Easy Healthy Recipes - French Toast

French toast is so versatile. It is great for families members with varying tastes. Go savory by topping toast with salt and pepper. Traditional with jelly or jam. Or super sweet with powdered sugar or maple syrup. Organic, pure Grade B maple syrup is a great alternative to sugar. It contains 54 antioxidants, many of which are also found in tea, berries, and broccoli! As always, serve with a balanced plate including lots of veggies, lean protein, and fruit. Today, our French Toast breakfast was rounded out with organic mixed nuts, Concord pears, and lots of steamed spinach sautéed with grass-fed butter, organic garlic, an sea salt. Add a few diced organic bell peppers for crunch!

INGREDIENTS

3 Organic, cage-free eggs

1 Cup whole, grass-fed milk

1 Tablespoon organic sugar

1/4 Teaspoon organic vanilla

1/4 Teaspoon organic cinnamon

Pinch sea salt

8 Slices whole wheat bread

3 Tablespoons organic, unrefined coconut oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat large pan over low-medium heat. Set slices of bread on counter to dry out. 

2. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Add milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt to bowl. Whisk all ingredients together.  

3. Place one tablespoon of coconut oil to pan. Dip bread into bowl and thoroughly wet with batter. Place 2-3 pieces of bread into pan. Cook 1-2 minutes, flip, cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Enjoy! 

Healthy Approach to Eating - Forget Dieting

Numerous clients have started their journey with me by discussing failures in their approach to living a healthy lifestyle. It is a recurring theme of self-blame. They talk about how they cannot resist temptation, the lack of motivation, or the need for greater willpower. As the clients and I discuss those issues in greater detail, I often discover that the lack of success is not the client's fault, but rather a flaw in the methods used in trying to achieve those health and wellness goals.

If leading a healthy and active lifestyle were as simple as willpower or really wanting to be skinny, the majority of us would be fit! The reality is that being healthy ultimately comes down to making changes in our overall approach to nutrition and movement.

One of the key factors for success is finding the eating and exercise habits that are enjoyable and sustainable long term. Do you love bread? Then why go on a diet or eating plan that restricts bread? That is simply not going to be an approach to eating that you will stick with for years. Do you dread running on the gym's treadmill? Then don't do it. Find the movement activities that you enjoy - what ever that is - and make that your consistent workout.

My experience tells me that the majority of diets and fitness programs are grand failures. Media and fitness outlets promote the opposite message - that these diets and fitness programs are successful and it is us that are failures. Nothing could be further from the truth! 

Interested in learning how to identify and integrate healthy habits into your life that are both enjoyable and sustainable? Then contact Michael Ockrim to discuss your current approach to living a healthy and active lifestyle. 

Easy Healthy Recipes - After School Snack Hot Dogs

After school snacks can be satisfying and taste good. Today the kiddos came home to grass-fed hot dogs with organic catsup, organic red bell peppers, organic ruby red grapefruit, organic mixed nuts, and leftover pancakes from breakast (see recipe on blog). Note the portion sizes - only 1/2 a hot dog each! It is just a snack, after all.... Enjoy!

Easy Healthy Recipes - Pancakes

Start thinking savory for breakfast. This will open up an entire world of options for both vegetables and protein. This meal consisted of whole wheat pancakes, steamed spinach with garlic and butter, leftover chicken, sushi (yes, sushi for breakfast!), raw carrots, cashews and almonds, and some Concord pear. Note the portion sizes!

INGREDIENTS

1 Organic, cage free egg

1 Cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 Tablespoon organic sugar

3 Teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder  

1/4 Teaspoon sea salt

1/4 Teaspoon organic vanilla

1/4 Teaspoon organic cinnamon

3/4 Cup whole, grass-fed milk

2 Tablespoons organic, unrefined olive oil

2 Teaspoons Ghee clarified butter for pan

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, whisk egg until fluffy. Add flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder to bowl. 

2. Place cinnamon and vanilla into measuring cup and whisk. Add milk to measuring cup an whisk until just combined. Pour into bowl.  

3. Add olive oil to bowl. Whisk ingredients until smooth. Wait 2 minutes for batter to rise, then whisk again until smooth.  

4. Melt 1 teaspoon ghee in pan. Ladle in batter making palm-size pancakes. Cook 1-2 minutes, flip, and cook another 1-2 minutes.

These pancakes are great plain if you like more of a biscuit flavor. Drizzle with some organic grade B maple syrup to sweeten. Enjoy!

Easy Healthy Recipes - Tuna Salad

Who says lunch for the preschool kiddos has to be Lunchables or McDondals? Today my 3 and 5 year olds enjoyed some spaghetti squash with organic, grass-fed butter and sea salt; organic carrots; organic cashews and almonds; organic tortilla chips; and homemade tuna salad. And of course, a glass of water. Mmmmm. Here is the easy healthy tuna salad recipe:

INGREDIENTS

1 Tablespoon of organic mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon organic, unrefined olive oil

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon Muchi Curry powder

1/2 teaspoon chia, hemp, or buckwheat seeds

1 handful diced bell pepper

2 florets broccoli finely chopped

1 can pole caught skip jack tuna fish

DIRECTIONS

Add mayo, olive oil, salt, curry, and seeds to a small bowl. Mix well. 

Drain tuna. Add tuna, bell pepper, and broccoli to bowl. Mix well. 

Serve with a few organic tortilla chip "spoons." Enjoy! 

Easy Healthy Recipes - Clean Eating Crepes

SIMPLE HEALTHY RECIPES: Crepe is the French word for pancake. These pancakes are thinner than our traditional pancakes and can be filled with fruit, syrup, or savory ingredients like meat and cheese.

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour

1 tablespoon organic granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon organic sea salt

2 cups grass-fed whole milk

1 tablespoons organic, unfiltered olive oil

1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla

2 cage-free eggs

12 teaspoons coconut oil for pan

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and sea salt. Stir in milk, olive oil, vanilla, and eggs. Beat with a wire whisk until smooth.

2. Heat an 8-skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon coconut oil. Pour approximately 1/2 cup batter into the pan. Tilt and twist the skillet to create a thin layer covering the bottom. Cook until the batter is just firm. Run spatula around edges to free up crepe; flip and cook 20 seconds on second side. Repeat with remaining batter, adding coconut oil to pan before each crepe.

Bon appetit! 

Easy Healthy Recipes - Clean Eating Hamburger Helper

SIMPLE HEALTHY RECIPES

INGREDIENTS

2 TBS organic, unfiltered olive oil

2 TBS organic, grass fed butter

1/2 organic white onion, diced

1 organic orange bell pepper, diced

2 cloves organic garlic, passed through garlic press

1-1/2 LBS. grass fed 85-90% lean ground beef

3 organic roma tomatoes, quartered

2 TBS chopped organic parsley

1 TBS organic sea salt

1 tsp organic ground black pepper

1 tsp dried organic oregano

8 oz organic whole wheat pasta shells

DIRECTIONS

Heat 2 quarts of water and 1/2 TBS sea salt to boiling.

Heat 1 TBS oil and saute onion, pepper and garlic for 5 minutes until soft. Add ground beef and saute until just brown - 5 minutes. Drain off excess fat and put into a large bowl.

Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente - 7-10 minutes.

Slice and quarter tomatoes and chop parsley. Add to bowl and mix well to slowly warm tomatoes. Add 1/2 TBS sea salt, white pepper, butter, and oregano to bowl mixture.

Drain pasta and toss with 1 TBS olive oil. Add to bowl, mix well, and serve warm.