Nutrition

Cilantro Lime Quinoa with Black Beans

April 11, 2013 by Asia

I LOVE QUINOA. I try to eat it several times a week since it is a complete protein, and I eat mostly vegan so it is challenging to get complete proteins in my diet. I’ve also had people tell me that they wish they liked quinoa, but it doesn’t have enough flavor. Well, look no further, because this recipe definitely is packed with flavor and should please vegans and meateaters alike.

I found this easy quinoa recipe with a southwestern twist on Pinterest from fitnessmagazine.com and added a little flair of my own (beans, avocado, crunchy chips, and spice) to make this a hearty vegan meal! You can also serve it as a side dish. It’s super quick and easy to make, so I give it 5 stars. (The only thing I had trouble with was the can opener, but that’s not unusual for me.)

Quinoa beauty shot from fitness.com. (Mine didn't look this pretty.)

Quinoa beauty shot from fitnessmagazine.com. (Mine didn’t look this pretty.)

Servings: 6 servings, 2/3 cup each…so it’s really like 3-4 servings in our household.

Prep: 30 mins

Total: 45 mins

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, toasted then rinsed

1/4 cup pepitas, toasted

2 teaspoons EVOO

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles

2 cloves garlic, minced (or use 2 tsp from a jar of minced garlic)

1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium vegetable broth or water (you can use 50/50 if you want less sodium or run out of broth)

3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup chopped scallions

Juice of 1 lime

1 can black beans, rinsed

Toppings

1 avocado, diced

Dash of pepper, to taste

Dash of Tabasco, to taste

Handful of crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Directions

1. Toast quinoa in a large dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until it crackles and becomes aromatic, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly. Set aside.

2. Toast pepitas in the same skilled for 3-5 minutes, then set aside.

3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chiles and garlic; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the quinoa and broth; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.

4. Add toasted pepitas, cilantro, scallions, lime juice, and beans, to the quinoa; mix gently and fluff with a fork.

5. Top with 1/2 diced avocado for some extra calories and healthy fat. Add Tabasco, pepper, and tortilla chips to taste.

The Result: A complete, tasty vegan meal and plenty of leftovers! I wonder what this would taste like in a burrito…

My take on this delicious quinoa dish.

Why I Love Being (90%) Vegan

February 18, 2013 by Asia

Native Foods Rockin’ Moroccan Bowl

I had been hearing a lot of buzz about veganism in the endurance community and was very curious if it would work for me as an endurance athlete too. (Scott Jurek’s book “Eat and Run” is a great read if you’re interested.) I was a vegetarian and pescatarian for 15 years before I decided to give it a try. In doing so, I decided I would not go 100% vegan, at least not right away, because I wanted the flexibility to eat something vegetarian when I would go to a dinner party or work outing, or be able to eat the occasional buttery baked good, etc. This has been going on since July, and it has gone really well!

The reasons I decided to try it:

1. I wanted to see if it would make me feel better. (Less tummy aches, increased energy, enhanced endurance performance to name a few.)

2. I knew it could lead to a healthier lifestyle. (Does less cheese mean lower cholesterol and less cancer?)

3. I had been thinking about trying it for a few years; it was time. (The movie “Forks Over Knives” pushed me over the edge.)

The results:

1. Fewer tummy aches, more energy, and an Ironman finisher! (Ok, that last part also took a lot of training, but I did it on a vegan diet!)

2. Less cheese and more veggies! (Did you know you can eat “cheese” made from cashews, and all sorts of other crazy tricks? Thank you, Pinterest!)

3. More cooking at home! (This was one of my goals for 2013.)

Homemade spring rolls

I’ve been eating approx 90% vegan since July and have been very happy with the change. Even Jeremy decided to join the ride with me! Survey says he’s about 75% vegan. I am so proud of him. My family and friends have been incredibly supportive as well. I’ve given them new recipes to try when they have me over for dinner (pad Thai, pasta, chili), and I”ve cooked for them as well. My BFF Nicole and her beau are mostly vegan too, so that has helped tremendously. New vegan restaurant? It’s a date!

Whenever I’m in a bind or am seriously craving a slice of cheese pizza, I know I can still eat vegetarian and be OK with it. There is no going back to fish or meat, but sometimes I’ll eat something that was made with eggs or real milk. I’m not perfect, and I’m also not trying to be too high maintenance…Yet. I might just decide to go all the way with this vegan thing one day because it has impressed me so far.

I’ve really been enjoying my vegan journey and can’t wait to continue down this path! I’ve found tons of new recipes on Pinterest and started following vegans on Twitter and bloggers that share great vegan recipes. I plan to share a few of mine with you too. Overall, I feel amazing and am proud to be a part of this community. If I can encourage 1 person to eat vegan or vegetarian with me once a week, I know I am spreading some hearty healthy love! <3 (Can you say cheesy?)

Vegan feast. No, I don’t eat like this every day!

Ironman Training Part 2

July 9, 2012 by Asia

I can’t stop thinking about Ironman Cozumel. It’s officially on the brain. I’m both happy and relieved to say that I’m excited to train for my second Ironman this year…I thought I might not be. About one month before Ironman Coeur d’Alene, I was just ready for training to be over and for my race to be here. I took a two week training hiatus after Coeur d’Alene so I wouldn’t feel burned out, and now I am literally craving a structured workout plan again. No more of this sleeping in until 6:30am and not knowing what to do with my free time after work business. Just give me some workouts, please!

I’m going to be doing things a bit differently this time around, and I’m excited to see how this fresh approach to training goes.

Here are two major changes in how I will train for Ironman Cozumel:

1. Pay for a triathlon coach to tell me exactly what to do instead of following a DIY approach to training
2. Eat more vegan and gluten-free instead of following a vegetarian and pescatarian diet

The training
I don’t yet know all the ways that Coach Trevor’s training plan will differ from my previous training plan, but I have a feeling that it will be pretty different. We both agree that my key workouts each week need to be on the bike, and I need to do my long rides with people who are closer to my pace. My second priority is the swim, specifically my long one. These are my weakest links in triathlon because I am still so new to both of them (about 1 year experience to date). I know I’m going to miss running because I used to do two long runs per week, but that is the last priority right now, and I can focus on qualifying for Boston after I earn the title of Ironman. I’m 28 years old (…ok almost 29). I still have time!

The eating
I’ve been a vegetarian/pescatarian for almost 15 years. So where does eating vegan and gluten-free come in? The past 1-2 years I’ve drastically reduced my dairy and seafood intake, and I would eat completely vegan at least 1 day per week. Dairy usually makes my tummy hurt, and I’ve read more and more about the benefits of dropping dairy from my diet. I recently officially dropped seafood from my diet too, even though I was eating pescatarian for a while. I just stopped liking it. I’ve toyed with the idea of going vegan for a couple of years, but never wanted to fully commit because I didn’t know how it’d affect my training (P90X, Insanity, marathons, triathlons), and I loved eggs and cheese. My training buddies Nicole and Mike recently watched the movie “Forks Over Knives” and read Scott Jurek’s book “Eat & Run” and have made the decision to follow a more plant-based lifestyle, so I figured now was as good of a time as ever to give it a try to see how my body responds to it. Professional triathlete Beth Walsh eats gluten and dairy free two weeks before a race. I’m finding more and more endurance athletes that are giving this lifestyle a try, so they might be on to something!

My vegan 4th of July! So yummy.

I don’t know if I have intolerance to gluten, but it was actually my boyfriend Jeremy who suggested that I try eating less of it because I always complain about my stomach hurting or being nauseous after a meal, no matter how healthy it is. This is going to be harder for me to sort out than going vegan will be, so I am going to phase it in to see if it makes sense for my body. I had brown rice pasta for the first time the other week…It’s very sticky! I’m lucky because there are a host of vegan and gluten-free restaurants and shopping options in the greater San Diego area.

What about dessert? I think butter and eggs in my desserts are still ok for now! I love Sprinkles Cupcakes too much to say goodbye.

Do you ever eat vegan or gluten-free while training? Please share your recipes and tips!

Insanity Nutrition Plan for the Vegetarian

July 21, 2011 by Asia

Insanity Meal Plan Book

I really like the Insanity Elite Nutrition Plan. I’ve had positive results with it so far and lost 5 pounds almost immediately! (I’m sure that was a combination of Insanity workouts as well as following this nutrition plan.) With 5 meals/day, it’s definitely a change from the way P90X does theirs, but I think it’s pretty easy to modify for a vegetarian diet. Quite a few meal options are meaty, and I’m a vegetarian / pescatarian, so I decided to provide some guidance in case you also eat like me. Below is an example of how I create my meal plan each week. I also have an Excel spreadsheet that I use, so I will post that once I make it more user-friendly.

To see my final Insanity results, click here for that blog post.

For more information on Insanity or Beachbody products in general, please go to my coaching website.

How much should I eat?

First things first. Calculate your total daily calories needed!
Women: 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years) = # Calories/Day w/ no exercise
Men: 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) – (6.8 x age in years) = # Calories/Day w/ no exercise

Then, multiply that amount by 1.55 if you’re “moderately active” which is moderate exercise 3-5 days/wk or 1.7 if you’re “very active” which is hard exercise 6-7 days/wk. I chose 1.7 since I workout 2 times/day most days. For weight maintenance, that is your daily calorie allotment. If you want to lose weight, subtract 500 calories/day from that total. If you want to gain weight, add 250-300 calories/day. It doesn’t take much to tip the scales, so make sure you calculate carefully. Don’t forget to include your recovery drink!

When I started Insanity, I weighed 110lbs and calculated that I need approx 2,200 calories/day to maintain my weight while doing Insanity. That’s 300 more than I was eating on P90X! After beginning the program, I could understand that logic. They workouts make you sweat! Now I’m around 105lbs but haven’t adjusted my calorie intake. Sometimes it’s hard for me to reach 2,200 but other days I’m super hungry.

For month 2 you might want to add 100-300 calories/day since the workouts get harder and longer, and your body is burning more calories. I’m currently in my recovery week and start month 2 next week, so I will know soon if I need to eat more.

The Meals

I won’t bore you or overwhelm you by listing all the meal choices but will share my top vegetarian meals with you instead. I eat 400 calorie meals, but there are also easy 300 and 500 cal options available. The other 200 calories I need come from my Recovery Drink.

Meal 1: aka Breakfast – The most vegetarian meal options!

I don’t have to substitute anything here because most of the meals are already vegetarian which makes it easy. If you don’t eat eggs and/or don’t have much time to cook, try one of the following yummy options. These are my 2 staples that I rotate between each morning:
– Shakeology with 1 TBSP almond butter, almond milk, 1 banana, ice (technically a meal 3 recipe, but I like it in the AM)
– Cereal Bowl with flax seeds, almond milk, banana (I like Kashi Go Lean)

Meal 2: aka Brunch

I’m at work for meals 2-4 so I like to keep them simple. I rotate between the following two easy, vegetarian meals.
– Warm Cereal Bowl/Oatmeal (includes 1 serving of protein powder if you do 400 calories. I like to separate my scoop and have it first thing in the morning with my Insanity workout)
– Yogurt Bowl
There are 2 meat sandwich options which I haven’t yet chosen but could easily substitute regular turkey breast for vegetarian substitute turkey. I usually save that for meal 3, however, so that I’m not eating too many processed foods.

Meal 3: aka Late Lunch

Now is when it starts to get tricky and creativity is necessary to keep things vegetarian AND simple. My staples are:
– Black bean soup and half sandwich (vegetarian turkey)
– Whole wheat pasta with vegetables (so delicious!!)
– Lean burger (with veggie burgers)

Meal 4: aka Pre-Dinner Snack

I always look forward to a pre-dinner snack. This is also my pre-workout snack in the afternoon. I have a very simple staple because I can easily take it with me anywhere:
– Insanity Special Sandwich Nut Butter and Jelly aka pb&j! I use almond butter.

I also occasionally enjoy chili on a cooler day:
– Vegetarian Chili (make a pot Sunday night and use throughout the week for a cheap and easy option)

Meal 5: aka Dinner

While dinner has just as many calories as breakfast, I still look forward to my final meal of the day because I share it with my boyfriend, friends, and/or family. Here are my staples:
– SIMPLE: Brown Rice Bowl (recommend Quorn frozen fake chicken in freezer section)
– PESCATARIAN: Grilled Salmon with Asparagus or Pasta with Seafood Marinara
– COMFORT: Dinner Omelet (when I’m craving breakfast for dinner)
– CARNIVORE PLEASER: Steak with Broccoli (veggie burgers instead of steak while my bf has real meat)

Meat Swap Ideas
The back of the Insanity meal plan has a table of different proteins and what you can substitute them with. This is a handy tool for vegetarians! Read on for some of my favorites as well as new ideas.

– 1 oz. chicken breast or turkey breast
SUBSTITUTE WITH: 1 oz of tofu, 1 egg or 3 egg whites, 1 veggie burger, 1/4 c beans, 1 cup “Quorn” Chik’n Tenders meat-free and soy-free meat substitute (at Whole Foods, Henry’s and other markets…1 cup has 80 calories.)

– 1 oz. red meat:
SUBSTITUTE WITH: 1.5 oz tofu, 1 egg or 3 egg whites, 1 veggie burger, 1/3 cup beans, 1 serving Quorn product (huge variety)

Questions? Need more info? Let me know! You can also post your comments here, and I’ll respond.

Update: P90X 2 came out in December 2011 and it has a vegan meal plan!! I’ll make sure to post on that too, but I am very pleased with those meal options. It’s about time vegan options were given in workout plans! I eat mostly vegan now, so let me know if you have any questions on that as well.

Thanks for reading!

Insanity. Enough said.

P90X Nutrition Plan for the Vegetarian

March 15, 2011 by Asia

Eating healthy in Ipanema, Brazil

This is my second time doing P90X, so I already knew what was in store for me when it came to the nutrition plan…Phase 1 would be my least favorite. Phase 2 would be perfectly manageable. Phase 3 would feel like heaven. As a vegetarian and pescatarian, I worry about getting in enough protein on this plan. While I do eat fish, it’s rarely more than once a week, so I definitely eat more like a true vegetarian, and sometimes, I’ll go vegan for a day or two. I’ve found I can still maintain my dietary preferences while following the P90X Nutrition Plan. The book does a decent job of listing some vegetarian swap-in options for protein and gives a couple of non-dairy sources for dairy, but I’ve tailored the lists to show what I actually eat.

Sample Vegetarian Protein List:
– Beans (black, red, kidney, garbanzo, and more!)
– Egg whites or egg substitutes
– Veggie burgers
– Quorn meat substitute products (soy free)
– Nonfat Greek yogurt
– Tempeh or Tofu
– Protein powder
– Protein bars
– Raw nuts
– Almond butter

Sample Vegan Dairy List:
– Almond milk (also: Soy, Rice, Hemp, Hazelnut)
– Soy yogurt

Phase 1: Fat Shredder – A high-protein-based diet designed to help you strengthen muscle while rapidly shredding fat from your body.

This is the hardest phase for most people, but I feel it is definitely hardest for vegetarians. Depending on your required calorie levels, you will be eating 5, 7, or 9 protein servings per day. I fall into the Level 1 (1,800 calorie) level, and therefore need to find a way to fit 5 vegetarian proteins into my diet which feels like a lot! This is completely different to my normal way of eating, but I manage by having 1 protein at breakfast, 2 at lunch, and 2 at dinner. I recommend spacing it out like this because I find it hard to eat more than 2 servings of protein in one sitting.

A day of vegetarian protein servings could look as follows: protein powder and fruit smoothie for breakfast (1), salad with hard-boiled egg whites and kidney, garbanzo, and/or black beans for lunch (2), and two veggie burgers for dinner (2). I highly recommend finding a protein powder that you enjoy and using it in phase 1. I find that mixing ON Cookies and Cream protein powder with unsweetened vanilla or chocolate almond milk is a quick and easy way to get a protein and dairy serving. It’s also utterly delicious! I’ll even sneak 1 TBSP of almond butter in there occasionally for extra protein. I’ve been reading up on vegan protein powder options but haven’t personally tried them yet. Alternatives to whey are soy, hemp, rice protein. Just be careful not to have too much processed soy in your diet. That is something I actively watch myself. As a general rule of thumb, I will always try for whole foods sources to get my protein (like beans) first before I turn to processed foods (like tofu).

Remember not to stay on phase 1 nutrition longer than necessary. The first time I did P90X, I stayed on it for the standard recommended 4 weeks. I never felt low on energy, but I did get sick of all the protein. Now that I’m doing P90X for a second time and have a lower body fat percentage, I did the phase 1 nutrition phase for 1 week, and then switched to phase 2. I will spend most of my time on phase 2 and then switch to phase 3 once we get to the phase 3 workouts.

Phase 2: Energy Booster – A balanced mix of carbohydrates and protein with a lower amount of fat to supply additional energy for performance.

This is the phase I’m following right now, and I find cutting down to 4 protein servings (for Level 1 plan only) is much more manageable. Egg whites for breakfast (1), sandwich with meat substitute for lunch (1), and vegan burritos for dinner (2) make me a happy girl! I recommend picking up Tony Horton’s new book Bring It! for vegetarian and vegan recipe ideas. Tony supports eating a plant-based diet! (He actually considers himself a “flexitarian” and will eat chicken and seafood too.)

Phase 3: Endurance Maximizer – An athletic diet of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and lower fat with an emphasis on more carbohydrates.

I am the happiest during phase 3 because I love the breakdown of 2 proteins, 1 dairy, 2 fruit, 2 veggies, 1 fat, 3 carbs, and of course all my snacks/recovery drinks/bars. I don’t think much guidance is needed here because getting enough protein in essentially becomes a non-issue. I can’t wait for phase 3 to come so I can enjoy whole grain carbohydrate goodness each meal of the day!

Sources for Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes:
Whole Foods market
Bring It! – Tony Horton
Living Vegan for Dummies
karmachow.com – Chef Melissa Costello
P90X 2 Nutrition Guide

In closing, Tony Horton reminds us that what you eat has a direct effect on how you feel and how you look, so let’s all choose wisely! Please let me know if you have any other healthy, whole foods fuel options for a vegetarian diet.

Questions? Need more info? Let me know! You can also post your comments here, and I’ll respond.

Update: P90X 2 came out in December 2011 and it has a vegan meal plan!! I’ll make sure to post on that too, but I am very pleased with those meal options. It’s about time vegan options were given in workout plans! I eat mostly vegan now, so let me know if you have any questions on that as well.

Thanks for reading!

Holidays and Cheat Meals

February 15, 2011 by Asia

Sunday, February 6, 2011 – Super Bowl Sunday!

Monday, February 14, 2011 – Valentine’s Day!

Two holidays – Different challenges

When the holidays come around and you’re on a diet or strict nutrition plan, you have to ask yourself, “Am I going to cheat?” I received an email yesterday from my Team Beachbody coach, Nancy Comee, who touched on cheat meals. I loved her point of view. Nancy called them “sanity meals” and I agree wholeheartedly. Eating strict meals 7 days a week can leave you feeling, well, deprived. When a special occasion comes around or when you need a mental boost, I say it’s OK to indulge in your favorite treat! For me that might be some chocolate or beer. It will taste amazing and should be all you need before you get back into your routine. Just don’t let it turn into a cheat day. Your body doesn’t need that!

Super Bowl Sunday
We were at a bar for 9 hours Super Bowl Sunday. How did I cope? Jeremy and I had protein shakes in the morning and a filling salad as an early lunch before heading to the bar. I brought protein bars and almonds into the bar for snacks, and that was the only food we had over those 9 hours. (Incredible willpower or starvation?) We filled up the rest of the way on beer. Those were my “carbs” for the day. I had 3 while Jeremy had more, but we both had a great time watching the game and celebrating with friends! No one seemed to care or notice that I brought our own snacks. I guess that’s kind of typical for me since I’m a vegetarian and often have to come prepared. We finished the night with sushi (mostly sashimi) and one more beer. Beer was definitely the cheat item of the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl Sunday

Valentine’s Day
1 dozen red roses + 1/2 dozen Sprinkles cupcakes = Perfect V-day!

Valentine’s Day was a little trickier because we celebrated twice, the day before and the day of. Sunday we had brunch at the beautiful Hotel del Coronado. Their brunch is home to over 200 items, including a selection of all you can eat seafood, salads, cheese, omelets, paninis, sweets and more, not to mention unlimited champagne and/or vodka if you wanted a buzz. Knowing this would count for two meals and several snacks, I ate a good amount but mostly stuck to items in my nutrition plan. I found myself wanting healthier items like seafood, salad, fruit, and omelets. That part wasn’t difficult. Where I decided to indulge was in the chocolate fountain. (Cue heavenly sounding music.) Jeremy and I dipped pretzels, marshmallows, strawberries and more into this ever flowing chocolate goodness. When the time comes, we are having one of those at our wedding. It has been decided! That fountain was definitely worth every calorie because we both left with huge smiles on our faces.

Sweet Tooth

Hotel del Coronado

Valentine’s day was on a Monday, so we celebrated after work and a workout. Since Monday is normally a double workout day, we had to make a decision. Should we workout from 730-9pm, cook dinner, and have a really late night, or should we push P90X back to Tuesday morning and make that a double day instead? We opted for the latter so we could spend more time enjoying the holiday. We had a delicious healthy dinner of homemade sashimi, brown rice, and seaweed salad. Dessert, however, was a different story! Jeremy surprised me with 1/2 dozen Sprinkles cupcakes and a bottle of wine. Obviously we didn’t need 3 cupcakes each, but he thought it would be fun to try a little of each. We cut less than half of each cupcake and shared a little taste of each kind. We probably had about 1 cupcake each but got to try all 6! It was the perfect amount of sweetness, and I was so happy to have a cupcake again.

Sprinkles Cupcakes!

Tuesday morning post V-day the alarm went off at 5am. After 5 hours of sleep, I couldn’t believe it was happening, but I got us both out of bed and working out by 530am. Tony Horton was calling my name! I don’t think he likes it when I have chocolate and cupcakes, but even he has his cheat meals. What is Tony’s indulgence? A piece of vegan cheesecake.

Holidays aside, how do I keep my sweet tooth at bay when I’m sticking to my nutrition plan? 4oz of nonfat frozen yogurt! I know Tony Horton approves.