Shortcuts

After the Whole Foods Challenge, you might be thinking that I would NEVER go for a shortcut where food is concerned. And there are certainly many processed products that I consistently avoid. However, you already know that I am one seriously lazy mother. And there are some easy, healthy shortcuts out there that I thought deserved a mention.

In general, I try not to buy any chips at the store except if we are having a party. But my daughter loves nachos. So what is a whole foods mother to do? In my case, I compromise on this one. I buy whole grain corn tortillas at Trader Joe's. These contain no preservatives, additives, or any kind of added fat. Homemade tortilla chips are very quick and easy to bake up fresh. I simply slice 2 tortillas (one serving of nachos for a teenager) into quarters. I spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray, lay the tortilla wedges on the sheet, and spray again. If you wanted, you could then sprinkle with salt, chili powder, garlic powder, or your choice of seasoning. I don't bother with this step if I am making nachos. Bake the chips at 350F for about 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven and flip the chips over. Dollop a teaspoonful of refried beans on top, then a sprinkle of Mexican shredded cheese. If you wanted, you could include a little salsa, too. Put the chips back into the oven for another 2-3 minutes or until the cheese melts. Easy, quick, and healthy nachos. A little guacamole on top would be awesome, too.

You can purchase pre-made guacamole at most grocery stores. (America's Wholly Guacamole is sold at Costco's.) Check the labels to make sure, but the above brand contains no preservatives or additives. It is delicious, although quite salty. The only downside is that you need to eat it quickly or the unused portion soon begins to turn brown.

Refried beans in a can are a very healthy shortcut, as long as you purchase the nonfat variety. This is NOT because I fear the fat! Au contraire, I am a big fan of the fat! But only the good fats. And refried beans sometimes contain trans fat or lard that contains preservatives, so I always opt for the fat free kind. The only ingredients are beans, water, salt, and spices. I usually buy the Weis brand at my local grocery store because Trader Joe's doesn't make this product. If you want to avoid the refried beans, you could substitute canned black beans. Or you could make your own from scratch. But this blog is about shortcuts!

Another fantastic shortcut is found in the Trader Joe's refrigerated veggie case. This week, I purchased broccoli slaw (shredded broccoli stems and carrots), shredded green cabbage, and baby spinach. To make a very quick stir-fry, all I had to do was open the 3 bags and dump them into a pan with some coconut oil already heated up. Toss the veggies until slightly softened, throw in the protein of your choice (I used thinly sliced sirloin steak, but pre-cooked shrimp, tofu, or chicken would all work. Even eggs!) I also added some sliced green onions, Trader Joe's Soyaki Sauce, and a couple of spoonfuls of peanut butter. So yummy! But you could go with plain soy sauce, sesame oil, finely chopped ginger root, or even just salt and pepper.

Every week, I purchase some type of fresh, chopped greens. Trader Joe's carries several varieties of kale, including lacinato which is my favorite. They also carry a washed and chopped bag of mixed greens which includes collards, mustard greens, and spinach. If you enjoy southern-style greens cooked with ham hocks or bacon, this product is just perfect! While I'm on the subject, all the varieties of bacon at Trader Joe's contain NO added nitrites, or artificial preservatives of any kind. And if you are looking for another shortcut, they even have pre-cooked bacon! (And no, I have not tried this. I am not quite that lazy!)

I noticed last week that Trader Joe's also carries shredded Brussels sprouts. I have a recipe from Fine Cooking that I plan to try soon, involving this product, plus bacon, eggs, cream, and parmesan cheese. Sounds fantastic, right? If it turns out great, I'll post the recipe. My rule is I have to try it first before I can share it here on Balance Salad.

SO! There are quite a few shortcuts available to those of us who are interested in good nutrition and also saving time! Let me know if you have come across a few of your own to recommend.