Healthy Fast Food: Is There Such a Thing?

March 7, 2016March 7, 2016 / ktbuchs87

A few weeks ago, I posted this article over on my Facebook page. A reporter for Business Insider decided to eat a fast food diet for an entire week. The catch? She would only choose the healthy options at each place.

More and more, fast food restaurants are adding things like kale salads, quinoa, and overall healthier items. Their customers are demanding better food and they’re trying to deliver. But are they really? Sometimes the healthy option is actually worse than their regular fair. Healthy Fast Food: Is There Really Such A Thing? | Life Healthfully Lived

I totally understand how it sounds complaining about fast food. Everyone does it. They are an easy target. It’s simple to point at McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King and say, “You’re what’s wrong with our health and obesity problem.” There have been countless documentaries, news stories, articles, and research dedicated to this theory. I don’t want to add more noise to the crowd with this.

I just want you to really think about your own life and your food choices. Healthy Fast Food: Is There Really Such A Thing?

Is a McDonald’s kale salad really fulfilling your nutrition needs or are you getting it because it’s convenient and you think it’s what you should get? How often are you getting fast food, healthy options or not? Does your body feel as good as it possibly could? Do have energy to get through your day, exercise in some form, and enjoy your hobbies?

These are the thoughts that should go through your mind each time you sit down to a meal and yes, please try to sit down for your meals. More often than not, I’m going to guess eating anything at a fast food joint isn’t going to leave you feeling as satisfied as a homemade meal. Like the reporter in the article found, she actually wasn’t eating enough at each meal and she was eating way too much salt. Fast food isn’t meant to really nourish your body. It’s meant to be, well, fast. Healthy Fast Food: Is There Really Such A Thing? | Life Healthfully Lived

If you get the majority of your meals in the form of fast food, I’m not saying you’re a bad person or unhealthy. I just want you to think about your options. Could you possibly make some of the things you’re eating in your own home? Making your own food is always going to be better for you than getting it from somewhere else. It doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated, just a little meal prep and you could be eating your own kale salad for lunch instead of relying on McDonald’s. Healthy Fast Food: Is There Really Such A Thing?

I get it. Fast food is easy and cheap. You don’t have to think too much about it. But maybe you should. You might see a big change, not only in your waistline, but your whole well-being.

DIY Wednesday: Butter-Free Buffalo Sauce

March 2, 2016February 29, 2016 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

I’m going to be honest with you, I’m not a huge fan of buffalo sauce. I don’t hate it, it’s just not really on my radar. I’ve gone most of my life without and I would say I’ve lived a good life.

But that has changed.

I had an idea for a recipe and I was going to need to rely heavily on buffalo sauce so I started looking around. Store-bought was out of the question because I couldn’t find any that any redeemable qualities. That left making my own, which I’m all about anyway. Well, there were a few good ones out there but a lot of them relied heavily on butter and Worchester sauce (which I will NEVER be able to pronounce properly) and I didn’t want to use those.

Long story short, I created a buffalo sauce that’s made with real ingredients and doesn’t include butter. It is really easy to make and you can put it on anything that you would use buffalo sauce. Wings, cauliflower bites, celery, fingers…. Also heads up, you’re going to want to make a batch of this for Friday’s recipe!

Buffalo Sauce:

1/4 cup hot sauce, I used this one, but use your favorite or make your own!
1 tsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
1 tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp molasses
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Transfer to an airtight container, like a mason jar, and store in your fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Simple and tasty, just the way I like it! You can easily double or triple this recipe to make enough for all your buffalo needs! DIY Wednesday: Butter-Free Buffalo Sauce | Life Healthfully Lived

Creamy Broccoli Spinach Soup

February 26, 2016February 25, 2016 / ktbuchs87

Creamy Broccoli Spinach Soup | Life Healthfully Lived I have been living off of this soup for the past few weeks, it’s that good. It’s hearty enough to make a good meal but not so heavy that you feel like taking a nap after you’re done. I feel like that’s a good judge of a meal. Do you feel like laying in bed for six hours when you’re done? Nope? Then you should eat this meal again or try harder next time.

This winter we haven’t had many days where you just want to wrap your body around a bowl of soup and swim in a giant mug of hot chocolate. I’m not complaining, but I do enjoy those super cold nights where a warm meal is the only way to feel comfortable. I’m probably the only weirdo like that.

On the nights that it is frigid out, try this super simple soup. It’s stuffed full of vegetables and then blended to make it creamy and delicious. No dairy, no cheese, and yet it’s still smooth and wonderful. That’s my kind of soup. Creamy Broccoli Spinach Soup | Life Healthfully Lived

What do you guys have planned for your weekend? I’m on my own this Saturday and I’ll probably end up running a few errands and catching up on some work. I know, wild and crazy over here. But that also means that I’ll spend a good portion of my day in the kitchen coming up with yummy things for you. Any suggestions?

My suggestion to you? Make a big batch of this soup on Sunday night and have lunches or dinners set for the rest of the week. Your future self will thank me!

Creamy Broccoli Spinach Soup

1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup celery, sliced
2/3 cup onion, diced
3 cups broccoli, cut into florets (you can also use frozen, just make sure it’s completely thawed)
1 cup roasted red or orange bell peppers
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 to 4 cups spinach, tightly packed (I used a whole 8 oz bag for reference)
4 to 5 cups vegetable broth or water
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste

To roast your bell peppers: Preheat the oven to 400 and cut the tops off of the peppers. Remove all seeds and place the whole peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for about 30 minutes, turning the peppers over half-way through. Take the peppers out of the oven and place them on a cutting board and place a large glass bowl over them so the steam will loosen the skins. After 15 minutes, remove the bowl, slip off the skins, and dice the peppers. FYI: you can do this a few days ahead of time so you don’t have to do it right before you make your soup.
For the soup: Heat a large dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add a little olive oil and add in the carrots, celery, and onion. Saute them for about 8 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the minced garlic, roasted bell peppers, and broccoli florets. Stir everything together and sprinkle with a little salt. Saute for a few minutes.
Pour in the vegetable broth or water. You want the broth to cover all the vegetables and about 1/2 inch above. Turn your heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Add all of the seasonings and stir to combine.
Once the soup is boiling, add the spinach and cover the pot. Turn the heat to low and simmer the soup for 15 minutes, stirring once.
After 15 minutes, remove the lid and using an immersion blender, blend everything until it is smooth and creamy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can work in batches with your regular blender. Just return everything to the pot when you’re done.

The best thing about this soup? It tastes AMAZING with a healthy dollop (read: massive spoonful) of my cheesy garlic spread. Yum!

DIY Wednesday: Paleo Porridge

February 24, 2016February 23, 2016 / ktbuchs87 / 2 Comments

DIY Wednesday: Paleo Porridge | Life Healthfully Lived Doesn’t the word porridge always conjure up old-timey meals like in Oliver Twist? Or at the very least make you think of Goldilocks and the only three bears on the planet that prefer a hot breakfast over raw carcass?

Just me? Cool.

Porridge is actually any type of oatmeal, grain, or cereal that is cooked with boiling water or milk. Most people go for oatmeal because it’s the most readily available but you can make porridge out of a lot of different things. But for the most part it’s usually made out of some kind of grain and if you happen to be following the paleo diet, grains are a no-go. So does that mean you can never enjoy a warm bowl of porridge on a cold winter morning again? DIY Wednesday: Paleo Porridge | Life Healthfully Lived

Of course not! Not when you’ve got me around.

Not only can you make porridge out of cereals or grains, you can also make it out of meals (as in ground up stuff) and that includes nut meals. Finely ground nuts make a great base for porridge and it is entirely paleo-approved! I decided to go with almond meal because it can be made savory or sweet and it’s what I had on hand. Also, almond meal is fairly easy to find so you won’t have to hunt through a specialty store to make your own paleo porridge.

I have a recipe for a sweet porridge and a savory porridge, both are essentially same, but the seasonings and liquid choices are a bit different. If you’ve been missing your morning bowl of warm, cozy porridge try this easy grain-free version!

Paleo Porridge- Makes two servings

Sweet Porridge

2/3 + 2 tbsp almond meal (go for meal instead of flour because you don’t want it too finely ground)
1 cup almond milk or any other non-dairy milk you prefer
1 tbsp honey, maple syrup, or coconut nectar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt

Savory Porridge

2/3 + 2 tbsp almond meal
1 cup vegetable broth or water
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste

No matter what version you make, the directions are going to be the same. In a medium saucepan, bring the liquid to a boil.
Whisk in the almond meal and turn the heat to low. Keep whisking as the almond meal thickens. This will take about 5 to 8 minutes.
Add in the sweetener (if making the sweet version) and seasonings as you keep whisking. Once you’re porridge has reached your desired thickness, pour into a bowl and finish it with your favorite toppings.

If you’re porridge is too thin add more almond meal, one tablespoon at a time. If it’s too thick add more liquid, one tablespoon at a time. As for topping ideas? How about:

any kind of berry
raisins
bananas or any fruit
cacao nibs
pumpkin seeds
hemp seeds
flax or chia seeds
chopped nuts
nut or seed butter
herbs like parsley or cilantro
salsa
roasted squash
poached egg
mushrooms
heck, you could even add cooked meat or fish to your savory bowl!

There you have it! Porridge two ways for all you grain-free people out there!

DIY Wednesday: Chili Cheese Popcorn

February 17, 2016February 16, 2016 / ktbuchs87

DIY Wednesday: Chili Cheese Popcorn | Life Healthfully Lived Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks because it’s easy to make and you can eat a huge bowl of it without feeling gross. I’m a huge fan of volume eating because I like food. Unfortunately, a lot of popcorn that you can buy in the store is NOT so good for you. Flavored popcorn tends to be full of artificial ingredients, preservatives, oils, and way too much sodium. That can be a real bummer when you figure that out after you’ve already inhaled a whole bag by yourself. DIY Wednesday: Chili Cheese Popcorn | Life Healthfully Lived

But don’t you worry because I’ve got you covered! You can make your own flavored popcorn at home with half the bad junk and all the tastiness. I was surprised by how good these turned out and even Adam who tends to like plain things said these were addictive. Husband approval means you know it’s good!

You probably have most of these ingredients already and if so you’re only a few minutes away from a healthy snack!

Chili Cheese Popcorn

3 cups air-popped popcorn (or you can use this method if you don’t have an air-popper)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried minced onion
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil

Mix all the seasonings together and measure out one tablespoon into a small bowl. Add the melted coconut oil and mix everything together. You want it to be pourable. Set this aside.
Pop your popcorn and put it into a large bowl. Make sure you do this after you get the seasoning mix together. You want the popcorn to be hot when you mix everything together.
Once the popcorn is popped, pour the spice mix over the popcorn and toss to coat. It might take a few minutes, but keep tossing and the seasoning will get on all the popcorn.