Tailgate the Veggie-Forward Way

I love going to sporting events and tailgating makes the time together with family and friends more fun than ever. Some may not be able to picture me indulging in traditional tailgating food and drinks. That’s because I don’t! I bring along healthy tailgating options and get this? My healthier choices are always a crowd favorite.

I bring along traditional favorites like veggies and hummus and tortilla chips and guacamole and I also bring along Yves falafel balls, veggie burgers, and veggie dogs.

For more than 20 years, Yves Veggie Cuisine has been dedicated to providing delicious veggie-forward foods that inspire shared moments together, from family cookouts and weeknight dinners to school lunches and healthy snacks. Yves Veggie Cuisine’s foods are perfect for complementing, completing or reinventing your favorite comfort food dishes with a plant-positive twist. Yves Veggie Cuisine is constantly evolving and innovating to provide a wide variety of veggie-forward foods with the highest quality ingredients. Their appetizer bites, burgers, dogs and deli slices contain no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors, and are Non-GMO Project Verified.

Yves falafal balls are an all-time favorite among my tailgating adventurers. Chickpeas is the first ingredient in this yummy appetizer and they boast the perfect combination of flavors including garlic, parsley, and lime.  They’re super easy to prepare and perfect for dipping into tzatziki or hummus.

Just pop the falafal balls on the grill for 10 minutes for a crispy and tasty appetizer that’s also gluten free, low in fat and a good source of fiber.

Yves Veggie Cuisine also offers an assortment of Veggie Burgers and Dogs that are a delicious plant-positive twist on the standard grilling lineup.

I particularly love Yves Veggie Dogs. They are a convenient low in fat alternative to meat options. Fully cooked, they also are a good source of protein and contain no saturated fat or cholesterol – just throw on the grill for delicious and nutritious veggie-forward hot dog option. Yves’ Veggie Dogs are made with a special blend of spice, giving them an authentic, traditional flavor. They taste just like the real thing but without the fat or cholesterol.

How are you going to make your tailgating fun healthy? Like me on Facebook or follow me on Instagram and respond to my posts about tailgating by Sunday September 30 for a chance to win three packages of Yves Veggie Dogs! Three lucky winners will each get three packages!

This blog is sponsored by Yves,

Back to School Blog #1: Packing Healthy School Lunches even for Picky Eaters

Do you believe school starts in just over a few weeks?  I’ve had so much fun with my girls this summer and I’m always a little sad to send them back to school come September. But each year it gets a little easier seeing them grow and turn into little ladies!

One thing I’ve been sure to teach both my girls growing up is the importance of nutrition. I always think that I’m so lucky my girls eat everything. And when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING. But I think that this is because they’ve grown up eating this way. From the time they could eat solid foods, I started feeding them veggies, fruits, dairy, meats, and whole grains.

I’ve heard so many parents complain to me about their kids being picky eaters. So if you’ve got a little one coming, my best advice is to start them young! Start making sure that they’re exposed to all the food groups as soon as possible.

But for those of you with the picky eaters, don’t worry there’s still hope! Usually the complaint is that their kids won’t eat fruits and vegetables. Here are some steps to conquer this with your kids’ lunches.

Let’s start with slowly incorporating veggies into their lunch. A great way to do this is to add in more veggies to their sandwiches or wraps. Swap out mayo in a sandwich for hummus. .Hummus is made from chickpeas which is packed with plant-based protein. It’s an easy and delicious switch that your kids will barely notice. Other veggies to include in sandwiches can be spinach, lettuce, cucumbers (they provide a great crunch!), and peppers. Once your kids start getting used to this, I recommend adding in some fresh kid-friendly vegetables like carrots and celery with a dip of some kind as a snack.

Fruit tends to be a little bit easier. They’re naturally sweet so if your kid has a sweet tooth, this is a great way to curb that craving! If they don’t like to eat fruit by itself try pairing it with other food groups. If they love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, swap out the jelly for crushed fresh berries! Another recommendation I make here is to swap out  traditional white bread for a whole grain bread. This is loaded with nutrients and will help your kids stay fuller longer. Some fresh berries with yogurt and granola is also a great way for you kids to get in a fruit serving. My girls love this combo. Bonus: if you use Greek Yogurt, this gets your kiddos more than double the protein of traditional yogurt.

When it comes to packing kids lunches, you may be tempted to pick up some pre-packaged meals. But buyer beware–these tend to have a lot of added sugars and lack the nutrients your kids need. I always recommend making your own lunches for your kids. Doing this ensures you know what your kid is really eating. Just remember- always go back to the main food groups: fruits, veggies, whole grains, dairy, and meat! Happy Back to School!

Spicy Chipolte Maple Hummus with budget in mind

 

Editor’s Note: This blog is written by Kelly’s Choice intern Celina Rescott.

I’m a college student. I’m here to tell you today that it is possible to eat healthy but cheaply in college (or for anyone who needs to live on a budget). I’ve lived it. I’ve breathed it. I’ve figured it out (or so I think).

When you can get a Triple Cheeseburger from McDonald’s for three dollars, but a market salad from Wegmans costs eight dollars, and you just dropped hundreds of dollars on textbooks last week, which one do you think the poor college student is going to opt for?

Cooking for yourself is the answer!

Today I’m going to give you a cheap and easy-to-make snack that’s also delicious and good for you. What more could you ask for?

The recipe starts with a can of chickpeas-generally around 65 cents! A half cup of chickpeas gives you 6 grams of protein. Less than a dollar for 4 servings of plant based protein sounds perfect for my poor self!

I’ve made swaps for ingredients in traditional hummus recipe that help you save money and make the taste even better! Typically, hummus is made with tahini. But tahini can run very expensive. So I’ve done two things in place of that. The tahini works to water down the hummus in a sense and give it that creamy texture.

So you’ll notice that the recipe calls for aquafab water. It’s just a fancy way of calling what the chickpeas are soaked in. So be sure when you drain your chickpeas, you keep that water to help thin out your mixture. Bonus: the chickpea water is calorie free!

The second thing I did was add in a little bit of peanut butter to the mixture. This gives the hummus this delightful nutty flavor without being too overpowering. DO NOT SKIP THIS INGREDIENT. Trust me.

So there you have it: my first recipe, developed all by myself! I’ve won over everyone I’ve made it for and it’s my favorite snack now! Pair it with some chopped vegetable, crackers, put it on a salad, or just eat a spoonful of it (guilty). I hope you guys make this recipe and love it as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments!

SPICY CHIPOTLE MAPLE HUMMUS    

SERVING SIZE: 1/8 recipe

SERVINGS PER RECIPE: 8

INGREDIENTS

• 16 oz can             Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
• ¼ tsp.                    Garlic Powder
• ¼ tsp.                    Onion Powder
• ¼ tsp.                    Red Pepper (Cayenne)
• ¼ tsp.                    Salt
• ¼ tsp.                    Ground Black Pepper
• ¾ tsp.                    Cumin
• 1 tsp.                     McCormick’s Grill Mates Seasonings: Chipotle and Roasted Garlic
• 1 tsp.                     Chili Powder
• 1 tsp.                     Paprika
• 1 tsp.                     Olive Oil
• 1 tsp.                     Lime Juice
• 1 tsp.                     Siracha Sauce
• 1 tbsp.                  All-natural Peanut Butter
• 1- 1½ tbsp.          Pure Maple Syrup*
• 4-5 tbsp.              Aquafaba (Chickpea water)

*see recipe notes

DIRECTIONS

1. Add all ingredients to a high powered blender or food processor and blend until completely combined
2. Start with 4 tablespoons of the Aquafaba and add more as needed until desired consistency has been reached
3. Adjust salt and sweetness to taste
4. Serve cold with fresh vegetables, crackers, or chips
5. Can stay fresh in covered container for up to a week in the refrigerator

* Adjust the sweetness to your liking. I tend to add a little more than a tablespoon but you might just like it with one!

* Honey can also be used as a substitute and it tastes equally as good!

 

 

 

Healthy Snacks during the No White Flour Challenge

I have been asked a lot of questions about how to maintain the No White Flour Challenge over the past week and perhaps the most frequently asked question is, “What do I do about snacking?” I know, I know, plain ol’ fruit and veggies can get boring, but you can “spice it up,” literally! This entry will give you some ideas of how to do that.

A lot of times, the white-flour food you crave can be combated if you choose a non-white-flour food with a similar texture, so I will categorize some snack choices based on texture.

Crunchy Snacks:

These crunchy snacks are way healthier than the crackers or chips that you tend to fill up on when craving a snack. Yes, I do have some fruit and veggies on this list, but they are oh-so-flavorful with the condiments or spices that I add.

– Carrot sticks, snap peas, green beans, celery, bell peppers with hummus

– Popcorn…pop it yourself…lightly salt it, and guess what? It’s a whole grain!

– Kale chips…preheat oven to 350…grab a bunch of kale, de-stem it, chop the leaves, brush olive oil on the leaves and place in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon of sea salt on them and bake for 12-15 minutes. Way better than chips

– Roasted chickpeas—so crunchy and fun. Check out the recipe on my website

– Organic corn tortilla chips with salsa. No white flour here, but with corn, you want to make sure it’s organic, otherwise it’s likely that it is genetically engineered!

What about cake…or cookies…or BROWNIES?

There are actually some whole grain flours you can use…or even non-grain flour like almond flour to make cake-like treats.  Try quinoa flour, brown rice flour, almond flour, or buckwheat flour.  Even whole wheat flour is an acceptable flour to make with.

Did you know that you can also make sweet treats with beans?! I kid you not. Check out the brownie recipe made with black beans that I posted on my website.

Even Harvard University School of Public Health is a proponent of making sweet treats with beans. Check out the delicious lemon-chickpea breakfast muffins! Yummier than cake!

If you are a cookie lover, you will love this “healthier” chocolate chip recipe using coconut oil and whole wheat flour.

Try these snacks anytime you are craving a white flour “delight.” If you don’t have time to bake, there are some whole grain treats you can buy at the store. There are some sweet Kind Bar flavors that combat my cookie cravings—try the Dark Chocolate Nuts + Sea Salt flavor!

Feel free to add your healthy snack ideas in my comment section below and keep rocking my NO White Flour Challenge!