Bagels and Schmear

When I lived and worked in Washington, DC, I ate bagels for breakfast regularly-- not every day, but almost once a week.  Between Einstein Bros., Bruegger's, Dunkin Donuts, and the awesome place right next to my office, grabbing a bagel was a quick breakfast for me and my coworkers.  But what no one really thinks about is how one bagel with cream cheese is at least 600 calories.  Now add on a latte or other coffee drink and you're pushing the thousand mark.  For breakfast!  Of course you can always go with the "sugar free" and "low fat" options, but that just means you're ingesting more chemicals rather than fat.  So either way, you're not getting a healthy or sustainable breakfast.  You'll inevitably have a "carb crash" mid-morning, and then be starving again before it's even noon.

If you just can't curb your craving, try Thomas' 100% Whole Wheat Bagel Thins (they also have plain, everything, and cinnamon raisin).  Each full bagel is only 110 calories, with no trans fats, cholesterol free, an excellent source of fiber, and low fat.  From what I can tell on the label, there isn't any dairy in them, but it could be masquerading under a different name.  Typically, most breads have dairy in them, unless you get certain wraps and Ezekiel 4:9 bread.

Even though I used to eat cream cheese, I always felt sick after.  I am lactose intolerant, so my body never reacted quite right to heavy dairy products like cream cheese, sour cream or bisques.  Some people pop a Lactaid and continue to eat those foods, but I've learned to listen to my body about what feels right and what doesn't.  Eating should not be painful.  If it is, then eliminate that food.

But when I'm feeling like I want the old breakfast staple, I'll toast a Thomas thin bagel and use Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese spread.  To add a little pizzaz, I sprinkle chives.  Fresh chives are even better, but my freeze-dried chives from Penzey's do the trick.  Altogether a bagel and two tablespoons of the vegan cream cheese is only 200 calories.  Drink a glass of water or green tea and ditch the highly-sugared coffee drinks.

Tofutti has a great line of non-dairy products, including fabulous Cuties ice cream sandwiches that taste exactly like the old-school dairy version, and soy cheeses.

The Vegan BLT

Let's face it: when you change your diet, there are still certain foods you kind of miss.  For me, it's pork barbeque and anything with bacon.  Fortunately, I've created a great dish using tempeh to satisfy any bbq cravings, and for bacon I use vegetarian bacon bits.  I practically eat vegan BLTs every day because they're so simple and they taste delicious!

Instead of mayo, I use Follow Your Heart Original Veganaise, which doesn't contain eggs, dairy products, over-refined sweeteners, fillers, gums, colorings or preservatices.  This is a good alternative for any dish that requires mayonnaise.  I'm not a big mayo or Veganaise person, but you kind of need it for BLTs.

Find a sprouted wheat bread, toast it, and build your sandwich.  I use Ezekiel bread, organic baby spinach (a staple in my house), off-the-vine or Roma tomatoes, and Frontier Bac'Uns.  You won't even miss the real thing once you eat this!  Well, you might.  Bacon does tastes pretty good after all.  It's just not good for you.

Working On Working Out

I don't really like going to the gym.  I'll admit it.  That's not to say I don't like being active-- because I do-- but I'd rather be outside doing any physical activity.  I'd rather bike along the river, or rollerblade on the boardwalk, or hike uncharted trails.  My perfect workout is something fun outdoors in the company of others.

But we can't all be so lucky.  I live in a state that is cold eight months of the year-- on a good year.  So any sort of exercise requires a gym membership.  For years I've had a gym membership.  I get on a kick the first month and I get so amped to go, and like everyone else it peters out over the year.  So I try to do little things to make it enticing for me: going with a friend, getting a new celeb gossip magazine or good book, or loading my iPod with an energizing playlist.  I figure if spending 99 cents on a new song here and there gets my butt to the gym, it's worth it.

It's also worth it to have the appropriate workout attire.  I remember girls in college wearing really short shorts, with belly-baring tank tops, full-makeup, lipgloss, and a perfect ponytail.  Well, I think we can all agree that's just silly.  But so is wearing a loose-fitting old shirt and baggy basketball shorts-- for women.  Most people will agree that if you like the way you look, you'll feel good too.  And sometimes that means ditching the old novelty t-shirt with pit stains, and finding a more flattering, fitted shirt-- one that covers your stomach.  I always wear black or dark grey cropped yoga pants from the Victoria's Secret Pink Collection or VS Sport, and usually a racerback tank.

Don't forget shoes... The Runners Guide says to replace gym shoes every 300-500 miles.  Unless you're carrying a pedometer with you at all times, most people have no idea how many miles they've ran/walked.  I think a good rule of thumb is to replace them every year, though.   I just bought the new Reebok TrainTone Slimm.  Okay, yes, a part of me wanted them because they match my workout clothes, and I liked the way they look on my feet.  But the other reason is because I am a sucker for marketing.  In this case, the Reebok toning sneakers are said to tighten your thighs, legs and butt.  Regardless of whether that's proven to be scientifically true, I bought into it-- hoping that maybe, just maybe, they will do everything they promise to.  Maybe they won't, though.  But if they can get me to the gym more, then they're already one step ahead of my old gym shoes.

Pineapple Express

When I became a vegetarian, one of my best friends got me a magazine subscription to Vegetarian Times kind of as as a joke.  But it turned out to be one of the best gifts!  The magazine opened up a whole new array of vegetarian cooking and tips for healthy living.  One recipe that I found in the May/June issue that I had been dying to try, is the Hawaiian-style Sweet-and-Sour Roasted Pineapple and Bell Peppers.  It only requires a few ingredients, and it looks delightful!

I cut up a fresh pineapple using my awesome pineapple cutting tool, and sliced up red, yellow and orange bell peppers and a white onion.  I didn't have brown sugar or toasted sesame oil, but I did have Soy Vay Island Teriyaki.  So I tossed the peppers and pineapple with some teriyaki and threw it in the oven for awhile.  Meanwhile, I had coconut rice cooking in my rice cooker.  (I sort of guessed on how much coconut milk to throw in there).  In the end, I  had created my own version of the Hawaiian dish that was quite refreshing.

The verdict?  Just as tasty as I would have imagined the original recipe to be!  The pineapple was juicy, and not dried out, and the grilled peppers added a nice flavor.  I still want to try theirs, but for a quick alternative, just use teriyaki instead making a sweet and sour sauce.  Also, you  can use the stove rather than the over to cut the cooking time by almost a half.

The Apple of My Eye

The much-outdated USDA Food Pyramid says you're supposed to eat three or four servings of fruit a day.  The newer Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated that to the 5 A Day program-- which includes both fruits and vegetables.  Either way you slice it, you should incorporate fruits and veggies in your daily diet.

Sometimes it can be hard or expensive to get fresh fruit.  If convenience is your problem, I suggest spending an extra few bucks on a fruit tray that you would serve at a party, and pick from it all week instead.  This way you get variety, and it's already cut up for you.  Although it's a little pricier, the health benefits are kind of worth it.  And usually the cut up fruit lasts a few days.  If money is your problem, go for cheaper fruits like bananas and apples.

I have to cut up my apples because I have porcelain veneers and I'm advised not to bite into apples.  So, to literally spice things up a little bit, I sprinkle on some organic cinnamon.  It takes an otherwise boring fruit and makes it feel like a dessert.  Bananas are good because they can be added into smoothies or between a peanut butter sandwich for extra potassium.  Berries are going to always be pricier.  And exotic fruits like mangoes and papayas will cost the most.

Strawberry Fields Forever

The simplest and tastiest salad ever!  It's the easiest thing to make and bring to a potluck dinner.  Just throw together organic baby spinach, strawberries, slivered almonds, red onion, and toss with a delicious all-natural poppyseed dressing.  Find one without high fructose corn syrup.  You can also use balsamic vinaigrette.  If you like cheese, gorgonzola or feta will compliment this salad without overpowering it.

Heart Healthy Hummus

My mother sent me a food processor and I've been trying to find recipes to make using it.  Of course, the easy one hummus.  Since hummus is one of my go-to foods, I decided it might be cheaper to make it rather than buying it every week.   I found a few similar recipes online that seemed pretty easy.

Ingredients:
1 can of drained organic chickpeas
1/4 cup of liquid from the can of chickpeas
3-5 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons of tahini
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 clove of garlic
salt and pepper

Basically, throw it all in the food processor and viola!  Looks good right?  Looks like hummus you'd buy at the store.  Except, I didn't like it.  It didn't taste good at all!  It was actually quite bland.  I'm trying not to get discouraged by my failed hummus attempt.  Next time. I'm thinking I'm going to try to add in roasted red peppers or sun dried tomatoes.  It needs much more flavor, and oddly enough the garlic didn't help.

Check out this news story about making hummus:
http://www.kfyrtv.com/News_Stories.asp?news=43882&yr=

A Little Bit of a Sweet Tooth

I have a sweet tooth, especially when it comes to chocolate.  I prefer milk chocolate first, white second and dark last-- even though dark chocolate has antioxidants and a variety of health benefits when consumed sparingly.  I'm trying to get more into dark chocolate for those reasons.  But being a naughty vegan when it comes to candy is just so much more fun!

Sometimes after I eat I want to finish it off with something sweet.  But eating cookies and candy and chocolate regularly is something I try not to do.  And for the most part, I keep them out of my house because I know I don't have much willpower.  So, as an alternative to calorie-laden, high-fat treats, I eat Clif Kid Organic Z Bar in Chocolate Brownie or S'mores.  They're chock-full of vitamins and minerals and only have 130 calories per bar.   The secret to making them taste less like a nutrition bar and more like a dessert is to nuke them in the microwave for 25 seconds!!

My other two go-tos are Emerald Cocoa Roast almonds and ZenSoy Chocolate Pudding. Yum!  A tip: buy the almonds in the convenient 100-calorie packs so they're handy, and it prevents you from eating the entire container of them!