Yes, I get enough protein!

My trainer at crossfit yesterday asked me something that I hear all the time: "Do you get enough protein?" The answer is YES! You can get plenty of protein in your diet with out eating meat, even if you're an athlete. I used to believe that vegetarians/vegans did not get enough protein until I tried it myself. I'm actually kind of surprised that this myth exists since we grew up with cartoons of Popeye eating cans of spinach to get strong.

So, to prove to everyone that there are plenty of plant-based sources of protein, I decided to track my protein intake in a typical day of me eating vegan.


Breakfast: smoothie with Vega One, banana, and almond milk - 16 g

Lunch: spinach salad with red pepper, avocado, chickpeas, and edemame - 14 g

Afternoon snack: apple and peanut butter - 6 g

Dinner: Mexican-style pizza with sprouted grain tortilla, Daiya cheese, pico de gallo, and black beans - 14 g (recipe on this coming soon!)

Evening snack: popcorn with nutritional yeast - 8 g


That's a total of 58 grams of protein, which is over my recommended daily value! If I didn't want to use a meal supplement like Vega One, then I would eat something like chia seeds, quinoa, or oats with nuts for the same amount of protein. Therefore, crossfitters can be vegan :)

Reasons to go organic

I keep going back and forth between buying organic fruits and vegetables, mainly because of the cost. Many of the natural foods that I buy are already organic but its easy to not buy organic fruits and veggies because they are so much more expensive than their pesticide-covered counterparts. We've all heard the rumors of pesticides being linked to cancer and such but what are the actual reasons that you should buy organic food? Here's a summary of a list from Organic Gardening:

1. Genetically altered crops like soy and corn use so much weedkiller that researchers are finding it in rain, the air, and streams. The chemical glyphosate is in the weedkiller and linked to potentially irreversible metabolic damage, infertility, obesity, learning disabilities, and birth defects.

2. Hormone-disrupting phthalates, common fragrance chemicals used in soaps and shampoos, are winding up inside produce. The potential source is human sewage sludge that is applied as a fertilizer to farm fields.

3. Some chemicals in pesticides tamper with our body’s natural weight-loss chemistry thus increasing the risk of becoming overweight and obese.

4.  Pesticides are also linked to diabetes. Though obesity and genetics remain the two biggest risk factors for the disease, certain pesticides may interfere with the way our bodies produce the blood-sugar-regulating hormone insulin.

5.  Pesticides could interfering with your vitamin D levels. Vitamin D wards off cancer, diabetes, infections, heart disease, and broken bones and boosts your immune system.

6. Factory farming has become so filthy that farmers not only inject low levels of antibiotics into animals, breeding antibiotic resistance in humans, but they’ve also had to resort to other questionable techniques to prevent e. coli and other bacteria from getting into the food supply.

7. Thanks to an increased reliance on pesticides and machinery, farms have been able to grow in size while cutting back on labor. Organic farms create more jobs, which is good for the community but also one of the reasons that organic food is more expensive.

It is a fact that genetically-engineered crops paired with pesticides have drastically increased the yield of farms, especially in the U.S. But, is this system sustainable? Are pesticides leading to more problems, like increased risk of disease? I think that this ongoing debate is very important and until the government tackles this, then you have to make your own personal choice. You may be paying more for organic food now, but you could also save on health care costs in the future.

My personal debate about buying organic fruits and vegetables is ongoing but I'm thinking about switching over 100% until I can grow my own produce (hopefully I'll have a backyard one day). Going back to reason #3 above, some chemicals in pesticides lead to excess estrogen in your body which leads to excess fat in your midsection. I have actually noticed that I have less fat in this area during phases of eating organic produce. So if you already have a healthy diet and exercise regularly, eating organic can be that last step to reach your health goals. What do you think?

Need a snack? Make some kale chips!

I know I just wrote about snacks a couple days ago but if you need another healthy munching idea...try making some kale chips! They are super easy to make, and much better for you than other chips, obviously. Kale is a type of cabbage and high in many vitamins, including calcium. It also has anti-cancer properties.

To make your kale chips, just buy a bunch of kale in the produce isle, wash, and rip into bit size pieces. The easiest way is to lay them out on a cookie sheet and spray lightly with olive oil. The you can add some flavor with salt and pepper and other seasonings, including vinegar. Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake the kale until it starts turning brown on the edges, 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!

Easy quinoa salad lunch

Everyone knows that bringing your lunch to work is way cheaper and healthier than eating out. But waking up early or taking time at night to make your lunch is a hassle. I try to make a larger batch of something on Sunday that I can bring to work all week. One of the easiest (and healthiest) things to make is quinoa salad. Quinoa is more popular in South America and was once considered the "gold of the Incas." Quinoa looks and tastes like a grain but is actually related to spinach. It is not only high in protein but also a complete protein, meaning that it contains all 9 essential amino acids. It is also a good source of manganese, magnesium, folate, and phosphorus, making it valuable for people with migraines, diabetes, and atherosclerosis (whfoods.com).

Because it is high in protein, quinoa is great for a light but filling lunch. I use about 1/3 cup of dry quinoa for a serving. To cook it, just take 1 part quinoa, 2 parts water, and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes until all of the water is absorbed. Then, add your favorite vegetables to make the salad. I don't have a particular recipe, but for today's lunch (pictured below) I used steamed broccoli, red pepper, kelp granules, and calamata olives. I also added some salt and pepper, a tablespoon of olive oil, and juice of a lemon wedge for extra taste. You can eat this salad cold or heat it up if you used cooked vegetables. My "warm" quinoa salad has more of an italian twist with tomatoes, basil, green pepper, garlic, onions, and olives.

This isn't the most exciting lunch but its easy to make in a batch and extremely healthy. Because quinoa doesn't have a strong taste and is similar to rice, you can experiment with adding anything to it. Let me know if you come up with any fantastic recipes!

Healthy snacks delivered to your door

I came across this website called Healthy Surprise and decided to give it a try. For a monthly payment of $38 or more for a bigger package, you can get healthy snacks delivered to you monthly. The snacks are natural, vegan, and gluten-free. When I got my package (pictured below) I was actually quite disappointed because I thought that there would be more snacks for $38! It turns out that some of the snacks are considered way more than one serving and the snack box has actually lasted me longer than I thought. I keep the snacks at work to munch on between meals.

So I thought about discontinuing the service because I thought it was expensive but I've since changed my mind. The snacks are delicious and I love that they are also healthy! They are truly made with natural products. For example, the Mrs. May's fruit chips only contain the fruit as the ingredient. The fruits are freeze dried and made into chips and they taste like candy! I also like the "Coco-Roons" which are coconut-maple snacks that are very filling. The other snacks are sesame or nut based. I'm already looking forward to next month's batch to try some new things. I also like the convenience of this service because I don't have to comb through the isles of Whole Foods and read every ingredient to find healthy snacks. So if you're looking for some great snacks to keep you away from the vending machine, I recommend trying Healthy Surprise!