Best of 2024, pt I
Part I of a 3-part post. This is 1-5 of my Best of 2024.
Time flies. If you remember last year’s Best of and you see something here that’s repeated, it’s that good.
What’s kept you healthy & strong this year?
Arugula salad
Arugula
Cruciferous veggies contain cancer-fighting compounds.
Arugula became a new favorite. I got on an evening arugula salad ‘kick’ that lasted ~6 months…or has it been a year already?! 🧐
How I use
Arugula is perfect for the lazy cook, which is how I identify. I dump the greens directly from their 5-ounce box into my salad bowl.
Mashing avocado, fresh lemon juice and balsamic vinegar into the greens tones down the spiciness of the arugula, by a lot. I’d guess it’s the fat in the avocado that transforms the taste. I also add nooch, always nooch.
This is my favorite place to buy balsamic vinegar. It’s expensive, but the consistency is much thicker than anything I’ve purchased at Whole Foods.
Apparently it wasn’t just me. Arugula flew off the shelves at my neighborhood Whole Foods this year (anecdotal!).
[Read more: What are cruciferous vegetables, and why are they so good for you?]
Quartered artichoke hearts, Whole Foods 365
Artichoke hearts
Artichokes are low in calories and high in nutrients.
Artichokes
Contain disease-protective phytochemicals
Lower cholesterol
Aid digestion
Promote healthy liver function
Improve blood pressure
Lower cancer risk
May promote better sleep with >20% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of magnesium
Protein? Fiber? Yes and yes.
How I use
Quartered artichoke hearts managed to next level my salad.
I throw a can of quartered artichoke hearts (packed in water!) in a colander.
Rinse under cold water.
I add 1/2 can (or more) to my arugula salad.
If I’m not making a salad, artichoke hearts are as delicious plain, as a snack or veggie side dish.
[Read more: 10 health benefits of artichokes]
Dry roasted soy beans
I haven’t found a better packaged food nutrition label.
And they’re crunchy. And they’re delicious.
✔️ Protein
14 grams!
✔️ Fiber
9 grams!
✔️ No saturated fat
1.5 grams total fat
0 grams saturated & trans fat
✔️ No added sugar
Total sugars <1 gram, 0 added
Serving size is a measly 1/3 cup. Mind blown. 🤯
How I use
I’m on the go. These are in my bag.
Brown rice cooked on the ‘gaba brown’ setting in my Zojirushi rice cooker
Gaba brown rice, Zojirushi rice cooker
It tastes better.
It digests better.
GBR (germinated brown rice) is also called ‘sprouted brown rice’. The process of germination enhances the bio-availability of nutrients by neutralizing phytic acid.
How I use
Sometimes I make black beans and rice as a one-pot meal in the Instant Pot.
Sometimes I cook these separately. The rice goes in my rice cooker (gaba setting!) and the dried beans go in my Instant Pot. This gives me more flexibility in how I use each ingredient, e.g. in salads, in bowls, separately, together, etc.
Both methods are good, it depends on my mood. BUT brown rice cooked the gaba way is so soft and delicious. It’s different than cooking it in the Instant Pot or on the standard brown rice setting in a rice cooker.
Try it. And then let me know which you prefer.
I’ve rinsed rice. I haven’t rinsed rice. Currently, I’m rinsing the rice. Rinsing removes dust and starch particles, improves texture by removing excess starch, and may reduce arsenic levels. 1 cup of rice fits nicely in a small, 3” fine-mesh sieve. Small is easier to clean.
In the Zojirushi rice cooker, scroll to gaba brown on the Menu.
The timer counts down from 192 minutes.
That’s 3.2 hours in the rice cooker! Get the rice in the pot early. Then set it and forget it.
*Thanks to Danny for the gaba brown tip. 🌱
100% buckwheat soba noodles from Noble Jiyugaoka, 2 Chome-15-9 Jiyugaoka, Meguro City, Tokyo 152-0035, Japan
Dining out in Japan
Nothin’ but buckwheat.
Japan may be the easiest place to dine out healthfully.
We don’t have to go to Japan to take cues from traditional Japanese cooking.
While there are some restaurants in Japan that lean towards more “Western-style” ingredients and cooking methods, most of the restaurants I encountered on my trip in April served dishes prepared with traditional ingredients and cooking methods.
Salt is served on the side. The vegetables aren’t sitting in a pool of oil. If processed sugar is used, it’s used in smaller quantities than other cuisines.
Even desserts, like my favorite red bean mochi, aren’t overly sweet. The fiber in the beans helps mitigate rapid blood sugar spikes, and other digestive issues, caused by processed sugar.
How I use
The food in Japan is #goals, it’s inspiring. Simple, beautiful, focused on fresh, local ingredients and a diversity of vegetables.
* I’m plant-based, I ate plants in Japan.
* Yes, I’m going to make a basketball reference. 🏀
Thanks for reading!
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Eat plants. 🥦 Hydrate.🚰 Move.🤸 Prioritize sleep. 🛌
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