I love my Mexican kitchen and the habits I have developed that make eating foods that are good for us easy and available. Maybe you’ll find some tips here that will help you incorporate more good foods into your diet. I hope so!
I have a habit of making big pots of brown rice every few weeks and freezing it in serving sized batches per the blog post here on Summer Tomato. I always wanted to make brown rice but I seldom thought of it in time for dinner. (It usually takes 45 minutes to cook.) The process outlined in the Summer Tomato link makes it easy and fast to make a big pot of delicious brown rice to eat fresh and then to package up the rest for the freezer. It’s a great time saver and makes it so you can eat healthy meals without too much effort! Below is a picture of the packets from my freezer.
This time I did things a little differently. I started the huge pot of brown rice on the stove and then added about a cup and a half of quinoa. (Actually, this was Paul’s idea!) Quinoa is very healthy for you and though it has a different cooking time from brown rice, it worked perfectly and tasted great. I’ll do this from now on, it makes the rice a bit lighter, too. A picture is below.
I’ve written about my peruano beans before – and the way I cook them using my slow cooker. You can read that post “Tips from My Mexican Kitchen” and learn a few other tips while you’re at it. Yesterday I made a nice pot of peruano beans to go on top of the rice-quinoa and also to put in the freezer. I freeze one cup batches of beans that are easy to thaw and use when the inspiration strikes. Beans are a rich source of fiber and protein and are a staple in my diet. A picture is below.
Earlier in the week I made a different pot of beans but they were delicious, too. Half peruano and half black beans (what I had on hand) – they were made in the slow cooker the usual way but then I chopped about a half of a tiny can of chipotle peppers and added them to the beans. What a treat! And the peruano beans added a creaminess that is usually missing with black beans alone. Sorry, no picture, we ate them all up!
Almost every morning I make a smoothie for breakfast. I don’t drink milk so I use tea for the liquid. Into my Vita-Mix go some nuts (almonds or walnuts), some seeds (chia, flax, or sunflower), two dates (I buy huge heaps of them at the mercado), and a seeded apple. Then I add some frozen fruits which change every day. Usually a half banana starts it off. Then a few blueberries. Then some frozen pears or kiwi. I buy large amounts when they are reasonably priced and freeze them. The kiwis I slice in half and scoop out the half with a spoon, freezing them separately in ice cube trays. I also freeze grapes, mangoes, papaya, and melon. I have been reading about the cancer-fighting guanabana fruit and had wanted to try it. (Here’s a 2011 article from Psychology Today) It finally came into season and I bought one the other day. I read that you don’t eat the seeds (they are toxic) so I froze the meat in the ice cube tray and have been including them in my smoothies, too. I need to buy a whole bunch this week so that I don’t run out when they are out of season!
I also add various ingredients every day – some of which have been muled down from the US and some I have brought from Mexico City. Those are nutritional yeast, fiber powder, Maca powder, hemp seeds, and cinnamon. I always add a couple of teaspoons of cinnamon – did you know how good it is for you, especially if you have high cholesterol?
Shannon Casey
March 12, 2013That was some great information Nancy, thank you. I also use my freezer a lot to have frozen meals on hand. Since my accident I have good days and bad ones, and on the bad days it is a Godsend to have the frozen meals already to go.
Kim G
March 12, 2013Hola Nancy!
Those are great nutrition tips. But what are the books? Did you mean to link them? I don’t see them.
I recently read a book that you might have read, but I think you’d enjoy. It’s called “Eat to Live:The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss” by Joel Fuhrman, MD. I’d ignore the weight-loss part (as I did, since I’m skinny anyway), and focus on the nutrition part. Dr. Fuhrman has read literally thousands of academic papers on health and nutrition, and I think he’s got it right. The book presents lots of tables and charts and explains why a vegetarian diet, high in leafy greens, fruits and vegetables is the optimal diet. This diet also seems to offer lot of protection against cancer. Check it out.
I’m glad to see that you seem to be feeling better.
I’m rooting for you.
Saludos,
Kim G
Boston, MA
Where since reading that book, we’ve really cut back on animal proteins.
Nancy
March 12, 2013Shannon, I hope you have more good days than bad, how are you doing?
Kim, The books I recommended are Amazon graphics at the bottom of the post. I see them on my desktop, ipad and phone. Don’t you see them? I’ve read Eat to Live, loved it….
Shannon Casey
March 12, 2013For the most part, I am doing great Nancy, thank you. I just have broken bones, I am very inspired by you.
Ann H
March 13, 2013Thanks for the great tips Nancy. Eating vegetarian is sounding better and better to me. I plan on getting your recommended books when we get back to the states. As always you are an inspiration.
Kim G
March 13, 2013Hola Nancy,
I use something on my Firefox called “Adblock.” When I turned it off, I saw the links to the books. Interesting that they’re blocked.
By the way, browsing the web without ads is a totally better experience, not to mention faster as you’re not using your bandwidth to download a bunch of ads you don’t want to see.
Saludos,
Kim G
Contessa
March 15, 2013Great tips Nancy! I am on day nine of going gluten free and it does seem to be helping but I may need to learn an entire new way of eating. Soy use to be one of my major foods but most has wheat gluten in it.
Lapis Mosi
March 15, 2013I’m vegetarian but live in a very rural area where it’s 60 miles round trip to by groceries. Your freezing ideas were very helpful. I recently bought something called a Magic Bullet blender that uses 100% of fruit and veg. I really love the delicious concoctions – very healthy! LOL
Zoe Jussel
March 16, 2013A good reminder about using the freezer more often and having healthy-ready meals at one’s fingertips. Especially with the fresh fruits and seasonal things. I am starting to blanch and freeze more often with asparagus other things that are pricey but reasonable at certain times. I have just discovered guanabana and my daughter was telling me, just a few days ago, about its properties. Really true, that the best pharmacy at hand is the fruit and vegetable stall!