A new month means only one thing around here: It’s time for a new resolution!
As we approach the halfway mark of 2022 (btw, how crazy is that?!), I’d like to pause and consider what you’ve accomplished so far:
You made a donation.
You encouraged others by writing to them.
You practiced gratitude by “counting your blessings.”
You reduced your screen time.
Whether you blew these goals out of the water or struggled, you should be proud of your efforts so far.
So now let’s move to something new…. nutrition.
Now, if you think this month’s resolution is to cut out sugar or carbs, you can rest easy. There’s not enough happiness in this world, and it seems cruel to snuff out even more. But what we ARE going to do for this month’s challenge is to log our food.
Every single thing you eat, you’ll record. Whether you use an app like My Fitness Pal or whether you go for the old-fashioned pen and paper, it doesn’t matter.
Recording our food helps us be more intentional in our eating practices. It forces us to come to terms with what we are putting in our bodies.
But if you’re someone who would like to drop a few pounds? Recording your food can help. In fact, during one study researchers found that people who kept a food journal lost twice as much weight as those who did not.
I want to be clear, though. The primary purpose of this resolution is not for weight loss. It’s for intentionality and for building healthy habits.
After all, it’s easy to grab a value meal from a fast-food chain when you’re on your way home from work or headed to the umpteenth ball game this week. It’s not so easy to write down “double bacon cheeseburger, large french fries” in a food journal and see it each day. For most of us? Things quickly get uncomfortable.
On the flip side, it feels very good to open up a journal and see something like, “grilled chicken with roasted vegetables and a whole-grain roll.” It’s encouraging to see fresh, natural, energy-giving foods make up most of your meals.
And don’t forget, you won’t be alone. I’ll be joining in, too. Am I going to still eat a cinnamon roll or two? You betcha. Am I also going to get plenty of protein and veggies in there, too? Absolutely.
Nutrition doesn’t have to be a bad word. Record your food, let go of the guilt, and focus on increasing the good. It’s that simple.
Note to self: Don’t start a capsule pantry the week your region gets hit with snowmaggedon.
What a week! We Southerners are not built for heavy snow. I didn’t go to the store for two weeks.
Two weeks, y’all.
Since I was stuck at home in a ridiculous amount of layers, my capsule pantry week took a small hit. But no worries! I was still able to make use of the ingredients and assemble recipes, observations, and other tips to help you edit your pantry.
Ready? Let’s get started.
Just to recap, here were the ingredients I chose for my capsule pantry:
Protein: Black beans, eggs, protein powder (optional)
Starches: Sweet potatoes & rice
Greens: Spinach & Romaine lettuce
Veggies: Red bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, onion
Liquids: Broth (veggie or chicken), almond milk
Fruits: Bananas, frozen blueberries
Fats: Olive oil, Peanut Butter
So, what do you eat with just those ingredients?
Turns out, there are several dishes you can make with that list. Here’s a breakdown of meals with recipes:
This veggie omelet recipe is simple and nutritious. I swapped out the butter for olive oil, and I only used red bell peppers (normally I would use both red and green).
Kelly’s Sleepyhead Smoothie
This is my favorite, go-to smoothie for busy mornings. Or lazy mornings. Any morning, really. Here’s what you need:
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup loosely packed spinach, fresh or frozen
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1/2 to 1 scoop protein powder (I use Vega chocolate, but you can use whatever type you want)
1 cup almond milk
Simply blend everything in a high-powered blender and drink up!
Entrées
These entrées can be used for lunch and/or dinner. I like to make a recipe for dinner and eat the leftovers for next day’s lunch. Some of these recipes have links, and some have easy to follow directions underneath.
Note: These recipes will be modified to fit the ingredient list. I would normally add more (cheese, nuts, etc.), but we’re keeping it extra simple, people!
Modified Bibimbap Bowl
Bibimbap bowls, or Korean beef and veggie rice bowls, are great for getting all the food groups in one yummy dish. This version is definitely pared down and not as authentic, but it still packs a highly nutritious punch and tastes great.
1 cup long-grain rice (I’ve used jasmine, white, or brown)
2 cups broth
1 large carrot, grated or cut julienne style
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
garlic powder, ginger, salt, pepper to taste
olive oil
1 cup fresh spinach
1 egg per person
Put rice, ginger, and 2 cups broth in saucepan (you can also use water). Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes, until rice has absorbed the liquid. Heat olive oil in skillet on medium heat and cook spinach, seasoning with salt and pepper and garlic powder. Once wilted and cooked, set aside. Repeat with broccoli. Set aside. Fry the eggs to desired doneness (I like sunny side up). Place rice in bowl and top with spinach, broccoli, and raw carrots. Place fried egg on top. You can add soy sauce if you have it.
*This recipe usually has a soy based sauce with it. I omitted it for the recipe, but it tastes better with the sauce. I also usually cook the rice in water, but since I was eliminating the flavor of the sauce, I went with broth to infuse more flavor.
Roasted Veggie Pan
So simple and so good! Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with foil (yay for fewer dishes!). Slice bell pepper, onion, and carrots. Break broccoli into florets. Toss veggies with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 18 minutes.
Toss spinach with blueberries, hard boiled eggs, and your favorite dressing.
Sweet Potato Skillet
This is a modified version of a Whole30® Master recipe, but it is most definitely not Whole30®. Just want you to be aware!
2-3 sweet potatoes
Black beans (1- 15 oz can or 1.5 cups cooked beans)
Taco seasoning (packet or homemade)
Olive oil
Wash, peel, and dice 2-3 sweet potatoes. Heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil over medium heat in skillet. Cook sweet potatoes until fork tender. Add black beans and taco seasoning. Stir to combine. If needed, add a small drizzle of olive oil. Let simmer for 5 minutes or until beans are heated through. Serve.
Using this homemade olive oil mayo recipe, I made egg salad. For a good simple egg salad recipe, click here. I took the egg salad and wrapped it in Romaine lettuce leaves. This would be good to make in batches for lunch.
1 cup almond milk with 1 scoop protein powder, blend in high-powered blender
What I Noticed
This was not as hard as I thought it would be, but the challenge was making sure I had enough protein. I tried to get protein in every meal, but there were some that just didn’t have much. It would have been easier with meat, but I wanted this to be vegetarian friendly and cost-effective. And meat is expensive!
I did use Dijon mustard a couple of times (egg salad, dressing base for salad), so I would add that to the list. I just happened to have some on hand.
Tips for Building Your Capsule Pantry
If you want to have a capsule pantry, you have to be prepared to do two things: cook and eat leftovers.
Try having a “theme” for the week. For instance, I might make a lot of southwestern dishes one week. These dishes use a lot of the same ingredients, so my grocery list is smaller and more efficient.
Cook in batches. Since having a compact pantry means more cooking, make your time count by cooking large recipes and then eating them for several meals. Or, cook a large amount of a recipe part (e.g. a large pot of rice) that can be used for different dishes. Just make sure to store food properly.
Finally, if you absolutely hate cooking, but you also don’t want to waste food, I might suggest trying out a meal service. There are oodles of meal services out there. Just select one that has good reviews and recipes and doesn’t bust the budget. I’ve used these before when my schedule was hectic, and I liked them. I still recreate a lot of the recipes.
Your pantry doesn’t have to look a certain way or be a certain size, but hopefully by experimenting you will realize just how little it takes to make a good meal.
Even if you are not a minimalist, you might have seen the idea of a capsule wardrobe. The idea is to basically limit yourself to a certain number of pieces that you mix and match and rotate for a season. Courtney Carver over at Be More with Less took this idea and made it famous with her Project 333.
But what if we took this idea and applied it to food?
What if you could use a limited number of ingredients to make more meals?
What if you could save money and eat more nutritiously by limiting your pantry staples?
Enter the capsule pantry.
You may be asking,
What is that?
Good question. A capsule pantry is a purposeful limiting of what ingredients you use for a certain period of time.
Note: I am not a nutritionist. Nothing I write here is to be taken as medical or dietary advice. This is a personal experience. An experiment, if you will.
So what does this experiment entail?
The Ingredients
Protein: Black beans, eggs, *protein powder
Starches: Sweet potatoes & rice
Greens: Spinach & Romaine Lettuce
Veggies: Red bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, onion
Liquid: Broth (veggie or chicken), almond milk
Fruits: Bananas, frozen blueberries
Fats: Olive oil, peanut butter
* I will only use protein powder I already have on hand, one scoop per day. This could easily be omitted.
With these basic ingredients, I will make all of my main meals for one week. I am not going to limit spices, dried herbs, or water.
Total cost of ingredients (minus protein powder): $28.37
While this could obviously vary according to location, it gives you a starting point. I have several of these ingredients on hand, but I calculated the cost based on an empty pantry.
Pro Tip
One strategy to cut cost and space is to buy dry ingredients over canned or frozen. Blueberries are the only frozen item on the list. I chose them because they are great for smoothies and cheaper than fresh, at least during this time of year. Generally, however, the more processed a food is, the more expensive and less healthy it becomes.
So here’s the deal:
I will conduct this capsule pantry experiment next week. In two weeks, I will write a follow-up post with recipe links, strategies to condense cooking time, and reflections.
How about you? Would you like to have a simplified pantry? Let me know in the comments below!
It’s January. So far this year, I’ve had smoothies with blueberries and spinach, crisp salads, Spanish chickpeas and spinach, and ice cream.
I live a balanced life.
But if you are seeking to live a healthier lifestyle, the food you consume is the first place to start. Food has the ability to make us healthier or sicker. It can be delicious and satisfying, but it can also be harmful and addictive. I can honestly say that I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum, so I understand the battle.
This is a judgment-free zone, people.
I don’t find it helpful to “shame” myself or others into healthier eating habits. That never works, not long-term anyway. The best way I’ve found to encourage healthy choices in myself and in those around me is to cook delicious recipes that taste amazing and pack a big nutritional punch. When you cut out all the sugar, unhealthy fat, and preservatives, you have to put something good in their place. Otherwise, that siren’s call from the Oreos in the back of the pantry will drown out any good motivation. Don’t sabotage yourself by eating foods you hate. Get excited about what you’re eating for dinner!
You may be asking, “How can I do that?”
One easy way is to find a few healthy recipes that you truly enjoy. Until you have adapted your habits and tastebuds, stick to mostly those tried and few recipes. For me, I love black bean burgers. I have a killer recipe from Tupelo Honey‘s cookbook that I use frequently. When I need a nutritional reset, that recipe automatically gets put in the rotation.
Where do you find recipes like that?
This is where cooking blogs help. There are loads, and I mean loads, of cooking blogs on the internet, but I’ve narrowed it down for you. These blogs are my favorite go-to blogs for healthy recipe ideas. Many of these are friendly for vegans, paleo, and/or gluten-free diets. This post is not sponsored; this is just my pure, unadulterated opinion! I should also note that I haven’t visited every cooking blog out there because, well, I want to have a life. So, I am sure there are other amazing healthy cooking blogs out there! These are just good ones to give you a place to start.
Oh, and one more important note! Each of these blogs has a “jump to recipe” button. That was one of my must-have features. It’s not that I don’t love a good backstory, but sometimes you’re hangry your fam is waiting and you need to move quickly. Happy (and healthy) cooking!
I love the simplicity of this blog. Each recipe either takes 1 bowl, has 10 ingredients or less, or takes under 30 minutes to prepare. Perfect for busy people and those who like things simple (that would be me!). There are vegan and gluten-free sections and a variety of dishes. One of my favorite dishes is the Quinoa Taco meat, the perfect protein-packed recipe for your next Taco Tuesday!
Aside from the beautiful food photography, this blog is bursting with fresh, colorful, and flavorful dishes. The recipes use ingredients that are easy to find in most stores. The simple design makes it easy to navigate and find recipes quickly, and I like the “favorites” tab to find the most popular recipes. We’re big fans of these Sweet Potato Fries, which we frequently pair with all sorts of entrees, including those Tupelo Honey black bean burgers.
I should mention that I’m not vegan, but this blog could very well convert you. I like that the recipes are broken down by category (breakfast, dinner, dessert, etc.), so it’s incredibly easy to find what you want. And with recipes like tacos, jambalaya, and mac and cheese, you won’t feel like you’re missing out on any comfort foods. My absolute favorite recipe on here is the Spanish Spinach with Chickpeas. It’s full of flavor and protein and smoky goodness while getting in a good dose of greens. In fact, I’ve already made this recipe this year. I threw the leftovers in with some scrambled eggs the next day and had a fantastic breakfast scramble.
This is one is for all the moms out there. When my girls were small, they ate anything. They ate loads of fresh fruit and veggies and whole grains.
Then, something happened.
I’m not sure what it was. It may have been school, or perhaps they got exposed to some gamma rays or experimental serum (just kidding).
Whatever it was, my children turned into picky eaters. Now they’re complaining about “green things” in their food. While my husband and I are completely comfortable saying, “suck it up, buttercup!” there are some days when I don’t want the struggle. I just want to make a kid-approved meal that isn’t overflowing with preservatives and sugar.
This blog is the answer.
Her recipes are lightened-up versions of kid-friendly foods, without the judgment or mom guilt. One that gets put in the weekly rotation is her Easy Crispy Broccoli. My girls inhale it, and I get the satisfaction of them enjoying a vegetable (I’ll be accepting “Mom of the Year” awards virtually).
Those who know me know that my sweet tooth is OTT. I am all about the desserts, but I am not all about the sugar crashes or elevated blood sugar levels. This blog has a crazy amount of healthy dessert recipes. My favorite thing is that her recipes use real, nutritive foods. You’re not just swapping out sugar for artificial sweeteners. Your guests will never know they’re eating cauliflower, black beans, pitted dates, or quinoa. We recently made this Pumpkin Sheet Cake, and it was scrumdidddlyumptious!
