8/29/2023
Happy Tuesday! Hope you are all enjoying your food so far. Reminder: THIS IS THE LAST WEEK FOR AUGUST. PLACE YOUR SEPTEMBER MONTHLY TODAY!!
I'm adding a new section this week (below). I have learned these tips from you so if you have any more, please share them with me!
Just the Tip - How to Make these meals "the best you ever had":
Put your meals in your own tupperware when you return home for maximum freshness!
Add a piece of paper towel to "moist" meals like salad.
Eat your salads first!
Try to heat your food stovetop or in the oven vs. the microwave.
Add a drop of moisture like water or EVOO to meals when heating them covered in the oven so they don't dry out.
This week's "food for thought":
The minestrone this week was my favorite meal. Packed with a ton of plants, plust plant-based protein and fresh herbs. All you need is a dollop of yogurt on top for your serving of fermented food and you've got everything you need in one meal. I recommend starting this cloudy Tuesday off with some of that thick soup!
I recommend tossing your kale salad with the dressing (and massaging the leaves if you have time) like 10-20 minutes before you eat it for best results.
The BBQ bowl is delish. You can definitely eat this one on the fly, but if you want to heat it up covered in the oven or stovetop is your best bet. I may even save the ranch dressing for another meal later in the week as the bbq sauce brings a lot of flavor. Try adding some avocado to the top of this meal.
It's funny. Whenever I put frittata on the menu, it is the least ordered of the four meals but in my opinion, it has the best bang out of all of the meals. It can satisfy the breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack need, can be eaten cold or hot, and has all the protein, fat, carbs, fiber, and fermented food you need.
The broccoli salad was another favorite this week for me. Anything with greek flavor and I am in. I would eat this one cold and add some grilled chicken to it. Want to share it with a friend? Add some brown rice, grilled chicken or fish, a dollop of greek yogurt. Voila!
If you haven't shoved your balls in your mouth already, then put these in the freezer until you're ready.
Weekly Fun Food Fact
Did you know that each year 119 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States? That is about 130 billion meals and more than $400 billion wasted.
We try and save time and food by using as much as the food we are prepping as possible.
Some tips that come to mind: eat the skins! Kiwis, carrots, mangos, apples, cucumbers, etc.! The skins are packed with fiber and other nutrients, not to mention they add a whole experience to your food. Eating a kiwi with skin vs. without is a whole other flavor and texture journey!
Eat the seeds! You always hear about eating flax, hemp, and chia seeds but seeds in your other fruits and veggies are so beneficial for your health! For example, eating the seeds of cucumbers, which are often discarded, is helpful in cancer prevention and creating strength in the body! Other seeds to think about are pumpkin, tomatoes, sunflower, etc.
Try this:
Use your minestrone soup as pasta sauce. Use lentil pasta for more protein content! Reminder to check your pasta ingredients for unnecessary fillers. For example, the Tolerant Brand brand uses lentils only whereas Banza Brand has unnecessary fillers like xanthan gum, pea starch, and tapioca. Not the worst offenders but not necessary.
Alright folks, hope you enjoy your meals!! Looking forward to feeding you next month!