Protein Packed Pasta Salad

I have found that protein is key in maintaining muscle and a lean healthy body.  My friend Inga introduced me to Quinoa (the perfect protein) and I love using quinoa flour in everything I can!  The other day I was shopping at my local health food store and I came across quinoa pasta (very exciting)!  I'm always trying to think of convienient things to pack for lunch so I came up with this easy, filling and protein packed pasta salad made with quinoa pasta.

Ingredients:

- 1 box quinoa pasta (weight: 8oz dry)

- 2 cans water packed tuna

- 1/4 cup Lemonaise (or no sugar added mayo)

- 1 cup fresh or frozen chopped mixed veggies of your choice

- dash of salt and pepper

Cook pasta, drain and mix in the rest of the ingredients.  Refrigerate.  The great thing about pasta salad is you can add whatever you like, this is just what I had on hand.  When I make something like this I usually split it up into single servings before I put it in the fridge so I can just grab it and go.

Delicious and Nutritious Waffles!

You always hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well its not just a saying, its totally right on point!  When you eat a healthy filling breakfast, you set yourself up to make great eating choices all day long, and you will be less hungry!  Think of it like this: Eat like a queen for breakfast, a princess for lunch and a pauper for dinner and a small snack in between if you're still hungry.  I personally eat a huge breakfast and I'm not even hungry again until early afternoon!  I don't usually have time to make waffles before work but they are my weekend breakfast staple and the recipe I've created below is my absolute favorite.  You might notice in my recipes I never use low fat or fat free products (unless they are naturally low fat or fat-free).  It is better to have the nutrients that occur naturally in full fat foods than have the depleted and chemically enhanced "diet" foods! I could go on and on about that but I'll save it for another day ;)
Quinoa Waffles
1/2 cup quinoa flour (or whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1 T butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all of the ingredients together with a hand mixer and cook in a waffle iron until done.  Optional: Top with 2 tablespoons of neufchatel cheese, berries and agave syrup. 

Seaweed?? Who knew

For those of you who know me pretty well, know that I have an obsession with magazines (we'll call it research), and the other day I was reading Women's Health when I came across a little tidbit about seaweed; I was very intrigued and I've included it below...
"Alginate is a dietary fiber found in seaweed that could someday be used to make reduced-fat foods.  In experiments, it reduced fat absorption in the digestive system by as much as 75% percent."
Now you don't have to be a mathematician to know that 75% is a ton! If this is true then seaweed definitely needs to be a staple in any and every diet.  I did a little research of my own on the subject come to find out, seaweed is so nutrient rich, less than one gram a day can make a huge difference in lowering cholesterol, balancing thyroid problems and lowering your body's fat!!  Almost every skinny person I know absolutely loves sushi (which is wrapped in seaweed) and now I'm thinking that it's no coincidence! Here is my dilemma, I hate sushi, the thought of raw fish and the way you have to put the whole thing in your mouth at once makes me cringe....and its the only thing I know of that uses seaweed.  Now that I know this information about seaweed I simply must include it in my daily routine.  Aside from eating sushi paper (no thanks!), does anyone have any suggestions or recipes to share to make this diet miracle more palletable??  I'm going to continue my research on the subject and will keep you updated with my findings too!

You Feel Great...Why Not Look Great

Hopefully now you're eating well and feeling great on the inside and outside...but if your outside needs a boost, check out my handmade and self designed figure flattering aprons.  With all this cooking, you gotta wear an apron and why not one that makes you look great! These are only 2 of the many styles I make and if you're interested in having one for yourself I'd be happy to make that happen!

*The full sized aprons are $15 and the smaller half sized aprons are $10.
*To order or ask about about custom orders email me at christyclt@hotmail.com.