Jan 22, 2021

 by Marco Sanchez

Welcome back to the second installment of this short series. This week I share a couple more myths and one of my favorite vegetarian recipes. Check it out!

This week’s myths

‘Eating healthy is expensive’
This is one of the most common myths I hear. When someone tells me that meal prepping is expensive I ask if they’re eating steak and lobster every night. Even then, if you’re doing the prep work you might come out ahead. The average American spends $232/month eating out. That’s if you only eat out an average of about 4 meals per week, this breaks down to about $12.75 per time you eat out.

Here’s what I know, protein and fats are gonna be your biggest expenses when meal prepping. If you’re following something like Paleo, Keto, or the newest high protein trendy diet, the Carnivore diet…..yes prep does add up quick. Even if you’re on a higher protein diet, you have many options when it comes to sticking to your meal plan. Bargain markets, coupons, and watching for ‘sell by’ discounted items are great ways to save. Yes, you’ll have to plan ahead and you’re gonna have to put in more work than ordering from GrubHub but in the end it’s totally worth it.

Like most people, we (as in the Sanchez household) do really great at meal prepping for long periods of time followed by short chaotic stretches where we might temporarily fall off. During those long stretches we’ve been able to get our cost per meal down to $3.50 per meal. Each meal includes 3-6oz of protein, 1-1/12 cups of green/veggies, and 1/2 - 1 cup of carbs. This means we’re able to feed two adults twice in one day eating at home for about the average price of one takeout meal.

Sample Meal:
Two Baked Skinless Chicken Thighs
1 Cup Red Potatoes
1 Cup Broccoli

I know it’s not super exciting but if you focus on eating mostly whole foods and work to season your them different ways week to week, you can fast track your results and who knows maybe even actually enjoy meal prepping.

‘Toxin killing cleanses’
Teas, pills, and the oh so colorful juice cleanses are all marketed as a way for you to get rid of toxins plaguing your body. Better cancel all your plans or reschedule them cause you’re about to enter into a very toxic relationship with your toilet for the next 7-10 business days. You don’t want to be there but you won’t be able to leave it’s side if you decide to go through with one of these cleanses.

All I can say is don’t. There’s very little research supporting claims that any of these food cleanses actually do what they claim. Unless you have a diagnosed medical condition, your body is well equipped to get rid of most harmful toxins. Organs like your liver, kidneys, and your GI tract are all there to deal better with toxins than any cleanse can.

If you’re feeling rundown or sluggish try eating more whole foods, drinking water instead of sugary drinks, and getting plenty of restful sleep. I know, I’m starting to sound like a broken record. Staying healthy isn’t complicated but it does require mindful practice and discipline.

Come back next week for the last installment of this series. Down below you’ll find my favorite vegetarian recipe, it's my favorite because it's fast and packed with nutrients. Give it a try if you're short on time, would like to save a few bucks, or if you just want another recipe for your meatless Mondays. Have a great weekend!

Vegetarian Recipe
Café Yumm Original Bowl

INGREDIENTS

YUMM SAUCE:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup grapeseed or canola oil
1/2 cup almond meal or finely chopped almonds
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans
1/4 cup cooked soybeans or 1/3 cup tofu
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
ASSEMBLY:
Brown rice, cooked
Black beans, cooked
Shredded cheddar cheese
Salsa
Diced fresh tomato
Sliced fresh avocado
Sliced black olives
Sour cream
Fresh cilantro sprigs

PREPARATION

STEP 1
YUMM SAUCE:
In a small measuring cup, mix together the water and lemon juice. In a separate small measuring cup, measure out the appropriate amount of oil. Set both aside.
In a blender or food processor, process the almonds, nutritional yeast, garbanzo beans, soybeans or tofu, garlic, salt, curry, oregano, and cilantro together until almost fully ground, about 15 seconds.
Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the machine running, add lemon juice-water mixture in steady stream through feed tube. Scrape down bowl and continue to process for 1 minute. With the machine running, add the oil mixture in a steady stream through feed tube; continue to process until the sauce is smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.
Transfer the sauce to a clean bottle or jar, cover, and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to blend.

ASSEMBLY:
Place a scoop of brown rice in an individual-sized serving bowl, then layer a scoop of black beans over the rice. Drizzle the rice and beans with a desired amount of Yumm Sauce, then sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the rice.
Spoon a dollop of salsa in the middle of the bowl, then spoon the tomato, avocado, and olives around the perimeter. Place a dollop of sour cream in the center of the bowl, garnish with some cilantro sprigs, and serve.

Cook's Notes:
Careful not to go too overboard with the Yumm Sauce! The prepared sauce from Café Yumm has 70 calories and 7 grams of fat per tablespoon!

Source: https://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/1214585037/the-original-yumm-bowl/