1/3/2023
Happy 2023, everyone! What a lovely year it was and thanks goes out to each of you for ordering each week. I love hearing how much you enjoy the food, and love knowing that I'm helping to keep you nourished, one mouth at a time.
If you signed up for the month of January, you do not need to re-order this week! However, if you want to add on or customize your menu, I will send you a link with instructions on how to do so. Otherwise, just count yourself in for next week.
**Going to revisit the Target parking lot drug/food deal this month and see if that gains interest. Please choose that option when you order this week or be sure to let me know if you are interested.**
This week's "food for thought":
Make sure to start your day with a healthy breakfast that has the right balance of fiber, protein, carbohydrates, and good fat. I definitely don't count (or know how to) count macros, but I can say if I skip breakfast or eat a half-ass meal, I can feel it. So make sure to start your day with a nourishing meal. I know breakfasts can be rushed, so soup is the way to go! Just toss it in the saucepan while you are getting ready for work, and throw it in a travel mug and sip as you get yourself where you need to be. By the time you get there you will be fueled and ready to make that day your bitch!
My favorite combo of flavors is a little sweet and a little spicy - this week's salad has just that for you! And just this one meal has a great balance of all of the above requirements too, plus you get over 10 different plant varieties just from this one meal. Did you know that varying your plants is one of the best ways to build a healthy gut?
Go ahead and heat these balls up in the oven (covered to keep the moisture, you can even add a drop of water to the baking dish), or stove top. These are packed with veggies, protein, and fat so you may be able to break this up into two meals to share, depending on your appetite. If it were me, I would chop up the meat and stir fry it up with the broccoli and rice. Save the mayo and use it for that burger night you are gonna have this Friday ;-)
I have a confession. I didn't make this week's Ricotta myself. Matt (the lovely owner of Fit Foods, and all-around-awesome-human) happened to have one of my favorite brands Kite Hill Ricotta in excess so I decided to treat you guys to that instead in this week's baked ziti. I also added a little extra sauce to keep things moist. Go ahead and heat this one covered stovetop or oven. Again, a little water in the pan can go a long way to keep things moist.
Weekly Fun Food Fact
I don't know about you, but the vast amount of information out there on what is "healthy" and what is "unhealthy" can be daunting. To be honest, I am not even sure of where I stand on gluten and dairy-free anymore (but still going to offer that cuisine for my menus don't worry)! The research is always suggesting new and exciting insights that spark all sorts of consideration for what we should be eating, but one thing seems to make the most sense to me. Michael Pollen says "eat food. not too much. mostly plants". So that's what I suggest. From there, you need to listen to your body and what it needs. No instagram reel or scientific study can give you the information that you need, more than info you get from your own body and its cues. So listen up!
That all being said, my food fact for the week is that there is no one magic bullet, superfood, diet, or exercise program that will work for everyone. If you are struggling to figure out what works best for you, I say start simple with a journal. Write down what you eat, what time you eat it, and how you felt right after or later in the day. Write down your movement/exercise routine that day. Record your sleep. You will definitely start to notice patterns and see what makes you feel the best. Sometimes it is how you eat and when you eat vs. what you eat. So as we move into a new year, with intentions of a "healthier you" - turn down the volume on outside information and turn up the sound of your intuition (it's no coincidence we call that - your gut feeling).
Try this:
Not sure how to "eat healthy". Start with 30 days of "REAL FOOD". Let's call it REAL 30 ;-). Eat only real foods for 30 days. That includes spices and oils. Try to eat things in the form closest to the way it was put on this earth (and then into your mouth). If you are buying a prepared food or packaged item, try and stick to the rule of 5 ingredients or less and KNOW WHAT THE INGREDIENTS ARE. See how you feel after even just a week of this!!
Another challenge: Food is pricey right now. I challenge you to make meals out of whatever is in your pantry and you can only buy a handful of ingredients at the store to make this happen. Use up what you have. You'd be surprised what a random fridge/pantry trash meal can be!!
Hope you have a kick-ass first week of 2023! Don't forget to place your order this week!
XXX