RFC Tips and Tricks: Part II

We have been trekking along just fine on our 100 Days of Real food. Day 11 only 89 more to go! We have gotten through dinner parties, VEGAS, work conferences, and late nights at work. I have 5 more tricks and tips  for everyone (especially those who are doing the RFC) to help you continue to stay on track.

#1. Check out EVAN’S recipe for Vegged-Out Quinoa: http://www.thewannabechef.net/2011/01/13/vegged-out-quinoa/ so good!

#2. Host a REAL FOOD dinner. Invite your family and friends over and make them a really good meal, like this one and talk about what you are doing. The more educated others are about eating real food, the more they can learn to appreciate what you are doing.

#3. Shop at Fresh and Easy and Trader Joe’s  for your poultry. A lot of their beef is grass fed and their chicken is FREE RANGE. They also have cage free eggs 🙂 But stay away from the corn fed beef.

Why grass fed over corn fed?

 “In the past, all beef was grass fed beef, but today what is commercially available in the United States is almost all feedlot corn fed beef. The reason? It’s faster, and so more profitable. Seventy years ago, steers were 4 or 5 years old at time of slaughter. Today, they are only 14 or 16 months. You can’t take a beef calf from a birth weight of 80 pounds to 1,200 pounds in a little more than a year on grass. It takes enormous quantities of corn, protein supplements, antibiotics and other drugs, including growth hormones. The end result, and this is what ends up on you plate, is corn fed beef full of growth hormones, protein supplements and antibiotics. This is a virtual breeding ground for toxins and bacteria to develop.”-source

#4.  Homemade pizza lunch-ables with fruit! I got this idea from Lisas blog and love it. I basically bake whole-wheat pizza crust plain, cut it into triangles and freeze them in a big bag. I also freeze seasoned tomato sauce (or pizza sauce) in ice cube trays. Once the cubes are frozen I move them out of the trays into another big freezer bag. You can then pull out 2 or 3 crust triangles, 2 sauce cubes, grate some cheese and add some fruit. My HUSBAND loves this lunch and it is one of the easier ones to put together the night before (once all the advance preparation is done of course!).

#5. You can eat “ice-cream” or a banana soft serve as I like to call it: Place 4 frozen bananas in a food processor. Pulse several times to break into smaller pieces, then turn on and run for about five minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The bananas will start to resemble soft serve in a few minutes. Transfer to a bowl and place in freezer for about 15 minutes, if you’d like, or serve immediately. I topped mine with a tablespoon of pure maple syrup mixed with 2 t dark cocoa powder  (Makes four 1/2 cup servings)

#6. Do you miss your sweet coffee?? Well here is a real MOCHA you will love 🙂

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon unsweetened cocoa (this recipe will work with regular cocoa, but I think it is SOOO much better with the pictured “special dark” variety…which most stores carry)
• 1 teaspoon 100% pure maple syrup (honey would work as an alternative)
• 1 shot of espresso
• ¾ cup of milk

 Directions

1. Measure 3/4 cup milk into a glass measuring cup and heat it in the microwave for 2 minutes. If you want to get fancy you can use the frothing attachment on your espresso maker to heat the milk, but I personally think that makes way too much of a mess for the small added benefit of foam.

While the milk is heating up, stir together the cocoa and maple syrup

Pour the hot espresso and milk into the chocolate mixture…and voila! You have a “mocha”

Here is some Feedback from RFC participates thus far:

“In just a short amount of time this has really opened my eyes to the processed foods I still eat.  I’m not reading more labels than ever and I didn’t think that was possible.  Now I’m counting ingredients and not just looking for the usual animal products and HFCS.  I’m stuck on Green Monsters for lunches on the weekends though.  And I’m finding that making my own snacks helps a lot.  I make my own granola and trail mix.  I went to Whole Foods and stocked up at the bulk bins on dry beans and grains.  I also love that LaraBars fit into the 5 ingredient whole food rule.  I just tried the peanut butter and jelly one for the first time and it has quickly become my favorite.”-Kelly

“So far the last 3 days have been easy… I have tried a new vegetable and a new recipe… and even though it has only been 3 days I feel great and haven’t had any cravings for any of my old food”-Crystal

“Week 1: Well I survived, but I realized I need to make/prep my breakfast and lunches the night BEFORE. I started class this week (getting my commercial real estate license) and classes are Tuesday and Thursday from 6-10pm…..so on those days I had to pack breakfast, lunch, AND dinner. Need more ideas for dinners on those nights….?”-Kaitlyn…anyone have any tips for Kaitlyn????

I would love to hear what you guys would like to know about how the RFC has helped you, or if you have more questions for me send them my way!