Foodie (noun \ˈfü-dē\): a person with a particular interest in food.
As annoying as that word is, nothing describes my love of all things edible better than that definition. Buying food, cooking food, talking about food, restaurants, restaurants and more restaurants…the list of my favorite food activities goes on and on. My taste buds are pretty non-discriminatory too (unless of course, it doesn’t taste good): BBQ, ice cream, burgers, cheese, and chocolate are just some of the foods I enjoy.
So why am I telling you this? Because I want you to know that I get it. I don’t do yoga for three hours, drink a green juice and I’m good for the day. I like to eat delicious food and I look forward to my meals each day. However, I’ve come to balance my love of food with my love of health. Our bodies are simply not meant to run on high fat, high sugar, pesticide-ridden foods that are made with mostly artificial ingredients. Many diseases and ailments are caused by or can be prevented by what we consistently feed our bodies. Plus, your overall mood is affected by your diet, which can impact your daily life and relationships.
I’ve found that in most cases (except that one person we all know who doesn’t care about food…boy are they missing out!), to eat healthy on a consistent basis, you are going to have to enjoy it. Make it tasty, or you’ll end up unsatisfied and craving other foods.
We all know there is nothing better for you than eating raw fruits and vegetables. They are rich in combinations of fiber, vitamins and minerals your body needs that you can’t get anywhere else, including your multi-vitamin. But making a tasty meal out of vegetables without cooking all the nutrients out or adding unhealthy flavorings like butter is difficult. A salad is a great option for getting a lot of raw veggies in a meal, however, most salad dressings are so bad for you they completely negate the whole point of the salad. A combo of balsamic vinegar and olive oil is a good option, but sometimes you just need something CREAMY. Below is a recipe I’ve concocted to use on my daily salad. It’s pure, healthy and delicious.
Healthy Creamy Salad Dressing
Ingredients:
½ cup organic plain greek yogurt (I like Stonyfield)
¼ cup organic extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup lime, juiced (about 1 lime)
¼ cup organic cilantro
1 tbsp raw honey
½ organic jalapeño (or more depending on your taste)
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp salt
Instructions:
Add all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend until the dressing is fully incorporated and smooth.
Feel free to play around with the flavor by mixing up the herbs and spices to your own taste!
The dressing can last in the fridge for up to a week, so I usually double the recipe and keep it on hand.
You can use this dressing with any salad, but one of my favorites is kale (I’m using baby kale here), grape tomatoes, avocado and black beans – YUM!
If you don’t change anything else but replace one meal a day with a big ol’ delicious salad, you will be doing your health a huge favor.
Happy eating!
-Rachel
Recent Comments