Fast Food For Fall!

No, not actual fast food...

We're talking healthy fall meals that keep you feeling good when you're on the go! Here are some of my favorite easy to prepare fall staples that provide me with great, nutritious fuel even when I'm low on time. It's about half fresh food, half "processed". But, let's face it, it's hard to make your own soups and dals everyday. Luckily, there are some fantastic pre-made options out there!

I've been really in tune with my seasonal cravings this year. The chill in the air has made me say goodbye to salads and gravitate towards warm, hearty deliciousness. Also, I think I'm addicted to squash. I've had fun experimenting with acorn and butternut this fall! 

Let's zoom in a little to see what we have…

Dr. McDougall's Soups and Entrees- I know I can always trust the McDougall brand for well-balanced vegan meals. Their soups and asian entrees are delicious and filling, while being naturally low-fat and packaged in BPA-free containers. You can find these products in the soup and asian departments in Whole Foods and sometimes in the natural section of your regular grocery store. 

Amy's Organic Soups- While not in BPA free containers, these soups are still a great choice given the integrity of their ingredients. I've been enjoying their split pea soup lately, as it's easy to heat up at school! Amy's uses organic ingredients whenever possible, and is always non-gmo. I usually prefer Dr. McDougall's in taste, but as I said, the split pea has me hooked! 

Tasty Bite Indian Entrees- So, I've recently become addicted to Indian. Those warming flavors are simply divine. However, getting those flavors in a home cooked meal can be pretty labor intensive, and requires a lot of ingredients. As a grad student, I was craving good Indian food, but did not have the time or money to make it myself! Enter Tasty Bite. I was ecstatic when I found this brand in my local Whole Foods. Tasty Bite has a vast array of Indian options. Many of the entrees are vegan, gluten free, and kosher. Everything is all-natural, made with simple ingredients that one can recognize and understand (always key with processed foods). Even better, Tasty Bite has an awesome BPA- free packaging system which cooks the items in an already sealed pouch, allowing for a long shelf life without preservatives! I love heating up some spinach dal and enjoying it with spaghetti squash. It literally takes one minute. 

These foods are a little less "fast", but if you make them in advance, they round out a meal perfectly. Lately, I've been roasting tons of spaghetti, butternut, and acorn squash to have on hand. I usually just hollow them out, sprinkle on some salt and pepper, and throw them in the oven at 375 for about 45 minutes (butternut seems to take less time, so I'd check at 35 first). Acorn squash is delicious if you cut it into wedges! The other two I do in halves. I also love to quickly steam some broccoli or roast eggplant to have ready for easy to prepare lunches and dinners. Not pictured here are mung beans and quinoa, which add a great source of protein to any meal.

Here is an example of an easy meal I whipped up with some of the pre-made ingredients I had in my fridge (not the prettiest picture, I apologize):

I have spaghetti squash, mung beans, broccoli, red onion, eggplant, and tomatoes. I dressed it with some Annie's Lite Goddess dressing and poof! Delicious, fast, nutritious fall meal =) 

I hope you've gotten some inspiration from this post. Just because you're low on time, doesn't mean you need to sacrifice on quality! When we are busy and on the go, it is especially important to give our body the energy it needs. It's all about doing a little prep in advance, and having some pre-made staples in your pantry. 

Enjoy the last bits of fall everyone! 

Be Well.

Love, Julie 

STOP, LOOK, & LISTEN

When you talk to most adults, they usually all have at least one thing in common. There was a time in their lives where they went through a really rough time, one they didn’t know how they’d get through, one where they lost their sense of who they were, one where they pushed through anything for the sake of their future.

Boy, I hope these past two and half months was that time for me.

In a nutshell, I’ve been in an extremely challenging grad program (which is wonderful not bashing that at all!). For the first two months I literally did not have time to watch a TV show or relax on my couch at night. My brain was constantly full of all of the work that had to be done. Nights and weekends were full of group meetings and internship interviews, and when I did get to lay down for a second, my heart literally beat out of my chest. I was in pure survival mode, just trying to stay afloat. It’s hard to express in words exactly what happened. Everything that made me a unique and beautiful person flew out the window. I was gone, for two months straight.

But, like they always say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. And here I am, alive, recovering, and 100% more self-aware than I was before. I may face times as challenging as these again in my life, but I know what to expect now, and I know what to do to remain calm.

STOP

There is always more that needs to be done. But sometimes we all just need to stop. Things can get to a point where pushing forward becomes counter-productive. Prioritize your to do list, and make sure you are a part of that! Try to include some preventative relaxation time so you don’t get to the kind of state I was in. Breathe, meditate, do what makes you feel good. It will all get done in the end. Worrying about things now only strips the present of it’s joy. It doesn’t help you accomplish anything in the end. I wasted two months of my life in a state of insane stress. I didn’t have to. I could have just taken things one-step at a time and enjoyed each moment. But I didn’t take enough time to STOP.

LOOK

In tough times, step back and take a look. How are you acting? How are people seeing you? Is that who you genuinely are, or have you turned into someone else completely? I learned that when exceedingly stressed, I become extremely anxious, distrustful, a little bossy, and very verbal. Writing that now just made me cringe. That’s not who I am, and I hate that that’s the impression I gave off to a lot of my new peers for an extended period of time. Luckily, I gradually was able to recognize this, and get back to my true nature. My interactions with everyone began to slowly improve, to the point where I think most people see me as normal now =) Since I LOOKED, I now know what can potentially happen in these situations, and can be proactive to make sure that never happens again (at least to that extreme).

Listen

Listen to your body. What is it telling you? What do you need? Is it crying for sleep? Does it need a little movement? Does it need just a relaxing night in? For example, a major thing I learned the past few months is that there is a direct connection between my stress level and my digestion. For about a month and a half, my normal stomach activities just stopped. I was bloated and uncomfortable. Hence I ate less, and ended up pretty much malnourished, with frequent episodes of dizziness and tingling from poor circulation. It’s crazy how when your nervous system is that stressed out, it focuses all of its attention on the most vital life functions, and digestion can be pretty much ignored. Tip: If eating when stressed, take time to breathe and calm down before beginning your meal. Also, have easy to digest foods like a warm soup or something soft.

Also, listen to your heart. Listen to your authentic identity. Who are you deep down? What do you truly desire? Try and explore ways to get back into balance. Put good into the world, and hope that you’ll get that good back at some point.

As things have slowed down in my program, I am thankful for the lessons I’ve learned, and for the changes I’ve already been able to make. I am still trying to balance a few things, and by no means have mastered it all. But I am working towards it, and am thankful I learned these things about myself at 22 and not 44. Whatever challenges you may go through now, or in the future. Remember to STOP, LOOK, AND LISTEN.

We have one life to live. Don’t waste it being anything other than the best version of yourself. (Yes, I’m talking to myself too on this one).

Be Well.

Love, Julie