Kissing Carbs

Hiya, fat-huggers! :)

I was so overjoyed to recieve your comments on fats. Fats are such a necessary and delicious part of nutrition that it's so great that you're imbracing it. Although some of us have turned our backs on fats before, this hugging is here to stay. I just wish we could spread this message to more people outside of the blog world. It seems that fats have gotten such a bad rap in society these days. Actually, lots of goodies have. No fat, no carb, NO FUN!

Now that my fats got some hugging in my last post, it's time to spread the love to carbs. Oh carbs, how I love thee! If I had to choose a favorite food type, carbs would definitely be it. Grains, fruits, veggies, you name it: I adore them all. While I could explain why they're so good for us and how delicious they are, for now I'll just kiss some carbs. Anyone with me?

Carbs for breakfast is a recipe for success in my book. Oats and fruit of some kind is almost always on the menu to start my day off right.

With my abundance of fruit, my oats have been especially delightful. I've never actually combined all my favorite berries into one breakfast. I guess it's just like this. Really, with amazing produce and an creamy grain, how could you possibly go wrong?

Monday's oat bran with raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries with golden flax seed and copious amounts of cinnamon made Monday much less Monday-like.

Tuesday's similar combination (I just can't get enough!) with the addition of blackberries increased my taste buds' happiness even further. I'm pretty sure the delicious factor is exponential because these combos keep getting better and better!

Not only are carbs yummy, but they also contain protein. Can you say nutritional powerhouses? I love how certain foods fit in all there major categories (carb, fat, protein). Speaking of which, I can't get enough of legumes. They definitely deserve a post of their own, but for now this will suffice. 

A legume I usually forget about is split peas. Actually, I can't even remember the last time I had them. Regardless, I got a random craving for them over the weekend. Thanks to some searching in my favorite blog's archives, I was able to decide on Vegan with a Vengeance's Curried Split Pea Soup. Oddly, it tasted sweet to me. However, I find that most foods in their whole form taste sweet to me. Their sweetness definitely beats that of traditional sweets any day. Forget the candy, I'll take some veggies, please! 

Crackers (Mary's Gone Crackers Herb, I love you. Why did I wait so long to try you out?) & soup meet carrots, cherries (the first of the season!), and cukes

Speaking of awesome carbs, greens and beans are also all-stars. Did you know leafy greens are considered to be the most nutrient dense per serving size? They're packed with protein and vitamins, some supplying the same amount of calcium (or more!) as milk. As for beans, they're loaded with protein, fiber, and even iron. As a side note, fresh is definitely better. When you can, try making your own from dried beans. With just a little bit of planning, you'll never go back. 

Celebration for these superheroes is in definitely in order. 

Celebration in the form of Tuesday's lunch: check! A salad with green leaf lettuce (hiding), kale chips, black beans, carrots, cucumbers, and salsa. There might have also been a few flax crackers involved. The fats were apparently feeling lonely ;). 

For dinner, I've been craving veggies more veggies still. I feel like it must be the change in weather. Whereas I used to crave warm meals, now all I want is lightly steamed veggies. Let the games begin! 

Sorry for the repetition, but this salad blows my mind. I'm still in the camp that simplicity is sometimes best. In the face of crazy Mondays, it's nice to know that favorites will never disappoint.

Tonight I even tried a new product! While it was not exactly a carb per-say, it was still yummy. I guess since it's made from rice it kind of works, right? ;) 

To incorporate my new find, I made a vegan quesadilla with Galaxy's Rice Vegan "Cheese" (American flavor) and black beans. While I can't really determine if it was American flavor-y, I did enjoy it. (Oh, and it melts! Wahoo!) However, I'm not one for processed products, but a little indulgence once and a while is fun. To be honest, I've been wanting to try some vegan cheeze for awhile and finally decided to do so when I saw it was on sale. I admit that I'm a bit of a sale snob. Do you wait for certain products to go on sale before you try them? Sale or not, what's your biggest splurge?

 

My quesadilla seemed like simply a side dish next to these wonderful veg. Broccoli, cauliflower, yellow squash, brussel sprouts, carrots, oh my! Veggies have a special place in my heart. I usually save a few for last because I enjoy them most. Do you save the best for last or go for it first?

To close my carb hugging, here's a carb that has recently come back into my life. Peaches are another reason why I love summer. While they definitely don't make my top fruit favorites (berries dominate, of course), they remind me of summer and I always enjoy a few during the season. I meant to do an ode to peaches and cream by making vegan pudding or at least dousing them in a pool of almond milk, but I just wasn't feel it. Instead, I popped in them in the fridge for a few minutes and savored their cool juice. Bring on summer! 

Now that you've seen a few of my favorites, what are your favorite superfoods? With a world full of whole foods, there are infinite possibilities and so many yet to discover! Have you tried anything new lately that you really liked?

Have a lovely day and hug your carbs good night! 

xox, 

Mandiee