The Smithsonian is a museum I really wanna go to. It's also what I call our house since our last name is Smith. Anyhoo, as we have been endeavoring on (and actually
really enjoying!) this healthy, mostly 'whole food' eating lifestyle, I have come to notice there are 5 things that are really healthy, versatile, and delicious that usually stay in our house at all times. FYI, none of these pictures weren't taken by me. I Google image searched them. Holla.
1. Spinach
Baby spinach. Adult spinach. Frozen spinach. Doesn't matter. We use this for everything! As I still love to juice, I mostly use this as a base for my juices. Have a smoothie recipe? Throw a handful in there - you honestly won't even taste it! Also for sides and salads, the possibilities are endless! And now that I found
this that shows you how to freeze spinach in an ice cube tray for smoothies, GAME OVER!
2. Eggs
Dang. First, I never realized how expensive eggs can be. Second, I'm not sure what's gotten in to The Smiths, but we go through SO MANY TINY BABY CHICKENS in a week. Okay, so maybe not THAT many, but still - it really is a lot. After reading TONS of health blogs and consulting with my dietitian friend, there is nothing different from white eggs than brown eggs other than breed. You hear me? N.O.T.H.I.N.G. That means when you see brown eggs next to white eggs and price difference is 40 or 50 cents different, save your change! You just want your eggs to be high in Omega-3's. Also, if you don't believe in chickens being in cages, you can buy free range, too, but you'll be paying higher for it. And again, no nutritional difference until you get into to the "No hormone fed, only vegan fed" crap, but honestly, I eat them for protein reasons and they're delicious! Scrambled with a little Texas Pete is a personal fave. I also have a go- to breakfast for on the run:
- 1 Thomas Everything Bagel Thin
- 1 slice Sargento Ultra Thin sharp cheddar
- 1 egg white, cooked in the microwave (you heard me! MICROWAVE PEOPLE! 30 seconds per egg white - I just spray coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl, put my egg white in there, and heat for 30 seconds)
We also use egg whites a lot for cooking/baking too. And honestly, the whole 'should I eat only egg whites or the whole egg' debacle is dumb. The yolk is not that bad for you. But whatevs.
3. Greek Yogurt
To admit, I was TERRIFIED of doing the whole greek yogurt switch out for mayo, sour cream, etc ... BUT I PROMISE YOU, I put this stuff on our healthy tacos we made the other night and I literally COULD NOT tell a difference. It was incredible. Smoothies. Throw some cinnamon and mix it around and make a great dip for apples. Exchange it out for oil, butter, or heavy cream by following
these guidelines I found on Pinterest.
4. Garlic
Or as I like to call it ... OMGarlic. It's unhealthy how much I love garlic. (Actually it's real healthy how much I love it because garlic is super good for you!) We keep garlic ON DECK at all times. Wrap it up in tin foil and roast it for a delicious smell and spreadable garlic you can use on your healthy whole grain bread! Throw minced garlic in vegetables and coconut oil and roast in the oven. We usually have whole cloves as well as the minced stuff in a jar - it's like pennies on the dollar at Aldi and SO worth it! I also get our garlic from Aldi, too, because you can get 3 cloves for 79 CENTS! Wheeeeee! No vampires in The Smithsonian.
5. Cucumber
My best friend HATES cucumber. I still love her, but I think she's nuts. I can do so many awesome delicious things with cucumber! My fave is just to slice it up, add a touch of salt and pepper and eat away. I love dipping cucumbers in hummus (side bar, I am
not a carrot fan. Blech.) I also saw recently on Pinterest to make little sammiches with them! Save on your carbs! I also have this recipe I'm DYING to try from
Eat Yourself Skinny of
Cucumber Cups stuff with Spicy Crab! They sound so freaking good. I also eat a TON of salad (see #1) and love having cucumber as a topping - adds a crunch and a veggie serving instead of saturated fats and carbs with crutons.
To be fair, we also have a lot of other things we keep on deck at home - avacados (which has to be an honorable mention for me because I LOVE LOVE LOVE them), tuna, and boneless, skinless chicken. They're also healthy too, but in thinking of the top 5 staples we are never without, these things make the list every time!
Happy Thursday!
