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Recipe Makeovers Part 2 – Healthy Meals For After Your Reboot

You may be nearing the end of your reboot and wondering, what’s next?  Here are some ideas for how to turn your favorite Reboot recipes into a complete meal for everyday healthy eating.

During your Reboot you’re consuming only vegetables and fruits.  While these foods should continue to make up the majority of your meals and snacks adding in protein and fiber rich foods like nuts, seeds, legumes, beans and whole grains like quinoa, oats and brown rice will round out your diet to be even more nutritionally complete.

When creating a healthy meal it’s important to consider the ingredients and the cooking methods.  Let’s take a classic Reboot recipe that is top on many people’s list of favorites:
Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Mushroom and Sage 

This recipe calls for baking the vegetables, which is a healthy choice.  Next, let’s review the ingredient list and consider what to add to make it a balanced meal.  Adding a protein and whole grain to this recipe will make it more nutritionally complete.

First, add a grain:
•    Quinoa
•    Brown rice
•    Wheat berries
•    Wild rice

Next, add a protein (pick one or two):
•    Chopped walnuts
•    Baked tofu
•    White beans
•    Lentils

*If you would like to include animal proteins, organic free-range chicken or lean, grass-fed organic ground beef would work nicely; look for local and consume sparingly on occasion.

Turn your favorite Reboot salad into a healthy, complete meal:
Kale & Avocado salad

Add whole grains (or starchy veggies):
•    1/2 cup of wheat berries or quinoa will add more B vitamins and minerals like iron and zinc.
•    Starchy veggies like roasted sweet potato, squash, or fresh corn and avocado work well for adding more substance to salads too.

Add protein:
•    1/2 cup of edamame or garbanzo beans (if using canned beans, make sure to rinse them first and look for an organic variety with BPA free lining)
•    1 Tbsp raw sunflower seeds or 1/4 cup chopped raw walnuts or almonds
•    I even like to include a scoop of hummus in this salad.
•    If you choose to resume animal proteins, 1 Tbsp organic goat cheese and 3 oz of grilled or baked organic free-range chicken works nicely.

Vegetable Soup is a perfect opportunity for a hearty one-pot meal.  One-pot meals are an easy and convenient way to make a healthy dish with leftovers for a quick meal the next day.

Add whole grains:
•    Barley, brown rice, wheat berries or whole wheat couscous

Add protein:
•    Beans (use a variety like kidney, white, black or pinto

Blends/Smoothies may have already been a delicious part of your Reboot.  Now you can make these even more complete by adding in protein for a power breakfast or mid-day meal.

Add:
•    ground flax seeds
•    wheat germ
•    almond meal
•    chia seeds
•    hemp seeds
•    pea protein powder
•    spirulina
•    soft tofu for a creamy texture
•    nonfat plain organic greek yogurt (if including dairy)

Snacks are ideal when a fruit or veggie is combined with a protein to help regulate blood sugar and hunger.

Add:
•    Hummus to carrot, celery or other veggie sticks
•    Almond butter to sliced green apples (or any variety of apple or pear)

Veggie Dishes can become a main part of your meal.
Baked Tomato and Zucchini is a popular Reboot recipe.  This dish is also delicious with whole grains and proteins like lentils, baked tofu or fish.

For example:
•    Place brown rice on your plate or bowl and top with lentils or baked tofu. Wild fish like cod or haddock work well too.  Or just use lentils and skip the rice.
•    Pour baked tomato and zucchini over dish.  Spoon out juices onto dish. Top with parsley or fresh basil and slice of lemon.

Now that you are a recipe makeover artist, have fun getting creative with your favorite dishes!  We’d love to hear and see how you have turned your favorite Reboot recipes into healthy meals for after your Reboot.