I feel like I just got comfortable with having salad for lunch every day in a wrap. But it’s so cold now! (Ha, OK: February in San Francisco!)
Because I still don’t think of vegetables first when hungry, stuff like this is pleasantly surprising. Like I’ve said (and I shouldn’t be so surprised) I have found eating vegetables every day makes a big difference in my energy.
So I decided to switch for awhile from lettuce to spinach that I can eat warm. Thus I can still cross ‘eat leafy greens daily’ off my to-do list.
Leafy Greens
Now in my mini kitchen (think small fridge with smaller freezer compartment, electric kettle, and a microwave), I keep a bag of frozen spinach. In the simplest feat, I heat it up and pour bottled peanut sauce on it. Delicious, quick and easy.
Another quick way to use frozen spinach is to toss it into canned soup. Again, no prep.
I imagine you can buy other dark greens like Brussels sprouts, chard, or bok choy already prepped in the freezer section as well. In fact, I have a friend who gets her kale that way which avoids prep for those with limited hand dexterity or a limited kitchen!
Sweet Potatoes
My other healthy quick go-to lately is sweet potatoes. I wipe them clean with a wet paper towel, prick several times with a fork, then pop in the microwave for two minutes or more. When done I retrieve and just start eating, skin and all.
“Sweet potatoes are one of the healthiest foods known,” according to some health and wellness gurus. “The skins of sweet potatoes contain a number of additional nutrients, so it is beneficial to eat your sweet potato with the skin.”
It’s a great hand warmer too.
Whole Grains
I also have oatmeal every morning with walnuts and dried cranberries.
“Although oatmeal is nutritious, adding other toppings to your oatmeal will balance out your breakfast,” say gurus again. “Stirring dried cranberries and chopped walnuts into your daily oatmeal will add fruit and lean protein — the walnuts — to your breakfast.”
Instead of buying those little packets, I just get the regular canisters of oatmeal, then use an old plastic pudding cup container (light weight, plus portion control) to parcel out the morning’s amount, and add a handful each of walnuts and dried cranberries.
I sprinkle on some coconut sugar (lower glycemic impact), heat water to boiling in my electric kettle, add it and cover the bowl and let it sit for a few minutes. Serving of nuts crossed off the list.
Eating like this crosses things off my daily to-do list: veggies, nuts and whole grains. Check!