meals – Healthy Whole Life™

Meal Prep Ideas That Aren’t Boring

Alissa Mertel, CHHC, AADP — Sun, 10 Apr 2022 10:00:59 +0000

If you haven’t given meal prepping a try yet because you’re afraid of eating the same salad over and over, I have some strategies to share with you today that’ll open your eyes to new and better ways of meal prepping.

While it’s true that you can get stuck in the loop of eating the same meal day after day, having a formula to create new flavors and textures while meal prepping will help keep the boredom at bay while still enjoying the benefits of meal prepping.

A good system for meal prep is to choose a base, a protein, a vegetable, and a sauce. Don’t overcomplicate it — with a formula this simple, it’s easy to get creative and come up with meals that are catered to our specific tastebuds. Today, I’m sharing some of my favorite non-salad meal prep go-to’s so that others are finally able to enjoy the ease of meal prep and the variety you can choose from.

To make a Mediterranean-style bowl, layer couscous (which is surprisingly high in protein, while also packing some carbs to keep you satisfied) with greek seasoned grilled chicken/tofu and a salad consisting of diced tomato, onion, and cucumber. Top it off with a greek salad dressing or a tzatziki sauce. You may also add drained chickpeas and sliced avocado for some extra flavor.

For a Mexican-style bowl, layer brown rice with seasoned, shredded chicken or tofu, sauteed peppers and onions, and top with either a red enchilada sauce, a green salsa, or guacamole. Additions could include cilantro, shredded cheese, and even a corn-style salsa.

If you’re in the mood for an Italian-style bowl, layer whole wheat pasta with seasoned ground turkey/tofu and then add fresh blistered tomatoes and a bit of red sauce. Feel free to mix the protein, veggie, and red sauce to create an easy ragu. We may also add a green veggie, like broccolini or sauteed zucchini, on the side. Top it off with a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Some of my favorite base layers include brown rice, couscous, quinoa, barley, farro, and various types of pasta (or even spiralized zucchini noodles). I focus on choosing veggies that are in season because this means they are ripe and delicious. For the sauce, for simplicity’s sake, stick with something that consists of just a few simple ingredients.

I’m so excited to see how you mix and match to create a dish that’s totally your own. Our current favorite is brown rice with cubed chicken/tofu, broccoli, and teriyaki sauce. Top it with a slice of grilled pineapple and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. It is so delicious!

Ready Give Your Body a Reset?

Learn how to do a simple, yet effective, 3-Day Plant-Based Reset. You can do this Reset anytime — whether it’s during the week, or on a weekend. Whatever works best for your schedule. Click here to grab download our free 3-Day Plant-Based Reset plan to get started.

What is Umami and How You Can Add It to Your Meals

Alissa Mertel, CHHC, AADP — Sun, 04 Apr 2021 10:30:03 +0000

Surely you’ve heard of umami, but what is it? It’s a unique taste that goes along with the basics of sweet, sour, bitter, and salty but leaves a lingering feeling that both piques the palate and satiates all in one. You find it in many fermented foods such as miso, soy sauce, mature cheeses, cured ham, shellfish, and even some seaweeds.

It’s been defined since the early 1900s, but it wasn’t until 1990 that it gained official recognition for being the 5th taste. When umami hits the receptors in your mouth, it causes it to water, making your stomach boost stomach acid.

Still, if you want to add umami, this deep savory flavor can really make your dishes more intense. And you don’t have to use MSG to get it!

Ways to Add Umami to Your Foods

Think of umami as a way of boosting the flavor of the things you cook. There are certain things you can do to take your meals to the next level with umami!

• Try adding miso to homemade salad dressing
• Put mushrooms in your stews
• Toss rinds from parmesan cheese into soups as they simmer
• Elevate stir-fry with the use of oyster sauce, fish sauce, or soy sauce
• Worcestershire sauce also adds umami (even in Asian-style dishes)
• Put tomato paste in with your ground meat dishes like burgers and meatloaf
• Cook green veggies with whole mushrooms to give greens umami

Some foods naturally have umami flavor to them.

Beef, pork, chicken, bacon, portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, shrimp, kimchi, anchovies, truffles, tuna, corn, Roquefort cheese, and scallops are just a sampling of them. By working with ingredients that contain umami naturally, you can create bolder flavors in your kitchen and hit that X factor you’re hoping for every time you take a bite.

When you know how to use umami to your advantage, you open up more doors for making healthy dishes that taste so good, you’ll want to eat them again and again.

By using these foods for their natural umami flavoring, you get to skip using MSG and still enjoy the flavorful meals that have that extra savory, mouth-watering quality.

Ready Give Your Body a Reset?

Learn how to do a simple, yet effective, 3-Day Plant-Based Reset. You can do this Reset anytime — whether it’s during the week, or on a weekend. Whatever works best for your schedule. Click here to grab download our free 3-Day Plant-Based Reset plan to get started.

5 Simple Ways to Make Your Meals Healthier

Alissa Mertel, CHHC, AADP — Mon, 09 Dec 2019 11:00:56 +0000

5 Simple Ways to Make Your Meals Healthier

Are you tired of eating salad after salad in hopes of making your goals a reality? While salads are undoubtedly a great way to keep on track, they aren’t the only way.

There are many simple little things you can do when preparing your meals that can have a significant impact in a positive way for your health. Here are five things that take zero effort to make healthier meals in your kitchen.

1. Use spices strategically

You probably know how bad it is for you to use too much salt. Most of the foods pre-packaged in our supermarkets and at restaurants are loaded with more sodium than we need. Instead, cook your own dishes using fresh spices as a way to flavor them up. All spices fall in the superfood category. Just look at ginger and turmeric, two anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich spices that add heaps of flavor. Smoked paprika can add more depth while fenugreek adds a nutty taste that goes great with veggies and meats alike.

2. Use bone broth instead

Making soups, stews, or sauces? Choose bone broth over regular broth and stock. This gut-healing liquid helps tame inflammation, soothes joints, and seals your gut lining. Plus, it yields a more vibrant taste for everything you make.

3. Give garlic time to open up

If you use fresh garlic in your recipes, that’s a significant step toward better health. However, most people tend to throw that garlic in straight away after chopping it.

The best way to take advantage of garlic’s potent properties that make it antibacterial and antiviral is to chop or mince it first and then allow it to sit for 20 minutes. Doing this lets allicin, a compound that activates its healing properties, come into play. Ideally, you’ll toss the garlic in at the end of your cook time, so it gets cooked enough while retaining those blissful benefits.

4. Incorporate the zest

Citrus fruits add plenty of zing and flavor without adding calories. You probably squeeze fresh lemon, lime, grapefruit, or orange into the things

you create, but the zest has even more benefits for you. Get out your grater and zest in the peels, which have been linked to killing off harmful cells and providing antioxidant benefits. You can put it in every dish you make for a healthier and more delicious meal.

5. Get down with fermented foods

Fermented foods have probiotics built right in. They’re great for adding umami to your dishes. You’ll want to add things like sauerkraut and kimchi, for example, to the end of your cooking time since they’re more sensitive to heat. Another trick? Use kombucha in place of vinegar when you make your salad dressing to get more probiotic power into your meals.

With these simple switches, you can make every meal healthier from the start without ever sacrificing taste!