Showing posts with label New Year Resolutions. Show all posts

Health and Fitness New Years Resolutions

     The New Year is here! Welcome 2017 and all that you have to offer! I can't wait to see what this next year holds for me! The new year is a great time to get back on track and start being healthier. Even if you already have a healthy lifestyle, its still a good time to shake things up and get back on track!

 

Zesty Greek Salad Dressing

     I love salad dressings! But unfortunately most salad dressings are very high in fat and calories! You can make a very low calorie salad into a high calorie meal with a single pour of salad dressing! Yes, they are delicious and, for those who don't like vegetables, it can help them get their greens in, but they aren't a healthy choice. Thankfully, there are many healthier choices that can keep your salad healthy!


One healthier option is this Zesty Greek Dressing! I made this to dress a quinoa salad a few days ago, but let me tell you! I could have drank this dressing from the jar( no kidding!). It was delicious on the quinoa salad, but it would also be great on a lettuce salad, as a veggie dip, heated and used as a pasta sauce, or over rice or other grains! So its versatile, vegan, oil and fat free, low calorie, and packed full of zesty and amazing flavor!

Ingredients:
1 can Diced Tomatoes( try for a low sodium brand)

2 TBS Greek Seasoning ( go for one that doesn't contain salt)

4 TBS Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 cup Water ( more or less depending on what consistency you want. Thicker for dips and sauces and thinner for dressings)

Salt and Pepper to taste

The reason I suggest using no or low salt ingredients is because it allows you to control the amount of salt in the dressing better. You would be surprised how much salt goes into store bought dressings! Making your own is a sure way to make sure what you are eating is truly good for you!

Simple ingredients right? The method is just as simple, so lets get started!

Add everything into a blender or food processor.


Blend well until everything is puréed and combined well. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preferred flavor. I made my dressing fairly thin for my quinoa salad, but I would love to make some thicker and use as pasta sauce!

Store any leftover dressing in the fridge in an high-tight container.

 
I used this dressing on a quinoa salad, so here is an overview of how I made it!
 
2 cups dry Quinoa cooked( I used 3 cups water and 1 cup lemon juice to cook my quinoa)
1 large Cucumber- peeled and diced
1-2 cups Cherry Tomatoes- cut in half
1 can Navy Beans- rinsed
 
I added everything to a large bowl( make sure the quinoa is cold!), and poured about a half a cup of the dressing on it. It was super delicious and fresh! A perfect recipe to start the New Year on the right(healthy) foot!
 
 
This recipe was really simple and yummy! I love how fresh  it taste, and with no added oil, its a great low calorie meal for any day! Another great thing is that this recipe makes a lot! Its great to store in the fridge for quick meals during the week!
 
 
I really hope you try this dressing recipe and see how you like to use it! It really is so simple that you can make it in no time and have it in your fridge for you to use on everything! Much better than those store bought dressings, though delicious, full of fat, oils, additives, chemicals and added sugars! Also, probably much cheaper! What more is there to love?



Both of these recipes are great low-fat vegan recipes, but that doesn't mean everyone can't make and enjoy them! They are perfect recipes to jump start your healthy resolutions for 2016!



I hope you enjoy this recipe post! Please share it with your friends and family to give them a great recipe to start their new year off right! Sharing is caring, so please share my blog as well! :)

You can follow the blog to stay up-to-date on the post! Follow via email, Google, Twitter @SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett. If you come and follow me on social media, please say high! :)

I post every Friday, so check back then for another post!

Keep Healthy and Safe!
H. Banana

Happy 2016!- New Year Resolutions+ Life Update!

     2015 has come and gone, making room for a brand new year! It seems like this past year just flew by so fast! So much happened, a lot has changed, I learned a lot, and had a lot of amazing experiences in 2015! I just can't believe the year is already over!

 
Looking Back
 
     In 2015, so much happened and changed, more so than the years before! For one, we moved from our 30 acre farm in Memphis to a neighborhood outside of Nashville. That was a huge change for all of us! It did take a while to get used to, but we are enjoying our new house and area, and I don't think any of us are regretting the move! We get to spend more time as a family, and that is really all that matters!
     I started babysitting a ton after we moved in to our neighborhood! It has not only kept me busy, but is a great way for me to make money, for shopping or saving for college! :)
     My sisters and I started taking music lessons again after we moved. Our music teacher comes to our house, which is so nice! We all take piano and I also take the violin! It is such a wonderful privilege to learn to play an instrument, and we are all very thankful for it!
     Of course there has been lots of little and big things, that all add together, to make up the year! My little brother has grown so much, my older brother starting college, my Dad went to school(which really is a big deal!), and  we took some great trips, some little and some bigger! Of course our recent trip to Washington D.C was a big highlight!
      My little brother had a trip to the ER room, which was the first trip we've ever had to take there as a family!
     We took an amazing trip to Canada, which is another huge highlight for this year!
      Even further back, last New Years we were in Colorado spending some time with friends and skiing!
Looking  back has really brought back great memories, and made me so thankful for a lot of things! I can't wait to see what this next year holds for me!:)

New Year Resolutions

     Around this time of year, most people make their New Year Resolutions, promises, and set goals, all in the hope that the next year will be better than the previous one. Most of the time, these resolutions have to do with losing weight, health, family, jobs, traveling...... depending on the person, they can be about anything! :)
While I don't have many(if any) regrets, looking back over 2015, I have made a few New Year Resolutions. They aren't really because last year was bad( because it wasn't) but because I have goals I want to accomplish!
No matter what your resolutions are, or why you make them, I do believe they can be a great motivator to accomplish goals in the year to come!

My New Year Resolutions

1. Read More Books- I tend to spend so much time watching cooking videos on YouTube, working on the computer, and Pinterest! I want to read more this next year!
2. Drink More Water! I am terrible about drinking enough water! I want to change that this year!
3. Do More Yoga and Stretching- I love cardio and running, but I don't do enough yoga and stretching! Hopefully that will be different this year!
4. Continue to Eat Healthy- Just keep going with what I am doing, as well as improving as I go!
5. Cook More from my Cook Books- Pinterest recipes are great, but we have so many cook books at home! I want to cook more from them this year!
6. Spend More Time Outside- I am terrible about staying cooped up inside all day, even if it is a pretty day, reading, on the computer, etc.. I want to change that!
7. Put More into my School and Music- Not that I didn't this past year, but there is always room for improvement! :)
8.  Grow my Knowledge of Health and Nutrition- I want to make a career out of it in the future, so the more I learn now, the easy it will be later!
9. Continue to Write Post and Make Recipes for the Blog- because, if anything, I really enjoy it!
10. Do More of What Makes Me Happy- After all, happiness is contagious!

Goals for the New Year

1. Run a Marathon
2. Learn to Drive
3. Read every book on my list
4. Do a Color Run
5. Become a better version of myself, everyday! :)
6. Have as much fun as I did in 2015

     I know that New Year Resolutions can get a bad rap, and people don't tend to stick to them long term! If you have a true passion behind your resolutions, you will go far with it! I hope that, in this next year, I can do a better job of sticking to my resolutions and continue to improve everyday! After all, we are always changing and there is always room for improvements( for myself anyways!)

Life Update
 
 
I Have Gone Vegan!
You might have noticed lately that my recipe posts have all been vegan or vegan friendly. This is because I have decided to change my diet and become a vegan. It is a big change from my diet before, but I haven't regretted the change one bit!
There are several reasons I went vegan! The biggest one is health! I have never felt healthier, better, or fitter before! I don't have anymore annoying stomach aches, and I have more energy!
Obviously there is a lot more to the story, and I hope to share more about Veganism and me going vegan in a later post!
 
You can expect a post about Veganism in the future! Also, most(if not all) of my recipes from here on out will be vegan or vegan friendly!
 
If you are not vegan, don't worry! You can still enjoy my blog! I hope my decision to change my diet won't turn you away from my blog! :)
 
 


I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and a great New Years Day! I can't wait to get started on great things to come in this new year!

Happy 2016!

Please share this post with your friend and family to help them accomplish their health-related New Year Resolutions, and over all become healthier!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett. Its a great way to stay up to date on the blog!

I post every Friday!

Happy New Year!

Hannah Banana