The holidays are in full force and aren’t going to let up until the New Year. For me, that means eating a ton of delicious but heavy foods. It’s the off season – a time to chill out and eat to my hearts content. … BUT… feeling like a tub-o-lard isn’t really enjoyable.
When I’ve had a few days of over-eating at holiday meals, I swap this delicious super salad into my diet and the bloated, lethargic feeling is kept at bay.
Get the goods:
- Shredded red cabbage
- Shredded kale
- Shredded brussels sprouts(if you’re short on time, some grocery stores (Fairway Markets for one) has this mix shredded & packaged)
- Quinoa
- Olive oil
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Salt & Pepper
- Any combination of toppings – apple cubes, nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, almonds), leftover meat (beef, pork, chicken all work great), dried fruits (cranberries, raisins, ect), or cooked sweet potatoe cubes.
Easy to make:
- Prepare Quinoa – follow the specifics on the package – typically you’d rinse it, put it in a pot with water or broth (2x liquid to qunioa) and simmer, covered, for 15-20 mins (the liquid should be absorbed).
- In a big salad bowl, start with a base of shredded cabbage, shredded kale and shredded brussels sprouts.
- Dump the warm Quinoa onto the salad.
- Drizzle olive oil & balsamic vinegar over it.
- Sprinkle salt & pepper.
- Toss.
- Add any combination of toppings. Picture above has apple cubes (gala or honey crisp work great) walnuts & raisins.
- Toss it again and dig in.
I super struggle with this one. There are two thngis that I’ve been doing lately to try and minimize binges.The first thing I do is try to recognize when I’m bingeing and become aware of it. Often a binge happens because of unconscious eating’. When I realize what’s going on, I pump the brakes, put down the snack, and walk away and do something else. The other way I manage binges is controlling what it is I’m bingeing on. Lets say I really feel like snacking and munching. If I know that I’m going to eat a bunch of something, I try to make sure it’s a food that will be less detrimental to my body than, let’s say, ice cream or chips. Last night was my TV night with Amber and I ended up plowing through about a 1/2 pound of cherries and a few handfuls of almonds. Still probably not the best thing in the world, but better than a bunch of sugar.