The majority of us spend most of our day at work. Many people have a hard time keeping up their healthy habits while they’re at work, but it isn’t as hard as you think!
Today’s video has a few tips to keep your workday as healthy as possible!
Here are a few more “deskercises” and stretches that you can do at work throughout the day to keep you moving.
I was listening to the radio the other day and Colbie Caillat’s song Try came on. If you haven’t heard it yet give it a listen:
I’ve heard this song before and I really love the whole message of the song. This time as I was listening though, one line really struck me.
Do you like you?
It’s a really simple question. Although it is a simple question, I don’t think many of us spend that much time thinking about it. We often get caught up in worrying about what everyone else thinks about us that we never stop to see if we like ourselves.
It’s kind of backwards though, shouldn’t we worry more about what we think about ourselves more than what people we don’t know think? Shouldn’t we be working to constantly improve for ourselves and not the random stranger we pass on the street? I know we’re always told to not try and impress others, but do we really take that advice to heart?
I know for me that sometimes I can get so caught up in trying to please others. I want people to like me and think that I’m a good person, it’s natural to want to be liked. But it shouldn’t come at the expense of what I think about me. I’ve been with me for 27 years and hopefully I will be spending many more years with me. I want to make sure that I am the best me possible for me not just others.
And I’m not just talking about how I look. Yes, I think that it is important to eat well and move more but it isn’t everything. If someone judges you by your looks then to be honest you don’t really need to keep those people in your life. You should want to be healthier for you because it makes you feel better, because it will add years to your life, because it is what YOU want to do. Not what others say you should do.
Instead of doing things to make other people like you, try doing things that make you like you. At the end of the day if you ask yourself do you like you, you can say yes.
While I don’t eat meat, I don’t really eat that many soy products either. I am a huge fan of tempeh and miso because they are fermented soy and have healthy probiotics, but other than that I don’t eat soy. I like to make as much of my food as possible, because then I can control the ingredients and it is a lot cheaper. So when I started seeing things about chickpea tofu, I was intrigued.
I love chickpeas in all their forms and had seen a lot of things made with chickpea flour but I could never find it any stores near me. The other day as I was wandering the aisles of my grocery store (yes, I like to just stroll through the grocery store. I know that’s weird, but I’m weird so it’s all good) I spotted chickpea flour for about $2. I snapped it up and immediately started thinking of things that I could make. This chickpea tofu was one of the easiest and most versatile dishes, so I started there.
Not only is it easy to make it can function in pretty much the exact same way as regular soy tofu. I’m still experimenting with a few different ways to use chickpea tofu, but I wanted to start sharing it with you. I love the flavor of the tofu and you can season it in any way that you want and it will absorb those flavors. It might look like this recipe will take forever to make, but once the tofu is done it’s really just a matter of putting everything together.
Enough talking let’s get onto the food!
Baked Chickpea Tofu with Creamy Tomato Sauce
Chickpea tofu- There are a few methods out there, but this is the one that worked the best for me.
1. In a medium bowl combine flour, salt, turmeric, and 1 cup of water. Whisk until smooth.
2. In a medium saucepan bring the remaining two cups of water to a boil. While your water is heating up, lightly oil an 8 x 8 baking dish and set aside
3. Whisk the chickpea mixture into the boiling water making sure there are no lumps. Lower heat and keep whisking the chickpea mixture for about 8 to 10 minutes until it’s thick and glossy.
4. Pour the chickpea mixture into the oiled pan and let cool on the counter. Once cool, keep in the fridge until you are ready to use.
Baked Tofu and Creamy Tomato Sauce
1. Preheat oven to 425 and take your chickpea tofu out of the fridge and remove from baking dish. If you used enough oil it should slide out easily. Blot the bottom of the tofu with a paper towel to absorb some of the excess water. Cut tofu into bite size cubes and place in a bowl
2. Line a baking dish with a Silpat or parchment paper. Drizzle a little olive oil over tofu and sprinkle with the seasonings. Shake the bowl to cover the tofu with the oil and seasonings and then spread in an even layer on baking dish.
3. Bake for 25 minutes. While tofu is baking, heat tomato sauce in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. When it is just simmering, stir in 1 cup of coconut milk. Heat through and then cover and turn off heat.
4. Remove tofu from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Plate the tofu and pour the tomato sauce over and enjoy!
It does seem like there are a lot of steps to this meal, but if you prepare the tofu ahead of time then this meal is a simple fix. I made this on a Monday night and it was a perfect meal on a chilly night. Warm, filling, and tasty!
I’m going to be bringing you some more chickpea tofu/flour recipes over the next few weeks, but with the super bowl next weekend I have a special treat for you! My balsamic cauliflower bites are amazing and sure to be a hit at your party!
Have a great Friday and an awesome weekend everyone!
This is my go to sauce. I make it large batches so that I have some on hand when I need a tasty and healthy tomato sauce!
Tomato Sauce
1. In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat saute onions until soft and translucent. Add in half your minced garlic and saute another minute.
2. Add in oregano, basil, and fennel and stir to combine. Then add in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and stir to combine. Using a potato masher, mash the sauce a little to crush the diced tomato chunks. Depending on how thick or thin you want your sauce add in a little or a lot of broth or water. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your taste
3. Bring the sauce to a boil and lower to a simmer. Simmer the sauce for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
You can either use this right away or cool completely and store in clean jars in your fridge. Enjoy!
Welcome to week two in the Keep It Simple Series! I hope that you were able to get a few tips from last week’s video and are slowly building up your healthier pantry!
Today I have a quick and easy tip that comes right from my Grandma!
Life Healthfully Lived 