While participating in this relatively new journey of creating foods for myself, I’ve come across some unexpected foods that I’ve grown to love and enjoy incorporating in my weekly meals. While some of them make seem unusual, if you give them a chance, you might end up loving them as much as I do!
Cottage Cheese. Craving sweet and salty? This quick snack can cure those cravings in a healthy way while actually contributing to your protein intake for the day! I think cottage cheese has been overlooked for years, because people associate it as that type of food you’re forced to eat when being on a diet plan. However, there are tons of ways to make cottage cheese more appealing to fit individual preferences! Rice cakes are a great base for any kind of spread. Take a spoonful or two of cottage cheese and spread it on a rice cake. For added sweetness, drizzle a bit of honey or add a few raisins or berries of your choosing and there you go -- you’ve got the perfect pick-me-up with that classic combination of sweet and salty!
Cacao Powder (not cocoa powder). Sometimes our sweet tooth acts up more than usual and cacao powder is a great way to satisfy that craving while providing some important nutrients. In fact, raw cacao powder is a source of antioxidants, iron and calcium. For any vegans out there lacking in iron and calcium, a few tablespoons of cacao powder can do the trick. One of my favorite ways of incorporating this into my diet is mixing it in with my oatmeal for breakfast. All you have to do is put in a tablespoon in your oats, heat it up with water, and you’ve got a bowl of chocolate oats that are completely healthy for you! Another way to use cacao powder is putting it in your smoothies! While there is nothing wrong in indulging in a chocolate bar once in a while, incorporating cacao powder when you can has added benefits that cocoa powder may be lacking in.
Acorn Squash. Okay -- just bear with me on this one. You’re probably thinking, that does not sound like an edible food for humans. But trust me, this is the ultimate comfort food. Make sure you buy the whole squash, unprepared. To prepare it, all you need to do is cut it in half and pop it in the oven. When you take it out, the mushy texture of the squash provides the sensation of eating mashed potatoes but there’s an extra kick of sweetness in it. It’s almost like a hybrid between a sweet potato and a normal potato. I like to eat this with ketchup drizzled on top, with a side of greens. This makes me feel so full and satisfied while providing amazing health benefits like an abundance of Vitamin C!
Oats. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m always starving in the morning and I’ve found the only food that can really hold me over until lunch is oatmeal. Oats are known to be a power food -- they make you feel full for a long period of time because they are filled with a soluble fiber that takes longer to digest, increasing the amount of satiation. In addition to that, they are full of carbs, protein, and fat that keep you going in the morning. If you aren’t a fan of oatmeal -- no worries. You can even use this bad boy to make healthy pancakes! My favorite type of pancake is just a mixture of 3 ingredients: ½ cup of oats, one egg and one banana. Just blend those in a food processor and you’ve got a healthy pancake batter. Fry them up on a pan like you normally would and heat up some blueberries until they burst to use as as a syrup on top.
Dates. I used to always look at dates as that weird food only my grandma would eat and always try to persuade me to try. One day, I finally gave in and I’ve never looked back. Dates are a game changer! As one with a major sweet tooth, I’m always searching around for new ways to get that sugar in without sacrificing my health. Yes, dates may look questionable on the outside but don’t judge a date by its cover! The chewy texture combined with the sweet flavor makes it such an unexpected indulgence. One of my favorite ways to eat dates is to cut it open and spread a little bit of almond butter in the middle and roast them in the oven for about 10 minutes. Biting into this is amazing -- the combination of nutty and sweet is the perfect after-dinner treat. The only thing you have to look out for with dates is they are highly calorically dense, so make sure to enjoy them sparingly!
