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Cravings

Posted on September 24, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

What is the last craving you had?

Pizza…? Chocolate…? Ice Cream…? Pancakes? 😉

Did you honor it?

Or did you tell yourself you knew better?

I’ve always had a hard time “honoring” my cravings…most of the time I just don’t know how to distinguish between a a “true” craving (something my body is really needing) and a “snacky” craving (something I only think I want because I’m bored, I saw it on the tv/internet, or maybe I’m just curious about some recently acquired snacks).

Here’s the thing…for me, having new snacks is like having new toys…I want to open them all at once and “play” with them. But unfortunately, playing with that many “toys” almost always lands me with a tummy ache.

But lately, I’ve been denying myself any playtime at all.

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve found myself feeling extra “snacky”…especially at the end of the day. At first I chalked it up to being tired, but even after a good ~~night’s~~ day’s sleep, the feeling was still there. So I stopped, and I listened…trying hard to figure out what my body was telling me…

It wanted fat, it wanted salt, it wanted…CHOCOLATE?!

Really? But I don’t even really LIKE chocolate!

So I decided I knew better.

I had some pretzels dipped in peanut butter…but only a few…I didn’t want to go overboard. Then I had some carrots and celery…there, that balances everything out, right?

WRONG!

The cravings persisted over the next week…they got more intense.

Then, the other day, I was up late because I couldn’t sleep (thank you night shift insomnia!) and there it was again…that craving for chocolate!

So I (picture me sticking out my chest and pointing my thumbs back at myself) decided that wasn’t what I was craving at all…it was late, I couldn’t have chocolate. Instead, I had some carrots…I even dipped them in ranch dressing (thinking if my body wanted fat, then there…there was some fat), but after I finished, I just wasn’t satisfied…so I had a couple handfuls of granola…and then a couple more…and then some peanut butter out of the jar…

And then…FINALLY, I gave up and got the DAMN chocolate out of the DAMN cupboard!

And you know what? That was it! THAT was what I wanted! As soon as I had a good dose of the dark stuff, I was fine…well, except for the fact that as soon as I walked out of the kitchen, I had a tummy ache…with a side of guilt.

It wasn’t until the next day, after a long talk with a good friend, that I finally got things into perspective. She reminded me that our bodies are smarter than our minds give them credit for. We want what we want…sometimes it makes sense and sometimes it doesn’t.

But where do we get off thinking we know better?

If I had gone for the chocolate in the first place, I never would have went rabid in the pantry and ended up feeling miserable afterwards!

But it stops here. I’m no longer going to try to “override” my cravings…even if they aren’t the healthiest choices. And I’m not going to let one night of overindulgence leave me with a sense of guilt.

Life’s too short! Right, Amanda?

Do you have a hard time “listening” to your body? How can you tell when you’re having a TRUE craving?

What was the last craving you gave into?

Posted in Snacks | Tagged chocolate, chocolate chips, cravings, food rules, intuitive eating, snacks | 40 Comments

Sweet Potato Pie Pancakes

Posted on September 23, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

Good morning loves!

With today being the first official Pancake Sunday of fall, I figured it was finally time to bust out some of the fall flavors we all love!

But why should pumpkin have all the fun?

Oh yeah, I went there!

And I even brought the maple syrup along for the ride!

Sweet Potato Pie Pancakes

By: Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Keywords: fry breakfast high protein high fiber whole wheat pastry flour sweet potato Pancake Sunday fall

Ingredients (Serves 1)

1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 teaspoon sodium-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 egg white
1/4 cup mashed sweet potato
1/2 banana, mashed
1/4 cup water (or milk)

Instructions

1. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, protein powder, baking powder, and spice.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together egg white, sweet potato, banana, and water (or milk).
4. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until flour is incorporated.
5. Spoon batter onto skillet forming three medium-sized pancakes.
6. Cook 5-6 minutes per side or edges are crisp and golden brown.
7. Serve with pure maple syrup…or, if your feeling extra frisky, layer with mini marshmallows, pop ’em in the microwave to “melt” and top with crushed pecans!! 😉

Nutritional facts per serving BEFORE toppings:

A little more decadent than my usual pancakes, but really, doesn’t everyone deserve a little treat every once in a while?

Especially when…

that treat…

looks…

Like this?!

Would you believe me if I said it tastes even BETTER than it looks?

Now who wants the first bite?

What is your favorite fall dessert?

Posted in Breakfast, Pancake Sunday | Tagged dessert, fall, maple syrup, pancakes, pecans, sweet potato | 33 Comments

Healthified Taco Salad

Posted on September 21, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

Hola mi amigos!

Thank God it’s el Friday-o, no?*
*Be jealous…my Spanish skills are muy impressive-o!

And since my bilingual talents pretty much stop there, I’ll do my best to keep the rest of this post in English! 😉

Remember the taco salad I posted for WIAW?

Yeah, that one?

Well, I polished off the last of the leftovers yesterday and I have to admit, today’s lunch just wasn’t as exciting…

That may or may not have to do with the fact that I had yet ANOTHER battle with Willie the Waffle Maker. Only this time, the chopsticks were no help and I had to resort to a bowl of cereal instead…delicious, but SO not the waffle I was dreaming of!

But anywho! No more wallowing in waffle pity…

Let’s talk tacos!

I LOVE Mexican food, and one of my favorite dishes is taco salad. But, as most of you know, chain restaurants tend to go with cheap ingredients, so when you order a taco salad, you usually end up with ground meat stuffed in a fried taco bowl topped with cheese, iceberg lettuce and (if your lucky) a few tomato slices.

So basically you have a bowl of greasy salty fat with lettuce that tastes like water…
Umm, no thank you!

But not if you make it home!

By choosing a lean beef (or turkey), you can cut the saturated fat in HALF, and with the right amount of add-ins and spices, you won’t even miss the cheese! Then you get the fun of “decorating” your salad with healthy and delicious toppings!

Now isn’t that just a work of art? 🙂

Healthified Taco Salad

By: Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Keywords: saute entree paleo high protein low-carb ground beef Mexican

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1 pound lean ground beef (or turkey)
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 cup diced bell pepper
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 8oz can no-salt added tomato sauce
1 cup enchilada sauce*
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Mrs. Dash salt-free seasoning to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add ground beef and, using a wooden spoon or spatula, break up and stir the meat while cooking until no pink remains (about 10 minutes).
3. Drain all but about a tablespoon of grease from skillet and transfer browned meat to a plate or dish.
4. Add veggies to skillet and saute until tender (about 7-8 minutes).
5. Transfer beef (or turkey) back to the pan, add tomato sauce, enchilada sauce, and spices.
6. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and allow to cook 10 minutes.
7. Serve over lettuce and/or crumbled tortilla chips (or even better, Popchips!) and add desired toppings.

Nutritionals of meat only before salad toppings:

Under 500mg of sodium per serving? I’d like to see a Mexican restaurant do THAT!

Just be sure to find a good enchilada sauce that’s not too high in sodium. And something you may not know…usually, the spicier it is, the higher the salt content. Trader Joe’s has a great enchilada sauce without the sketchy ingredients…but if your lucky you have a Big Lots near and you can snatch yourself up one of these: