Everything we eat should be colorful—it should be a rainbow of colors coming together in one plate, or better yet as a scrumptious poke bowl.
Poke bowls are the perfect move for hot day, as they are so refreshing, and an even better move for your health. They have literally everything. They have carbs (hello veggies, hello rice) and the most perfect melt in your mouth protein (hello tuna).
This poke bowl, is mostly locally sourced (except the tuna) from my Farmer's Market #eatlocal, and this great non-profit called Borderlands that saves food from ending up in landfills for being a little bit ugly #foodwaste.
For the sauce I took an array of various onions, from purple to green, and sautéed them along with turmeric, ginger, and some soy. I added in peppers, peaches, and carrots, because it is summer and I was missing hues of yellow and orange. This sauce is everything. It is incredibly fragrant and is bursting with flavor. As for the tuna, all is needs is a quick seasoning of sea-salt and cracked pepper, and to be put on hot hit, in a smidge of oil for several minutes (or more if you like it that way).
Served on top rice, this meal of veggies and strips of seared tuna, this meal is the perfect healthy fix. While I was munching on it, I was thinking about how a poke bowl represents everything I believe in food:
My Food Doctrine:
Every ingredient in a poke bowl is a fresh and wholesome food by itself, and no part of the meal came from a packaged product with more than one ingredient. No food should ever be from a package. Packaged foods are confusing to me, and really just shouldn't exist. Each food should be one ingredient, the food itself. Yes, my rice came in a package, but there were no additives to my rice, it was, and is, just rice.
Stop counting. Food is meant to be enjoyed and if you are making it out of the best things (you can name everything that is in it), there is truly no need to count your cals/macros. If you are putting good food into your body each day you will feel good. I cannot stress this one enough. You don't need it. I didn't measure any part of this meal, I scooped on how much rice I wanted, a lot of veggies, because I love them, and split the fish in half for my husband to get his fair share.
Carbs are good, your bread and your vegetables (yes veggies are carbs)! Very few people need to medically shy away from them. Use them to hold a meal together, just like the rice and veggies do in this poke bowl.
Vegetables must be part of every meal, or be the meal. You can make vegetables taste great. There are so many great ways to prepare them, and make you feel better, day in and day out.
Meats and dairy can make a dish shine. I love cooking so much, so adding a nice ricotta to a strawberry cake, or making the perfect rack of lamb makes for a perfect stay in date night. Use them to highlight flavors and to provide the protein that is very necessary in our diets. If you are vegetarian/vegan there are so many wonderful ways to roast nuts, perfect sear tofu, and more. Regardless, meat and dairy should be done right, and whenever possible try to buy local (tastes better anyway) and reduces your environmental impact.
Shop the outside of the grocery store. Yes, you've heard that before, but really, don't venture down the frozen aisle, don't gaze at the chips, what's the point of cereal other than oats and DYI granola. My husband, Jefferson, got nervous last week when he couldn't find me in my heaven (vegetable and berry land). You occasionally need something from aisle 5 (peanut butter), or aisle 7 (seaweed), and if you bake like me, you'll need your staples from the baking aisle, but you other than that you really don't need to. I grew up not being allowed to eat a lot of "fun snacks" so I never craved goldfish, or gushers, and my life is better for it. I crave tomatoes with salt and it is a transition anyone can make if you slowly start appreciating the food that is grown.
Soda, pop, coke, just Sodrop it, pop it out of your life, and haven't you heard coke kills? This is another thing I originally wasn't allowed to have, as an adult, you should also no longer allow yourself to have it. Most drinks have so much added sugar, and wouldn't you just rather have homemade pie instead. Drink the water, have a smoothie, drink some more water, and duh coffee or tea. ;)
Dessert? Eat the heck out of it. Not always, but do. Really eat it, enjoy. You are human. There are so many wonderful ways to make dessert that can be semi-healthy if you use REAL ingredients. Stop with the packaged cakes, and make your own. Create experiences for your kids to learn fractions. Make avocado ice cream with coconut milk and avocados. Put some mangos on top. Add in berries and fruit as much as possible, and feel good about having it. If you have moved your body, and fed it wonderful foods 90% of the time, peach cobbler is just feeding your soul.
Alcohol? Also, have it, maybe not the heck out of it, but do. Use it to pair with a meal you are proud of making, share it with a lover, create fun cocktails to sip on. Don't make it regular, but also don't think about it, if you want to have an extra beer at the BBQ, again, enjoy. If you eat good 90% of the time, fill your belly with lovely vegetables, don't eat packaged goods, YOU ARE FINE. :)
Think about the food you are feeding yourself as the number one way to feed your way of life. Good, healthy foods helps you lead a healthy and full life, and therefore, by making it simple, snacking on whole fruits and nuts is your easiest way to get there!
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