Another slow cooker recipe for you today! I have been on a soup kick lately, probably because of the colder weather. I have been craving warm and hearty and delicious soup. Plus the house smells amazing all day as the soup simmers in the slow cooker! 
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healthy-living
Grocery Shopping Tips
Clearly I believe that one of the components of living a healthier lifestyle is to eat well. In order to eat well, you have to shop for that better food. Grocery shopping can be an intimidating task for some people. There are so many options, so many different choices, so many things that it can be overwhelming. Where do you start? What do you choose? How do you ignore the things that aren’t good for you? How do you know what is and isn’t good for you? Whew! If you are going to live healthier you HAVE to eat healthier and I don’t want you to feel intimidated by that. I want it to be easy for you to shop and eat well, so I am going to give you some of my grocery shopping tips that help me stick to what I need and bypass everything I don’t. Some of my tips might not apply to you or your grocery store, but there should be something in my list that will help you out and every little bit helps when it comes to eating better.
Make a menu for the week. Try to plan ahead as much as possible. I grocery shop Friday morning, so I like to write out a dinner menu through Thursday. If you can’t handle a whole week just do a few days in advance. Writing out a menu helps you to think about what ingredients you will need for your meals and what you will need to shop for.
Take inventory of your kitchen and make a list. Check your fridge, your pantry, and your cabinets. What things do you have and what things do you need? I check my supply of dried goods like beans, rice, quinoa, and things like that. I check my supply of canned goods like diced tomatoes. I also check things like potatoes, garlic, and onions as well as spices. If I am low on any of my staples, I put it onto my grocery list. Anything that I need for my weekly dinner that I don’t already have also goes on the list. I also tend to arrange my list in the order that I will shop for it at the store. For example, I put all my fresh produce on the list first because at my grocery store that is the first thing I get. This helps to streamline the process as well as helps avoid any aisle that I do not need to be in. Some people just wander up and down the aisles throwing whatever they think looks good into their cart. They tend to end up with a lot more food than they need as well as the unhealthier fare that the store offers. By preparing a list you can avoid all that!
Get to know the store. Yeah I know this is kind of an obvious tip, but I’m including it anyway. If you’re relatively new to grocery shopping don’t be frustrated if it takes a little longer to shop. As you get to know your store and get to know the products offered, your shopping time will go down.
Shop for fresh produce first. This is a personal preference, but I find that buying all the fresh stuff first is a little easier because there aren’t 5,000 different types of broccoli to choose from. Broccoli is broccoli and you don’t have to compare ingredient lists or wonder which head of broccoli is better. Plus I like to try and fill up my cart with good stuff first so it is easier to avoid the “bad” food because there is no room in the cart.
Don’t let the aisles scare you. A lot of people tell you to avoid the aisles and only shop the perimeter when you are trying to shop healthier. While it is true that the aisles host pretty much all of the processed junk that you shouldn’t be eating, they also have some really good and healthy staples. The aisles are where I get my canned/jarred tomatoes, rice, condiments like mustard, and occasionally salsa if I don’t have any homemade in my pantry. My grocery store has a bulk section where I get all my spices, dried beans, and flour, but you can also find those things in the aisles at your store. The key is to not go down every single aisle, this is where knowing how your grocery store is set up and what aisles contain the things you need on your list comes in handy. Only go down the aisles that you need items from and you won’t have to worry about being tempted by the processed food.
Get your meat/dairy/eggs/frozen foods at the end. I get my eggs, almond milk, and frozen vegetables last so they aren’t sitting in my cart getting warm the whole time. The frozen section can be another tempting place as it houses all the ice cream/frozen treats as well as frozen dinners. This is where having a menu planned out will help. If you already know what you are going to eat for the week you will be less tempted by the convenience meals in the frozen section. Let’s be honest, anything you make will be a lot tastier and healthier than anything you can get in a box, even if it does seem easier to just throw your dinner in the microwave and hit start. Just stick to your frozen vegetables and fruit, which usually are in the same aisle so you don’t have to go down any other aisles.
Get to know the products you use most. For the foods that you do purchase in packages make sure you know the ingredients and are ok with them. The first few times you shop this way you might have to spend some time comparing products and choosing the one you feel best about. Once you get that down you can just go in and choose your regular product. I know there are a few apps like In R Food and Zipongo let you scan bar codes and compare products based on ingredients. You can also look up a lot of products online and look at ingredient lists and nutrition facts before you even go to the store so you don’t have to even look at any other product.
Those are just a few tips that have helped me stick to healthy and easy grocery shopping. Trust me I know it’s really easy to get lost in all the aisles and products offered at the store. If you prepare as much as you can beforehand it will make your actual shopping trip that much easier. That way you can just go in, get exactly what you need, and head on out. My best piece of advice for new healthy grocery shoppers is to take your time. Plan to spend a few extra minutes at the store when you are first starting out. It will take some time for you to get used to your store, the products that work best for you, and a new way of shopping. As time goes on you will get faster and be a grocery shopping wizard! Just stay calm and know that you are shopping for better health!
All About the Presentation
As a health blogger, I view my posts as possible guidelines for someone who may or may not know a whole lot about being healthier. Maybe they are trying to live a healthier lifestyle, maybe they are looking for different ways to live healthier, or maybe they just want to see other people’s opinions on a certain topic to make an educated decision about their own life. I am very conscious of the way that I present my views and opinions because I know that they can be integral in someone’s journey to a better life. Lately, I have noticed that other people in the health world might not have this same view.
I started noticing this on my Instagram account. I follow mostly health bloggers/enthusiasts/chefs/anything to do with food and every once and awhile I would see a post bashing a certain food/way of eating. The post would have a picture of some type of food (usually processed food like Oreos) and then state something along the lines of, “I can’t believe anyone can eat this junk”. I will be the first one to tell you that I don’t think processed food does anybody any good. I will also be the first to tell you that you’re not a bad person for eating those foods, nor do you need to feel guilty. Shaming anyone into a better lifestyle doesn’t work and most times has the opposite effect.
For the most part, people know when they don’t lead a healthy lifestyle. They know when they eat food that is not good for their health. What they don’t know perhaps is how to change, and making them feel badly about themselves is not going to get them to make a change. I would like to believe that the majority of health professionals out there genuinely want to help people be as healthy as possible, I know I do. The health community needs to make sure that rather than shunning people for eating poorly or not making the best health decisions, they need to understand it’s hard to make a big change. They need to remember when they first started their own health journey and the struggles they went through to get where they are today. Most people don’t just magically become super healthy overnight. It is a slow and gradual process with plenty of setbacks I still have to work at it each day. When I first started out, if someone had shamed me about the food I ate or all the exercise I should be doing but wasn’t or couldn’t I would have quit. No one wants to feel bad about themselves even more than they already do. They don’t need people to point out their downfalls, they need people to help them up and show them the way.
That’s why the health world needs to not just focus on the message of better choices, but on how they present that message as well. We need to be welcoming and understanding and let others know that they are not alone in their struggles. Ever heard the saying it’s easier to attract bees with honey rather than vinegar? That same message applies to the world of health. Those just starting out or looking to become healthier, don’t need our bitter or angry put downs. They need words of kindness and encouragement. They need to know they can do this and that we are here to help. If we follow that philosophy, maybe more and more people can join us in leading healthier lifestyles. That’s the whole point right?
Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce
I didn’t think that this recipe would be a winner. I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do, and in my head I could see it working, but as I started to put this together, I got nervous. Luckily it all worked out and this turned into a favorite around here! This makes a lot of falafel, so it would be good for a get-together or even as appetizers at a party.
Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce
- 2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked in a big pot overnight
- 1 onion, diced small
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro
- 3 tbsp almond flour
- 1 tbsp coriander
- 3 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2-1 tsp cayenne, depending on how spicy you want your falafel
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Tahini Sauce
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (you could use any non-dairy milk, but I think coconut works the best)
- 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed butter)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp liquid aminos or soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
1. Preheat oven to 400. Drain and rinse your soaked chickpeas, place them in a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Place in a large bowl. Place the diced onion, parsley, cilantro, and garlic cloves into the processor and pulse until it looks like paste. Add the herb paste to the chickpeas and combine. Mix in the seasonings and then the baking soda and powder.
2. Using a tablespoon, ice cream or cookie scooper, form the chickpea mixture into little balls. Don’t make them too big or they will fall apart. Place the falafel onto a cookie sheet that has been oiled or use a baking mat. Flatten the balls just a little, brush with a little olive oil and bake in the oven for 10 min. After 10 minutes, flip the falafel and place back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
3. For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until thick. Pour over falafel or use it as a dipping sauce. Either way is delicious!
Don’t freak out if it looks like the falafel is not going to hold together, it will. Do be gentle with these, though, since falafel is usually fried, these are just a little bit more delicate (and healthier). So get to cooking and let me know what you think!
Confessions of a Food Lover
A few weekends ago my husband, Adam, and I were watching episodes of The Best Thing I Ever Ate on the Food network. The show features famous chef’s and other people in the food world highlighting some of the best dishes that they have ever eaten from places around the country. Alex Guarnaschelli, a chef/restaurant owner/cookbook author/Iron Chef/all around awesome, is a regular on the show. It’s easy to see why, this woman loves food. Not just eating it, but shopping for it, preparing it, serving it, looking at it, talking about it… I told Adam that I feel like Alex really understands how I feel about food and as I was telling him this, I was lovingly cradling a banana.
Often people believe that in order to be healthy you have to stop loving food. They think that there is no way to balance healthy living with a love affair of all things food related. There are some health gurus out there who do believe this. They view food mainly as a fuel source to get their body to function properly and that’s it. While I agree that food is fuel for our bodies, I can’t deny that it is also so much more. Hi, my name is Katie Dawson, and I love food. And that’s OK.
If only….
Yes, I have had a tough relationship with food in the past. I would eat out of boredom or stress or anxiety. I would sneak food so that people wouldn’t see how much I really ate or see all the bad food I ate. I sometimes still struggle with overeating, even though it has gotten much better. But even with my strained food past, I still love food. While I do love tasting and eating food, I almost love all the other components more. Grocery shopping is better than clothes shopping to me. I love seeing all the fresh and colorful produce as I walk into the store, I love going through and picking the best bunch of broccoli or the biggest butternut squash. I’m like a kid in a candy store in the bulk food and spice section. Sometimes I just wander through the grocery store looking at food and products and reading labels and never actually buy anything.
I also love cooking food! I enjoy thinking of flavor combinations or creating brand new dishes. It thrills me to completely make a meal on the fly with just the ingredients I have in my kitchen. It gives me great joy to serve food to other people and see them enjoy eating what I have made. Sitting around with friends and family and food is my idea of a great time.
At this point, you might be thinking I’m just a little nuts about food, and you would be right. But does that make me an unhealthy person? Is it possible to love food as much as I do and still call myself a healthy individual? I think so. If I weren’t so in love with food, I don’t think that I would be as interested in eating as well as possible. I have seen how eating good and nutritious food can change your health and because I have a passion for food, I want to be able to share that with as many people as possible. I wouldn’t bother if I didn’t care about food. If food were just fuel, I wouldn’t spend so much time coming up with new and creative recipes. It wouldn’t matter if food tasted great if I were just eating it to get my body through the day.
I’m here to tell you that it is perfectly alright to be in love with food and still be healthy. Sure, the love of food can be taken too far and turn into an unhealthy obsession. I realize that overeating and unhealthy eating can damage your health and I know that is a major problem these days. Don’t be afraid to enjoy food though, don’t feel guilty if a certain dish makes you swoon or a certain ingredient takes your breath away, it doesn’t mean you’re unhealthy. I don’t think I will ever stop loving all the things that food is about, and I wouldn’t want too. If that means I lovingly cradle a banana while watching a show about food every once and awhile, that’s fine by me!
Life Healthfully Lived 