My Tips for Transitioning to Going Meatless

Like I said in a previous post, vegetarianism isn't for everyone. But if you are trying to cut back on meat, or wanting to eventually become a full vegetarian, here are some of my top tips.

1. Take it slow

Some people have a difficult time going cold-turkey (no pun intended) with giving up meat, so I definitely suggest taking it very slowly. If you are really determined to cut out meat, then go for it. But if you're not too committed quite yet, take it slow. For example, try giving up red-meat at first. I actually did this about two months before I decided to give up all meat, and I think it helped a lot with my transition. If you can handle this, then transition into giving up chicken, or turkey. Take it one meat at a time until you've completely eliminated all meats. 

2. Meatless Monday

Pick one day of the week to go completely meatless. This is actually a world-wide campaign that is trying to encourage people to go meatless on every Monday. My university is also encouraging this way of eating by providing more meat alternatives in dining halls on Monday. This is great way to try new foods, or just experience a day without meat. Also, it you've got one day down, switch to two days, then three....

 


3. Pick a meat alternative

When I first became interested in becoming vegetarian, I was determined to try tofu. Once I tried it, and found all different recipes that used tofu instead of meat, I knew becoming vegetarian wasn't going to be all that difficult. I highly suggest trying different meat alternatives, or different protein sources that you can add into your diet. This can be before or after becoming meatless, but just trying different alternatives can be a great motivation to your journey. I don't really encourage a lot of cheap versions of "fake meat" just because of all the chemicals and preservatives in them, but definitely check out products that have few ingredients, organic, or have vegetable based proteins. The best meat alternatives I recommend are things like tofu, beans, edamame, nuts, eggs, yogurt, and mushrooms.

(this was from the very first time I made tofu!)

4. Eat vegetarian at restaurants

Eating vegetarian at restaurants can be a great way to cut back on meat, and also avoid the possibility of getting food poisoning (because restaurants is where it happens). By going meatless at restaurants, you can avoid cheaply, inhumanely produced meats. Also, eating meatless can often be much cheaper. Ask about vegetarian options, or look at the menu before hand to find options that are meatless. There are so many delicious meat free options at restaurants, so check them out! Most of the time, the meals with meat are usually higher in fat, calories, and sodium, so you'll almost always be doing yourself a favor by choosing meatless options at restaurants. Order beans instead of beef at your favorite Mexican restaurant, or order a salad with nuts and eggs instead of meat. Small steps like this is a great start to your vegetarian journey.

 
                        (vegetarian at Panera)


(vegetarian at Jimmy Johns)


5. Do your research

Becoming vegetarian can be dangerous if you're completely clueless about certain nutritional information. There are some vitamins/nutrients that you can't get from meat, and replacing those nutrients with plant based nutrients is important. Find out the best meat alternatives, or high protein vegetables, or even recipes/restaurants that are vegetarian. Become best friends with google! Before going vegetarian, I became best friends with google, making sure that I wasn't missing out on any nutrients. I even got my blood checked to make sure that all my levels were good (which they were!). Nutrients like iron, B12, selenium, and zinc are sometimes hard to get enough of on a vegetarian diet, but just find out foods that are rich in these and eat up!

6. Get connected

It is super important to find people that share similar ideas and diets. Find other vegetarians that can help you with your transition, or your journey to becoming vegetarian. Being vegetarian is definitely becoming more "popular" so it's pretty easy to find other veg heads. I know that every time I meet a vegetarian, there is always so much to talk about, because of our similar diets and struggles. Also, it's great to share advice, and tips with each other. Even if you're not wanting to go completely meatless, its' still great to have someone that is a vegetarian to help you with that as well. Most vegetarians would be happy to talk to anyone with questions about this lifestyle, or at least I know I would talk for hours about it if I could!


So those are my top six tips to transitioning to becoming meatless. I hope you find it helpful, and also motivational! Becoming meatless is something that you have to really want to do, but taking small steps into this way of eating definitely makes it a lot easier.

Also, any questions/support you may have or need just let me know either in the comments below, through Facebook, or email (simplyknitted00@gmail.com). I'll be happy to answer as many as I can!

Bulk Up!

I have recently discovered the "bulk" section at grocery stores. I can't believe it's taken me this long to realize how great they are. Buying in bulk allows you to only get as much of a product as you need, and you only pay per pound. I love this way of shopping because often times I don't need a fifteen dollar bag of quinoa for just myself, instead I can use the bulk section and only get a cup for a dollar or two. This way of shopping is very practical because you're not wasting your money on the packaging, or brand name, instead you're only buying the product.

Buying spices in bulk is also great, because if you only need a couple of tablespoons of an expensive spice or herb, you don't have to pay for an entire bottle.

My favorite things to buy in bulk are nuts, seeds, grains, and dried fruit. Mostly because I know if I get an entire box of dried fruit, I'll eat it all in one sitting. So by buying only a serving, I not only save money, but I keep myself from eating an entire box.

Buying in bulk may be confusing, so here's some easy steps to walk you through it!

First, find a grocery store that sells items in bulk, I like Earth Fare, Bare Essentials, Ingles, and Whole Foods.

Then, pick out what you want to buy..



Get a bag, and fill it up with however much you want (you can weigh it to see if you have as much as you'd like)..

Get a sticker, and write the PLU number that is on the item's bin..



Stick the sticker to your bag, and that's it! Super simple!

 

iherb | Website Review

About a year ago, I discovered this website called iherb.com. It is basically an online store that sells healthy products that you can't find at all grocery stores like Food Lion, or Lowes Foods.

At iherb.com you can buy things at the lowest price possible, and there are so many different brands it's easy to buy it all in one place, and there is free shipping over 20 dollars, which is amazing when you're buying heavy food items. Iherb.com gives you a discount on your first order, and often times they have sales going on which makes shopping/eating healthily a little cheaper.

Iherb makes buying health foods and natural beauty products so easy, and they provide nutritional information for each product. Often times you can even get free trial products with your purchase. You can search for products by brand, dietary needs, price, or type of product which makes it really simple to find exactly what you're looking for. I love iherb for discounted health products, as well as for discovering new health foods that I might not have known about.

My latest purchase was some things that I wanted to try out...my total was just 43.00 and I got all this stuff!


I ordered two cans of unsweetened young coconut water, which I am loving during this spring weather! A bag of flax chia blend, as well as flax hemp blend, which I am putting in my oatmeal, and it is amazing and filled with protein and omega-3! I also got two products by the company Go Raw, which is all raw and "alive" foods. I got a box of banana bread bars which taste just like banana bread, and are filled with omega-3 fats, and yumminess! And then I also got pumpkin super chips from Go Raw as well, which I finished rather quickly, delicious! I also bought two boxes of tea, which were at a great price, I got Peach Apricot, and Honey Lemon, I've been drinking both and they are so flavorful and delicious! I also have been looking into a product called Kelp Seasoning, which is basically dried kelp that can be sprinkled on salads, or really anything, and so I decided to go ahead and try some. I've been putting it on my sweet potatoes along with other spices, and I haven't really been able to taste it, but it has so much iodine, which is super important for our bodies, so I'm hoping that its giving me a great dose of iodine. Lastly, I got psyllium husk powder, which is a detoxifier that can be mixed with water or juice. It is supposed to help cleanse your digestion, and I've heard its great to incorporate into your diet. I've only tried it with water, and I thought it was pretty gross, but I'm hoping to find better ways to incorporate it into my diet. Overall, I've loved everything that I purchased, aside from the psyllium husk powder. Very pleased with this purchase!

So that was my most recent iherb order. Hope you enjoyed my little "haul" and review of iherb.com. I definitely suggest you check out this website and look around for new products for you to try!

My Thoughts: Frozen or Canned?

In the winter time, fresh produce is often difficult to find and afford. Also, our lives can get pretty busy, and we may not have a bunch of time to spend on cutting up fresh fruits and vegetables. So when you can't get fresh produce or don't have time to prepare it, what should you do? Buy it frozen, or buy it canned?

 

Here are my thoughts on these two options:

Canned foods may be cheap, but you are losing lots of nutrients when you buy canned foods. Often times the foods are cooked at a high temperature, causing it to lose many of its nutrients. Canned foods are also packed with salt and preservatives in order for it to stay "fresher" longer. Also, canned fruit is usually canned in syrup that has a bunch of added sugars that you don't need. So, in other words....canned foods are probably not your best option. But things like beans, beets, and pumpkin are fine to buy canned, just make sure you RINSE the beans and beets to remove as much salt/preservatives are you can. Rinsing goes for any canned foods you eat, always always rinse off canned produce! Rinsing removes preservatives, sugars, salts, and other chemicals they may be on the food.

  high fructose corn syrup in tomatoes?!?!

Now onto frozen foods...
Frozen foods are often frozen when the food is in season, ripe, and fresh. This ensures you that you are getting produce that is at its best. Also, most of the time these foods are not cooked prior to freezing, and therefore most all the nutrients are left intact. Frozen food is a great option when your favorite foods aren't in season. Most of the time when you see strawberries in the dead of winter, those strawberries took a very long journey to get to your grocery store. This means that they lost lots of nutrients while on their way to your grocery store. But with frozen foods, they are frozen as soon as they are picked, and those nutrients get locked in place. Frozen foods are often times cheaper than fresh, and can be kept in the freezer for a very long time. Also, I am talking about frozen whole foods (peas, carrots, broccoli, berries, fruit, etc.), not frozen dinners....big difference! Make sure you look on the ingredients list to check for any added preservatives.

 see how mango is the ONLY ingredient?


So my final thoughts on canned vs. frozen?
Definitely try to buy frozen over canned, due to the nutrient preservation in frozen foods. Also, canned foods often times have many more preservatives in them than frozen foods do. Fresh is almost always better, but when it isn't available, stick with the frozen produce!

The Right Way to Make Popcorn

A lot of people don't realize that popcorn is actually a whole grain, meaning it is unrefined and has all of the grain components, providing the most nutrients. If you make popcorn the "right way" then it is a great snack to have that's packed with whole grains.

Most people buy bagged popcorn that is full of butter and chemical additives. Instead, pop your own with plain old popping corn kernels, and a brown paper bag! It is so quick, easy, and way less expensive than the pre-bagged microwave popcorn, and it so much better for you. By popping your own, you can control how much butter, how much salt, and how many additives you put in it.






See all the added ingredients in this bag of microwave popcorn? If you pop your own the only ingredient is popping corn!

So here is how you pop your own popcorn...


Step 1: 

For about one serving, use 1-2 Tbsp. of popping corn kernels, and dump it in a brown paper bag.

Step 2:

Roll up the bag, make sure you leave room for the corn to pop!

Step 3:

Put the bag into the microwave, and microwave it for about 1 minute and 45 seconds, or until you hear it stop popping.

Step 4:

Take the bag out of the microwave, and pour it in a bowl.

Step 5:

Flavor your popcorn! I love spraying mine with a little cooking spray (olive oil, or coconut oil) and sprinkling on some cinnamon. Other topping suggestions are sea salt, chili powder, parmesan cheese, cocoa powder, honey, garlic and basil. Get creative, and see what kind of toppings you can think of!

Step 6: 

Enjoy your deliciously natural, one-ingredient popcorn! (I chose to enjoy mine by the fire, yummmmm!)

Orange You Glad You Came?

While on vacation at Disney, I took advantage of the Florida produce, and made sure to stop for a few minutes to get some delicious Florida oranges. On our way to Disney World on the first day, I noticed a HUGE building that was shaped like an orange. I started freaking out, and knew that was the place I wanted to go to get some oranges.

On the last day we were in Florida, we stopped at Orange World to check out their oranges. Unfortunately, the building wasn't filled with fruit (like I thought it was) but there was a beautiful selection of freshly picked oranges and grapefruits. There were also samples of all the fruit that was being sold so we were able to taste to see which types of oranges we like best. After trying all the different types of oranges, my mom and I decided to go with the Valencia oranges. They were big, juicy, and very sweet. We bought a huge bag so that we could share some with family back in North Carolina.



  


Take advantage of your vacation location, and take home some food souvenirs that will bring your vacation back home with you!

                                   

Eating Right: At Disney

Recently, my family and I took a trip to the magical world of Disney for Spring break. This included four days of all day walking, riding rides, hunting down characters, dancing through Mainstreet, catching monorails, and just having a blast. All of this left no time for cooking, which meant quick and easy meals/snacks throughout the day. Here are some ways I ate healthy and saved money while enjoying being on vacation at the most magical place in the world...












1. Find a grocery store, and stock up


The first thing I did when arriving at the hotel, was find the closest grocery store, and went to buy snacks and foods to last the week. I had never been to a Publix before, so I was pretty excited to go to one.

2. Eat a filling breakfast:

Each morning before we left for the day, I would make a big bowl of oatmeal with oats, almond milk, two bananas, pumpkin, and cinnamon. Then I would drink a mug of coffee to keep me going.  Oatmeal is a perfect breakfast option to start a long day of magical adventures, because it keeps you full from the fiber in the oatmeal, and the carbs from the bananas gives you energy. Also, eating a big breakfast before you leave rather than eating inside the parks is a great way to save money.


3. PACK YOUR OWN FOOD (my number 1 tip!)

Not knowing what the parks would have for food options, or how much money they would be, I made sure to pack snacks to last me all day. Mostly I packed things that would fit in my small bag and be easy to eat while walking and standing around. It is so important to pack your own food, because that way you'll always have it, and you'll know exactly what it is you're going to be eating. If you keep your hunger at bay by munching on your snacks all day it will keep you from getting super hungry and binging on not so good for you foods in the park. Also, Disney World's food options are pretty expensive, and so you'll definitely be saving money by bringing your own food.

Here are some snacks I brought:

 GMO free corn cakes from Real Foods, Kale & Spinach Chips, natural almonds, natural walnuts, and vegan edamame chips from Trader Joes.



Dried fruit, packs of raisins, dates, and apricots. Dried fruits are AMAZING snacks because they are small, delicious, and are more calorie dense and have lots of sugars/carbs for quick energy.

Fruit puree is also a great source of calories/carbs and it is so easy to eat while walking/waiting in lines, etc. Some people may call it baby food, but I call it a perfect snack. Look for the fruit AND veggie options, to get even more nutrients. 

Fruits that are easy/clean to eat are also perfect for snacks, I brought apples and cuties.

Vegetables are also great, especially frozen peas, because they have protein and fiber, also they are easy to eat. I also had carrots and broccoli packed as well, but never got a photo.

All my snacks ready to go in my bag....

Fits perfectly...

4. Look for fresh food options

There were several food options in the parks that were definitely healthy, and great food choices. In Epcot, there were great food choices in all the countries, including steamed vegetables and rice in Japan and even hummus and vegetables in Morocco! Also it was pretty easy to find fresh fruit, and even potatoes/corn throughout Magic Kingdom. Look for the words 'steamed' and 'baked' rather than 'fried' or 'breaded' and be cautious of all the frozen treats. Stick with smoothies (Tomorrowland had a great smoothie place) or juices with ice instead of sorbets, ice cream, etc.

                                  

5. Bring a water bottle

Even in March, Orlando was pretty hot and with walking so much it was pretty easy to get dehydrated, so save money on expensive bottled water, or drinks at Disney and bring your own water bottle, and just refill it with water when you're thirsty. I also found that it was pretty easy to get a cup of ice for free at most restaurants. Staying hydrated will keep your hunger at bay, and keep you from getting exhausted.

6. Coffee

If you need a pick me up in the middle of day, get some coffee. But stick to simple black coffee, or even a shot of espresso! There were tons of cafes in the park that sold coffee, it was rather expensive, but definitely worth it if you need a little boost of energy. Black coffee has no calories, and won't give you as much of a "crash" than a sugary coffee drink will. Also, black coffee is always much cheaper than the sugar filled coffee drinks.

So those are my tips for eating healthy at Disney, or at any type of theme park. The key to eating healthy is bringing your own food, so you're not tempted by all the high calorie, high fat, high sugar options that are in the parks. By having your own food you won't be as likely to spend money on the park's foods that may not be as good for you.