So, I have to be honest.  I’ve been in a bit….okay MORE than a bit…of a food rut lately.   I eat the same things over and over.  Salad.  Green Smoothie with Spinach and Blueberries.  Sweet Potatoes.  Almonds.

Sure, they’re healthy things, but I’m missing out on other important, vital nutrients.  Where’s the Kiwi?  The Pumpkin Seeds?  The And it’s just time to get out of the rut…spring is here afterall!  That’s as good as excuse as any.

So, to counter my rut, I’m on Operation Superfood.  I will eat as many superfoods in each meal as I can…..and not just the same superfoods over and over again, a variety of every kind there are.

What’s a Superfood?  I’m sure you all hear it tossed around, but to be brief, a superfood is a whole food that is loaded with extremely high nutritional values, and some of their chemicals have been found to reduce the effect of certain disease processes.

Yes, blueberries are a superfood.  You get a lot of bang for your buck in one of those little guys!

Last week's blueberry raspberry smoothie.

I got a Superfood list off the internet the other day.  It’s a list of 111 “Superfoods” (some which I was surprised at and not sure I believe– Cheese?  A superfood?), but regardless, have been on a quest to cross them all off the list.

The Superfoods List is really long, so I put it at the end of the post (but I thought that it was better to have it all in one place).

So to start Operation Superfood:  When I was at the grocery store Wednesday night, I searched through the veggie aisle and only picked things I HADN’T eaten in the past few days (it’s been a long time since Swiss Chard HASN’T been in my cart, but time to move on to Mustard Greens, I guess).

And so far, so good. My days have been Superfood variety heavy.  And there’s nothing about Operation Superfood that could possible be bad for me…..so here we go.

Case in point– Dinner the other night:

Beets, Sweet Potato, Kale, and Asparagus....Superfoods galore

The Superfoods List is really long, so I put it at the end of the post (but I thought that it was better to have it all in one place).

I put a “X” next to the ones I’ve eated this week.  Please ignore the weird numbering system…..it just autonumbered after each pic and I couldn’t fix it.

1. Acai (antioxidants, omega-9 fats)
2. Almonds X (protein and fiber)
3. Amaranth      (highest protein in any grain)
4. Apples   X   (vitamin C, fiber, phytonutrients)
5. Apricots      (vitamin A and beta-carotene)
6. Artichoke      (vitamin C, fiber, minerals, silymarin, 7^th out of top 100      antioxidant foods)
7. Asparagus  X    (C and B vitamins, antioxidants)
8. Avocados  X    (monounsaturated fat & other nutrients)
9. Bananas X (vitamins C & B6, fiber, potassium)
10. Barley      (fiber, vitamins & minerals)
11. Basil     X  (antioxidants)

Basil & Grapefruit.....two superfoods that I rarely ever eat entered my cart (and my belly) this week!

1. Beans  X    (protein and fiber)
2. Beef, Lean      (protein, B vitamins, selenium and zinc)
3. Beets     X  (phytonutrients, carotenoids)
4. Blackberries   X   (antioxidants, vitamin C, phytochemicals)
5. Blueberries X (antioxidants, phytochemicals)
6. Broccoli      (vitamin and beta-carotene, cancer-fighting compounds)
7. Buckwheat      (fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, manganese)
8. Cabbage  X    (vitamin C, fiber)
9. Cantaloupe      (beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium, fiber)

Purple cabbage....why don't I eat this more often? sooo good! With leeks and yes, a sweet potato

1. Cardamom      (antioxidants, fights H. pylori bacteria)
2. Carob    X  (fiber, protein, minerals, antioxidants)
3. Carrots   X   (carotene, fiber, vitamins & minerals)
4. Cauliflower      (fiber, vitamin C, biotin, folate, phytochemical)
5. Celery      (vitamin A, minerals)
6. Cheese, low-fat   X   (calcium, protein)
7. Cherries      (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals)
8. Cilantro/Coriander      (phytonutrients, minerals)
9. Cinnamon X     (antioxidants, minerals)
10. Cloves      (vitamins C & K, minerals, fiber, eugenol)
11. Cod      (protein, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins)
12. Collard greens   X   (antioxidants, vitamin C, beta-carotene, minerals)
13. Corn      (fiber, vitamins, phytochemicals)
14. Cranberries      (vitamin C, fiber, phytonutrients)
15. Cumin      (iron, lowers blood-glucose)
16. Currants      (vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants)
17. Eggplant      (minerals, fiber, flavonoids)
18. Eggs X (high protein vitamins B and D)
19. Elderberries      (high vitamin C, flavonoids, antioxidants)
20. Fennel      (fiber, potassium, vitamin C, phytochemicals)
21. Figs      (high fiber, minerals, polyphenols, antioxidents)
22. Flaxseeds  X    (omega-3 fats, fiber, lignans)
23. Garlic      (phytochemicals)
24. Ginger      (antioxidants)
25. Goji Berries or Wolfberries (beta-carotene and zeaxanthin)
26. Grapefruit  X    (vitamin C minerals, phytonutrients)
27. Grapes      (vitamin C, potassium, resveratrol)
28. Guava      (vitamins C & A, fiber potassium, phytochemicals)
29. Halibut      (protein, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids)
30. Hazelnuts (protein, fiber, antioxidants, folate)
31. Honey  X (trace enzymes, minerals, amino acids, flavonoids,      antioxidants, prebiotic)
32. Kale    X  (nutrient dense, vitamins, minerals, folate, phytochemicals, lutein)
33. Kiwi    X  (nutrient dense vitamin C, lutein)
34. Lemons  X    (vitamin C, limonene and other flavonoids)
35. Limes      (powerful phytochemicals, antioxidants)
36. Mangoes X  (vitamins A, C and K, potassium, carotenes)
37. Maple Syrup      (manganese, zinc)
38. Millet      (fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids)
39. Mint      (antioxidants, vitamins, minerals)
40. Molasses, Blackstrap      (calcium, iron and other minerals)
41. Mushrooms  X     (selenium, B vitamins, potassium vitamin D)
42. Oats X (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fiber)
43. Olives & Olive Oil (monounsaturated fat, polyphenols are antioxidants)
44. Onions    X  (flavonoids quercetin is antioxidant, other phytochemicals)
45. Oranges  X    (potassium, vitamin C, folate, phytochemicals)
46. Oregano  X    (strong antioxidants carotenoids)
47. Papaya      (vitamins C &A, carotenoids)
48. Parsley      (vitamin C, iodine, iron, phytochemicals)
49. Passionfruit      (vitamin A & C, potassium, calcium, iron, phytochemicals)
50. Peanuts  X     (resveratol and other antioxidants)
51. Pears    X  (vitamin C, potassium, fiber antioxidants)
52. Pecans   (thiamine, magnesium, protein, fiber, antioxidants, oleic acid)
53. Pepper, Black  X    (improves digestion, antioxidant, antibacterial)
54. Pepper, Cayenne      (capsaicin, beta-carotene, thermogenesis)
55. Pepper, Chili      (vitamins A & C, potassium, iron, capsaicin)
56. Peppers   X   (vitamin C, beat-carotene & B vitamins flavonoids, capsaicinoids)
57. Persimmon      (vitamin A, C, and fiber, antioxidants, minerals)
58. Pineapple      (vitamins C & B6, manganese,, copper, anti-inflammatory bromelain)
59. Pistachios      (fiber, protein, potassium, phytosterols)
60. Plums/Prunes  X    (fiber, potassium, vitamin K, iron, antioxidants)
61. Pomegranates      (vitamin C, antioxidants, polyphenol)
62. Potatoes      (vitamin C, potassium, antioxidants)
63. Poultry, Chicken & Turkey  X (protein, niacin, selenium)
64. Pumpkin (fiber, potassium, vitamin A, beta-carotenes)
65. Pumpkin seeds    X  (omega-3 fatty acids, phytosterols)

Goodby almonds-- I ate pumpkin seeds for a workday snack this week

1. Quinoa      (more protein than any other grain, iron, vitamins)
2. Raisins     X  (phytonutrients, boron)
3. Raspberries  X    (fiber, phosphorus, selenium, vitamin C, antioxidants)
4. Rice, Brown    X  (antioxidants, vitamins, minerals)
5. Romaine Lettuce      (vitamins A & C folic acid, minerals)
6. Rosemary      (antioxidants)
7. Rye      (fiber, lignans, vitamins and minerals)
8. Salmon X (omega-3 fatty acids)
9. Sardines      (omega-3 fatty acids, calcium)
10. Sesame      (lignans, phytosterols)
11. Shrimp      (protein, selenium, vitamins D and B12, omega-3 fatty acids)
12. Spelt      (B vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein)
13. Spinach  X    (fiber, folate, vitamin K, minerals)
14. Strawberries      (vitamin C, folate, potassium, fiber, antioxidants)
15. Sunflower Seeds      (Vitamin E, folate, minerals, phytosterols)
16. Sweet Potatoes   X   (Vitamin A and beta-carotene, minerals, fiber)
17. Swiss chard      (fiber, vitamins A, C & K)
18. Tea    X  (flavonoids)
19. Tomatoes X (vitamin C, potassium phytosterols, beta-carotene      lycopene)
20. Tumeric      (vitamins, minerals, antioxidant curcumin)
21. Tuna      (protein, minerals, vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids)
22. Walnuts  X (omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, minerals)
23. Watermelon      (lycopene)
24. Whole Wheat    X  (antioxidants, vitamins)
25. Whey protein      (amino acids)
26. Yogurt    X  (calcium, probiotic)

So, I’m up to 46 this week!  And the list will help me figure out which ones to buy next week.  I’m hoping to get to all 111 by the end of the first week of April….and then I guess I’ll start the list all over again!

How about YOU?  How many have you had in the past week?  Which ones do you eat really often?  Which ones do you never eat?

Good morning!

It’s ”What I ate Wednesday” and today, I felt like I had some things to confess, so here ya go:

WIAW, Confessions Edition

BREAKFAST: 7am.  A big, delicious bowl filled with bright red strawberries, blueberries, and banana slices.  And one two cups of coffee.

Confession #1:  I’ve been putting half & half in my coffee instead of almond milk this week.  And guess what– I don’t like it!  They were out of almond milk (seriously, how could they?) and I thought I’d change it up and see what all the half & half fuss was about.  Not a fan.  Good to know, I guess?

Next, time for LUNCH.  Rainbow Chard with sliced steak (leftover from dinner last night), carrots, red bell pepper, and avocado.   Flipped through old magazines while eating.

Confession # 2:  I ate this at 11am.  I was too hungry to wait until Noon!  When I taught kindergarten, I loved how our lunchtime was at 11:15.  I still get hungry early!
Confession # 3:  I subscribe to 6 magazines……I get sucked in when they have their “$5.99 for a year!” type deals…..but because I get so many, I am ALWAYS months behind!  The ones I read today were from Dec and Jan!

SNACK at 1:30.  I got hungry again a few hours later, but wasn’t sure what I wanted so I took a work break and strolled through the grocery store for a few minutes until I figured it out.  Museli/Granola thing from the bulk bin (oats, raisins, a couple almonds, and who knows what else) and a Bragg’s Ginger Spice Apple Cider Vinegar Drink.

Confession #4: The museli was really messy to eat.   I used my fingers instead of a spoon.  It spilled all over.
Confession #5:  I was pretty unsure about the Bragg’s drink before I got it.  I knew I would either love it or really hate it.  Verdict?  Loved it!  If it wasn’t $2.29 a bottle, I would get it more often.  Zero calories and just made from water, apple cider viengar, ginger, and stevia.

Stopped at Trader Joes on the way home to get a free cup of coffee pick up a few things.  I also had some of their free coffee.
Confession # 6:  Their free coffee is one of the big reasons I shop there!  Not sure I would shop there as often if they didn’t have it.

DINNER:  6:45pm.   Chicken grilled with red peppers and onion, spaghetti squash sprinkled with sea salt, and steamed kale.  I wanted to make a 7:30 gym class, so this was super quick.  But it was delish!

Confesson #7:  I cooked and ate this in 25 minutes.  Rush!
Confession #8:  I ate twice as much spagetthi squash!  The other half was while I was cooking, way too hungry last night!

Home from the gym!  Pear for DESSERT.

Eaten still in my sneakers and gym clothes

And then I pretty much layed on the couch for an hour or so and then passed out asleep.

Questions:

What’s your normal lunchtime?   Anyone sometimes eat so early like me? 
If you have a 7pm gym class, do you eat dinner before or after?
How many magazines do you subscribe to?

After a weekend full of things like buffalo wings and way too many cookies, I was needing some veggies big time.  So after work yesterday, I went to Whole Foods and filled my cart with as many kinds of veggies as I could find.

I came home and spilled it all onto my counter.

My mix was brussel sprouts, mushrooms (so good roasted!), broccoli, green beans, red potatoes, and zucchini (umm, note to self- NOT good roasted).

And then I had some massive amounts of cutting to do.

But then, the easy part and I could just stick it in the oven and watch Kourtney and Kim Take New York while I was waiting for them to roast.  That show is ridiculous.

And voila!  A tray of yummy, delicious, vitamin-filled veggies.

I ate a big plate immediately.  They are my favorite.

I like to add a little butter and a lot of salt to my roasted veggies.  What do you add?

Today started off as one of “those” mornings.

First, I woke up late– slept 45 minutes past my alarm.

Then, I had a coffee disaster.  I’m house-sitting, so it was my first time making coffee in this pot.  I put everything in, pressed the on button like normal, did a couple things, and then when I looked back, there was coffee spilled ALL OVER.  Dripping down the counter, under the pot, everywhere….except for actually inside the pot for me to drink, of course.  UGH.

So I cleaned up.  Then, I did the next best thing– I made tea.  It was delicious, probably even better than my coffee would have been.

And then, I poured myself a bowl of cereal with a banana.  Cheerios + Honey Bunches of Oats.

Breakfast:

I generally don’t like that high-carb of a breakfast (gives me a headache), but this tasted good and it’s fun to change it up.

And since I was so late waking up, had to rush to take the dog for an icy walk– it was so cold, the grass was frozen and crunching beneath our feet.

Then off to work.

Work, work, work all morning.

Lunch at 1pm with a friend.  A salad with chicken, black beans, and tomatoes.  I meant to say no cheese (I don’t really like cheese), but I forgot and so ended up eating it.  Salad wasn’t very good but I still ate it all.  Plus half the bread.

Later, I ate an orange (unpictured) and had a headache all through the late afternoon, probably due to lack of morning coffee.  Needless to say, I was more than happy when it was time to leave work.

Dinner from Whole Foods!  Was the quickest grocery shop ever because I needed to get home to the dog (poor thing had been alone for almost 10 hours!).  But I grabbed a few things including some baking ingredients!

I heart the bulk bins. Can stay in this aisle forever discovering new things. But not today-- grabbed some almonds for tomorrow and that was it....

Dinner was chicken and kale/avocado salad from the hot/cold bar.  The salad had a mustard dressing on it that was really yummy.

Dumped everything onto a plate instead of eating out of the WF box

Seems like everyone is on Paleo these days– dinner was relatively Paleo-friendly, right?  Wasn’t on purpose, but when I was reading a bunch of WIAW posts from yesterday, a lot of people were talking about their paleo-friendly meals.

Dessert a few hours later was not Paleo-Friendly.  Pumpkin ice cream with a sprinkle of chocolate chips and raisins and a tiny half tsp of pb.

I haven’t exercised much the past couple days and I’m feeling sluggish.  My schedule’s all messed up from house-sitting.  Took the dog for a long walk and had a really productive evening.  The days are going by way too fast this week!

SO– Anyone on Paleo?  Seems like so many people are lately.

I’m debating incorporating some paleo habits into my daily diet.  I think my body craves protein and healthy fats, I don’t do really well with grains as is, so it seems like a good fit.  But sometimes the strict mentality (I can only eat this. I can’t eat that) backfires and I feel like I shouldn’t put restrictions on things.  I love how everyone seems to say they feel so much better on paleo and have a ton of energy.  With all my over-sleeping my alarm and relying on so much coffee lately, I really do need more energy.  What do you think?  Try it for 21 days?  Or forget about all these “diets” and just eat or more “normal, clean, and balanced” instead?  I think I’m leaning on the latter, with maybe a few more paleo-friendly meals than usual.

And— anyone watch Modern Family tonight?  Is it just me or is this show not nearly as good as it was last season?

It was tough getting out of bed this morning.  I was so cozy under the covers.

But I’m glad I finally did, because it was a beautiful sunrise.

I spent a quick half-asleep 30 minutes on the elliptical reading a magazine and watching the news.  Big political day in Iowa today…..should be interesting.

I started feeling sorry for those celebrities on the cover…..I mean, we all look terrible sometimes (sick, tired, etc), who wants  those pics on the cover of a magazine?!   But, then I remembered that all the publicity helps their career and those pics just come with the job.  No more sympathy (but I’m still glad I’m not them- ha).

I guess the holidays are really over because the street was littered with dozens of xmas trees.  You can’t really see it that well in this pic, but there must have been 15 of them just on this one corner!

Home for a quick breakfast before running off to work.  Egg, banana, and 2 cups of coffee with almond milk.

My fridge ispretty empty and I majorally need to go grocery shopping.  This morning, I saw this list of the “Clean 15″ in my email from Dr. Weil– It’s a list of fruits and veggies that don’t need to be organic.   There are organic, non-organic, “all-natural” options everywhere in the stores, but before forking over the extra cash, it’s pretty helps to know when you’re actually getting your money’s worth.  I was surprised by a few on this list, so wanted to share.

Save your cash!  Here’s the list of fruits and veggies that do not need to be organic:

• Onions
• Sweet corn
• Pineapples
• Avocado
• Asparagus
• Sweet peas
• Mangoes
• Eggplant
• Cantaloupe (domestic)
• Kiwi
• Cabbage
• Watermelon
• Sweet potatoes
• Grapefruit
• Mushrooms

I always buy organic cabbage, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes (i figured, it they are in the ground and i eat the skin,so that would make them full of pesticides, but apparently not) so am totally happy that I don’t have to anymore.

And just because it seems fitting, here are the “Dirty Dozen” of what to ALWAYS buy organic.

12 Most Contaminated

• Peaches
• Apples
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Pears
• Grapes (Imported)
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Potatoes

Did anything on the list surprise you?  What produce do you always or never buy organic?   AND, what did you have for breakfast this morning?