The Vibrant Life Diet, long term, is made up of ingredients that fill your body with living foods, as close to their natural form as possible, low glycemic, low grain, healthy fats, natural sugars and full of goodness! This section will highlight “companion meals,” which are healthy meals for your family with an even healthier version for those following the Vibrant Life Diet. I will also include tried and true recipes that I have tested and found to be both delicious and full of healthy products, so you can make healthier food for your family and for your once a week treat too.

Berry Green Protein Smoothy

 

• 1 Cup of frozen, mixed woodland berries, Costco (make sure the berries you buy have no added sugar)
• 2/3 C of milk (I use skim or Almond milk without Carrageenan in it).
• 1/3 C of bulk whey protein (no flavor added, I buy mine at Vitamin Cottage, Natural Grocers).
• 1 very large handful of spinach
• 1 teaspoon of Chia seeds, Costco
• 1-2 packets of Stevia (make sure this is the natural plant extract)

Blend vigorously until fully pureed and serve immediately. This makes a creamy, thick shake. Be aware that whey protein has a strong flavor. But, of the smoothies I have tasted that are within my calorie goal, this isn’t bad tasting.

Spicy Boy-Worthy BBQ Chicken Skewers

So, one of the things I’ve been itching to start is what I’m calling “Companion Meals.” No, this does not mean I will companionably eat with you and chat endlessly about politics, which hair product eliminates dry scalp and what to do about your Aunt Hildegard who must be watched because she has almost lit her kitchen on fire twice, mysteriously and repetitively says, “Is that so,” no matter what the topic, and has really gone quite batty. What I mean by that term is recipes that allow for you to make one recipe for your family and a very similar companion meal for yourself that follows the rules of The Vibrant Life Diet, because who has margin for double the creativity, effort and time?! I hope you enjoy this bbq meal which my boys love because the bbq meat and potatoes make it hearty and tasty!

COMPANION MEAL MENU #1  – serves 9 (8 regular and 1 Vibrant Life)

Start preparing the potato side dishes first, then the items to be grilled and, last, the fruit salad.

• Chicken and Veggie Skewers (bbq sauce for the family and naked for us)
• Cubed roast potatoes (family)/ sweet potatoes (us)
• Strawberry, Pineapple and Cinnamon fruit salad for all  

Step 1: Soak the bamboo skewers for a half hour to avoid blackening and fire; also, peel, cut into 2 inch lengths and parboil the carrots listed below for 5 minutes, set aside.

Step 2: Make Sides. Preheat oven to 410 degrees.

SIDES

Roasted Potato Side

• 25 Medium potatoes 
• 1 large sweet potato (I eat half)
• Light olive oil for drizzling
•  1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil to brush on 
• Spices: red pepper flakes, garlic, salt, pepper, chives, onion powder or a mixed seasoning used for chicken
• Organic No-Salt Seasoning (Costco)

1. Rinse and cube potatoes, place in a large baking dish, drizzle lightly with light olive oil, flavor with sparing use of red pepper flakes, light sprinkling of each of the following: garlic powder, ground pepper, sea salt, chives and onion powder.
2. Mix well and place into a 410 degree oven. Set timer for 30 minutes and check regularly after that. These usually take 45 minutes, depending on the heat of your oven. If you have a coil heated oven, place in the middle to upper part of the oven and check regularly. They are done when they reach a golden, crispy brown (I always taste test too). You can serve these as they are or with a high fructose free ketchup, which I haven’t shopped for yet. My family likes them plain.

Vibrant Life Followers: Cube sweet potatoes, brush sparingly with 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil and lightly season with a no salt seasoning, such as the one listed above.

Fruit Salad for All

• 1 very large pineapple
• 4 Pounds of Strawberries
• Cinnamon for lightly sprinkling

Chop a fresh pineapple into small wedges using the tougher center as well, cut 4 pounds of strawberries into slices (I prefer to cut large ones in fours- down the middle both ways and smaller ones in half). Gently mix fruit together and lightly sprinkle with cinnamon. The natural sugars in the pineapple make the cinnamon delicious without sugar. Everyone may enjoy this fruit salad!

Step 3: Make Chicken Skewers and Vegetable Kebabs

MAIN

Spicy BBQ Chicken Skewers and Vegetable Kebabs 

Amount is for 8 servings for the main meal (2 vegetable kebabs and 1 chicken thigh skewer with 3 thighs per person) and 1 serving for the Vibrant Life companion meal (2 combined cubed chicken and vegetable kebabs).

• 26 Wooden or metal kabob skewers, pre- soaked
• Light olive oil (Perhaps, 1/3 Cup to brush on vegetables)
• 1/2 teaspoon of Coconut Oil to brush on Vibrant Life Kebabs
• Organic No-Salt Seasoning (Costco)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 Cubed chicken breast 
• 24 Whole boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I usually use 3 thighs each per adult)
• 24 oz. Whole mushrooms
• 32 oz. Bag of baby squash, leave whole (Costco)
• 3 Very large onions, cut in large 1.5-2 inch wedges or chunks  (sweet or red)
• 2 lbs. Baby tomatoes, leave whole (you won’t use this whole amount)
• 3 Orange and yellow bell peppers, cut in large 2 inch pieces
• 9 large and fat carrots, prepared earlier- 5 minute parboiled and cut into 2 inch lengths

1. Place all veggies, including parboiled carrots, in a mixed pattern on 16 of the bamboo skewers. Lightly brush on a light olive oil.
2. On 8 skewers, place 3 whole chicken thighs on each, giving a little room between them.
3. On two skewers, place veggies and cubed chicken breast in an alternating pattern. Brush 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil on these two skewers.
4. When the potatoes have 20 minutes left, begin grilling the chicken thigh skewers on medium high. Cook until the chicken juice runs clear when cut and they look a golden brown color, about 20 minutes. The last five minutes of grilling, brush the chicken in a non high fructose corn syrup bbq sauce. We tried a new one sold at Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers called The Rib House, Medium, All Natural Gluten Free, A full Bodied, Tangy BBQ Sauce; it had a spicy smokey taste and my boys approved!
5. When the potatoes have 15 minutes left, the x2 Vibrant Life combo chicken breast and vegetable skewers can go on too, lightly seasoned in the last 10 minutes with Organic No-Salt Seasoning 
6. When the potatoes have 8 minutes left, the vegetable skewers can go on and be cooked and watched carefully.

Vibrant Life Followers: 2 cubed chicken and vegetable grilled kebabs

Enjoy! And tell me about your boys. I’d love to hear from you!

Healthy Apple Turnover

Below is a link for a gluten free, low glycemic Apple Turnover that my entire family LOVED, creating a stampede in the kitchen, as they all went sniffing for seconds, only to come out of the kitchen with long faces, because I made only one each. For most of my family, I would top this with an icecream made from sugar and not high fructose corn syrup. Here’s the deal, folks, I have to work them all into these things and these healthy Apple Turnovers were enough of a stretch for one sitting. I tried to top these with a healthy coconut ice-cream and that part was NOT a hit. But, the turnovers ROCKED! Even though these are full of good things, like ground almond meal and coconut milk, anyone following The Vibrant Life Diet, should count them as a weekly treat. This is the kind of treat I would have if I was losing weight well, didn’t want to set myself back with a really heavy duty treat but needed a little break, because weekly treats are like a mini vaca to Aruba! For myself, I would either have them plain or would whip up the following and put a large tablespoonful on top:

Greek Yoghurt Vanilla Desert Topping

 

 

 

 

• Three 9.7 oz. Annie Chun’s Pad Thai Sauce (My family tore through this sauce, so I would recommend having enough)
• 2 teaspoons + 1 teaspoon of Coconut Oil
• Two 14 oz. cans of Organic Baby Corn
• Two 8 oz. Annie Chun’s Maifun Brown Rice Noodles
• Two 8 oz. cans Sliced Bamboo Shoots
• Two 8 oz. cans sliced water chestnuts
• One 16 oz. bottle Braggs Liquid Aminos (will use only some of this)
• Two heads of bibb or Iceberg lettuce
• One large bag of bean sprouts (My local stores were out of these the day I cooked but these really do add delicious crunch)
• One celery root
• One large, white turnip
• Two bundles of green onions
• One large bag of snap peas, Costco
• One box of fresh basil (King Soopers carries this in a good sized box)
• 8 small/medium chicken breasts (1 for each person)
• Organic No Salt Seasoning (Costco)
• Red pepper flakes

1. Use one teaspoon of coconut oil and grease a glass oven dish; place chicken breasts in it and season with No Salt Seasoning and very sparingly sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Then, cube.

2. While chicken is cooking, petite dice green onions, julienne the basil, peel and petite dice celery root and cut the turnip into thin half moons.

3. Gently pull whole leaves of lettuce off, rinse, dry and place in a stack on a plate.

4. Put all petite diced items beautifully on a platter, adding a generous pile of bean sprouts.

5. Open all cans and drain.

6. Begin boiling a large pan full of water for the rice noodles. Once it comes to a boil, cook noodles as per box recommendation, keep warm until the rest of the meal is complete, then drain and serve.

7. When Chicken is done and cubed, place in a pan with 2 teaspoons of coconut oil, baby corn, bamboo sprouts, water chestnuts and snap peas. Cook until veggies are softened and chicken has a little brown color to it, around 10 minutes. Watch this closely because the snap peas can get soggy if cooked too long. When it is close to done, Vibrant Life Diet folks pull out your meat mixture in a separate bowl. Then, to the rest, add Braggs Liquid Aminos to taste. I believe this needs to be done at the moment by sprinkling a little bit in and tasting and then adding a little more until you reach the desired flavor. You don’t need a heavy flavor, as the Pad Thai Sauce is being used.  Once you add the Braggs to the main mixture, heat it thoroughly for another minute to allow the flavor to deepen and blend with the meat.

8. Place this meal out self-serve style in this order: lettuce wrap, cooked chicken mixture, platter of diced fresh veggies, brown rice noodles and Pad Thai Sauce.

Vibrant Life followers: limit yourself to 1/2 C of noodles. Also avoid salty sauces like the Pad Thai Sauce but if you have to have some, don’t use more than 1 teaspoon.

Snacks 

 

In regards to healthy physical choices, one of the hardest parts is the snacks. Some things I have found to be true:

1. Do NOT let yourself get too hungry or you will grab something you will regret later. Plan your snacks ahead of time.

2. Like an impoverished boy who, as a man, has made his fortune, I can still believe, in a moment of hunger, that the healthier options won’t fill me but they DO.

3. You are better having a little bit too much of the good calories than a handful of junky ones. For example, a second apple a day or a second handful of 15 almonds is better than a candy bar.

4. Especially when you first start, save your fruit for when you feel a sugar craving come on.

5. Get enough protein regularly to burn fat and keep your belly full, like a Texan department store Santa on Christmas Eve.

6. Protein smoothies are life savers, because they are fast and filling. I would recommend always having a mix on hand (really do your homework).

7. Remember, living foods and lean proteins are the best choices.

8. Watch out for hidden sugars. Many people don’t realize how many things have, at worst, high fructose corn syrup or, at best, sugar in them. Any sauces usually do, soups, yoghurts, pre-fab snack foods, salad dressings, some Vanillas, etc.

9. Watch out for hidden salts. Those are found in all the above items plus herbs and seasonings. Soups are inordinately high in salt. While a little salt isn’t as bad as sugar, you want to keep your sodium low.

10. Drink a lot of water at every meal, snack and in between. It is one of the top things you can do for your health!

List of 20 healthy snack options:

1. Almonds, Pecans or other raw nuts – 15 at a time.

2. 1 teaspoon of nut butter (without sugar) on celery or apple

3. Apple, grapes, raspberries or other fruit (watch sugar and carbs/quantity)

4. Fat free Greek yogurt w/chia and Stevia or with chia, Stevia and cut up strawberries

5. Homemade humus with celery, jicama, carrots and cucumbers cut up – recipe coming in the next two weeks!

6. Protein smoothy (I keep a pre-mixed one on hand for crazy days- do your homework on these. I usually make them myself with whey protein, almond milk, ice, fruit and stevia).

7. Protein bars – I’m searching for an awesome recipe so this is a healthier option. Will share when I find it.

8. Edamame, from the frozen section at Sams Club

9. Small amount of leftover grilled chicken thrown into a lettuce wrap with bean sprouts, diced yellow peppers and green onions

10. Popcorn in moderation – stove popped in coconut oil, no salt

11. Boiled and chilled egg whites with pepper

12. Avocado 1/2 with pepper

13. Cucumbers carved out & used like the bread in a sandwich; filled with leftover grilled thinly sliced chicken breast, yellow peppers slices, tomato cut thin and with a teaspoon of dill seasoned greek yoghurt.

14. Carrots, broccoli, cucumbers and celery dipped in lightly seasoned greek yoghurt

15. Homemade salsa on carrots, celery and cucumber

16. Applesauce, no sugar added – make yourself for healthiest option

17. Fruit – all different, cut up in segments to dip in greek yogurt (mixed with vanilla and Stevia). Watch your quantity on this.

18. 1/2- 2/3 Cup brown rice noodles  (will recommend a brand we love this coming week) cooked and cooled, mixed with cubed cucumbers, celery, carrots, peppers, baby tomatoes halved. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon of melted coconut oil, a tiny splash of balsamic & pepper.

19. Thick slices of vine ripened tomatoes with 1- 2 teaspoons of fat free feta (watch the salt) & cracked pepper sprinkled on top and melted. Add petite strips of basil on top after you cook.

20. Fat free greek yoghurt seasoned with pepper, dill, garlic to taste. Cubed cucumbers with lemon squeezed on them lightly mixed in. (This is a Turkish side dish called Cacick from my childhood).

Kid Friendly, Red Chili, Spaghetti Bolognese Serves 9

On the Vibrant Life Diet, I normally eat lean white meats but, once every three weeks, I allow myself a leaner, red meat. Also, I eat it without added sodium but pull my portion out and then add salt for my family. I allow myself 1/2 cup of brown rice noodles. Serve this with salad and whole grain garlic bread for the rest of the family. 

With a little planning and effort, it is possible to eat well while away. Below is an easy, gluten free and healthy spaghetti we made on our camp stove. It is very American and easy. I wanted to share this fourth companion meal, because this brand of brown rice noodles were a hit with my kids, which isn’t always true with gluten free products.

• 2 boxes of Jovial brand Spaghetti Noodles (King Soopers)
• 2 cans of tomato paste (organic is available from Costco)
• 3 lbs. of 93% lean ground beef
• Homemade Chili Powder or Salt Free Chili Powder (Go here for a great explanation and recipe for homemade Chili Powder)
• Dried basil, onion powder, No Salt Seasoning from Costco, all to taste
• Salt to taste

If I was making this for my husband and I, I would petite dice red onions, basil and other fresh herbs to use in the sauce and serve it with a red wine; however, this recipe works well for those kids who are sensitive to texture and the dried herbs make this very fast and easy when in a hurry or camping.

At the same time: Begin frying the meat in a frying pan, and bringing an 8 quart pot, 2/3 full of water, to a boil.

When the water is boiling, add the noodles and follow the directions on the box (we like these noodles more on the al dente side). When the meat is cooked, add the tomato paste and enough water to loosen the paste into a runny sauce. I eyeball this and add enough so that the meat is just covered. Gently mix the water into the paste. If needed, boil the water off a little bit. Mix in the above seasonings to taste (start with a tablespoon of each, roughly). Bring the meat sauce to a slow boil. Drain noodles and serve.

Mango Protein Smoothy

The picture above is before the spinach is added. I promise you, you won’t taste the spinach but it will change the drink to a grassy green. Try it anyway. 🙂 Think of all that blended up goodness going right to your cells. This makes 1 large glass for me and two small ones for my little kids. If it isn’t sweet enough, blend in a couple packages of Stevia. It is very creamy and I like the distinct, punchy taste of a small slice of pineapple afterwards.

• 1 Cup of Frozen Mangos (I use organic)
• Large handful of spinach
• 1 Cup of Carrageenan free, unsweetened almond or coconut milk
• 1/4 Cup of Whey Protein (no flavoring or sugar added)
• Slice of pineapple and mini umbrella to make yourself feel like you’re on vacation

Holly’s Healthy Hummus

My sister Holly is a chocolate colored beauty, with deep brown, deer eyes. She takes after my Dad who has jet black hair and tan skin that makes him look like he’s from another country (something you would NEVER guess from my blonde pictures). 🙂  I hope you enjoy my sister’s health snack!

Blend together, refrigerate for 2-3  hours and serve with strips of veggies:

• 3 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (The very best kind is the no salt added, no preservative variety)
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 3 Tablespoons of fat free plain yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon of garlic (I use powdered because I have a family member who is allergic to fresh garlic. You could certainly blend in real garlic, starting with one clove and working up to 2, based on taste)
• salt & pepper to taste (Vibrant Life followers, no salt is best, but, if you must, a tiny bit of salt can be added to yours)

You could play with this recipe and add a tiny bit of fresh Jalapeños and red bell pepper or Jalapeños and avocado. I haven’t done this yet but it sounds amazing! 🙂

Real-Deal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thanks Laurie! Don’t you just love her style of writing, the way she intertwines the deep pondering of life with humor? I look forward to reading Laurie’s blog every week! Recently, I decided to try a Paleo Diet for my health and came across Danielle Walker’s website, Against All Grain. She has two cookbooks with amazing looking recipes so, knowing my love for Chocolate Chip Cookies, I tried it out. The results were pretty good  for a healthy cookie 🙂

Here’s her recipe for Real-Deal Chocolate Chip Cookies along with a few thoughts below…

• They taste fairly moist, and overall I liked the dough.
• I increased the honey to 3 TBLS instead of 2
• I used 100% chocolate! But it is bitter, so if you can’t stomach that you could use less than 100%. I didn’t have two kinds of chocolate. I think that would be also add depth to the flavor

Hot Pineapple Salsa

This is good to do on a night when you are already using your charcoal grill for your dinner meat. Also, there is very low sugar in the sauce and so it is fine for Vibrant Life followers in this recipe.

My husband loves my salsa, he particularly likes all things pineapple and he’s hot. 🙂  So, this week, I decided to concoct a creative combo just for him.

• 1 large pineapple (the huge ones are usually found at Costco or Sams)
• 1 jar of Hak’s BBQ Sauce, Thai Chili Tamarind (Found at King Soopers which is a Kroger store)
• 1 28 Oz. can of fire roasted, Muir Glen diced tomatoes
• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
• Up to 3 jalapeños
• 1 large bundle of Cilantro, rinsed
• Garlic powder
• Salt to taste

1. On a charcoal grill, grill five very fat slices of pineapple, very lightly basted in the sauce. Go very easy on the sauce; it is hot! When they are soft and a deeper golden color, remove.
2. In a quality blender (do this while the pineapple is grilling), mix together for 30 seconds: can of tomatoes, large onion, 1 jalapeño, whole bundle of cilantro and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder. Once that is pureed, add the five grilled slices of pineapple and blend again for 30 seconds. Taste with chips.
3. Add additional jalapeños, 1/2 of one at a time until it has the desired heat. Finally, add salt to taste.
4. Serve this immediately, warm, with tortilla chips. For Vibrant Life Followers, use this salsa on your grilled chicken or with cut up veggies as a dip. When Daniel tried it, he declared, “This is the best salsa you have ever made!”