Have a great day - eat something healthy.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Grab 'n Go - When it's too Crazy to Cook

This week is crazy for me. I've got deadlines up the wazoo, I'm getting more assignments daily (no complaints about that!), and I'm trying to fit my workouts into to daily life while keeping my home and social lives going. So I've been eating the easy stuff - baked tofu sandwiches with avocado and substituting lettuce for bread (I do that all the time), oatmeal with stevia and cinnamon, apples, carrots, strawberries and nuts. I plan on hitting the kitchen next week but it's just not in the cards right now.

Tuesday night I popped into Whole Foods for a few staples and was excited when Lauren, the marketing and community relations specialist at Whole Foods,  pointed out an array of grab 'n go foods that are perfectly suited for a healthy diet, particularly the Engine 2. I've never even looked at the prepared foods case before because I'm typically not one to buy anything that I can make to my own specifications at home. But there are times - like this week - when I just don't have the time to pull something together and carrots or oatmeal are not enough. I tried a few items and was pleasantly surprised with how satisfying they were. Now I know that I can get something healthy in a pinch. Who says you can't be healthy on the go?!! Thanks to Lauren, for turning me on to a great game changer!

Check out these two items -

Black Bean Shaker: A 12-oz. layered salad with black beans, red onions, corn, red peppers, green  peppers, jicama, roma tomato, cilantro, and oil-free avocado dressing (avocado, tofu, lime jice, mint, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, sea salt, date syrup made with dates, water and lime).

This was a little clumsy. Well, I was a little clumsy. I found the container hard to open and once I got it open, I added the dressing before I shook up the salad - probably not a smart move since the dressing was quite thick. Next time I'll add the dressing after I shake the salad, dabbing it on individual bites. All in all, this has a nice, fresh flavor and is quite satisfying. And it's something you can feel completely great about eating.   

Aztec Quinoa & Black Bean Chili Soup: A 24-oz container of soup made with quinoa, celery, carrots, yellow onions, tomato, black beans, roasted poblano, cilantro, cumin, chipotle pepper, sea salt, oregano, sherry wine, garlic, water, roasted corn, lime juice, and cornmeal.

I found this soup to be a little on the bland side, in spite of its impressive list of ingredients. But I'm the kind of girl who uses 6 cloves of garlic when a recipe calls for 2 and extra curry and chili powder to spice up Indian and Mexican dishes. I've also given up salt recently so my taste buds are still adjusting. I'm going to try it again in about 2 weeks, after my palate has adjusted to the E2 diet and life without salt! 

4 comments:

  1. I'm the same way when it comes to garlic & spices Ivy, if 1 tsp is good, then 2 TBS must be great! Unfortunately this philosophy ends up spilling over into the eating process and how I end up gaining weight! Not having the benefit of a Whole Foods store within at least 100 mi, I'm going to take advatage of my travel time and sample some of those items. The layered salad looks especially yummy (thanks for the preparation warning)
    This is why I love reading this blog. Loaded with great advice and tips every day!
    Thanks Ivy!

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  2. I know, Jen, when did we learn the more is better lesson, anyway? Have a good time while you're traveing and be sure to stop into a Whole Foods. It's a wonderland! I always feel like I'm on a field trip when I go because I learn something new every time! Bon voyage!

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  3. I thought the same thing about the soup. I just picked up another container of it to try this week thinking it will taste different after going through salt withdrawal. :) I'll keep you posted.

    It's great to meet fellow bloggers going through the same challenge. Nice to meet you. :)

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  4. Hi, Jen! Nice to meet you too! I'll be interested ot hear how you make the adjustment. Let's be sure to be in touch swap notes and stories! Talk to you soon!

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