I’ve got B.O. (beets and okra)

Don’t worry I’m a clean hippie.  Showers are me time.  But wait ‘til you see my lovely dinner…it’s packed with salad newbies. 

But first things first. 

I have no idea why, but I woke up WAY freakin’ early.  On a non-work day, WTF!?  Anyways, I had a frothy mug of joe to get things rolling…followed by a strawberry chobz with diced strawberries on top.

Mmmm…look at all that greek yogurt goodness.  I also had an apple while reading blogs and watching last night’s Gossip Girl and The Hills killing some brain cells.

 

After I felt significantly dumber, I had some dried pineapple rings and then hit the road to tackle my laundry list of errands. 

Whew.  I didn’t get home until pretty late in the day and I was starving and dripping with sweat.  New York has no in-between, it goes from 30 degrees to 90 degrees.

I managed to slice apples and bread before going to town on the hummus.  This held me over enough so I could make myself a real lunch. 

Spinach, hummus, and seitan on a toasted english muffin.

WOW.  Be jeal, it was as good as it looks   🙂

Even though I had already walked miles and miles doing all my errands, I still decided to gym it up.  I was actually even more sore today than yesterday, so I did the elliptical for an hour, progressively increasing the resistance from 7 to 12, then stretched and peaced out (no mat work).

Post gym I had this little baby, which I got in my half marathon goody bag.  I like free things, especially when they are chocolate and soy.

 

I heart Silk – and I heart chocolate…pretty sure this is old news to you all though.

While making this (see above) for Kyle, I snacked on this (see below).

 

As promised, here’s some info about key nutrients and their vegetable sources (starting with the most per serving):

Minerals: elements that originate in the soil and can’t be created by living things (ie plants and animals). Plants absorb minerals from the soil and animals get their minerals from eating plants/other animals. Most minerals in the human diet come directly from plants. 

Calcium – artichoke, peas, squash, broccoli, kale, lima beans, spinach

Iron – lima beans, peas, avocado, kale, spinach, broccoli, squash, potatoes

Magnesium – avocado, artichoke, peas, squash, potatoes, corn, spinach, kale

Phosphorous – lima beans, peas, artichokes, avocado, corn, potatoes, asparagus

Potassium – avocado, lima beans, potatoes, peas, artichoke, squash, kale, sweet potatoes, broccoli, corn, carrots, spinach, asparagus, green peppers

Vitamins: organic food substances found only in living things (ie plants and animals). They are essential for our bodies to function properly and (with few exceptions) the human body can’t manufacture or synthesize vitamins, so they must be supplied in our diet or in man-made dietary supplements. Vitamins can’t be assimilated without also ingesting food, which is why it’s best to take supplements with a meal (caution with synthetic vitamin supplements because they can be of varying quality).

Vitamin A – sweet potatoes, kale, carrots, spinach, avocado, broccoli, peas

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) – peas, avocado

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) – avocado

Vitamin B3 (niacin) – avocado, peas, potatoes, mushrooms, squash, corn

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) – avocado, sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, lima beans, squash

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) – avocado, peas, potatoes, carrots

Vitamin B9 (folate/folic acid) – lima beans, asparagus, avocado, peas, artichoke, spinach, squash, broccoli, corn, sweet potatoes

Vitamin B12 – none

Vitamin C – sweet potatoes, green peppers, kale, artichoke, peas, onions, potatoes, asparagus, avocado, broccoli

Vitamin D – mushrooms

Vitamin E – none

Vitamin K – kale, spinach, broccoli, and most other dark green leafy vegetables

*This info and more here, including daily requirements and amounts per veggie serving.

Who knew avocados were such power houses!?  Looks like my half a day habit is pretty healthy.

The major red flag for vegans/vegetarians to note is Vitamin B12, which is only found in animal products (meat, eggs, dairy)…and even though many sources claim it can be found in fermented soy products (tempeh) it is often not.

All my research really got me in the mood for a mega salad with TONS of new veggies.  So, in honor of Miss GlidingCalm and Melissa, I tried 2 new ingredients (beets and okra), along with several other colorful veggies.

Look!  It’s okra!  How cute! (and tasty too I might add)

On a bed of spinach was sliced okra, cherry tomatoes, broccoli slaw, baby beets, shredded carrots, and smart deli “turkey.”

Sometimes I can’t reign in the creative forces…and instead of being selective, I go overboard and add every single thing I can get my hands on into my salads…

…case in point, the above confetti in a bowl.  This was way too big.  I had a food baby after.

So full.

I think I may be in love with these two new veggies.  Okra has a wonderful crunch factor that really lends itself to salads.  The only thing that was a little weird was it seemed to sweat a kind of gooey sap when cut, but I can get over that because it’s texture and flavor were superb.  I can already tell okra and hummus are going to be a dynamic duo, and that’s really the only test a food needs to pass in my book.  As for the beets, they are so flavorful, I can see why Melissa loves them (and Dwight grows them, hehe).  I want to find out other ways to use them besides in a salad, because they are really tasty.  The only downside is their potential to stain my clothes if I’m not careful.

After dinner, Kyle was still at work, so I decided to go for a PM stroll and do a few more errands.  The weather was still perfect outside!  I ended up getting a manicure, which is very necessary since I am going home on Thursday for my friend’s wedding – and I can’t show off my bling bling with unpolished nails!!!

Obviously by the time I got back home I was ready for dessert.

Dates stuffed with carob raisins and an apple.  Game. Set. Match.

For the vegetarians or vegans out there, is there ever a time you crave meat, or miss any dairy or other animal products?  Just wondering.  When I was out and about today I smelled bacon, and it smelled delish.  The funny part is, I’ve NEVER had bacon before.  Ever.  My Mom is a vegetarian, so growing up, there were several foods I never tried.  Bacon is one of the foods, and although it smells divine, it still grosses me out.