Zestylicous Kale Chips

This growing season I decided to grow an entire Tower Garden of Kale. You’ve probably heard or read that Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense plants on the planet and full of  of great vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant properties.

Harvested Kale from Hydroponic Aeroponic Tower Garden

A single cup of raw kale (about 67 grams or 2.4 ounces) contains (1):

  • Vitamin A: 206% of the DV (from beta-carotene)
  • Vitamin K: 684% of the DV
  • Vitamin C: 134% of the DV
  • Vitamin B6: 9% of the DV
  • Manganese: 26% of the DV
  • Calcium: 9% of the DV
  • Copper: 10% of the DV
  • Potassium: 9% of the DV
  • Magnesium: 6% of the DV
  • It also contains 3% or more of the DV for vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), iron and phosphorus

A single cup of raw kale is equivalent to 33 calories, 6 grams of carbs (2 of which are fiber), and 3 grams of protein. This is definitely a plant to put into your wheelhouse of what to eat on a regular basis!

1 cup of kale contains 684% of your vitamin K

I was fine with purchasing kale from the grocery store until I learned through Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) 2019 Dirty Dozen™ analysis and report that Kale has higher pesticide residues than nearly all other produce found on supermarket shelves. Kale actually ranked third, after strawberries and spinach as having the most pesticide residues of products tested! That’s astonishing considering that I can grow it on my hydroponic / aeroponic Tower Garden without using any pesticides! Pesticides are known to be an Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) and can have a significant impact on the health of women with PCOS. EDCs are linked to increasing estrogen and testosterone, affecting fertility, causes weight gain, and even one’s glucose metabolism. According to EWG, 92 percent of conventionally grown kale samples had at least two or more pesticide residues. Some samples contained residues from as many as 18 different pesticides!

So, on one hand, we need to eat this plant to optimize our health and fight cancer and yet on the other hand, we can’t eat it from the store, because the food production system is spraying it with the very thing that contributes to disrupting our hormones. In short, grow this plant and eat it.

Kale Growing on Hydroponic Tower Garden

“But I can’t grow anything! I have a black thumb!” I can just hear some of you say right now. Well, I used to be in a similar spot when I first moved to the South. Our ground in our yard was chalk-full of clay and I continually fought growing vegetables in the soil — even when I tried to amend it with packages of compost. About 7 years ago, I got fed up trying to constantly fix the soil (and fight the insects in the soil) and thought that there has to be a better way. And that’s when I learned about hydroponics, aeroponics, and aquaponics. These are different methods of growing food with water and nutrients.

For the sake of brevity, I’ll only focus on hydroponics & aeroponics here because there’s a tool you can invest in to make growing food easy-peasy-breezy turning the blackest thumb to green! If you have a moment, head on over to Tower Garden and watch a few videos on my preferred growing system. I love hydroponics because you can grow food 30% faster with 98% less water than traditional gardens. Not to mention, because the plants are getting the right amount of nutrients, they typically grow 30% bigger than soil-grown plants! I at first balked at the cost of the system because I had the wrong mindset. I would pay thousands on health insurance, but almost nothing on ways to proactively improve my health. After my husband had his heart attack, we began rethinking the path we were currently on and decided to start pro-actively invest in our own health and the health of our family — we took the plunge and bought three Tower Gardens and that has been the BEST DECISION EVER!

grow your own kale hydroponically using the Tower Garden

Our daughter helping me bring in the kale from our Tower Garden

First Tower Garden Harvest

Our daughter has been helping us bring in the kale harvest for several years! You’re never to young or to old to learn how to eat healthy food.

I tell you over the past three years, the systems have MORE THAN paid for themselves in cost savings! My cystic acne has cleared up eating greens and food I’ve grown (no Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals or Pesticides to worry about because I know what I put or don’t put on my growing food!) and I also started taking JuicePlus+ capsules to fill in the gaps for the times in my life where I maybe wasn’t getting all my fruits and veggies in like I should each day. I AM SO GLAD that we took the leap to grow our own food this way. I am especially motivated because I have a daughter that could possibly have the same PCOS genes I have and I want to give her a fighting chance to beat PCOS and develop healthy habits from a young age.

Whether you grow in hydroponics or in soil, I hope you will want to learn more about how to grow food.  I invite you to check out and follow our sister site Grow Your Health Gardening — I’d love to show you how to grow healthy nutritious food with minimal effort.

Kale growing on a hydroponic aeroponic vertical Tower GardenGetting back to my Tower Garden of Kale … I have five different varieties of 28 Kale plants growing in less than a 2.5′ x 2.5′ space. I harvest every 4 days and the plants just soak up the sun and keep growing and growing! I couldn’t be happier with the production of this plant. I haven’t had to spray my plants with any pesticide. Kale is a cool season crop meaning it grows in the spring and in the fall. Here in Atlanta, it will keep producing in the 65ºF-80ºF weather but will probably start going to seed as we enter the 90ºF weather. At that point, I’ll pull the Kale and put another veggie in it’s place that loves the warm weather. Come September, I’ll put another round of Kale in and stock my freezer and pantry full of Kale for the winter ahead.

This Rubbermaid container is a workhorse in my refrigerator to keep greens fresh

I like to keep my greens in this Rubbermaid Freshworks container. It keeps them fresher longer. You can find one for your fridge here: https://amzn.to/3cZRHPa

My favorite snack to make is Zestylicous Kale Chips. I keep them in a glass Mason jar or in a gallon-size bag and it’s great for a grab-and-go snack. If you have a dehydrator or an oven, you can make this recipe noted below and it’ll keep in a glass jar with an oxygen absorber on a cool pantry shelf for at least one year. (Some sources I’ve read on dehydrating claim even longer, but on the safe side, I’ll say a year.)

As you may notice, this recipe incorporates some hemp powder. If you are unfamiliar with hemp seeds or hemp powder, it has a higher concentration of soluble and insoluble fiber meaning you will feel full faster and stay full longer. This is important especially if you’re trying to lose weight. You want to eat foods that help you feel full without high caloric intake of carbs or sugars. In addition, a 2016 study discovered that hemp has very strong anti-inflammatory properties and has a “great potential to dampen [the] inflammatory processes and improve signs and symptoms of several inflammatory diseases.”  And finally, hemp seeds contain the perfect 3:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, which is considered the optimal ratio for heart, skin, and brain health. One thing to watch out for with hemp though… it can interact with certain medications: Cardiac glycosides and Diuretics. If you’re taking either types of these medications, skip adding the hemp powder otherwise, I think it will help.

One tip when making these kale chips is to mix dry ingredients together and wet ingredients together first before combining. I also like to use a food-safe glove to work it into the kale, messaging the kale will soften it and help it dehydrate faster.

Zestylicous Kale Chips

Mix your dry ingredients together first before you add the wet ingredients. Combine and massage into your awaiting clean and nutritious kale.

Cheesy Copy Cat Kale Recipe

Make your own kale chips at home copy cat cheesy kale recipe

Once you work the wet mix through massaging the kale, your kale will shrink down a bit in volume.

Making Kale Chips

Spread a thin layer of kale chips on a dehydrator sheet. I wear gloves to keep the mix from getting under my finger nails.

Cheesy Kale Chips Recipe on the dehydrator

In addition to drying / dehydrating Kale, you can freeze it. You can add frozen kale to smoothies or soups. And any fresh Kale can be made into a tasty fresh Kale Salad or I also like adding it into my quinoa or black wild rice. Think of it like medicine and find ways to incorporate it into you weekly eating regiment. And if you don’t like the texture, find ways to soften it (like cooking it) or disguising it by mixing into soups and grains/rices. I personally have grown to love this plant, but I think it’s in part, because I’ve watched it grow from seed to harvest. There’s something extremely satisfying about eating something you’ve grown from seed because you’ve worked on it. It’s the fruit of your labor. And as you eat it, you appreciate it more because you put a little bit of effort and energy into growing it. You’ve patiently waited for it to grow and in 4 short weeks you begin to reap the rewards of your efforts.

And if you have a Kale recipe you love, please reach out to us and feel free to share. I’m always on the look-out for new ways on how to enjoy this nutrient-packed plant. I hope you will consider adding it to your food regiment and even consider growing it. And if you do, be sure to follow Grow Your Health Gardening and learn as you go. Life change isn’t an overnight event — it’s a journey of making healthy choices every day. I’m proud of you for making time to learn and hope that you continue as you pursue healing and health!

— Erin

Zestylicous

  • Servings: 5-7
  • Difficulty: easy
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PCOSbites

INGREDIENTS:
• 8 cups kale, washed and chopped
• 2 cups raw cashews or walnuts, chopped finely
• 1/4 cup Dehydrated Red Onion, 1/2 cup if using raw red onion
• 5 TBSP nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 TBSP hemp powder*
• 1/2 cup water
• 5 TBSP fresh lemon juice

TOOLS:
• Dehydrator
• Non-stick Dehydrator Sheets
• Mixing Bowl
• Liquid Measuring Cup
• Measuring Cups
• Teaspoon and Tablespoon Measurement
• Rubber Spatula

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Place cashews in a bowl. Add water to cover the cashews completely. Cover bowl and soak 4-6 hours.
  2. Rinse and drain cashews. Set aside.
  3. Wash kale. Pat dry.
  4. De-stem kale (take out center stem with a knife) and tear into approximately 3-inch pieces. Place kale pieces in a bowl and set aside.
  5. To make zesty mixture, blend dry ingredients first; cashews, nutritional yeast, red onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, hemp powder and salt until thoroughly incorporated.
  6. Measure water and lemon juice and then add to dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Using a spatula, scrape sides down and continue to blend well until mixed.
  7. Pour mixture over kale. Put food-safe gloves on and massage mixture into the fresh kale making sure all leaves are coated evenly and no clumps remain.
  8. Place the coated kale onto coated liners on a dehydrator tray. Make sure that the kale leaves are spaced out evenly. They should not be touching. Also watch that there are no large clumps from the mixture. This will ensure that the kale dries out evenly and quickly.
  9. Dehydrate for 24 hours at 110°F or until the chips are crisp (around 8-10 hrs).

This recipe is refined-sugar free, gluten-free, corn-free, and lactose-free. *Caution: Do not add hemp powder if you currently take prescriptive medications such as: Cardiac glycosides (i.e.: Lanoxin (digoxin) or a Diuretic (such as Diuril (chlorothiazide), Thalitone (chlorthalidone), Lasix (furosemide), Microzide (hydrochlorothiazide) as it will interact with these drugs and potentially cause harm.

refinedsugar-freegluten-freecorn-freelactose-free

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5 PCOS-friendly Burgers to Grill

Summer is here and it’s time to fire up your grill! Here are five PCOS-friendly burgers to enjoy! Remember, gluten-free is the best option. Put your burger on a full bed of lettuce and enjoy with a fork or spoon. If you need to have something for a bun experience, check out the sprouted grain version of the Ezekiel Bread Hamburger Buns!

Healthy Salmon-Quinoa Burgers

Salmon Quinoa Kale Burgers

by Skinny Taste | click to view recipe

 

Vegan Sweet Potato Sliders

Healthy Vegan Sweet Potato Sliders

by Emilie Eats |  click to view recipe

 

Prosciutto Olive and Sundried Tomato Turkey Burgers

Turkey Burger

by The Healthy GF Life | click to view recipe

 

Chicken Caprese Burger
chicken_caprese_burger

by Chef Robert Irvine | click to view recipe

 

Mediterranean Chickpea Burger

Mediterranean-Burgers

by Roboot with Joe | click to view recipe

 

Use Ezekiel Bread as a Sprouted Grain Burger Bun or a large Portobello Mushroom

ezekielbreadbuns

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Lunch: Caesar Salad with Salmon and blooming Broccoli Florettes

Caesar Salad with salmon and broccoli florets

There’s something about eating a flower from a healthy plant that just makes you want to smile. It’s yellow, warmed and grown by the sun and will make you want to draw a big ol’ yellow smiley face as you proudly put GOOD nourishing food in your body. It’s been about 6 weeks since I planted my broccoli starts into the garden.  I purchased six small tender plants and they are beginning to produce their first crop. I meant to get out two days ago to trim the floret heads that were forming (they were so little and cute), but the busyness of life got in the way and as I looked out at our little garden this morning I saw that about four plants had started to bloom — those yellow flowers were like a neon sign saying, “We’re ready! Hurry! Come pick us before we are gone!” So out with the scissors I went and just trimmed the stalk right above where new growth shoots were already forming. The great thing about broccoli is that you can get several cuttings off of one plant in one season. And I didn’t realize at first that you can eat not only the broccoli florets, but the leaves and when it is at the flower stage as well.

Did you know that Broccoli is a good source of Protein, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Selenium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium and Manganese.  I can just hear you saying, “Okay, great Erin. But translate that into how that helps me with my PCOS.” Women with PCOS typically have inflammation issues going on in their body and are at higher risk for ovarian cancer. This is where what you put into your mouth really matters — your liver and cells are counting on you to eat a food like this because it has (big word warning) isothiocyanates (also referred to as ITCs). ITCs are compounds that actually help shut down inflammation responses in the body. unique combination of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and pro-detoxification components in broccoli make it a unique food in terms of cancer prevention. What’s more, broccoli is also a rich source of one particular phytonutrient (a flavonol) called kaempferol. Especially inside of our digestive tract, kaempferol has the ability to lessen the impact of allergy-related substances (by lowering the immune system’s production of IgE-antibodies). By lessening the impact of allergy-related substances, the kaempferol in broccoli can help lower our risk of chronic inflammation. In fact, if you eat only an average of 1/2 cup of broccoli per day—only 22 calories’ worth of broccoli—scientists have shown it will have some measurable benefits.

Caesar Salad with Salmon and Broccoli Florets

I know there might be some of you out there that were once like me and digging in your heels saying, “I don’t like vegetables!” Well, my dear cyster, this is what helped me change my thinking when I put it in context… which is worse, enjoying some crunchy green stuff on top of your salad or going thru chemo treatments? Harsh maybe, but if you have weight around your middle, this message is for you as you most likely have inflammation happening inside your body. Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not happening. I’m here to coax you out of denial so that you can change your life one bite at a time. When you reason it out, the choice seems really clear — eat broccoli. Raw or cooked, it needs to get in your tummy to nourish your body. (Note: if cooking, steam at temperature of 212°F (100°C), with a cooking times of 5 minutes at the most for optimal nourishment.)

But enough about wonderful broccoli — let’s get back to what’s for lunch … today we put together a simple Caesar Salad with romaine picked fresh from the garden this morning, freshly grated Parmesan flakes (low to almost no lactose), and salmon (leftover from dinner the night before.)  I was reminded that I had harvested those pretty blooming broccoli florets (they were still soaking in a ice bath on the counter) and threw the broccoli florets with flowers on top as a crunching vitamin packed topping! It looks so pretty I wish you could see it in person!  And the flavors were fantastic! 

Cutting harvesting romaine lettuce tips

Tip: When you harvest lettuce of any type, take your cuttings early in the morning when it is still cool out and then water your plant and place your cuttings into a bath of ice water with some organic apple cider vinegar. The vinegar did flush out a little spider that was hiding in my romaine, so it’s always a good idea to wash your cuttings outside.

Salmon is an excellent source of vitamin B12, vitamin D, and selenium. It is a good source of niacin, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, phosphorus, and vitamin B6. It is also a good source of choline, pantothenic acid, biotin, and potassium.  It’s also a food that will fight inflammation in the body, so try to eat Salmon about 2x a week (easy if you do a dinner one night and then left overs another time at either lunch or dinner.)

In short, eat this! It’s tasty and good for the cells and organs in your body! 👏💗👍 

How much salad should you be eating each day?

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If you are consuming less than 5 cups of salad a day, your body may be under-nourished. Did you know that we need about 4,700 mg per day of Potassium to run the body for someone who is 200 lbs.  Take for instance a banana; one banana is 300 mg. You’d have to eat a lot of bananas to even begin to reach that 4,700 mg per day nutritional need within your body and the sugar (converted from the carbs in banana) would be a problem as well. The power house to help you feel your best? Salad!

imageYou need approximately 7-10 cups of salad per day to fuel the cells in your body. And the heavier you are, the more greens you need per day to nourish your body.  The good news is that salad is easy for your body to digest. One for lunch and one for dinner and you’ve nourished your body for the day.

Keep in mind as well that not only the quantity of how much salad you eat matters, but it also depends on the quality of the vegetable. Ice berg lettuce, for example, will not have as much nutritional value compared to something high-density like:

• Kale – Kale is packed full of vitamins A, C, and K. While slightly higher in calories than other greens, kale also provides a dose of vitamins B6-B1-B2-B3, manganese, iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, and potassium, making for a nutrient-packed salad. It also contains 3x times more lutein and zeaxanthin than spinach.

• Spinach – Spinach is packed with vitamin A and a great source of vitamins C and K, iron, and fiber. It also contains more folic acid than most salad greens, which helps convert the food you eat into energy and produces healthy red blood cells. Recent research also suggest compounds in the leaf membranes called thylakoids may serve as a powerful appetite suppressant. A recently published long-term study at Lund University in Sweden found that having a drink containing thylakoids before breakfast could significantly reduce cravings and promote weight loss. On average, the women who took the spinach extract lost 5.5 pounds more than the placebo group over the course of three months.

• Swiss Chard – Swiss Chard, a relative of the beet family, tastes similar to spinach. It is higher in sodium count than other salad greens (with 77 grams per cup), but it’s loaded with vitamins A, C, and K, and also provides some iron and calcium. Consider combining chard with a few other greens to make your own mix.  Recent research has shown that these powerhouse leaves contain at least 13 different polyphenol antioxidants, including anthocyanins–anti-inflammatory compounds that could offer protection from type 2 diabetes. Researchers from the University of East Anglia analyzed questionnaires and blood samples of about 2,000 people and found that those with the highest dietary intakes of anthocyanins had lower insulin resistance and better blood glucose regulation.

• Watercress – It’s more nutrient-rich than romaine and leaf lettuce, containing almost all of the daily recommended intake for vitamins A and K, and half the daily recommendation for Vitamin C, in a 2.5 cup serving. Gram for gram this mild-tasting and flowery-looking green contains four times more beta carotene than an apple, and a whopping 238 percent of your daily recommended dose of vitamin K per 100 grams—two compounds that keep skin dewy and youthful. The beauty food is also the richest dietary source of PEITC (phenylethyl isothiocyanate), which research suggests can fight cancer. Results from an eight-week trial published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutritionsuggest daily supplementation of 85 grams of raw watercress (that’s about two cups) could reduce DMA damage linked to cancer by 17 percent. Exposure to heat may inactivate PEITC, so it’s best to enjoy watercress raw in salads, cold-pressed juices, and sandwiches.

• Parsley – Parsley is a quiet superfood, so packed with nutrients that even that one sprig can go a long way toward meeting your daily requirement for vitamin K. Moreover, research suggests the summer-y aroma and flavor of chopped parsley may help control your appetite.

• Romaine Lettuce – Romaine is rich in vitamins A and K, but it isn’t quite a mineral powerhouse. Be sure to mix it with some spinach or kale to pack in more antioxidants, or opt for a pre-mixed blend. packs high levels of folic acid, a water-soluble form of Vitamin B that’s proven to boost male fertility. A study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility found supplemental folic acid to significantly increase sperm counts. Folate also plays a role in battling depression — something women suffering with PCOS may be familiar.

• Red and Green Leaf Lettuce – It has a mild taste, making it a good choice for getting vitamins A and K into the diet of children and picky eaters.

• Butter/Bib/Boston Lettuce – Butter lettuce is low in sodium, a good source of vitamin A, and has small amounts of iron and calcium.

• Arugula – It’s a tasty choice with some vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and calcium. Mix arugula with more nutrient-dense options to pump up the flavor and the antioxidant power of your salad.

• Chicory/Radicchio – A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that people who consume 650 mg a day of polyphenols have a 30 percent chance at living longer than those who consume less than that. A cup of chicory leaves clocks in at about 235 mg (double that of spinach!), so consider adding a little leafy red into your leafy greens.

• Beet Greens – Only 1 cup of the bitter green serves up nearly 5 grams of fiber—that’s more than you’ll find in a bowl of Quaker oats! Researchers at the University of Leeds found that risk of cardiovascular disease was significantly lower for every 7 grams of fiber consumed.

• Chinese Cabbage – Rich sources of highly-available calcium and iron, cruciferous vegetables like the cabbage have the powerful ability to “turn off” inflammation markers thought to promote heart disease. In a study of more than 1,000 Chinese women, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, those who ate the most cruciferous vegetables (about 1.5 cups per day) had 13 percent less inflammation than those who ate the least.

Your goal is to get in the habit of eating salad, because of it’s nutrients for your body just to function. When at the grocery store, look for something like a Spring Salad Mix which is composed of several different plants; Arugula Romain, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Red Mustard, Beet Greens Let your goal be to consume 7-10 cups of salad a day at first and use whatever dressing helps you to begin that habit. Once you are more accustomed to eating your daily salads, work on lowering the sugar in your dressings. It is recommended to have 1 gram of sugar per tablespoon or less. Making your own would be even better.

Tip: If you purchase salad in a plastic container at the grocery store, after you’ve taken out a serving, fluff the leaves and add a couple sheets of dry unused paper towels to absorb extra moisture before putting the lid on and returning to the refrigerator and your salad will last longer.

Avoid Ice-berg lettuce (not very nutrient dense), and toppings like croutons, dairy high in lactose, dried cranberries or raisins, as well as anything with sugar or any nut topping coated in sugar.

Instead, focus on putting these types of things on your salad:

• Did you know that 1 tsp of Sprouts is equal to 50 tsp of broccoli with phytonutrients?! Add sprouts!

• If you add fat to your salad, you will pull more nutrition out of the salad.  Use Bacon Bits, Feta, Olives, Olive Oil, nuts and seeds.

• Add protein like a hard-boiled egg or try 1/4 cup of cold cooked quinoa that is rich in protein as a topping as well. Hummus on the side is also a nice mix in to add moisture to the salad without adding extra dressing.

• A light topping of a beneficial fruit to fight inflammation in the body like: pomegranate, strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries.

• Other vegetables like: sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, cooked beets, radishes, chopped broccoli, cut carrots, diced celery, cucumber slices, diced onions, soybeans, avocado, and peas.

Check out what Dr. Eric Berg has to share about salad portions and what type of greens to eat:

Why our recipes at PCOSbites steer clear of refined sugar

Take a few moments and watch this video to learn about how sugar (and hidden sugar) affects your ability to lose weight.

As Dr Eric Berg suggests, get more potassium into your diet. How do you know when you are in ketosis (fat burning)? You won’t crave sugar.

Breakfast or Snack: 2 Carrot Muffin Recipes Face-off

imageWhen I saw that I could get a big ‘ol bag of carrots at Sams for around $3, my mind instantly began turning thinking up ways to make my crew (and me) something tasty in the baking department. Introducing gluten-free carrot cake muffins.

I quickly learned that there are a lot of recipes out there.  So, I decided to test two options that I found online and ended up adapting both after trying them out on my crew.  Turns out that half of my crew liked version one and the other half liked my second version. Win-win!

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So, I thought I’d include both options here on the blog, so that you could try either or both options based on whatever was in your pantry for supplies. I also wanted to taste-test the difference between a muffin made with almond flour and compare it against a muffin made with gluten-free oat flour.

I preferred the second recipe, as did my hubby, my 3 year old daughter, my six year old son, and one of my 15 year olds. My other 15 year old son (I have identical twin sons) liked the first recipe as did my 11 year old son. Had we not done a side by side comparison, I think either would have been quickly devoured.

You can store in a ziplock freezer bag and toss into the freezer as a grab-n-go breakfast or snack option.

Make both and tell us which one you like best in the comments below!

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Muffins - Option 1

  • Servings: 9
  • Difficulty: easy
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PCOSbites Carrot Muffin Gluten-Free with almond flour

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ¼ cups of blanched Almond Flour
• 2 TBSP Coconut Flour
• ½ tsp Aluminum-Free Baking Powder
• ¼ tsp Iodized Salt
• 1 ½ tsp Cinnamon, Ground
• ½ tsp Ginger, Ground
• ¼ tsp Allspice Organic Powder
• 2 large eggs, room temp and beaten
• 1/3 cup Pure Canola Oil
• 1/3 cup Honey
• 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract, Certified Organic
• 1 very ripe banana (if you want your muffin to be more moist)
• ½ cup finely grated carrots
• 1/3 cup of finely grated Pecan Chips
• ½ cup of Organic Sun Dried Raisins

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Mix first seven ingredients together in large bowl.
  2. Combine egg, oil, and vanilla in a small bowl and mix. Add to dry ingredients.
  3. Add honey, carrots, raisins, and nuts to bowl and mix with a hand mixer until incorporated.
  4. Scoop into a greased muffin tin or into paper cupcake liners. Fill batter to the top of each liner.
  5. Bake at 350° degrees for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

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This recipe is Gluten-free, Lactose-free, Corn-free, and Refined Sugar-Free

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Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Muffins - Option 2

  • Servings: 12 muffins
  • Difficulty: easy
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PCOSbites Gluten Free Carrot Muffin using oat flour

INGREDIENTS:
• 1 ½ cups of Organic Oat Flour, 24 oz.
• 1 tsp Aluminum-Free Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 ½ tsp Cinnamon, Ground
• ½ tsp Allspice Organic Powder
• ½ tsp Ginger, Ground
• 1 very ripe banana
• ¾ cup Honey
• 1 egg, brought to room temp and beaten
• 3 TBSP of Pure Canola Oil
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract, Certified Organic
• 1 ½ cups of finely grated carrots
• ½ cup of Organic Sun Dried Raisins
• ½ cup of Pecan Chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Mix first seven ingredients together in large bowl.
  2. Combine egg, oil, and vanilla in a small bowl and mix. Add to dry ingredients.
  3. Add banana, carrots, raisins, and nuts to bowl and mix with a hand mixer until incorporated.
  4. Scoop into a greased muffin tin or into paper cupcake liners. Fill batter to the top of each liner.
  5. Bake at 350° degrees for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Note: Most people can tolerate oat flour if they have a gluten sensitivity. If you have celiac disease, be sure you get a gluten-free oat flour as it will not have been milled at a facility where wheat, barley, and rye are processed.

gluten-freelactose-freecorn-freerefinedsugar-free
This recipe is Gluten-free, Lactose-free, Corn-free, and Refined Sugar-Free

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EAT THIS INSTEAD OF THIS: Quinoa vs. White Rice

It’s time for our next “Eat THIS instead of THIS”!

Check out the following infographic on why you should be swapping out that white rice for quinoa! And that includes reading those supposedly “gluten-free” ingredients on boxes… Remember, every day you can change your life one bite at a time!

THISinsteadofTHIS-full-quinoa-vs-whiterice

Snack: Sweet (Sugar-Free) Dark Cherry Popcycles

imageSnack: Beat that sweet craving with these sweet and good for you Dark Cherry Pops!

You’ll need 2 cups of frozen cherries, 1 cup of dark Black Cherry Juice, and a ripe plantain. Mix in blender until smooth and spoon into your pop-cycle mold. Place in freezer. Have these ready when you need a healthy something sweet or post workout.

If you have joint pain or arthritis, you need to be adding cherries to your diet. Dark Cherries not only fight inflammation in the body, but dark cherries have been found to reduce belly fat! Cherries also reduce post-workout pain. Dark cherries have anthocyanins which have been found to block two enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2) involved in the production of inflammatory compounds known as prostaglandins. Plus, they help to fight cancer – important to women suffering with PCOS as we are higher risk for ovarian cancer. A 2011 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that dietary intake of anthocyanins may help prevent high blood pressure. If you can’t stand the taste of the dark cherry juice, you can also take Tart Cherry Capsules as an alternative.

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With so many benefits, you need to be making this for the freezer now! 😘

– Erin

This recipe is refined-sugar free, gluten-free, corn-free, and lactose-free.

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#pcos #pcosbites #pcosdiet #pcosfood #pcostips #pcosfighter #pcosdiva #pcosweightloss #pcosawareness #pcoswarrior #pcoscysters #pcossupport #cysters #paleo #paleodiet #paleofood #weightwatchers #thm #trimhealthymama #whole30 #arthritis #jointpainrelief #jointpain #snacksmart #onebiteatatime

Lunch: Tossed Romaine Salad with Hummus

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Lunch: Tossed Romaine Lettuce with red and yellow sweet peppers, feta, #raw pumpkin seeds, #gojiberries , topped with fun-spiralized carrot and a dollop of sun-dried tomato hummus to the side.

Tip : you don’t use as much dressing if you mix it in a tossed salad. Stretches your dollar and lowers your caloric intake.

And those pumpkin seeds… Super beneficial for type O or A Blood Types! Sneak them in whenever you can!

“With a wide variety of nutrients ranging from magnesium and manganese to copper, protein and zinc, pumpkin seeds are nutritional powerhouses wrapped up in a very small package. They also contain plant compounds known as phytosterols and free-radical scavenging antioxidants, 1 which can give your health an added boost.” – Mercola

If you are blood type B or AB – leave them off as they will cause agglutination in your blood.

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This recipe is refined-sugar free, gluten-free, corn-free, and lactose-free.

refinedsugar-freegluten-freecorn-freelactose-free

#pcos #pcosbites #pcosdiet #pcosfood #pcostips #pcosfighter #pcosdiva #pcosweightloss #pcosawareness #pcoswarrior #pcoscysters #pcossupport #cysters #paleo #paleodiet #paleofood #paleolife #paleofriendly #keto #ketodiet #weightwatchers #thm #trimhealthymama #whole30 #healthymom #eatclean #onebiteatatime

Snack | Side Dish: Gluten-free Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes

Today’s dish is a result of me getting in the test kitchen sort of mood, as I decided to make lemon-aide from lemons you might say — or in this case, Fried Green Tomatoes from a “whoops” in the garden.

Five days ago, my husband and I were in the garden tending it and noticed that the Early Grow Tomato plant was very happy and becoming heavy-laden by four tomatoes it had produced on one vine. Our original support was just not doing the job and it needed something stronger to support the growing fruit. So, we tried adding a sturdier cage while gently lifting the vines. We were able to manipulate it in such a way that we felt confident the new structure was secure. He walked away satisfied, but no, I had to go give it one more little push into the ground. That’s when my ears heard a ***snnnnnap!!!***  and my heart dropped to my stomach. Sure enough, the stem that was heavy laden with four beautiful Early Grow Tomatoes had snapped at the base and was separated from the main plant. Ugh! I stared at my mishap. Double UGH! I thought.

So, I pulled the tomatoes off the broken vine and put the broken stem and leaf in my compost pile and hauled my four (very green) tomatoes up to the house sad that I had just spoiled my first crop in an aim to put that support in the ground perfectly.  They sat on the counter all week as I didn’t have the heart to throw them out. No ripening, they just sat there, staring back at me and reminding me of my mishap. But then I got an idea…  Remember that recipe that I used to coat chicken breast that my kids loved? What if we did a Southern thang’ and tried it on my green tomatoes?!

Fried Green Tomatoes

I sliced into those Early Grow (very green) tomatoes and they were beautiful. I gave them a bath in one whipped egg and coated them with my Gluten Free Breaded-but-without-bread Chicken Strips recipe. I backed off on the cayenne pepper by half and left out the turmeric (although it would be great in there as well.) And threw it in a hot pain sizzling with some bacon grease (my ghee wasn’t ready yet – ghee would be healthier, but the flavor was fantastic using the bacon grease.)

The first batch got a little burnt (see below pic), because I kept it on too high of heat (it was just above medium heat) for too long. The next batch turned out perf’ after I turned the heat to just below medium heat and then flipped the green tomato after about 40-seconds of grill time in my little sauce pan.

Test kitchen results

I only did a few at a time as they cook quickly.

Frying Fried Green Tomatoes

Flip when the edges start turning light brown. I added a little bit of ranch on the side to balance out the spices in the Gluten Free Breaded-but-without-bread Chicken Strips recipe. My guys LOVED it! My picky 6-year-old and my sometimes picky 11 year-old both gave me two thumbs up! And their father came back for seconds! Whoop whoop!

Gluten-Free Fried Green Tomatoes

Tomatoes have long been linked to heart health. Fresh tomatoes and tomato extracts have been shown to help lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Tomatoes help in the regulation of fats in the blood — numerous phytonutrients in tomatoes have been shown to help prevent excessive clumping of our platelet cells. (This ability is usually referred to as an “antiaggregatory effect.”)Tomato Nutrients

Tomatoes also have outstanding antioxidant content, including, of course, their oftentimes-rich concentration of lycopene. Research has shown that there is an important connection between lycopene, its antioxidant properties, and bone health. In a 4-week study of post-menopausal women, it was shown that those who did not consume lycopene-containing foods (like tomatoes) experienced increased signs of oxidative stress in their bones and unwanted changes in their bone tissue.

They are also very low on the glycemic index which means you can enjoy without worrying about a spike in your insulin levels.

And lastly, there have been some studies that show that tomatoes have anti-cancer benefits. As you know, in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), there is a greater risk for Ovarian Cancer, so tomatoes may be beneficial.

One word to my PCOS Cysters — if you are experiencing severe joint pain and suffering from an arthritic condition, you may want to skip this snack/side dish idea. Joint pain can be caused by high uric acid in your body or because of arthritis. Night shades (which tomatoes are considered) are pro-inflammatory in some body types so you may want to check with your physician treating your arthritis before consuming this type of dish.

If you try making this recipe, I hope you share your pic and feedback in the comments below! Enjoy! (PS: Maybe even watch the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes” while eating this! Ha!)

Gluten-free Fried Green Tomatoes

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

PCOSbites

INGREDIENTS:Fried Green Tomatoes
Gluten-Free Coating Mix:
• 1 cup Almond Flour
• ½ tsp Garlic Powder
• ½ tsp Onion Powder
• ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper, Ground
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 TBSP Organic Kelp Granules
• ½ tsp Thyme
• ½ tsp Turmeric(optional)
• 1 tsp Ground Cumin
• Ghee or Bacon Grease for frying

Main Ingredient:
• Organic Green Tomatoes

Egg Bath:
• 1 Egg

TOOLS:
• Cutting Board and Knife
• Frying Pan
• Spatula for flipping fried green tomatoes
• small open bowl large enough to place tomato into for egg bath
• small open bowl large enough to place tomato into for coating mix

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Heat your frying pan at just below medium heat.
2. Slice green tomatoes to about 1/8″ to 1/4″ thick.
3. Whip one egg in a small open bowl that is large enough to place a tomato into the egg bath coating both sides of the tomato with raw egg.
4. Move green tomato immediately into the gluten-free coating mix and coat both sides of the green tomato with gluten-free coating mix.
5. Add a ½ tsp of bacon grease to the hot pan (make sure the pan isn’t too hot or it will splatter). It should melt quickly. You want to move the pan so that the bacon grease coats the entire bottom of the pan.
6. Add your green tomato coated with the egg batter and gluten-free coating mix into the pan.
7. Allow your green tomato to cook in the pan for about a minute. The edges will turn a light-brown. Flip and cook for about the same time on the other side.
8. Remove from heat and serve with a little bit of ranch dressing (optional).
enjoy PCOSbites recipe footer

This recipe is refined-sugar free, gluten-free, corn-free, and lactose-free.

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