Tuesday, May 25, 2010

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



11 comments:

  1. Omigosh so many delicious looking eats! I completely agree that the best foods are made up of carbs, and they're such an important source of energy for us that avoiding them is absolutely ridiculous. Low carb diets can go to hell as far as I'm concerned... same with low fat diets ;)

    When it comes to food, I don't mind splurging on the things I enjoy, so I don't usually wait for sales to come around, especially because I don't spend much money on other things. My biggest splurge is probably nut butters though... coconut and raw almond butters are super pricey and I go through them faster than I'd like!

    And when it comes to superfoods, it's just too hard to decide. Berries. Greens. Seeds. Chocolate. I love them all in mass quantities :)

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  2. i usually wait for sales before buying osmething unless its totally amazing and need to have it right away.. or if it really new.

    i want to hug carbs, fats, sugars, protein, veg, fruit, the whole gammit :)

    my fav superfoods are maca, all seaweeds, and acai berries

    ive tried falafels for the first time recently...crazy huh! BUT I LOVE THEM!

    ...sweet dreams
    ..of carbs...
    xoxo girlie <3

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  3. Three cheers for carb-loving!!!!!!! I love all carbs - especially fruits , veggies and beans!!!!! This time of year I love fresh veggies too - can't seem to get enough - some of my top favs include grilled eggplant, roasted red peppers on an Ezekial pita with of course some healthy fats - hummus!!!!!! I also love summer fruits - i too love berries the most but I just had my first peach of the season which was delicious as well as watermelon!!!!!
    Made my first homemade black bean burger last night - i dont think ill ever buy store bought again!!! Ill post the recipe - great post = love all your ideas . Have a great Wednesday - xoxo aimee

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  4. Ohhh, I'm with ya girl. Carbs are my best friends! Okay, and fats and legumes, like you said ;) Just finished my big bowl of oats, and am about to make a big sandwich on fresh bread for lunch. I mean really, is there anything better than freshly baked seeded multi-grain bread?!
    You oat bran looks delish with all those fresh berries!! I love berries, too :)
    I try to wait for things to be on sale lately, or t least have a coupon. A lot of company websites let you print off coupons, which I've been loving since I've been feeling frugal lately, lol. I think my biggest splurges are on nut butters, though that's only every couple weeks or so. So maybe yogurt or cereal. Yogurt is expensive! I splurge a lot on produce, but don't consider that a splurge since I'm such a veggie & fruit girl ;)

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  5. Carbs...can't live without them. Literally. And metaphorically. It's my favorite food group, for sure!

    I usually don't splurge on food that aren't on sale, unless it's sweet potatoes, kabocha, oats, or nuts. Notice that most of them are carbs? ;-)

    Don't really believe in a "superfood"...I think all foods are super!

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  6. I LOVE CARBS TOO! Fruit is my favorite and I would be absolutely ecstatic if I could have all kinds of the freshest, organic fruit right at my fingertips.

    When it comes to sales, it all depends on the food. If it's something that I'm not sure about buying, I'll usually grab it if I see it on sale. Other then that, if it's something I really want to try or something I love, I'll buy it regardless of the cost. :)

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  7. I won't buy certain bars (like Luna) unless I get them at WF, where they're .99.

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  8. I am always hugging my carbies- LOVE oatmeal! And pancakes! And cereal! :)
    I am always willing to splurge on almond butter, but when it comes to certain things (Clif bars, for example) I typically wait for a sale unless I just HAVE to have them.

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  9. haha our society is so confused! No fat, no carbs...(and according to my latest post) no protein. I guess that leaves water :D

    Was the Rice Vegan the first non-dairy cheese you've ever tried?? I gotta say, that was the worst brand I've ever tried lol. If you want to try a really tasty cheeZe, I'd suggest Daiya!

    Loveee all your eats girl. And peaches are my fav. summer fruit!

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  10. I'm totally with you! Carbs = the best things ever. I love them just a little more than fats, which, for me, is saying something. :)

    I don't blame you for repeating that salad! It looks way good. Also, is the Rice Vegan "cheese" really good? I've eyed it many a time, but I have yet to cave.

    Girl, I am a total cheap-o when it comes to sales and stuff. I always look for the cheapest price and often wait for things to go on sale. My most recent splurge was $10 on an 8 oz bag of cacao nibs. Expensive, but totally worth it. I'm also known to spend $20 on a 32 oz jar of coconut cream. Yeah, it's that good. :)

    As far as new things that I've tried, I made cashew cream the other day and it was delicious. Seriously, I love it. You should try it some time! All it is raw cashews soaked overnight, blended up with a little water/almond milk. You can also add a little agave or stevia to make it sweeter, and I like mine stirred in with cocoa powder. :)

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  11. I love love love Mary's Gone Crackers. All of them!

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