Organic Gluten Free Quinoa Rice & Shine

As you can probably tell, I'm on a gluten-free kick lately. I just feel SO much better when I limit my intake. I've been trying different products here and there and came across this hot cereal I loved and had to share. The texture and taste actually reminds me of grits which I'm sure you've all heard of. I had no idea grits even existed until I spent four years of college in Alabama where I became quite familiar with this Southern breakfast staple. 

As I continue to mention, variety is so incredibly vital to sticking with your healthy lifestyle. If you have the same things all the time, you are more likely to stray and grab something that has little or no nutritional value. So I am always looking for new additions and trying to mix/match where I can because I get bored very easily. This hot cereal is not something I would normally flock to, however, my mom actually bought it for me to try out and I was pleasantly surprised. It takes about 5 minutes to make on the stove and is filling and warm which is always nice first thing in the a.m. There are only two ingredients which are organic whole grain brown rice grits and organic quinoa flakes. I try to stick by the rule of anything that has more than 5-6 ingredients is no bueno. Obviously, it's a situational, give or take type of rule as well. But I've found that in a majority of situations, more ingredients = more processed foods, sugary additions, etc. Also, if you don't recognize a lot of the ingredients, don't buy it. It's probably crap. Just my personal opinion...

This takes 5 minutes and all you need is: 

Arrowhead Mills Organic Gluten Free Quinoa Rice & Shine

1 tsp raw honey

1/4 tsp of coconut oil

a few heavy dashes of cinnamon(cinnamon rocks my world, hence the emphasis on heavy)

some fresh blueberries

*You can find most Arrowhead Mills products at Whole Foods, Sprouts or Jimbo's*

*The 5 minute finished product*

*Vanilla Spice Perfect Energy Yogi Tea*

Salad Lover

I'm a huge salad person. I could literally eat a massive bowl of salad every day. BUT I have to change it up or I will get bored real quick. It's all about variety. I also pretty much always add some type of meat/protein to the salad as well as some type of nuts/seeds. This salad is one of my faves and it never disappoints. I used the already cooked shrimp and just sauteed it with olive oil, garlic, salt n pepper and some lemon. If you want to be a little bad, add some Italian style croutons :) ​
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2 handfuls of spinach or baby spinach
1/2 cup of chopped red cabbage

1/2 diced cucumber

1 diced red bell pepper

1/2 Fuji apple chopped

1/2 an avocado

1/2 cup chopped baby carrots

1/4 cup sesame seeds

Fresh ground pepper 

Add in the sauteed shrimp  ​

​olive oil & red wine vinegar for dressing or balsamic vinaigrette 

Adjusting to the Gluten-free lifestyle...

Recently, I've cut out gluten from my diet. I didn't do it for allergy reasons but I just feel so much better when I cut out or at least limit my intake of gluten. Upon doing this I have become more aware of all the various gluten-free products on the market. They have a ton out there especially at Whole Foods.
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A rule I always stick to is allowing myself to indulge every now and then. I'm extremely healthy every day, however, just like everyone else I enjoy eating foods that aren't the best for me but are so darn good. One of my favorite "cheat" meals is breakfast. I love making pancakes especially on weekends so I can take my time. I discovered this amazing mix at our local Seaside market and was not expecting it to be that good. I mean how good can gluten-free pancakes be? Oh my goodness they were to die for. I also added in a tsp of vanilla extract to the mix-heaven. Diced up strawberries on top is super delish and makes it look fancy (blueberries are great too). Pair these bad boys with some turkey bacon and REAL maple syrup and you have yourself an amazing breakfast.