Grocery Store Tour with Megan Adams Brown

This Sunday, I had the pleasure of meeting up with nutritionist and health coach, Megan Adams Brown at my local Whole Foods grocery store. Megan and I met a last month when I covered her home for Houzz.com. When I realized she as a food guru, I asked her to re-introduce me to my grocery store with fresh eyes.

Why do I need a health coach to show me around a store? Because I'm in a rut. I love to cook and I love to eat my raw meals as well. But after a while I find myself picking the same things to eat over and over again. I also am aware that I need to plan ahead for healthy fast food. With two children, a heavy work load and a house to keep in order, I frequently get caught with no time and no plan for food. I need a health coach to help me come up with some back up plans so I don't end up in the drive through at McDonalds.

Meet Megan... isn't she lovely?

I want to share a little bit about some of our time together. Of course, it was so comprehensive that I can't include it all here, but I can give you a little taste:

The first thing that Megan and I did was sit down and talk about my lifestyle, about my hopes for optimal health and the issues I'd like help with (all that stuff I just mentioned above).  After a lovely chat, we headed to the produce section because that is where good health begins. More specifically we headed to what Megan called the "wall of greens". Has this section ever been intimidating to you?  It is for me. I always grab some romaine and a bunch of kale and run away. Sometimes I venture into the world of chard, but usually I stick to my old habits. Try something new! Bring it home, cook it up and you just might make a new food friend. Here was my takeaway information from the "wall of greens".

1.  Leafy green things = Awesome for your health

2.  Greens are the building blocks of life

3.  Get them into your diet EVERY DAY

Cooking Tip: if a recipe calls for a certain kind of green you can interchange it with any green.

Shopping Tip: There is always at least one dark leafy green on sale. Megan says she buys whats on sale to keep her budget in check. 

Next, Megan took me to the bulk section. You know, it's the isle with all of the stuff in bins. Instead of getting stuck with big packages of nuts, baking products, grains and spices, you can come to this isle and just try out a little!  Then if you like it you can come back and get more. I usually shop the bulk isle for nuts, but have never considered spices.

Cooking Tip: If you're in a cooking rut, ditch the salt and pepper and grab some Tumeric, Basil, Cumin, Cardamom or anything that sounds wonderful. If you don't know how to use it, hop online and search for recipes.

Shopping Tip: Don't buy your raw honey in jars, bring your own container and get local raw honey from the bulk section. You'll save packaging (less waste), it's cheaper and local honey will help you better defend against allergies than the stuff shipped in from elsewhere.

I came home with a lovely selection of fruits, vegetables and even some new additions to my grocery list like a probiotic supplement, Chia seeds, Hemp Hearts, Ume Plum Vinegar and for a quick snack - Mary's Gone Crackers. I also picked up a spaghetti squash and cooked it for dinner with a little help from THIS post on Megg's blog.  It was delicious!  

About Megan:
Megan received her training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York where she was trained in more than one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. She also has a bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin. You can read more about Megan's offerings HERE.

In her words:
We all have to find the right balance that enables us to get what we want out of our days and our lives. As a holistic health coach, I work with people to help them find balance for themselves and achieve their own personal health goals. Whether it’s to have more energy, lose weight, prevent disease or learn to cook, I work with people to help them take small, manageable steps toward a happier and healthier life.

Megan elsewhere...

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3-Day Count Down to my Juice Fast

In the three days leading up to a juice fast I like to prepare my body and brain. I've tried going cold turkey before.  Yes, I'm that stupid lady who tried In n' Out Burger the night before and then strait to liquids the following day. It doesn't work. Take it from me.

This time I'm making some different choices and I thought I'd share what I'm doing to dial down my complex solid food intake before going all liquid. Here's what my Saturday, Sunday and Monday will look like:

3-Day Count Down

Saturday: Eliminate meat, alcohol and dairy. (I can eat anything else.)

Sunday: White flour and white sugar join the elimination list. (I can eat anything else.)

Monday: Grains, nuts and carbs join the elimination list, which means only veggies and fruit for the last day. But I can eat as much of it as I like.

Then What?

Then, I start a 7-day juice fast on Tuesday. I'll mostly be drinking green juice throughout the day. I usually change up the menu for my afternoon juice to something else, but then return to the green juice in the evening. I drink as much green juice as I want during the day. At night, sometimes I treat myself to a warm mug of plain green tea. And that is it!

Here's a meatless meal to kick off my countdown:

Sweet Potato, Onion and Kale Tacos: This is one of my favorite cooked meals and its perfect for day one of my 3-day count down. I start with a hearty vegetable / starch as a base such as chopped sweet potato (my favorite), portobello mushrooms, brown rice or quinoa. I sauté the veggies in a little olive oil until semi-soft. Then I toss them in a tortilla and serve. I like to add my favorite salsa for a little kick. So good!

I threw in some quinoa at the last minute to stretch it out and feed my husband. 

The count down begins!

Seize the Moment - Raw Ranch Dressing

One of the beautiful things about returning home after weeks of being away is that your refrigerator is empty and you have to start over. Okay... mine wasn't completely empty. I still had a bottle of Tanqueray in the freezer. But other than that, it was pretty cavernous.

The first trip to the grocery store tends to be expensive but it is also very freeing. Last night after consulting my raw food prep books I made a list of fresh healthy foods and headed to the store to stock up on all the veggies, fruits and whole foods I could stuff in my reusable bags. It was awesome.

First up? A plate of veggies served with a raw ranch dressing made from a recipe I found in Natalia Rose's Raw Food Detox Diet book. It was delicious!

Raw Ranch Dressing

1 cup raw macadamia nuts

1/2 Tablespoon sea salt 

1 Tablespoon dried rosemary

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

1 Tablespoon dried chives

1 Tablespoon dried sage
1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup cold pressed olive oil

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. (I use a Vitamix.) Add more olive oil for thinner consistency. This dressing will keep for up to a week in the fridge.

Canning

Every tried it?  You know... its that archaic wonderful thing that your grandmother did to preserve the harvest and feed her family during the lean months.  I've been reading "Animal Vegetable Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver (go read it now because it is awesome) and she writes extensively about canning and preserving food.  So, I'm inspired to give it a go. (I know that after reading my previous post some of you are rolling your eyes and saying, "Really?  Canning?  You don't have time for canning!"  But it might be a great way to slow down.)

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Raw Fudge Brownie with Mango Cashew Kreme

I got jiggy last night with my Vitamix blender and made a yummy raw dessert! Inspired by the Fudge Brownie recipe from Ani's 15-Day Fat Blast (page 161), I created the concoction below.  It's not a particularly pretty dessert, but boy is it good.

Raw Fudge Brownie

1 cup raw (unsoaked) walnuts 

1/4 cup Cacao Powder

pinch sea salt to taste

1/3 cup pitted dates

1/4 cup frozen blueberries (or other berry)

1/4 teaspoon maca powder to taste (optional)

I simply pulsed all of the above ingredients in my Vitamix, scraping down the sides as needed until it was all blended together. It makes a dense, moist ball of goodness. Then I split it into two bowls as is.

Ani Phyo is far more civilized than I am and here are her instructions: 

Combine walnuts, cacao powder, salt and maca in a food processor. Pulse into medium pieces. Use some of this mix to powder the bottom of a baking pan. Add dates and pulse to mix well (she doesn't include the frozen blueberries - that was my own bit of brilliance). Batter should stick together when squeezed into a ball. If it's too loose, add a few more sticky dates to help bind it together. If too sticky, add a few more crushed walnuts to firm it up.

Scoop brownie mix into the powdered baking pan and flatten it to 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick pressing lightly. Cut into squares. To serve place brownie in a dish and top with berries (or cashew mango kreme like I did!).

Cashew Mango Kreme

1 mango peeled and pitted

1 small apple (I used gala) cored and peeled

1/2 cup cashews

6 pitted dates

1-2 heaping Tablespoon of raw honey

1/4 - 1/2 cup almond milk for desired consistency

Blend all ingredients together until smooth and serve over Fudge Brownie. 

This is also great served as a fruit dip.

Raw Sweet Corn & Red Pepper Chowder

Last night I made a delicious Raw Sweet Corn and Red Pepper Chowder.  It was so yummy that I thought I'd share my recipe here. Just a tip if you're trying raw recipes: Presentation!  Make your healthy food enticing! I always feel so much better about eating healthy food when it looks gorgeous. Just imagine this chowder without the slices of green avocado, the dollop of red salsa and the corn kernels sprinkled about.  It would still taste great, but it would look like something from a Gerber jar. You're an adult and you deserve pretty food.  Here's a photo of the final product:

Raw Sweet Corn Chowder for dinner:

SOUP BASE:
3 ears corn cut from cob
3/4 cup Brazil Nuts
1 avocado
1/2 red bell pepper (seeded)
1 clove garlic
3/4 cup Olive Oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 - 2 cups water for desired consistency

SOUP TOPPING:
keep a little corn on the side to top soup
keep a few slices of avocado out for topping
dollop of raw salsa
fresh ground pepper

Blend all ingredients and pour into bowls.
Arrange toppings and serve immediately.

 

I also threw a nice salad together this afternoon and topped it with a Walden Farms salad dressing.  I hadn't tried this brand of dressing before mostly because my assumption is that if it has no calories, its going to taste like urine. To my surprise and delight, the Italian Walden Farms dressing is pretty good! Its not my favorite, but for 0 calories, 0 fat, 0 sugar and gluten free - its an awesome choice.  I got mine at a crunchy health food store. Here's a shot of the label and ingredient list in case you're curious:

Raw Treats

Remember THIS post from last week?  Basically, I am tired of paying big money for raw Lara Bars - my favorite convenience food - and finally attempted to make them at home.  Today, I had a free 15 minute stretch to call my own and I produced these brilliant little raw fruit and nut balls.  How did I do it?  I took a handful of dates, raisins, nuts and some coconut powder and chopped them into submission.  Then I kneaded the mass of sticky nutty goo into a thick blob and rolled them into little balls.  The final touch?  Coat the balls in raw coconut powder.  They look like little truffles.  They were a huge hit with my Easter house guests and all of our children.  Here are some photos of the final product.  Delicious!

HERE are some recipes if you'd like to try this at home.

The balls above were made with:

Dates

Raisins

Cashews

Coconut Powder

The Spiralizer

Ever since being on a mostly raw food diet, I've been really curious about using a spiralizer to turn my raw vegetables into noodle shapes.  A spiralizer is a tool for turning raw vegetables into small, curly noodles. You can eat these raw, cooked, or use them as a fancy garnish. It can help you add more vegetables to your diet and is really fun to use. It is by no means necessary, but it is a cool addition to your kitchen if you like non-electric kitchen cooking tools and/or making noodles and garnishes out of vegetables. It can be really helpful on a raw food diet/cleanse to give you some variety in how you prepare your vegetables.  My neighbor, Kathryn, graciously allowed me to borrow hers for a test run.  All I can say is, I'm sold.  Last night I turned this:

...into this:

Zucchini Pasta Marinara

2 zucchini

1 tomato

marinara sauce

 pine nuts

parmesean cheese
fresh basil

Cut off the top and bottom of zucchini.  Place into spiralizer and turn crank until all of the zucchini is in noodle form.  Place in bowls.  Top each bowl with 2 tablespoons of organic marinara, chopped tomato, and chopped basil.  Sprinkle pine nuts and parmesean cheese to taste.  Makes 2-3 servings.

Deeeeeee-licious!

Food Rules

I really enjoyed reading Michael Pollan's new book Food Rules - an Eater's Manual.  I thought I'd include some of my favorite "rules" in today's post for your enjoyment. 

#36

Don't eat breakfast cereals that 

change the color of your milk.

#21

It's not food if it's called by the same name in 

every language. (Think Big Mac, Cheetos, Etc.)

#19

If it came from a plant, eat it;

if it was made in a plant, don't.

#57

Don't get your fuel from 

the same place your car does.

#18

Don't ingest food in places where 

everyone is required to wear a surgical cap.

#13

Eat only foods that 

 will eventually rot.

Gorgeous salad served at Bliss Raw Cafe & Elixir Bar in Dallas, TX

P.S.  Doesn't that raw concoction above look delicious?  That is from a raw food restaurant in Dallas.  Amazing that even in the beef loving, bar-b-que boasting heartland of America, you can find this kind of thing.  I can't wait to try it out!