Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks, Toast Tuesdays, Treats, Vegetarian

Sunflower Swiss Toast

I hope everyone had a fabulous & healthy holiday weekend!
Welcome back, it’s TOAST TUESDAY!

Today’s toast is a sweet and hearty multi-grain bread with creamy swiss cheese, sunflower seeds, and a drizzle of honey. One of my favorite new toast creations!


Sunflower Swiss Toast
Serves 1

1 slice Milton’s Healthy Multi-Grain bread
1 triangle Laughing Cow Spreadable Light Creamy Swiss Cheese
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tsp honey

Toast the bread, spread with Swiss cheese, sprinkle with sunflower seeds, and drizzle with honey.

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Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Chickpea Patties

I hope that everyone is having a great Memorial Weekend. Thank you to all of the men and women who have served and are serving in the United States Armed Forces!

If you are starting up the BBQ in observance of the holiday today, I have another alternative protein burger recipe for you! Chickpea Patties provide plant-based protein, which makes this recipe a great option for vegans and vegetarians. Use Chickpea Patties in any recipe that calls for chicken or turkey.


For a low carb option, try serving your Chickpea Patties on Portabella Buns!
Simply remove the gills and stem from 2 large portabella mushroom caps and grill over medium heat.

Dress your burger with your favorite toppings such as fresh lettuce, tomato, onion and avocado.
Use the Portabella Buns as you would with a regular hamburger bun!


Chickpea Patties
Serves 4

2 cups chickpeas
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/2 yellow onion
1/4 cup finely ground flaxseed
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric

Thoroughly rinse and strain the chickpeas. Chop the yellow onion, and grate the carrots. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until well mixed. Transfer the contents to a food processor and pulse until it reaches a smooth yet firm consistency. Add water 1 Tbsp at a time to help reach your desired consistency.

Note: The mixture should be moist and smooth but still firm. It should not be crumbly.

After the mixture has reached the proper consistency, divide it into 4 patties. Place a pan over medium/high heat and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. Place patties in the pan and cover and grill for about 4 minutes on each side, spray the pan with cooking spray in between flips to prevent sticking. Continue cooking and flipping until they become firm and slightly browned but not dry.


Note: If storing the Chickpea Patties in the freezer; follow all instructions and precook patties before freezing. Let the patties cool. Place wax or parchment paper in-between each patty to prevent from sticking together. Store the patties in a ziplock bag, and freeze. Reheat each patty in the microwave before eating!

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Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Black Bean Burgers

Soy protein concentrate, textured soy protein concentrate, basil, methylcellulose, hydrolyzed soy and corn protein, caramel color, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, modified vegetable gum, autolyzed yeast extract, natural butter flavor, whey, guar gum, natural smoke flavor, soy lecithin, calcium chloride, ferrous gluconate, textured wheat gluten, corn oil, calcium caseinate, artificial flavors, caramel color.

Wait… I’m sorry, I thought I was buying VEGGIE patties?

Some store bought “vegetable” patties shouldn’t even legally be able to use the word “vegetable” (or “food” for that matter) on their packaging. Some patties are loaded with sodium, unrecognizable chemical ingredients, and fillers that barely constitute as food.

Celebrate Memorial Day Weekend right! You owe it to your body to feed it natural whole foods. Skip the frozen veggie patties and opt for a homemade black bean burger instead! These patties are easy to make and can be kept in the freezer for quick easy meals. Use these black bean patties for any burger or meal that calls for “beef!”

For a low carb option, try serving your Black Bean Burgers on Portabella Buns!
Simply remove the gills and stem from 2 large portabella mushroom caps and grill over medium heat.
Dress your burger with your favorite toppings such as fresh lettuce, tomato, onion and avocado.
Use the Portabella Buns as you would with a regular hamburger bun!

Black Bean Burger
Serves 4

2 cups black beans (no salt added or low sodium)
1/2 chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup finely ground flaxseed
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
2 Tbsp freshly chopped cilantro leaves
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp black pepper

Thoroughly rinse and strain black beans. Chop the yellow onion, garlic, and cilantro leaves. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until well mixed. Transfer the contents to a food processor and pulse until it reaches a smooth yet firm consistency. Add water 1 Tbsp at a time to help reach your desired consistency.
Note: The mixture should be moist and smooth but still firm. It should not be crumbly.

After the mixture has reached the proper consistency, divide it into 4 patties. Place a pan over medium/high heat and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. Place patties in the pan and cover and grill for about 4 minutes on each side. Spray the pan with cooking spray in between flips to prevent sticking. Continue cooking and flipping until they become firm and browned but not dry.
Note: If storing the black bean patties in the freezer; follow all instructions and precook patties before freezing. Let the patties cool. Place wax or parchment paper in-between each patty to prevent from sticking together. Store the patties in a ziplock bag, and freeze. Reheat each patty in the microwave before eating!

Have a safe and fun Memorial Day Weekend!
Grill those veggies, and go rabbit!
xo

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Dinner, Tips

Dining Out Guide

Sometimes it can be really tricky to have a social life while losing weight and staying on track with healthy eating. Whenever I get together with friends or family, we end up going out to eat. So many of my social interactions revolve around food. While trying different restaurants and getting dressed up to go out to dinner with friends is always exciting, it can end up being really stressful when you are trying to stay on track with your diet. Since most of our social gatherings are restaurant related in our day and time, you can’t really avoid it all together.

I used to have a really hard time going to restaurants with friends because I had no idea where to begin. Should I not eat all day and then get a “normal” meal with my friends? Should I only order a side salad without any dressing? Should I eat my own meal at home and only order an iced tea at the restaurant? Going out to eat quickly went from one of my favorite events to a stressful and anxiety filled situation. I started to dread going to restaurants with friends and started avoiding birthday dinners, celebrations, and get-togethers because I just couldn’t handle it.

I realized that I was less happy not hanging out with my friends and celebrating their birthdays than going out to dinner and being stressed. I decided that it was time to figure out a realistic approach to reduce stress and anxiety when dining out. I started by checking online menus and nutrition facts online before going to the restaurant. This way I knew exactly what I would be eating and know how to ask the waiter to prepare it. I also started to become more familiar with what portion sizes looked like so that I could easily eyeball how much of my dish to eat. After I started using this approach, dining out with friends finally became fun again and I no longer had to worry about getting off track. Here are some of my tips and tricks to dining out and staying on track!

  • Check restaurant menus online and plan what you will order ahead of time.
  • Take your time and look up nutrition facts beforehand.
  • Don’t skip meals to “save calories” before dining out. If you starve yourself all day you will end up consuming way more than you planned because you are so hungry. Trust me on this one!

  • Say no to bread baskets and chips. If you know you will be too tempted, ask the waiter ahead of time to not bring it. If others dining at your table would like bread and you have no choice but to have it at the table, ask for a side salad with balsamic right away so you have something to nosh on.
  • Remember that you have been through harder things than this.
  • Remember that you are in charge of what you eat.

  • Don’t feel bad or embarrassed to make special requests, like asking for sauces on the side, steamed, no oil, etc. People have elaborate orders all day everyday.
  • Look for foods that are grilled, baked, steamed, roasted, or broiled.
  • Avoid foods that are fried, crunchy, crispy, creamy, breaded, or sautéed.
  • Split an entrée with a friend or order from the appetizer or kids menu.
  • Skip dessert or stick to a 3 bite rule. The first bite you are fully present and excited to taste it, second bite you get to take it in and enjoy it, and third bite you get to savor. After that, it’s alllll the same.
  • Pay close attention to condiments and dressings. Some of them have a lot of fat, sugar, and calories.
  • Get a half order instead of full order when available.
  • Ask for a salad, steamed veggies, or fresh fruit on the side instead of fries.
  • Always opt for water or unsweetened tea instead of soda.

  • Keep portion sizes in mind:
    1 cup= baseball
    ½ cup = yoyo
    2/3 cup= tennis ball
    ¼ cup= egg
    3oz= deck of cards
    1 Tbs = poker chip
    1 tsp = quarter
  • Pace yourself. Your meal is not going to sprout legs and run away. Eat slowly, and put your utensil down between bites.
  • Take sips of your beverage in between bites.
  • Ask for a “to go” container up front and automatically put half of it away before you start to eat.
  • Don’t associate fullness with being overly stuffed or bloated. Eat only what your body needs. Give your stomach at least 15 minutes to tell your brain it’s full.

  • Remember to enjoy the experience and eat what you want. Dining out should be a treat and shouldn’t be stressful.
  • One meal won’t make you fat, skinny, healthy, or unhealthy!
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Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Snacks, Tips, Vegetarian

Road Trippin’ Rabbit Food Style

Sam and I headed out of Houston on Monday morning at 7am in route to Los Angeles.
The first day of driving was long, but so much fun. We ended up getting to Tucson around 9pm and were so happy to get out of the car and sleep!
Tuesday was our final stretch, leaving Tucson at 8am and arriving in LA at 3pm. So hoppy to be home! I slept like a baby last night.

Road trips can be really challenging to eat healthy. From state to state you are surrounded by fast food joints, mini marts, and all-American diners off of the highway. We made it our goal to eat as healthy as possible on this road trip and I have to say it was a success!

In preparation to leaving, we went to the grocery store to buy some Larabars, bananas, apples, and water bottles to have on hand. We  made a few stops for meals along the way and I did my very best to stick with my Rabbit Food guidelines!

Our first stop was at Dunkin’ Donuts in Houston. I am obsessed with coffee, but beyond obsessed with Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. It is so good! When people say “Dunkin’ Donuts has the best coffee!” you better believe it. It’s the best. Hands down. Whenever I visit Sam in TX, we always grab coffee at DD because we don’t have it in CA! I always stock up on K-Cups for my Keurig coffee maker, and this trip was no exception. For some reason, Dunkin’ Donuts only sells their K-Cups in stores, so if you live in CA, good luck! I usually fly home, so I don’t have enough space in my carry-on to bring K-Cups, but because we were driving back, we had tons of room for my purchase of six 24 packs! Yes, you heard that right, and yes there is photographic evidence! DD needs to either A) Change their slogan from “American runs on Dunkin'” to “American run’s on Dunkin, unless you live in CA” or B) Open up a franchise in CA. Did you hear that Dunkin’ Donuts? COME TO CA! So jealous of everyone who has a DD near them.

 I started my day with a nonfat latte, all bran muffin, and a fuji apple. I didn’t have any nuts or other plant based fat options, so I struck out in that category. I’m sure that muffin contained some fat though… after all, it was from a donut shop!

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: fuji apple
Whole Grain: all-bran muffin
Protein: nonfat milk (in the latte)
Plant Based Fat: 0

 The next stop on our trip was for fuel & lunch in a small town before a long stretch of open fields and no civilization. The only food option was either a mini-mart or Dairy Queen. We decided to scope it out and to my surprise, DQ had a salad option. It came with crispy fried chicken on top and even after asking for a salad sans-chicken, they didn’t really understand. I’m probably the first person to ask for a salad without chicken at this location haha. No worries, Sam ate the chicken for me anyway! I didn’t have a whole-grain option to work with so I also struck out in this category, but overall it wasn’t bad for Dairy Queen.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: iceburg lettuce and tomato
Whole Grain: 0
Protein: cheese
Plant Based Fat: balsamic (olive oil based) dressing

 During an extra long stretch in the middle of New Mexico, I ended up snacking on a Cherry Pie flavored Larabar which falls into the plant based fat (almonds) and produce (cherries & dates) categories.

Right before arriving in Arizona, we stopped to refuel and grab some dinner at Subway. I opted for a 6-inch veggie delight with pepperjack cheese, olives, and red wine vinegar on whole wheat. I couldn’t decide what I wanted to use as my plant based fat (avocado, black olives, or olive oil – with vinegar). I ended up choosing black olives and red wine vinegar as my dressing instead of oil since the olives count as a plant based fat. It was yummy!

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: lettuce, spinach, tomato, onions, bell peppers, pepperoncinis
Whole Grain: whole-wheat bread
Protein: pepper jack cheese
Plant Based Fat: black olives

Sam even ate some RFFMBT approved snacks along the way including his first Larabr. He chose Apple Pie. The Verdict? He said nothing compares to his Granny’s Apple Pie recipe, but it was pretty good!

 After 2 days and 24 hours of driving, we are happy to be in CA!
It may seem tricky to eat healthy while driving across the country, but it’s not impossible! With the right knowledge and guidelines, it can be done!

Now time to rest up before we go to Body By Design OC Bootcamp with Kandace!
Health & Happiness

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