Limed Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Corn

Morning snack: Stonefield yogurt and mixed nuts (almonds and pistachios)

Lunch: Limed black bean, sweet potato and corn, quesadilla and pomegranate

Afternoon snack: Triscuits with almond butter, honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon and clementines

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Limed black beans, sweet potato and corn

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, diced and steamed

1 cup steamed corn

2 cups black beans

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

3 1/2 TBS fresh lime juice

salt to taste

**1/4 tsp cayenne pepper if you and the kids can take it

Method

Place everything, except the sweet potatoes, in a bowl and combine.  Because the sweet potatoes are steamed they are a bit fragile.  Gently fold in sweet potatoes and enjoy!!  

Alternatively, if you want the sweet potatoes to be a bit more firm you can bake them.  To bake the sweet potatoes line a baking sheet with foil and set the oven to 425 degrees.  Rub diced raw sweet potatoes with olive oil, making sure to coat evenly.  Sprinkle the sweet potatoes with cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper (if applicable).  Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, depending on how small the sweet potatoes are diced.

This concoction is great hot or cold, it's especially delicious on corn tortillas, or maybe that's just the Mexican in me.

Nut Butters

Morning snack: whole wheat pumpkin pancakes, Cortland apples and a bit of syrup

Lunch: whole grain bowtie pasta with homemade sauce which included peas and spinach, ground beef vegetarian crumble and topped with Parmesan cheese, almonds and pumpkin almond butter oat bar (shaped like a cookie)

Afternoon snack: Cortland apples, Triscuits and almond butter

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As a vegetarian I'm constantly asked how I get my protein and I say two things...  

First, people don't need as much protein as they think they do.  A person who is consuming 2000 calories a day needs about a serving and a half of protein daily (a serving is 3 ounces or about the size of a deck of cards).  When you go to a restaurant they offer 16 ounce steaks.  And people order and eat it!!  That's enough for over 3 days of protein!!  The only people that need high protein intake are people who are trying to build a significant amount of muscle or professional athletes who cause a lot of wear on their muscles.  So if you're not a body builder or professional athlete, it's more than likely you'll get enough protein my eating a well balanced meal.  

Second, I explain to people that there are plant based proteins that provide sufficient amounts of protein.  For example, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds and vegetables all provide protein.  Not to mention there are meat replacement products such as soy protein and a variety of soy products.  Nut butters (peanut butter, almond butter and sunbutter) all generally provide 7g of protein per 2 tablespoons, depending on the brand, of course.  And, nut butters are great for on the go!

As a side note...

I constantly hear people saying that they need to decrease their carbohydrates and increase their protein so that they can lose weight.  Please don't.  Your brain is fueled by carbohydrates which is why you get a headache when you skip meals or reduce your carbohydrates.

Datelets

Morning snack:  Wasa whole grain crispbread with almond butter, drizzle of wildflower honey and cinnamon and clementine

Lunch:  Baked breaded"chicken", brown rice, steamed broccoli and datelets

Afternoon snack:  Red pear and pink Goldfish

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My elementary school cafeteria would serve these tiny pieces of delicious sweetness when I was a kid.  I was always so happy to see that little plastic bag on my lunch try.  But I never knew what they were.  Then one day, 25 years later, I was at the Dutch market and there they were!  Yes!  What were they, you ask.  They're actually dates chopped up into little pieces and then covered in some kind of flour to avoid the pieces from getting stuck together.  If you've never had them as a treat, give them a try.  They are definitely LQ approved!

The Dutch market is a great place to get all kinds of other delicious items.  I get all kinds of things like, datelets, mushroom popcorn kernels, cheese, meats, produce and different kinds of seasonings.  The only downside, and the reason why I hardly ever shop there, is that they have limited hours.  The one I go to is only open Thursday - Saturday.  But because it's an awesome market it's generally jam packed!  Not to mention it's pretty far.  So to be honest, I only go there when I need to stock up on datelets....yum!