Life always has a way of balancing itself out. I’ve become a firm believer in this motto and have also learned how it applies to my eating habits. For example, last week I went a little (ok, be honest…waaaaaaaaaaaaay) overboard with the cookie consumption! Then to top it all off we had the holiday potluck at work! Who could resist all those tasty morsels, especially when I didn’t even have slave away in my own kitchen?! But by Friday night, I was feeling heavy, bloated, and sluggish.
Then the balance took over. I honestly have not had a single cookie craving since I woke up on Saturday. All I want is VEGGIES!! Seriously, I crave them for every meal. I’m steaming them, tossing up salads, and heck I’m eating some just by the handful (love my grape tomatoes for SAMs Club)…I just can’t seem to get enough!
As I was perusing some blog recipes the other day, I came across one of Heather‘s stir-fries and new that that would be the perfect vessel for satisfying my veggie cravings! It turned out so well last night that I made another version for dinner tonight!
Beef & Vegetable Stir-Fry: (Inspired by HEAB’s Stir-Fry 101)
- 2-3 Tbsp organic beef broth (add more if needed during saute)
- 1/2 cup fresh green beans, cut into thirds
- 1/2 cup carrots, sliced
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1/4 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 large portobella mushroom cap, diced
- 4 oz. stewing beef, trimmed of excess fat
- 1 handful fresh spinach
- 1 Tbsp tahini
- 1/2 Tbsp stone ground mustard
Carrots and beans first
Then go in the shallot and mushrooms
Where's the beef??
Almost finished!
Wilting up some green!
The only difference between last night’s version and tonight’s was the addition of 1/2 cup green beans and last night I used 1 Tbsp of nutritional yeast instead of the mustard. Both variations were great, although the mustard definitely zinged it up a bit in the flavor department!
The great thing about this stir-fry is the versatility. You don’t have to add beef, I just chose to use up some of the leftover meat I had from my potluck Beef & Vegetable Stew. Heather suggests using a fat to saute the veggies in, but since I added the beef I figured I’d balance it out and using broth instead.
I used to be the Anti-Fat Queen. I would choose low-fat/non-fat versions of EVERYTHING, but then one day I stopped and thought, “Why am I always hungry??” It was due to the fact that I was not including enough healthy fats in my diet. Since I’ve started eating more of the good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), I’ve noticed that my meals will get me through about 4-5 hours before I start to feel hungry again.
You WANT fat in your food…it’s what keeps you full! Eating (good) fats will NOT make you fat! And that’s all I have to say about that! 😉
*Please keep in mind I am not a licensed professional, but these are my own personal views.
im stuck in the no-fat rut! help!! what kinds of foods did you switch from low fat to regular??
Sorry about the delay. Somehow your comments have been going to my spam! Ahh!
Some of the things I switched were CHEESE!! (full fat is so much better…I just remember to use it in moderation), sour cream, and I’ve started drinking almond milk instead of fat free moo juice, and I also use full fat butter instead of margarine. I find that when I eat more fat, I am much more satisfied after my meals. It keeps me fuller longer whereas before, I would constantly be snacking all the time wondering why on Earth I was hungry only an hour after my meal!
Another reason why I switched: If you take a look and compare ingredient lists, low-fat and fat free products are more processed and have a crap-ton of ingredients you can’t even pronounce! 🙁
Agreed…to everything you said. 🙂 I do the same thing after OD’ing on sugar. All I’ll want is veggies and protein for a while – nothing sweet, and I love grape tomatoes. We buy them at Costco, and when we do, I pop those little suckers like candy.
Any you know I LOVE my stir-fries, especially with mustard, and yes, fat will not make you fat. I would be a very unhappy girl…with very dry hair without my beloved fats. 🙂
I recently got a comment from a friend’s mother about how shiny and luxurious my hair looks, and I told her I contribute it all to healthy fat consumption!! That stir fry looks awesome… you should make it on a Friday so you can call it Stir Friday! 😉
Stir Friday! Genius! Haha
So true, girl..
It’s all about balance 😉
I have to say I agree with you. I chose low-no fat versions of some things like yogurt and Greek yogurt for my cooking and baking but in moderation the good fats are pretty darn good. Even the bad ones once in awhile…this stir fry looks so good right now! I love stir frys.
When it comes to yogurt and milk, I usually choose fat-free just because I don’t care for the consistency of the full fat versions, but I always buy full fat cheese, peanut butter, and I bake with butter. Speaking of baking, I am definitely getting my share of the “bad fats” today! Making coconut cupcakes and I think I could’ve made one more full cupcake out of the batter I devoured! 😉