Zumba!

Being healthy isn't just about eating right.  It's also involves getting off your butt and shaking it!  Until recently, I hadn't been to the gym in a really long time.  Like really, really long.  Embarrassingly long.  Anyway, now that I've lost a little weight, I'm feeling better, moving more, doing more, and I was ready to get back in the gym.  I found a local gym that is super cheap and they have free classes too.  I took my first Zumba class today!  It was actually a Zumba toning class, which is apparently just Zumba with weights.  I was really nervous because I've never really done a group class. Also, I don't have a lot of rhythm and I totally didn't want to make an idiot out of myself.  I just had to say screw it and go for it!  It wasn't that bad actually.  Let's break it down:

 

1.  I wasn't the only one in the class without rhythm, so that made me feel better about my crazy arm flailing.

 

2.  It was very fast paced.  I would just about get one move down and we would switch to something else.  I was moving though, and that's all that counts.  Plus, once I've been several times I should know more and then it will be easier and more fun!

 

3.  After about 30 minutes, I was ready to give up.  BUT  I stuck it out and just kept moving!  I couldn't do a few of the moves, so I just did my own thing until we switched to something I could do again.  Whatever you do, don't give up! 

 

This picture pretty much sums up my first (and probably all future) Zumba experience:

 

 

What's your favorite group class?

 

Bon Appetit!

Missy Picky Pants

 



Kale Chips!

One of my weaknesses is salty, crunchy snack foods...mainly chips.  I had seen several recipes on Pinterest for different veggie chips, but I didn't like any veggies so I never tried them.  I had no idea what I was missing out on!  I have tried zucchini, kale, and sweet potato so far and kale is definitely my fav!  It's super quick and easy.  Zucchini and sweet potato take a while to cook and I usually want it now.  Plus, kale is pretty inexpensive and super yummy! Who knew?!  Let's break it down:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Wash the kale thoroughly in a strainer and let it dry a bit.  Make sure you move the leaves apart and get all of the dirt off of it.

3.  Pull the leaves off the side and break them into smallish pieces.  You don't use the middle stalk.

4.  Throw the pieces in a bowl and grab some olive oil and your favorite seasonings.  I use a salt free garlic and herb because I can use a lot of it for extra flavor without it getting super salty.  Then, I add a tiny bit of garlic salt.  Seriously, add only a little salt.  A little goes a long way...trust me.

5.  Move the kale aside and drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of the bowl. (You don't need a ton of this either)  Then toss the kale around with your hands until it's cover with oil.  Sprinkle with whatever seasoning you want to use.  I use the salt free seasoning first and then just a tad of the garlic salt.

6.  Spread the kale pieces out on a foil lined baking sheet.  If you see any pieces that look too big, break them in half.  The smaller the pieces, the quicker they'll cook.  Place them in the oven and cook for 10-12 min depending on the size of the pieces.  I usually check them after 10 min and put them back in for a minute or two if they need it.

7.  They shrink up while cooking, so definitely make more than you think you want.  It won't be as much as you think.  When they're done, they will be just a little crunchy, but shouldn't look burned.  If you taste one and it's still chewy, they need a minute or two longer.

8.  Eat and enjoy!  They are an awesome healthy snack that take very little time to prep and bake so it'll stop you from grabbing something else out of convenience.  What's your go to healthy snack?

Healthy eating, made cheaper!

One big issue that has stopped me from eating healthy in the past (besides dry heaving at the thought of cauliflower) is that it is SO expensive!  Eating crap is so much cheaper.  You eat crap?  Not anymore!  Well..occasionally I still have lapses in judgement, but I digress.  For those of you who don't know me, I'm kind of into couponing.  OK..I'm really into couponing.  It's my drug!  It feels so good to get a ton of stuff for free!  I love being able to pay with coupons instead of cash!  It's the best. ever. in. life.  The problem is most of the food items I've been getting were super processed, bad for you food.  I made it my mission the last time our grocery store ran a promotion to get only healthy-ish foods.  I still got a couple items that aren't the best, but they aren't super terrible either.  It wasn't that hard!  If you look, you can find coupons for items that are good for you.  One website that I subscribe to that sends me a new coupon each week is Earthbound Farm Organic.  Yes...ORGANIC.  First of all, it is rare to find a coupon for produce, but it is even more rare that is it for organic produce.  I don't purchase organic everything..yet...but I try to whenever I can.  This coupon is awesome because it allows me to save money each week on a couple of organic produce items.  They even have frozen veggies, which are even better because they last longer.  Here is the link to sign up for the coupon.  They will email you each week with tips on healthy eating and to let you know your new coupon is ready to print!  It will say it's for a specific product that goes with whatever they are talking about that week, but you can use it on ANY Earthbound Farms product.  You can print 2 coupons per computer, so print it as many times as you can!  Here are a couple of websites that I use to find other coupon deals:  www.thekrazycouponlady.com and www.couponstl.blogspot.com (this one is local for the St. Louis area.  If you don't live in the St. Louis area, definitely search for a local blog of your own!)  Do you have any coupon sites for healthy food?  Share!!

Bon Appetit!

Missy Picky Pants 

H2O!

 

I haven't had any pop in about 2 months now.  I had tried to cut back for a while and would only have one or two a week, so it wasn't too hard to stop completely.  I just realized it was stupid to continue to drink something that wasn't doing anything good for me AND I had fallen in love with something way better...water!  I used to feel obligated to drink a least a little water each day.  I really didn't like it.  I would make myself drink it, but it definitely wasn't my fav.  I think my body had gotten so addicted to diet pop that I just couldn't enjoy anything else.  Now..I'm sure you've heard all of the reasons that you shouldn't drink pop (specifically diet pop), so I'm won't tell you again.  What I will do is tell you the benefits of adding more water to your diet!  First off, you should know how much water you need to drink each day.  Take your weight and multiply it by .65 oz.  That will tell you how many ounces of water you should be having each day.  You should also add 12 oz for each 30 min that you work out.  By making sure you have an adequate amount of water each day, you will:

1.  Avoid dehydration during initial weight loss. 
2.  Help yourself feel full more quickly.
3.  Help flush out toxins.
4.  Lubricate your joints and help maintain muscle tone.
5.  Keep your skin moisturized which will help you stay looking younger, longer.  Score!
6.  Help raise your metabolism!  Water raises your metabolism because it helps digestion.

And so much more!  Just search benefits of water and you could read for days.  If you're not a big water fan, like me, it will take a bit before you want to drink it.  But it will happen!  Try buying some sort of water filter that you can keep in the fridge and a refillable water bottle.  We have a Culligan water cooler.  We just refill water bottles from it and keep them in the fridge.  Ice cold filtered water is the best.  You will feel so much better on the inside and it will start showing on the outside too!  So..starting making water your new best friend!  It's one of the best decisions I made! 

Also!  If it's caffeine you're looking for, then I recommend Spark!  It has about as much caffeine as a small cup of coffee AND 21 vitamins and minerals.  It's amazing!  I'm not big on caffeine and stopped drinking coffee over a year ago.  I wanted something to help get me going in the morning, but didn't want any caffeine side effects.  Spark does just that!  It doesn't make me feel jittery and gives me the pick-me-up and mental focus I'm looking for.  You mix it in 8 oz of water and it comes in a bunch of flavors.  My fav are fruit punch and strawberry mango...and they just came out with watermelon which I've heard is amazing.  It's my new favorite thing to help me get going in the morning!

Bon Appetit!

Missy Picky Pants 

Ch...ch...ch...chia!

An awesome little thing I recently discovered is the chia seed. When you think of chia, you probably think of those weird clay animals with sprouted chia seeds covering their bodies. If you hear chia and don't immediately sing the jingle..ch-ch-ch-chia...then you must have lived under a rock your whole life. So sad! Well, chia seeds actually have another purpose. They are super healthy for you to EAT! They are a plant-based source of protein, a rich source of calcium, are the richest plant-source of Omega-3, and so much more. It can absorb more than 12 times its weight in water, so it helps you feel fuller longer. It works to help balance blood sugar too! Both the gelling action(add them to a glass of water and it turns into a gel as it absorbs the water) and combination of soluble and insoluble fiber slow down the conversion of starches to sugar. It's seriously amazing! I could go on and on. So...what does that mean to us picky eaters? Cause who cares how good it is if it's gross, right? Good news! It's yummy! It actually doesn't really have a taste, which is a super score for the picky people! You can put it in or on pretty much anything! I add it in whenever I can. The only bad part is they get stuck in your teeth, so keep the floss handy!  Here's what they look like:

 

 

 Today for breakfast I added them to my bagel and tried something new..almond butter! Lets break it down:

1. I use 100% whole wheat bagel thins. They are yummy and only 110 calories!

2. I normally use a natural peanut butter, but have heard that almond butter is so much better for you. They are both good sources of protein and have about the same calorie count, but almond butter has less saturated fat, more iron, more vitamin E, and twice as much fiber as peanut butter. Peanut butter isn't bad for you, but if I can find something a little better, why not?!

3. Obviously, toast the bagel and spread with almond butter. If you actually needed this step, you have worse problems than healthy eating.

4. Chia time! I sprinkled 1/2 a teaspoon over the almond butter. You can use as much as you'd like!

5. Some people might like bananas with almond(or peanut) butter, but I say eww. I like bananas though and it's always a good idea to add some fruit in for breakfast! 

Now that's what I call a happy meal!

So, what's the verdict on the almond butter?!  Delicious!  It tasted just slightly different than peanut butter, but pretty much the same.  I couldn't taste the chia seeds and had only a few in my teeth.  Yay!  So..what are you waiting for?!  Go get some chia and start sprinkling that crap on EVERYTHING! 

Bon Appetit!

Missy Picky Pants

Lunch!

What's that green stuff on my plate, you ask?  It's kale!  Hold your groans...  I recently discovered kale when I saw a recipe for kale chips and decided to try them...and SCORE!  They are really good.  My adventures in making veggie chips will be a different post.  Anyway, since I liked them so much in chip form, I thought they might be good on a sandwich.  One important thing for healthy picky eating is to try and hide healthy stuff in things that you already like.  So, I decided to try it on my turkey sandwich for lunch!  Let's break it down: 

1.  I use Sandwich Thins because they are totally enough bread, only 100 calories, and yummy!
2.  Don't skimp on the turkey!  I get it from the deli cause that pre-packaged stuff is just gross.
3.  If you're gonna use mayo, go with light mayo, and measure it out!  I used a teaspoon.
4.  One stalk of kale was more than enough.  Make sure you wash it really good!

5. You only use the leafy part of the kale. Tear it off the stalk and use as much as you want!

6.  This is optional, but I'm a weirdo (shocking..I know) and I love to put chips on my sandwich.  I use to put a bunch on there and eat a couple handfuls on the side.  Not anymore!  First, I found some yummy veggie chips.  I don't really like them on their own, but they're good on the sandwich.  I only use 4.  I would normally put them on top, but since my kale is there, I put them on the bottom.

7.  Every picky person has to have some veggie or fruit that they like.  If the sandwich isn't enough, add that healthy fav on the side!  I chose carrot sticks.  I really like the petite baby ones.  I don't know why, but they just taste better!



So..what's the verdict?!  Delicious!  This is honestly the first time I've eaten kale in non chip form and I was a little nervous.  I tasted a piece on it's own before I put it on the sandwich and it wasn't very good.  I considered scrapping this whole idea.  I'm glad I sucked it up and tried it because it was really good!  I honestly couldn't even taste it!  I think next time, I'll save some kale chips and use those instead of the veggie chips.  Hopefully that'll give me the crunch that I'm looking for with a little flavor.  What are your weird sandwich ideas?

Bon Appetit!
Missy Picky Pants

Welcome!

Hey there!  Welcome to my adventures in healthy eating..with a picky pallet!  I have always eaten like a 5 year old.  Well, except when I was 5.  Then, I ate like I was 2.  Terrible.  It's difficult to eat healthy when all you like is pizza and chicken nuggets.  You feel me?  Good.  Recently, I've made it my mission to find things that are good for me AND taste good.  I'm by no means an amazing chef or anything.  I'm just discovering ways to prepare the foods that I normally don't like so they taste yummy!  Never did I think I would be excited to have some asparagus for dinner.  Never.  BUT..now I am!  Insanity.  It's actually really good!  Anyway, I decided that I should blog about it and maybe I'll help the 5 year old in all of us!  I'm just a girl...standing in front of some broccoli...asking it to taste good. Bon Appetit!

~Missy Picky Pants