Best Bang for Your Buck

Hello! I just paid summer tuition today. I said, "buh bye money!! Nice havin' you around." Now, more than ever, I am on a tight budget.

That being said, I wanted to write about my favorite top ten cheap foods. These foods are not only cheap, but they are nutritious and filling. None of this is research-based, it's my own preferences and observations on life.

Here are your top ten BEST FOODS on a budget: 

1) PEANUT BUTTER

With 200 calories, and 16 grams of fat per serving, peanut butter will keep you feeling full longer. I love to eat it with toast, bananas, yogurt, oatmeal, and more!

Only buy the peanut butter that is made with peanuts, and maybe salt. You can find loads of natural/organic brands for the SAME price as commercial brands.  And, it tastes just as good! 

2) BANANAS

Bananas are a great pre/post workout snack. They have 90-100 calories and they help curb hunger better than most other fruit. Plus, they've got potassium and other great nutrients! You can buy these for .58-.88 cents per pound!! I bought 2 banannas yesterday for a total of .38 cents. WOW. 

3) SPINACH

If you have to limit all other veggies, do not take away spinach. The best way to buy spinach is to buy it in bulk (rather than a prepackaged version). That way, you can get the amount you want for a good price. Spinach has great antioxidants and goes with any meal (steamed, sauteed, or cold). 

4) POTATOES

Not french fries. Potatoes. I like to buy big Russet Potatoes. The most efficient way to cook them is pop them in the microwave for 4-5 minutes. Add whatever toppings you have (butter, sour cream, broccoli, cheese, SOUP, beans, etc). Don't overdo it on the butter, or that will cancel out the healthy benefits. 

5) RICE- brown!

White rice isn't the best choice on earth, but lemme tell you, it sure is cheap. One cup of rice will usually last me 2 - 3 meals, and I like to eat with with whatever is in the fridge. Add spinach to it to increase it's nutritional value. 

 

6) CANNED BEANS (BLACK, KIDNEY, PINTO, OR BAKED). 

Beans, beans, the magical fruit, the more you eat 'em, the more you TOOT!! I love beans, despite this quirky quality. Plus, black beans go great with rice! 

7) PASTA.

No matter how much the media fights about the pros and cons of pasta, I still eat it! Pasta is the perfect college-student option because it is inexpensive, easy to cook, and can be eaten with just about anything. Used canned tomatoes instead of tomato sauce, and you'll save even more! 

8) FRUIT IN SEASON

Right now, the berries are so cheap, you should save up for the whole year. I bought a normal thing of blackberries at Sprouts Market for .77 cents!! These little suckers are so good for you, and they are awesome on top of cereal, yogurt, ice cream, oatmeal, etc.  

9) EGGS!!!!

Eggs should really be more towards the top, but I'm not worried about order. Eggs come in at 70 calories per egg, 5 grams of fat, and 6 grams of protein. I usually eat 2 at one time, and I'm full until lunch!  Again, eggs are easy to make, and can be cooked in a variety of ways. My favorite way to eat eggs: sunny side down on top of an English muffin, with melted cheese, and avocado. YUM!! 

10) ALMONDS

These may seem expensive when you first look at the price, but almonds last a long time. My trick to saving them: I buy the kind that is the least flavorful. I'm usually bored after 10 or so, and move on to something else. However, almonds are the best snack to hold you over to a meal- a great thing to do so you don't overeat. 

Limit your nut intake to four servings per week (each serving is 1/4 of a cup).  

It would be hard to subsist on these ten foods, considering that I left out major food groups. Therefor, I added one more category:

11) ADDITIONAL ESSENTIALS

Yogurt, milk (almond, rice, or cow's milk), oatmeal, ground turkey, lamb chops, canned tuna, humus, cucumbers, goat cheese, and chocolate! 

Ok, I hope you can use some of these suggestions. Tell me some of YOUR favorite cheap and healthy foods. 

Coming next: My favorite efficient and inexpensive workouts. 

Love,

Dana

P.S. All of the photos were downloaded from the internet. 

I Might Need a Wheelchair Tomorrow

Due to the fact that I was hanging out with Becca Davidson and Laura Coe for most of the weekend, I burned an exceptional amount of calories. These women are so buff. Becca, being the sprint-up-hill type of gal that she is, took us to a life changing/butt changing group fitness class. . .
This class, taught by a very pretty and tan woman, kicked my ass harder than anyone has ever kicked it before. It was harder than running up a hill for 3 hours.

The "torture" consisted of 30 minutes of sweat-dripping, heart-pounding, leg-burning spinning followed by 45 MINUTES of "Black-Swan-esq" ballet sculpting. The whole idea is that your legs will fall off after you are done.

At one point, I imagined myself losing control and falling off of my bike due to lack of oxygen; at another point I visualized myself running outside and puking up the gourmet food of that day (which happened to Laura- but she has altitude to blame).

After an hour and fifteen minutes of these visions, I completed the class, and never felt better! Not only is it soooo fun to workout with your friends (you cry and laugh together: minus Becca who just laughs the whole time), it is awesome to work that hard.
I cannot tell you how rare it is to find a class that is this challenging. Sorry Zumba- it's not the same level of intensity, no matter how hard I shake my hips.

Unfortunately, my UNC gym does not offer classes like these ones. If I have any hope of "chiziling" my butt/hips/inner thighs/calfs/ARMS, I will have to drive to Denver. This of course presents an obvious dilemma- which is that of driving far distances to work out. Since it was so insanely wonderful, I may have to break my own rules and drive down a couple of times this week (anyone can join for one free week).

Thanks Becca and Laura for reminding me that there are crazier people than myself, AND for helping me stay fit over Memorial Day weekend. Love you!!!!

xoxoxoxox,
Dana 

If you live in the Denver area, check out this gym. It rocks!!
http://www.qidenver.com/

Staying Healthy over Memorial Day Weekend

I am just as excited for a long weekend as I am sure many of you are. Long weekends are a chance to hang out with friends, see family, go to concerts/festivals, and relax. They are also multiple opportunities for eating, thanks to the many BBQ's, parties, and outdoor festivals (i.e. Boulder Creek Fest). I love eating, since I talk about it constantly.

However, these types of weekends often leave me feeling bloated. I tend to overeat in social environments (back to the Behaviorist idea), where there is an abundance of chips, snacks, street food, etc.  Since I'm not running the Boulder Boulder at the end of the weekend, I have to make a conscious effort not to overeat. 

Here are some of my strategies for staying healthy over the long weekend:

1) Exercise- a lot! If you do plan on attending outdoor events, be sure to walk around as much as possible. Go for a hike or a bike ride. Play beach volleyball- do anything that requires you to put down your hamburger and move. Plus, what better time than a long weekend to make time for yourself? 

2) Bring snacks with you. I'm planning on leaving Greeley this weekend (seeing Becca D. and Laura C. -so excited!), and therefore don't have my familiar fridge and pantry. I plan on always having snacks readily available that I can feel good about eating (fruit, veggies, humus, string cheese, rice crackers, Lara bars, etc).

3) Limit alcohol (I know, this is such a boring one). Socializing also increases our drinking, and when we drink, we also eat more. Sad, but true. 

4) Don't stress too much about it. The bottom line is to have fun this weekend, and if you are stressing about calories or exercise you will mostly likely overeat due to those emotions. So, enjoy yourself, and if you have to, get back on track on Tuesday!

Happy Memorial Day!

Love,
Dana

Pavlov is Drooling, and So Are You.

Ever since taking "rat lab" my senior year of college, I have been fascinated by Behaviorist principles.

The basic idea of Behaviorism (for all of you non-psych majors) is that neither humans nor animals have free will (or souls). We are creatures of our environment- everything in our environment shapes our behavior.

For example, if someone rewards us, we are more likely to perform that same behavior again (positive reinforcement).

If someone punishes us, we are less likely to perform that behavior again (punishment, or negative reinforcement).

Due to the effects of rat lab, I was once convinced that my environment dictated every action and behavior. Although tragic, it's not surprising that the father of Behaviorism (J.B. Watson) committed suicide: it's easy to get carried away with these principles.

Despite that, there are positive aspects (no pun intended) to Behaviorism. If we assume that humans do have control over their environment, then they can deliberately set up their environment for optimum healthy practices. I will give you a few ideas of how you can do this:

1) Positive Reinforcement: My dearest friend, Maddy Blumgart (whom many of you know), told me that she puts gold stars on her calendar for every time she works out.

This is Behaviorism at it's best. She does not reward herself with brownies (which offsets working out), she simple watches as the stars line up (so many puns!!).

This can also attract additional sources of motivation from friends and family who notice as stars begin filling the calendar. "I noticed you worked out yesterday, great job!" Reinforcement is awesome- sometimes it's exactly what we need to keep us going.

2) Making a Commitment Response: Set yourself up for success.

Behaviorists do not believe that  humans have will-power. If you said to B.F. Skinner, "I can't workout because I'm feeling lazy," he would say, "Impossible! Laziness does not exist! Rather than laziness, you live in an environment that does not help you achieve your fitness goals."

A.  If you plan on working out that day, set your gym bag in front of the door (or wear your workout shoes all day). This will remind you of your goal, and you feel increasingly guilty every moment you ignore it.

B.  Fill your fridge with foods that are healthy and delicious! We are not Ghandi- if there are brownies on the counter, we eat them! Simple. As. That.

(My fridge is looking a little sparse because I just moved in. However, you'll notice what food I have, and don't have).

C.  To go further with this, bring a specific list and a full stomach to the grocery store. Avoid the inner lanes, and stick to the perimeter of the grocery store- this is where you will find fresh produce, meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. Chips, soda, and other processed foods hang out in the middle aisles.

3) Tell a friend your goals and/or plan. For example, if you want to start running again, TELL someone how you feel. Just by saying it aloud, you commit to it, and you are more likely to carry through with the behavior. 

Take a look around your environment and see if any of this applies to you. Do you keep cookies in your office drawer? Are your running shoes hidden in a box in the basement? If so, you will eat more cookies, and run less. Don't take this personally, it's the environment's fault- not yours.

Make small changes in your environment and you will notice a difference in your behavior. No more excuses!

Xoxoxoxox,
Dana

Here are some environments that encourage healthy behaviors (biking, hiking, skiing/snowboarding, etc); they also encourage not-so-healthy behaviors, like drinking (too many parties!).

 

 

First pic: Sunset over the Continental Divide (Summer 2010)
Second pic: Crested Butte (Winter 2011)

Yoga- Ommm

Being the Type A person that I am, I struggle with yoga. I've attempted it on and off since I was 14, but I've never committed to it. I always go to class expecting to clear my mind of all things chaotic; stretch out my muscles, and relax. Instead, here's what happens when I go to Yoga: my to-do list runs through my mind. . . over and over and over again.

But, I think there is hope. I went to a yoga class tonight, and I've decided that it is good for me. The gym at UNC offers 2 classes per week, one that is more "hard-core" (lots of planks, squats, etc), and one that is much more relaxing.

As I was lying on my back, thinking slowly about each part of my body (and trying to ignore my intrusive thoughts), the teacher said;

"As thoughts run through your mind, briefly acknowledge them, and then let them drift away with your breath." 

WOW!! IT WORKED!!!! 

A thought would pop up ("chapter 6 tonight with chapter review- that'll take at least an hour"), and then poof! I willed it away with my breath. This is how all of my thoughts were treated- as mere ants crawling on my foot, that I swiftly brushed off.

I liked that by the end of yoga I felt "cleansed" of the day's stress. It gave me perspective on all of the annoying little things that happened today (there were a lot, for some reason). I felt clear headed, and hungry (must have burned some calories!).

I've decided people like me should go to yoga more often:  we have more stress, we obsess over details, and we are constantly busy! The type B personalities, who are already laid back and zenful about life, LOVE yoga! It fits right in with their personalities (whereas Zumba fits in with mine). 

Therefore, I am making a promise to myself. While I'm living in Greeley, and I'm in walking distance to a yoga class (it's included as part of my inexpensive membership), I will go once a week for the rest of the summer. Hopefully by that time, the pain in my neck will go away, and I will have mastered the ability to ignore nagging thoughts (at least for one hour).

Wish me luck!
Love,
Dana

Dana's Cous Cous

Hello! I am currently eating a delicious cous-cous dinner that I just created moments ago. I was so excited to write about it, that I haven't even finished eating.

You can make cous-cous with anything! Here are some basic instructions for cous-cous with veggies:

1) Select which vegetables you would like to add.

2) Select which vegetables you would like to heat up (either steamed or sauteed), and which vegetables you would like to keep cold.

3) Begin chopping your veggies. Look at how beautiful they are! Mmmmm. . . 

You can see here that I chose mushrooms, tomato, orange pepper, and cucumber. I kept the tomatoes and cucumbers cold, and sauteed the mushrooms and pepper with garlic and seasoning.

To make the cous-cous:
Boil 1 & 1/4 cup of water
Once boiling, add 1 cup of cous-cous
Remove from heat immediately and cover.
Let stand for 5 minutes
Fluff cous-cous with a fork.

It should look like this:

While your cous-cous is cooking, you can begin cooking your veggies. 

Once the cous-cous is ready, add your veggies!

Reasons Why I love Cous-Cous:
I love cous-cous because it is very easy to make. It also tastes different every time you make it, depending on which veggies you add. You can also make cous-cous with chicken broth; red-wine vinegar; butter;  different seasonings, and dressings.

Right now, I am eating my cous cous with Annie's Goddess Dressing and a squirt of lemon. I also seasoned the cous-cous with salt and pepper.

Lastly, it is great to take for lunch the next day: You can see how I already set aside my portion for tomorrow: 

One downside to this meal:
This meal does not have a lot of protein. Right now, I am eating it as my main course, but it would be wiser to eat it with a pork chop, chicken, or tofu. Instead, I choose to have dessert!

 

Toffee & Almonds in Milk Chocolate.  

The best part about this is that there is a love poem inside! I keep my chocolate bar in the fridge so it is nice and cold. I usually have 2-3 squares at a time. 

That's all for now, folks! Thanks for tuning in to Dana's Cous Cous Meal. 

Try it and let me know what you think!

P.S. Thank you, Kat, for helping me customize my blog- it looks much better now.  :)

Farmer's Market a Bust, but Sprouts Market - Awesome!

Hello everyone,
Today I checked out the Greeley Farmer's Market for the first time. It was the smallest, most depressing farmer's market I have ever seen! One lady told me that it will get bigger as the summer goes on, but I was dissapointed not to find any fresh berries or local veggies. Luckily, there is a Sprouts Farmer's Market about 5 miles from my house, so my friend and I went there for the first time. Sprouts is similar to Trader Joes. . . lots of delicious food for great prices.

Sprouts exits in 4 states including CO, CA, TX, and AZ.
In Colorado, there are stores in:
Parker
Aurora
Boulder
Greeley
Fort Collins
Westminister
Centennial
Lone Tree
Castle Rock
If you look online @ http://sprouts.com/home.php, you will find many store locations and local deals.

Here is my shopping list and how much I spent:
Bulk:
Couscous- $1.85
Cinnamon Yogurt Pretzels- $2.99 (a splurge, but it's good to have a few yummy treats around the house).

Dairy:
Yoghurt- $2.00
Cheddar Cheese- $3.17
Smoked Goat Cheese from Haystack Mtn (close by)- $5.99 (I was overcharged for this- the price for this was actually 4.99).

Frozen:
Naan Pizza- $2.49
Kashi Organic Whole-grain Waffles- $3.19

Produce (Best Part!!):
Broccoli Crown- $0.37
Small Avocado- $0.99
Mushrooms (bulk)- $1.04 (cheaper to buy your own bag then an already-packed one. Plus, less wasteful.)
Yellow Onion- $0.25
Blackberries- $1.50
Strawberries- $2.50
Org Grape Tomatoes- $1.99
(Total this was $8.64). When people say they don't buy healthy food because it is "too expensive", they are simply uninformed about where and how to buy healthy produce. These fruits and veggies will go great with every meal, and they will last me for the rest of the week. 

Grocery
TLC Crackers- $2.69
Tea- Throat Coat/Lemon Ech- $3.99
Organic Tomato Soup- $2.76
Annies Goddess Dressing (large size)- $4.11
Diced Tomatoes- $0.99
Snap Pea Crisps (such a great snack!!)- 2 bags for $3.00

My total was $49.49, and they took $0.05 off for each resuable bag that I used. Here is a store that shares many of my similar values when it comes to food- they have tons of stuff in bulk, they have very cheap and reasonable produce, they sell local food, AND they reward you for bringing your own bags.
Sprouts is my new favorite store! Check out one near you.

Have a great, sunny weekend!

Love,
Dana

http://sprouts.com/home.php