5 Healthy Foods I Love: Part 1

roasted broccoli

1. Broccoli.

No matter what we’re eating, Daniel and I roast a pan full of sweet and crispy roasted broccoli along with every dinner. Every night. That speaks well of the broccoli. Speaks even better of our digestive systems.

When I went home to Boston for the month of December, naturally, I cooked every night. My family became just as gently addicted as we are.

frozen pineapple

2. Frozen Pineapple. frozen pineapple

These seriously sweet nibs from Trader Joe’s make my whole life sunny. I blend them in smoothies; I stir them into 2% Greek yogurt and then freeze the whole creamy mess; I eat them in giant bowls in my pajamas. You’d love them. quinoa salad

3. Quinoa.

This is my new favorite grain (actually, it’s a seed). I crave the slight crunch, the nutty meets earthy flavor, the way it sort of gels and cozies itself close to other ingredients in my bowl, the way it finds its way between my teeth. Quinoa sits as a side on my plate at least four times a week.

The amount of complete protein it provides ain’t half bad either.

peanut butter

4. Nut Butters.

I will not go on living without nut butters- salted peanut, roasted almond, cashew, sunflower, you name it. This has lots to do with my lifelong love affair with peanut butter and fluff sandwiches. Nut butters satisfy my salty-meet-sweet cravings in a way that nothing else can. They stick to my ribs and the roof of my mouth. I slather something in peanut butter no less than twice per day. marshmallow fluff

5. Marshmallow Fluff.

 

You should know this by now.

 

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52 thoughts on “5 Healthy Foods I Love: Part 1

  1. Johnny

    Loving the list, Never had Quinoa but that salad looked really delicious. Love the peanut butter idea but never really had a hankering for fluff.

    Brocolli is my favorite veg. :)

    Reply
  2. Lisa

    My list overlaps yours. I can do without fluff—mostly because I’ve only had it once and I figure I shouldn’t start that habit if I don’t already have it!

    Reply
  3. stephanie

    do you put some parmigiano on your broccoli too?
    my favourite health kick these days are chickpeas…. hummus, fresh, in salads, in pasta, as a puree… it all goes well!
    question: can I cut up fresh pineapple and freeze it? would that turn out to be the same thing as TJ’s? cos can’t find Trader Joe’s here of course…
    baci

    Reply
  4. Amy B @ Second City Randomness

    Broccoli, over the last two years, has become one of my most favorite vegetables. Ever. I’m honestly surprised I haven’t turned a tint of green.

    But there’s still time.

    And marshmallow fluff is a given. I really need to keep it on hand more often- it would have been perfect in what I baked the other day… doh!

    Reply
  5. Sarah

    The fact that you put marshmallow fluff on the list of healthy things made my day. I would seriously LOVE to have a happy hour with you…I just feel like you would be a whole lotta fun!! :)

    Reply
  6. Rachel

    I love the classification of marshmellow fluff as a “healthy food”! Just bought my very first jar the other day…can’t believe I’ve gone 30 years without ever trying it before-I’m hooked!

    Reply
  7. Megan (Braise The Roof)

    TJ’s has the best frozen fruit. I’m currently in love with their mango (have you had their sweet and juicy mango- that stuff is like crack). I think it’s time to eat lunch…it includes broccoli. I love it ALMOST as much as you do. ;)

    Reply
  8. Sarah

    First…. how do you roast your broccoli! I find when I make it, its so hit or miss. I’d love to know your secret!

    Second…. based on your link to Medfield weather on the right, I assume you’re from there….? If so, have you ever been to Zebra’s???

    Reply
  9. Kat

    Would love to know your perfect broccoli roasting tips!

    You should try TJ’s frozen mango bits too. I’m sort of addicted to them.

    Reply
    1. admin

      Hey Kat! Here’s how I roast my broccoli: Lay florets on a large roasting pan. Brush each with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt. Roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. They’re the best!

      Reply
  10. Online Sunshine

    I love eggs. Scrambled with ketchup, over-easy on toast, deviled, hard boiled, fried in a sandwhich with mayo….yeah, I love eggs.
    And chocolate. I get tired of diet magazines telling me that I can satisfy my chocolate craving with a chocolate granola bar or one Hershey’s kiss. It just doesn’t do it for me. But give me some real chocolate mousse…or even your Almond Joy Cookies…and then we’re talkin’!

    Reply
  11. Melissa

    I do know . . . about the fluff, that is. And that is why I love you. I am at my parents’ house right now, where my mom thinks she does not like any sort of nut butter. Tragic. I’ll reform her, though. Just you wait.

    Reply
  12. Kacee

    You haven’t helped the mid-morning hunger! Technically all grains are a “seed” they are just processed to be the final product we get in the store.

    Reply
  13. Brenda the Barefootcookingirl

    Gotta say i love the list (except I can’t have the fluff at the moment, but soon!). We love Roasted broccoli as well! Yum. And I would have to add roasted cauliflower to the list as well. I toss cauli florets with coconut oil and curry powder then roast at 375 for about 20-25 depending on the size of the florets…really great with broiled fish.

    Reply
  14. Melissa E

    Seriously. How do people NOT like broccoli. I don’t get it.

    Now I’m craving broccoli. *goes foraging*

    Reply
    1. Debra

      Dana, I’ve tried them all. Fage is hands down, the best!
      Awesome with fruit, mac nuts and cool whip. Andie love her fluff, I love my cool whip!

      Reply
  15. Deborah

    Yum, I love quinoa and have been eating it for about 10 years now. Roasted broccoli is great too. Do you make broccoli salad? That’s one of our favourites.
    I don’t quite ‘get’ the marshmallow fluff, but to each his own :-)

    Reply
  16. Kara

    Thank you for the broccoli roasting guidelines! I was going to comment specifically to ask for that. . .I know it’s super easy, but since you do it so well that you eat it for dinner almost every night, I figure it’s easier to just go straight to your way of doing it than to mess around with experimenting. So thanks!

    Second, I’m curious about the frozen pineapple. I totally understand the convenience of frozen fruits and veggies, with not having to worry about them spoiling before you get to them. . .I use a lot of frozen strawberries and blueberries for just that reason. They go bad so fast when you buy them fresh! But have you ever tried the fresh Dole Gold pineapple? I’ve seen them in grocery stores everywhere from Las Vegas to South Carolina to Salt Lake City, so I’m sure they’re available everywhere. And they are perfect! They are SUUUUUPER sweet! I’ve honestly never bought a bad one, and I buy them about twice a month. . .we love pineapple at our house. But the best thing is, if you keep them in the fridge, they don’t spoil for about two weeks, seriously. And refrigeration does not ruin the texture like it does with tomatoes or other fruits. So like I said, I have no problem with frozen fruits and veggies, but for a fresh variety that is consistently good and stays fresh in the fridge for so long, I think it’s worth a try!

    Reply
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