I don't think it's really a secret that I love food. I love trying everything, but I've never really thought about what was going in my body until recently when I stumbled on a blog about sugar free eating. Sugar free? That's nuts! I love to bake! And sugar is in everything. I do mean everything: from crackers to vegetable soup to oatmeal (this surprised me the most). While reading I came upon a common theme on a few sugar-free blogs: they all challenged their readers to go a period of time (a week in most cases, but sometimes more) without processed sugar. I think that's a great idea and I'm going to go for it!
It's day one and I seriously CANNOT believe how much sugar permeates everything I have in the pantry. However, with the resources I found on these blogs for recipes and what to look for on labels that is just sugar cleverly disguised, I feel confident. I'll share my first few recipes with you so you can go along as well! It will take longer, but make sure you check the labels as you shop. Naturally derived sugar from plants is fine, but anything else is cheating (I learned this the hard way.)
Black Bean + Corn Salsa
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can corn (any kind, but be sure the label reads 0g sugar or no sugar added), drained and rinsed
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 purple onion
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
- about 1 TBSP olive oil (or whatever oil you choose!)
- juice of about 2 limes (or to taste)
- a little cumin
Prepare by chopping, rinsing, etc. Then, combine everything in a large bowl. Voila! Enjoy plain or with multiseed crackers (again, be sure to read the label!)
I also made tacos for dinner that were REALLY good! I bought low-carb soft tortillas (most things that are low-carb are also no sugar, but check the package), cooked up some lean ground turkey meat and seasoned with taco seasoning, added cilantro-lime rice (recipe to follow), some black beans, and a dollop of Fage 0% greek yogurt as a substitution for sour cream (honesltly, it was way better)
Cilantro Lime Rice (just like Chipotle!)
- 1 package of rice (I used whole grain minute rice)
- 1/2 bunch of cilantro
- juice of about half a lime (or to taste)
This comes together so quickly and added a lot to the dish, so I was very happy! Lastly, even though I've only been about 20 hours or so without sugar (save the yogurt pretzel hidden ingredients fiasco at lunch) I still feel like I'm missing it. It's awful what it does to your body! I have head almost unanimously that the first 3 days are the hardest to get through, so I will leave you with this snack that satiated my sweet tooth (although how, I'm not quite sure!)
Kale Chips
Sounds gross right? I mean, kale? I had a bearded dragon in middle school that loved that stuff, but I've always stayed away from it. I was skeptical, as these are always being described as "chips" and "very addicting". No way, right? So happy to be wrong on this account! I made a whole sheet and they're about 1/4 gone! Even if you're just looking to swap one thing in your daily diet, I would suggest subbing these for bad-for-you chips (but I won't tell if you sneek some Cheetos because, really, those things are the bomb.)
- 1/2 bunch Kale
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 TSP sea salt (or any seasoning you like!)
Preheat your oven to 350. Wash and dry the kale before chopping it into pieces (a little bigger than crackers) and tossing them in a bowl. Then, add your olive oil and make sure they're all coated. Place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and sprinkle them with your seasonings. Place them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until most of them are brown and crispy. Take out and enjoy immedeatly or put in an airtight container for an on the go snack!
I hope you enjoy these things and I am interested to see what the next 6 days hold for me!
xoxo, Lauren
No comments:
Post a Comment