Recipe: Wild Rice with Sauteed Mushrooms, Broccolini, and Kale (Vegan)

Balanced Living: What I Eat as a High Carb Low Fat Vegan

I'm going to start of by stating that I do not follow trends, I'm highly educated (formally), I'm a researcher so I'm used to finding out information in the work or science and research, and educate myself daily.

Why the disclaimer? That's just to detract from anyone assuming that I made an ill informed decision. I made this choice much as I do every other important decision in my life, and obsessively researched the topic before I started.

Now onto the actual post.....

Even a year ago I would have laughed if you told me that I'd be vegan one day, my response would have been "Cheese and eggs though..." yet here we are.

I'm writing this post because I seem to have the same conversation over and over. People always ask if I'm 'still doing the vegan thing' and when I tell them yes, they look at me with pity in their eyes and respond with some variation of 'it must be so hard!' Then they go on to tell me how they are somehow 'proud' of me for doing this, but they can't do it themselves because they love food too much... 

I'm here to tell you that it really isn't hard at all and no, you probably don't love food more than I do.  

I LOVE food and I'm constantly stuffing my face with foods that I absolutely love. I eat a high-carb, high-protein, planet based diet, and I've never felt better. No I do not miss animal products in my diet, in fact I hardly ever think about them at all. I do not have cravings, I'm also never hungry because I eat an abundance of delicious fruit and veggies all day long.

What does a typical food day look like to me? See below: Breakfast banana smoothie, fruit all day, and dinner of rice, roasted veggies, and beans.

Benefits of my current diet:

1. I'm always full and satisfied because I don't have to 'watch what I eat'. 
2. I have lots of energy. I keep my blood sugar levels up and constant, so I don't crash at any point during the day.
3. The more you eat healthy things, the more you crave those same things. So cheese cravings... nonexistent. 
4. When eating high-fat and calorie dense animal products, you normally experience lethargy following your meal. Now, I don't feel like I need to take an hour nap after every meal, because my food leaves me feeling energized. 
5. I eat as much as I want (about 2500 cal) and I don'[t worry about weight gain. 

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I hope this information helped you to at least consider a vegan diet. If you're interested in how I transitioned to a vegan diet (I did transition gradually) see my video below! 

Enjoy. Be Healthy. Be Happy

Lazy Recipes: VEGAN Chickpea Coconut Curry

This is a simple, easy, recipe that is delicious and filling. 

I do not use a ton of ingredients, but the herbs and veggies that I use are fresh; this aided by the fact that I grow quite a few things in pots on my balcony. It's like my very own farm-to-table. 

                               

Ingredients: (serves 5)

2 tbsp Curry

1 pinch Cayenne Pepper

1 can Coconut Milk

2 cans Chick Peas (Garbanzo Beans)

1/2 cup Vegetable Stock
1/2 cup Water

2 cloves Garlic

1 Onion

1 tbsp Coconut Oil

1 tbsp Maple Syrup 

Green Beans

Chives, Parsley, Thyme, Basil, Salt, and Pepper to taste. 

Heat Coconut oil in a large pot and add chopped up herbs, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Sauté seasonings and add curry powder. Stir ingredients in pot and do not allow the garlic to burn. When the curry becomes fragrant, add the coconut milk, water, veggie stock, and chopped onion, lower the heat and stir. 

Allow the curry to cook covered on low heat for  15 mins, then add chickpeas and other vegetables ( I used green beans), add maple syrup and salt to taste. Cook covered for an additional 20 mins on low heat. 

That's it! 

This curry is perfect to serve on rice (my personal preference) but feel free to serve in with potatoes. This meal is delicious and healthy. Not to mention, you can impress your dinner guests without it getting too complicated.

I hope you try this out! Let me know what yo think.

Enjoy. Be Healthy. Be Happy

Lazy Recipes: Raw Garlic Tomato Basil Pasta

For lack of a better name.... 

This is a super easy recipe that is definitely one of my go-tos for the summer. I love it because it requires minimum prep, almost no cooking, and only a handful of ingredients all of which I grow in my garden. Feel free to add whatever else you want to this recipe, but trust me, it is already delicious in its simplicity. The best part is that it keeps well! Just make a big batch and store in the fridge, which makes it perfect for meal prep.

Just prepare in advance and enjoy over pasta!

For this recipe (again, if you can really call it that) you will need: 

Cherry tomatoes

Fresh Basil

Olive oil

Fresh Garlic (the more the merrier) 

Thyme

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut the tomatoes in half, dice the basil leaves and thyme, an crush the garlic together in a bowl.

Add olive oil, salt, and pepper, then mix everything together. 

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it overnight at room temperature. This will allow all the flavors to marry together. 

Then all you do is pour it over pasta whenever you're ready to enjoy it, and any extra can be stored in the fridge for days! 

This recipe is delicious, and I hope you try and enjoy it. 

Enjoy. Be Healthy. Be Happy

Balanced Living: Why I love Juicing!

I love Juicing!!!

As if that wasn't obvious from the title....

I know that juices are really trendy right now, and everywhere is offering a juice option. Or you can always stop at one of the many pressed juice spots if you really want to get fancy. 

Despite the trendiness of it all, there are so many benefits to juicing, and I think that they are a great supplement to any diet. 

Juicing can be really tasty!

I decided to start with this because I feel like it might be the most attractive feature of the juice world.... well it would be to me. 

Juices can have the scariest sounding ingredients lists. The most nutrient rich ones boast of combinations of green leafy veggies, herbs, and 'super foods' that sound truly disgusting. I won't lie, some of them are as nasty as they sound, but they don't have to be that way. I have found that most of these ingredients do not have very strong flavors, and so the added fruit easily masks them.

Ingredients to look out for: 

Juices with citrus and cucumber tend to be refreshing, apples and beets are often used to add sweetness, and spices like ginger add to the complexity of the flavor. 

Juices do not have to be expensive! 

Those juice places are a rip off. There.... I said it. 

Juicing really isn't hat expensive. You don't need a fancy machine to get the job done (mine cost $40 and I've been using it for years), and the actual ingredients aren't that expensive. How do the juice companies stay in business? I believe it's because people think there's more to juicing than there actually is. 

My advice is to head to the store, pick up a juicer, hit the produce department, then go home and start juicing!

Is juicing even necessary? 

Nope. As with most things, juicing is not necessary. So why even bother?

1. They increase the nutrient density of your diet. 
2. Provide a way to eat those veggies that would otherwise not be a part of your diet.
3. Quick and easy, perfect for someone who's on the go. 
4. you get fed and hydrated at the same time, and get tons of fiber in the process. 
5. They just taste good! 

Are all the claims true?

If I see one more ad for 'Juice Detox' or 'Juice Cleanse' I'll scream!

Apart from the obvious nutritional benefits of juice, companies make several claims designed to lure you in and boost sales. As a scientist, I'm tired of companies claiming that juices do so many things without any science to back them up. 

Do you need to spend a bunch of money and drink only juice for a week to 'detox'? You have a liver, it's busy detoxing as you read this so..... no. 

Besides the obvious benefits, juices are not the answer to all. So while I will sing the praises of juices as a dietary supplement, I will not support any of the other claims. 

Enjoy. Be Healthy. Be Happy

Balanced Living: Meal Prepping Is My LIFE!!!

So... if you don't follow my Instagram (@yaniquesgt) you should, because I regularly post pictures like these! 

I have been meal prepping consistently for over a year now and I honestly can't remember what I did before! I simply do not have the time or the desire to cook every day and do a bunch of dishes every day either. Just having that task waiting for me when I get home is enough to move me to stop somewhere to pick up food on my way home... I know you know what I mean. 

I started meal prepping because I wanted to eat out less often so I could eat healthier and spend less money on food. Now, my reasons are endless and I've listed a few of them below. 

Reason 1: It saves money! 

I can buy groceries for an entire week with the money I would spend on one day of eating out. 

Reason 2: It's just healthier. 

It's always up to you what ingredients end up in your food that you prep yourself, so if you want to be healthy, then make healthy dishes.

Reason 3: Who likes washing dishes? 

I love the fact that I only cook once a week. This means that I break out the pots, pans, and pyrex once a week and only have to wash them once. This is great for me because dishes have got to be the worst chore ever.

Reason 4: I'm a busy person.

I simply do not have the time or the energy to cook every single day, and I know I'm not the only one.

Reason 5: It's so convenient. 

Some may argue that cooking doesn't take that much time, but it's so convenient to just reach into the fridge and grab a meal, than to decide what to make and then prepare it. This is especially helpful for meals that you take to work or elsewhere, you grab and go!

Reason 6: Why not try something fancy? 

You only cook once a week anyway, why not try that super fancy 200 ingredient dish you saw in that magazine? Go out with you planned shopping list, get your ingredients in bulk, make food for the entire week, the feast like a King... EVERY DAY!

Reason 7: It doesn't mean you have to eat the same thing every day...

Meal prepping for the week means preparing all your food at once, it doesn't mean you have to make one thing. If you are the type of person who likes variety throughout the week, then prepare two or three options! It can be from changing the vegetable or the grain, to making completely different dishes. Either way, reasons 1 - 6 still apply.

Reason 8: Didn't these pictures look delicious?

I know it's not a real reason but come on! You have to be hungry for some meal prep right now!

Enjoy. Be Healthy. Be Happy

Some cool places to eat here and there...

These are a few of the places in Indy ( or nearby) that I think are worth visiting whether you live here or you're just visiting!

Pure Eatery

1043 Virginia Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46203

New Day Craft Mead & Cider

1102 Prospect St, Indianapolis, IN 46203

End of the Line Public House

1105 E Shelby St, Indianapolis, IN 46203

Function Brewing

108 E 6th St, Bloomington, IN 47408

Tow Yard Brewing

501 Madison Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46225

Balanced Living: Healthy and Budget Friendly Food Tips

I don't think I know a single person who would look me in the eye and say that they want to be unhealthy or that they want to eat unhealthy food; however, people are full of excuses when it comes to making healthy food choices. I'm not trying to say that these excuses are completely unfounded, because sometimes there are real circumstances that make a healthy lifestyle inconvenient or overwhelming. What I do know is that sometimes people are just unaware of the resources that are available to them and all they need is a little push in the right direction. 

I do not personally adhere to a single diet philosophy but prefer to change my diet as my body and my needs change. Currently I am on a fitness journey and woe out 6 days a week and I eat a mostly vegan diet. I am not a vegan, vegetarian, or any of those things, but I have researched my diet and nutrition intensely ( I'm a scientist, it's what I do) and have come to the conclusion that this is what works for me right now.  I am also a graduate student, which means that while I struggle toward my Ph.D. I have limited finances and have to consider that when thinking about my diet.

I am not going to try to push any kind of diet plan down your throat, or even suggest that you eat like I do, but I want to give you some useful tips. Some that I have come across in my research as well as some obvious ones as well. 

1

Eat lots of fruit and vegetables! 

Obvious right? Well though this may be obvious, many people tend to eat a diet very low in fruit and veggies and opt for more fatty options. Fruit and vegetables are nutrient dense foods that should be a huge part of ever person's diet. Not only should you be eating large quantities of these, but you should be eating a variety of them as well to get the benefits that the varieties of foods have to offer. Eat fruit throughout the day as snacks, ensure that there are veggies with every meal. Making sure you are not nutrient deficient is the first step to healthy living. 

2

Surround yourself with healthy food you like!

It's easy to grab an unhealthy snack if it's readily available, and it's equally easy to go for a healthier option for the same reason. When grocery shopping try to opt out of the unhealthy snacks and stock up on some fruit and veggies and other healthier options. If all of your snack options are healthy ones, that it won't be a struggle to eat well on a regular basis. 

3 

Failing to plan is planning to fail! 

Plan ahead. Planning is a practice that will save you a ton of grief when trying to eat healthy. Making a comprehensive plan for grocery shopping, meals, snacks, etc will ensure that you are being efficient and that you aren't stressing over your food two days later. Meal prepping a a great tool that I use. When you plan your meals for the week, you can buy the specific things you need for that and you don't end up over spending. nothing's worse that spending a bunch of money on groceries and ending up with a bunch of ingredients that you don't use. Plus it prevents multiple grocery store trips. 

4

Buy local! 

this is a simple one, buying local is cheaper. Find stores that use local farms or go to farmers markets. Find farms that allow you to pick your own crops. Look into CSAs. Community Sustained Agriculture is a way to get great produce delivered to you straight from local farms for a bargain. You can save a bunch this way. 

5

Buy food in season! 

This is also obvious, but even though i always knew that buying in season was cheaper I never bothered to look into it. I know i'm not the only one. Produce is significantly cheaper when in season. This is an easy way to save money while eating great quality produce. 

6

Use your store ads and shop around! 

Supermarkets have weekly store ads that are available in-store and are sometimes mailed to you. I ignored these ads for the longest time, but they do help plan your grocery shopping. I know it's convenient to get all your groceries from one place, but shopping around for the best deals can save a ton of money. Use your store ads and shop around to get the most bang for your buck.

Balanced Living: Eating Healthy on a Budget

Eating healthy is the best thing you can do for yourself. 

We all know this, but for many it's easier said than done. I think time, cooking ability, and finances are the major reasons why some of us pick the cheap unhealthy options off the shelves when we shop for groceries. When on a budget or pressed for time, the last thing someone wants to think about is buying ingredients we may never again use, then proceeding to follow a long convoluted recipe for some dish that promises great things but may not deliver. 

I recently came across this book (thanks to my bestie Julia) which I think is a great resource; especially for people who are trying to save. Many of my friends are students and I know we don't have Whole Foods every day money, so I just knew that I had to share. 

While pursuing her Master's degree in Food Studies at NYU, Leanne Brown wrote a cook book which was supposed to appeal to the person who wanted to eat a variety of healthy and balanced meals every day but stick to a tight food budget. The book is a collection of healthy recipes designed to serve 4 people, that add up to $4 a day. Yes, I said feed 4 people for $4 a day. 

Her book is available for free download as a PDF. 

Click here to download this cookbook for FREE

I've looked through it and I must say, some of these sound really good!

My St. Lucian Kitchen

I love being in the kitchen, if given a choice I would prepare my own meal rather than go out or order from a restaurant. Though the majority of things I cook are not particularly region specific, there are a few West Indian eats that I make all the time. As the foodie that I am I feel the need to share some of those with you.

Here are a few of them, if you want recipes let me know and I will try my best.

Bakes - delicious West Indian fried bread that is amazing for breakfast.

Fried Plantains - though not unique to the West Indies, this simple yet delicious side dish is extremely popular.

Lentils Bullion/Buyon - This is basically a lentil soup that is one of my favorite things. There are many varieties of these, the two most popular ones being with lentils and red beans. I make mine with dumplings and spinach or kale. Traditionally this is cooked as a one pot meal with some sort of meat. 

What are your favorite dishes?

Healthy Easy Smoothie Recipes #2: Red Breakfast Boost

Here we go again! 

I make this smoothie all the time because it is a great way to start the day. The fruit provides lots of energy to give me that kick in the butt I need to get the brain going in the morning. The oatmeal is great as a fiber source and good for slow release energy, the Chia seeds in this recipe are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, and the mixed berries are a great source of antioxidants.  

As usual I enjoy using frozen fruit because it is cheaper, they don't go bad in a few days, and they're already cold so no ice needs to be added!

Ingredients: 

1. 1 banana
2. 1 cup almond milk
3. 1 handful of oats  
4. frozen mango
5. frozen mixed berries and cherries
6. 1 tbsp chia seeds 

AgainI just added whatever amount felt right at the time, so it's up to you!. 

I pop all the ingredients into my -neither expensive nor fancy- blender (that's it's official name, in the original dialect), and hit the smoothie button.

Then pour and drink! 

Lazy Recipes: Roasted Green Beans (or any other veggie you like)

I LOVE roasted veggies!!! 

Ok, I'll calm down on the enthusiasm, but I seriously love them. When prepared properly, veggies can be extremely flavorful and serve as the perfect healthy side to any meal. I know many people just resort to boiling or steaming veggies is an effort to save time, but I prefer to infuse my veggies with lots of flavor and roasting them. That way I keep a nice crunchy texture and get tons of flavor. 

What makes this recipe super great in my eyes is the fact that it takes hardly any time for prep work! 

I do this with any veggie or combination of veggies and it turns out great. Green beans, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower happen to be 3 of my all-time faves.

I did this recipe using flash frozen green beans from Trader Joe's that I thawed prior to cooking.

 I know, I know!!! Frozen? Why not fresh? Well, as someone who lives alone I find it much easier to buy frozen vegetables, and the Trader Joe's frozen veggies are great.... FYI. 

For this recipe (if you can really call it that) you will need: 

Red pepper flakes

3 cloves of garlic

Grape seed oil (you may use a different oil if you prefer it)

Thyme

Rosemary

Salt and fresh ground black pepper 

All quantities of these ingredients depend on your personal taste. 

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
2. Mince or crush the garlic and add to the oil 
3. Add pepper flakes to the oil, and directly shred the rosemary and thyme into the bowl.
4. Wisc everything together and allow it to sit on the counter for a short while. This allows the oil to become infused with the flavors of the seasonings. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add the oil mixture to the green beans in a baking dish and toss them to coat every bean. 
6. Cook covered in the oven for 15 minutes. 
7. Uncover the beans, and cook for an additional 10 minutes uncovered, raising the oven settings to broil. 
8. When the beans are roasted to your liking, remove them and allow them to cool. 

Then all that's left for you to do is toss'em up and serve them! 

They taste great, and look like you put in more effort than you actually did.

Enjoy!

Lazy Recipes: Homemade Ramen

I recently made this and got numerous recipe requests from my friends. I am not not now, nor have I ever been a recipe person. My mom taught me to cook with measurements such as 'a little bit', 'a sprinkle', and 'some', so my dilemma should be apparent. I don't think cooking is that precise though, and since people's tastes vary so greatly I think cooking 'to taste' is a better approach. 

With all that said, here is my 'recipe' for my home made ramen. This is the first of my Lazy Recipes series, where I'll be sharing my ideas for fast yet tasty meals.

For this you will need: 

1 package of instant Ramen for the noodles

1 cups of vegetable broth (any broth will do depending on the desired flavor)

1 cup water

Diced garlic
Salt

powdered ginger (or diced; go easy on this one, ginger is potent!)

A drizzle (another of my mom's measurements) of sesame oil

Sriracha

Red pepper flakes 

Parsley ( I used dried) 

Green onions chopped

1 lean chicken breast 

1 egg

1. To a pot add sesame oil and saute the garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and parsley until it becomes highly fragrant. 
2. Add the water and vegetable broth to the pot and allow them to come to a boil, and salt to taste.
3. Add the noodles to the pot and boil for 3 minutes stirring occasionally, remove from the heat and set aside. 
4. In a separate pot, boil an egg for ~6 minutes. This should give you a nice medium boiled egg.
5. season your chicken breast with sea salt, and cook in sesame oil in a skillet equally on both sides. Cooking times depend on the size of the piece of meat used. let the meat rest after cooking, then slice as desired.
6. Pour noodles and broth into a bowl, drizzle Sriracha over them, and place the sliced chicken on top. Cut the egg in half and add it to the bowl, and lastly, garnish with the green onions. 

I tried my best guys, I hope this is useful!

Enjoy!

Healthy Easy Smoothie Recipes #1: Creamy Fruity and Green

Hey guys!!!

This is my first actual recipe on here, so I'm excited! 

I drink smoothies and make juices all the time. I think this is one of the best ways of getting the nutrients you need to balance out your diet in a quick and convenient. You are able to combine a bunch of ingredients that you probably wouldn't eat individually, and you can always take your smoothie to go! 

This is one of my go-to recipes because the ingredients are always available, affordable, easy to work with, and tasty! 

Ingredients: 

1. 1 banana
2. 1 cup milk (I used whole milk because that's just the kind of person I am. I also like almond and coconut milk for this recipe)
3. 1 handful of oats (or any grains you like) 
4. frozen mango
5. frozen grapes
6. frozen spinach 

I use frozen fruit and veggies because it last longer and the smoothie is already cold after blending, and I just add whatever amount feel right at the time, so it's up to you!. 

I pop all the ingredients into my -neither expensive nor fancy- blender, and hit the smoothie button.

I then have a delicious, sweet, and creamy smoothie. 

The strongest flavors are the banana and mango, and the spinach flavor is completely masked. Smoothies are a great way to get your green leafy fix if you're not a salad lover.

 I hope you enjoy this recipe and give it a try!