Favorite Healthy Cookbooks

NYC Healthy Meal Delivery

I've tried every diet in the book but have recently settled on Paleo, which has been life-changing. I give myself 4 cheat meals a week but the rest of the meals are dairy, grains/gluten, beans, corn-free meals. It doesn't feel like a diet anymore except when I'm out to dinner or wanting to order something creamy/deliciously bad on Seamless. I am a huge fan of meal delivery programs but many are extremely expensive and not exactly what you want. I tried the Chef's Diet once and while I like the food, it seemed like a bit too many calories and carbs.

 I recently saw a promotion on Gilt City for a program called Provenance Meals. The food looks amazing and you can order just dinners or do the  whole shabang and you get to pick which food you get (a huge plus for me). All of the ingredients are organic and they follow a paleo-esque food plan. Hurry to Gilt City because they are still running the promotion here. I sometimes pay more than that for that for an unhealthy seamless delivery so ordering was a home run in my book. I signed up for 3 dinners and they come next Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. I will let you know how it is but it looks delicious. Some of the amazing (all gluten-free) options include chicken pad thai, chipotle and cider rubbed pork and pan roasted bass filet with fennel and a white wine sauce. YUM. 

Even if you miss the Gilt promotion, take $25 your first order if you enter code PMINTRO at check out on the site.

Speaking of seamless, Hu Kitchen now delivers to my area but the delivery minimum is $55 dollars. All of their food is dairy and grain-free and they use local and all organic ingredients. Try the chocolate chia pudding for an amazing dessert, the chicken fingers (to feel like you're not on a diet) or the delicious vegetable "bread." I also love their kale salad with goji berries and, if you go in person, they have a full bar with fun cocktails and gluten free beer!

Sakara Life is a vegan, gluten-free, organic meal delivery program that delivers to NYC and now to Greenwich, CT and Westchester. All of the produce is sourced locally when possible and they have a great blog and newsletter with healthy recipes.   

You can choose 1, 5, or 20 days or even 3 months (which is discounted). You can select to have all three meals, just breakfast and lunch or just a "lunchbox." Their food looks amazing but I do love my meat...

Sample Menu below

Finally, Food Matters NYC is a program that does meal delivery and even catering. Before  you sign up, you fill out all sorts of information about yourself and then you talk to owner Tricia about your preferences. You can pick how many meals you want a week and the meal-plans are totally customizable.The food is made fresh every day and a typical menu looks like the below:

Farm Egg Crepe
Packed with Ten Vegetables
Morning Zinc Brittle
Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Brown Rice Syrup
Healthiest Chicken BBQ Ever
Red Cockerel Chicken, Oven Baked Quinoa Hush Puppy, Probiotic Collard Green Slaw, Baked Adzuki Beans
Afternoon Green Soup Shot
Kale, Romaine, Cucumber, Celery, Avocado, Cumin, Lemon
Turkey Meatloaf
Loaded with Quinoa and Vegetable, Oven Baked Curry, Sweet Potato Fries, Sautéed Baby Spinach
Power Packed Chocolate Chip Cookie
Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Almond Flour, 70% Chocolate

This option is a little more expensive but the food looks incredible and it is completely up to you how many meals you want and what food you get.

I will let  you all know how Provenance Meals goes but I have a feeling I'm really going to like it. I also ordered their paleo pumpkin muffins... just to try....

Tuesday Treats - Day 2 of 30 Day Paleo Challenge

Day 1 of my Paleo challenge in the bag and I feel great. I've done gluten free/low carb diets before but the extra discipline of no processed food, no dairy, no corn and no legumes will definitely be a challenge. Some things I'm excited for:

This Book

Is phenomenal - like, best gluten/dairy free cookbook I've ever read. Danielle Walker has really hit the nail on the head with this one. All of her recipes look delicious and not too too hard to make. I bought it on my iPad and it was worth every penny. She also has a fantastic blog also named Against All Grain.

Some recipes I'm dying to try

Carmel Glazed Donuts

Crepes…or Tortillas…or Lasagna noodles

Paleo Fish Tacos

Other things I'm excited about (going with the paleo theme...)

Steve's Paleo Goods Sauce Sampler - I'm a hugeee condiments girl so one of the hardest parts about Paleo is giving up my ketchup! These are Paleo, look delicious and have awesome reviews. The sampler comes with Ketchup, Steak Sauce, Wing Sauce, and Sriracha. YUM! They also have awesome salad dressings on the site. 

 Other helpful sites:

Nom Nom Paleo

Whole30 (not a paleo website per se but very similar concepts)

The Paleo List

and, of course, Pinterest! There are awesome recipes on there. 

These 30 days are going to be a breeze (fingers crossed...)! Have you guys tried Paleo or any similar diets? Any helpful hints for me??

P.S. This made me happy : )

Tuesday Treats

I always feel a little more motivated to cook when it doesn't get dark at 5pm and a little more motivated to look good when I'm walking around in a bathing suit. I recently invested in a Blendtec blender and I haven't looked back. Although expensive, this wonder is as good as the Vitamix yet doen't take up as much precious counter space. If you are in the market for a Vitamix or a Blendtec, my recommendation is to get the 20% of coupon from Bed Bath and Beyond and buy it there (you can get it online by signing up for emails and then obviously unsubscribing or from multiple magazines). My two favorite things to make with my new high-powered blender are salad dressings and smoothies/juices. 

I've also been loving Kale this summer and am admittedly obsessed with Gwyneth's new cookbook. It is perfection. A week ago, I had the same lunch for a week straight: kale with Gwyneth's Green Goddess Dressing, rotisserie chicken, Gywn's quinoa with mushrooms, almonds and carrots. I never got sick of it. This week, I decided to substitute the GG dressing for a yummy and healthier dressing, the apple cider vinegar one featured in her cookbook. Both dressings can keep in the week for a week or more and they are so yummy. Below are a few recipes I'm excited to try!

Kale Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Yields 3-4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups chopped kale
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

 

For the Meyer lemon vinaigrette:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
1 tablespoon agave

 

DIRECTIONS:

To make the vinaigrette, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Meyer lemon zest and juice, and agave in a small bowl; set aside.

To assemble the salad, place kale in a large bowl; top with avocado, quinoa, pomegranate seeds, pecans and goat cheese. Pour the dressing on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.

Serve immediately. (recipe from Damndelcious.net)

Shredded Brussel Sprouts Salad

Yields 12-16 oz.

INGREDIENTS:

Ingredients 12 to 16 oz. fresh Brussels Sprouts, very thinly sliced (about 4 to 5 cups) 2 large kale leaves, ribs removed, and finely chopped (about 2 to 3 c.) 1/2 c. dried cranberries, coarsely chopped 1/4 c. sunflower seeds 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 1 T. extra virgin olive oil 1 T. pure maple syrup 1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice 1/2 T. whole-grain mustard Pinch salt
Read more at http://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/2013/07/shredded-brussels-sprouts-salad.html#imovtLJm023u3iud.99

Fresh Brussels Sprouts, very thinly sliced (about 4 to 5 cups)
2 large kale leaves, ribs removed, and finely chopped (about 2 to 3 c.)
1/2 c. dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/4 c. sunflower seeds
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. pure maple syrup
1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 T. whole-grain mustard
Pinch salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.      In a large salad bowl, combine the sliced Brussels sprouts, chopped kale, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and crumbled bacon. Toss together.  

2.      In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, maple syrup, fresh lemon juice, mustard, and salt. Whisk with a fork until well mixed. 

3. Pour the dressing over the Brussels sprouts mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediately.  

(Recipe from http://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/)

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Tomatoes, Avocado, and Pesto 

 

INGREDIENTS:
For the quinoa and vegetables


2 cups cherry tomatoes

Olive oil

Salt

2 cups dry quinoa

1 avocado, cut into chunks

1/3 to 1/2 cup diced mozzarella (about 3-4 ounces)

3/4 cup chickpeas, more if desired

For the pesto vinaigrette


1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

1 cup basil leaves

pinch cayenne

1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

4-6 tablespoons olive or canola oil or a mixture of the two

 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. 
2. Make sure the tomatoes are completely dry, then drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat them all. 
3. Bake the tomatoes for about 35 minutes, flipping once, until they are brown and poufy. They will deflate when you take them out of the oven. Sprinkle with salt.
4. Make the quinoa: Combine the quinoa with 4 cups of water in a small, lidded saucepan and bring to a boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, give it a stir, put on the lid, and turn the heat down as low as possible. Cook for 15 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. Turn off the heat but leave the lid on for 5 more minutes. Then, spread the quinoa out onto a baking sheet to let it come to room temperature and dry out a bit so it

(Recipe from Laurenconrad.com)

Essential Cookbooks for Healthy Eating

After lent I decided to let myself have a week to eat whatever (I did abstain from gluten for 6 weeks after all) but that week turned into a month so it's time to get back on track! One of the reasons it's so hard for me to be good is because I am pretty lazy when it comes to cooking. I have to be extremely motivated to go to the grocery store after work, cook and then clean so a lot of times it ends of being me and whatever I find on seamless. 

When I am feeling motivated I turn to the books below for some healthy, wholesome guidance. I recently purchased Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook and I love it. I love that she is such a health nut because I can be confident that she is using the best/healthiest ingredients in her dishes. I'm hoping that a week of clean eating and some workouts will get me right back on track before summer.Happy/healthy cooking everyone!

Gluten Free Detox

As some of you may know, I embarked on a lofty lent journey by giving up gluten for the whole six weeks. I am a serious foodie and rarely does a day go by that I don't indulge in some form of a carb binge, so this was huge for me. And I didn't even cheat!

The first few days were tough learning what I could and couldn't eat (and I initially gave up dairy too which quickly ended when I realized how hard the two would be). In the end, I lost 8 pounds and felt great. What I realized, though, was that it wasn't necessarily the gluten that made me "lose weight." It was more about the restriction of carbs for six weeks that made a huge impact (and yes- no beer was allowed!). I could still eat things like rice and potatoes, which I would normally cut out if I was doing a low-carb or no-carb diet, and I think had I cut out all carbs I would have lost even more weight.

In terms of how my body felt, it felt how it does when I give up carbs -- not bloated. Some people with a gluten allergy or intolerance describe a number of ailments going away but I didn't experience this. I found a lot of great recipes from Paleo websites. Paleo is essentially a "cave man" diet where you don't have to restrict how much you eat but rather what you eat. Processed foods are a no go and dairy, grains, alcohol and starches are supposed to be limited.This is an awesome diet and healthy lifestyle choice and I would recommend it to anyone looking to lose weight, keep it off and improve overall health.

So what do I do now that I'm done? I plan on continuing to eat a limited amount of gluten/carbs and try to adhere to an 80/20 diet (80% of the time I'm good and 20% I can cheat). This way I don't feel deprived and I also don't gain back 8 pounds that I worked for six weeks to lose. You can find paleo recipes on pinterest, Paleo OMG, Nom Nom Paleo, and other websites.

I'm also a huge fan of the Dukan Diet, which is a diet plan split into 4 phases, the first is an all meat and non-fat dairy phase, the second adds in non-starchy vegetables and the third and fourth re-introduce whole grains, full-fat cheeses, fruits and indulgences. This diet has worked the best for me in the past and I was never hungry on it. Have you tried any successful diets recently or gone gluten free?

Monday Morning

Isn't it the worst coming back from a long weekend? I had such a great weekend in Toronto and Greenwich and was not ready for the 6:30am wakeup call today. Lots and lots of coffee for this girl (and possibly a donut too now that my gluten free lent is over)! I hope everyone had a great weekend and has a fantastic week. I hear it's going to be 60 and sunny in NYC today (finally)!

*Image via Pinterest