olive oil

Burger King has come out with a new fry recipe called Satisfries. It’s supposed to be healthier than the McDonald’s fries. They contain 40% less fat and 30% fewer calories. Is it actually better? No. The ingredients in the Satisfries are: Potatoes vegetable oil (contains one or more of these oils: canola, soybean, cottonseed, sunflower, corn) tapioca starch modified corn starch-modified paprika extract (color) rice flour salt sodium acid pyrophosphate (to maintain natural color) turmeric extract (color) xantham gum Now compare them to the regular fries: Not too different, huh? Not only do the Satisfries contain GMOs, they are deep fried in vegetable oils. These oils are extremely inflammatory. This means they wreak havoc on the body. They are very high in omega-6 fatty acids and very low in omega-3 fatty acids. Even small amounts of this oil distort omega 3 to 6 balance that is necessary to maintain a healthy body…

I finished the Paleo Snap Challenge and I have to be honest, it wasn’t that difficult. Growing up I was raised by my grandmother and occasionally by my mostly absent mother. My grandmother’s income consisted of social security, which left little money for food; therefore I ate a lot of white bread and margarine sandwiches. By 16 I was living on my own and had hardly any money at all, much less to spend on food. I know what it’s like to be poor. I became really good at creating different meals from the same ingredients, which is something people do in jail, which I learned from a very sketchy roommate I once had. While the food this past week was repetitive and boring, it was nourishing, it kept me full and it did its job. I was unable to spend on luxury items that keep my body optimally functioning…

I know I’m only in my third day, but cooking a limited amount of food in terms of ingredients has not beed terribly difficult. I’m sure by the end of the week I’ll be tired of beef, eggs, onions, broccoli, tomatoes and potatoes, but right now I’m good. The limited ingredients has forced me to become more creative with my meals and I was even able to come up with a new recipe. This is actually turning into something I really enjoy. I love being forced to come up with new meals from the same ingredients. Last night I decided to whip out the stovetop grill. Grilling food always reminds me of summer, and since summer is dwindling and I actually had to wear a coat today, I wanted to get a good grill in before most of my meals turn to hearty soups and stews. Grilling is an easy way to…

On Friday night Scott and I had our friends Nick and Tasha over for dinner. I made brushetta with grain-free bread, asparagus, stuffed mushrooms, mashed potatoes and salmon. I made sure to make extra salmon and mashed potatoes because I knew we would eat it throughout the next week (aka this week). On Saturday we went tubing with friends and had a cookout afterward. For the cookout I made potato salad and pasta salad (using rice pasta). I did the same thing, I made a ton of it so we’d have leftovers to eat throughout the week. Salad ingredients. Last week I saw three small heads of romaine for $4.99 versus the normal $3 I spend on one. I then realized that three small heads, while it may look like a deal, produced a lot less lettuce than my one giant head. I stuck with the giant head this week. Mashed…

Scott and I spent the weekend in Rehoboth Beach. We had an awesome time and headed back pretty early on Sunday. Throughout the week we eat a lot of salads, eggs, rice and/or potatoes as a safe starch, and other various proteins. We made a quick stop at the grocery store and here is what I prepped for the week. Last week I made a new recipe I came up with, Asian eggplant and chicken. It was so good. I’ve been craving it ever since I made it. I got one really large eggplant at the store and cut it into cubes to make the recipe this week. It doesn’t look like a lot, but the tupperware it’s in is really deep. It will be enough for Scott and I for dinner and lunch the next day. I grilled 4 chicken thighs and cut them up. I can add to…

I’ll be honest, I didn’t make a ton of food yesterday because I was feeling super lazy. Scott and I went on a really long walk earlier in the day (in the hot sun and humidity) and I had been on the go all weekend. The last thing I wanted to do was spend hours cooking and chopping food, but I knew this week would be busy so I didn’t want to be completely unprepared either. Meal plan life doesn’t always go as planned. I decided to stick with the basics: I chopped one whole head of romaine for salads. Also chopped two whole cucumbers for salads. Even though I didn’t chop the tomatoes in this picture, I sliced ’em up for salads. At the farmers market on Sunday I got a TON of basil for $4. It was insane. The bunch of basil was bigger than Scott’s head, which is really…