Easy pantry meals

• Grocery List
• Recipes
• Food Information
  • Iron Absorption
  • Specific Foods
  • Digestion
• Important Food Tips for Runners

Grocery List

• Protein
  • eggs
  • nuts: peanuts, almonds, mixed nuts, walnuts
  • peanut butter: all natural, no saturated fat added, with or without salt
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Tuna Fish
  • Salmon (6-ounce fillets for a special easy recipe)
  • Lunch meat: ham, roast beef, turkey
• Carbohydrates
  • Rye bread
  • 100% whole wheat bread
  • Unbleached whole grain rice (not white)
  • Tortillas: whole wheat, corn, or spinach, as well as Fritos
  • Oatmeal: plain in bulk, no little packets
  • Cereal: cheerios, granola, cracklin oat bran, grape nuts
  • Couscous
  • Potatoes
  • Popcorn
• Desserts
  • Ice Cream: all natural. No artificial sweetener, low fat, bull shit
  • Jelly or preserves: all natural, no high fructose corn syrup
  • Butter
• Spices and other extras
  • Curry
  • Guacamole
  • Salad Dressing: ranch, blue cheese, red french
  • Garlic: cloves or powder
  • Cinnamon
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Olive oil
  • Dark brown sugar
  • Dry mustard
  • Chili powder
  • Ground cumin
  • Black pepper
• Vegetables
  • V8 splash
  • Snow peas
  • Pea pods
  • Broccoli
  • Tomato
  • Spinach
  • Salad: dark green and purple stuff, no iceberg
  • green peppers
  • Carrots
  • Corn
  • Hummus: get as large a container as possible.
  • Onions
• Fruits
  • Raisins
  • bananas
  • apples
  • oranges
  • Frozen juice: apple, orange, cranberry, whatever really
  • Dried apricots
  • Blueberries
  • Strawberries
  • Raspberries
• Dairy (and pseudo dairy)
  • String Cheese
  • Cheese (mozzarella, colby, whatever)
  • Mayonais
  • Cottage cheese
  • Milk
  • soymilk
  • almond milk
  • Chocolate milk
  • Yogurt: mostly just buy plain tubs, or vanilla (adding jelly turns it into flavored yogurt)
• Links
  • Stress relieving grocery list

Recipes

Hummus - This is a basic recipe for hummus. Be creative and experiment with various ingredients. Add roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes, pesto, spinach, feta cheese, or black beans into your food processor. Serve with pita bread or pita chips, or choose from baked chips, whole-wheat pretzels or crackers, fresh vegetables, or serve as mini-sandwiches.

• 8 ounces canned Garbanzo Beans
• 1 tablespoon Tahini
• 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 1 teaspoon Garlic (finely chopped)
• 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
• Black Pepper (ground)
• Optional: Salt to taste

1. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans
2. Puree the garbanzo beans in a blender/food processor with tahini, lemon juice and garlic.
3. With the machine running, add the olive oil slowly until the hummus becomes thick and creamy.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve as desired.

Masala Masoor ( Spiced Lentils) Serves 8 from Andrea Shah
1 teacup lentils (whole)
2 medium onions - chop
2 chopped tomatoes
3 T olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic and 1 ½ inch piece of ginger, crushed together
1 teaspoon chili powder


Wash lentils and cook ( can be done in a pressure cooker or just simmer until soft. If the latter, soaking them for a few hours would speed up cooking time).

In a separate pan, heat oil and sauté chopped onions till light brown.

Add garlic-ginger paste and sauté for 1 min.

Add tomatoes and keep stirring for 3-4 minutes

Add cooked lentils, salt and chili powder to taste.

Spahgetti - Peas, thyme, parmesan, olive oil, spahgetti, some garlic and salt might be good to add too. Chili is a great addition to or substitute for spahgetti sauce.

Salad - Salad with walnuts or sunflower seeds, raisins, and red french dressing

Frittata - Ingredients:onion, salt, egg, olive oil.
Amounts: 3 eggs and almost a whole onion serves 2.

Instructions:
Cut onion up into small pieces.
Whip eggs in a bowl.
Sprinkle some salt on the eggs.
Put onion in nonstick pan with olive oil.
Turn burner up to 7.
Secret is to burn onions just a little.
Pour eggs in the pan.
Mix a little then leave, with no more mixing.
When ready, flip over the frittata with a spatula.

Cereal - Cereal can be supplemented with a wad of peanut butter on the side of the bowl or by adding cinnamon, nuts, and/or raisins.

Heavenly oatmeal - raisins, oats, cinnamon, sugar (brown is better), PB or cream cheese.

Spahgetti - Spahgetti can be enhanced by adding green peppers, diced tomatoes, diced garlic cloves, and melted cheese.

Tortillas - BLT Tortillas

Century Juice
A delicious cider-like drink perfect for breakfast or an energy boost: Mix Apple juice, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and milk (milk or soymilk, milk tends to curdle with the acid from the apple juice. It looks less-good, but tastes fine).

Garlic Ham and Cheese Sandwich
Just what it sounds like. Add a little butter and melt the cheese.

Grilled Hummus Sandwich
A grilled cheese sandwhich with hummus and tomato.

Pizza Potatoes
Heat up some potatoes. Smother in spahgetti sauce and cheese. May need to be heated some more. Add in extras such as green pepper and mushrooms, and that mixed pizza seasoning.

Indian Chicken
Rice, chicken, and store bought korma, saag, or curry sauce. To fancy up the korma chicken add diced pear.

Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Wrap
Wheat wrap, peanut butter, granny smith apple slices (or banana), cinnammon, brown sugar.

Salmon with Savory Seafood Rub
Ingredients: 4 x 6-ounce Salmon Fillets rinsed and patted dry, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin.
Directions: 1. Place Salmon on foil-lined baking sheet. Spoon olive oil evenly over salmon. 2. Combine all the spices and mix. Sprinkle over salmon. Press them in to help them adhere. Refridgerate at least 30 min or over night. 3. Preheat oven to 400F. If salmon has been refridgerated only 30 min bake 8-10 min or until opaque in the center. If refridgerated over night bake 10-12 min or until opaque in the center. Do not over cook. 4 fillets serves 4 people.
Tip: Make sure to pat salmon dry otherwise seasonings will not adhere properly.

Fabio's Seafood Pasta
Boil noodles as you normally would. In a separate pan make the sauce. First add olive oil and raw garlic. Cook on 6-7 for 5 min. Then reduce heat to 4-5 and add diced tomatoes (and tomato past, optional). When the sauce begins to heat up add chopped olives and tuna or smoked salmon. You don't want to cook this too long. You can save leftovers and eat them during the week.

Roberta's Curry Rice - Ingredients:
Salt
curry
rice
oil
pine nuts
onion

Directions:
cook onions in non stick pan in a little olive oil.
Cook on 3-4 heat until soft.
Then add rice.
Wait one minute for rice to absorb flavor.
then add 3 parts water for every one part rice.
Cook on high 15-20 min.
Add curry, salt, and pine nuts towards the end.

Can add more water if it looks like the rice needs it.

Cheese, mustard, spinach wrap

Pizza wrap
pepperoni, spinach, tomato product, cheese, onion, pizza seasoning.

Eggs in toast
Set stove to 3-4. Add the amount of butter that you would use on toast. Tear a hole in the middle of the bread. Once the butter melts add toast. Keep the toast on for a short time to toast it a little. Then add an egg to the middle. Flip when ready.

Cauliflour
Boil cauliflour. Drain. Add olive oil, lemon, and a pinch of salt. Awesome. Easy.

Onion Bliss
Pour some olive oil (not much) on an onion half. Microwave it for 1-2 min depending on the size of the onion. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Way more awesome tasting than a microwaved onion should be.

General Food Info

Absorption

Vitamin C boosts iron absorption and calcium blocks it. Pair up spinach or red meat with OJ or tomatoes. Don't have cereal with a meal of spinach or other iron rich foods.

Specific Foods

Tuna fish
Why it's good:Tuna comes with protein and heart-healthy omega-3 fats. Research shows that men who eat at least 3 to 4 ounces of fish per week are less likely to die of a heart attack, and that women who eat at least 2 servings of fish per week reduce their risk of rheumatoid arthritis. When it's good: Perfect for lunch or an afternoon snack. Consider a tuna salad with low-fat mayo and sliced tomatoes. Calories: 110 per 3 ounces, canned in water

String cheese
Why it's good: Many runners fail to meet their calcium requirement, especially those who don't eat many dairy products. String cheese is a tasty, convenient way to take in calcium and protein as well as some fat. When it's good: Have a stick or two with some high-carbohydrate foods after a long run or race. Research shows that eating a little protein along with carbohydrates can speed your recovery. Calories: 80 per 1-ounce stick

Chocolate milk
Why it's good: Chocolate milk is cold and helps keep you hydrated. It also provides plenty of protein, carbohydrates and B vitamins. The calcium in milk will help keep your bones strong. When it's good: An ice-cold shot of chocolate milk is the perfect reward after a hot summer run. Calories: 160 calories per 8 ounces of 1 percent milk

Cottage cheese
Why it's good: It's packed with protein, which runners need more of than sedentary people for muscle rebuilding and repair. It serves as a good calcium source as well. When it's good: Anytime except just before running. Great with fruit after an intense workout or race. Calories: 165 per 1 cup of 1 percent cottage cheese

Dried apricots
Why they're good: These chewy little morsels are low-fat and high-carbohydrate, and provide a decent amount of vitamin A, fiber, and potassium. When they're good: Anytime. Toss chopped apricots over your granola at breakfast, or eat whole ones plain before your afternoon workout or as a sweet treat after dinner. Calories: 80 per 10 apricot halves

Digestion

Trouble digesting vegetables? Try using the blender more often and/or drinking vegetable drinks like V8.

Foods that relieve/prevent bloating.
From this source
1.Try fresh pineapple. Fresh pineapple contains bromelain and this is a digestion-promoting enzyme.
2.Try fresh papaya. This contains papain, a digestive enzyme similar in function to bromelain, great for breaking down food and digesting proteins.
3.Munch on celery. Celery helps to relieve fluid retention because it is a diuretic. Try a handful each day until your bloating is under better control.
4.Choose asparagus. Asparagus encourages the growth of friendly gut bacteria. Friendly bacteria work to reduce the build-up of stomach gas.
5.Add yogurt to your daily diet. Yogurt brings helpful bacteria to your gut.
6.Season your food with freshly ground black pepper. Black pepper aids digestion and massaging the essential oil of black pepper on your stomach region can also help.
7.Drink peppermint tea. Peppermint tea aids digesting by helping food pass through the stomach quickly. It also calms flatulence. Either pre-packaged peppermint tea in bags or fresh mint leaves will work.

Especially for Runners

After a workout

Eat in moderation after a workout. Blood is busy helping the legs recover. Taking that blood and sending it to the gut to digest food is not what you want. You still want to eat after a run just eat moderately.

Iron and protein are important after a run and red meat supplies both of these. Just don’t eat too much of it.

Low fat chocolate milk is an awesome recovery drink. Anything with a 4 to 1 carbs to protein ratio is ideal. Endurox was designed around this principle.

Laura, the nutritionist at NEPXC 07, recommends some foods an hour or less before a workout and possibly foods during the workout especially if it is longer than an hour. Experiment with what you can digest an hour or less before a workout such as a banana and/or half a powerbar. For during the workout a sip of gatorade or small sugary item is plenty.

Google "homemade power/energy bars" and "bicycle power bars" for cheap alternatives to power bars.