Dirty Dozen vs. Clean Fifteen

So it has come to my attention that I am very poor with time management. Well.. I am in reference to school work that is. I always seem to find a way to waste away my morning & afternoon, then have to do homework all night. This often leaves me with zero time to blog.. I'm working on reprioritizing though. ;)

However, on a very positive note..
Only FIVE WEEKS LEFT until finals!
Hallelujah! Praise Jesus. ;)

Then it's summer time, working for my daddy, & then off to Minnesota for Chiropractic school..
Wow. This (school) year has flown by.
Crazy how that always happens, isn't it?

This week has been madness. Two big exams today and numerous homework assignements earlier this week has left me with no real time to blog/cook.
Sad day..

Don't worry though. This girl has got a plethura of good info to keep you entertained until I introduce you to some new & exciting recipes in the (hopefully) not too far off future.

^ Let's discuss these guys ^

Shall we?

Let's face it.. I'm sure we all wish that we could afford to buy the best quality ingredients, all of the time. But, as unfortunate as it is.. Healthy (organic) food is not always the cheapest..

I'm a college student. I understand what it is like trying to buy the healthiest foods you can on a budget. I do buy non-GMO foods always & mostly all organic, with just a few exceptions.

Organic foods have countless benefits. They're is grown free of toxic pesticides & chemical fertilizers. Not only is this good for you to not be consuming them, but think about the people growing the food. They too don't have to be exposed to the nasty chemicals & the soil that the plants are grown in remains plush & fruitful for years to come! Eating organic means you are better sustaining the Earth & it's abilities to provide for us, as well as doing your part to more healthfully treat yourself. It also doesn't hurt that organic fruits & veggies contain more nutriets than their toxic relatives do, so if possible you should always go for organic. 

But.. Did you know that there are certain fruits & veggies that you don't necessarily need to buy organic?  It gets costly, I know. So below is a list of the fruit & veg items that you should always, always buy in the organic section & a list of the items that you don't necessarily need to always buy organic. (I do want to note that all of the non-organic items should be washed super-duper well to ensure all of the chemicals/pesticides have been washed off!)

The Dirty Dozen

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines
7. Grapes
8. Sweet Bell Peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Lettuce/Kale/Collard Greens
11. Cherries
12. Pears

Clean 15

1. Asparagus
2. Avocado
3. Banana
4. Onion
5. Pineapple
6. Mango
7. Broccoli
8. Cabbage
9. Kiwi
10. Sweet Corn
11. Sweet Peas
12. Mushrooms
13. Watermelon
14. Tomatoes
15. Sweet potatoes

A good tip to remember when shopping, the most highly contaminated fruits and veggies are typically tree fruits, berries and leafy greens. As you can see though, celery doesn't fall into any of those three categories yet it still lands on the dirty dozen list. So you can't only assume these types of fruits/veggies are the only highly contaminated ones. Again I will say, if possible, always buy organic. Not only for the reasons I listed previously, but buying organic means you can be sure you are not eating GMO (genetically modified) foods. I could go on about GMO foods for days, but we shall save that for a later post.

So, what does 100 calories really look like?

Whew.. I'm thinking it is time for a little break from the sweet recipes for awhile, don't you? While S'more Cakes In A Jar and Cinnamon Roll Waffles are a delight to the taste buds, it is always good to find that perfect balance between eating healthfully and letting yourself indulge. My philosophy is that if you are eating nutritious foods the majority of the time, you can allow yourself to eat dessert. Because seriously, how could you live without dessert?!

Most people are well aware that it is much more beneficial to snack on fruits & veggies than to snack on candy. Plant foods contain fiber and other nutients that help you to feel satisfied, full of energy, and they lend you the ability to consume more for less calories in comparison to highly processed items you'd find in the vending machine. But just how much bang can you get for your buck by consuming plant-based foods?


What does 100 calories really look like?
(all photos via: Fitsugar.com)

30 asparagus = 99 calories, per 30 spears asparagus contains 100 milligrams of calcium
(can you imagine how bad your pee would stink if you ate that many though?!...)

1+3/4 cups apples slices = 99 calories, adding 4.6 grams of fiber

1 medium banana = 105 calories, and who could forget the 422 milligrams of potassium

10 cups... 10 TIGHTLY PACKED cups of romain lettuce = 100 calories!

1+1/4 cups blueberries = 103 calories, plus 4.4 grams of fiber

18 medium stalks of celery = 101 calories, nibbling on this many would also mean consuming 1,872 milligrams of potassium & 288 milligrams of calcium.

60 Green Beans = 102 calories, plus you'd get 6 grams of protein and 11.2 grams of fiber

2 kiwis = 93 calories, & 1.7 grams of protein (i know, i'm surprised too)

1 medium pear = 98 calories, plus 5.1 grams of fiber

You'd have to munch on 70 radishes = just 101 calories! Radishes are a good source of potassium, if you ate this many you'd gain 1,468 milligrams! (that's a lot, a good lot)

10 cups of baby spinach = 101 calories! That massive quantity also packs 10 grams of fiber and 15 grams of protein. Though when spinach is cooked, it shrinks drastically. Making it easier to consume more of that leafy green goodness!

2 cups of sliced strawberries = 105 calories, and more than 500 milligrams of potassium (that's more than a banana!)

3 zucchini's weigh in at just 94 calories. Zucchini is another great source of potassium- 1,541 milligrams per 100 calories

3 large juicy tomatoes = 98 calories, they also pack 6.6 grams of fiber

2+1/4 cups watermelon = 103 calories, plus 2.1 grams of protein! (again, I too am shocked)

So go ahead and give your body the things it really needs/wants! Healthy choices now make way for more benefits down the road.