness this week’s Eat. Live. Be. topic is a piece of cake, because my To-Do List for the night is ridiculous. And I really just want to go lie down with my remote in one hand, and a smoothie in the other and call it a night.

This week’s topic is all about our go-to lunch. Although I work at an office until noon, I work from home in the afternoon, which gives me a little more flexibility with my lunches (unless I’m meeting a friend, of course). Truth be told, I can be a little like a 17-year-old in a new hot and heavy romance with my lunch patterns. I grasp onto a lunch idea and fixate on it until I’m sick of it. You know, like when you couldn’t get enough of your new, first boyfriend? And then, like that flushed high schooler, I’m done and I’ve moved onto the newest flavor of the week. Such are my lunches.

Lately, my lunches have been fish sandwiches. I honestly am a terrible Catholic when it comes to no meat on Friday. I can go several months without eating meat, but then tell me I can’t and I can’t remember that darn fact until a piece of bacon is in my mouth. I was so proud that I went all day Friday, safely making it through breakfast and lunch without accidentally eating meat. Until we went to the movie theater. And the kids wanted dinner there. And I gave in because once in awhile, it’s ok to throw them a curve ball like eating dinner at the movie theater. So I ordered them chicken fingers. And, of course, it was the next morning as my hand is finding its way to smacking my forehead that I remember … chicken fingers … meat … on meatless Fridays during Lent. I digress. So I have been having fish A LOT lately hoping to just have it enough that it slips into the routine on Fridays too and I forget about my meat issue. Well you can clearly see that theory was flawed.

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Eat. Live. Be. #12: A Day in the Life

March 21, 2011 · Narrative

I can hardly believe we’ve been doing Eat. Live. Be. for twelve weeks already!! Where has the time gone? This week’s topic was a suggestion from one of my fellow Eat. Live. Be. peeps: what is your typical day like? I don’t think our days are particularly exciting, but I am willing to share.

Our typical day during the week is spent trying to get everyone out of the house without a meltdown. I assure you this is not as easy as it sounds. In fact, as I’m typing this, Madeline is currently having a nuclear meltdown that I am doing my best to ignore. Gotta love an overtired cranky butt.

Nick leaves the house first and never has breakfast before he dashes for the school bus. I have lectured him about the importance of the first meal of the day. That studies show that kids who have breakfast do better in school. It is a battle I gave up winning long ago. He would rather not get out of bed. We settle somewhere in the middle. As he is shoving on his sneakers and grabbing his water bottle and backpack, I fill his hands with something to eat on the way to the bus stop. Sometimes it’s a Banana Chocolate Chip Espresso Muffin (his favorite) or a slice of toasted banana bread. Or a granola bar. Or a bag with apple slices. Last week I was quite proud of myself. I managed to get an egg sandwich made for him before he left. Only to find out he pitched it somewhere between here and his classroom.

Madeline takes after her brother. If she gets up earlier enough, she will pick through a bowl of cereal before we leave the house. Otherwise, it’s a granola bar and milk in her classroom.She is a grazer, much like Nick. On the weekends, both are much better about eating, and we all sit down and enjoy pancakes, bagels (a once in a blue moon splurge for me) or the random egg dish.

As for me in the morning? Two mornings a week, I make an egg white omelet or breakfast burrito and pack it in my bag to go to the office. Two mornings, I do a collection of fruit and yogurt and nuts and things, stuffed in amidst all my snacks. And Fridays? Yogurt parfait (hold the granola) and Wild Berry Smoothie from McDonald’s. My treat for making it through the week.

I’m going to skip lunch in the interest of not boring you to tears. I eat it. The kids are a work in progress. Sometimes they inhale it. Sometimes they ignore it. They make requests. I fulfill. And empty out the full lunchbox when it comes home. Today they both wanted, and actually ate, homemade chicken fingers. A minor victory.

Mid-afternoon snacks for me and the kids. Homework. Loose ends with work. Freelancing deadlines. Refereeing.

A few times a week, at the end of the day, the kids head to the gym with me. They go to the Activity Center, and I hope they get worn out. ‘Tis not always the case. Once a week, they go to Zumba class. I work out a minimum of five days a week, usually an hour each time. On the weekends, it’s marathon sessions lasting usually three to four hours.

After we get home, dinner, bath and bed. And then I go back to work. More freelancing deadlines. More catch-up work.

I am now shooting for being in bed, lights out, by 11 two nights a week. I don’t get nearly enough sleep. I know that. Luckily I can subsist on very little, but I know in my whole healthy “new me” kick, it’s not exactly cool. But in the interest in supporting my kids (and myself, of course), it means a few uber-late nights a week.

Our focus during most days is on being active and eating good things for us. The house, for quite awhile now, had been rid of processed junk, and our go-to snacks are things like yogurt, granola, nuts, vegetables and dips, hummus and whole wheat crackers. That being said, I am not an all-or-nothing girl when it comes to our pantry. The kids have a few things in there that I am not necessarily cool with, but in an all things in moderation move, the scales are firmly tipped on what I want them eating, not garbage. The odd Girl Scout cookie or lollipop is not going to do us in. And by giving in slightly, I know I can keep a tight rein on everything else. And when given the choice when they come home from school, they make the “right” decision way more often than not. I’m good with that.

Our days change. Our tastes change. Our focus doesn’t. Family. Food. Fun. Sometimes in that order. Sometimes not. There are good days and bad, but our core is solid.

To find out what a day is like for my fellow ELBers, please visit them at the below links:

Sarah Caron from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
Joanne from Eats Well with Others
Chris Arpante – Melecotte
Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
Claire – Cooking is Medicine
Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations

Tomorrow? A new lasagna recipe (you needed one, right?!) and a few new recipes I’ve created for Betty Crocker. Until then.

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Eat. Live. Be. #11: Finding Motivation

March 15, 2011 · Narrative

This week’s Eat. Live. Be. topic is slightly similar to one we did back in the beginning. Back then, it was how to motivate yourself to keep up your work-out routine during the cold Winter months. This time, it’s how to motivate yourself period. It’s definitely something we could all use a little help in from time to time. It can’t be just me.

On Saturday, I took a one hour Zumba class. Followed by a 90-minute Zumba class. Followed by a three-mile walk. I was supremely motivated. And I continue to be. There are a million and one things that motivate me on a regular basis. Small things. Stupid things. Big things.

Most of my work-outs are done at night. At the end of a very long day. When the last thing I feel like doing is heading back out to kill an hour plus of cardio or strength training. My energy, boundless or not, has long since been depleted. Ever had “witching hour” with the kids? Then you know exactly what I’m talking about. It takes every ounce I have to get myself motivated enough to suit up and head back out.

But I don’t give myself a second to back out. Not a moment to hesitate. I am on auto-pilot and I just do. I have a rotating set of people that I meet regularly for work-outs, and I know they’re counting on me. It’s at the point where I’ll get a text message or facebook note from an instructor if I miss a class. I am being held accountable. In so many different ways. And that motivates me. Pushes me through. And I love that.

One thing I know for certain. While the little motivations help … a cocktail dress you need to fit into for an upcoming party, a wedding, a high school class reunion … they won’t sustain you to the finish line. They won’t keep you maintaining what you have achieved. Short-term goals do not work. I promise you this. You need to find a goal that has no end, so you are continually striving to achieve. To maintain. To meet and exceed. To keep on keeping on. You need something to motivate you? Find something long-term. Not something you can tick off your list in the next few months. Something that you can continue to achieve and aspire to.

My no-end-in-sight motivation? These kids.

I owe it to them, every day, to be the very best mom that I can be. To be the best me that I can be. Our eating habits are good lessons for them. Ones that I know they’re paying attention to. The fact that mom regularly works out? A huge impact on them. I want to be the very best role model I can be for them. So they know that I did everything with the very best motivation I could. For them. I can think of no better reason.

They take their own Zumba classes weekly. We go on hikes and bike rides together. We plan adventures. We have jump rope contests. They help make healthy choices when stocking the pantry and grocery shopping with me. Together, we all have one common goal. To be the best we can be.

My only regret is that it took me a little while to find my way. I feel like I missed out on some stellar moments I could have had over the past twenty years, carrying the excess weight around. But the ship was righted, and it’s been full steam ahead ever since.

To find out what is motivating my fellow ELBers, please visit them at the below links:

Sarah Caron from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
Joanne from Eats Well with Others
Chris Arpante – Melecotte
Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
Claire – Cooking is Medicine
Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations

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Preparing for Success

March 8, 2011 · Narrative

When it comes to meeting any goal head-on, whether it be health, fitness or otherwise, you absolutely, positively have to be prepared going in. If not, you are just setting yourself up for failure. Guaranteed. How can you succeed if you don’t have the proper tools?

The difference between the impossible and the possible
lies in a person’s determination.
– Tommy Lasorda

Since I started my massive “Cate overhaul” over a year ago, I’ve had friends ask me how they can get started. What I have been doing is not rocket science. I armed myself with the best tools possible for what I wanted to achieve and committed to it. I have given this nearly everything that I can, and then some, and have reaped the rewards because of it. But it’s nothing special. You can do it just as easily. As long as your going-in position is all about preparedness. How could you possibly succeed otherwise?

A good beginning makes a good end.
– English Proverb

You have GOT to have a good pair of sneakers. It doesn’t mean that you have to spend a fortune on them either. Truth be told, my go-to Zumba sneakers are a pair of $15 Danskin sneakers from Wal-Mart, which The Neighbor Husband calls my “lunchlady sneakers.” Hey, they do the job. So do these Rykas. I heart Ryka, a brand made for women by women. They mold to your feet like no other. Whatever your exercise routine is, make sure you get the proper sneakers for your activity. I have a few pairs I swap out, but have a soft spot for Ryka. In fact, I am still hanging on to my favorite pair, even though the holes in them mean my feet automatically get wet when it’s raining outside. Just can’t give them up.

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude
from achieving his goal, nothing on earth can help the man
with the wrong attitude”
– Thomas Jefferson

If you are heading out of the house for your work-outs, get thyself a gym bag. Again, it’s not about how much you spend. Five Below has some great Nike ones. Mine comes from TJ Maxx and was a whopping twelve bucks. Fifteen months later, even though I’ve grown tired of the design, it’s still going strong and is washable, a huge plus in my opinion. I keep my gym membership cards in the zippered pocket, as well as my iPod headphones, a few dollars and a couple granola bars, so the bag is ready when I am.

What you have to do and the way you have to do it is incredibly simple. Whether you are willing to do it, that’s another matter.
– Peter F. Drucker

Whatever your work-out of choice is, make sure you have the proper equipment before embarking on a new program. If you don’t, there will always be an excuse. Whether you need kettlebells (my newest obsession), resistance bands or a jump-rope, arm yourself with the necessities.

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”
– Beverly Sills

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Whether you’re on Weight Watchers, visiting Curves or a gym rat, the refrain is very commonplace … drink water, drink water, drink water. You are supposed to drink half your weight in water ounces a day. And that is if you’re not working out. Are you drinking enough? And if you’re working out, it should be even more. My Spin instructor said 40 ounces of water for 40 minutes of spin. And get yourself a refillable water bottle. Please. Enough of the disposable bottles. It kills me to see a garbage bin filled with them at the gym. First, they should be recycling them, and second, so much unnecessary waste. I’ve gone through a bunch of reusable sports bottles to find my favorite. These are from Costco. They were $18 for a package of three (although they have gone on sale for $15/set before). They are BPA-free and completely and positively leak-proof. They have a clip so you can attach them to your gym bag. Nick even takes one to school every day. Love them.

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Eat. Live. Be. #10: Listening to the Experts

March 7, 2011 · Narrative

This week’s Eat. Live. Be. topic is all about the experts… who do we listen from? Whose tips do we like? Who should we be listening to?

Honestly, this week’s topic comes at a good time for me, as I’m currently in the spot where I’m shaking things up a bit, fighting through any rut that I and my body might be in. A task that is much easier said than done. Last week, I bumped my average work-out totals from 7 hours to topping out at just under 11. And my body responded. I also added a Spinning class to my schedule. And I can’t put into words how much I hate spinning. I swapped out one of my weekend Zumba classes for a three mile hike instead. Little tweaks here and there to change up my regular regime and get things uncomfortable.

As for the experts, I listen to different experts for different things. I’m an ardent follower of Dr. Mehmet Oz. Such practical, easy to apply advice for the general health and well-being of your body. I like Jillian Michaels and Bob Greene for work-out tips. When it comes to food, I lean more and more on Michael Pollan. What about you? What experts do you glean the most from?

One small suggestion for you, as you make your way through your “get healthy” journey, go and “like” your favorite experts on facebook. Most of the ones I follow post regularly, and you’ll get all sorts of new ideas and motivation from seeing their updates. I know I do. From Jillian, particularly. While you’re at it, go “like” our Eat. Live. Be. page and come interact with us too. I also follow all of my instructors (Zumba, Spinning, etc.) … seeing them on facebook are like little subtle reminders of what I’m doing, what my goals are. I’m lucky in that I’ve sought out instructors that are personally invested in their students; they care about me meeting my goals and are quick to offer countless ideas and suggestions when I need help. And my (new) Spin instructor, in particular, gently guilts me into showing up at his class. It works. And I’m grateful for it.

To find out which experts my fellow ELBers turn to, please visit them at the below links:

Sarah Caron from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
Joanne from Eats Well with Others
Chris Arpante – Melecotte
Faith – Blog Appetit
Casey – The Starnes Family
Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
Claire – Cooking is Medicine
Rivki Locker – Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
Jennifer Schulz – Lick-a-Plate
Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations

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Eat. Live. Be. #9: Portion Control

February 28, 2011 · Narrative

I am going to preface today’s post by saying I am likely to be zero help with this week’s Eat. Live. Be. topic: Portion control. Why? Because with the type of eating that I do (clean eating), there is no measuring, counting or weighing really. As long as you’re eating the right foods, you can have as much as you want. It’s one of the many reasons why it’s worked so well for me and why I love it so much. It takes all the guesswork and heck, just plain work, out of it and makes the whole approach very simple.

What do I mean by “the right food?” All natural. God made. Food in its purest sense of the word. Vegetables, fruit, protein, some carbs. For the most part, nothing processed, man-made or from a factory somewhere in middle America. If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, chances are, I’m not eating it. Except in the rare jelly bean case of course. This girl has to have SOME indulgences. But as long as you’re sticking to REAL food, there is no portion reminder. Spinach, asparagus, shrimp, tilapia, oranges, bananas, nuts, eggs, the list is endless. You get the idea, I’m sure.

Of course I bend the rules a bit. I’m not kidding about the jelly beans. They’re on my desk as I type now, and I’m picking out the red, white, purple and pink ones before I send them along to my Mom. Ok, Madeline likes purple too, so I’m trying to share. But the way I eat probably encompasses about 90% of my choices. I reserve the extra 10% for the occasional indulgence.

There is a quote in Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food that sums up clean eating beautifully:

When you’re cooking with food as alive as this – these gorgeous and semi-gorgeous fruits and leaves and flesh – you’re in no danger of mistaking it for a commodity, or a fuel, or a collection of chemical nutrients … The cook in the kitchen preparing a meal from plants and animals at the end of this shortest of food chains has a great many things to worry about, but “health” is simply not one of them, because it is a given.

For more tips and tricks when it comes to portion control, check out my fellow ELBers at the below links:

Sarah Caron from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
Joanne from Eats Well with Others
Maris Callahan – In Good Taste
Chris Arpante – Melecotte
Faith – Blog Appetit
Kristen – Dine and Dish
Jenna – Stop, Drop and Blog
Casey – The Starnes Family
Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
Tri-Fit Mom
Claire – Cooking is Medicine
Allison – Sweet Flours
Jen – NJ Epicurean
Leslie – The Hungry Housewife
Rivki Locker – Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
Claudia – Journey of an Italian Cook
Jennifer Schulz – Lick-a-Plate
Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations
Denise and Lenny – Chez Us

Before I forget, Nermeen asked in last weeks’ ELB post about the Salad Fixins’ I had a picture of … I got that at Costco. I think it was $7-8 for the bag. It’s made by Aurora Products.

Tomorrow? I’ll be sharing some details about the divine Carnitas Salad we had for dinner last night. Clean eating, guilt-free and super simple to make….

Eat. Live. Be. #8 Healthy Snacks

February 21, 2011 · Narrative

Today the Eat. Live. Be. crew is tackling what we eat as healthy snacks. I could honestly give you a hundred different items, but I grabbed the camera and gave you some visual answers instead. These are some of the healthy snacks I have on hand, as of right this second, for a grab-and-go munch without the guilt.