fiber this

To the produce department we go!

I think it's pretty clear by now that this is not a "dieting" blog. What I do hope to promote is a healthy balance between indulgence and discipline. For me, it's simple. I love food far too much to deny myself of certain luxurious albeit naughty treats. And to keep my sanity and gosh darn it, personal contentment, I spend the work week being "good" so that come the weekend, I'm free to give in to all this fabulous city has to offer. Let it also be known that being "good" never, ever means boring or difficult. It just means punching up the flavor (with fresh herbs, interesting spices, vinegars, etc.) and making sure there's a satisfying contrast of textures. Take for example my mayo-less tuna salad. Try this one this week. You'll forget all about the Hellman's. Or at least, for the time being.

That said, I recently heard the following (via Health Magazine): by adding 30g of fiber to your daily diet, you can shed about 5 pounds in a month. No. Joke. And when fruits and vegetables like broccoli, arugula, brussels sprouts, carrots, kale, squash, eggplant, apples, oranges, blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries (to name a FEW) happen to be naturally rich in fiber, well, I don't think this 30g thing is going to be a problem.

Whole grain anything also has great fiber content (whole wheat pasta, for example) as does Wasa Crispbread (and as a Scandinavian, that's music to our ears). So don't worry about this being a carb-less process. The beauty of fiber is its ability to make you feel full, satisfied. Thank. Freaking. God.

So here's what I'm thinking about putting together this week: whole wheat orzo (or whatever shape pasta you like) with broccoli, lemon zest, chickpeas, and crumbled feta (or part skim ricotta). In a large pot of boiling water, add in your pasta. While the pasta cooks, chop up some broccoli florets. When the pasta is a minute shy of being done, add in your broccoli. Drain the pasta and broccoli and put them in a large bowl. Zest one lemon and one garlic clove into the hot pasta/broccoli. Add a dash of red pepper flakes and half a can to a can of drained chickpeas. Crumble in the feta (or ricotta). Toss. Bam. You're done.

And just like that, you're on your way to a svelter figure without even trying.

Oh and ahh, boot camp starts tonight.