Preparing a Week's Worth of Salad

Every Saturday or Sunday, I set aside a few hours to prepare all my food for the week- washing and seasoning meat, cutting vegetables, etc. The majority of this time goes towards preparing a big-ass bowl of salad that lasts me through the week and makes throwing together a quick healthy salad a breeze.

The great thing about this is its very easy to edit and rotate what foods you include, making it very easy to add variety week after week. I'll include the ingredient list I use to make my "go-to" version

Ingredients

• One (1) bunch kale or other green leafy vegetable
• One (1) head romaine lettuce
• 2 bell peppers, color of choice
•  One-two (1-2) onions, color of choice
• shredded carrots
• cheese crumbles (I use feta)
• grape tomatoes
• garlic croutons

 Instructions

1.  Cut the stem (white portion) off the romaine lettuce
   
2. Set a leaf of lettuce on the cutting board. Cut length-wise along the stem on both sides, and cut the top portion to remove the stem from the leaves. 
   
3. Fold the lettuce onto itself, and cut sideways along the length of the lettuce leaf, as shown. Place in salad spinner or some other sort of container to wash and rinse the lettuce.
   
4. Repeat until all lettuce is cut. To reduce time, leaves of similar sizes and stems can be stacked and cut together.
5. Dry lettuce using salad spinner. If you don't have a salad spinner, pat dry with paper towels, or let air dry. Place cut romaine lettuce in large container
   
6. Next, take your kale (or whatever other green you are using) and cut it into similar-size pieces. Wash, rinse, dry, and place in the giant salad bowl. You should now have romaine lettuce and kale leaves mixed together.
   
7. Take a bell pepper, and cut along the top in a circle to remove the stem. Next, slice down the middle to halve the pepper. Cut and remove white portions, and cut into strips. Dice into small squares, and place in the bowl. Repeat for the other bell pepper.
   
   
8. Dice/cut onion into whichever shape you prefer. I used crescents here but any shape/cut will do. Repeat if using a second onion
   
9. Next, toss in your shredded carrots
   
10. Add the grape tomatoes and croutons
11. Sprinkle crumbled cheese on top
    
12. Close the lid on the large container, and shake around to distribute ingredients evenly. Refrigerate and enjoy!
    
    This will hold in the fridge for 5-7 days, depending on your temperature settings. This is the easiest way I've found to get in large servings of greens every day.

If you are stressed for time, this can also be done with pre-cut bags of lettuce and veggies. This is typically what I do during the school year when I've got exams coming up, or I'm just simply pressed for time.

Toasted Egg and Peanut Butter Sandwich

 

Random group of ingredients, I know. But take my word for it, this is delicious

Ezekiel Bread is a low-GI carbohydrate source. The egg, and peanut butter provide a bit of protein. This is a great meal or snack for any time of the day.

Recipe

 

Ingredients (makes one sandwich)

• two slices Ezekiel bread
• 1 egg
• olive oil or cooking spray
• 1/2 - 1 tablespoon peanut butter

Cooking Hardware/Utensils Needed

• Toaster/Toaster Oven
• Skillet/Pa
• Spatula
• Butter knife

Steps

• Insert bread into toaster/toaster oven and, well...toast it 
• While bread is getting its toast on, add just enough olive oil or cooking spray to coat your skillet/cooking pan. Turn on low heat. Once cooking surface is heated, crack egg and fry over-easy.

• After bread finishes toasting, add peanut butter to one slice: 

•  Once the egg finishes frying, toss it on the other slice of bread
• Combine slices of toast and boom! Sandwich is ready

Ghetto Push Sled

A sled/prowler is a great tool for conditioning work. As a college student living in a apartment, though, I do not have access to a good place to use one, and I lack the funds to purchase one. I am also not very handy, and don't have the tools to build one anyway. So, sled training has been out of the question for me.

The other day at the gym, I noticed a guy using an upside-down box as a sled.The set-up is real simple:

Take a box, flip it upside down and place it on a towel so you don't ruin the gym floor and get chased out. Place weights in the flat area of the box, and push 'til you puke. I've started doing HIIT with the box- 1 min pushing at a fast pace, 1 minute catching my breath, rinse and repeat.

The janitors also thanked me for helping them clean the basketball court floors.

Don't have access to a prowler or a sled? Get creative and get pushing.

A Typical Grocery Haul

I'll clear from the start- eating healthy is not the easiest thing on your wallet. The above haul cost me ~$116. This is enough bread and veggies to last ~1 week, enough meat, yogurt, sweet potatoes, and feta cheese for ~2 weeks, and enough butter (split between two other roommates) and sauces to last about a month. Expensive up front, yes, but remember, this is an investment in your long-term health. It will more than pay for itself in spared medical expenses, happiness, longevity, and improved quality of life.

So what exactly is in the picture above? Starting on the left....

Back Row:
 Greek Yogurt (Plain, Meijer brand)- Great nutrient profile and very versatile. Can be used as a sour cream substitute in baked potatoes, spread on a sandwich (along with some peanut butter and granola), marinating meat, or eaten on its own.
Chicken Tenderloins (Meijer brand)- Lean source of protein. Stir-fry it, bake it, grill it, fry it in a skillet, options are endless here.
Top Round Angus Steaks (Meijer)- 9g of fat and 25g of protein per 4oz. The best protein-fat ratio I can find as far as steaks go.
More Greek Yogurt- Lately some jagaloons have been buying up all the plain flavored yogurts, so I stocked up this time.
Kefir (Lifeway Foods, Mango flavored)- Kefir is a fermented milk product. I found out about kefir from Beastmodal Domains (RIP to the funniest lifting site ever). If you're like me and can eat or adjust to eating anything regardless of texture/taste, this is like milk but with more protein (12g carbs, 11g protein). If you have problems with texture or dislike a tart taste, be warned. I picked up the mango flavor because it was a new addition to the aisles and I felt like it. Typically I stick to the plain because the flavored versions have ~20g carbs compared to 12. I don't drink it plain, but combine it with a scoop of whey protein (from truenutrition.com) to get a shake with ~35g of protein. For a more scientific breakdown of why kefir is the shit, click here.
Various Iron Chef/San-J Sauces- Orange sauce, hoisin sauce, Asian BBQ, sesame garlic, etc. etc. All are varieties of sauces, mainly Eastern in flavor/content, that I buy for dipping/marinating meats (mainly chicken). Note that these are rather high in sugar (12-15g per 2 TBSP) and are thus CONSUMED WEEKLY. NOT DAILY. Save these for rewarding yourself after busting ass on squats or sprints.
Quinoa Crispbread (Le Pain Des Fleurs)- not a regular purchase. Bought these to try something new. Texture is weird but taste actually is not bad, especially with some peanut butter spread across it. Save for when your palette has adjusted.
Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Wheat Bread (Food For Life)- Bread is not paleo. Grains are not paleo. Gluten is not paleo. If you are eating strictly paleo, or new to eating healthy, Ezekiel bread may be something to hold off on at the beginning until your diet has a foundation of green vegetables and lean(er) meats. I added this into my diet rather recently and have no adverse effects, so its here to stay. No preservatives, so save space for it in the fridge. Great for toast and sandwiches.

Middle Row:
More Chicken Tenderloins (Meijer)
96/4 Extra Lean Ground Beef (Meijer)- best protein-fat ratio in ground beef I've found.
Feta Cheese Crumbles (Kraft)- sprinkled in my big salad bowl. I usually make one of these containers last 2-3 weeks. Or, stock up on this big one from Sam's Club: Greek Isle Crumbled Fat Free Feta Cheese Cup - 24 oz. (Google Affiliate Ad)

Bell Peppers- cut for both salad (small squares) and stir-fry (skinny strips). Note that these are a nightshade, so be aware of any sensitivities you may have.
Kale- I hate the word "superfood", but, well, kale is a goddamn amazing superfood. Use in salad, make kale chips, steam it, or just throw in a bowl and eat on its own.
Tomato Sauce/Paste- for making chili, lasagna, etc. Again, be aware of any nightshade sensitivities you may have.
Plantains- often overlooked when it comes to "natural" eating, in my opinion. These are like starchy bananas. Don't just peel and eat- bake, fry, cook in some way. I only recently discovered these and they quickly earned a spot on my weekly grocery list.

Front Row
Green Onions/Chives- whatever you want to call them. Good for baked potatoes, stir fry, salads.
Avocado- Got this fo' free. Not a big fan actually, but someone left one near the bagging area and the bag girl put it with my stuff. Great nutrient profile, just not my thing.
Spinach- see above on kale, re: superfoods. Good in salads, stir-fry, steamed, or just on its own.
Broccoli- we really need a substitute for "superfood". Great for stir fry, grilling, bake it, etc.
Cabbage- I like putting cabbage and broccoli on a tray in the toaster oven, toss some olive oil and crushed red pepper over top, and cook on 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes Also good for making cauliflower "rice".
Mushrooms- don't know anything about their nutrient profile. Google tells me they're full of some minerals. I like them because they taste great in a stir-fry.

Not purchased in this trip but also regularly a part of my diet:

• extra virgin olive oil 
• coconut oil 
• sesame oil
• wok oil
• granola (Bear Naked, original mix)
• natural peanut butter
• green tea
• coffee (drop the store brand, buy a grinder and a french pot, and visit your local coffee shop for some excellent beans)
• a ton of spices/herbs/seasonings (more on this in a later post)
• dark chocolate (one bar lasts me ~1-2 MONTHS. Not hours/days)/dark cocoa powder
•  Fish oil. Get the liquid, not the tabs. The taste isn't THAT bad. Carlson's is a great brand (pick up Twinlabs if you need a smaller bottle or for a cheaper option)

Introduction

My name is Alex. I am pursuing my PharmD/MBA at the University of Kentucky. I also have a big interest in eating healthy, lifting weights, and, in general, treating my body how it deserves to be treated.

Humans are meant to move and be physically active. You are able to read this blog today because your ancestors ran, climbed, sprinted, and fought like their lives depended on it- because they did. It has never been easier to acquire food, but our bodies have not evolved to thrive with a sedentary lifestyle where hunting is no longer a necessity. At the same time, eating has become a social ritual rather than a means of survival. The combination of physical inactivity and living to eat (rather than eating to live) plays a large role in the ever-increasing obesity rates across the globe.

I eat healthy, lift weights, and run because it makes me feel awesome. No food tastes as good as walking around in a lean body feels. Want to stop being sick so often, have more self-confidence and decrease the risk of developing killer diseases, all at once? Take care of yourself and your likelihood of living a healthy fulfilling life will increase.

I feel confident in my knowledge of healthy (and unhealthy) foods. I am also a pretty damn good cook, and I know how to fit healthy eating into a busy schedule. It MUST become a priority, but investing in yourself and your health is the best investment you can make.