7 Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Green Food

Brussels sprout. Photo: SXC

Name a holiday that isn't celebrated with food. I'm waiting...Good luck! For St. Patrick's Day fill your plate and mug with a little green. Here's how to celebrate with food and stay healthy!

1. Whip up a tasty green smoothie for breakfast using spinach or kale. Check out this fruit-packed, simple Green Smoothie recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod.
2. Serve Brussels sprouts with your Irish dinner menu. These tiny cabbages are tasty when steamed and served with a drizzle of butter and sprinkle of coarse sea salt. 
3.  Use shamrock-shaped cookie cutters and organic green food dye to make festive pancakes for breakfast. Just remember to use whole grain or nut flour to make the breakfast a bit healthier. My personal favorite is Pamela's Gluten-free Pancake Mix. It's made with ground almonds! 
4.  Make a batch of cloverleaf dinner rolls. My grandmother always made these on special occasions including Easter and St. Patrick's Day. Add some milled flax seed to boost the nutrient level of the rolls and a splash of green food coloring. 
5.  Swap your morning coffee with a cup of antioxidant-rich green tea. Flavor the drink with a squeeze of lemon or lime. Or, make it sweet with a spoon of honey. 
6.  Bake a quiche. Load the egg dish with fresh green spinach leaves for a boost of iron and fiber. Earn bonus points for making the crust with whole wheat flour and adding a splash of green food dye for the holiday. 
7. Make a green fruit salad to go with breakfast or lunch. Mix together green grapes, slices of kiwi, cubes of honeydew melon and sprinkle with some lime zest. Delicious!

How will you celebrate St. Patrick's Day on your dinner plate? Please share your ideas, tips and tricks in the comments below!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!
(And may the luck O' the Irish be with you!)

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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Eating Clean: My "S" Lunches

Photo: Beglip, Morguefile

The point of following a whole foods diet is to eat clean. Since I avoid preservatives and processed foods, this means cooking from scratch a lot.

Often I'm asked how I can do this without being in the kitchen for hours each day. Well, I try to keep breakfast and lunch simple. Breakfast is usually a mix of fruits, soy milk and juice blended into a smoothie.

At lunch, I stick to my favorite four "S" lunches:

1. Salads
Salads are so fast to put together. Start with a bed of dark leafy greens such as romaine or baby spinach. Then I chop whatever vegetables I have on hand, add a little cheese and chopped hard boiled egg (made ahead of time) for protein. Lunch is ready in 10 minutes or less. If you're not a vegetarian, add cubes of cooked chicken or turkey.

2. Soups
My go-to lunch soup is usually potato. I put a cup of water and a thinly sliced potato in a small pot. While it boils I chop up a bit of red onion. After the potato is softened and most of the water has evaporated, add a cup of milk and use a stick blender to make the soup creamy. Finally toss in the onion, some shredded cheese, a little seasoning and lunch is ready. This usually takes 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Steamed
Lately I've been on a Brussels sprouts kick. I've been buying them fresh and experimenting with how to cook them. Today I washed, cleaned and sliced in half a big handful of the little green cabbages. I tossed them and a thinly sliced potato into the steamer and five minutes later they were soft. I sprinkled on some sea salt, fresh ground black pepper and a pat of real butter. Yum!

4. Sauteed
Ok, when I have a little extra time, I fire up the rice cooker and saute a bunch of vegetables on the cook top. While the rice cooks, I slice onions, broccoli, carrots, tofu, mushrooms, bell peppers and really any other vegetable I want to add. Add a little extra virgin olive oil to a skillet and caramelize the onions and brown the mushrooms. Finally, I add the other vegetables and cook them just until they are warm and slightly softened. Serve over a bed of brown rice with a splash of soy sauce or liquid aminos for a healthy lunch in about 30 minutes.

What are your go-to, whole foods lunch favorites?

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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