28 Day Diet Challenge - Day 18

(Sponsored by Whole Foods Market)

Your Action Plan: Let seeds, nuts and avocados be your main source of healthy fats. When cooking with fat, strictly use extra-virgin olive oil as it is the healthiest cooking oil. Be careful with the olive oil as one tablespoon has 120 calories, one-quarter cup has 500 calories…so use it sparingly!

Breakfast

• Special Oatmeal
• Pomegranate juice

Ultimate Oatmeal 

 Serves: 4 — Prep Time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 6 pitted dates, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander
• 2 bananas, sliced
• 1 cup chopped or grated apple
• 1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

Directions

1. In saucepan, bring water to a boil and stir in all ingredients, except blueberries and flax seeds. Simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in blueberries. Sprinkle flax seeds on top or stir in. Cover for 2-3 minutes before serving.

Lunch

• Whole-wheat pita stuffed with shredded romaine, sliced tomato, broccoli sprouts, and avocado slices
• Tomato Almond Dressing/Dip
• Healthy Slaw
• Cherries

Italian Dressing

 This Italian dressing isn’t just for salads. Feel free to use as a marinade on fish, chicken or pork. You can also use as a dressing on cold pasta salad.

Liquid Ingredients

1 cup preferred vinegar (I use red wine vinegar)
1-1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 lemon, juiced

Dry Ingredients

2 finely minced garlic cloves

2 tablespoons finely minced onion

1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon sugar

1/2 tablespoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

1. Pour dry ingredients into a glass jar or bottle with a cover.

2. Whisk the liquid ingredients together and add to the dry ingredients

3. Cover and shake well.

4. Let sit for at least 4 hours for the flavors to meld together.

Stores unrefrigerated for 1 month.

Healthy Slaw 

Serves: 3 — Prep Time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients - Slaw

• 2 cups shredded apples
• 1 cup shredded raw cabbage
• 1 cup shredded raw beets
• 1 cup shredded raw carrots
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans or almonds

Directions

1. Combine slaw ingredients.
2. Blend Italian dressing ingredients and toss with slaw.
3. Sprinkle pecans or almonds over slaw.

Dinner

• Citrus Salad with Orange Peanut Dressing
• Anti-Cancer Soup  (Save leftovers for Day Nineteen lunch)
• Melon

Citrus Salad with Orange Peanut Dressing 

 Serves: 2 — Prep Time: 15 minutes 

Ingredients - Orange Peanut Dressing

• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoons peanut butter, natural and unsalted
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/4 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
• 1/4 medium clove garlic, chopped

Dressing yields four servings. leftover dressing may be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

Ingredients - Salad

• 15 ounces or 10 cups baby lettuce mix
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 orange, peeled, cut in half and sliced
• 1/2 small sweet onion, thinly sliced and cut in half
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted

Directions

1. Blend all dressing ingredients in high powered blender or food processor until smooth.
2. To prepare salad, arrange avocado slices, onions, and orange rounds on top of lettuce. Pour dressing over salad and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

*Lightly toast sesame seeds in a pan over medium heat for three minutes, shaking pan frequently. 

Super Soup

 Serves: 10 — Prep Time: 20 minutes

(Save the leftover for lunch tomorrow!)

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried split peas and/or beans
• 4 cups water
• 4 medium onions
• 6-10 medium zucchini
• 3 leek stalks
• 2 bunches kale, collards or other greens, chopped, tough stems and center ribs cut off and discarded
• 5 pounds carrots (or 4-5 cups juice)
• 2 bunches of organic celery (or 2 cups juice)
• 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped

Directions

1. Place the beans and water in a very large pot over low heat.
2. Add whole onions, whole zucchini and whole leeks to the pot along with chopped kale. Add carrot juice, celery juice and Mrs. Dash.
3. Simmer mixture until onions, zucchini and leeks are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove the soft onions, zucchini, and leeks from the pot along with some of the soup liquid, being careful to leave the beans and some of the kale in the pot.
4. Using a blender or food processor, completely blend/puree the onions, zucchini, and leeks. Add more soup liquid and the cashews to the mixture, and blend in. Return the blended, creamy mixture back to the pot. Add the mushrooms and simmer another 30 minutes or until beans are soft.