Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Roasted Chickpeas

I discovered a new. healthy snack today: Roasted Chickpeas!



I've always been a big fan of hummus, but I never realized how much you could do with chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans). You could flavor these in so many different ways, and the best part is that they will keep in an airtight container for up to a week. I've had a hard time finding healthy snacks that are also travel friendly or that I could just throw in my purse!

We bought a bag of dried beans at Whole Foods. Our local grocery store only had the canned version, and if you look at the ingredients list there is so much other junk in there too! Why?! I just wanted the beans. Anyways, more on that rant later. We cooked the beans according to the instructions on the bag. Then, we dried them off and put them on a metal baking sheet. Next, you drizzle with olive oil and any seasoning you want (we used garlic salt). Bake at 400* F for 30-40 minutes and enjoy!

To me, they tasted like a cross between corn nuts and popcorn, and they're surprisingly filling! They also only lasted about an hour in the house. They're that delicious, and give you a satisfying crunch if you're missing those chemical-laden potato chips :) I want to try using honey & cinnamon, and other spices like chili powder too! Yum!

Monday, April 9, 2012

Do you know what you're eating?

I've decided to start blogging again, and the direction might change. I think I'm going to continue to post crafts, but I also want to document the change in food my mom and I are taking.

Recently, I've been inspired by Micheal Pollan's books Food Rules and In Defense of Food. One of my favorite books was Dr. David Kessler's The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite. That one visually explained what companies and restaurants do to our food, and it's horrible! Everything is engineered to make us eat more and more, and it's all mostly fat and sugar. I've never been disgusted with additives and processed foods until reading these books. They prompted me to research more about what I eat and how it affects my health. It's been enlightening.

The past 3 weeks my mom and I have been trying to cut out all processed foods and additives. I'd estimate we're about 90% of the way there. It's hard. I've never realized or cared about how many chemicals where in my food. We've been sticking to our 5 ingredients or less rule (from Pollan) and have been using the 100 Days of Real Food blog as inspiration. I've been trying to only use honey as a sweetener, eat more lean protein, and try new healthier foods.

Since changing our diets I have felt better, my skin is clearer, my sugar cravings have lessened, bloating has decreased, and my taste buds have started changing. Restaurant food doesn't taste as good anymore- it's too salty or makes me feel sick afterwards. I haven't been eating as much, because by eating more 'real' food I'm not as hungry. I've lost 4 inches in my stomach, and 6 pounds so far. Mom's grocery list has shrunk and we're spending less even though were getting lots of yummy fruits and vegetables and fresh seafood. It's exciting! I actually find myself wanting to eat vegetables, and not fries. And I used to looooooove fries.

I plan to start posting more recipes and things we learn along the way as we start to eat all real food and make more from scratch. Hopefully, it will inspire you to read the ingredients list and give real food a chance too!