Day Two- A GF Vegan Tasty Treat!!

Being a former fatty-patty (I lost 80 pounds after a 20 year struggle with obesity) I am always up for a sweet treat. The whole reason I went to culinary school was not just because I was diagnosed by three different doctors for anti-depressants, it was more because I was addicted to junk food and I wanted to find a way to make the junky foods healthy for me!

Cooking has always been meditation for me…I am a baker at heart, though now my approach takes on a much healthier light. My natural inclination is to find the sweet alternatives when I first try a new way of eating so I have a go-to item when I need. This immediate experimentation also allows me to suggest recipes to clients in search of healthy sweets! It’s a win-win and my inner child loves every minute of it! 🙂

Here is my most recent kitchen experiment from day two. It’s a sweet potato pudding made with almond butter and almond meal. You can use oats in place of the nut meal and rice milk instead of the almond milk if you have a nut allergy or sensitivity. While oats can be gluten-free if you get them from a reputable distributor, I’d rather not take the chance as we are committed to be vegan, soy-free and gluten-free.

As this recipe is a total overhaul from another recipe I found, it suits my tastes much better than the way it was when I found it! It’s healthy enough to be breakfast or even a good pre-workout snack. 

Sweet Potato Pudding

1/3 cup blanched almond meal

1/2 cup fresh made almond milk

1 cup cooked yam or sweet potato

1/4 cup almond butter

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Blend in a blender until smooth. Let settle in fridge for an hour or more before eating.

From Carnivore to Vegan!

WOW!! This is quite the jump but one that is necessary for the sake of my mom’s health. I committed to her to prepare her meals daily, including fresh juices, to assist her in her three month mission to get her cholesterol back on track.

As I snack on grapes and a steamed artichoke I am thankful to have the knowledge of food and flavors to make this transition one of ease and grace. Being a huge meat eater for most of my life, walking away from burgers with cheese will be the toughest challenge for me but I’m confident that my knowledge of the culinary arts will afford me the capabilities to break free from the modified body builder’s way of eating that I have adopted for almost a decade.

As tomorrow will be our first official day of Vegan eating I’l be posting my recipe adventures here! We are going to be soy-free during this challenge as well as gluten-free so there will be much to experiment with 🙂

Let the journey BEGIN!!!

Clean Eating Kitchen Survival Tips

Are you the type of person who can’t quite get a grip on mastering the art of clean eating and making it taste good? Seems like the concept of having to reduce your food choices is so invasive and you’re afraid you will feel deprived.

I can tell you from first hand experience that the theory of taking away all things that “taste” good just because they are “bad” is NOT going to help you reach success. You results will be determined by proper planning in your choices and food preparation.

So here’s a few tricks I use to master my daily diet for maximum results in the weight loss game-

1-more is better-when you prepare a large amount of individual food items in advance you will have food ready when the hunger monster arrives. Turkey burgers, roasted veggies etc. This gives you a chance to take food with you on busy days and avoid those last minute, quick grab n go foods after work or a workout..

-prep veggies for snacking-when you are hungry at night and come home to make dinner you are more challenged to make bad food choices or over eat when you are starving. Having pre-chopped veggies to snack on while prepping dinner will prevent you from eating a ginormous portion at the dinner table.

-use everything!-when you make juice with fresh produce, save your veggie pulp and make a fresh stock. I save the pulp of three juicing sessions and place it in a large stock pot then cover with water. I simmer it for 3-4 hours until the liquid reduces. Strain out the pulp and save the stock for use in cooking whole grains, more flavorful water saute’s and making sauces.

It’s the little things that make a difference so take time to focus on planning for your success!